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of which have been successful developments.
Why do I need extra funding?
When I originally made the plans for this game, I did everything from budget planning to creating design documents. I have completed roughly 75% of Coast Defender but have exceeded my expected expenses. With your pledge I will continue to develop Coast Defender, as well as optimize the graphics and gameplay. This is why I ask for your help. To finish and make Coast Defender a reality.
A sneak peek into what we have done:
Tropic Level:
Volcano Level:
Arctic Level:
Unit Preview:
Your Fortress (Can be equipped with offensive units):
Sinking Ship:
Exploding Barrels:
I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Coast Defender. Stay tuned for additional preview of more units, maps, and ships!
Visit coastdefender.com to subscribe to our mailing list!Image copyright Getty Images
Green Party candidate Jill Stein is attempting to engineer a recount of presidential ballots in three "Rust Belt" states won by Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Could this process reveal evidence of election fraud or even hand the presidency to Hillary Clinton? That seems highly unlikely.
But it hasn't prevented more than a bit of wild speculation, a Twitter tirade by the next White House incumbent and a flurry of lawsuits from both sides of the political divide.
Here's everything you need to know about the presidential election drama that just doesn't want to end.
Which states are involved?
The Green Party-backed recount campaign is focused on three states that Mr Trump won - Wisconsin (by 22,177 votes), Michigan (10,704 votes) and Pennsylvania (71,313 votes).
The review of ballots has already gone ahead in Wisconsin, but has yet to proceed in the other two states.
All three states account for 46 votes in the Electoral College, more than enough to tip the election to Mrs Clinton if they moved from Mr Trump's column to hers.
According to federal law, all recounts have to be concluded within 35 days of the election.
Will it change anything?
If Clinton supporters are working through their post-election grief, the millions of dollars that have poured in for recount efforts show that many are still firmly in the denial stage.
For Mrs Clinton to be declared the victor would require a swing of more than 100,000 votes across the three states - a move that would dwarf all previous recount results.
A Green Party-requested effort in Ohio in 2004 resulted in Democrat John Kerry netting a grand total of 285 votes more than President George W Bush, for instance.
The infamous Florida recount battle of 2000 involved shifts in the vote count measuring in the hundreds.
Even Ms Stein concedes that the recounts will not likely alter this election's outcome.
"These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is," she wrote on her website.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Jill Stein has raised more than $6m to fund recount efforts in three states
There's also the possibility that the recount, while not affecting enough votes to help Mrs Clinton, could reveal the results were tampered with, possibly by foreign hackers.
Although the Obama administration has said that there is no evidence to support this, there are indications that Russian-based hackers had probed voter databases in Arizona and Illinois earlier this year and were responsible for releasing private emails from high-level Democratic Party and Clinton campaign officials.
According to J Alex Halderman, a University of Michigan computer science professor, that's more than enough reason to support Ms Stein's recount efforts.
"Examining the physical evidence in these states - even if it finds nothing amiss - will help allay doubt and give voters justified confidence that the results are accurate," he writes on the website Medium.
"It will also set a precedent for routinely examining paper ballots, which will provide an important deterrent against cyber-attacks on future elections."
Of course, that doesn't really explain why Ms Stein is requesting a recount in Pennsylvania - where getting any kind of a meaningful information will be difficult.
Why is Pennsylvania different?
Unlike Wisconsin and Michigan, most of Pennsylvania's voting machines leave no paper trail - so there's nothing physical to count.
One voting expert told the Los Angeles Times that a Pennsylvania recount would be a "nightmare scenario" requiring each of the state's 1980s-era voting machines to be individually accessed and their results retabulated.
The relatively archaic nature of the Pennsylvania machines does have a benefit, however.
Given that they are not connected to the internet, they would have to be individually hacked in order to alter their results - a daunting task for the most enterprising meddler.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pennsylvania largely relies on voting machines that were built in the 1980s
Even the process for obtaining a recount in Pennsylvania is cumbersome.
Unlike Wisconsin and Michigan, requests have to be filed on a precinct-by-precinct level with at least three voters in each delivering notarised affidavits to their local election clerk.
There are 9,163 precincts in Pennsylvania, and according to Ms Stein challenges have only been filed in 260 of them - a drop in the bucket, electorally speaking.
She has filed suit requesting a full recount.
Why do the recount costs keep rising?
A couple of weeks after the election, Ms Stein began her online drive to raise the necessary funds to move forward with the process, as all three states require the petitioning party to pay for the recounts.
So far she has raised more than $6.7m (£5.3m).
The campaign's original stated goal was to raise $2.5m, but that target has since jumped several times and now stands at $9.5m.
The fundraising page on Ms Stein's website said there were other costs than just those owed to each state, including fees for lawyers and statewide recount observers.
Wisconsin came back and said the recount would cost $3.5m, much more than initially expected.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption An observer films the recount in Dane County, Wisconsin
In Michigan, the Stein campaign has paid the legally required recount filing fee of $973,250, but the state attorney general says it could costs "millions".
What happens to any leftover money?
Ms Stein has stressed the cash raised is going into an account specifically designated for the recount campaign, not into a general campaign fund.
Amid questions about what would happen to any unused money, the campaign added a line to its website saying: "If we raise more than what's needed, the surplus will also go toward election integrity efforts and to promote voting system reform."
What is the Clinton campaign's position?
The Clinton team said it would co-operate with Ms Stein's recount efforts.
That only means the Clinton campaign will ensure it has representatives in any legal proceedings arising from the recount and observers on hand during the process.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hillary Clinton has kept a low profile since election day
"Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves, but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides," Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Erik Elias wrote in a Medium post.
Mrs Clinton herself has kept silent on the matter - as have most of her top advisers.
How has Donald Trump reacted?
Attorneys for the US president-elect and his supporters have moved to block election recount efforts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
And if there's one thing the impending recounts have revealed, it's that post-election Donald Trump will behave largely like pre-election Donald Trump - quick to take to Twitter to air grievances and settle perceived slights.
He fired off a series of tweets accusing the Green Party of staging the recount to "fill up their coffers" and condemning Mrs Clinton for reneging on her promise to accept the results.WASHINGTON — The State of the Union just isn’t what it used to be.
Sure, the pageantry and theatrics of the annual presidential address will all be there. The stem-winder of a speech from President Barack Obama. The standing ovations from his supporters, and strategic smirks and scowls from his opponents. The wall-to-wall media coverage and cable news countdown clocks.
But viewership is falling, with 20 million fewer people watching last year’s State of the Union compared to Bill Clinton’s address at the same point in his presidency. Congress rarely follows through on the policy proposals the president unveils. And this year, the battle lines between Obama and the new Republican-led Congress will have already been set before the president arrives on Capitol Hill for the annual address to a joint session of Congress and a television audience of millions.
The dwindling impact of the big speech has sent the White House searching for new ways to break through. It’s now thinking of the State of the Union as an “organizing principle” rather than a single, communal event.
So instead of waiting until Tuesday night’s address to announce new initiatives, Obama has spent the past two weeks unveiling them in a series of speeches around the country and social media posts. The White House is aiming to get people who don’t tune in to the 9 p.m. EST address to catch up with at least parts of it later. And the president’s first big post-speech interview will go not to a big newspaper or TV network but to YouTube, in hopes of capturing the attention of some of those less likely to have watched the actual speech.
“The environment is so cluttered that if you don’t spread out your initiatives and unveil them in channels where people already are, like Facebook or Upworthy, then they’re just going to get lost in the discussion,” said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama’s senior adviser. The impact of the speech isn’t diminishing, he says, “but the nature of the experience is different.”
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, says the days of the eloquent speech are past.
“Eloquence requires an audience capable of sitting still and thinking and appreciating,” she said. In the current environment, she adds, “we don’t have any time to think about the significance of the speech or to meditate on it. There’s no reflective time.”
For all of the White House’s determination to capitalize on that changing media culture rather than fight it, Obama’s voice will be part of a cacophony. That dilutes the value of his considerable strengths as an orator, and makes it harder for him to commandeer the spotlight from competing forces.
Even the Republican response, once a single speech following the president’s, has morphed into a multipronged rebuttal from politicians in different wings of the party.
“There’s just too much confusing noise for the president to get a clear channel in the way that he once did,” says speechwriter Jeff Shesol, who once helped write State of the Union addresses for Clinton.
Polls stretching back to Jimmy Carter’s presidency show that State of the Union addresses have little effect on how Americans view the president, according to Gallup.
But even clever media strategies can only do so much to boost interest in a lame-duck president when everyone knows his proposals aren’t likely to go far in a Republican-controlled Congress. Presidents can still command a big audience when there’s major news afoot — more than 56 million people tuned in on May 1, 2011, for Obama’s last-minute speech at 11:35 p.m. announcing the death of Osama bin Laden, compared to 33 million for Obama’s last State of the Union — but even clever media strategies can only do so much to boost interest in a lame-duck president when everyone knows his proposals aren’t likely to go far in a Republican-controlled Congress.
Indeed, the flurry of proposals the White House has rolled out in advance of next week’s address have largely been retreads of congressional legislation the president has already called for or relatively small-bore executive actions. One new legislative proposal — a call for making community college tuition free for some students — was immediately panned by Republicans.
The new political landscape in Washington following the GOP victories in November’s midterm elections adds one element of intrigue to Obama’s address. For the first time in his presidency, Obama will be standing before a Congress controlled by the opposing party.
But the contours of the relationship between the White House and Republican leadership will have been largely defined by the time the president speaks to the nation. Both sides have already outlined the few areas where they see the potential for compromise, including trade and tax reform, and the White House has already threatened to veto several bills the Republicans have prioritized, including approving construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and changes to Obama’s signature health care law.
Still, for those Americans who want to turn on their television Tuesday night to watch the State of the Union, the White House is promising at least a few surprises.
“We have some cards up our sleeve,” Pfeiffer said.The civic hackathon – a gathering (either virtual or physical) of technologists for a few days or weeks to build civic-themed software – remains one of the more durable manifestations of the open government movement.
Hardly a week passes without the announcement of a new event or contest – sometimes more than one. As I’ll explain more fully in a moment, this is a good thing.
The civic hackathon is also, increasingly, one of more analyzed facets of the open government movement.
There are more and more smart, engaged people talking about ways to make civic hackathons better – to help ensure that the software these events produce is of higher quality and has a longer lasting effect. This is also a good thing.
Some of the more enlightened analyses on methods/strategies for improving civic hackathons that have crossed my radar of late (by no means a complete list) are the following:
Also worth a read is a recent post on TechPresident by Nick Judd (always a thoughtful contributor on this topic).
In reading much of what is written on the subject of civic hackathons lately, it’s easy to take away a feeling of concern – even skepticism – about their real value.
The constant lament I hear is that civic hackathons don’t work (or don’t work well enough) because many of the apps that are developed as part of these events are not sustained long-term. Some don’t survive the weekend.
I have for some time tried to dispel the notion that this is the only measure (or even one of the most important) of a civic hackathon’s success. And in this post, I will try again.
I <3 Hackathons
I’ve got a thing for civic hackathons.
I was a competitor in the very first Apps for Democracy that took place under Vivek Kundra in Washington, DC, and I was also a competitor in the first Apps for America contest put on by the Sunlight Foundation.
Since then, I’ve been a participant in lots of other civic hackathons and coding events as either a participant, organizer and sponsor (sometimes as more than one).
I’m currently organizing a Philadelphia civic hackathon and helping to organize another in Baltimore. I am a part of not one, but two entries in the FCC’s Apps for Communities competition.
Yeah, I like hackathons.
This doesn’t always make me the most objective person in discussions about whether civic hackathons “work,” but I believe my multifaceted experience with these events has given me insight into other factors that can be used to evaluate their success.
I think civic hackathons can be bigger than the apps the generate. With some forethought and planning, these events can generate benefits that resonate well beyond the end of the award ceremony.
I think it’s a mistake to judge the success of a hackathon solely on how long the apps it produces “live” afterwards.
It’s also a mistake to try and improve hackathons by focusing exclusively on strategies for sustaining apps in the long term. This misses some of the most important benefits that can be generated by these events.
Whether we’re judging past success of civic hackathons or trying to improve future performance, it’s time to get beyond the apps.
You Get What You Plan For
I’m by no means suggesting that striving for long-term adoption of apps generated at civic hackathons is a trivial or unimportant thing. Far from it.
I’m currently working with a group in Philadelphia that developed an app as part of a recent Random Hacks of Kindness event, to identify funding and supporters to help support operation of the app long-term.
My contention here is that this is but one of the benefits to come from this civic hacking event generally, and from this software application specifically.
Not only did the efforts of my team result in an app – they resulted in a previously unavailable data set being published for others to use. The app my team worked on helps people in Philadelphia locate farmer’s markets and food retailers that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reimbursement through text messaging. The data behind this app is now available for anyone that wants it, either through an API that supports geo-spatial queries or as a downloadable file in a commonly used format.
The data our app needed to operate was “liberated” in the process of building the app. It is now available for anyone else to use, tweak, modify or expand.
That was our plan, and whether we are able to secure longer-term support for our app, and receive assistance in promoting it, this liberated data will live on.
I’m not the only person that has made this argument. Clay Johnson – formerly of Sunlight Labs – has emphasized repeatedly the need to build a community around app contests. This is another positive outcome that can have long term benefits that is not directly related to how many apps are actively being used six months after a civic hacking event.
I noted with some excitement the number of elected officials and political candidates that attended the recent Summer of Smart hackathons in San Francisco. This is a great way to expose public sector employees and officials to the power of civic hacking.
It’s an approach I am using in the upcoming Apps for SEPTA coding event I’m helping organize in Philadelphia, where officials from the Mayor’s office (who’ve never been to a hackathon before) will be in attendance.
I’ve argued in the past that one of the key benefits of civic hackathons is that they stretch traditional notions of public service delivery and show governments what is possible to do with their data. I can’t think of a more effective way to do this than through a civic hacking event.
There is also the very real potential for these events to generate reusable components – open source software that can be used by other developers or governments to build civic applications down the road.
Nick Judd of TechPresident said this much more eloquently than I:
“With each hackathon, some of the detritus — bits of code, training videos, documentation, the right people trading email addresses — becomes scaffolding for the attendees of later ones.”
The benefits that are achievable through civic hackathons go far beyond just the collection of apps that get developed in the course of a weekend.
But the impetus is on organizers and supporters of such events to plan for these benefits, and to nurture them after the event is concluded. You get what you plan for, and if event organizers don’t plan past the end of the weekend then the potential for a missed opportunity is real.
Civic hackathons are bigger than the apps they generate – they always have been.
Many, though, are now just realizing how far the benefits of these weekends of caffeine-fueled hacking extend.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A run of good health in professional football can be a little bit like a no-hitter in baseball to some: While in the midst of it, there can be a reluctance to acknowledge it because of superstition or the belief that things might suddenly turn.
But Bill Belichick doesn’t seem to subscribe to that line of thinking.
Bill Belichick's Patriots are healthier this season than they were last year at this time. And there are reasons for that. Jason Bridge/USA TODAY Sports
During a low-key yet informative Sunday conference call in which just four reporters asked questions, Belichick didn’t hesitate to state the obvious: The Patriots are healthier this year, which is a direct result of some changes the team has made in 2016.
While Belichick did not delve into too many specifics, there some of the things that have been obvious to media members who spend time around the team daily:
Moses Cabrera was elevated to head strength and conditioning coach, with James Hardy hired as his assistant.
Full-padded practices have mostly been moved from Wednesday to Thursday, giving players an extra day after Sunday games before absorbing contact.
Lightening the load on players in practice -- and sometimes not having players practice at all -- when GPS tracking data worn in players’ practice jerseys indicates they could benefit from a reduction.
Adopting rotations at certain positions in games to limit higher snap counts while also building depth. This has always been part of the approach to some degree.
Surely, there are more items behind the scenes, but these are a few of the scratch-the-surface observations that come to mind, along with this contrast in statistics: As of Monday, the Patriots have placed four players on injured reserve and have three players on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Last year at this time, the team had 11 players on IR and four on the PUP list.
“We’re halfway through the season, and at this point, you can look at the numbers relative to where we were a year ago, and see there is a significant improvement,” Belichick said. “Hopefully, we will be able to maintain that through the second half of the season when we ran into some trouble last year.
“I think we’ve always worked hard. We’ve tried every year to work a little bit harder, try to do things a little bit better, and hopefully some of those little things are paying off. I know the players work extremely hard on their training as well as their nutrition, hydration, rest, recovery, all the things that go into performance. We’re always looking to fine tune those for each individual because they’re all different.”
Belichick noted how when the Patriots declare their inactive players before each game, the choices haven’t been as clear-cut this year because more players are available from a health perspective.
“In previous years, a lot of those players were just out of the game, couldn’t play, so there was really no consideration. There wasn’t really a lot to dispute on. The decision was minimal, whereas this year, that really hasn’t been the case,” he said. “The seven inactives, maybe five, six of them, whatever the number is, whatever it averages out to be, are guys that could play, would help us, and then it’s just this player versus another player, which player has the most value for that game.
“It’s actually a good problem, a good conversation to have, a good situation to be in, but it’s a lot different than -- going back through my notes, especially in games we played last year. You kind of look at where you were last year in that game, and we’ve fortunately been in a different place in many of these games this year. We’ll see if that continues. Hopefully it will.”
Belichick was asked how much of that can simply be attributed to good fortune.
“I’m sure you’re right about the breaks of the game, if you will, the good fortune, but I think when you look at it over a longer view -- five years, 10 years, 15 years, probably somewhere along the line there -- there’s a little more to it than that,” he said.
“Not saying that isn’t part of it, it always probably is, but I’d say the thing we try to concentrate the most on are the injuries that we feel are most preventable and those being predominantly soft-tissue injuries that are a function of training and hydration and nutrition, rest, and things like that. A broken bone or an impact hit that causes a problem, it’s hard to prevent those. Some of those are going to happen, although I do think there is an element of training that comes into play there, too.
“But non-contact injuries, injuries that occur from pulled muscle, from dehydration or fatigue or whatever happens, those are the ones that I think as a coach and as a staff you look back on and say, ‘Could we have done things differently there?’ So yes, some of that involves the individual player, his specific body composition and skill set and demands, and some of it is probably the training that we put him through and so forth, and how we best prepare the players for the workloads that they’re going to have on game day. It’s a long conversation, and one that, we’ve spent a lot of time on.”2.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Reddit Tumblr Digg Linkedin Stumbleupon Mail Print
Government watchdogs in London, launched in March, an investigation into claims that Scotland Yard covered up child sex abuse crimes because of the involvement of MPs, police officers, and officials.
After announcing twelve more investigations into the Metropolitan Police Department on Wednesday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission is currently examining 30 allegations of corruption by MPs and Met police relating to child sex offenses from the 1970’s to the 2000’s, in which it is claimed that officers suppressed evidence, hindered or halted investigations, and covered up offenses to protect their colleagues.
Additionally, Scotland Yard has revealed that 18 other allegations have also been referred to the IPCC that are still awaiting approval to proceed with investigations.
They are being conducted by the internal professional standards departments at the Met and Essex police departments – and are being overseen by the IPCC.
Among the previous allegations include a claim that government documents found at a child sex offender’s address tied a number of “highly prominent individuals” including senior police officers to a pedophile ring before no further action was taken and the investigation was dropped.
Another allegation claimed officers omitted a senior politician’s name from an abuse victim’s police report. Other claims implicated a police coverup of child sex abuse allegations involving a former senior Met police officer and “further members of the establishment including judges.”
The IPCC has also said, that an investigation into young men being targeted in Dolphin Square, an apartment complex popular with MPs, was also allegedly abandoned because officers were “too near [to] prominent people.”
Other allegations claim surveillance operations of a child sex abuse ring were shut down because “high profile people” were involved, and that intelligence gathering on a politician suspected of being involved in pedophile activities in the 1970s was ended by a senior MPS officer.
In still other claims, it was even alleged that police officers sexually abused a boy and carried out gang-stalking-type surveillance on him, and that an investigation into a pedophile ring that resulted in multiple convictions, did not take action against “more prominent individuals.”
The new cases announced on Wednesday result from eye-witness testimony by retired officers and include allegations that a prosecution against an official over child-pornography was dropped after the advisement of senior officers, that top officers shut down an investigation into a south-west London pedophile ring in the 1970’s, and that an MP was arrested and then released without charges during a south London pedophile ring investigation in the 1980’s.
Also alleged is that evidence relating to child abuse at a youth club involving politicians and council officers in the 1980s and 90s went missing from a London police station, that an MP was charged with lesser child sex offenses than were pursuant to his crimes, and that an investigation in to child sex abuse in central London in the 80’s was halted after it was revealed that an MP had been implicated.
There are also claims that a special branch of the department made attempts in the 1970’s to interfere in an investigation in to an MP’s involvement in child sex offenses, and that officers were also allegedly threatened with breaking the Official Secrets Act if they exposed the truth.
“The [Metropolitan Police Department] recognize[s] the severity of the allegations, and the importance of understanding whether or not our officers had in the past acted inappropriately,” a Met Police spokesperson originally said in March after investigations were first announced.
The spokesperson added, “ongoing investigations and recent convictions by officers from the Sexual Offenses, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command have shown that the MPS is fully committed to investigating non-recent allegations of [child] sexual abuse.”
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Most Ministry of Strategy and Finance officials view the economic fallout from the hosting of the controversial US missile defense system here as the most imminent economic challenge for the new president, a survey showed Tuesday.In a survey conducted by local news media eDaily on 41 high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, most picked the risk posed from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system as the No. 1 risk to the economy.An official was quoted as saying, “Several unexpected variables may come into play regarding foreign agendas, and THAAD is difficult to resolve as it involves various fields such as diplomacy, defense, and economics.”He added, “There are possibilities that China may push forward an even stronger retaliatory behavior than before.”Most of the officials also said that the impact government policies have on trade agendas are rather limited due to the uncertainties coming from external sources, eDaily reported. They were especially worried that Korea may fail to maintain a balanced relationship with the US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.The damages caused by China’s retaliation against the deployment of THAAD may be enlarged, taking into account that 21 percent of Korea’s exports, worth approximately $10.5 billion, is dependent on China. The relationship with the US can not be ignored as the US Commerce Department and Treasury Department is to announce their reports on trade deficit and exchange rate on June and October respectively, the officials were quoted as saying in the survey.The respondents also discussed rising risks from domestic economic situations, such as a potential recession that may be brought about by stagnation.The Korea Development Institute had predicted that the rate of economic growth will show a decline from 2.8 percent in 2016 to 2.6 percent in 2017 and to 2.5 percent in 2018.“While the index during the first quarter seemed to be rising, there is always a chance that it might worsen in the next quarter and the situation with Daewoo Shipbuilding is not over,“ an official was quoted as saying.“Short-term economic stimulus measures are to most likely appear in such cases, which means that mid- and long-term reforms on labor, public policies and the fourth industrial revolution may be overlooked.”Another official also pinpointed that political uncertainties may even threaten economic stability.“No matter who comes to power, the opposition party is likely to become the majority, which increases political uncertainty and creates more confusion,” he said.According to the Korea Manifesto Center, the finances required to fulfill their pledges for each candidates were: 178 trillion won for Moon Jae-in, 200 trillion won for Ahn Cheol-soo, 208 trillion won for Yoo Seong-min, and 550 trillion won for Sim Sang-jeung. Hong Joon-pyo did not disclose his budget planning.Many officials were also quoted as saying that reviewing current economic policies is necessary to go through a major economic reform.“There are limits to the trickling down effect of exports and development policies based on large conglomerates. We need to break off from deregulation,” said an official. (jiminy@heraldcorp.com)Productivity Lost Due to Powering Down Electronic Devices?
A study by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University claims that greater than 105 million hours of technological activity is projected to be disrupted on domestic flights in the United States this year — an estimated increase of 104 percent since 2010 — as a direct result of passengers not being permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration to use portable electronic devices at any time the aircraft is below 10,000 feet in altitude but not on the ground, combined with the surging annual increase in the use of such devices.
The question is this: is the purported safety of fellow passengers and flight crew members by not allowing the use of personal electronic devices during the times when an airplane takes off and lands worth all of that lost productivity, when work can be done?
The answer to that question depends on whether or not you believe that the safety of all aboard an airplane during ascent and descent is improved when all personal electronic devices are completely powered down.
Apparently Alec Baldwin does not believe so, as illustrated by this now-infamous incident back in 2011 when he was forced by a pilot to leave an aircraft operated by American Airlines because he refused to turn off his mobile telephone after the aircraft doors were closed prior to departure.
By the way, I intend to discuss the topic of actually conducting telephone calls aboard airplanes in a future article. This one is about the use of personal electronic devices without using the telephone feature.
Many FlyerTalk members have been skeptical for years, questioning if personal electronic devices really do threaten aircraft. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration considered forming a group to study the policies pertaining to the use of portable electronic device with regard to commercial aviation to determine when they can be used safely during flight…
…but if pilots and flight attendants could use portable electronic devices during take-off and landing, then why should passengers be prohibited from doing the same?
Apparently, 30 percent of passengers feel that way, as the findings of a joint study by the by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association earlier this month reveal that they do not turn off the electronic devices in their possession while airplanes are taking off and landing. Only 59 percent of the passengers who participated in the survey reported that they turned off their devices when asked by crew members; and “airplane mode” was the preferred setting for 21 percent of survey participants.
You have to wonder what is the purpose of “airplane mode” if it is not even allowed to be used for its intended purpose — to the point where attempts to arrest you could occur if you ignore the instructions of a flight attendant and insist on using your portable electronic device in “airplane mode”…
…so should you be concerned if fellow passengers decide to used their portable electronic devices when they are not supposed to do so — or should you be thrilled that they are attempting to cut down on all of that waste of productivity time? How does all of that lost productivity actually translate to any effect on the economy or in business — if at all?
Do you believe that passengers should be allowed to use portable electronic devices at all times during a flight? If so, should the “airplane mode” feature be enabled or disabled — and when? In other words — as asked by Gerry Wingenbach at The Tarmac recently — “On or Off: Which is it for Electronic Devices on Aircraft?”What are you guys doing? Last night there was some hype on Reddit that blew up NAVCoin and it's still on Bittrex's front page. It’s currently trading around $0.90USD and going up to $1.26USD over the last 24 hours. In my opinion NAVCoin is seriously underrated and still is. I suspect that we will know the real price of NAV after the BTC hardfork and I believe it will be exponentially higher than $1.26USD. The ATH was $1.67USD which was reached on September 26th, 2017 and we are not far from hitting that presently.
NAVCOIN is a proof-of stake (PoS) cryptocurrency, unlike Bitcoin which is the proof of work cryptocurrency. In a PoS there is no mining but staking. That means that the block is found by users who set aside certain amounts of coins. The more coins you are staking, the more chances you have of finding the next block. NAVCoin provides faster transactions with low fees and has been publicly traded since July of 2014. Being a PoS cryptocurrency, NAVCoin allows users to earn money by keeping their coins in there wallet.
They are also planning to launch NAV COIN Direct, a project they are working on that allows people to buy NAV with FIAT Currencies, Pay Pal, credit cards, and more. Exciting projects are ahead of us. You can take a look at their road map here https://navcoin.org/project-roadmap/
Not only has NAV been trending on Bittrex, but it's trending on Reddit too, and it has investors scratching their head. Everyone is confused as to why NAV is going up right now. Redditors and Discord chat members think it could be a pump and dump or it could be the hype about Palm Beach Confidential withdrawing from Monero and looking for another alt-coin to invest in. This could be big news if Palm Beach Confidential pulls out their Monero Holdings. Although there is no speculation that NAV is the coin of their choice, this coincidence has skyrocketed the value NAVCoin. We will have to find out on Friday October 20th, 2017 what PBC will choose.
I think NAV is just undervalued and underrated, but that is going to change. $1 is still good to get in at. Their road map is impressive and they've been very informative. I easily see this going past $4-5 in a couple of months, or maybe even after the Bit fork. Who knows? Maybe PBC will buy into NAVCoin, they have the power to make the coin go up EXPONENTIALLY. Stay tuned for that, kids.
http://boards.4chan.org/biz/thread/3934350/palm-beach-confidental-nav-coin-proof-below
Although you shouldn't source crypto news from 4CHAN, I believe this is part of the reason everyone is becoming curious and wanting to learn what NAVCoin is. Personally, I'm a believer in this coin. They’ve just increased their marketing team, working on advanced projects, and constantly updating their loyal followers, which shows that they will grow so much more in time.
Follow NAVCoin
https://navcoin.org/
https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/nav-coin/
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Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/NavCoin/Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Immigration from Mexico and Central America has long been driven by economic difficulties and violence
The number of unaccompanied children arriving in the US over the Mexico border reached crisis point in the summer. But the knock-on effects are still being felt.
The New York Immigration Court is an extraordinarily busy place.
In long, dimly lit hallways, clusters of people wait anxiously outside courtrooms for their cases to come before a judge.
A stern sign asks for silence whilst the court is in session. Lawyers confer with their clients quietly, and in Spanish, because most are Central American.
Many of these clients are children and teenagers.
They're part of the wave of unaccompanied migrants who crossed the border into the United States earlier this year.
They came without their parents, fleeing violence in San Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Once they |
mor R
Maximum Data Rate: 120 Mbps
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Connectivity: USB Type-C (data transfers and external mic), Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi
EIS: built-in 3 axis gyroscope and accelerometer (UHD: 30fps max)
Voice Control
Mics: Stereo
Live streaming (future announcement)
Support for VR (future announcement)
Recording media: micro SD
Video specs Credit: YI Technology
Check back later to see the results of our camera test with the YI 4K+ action cam.
What has your experience has been with the previous version, the 4K? Let us know in the comments.After decades in a recreation dry zone, West London residents will get a chance this fall to help fine-tune their long-awaited multi-use play centre.
The centre will be a showpiece public building in an expected highrise community along Southdale Rd., and will lead to good news for east end residents eventually as well, the city says.
The city has bought a site on the south side of Southdale Rd. between Bostwick and Wonderland roads for the centre, which will include a twin ice pad, two gymnasiums and an indoor pool.
“It’s a long time coming. It’s a really important site. It’s going to house a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility,” said Bill Coxhead, director of parks and recreation.
In the works since at least 2003, the centre could open in about three years, Coxhead said.
It was difficult to find a site that could be serviced within a reasonable amount of time, Coxhead said.
“It’s a great site. It’s a great location. It’s affordable. The developer (York Developments) through their gift (of a large part of the site) makes it really affordable.”
The city has begun looking at partners, such as the YMCA, to help operate the centre’s programs.
But there would always be a community centre component, where people can drop in for fun, Coxhead said.
“We always like to say there’s more than one way to play.”
The main elements of the centre are established, but the public will be asked to help in the “discretionary end of the facility,” Coxhead said.
For example, the city has yet to determine the design or type of the pool, he said.
The purchase of the site will eventually lead to good news for east end Londoners, Coxhead said.
Eventually, the addition of ice pads in the west will lead to the decommissioning of Glen Cairn and Silverwood arenas in the east, Farquharson in south London and the building of new pads in the east, Coxhead said.
West Londoners have complained for years about being forced to use Kinsmen recreation centre near Wharncliffe Rd. and Riverside Dr. as a home rink, which is closer to downtown than the west end of the city.
“There is a pent-up demand for pools,” in the city, Coxhead added.
randy.richmond@sunmedia.ca
— — —
THE CENTREYou too can dress like Hillary Clinton — if you have $200,000 to spare.
After she won the Democratic state primary in New York this April, the presidential candidate gave a speech about income inequality and job creation — all while wearing a $12,495 Giorgio Armani tweed jacket.
Clinton has been mocked about her outfits for years (remember the pantsuits?), but since she launched her presidential campaign, she has opted for high-end European labels and hired a team of “image experts” to help her out, a new report from the New York Post claims. (RELATED: You Too Can Live Like Chelsea Clinton For A Mere $6 Million)
Patsy Cisneros, a political image consultant, said Clinton has surely spent an estimated $200,000 on clothes for the campaign trail.
“She’s had to have spent in the six figures on this wardrobe overhaul,” Cisneros told the Post this week.
“[The Clinton campaign] is not going for glamour — they are going for something more natural. Do we see her more than we see the clothes? Do we see her more than we see the makeup?” (RELATED: Former Secret Service Member: ‘Hillary Lacks The Temperament To Be President’)
Clinton even went as far as hiring Michelle Obama’s former aide Kristina Schake to “shape her style” and “make her more relatable.”Diverging competitiveness among EU nations: Constraining wages is the key
Mickey Levy
The Eurozone crisis rolls on. This column argues that Europe’s leaders must do more to address the gap in competitiveness between the lean north and the bloated south. The answer is as simple to say as it is difficult to do - follow Germany’s example and keep wages low.
The need for troubled Eurozone nations to rein in unsustainable government finances is clear (see, for instance, Wyplosz 2011 on this site). But it is now also widely acknowledged that they must also address their lack of competitiveness, which drains economic performance, undercuts finances, and strains the fabric holding the EU together.
Since unification, unit labour costs – wage compensation adjusted for labour productivity – in troubled Eurozone nations have risen dramatically faster than in Germany and other high-performing nations. The sources of these unit-labour-cost divergences are very instructive.
Contrary to the common view, the largest source of diverging labour competitiveness in many Eurozone nations has been wage increases that exceeded productivity gains.
The policy implications are clear. Realigning real wages with productivity in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and other EU nations is as important, if not more important, than required fiscal austerity. However, this will be easier said than done.
Germany’s labour policies and its trends in wages and productivity following unification provide a viable roadmap for troubled EU nations, but the political and social obstacles are daunting.
Since 2000, productivity-adjusted wages have increased only 5% in Germany (they actually declined from 2000-2008).
In other European nations, meanwhile, wages have increased by between 25% and 35% (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Unit labour costs in selected EU nations
Source: Eurostat
By comparison, US unit labour costs have increased slightly faster than Germany’s, driven by significantly larger labour-productivity gains and even faster wage gains. (Note that all of the figures in this column are benchmarked to 2000 and, as such, only capture relative, i.e. cross-national, changes in labour competitiveness. They do not capture the pre-existing differences in absolute levels in 2000.)
In one sense, Germany has ‘benefited’ from the single currency of the Eurozone relative to a stronger-currency alternative. But in reality, Germany’s restrained wages amid healthy productivity gains – which reflect its government-labour union relations, labour laws and regulations compared to other EU nations – are what have distinguished the country.
The German advantage
Based on this comparative advantage, Germany’s robust export growth has been the key factor driving its strong economic performance, low unemployment rate, and healthy government finances.
German exports of total goods and services, including those to other European nations, rose more than 70% from 2000-2008. While they fell sharply with the global recession, they are now more than 80% above 2000 levels (see Figure 2).
Over 60% of Germany’s exports are to other European nations, denominated primarily in euros.
Over the same period, its domestic demand was subdued, rising cumulatively 6.8%, 0.6% annualized.
Exports of other Eurozone nations have risen much more slowly, constrained by rising unit labour costs and the attendant deteriorating competitiveness.
France and Italy’s real exports of goods and services have risen 20% since 2000.
Greece’s real exports rose nearly 40% from 2000-2008, clearly benefiting from the new avenues of trade provided by the EU, but fell sharply during the global recession, and are now only about 10% higher than their 2000 level.
Portugal’s and Spain’s real exports are up over 40%, despite unit labour costs that have risen significantly relative to those in Germany.
Figure 2. Real exports of selected EU nations
While each Eurozone nation’s domestic demand has been slow to recover from recession, reflecting a loss in wealth, contraction of housing, and/or the effects of deleveraging, the weak export rebounds in Greece, Italy, Spain, and others have constrained their economic growth and job creation.
While these developments are not unusual, the euro means that the usual escape route is shut. With a single currency – and thus fixed exchange rates – these Eurozone nations no longer control their own monetary policies or have the option to depreciate their currencies as an adjustment valve to their differences in competitiveness.
Looking behind the wage competitiveness changes
Disaggregating these competitiveness trends into wages and productivity shows that the bulk of the divergence stems from differing patterns of wage hikes. Certainly, from 2000-2008, Germany’s productivity rose faster than most other Eurozone nations. But official data show that since 2000, including the recent period of deep recession and recovery, labour productivity gains in France, Spain, and even Portugal have kept pace with Germany. Italy has been the outlier, with no gains in productivity since 2000. It may seem odd that productivity gains in Greece have risen faster than in other EU nations, including Germany. Assuming the data are correct, this likely reflects Greece’s low starting point when it entered the EU, and the benefits to trade provided by the union.
But the real story - contrary to the commonly held notion that German workers are more productive – is that the key was German wages restraint; its wages rose modestly, generally in line with labour productivity. In other Eurozone nations, wages have persistently risen faster than labour productivity.
From 2000-2007, Germany’s wages rose modestly in line with inflation and closely tracked labour productivity gains, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Since that sustained period of flat unit labour costs, a pickup in wages has lifted unit labour costs by about 5%.
France’s and Italy’s wages and unit costs have increased 40% above their 2000 levels (Italy’s real GDP has expanded a strikingly anaemic 5.5% cumulatively, a 0.5% average annualized growth pace). Trends are similar in Spain and Portugal.
Greece’s wage pattern is striking - compensation rose a whopping 15% in 2002, and spiked again in 2003, seemingly as a bonus for Greece’s admission into the Eurozone. And much of this was in government employees’ wages.
Figure 3. Productivity and total labour costs in selected EU nations
Source: Eurostat
Figure 4. Productivity and total labour costs in selected EU nations
How did the Germans do it?
A combination of factors led German labour unions to accept modest wage increases during 2000-2008. Very soft economic growth and rising unemployment during 2000-2005 raised fears of job layoffs. Prime Minister Schroeder’s “Agenda 2010” reforms reduced safety nets for the unemployed, encouraging people to accept lower-paying jobs. German businesses increased reliance on part-time workers and outsourced more production to Eastern Europe. Inflation was low, averaging about 1.5% during 2000-2008 (persistently below the Eurozone average of about 2.25%) and largely maintaining real purchasing power.
Under these circumstances, the German labour unions worked closely with government and business leaders and accepted modest wage increases in exchange for job security. These factors improved Germany’s international competitiveness and built the foundations for its economic outperformance. Export-driven growth has supported a rising number of jobs that are now fuelling healthier growth in domestic demand and real wages.
The way forward
At present, the loss of competitiveness in many Eurozone nations, on top of the need for fiscal austerity, adds a complicated and difficult obstacle to healthy economic performance. Fiscal austerity is necessary, but not a substitute for restoring some degree of competitiveness. Financial support from the ECB and other governmental institutions are temporary bridge loans that do not address the problems.
Several comments on the thrust of fiscal austerity are appropriate.
First, levels of spending and taxes in EU nations are already very high, harming potential growth.
In France and Italy, general government expenditure exceeds 50% of GDP; it’s similarly high in Greece and Portugal. Raising taxes would further damage economic performance, risk capital outflow and widen rather than narrow budget imbalances. Fiscal austerity must come from spending cuts. Research suggests that spending cuts would not be as damaging to economic performance as tax increases.
Second, the vast majority of government spending is for retirement pensions and benefits, income support, etc., while very little is allocated to investment-oriented activities.
This generates high unemployment and low investment spending that constrains productive capacity. While it is well known that fiscal austerity requires making retirement and pensions less generous, reallocating more national resources toward activities that would raise productive capacity is necessary to improve economic performance, job creation, and real wages over time.
Nations whose competitiveness has eroded must either raise productivity or reduce real wages relative to international standards. Necessary adjustments will be tough to achieve. Many EU nations have entered recession. Implementing necessary fiscal austerity, along with the constraining impacts of deleveraging and tighter availability of credit, will constrain domestic demand and uncompetitive nations will have difficulty generating higher exports. Some (like Greece) suffer from very low foreign direct investment. Increasing labour productivity that boosts labour competitiveness will be difficult to achieve in this environment of weak product demand.
The implications of this reasoning are clear. For Eurozone nations unable to devalue their currencies, and limited upside potential to increase productivity, there is only one way to restore competitiveness - deflationary reductions in real wages.
For some nations, like Greece and Portugal, the gaps are sufficiently large to question whether they can or will be closed without more radical actions such as default or worse.
In others, like Italy, there will be significant obstacles to accepting wage reductions.
Powerful labour unions, both public and private, will strongly oppose wage cuts. Adjustment delays will harm economic performance and government finances, negating the intentions of fiscal austerity measures. Eventually, workers in Italy and elsewhere must realise that past high returns to labour are unsustainable and must decline.
Conclusions
Failure to implement such necessary adjustments will prolong economic underperformance and harm finances. During this transition period when nations incur the unpleasant medicine of austerity after years of living beyond their means, temporary financial support will be necessary. The ECB will continue to lower rates, purchase sovereign bonds of troubled Eurozone nations, and provide liquidity to financial institutions to facilitate their deleveraging and recapitalisation. It may engage in a quantitative easing programme as a quid pro quo for meaningful economic reform. Better-off Eurozone nations led by Germany will subsidise the weaker nations and, ultimately, the Eurozone must move materially towards a fiscal union that provides an alternative adjustment mechanism, with more regulatory coordination.
There are, however, limits to the resources the well-off nations will be willing to transfer to the troubled nations, particularly without assurances of necessary economic reforms. Ultimately, achieving reform is in the hands of the individual nations. My hunch is most European nations will eventually make significant strides that will move them toward sustainable paths, but it will be a bumpy road.
References
Wyplosz, Charles (2011), “Getting there, slowly though”, VoxEU.org, 9 DecemberBy Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Zurich
Supporters say Switzerland's animal welfare laws are not being enforced Swiss voters will go to the polls on Sunday to decide on a proposal to appoint state-funded lawyers across the country to represent animals in court. Supporters of the initiative say such lawyers would help deter cases of animal cruelty and neglect, by making sure that those who did abuse or neglect animals would be properly punished. Opponents however claim that Switzerland, which already has strict animal protection laws, does not need any more legislation. The canton of Zurich has in fact had its own animal lawyer for a number of years; the current incumbent, Antoine Goetschel, is the only state-funded lawyer in Switzerland who goes to court to speak on behalf of animals. Four-legged clients His clients include dogs and cats, guinea pigs, cows, horses and sheep, even, recently, a large pike, fished from Lake Zurich. Under Antoine Goetschel, prosecutions for animal cruelty have increased "It took 10 minutes of struggle to reel the pike in before killing it," Mr Goetschel explained. "The fisherman was reported by a long-standing animal rights organisation." In fact, Mr Goetschel lost that particular case, but that has not deterred him. He believes appointing lawyers to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves is the essence of justice. "People accused of animal cruelty very often hire lawyers to defend themselves," he pointed out. "Why shouldn't someone speak for the animal as well?" Zurich success Supporters of a nationwide system of animal lawyers in Switzerland point to the sharp increase of prosecutions for animal cruelty in Zurich since Mr Goetschel started work. While he can average over a hundred successful cases a year, other cantons rarely have more than one or two. We see it as unnecessary bureaucracy, a kind of academic exercise
Hans Staub
Dairy farmer In neighbouring canton Aargau, Marlies Widmer manages a home for neglected animals. For her, animal lawyers cannot come soon enough. At the moment Marlies has more than 40 dogs in her care, as well as 30 cats, and several rabbits and guinea pigs. "These were brought in as three-week old puppies," she said, pointing to four lively young dogs. "They were completely emaciated, they had been kept in an underground garage, in the dark." Marlies believes Switzerland's strict animal welfare laws, among them mandatory animal care courses for dog owners, and a prohibition on budgerigars being kept alone in cages, are simply not being enforced. "At the moment even if there are court cases the fines are tiny, laughably small," she said. "They don't deter people at all, we really want people who have behaved in such a brutal manner towards animals to be properly punished." Farmers doubts But there is one rather powerful lobby in Switzerland with big doubts about yet another layer of animal protection legislation. Swiss farmers are already struggling with reduced subsidies and falling milk prices, and many fear the introduction of animal lawyers could lead to long, costly, and unnecessary court cases. The Swiss government is recommending a "no" vote Hans Staub, who has a dairy farm in the town of Waedenswil, is in full compliance with all the many existing laws governing the keeping of cattle. His cows, each named after a different city from Delhi to Rimini to Granada, are clean and well fed. In the winter they spend their time mostly in the stall, but, following the rules, Hans lets them out into the fields two or three times a week. "You know as a farmer I have always thought of an animal's welfare and dignity as an integral part of my job," he said. "But animal lawyers, no, farmers won't vote for that. We see it as unnecessary bureaucracy, a kind of academic exercise." What's more, Hans and his farming colleagues are very suspicious of what they believe is a hidden agenda among those pushing for stricter animal welfare laws. "Some of these groups actually question the ethics of keeping animals at all," he pointed out. "It should be possible for us to do our jobs, all the while respecting our animals, but we are farmers and we want to stay farmers." Costly legal fees Antoine Goetschel believes the farmers' fears are groundless. "If they keep their animals properly and obey the law, they have absolutely nothing to fear from me," he insisted. "But," he continued, "perhaps the problem is that lots of people just don't like lawyers; after all, one in two people nowadays may have a costly divorce behind them." In fact, the cost of appointing animal lawyers nationwide may be the proposal's downfall. In the past, Swiss voters have been very supportive of tough animal welfare legislation, but this time the government is recommending a "no" vote. One reason could be that animals who need their day in court will not, of course, be paying the lawyers' fees - that will be left to the Swiss tax payer.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionVICTORVILLE-(VVNG.com): Authorities say a motorcyclist hit an 83-year-old man who was in a crosswalk and attempted to flee the scene.
At around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20th deputies, and medical personnel were dispatched to the 13600 block of Bear Valley Road near Amethyst Road for the report of a motorcyclist down.
Upon investigation they learned that an elderly man was walking in the crosswalk in front of CVS, when the motorcyclist, identified as 54-year-old Adelanto resident, Eric Outland ran into him, knocking him down to the ground. Victorville Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman said, “The driver accelerated away from the man onto Bear Valley. He lost control of the motorcycle and flipped over the handlebars. The motorcycle then ran over the suspect and dragged him a short distance.”
The 83-year-old Victorville man complained of hip pain and was transported to Desert Valley Medical Center. The motorcyclist temporarily lost consciousness and according to authorities had a broken jaw, some of his teeth knocked out, and he had lacerations to his lips. He was transported to Desert Valley Medical Center where he was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
Sheriff’s officials believe that alcohol may be a factor in this accident.
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Weight: 4.4 lbsThe Big Ten Tournament is going all in on their, well, Big Ten-ness.
Levy Restaurants, the culinary team at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, confirmed next week's 2016 Big Ten Basketball Tournament will once again feature custom, school-centric baked potatoes, available for order at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
In full disclosure, artisanal baked potatoes are a subject I have some specific authority on. For parts of five years, I worked part-time (sometimes full-time) at a Jason's Deli.
Jason's, to the unfamiliar, is better than average quick-service food for upper middle class types. Perhaps one of the heaviest hitters on their entire menu are their abnormally large baked potatoes. Their famous absurdly big potatoes in actuality are two large potatoes strategically cut, carefully positioned, and then baked with an unreasonable amount of toppings on them until they essentially resemble one.
As I have prepared in excess of 1000 of these such potatoes, I was intrigued to learn about the Big Ten's forthcoming culinary options. Until I got around to reading their ingredients.
The best of the potato options are largely unimaginative, and well, plain, and the worst are "creative" in the worst possible ways.
Accordingly, here are all 14 Big Ten themed baked potatoes, ranked from most palatable to do-not-eat/place-directly-in-the-garbage:
1. Michigan Wolverines: Bacon & Shredded Cheddar
As much as it pains me to rank this one number one, this humble offering attacks your taste buds with an enthusiasm unknown to man. It's incredibly hard to screw up bacon and melted cheese. Sometimes less is more. This is one of those instances.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions: Jalapenos & Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Like putting names on the back of their iconic monochromatic football uniforms, jalapeños on a cheese covered potato is just bold enough to make the milquetoast natives of State College irate. This is the kind of culinary offering your boring middle aged relative would consider threatening. But it's fine.
3. Wisconsin Badgers: Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheeses
Are you aware that Wisconsin is known for their dairy? Two varieties of cheese is better than one. It's a bit disappointing there's nothing more diverse or any other proteins available, but this is safe. And fine. Not unlike Wisconsin.
4. Northwestern Wildcats: Diced Red Onions & Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Diced red onions on cheese?! Let's save some for the honeymoon, Northwestern.
NU is not exactly famous amongst those in the conference as a party destination. This barely ambitious potato may be a testimonial why.
5. Michigan State Spartans: Chopped Broccoli & Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Cold broccoli would be a disaster, but assuming this topping is fully cooked, the monterey is an interesting spin on a classic. The only solace in eating a potato that likely nears or exceeds a thousand calories is that you'd be eating something green on it.
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Tomato Corn Salsa & jack cheese
Corn salsa is mostly bad. The phrase "tomato salsa" ushers in fever dreams of disgusting, soup-y Pace salsa. These words together are frightening, but jack cheese is okay. Assuming the salsa is favorable in terms of the voluminousness, this might work.
7. Purdue Boilermakers: Smokey Black Bean Salsa & Sour Cream
"Smokey black bean salsa" is possibly written on the archway of the Mexican fast food restaurant next to the River Styx. Giving the salsa the full benefit of the doubt, and again assuming the sour cream is both quality and appropriate proportionally and this might not be so bad? Maybe?
8. Illinois Illini: Salsa & Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Not unlike Nebraska, the concept of crappy grocery store salsa on top of a cheese covered potato strikes fear in my very heart. Assuming this is even replacement level salsa, Illinois seems tolerable. The photo doesn't leave much room for optimism, though.
9. Indiana Hoosiers: Sour Cream & Salsa
The lack of salsa diversity is rapidly becoming concerning. Sour cream is extremely high variance too but a decent quality sour cream offering with a healthy but not unreasonable amount of edible salsa would be passable. Not ideal, but edible.
10. Iowa Hawkeyes: Southwest-style Corn Salsa & Corn Tortilla Strips
The tortilla chips (did you know Iowa produces corn) are an interesting mix in for variety's sake, but the blandness of corn salsa is concerning. "Southwest-style" makes it sound flavorful enough, but I'm skeptical.
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Black bean relish, salsa and sour cream
We're now all but completely off the rails. One of the Big Ten's newest members is shown no favors with something called "black bean relish". You'd almost have to assume that's a very creative name for some kind of black bean salsa until you see the word "salsa" listed immediately after it. Help.
12. Ohio State Buckeyes: Chopped Bacon & Shredded Lettuce
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PUTS SLICED ICEBURG LETTUCE ON A DAMN BAKED POTATO!??!
Wendy's is the only fastfood place somewhat known for their (admittedly not great) baked potatoes. Wendy's is based in Columbus, OH. So is The Ohio State University.
Couldn't there have been some attempt at something more traditional and less, uh, lettuce-y?
13. Maryland Terrapins: Cottage cheese, salsa and red onion
Stop. Just stop. We get it: A lot of Big Ten fans didn't want anything to do with Maryland but serving this unholy abomination just seems cruel.
14. Minnesota Gophers: Salsa & Cottage Cheese
So let me get this straight: It's exactly the same as Maryland but with one less ingredient? It's been a tough year for Minnesota basketball.Chinese navy conducts exercises in east Indian Ocean
By Peter Symonds
14 February 2014
A Chinese naval exercise in waters between Indonesia and Australia has prompted calls in Australia and India for greater military collaboration to counter what one report described as “Beijing’s increasingly bold maritime posture in the Indo-Pacific.”
The reaction is another sign of the growing tensions produced by the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia,” which includes a strengthening of US alliances and military forces throughout the region aimed at encircling China. The US has encouraged allies such as Australia and Japan, and strategic partner India, to develop closer military ties.
The Australian air force, reportedly at the instigation of US officials, scrambled a P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft to the area to observe the Chinese exercise. According to the Chinese state media, two destroyers and the amphibious landing vessel, Changbaishan, passed through Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on January 29 into waters between the Indonesian island of Java and northern Australia. The three vessels completed a series of drills before heading north through the nearby Lombok Strait.
An article in the Australian entitled, “Sea change in China power,” rang the alarm bell in Australian security circles. It declared the exercise was “a wake-up call to anyone still doubting China’s long-term intention to be able to project force in the Indian Ocean.” The naval exercise was a first for China in the eastern Indian Ocean and the first time a Chinese task force has used Indonesia’s Sunda and Lombok Straits to enter or exit the Indian Ocean.
US strategists have long identified these straits, as well as the Malacca Strait, as key strategic “choke points” that could be used to enforce an economic blockade of China in the event of a US-China conflict. China depends heavily on energy and raw material imported from the Middle East and Africa via shipping lanes that pass through these straits.
The Australian comment was written by two think tank analysts—Rory Medcalf, from the Lowy Institute, and C. Raja Mohan, from India’s Observer Research Foundation. Both are advocates of stronger Australian-Indian ties and co-chair the Australia-India Roundtable. While not rejecting China’s right to protect its vital sea lanes, they assert that China has to be integrated into “a rules-based system” and “one that equally accepts India’s growing maritime links with the Pacific.”
The phrase “rules-based system” is used, above all by Washington, to insist that Beijing subordinate itself to a world in which the US sets the rules. India, which is expanding its own navy, is forging closer economic and political ties in East Asia as part of its “Look East” strategy. It has already come into dispute with China over joint Indian-Vietnamese energy exploration in areas of the South China Sea claimed by both Beijing and Hanoi.
In a separate blog, Medcalf said there was “nothing illegal or fundamentally hostile” about the recent Chinese naval exercise, which took place in international waters. The Australian government has barely commented. Nevertheless, the extensive Australian media reportage of the event makes clear that it was regarded as an unwelcome intrusion.
Medcalf and Mohan call for “new kinds of maritime security dialogue and practical surveillance co-operation among the region’s maritime democracies, including Australia, Indonesia and India.”
Australia is already engaged in extensive surveillance of areas of the Indian Ocean to the north and west of the continent, particularly as part of the reactionary “border protection” anti-refugee policy that is supported both by the Coalition government and the Labor opposition. Australian naval vessels and aircraft routinely patrol the areas to the south of Indonesia to block asylum seekers’ boats headed for Australia. On several occasions, Australian warships have intruded into Indonesian territorial waters, provoking protests from Jakarta.
Washington regards Australia as central to the “pivot.” The Obama administration has already secured a basing arrangement for US Marines in the northern city of Darwin and is seeking greater access for US warships, submarines and military aircraft. A report issued last November by the US-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments entitled, “Gateway to the Indo-Pacific: Australian Defense Strategy and the Future of the Australia-US Alliance,” detailed the importance of Australian bases to any US war with China, including in the seizure of the Malacca, Sunda and Lombok Straits. (See: “US think tank report: Australia central to American war plans against China)
India is boosting its defence ties with Australia, Japan and Indonesia. Just days after the Chinese naval exercise, the Indian and Indonesian navies indicated a possible upgrading of their biannual joint patrol to a full joint exercise. As reported by the Diplomat, Indonesian Lieutenant Colonel Amrin Rosihan said a joint exercise would involve more vessels to “strengthen navy-to-navy ties.”
India has been forging closer relations with Japan, following the recent trip by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for India’s Republic Day celebrations. The two countries agreed to conduct a joint naval exercise in the Western Pacific some time in 2014, and New Delhi invited the Japanese navy to participate in the Malabar multilateral exercises in the Indian Ocean.
The US engages in joint exercises with most countries in the region. It already has military bases in Japan, South Korea, Guam, Diego Garcia and Singapore, as well as Australia, and is seeking new basing arrangements with the Philippines. The US navy routinely traverses waters just off the Chinese mainland and monitors all Chinese naval exercises. In December, a US missile cruiser, closely shadowing Chinese navy vessels in the South China Sea, narrowly avoided a collision.
By comparison, the exercise involving three Chinese warships in waters south of Indonesia is a small operation. Nevertheless, as the coverage in the Australian media underscores, any such Chinese activity will be seized upon as a pretext to stir up anxiety over the “China threat” and justify US-led military preparations for conflict.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Elizabeth Warren has a surprising message for President-elect Donald Trump: She’s eager to work with him.
The progressive heavy on Tuesday made an impassioned, if qualified, offer to cooperate on a populist agenda with the incoming Republican—a man with whom she spent the duration of the campaign trading vicious barbs. Warren, in an address to the AFL-CIO Executive Council, framed Trump’s victory as a demand by voters for a fundamental shakeup of the economic and political status quo. And she said to the extent the next president wants to crack down on Wall Street, reform campaign finance, rethink trade deals and invest in infrastructure projects, she stands ready to help.
“When President-elect Trump wants to take on these issues, when his goal is to increase the economic security of middle class families, then count me in,” Warren said. “I will push aside our differences, and I will work with him to achieve that goal. I offer to work as hard as I can and to pull in as many people as I can into this effort.”
The address was more remarkable considering her recent history with Trump. Warren did not offer an endorsement in the Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. But once Clinton clinched the nomination, the Massachusetts liberal proved a stout surrogate for Clinton on the trail—and a no-holds-barred critic of the billionaire real-estate developer, whom she savaged as a “thin-skinned, racist bully” and a “small, insecure money grubber.” (Trump in turn made her a frequent target on the stump, nicknaming her “Pocahontas” for having once claimed Native American ancestry.)
On Tuesday, Warren offered a distinctly different view, presenting Trump as a sort of profile in courage for advocating a populist program that antagonized entrenched interests in his own party. “President-elect Trump spoke to these issues. Republican elites hated him for it. And he didn’t care. He did it anyway,” she said. “He criticized Wall Street’s big money and their dominance in Washington, straight up.”
Warren even drew a cross-partisan kinship between Trump and Sanders for rejecting big-dollar contributions as the engines of their respective campaigns. Notably, she never mentioned Clinton. Whether deliberately or not, she did appear to repurpose one of Clinton’s signature campaign lines. The Democratic nominee frequently said anyone accusing her of playing the women’s card should “deal [her] in”—and Warren on Tuesday declared, twice, that if Trump was ready to make good on his promises to working families, “count me in.”
But the senator also made clear that she isn’t letting Trump off the hook for the campaign he waged, which she described as a “toxic stew of hatred and fear.” She said progressives wouldn’t tolerate any bigotry from him in office. And if the Trump administration decides to focus on accommodating financial industry interests, “we will fight them every step of the way.”
That a figure who stands to play a leading role in the Democratic rebuilding project would reach out so forthrightly to the man who just vanquished her party’s nominee points to how unsettled things remain in the wake of Trump’s win. The vagueness of Trump’s policy program—not to mention his strained relations with leaders in his own party—presents opportunities to remake old alignments. It will be up to Trump to decide how he navigates a system he just shook to its core.If you're in the Apple ecosystem already, then you're already used to paying a lot of money for just okay hardware, which is exactly what you're doing here. This is basically a slightly more powerful chromebook. I've been living with this laptop for about 7 months now, and bought it as my primary laptop for college. This is my honest review (for overall review, just skip to the bottom): The m5 processor is so underpowered that the new iPhones are now almost as powerful. However, there is a reason for this. This entire laptop weighs just over |
linebacker. Shea McClellin is a free agent, and the only other inside linebackers are on the roster are three undrafted players and one recently cut by the Broncos. At nearly 260 pounds, Ragland isn’t built like most linebackers in today’s age, but his physicality and added value as a pass rusher make him an intriguing combination.
12. New Orleans: A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
The Saints need to shore up a pass defense that finished dead last in DVOA, but they’ve also long lacked a presence in their middle of their defensive line. Robinson is a 6-foot-4, 312-pound beast with NFL power and the ability to create havoc against the run.
13. Philadelphia: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
Jason Peters’ age (34) and concerns about his ability to stay healthy mean considering a tackle here isn’t crazy. Conklin moved around well at the combine, and even if he sits in 2016, he and Lane Johnson would give Doug Pederson’s offense a pair of young, athletic tackles.
• THE RISK OF TAKING A TACKLE: Using a top-10 pick on a lineman to protect the QB’s blind-side has been buyer beware for the past decade.
14. Oakland: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Taking a running back this high is always a dicey proposition, but ask the Rams how they feel about the returns from Todd Gurley’s rookie year. If Oakland feels like Elliot is on that level, he could be give the upstart Raiders’ offense an entirely new dimension.
15. Los Angeles: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Last year, the Rams finally got what they were hoping for from Tavon Austin, but they’re still searching for the big-body, outside-the-numbers threat they’ve lacked for years. Treadwell may not be a burner, but he has great hands and knows how to win at the catch point.
16. Detroit: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
A slew of free agents among their interior defensive line makes that an area Detroit has to address, but it would be tough to imagine the Lions willingly starting another season with their current offensive tackle tandem. Stanley would be an instant improvement on the right side and, with Riley Reiff set to be a free agent after his year, could move to the left in 2017.
17. Atlanta: Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
Dan Quinn already has Vic Beasley on one side of his defense, but at 275 pounds, Dodd has the frame to hold down the left side opposite his former college teammate. Dodd would help a defense that finished dead last in sack rate last season, and his bulk would also allow him to slide inside on passing downs.
18. Indianapolis: Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas State
Whitehair has experience at tackle, but his stature will likely force him inside in the NFL. That’s exactly where the Colts need the most help. Whitehair is an excellent pass protector, and with all the defensive-tackle talent around the league, that type of guard has never been more valuable.
• A CHANGE OF UNDERWEAR (OLYMPICS): The NFL is considering altering the combine, and Robert Klemko found opinions divided on the topic.
19. Buffalo: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
Rex Ryan has been willing to take chances on talented players with checkered pasts, and Nkemdiche certainly fits that billing. He reportedly didn’t gain much ground with his interviews at the combine, but there’s no denying he’s a supremely talented player that could give Buffalo some insurance for 32-year-old Kyle Williams.
20. N.Y. Jets: Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
At 228 pounds, Lee is on the smaller side, but Todd Bowles hasn’t shied away from undersize linebackers in the past. Lee tore off a 4.47 in the 40 and posted a collection of other mind-boggling combine numbers, and behind that Jets’ defensive line (provided all the players along that line are retained) he’d able to provide Bowles’s defense with a jolt of athleticism.
21. Washington: Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
Washington has plenty of questions along the defensive line, but Jay Gruden’s offense also finished dead last in rushing DVOA last season. Kelly is both nasty and a technician, and along with Derrick Henry was at the center (ha!) of a devastating Alabama running game.
22. Houston: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
All the conversation about Bill O’Brien and Christian Hackenburg at the combine made me want to reach for the bearded Ryan Gosling gifs, but at least part of the motivation behind that link is the knowledge that the Texans really need a quarterback. Preference will ultimately dictate which direction Houston goes, but Lynch is a big, athletic quarterback that uses his mobility more as a way to extend plays than as a runner.
23. Minnesota: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
Phil Loadholt will be back for Minnesota this season, but he’s also 30 and set to be a free agent after 2016. With Matt Kalil’s future also in question, Decker would give the Vikings some flexibility with their plans and could also take over for Kalil at some point this season if Minnesota feels the need to make a change.
24. Cincinnati: Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame
Cincinnati has a history of taking players that don’t see the field as rookies, so knowing that Smith wouldn’t be able to play this season because of lingering issues with his knee might not be the deterrent it is for other teams. The Bengals also have plenty of uncertainty at linebacker moving forward. A.J. Hawk is 32, Vincent Rey is a free agent, and Rey Mauluga has no guaranteed money remaining on his current deal.
25. Pittsburgh: Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
Cornerback is a glaring need, but with Heath Miller’s retirement the Steelers are also short a tight end. Henry is an excellent blocker and capable middle-of-the-field target that should be able to step in and play right away.
26. Seattle: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
Seattle’s offensive line needs a ton of help, but with most of the ready-to-play options already gone taking Rankins would give them a chance to make an area of strength even better.
27. Green Bay: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Finding an inside linebacker that would allow Clay Matthews to move back outside is a priority, but the Packers could also use a movable piece in an edge rusher rotation that includes free agent Nick Perry and 2017 free agent Julius Peppers. Lawson can play both inside and outside and would give Green Bay the flexibility they like with their players on the defensive front.
28. Kansas City: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
Both Mike DeVito and Jaye Howard are set to be free agents, and Butler is the type of player who can accomplish a lot of different tasks for an odd-front defense like the Chiefs have. He’s a stellar run defender that should be able to keep Derrick Johnson clean.
29. Arizona: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
There’s no graceful way to put this: Ogbah is a beast. At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, he ran a 4.63 in the 40 and finished with a 35.5-inch vertical. For a player who piled up 13 sacks as a junior in the Big 12, that’s big time. Those numbers don’t always translate to his tape, but with that sort of size and explosion, he could play all over the place in a defense that still needs more pass rushers than can consistently win.
30. Carolina: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
Even if the Panthers bring back Josh Norman, they still need help on the other side. Charles Tillman is 35 and isn’t likely to be back, and Robert McClain isn’t the long-term answer. Enter Fuller, who has the traits Carolina looks for in their zone corners.
31. Denver: Le’Raven Clark, OT, Texas Tech
The transition to the NFL may be a long one for Clark, who played in the Platonic ideal of a spread offense at Texas Tech. But he may have that luxury with the Broncos if Denver chooses to bring back Ryan Clady. Even if Clady accepts the paycut the Broncos have reportedly asked him to take, he’s going to be 30 and has a history of dealing with injuries.Despite the ongoing, growing grassroots movement against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) both in the United States and overseas, the mainstream media has continued to push its biased narrative that GMOs have been “proven safe” and activists are “anti-science.”
They virtually ignored the May 24 worldwide March Against Monsanto despite several hundreds of thousands of people around the world marching against the GMO giant, and now a somewhat surprising source is also pushing a narrative in favor of GMOs despite widespread opposition.
The latest attempt to discredit the movement came in an article published on May 28 by The Weather Channel, which was titled “What You Need to Know About GMOs.”
The authoritative-sounding headline on the TV station and website’s Facebook page read as follows: “You probably ate GMOs today without even realizing it. Here’s why you’ll be just fine.” The article went on to attempt to paint activists as “anti-science,” a common tactic used by the Biotech industry.
But just below the article post, activists and people in favor of freedom from genetically modified foods took issue with the article, deluging the page with comments questioning the decision to publish the article, which they believed to be biased. Many said they would “unlike” the page, stop watching and delete Weather Channel apps from their phones.
While the mainstream, corporate-dominated media continues to push the narrative that GMOs are “safe” and “extensively tested,” the truth is that there are dozens and dozens of independent studies that say otherwise, as this collection of studies shows.
Environmental damage from insects and weeds immune to Monsanto’s chemicals, widespread cross contamination to non-GMO crops and the subsequent damage it’s done to farmers (and the U.S. crop export business) are among other reasons why many scientists around the world are calling for a halt to the GMO experiment, and several countries including France and Russia have banned them recently.
The dominant narrative of GMO companies such as Monsanto that they are “feeding the world,” has also been questioned or refuted, including in two recent major United Nations reports, one of which came from 2013 saying that small scale organic farming is the best way to feed the world (and not GMOs).
The Weather Channel and Monsanto Have a History Together
In 2009 The Weather Channel announced a partnership with Monsanto on a new online tool for farmers, billed as an enhancement to the popular Agriculture News & Forecast section on its website.
Monsanto has recently been increasing its weather-related outreach, buying ‘The Climate Corporation’ to provide data to farmers in fall 2013.
If you’d like to voice your opinion about the article, click on this link to visit the channel’s Facebook page.
Thanks for reading! P.S. You can subscribe for more updates by clicking on this link.
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commentsSome of the mysterious Hillary Clinton transcripts of speeches given to Goldman Sachs were released by Wikileaks in another document dump on Saturday, October 15. In the speeches, Clinton admits that the current political system is designed to protect party establishments, she suggests reworking Senate rules to undercut opposition to Democrats, and states that incumbents tend to not have “the full interests of the people,” among other revelations.
At a private paid speech, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein asked now-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton if the American political system should be entirely scrapped and replaced with a parliamentary system.
“But just a general question to start you off on the domestic situation. Is the American political system just hopeless? Should we just throw it away, start over?” Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein asked on October 29, 2013, during the “Builders and Innovators Summit.” He went on:
You know, go home. Get a parliamentary system. Is it—because I will tell you—I’m kidding. We—talking here, and I didn’t do this in a formal survey, but when we ask entrepreneurs, whether they were social entrepreneurs, the people who were talking represented the work they’re doing in the cities and the businesses represented here, every conversation referred to either what the government was doing or what the government wasn’t doing that it was obvious that they should be doing. And then I guess a corollary question to my first approach, should we chuck it away, will the elections make a differences. The system so gummed up where a single senator can so gum up appointments and basically extort legislation or stop legislation, is the system so screwed up now that really that we just have to have some cataclysm that just gets everybody so frustrated that we de facto start over, you know, or practically start over?
Clinton replied that the politics in Washington, D.C. were “dysfunctional” during Obama’s second term, especially regarding the government shutdown. She said:
Well, look, I—I think that everyone agrees that we’re in a bad patch in our political system and in Washington. It’s—you know, there’s a lot of good things happening elsewhere in the country. There are a lot of mayors, you had Mitch Landrieu here, I was with Rahm Emanuel yesterday. There’s a lot of innovative, interesting, new ideas being put into practice by mayors, by some governors. So I think when we talk about our political system, we’re really focusing more on what’s happening in Washington. And it is dysfunctional right now. And it is for a variety of reasons, some of them systemic, as you suggested.
Clinton endorsed changing the rules of the Senate so a determined group of Republicans couldn’t hold up the confirmation of presidential appointees. She said:
You know, I really have come to believe that we need to change the rules in the Senate, having served there for eight years. It’s only gotten more difficult to do anything. And I think nominees deserve a vote up or down. Policies deserve a vote up or down. And I don’t think that a small handful of senators should stand in the way of that, because, you know, a lot of those senators are really obstructionist. They should get out. They should make their case. They should go ahead and debate. But they shouldn’t be able to stop the action of the United States Senate. So I think there does have to be some reworking of the rules, particularly in the Senate. I think that, as has been discussed many times, the partisan drawing of lines in Congressional districts gives people — gives incumbents certainly a lot more protection than an election should offer. And then they’re only concerned about getting a challenge from the left of the Democratic Party or a challenge from the right in the Republican Party. And they’re not representing really the full interests of the people in the area that they’re supposed to be. California moved toward this non-partisan board, and I think there should be more efforts in states to do that and get out of the ridiculous gerrymandering that has given us so many members who don’t really care what is happening in the country, don’t really care what the facts are. They just care whether they get a primary opponent. And then it comes down to who we vote for and what kind of expectations we set and who we give money to. Those who help to fund elections, I think it’s important that business leaders make it clear, why would you give money to somebody who was willing to wreck the full faith and credit of the United States. I mean, that just makes no sense at all because the economic repercussions would have been very bad, and the long-term consequences with, you know, the Chinese saying, let’s de-Americanize the world and eventually move to a different reserve currency wouldn’t be, you know, beneficial, either. So I think there are steps that citizens have to take. It’s not just about how we rearrange the levers of power and the institutions in Washington.
“But there has to be a new ethos,” Clinton added. “I mean, we can’t let people, as you say, be extortionists. And the President was absolutely right not to negotiate with people who were acting the way that the minority of the minority was acting on the shutdown and the debt limit issue.”Image copyright EPA Image caption Midwives went on strike for the first time over a pay dispute on 13 October
NHS workers, including nurses and midwives, are to stage a new four-hour strike in England on 24 November as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
Members of nine unions will walk out over the government's decision not to accept a recommended 1% pay rise.
A Department of Health spokesperson said they could not afford the pay rise "without risking front-line jobs".
Christina McAnea, chair of the NHS trade unions, said the government had left them with "no alternative".
She warned Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt that he needed "to realise that this dispute is not going away".
"All we are asking for is fair pay," she said.
The announcement follows a four-hour strike on 13 October, the first in the NHS over pay for 30 years.
The impact on patients was limited as unions had agreed to cover urgent and emergency care. A similar arrangement is likely this time.
The latest walkout will be followed for the rest of the week by action short of a strike, which includes measures such as not working unpaid overtime.
Members of another two unions - the British Dieticians Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association - will be involved in that.
The unions involved in the walkout are:
Unison
Royal College of Midwives
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
Society of Radiographers
British Association of Occupational Therapists
GMB
Unite
Managers in Partnership
Prison Officers Association
Ministers in England have awarded NHS staff a 1% increase, but only for those without automatic progression-in-the-job rises.
These, designed to reward professional development, are given to about half of staff, and are worth 3% a year on average.
An independent pay review board had said the 1% increase should be across the board.
It was implemented in full in Scotland. Northern Ireland has yet to make a decision on pay, while Wales did the same as England but did give extra to the lowest paid staff. Some unions are balloting their Welsh members about action there.In an announcement, IARPA officials laid out the project's goals: "The DIVA program will produce a common framework and software prototype for activity detection, person/object detection and recognition across a multicamera network," IARPA officials wrote. "The impact will be the development of tools for forensic analysis, as well as real-time alerting for user-defined threat scenarios." In other words: the system should be able to identify suspicious behavior in real-time.
One of the problems with existing systems is that they can identify individual people or objects, but not many of them at the same time, or the complex interactions between them. The DIVA system as it is proposed would be able to identify certain types of movements like a person carrying a firearm, two people exchanging an object, or someone walking up and abandoning a potentially dangerous object on the street.
The first phase of the project will implement those goals on normal, indoor and outdoor security camera footage. In phases two and three, however, the system would also have real-time access to video streams from handheld or body cameras and the ability to detect and track objects "across multiple overlapping and non-overlapping camera viewpoints." Because a facial recognition system meant to scan packed crowds will require some heavy processing power, the proposed system would also create a cloud-based, scalable framework to add bandwidth on the fly.
While the system is meant to prevent a terrorist event like the Paris attacks or the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Defense One points out that privacy laws in the U.S. and Europe differ and it is unclear if a system like this could have legally been deployed. Either way it is likely to alarm privacy advocates. According to John Waugaman, president of surveillance tech company Tygart Technology, however, the type of system IARPA is seeking for Phase One of the DIVA project is not very far off. "Easily within the next two years," Waugaman told Defense One, "you'll see pairing of facial and object recognition in operational use."Ex-Radio 1 DJ has apologised for ‘unintentionally causing offence’ with ditty he sang in Caribbean accentUkip spokesman blames ‘right-on media’ for Read’s decision
The former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read has apologised for his Ukip-supporting calypso song and asked for it to be withdrawn from sale following criticism that it was racist.
He said he was sorry for “unintentionally causing offence” with the tune sung in a fake Caribbean accent, featuring lyrics about “open borders” and “illegal immigrants in every town”.
Read initially defended his song after some objected to his use of calypso music to promote an anti-immigration argument. “It was never meant to be remotely racist,” he said. “It’s an old-fashioned political satire … you can’t sing a calypso with a Surrey accent.”
But on Wednesday, the presenter appeared to have a change of heart, saying he had asked his record company to withdraw the song from sale, scuppering Ukip leader Nigel Farage’s hope that it could reach No 1 in the charts.
Read said: “I’m so sorry that the song unintentionally caused offence. That was never my intention and I apologise unreservedly if anyone has taken offence. I’ve asked the record company to withdraw the single immediately.”
At the time of Read’s statement, the song, Ukip Calypso, performed by Read and a band called the Independents, was No 2 in the Amazon MP3 best sellers list, having spent three days in the chart.
The Labour frontbencher Chuka Umunna said the song was distasteful. He added: “A lot of people have said they think it’s racist. I don’t know whether his intention was to be racist.” The shadow business secretary described a lot of what Ukip was doing as “vile, absolutely vile, and not in keeping with our British values of respect, tolerance and fair play”.
A Ukip spokesman said: “This is Mike’s song and it is obviously his decision what to do with it. We do think it is a shame that he has been treated so harshly by many in the ‘right-on’ media, but we respect his decision.
“We thought it was just a bit of fun, as did thousands of people, evidenced by how well it has been selling. Were it not for the synthetic outrage, the song would have generated a lot of money for charity, as profits were to be split with the Red Cross for their Ebola Outreach programme.”
“It’s a pity those so concerned with political correctness have trodden all over this.”
Read presented the Radio 1 breakfast show from 1981 to 1986, but is best remembered for refusing to play Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood on the BBC, because of its sexually suggestive lyrics.
The ban only served to boost sales of the song, prompting speculation on Twitter that Read’s attempt to withdraw his Ukip song from sale could have the same effect.
David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, said of the of the song: “[If] we needed any more evidence of the Ukip leadership being tone-deaf elitists, then look no further.”
The song’s second line addresses the issue of immigration, saying: “Leaders committed a cardinal sin, open the borders let them all come in; illegal immigrants in every town, stand up and be counted Blair and Brown.”
It is not the first time Read has performed a political song. He rapped for 10 minutes during a dinner at a Conservative conference and expressed a desire to stand as the party’s candidate for London mayor in 2006.
Farage urged his followers to “help get the Ukip Calypso by the Independents to No 1”.Bookmaker Ladbrokes said they would refund all bets placed on the song topping the chart, describing the tune as a “bad idea from day one”.
Read’s song just failed to make the top 20 in the midweek rundown of the official singles chart, debuting at number 21 according to the list published on Wednesday. A spokesman said sales of the song to date would continue to contribute to the official top 40, despite Read’s decision to withdraw it.
It could mean another dilemma for the BBC over whether to include the song in its official top 40 programme on Radio 1 on Sunday, in a potential echo of the row over the anti-Thatcher protest song, Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead.
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”.
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This dish offers traditional and refined combinations of South American flavors. The sweetness and texture of the carrots balance out the rich and succulent meat.
Combine the lamb shanks, all but 1 sprig of the rosemary, the unpeeled garlic cloves, all of the wine and the lemon zest in a large zip-top bag. Seal and massage to coat the shanks thoroughly. Marinate for at least 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have a roasting pan at hand that's large enough to hold the lamb shanks.
Remove the shanks from the bag, reserving the marinade. Season them all over with 2 teaspoons of smoked salt, the black pepper and the piment d'espelette, placing them in the roasting pan along with their marinade as you work. (Discard the skins of the roasted garlic and the spent rosemary.) Roast for about 45 minutes or until the shanks begin to show some caramelization; turn them over and cook for 45 minutes or until the meat has begun to pull away from the bone. (The total cooking time may be longer or shorter than the suggested 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the shanks.)
Allow the shanks to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then add the vinegar, 8 tablespoons of the oil, the chopped parsley and the remaining peeled garlic cloves to the roasting pan. Place the pan (with the shanks in it) over medium-low heat and gently warm through for less than 1 minute; reserve the pan mixture as the sauce for the dish.
Cut the carrots in half lengthwise and place in a mixing bowl. (Depending on their size, cut the carrots into shapes that allow a surface area for charring.) Mince the remaining rosemary leaves (to yield 2 teaspoons) and add to the carrots, along with 3 tablespoons of the oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the carrots in a single layer, cut side down, leaving plenty of room around them. Allow them to char irregularly. Depending on their size, cook the carrots for 5 to 7 minutes with the understanding that they are meant to be overcooked toward the tips and slightly undercooked toward the top. Turn the carrots only once to ensure they char well. Transfer to a plate.
Keep the cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the bottom, then add the goat cheese rounds; cook briefly, just until they develop crisp, dark edges, then transfer them to the lamb shanks, draping them over each one.
Add the arugula to the hot skillet; cook undisturbed just until the leaves blister. Season with smoked salt to taste, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Remove from the heat.
When ready to serve, divide the charred carrots among individual plates, using them to form a raftlike base. Place a lamb shank on each portion, then top with the blistered arugula and some of the warmed pan mixture.
Serve warm.The southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline will be home to Europe's first underwater restaurant, and we're getting serious apocolyptic vibes. Designed by the architecture and design firm Snøhetta, the forthcoming restaurant—called "Under"—will also double as a marine life research center.
"Half-sunken into the sea, the building’s monolithic form breaks the water surface to lie against the craggy shoreline," reads a release on Snøhetta's site. "More than an aquarium, the structure will become a part of its marine environment, coming to rest directly on the sea bed five meters below the water’s surface." Researchers behind the restaurant's construction are working to make sure that fish and shellfish will not be negatively impacted by the structure.
MIR and Snøhetta
Under will accommodate 80 to 100 guests, who'll enter the restaurant at the shoreline's edge and then walk down below the water. (The restaurant's champagne bar will "mark the transition between the shoreline and the ocean.")
"The dining room is submerged in darker blue and green colors inspired by the seabed, seaweed and rough sea," the site reads. "The warm oak of the restaurant interior contrasts with the rough concrete shell, creating an intimate atmosphere. Materials are chosen not only for their aesthetic qualities, but also for their sustainable characteristics and ability to create a good indoor climate."
MIR and Snøhetta
Under may be Europe's first underwater restaurant, but it's not the first in the world. In fact, dining under the sea has become increasingly trendy. At Per Aquum's Niyama resort in the Maldives, you can eat at a breath-taking underwater restaurant that offers panoramic views of over 90 species of coral reef and aquatic life.
While food details have not yet been revealed, we're guessing that a sustainable, seafood-heavy menu is a safe bet. The restaurant will likely open in early 2019.Kasich has seen his numbers soar in New Hampshire. September 2, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
HENNIKER, N.H. -- After a town hall at New England College, Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) separated himself from the Republicans who are promising to tear up the nuclear deal with Iran -- and the smaller number who have expressed some sympathy for a Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses.
The Iran agreement just today won enough Senate support to sustain a presidential veto if Congress votes against it, but no one at the town hall mentioned it until the press scrum. Kasich told Politico's Eli Stokols that he would want to see the status of the deal, and Iran's adherence, in January 2017.
"If it passes, if we see one violation of that agreement, I would slap on sanctions even if it's unilateral," he said. "And if I were president, I would hope it wouldn't be unilateral, because the Europeans are experiencing an awful lot of pressure over there, in many different ways. If the security of the United States and our allies are threatened, it's a whole new ball game."
Asked if that mean he would not "tear up" the deal, Kasich said he didn't "know what that means." Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have said they would terminate the deal; Donald Trump has opposed it while conceding that "ripping it up" would be difficult.
"What I will tell you if they are violating the agreement, at that point, I would slap on the sanctions and try to convince other people to do it," said Kasich. "But I'm not going to project that the Senate won't do that. You never know."
In a subsequent interview with The Washington Post, Kasich was even more dismissive of another headline-grabbing issue: Asked about Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who's refusing to issue marriage licenses, Kasich stopped the question.
"I've taken my position on it," he said. "Glad you didn't touch on any hot button issues!"
Afterward, a spokesman said that Kasich was referring to his reaction to Obergefell v. Hodges. After saying that the decision "disappointed" him, Kasich ruled out any discussion of countermeasures.
"We'll honor what the Supreme Court does," he said. "It's the law of the land. It's the way that America functions."
In other words: Kasich wanted Kim Davis to do her job. And he didn't want to "tear up" the Iran deal. But he wasn't going to wade in to either issue.While the deal gives IKEA a deeper foothold in the technology world -- it just launched an AR-focused app for iOS 11 -- it also helps the company solve some annoying problems for consumers. Nobody actually likes building the company's wares, and its expensive and lengthy delivery options also seem archaic in 2017. In particular, IKEA needs to compete with Amazon, which can easily ship out furniture within a day and offer easy installation options.
IKEA says TaskRabbit will continue to operate as an independent company. Looking ahead, though, it's unclear just how useful the rest of TaskRabbit's offerings will be to the furniture company. You can also use the on-demand service to have people stand in line, pick up food from the grocery store or even take your junk to an electronics recycling center (something I've needed it for several times).Get the biggest Manchester United FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Manchester United have been alerted to Gareth Bale’s potential availability in the summer - but Real Madrid will want David de Gea to be involved in any deal to take the world’s most expensive player to Old Trafford.
Louis van Gaal’s hopes of landing the Welshman will also be dependent on United securing Champions League football next season.
Sources in Spain have indicated the European champions are willing to let Bale leave the Bernabeu at the end of the current campaign - placing the Premier League’s top clubs on standby.
Chelsea are also monitoring his situation, while City are expected to heavily reinvest in their ageing squad next summer.
But United hold the trump card, with De Gea one of Real’s top targets.
The Spanish giants are preparing a move for the 24-year-old goalkeeper regardless of Bale’s situation.
They see him as the man to succeed Iker Casillas for club and country.
United will know that the prospect of returning to his homeland will be tempting for De Gea sooner or later and must decide whether to capitalise on Real’s interest by using him as a bargaining chip for Bale.
De Gea has established himself as one of Europe’s top keepers after overcoming a disastrous start to life at Old Trafford.
Last season he was named United’s double player of the year and he has been in outstanding form again this term.
But just as with Cristiano Ronaldo, United will be pragmatic about the chances of keeping him in England for the rest of his career.
And, like with Ronaldo - who joined Real for a world record £80m in 2009 - they can expect to make a significant profit on the £18.9m Sir Alex Ferguson paid for him in 2011.
They could expect to demand a world record fee for a goalkeeper, in excess of the £32.6mm Juventus spent on Gianluigi Buffon in 2001.
With Real determined to recoup much of Bale’s £85.3m fee, De Gea would prove a sizeable makeweight.
And with former Barcelona No.1 Victor Valdes currently training with United as he recovers from injury, they could have a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings.
Real’s willingness to cash in on Bale comes as a surprise, given his impressive first season in Spain where he played a pivotal part in their Champions League and Spanish Cup success - scoring in the finals of both competitions.
But the 25-year-old still isn’t considered among the absolute elite along with Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Real are not making his potential availability public, but United are among the clubs who are aware of his situation.
They tried to pip Real to his signature when he left Tottenham for La Liga two summers ago.
He is precisely the type of superstar name executive vice chairman Ed Woodward believes United should always be competing for.
Despite spending £150m in summer - including the British record £59.7m signing of Angel di Maria - Woodward is prepared to make more cash available to van Gaal.
A £44m deal has been put in place to make Radamel Falcao’s loan move from Monaco permanent and Roma’s Kevin Strootman is another target.
But with concerns over 31-year-old Robin van Persie’s form, United will explore the possibility of adding more attacking talent.
The sort of figures required to sign Bale will be dependent on the promise of Champions League revenue.
A top four finish is the minimum requirement for van Gaal, with the Dutchman made aware that United’s investment in the summer was made with a view to an immediate return to Europe’s premier competition.
Bale’s willingness to join a club that is unable to offer him Champions League football would also be in doubt.
Tottenham’s failure to qualify for the competition was a factor in his decision to leave White Hart Lane. Having triumphed in Europe in his first season in Spain, he will be determined to continue competing at the highest level.Image copyright Phil Coomes Image caption Choosing the right A-level subjects is key to applying to university but many students receive poor advice from their schools, says a report
Thousands of pupils in the UK are being given scant or wrong advice about the best A-level subjects to study to gain a degree place, a survey has found.
The study by The Student Room online forum suggests many students have poor guidance on what to take at A level.
Of more than 6, |
vandalism and property damage in the 1960s. But compared with many other conflicts, including Northern Ireland or in Spain’s Basque Country or in Sri Lanka, it was possible to find common ground and agree to a path forward more quickly at the negotiating table.
A cascade of votes at the local, cantonal and national levels endorsed the decision to establish a new canton of Jura in 1978. This was followed by three more votes between 1989 and 2013 over whether parts of the Bernese Jura region should join another canton.
This article in part of #DearDemocracy, a platform on direct democracy issues from swissinfo.ch.
end of infobox
Moutier voted twice before it was able to determine its own fate last Sunday.
Two other small villages are due to decide later this year whether they want to follow the town of Moutier and join Jura. Once they do, the Jura conflict will have formally ended according to the plan laid out to resolve it.
Two centuries
1815: At the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna attributes the seven districts of the Jura to the canton of Bern.
1950s: The rise of the separatist movement seeking to leave canton Bern.
1974-75: The Jura is divided. The three districts in the north form the new canton of Jura, while the southern three remain Bernese. Laufen later joins canton Base -Country. In Moutier, the decision to remain Bernese wins by just 70 votes.
1979: Entry into sovereignty of the canton of Jura, after a vote by the whole of Switzerland which accepts its creation with 82% in favour.
1994: Establishment of the Interjurassian Assembly (AIJ), an institution of reconciliation, under the purview of the national government and cantons of Jura and Bern.
1998: The municipality of Moutier organises an advisory vote on its attachment to canton Jura, which is refused by a margin of 41 votes.
November 24, 2013: With 72% against, citizens of the Bernese Jura and canton Jura refuse to initiate a process to bring the two regions together into the same canton. In Moutier, however, the Jura supporters prevails for the first time, by 389 votes.
June 18, 2017: Moutier votes to join the canton of Jura, in principle settling the matter.
Adapted from German by Urs Geiser, swissinfo.ch
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SWI swissinfo.ch on Instagram SWI swissinfo.ch on InstagramThis Wednesday, Earth 2: Society #8, written by Dan Abnett with Jorge Jimenez on art, hits the newsstands, exploring how heroes of this Earth are doing their part to take the reins and create a sense of renewal for their world! Check out these exclusive preview pages that DC Comics was kind enough to share!
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 cover EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 page 1 EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 page 2 EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 page 3 EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 page 4 EARTH 2: SOCIETY #8 page 5
What continues to impress me about Jimenez’s work is how clean a storyteller he is with his pencils. The action is always vibrant, popping off the page without a hint of being muddled in the slightest. Moreover, his pieces of flare, such as the gradations in a rock’s cliff, give the population of Earth 2: Society a sense of occupying a real environment. Abnett’s plotting and crisp characterization, which he’s more than made a name for himself in the comic industry for achieving with panache, make the title very accessible without alienating long-time readers.
Earth 2: Society #8, written by Dan Abnett and drawn by Jorge Jimenez, hits comic shops this Wednesday.
From the official issue description:There are all kinds of flavored beers out there—beers made with pumpkin, raspberries, cinnamon, oysters. And with salty peanuts being one of beer's favorite partners, don't you think it's time that Peanut Butter Beer made an appearance?
For a while, my search for a bottle of peanut buttery beer was fleeting. I had heard about a peanut oatmeal stout called Uber Goober from Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire, Michigan, but it hasn't been brewed since 2010.
I also heard about Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter from Willoughby Brewing in Willoughby, Ohio; alas, it's only available on tap in Ohio, which isn't on my travel schedule this month.
Finally, I stumbled upon Peter Kennedy, a homebrewer and beer blogger from New Jersey who created his own Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter and was kind enough to share some with me. This dark brew contains notes of coffee, chocolate, and a lot of nuttiness. It's slightly bitter, with unexpected sweet and savory notes. Not too much carbonation—just enough to provide some relief from the slick richness the peanut butter imparts.
My fellow peanut butter and beer lovers: wouldn't you agree that more brewers should produce more peanut butter beer? Have you ever tried peanut butter beer, or just dream of how delicious this combination could be?
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.The key to effective political communication is to say a particular thing to a particular audience. It’s easy but expensive to say a general thing to a lot of people: That’s the role of an ad on CBS during a prime-time show. It’s expensive to say a specific thing to a lot of people: That’s an ad targeting a specific cable channel. It’s quite expensive to say a particular thing to a particular audience — and it can be very expensive to make a precise argument to a particular voter.
But it’s not necessarily hard. It used to be that you could do this with a piece of mail, though people wouldn’t necessarily read it. You can do it with a volunteer who knocks on their doors, but that doesn’t scale well. And then the Internet arrived.
In late 2014, we looked at how Facebook aimed to dominate political advertising by allowing campaigns to have that level of precision at a lower cost. You could target groups by geography and demographic, or you could upload a voter file and find specific voters. The more refined, the more expensive — but still cheaper than sending someone to people’s homes.
The 2016 campaign marked Facebook’s arrival as a political force, though not necessarily in the way the company expected. The Trump campaign invested heavily in Facebook, using the tool to target voters with very specific messages and, it hoped, to spur people to the polls.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. (2010 photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)
Or, if needed, away from them. A Bloomberg report last October outlined how the campaign was also using Facebook to suppress votes, showing, for example, black voters an ad focused on Hillary Clinton’s past comments about black crime. Black voter turnout was down in 2016, probably because of the Democrat on the ticket. But in an election that gave Donald Trump the White House thanks to 78,000 votes in three states, it’s possible that the targeting of voters on Facebook played a bigger role than expected.
Thus adding new potency to a Washington Post report on Wednesday afternoon about another group investing in Facebook ads during the campaign: Russian trolls. From that report:
Facebook officials reported that they traced the ad sales, totaling $100,000, to a Russian “troll farm” with a history of pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda, these people said. A small portion of the ads, which began in the summer of 2015, directly named Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the people said. Most of the ads focused on pumping politically divisive issues such as gun rights and immigration fears, as well as gay rights and racial discrimination.
(The “troll farm” at issue was apparently this one, profiled by the New York Times in 2015.)
A Facebook official outlined who had been targeted with the ads — “people on Facebook who had expressed interest in subjects explored on those pages, such as LGBT community, black social issues, the Second Amendment, and immigration.” Some 3,300 ads were linked to Russians.
In July, McClatchy reported that investigators looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and any connection to the Trump campaign were looking at whether someone directed the Russian activity toward particular voters. That is, did the Trump campaign, for example, tip off someone to populations that might be susceptible to targeted advertising?
The comment from Facebook doesn’t suggest that’s the case, for three reasons. First, the ad buy was fairly limited in scope; $100,000 over 18 months isn’t very much. Second, the ads began in 2015, suggesting that this wasn’t necessarily tightly tied to Trump. Third, the Facebook official said that the targeting was done by generic interests — which doesn’t exclude the possibility of more specific advertisements being purchased but suggests a lower level of sophistication than targeting a voter file, for example. In other words, the ads appear to have targeted people who clicked the “like” button on certain pages, not, it seems, people who someone had identified as likely voters in the 2016 election.
What’s worth pulling out here is that we’re learning about this investment only in September 2017, 10 months after the election. After the election, facing criticism for its role in spreading rampant misinformation, Facebook set out to uproot problematic content and review what happened in the campaign. That review led to this discovery.
Murky political advertising is far from eradicated on the platform. On Tuesday, my feed showed me this post, about an incumbent city council member in the neighborhood in which I live.
The post had no link. It was just this image and this text. There was no way to know anything more about the ad until I noticed, tucked in the corner, a small disclaimer: “Paid for by Fox 2017″ — one of the politicians’ opponents. (A representative of that campaign confirmed that it had paid for the ad.) On my phone, that tagline was all but invisible; it was only when I transferred it to my laptop to send to Facebook for this article that I spotted it.
It’s not clear whether this ad is legal in the city of New York. (The Board of Elections didn’t return several calls.) But the rules for campaign materials mandate a review by the city for “all broadcast, cable or satellite schedules and scripts, internet, print and other types of advertisements” that are “published to 500 or more members of a general public audience.” On Facebook, it’s trivial to slip in under that bar, particularly if you’re targeting registered voters. Facebook can’t possibly police the legality of political ads on its site, of course, since the laws vary widely by jurisdiction. (A spokesman for the company told me in an email: “We require ads to follow our ad policies, which includes following local laws. If a recognized authority body reported that the ad is out of compliance, we would remove it.”)
The question that arises in the context of the Russia investigation is twofold. The first is, how many other people saw the ads? This is the key question for the investigation into Russian interference. If the ads were shown only to African Americans in Detroit who were likely to vote, for example, that has much different implications than them being shown to people who “liked” the NAACP from anywhere in the United States.
The other question is how many people would bother to find out who is behind the negative ad that I was shown. It’s very easy for things such as this to slip through the cracks. If I hadn’t captured a screen shot of the ad, it would be hard to demonstrate that I’d even seen it — making it hard for outside observers (and campaign finance authorities) to track it. It’s this dark corner of the world’s most popular social network that campaigns are happy to exploit.
Campaigns — and Russian trolls, it seems. Facebook won’t reveal details of what those 2016 ads showed, citing its “data policy and federal law,” and we don’t know who was targeted with them. It’s clear, though, that those looking to influence American politics have embraced Facebook’s tools — and not always in the way that one might hope.The ambassador says Iraq is open to working with other countries that are willing to help. Iraqi amb.: 'Immediate help' needed
Iraqi ambassador to the United States Lukman Faily emphasized that the United States is his country’s partner of choice — but that his country needs help immediately.
“At an extremely difficult time, we need immediate help to face an immediate threat,” Faily said on CNN Friday morning. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting.”
Story Continued Below
Faily’s interview came as extremist group ISIL made its way across the country, taking cities in its wake. President Barack Obama said that he would send up to 300 military advisors to assess the situation, but a debate still rages as to how involved the U.S. should become in the situation.
While Faily said repeatedly that the U.S. is Iraq’s ideal partner, he said that Iraq is open to working with other countries that are willing to help.
“We said if the Syrian Air Force attacked ISIL — an enemy to both of us — then we welcome it,” he said. “As far as Iran, no forces are on the ground.”
One of the first images of the crisis for American viewers were the American-trained Iraqi army laying down their arms, stripping their uniforms and running away from ISIL.
“It’s unfair to say we didn’t fight for ourselves,” Faily said.
When asked about the possibility of Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki stepping down, Faily said that as a diplomat he was unable to comment.
“We are new in democracy,” he said. “We are developing, but we need immediate help to deal with a regional threat.”
This article tagged under: Iraq"The militant attack has been repelled," the ATO HQ said in an update on Sunday morning.
The total number of attacks on Ukrainian positions in the past 24 hours was 105 incidents, it said.
Six Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in action; three had minor injuries over the period under review.
Read alsoUkraine volunteer killed in Donbas – ATO HQThe enemy used proscribed 122mm artillery systems in the Donetsk sector to shell the village of Nevelske, the ATO HQ said. They also fired mortars, grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns and small arms on Avdiyivka, and the villages of Novoluhanske, Pisky, Kamyanka, Nevelske, Troyitske, Luhanske, Novoselivka, Opytne, and Zaitseve. Novoluhanske also came under sniper fire, while Troyitske was attacked by an infantry fighting vehicle.
In the Luhansk sector, mortars of various calibers were used to attack the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka and Krymske. Grenade launchers were used to fire on the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka. The occupiers also used anti-tank missile systems to shell Krymske.
Read alsoATO HQ update: 2 WIA, 49 militant attacks in DonbasIn the Mariupol sector, Russia's hybrid military forces used banned 122mm artillery systems to shell the villages of Vodiane and Novohryhorivka. Mortars of various calibers were used to attack the towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Starohnativka, Vodiane, Pavlopil, and Novotroyitske. They also used grenades and small arms to fire on the villages of Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Shyrokyne, and Talakivka. Shyrokyne was also attacked by enemy infantry fighting vehicles.
In the evening, the invaders lobbed 30 Grad rockets onto Ukrainian positions close to the village of Vodiane.On visit to Beijing, secretary of state says China and US share common goal to ‘achieve a de-nuclearized North Korea’
US secretary of state John Kerry struck a positive tone on Friday about China’s commitment to pressuring North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
Kerry told reporters in Beijing that he has discussed “almost every subject of concern for the United States and China and the region” with Chinese leaders during his 24-hour visit to the capital, including “the commitment that the United States and China share to achieve a de-nuclearized North Korea, as well as a special role that China can play in helping to make that goal a reality.”
The discussions had been positive, Kerry said. “I’m pleased that on every level, in all of our conversations today, China could not have more forcefully reiterated its commitment to that goal, its interests in achieving that goal, and its concerns about the risks of not achieving that goal – in terms of what it might mean, in terms of stability on the peninsula, as well as the potential for an arms race in the region.”
Kerry landed in Beijing on Friday morning after a day of meetings in South Korea, his first stop on an Asian tour. He met China’s president Xi Jinping before entering a series of talks with other officials, including his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
He said that the discussions involved climate change; the international response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions; and China’s “human rights challenges”, including a recent spate of dissident arrests and issues in the ethnically-riven far-western regions Xinjiang and Tibet.
Chinese state media has chastised Kerry for highlighting US concerns over China’s increasingly aggressive claims to disputed territory in the east and south China seas. On Friday, he cautiously criticized the country’s unilateral declaration in November of an air defense identification zone (Adiz) over a swath of the east China sea also claimed by Japan.
“We’ve expressed our concern about the need to try to establish a calmer, more rule-of-law based, less confrontational regime” in the disputed areas, Kerry said. “This includes the question of how an Adiz might or might not come about.”
In a stridently anti-Japanese editorial on Friday, China’s official Xinhua news agency said the US must pressure Tokyo into ceasing its “provocative moves” or risk a future regional conflict.
“The United States has to know that, while Beijing has always been trying to address territorial brawls with some neighbouring countries through peaceful means, it will not hesitate to take steps to secure its key national security interests according to China’s sovereign rights,” Xinhua said.
In Seoul, on Thursday, Kerry said the White House wanted a fresh emphasis on getting North Korea back to six-nation talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons.
“The US will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state. We will not accept talks for the sake of talks. And the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] must show that it will negotiate and live up to its commitments regarding denuclearisation.”
Efforts toward that end, he said, would rely heavily on Chinese pressure.
“China has a unique and critical role that it can play,” Kerry said. “No country has a greater potential to influence North Korea’s behavior than China, given their extensive trading relationship with the North.”
But China’s leverage with North Korea is being tested. Diplomats say Beijing received no prior warning of the December arrest and execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who had been considered Pyongyang’s senior official on China affairs and was a strong promoter of free trade zones being set up along their mutual border.
That followed Pyongyang’s snubbing of Beijing’s wishes when it conducted a missile test in late 2012, followed by the underground detonation of a nuclear device last spring.
Jang’s removal was seen as depriving Beijing of its chief conduit into the North Korean regime and in the weeks that followed the leadership found itself at a loss as to how to proceed. A delegation of Chinese diplomats led by the foreign ministry’s deputy head of Asian affairs visited Pyongyang last week in a sign that Beijing was trying to renew dialogue.
Those discussions involving the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan, broke down at the end of 2008 and US officials say they see no point of restarting talks until Pyongyang shows an authentic desire to make good on its prior commitments to dismantle its nuclear programmes.DebConf is the periodic meeting of people interested in contributing to Debian GNU/Linux.
This year DebConf was in Banja Luka, Bosnia/Herzegovina. The head organizer, Adnan Hodzic, had some very interesting comments in the aftermath, among them, this:
“I could write a whole novel about this, but to keep it as short as possible, for last two years as a side project I was working on an idea of Government or some of its institutions migrating to Linux. At first I was somewhat loud about it, then after Microsoft heard about it and after they tried stopping the idea by trying to scare me by trying to interfere with my private life; as that didn’t work its lobbyist came even near of obstructing the whole conference within the Government. For the sake of the conference, I convinced the Government that by supporting DebConf it doesn’t mean they need to move to Linux and publicly stopped talking about it. I also convinced them that our only goal was to have successful conference and promote alternative options and open ideas. I wasn’t lying as I saw this as new opportunity of them concluding on their own why they should or shouldn’t not move, the better conference was the more chances of success we had.
That’s why I tried pushing as many representatives from various companies as in this case we would use reverse psychology where basically no one or few know what Linux or Debian for that matter is, but everybody knows who Google is, so if you have participants from i.e: Google or Austrian E-Health care system talking about how they are using your technology is better way to explain what’s it all about really. Eventually Microsoft even had their first ever conference in Bosnia/Herzegovina and you wanna take a wild guess where it was held? :-)”Founders Night brings together startups leaders so they can socialize, gain knowledge and build both personal & business relationships. Founders Night events consist of either after-work mixers or salons and are usually relaxed, featuring drinks, snacks and great conversation. Presenters/Speakers come to “Pay It Forward†by imparting useful business advice, share experiences, talk about their companies and their industries and share best practices. Salon events include targeted content which is presented salon-style with participants with an expertise in media, technology, business operations, innovation, social media or personal improvement.Past participants include c-level members of early stage startups, founders of small businesses, investors/angels, technology bloggers & journalists, key entrepreneurs and executives from established companies.
OCTOBER THEME: EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS If you have ever had questions about how sponsorships work, how to locate and deal with venues, how to locate interesting spaces for events, working with food & beverage vendors...then come get all your answers and THEN SOME!
AGENDA: 7:00p: Networking/Food 7:30p: Presentation/Speaker 8:30p: Networking 9:00p: Event Concludes
WHERE: Union Square Loft/Focus 873 Broadway Ste 408 (between 19th St & 18th St) NYC, NY 10003
Join Us for: * Complimentary drinks & food * Presentation by Special Guest Speaker/Panel * Tons of valuable networking!
SPEAKERS:
KRIS MATHIS | FOUNDER, SPONSORPITCH Kris started SponsorPitch.com to address a core business problem he noticed while working in the sponsorship division of marketing and PR agency, Edelman. Today, the SponsorPitch platform serves nearly 30,000 members, who tap into the world’s largest connected sponsorship community to find, research and connect with highly targeted leads. His insights on technology, sponsorship and sports business have been featured in numerous business publications including Forbes, Advertising Age, Bloomberg TV, MarketWatch, BizBash, Sports Business Daily and others. His passion for start-ups began at Vanderbilt University, where he received an MBA while serving as president of the Vanderbilt Entrepreneurship Association. Website: www.SponsorPitch.com Twitter: @krismyc Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/krismathis
ERIC HO | FOUNDER, MADE IN LES Eric is a licensed architect finding himself at the intersection of design and social entrepreneurship. He sees architecture as a dialogue that facilitates engagement between people and their environment. Eric founded miLES in early 2012 and has been passionately leading its development from an idea into an innovative practice. In his spare time, you can find Eric looking for inspiration in the LES. Website: http://madeinles.org/ | http://storefronttransformer.com/ Twitter: @madeinLES Facebook: www.facebook.com/madeinLES
ADRIANE MACK | CEO, MISS MACK ENTERPRISES Adriane Mack is a Southern California native who moved to New York City in 2002. Adriane Mack started as a producer and host of the international Hip-Hop internet radio show program Grove St. Radio. Adriane Mack became impressed with the food and beverage industry and how it could impact the urban community with career opportunities and knowledge of food and beverage quality. She has worked for celebrity chefs such as Terrance Brennan, Todd English and David Burke. She also co-hosted a television episode with Michael Colameco on his PBS show ‘Real Food with Michael Colameco’. Adriane Mack created the company Miss Mack Enterprises which is marketing and event planning company specializing in all aspects of the culinary industry, and community based events and mobile marketing. Companies Adriane Mack has worked with are Sud De France, Demontoux Fine Wines, Harlem Brewing Company, Real Food with Michael Colameco, Crude Food Catering, Invite Style, Black Street, Global Advertising Services, NEHMA, and SDS Enterprises, just to name a few. Her latest venture is the Harlem Brew Garden @MIST and currently serves on the board for the Black Culinary Expo.
HOSTED BY
DARON JENKINS | FOUNDER, SCENEPR Daron launched SCENEPR in 2004 to help filmmakers connect/network with digital publishers. SCENEPR has grown into a multi-platform community of entrepreneurs, business professionals and other innovative business leaders. SCENEPR has curated events for high profile events like Internet Week NY, Social Media Week NY,WILLiFEST, FirstGlance Film Festival and has been featured on Arise TV. He is currently working on a stealth film startup project. Website: www.SCENEPR.com Twitter: @sceneprnyc Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/daronjenkins
JOANNE LOUIE & FELICIA LIN | CO-FOUNDERS, LUX CONNECTIONS LUX Connections aims to cultivate leadership development, build partnerships and foster entrepreneurship by organizing professional events with a social element which help to develop powerful leaders and strong networks of support.
LUX Connections serves: 1. Ambitious, entrepreneurial-minded individuals who seek to make positive changes in their communities 2. Those interested in partnering in business with Asians 3. Those interested in growing their businesses in Asia Website: http://www.luxconnections.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luxconnections Email: luxconnections [at] gmail.com
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MEDIA PARTNERSSome type of foods were always common in every continent, such as many seafood and plants. Examples of these types of food are honey, ants, mussels, crabs and coconuts. Nikolai Vavilov initially identified the centers of origin for eight crop plants, subdividing them further into twelve groups in 1935.[1]
Various squashes such as Turban, Sweet Dumpling, Carnival, Gold Acorn, Delicata, Buttercup and Golden Nugget.
Corn, beans and squash were domesticated in Mesoamerica around 3500 BCE. Potatoes, quinoa and manioc were domesticated in South America. In what is now the eastern United States, Native Americans domesticated sunflower and sumpweed around 2500 BCE.[2]
Timeline of American crop cultivation[4] Date Crops Location 7000 BCE Maize Mexico 5000 BCE Cotton Mexico 4800 BCE Squash
Chili peppers
Avocados
Amaranth Mexico 4000 BCE Maize
Common bean Mexico 4000 BCE Ground nut South America 2000 BCE Sunflowers
Beans
North America [ edit ]
Nuts [ edit ]
Vegetables and grains [ edit ]
Fruits [ edit ]
Canada, Mexico, and the United States are home to a number of edible fruit; however, only three are commercially grown/known on a global scale (grapes, cranberries, and blueberries). Many of the fruits below are still eaten locally as they have been for centuries and others are generating renewed interest by eco-friendly gardeners (less need for bug control) and chefs alike.
Pacific Northwest [ edit ]
Provisionally, this is primarily southern Coast Salish, though much is in common with Coast Salish overall.
Anthropogenic grasslands were maintained. The south Coast Salish may have had more vegetables and land game than people farther north or on the outer coast. Salmon and other fish were staples in this area. There was kokanee, a freshwater fish in the Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish watersheds. Shellfish were abundant. Butter clams, horse clams, and cockles were dried for trade.
Hunting was specialized; professions were probably sea hunters, land hunters, and fowlers. Water fowl were captured on moonless nights using strategic flares.
The managed grasslands not only provided game habitat, but vegetable sprouts, roots, bulbs, berries, and nuts were foraged from them as well as found wild. The most important were probably bracken and camas, and wapato especially for the Duwamish. Many, many varieties of berries were foraged; some were harvested with comblike devices not reportedly used elsewhere. Acorns were relished but were not widely available. Regional tribes went in autumn to the Nisqually Flats (Nisqually plains) to harvest them.[6] Indeed, the region was so abundant that the southern Puget Sound as a whole had one of the only sedentary hunter-gatherer societies that has ever existed.[citation needed]
Mexico and Central America [ edit ]
South America [ edit ]
Middle East or West Asia [ edit ]
Neolithic founder crops [ edit ]
The Neolithic founder crops (or primary domesticates) are the eight plant species that were domesticated by early Holocene (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A and Pre-Pottery Neolithic B) farming communities in the Fertile Crescent region of southwest Asia, and which formed the basis of systematic agriculture in the Middle East, North Africa, India, Persia and (later) Europe. They consist of flax, three cereals and four pulses, and are the first known domesticated plants in the world. Although domesticated rye (Secale cereale) occurs in the final Epi-Palaeolithic strata at Tell Abu Hureyra (the earliest instance of a domesticated plant species), it was insignificant in the Neolithic Period of southwest Asia and only became common with the spread of farming into northern Europe several millennia later.
Barley ( Hordeum vulgare/sativum, descended from the wild H. spontaneum )
, descended from the wild ) Einkorn ( Triticum monococcum, descended from the wild T. boeoticum )
, descended from the wild ) Emmer ( Triticum dicoccum, descended from the wild T. dicoccoides )
, descended from the wild ) Flax ( Linum usitatissimum )
) Oats
Sesame
Wheat
Rye
Bitter vetch ( Vicia ervilia )
) Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum )
) Lentil ( Lens culinaris )
) Pea (Pisum sativum)
Other [ edit ]
Carrots
Cucumbers
Leeks
Lettuce
Onions
Parsley
Radishes
Almond
Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum )
) Mustard
Fig (Ficus carica)
Europe [ edit ]
Plants [ edit ]
Fruit [ edit ]
Vegetables [ edit ]
Herbs [ edit ]
Other [ edit ]
Meat [ edit ]
Duck
Rabbit
Salt [ edit ]
Mediterranean [ edit ]
There was a great deal of commerce between the provinces of the Roman Empire. All the regions of the empire became interdependent with one another; some provinces specialized in the production of grain, others in wine and others in olive oil, depending on the soil type. Columella writes in his Res Rustica, "Soil that is heavy, chalky, and wet is not unsuited to the growing for winter wheat and spelt. Barley tolerates no place except one that is loose and dry."[7] Pliny the Elder writes extensively about agriculture from books XII to XIX; in fact, XVIII is The Natural History of Grain.[8] Crops grown on Roman farms included wheat, barley, millet, pea, broad bean, lentil, flax, sesame, chickpea, hemp, turnip, olives, pear, apples, figs, and plums. Others in the Mediterranean include:
Mediterranean and subtropical fruits [ edit ]
Fruits in this category are not hardy to extreme cold, as the preceding temperate fruits are, yet tolerate some frost and may have a modest chilling requirement. Notable among these are natives of the Mediterranean:
Grapes
Asia [ edit ]
Fruits of Asian origin [ edit ]
These are some fruits native to Asia or of Asian origin.
North Asia [ edit ]
Tibetan plateau
Korean Peninsula [ edit ]
South Asia [ edit ]
Around 7000 BCE, sesame, brinjal, and humped cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley.[9] By 3000 BCE, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in India.[10]
Plants [ edit ]
Fruit [ edit ]
Vegetables [ edit ]
Herbs [ edit ]
Other [ edit ]
Cashew - Native to Brazil but made an edible nut in Goa
Sugarcane
Rice - Also native to China
Castor Oil
Meat [ edit ]
China [ edit ]
Austronesia & New Guinea [ edit ]
Austronesia is the broad region covering the islands of both the Indian and the Pacific oceans settled by Austronesian peoples originating from Taiwan and southern China, starting at around 3,500 to 2,000 BCE. These regions include Island Southeast Asia, Near Oceania (Melanesia), Remote Oceania (Micronesia and Polynesia), Madagascar, and the Comoros Islands. Contact and cultural exchange with early Papuan agriculture in New Guinea also led to homogenization of the agriculture of the two ethnolinguistic groups. The plants originating from Austronesia and New Guinea include:[11][12]
Meat [ edit ]
Animal products [ edit ]
Seafood [ edit ]
Nuts [ edit ]
Grains [ edit ]
Root crops [ edit ]
Vegetables and herbs [ edit ]
Fruits [ edit ]
Other [ edit ]
Africa [ edit ]
Helmeted guinea fowl in tall grass
The first instances of domestication of plants for agricultural purposes in Africa occurred in the Sahel region circa 5000 BCE, when sorghum and African Rice (Oryza glaberrima) began to be cultivated. Around this time, and in the same region, Fonio and the small guineafowl were domesticated.
Around 4000 BCE the climate of the Sahara and the Sahel started to become drier at an exceedingly fast pace. This climate change caused lakes and rivers to shrink significantly and caused increasing desertification. This, in turn, decreased the amount of land conducive to settlements and helped to cause migrations of farming communities to the more humid climate of West Africa.[13]
The most famous crop domesticated in the Ethiopian highlands is coffee. Khat, ensete, noog, teff and finger millet were also domesticated in the Ethiopian highlands. Crops domesticated in the Sahel region include sorghum and pearl millet. The kola nut, extracts from which became an ingredient in Coca-Cola, was first domesticated in West Africa. Other crops domesticated in West Africa include African rice, African yams, black-eyed peas and the oil palm.[2]
Australia [ edit ]
Fruits of Australian origin [ edit ]
Although the fruits of Australia were eaten for thousands of years as bushfood by Aboriginal people, they have only been recently recognized for their culinary qualities by non-indigenous people. Many are regarded for their piquancy and spice-like qualities for use in cooking and preserves. Some Australian fruits also have exceptional nutritional qualities, including high vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Current importance of food origins [ edit ]
In 2016, researchers linked the origins and primary regions of diversity ("areas typically including the locations of the initial domestication of crops, encompassing the primary geographical zones of crop variation generated since that time, and containing relatively high species richness in crop wild relatives") of food and agricultural crops with their current importance around the world in modern national food supplies and agricultural production. The results indicated that national diets and farm production around the world were generally composed of a large set of crops from many diverse origins. Foreign crops (crops whose origins do not include the same region as the country) comprised 68.7% of national food supplies as a global mean, and their usage has increased in the last fifty years.[14]
See also [ edit ]If you want to use your Mac to make and receive phone calls from your iPhone, you’re required to have newer Mac hardware that has Bluetooth 4.0. Otherwise, you’re out of luck. However, a new tool has added support for Bluetooth 4.0 dongles, meaning that older Macs can take advantage of Apple’s Continuity features.
OS X Yosemite was launched back in October during Apple’s iPad event, allowing Mac users to download and install the long-awaited new version of OS X. One of the coolest new features of OS X Yosemite is the ability to make and receive phone calls right on your Mac from your iPhone.
This new feature is a part of Apple’s Continuity initiative that aims to get OS X and iOS working seamlessly together, and OS X Yosemite is the first version of Apple’s Mac operating system that truly does this.
Continuity also allows you to start one task on a device and finish it on another. Apple calls this |
_id]]) { VertexOut vertex_out; Particle particle = particles[instanceid]; vertex_out.position = particle.matrix * vertex_in.position ; vertex_out.color = particle.color; return vertex_out; }
Finally, in the fragment shader we return the color we passed through in the vertex shader:
fragment float4 fragment_main(VertexOut vertex_in [[stage_in]]) { return vertex_in.color; }
If you run the app, you should be able to see the particles falling down like a water stream:

There is yet another, much more efficient approach to rendering particles on the GPU. We’ll look into that next time. I want to thank Caroline for her valuable assistance with instancing. The source code is posted on Github as usual.
Until next time!Ever wonder how artists are able to make money through Spotify? Are you confident that 100% of your royalties is being collected? Well, here’s a transparent breakdown of how it works!
Let’s dissect terms like “royalties” and “performance rights organizations”:
Artist: Someone who records sound recordings.
Songwriter: Someone who writes a song.
Royalty: Paid sum of money.
Public Performance: When music is played on services like Spotify, or in a restaurant, or on the radio.
Harry Fox Agency (HFA): Hired by companies like Spotify to collect and pay out mechanical royalties.
Non-Interactive Stream: Like Pandora and iHeart Radio pays $0.0022 per stream.
Administration Publishing Company: Collects royalties for usages of musical compositions.
Performance Rights Organization: Represents publishers and songwriters, collects performance royalties on their behalf.
ASCAP: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; popular performance rights org rep artists like Drake, Beyoncé, and Enrique Iglesias.
BMI: Performance rights organization similar to ASCAP.
Let’s get down to the business side of it!
If you are an artist who wants to earn money on Spotify, you must sign up with an aggregator, like Symphonic. Even if you’re an unsigned indie artist, we can deliver your music to Spotify. We establish your Artist Page, and let marketing efforts and fans do the rest. Once you begin to generate streams, it’s time to collect royalties.
There are two types of streams: non-interactive and on-demand. As we established earlier, non-interactive streams come from stores like Pandora pay $0.0022 per stream from paid subscribers and $0.0017 for the free tier.
However, this isn’t the final figure that you would get per stream, it’s closer to a quarter of a penny but it takes a complicated formula to derive this number. This is also known as a mechanical royalty. It is considerably higher than the amount you earn from non-interactive streaming. Mechanical royalties are earned anytime a song is streamed, downloaded, or recorded. Obviously, the more streams your music receives, the higher the royalty payout.
Now, you’re probably wondering how to collect these royalties. Mechanical royalties are paid to your aggregator, or admin publishing company. With Symphonic, you can collect up to 100% of royalties, which is not true for all aggregators/labels. Symphonic acts as publishing admin, collects from HFA, then distributes royalties to the artist.
The other way of earning money through Spotify is through public performance royalties span. If your music is “performed in public”, you are owed a royalty collection by the music user. This includes live performances, streaming your music online, radio broadcasts, as well as cable, film, and internet radio.
To collect you would have to be signed up to a performing rights organization like BMI or ASCAP. In our case, Symphonic would act as the publishing administrator to collect on your behalf.Our New Character Skins for Overwatch Are Lore-Friendly
Last week, Blizzard resumed their habit of teasing fans with new Overwatch content. At least one aspect of the tease entailed an event directly dealing with the Omnic Crisis. This was the lore-shaping conflict between humans and machines that also shaped our cast of characters. Complementing the recent tease and the impending release, Blizzard unveiled a new comic set seven years before present events. In it, you will find our characters bound in some new uniform getup. That includes Genji, Mercy, Tracer, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn.
Naturally, fans have speculated that the new comic book outfits would arrive as in-game skins. Well, we now have confirmation. Someone managing the Xbox Games Store said “oops” and leaked a certain image for Overwatch. Thus, we see the same characters within the comic, excluding Genji, wearing their blue and silver outfits. Bask in their blueness below:
Genji is certain to receive his own skin, come update time. Taking the rest of the roster into consideration, Mcree and Widomaker’s involvement in the mythos suggests they will obtain their appropriate garb. Without a doubt, we can expect plenty more forms of loot when the update arrives.
The leaked image additionally confirms the nature of the event, more or less. This latest Omnic Crisis may be the first update based on the game’s own lore and not an actual holiday. Moreover, we suspect changes in the form of new maps, possible current map tweaks, and/or a new game mode. Whatever the case, we anticipate a bit more info on the world of Overwatch, short of reading a comic.
Expect plenty more event information in the days to come. The new update for Overwatch arrives April 11, this Tuesday. Seeing as new skins are always subjective, let us know your thoughts on these leaked character outfits. Would you and your friends going into battle wearing these? Comment down below. And for more of the latest news, updates, and revelations, be sure to check back. Happy gaming
SOURCE, SOURCEHave you noticed the picture above? Lots of my friends on facebook have been using this as their profile picture during the last 24 hours. It’s an Arabic letter for ‘N’ short for Nasrani which is Arabic for Christian (followers of Jesus from Nazareth).
Apparently ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham) have been painting it on the houses of Christians in the city of Mosul in Iraq. Basically these Christians are being asked to either a) convert to Islam, b) pay a ridiculously high tax or c) be killed. Pretty crazy stuff. Thankfully many Christians have come up with a fourth option and d) fled.
My Christian friends are using it as their picture as a mark of solidarity with our Iraqi brothers and sisters. It’s only small, but it’s one way of expressing a desire to be bound with them.
You can read more about the events:
Keen to do more than change your profile picture? Barnabas Fund is currently raising money to support Iraqi Christians.
And pray. Here is an Urgent Prayer Alert for Iraq from Open Doors Australia.
I’ve written often about persecution on this blog. Christians believe that Jesus is someone worth losing everything for. If you’ve never taken time to consider Jesus, a good place to start would be considering who He is, why He came and what it means to follow Him.
MORE NEWS ON IRAQI CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION:
This post has been viewed over 150K times! And much has happened since it was first written. There are now no longer any Christians in Mosul. Another historic Christian town, Qaraqosh, has also been overtaken. There are horrific things happening to Christians at the hands of Islamic State. Keep praying for protection, provision and perseverance. Below are links to more recent articles that I have written…
RELATED CONTENT:
SUPPORT IRAQI CHRISTIANS #WeAreN
A PRAYER FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS #WeAreN
TELL THE STORY OF PERSECUTED IRAQI CHRISTIANS #WeAreN
BRINGING HOPE IN IRAQ // UPDATE FROM OPEN DOORS #WeAreN...because I've received a card game called Gloom! I told my SS I'm a big fan of board/card games. I'd never heard of this one before so I did a little research.
The point of the game is to have the most miserable family. Simultaneously, you're telling the story of your family's misfortune as you play the cards. Yhese cards portray different tragedies that befall the characters during the game.
Eventually you're trying to kill off your family members, who have hopefully lived miserable lives! The worse the tragedies and more terrible the deaths, the more points you LOSE. The player with the LOWEST score wins!
I'm excited to try this game out and make my gaming group depressed! They're wayyyy too happy when we play together. In all seriousness though, thanks to my SS! I may have never heard of this game if you hadn't sent it to me. This should give my holidays lots of morbid fun. :)According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, Dr. John H. Watson is born on this day. Coincidentally, the author died on this day in England at the age of 71.
Conan Doyle was born in Scotland in 1859 and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. At the University, he studied with Dr. Joseph Bell, whose extraordinary deductive powers were said to be the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes.
After medical school, Conan Doyle moved to London, where he practiced medicine and wrote. His first Sherlock Holmes story, “A Study in Scarlet,” was published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887. Starting in 1891, a series of Holmes stories appeared in The Strand magazine.
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The popularity of the stories enabled Conan Doyle to leave his medical practice in 1891 and devote himself to writing. But he grew tired of his character and had him hurled off a cliff, to his presumed death, in “The Final Problem”. He later resuscitated Holmes due to popular demand. In 1902, Conan Doyle was knighted for his work with a field hospital in South Africa. After his son died in World War I, Conan Doyle became a dedicated spiritualist, attempting to contact his late son through the help of a medium. He died in 1930.DM contributions
When radio signals propagate through a plasma, the travel time is longer than the light travel time in a vacuum. The additional delay depends on the radio wave frequency, f, in units of GHz, and obeys a precise physical law of the form: t DM = 4.149 ms × (DM × f −2), where the DM is the integrated electron density along the line of sight in units of cm−3 pc. If travelling across cosmological distances there are several contributions to the observed DM—from the host, the intergalactic medium and the Milky Way. The quantity of interest is the intergalactic medium component because this can be used, in conjunction with redshift measurements, to perform a number of fundamental studies, for example, detecting the missing baryons10, determining the dark energy equation of state11 and, if the signal is linearly polarized, measuring magnetic field strengths in the intergalactic medium31. For these applications the DM contributions other than those from the intergalactic medium are essentially foregrounds which must be understood so that they can be removed. Here we examine each contribution in turn and note the uncertainties in each case; it is important to note that the precision in the observed DM value is high (see Table 1) and does not therefore contribute to the uncertainty in determining the DM for the intergalactic medium.
The Milky Way component consists of two parts, the first of which is that due to the interstellar medium. This is in principle known14, because the NE2001 model of the Galaxy’s electron density can determine this to an accuracy of approximately 20%. The second Milky Way component is the contribution from the dark matter halo, which is thought to exist, yet which is not included in the NE2001 model. We follow previous work21, which has calculated this term to be 30 cm−3 pc. It is unclear how to assign an uncertainty to this component so (considering that the other components are dominant regardless) we take it to be zero. The host component is suppressed by a factor of (1 + z)1. Its magnitude depends on both the nature of the progenitor and of the host galaxy.
The observed FRB signal can be used to constrain the progenitor’s local DM contribution—a non-negligible contribution could imply a high density of electrons to be located close to the source. Such a high density configuration32 could produce higher-order dispersion terms (that is, the pulse’s frequency dispersion would deviate from the quadratic form), could result in plasma frequencies comparable to the emitted frequency (that is, radiation would not escape), and could produce scattering in the pulse profile. None of these effects are observed for FRB 150418, implying that any local-progenitor DM component is negligible.
The host galaxy contribution has been examined recently22 for spiral, dwarf and elliptical galaxies. This work considered modified versions of NE2001, with various sub-components of the model included or excluded as appropriate and suitable scalings to the Hα luminosity applied. For an elliptical galaxy, which is relevant in the case of FRB 150418, the average DM contribution over all inclination angles is 37 cm−3 pc (this is the value before being suppressed by the (1 + z)1 factor) and we use this as our estimate of the host contribution. As this is based upon NE2001 we assume that a 20% uncertainty applies. In addition to the uncertainties mentioned already the intergalactic medium component itself is uncertain at the level of ~100 cm−3 pc, owing to inhomogeneities between different lines of sight through the intergalactic medium10.
SUPERB
SUPERB is a project ongoing at the 64-m Parkes radio telescope since April 2014 with goals of discovering FRBs and pulsars. The central frequency of the survey is 1.382 GHz, with a bandwidth of 400 MHz, of which about 340 MHz is typically usable. It uses optimized graphics processing unit codes for performing real-time radio frequency interference mitigation and searches for short-duration radio bursts and pulsars in relativistic binary systems. In the real-time search we use the following criteria to define candidate FRB events: (1) the DM of the burst must be at least 1.5 times the expected maximum Milky Way contribution; (2) the signal-to-noise ratio must be at least 10; (3) the signal cannot be detected in more than four beams of the 13-beam receiver used for the SUPERB project at Parkes—an event detected in more beams cannot originate from a boresight signal and therefore cannot be of a celestial origin; (4) the width must be less than or equal to 8.192 ms, that is, 128 times our native time sampling of 64 μs; and (5) the number of independent events detected in a 4-s window centred on the event in question must be no greater than 5. The lag between the FRB signal hitting the dish and our software informing us of the detection7 is only ~10 s. We further search the data, offline, with more stringent interference rejection and covering corners of parameter space ignored for expediency during the real-time search. We note that since instigating this search system at Parkes no FRB has been missed by the real-time search pipeline, including FRB 150418.
FRB 150418 was detected in beam 4 of the 21-cm multi-beam receiver. The FRB profile was fitted simultaneously for time of arrival, DM, width, amplitude and dispersion index using 4 and 8 different sub-bands. The results were consistent with an unresolved pulse, where the width is purely given by the dispersion smearing across the 390.625-kHz filterbank channels. Uncertainties were determined using CERN’s MINUIT packages (http://seal.web.cern.ch/seal/snapshot/work-packages/mathlibs/minuit/). The burst was found to have a DM of 776.2(5) cm−3 pc, and a dispersion index of β = −2.00(1), where the dispersion delay is proportional to vβ, and so is consistent with propagation through a cold plasma.
The gain of beam 4 is well fitted by a Gaussian25 with FWHM of 14.1 arcmin, so to derive corrected values for the flux density, fluence, and so on we boost the measured values by a factor of exp(ln2(2θ/FWHM)2), where θ is the offset of the signal from the beam centre. The offset between the ATCA position determined from the first epoch (RA 07 h 16 min 34.557 s, dec. −19° 00′ 39.954′′) and the centre of the Parkes beam (RA 07 h 16 min 30.9 s, dec. −19° 02′ 24.4′′) is θ = 1.944 arcmin, yielding a boost factor of 1.054. The observed peak flux density, if the FRB were at the centre of the beam, is 2.2 Jy with a corresponding fluence of 1.9 Jy ms; correcting these to the location of the host galaxy, we estimate values of 2.4 Jy and 2.0 Jy ms.
A calibration observation was taken 17 min post-burst and the polarization calibration was performed using the PSRCHIVE software package33. On the basis of observations of PSR J1644–4459, a bright polarized pulsar which we use to calibrate the off-axis response, taken three days before the FRB, we determine that the difference in the Jones matrix coefficients is not statistically different off-boresight. Therefore the boresight calibration was used to determine the polarization fraction of the pulse. This FRB is not seen to have a large linear polarization L, the rotation-measure-corrected linear polarization is L/I = 8.5 ± 1.5% (where I is total intensity) and the circular polarization is consistent with zero. An additional systematic uncertainty exists in the leakage of total intensity to polarization. Our analysis of PSR J1644–4459 provides an upper limit on the magnitude (but not orientation) of the leakage vector that is <6% of the total intensity, meaning that the true L/I value may be either smaller or larger than quoted by up to this amount. Owing to the low linear polarization the rotation measure estimate is not very precise at 36 ± 52 rad m−2. As the rotation measure is consistent with zero, examination of the intergalactic medium magnetic field strength is not possible with this FRB, although for completeness we note that the 3σ upper limit on the electron weighted intergalactic medium magnetic field strength is ~0.4 μG for this line of sight. There is no evidence for a large host contribution to the rotation measure for this FRB, although we note that an extremely large rotation measure exceeding 105 rad m−2 would result in depolarization within a single frequency channel, meaning we are insensitive to such large values.
The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)34 was shadowing our Parkes observations but did not detect a counterpart. The resulting 3σ fluence upper limit of 1,050 Jy ms at 185 MHz gives us the first simultaneous multi-frequency observation of an FRB, and hence the first broadband limit on the spectral index. The spectral index limit from the Parkes and MWA data combined is α > −3.0. Properties of the FRB are summarized in Table 1.
Follow-up observations
After the discovery of the FRB we triggered observations at numerous telescopes and performed a calibration observation at Parkes. We continued to observe with the Parkes telescope, obtaining 4.5 h of observation over the course of the next 7.5 h, in order to search for any repeat bursts. The MWA was shadowing during the discovery observation and continued to track the FRB position for another ~7.5 h. The ATCA was on source 2 h after the burst and also observed until T + 7.5 h (where T is the time of the FRB) when the source set at both Parkes and ATCA. Swift was on source 8 h after the burst, and 10 h after the burst the Lovell telescope continued the monitoring for 2.5 h. On April 19 and 20 we obtained optical observations with Subaru, and on April 20 and 21 continued to search for repeated radio bursts with the Effelsberg, Sardinia and Parkes radio telescopes. The longer term follow-up campaign consisted of radio imaging (four further ATCA epochs, three GMRT epochs), high time resolution radio (with the Lovell telescope), X-ray (one further Swift epoch), optical photometry (with the Palomar telescope) and optical spectroscopy (with the Keck and Subaru telescopes). We did not detect any subsequent bursts in our high time resolution radio follow-up (limiting flux densities in Extended Data Table 1); however, regular emission at a much weaker level cannot be ruled out. The follow-up observations are summarized in Extended Data Table 1. We additionally note that no γ-ray burst was detected in temporal coincidence, or in the months before, by telescopes on either of the Fermi or Swift satellites. Furthermore, at a comoving distance of 1.8 gigaparsecs or a luminosity distance of 2.8 gigaparsecs, this galaxy is beyond the LIGO35 horizon for gravitational wave signatures from short γ-ray bursts.
Imaging transients
The radio transient sky is not very well studied at frequencies of 5.5 GHz and 7.5 GHz to the flux density levels relevant to this study. Additionally there are no archival data of the FRB field with which to compare our follow-up observations. To estimate the likelihood of the 6-day fading transient being detected by chance in our ATCA follow-up of the Parkes FRB field we first considered a previous ATCA study16. This is the only such work performed on the same timescales and at the same observing frequency using the ATCA. In that work, which also covered a wider area of sky than our FRB follow-ups and to a deeper level, no transient sources were discovered. A 95% (99%) confidence upper limit event rate of <7.5 deg−2 (<11.1 deg−2) with a flux density of >69 μJy/beam was obtained. Scaling this to obtain the expectation of a transient with flux density in excess of 200 μJy yields an upper limit event rate of <1.5 deg−2 (<2.2 deg−2). Considering the 0.04-deg2 field-of-view of a Parkes beam, which corresponds to the uncertainty in the FRB’s position, the upper limit on the expected number of events in our follow-up observations is thus <0.06 (<0.09). We can rephrase this by interpreting the upper limit number of expected events as the upper limit on λ, the Poisson rate parameter; then the probability of a chance temporal coincidence is P(1; λ) = λexp(−λ). This yields an upper-limit probability of <6% (<8%).
One can also obtain estimates of the false-positive rate from considering studies36,37,38,39,40 at other telescopes. As other studies are not ideally matched in terms of observing frequency and sensitivity, one must scale the findings appropriately. For example, for studies performed at different observing frequencies we must scale the flux densities by a spectral index; we adopt the spectral index of our 6-day transient as measured in the first epoch of our follow-up. Additionally, sensitivity levels must be scaled to the 200-μJy level; for this operation we adopt the standard N ∝ S−3/2 scaling. With this approach we consider a recent deep Very Large Array study18 which operated at 2–4 GHz. Applying the appropriate scaling, this study yields an expected number of events in our follow-up observations of <0.001 (<0.002) at 95% (99%) confidence. The equivalent upper limit chance temporal coincidence probability is <0.1% (<0.2%). This result is more constraining than the ATCA-derived numbers by a factor of at least 60. From this assessment we deem it statistically unlikely that we would have detected, by chance, this fading negative spectral index radio source at this location and time, resulting in our interpretation that this source is likely to be associated with the FRB.
Ideally, we might expand upon this calculation by estimating probabilities of chance coincidence in each independent wave-band (radio, optical and X-ray) in our follow-up campaign, and then compute a joint probability of a transient occurring in any of the bands. It is unclear what the appropriate statistics are for the X-ray and optical bands, but if we take the observed γ-ray burst and supernova rates as indicative, we find that the upper limit expectation in these wave bands is much smaller than in the radio bands. Deeper all-sky radio transient surveys are therefore the key to tightening constraints on transient associations like that reported here.
Optical analysis
The i′ optical profile of the Galaxy was fitted with a Sersic function of the form I(r) ∝ exp(−kR1/n). The best-fit parameters (see Extended Data Fig. 2) are a Sersic index of n = 3.6 ± 0.5, consistent with the n = 4 value seen in elliptical galaxies. The half-light radius is R e = 6.9 ± 1.2 pixels, or R e = 1.4 ± 0.2 arcsec. At z = 0.492 the angular diameter distance is 1.62 gigaparsecs so that this implies R e = 10.9 ± 1.8 kpc as the physical half-light radius of the galaxy. The profile fitting also yields an estimate of the major to minor axes ratio for the galaxy of b/a = 0.68 ± 0.03. We note that there are additional systematic uncertainties involved in the fit of the Sersic index, depending on the exact method of sky subtraction employed; our analysis suggests that the systematic errors are probably of equal magnitude to the statistical errors quoted above.
We obtained the following photometry of the FRB host galaxy: with Subaru Suprime-Cam41 we determined AB magnitudes of 23.45(16) and 22.07(31), for the r′ and i′ bands respectively. Between the two Subaru epochs no variability is seen—a subtraction of the epochs yields an upper limit on any variation of 25.2 and 24.7 magnitudes (5σ). The galaxy is also detected in two WISE filters with Vega magnitudes of 15.204(0.044) and 15.050(082), for the W 1 and W 2 bands respectively. With the Palomar 200′′ (P200) telescope we obtained further information, obtaining Vega magnitudes of 18.92(10), 17.55(25) and 16.51(05) for the J, H and K s bands respectively. We corrected the observed photometry for the Milky Way extinction using A V = 3.7 mag and standard extinction coefficients42, and converted those magnitudes into flux densities using the established zero-points43,44. We fitted for the photometric redshift using the 2015 November version of EAZY45, finding 68% confidence limits for 0.48 < z < 0.56. This was robust to different choices of galaxy template, with good overall fits (χ2 of 5–8). We then fitted the spectral energy distribution of the host galaxy using MAGPHYS46. We were able to achieve an acceptable fit (see Extended Data Fig. 1) to all of the photometry with a model for a passive (≤0.2M ⊙ yr−1), massive (stellar mass ~1011M ⊙ ) galaxy with a modest amount of dust (in-host extinction A V in the range 0–4 mag). The exact fit was rather degenerate because of our limited wavelength coverage, with only the stellar mass well determined. Future observations at shorter wavelengths should be able to determine more robust properties.
The spectrum that confirmed the redshift was obtained on 2015 November 2 in a 3-h observation using FOCAS on the Subaru telescope. An earlier attempt to obtain a spectroscopic redshift on 2015 October 21 using DEIMOS on the Keck telescope in poorer sky conditions had proved difficult to calibrate and resulted in an imprecise redshift estimate, no better than the photometric estimate. In that case difficulties in calibration are compounded by the spectrum’s lack of any relevant emission lines. The well calibrated Subaru spectrum is found to be consistent with a reddened z = 0.492(8) early-type galaxy with E(B − V) = 1.2 ± 0.1 (Fig. 3), noting that r′ and i′ are approximations to restframe B and V filters. This implies absolute magnitudes of M B ≈ −21.6 and M V ≈ −22.1. As the galaxy is elliptical we can apply the Faber–Jackson relation47 to estimate the velocity dispersion of ~230 km s−1. From the virial theorem and the observed half-light radius we can thus estimate the stellar (and total) mass48 to be ~1011M ⊙ (and ~2 × 1012M ⊙ ). An upper limit to the Hα luminosity of 2.6 × 1040 erg s−1 (3σ) can be derived from the optical spectrum, and from this we can, in the standard way49, derive a star-formation rate of ≤0.2M ⊙ yr−1.
The very faint companion galaxy (r′ = 24.22(16) mag, i′ = 23.22(31) mag) visible to the northeast is not inconsistent with a galaxy at the same redshift. If confirmed the two galaxies may be in the process of merging. The absolute K-band magnitude of the galaxy is −25.7 mag (Vega). The radio continuum level can be estimated from this17 and is consistent with the quiescent level of the galaxy after the ~6-day fading event. This shows that the background level seen is not surprising for an early-type galaxy, and implies that the FRB afterglow had already faded below this level by the third ATCA epoch.
FRB 110523
After the initial submission of this manuscript a study was published8 announcing the discovery of FRB 110523, which we have compared and contrasted with FRB 150418 in the main text. There are now strong indications that there are two or more FRB progenitors, and we speculate that the observed pulse width may act as a useful discriminator between these. To this end we consider the time sampling and frequency resolution of the study that discovered FRB 110523, as well as its DM, in an effort to see whether the pulse was resolved in the Green Bank observations8. We would expect an unresolved FRB to have an observed width of no more than 1.08 ms, 1.14 ms and 1.26 ms in the highest, central and lowest frequency channels, respectively, in the Green Bank study8. This is inconsistent with the reported observed width (after the effects of scattering had been removed) at the 3σ to 4σ level, indicating that FRB 110523 appears to be resolved and therefore to have an intrinsic timescale of ~1 ms.TEHRAN(Basirat): Thousands of people have held rallies in Washington, protesting at US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.
The protesters gathered near the White House on Saturday, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners denouncing the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The banners read, "Stop the occupation in Palestine now", "Jerusalem belongs to Palestinians" and "We reject Trump's decision."
In a speech to protesters, Osama Abu Irshaid, the director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), said, "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine whether Trump or his buddy, the war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu like it or not."
"If Mr. President wants to give property to the state of Israel, he should give one of his properties if he really owns them," Abu Irshaid said. "But we don't really know how much he owns because he never declared his taxes."
Among the protesters, there were many of Jewish believers from New York and Washington chapters of Jews United Against Zionism.
Members from other Muslim civil rights and advocacy organizations such as Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), the US Council of Muslim Organizations, Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) also participated in the event.
On December 6, Trump made the controversial announcement in a speech at the White House, saying his administration would also begin the process of moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to the holy city, which is expected to take years.
His decision provoked mass protests worldwide, with many leaders of Islamic countries harshly denouncing the US president.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a communique at the end of an emergency summit on Wednesday, declaring that it would recognize "East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine and invite all countries to recognize the State of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital."
The OIC reaffirmed its continued commitment to the so-called two-state solution for ending the years-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some speakers, however, said the US was no longer deemed reliable to mediate any peace deal.
OIC members also said they would hold the US responsible for the consequences of Trump's decision.
Source:PressTV« An apology and a thank you | Main | Some deals that seem too good to be true... aren't »
Sunday, October 10, 2010
What would you have done? [updated]
You buckle your young son into your car and drive away from your home to run the kind of errands that pretty much every parent on the planet runs as a part of their regular schedule of responsibilities.
As you are coming down a hill near your home, you round a corner and find the road blocked by a large group of masked teenagers who begin pelting your car with stones as soon as they spot you.
In a peripheral part of your brain you note that there are nearly as many video and still photographers as there are stone throwers... and even though these media personnel are 'adults', they are too busy recording the attack on you to exert any influence over the stone throwers or prevent their actions.
[In retrospect you realize that the presence of the photographers is likely an encouragement to the attack, or perhaps even the primary reason for it, but that dawns on you only much later when you are in police custody.]
In an instant several instincts begin fighting for control of the situation:
1. Your instincts as an experienced, licensed driver dictate that you must avoid hitting pedestrians at any cost. So upon seeing the road blocked with living, breathing people, you swerve towards the sidewalk.
2. Your Parental instincts trigger your fight or flight reflex and almost as soon as you swerve towards the sidewalk, you realize that once you hit the curb you will be trapped and will become an easy target for the stone throwers. Your only hope lies in keeping the car in motion and getting past the attackers... so you swerve back towards the center of the road and gun the engine.
3. The act of trying to escape the attack brings your car into violent contact with one of the attackers, and the impact throws him up over the hood of your car... and onto the ground. The experienced driver in you again cries out that this is one of the worst sins a driver can commit, and your foot goes from gas to brake.
4. Almost instantly the sound of rocks on your vehicle goes from a clatter to a roar as your semi-stationary vehicle becomes an easy target. Glass begins to break as the attackers find their range. Even though your mind still registers the teen you have hit as a pedestrian, your foot now goes back to the gas as you realize that any moment one of the softball-sized rocks will find your head, or the head of your son... at best injuring one or both of you. And at worst... well the mind can't abide that.
5. After you pull clear of the crowd of rock throwers and are out of range, your mind pops back out of the rabbit hole into which it had fallen and begins to wrestle again with the idea of the pedestrian who moments ago was sprawled across your hood and windshield. In the pantheon of driving infractions, the only sin as grave as hitting someone is leaving the scene of the accident. But the injured teen's accomplices are moving towards you again, yelling and gesturing threateningly with the rocks they have in their hands. In a moment they will certainly resume the attack... so you pull away.
As you do so you do a mental check of your own status and that of your son. Have we been hit? Did any of the broken glass cut us? Is the car still functional enough to take us to safety? Are there more attackers up ahead?!
After these immediate issues are resolved you report the incident to the police (as it has surely been reported by others) and in short order you find yourself in police custody... unsure of where you stand in the eyes of the law.
While this is exactly the kind of thought problem that many Israelis go through in preparation for driving anywhere near Arab populations, what I've written here is not some hypothetical scenario. It actually happened exactly as I've described it.
Want to see for yourself? Here is how it played out (courtesy of one of the media cameramen who was at the scene in Jerusalem's City of David neighborhood):
So I ask you; after reading this post and viewing the video... and given that you have the benefit of unlimited hindsight and time to ponder all the variables... what would you have done?
Afterthought: It occurs to me that many people reading this will have no idea about the status of the East Jerusalem Arabs who perpetrated this attack. Therefore I offer the following, plus a link to a source of not-entirely biased information:
"Following the 1967 war, Israel conducted a census in East Jerusalem and granted permanent Israeli residency to those Arab Jerusalemites present at the time of the census. Those not present lost the right to reside in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Palestinians were permitted to apply for Israeli citizenship [emphasis mine], provided they met the requirements for naturalization such as swearing allegiance to Israel and renouncing all other citizenships which most of them refused to do. At the end of 2005, 93% of the Arab population of East Jerusalem had permanent residency and 5% had Israeli citizenship. As residents, East Jerusalemites rejecting Israeli citizenship have the right to vote in municipal elections and play a role in the administration of the city. Residents pay taxes, and following |
sony musicOr, Can a Girl Get a Thank-You Note, Please?
Back on November 24, 2008, I cashed in a bunch of credit card miles through Capital One’s No Hassle Giving Site, converting them into cash gifts to charities. Capital One partnered with Network for Good to deliver the donations to the charities. I specifically selected 12 national charities that I had not previously contributed to, but whose missions I support, in order to see what the communications response would be to my $25 gift. On the form, I opted-in to share my contact information with the charities and provided both email and mailing addresses. I called it the “What I Got When I Gave” experiment.
I’ve been waiting all this time to report back on the experiment in hopes that the results would change, but they haven’t. It’s pitiful. Of the 12 national charities I gave to, only four — a measly 33% — acknowledged the gift in any way. (I also gave to three regional charities where I live and the percentage was the same – only 1 of the 3 acknowledged the gift.)
The fastest response came from National Public Radio, which sent me an email thank-you note addressed to “Dear Friend” on December 10. Personalization would have been nice, but at least they get the Gold Star for timeliness. I haven’t received any other communication from NPR since.
The next three all came within a day of each other, on January 6-7, 2009. Both Interplast and The Alliance for Climate Protection sent paper thank-you letters, addressed to me personally.
The Alliance mentioned receiving the gift through Network for Good on December 15, which would have been Network for Good’s next payment distribution day after my gift. Given the holidays, I have no problem with the date I received the letter. It was a standard form thank-you letter – nothing stand-out about it, but adequate.
Interplast’s thank-you letter was great. I’m a big fan of their blog because of their effective storytelling, and the thank-you letter does the same thing. Instead of a bunch of generic successes (which are better than none at all, I guess), they tell me a story and include before and after pictures! I’m constantly telling people to include pictures in thank you notes (see here and here), so I’m glad to see a nonprofit doing it well. Way to go, Interplast!
I haven’t received any additional communication from either Interplast or the Alliance for Climate Protection since the thank-you letters.
St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital didn’t send a thank-you note, but they did add me to their Hopeline email newsletter list and I’ve received the January and February 2009 editions.
I’m obviously really disappointed in not hearing a peep from the other eight. But, ever the supporter of nonprofits, I have come up with several potential reasons (uh, excuses) why this may be the case:
$25 is chump change to them and doesn’t merit acknowledgment. I know there is significant debate out there about what you do with low-dollar donors. I hoped that $25 was high enough to generate some kind of response, but apparently not.
Since I cashed in miles, they don’t think it’s a “real” gift (even though Network for Good sent them real money).
It was the holidays and the gift fell through the cracks.
Giving through Network for Good is not their preferred means of receiving online gifts — they’d prefer to get them through their own website — so they are not set up to acknowledge gifts like mine.
The post office and/or Gmail’s spam filter ate their thank-you notes.
Do any of these hold water with you?
You may also be wondering what I was really expecting. I think each charity should have acknowledged the gift either via email or in print. Either one or both is acceptable, given that it was an online gift. Since I supplied my email address, I would have been fine being added to an e-newsletter list. Or, they could have strongly encouraged me to join a list in the thank-you note (or subscribe to a blog), with very explicit instructions for how to do that and a motivating description for why I would want to. So, none of the four who responded knocked it out of the park for me, but they all get kudos for responding at all.
Right about now, you are probably dying to know who the other 8 organizations are. I’m really torn about naming names, because as I said at the top, I really do believe in the missions of every single one of them and I would hate for their inclusion in this post to tarnish them in any way. So I’m not printing them here, at least not right now. But I definitely thought about it... C’mon, people, can’t a girl get a thank you note?!?
What do you think? Do these results surprise you or not? Are any of the rationales for no response legitimate? What would your group have done with a $25 donation from out of nowhere? Please leave a comment and let’s talk about it!
3/12/09 Update: Here is my follow-up post: Saying Thanks Even When It’s Inconvenient or Time-Consuming
3/13/09 Update: The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Prospecting” section picked up this post. Read more comments there.Image: Flickr/Eduardo Merille
Mike Tyson, former boxer and noted pigeon fan, is getting into Bitcoin. According to a promo website Tyson advertised in a tweet over the weekend, Tyson-themed Bitcoin ATMs will be coming to Las Vegas in August.
Tyson isn't the first celebrity to get behind Bitcoin, but ATMs emblazoned with Tyson's familiar toothy grin could very well be the first example of a good old fashioned celebrity #branded partnership for virtual currencies.
"I think Tyson will be the dominant brand in the ATM space," Peter Klamka, CEO of Bitcoin Direct LLC, the company providing the machines, told me in a phone call. "The Tom Brady ATM will be compared to the Tyson ATM. The LeBron James ATM will be compared to the Tyson ATM."
Before you let the thought of streets lined with celebrity-branded Bitcoin ATMs sink in, though, consider this: Bitcoin Direct doesn't even have a website. This point, as well as Bitcoin Direct's convoluted corporate history, has some Bitcoin news outlets wondering if the whole endeavour's actually a scam that Tyson is unwittingly being led into.
"At some point, you have to decide: are you going to spend $100,000 a year doing SEC filings, or are you going to spend that money buying bitcoins?"
Klamka has a long history of wrangling celebrity endorsements, starting with his days as a web entrepreneur in the 90s. In 2000, he was quoted in a New York Times article on dot com millionaires about all the calls he received from regretful exes and plebes (AKA old friends) after he made his money. Over the years, Klamka has owned a constellation of loosely associated companies with names that keep changing.
Klamka's first company, PTN Media, released Claudia Schiffer and Michael Jordan-branded Palm handhelds in the late 90s and changed its name to Legend Mobile in the 2000s, which later became Cephas Holdings Inc.
Cephas was a publicly traded company—a penny stock with a low market cap that was once suspected of being part of a "pump and dump" scheme—until the US Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily suspended trading Cephas stocks in March of 2015. The reason was that, as of 2015, the last financial information Cephas published was from 2013. Cephas then went private, and Bitcoin Direct LLC was registered in Nevada in April, a month after trading on Cephas stocks were suspended.
Watch more from Motherboard: Life Inside a Chinese Bitcoin Mine
"At some point, you have to decide: are you going to spend $100,000 a year doing SEC filings, or are you going to spend that money buying bitcoins?" Klamka said when I asked about the suspension. "We, as a company, had to decide whether we were in the stock business or the Bitcoin business."
Before the SEC drama, Klamka started another Bitcoin company called Bitcoin Brands Inc., which traded under Cephas' ticker until it was suspended.
Despite a corporate history like a Russian nesting doll, Bitcoin Direct and Bitcoin Brands both have legitimate business. Bitcoin Direct set up a Bitcoin ATM at a mixed martial arts gym called One Kick Nick's in Las Vegas last year, and you can purchase shirts from UFC fighter Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall's website with Bitcoin, courtesy of Bitcoin Brands.
That you can buy shirts that say things like "keep calm and creep on" with Bitcoin is pretty incredible, but even so, Tyson's entry into the cryptocurrency game somehow tops it for all-out weirdness.President Donald Trump said that “many of our best and brightest are leaving the medical profession entirely because of Obamacare.” But the number of physicians has increased since 2010, when the Affordable Care Act became law.
“We have anecdotes of physicians thinking about leaving the profession for a variety of reasons, but we see no significant number leaving because of the Affordable Care Act,” said Atul Grover, executive vice president at the Association of American Medical Colleges, in an email to FactCheck.org.
Trump’s latest attack on the health care law came during a “Make America Great Again Rally” in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 20.
Trump, March 20: Many of our best and brightest are leaving the medical profession entirely because of Obamacare. Obamacare has been a complete and total catastrophe, and it’s getting worse and worse by the day. And yet you watch the fake media, the fake news and they try to build it up. It’s a disaster, fellas. It’s a disaster.
Actually, the total number of active physicians has increased nearly 8 percent under the health care law, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. The number jumped from 799,501 when the ACA became law in 2010, to 860,939 in 2015, the most recent data available. The increase is similar to the 9 percent jump over the previous five-year period, from 2005 to 2010, according to figures provided to us by the AAMC.
Since 2010, the number of physicians in internal medicine or providing family and general practice care — the two largest specialties — also has increased more than 4 percent.
Certainly, not all physicians are happy with the health care law. A 2016 survey by the Physicians Foundation and Merritt Hawkins, a consulting firm on physician staffing, found that 48.3 percent of physicians who responded gave the ACA a grade of D or F. A small percentage gave the law an A, and 48.5 percent gave it a B or C.
But Grover said that “recent data from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicate that physicians are, in fact, retiring two years later than they had previously.”
He added that “there is also no evidence of a declining interest in medicine since the ACA took effect.” We pointed that out last month when Sen. Ted Cruz claimed that “Obamacare is discouraging people from going to medical school.” In fact, medical school applicants and enrollees are at an all-time high.
As we reported in that story, Grover’s organization has projected a physician shortfall in coming years, due primarily to an aging population. The AAMC set a goal of increasing first-year medical student enrollment by 30 percent by 2015-2016 (from the 2002-2003 level) to address this issue, and it nearly hit that mark on schedule. First-year enrollment is expected to reach the AAMC’s goal by 2017-2018, according to the organization’s 2015 enrollment report.
“The real challenge the physician workforce faces,” Grover said, “is the cap on federal support for graduate medical education established by Congress 20 years ago. As a result, there are not enough residency positions to fill demand.”
We requested supporting evidence for the president’s claim from the White House, but we haven’t yet received a response. We will update this item if we do.Erez Lieberman Aiden wants to make a point about the fractal topology of chromosomes, so he’s sitting on the floor of a CVS grocery aisle in Harvard Square, looking for the right kind of ramen noodle.
Ramen noodles, it turns out, bear a certain resemblance to the stuff of life, though not any ramen will do. None of the fancy brands, nothing pre-cooked, just undergraduate dietary staple Nissin Top Ramen (Oodles of Noodles™) in an orange plastic wrapper.
An hour later, over a simmering pot, Aiden explains that ramen comes in an unentangled state: Drop a block into hot water, let it soften, and you can fork out strands without disturbing other noodles. Bring the water to a boil, though, let the noodles churn, and you can’t take a forkful without dragging along the whole mass.
“Being unentangled is entropically unfavorable,” he says. “Equilibrium for a long chain is to be knotted.” Practical enough to complain that a packet of noodles now costs 67 cents, Aiden can’t help talking like the 32-year-old wunderkind computational biophysicist he is.
Put another way, the noodles want to be tangled. It’s their natural, default state, the path of least resistance. Given the chance, they knot up. This is what your chromosomes, those long noodly spools of DNA and protein coiled inside every cell — so often depicted in X-shaped neatness by biology textbooks and commercial iconography — should do, too. But somehow they don’t.
Instead, chromosomes take what’s called a “fractal globule” form, twisting and looping into a state that’s extraordinarily dense, yet completely unentangled. With a small enough fork, you could pull part of one chromosome out without disturbing the rest.
It’s a marvelous shape, this fractal globule, and may even prove integral to life. Yet until 2009, when Aiden and colleagues unveiled Hi-C, a new technique for reverse-engineering the structure of entire chromosomes, the form had only been glimpsed in shadowy pieces.
With support from the National Institutes of Health, Aiden is now studying chromosome structure at even higher resolution. He wants to learn how genomic form relates to function, perhaps helping to explain central questions of disease and development that remain largely unanswered.
“There’s been this humongous black box: What exactly is the role that structure plays in the genome?” Aiden said. “Now we can start looking at that.”
“There’s been this humongous black box: ‘What exactly is the role that
structure plays in the genome?’ Now we can start looking.” — Lieberman Aiden
Still just a graduate student when Hi-C and his fractal globule graced the prestigious cover of Science, Aiden is now a fellow at Harvard. In the intervening years, dozens of researchers have used Hi-C and its methodological descendants to open that genomic black box for themselves. In a way, Aiden’s legacy is as much about the method, the big-picture technique, as what he found.
That’s only appropriate. Aiden has always been a big-picture thinker; raised in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, it’s hard not to hear him without thinking of the protagonist of Pi, Darren Aronofsky’s film about a Brooklyn mathematician’s search for life’s underlying pattern, albeit without the character’s angst and pathologies.
“I enjoyed mathematics from a very young age,” he said. “At the beginning of college, I had this illusion, which was kind of silly in retrospect, that if I just understood math and physics and philosophy, I could figure out everything else from first principles.”
To be fair, neither does Aiden share the Pi protagonist’s archetypal scrawniness. A sturdy six feet tall, he has the slight paunch and strong back of a man who works long desk hours and spends a lot of time carrying infants. In June, his 2-year-old son was joined by a newborn daughter.
Aiden attended Princeton University, where his attentions ranged from the mathematics of linguistic development to the implications of German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s later statements on the nature of knowledge. “I had a wonderful time,” Aiden recalled.
Amidst these heady pleasures, however, he realized that “abstraction was not what I wanted to be doing. I wanted to do things with a tangible impact on people in my lifetime.” After graduating in 2002, Aiden spent a year at Yeshiva University — his extended family are Hasidic Jews — with the intent of describing historical change with mathematical equations, but his heart had already taken a comparatively pragmatic turn.
In fall 2003 he started a Ph.D. at Harvard and MIT, jointly supervised by evolutionary dynamicist Martin Nowak and geneticist Eric Lander. Both are famous in their fields: Nowak for research on evolution’s basic rules and the non-biological evolution of culture, and Lander as a Human Genome Project leader and interpreter of genomes. In their new student, their thinking cross-pollinated.
“It wasn’t totally unnatural to think about cultural evolution, and once I started, it became natural to say, ‘What’s going to be really transformative in this space?'” Aiden said. “It would be the ability to bring massive quantities of information to bear, based on the genomic model.”
Continue readingLibertarians have found themselves in an impossible position thanks to years of regular anti-police activism, bombastic statements against police, and sloganeering around the Drug War.
I would argue that the leading voice in this strain is Radley Balko, who ran a widely-read blog on police abuses that he eventually turned into a book contract and columnist gigs at the Huffington and Washington Posts.
The main reason why this strain of activism has turned into a dead-end for the libertarians comes down to a several reasons:
The problems of maintaining a stable legal order.
Misunderstanding what the Drug War is, due to taking political propaganda at face value.
Being unable to speak honestly about race, knowing the fates of Murray Rothbard and H.H. Hoppe for doing so.
An emotional and financial desire to reach the mainstream population through the prestige press and television.
A misunderstanding of the demographics that are likely to respond to libertarian appeals.
To support the first bullet, let’s get ourselves to Moldbug, who writes:
The problem with Mises as guru is that Misesian classical liberalism (or Rothbardian libertarianism) is like Newtonian physics. It is basically correct within its operating envelope. Under unusual conditions it breaks down, and a more general model is needed. The equation has another term, the ordinary value of which is zero. Without this term, the equation is wrong. Normally this is no problem; but if the term is not zero, the error becomes visible.
The entire idea of a stable libertarian order is predicated on the ‘order’ part of things. When the country is populated by numerous people who have no respect for notions of property and peace, then it’s impossible to maintain the law… and even then, only possible to maintain the law at high expense, with some measure of brutality.
On the second point, contemporary libertarians, for fear of the outer darkness to which anyone who writes about racial differences will be relegated, tend to neglect to discuss the different tendencies of different groups of people and cultures. Ron Paul’s first race in the Republican primaries was damaged badly by the publication of what were really quite mild newsletters in which his ghostwriters discussed race and crime.
Contemporary libertarians tend to over-compensate for this with ostentatious expressions of pro-Civil-Rights rhetoric, contradicting many of their other positions concerning freedom of association.
The libertarian ideology, at least in its most vulgar expressions, tends to float atop a world of pure theory, without reference to its cultural roots or origins.
Finally, it’s the worst possible pose to strike for an ideology supposedly dedicated to the defense of absolute private property rights to support violent rioters who are destroying the property of small merchants.
The libertarian is supposed to be fighting for the rights of the people like the petty merchants whose businesses the rioters are destroying. The rioter who destroys his shop and threatens his life is a more direct threat than the policeman who collects tax and intimidates the more dangerous men away from his territory.
Similarly, it’s nonsensical to simultaneously support an ideology that supposedly fights for the rights of ordinary people to maintain the integrity of their persons and property against all challengers to express sympathy for assassins of police officers.
Regardless of whatever theoretical reasons there might be for grinning ghoulishly at the deaths of cops, to place oneself on the same side as the communist revolutionaries advocating these disruptions of public order is to be on the wrong side, to ally with the left and the associated forces for the forceful dissolution of society.
In this way, libertarians behave like someone else who called herself a ‘libertarian’ on occasion: Emma Goldman, who allied with Lenin, until the Party purged her and exiled her to America.
Contemporary libertarians who support rioters above police adhere to their own theories, which are obscure and alien to the common people, above the facts of actual events happening outside of their windows.
Arguments about the ‘NAP’ and the ‘absolute right to property’ spoken on one day, in private, become irrelevant to the minds of the common people when they see a libertarian spokesperson go on television and say that the police are at fault, and that the mob (invariably a socialist-democratic mob) is correct to be incensed.
I understand the appeal of striking this pose, because I have stricken something like this pose before for the same reasons, and regret my mistakes.
People like Christopher Cantwell, who are evidently invited to speak at libertarian conferences, speak as if they are either on the FBI’s payroll or on the payroll of whatever succeeded the Comintern:
Even these liberal fuckin idiots who want the government to control every aspect of their lives, are starting to realize that police are violent fuckin monsters who cannot be trusted, and while I don’t like the race pimping or the destruction of private property, if these Marxist fuckin animals can produce just a few more Ismaaiyl Brinsley’s, guys who will whack a couple of the king’s men then take themselves out, well, they just might make up for some of the damage they’ve done to society.
Such statements have little appeal to anyone predisposed to civilized life. It wouldn’t go over well with an insurance salesman with three children in Peoria.
The intellectuals are far more dangerous than the police ever have been and ever will be. Libertarians have created a commons under their intellectual brand, and have subsequently debased it, as Rothbard lamented late in his life.
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Like this: Like Loading...The video game industry may be full of secrets, but it’s also full of leaks. That’s good news for fans who want to know what’s coming down the pipeline for their favorite consoles and franchises. This week we have five rumors that cover everything from the all-but-confirmed PlayStation 4.5 to a new collection of Batman games. Some of the rumors and leaks are more likely to come true than others, so read along as we try to cut to the truth.
1. Details emerge about PlayStation NEO
A while back we reported on an upgraded version of PlayStation 4 that Sony is apparently working on. New information about the device has come to light, thanks to Giant Bomb, whose sources have leaked the new console’s specs. Apparently the new hardware is code named PlayStation NEO. For technophiles, here’s how the NEO compares to the standard PS4.
Giant Bomb says every PS4 game that launches in October or later will be required to have two modes: a Base Mode for the current PS4 model, as well as a NEO Mode. According to Giant Bomb:
Games running in NEO mode will be able to use the hardware upgrades (and an additional 512 MiB in the memory budget) to offer increased and more stable frame rate and higher visual fidelity, at least when those games run at 1080p on HDTVs. The NEO will also support 4K image output, but games themselves are not required to be 4K native.
The NEO will not replace the current PS4 on the market, but will sell alongside it at a higher price that has yet to be determined. Previous rumors have put the NEO at $400. For more details, you can read the full article here.
2. Is Sony Bend’s next game called Dead Don’t Ride?
Since the advent of the PlayStation 4, several of Sony’s game development studios have been working on unannounced projects. One such team is Sony Bend, the developers behind the Syphon Filter franchise as well as the Vita game Uncharted: Golden Abyss. According to frequent industry leaker Shinobi602, the team’s next game will be called Dead Don’t Ride.
As for what the game is, Shinobi delivered the information in a somewhat cryptic way, with the following tweet.
DEAD scavenge, we survive DON’T fear them, on metal & bikes we drive RIDE, don’t run, the apocalypse is good fun#DeadDontRide #SonyBend — shinobi602 (@shinobi602) April 18, 2016
If this is true, E3 seems like an ideal time for Sony to make an announcement.
3. Is a Batman Arkham HD collection coming?
It certainly appears so. A GameStop employee sent an image to Eurogamer indicating that an HD collection of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City — along with all the DLC — is heading to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 10. It will be called Batman: Return to Arkham.
Adding to the veracity of the leak, a listing for Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham Asylum briefly appeared on the website of PEGI, the European video game rating board. So this one has a very good chance of being real.
Notably absent from the collection is Batman: Arkham Origins, the third game in the series. While developer Rocksteady Games made the rest of the Batman: Arkham titles, Origins is a prequel that was made by WB Games Montreal. Why Warner Bros. would leave it out of the collection is anyone’s guess.
4. Will Nintendo boost its first-party game output on NX?
Nintendo insider Emily Rogers has posted on her website that Nintendo plans to pump out tons of first-party games for its upcoming console, currently code named NX. In its first year on the market, Rogers says, Nintendo will release as many games as it did in the full four-year run of the Wii U. While she doesn’t go into detail about how this will happen, Rogers says that Nintendo has radically changed its process for developing games.
Since many Wii U owners complained about the console’s lack of games, this rumor — if true — could point to a brighter future for Nintendo’s next console. That is, provided that the games are good, something Nintendo has struggled with lately. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
5. Is a Spider-Man game coming to PS4?
NerdLeaks tweeted that it has information about a Spider-Man game coming exclusively to PlayStation 4. Twitter user Nibel followed up with a screenshot of an actor’s online resume, which lists “Untitled Spiderman PS4 Project” as the latest job. The resume has since been made private, which may or may not add credence to the rumor. NerdLeaks says to expect a trailer for the game soon, probably at E3 in June.
A Spider-Man game coming soon would make sense, seeing as Spidey plays a role in the upcoming movie Captain America: Civil War, which hits theaters May 6. With no information other than an online resume, though, let’s not get too excited, particularly since superhero video games don’t tend to be made exclusively for any one console.
Follow Chris on Twitter @_chrislreed
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More from Entertainment Cheat Sheet:Tensions remain high in Ukraine's Crimean peninsular after Russian soldiers fired warning shots into the air when around 300 Ukrainian troops demanded access to the seized Belbek airbase in the region.
The tense stand-off erupted on the same day as Russian media reported the state had successfully test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
The RS-12M Topol missile was fired from a land-based mobile launcher in the southern Astrakhan region near the Caspian Sea.
Citing a Russian defence ministry spokesman, state-run news agency RIA said the dummy warhead hit its target at an airfield in Kazakhstan. The US was informed of Tuesday's test in advance, before the build-up of tensions in the Crimea.
The last time Moscow test-fired an ICBM was in October 2012 from Plesetsk in northern Russia.
Sky's Katie Stallard said it "was sending a not very subtle message that Russia has military might in the region".
"Russia still considers this part of its sphere of influence, and Russia is very clear that it is calling the shots in this situation," she said.
"But what we saw at the Belbek airbase was how dangerous a game this can be and how much of this now comes down to the individuals on the ground.
"These men who are face to face, metres apart. A wrong move, a wrong order a misinterpreted signal on the ground could be all it takes to turn this from a stand-off into something much more significant, much more dangerous."
At the Belbek airbase in Sevastopol, around a dozen Russian soldiers warned the unarmed Ukrainian servicemen to back away as they tried to take their positions back.
The Russians then fired several shots into the air and threatened to shoot the Ukrainians.
A video of the confrontation showed a Russian soldier saying to the Ukrainians: "I want your officer here. We'll be shooting your legs."
A Ukrainian soldier then responded: "You will pay for this. You'll be responsible."
"America stands with us," another Ukrainian soldier added.
Speaking from the airbase, Stallard said wives and mothers of the Ukrainian servicemen had gathered between the two lines to prevent any bloodshed.
She said: "There are around a dozen women, wives and mothers standing in front of their men because they believe they (Russian soldiers) will be more reluctant to fire on them."
Some 16,000 Russian troops are on the ground in the region - a move the US said was a clear violation of international law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops taking part in military exercises close to the Ukrainian border in western Russia to return to their bases.
But hundreds of Russian soldiers remain at a military base near the Crimean capital Simferopol, preventing Ukrainian soldiers from going in or out.
Russian forces have also reportedly seized a border checkpoint on the Ukrainian border between Russia and Crimea.
Earlier, Mr Putin spoke for the first time since the crisis began and warned he would use "all means" to protect Russian citizens against what he called an "unconstitutional coup" in Ukraine.
It also came as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kiev for talks and pledged an aid package including $1bn in loan guarantees to Ukraine.
He condemned Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine and called on Russia to return its troops to their barracks after escalating tensions in the Crimea region of the country.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague made it clear he had no doubt the troops in Crimea were acting on orders from Moscow, despite claims by Mr Putin they were "local self-defence forces".
Moscow's UN envoy told a stormy meeting of the UN Security Council Ukraine's ousted leader Viktor Yanukovych had sent a letter to Mr Putin requesting he use Russia's military to restore law and order in Ukraine.
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin, reading from an unofficial translation of the letter he said was dated March 1, said: "The country has plunged into chaos and anarchy.
"The country is in the grip of outright terror and violence driven by the West. People are persecuted on political and language grounds.
"In this context, I appeal to the President of Russia Vladimir V Putin to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to re-establish the rule of law, peace, order, stability and to protect the people of Ukraine."
But US President Barack Obama warned Moscow it would find itself "on the wrong side of history" - and that Russia's deployment of troops in Ukraine violated international law.
The US has suspended all military engagements with Russia over its deployment of troops in Crimea.
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*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs!
For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription:
We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article.
Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs!
For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription:
We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article.
So have the gloves really come off?
Wyant said the culture of drinking and driving didn't appear to be changing, so it was high time the courts flexed their judicial discretion and did something about it. He said he hoped his fellow judges would follow suit.
"I want the public to know that in imposing a jail sentence, I am sending a message, and a warning, that the gloves are coming off when it comes to these types of cases," provincial court Judge Ray Wyant said at the time.
It was just last year a Manitoba judge raised plenty of legal eyebrows when he ignored a joint recommendation from lawyers and sent a first-time drunk driver to jail.
Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/12/2013 (1891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/12/2013 (1891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It was just last year a Manitoba judge raised plenty of legal eyebrows when he ignored a joint recommendation from lawyers and sent a first-time drunk driver to jail.
"I want the public to know that in imposing a jail sentence, I am sending a message, and a warning, that the gloves are coming off when it comes to these types of cases," provincial court Judge Ray Wyant said at the time.
JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files
Wyant said the culture of drinking and driving didn't appear to be changing, so it was high time the courts flexed their judicial discretion and did something about it. He said he hoped his fellow judges would follow suit.
So have the gloves really come off?
A Free Press analysis shows despite Wyant's message, the overwhelming majority of drunk drivers — at least the ones who don't injure or kill anybody — are walking out of court with their freedom still intact.
It's a sobering finding, especially considering 'tis the season right now for increased police enforcement as family gatherings and holiday parties are in full effect.
The Free Press studied the cases of every one of the 40 motorists arrested in Winnipeg during last December's police blitz. Of those, 29 cases have been resolved and 11 remain before the courts.
Several conclusions can be drawn, based on this snapshot:
1) You have little chance of 'beating' your arrest
Manitoba justice officials are a perfect 29-for-29 when it comes to securing convictions from the December 2012 docket. Not a single accused person has been acquitted entirely.
It's possible some of the 11 people who remain before the courts will fight the charge based on a technicality, and a few might win. But a recent Statistics Canada report shows more than 84 per cent of people charged with drunk driving get convicted. (By comparison, the combined conviction rate across Canada for all other criminal cases is 64 per cent.)
2) You will likely strike a plea bargain
A bit of background is required: The charge of impaired driving can be made out simply by a police officer making an observation of suspected impairment, such as swerving in the roadway, bloodshot eyes or slurred speech. A further charge of driving over.08 is then typically laid if the person agrees to give a breath or blood sample and fails. If the person refuses that test, a charge of refusing a sample is automatically laid.
In the 29 resolved cases, 27 of the accused were hit with two charges (either impaired and driving over the limit, or impaired and refusing a sample). Yet in all 27 cases, one of the two charges was stayed. Specifically, 11 refusing-a-sample charges, 10 driving-impaired charges and six driving-over charges were dropped.
Senior Manitoba Crown attorney Chris Vanderhooft admits his department will offer "significant incentives" to accused drunk drivers to plead guilty by agreeing to drop one of the charges. That often ends up being the refusing-a-breath-sample charge, as the data show.
|
’t rely on it!
Because the technology is still relatively new, prefixes for the browser vendors are required. So far, the syntax is exactly the same for each browser, with only a prefix change required. In the code examples below, we use the -webkit syntax.
All you need to get some CSS animation happening is to attach an animation to an element in the CSS:
/* This is the animation code. */ @-webkit-keyframes example { from { transform: scale(2.0); } to { transform: scale(1.0); } } /* This is the element that we apply the animation to. */ div { -webkit-animation-name: example; -webkit-animation-duration: 1s; -webkit-animation-timing-function: ease; /* ease is the default */ -webkit-animation-delay: 1s; /* 0 is the default */ -webkit-animation-iteration-count: 2; /* 1 is the default */ -webkit-animation-direction: alternate; /* normal is the default */ }
First, we have the animation code itself. This can appear anywhere in the CSS, as long as the element that you’re animating can find the relevant animation-name.
When assigning the animation to your element, you can also use the shorthand:
div { -webkit-animation: example 1s ease 1s 2 alternate; }
We can cut this down further by not entering all of the values. Without a value specified, the browser will fall back to the default.
Those are the basics. We’ll work through more code in the following section.
Applying Principles of Traditional Animation
Disney — the masters of traditional animation, in my opinion — developed the 12 principles of traditional animation early on and documented them in its famous book The Illusion of Life. These basic principles can be applied to all manner of animation, and you needn’t be an expert in animation to follow along. We’ll be working through an example of CSS animation that uses the 12 principles, turning a basic animation into a more believable illusion.
These may just be bouncing balls, but you can see a world of difference between the two versions.
This example demonstrates the features of CSS animation. In the code below, we use empty divs to show how it works; this isn’t the most semantic way to code, as we all know, but the point is to show how simple it is to bring a page to life in a way that we haven’t been able to do before in the browser.
Squash and Stretch
The crude bouncing ball is a great demonstration of this first point. If the ball falls at a high velocity and hits the floor, you’ll see it squash down from the force and then stretch back out as it bounces up.
At a basic level, this should give our animation a sense of weight and flexibility. If we dropped a bowling ball, we wouldn’t expect it to flex at all — it might just damage the floor.
We can apply this squash and stretch effect through a CSS3 property, transform :
@-webkit-keyframes example { 0% { -webkit-transform: scaleY(1.0); } 50% { -webkit-transform: scaleY(1.2); } 100% { -webkit-transform: scaleY(1.0); } }
This will scale the object lengthwise (on the y axis, up and down) to 1.2 times the original size, and then revert to the original size.
We’re also using more complex timing for this animation. You can use from and to for basic animations. But you can also specify many actions for your animation using percentages, as shown here.
That covers the squashing. Now we need to move the object using translate. We can combine transforms together:
50% { -webkit-transform: translateY(-300px) scaleY(1.2); }
The translate property allows us to manipulate the object without changing any of its base properties (such as position, width or height), which makes it ideal for CSS animation. This particular translate property makes it look like the ball is bouncing off the floor at the mid-point of the animation.
(Please note: to view the sample animations, you’ll need the latest version of Firefox, Chrome or Safari. At the time of writing, Safari provides the best viewing experience of CSS animation.)
Yes, it still looks rubbish, but this small adjustment is the first step in making this animation more believable.
Anticipation
Anticipation adds suspense, or a sense of power, before the main action. For example, the bend in your legs before you jump helps viewers anticipate what will come next. In the case of our bouncing ball, simply adding a shadow beforehand suggests that something is falling from above.
We’ve added another div for the shadow, so that we can animate it separate from the ball.
To create anticipation here, we keep the ball from dropping into the scene immediately. We do this simply by adjusting the percentage timings so that there is no movement between the start point and the first action.
@-webkit-keyframes example { 0% { -webkit-transform: translateY(-300px) scaleY(1.2); } 35% { -webkit-transform: translateY(-300px) scaleY(1.2); } /* Same position as 0% */ 65% { -webkit-transform: translateY(0px) scaleY(1.2); } /* Starts moving after 35% to this position */ 67% { -webkit-transform: translateY(10px) scaleY(0.8); } 85% { -webkit-transform: translateY(-100px) scaleY(1.2); } 100% { -webkit-transform: translateY(0px); } }
At the 35% point of the animation, the ball is in the same location, positioned off the stage, not moving. Then, between 35% and 65%, it suddenly moves onto the stage, and the rest of the animation follows.
You can also use animation-delay to create anticipation:
div { -webkit-animation-delay: 1s; }
However, this could have an undesired effect. The animation-delay property simply ignores any animation code until the specified time. So, if your animation starts in a position different from the element that you are animating, then the object will appear to suddenly jump as soon as the delayed animation starts.
This property works best for looping animations that begin and end in the same location.
Staging
Try to give a stage to the scene; put the animation in context. Thinking back to Disney films, what would they be without the fantastic background artwork? That’s half of the magic!
The stage is also key to focusing attention. Much like on a theater stage, lighting will be cast on the most important area. The stage should add to the illusion. With our bouncing ball, I’ve added a simple background to focus on where the ball will land. Now the viewer knows that the action will take place in the center, and the scene is no longer lost in snow.
Straight-Ahead vs. Pose to Pose
In traditional animation, this is a choice in how to construct your animation. The straight-ahead option is to draw out every frame in the sequence. The pose-to-pose option is to create a few keyframes throughout the sequence, and then fill in the gaps later. Filling in these gaps is known as “in-betweening,” or “tweening,” a familiar term for those used to animating in Flash.
With CSS animation, we typically use the latter, pose to pose. That is, we’ll add keyframes of action, and then the browser will “tween” the intermediate frames automatically. However, we can learn from the straight-ahead technique, too. The browser can do only so many effects; sometimes, you have to do it the hard way and put in more animation hard-graft to get the desired effect.
Follow-Through and Overlapping
Also known as physics! Follow-through and overlapping are more commonly used in character animation for body movement, such as to show arms swaying as the character drops them or long hair falling. Think of someone with a big stomach turning quickly: their body will turn first, and their bulging gut will follow shortly after.
For us, this means getting the physics right when the ball drops. In the demonstrations above, the ball drops unnaturally, as if beyond the control of gravity. We want the ball to drop and then bounce. However, this is better achieved through the next principle.
Slow In and Out
This has to do with speeding up and slowing down. Imagine a car that is speeding along and has to come to a stop. If it were to stop instantly, it wouldn’t be believable. We know that cars take time to slow down, so we would have to animate the car braking and slowly coming to a stop.
This is also relevant to showing the effect of gravity. Imagine a child on a swing. As they approach the highest point, they will slow down. As they come back down and gain speed, their fastest point will be at the bottom of the arc. Then they will rise up on the opposite side, and the action repeats.
Back to our example, by adjusting the in and out speeds, we can make the ball much more believable (finally).
When the ball hits the floor, the impact will make it bounce back up instantly. As it reaches its highest point, it will slow down. Now it looks like the ball is really dropping.
In CSS, we can control this with the animation-timing-function property:
-webkit-animation-timing-function: ease-out;
This property takes the following values:
ease-in Slow at the beginning, and then speeds up.
Slow at the beginning, and then speeds up. ease-out Fast at the beginning, and then slows to a stop.
Fast at the beginning, and then slows to a stop. ease-in-out Starts slow, speeds up in the middle, and then slows to a stop.
Starts slow, speeds up in the middle, and then slows to a stop. linear Moves at an even speed from start to finish.
You can also use the bezier-curve function to create your own easing speeds.
Arcs
Similar to the follow-through principle of physics, arcs follow the basic principle of “what goes up must come down.” Arcs are useful in thinking about the trajectory of an object.
Let’s throw the ball in from the left of the stage. A convincing animation would predict the arc along which the ball will fall; and in our example it will have to predict the next arc along which the ball will fall when it bounces.
This animation can be a bit more fiddly to adjust in CSS. We want to animate the ball going up and down and side to side simultaneously. So, we want our ball to move in smoothly from the left, while continuing the bouncing animation that we’ve been working on. Rather than attempt to capture both actions as one animation, we’ll do two separate animations, which is easiest. For this demonstration, we’ll wrap our ball in another div and animate it separately.
The HTML:
<div class="ball-arc"> <div class="ball"></div> </div>
And the CSS:
.ball-arc { -webkit-animation: ball-x 2.5s cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.35, 1); } /* cubic-bezier here is to adjust the animation-timing speed. This example makes the ball take longer to slow down. */ @-webkit-keyframes ball-x { 0% { -webkit-transform: translateX(-275px); } 100% { -webkit-transform: translateX(0px); } }
Here, we have one animation to move the ball sideways ( ball-x ) and another animation to bounce the ball ( ball-y ). The only downside to this method is that if you want something really complex, you could end up with a code soup with poor semantics!
Secondary Action
A secondary action is a subtlety that makes the animation much more real. It addresses the details. For example, if we had someone with long hair walking, the primary action would be the walking, and the secondary action would be the bounce of the hair, or perhaps the ruffling of the clothes in the wind.
In our example, it’s much simpler. By applying more detail to the ball, we make the secondary action the spinning of the ball. This will give the illusion that the ball is being thrown in.
Rather than add another div for this animation, we can be more specific by adding it to the new img element that we’re using to give the ball texture.
.ball img { -webkit-animation: spin 2.5s; } @-webkit-keyframes spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(-180deg); } 100% { -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); } }
Timing
This is simply the timing of your animation. The better the timing of the animation, the more realistic it will look.
Our ball is a perfect example of this. The current speed is about right for a ball this light. If it were a bowling ball, we would expect it to drop much more quickly. Whereas, if the animation were any slower, then it would look like we were playing tennis in space. The correct timing basically helps your animation look realistic.
You can easily adjust this with the animation-duration property, and you can adjust the individual timings of your animation using percentage values.
Exaggeration
Cartoons are known for exaggeration, or impossible physics. A cartoon character can contort into any shape and still manage to spring back to normal. In most cases, though, exaggeration is used for emphasis, to bring to life an action that would otherwise look flat in animation.
Nevertheless, use exaggeration modestly. Disney had a rule to base its animations on reality but push it slightly further. Imagine a character running into a wall; its body would squash into the wall more than expected, to emphasize the force of impact.
We’re using exaggeration in combination with squash and stretch to make it really obvious when the ball hits the floor. I’ve also added a subtle wobble to the animation. Finally, we also stretch the ball in and out as it bounces up and down to emphasize the speed.
Just as when we added one animation onto another, here we’ll add another div, which will wobble in sync with the ball hitting the floor:
@-webkit-keyframes wobble { 0%, 24%, 54%, 74%, 86%, 96%, 100% { -webkit-transform: scaleX(1.0); /* Make the ball a normal size at these points */ } 25%, 55%, 75% { -webkit-transform: scaleX(1.3) scaleY(0.8) translateY(10px); /* Points hitting the floor: squash effect */ } 30%, 60%, 80% { -webkit-transform: scaleX(0.8) scaleY(1.2); /* Wobble inwards after hitting the floor */ } 75%, 87% { -webkit-transform: scaleX(1.2); /* Subtler squash for the last few bounces */ } 97% -webkit-transform: scaleX(1.1); /* Even subtler squash for last bounce */ } }
The code looks more complex than it is. It’s simple trial and error. Keep trying until you get the right effect!
Solid Drawing and Appeal
I have nothing more to teach you… at least not in code. These final two animation principles cannot be shown in code. They are skills you will have to perfect in order to make truly amazing animations.
When Disney started production on Snow White, it had its animators go back to life drawing classes and learn the human form again. This attention to detail is evident in the film, which goes to show that good animation requires solid drawing skills and sound knowledge of the form you are animating.
Most CSS animation will likely not be as complex as intricate figure animations, but the basic principle holds true. Whether a door is opening to reveal content or a “contact us” envelope is being sealed and delivered, the animation should be believable, not robotic… unless you’re animating a machine.
The appeal, or charisma, of each character will be unique. But as Disney has always shown, anything can have character: a teapot, a tree, even spoons. But with CSS, consider how the overall animation will contribute to the design and make the overall experience more satisfying. We don’t want to make clippy animations here.
Go Forth And Animate!
CSS animation is a great new feature. As with every new CSS feature, it will be overused and misused at first. There is even the slight danger that we’ll see a return of those long-winded Flash-style animated splash pages. Although I have faith in the Web community not to do this.
CSS animation can be used to really bring a website to life. While the code for our bouncing ball may not be the most semantic, it hopefully shows how simple it can be to bring almost anything on the page to life with CSS.
It can bring much-needed interaction to your elements (sans Flash!); it can add excitement to the page; and in combination with JavaScript, it can even be an alternative way to animate for games. By taking in the 12 principles above and working away at your animation, you can make your websites more convincing, enticing and exciting, leading to a better experience overall.
CSS Animation Tools
While knowing the CSS itself is great, plenty of tools are popping up that will help you animate. The 12 principles apply regardless, but if you’re worried about the code, these great tools let you try out CSS animation without getting too technical.
CSS Animation in the Wild
Finally, to get you excited about what is possible, here are some great examples of CSS animation being used on live websites:
(al) (vf) (kw)On the morning of August 24, University of Utah leaders joined Utah’s economic leaders, community members, and the media for the unveiling of the newly renovated Enos A. Wall Mansion and the revealing of its new name. To the excitement of the crowd, the covering that shrouded the building’s façade was removed revealing that the historic mansion had been renamed as the Thomas S. Monson Center, after the current president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and U alum.
The gathering was attended by many notable leaders who allocated resources and funds to the realization of the structure’s extensive transformation. The University of Utah gives heartfelt thanks to the donors who graciously contributed funds to the building’s renovation, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Roger and Sara Boyer, Kem C. Gardner, Clark & Christine Ivory Foundation, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Zions Bank, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, KSL Broadcast Group, Deseret News, and American Express.
Located in the heart of Salt Lake City at 411 East South Temple, the Thomas S. Monson Center will act as the hub of economic conversation and play a significant role in the implementation of essential economic policies throughout the entire Beehive State.
The mansion is the new home of the University of Utah’s center for applied economic policy research and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, which helps business executives and community heads make informed decisions through well-researched economic, demographic, and public policy data. The institute is housed on the second floor, while the first floor has been restored to its original dining room and parlor and the third has been reestablished as a grand ballroom for community events.
The historic building will bring together economists, business leaders, civic authorities, and policymakers to discuss and solidify plans to solve issues relevant to Utah. It also will promote partnerships between academic scholars and the private sector on research and strategies to refine and enhance long-term economic policies. In addition, the center will be a gathering place for special community events, providing an opportunity for more people to enjoy and appreciate its history and elegance.
The beautiful 50,000-square-foot mansion was designed by noted architect Richard K. A. Kletting, who also designed the Utah State Capitol. Enos A. Wall purchased the property in 1904 and transformed it into a Renaissance villa. The LDS Church then purchased the home in 1961 and donated it to the University of Utah in 2014. The University of Utah is forever grateful to the donors and builders who made this significant renovation possible.When you heard the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to remove a piece of the Voting Rights Act, you may have been surprised. But the most mathematically minded Americans should have been surprised for an entirely different reason—the decision did not come down 9-0. The justices are all intelligent and heard the same facts, so how did they not reach the same conclusion?
This seems patently absurd. Anyone passively familiar with the court knows we receive 5-4 decisions all the time, and every one of us has long-standing political disagreements with friends we consider to be rational-minded. Disagreement is the lifeblood of intellectual debate.
Enter the mathematicians. Robert Aumann, a Nobel laureate with a Gandalf beard and a genial grin, has spent most of his career studying knot theory and correlated equilibrium in non-cooperative games. But in 1976, he published a brief, three-page paper called “Agreeing to Disagree,” which has gradually become his most-cited work. In it he proves what is now known as Aumann’s agreement theorem: Two rational people with the same information can’t disagree.
In what may seem like a coy bit of self-reference, you cannot disagree with this theorem. It is derived from incontrovertible axioms using sound steps of logic. If you take issue with it, you must also take issue with the core tenets of mathematics.
The argument leading to this conclusion is so simple that Aumann all but apologizes for publishing it. “Once one has the appropriate framework,” he writes, “it is mathematically trivial.” He proceeds to break down the statement into mathematical formalisms, but his reasoning can be likened to a young child who has just learned the power of the question, “Why?”
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For example: “I believe New York is safer now than it was in 1980.” “Why?” “The murder rate is lower now, and lower murder rates make a city safer.” “Why is your first statement true?” “There were 2,228 murders in 1980, and 414 murders in 2012, and 414 is a lower murder rate than 2,228.” “Why are your first two statement true?” “The New York Times reports those numbers, and what the New York Times reports is generally true.” “Why is your second statement true?” And so forth.
To disagree with a conclusion, you must disagree with an assumption, which can be broken up into more basic assumptions. This process continues until you reach an unbreakable atom of information, and we assumed everyone has the same information.
Aumann’s theorem, you will not be shocked to hear, does not translate well from paper to podium. Politics cannot be atomized as easily as mathematics, so the notion of two people truly having the “same information” is an approximation at best. And more importantly, people are not rational in the way theorists imagine they are—we like our current beliefs, and we will shape new information in light of them. And we really don’t like being wrong.
Imagine the blowback if, mid-debate, Romney had conceded that perhaps he ought to read up a bit on military spending cuts before criticizing Obama’s actions. Imagine the ridicule if, after reading enough op-eds, the president announced his conclusion that perhaps Obamacare wasn’t such a good idea after all and endorsed the motion toward its repeal. These scenarios are comically unthinkable, and yet they would be the norm if the world were inhabited by the rational beings we read about in economics textbooks.
The tenured justices of the Supreme Court may do better than most to seek honest results, but their 5-4 disagreements, often along partisan lines, betray their inability to distance themselves from the culture of political adversarialism. Fortunately, we needn’t let the improprieties of public discourse infect the halls of academia. My hope is that, knowing rational disagreement is impossible, you may temper your convictions and actively attempt to be convinced. There are smart people who disagree with you—if an omniscient referee were called in, would you bet your beliefs?
The aforementioned ruling on the Voting Rights Act has led to new voter ID laws, which are presently being both hailed as commonsense and censured for racism. Today, make an effort to discard your preexisting conviction. Do some research and gather relevant information. Build a modest conclusion built directly from obvious assumptions. Submit to peer review by finding a friend who takes issue with your verdict. Have her identify the assumption with which she disagrees, and break it down further.
You will undoubtedly find it difficult to defend claims you thought were safe. As you struggle, do your best to remember Aumann’s gospel: You don’t win a debate when your opponent is convinced; you win a debate when all parties reach the truth.
Milo B. Beckman ’15, a Crimson editorial comper, is a government concentrator in Eliot House.Boehner and senior Republicans aren’t discussing coming back early from recess. House leaders plot fall GOP strategy
For the first time in months, House Republicans are facing no immediate cataclysmic deadlines, and GOP leaders are struggling to come up with an agenda to fill the 19 legislative days that are left in 2013.
Need evidence? The House votes Monday evening and will finish its work week Wednesday. After that, the House is out of session until Nov. 12. Internally, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and senior Republicans aren’t discussing coming back early from the scheduled recess, but instead, they are wondering if they’ll cancel some of the remaining days in session.
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After an exhausting October full of late-night and weekend votes, the slower pace is a sharp change for the House.
Having just gotten through a grueling debt ceiling and government funding fight, the next big deadline is Dec. 13, when a bipartisan group of House and Senate budget negotiators are scheduled to report whether they have reached an agreement. There appears to be a stark split within Republican leadership about whether the budget process Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is starting has any chance of succeeding. Some House Republicans believe these bicameral talks are a political trap, where Democrats are going to insist on raising taxes. Other top House GOP aides think it’s the best way to wrap up a deal to fund the government through the 2014 election cycle and remove the issue from the front pages until after voters have gone to the polls.
Throughout leadership and the House Republican Conference there’s a sense of bewilderment and confusion about what leadership will move to next. The fiscal fights with President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats have pushed the GOP’s numbers to barrel-scraping lows. And there’s a real sense that Republicans could lose control of the House next year.
Yet there’s not much going on in the Capitol.
The future of Obamacare — and how far to go in trying to undo the 2010 Affordable Care Act — remains at center stage for House Republicans.
On Monday, House GOP chiefs of staff are meeting with leadership and the House Administration Committee on how members and staff will handle enrollment in the health care exchanges mandated under ACA. Boehner and House Republicans unsuccessfully pushed legislation that would end the government’s employer contribution to health care for lawmakers and aides. Now that they have to sign up, House Republicans face numerous questions on how to do so and who is covered.
In the meantime, it appears that the House will — once again — vote to delay portions of Obamacare, setting up another fight with Senate Democrats and the White House.
In an appearance on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers,” Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said there are discussions to further delay the date by which all Americans must have health insurance. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is expected to testify in front of Upton’s panel Wednesday.
“We learned a lot this last week; we’re going to learn more, I presume, this next week. And you know, this is people’s health care; it’s a lot of money out of their own pocket,” Upton said in the C-SPAN interview. “Lot of changes are there, too. And where this leads us, time will tell, but I think we’re going to try to take this evidence that we saw [last] week and see what adjustments we might be able to make.”
No date has been set yet for this vote, senior House GOP aides said.
Republicans will also spend the remaining days of 2013 pushing for Sebelius to step down over the botched rollout of the Obamacare website.
“The president has been poorly served in the implementation of his own signature legislation,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) said during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “If Kathleen Sebelius can’t reorganize to meet his agenda, then she shouldn’t be there.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill also have been highly critical of the Obama administration’s handling of the program, although no one in the party has called for her resignation, and there is no sign that Sebelius’s departure is imminent.
CORRECTION: Corrected by: Andrea Drusch @ 10/28/2013 06:01 PM CORRECTION: This story inaccurately reported that Issa appeared on “Fox News Sunday.” He was on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
This article tagged under: John Boehner
House RepublicansBy Kerryn Williams
December 16, 2011 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Africa’s newest communist party has been born with the formation of the South Sudan Communist Party. On June 28, the SSCP was formally launched at a press conference in Khartoum. On July 9, the Republic of South Sudan officially came into being after seceding from Sudan.
The new party was established by the former section of the Sudanese Communist Party in the south, and also involves returning southern SCP members who fled to the north of Sudan during the civil war.
The party includes former SCP members who joined and were active at all levels in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), now the ruling party of South Sudan.
Preparation for the new party began after the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, which ended the three-decade-long north-south civil war and paved the way for the January 2011 referendum on independence.
Long road to independence
The new South Sudan state faces enormous challenges after a long and difficult road to winning independence.
While the most recent phase of the war in the south, from 1983-2005, caused the death of some 2 million people, the conflict and the suffering of the people of South Sudan long predates this.
Under British colonial rule, divisions were perpetuated between the mostly Muslim, Arabic-speaking north Sudanese and the southerners, who spoke local languages and practised traditional indigenous religions.
Development, education and administration were all focused on the north, while the south was kept underdeveloped and isolated from its northern neighbours. Education in the south was left to the Christian missionaries.
In the late 1940s, prior to granting Sudan’s independence in 1956, the British colonial rulers began to impose Islam and the Arabic language on the south. After independence, power was handed to a narrow elite in Khartoum, which furthered the policy of “Arabisation” of the south. This was the basis for a two-decade-long civil war that killed half a million people.
In 1972 the war ended when the Jafaar Nimeiri regime granted limited autonomy to the south. However the government continued to deny southerners resources, development and political power.
In the early 1980s autonomy was revoked and Nimeiri subjected the south to a harsh form of Islamic sharia law. A rebellion of southern soldiers -- led by John Garang, who went on to form the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/Army -- sparked the renewal of the civil war. This second phase lasted until the CPA was signed in 2005.
The 2 million deaths caused by this war included hundreds of thousands of victims of war-induced famine. The coalition government led by Sadiq Al Mahdi -- which came to power in 1985 after a mass popular uprising overthrew the Nimeiri dictatorship -- consciously blocked food aid to the south, as the army conducted a brutal campaign that displaced the overwhelming majority of the population.
After Al Mahdi was forced to open negotiations with the SPLM/A in 1989, the right-wing Islamic forces, who opposed any peaceful settlement of the conflict, launched a coup. In June of that year the National Islamic Front seized power and installed current Sudanese President Omer Al Bashir.
Visions for the south
From its formation, the SPLM/A campaigned for southern autonomy within a united, democratic and secular Sudan, which was the vision of the party’s founder John Garang.
However the SPLM/A leadership later shifted to support the secession of South Sudan.
There was a major setback to the struggle in the period following the CPA when John Garang, who became Sudan’s First Vice President after the CPA was signed, was killed in a helicopter crash in July 2005. Street battles erupted in Khartoum as southern youths accused the government of murdering Garang, and right-wing Islamic thugs conducted violent retribution.
After Khartoum failed to implement most of what it agreed to in the CPA, few people in southern Sudan retained any hope of achieving liberation while remaining within greater Sudan.
The referendum result was a near-unanimous endorsement of independence and from the towns to the villages across the south, there were euphoric celebrations in the streets.
Sudanese Communist Party
The Sudanese Communist Party, which was formed in 1946, has had extensive involvement in the struggle for justice and democratic rights in the south. One of the founders of the southern democratic movement, Joseph Garang, was a leader of the SCP. He was executed by the Nimeiri regime in the 1970s.
The SCP was a key force in the National Democratic Alliance, a coalition of northern opposition parties that worked in collaboration with the SPLM/A.
Up until the separation of South Sudan, the SCP continued to campaign for a united, secular, democratic Sudan, where the rights of all peoples were respected and resources and development were accorded equally across the vast territory.
However once it became clear that the people of South Sudan desired independence as the only viable means to escape Khartoum’s repressive rule, the SCP began preparing to launch a new, independent party in the south.
The SCP leadership in Khartoum put forward the perspective that the best way for members from the south who were living in the north to further the struggle was to return to South Sudan after independence and join the new SSCP.
Establishing a democratic state
The Republic of South Sudan’s first government faces the onerous task of rebuilding a devastated, war-ravaged country with low levels of literacy and education and very poor health indicators.
Attempts to establish basic infrastructure and services have been undermined by Khartoum’s efforts to extract maximum revenue from the south’s oil exports. While most of the north and south’s combined oil reserves lie in the south, the south’s oil must be exported via the infrastructure in the north and Khartoum has demanded substantial transit fees.
Violence from Khartoum and the continued threat of renewed war with the north remain. The Sudanese Armed Forces have for several months been conducting a sustained bombing campaign in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State, just north of the border with South Sudan. It has also aggressively pursued its claim over the disputed territory of Abyei, whose status was not resolved through the CPA.
The northern regime has also extended its bombing across the border into South Sudan’s northern states.
The SPLM government itself has faced much internal dissent, with widespread allegations of serious corruption and accusations that the ruling party favours the Dinka people over other groups within the diverse South Sudanese population. Since independence there have been numerous conflicts with armed groups opposed to the SPLM’s rule.
The government has also been criticised for curtailing democratic rights, including the arrests of journalists and other critics.
At a press conference in South Sudan's capital, Juba, on November 19, SSCP secretary general Joseph Wol Modesto called for a democratic, secular state to be established in South Sudan, The Citizen reported on November 21. He called on the new government to reduce its “huge administration” to enable better service delivery to the people, and for development to be balanced equally across the country’s ten states.
Modesto also denounced Khartoum’s bombing of several South Sudanese states near the border with Sudan.
According to the November 22 edition of the SCP newspaper Al Midan, Modesto welcomed the release of Al Masir (The Destiny) editor Ngor Aguot Garang, who had been arrested several weeks earlier. The press conference was held in the offices of Al Masir, a new Arabic-language newspaper.
Modesto also noted the problems of famine and deaths caused by disease epidemics due to the lack of a decent health care system. Modesto criticised government corruption and called for the establishment of an independent judiciary, democratic rights and a multi-party parliamentary system.
The SPLM government has introduced a new law prohibiting civil servants from being members of political parties, which the SSCP strongly opposes.
AllAfrica.com reported on December 6 that the SSCP issued a statement pointing out that civil servants played a decisive role in the long struggle for independence, so it was hypocritical to now deny civil servants the “right to participate in the political work through the parties of their own choice”.
The statement asked whether the thousands of SPLM members in the civil service will also be denied this right and banned from working in the party, or is the new law “designed to restrict and silence the opposition forces only?”
The SSCP said the outcome of the act would be to transform South Sudan into a one-party state. The Political Party Act also imposes harsh conditions for the registration of political parties, including the requirement that a congress of at least 500 members be held and the founding minutes be given to the Ministry of Justice. The SSCP likened these efforts of the government to regulate and control the activities of political parties to “an innovation of some totalitarian governments to restrict the activities of the parties”.
The SSCP said it was important in such a poor country with high illiteracy to allow the democratic space for political parties, student organisations, trade unions and the press to develop.Apple said Thursday that it’s blocking apps infected with malicious software in an effort to protect iPhone users in China from being hacked.
Over 450 apps available on third-party Chinese app store Maiyadi have been infected with Wirelurker malware, which steals data from iPhones and iPads by lying in wait on computers running Apple’s Mac OS X operating system.
Apple moved quickly to block the affected apps. “We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching,” Apple said in a written statement Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Palo Alto Networks, the security company that first reported the breach, said that hundred of thousands of iPhone users |
are not corroborated by any source that appeared at the actual time of the Great Leap Forward, or indeed for many years later. Many of the accounts of mass starvation and cannibalism that Becker uses come from a 600 page document 'Thirty Years in the Countryside'. Becker says it was a secret official document that was smuggled out of China in 1989. Becker writes that his sources for Hungry Ghosts include documents smuggled out of China in 1989 by intellectuals going into exile. The reader needs to be told how people who were apparently dissidents fleeing the country during a crack-down were able to smuggle out official documents regarding events thirty years before.
Also, Becker should have discussed more generally why he believes 'Thirty Years in the Countryside' and the other texts are authentic. In 2001 Becker reviewed the Tiananmen Papers in the London Review of Books (18). The Tiananmen Papers are purportedly inner party documents which were smuggled out of the country by a dissident. They supposedly shed light on the Party leaderships thinking at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre. In his review Becker seriously discusses the possibility that these papers might be forgeries. In Hungry Ghosts, Becker needed to say why he thought the documents he was citing in his own book were genuine, despite believing that other smuggled official documents might be inauthentic.
Similarly, Becker cites a purported internal Chinese army journal from 1961 as evidence of a massive humanitarian disaster during the Great Leap Forward. The reports in this journal do indeed allude to a fairly significant disaster which is effecting the morale of Chinese troops. However, is this journal a genuine document? The journals were released by US Department of State in 1963 and was published in a collection by the Hoover Institution entitled The Politics of the Chinese Red Army in 1966. According to the British Daily Telegraph newspaper (19) 'They [the journals] have been in American hands for some time, although nobody will disclose how they were acquired.' Becker and the many other writers on the Great Leap Forward who have cited these journals need to state why they regard them as authentic.
Becker's book also uses eyewitness accounts of hunger in the Great Leap Forward. During the mid-nineties, he interviewed people in mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Chinese immigrants in the west. He states in his book that in mainland China he was 'rarely if ever, allowed to speak freely to the peasants'. Local officials 'coached' the peasants before the interview, sat with them during it and answered some of the questions for them. Given that there is a good chance that these officials were trying to slant evidence in favour of the negative Deng Xiaoping line on the Great Leap Forward it is surely important that the reader is told which of the interviews cited in the book were conducted under these conditions and which were not. Becker does not do this in Hungry Ghosts. Nowhere in this book does he go into sufficient detail to demonstrate to the reader that the accounts he cites in his book are authentic.
For a few years, Hungry Ghosts, was the pre-eminent text, as far as critics of Mao were concerned. However, in 2005 Mao: the Unknown Story was published and very heavily promoted in the West. It's allegations are, if anything, even more extreme than Becker's book. Of the 70 million deaths the book ascribes to Mao, 38 million are meant to have taken place during the Great Leap Forward. The book relies very heavily on an unofficial collection of Mao's speeches and statements which were supposedly recorded by his followers and which found their way to the west by means that are unclear. The authors often use materials from this collection to try and demonstrate Mao's fanaticism and lack of concern for human life. They are a group of texts that became newly available in the 1980s courtesy of the Center of Chinese Research Materials (CCRM) in the US. Some of these texts were translated into English and published in Mao's Secret Speeches (20).
In this volume, Timothy Cheek writes an essay assessing the authenticity of the texts. He writes 'The precise provenance of these volumes, which have arrived through various channels, cannot be documented...' Timothy Cheek argues that the texts are likely to be authentic for two reasons. Firstly, because some of the texts that the CCRM received were previously published in mainland China in other editions. Secondly, because texts that appear in one volume received by the CCRM also appear in at least one other volume received by the CCRM. It is not obvious to me why these two facts provide strong evidence of The general authenticity of the texts.
Perhaps more importantly Chang and Halliday quote passages from these texts in a misleading way in their chapter on the Great Leap Forward. Chang claims that in 1958 Mao clamped down on 'what he called 'people roaming the countryside uncontrolled.' In the next sentence the authors claim that 'The traditional possibility of escaping a famine by fleeing to a place where there was food was now blocked off.' But the part of the'secret' speech in which Mao supposedly complains about people 'roaming around uncontrolled' has nothing to do with preventing population movement in China. When the full passage which the authors selectively quote from is read, it can be seen that the authors are being misleading. What Mao is actually meant to have said is as follows.
'[Someone] from an APC [an Agricultural Producers' Co-operative-Joseph Ball] in Handan [Hebei] drove a cart to the Anshan steel [mill] and wouldn't leave until given some iron. In every place [there are ] so many people roaming around uncontrolled; this must be banned completely. [We] must work out an equilibrium between levels, with each level reporting to the next higher level- APCs to the counties, counties to the prefectures, prefectures to the provinces- this is called socialist order.' (21)
What Mao is talking about here is the campaign to increase steel production, partly through the use of small-scale rural production. Someone without authority was demanding iron from Anshan to help their co-operative meet their steel production quota. Mao seems to be saying that this spontaneous approach is wrong. He seems to be advocating a more hierarchical socialist planning system where people have to apply to higher authorities to get the raw materials they need to fulfil production targets. (This sounds very unlike Mao-but that is by the by.) He is clearly not advocating a general ban on all Chinese people traveling around the country here!
A second, seriously misleading, quotation comes at the end of the chapter on the Great Leap Forward. First Chang and Halliday write 'We can now say with assurance how many people Mao was ready to dispense with.' The paragraph then gives some examples of alleged quotes by Mao on how many Chinese deaths would be acceptable in time of war. The next paragraph begins 'Nor was Mao just thinking about a war situation.' They then quote Mao at the Wuchang Conference as saying 'Working like this, with all these projects, half of China may well have to die.' This quotation appears in the heading of Chang and Hallidays chapter on the Great Leap Forward. The way the authors present this quotation it looks as if Mao was saying that it might indeed be necessary for half of China to die to realize his plans to increase industrial production. But it is obvious from the actual text of the speech that what Mao is doing is warning of the dangers of overwork and over-enthusiasm in the Great Leap Forward, while using a fair bit of hyperbole. Mao is making it clear that he does not want anyone to die as a result of his industrialization drive. In this part of the discussion, Mao talks about the idea of developing all the major industries and agriculture in one fell swoop. The full text of the passage that the authors selectively quote from is as follows.
'In this kind of situation, I think if we do [all these things simultaneously] half of China's population unquestionably will die; and if it's not a half, it'll be a third or ten percent, a death toll of 50 million. When people died in Guangxi [in 1955-Joseph Ball], wasn't Chen Manyuan dismissed? If with a death toll of 50 million, you didn't lose your jobs, I at least should lose mine; [whether I would lose my] head would be open to question. Anhui wants to do so many things, it's quite all right to do a lot, but make it a principle to have no deaths.' (22)
Then in a few sentences later Mao says: 'As to 30 million tons of steel, do we really need that much? Are we able to produce [that much]? How many people do we mobilize? Could it lead to deaths?'
It is very important that a full examination of the sources Chang and Halliday have used for their book is made. This is a call that has been made elsewhere. Nicholas D. Kristof's review of the book in The New York Times brought up some interesting questions. Kristof talks about Mao's English teacher Zhang Hanzhi (Mao attempted to learn English in adult life) who Chang and Halliday cite as one of the people they interviewed for the book. However, Zhang told Kristof (who is one of her friends) that though she met the two authors she declined to be interviewed and provided them with no substantial information (23). Kristof calls for the authors to publish their sources on the web so they can be assessed for fairness.
Deng's Campaign Against Mao's Legacy
There were some proponents of the'massive death toll' story in the 1960s. However, as Felix Greene pointed out in A Curtain of Ignorance anti- communists in the 1950s and early 1960s made allegations about massive famines in China virtually every year. The story about the Great Leap Forward was only really taken seriously in the 1980s when the new Chinese leadership began to back the idea. It was this that has really given credibility in the west to those such as Becker and Jung Chang.
The Chinese leadership began its attack on the Great Leap Forward in 1979. Deng moved against Mao supporters directing the official press to attack them (24). This took the form of an ideological campaign against 'ultraleftism'. As Meissner, says in his study of the Deng Xiaoping era,'multitudes of scholars and theoreticians were brought forth to expound on the 'petty bourgeois" social and ideological roots of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution" (25).
The reason for this vilification of the Great Leap Forward had much to do with post-Mao power struggles and the struggle to roll back the socialist policies of 1949-76. Ater Mao's death in 1976 Hua Guofeng had come to power on a platform of 'upholding every word and policy made by Mao'. Deng Xiaoping badly needed a political justification for his usurpation of Hua in 1978 and his assumption of leadership. Deng's stated stance of Mao being '70% right and 30% wrong' was a way of distinguishing his own 'pragmatic' approach to history and ideology from his predecessors. (The pro-market policies Deng implemented suggested that he actually believed that Mao was about 80% wrong.)
The Chinese party did everything it could to promote the notion that the Great Leap Forward was an catastrophe caused by ultra-leftist policies. Marshal Ye Jian ying, in an important speech in 1979 talked of disasters caused by leftist errors in the Great Leap Forward (26). In 1981 the Chinese Communist Party's 'Resolution on Party History' spoke of'serious losses to our country and people between 1959 and 1961'. Academics joined in the attack. In 1981 Professor Liu Zeng, Director of the Institute of Population Research at the People's University gave selected death rate figures for 1954-78. These figures were given at a public academic gathering which drew much attention in the West. The figures he gave for 1958-1961 indicated that 16.5 million excess deaths had occurred in this period (27). At the same time Sun Yefang, a prominent Chinese economist publicly drew attention to these figures stating that 'a high price was paid in blood' for the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward (28).
As well as the internal party struggle Deng wanted to reverse virtually all of Mao's positive achievements in the name of introducing capitalism or'socialism with Chinese characteristics' as he described it. Attacking the Great Leap Forward, helped provide the ideological justification for reversing Mao's 'leftist' policies. Deng dissolved the agricultural communes in the early 1980s. In the years following the Great Leap Forward the communes had begun to provide welfare services like free health care and education. The break up of the Commune meant this ended. In an article about the Great Leap Forward, Han Dongping, an Assistant Professor at Warren Wilson College, described a 'humorous' report in the New York based Chinese newspaper The World Journal about a farmer from Henan province who was unable to pay medical bills to get his infected testicles treated. Tortured by pain he cut them off with a knife and almost killed himself (29). This kind of incident is the real legacy of Deng's'reforms' in the countryside.
It is often said that Deng's agricultural reforms improved the welfare of the peasantry. It is true that breaking up the communes led to a 5 year period of accelerated agricultural production. But this was followed by years of decline in per capita food production (30). Despite this decline, western commentators tend to describe the break-up of the communes as an unqualified economic success.
In fact, breaking up the peasant communes created sources of real hardship for the peasants. By encouraging the Chinese ruling class to describe the Great Leap Forward as a disaster that killed millions, Deng was able to develop a political line that made his regressive policies in the countryside seem legitimate.
Deng Xiaoping Blames Mao for Famine Deaths
For Deng's line to prevail he needed to prove not only that mass deaths happened from 1959-61 but also that these were mainly the result of policy errors. After the Great Leap Forward the official Chinese government line on the famine was that it was 70% due to natural disasters and 30% due to human error. This verdict was reversed by the Deng Xiaoping regime. In the 1980s they claimed the problems were caused 30% by natural disasters and 70% by human error. But surely if Mao's actions had led to the deaths of millions of peasants, the peasants would have realized what was going on. However, the evidence is that they did not blame Mao for most of the problems that occurred during the Great Leap Forward.
Long after Mao's death, Professor Han Dongping traveled to Shandong and Henan, where the worst famine conditions appeared in 1959-1961.
Han Dongping found that most of the farmers he questioned favoured the first interpretation of events, rather than the second, that is to say they did not think Mao was mainly to blame for the problems they suffered during the Great Leap Forward (31). This is not to say that tragic errors did not occur. Dongping wrote of the introduction of communal eating in the rural communes. To begin with, this was a very popular policy among the peasants. Indeed, in 1958 many farmers report that they had never eaten so well in their lives before. The problem was that this new, seeming abundance led to carelessness in the harvesting and consumption of food. People seemed to have started assuming that the government could guarantee food supplies and that they did not have responsibility themselves for food security.
Given the poverty of China in the late '50's this was an error that was bound to lead to serious problems and the Communist leadership should have taken quicker steps to rectify it. Three years of awful natural disasters made things much worse. Solidarity between commune members in the worst effected regions broke down as individuals tried to seize crops before they were harvested. Again, this practice made a bad situation worse. However, it must be stressed that the farmers themselves did not tell Han Dongping that errors in the organisation of communal eating were the main cause of the famine they suffered. Han Dongping, himself, severely criticizes Mao for the consequences of his 'hasty' policies during the Great Leap Forward. However he also writes 'I have interviewed numerous workers and farmers in Shandong, Henan, and I never met one farmer or worker who said that Mao was bad. I also talked to one scholar in Anhui [where the famine is alleged to have been most serious-Joseph Ball] who happened to grow up in rural areas and had been doing research in the Anhui, he never met one farmer that said Mao was bad nor a farmer who said Deng [Xiaoping] was good.' (32).
It may be argued that Han Dongping's, at least partial, sympathy for Mao might have coloured his interpretation of what he heard from the peasants. However, it must also be noted that two of his grandparents died of hunger related diseases during the Great Leap Forward and Han Dongping often sounds more critical of Mao's policies in this period than the peasants he is interviewing.
Massive Deaths? The Demographic Evidence.
The relative sympathy of the peasants for Mao when recalling the Great Leap Forward must call into question the demographic evidence that indicates that tens of millions of them starved to death at this time. Western academics seem united on the validity of this evidence. Even those who query it, like Carl Riskin, always end up insisting that all the 'available evidence' indicates that a famine of huge proportions occurred in this period.
In fact, there is certainly evidence from a number of sources that a famine occurred in this period but the key question is was it a famine that killed 30 million people? This really would have been unprecedented. Although we are used to reading newspaper headlines like 'tens of millions face starvation in African famine' it is unheard of for tens of millions to actually die in a famine. For example, the Bangladesh famine of 1974-75 is remembered as a deeply tragic event in that nation's history. However, the official death toll for the Bangladesh famine was 30,000 (out of a single-year population of 76 million), although unofficial sources put the death toll at 100,000 (33). Compare this to an alleged death toll of 30 million out of a single-year population calculated at around 660-670 million for the Great Leap Forward period. Proportionally speaking, the death toll in the Great Leap Forward is meant to be approximately 35 times higher than the higher estimated death toll for the Bangladesh famine!
It is rather misleading to say that all 'available evidence' demonstrates the validity of the massive deaths thesis. The real truth is that all estimates of tens of millions of Great Leap Forward deaths rely on figures for death rates for the late 1950s and early 1960s. There is only very uncertain corroboration for these figures from other statistics for the period.
The problem is that death rate figures for the period 1940-82, like most Chinese demographic information, were regarded as a state secret by China's government until the early 1980s. As we shall see, uncertainty about how these were gathered seriously undermines their status as concrete evidence. It was only in 1982 that death rate figures for the 1950s and 1960s were released (see Table 1).
They purportedly showed that the death rate rose from 10.8 per thousand in 1957 to 25.4 per thousand in 1960, dropping to 14.2 per thousand in 1961 and 10 per thousand in 1962. These figures appear to show approximately 15 million excess deaths due to famine from 1958-1961 (34).
Table 1. Official Death Rates for China 1955-1962By Naomi Martin
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — The mother of the man who fired at least 40 bullets at the Dallas Police Department's headquarters earlier this month said police should have tried harder to keep her son alive.
James Boulware was fatally shot by a SWAT sniper as he sat in an armored van with built-in gun ports after a chase and 12-hour standoff on June 13.
James Boulware. (Dallas PD Image)
Related feature Suspect only death in attack on Dallas police HQ A man opened fire outside Dallas police headquarters from an armored van, resulting in a street battle that ended in a deadly standoff.
Jeannine Hammond, in an email to the news media Sunday, questioned why police didn't seek medical attention for Boulware, 35, during the standoff or contact his parents to help negotiate with the "obviously mentally ill man."
She also urged the release of all audio recordings and other public records related to the rampage.
"The police appear to be heroes," she wrote, "when I think they handled the situation very badly by killing a wounded person who probably would have surrendered and then burning the evidence by detonating the van."
Though the Police Department declined to comment, law enforcement experts challenged Hammond's criticism, saying police followed protocol.
"It was completely justified, what the police did," said Keith Wenzel, a former Dallas police trainer. "They followed policy, quite frankly, to a T."
Hammond wrote that police may have felt they "needed to kill a white suspect to prove that they weren't playing favorites, since there have been so many black men shot by police lately."
Her email came more than a week after the shootout, chase and standoff in which 14 officers returned fire at Boulware. There were no other injuries, and the officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is routine after shootings.
After the 12:30 a.m. attack on the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on South Lamar Street, SWAT team members called Boulware's cellphone and began trying to talk him out of the vehicle. During the conversation, Boulware identified himself and said he had attacked the police headquarters because officers took his child and called him a terrorist.
He also told police the vehicle was rigged to explode -- a threat that became credible after police discovered a bag with pipe bombs at police headquarters.
After more than four hours, SWAT team members believed negotiations with Boulware were deteriorating.
"It is very unfortunate that Mr. Boulware has put his family in this situation," said Frederick Frazier, vice president of the Dallas Police Association. "But it's the harsh reality that Mr. Boulware made his own decisions that caused the police to react to this situation in the safest way possible, and unfortunately that was to stop him at all costs."
Police officials have not provided a detailed timeline because their investigation of the incident remains open.
They have said they think Boulware died around 4:45 a.m. when a sniper shot a.50-caliber rifle at the van. But because of the bomb threat, officers didn't approach the vehicle until hours later. Around noon, they detonated explosives inside the van, setting it on fire, and police then confirmed that Boulware was dead.
Frazier said police couldn't release all of the details about the case because of the continuing investigation. "Police practices are not always as transparent as the public would like to see," he said.
But Wenzel, the former Dallas police trainer, said generally that police lose hope of a peaceful resolution once a person fires at officers.
"That kind of eliminates the mind-set of 'We can negotiate this person to a successful and happy ending,'" Wenzel said. "At that point, you really don't get the mother involved."
Officers couldn't take Boulware to a hospital or provide medical attention to him during the standoff because he told them his van was rigged with explosives, Wenzel said.
Hammond was more critical of police Sunday than she had been previously. After the shooting, she apologized to police for her son's actions. She also said she slept with a gun because she was afraid of her son and his deteriorating mental illness.
"I felt I had to write this because something's wrong with this entire scenario," Hammond wrote Sunday. "It happened the very day the Texas governor was to sign open carry here in Texas and two days before Jade Helm 15 was to begin," she wrote, referring to military exercise planned in Texas.
Copyright 2015 The Dallas Morning NewsSean Hollister contributed to this report.
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Dell Unveils New Solutions for the Evolving Workforce
· Company's largest-ever business computing portfolio update improves access, manageability and security for organizations of all sizes
· Additional plans include an expansion to existing tablet portfolio with a 10-inch, Windows 7-based commercial tablet later this year
· Dell Services help customers efficiently deploy and manage corporate devices
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Feb. 8, 2011 - To address the needs of an evolving workforce that demands anytime, anywhere access to business applications and data, Dell today announced 24 new business computing solutions and form factors, including laptops, tablets, desktops and workstation computers in one of the largest-ever introductions in the company's history and part of 39 new solutions launching in the next year.
The way workers connect to and access business data and applications is rapidly changing, providing them unprecedented levels of productivity and knowledge. Additionally, the workforce is becoming more dispersed and global. IDC estimates that one-third of the world's workforce will be mobile by 2013.¹ The new Dell solutions give businesses the Power To Do More and raise the bar in terms of design, manageability and security and are engineered from the ground up to make end-users more efficient while providing the right level of control for IT.
New offerings include the Dell Latitude E5420, E5520, E6220, E6320, E6420, E6520, E6420 ATG laptops and XT3 convertible tablet. Additionally, Dell is introducing the Dell OptiPlex 990, 790 and 390 desktops as well as an OptiPlex Small Form Factor All-in-One Solution. Dell also announced the Dell Precision T1600 desktop workstation and Dell Precision M6600 and M4600 mobile workstations.
Additionally, Dell plans to extend its existing tablet portfolio with a 10-inch, Windows 7-based business-ready tablet later this year. The upcoming tablet is designed for end-users who need greater mobility, as well as IT organizations that demand control, security, manageability and integration with existing infrastructure investments. Dell's tablet will empower a more mobile workforce in a way that offers customers the business applications and corporate data they need, while meeting regulatory mandates and IT requirements.
Dell Latitude E-Family
The entire Latitude E-Family has been refreshed with the Latitude E5420, E5520, E6520, E6420, E6320, E6220, and E6420 ATG laptops and Latitude XT3 convertible tablet. The new Latitude family of laptops includes more than 100 design improvements and a range of new features to meet evolving business needs, including an increasing demand for security and manageability. New additions to the Dell Latitude family support a range of usage needs:
· The Latitude E5420 and E5520 laptops are ideal for professionals looking for a budget-conscientious blend of mobility and at-your-desk computing.
· The Latitude E6220, E6320, E6420, E6520 and E6420 ATG business-rugged laptops are designed for the most demanding conditions, with hard-wearing MIL-STD tested Tri-Metal™ casing and highly durable displays.
The new Latitude laptops offer the following:
• Completely new design from the ground up;
• Enhanced security– Dell Data Protection, Remote Data Delete and Free Fall Sensor to protect against drops;
• Planned support for pre-integrated Citrix and VMware remote desktop clients;
• Latitude commonality across 26 models – 1 dock, battery, keyboard footprint – making the management of systems much easier;
• Still the only enterprise platform with a backlit keyboard options for productivity anywhere; and,
• Intel® 2nd generation Core™ processors and new graphics and memory.
Dell OptiPlex Family
Designed to be the most secure, flexible and manageable desktops, the OptiPlex family provides day-to-day productivity of critical business tasks. The new family includes the OptiPlex 990, 790 and 390 desktops and offers the following:
• Common, stable image for all chassis - tool free access to system components;
• Small footprints and more chassis options;
• Planned compatibility with desktop virtualization lineup; and,
• New Intel® vPro™ processor technology and new graphics and memory.
Dell Precision Family
Dell Precision workstations are purpose built for high performance and high scalability. The systems are specifically designed for professional users who run graphics and compute-intensive applications for engineers in design and analysis, scientific exploration, special effects, animation, digital imaging, professional audio and economic and financial modeling.
Dell today announced the Dell Precision T1600 workstation and features the following:
• Single-socket, entry-level workstation designed for professional 2D and entry-level 3D applications;
• ISV certification on AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER and other select software applications;
• Intel® 2nd generation Core™ and Xeon™ processors, Intel HD or add-in professional; graphics from AMD and NVIDIA; and,
• Just-right-size toolless chassis.
Also announced today, the Dell Precision M6600 and M4600 mobile workstations are designed for users who need raw horsepower, superior design and usability, world-class scalable performance and certified-operation. More details on Dell's mobile workstations will be available in the coming months.
Dell Management & Security Solutions
To help companies quickly deploy and manage new business computing solutions, Dell KACE appliances automate time-consuming manual IT tasks from initial computer deployment to ongoing management and retirement. Providing hardware and software inventory, software distribution, patch management, and OS and application imaging, Dell KACE appliances offer easy-to-use, comprehensive management for local and remote systems.
Available with Dell's new business computing solutions, Dell Data Protection | Encryption is a flexible, manageable and auditable endpoint encryption solution that helps customers simplify data protection and comply with security regulations. The solution is designed to help companies protect endpoint devices, which serve as the "front door" to sensitive information.
Dell Services
Dell offers a comprehensive set of services that help customers automate the deployment and management of commercial laptops, mobile devices and desktops, as well as the ability to securely dispose of outdated or retired assets. Examples include:
· Deployment Services - Designed to simplify and accelerate the customization and utilization of new systems. Dell Deployment Services include everything from order consolidation to coordination of deployment resources.
· ProSupport Services - Designed to minimize disruptions and maintain high levels of productivity across end-user PCs. Dell Support Services protect client investments and free businesses from IT maintenance so they can focus on running their business.
Quotes
"As a leader in providing business solutions to organizations around the world, we are proud to announce this new portfolio of products that deliver secure, manageable and reliable solutions along with great new designs," said Steven Lalla, vice president and general manager of Commercial Client Product Group, Dell. "As the workforce continues to evolve, so will Dell, with the solutions both end-users and IT organizations need to improve efficiency and productivity regardless of the device they choose."
"As mobility continues to play a key role in enabling companies to achieve greater productivity worldwide, we expect the global mobile worker population to pass the one billion mark this year," said Bob O'Donnell, program vice president, Clients and Displays, IDC. "As the workforce transforms, becoming more mobile and increasingly global, organizations require PC solutions that meet employees' needs for increased flexibility and access while also meeting IT's requirements for manageability and security. "
Pricing and Availability:
· The Dell Latitude E5000 series starts at $859 USD.
· The Dell OptiPlex 390 pricing starts at $650 USD.
· The starting price for the Dell Precision T1600 workstation is $840 USD.
Availability information and pricing for additional systems will be released in the coming weeks.Share this with your friends
Rachel Hoffman was young. Oh, she was so very young. And like many young people, she smoked some marijuana and occasionally used ecstasy. She might have even dealt both on a small scale. She had just completed her bachelor’s degree early, in psychology and criminology with a B average at Florida State University, not an easy feat. She was deservedly cherished by her proud family. One night, she was stopped by cops and busted for some weed she had in her car.
During the booking photo process, Rachel’s mugshot shows tears streaming down her face with a forlorn look to the side. There’s a slight tint of anger and confusion as well, as is to be expected of anyone who actually thought the Drug War wasn’t real… until it touched their lives directly.
A few months later, Rachel’s apartment was searched and up turned some 5 or so ounces of cannabis and 4-6 ecstasy pills, according to various reports. Tallahassee Police attempted to convince her to turn over marijuana dealers in exchange for dropped charges but she refused. They didn’t relent and pressured her to participate in a drug sting. They wanted her to buy a gun*, two ounces of cocaine and an astonishing 1,500 pills of ecstasy. If she did this, she wouldn’t incur any further charges from the drugs found in her apartment. They would give her $13,000 in cash to complete the transaction. She was 23, had no police training whatsoever and was scared to death. She was right to be.
The day of the sting, I am sure Rachel was frightened but probably did what most of us do in stressful situations – we talk ourselves down, take stock of what we’ve got and try to get some perspective in order to finish a job and be done with it. She knew that almost twenty cops were watching, listening through her wire and perhaps if everything went right, she could go home and spend the rest of the day with her boyfriend; this whole weird and scary situation a thing of the past. She could get on with her life.
Well, “shit got crazy,” on May 7, 2008, according to one cop after he confronted Rachel’s surprised boyfriend at their apartment after police lost track of her during the sting. They thought perhaps she made off with the $13,000. He thought she was with them but two days later, Rachel’s body was found in a ditch fifty miles away in Perry, Florida. She was shot five times point blank in the chest and once in the head. When she was found, her Grateful Dead sweatshirt was shrouded over her. Yes, six holes in her body and in a ditch with her favorite jam band shirt. She wanted to become a chef and teach troubled kids how to cook while providing therapy in a practical but fun setting. She, Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, with the big, toothy smile who liked to spin in circles at festivals and wanted to help troubled kids have a better life. Murdered. Executed. Just like that.
According to Prison Legal News:
“The government does not nor is it obligated to keep track of the informants it creates, how many crimes they commit, or how many crimes they help solve. While the federal government has started keeping some records, most state and local governments simply have no mechanism for counting their snitches” but “(drug) enforcement is the biggest generator of informants. Police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges all describe drug cases as relying on or creating informants in one way or another: informants typically provide information or make controlled buys; once arrested, drug suspects routinely become informants themselves; and a drug defendant’s cooperation may be the single largest factor in negotiating a plea bargain or determining a sentence. Indeed, some police assert that they could not investigate drug cases without informants. Since drug cases make up about one third of the U.S. criminal justice system—the largest single type of case—this means that a large percentage of our criminal process is heavily dependent on informant use.”
Two men, Deneilo Bradshaw and Andrea Green, intended to rob Rachel but when they discovered she was wearing a wire, executed her under a canopy of woods and Spanish moss with the same gun she was supposed to buy from them. But arguably, the police using her as an informant are just as, if not more, guilty of her murder.
In a statement to the Tampa Tribune shortly after her death and prior to her funeral, her stepfather said:
“The reality is, untrained civilians of any age should not be put in that position by a police force, and they put a 23-year-old relatively naïve person in a life-threatening situation”.
On May 7, please remember Rachel Hoffman. Do not ever, ever forget her and the thousands of countless others who are killed in the line of duties they ought never have participated. Each year, there should to be vigils for her and countless others who were put into these impossible situations and lost their lives.
Nora Callahan of The November Coalition, a non-profit organization of grassroots volunteers educating the public about the destructive increase in prison population in the United States due to our current drug laws, suggest that perhaps along with vigilance, all of us on May 7th (a Tuesday), ask our officials for their rules and procedures with regard to the use of informants. Ask, “How old are they? What criminal histories? What are the rules? How much money are they paid? Do they sell drugs? If so, how many drugs — what kind and number? Can you measure success? What is considered success? How many communities would do that all the same day?”.
We need to keep their feet to the flames, let them all know we are watching and counting, that we want to stop burying their “collateral damage”. This War on Drugs is a War on People and we cannot wait for another Rachel Hoffman to be found in a ditch, her dreams evaporated like the heat from her body after she was cast aside like a piece of trash.
To learn more about use of confidential informants in narcotic operations and the tragedy of Rachel Hoffman:
Wikipedia: Rachel Hoffman
NPR: Use Of Confidential Informants Mostly Unregulated
Democracy NOW!: Throwaways: Recruited by Police & Thrown into Danger, Young Informants are Drug War’s Latest Victims
NYT: The Throwaways
Here is a festival in honor of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman that takes place each year in Live Oak, FL:
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Purple Tentacle, one of the crazy Dr. Fred's creations, drinks contaminated water from Dr. Fred's Sludge-o-matic. He mutates into an insane genius and grows arms, and now he's plotting to take over the world. In an effort to stop him, Dr. Fred sends three friends, Bernard |
% 35-44 10% 45-55 16% 56-64 19% 65 and older 34%
Telephone Florida Congressional District 13 Likely Voters n=611 Landline 28% Cell phone 72%
Crosstabs
Vote Choice and Party Registration
Candidate Democrat Republican NPA and other Charlie Crist, the Democrat 86% 22% 48% David Jolly, the Republican 7% 70% 33% Someone else - <1% 3% Don’t Know 7% 8% 16%
Florida Congressional District 13 Likely Voters n=590
Vote Choice and Race
Candidate White Black Hispanic Other Charlie Crist, the Democrat 47% 87% 72% 83% David Jolly, the Republican 42% 5% 18% 17% Someone else 1% - - - Don’t Know 10% 8% 9% -
Florida Congressional District 13 Likely Voters n=590
Vote Choice by Gender
Candidate Men Women Charlie Crist, the Democrat 51% 56% David Jolly, the Republican 42% 32% Someone else 2% - Don’t Know 6% 12%
Florida Congressional District 13 Likely Voters n=590
Vote Choice and Age
Candidate 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-55 56-65 65 and older Charlie Crist, the Democrat 66% 58% 59% 51% 52% 50% David Jolly, the Republican 28% 26% 26% 44% 34% 43% Someone else - 1% 5% - - - Don’t Know 6% 15% 9% 4% 14% 7%
Florida Congressional District 13 Likely Voters n=590The chief executive of Kinder Morgan Canada said Wednesday he tried behind the scenes to allow Indigenous groups in British Columbia to have an ownership stake in a new multibillion-dollar oil export pipeline, but such a deal never came together.
Ian Anderson was discussing the company's proposed Trans Mountain expansion project, which would transport oil and other products from Edmonton to Vancouver. Construction is slated to begin in September, although some Indigenous and political leaders want to delay the project.
When we get Indigenous communities totally on a project and part of it, the last thing we are going to do is protest against ourselves. - JP Gladu, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
Some Indigenous leaders have pushed for an ownership stake in major projects as one way of benefiting economically from oil and gas development, something Anderson said he always considered.
"I worked for a long time quietly to try and assemble support for that on this project and it didn't come to fruition. I've never ruled it out," said Anderson, during a panel discussion at the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary that focused on the relationship between Indigenous communities and the energy industry.
"We're a private company now, our stock is traded. I would welcome the opportunity to have some First Nation investment in that."
Anderson did not explain the reason why Indigenous groups weren't able to strike a deal for an ownership stake, although he did say those communities lack the wealth needed to invest in multibillion-dollar projects. Anderson did not speak to journalists before or after the speaking engagement.
"For that kind of ownership and for that kind of meaningful investment in resource development, the nations need capacity," he said to the crowd.
Anderson said some Indigenous groups in Alberta began generating wealth decades ago by getting jobs and contracts in the oil and gas sector, and now some groups, like the Fort McKay First Nation near Fort McMurray, have the financial resources to invest in energy development.
"That's what it comes down to is where [does] the financial capacity come from in order to make those kind of investments in the projects that we are undertaking," said Anderson.
Ian Anderson of Kinder Morgan Canada said his company has "momentum" in getting more and more Indigenous communities on side with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
Value in an equity stake
A federal government representative at the event said Ottawa would consider providing Indigenous groups with loan guarantees or other financial assistance if there is interest in a pipeline-ownership stake.
"If there is an interest by Indigenous communities and groups to invest that way, in terms of taking a stake, I think that's one way to... get an economic benefit from development that occurs near or on their land," said Philip Jennings, associate deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada.
The economic benefits of the oil and gas sector can't be overlooked, he said, just like environmental and Indigenous concerns.
"In Alberta, we've essentially created an entire Indigenous middle class out of the development that has happened there," said Jennings.
The federal government is setting up a pair of Indigenous advisory monitoring committees to oversee the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline and Enbridge's Line 3 replacement project.
In Alberta, we've essentially created an entire Indigenous middle class out of the development that has happened there. - Philip Jennings, associate deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada
An equity stake in a pipeline could convince more Indigenous communities to support the project.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the Trans Mountain expansion 'will never see the light of day.' (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) "When we get Indigenous communities totally on a project and part of it, the last thing we are going to do is protest against ourselves. We want to be part of something," said JP Gladu, the CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.
Opponents want to stop pipeline
While some groups along the route of the proposed pipeline support the project, others oppose it, including B.C.'s grand chief, who said this month that, "The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project will never see the light of day."
Some Indigenous groups are concerned about the risks of an oil spill and how that could harm their environment and threaten their ability to practise traditional customs.
The Squamish Nation along with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Coldwater Band in B.C. have filed court actions challenging the pipeline's approval.
In addition, a new NDP-Green Party partnership could form government in B.C. later this month. The two party leaders vow to act on election campaign promises to kill the project.
Anderson said his company has "momentum" in getting more and more Indigenous communities on side with the project, but admits it isn't easy and there are complex situations with each group.
"I can't tell you the number of times I've had conversations with chiefs who are my friends and we debate, we argue, and we fight, and like with your wife or your husband or your partner, not every fight ends up in divorce," he said.
"You solve it, you work through it, you come back the next day and find different solutions. And that has to be a pursuit we all have to recognize."
Indigenous ownership in a pipeline is not unheard of. Previously, 31 First Nations communities formed the Aboriginal Equity Partners group, and collectively owned a 33 per cent stake in Enbridge's failed Northern Gateway pipeline project.Viacom: A La Carte a 'Consumer Welfare-Destroying Death Spiral' Canadian Heritage Minister Shelley Glover last year made waves by promising that Canadian regulators would start pushing Canadian Pay TV providers toward offering a la carte TV programming. Like in the States, Canadian consumers desire greater flexibility in the prices and programming lineups they're offered. What they get instead is an endless stream of excuses why none of this can happen, followed by another rate hike. On the heels of Canadian hearings on the subject, broadcasters are threatening government that if they force them to offer more flexible programming options, they may very well leave Canada. Viacom policy man Keith Murphy took hyperbole to an entirely new level in a filing with regulators: quote: Making it rather clear that he doesn't support new rules proposed by Canada's version of the FCC that would unbundle pay-TV programming, Viacom's Keith Murphy, SVP of government relations has told the commission that so-called "pick and play" mandates would set off a "consumer welfare-destroying death spiral" for the Great White North's TV industry. What's more, Viacom says that if Canadian requires a la carte programming they'll *gasp* be forced to offer more content to over the top services like Netflix: quote: "Due to this lack of regulation, Viacom is seriously considering distribution in Canada through [over-the-top streaming] or the Internet as a possible solution if traditional distribution becomes uneconomical due to new rules being imposed by the Commission," Murphy wrote. Rogers executives have What's more, Viacom says that if Canadian requires a la carte programming they'll *gasp* be forced to offer more content to over the top services like Netflix:Rogers executives have similarly insisted that the Canadian TV industry will collapse if consumers are suddenly faced with less expensive and more flexible programming options. Legacy industries claiming that they'll "take their ball and go home" is of course nothing new, and the claim that a la carte TV is some kind of apocalyptic devil has been a common refrain for going on a decade.
News Jump Tuesday Morning Links Monday Morning Links TGI Friday Morning Links Thursday Morning Links Wednesday Morning Links Tuesday Morning Links Friday Morning Links Thursday Morning Links - Valentines Edition Wednesday Morning Links Tuesday Morning Links ---------------------- this week last week most discussed
Most recommended from 31 comments
b10010011
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join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA 2 recommendations b10010011 Member To an extent Viacom is right... Bundles basically subsidize niche channels like Golf Channel or OLN. These channels and many like it would not exist if it were not for bundling.
But the problem is it's not these niche channels that are raising cable TV prices. It the sports channels in the bundle like ESPN that charge over $5 per subscriber.
In 25 years of having cable TV I can not say I ever once watched ESPN.
viperpa33s
Why Me?
Premium Member
join:2002-12-20
Bradenton, FL 2 recommendations viperpa33s Premium Member Why the hell I watch about 3 channels, the rest of the time I watch Netflix. I watch ION TV because of Criminal Minds, A&E because of The Walking Dead, and Nickelodeon because of my grandson. I may watch another channel that has NCIS but that's about it. The rest of the channels are just garbage, like those reality shows.
The Sci-Fi channel use to be good in the beginning until they stopped showing Sci-Fi and started showing the WWE. I guess the WWE are a bunch of aliens. You ever notice they are showing more commercials and less show?
So why the hell would I want to pay for all this garbage and commercials on t.v.?White Sexual Imperialism
A & M Blocked Unblock Follow Following May 27, 2016
What is white sexual imperialism and what does it have to do with Asian American women? What does it have to do with Asian American men? The weight of these topics is immense, but it is critical we discuss white sexual imperialism as a matter of context. This is a concept that relates to the imperialistic nature of Western political, military, and economic domination of developing nations, through which women from these poorer nations, throughout history and into present day, are compelled into into sexual submission to white men. This concept underlines the social inequality between WMXF (white male-other female) relationships, which, at their roots, are fundamentally unequal relationships where the non-white female is from a community that has been historically colonized by european or anglo nations. The implications of these relationships extend to the behaviour of Asian and other minority women today.
Introduction
In a Western culture steeped in anti-Asian racism, discrimination, and stereotypes, asian women are reduced to damaging stereotypes. They are described as “small,” “weak,” “submissive,” “erotically alluring,” ”exotic,” “hyper-sexual,” and “indulgent.” These descriptions are found in media and pornography, but originate from an anglo, or white Western point of view.
Yet, while these stereotypes are radically different than those imposed on Asian men, the psychological pain that is inflicted is no different, causing lasting psychological (and sometimes physical) damage. While we cannot excuse the racism, or self-hatred, that come from a subset of Asian women, it is critical to understand its origins.
These stereotypes are pushed as a narrative that originates from imperialism, which created offshoots known as Orientalism and Sexism. Essentially, these “-isms” are Western nations seeking to dominate and colonize Asia. Let us further examine imperialism, orientalism, and sexism and how these phenomena have affected Asian women.
Imperialism, Orientalism, & Sexism
Orientalism, at its core, is a tool of justification. It manifests itself as a mindset or set of cliches and stereotypes and juxtaposes two systems, the West vs. Asia, by demeaning the latter and propping up the former. Once the narrative of the advanced versus the regressive, or the good versus the evil has been established, the West finds its justification in meddling in Asian affairs and promoting its toxic, sexist agenda.
Asian women, as a result of orientalism, are viewed through a lens that reduces them to purely sexual bodies. Essentially, Asian women are not human to white men, but are simple objects to their sexist, white male power fantasy, where the sexuality is viewed, desired, and controlled at their bidding. Asian women express seemingly “unlimited” sensuality, their intelligence and humanity irrelevant, and above all, are willing participants in their subjugation.
It can be said that the sexual conquest of Asia’s women is related directly to the conquest of Asia itself. More evidence of this can be found in an oft heard narrative in the West known as the “White Man’s Burden,” where the object was to dominate and destroy Asia for the “Good of civilization.” Again, this hearkens to the orientalist justification for Western domination.
In 1899, Rudyard Kipling dubbed the West’s imperialist campaign in the East as “the White Man’s burden.” He coined the term in a poem written to rouse Americans to colonize and rule the Philippines.
One former U.S. President took this message to heart. Theodore Roosevelt wrote and lectured widely on taking up Kipling’s “White Man’s burden.” He called imperialism a “manly” duty that American men must take up. To him, civilized men had a manly duty to ‘destroy and uplift’ lesser, primitive men,” namely Asians, “for their own good and the good of civilization.”
“The Filipino After Expansion”: This newspaper article, shown in the Boston Sunday Globe, exemplifies this attitude of “ To him, civilized men had a manly duty to ‘destroy and uplift’ lesser, primitive men,” namely Asians, “for their own good and the good of civilization.” It show cases the raw imperialistic racism of white supremacy — non whites are inferior and should be “civilized” by whites.
These passages illustrate what Asia represents to white men: The frame of which Asia is viewed through is nothing but a series of conquests. White men are entitled to the land and the people within, wherein the obstacles (Asian men) are destroyed and the prizes (Asian women) are claimed and raped. Reality confirms this theory: During the Philippines revolt against the Spanish inquisition in the 1800s, Americans viewed the opportunity and arrived, promising to help. President McKinley, who was the president at the time announced and gave his word that the U.S “had no design of aggrandizement and no ambition of conquest” of the Philippines. But it was too late as the US had no intention of honoring their words, and American efforts to colonize the colonize the Philippines resulted in the killing of up to 800,000–1,600,000 Filipinos. Naturally, while war raged on, US soldiers also engaged in sexual conquest. Local women were referred to by these men as:
“Little brown fucking machines powered by rice.”
Surrounding the use of local women for sex was were the emergence of sex industries that sprung, offering men
“a girl for the price of a hamburger.”
Such sentiments were the crystallization of an encroaching orientalist mindset — making Asian women as nothing more than sex objects. The optimist would hope that the cycle of oppression and sexual conquest would cease to exist, but it once again reared its ugly face in the infamous Vietnam War. During this war, U.S military bases stationed in Thailand sheltered US GIs who came to Thailand for “Rest and Recreation.” It is to no surprise to those well acquainted with the barbarism of the United States that this phrase could only be a distinctly American invention. These wars solidified the misconception that “Asian women were easy and hypersexual” and had its tendrils extended to other Asian ethnicities.
Eventually, these attitudes were brought back to the US where they became commonplace, completely ignoring the history of sexual violence and the women raped, killed, and forcibly entered into prostitution. The US often pushes its ideology for “Human Rights” with such grandeur and elation, however, as elucidated previously, it was accepted and recognized by the US military that
“Access to indigenous women’s bodies as a “necessity” for US GIs stationed overseas.”
Hardly a something to be elated about — Americans have twisted the very notion of “rights” to cover their imperialistic and oriental ambition, and even more alarming, twisted the notion of “human” in the attempt to rationalize their evil.
Filipina sex workers, for example, frequently report
“being treated like a toy or a pig by the American [soldiers] and being required to do ‘three holes’ — oral, vaginal and anal sex.”
The systems of prostitution perpetuated around U.S. military bases in Asia reaffirm the West’s perception of Asian women as sex objects. In these contexts, Asian sex workers are registered and tagged like domestic pets, further relegating them to a less-than-human status.
Such conceptions such as this postured Asian women as nothing but sex objects stemmed from the war — but spread into the consciousness of American society. After the wars ended, Thailand became the top destination for male tourists from Europe and US, where white men began travelling to Thailand for (often underage) sex and exploitative entertainment to this very day.
The ongoing degrading treatment of Asian women as objects continues to this day. As recent as the mid- 90s, international controversy flared over an incident in Japan where two U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy seaman gang-raped a 12-year-old Japanese girl in Okinawa, Japan.
They watched the girl enter a stationary store and decided to ambush her. The two Marines bound the girl with tape, pulled her shorts and underwear down to her ankles, and after the three men raped her, remarked that the girl looked like she enjoyed it.
The danger of these imperialistic and degrading attitudes that Orientalism produces is the production of a rational excuse for the three servicemen to not only rape the girl, but also express belief that she enjoyed the sexual conquest. Such rationalization allows them to use these reasons to deny any wrongdoing of crime, because “it seemed like she enjoyed it,” completely stripping away the dignity and agency of the Asian woman. The stereotype of Asian women as “always consenting to sex allowed the three servicemen to deny the act as a rape” is a patently false and dangerous one. It is this potent triple-threat of imperialist thought, racial inequality, and sexual inequality that perpetuates violence against Asian women by white men. Again, the optimist hopes that such egregious acts of hatred and violence would end, but to the chagrin of those free from the virus of Western thought, the examples do not end there.
Local police arrested sailor Justin Castellanos, 24, of U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Nago, on suspicion of taking a tourist to his room after finding her asleep in the corridor of a hotel in the prefectural capital and raping her there. March 22, 2016. Source
Ultimately, in the eyes of white men, Asian women seem to exist solely for their sexual gratification as hyper-sexual and unconditionally submissive creatures. In comparison to white women, they are a subordinate choice of partner, a secondary choice until a white woman is available, and an afterthought.
The hypersexualization of Asian women
Now that we know the basis of which these stereotypes were established, let us explore these stereotypes by analyzing examples from the media and pop culture. In an excerpt from Oriental Girls (1990), from an article in the the GQ magazine, one passage described Asian women as submissive women, or slaves:
“When you get home from another hard day on the planet, she comes into existence, removes your clothes, bathes you and walks naked on your back to relax you... She’s fun you see, and so uncomplicated.”
As women who are have no self-agency and as a sexual object for male use:
“She doesn’t go to assertiveness-training classes, insist on being treated like a person, fret about career moves, [or] wield her orgasm as a non-negotiable demand...”
And finally, as a symbol of conquest:
“She’s a handy victim of love or a symbol of the rape of third world nations, a real trooper.”
The overton window to such racially motivated speech today has closed, but this mindset continues on in the form of expats (an umbrella term to cover economic migrants, immigrants, sexual tourists, and unsuccessful people from the West) from white countries, who tire of their “feminist white women” go to Asian countries such as [Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia ] as well as China and South Korea (in the past) to look for “easy” women. Such mindsets continue as these individuals they believe that Asian women in these countries will conform to their historical stereotypes and misconceptions of Asian women: Meek, non-controlling, submissive, and ready to do anything for the white man. Furthermore, these stereotypes emerge as a direct result of the colonial encounters of war, presenting Asian women as an object of consumption and the satisfaction of Western desires.
Such a narrative is displayed in the media today: Asian women are generally cast as submissives in any relationship and an object for the sexual desire of the white man, and especially inferior to white women. Examine the examples below:
American Horror Story: At the hotel, the Asian female is nude with the other two white males. An orgy ends with the creepy couple gruesomely murdering the Asian female and her white partner. The asian women remains a object for the white male, entirely for sexual consumption.
The Brink: In HBO’s ‘The Brink’, one of the very first scenes, the white Secretary of State Walter Larson (played by Tim Robbins) having sex with an Asian prostitute. The scene takes place in America; he is not traveling abroad.
After they go at it, the white female who has a position of authority in government comes barging in while the Asian woman is in a state of undress. Their contrast is stark. The white woman is dignified and professional. The Asian woman is a disposable sex object.
Quantico:
Within the first 4 minutes of the show, Alex and Ryan are having sex in a parking lot. This is repeating theme in the media that suggests that Asian women are easy and open to advances — whether wanted or unwanted. All too often, Hollywood depicts Asian women as willing sex partners and then disposable after the fact.This past weekend we saw some of the most intense matches ever in the Rocket League Championship Series! Six teams from both North America and Europe took to the pitch to compete in the Regional Championships and prove they are the best in their region. The stakes were higher than ever, as teams not only battled for regional supremacy, a spot in the World Championship, and the new addition of auto-qualification for Season 4 League Play. We’ve got a lot to run through, so let's get right into it (WARNING: spoilers ahead).
North America
Round 1 - Knockout Round
NA kicked things off with Genesis, Selfless, G2 Esports, and Denial Esports all fighting for their spot at the Season 3 World Championship. The first match saw Genesis being swept 4-0 in a commanding victory by Selfless. The match that followed would be the biggest upset of the day, with G2 taking a heartbreaking 3-4 loss to Denial.
Round 2 - Semi-Finals
Next up, NRG faced off against Selfless in the Semi-Finals. After a fierce seven-game series, NRG overtook Selfless 4-3 to lock in a spot in Season 4 League Play. Following their victory over G2 Esports, Denial looked to take on Atelier for their spot in the Regional Final. Sizz and Turtle had other plans by leading Atelier to a convincing 4-1 victory over Denial to advance to the NA Regional Finals.
North America Finals
The end of the day saw #1 NRG take on #2 Atelier, and despite the amazing team play of the previous series, Atelier could not take a single game in the finals. NRG swept Atelier 4-0 to lock in the first-ever NA Regional Championship hat-trick. Fireburner, Jacob and GarrettG continue to prove they are the most consistent North American team, and they'll be looking for a World Championship title to add to their NA dynasty.
North American Results
1st Place: NRG - (Fireburner, Jacob, GarrettG) - $10,000
- (Fireburner, Jacob, GarrettG) - $10,000 2nd Place: Atelier (Turtle, Matt, Sizz) - $6,500
(Turtle, Matt, Sizz) - $6,500 3rd Place: Selfless (Dappur, Mijo, Timi) - $4,000
(Dappur, Mijo, Timi) - $4,000 4th Place: Denial Esports (Lethamyr, CorruptedG, Sadjunior) - $2,000
---------------------Eliminated-----------------------
5th/6th Place: G2 Esports (Kronovi, Rizzo, Jknaps) - $1250
5th/6th Place: Genesis (Klassux, Chrome, Insolences) - $1250
Europe
Round 1 - Knockout Round
Despite an incredible day of RLCS the day before, EU found a way to keep us on the edge of our seats the entire Regional Championship. To start the day, Gale Force Esports would fall to Mock-It Esports in a tight 2-4 loss. Next up, Flipsid3 Tactics and Resonant Esports gave us one of the greatest matches in Rocket League history (seriously, you should watch it). When it came down to the wire, Flipsid3 edged out Resonant in a 4-3 victory, guaranteeing the reigning World Champions a chance to defend their title.
Round 2 - Semi-Finals
In the next round, Mock-it would continue their dominating performance by narrowly beating Northern Gaming in game 7 to move on to the Regional Finals. Flipsid3 then faced off against The Leftovers, a team known for their amazing reverse sweeps during League Play. However the former World Champions shut down any reverse sweep potential by taking a calculated 4-2 victory over The Leftovers.
European Finals
The EU Regional Finals came down to Flipsid3 and Mock-it, and in an upset almost no one predicted, Mock-It showed the world that nobody would deny them their first Regional Championship. They took the series 4-2 in game 6, and secured their first Regional Championship, proving they are one of the best teams in Europe.
EU Results
1st Place: Mock-it Esports (Miztik, Kaydop, Fairy Peak!) - $10,000
(Miztik, Kaydop, Fairy Peak!) - $10,000 2nd Place: Flipsid3 Tactics (Markydooda, Kuxir97, gReazymeister) - $6,500
(Markydooda, Kuxir97, gReazymeister) - $6,500 3rd Place: The Leftovers (Snaski, Sikii, Ferra) - $4,000
(Snaski, Sikii, Ferra) - $4,000 4th Place: Northern Gaming (Remkoe, Maestro, Deevo) - $2,000
---------------------Eliminated-----------------------
5th/6th Place: Resonant Esports (al0t, Mognus, Metsanauris) - $1250
5th/6th Place: Gale Force Esports (Paschy90, ViolentPanda, Chausette45) - $1250
The remaining eight teams now set their sights on Los Angeles and the World Championship. With the teams from the Oceania region still waiting to secure their spots, we’re all anxious to see how the new challengers will stack up against the best of the best on the world stage. The RLCS World Championship takes place June 2-4 at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA. Be sure to grab your tickets today before they sell out and stay tuned to @RLCS for more updates in the weeks to come. See you in Los Angeles!Advertisement
There may be a housing crisis facing the UK - but it would take a seriously desperate tenant to part with their money for any of these properties.
The shockingly bad rental flats, based mainly in Britain and the US, repeatedly appear online among lists of the world's worst homes available to rent.
In one photo, an admittedly spacious but filthy room comes free with a pig asleep in the corner, while another offers tenants a £160-a-month cupboard to rent, though they will need their own ladder to climb up to their cramped lodgings.
One particularly tiny space offers tenants the convenience of being able to shower and use the toilet while cooking at the stove.
Taking the multi-purpose room concept even further, one flat sees a kitchen double up as a bedroom in a space too small to swing a cat.
Another poky kitchen is bizarrely decked out with garden furniture, complete with an open parasol - perhaps offering protection from a leaky ceiling.
While some of the flats appear to have potential, the pictures that have appeared online offer a lesson in how not to rent out a room.
Perhaps the most haunting image is the spacious property which features the blurred image of a child at the window of the room.
Breathe in: Last year, estate agents marketed this £730-a-month cramped Islington flat (north London) as'modern' and 'fully contained'
Roomy cupboard to rent: This £40-a-week space in Paddington, west London, may not be spacious but it works perfectly for people with few possessions
Tricky entrance: The only problem is that climbing up to the cupboard door, or 'front door', may require your own ladder
Camping lovers, pay attention! A tent for rent in San Francisco is a steep £458-a-month, advertised as 'limited to one person'
Convenient: Lucky tenants, paying £169 per month, can go the toilet and even take a shower while they cook dinner in this flat in France
The downstairs: The cramped flat is situated in the French town of Reims and was being advertised for £169-a-month
Need a pig? This peculiar room's main resident appears to be a huge pig, which rests its head on the sofa and lies across a rug while washing is suspended from the middle of the ceiling on an iron bar
The kids will love it: One advert features a delapidated school bus which can be rented as a home in Hawaii at a modest £130-a-month
Prepared for the worst: This pokey flat appeared online with garden furniture decked out in the kitchen, including an open parasol
At least the bed is big! A pokey attic with a slanted roof in Paddington, London, is available to rent for £160 a month
The previous tenant? A child stands by the window of an otherwise appealing flat, giving it a mysterious and haunting feel
Horrified: Joe Peduzzi, 22, turned up for a viewing at flat in Bethnal Green, east London, only to find the 'room to let' was in fact a £530-a-month mattress in a wooden shack (circled in the picture)
Odd living arrangements: To make matters worse, the shed was in the corner of a communal lounge (pictured)
Now that's cosy: With a shower crammed in next to the kitchen sink, this studio flat in west Kensington was advertised for £80-per-week
At least you won't get cold feet: This bathroom comes carpeted with a boiler directly above the sink in and a slightly out of place toilet
Snug: This flat costs £780 a month in the exclusive west London enclave of Chelsea. Location is everything, as it has two hobs and the kitchen and bed almost touch
Sleek: This north London flat's modern design will make it far more appealing, but it comes at a cost - £1,083 per month - and the kitchen is still shaped around the bed
Fancy breakfast in bed? The tenant of this flat in Hammersmith, west London, would only have to take two steps to the hob - for the princely sum of £563 a month
Lofty: Numbering at least six steps - or one giant leap - the occupant of this £607-a-month flat in Harringey, north London, would face a long walk to the fridgeOne thing Adobe didn’t make clear in its recent flurry of product announcements is that its Lightroom for iPad and iPhone apps are now available for anyone to use, free of charge. Both apps have always been free to download, but were time-limited free trials unless you had a desktop license or Creative Cloud subscription – and as TNW noticed, that’s no longer the case.
“We’re seeing a lot of people come in first on Lightroom mobile, so now we’re allowing people to use it locally on their local assets, their local photos and videos on their phone and tablet for as long as they like,” Tom Hogarty, Adobe’s director of product management for digital imaging told TNW …
NordVPN
Both apps were updated a few days ago, and clearly Adobe is hoping that people get sufficiently hooked on the mobile version to then lay out the bucks for the desktop app or a Creative Cloud subscription.
Lightroom for iPad and Lightroom for iPhone are free (and now unlimited) downloads from iTunes.After more than a decade at the helm, Alexander Mickelthwate is set to step down as music director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
On Monday, the WSO announced Mickelthwate will be leaving his position at the end of the 2017-18 season. When he departs he will have served 12 seasons with the group, making him tied with Bramwell Tovey for the longest-serving music director in the orchestra's history.
"I am grateful for my years with the WSO and my years in Winnipeg," Mickelthwate said in a WSO news release on Monday.
"I will continue to think of myself as part of the WSO family for years to come. Yes, we have raised two hockey playing Canadian boys."
Mickelthwate started with the WSO in 2006. His last year is also the orchestra's 70th anniversary season.
Check out an extended interview with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's Alexander Mickelthwate on what's in store for the 2015 New Music Festival. 1:08
He's moving on to become the music director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, starting with the 2018-19 season.
"The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is recognized as one of the premier regional orchestras in the United States," the release states. "This appointment marks a very significant step in an ongoing process of artistic development for Maestro Mickelthwate and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra."
The WSO thanked Mickelthwate for his years as the face of the orchestra and praised his achievements in developing Winnipeg's New Music Festival, building community engagement with the orchestra and helping create the Sistema Winnipeg program, which provides music training to children without access to resources.
Mickelthwate's departure was announced at a special meeting of board members, staff and musicians on Monday.Scientists have developed an artificial thymus, an organ crucial to the human immune system, that could produce special cancer-fighting T-cells in the body on demand.
T-cells are white blood cells that naturally combat disease as part of our immune system, but these artificially engineered versions would be targeted at specific forms of cancer, potentially giving our natural defences a boost in attacking the disease.
In the human body, the thymus sits in front of the heart and uses blood stem cells to make T-cells, which then go onto fight infection in the body. But as people get older or become sick, the thymus becomes less efficient.
In tests, the team from the University of California, Los Angeles was able to use its artificial thymus to turn blood stem cells into T-cells that attacked cancerous growths while leaving healthy tissue alone. You can think of is like a bionic thymus with extra powers.
What's more, our normal T-cells can get worn out by fast-growing cancers, and certain types of the disease can evade T-cell attacks too, and so some artificial assistance would be most welcome.
In the natural process inside our bodies, T-cells produced by the thymus are given specialised molecules, called receptors, which act as guides towards cells infected by viruses or cancers.
Scientists have been able to add cancer-seeking receptors to T-cells for several years now, in a process known as adoptive T-cell immunotherapy – an approach that has been very successful so far, even if it's still in the early stages of testing.
T-cells are collected from patients, reprogrammed with the right receptors, then transfused back into the body.
The only problems – which this new research tries to fix – are that the process is time-consuming, and relies on the patient having enough T-cells to make use of in the first place.
That's where the artificial thymus developed at UCLA comes in, which could pump out cancer-fighting T-cells from stem cells or donated blood more quickly than the existing methods.
"We know that the key to creating a consistent and safe supply of cancer-fighting T-cells would be to control the process in a way that deactivates all T-cell receptors in the transplanted cells, except for the cancer-fighting receptors," says one of the team, Gay Crooks.
That's important because if cells are produced from stem cells and aren't taken from the patients themselves, there's a chance they could be rejected once they're in the body.
However, in lab tests the researchers were able to engineer their artificial thymic organoids to produce T-cells that worked similarly to those naturally produced by the thymus, and which had only the cancer-fighting receptors |
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Who doesn’t like a good origin story? For sure, we’ve probably seen Bruce Wayne’s parents die a few too many times, watched Krypton blow up more than we want to recall, and everybody knows that Peter Parker gets bit by a spider. Still, I’m a sucker for the genre. But surely, not every work needs to open in this manner. Calculus texts don’t need to include discussions of the origins of mathematics nor Organic Chemistry books need relate to Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Yet, every year, mutatis mutandis, Shabbat Bereishit comes around and despite the plethora of laws contained within the Torah, we are once again reintroduced to the Creation, Flood, and Patriarch stories. For next few months, synagogue attendees and those who follow along with the weekly reading, instead of learning particulars of Jewish law, will study the origins of the world and continue week after week with the stirring reruns of the classic Bible stories. And this Shabbat morning, of course, we start it all from day one of creation.
As just about every kid in Jewish day school learns, Rashi questions the need of this particular storyline: “Said Rabbi Isaac: It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” (Exod. 12:2) which is the first commandment that the Israelites were commanded, Now for what reason did He commence with “In the beginning?” (Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 1:1.) Rashi’s answer to why the world needs to review these stories is legend:
Because of [the verse] “The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations” (Ps. 111:6). For if the nations of the world should say to Israel, “You are robbers, for you conquered by force the lands of the seven nations [of Canaan],” they will reply, “The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it (this we learn from the story of the Creation) and gave it to whomever He deemed proper When He wished, He gave it to them, and when He wished, He took it away from them and gave it to us. (Rashi)
Although other commentators have given their own spin on the necessity of the opening chapters of Genesis, none, I believe, has been as well-known as that of Rashi. Why did Bible open with a universalistic story of Creation, to inform us of an important reality regarding the land of Israel. As Rav Mordechai Breuer points out, Rashi, or Rabbi Isaac who Rashi quotes, began with an incorrect assumption. Rashi assumed, argues Rabbi Breuer, that the Torah is first and foremost a work of Jewish law. Hence, like Calculus or Orgo, the Torah should have opened with necessary and pertinent issues. Even the name “Torah” means instruction usually of a legal nature such as Torat HaOlah (the law of the Olah sacrifice) or Torat HeChatat (the law of the Sin or expiation offering) in Vayikra.
The opening book of the Torah, Genesis, disabused Rashi and other readers of this notion. The Torah is not simply a book of Divine law; it is much greater than that.
Rabbi Breuer continues that according to Rashi’s conclusion that Genesis was necessary to explain the deep connection and even rights Jews have to the land of Israel, the emphasis of the Torah takes on a radically new the direction. The laws, which take up the middle sections of the Torah, are bounded by historical narrative. The focus of which is the giving of the land of Israel to the Jewish people. The Torah opens by discussing the origins of the world, the promises made to the Jewish patriarchs that their descendants will inherit the land, exile, slavery, and redemption, the giving of the Law, and the travel and future promise to enter the land. The laws, according to Rav Breuer, become the mechanism for the Jewish people to maintain their ties to the land. Ultimately, the Torah expresses the desire and future vision of the Jewish people living with God in the land He has chosen. That is the ultimate goal of the entire Torah “to dwell in the house of the Lord…and to visit His Palace” (Ps. 27:4). The ties of the Jewish people to the land of Israel become, therefore, not a side show, but the main event of the entire Divine book(s). These stories make the Promised Land into just that – the land promised by God to the Jewish people.
As powerfully expressed by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto (Ramchal) in the opening pages of his spiritual treatise Mesillat Yesharim, some ideas are so blatant and obvious that people don’t review them and ultimately forget them completely. Therefore, argues Ramchal, certain messages need constant repetition. The deep connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel seems to be one of these.
No doubt, many were dumbfounded by two recent resolutions of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ignoring the connection of the Jewish people to the Temple mount and other holy areas in the land of Israel accusing Israel of damaging the area which is holy (only) to Islam. Rashi’s words seem prophetic. The nations will accuse the Jews of stealing their own land. As if the Temples never existed, UNESCO declares the area a Muslim holy site completely ignoring the Jewish connection both past and present.
But forgetting the Jewish connection to parts of the land of Israel seems not to be limited to the United Nations. On college campuses BDS warriors declare the entirety of the land of Israel (“from the river to the sea”) to belong to the Palestinians (“Palestine will be free”) as if there was no historical connection of the Jewish people to their land during the many years of exile. This extends to groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and even Jewish groups in Israel and abroad who call for an immediate end to the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland.
Many will not be moved by the religious or even historical claims dating back to the Bible and continuing through the Muslim conquest and beyond to present day. But for those who recognized these historical and even religious claims, we forget the Jewish connection at our peril.
Whatever the political necessities and no matter what future negotiations hold in store for the Land of Israel, the Jewish people have laid claim to the Land from time immemorial. Some see it as a Divine promise while others will recognize the Jews as the true indigenous population having returned home from the four corners of the world. Even those who support removing Israeli sovereignty from areas held by Jordan until 1967 should recognize that while realpolitik may require such a move, it would be a crisis of Jewish history. Jews who feel that giving up parts of our homeland are necessary should also cry about it.
Omitting the Jewish narrative from discussions of the future of Israel’s borders is tantamount to leaving out the entire book of Genesis from the Hebrew Bible. Perhaps it’s time for UNESCO to go to Hebrew school to learn this week’s Parasha.: 10asia via Nate1. [+197, -5] Honestly, if I was her parent, I'd be so upset. YG cast her at such a young age and debuted her before she became an adult. She's still at a beautiful age with so much potential but was stuck not being able to do anything because of Park Bom. Yang Hyun Suk never gave her solo support when she's so good at singing and dancing. Barely any TV show appearances. She's done nothing in the past two years even compared to Park Bom who's supposed to be in reflection.2. [+166, -4] Gong Minzy probably has a lot to say. Be confident and let it all out~~!!3. [+141, -5] Sounds like things didn't end so amicably between Minzy and YG. I like 2NE1 but I think disbandment is best for the group...4. [+31, -1] Sounds like something went down... father, release it all.5. [+24, -0] Yang Hyun Suk at it again ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ1. [+320, -21] What's going on now?2. [+293, -5] He's probably mad that YG kept media playing as if Minzy randomly wanted to leave out of no where3. [+186, -6] If you actually read YG's statement, they blame everything on Minzy by talking as if 2NE1 wants to keep going but Minzy wants to leave ㅋㅋ I think she's the victim in all of this4. [+141, -3] I wonder if YG's getting nervous over this?! Considering how long Minzy's hiatus has been, there's gotta be something up...5. [+96, -2] After reading YG's statement yesterday, I honestly didn't believe it because no way would Minzy leave YG just like that when she's been with them for almost 10 years. Something went down!!How do you work with us remotely?
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How long does it take to get started?Poorer people don’t just get subsidies to help buy insurance on the Obamacare exchanges. They actually get better insurance.
When lawmakers and the public were debating the Affordable Care Act, details were sparse and widely guarded. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted famously that “We’ll have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.” Now, years after the legislation has been passed, does the American public yet know the hidden details of the plan? I didn’t.
Does the American public know that, buried deep in the Healthcare.gov website, the health insurance coverage available to a family gets worse as their income rises? Do people know that a family expecting to earn $51,000 in 2016 is not even allowed to buy the same coverage as a family that expects to earn $49,000?
I encountered this as I researched my family’s healthcare options for 2016—the first year I have been forced onto the exchange following my early retirement.
Up to now, I thought I understood the tax credit subsidies embedded in the legislation. Depending upon family size, the government gives taxpayer money to people to purchase qualifying plans if their household income is less than 400 percent of the nation’s established poverty level.
For example, in Madison, Indiana (my home town), a family of three with a household income of $40,000 would get subsidies of $500 a month ($6,000 per year) in 2016, while a household earning $60,000 would see its subsidies drop to $237 per month ($2,844 per year). Like it or not, those were the rules of the road: the government hands out subsidies to reduce the gross cost of insurance.
The Plot Thickens
But as my research continued, I found something else—something troubling.
Since my early retirement, my income consists primarily of investment income. Through investment choices, capital gain deferrals, and tax planning, my income is variable and, to some degree, controllable. So when the exchange asked what my 2016 income would be, it was a tough question. “It depends” was not one of the possible answers the website would accept.
When the exchange asked what my 2016 income would be, it was a tough question.
Instead, I just estimated $50,000—a possible, middle-of-the-road answer—just to see my health insurance options. Choices popped up with lots of metallic names: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze. Each had options, with companies competing for my business.
After taking my family’s needs into account, the one option that appeared most interesting to me was Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Multi-State Direct Access Plan. No, it wasn’t the best coverage. Its deductible levels ($2,000 individual/$4,000 family) were above what is available to many in the private sector, as were the maximum out of pocket costs ($5,000 individual/$10,000 family). Other important plan factors were equally fair: $15 generic drug charges; $40 brand name drug costs; and a $35 co-pay to see a family doctor. Total gross price tag for the coverage was $1,060 per month. If my income were really $50,000 in 2016, my net cost after subsidies would be $684 a month. Maybe, I thought.
But the website admonished that I could face added taxes (and even penalties) if my actual 2016 income did not match my estimates, so I decided to do a computation with a $60,000 annual income estimate. I searched for the plan I had chosen earlier—you know, the Anthem BCBS Multi-State Plan that cost $1,060 per month before subsidies. That’s when weird starting happening.
Pay the Same for Worse Coverage
The Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan that had cost $1,060 per month when I said I would earn $50,000 still cost $1,060 per month—but its coverage got worse. Suddenly, annual out of pocket costs soared to $6,850 individual/$13,700 family. Drug costs rose, too: suddenly generics were 33 percent higher ($20) and brand name prescriptions were up 25 percent ($50). What?
I could not even choose that plan if I wanted it. Odd.
Surely, I must have chosen the wrong plan. So I searched for the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Direct Access Multi-State plan with the lower out-of-pocket maximums and drug costs—but they did not exist. I could not even choose that plan if I wanted it. Odd.
Sensing something was wrong, I went back a third time. Perhaps this was just a HealthCare.gov glitch. This time, I put in $40,000 as my estimated income. Suddenly, another $1,060 per month Blue Cross Blue Shield Multi-State plan appeared—a much better one. This option dropped deductibles by more than 60 percent ($750 individual/$1,500 family) from the first plan I encountered. This option’s annual maximum out-of-pocket costs also dropped precipitously—down 70 percent. Everything else in the plan improved, too: generic drugs dropped to $10, brand name drugs dropped to $35, and doctor visit co-pays fell to only $15.
Wow. Now, this is pretty good insurance.
How can all these plans have the same gross cost of $1,060 a month?
But, wait—how can all these plans have the same gross cost of $1,060 a month? How can a plan with great benefits have a gross cost of $1,060 per month for a family earning $40,000 per year, while a family earning $60,000 per year gets far worse benefits at the same gross cost?
Was this just a problem with one insurance provider? No—I did similar research with other providers, and found the same result. I struggled to believe this until I dug deep into a brochure available from MDWise, another insurance provider. In its brochure, the company shows many attractive Silver Plan options, then notes: “You only qualify for one of the Silver Plan options. It is based on your income.”
Earn More Money, Get Worse Healthcare
Then it dawned on me: the Democrats had struck again. It wasn’t enough to merely grant subsidies to lower-income people so they could buy coverage. No, lower-income earners deserved better coverage, too. The incentive was clear: earn less and get better benefits. Earn more, and pay the price with worse insurance coverage.
I still hardly believe it. I still shake my head. But now that the sun is shining on the rules, the game is afoot. Unfortunately, it is a game with lousy rules that incentivize the wrong actions. What a mess.Gus Lubin The Chinese tourist next to me was doing things I'd never seen with an iPhone. He was using an on-screen button to pull up a menu and perform a series of rapid commands, and moving that button around the screen, all without pressing the home button.
That floating button is called AssistiveTouch, and it's an alternate input method buried in the accessibility settings. It's designed for people who have trouble pressing hard buttons or swiping in a particular way, but here was a guy with no apparent disability or hardware problems using it like a pro.
I had to ask why: He said something about shortcuts being more convenient.
I asked if he knew other people who used it: He said, "everyone?"
He gave me a quick demo (though on camera he was moving slower than before):
Gus Lubin
When I looked it up, I found that many people in China use the AssistiveTouch feature of the iPhone, and no one knows why.
"Just about every Chinese person I know does this," writes a Shanghai-based user on MacRumors.
"Probably half of all iPhone users I see [in Guangzhou] have the 'Assistive Touch' option turned on," writes Tencent product manager Dan Grover. "Nobody can give me a straight answer on why they, a person with two functioning hands and a full complement of motor neurons, enabled this obscure accessibility setting. Answers range from protecting their investment on the phone by not wearing out the physical home button, to it just being fun to play with when you're bored."
Many people claim it is a somewhat irrational attempt to protect the expensive hardware.
As Wang Yijie writes on a Quora thread devoted to this question:
It's because of the fear that the home button may be broken. iPhones are not cheap in China so people take care of them while using. Several years ago people began to complain about their home button being easily broken and it has somehow been a widely recognized truth, so even the home buttons are not that easy to be broken, they tend to use AssistiveTouch instead. When you buy an iPhone in China the salesman would automatically turn on this function while helping you to do the settings. I myself have not experienced a broken home button during 4 years with my iPhone 4; however, I did have a broken sleep button from my 3rd year, which proved that the rumours are, in some way, true. So I turned on AssistiveTouch...
This could be a worrying trend for Apple.
"[F]or a company that is looking to China as its largest market it is worrying that the primary interface feature on their flagship product induces a workaround behaviour for perceived risk of breaking," writes consultant Jan Chipchase on Medium.
Still others, including the guy I talked to on the train, claim it is a more efficient input method.
"iPhone's assistive touch has heavy usage with young Chinese bc of a generation that grew up without hard keys. Remove the buttons," tweets Shanghai-based designer Brandon Berry.
"[M]ost intriguingly it suggests that consumers can do without the button," writes Chipchase. "From that starting point new interfaces are born."
In fact, Business Insider tech editor Dave Smith says his (non-Chinese) dad uses the assistive touch feature and considers it more efficient, though Dave can't say the same.
I tried it for a couple of days (turned on via Settings / General / Accessibility / Interaction) and found it fun but not useful enough. I like being able to call up the surprisingly useful Siri without pressing a hard button and this method of going "home" seems slightly faster than the alternative; but most of the menu options won't be useful for most people, and it's a pain to have that button floating on the screen.
Still, it makes me wonder about the future. That floating button could be a lot more useful if Apple packed it with features for typical users — and taking up screen space wouldn't be a problem if Apple got rid of the hard home button and made the screen bigger.
UPDATE: People around the world are misusing their iPhone because they're afraid of breaking it
Disclosure: I'm an Apple investor.One of the more unique food-setti collaborations in the Bay Area is ready to debut in Oakland.
Popular vegan food truck, caterer, and pop-up mavens Hella Vegan Eats are set to serve food at their first permanent brick-and-mortar location—a new beer garden operating out of the Classic Cars West showroom in the heart of Uptown’s art district on 26th Street. According to Classic Cars owner Michael Sarcona, the pointedly titled “Classic Cars West Beer Garden with Vegan cuisine by Hella Vegan” will likely open on Wednesday and for sure by this weekend.
The indoor-outdoor café/beer garden/restaurant is actually incorporated into the car dealership, in which Sarcona also hosts rotating art exhibits that he opens up to the public every month for Oakland’s First Fridays. The idea for the beer garden originated as a way to help lure visitors to the art district more than just the once a month.
The opening food menu offers the type of comfort food–themed vegan cuisine for which Hella Vegan has become known, including items such as cornflake crusted fried chicken & waffles, oyster mushroom poutine, fried rice potsticker burrito, and a blood orange BBQ burger. They’ll also offer a few different types of gluten-free donuts (scroll down for all the dishes) and a separate Sunday brunch menu. The opening beer list features local craft breweries Linden Street, Line 51, Ghost town, Ale industries, and Crooked City Cider. In addition, all coffee will be roasted on-site.
Opening menu from Hella Vegan Eats at Classic Cars West
Cornflake crusted fried chicken & waffles (gf*)
Oyster Mushroom Poutine (gf*)
Fried cauliflower tacos (*gf)
Fried rice potsticker burrito
Mac & cheese
Monte Cristo BLT
blood orange BBQ burger
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Wembley Stadium in London, where the fight will take place April 29, sold out quickly and will have a British boxing-record crowd of some 90,000 on hand. The fight will generate tens of millions of dollars from the gate, the Sky Box Office pay-per-view in the United Kingdom (where Joshua is a bona fide star) and German network RTL (where Klitschko has a lucrative deal) -- not to mention dozens of other television networks from around the globe that will pay for the right to televise the fight.
There is another $3-million plus on the table from American networks Showtime and HBO, who, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, have already made deals with Joshua promoter Matchroom Boxing and Klitschko promoter K2 Promotions.
But it has been a difficult process because Showtime has a contract with Joshua and HBO has one with Klitschko and neither is willing, understandably, to give up its rights. So they had to figure out how to make it work because this is not a pay-per-view fight in the United States like Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao or Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson, massive events that forced the networks to come together and meld their broadcast and production teams as well as their public relations efforts for the event.
So for the past few months, Showtime and HBO have been trying to work out a deal they can both live with that will assure U.S. television coverage. They’re not there quite yet, hence the reason why the American television plans have not been announced.
According to the sources, the networks have agreed to the most significant basic deal point, that Showtime will air the fight live in the late afternoon/early evening and HBO will present a tape-delay of the fight a few hours later in prime time. Showtime would pay more for the fight because it has the live airing and HBO would pay quite a bit less to show it on tape.
Heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko have a two-fight deal. Sean Dempsey/EPA
But any disparity in the price each network would pay could even out in the long run because Joshua and Klitschko have a two-fight deal. So regardless of who wins the networks would flip positions for the contractual rematch, meaning HBO would have the right to air it live with Showtime getting the delay. Of course, there is no guarantee of a rematch, however, because if Klitschko loses, and he is the underdog, there is a good chance he could retire at age 41 after back-to-back defeats.
Also agreed to is that both networks will send their personnel to the stadium to put on their telecast rather than remain in the U.S. and call the fight from a studio. Both have already done site surveys of the stadium and are ready to go -- assuming the deal between the networks is finalized.
One source said the networks have already taken care of many issues with the promoters, such as credentials, broadcast positions and other production details, but they’re not there yet on everything because, as one source said, “there are games being played on both sides.”
One of the big issues is how the networks would announce a deal without giving the other a leg up. The idea discussed was for them to put out a joint press release. The hope from the promoters and networks was that they would have wrapped up the deal by this past Saturday so it could be announced early this week.
But HBO, according to one of the sources, said it wanted the announcement to come during its telecast of the Vasyl Lomachenko-Jason Sosa card on Saturday night. According to one source, Showtime Sports boss Stephen Espinoza said no to that scenario because “it would give HBO an advantage, so it wasn’t announced Saturday night.”
HBO has no more boxing events between now and April 29 on which to promote the fight. Showtime still has a “ShoBox” card on Friday night and a “Showtime Championship Boxing” event on April 22, but the fight is getting close, and there is precious little time remaining for either network to seriously promote such a big fight.
The view of one of the sources involved is that “there’s a lot of gamesmanship going on on the part of both networks. Who knows what they’re going to do or if they’re even willing to go with the deal they’ve negotiated at this point.”
Another small, but important detail to HBO, according to one of the sources, is what will take place during the roughly four-hour window between the end of Showtime’s live broadcast and HBO’s tape delay.
HBO wants assurances that Showtime will not release footage of the fight, publicize the result of the fight or do anything else to help spread the word on the outcome following its broadcast -- even though any legitimate fight fan will surely already know what happened.
In the end, the rival networks will surely make a deal -- there’s no way the promoters will allow it to fall apart with that much money at stake in rights payments -- but making the sausage has been brutal.
Naturally, neither network wanted to discuss the matter.
“We’re not going to comment on any ongoing negotiations,” Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio told ESPN on Monday.
Also Monday, HBO spokesman Ray Stallone told ESPN, “Nothing to report at this time."
There had better be something to report soon. The fight is 19 days away.via posacommunityoutreach.com The POSA logo for its annual Shop With A Cop event.
Later this month, the Police Officers of Scottsdale Association, or POSA Inc., will host its 12th annual Christmas Shop With a Cop event, where hundreds of underprivileged kids and teenagers go on a shopping spree, $150 each, with police officers.
It’s one of POSA's two signature events for kids, the other being its Back-To-School program, that the union fundraises for year-round. The labor organization's President Jim Hill said they recently split the Christmas event into two days.
Few things tug at the heartstrings more than cops helping underprivileged kids, and the numbers show it.
Annual donations for the programs jumped by more than 82 percent between 2006 and 2012, according to the labor organization’s tax records. Tax records for 2013 have not yet been filed.
In total, almost $4.5 million was raised over that seven-year period.
But how much actually goes to the kids each year? Not much. In some years, less than 10 percent.
Tax records show about two-thirds of the annual donations automatically go to a for-profit telemarketing firm called PFR Promotions LLC, which conducts all of the organization’s fundraising throughout the year.
The labor organization keeps the remaining one-third, and much of that goes into various operating expenses and paying other things, including the salary of the organization’s Executive Director Cindy Hill, who ran for Scottsdale City Council this year and is also President Jim Hill’s wife.
In 2010, for example, PFR raised about $544,000 and the labor organization kept about $200,300. However, only about $47,000 was spent on the kids programs, less than 9 percent of that year’s total donations.
Jim Hill said there’s no way they spent such a small amount, and suggested his previous treasurer must have made a mistake on the tax documents, which he said he never handles.
“If there was $200,000 kept there and only ($45,000) was spent, then we should have $150,000 laying around and I have no idea where that would be,” Hill told KJZZ News during an interview at a car wash fundraiser in Scottsdale last month.
He declined, however, to look back at his files and set the record straight for the purpose of this story.
Hill also defended the telemarketing expenses.
“Fundraising is a necessary, call it, evil, of the business,” Hill said. “If you want to raise that kind of money, you’re going to have to spend the money to go out and have somebody do it for you.”
Nonprofit experts say telemarketers are notorious for taking huge chunks of the money they raise, and in recent years it’s put big charities such as the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association under scrutiny.
Sandra Miniutti, spokeswoman for Charity Navigator, a New Jersey-based nonprofit watchdog group, said it’s just plain deceptive to donors and is something the industry frowns upon.
“To be sending two-thirds, I don’t know that there’s ever a rational reason that could justify that. That’s just way out of the norm and not necessary,” Miniutti said.
Ron Sellers, a president of Grey Matter Research & Consulting in Phoenix, said there are a few circumstances where paying big telemarketing expenses could be justified.
“If you’re able to turn those one-time donors into multiple-time donors or sustainers, then what seems on the short term to be a very questionable or even bad investment, long-term can turn into a fantastic investment,” he said.
However, if the nonprofit consistently raises more money than it needs, he said the charitable programs should be expanded or fundraising be scaled back.
Hill said the programs serve more and more kids every year, although he couldn’t quantify the growth off-hand during the interview at the car wash and he didn’t respond to KJZZ’s attempts to follow up.
However, while annual donations for the two programs have grown substantially over the years — about $531,000 in 2006 versus $969,000 in 2012 — program expenses have stayed roughly the same.
The labor organization has spent roughly between $45 |
. and Mexico currently enjoy. Instead, the building of a border wall will divide our two countries that have long-standing and mutually-beneficial cultural and economic ties. American success in a global economy depends on cooperation, not isolation. I will continue to fight to make the concerns of border communities a priority for Congress and the country. I am committed to doing my part in Congress to develop effective and efficient solutions that will address immigration and secure our borders, while not adversely affecting the international trade and tourism that is vital to our economy.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.Bombs teach the wrong lesson
Bombs teach the wrong lesson
New Zealand's Tertiary Education Union (TEU) is calling on the elected Israeli and Palestinian governments to respect the peaceful role that education institutions play in communities, and keep their war out of Palestine's schools and tertiary education institutions. The TEU condemns yesterday’s deadly bombing of a Gaza school and the earlier the use of Gaza’s Islamic University and the Training College as targets for Israeli bomb attacks.
Yesterday’s attack on a school in Jabaliya refugee camp reportedly killed 30 and wounded many more. Meanwhile the extent of the damage to the Islamic University, which has been hit by six air strikes in recent days, is still unknown. Luckily there were no casualties, as the university was evacuated when the Israeli assault began. The training college was less lucky, with 8 students killed and more injured in attacks on December 27.
“Israel's bombing of education institutions is a horrific action in an increasingly horrific war,” said Tangi Tipene, one of the TEU’s transitional presidents. “To retain our civility universities, schools and education institutions need to be sanctuaries from violence.”
The Islamic University was established in 1978 with the approval of Israeli authorities and is the most important institution of higher education in Gaza, serving more than 20,000 students, 60 percent of whom are women.
“Children died in yesterday’s attack on a school. We don’t know the reason for the attack but we do know Israel claims the university was harbouring a suspected arms depot for Hamas. It has given no evidence yet for this claim, but if it is true that is tragic use of one of Palestine's' most important cultural and educational symbols,” said Tipene. “Hamas can hope for neither victory nor peace if it turns the things it values into military depots. Likewise Israel cannot hope to retain any moral control over the war if it attacks the home of higher learning in Gaza.”
ENDS
© Scoop MediaThe third episode of Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series, "The Sword in the Darkness," will be released soon, and developer Telltale Games continued teasing the episode today with some new screenshots from around Westeros and Essos.
We see Jon Snow and Gared Tuttle at The Wall; Cersei, Margaery, Sera and Mira in King's Landing; men of the Night's Watch at a heart tree; Tyrion being arrested; and a scaly new face: Drogon, one of Daenerys Targaryen's three dragons.
Telltale said on Twitter that it will release a trailer for Episode Three on Monday, March 23, at 1 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can check out our reviews of Episode One and Episode Two.
Update: Telltale confirmed on Twitter this afternoon that Episode Three, "The Sword in the Darkness," will be released this month.Over the years, in posts on Facebook groups for mothers, I’ve seen my share of women talking smack about their husbands. Writing to hundreds (sometimes thousands) of other women, many of whom they don’t know, wives will unburden themselves about the latest insensitive things their husbands have done. The complaints run the gamut from real marital issues to the usual household frustrations every wife deals with daily.
The basis of every complaint is basically this: Why doesn’t my husband respect me enough? And yet, the wives have taken the opportunity to voice this discontent by posting about their husbands online, where strangers, acquaintances, and even family members and friends are invited to judge the husbands’ behavior. Nothing says mutual respect quite like public humiliation, am I right?
A new trend online has taken this phenomenon to an entirely different level. Most regular users of the Internet are familiar with dog shaming. Dog owners post photos of their innocent-looking dogs next to signs describing their misdeeds. Friends have posted about how their dogs ripped up the couch, destroyed baby clothes, and ate food meant for a family celebration off of the countertop. Fans of this trend have decided to adopt the same tactic with their husbands. Not only are husbands being publicly humiliated by association, but disgruntled wives are actually posting pictures of their husbands’ misdeeds online as well.
A click-bait site, Answers.com, has a list of the top 15 “funniest” husband shaming posts. The piece is trending on their lifestyle site; my click is likely one of hundreds of thousands. Every post involves a husband who deserves the doghouse, and is a window into a fight in another family’s home, but from only one person’s perspective—the wronged wife. Little in the way of context appears: Was the husband who is about to embark on a business trip, leaving a very-pregnant wife at home, in fact nervous about losing his job right before he’s about to take on the responsibilities of parenthood? What gross things do the wives of the husbands who were shamed for picking their nose or peeing with the seat down do when they are in private?
These sorts of memes should make us feel deeply uncomfortable as a society. Imagine if you saw a couple fighting loudly in public about leaving the toilet seat up; it’s likely you would back away slowly. Why is it, then, that when we see the same thing on our computer screens, we can’t resist watching the drama unfold? In many ways technology has bettered humanity, but in this, it’s turned us into voyeurs obsessed with the misery of others.
A favorite expression of my husband’s when we discuss other couples is this: “You never know what’s going on behind closed doors.” For as much as I hear my friends’ problems, and they hear mine, no one truly knows the state of a marriage except the people in it.
Husband shaming seeks to undo that. Women bring in an outside party, or several hundred thousand online strangers, to tip the scales of petty household arguments in their favor.
These sorts of posts might feel like a victory of sort to feminists. Women, refusing to back down, are demanding appropriate treatment and behavior from their spouses. For most of human history women have been subservient in marriages (and in every other role), but not today!
Except that’s not actually feminism. Feminism seeks equality between the sexes (in this case, the spouses). Imagine, for a moment, what equality would look like in this circumstance. If husbands posted pictures of their wives holding signs their husbands wrote with their offenses: “Even though we just paid off our credit cards, I just had to buy a new dress for my friend’s wedding.” “I watch nothing but horrible reality TV but claim I’m doing book club reading when my friends ask.”
We’re thankfully in an era where such behavior would be called out for what it is: misogyny. So too should we call “husband shaming” for what it is: man-hating. It takes many things to build a successful marriage, but one of the most basic is mutual respect. Women who shame their husbands in this manner, and others who encourage that behavior by sharing these posts, are detonating marriages for the sake of a laugh and a click.
This blog post has been reproduced with the permission of Acculturated. The original blog post can be found here. The views expressed by the author and Acculturated are not necessarily endorsed by this organization and are simply provided as food for thought from Intellectual Takeout.Make. All. Votes. Count. (Part II: single-winner)
Jameson Quinn Blocked Unblock Follow Following May 28, 2017
We all know the parables of broken voting processes. Probably the most famous is the Simpsons episode where evil aliens Kang and Kodos replace the Republican and Democratic candidates for president. When Homer exposes them, they simply cackle:
Kodos: It's true, we are aliens. But what are you going to do about
it? It's a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.
Man1: He's right, this is a two-party system.
Man2: Well, I believe I'll vote for a third-party candidate.
Kang: Go ahead, throw your vote away.
Of course Kang wins, and enslaves the humans to build a giant space laser. But Homer doesn’t feel guilty:
Homer says: “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos.” So now he’s always twirling, twirling towards freedom?
There’s a similar story in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where Ford Prefect tells Arthur Dent of an alien democracy where the people are ruled by lizards…
...“Odd,” said Arthur, “I thought you said it was a democracy.”
“I did,” said Ford. “It is.”
“So,” said Arthur, hoping he wasn’t sounding ridiculously obtuse, “why don’t people get rid of the lizards?”
“It honestly doesn’t occur to them,” said Ford. “They’ve all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they’ve voted in more or less approximates to the government they want.”
“You mean they actually vote for the lizards?”
“Oh yes,” said Ford with a shrug, “of course.”
“But,” said Arthur, going for the big one again, “why?”
“Because if they didn’t vote for a lizard,” said Ford, “the wrong lizard might get in.
Stories like this are often read as being indictments of politicians. “Ha ha, politicians are not really people, just bizarre alien reptiles.” But that’s the wrong message. The recognizable character in these stories is not a politician — no human candidate tells of his childhood dreams of being a baseball—but rather the voting method. Clearly, the Lizard-ruled planet’s voting method is the same as the American one that elected Kang: First Past the Post (FPTP). As long as you can only vote for one candidate, giving that vote to anyone besides one of the two frontrunners is indeed, as Kang says, throwing it away.
And this broken US electoral system is very much at the root of our broken politics. Even a tiny change could have tipped the balance in the presidential elections of 2000 or 2016. The electoral college is the most prominently broken part of the system, but FPTP is just as malfunctioning, and any other system would almost certainly have swung both of those elections, with huge consequences.¹ FPTP increases polarization, reduces turnout, makes candidates more money-dependent, and makes politics dumber and more divisive in just about every way.
So, how should we fix this? Well, part of the answer is proportional representation, which I wrote about in the first installment. But for single-winner races, there are several voting methods that would be better. The first, simplest step is approval voting. After that, there are several good options. I’ll explain my favorite, 3–2–1 voting; but things like STAR voting (aka score runoff) or Ranked Pairs (a Condorcet method) would also be good.
As I said, approval voting is the simplest fix. Instead of arbitrarily restricting voters to choose just one candidate, let them support as many as they want. The winner would be the candidate supported on the most ballots. In other words, use the same ballots, but stop throwing “overvotes” in the trash: count all the votes.
This would immediately give voters a way to solve vote-splitting. If you’re afraid of Kang winning, you could vote for Kodos AND a human. Hopefully, pretty soon the frontrunners would be the humans and not the lizards, so you could drop your support for Kodos.
In order to evaluate various voting methods, I’ve developed a system for simulating hundreds of thousands of realistic elections and finding which system elects candidates that make my virtual voters happiest. This leads to a measure called Voter Satisfaction Efficiency, VSE, which runs from 0% for a method that picks a candidate at random, to 100% for one that magically reads voters’ minds and chooses the best candidate. Depending on various aspects of the simulation, FPTP usually gets a VSE of around 70–85%; approval, around 85–95%; and the best methods such as 3–2–1 voting, of around 92% and up. So approval gets most of the benefits of voting reform, without the complexity.
But some people aren’t satisfied with approval. They want to be able to oppose Kang unequivocally, while still making a distinction between Kodos and a decent human candidate. For them, there’s systems like 3–2–1 voting.
An infographic explaining 3–2–1 voting.
In 3–2–1, you can rate each candidate “good”, “OK”, or “bad”; as many candidates at any level as you want. If you want to, you can just rate one candidate “good” and leave the rest blank; the predeclared ratings from that candidate are used to fill in the rest of your ballot.
The winner is found in three steps. First, the three candidates with the most “good” ratings become semifinalists; then, the two of those with the fewest “bad” ratings become finalists; and finally, the finalist who’s rated higher on more ballots wins.
A couple of extra rules cover some unusual situations. First, all three semifinalists can’t be from the same party; that stops one party from sweeping the election by running three identical candidates. Second, to become a semifinalist, you need at least half as many “good” ratings as the candidate with the most; so when there are only two serious candidates, a third unknown can’t win by mistake.
The upshot is: you need to generate enthusiasm to become a semifinalist; the two least-divisive semifinalists become finalists; and majority rules in picking the winner. Voting strategically to get an unfair advantage isn’t always impossible (there’s actually a proof that no voting method makes it impossible), but in most normal elections there’s no way to do it, and even when it is possible, there’s no way to predict how in advance.
¹ In 2000, the tiniest surplus of second-choice votes from Greens would have swung the vote to Clinton. And in 2016, it’s less clear exactly who would have won under a better voting method, but Trump probably wouldn’t have won either the primary or (if he’d made it that far) the general. In fact, the most likely winner under a better voting method would be Sanders.When we talk about who is white, we are talking not merely about who has white-coloured skin but about who is privileged by this society. (AAP)
There is rampant racism in Arab societies, but that still doesn’t make fairer-skinned Arabs “white”.
In any discussion of racism, it is essential we acknowledge that race is about more than skin colour
The term “white people,” used to denote a distinct racial group, was invented in the early decades of the European colonisation of the Americas, firstly to distinguish (Western) Europeans from Native Americans and enslaved Africans, and then to justify the privileges accumulated as a result of white oppression of other races.
When we talk about “whiteness” then, we are specifically referring, not to people themselves but to an ideology that set European (now more broadly “Western”) culture and ancestry as the benchmark by which all others are judged – and inevitably come up short.
This ideology has been used to justify everything from slavery to Terra Nullius to the war on terror, and it is the foundation of the social, legal, and political systems that still exist in the Western world today.
When we talk about “whiteness” then, we are specifically referring, not to people themselves but to an ideology that set European (now more broadly “Western”) culture and ancestry as the benchmark by which all others are judged – and inevitably come up short.
When we talk about who is white, we are talking not merely about who has white-coloured skin but about who is privileged by this society and who is marginalised: who is one of us and who is one of them.
When it comes to Arabs it seems this important point is often lost, as I see more and more attempts to position them as “white.”
Long-classified by the US government as “white,” this is an identity that many Arabs, to my dismay, have assumed. It is certainly true that Arabs, particularly those in the Levant, can be fair-skinned and even as pale as Europeans, with fair hair and light eyes. It is also true that there is rampant racism in Arab societies, which like so many others, has bought hook line and sinker the fallacy that whiteness is the ideal human condition.
This is a testament to the enduring power of the racist ideology that was created by European colonisers. Despite the very real and deadly racism that Arabs themselves contend with daily, the appeal of whiteness is so alluring, they succumb to the temptation to win favour in a racist system, and so take advantage of their proximity to whiteness in terms of appearance by stomping on those who are further from the “white” centre than they are.
When we talk about who is white, we are talking not merely about who has white-coloured skin but about who is privileged by this society and who is marginalised: who is one of us and who is one of them.
Nonetheless, this does not make Arabs themselves white. If we are talking about – and we should be – whiteness as a system that confers legitimacy and status on certain groups of people while denying it from others, then it is clear that Arabs still fall short.
In the west, as Islamophobia skyrockets, so too do attacks on Arabs, with the Arab language increasingly demonised; simply speaking Arabic – the language of the Quran – is deemed enough of a threat to warrant the removal of some passengers from planes. Meanwhile, people with Arab sounding names are increasingly under pressure to change them to something less foreign and less likely to see them passed over from everything from job opportunities to rental applications.
Fighting words: I use poetry and storytelling to battle Islamophobia Poet and activist Sara Saleh defends Islam because she wants to, not because it needs her to. But when hope dwindles, it is her faith’s emphasis on storytelling and friendships that give her the fuel to keep going.
Meanwhile, the Arab world itself continues to disintegrate in the wake of a colonialism and imperialism that has seen all political movements save for fundamentalist Islamism and authoritarian dictatorships, effectively crushed.
The Middle East did not become like this because of any inferior culture or religion. Historically, it was a concerted effort by Western powers, and occasionally Russia to retain authority and influence over the region. And this authority was justified on the basis of whiteness, or more specifically, the exclusion of Arabs from whiteness.
Winston Churchill, for instance, when speaking to the Peel Royal Commission on Palestine, regarding whether it was right to establish a Jewish homeland on what was then Arab-majority Palestine, had this to say about Arab claim to the land
“I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger, even though he may have lain there for a very long time…I do not admit, for instance that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the black people of Australia…I do not think the Red Indians had any right to say, ‘The American Continent belongs to us and we are not going to have any of these Europeans settlers coming in here.’ They had not right, nor had they the power.”
Clearly, to Churchill, Arabs were in the same category of “powerless” people as Native Americans and Aboriginal people in Australia who were simply no match for the “superior” white man. To designate Arabs as “white” against this backdrop of racist history, ongoing Western interference in the Arab world, as well as rising racism and marginalisation in the west, is to risk losing sight of what whiteness is; a political designation designed to consolidate Western notions of superiority.
When it comes to racism, the old adage, “If you can’t beat them, join them,” simply should not apply.
Arabs are not white, not because of their skin colour, but because they continue to be positioned at odds with whiteness, and oppressed on this basis. Colonialism has targeted different cultures and continents in different ways. Its destruction of the Middle East is no less potent because it is a destruction that is less visible to the naked and learned eye. Whiteness has stolen the Middle East’s future. It is rewriting its history as we speak. It has helped set its dominant religion on a frightening path by neutralising its progressive and tolerant nature and empowering its once-marginal fundamentalism and extremism.
Do not hide this great crime by calling Arabs “white,” and solidifying the blame the west has placed on Arabs for its own misdeeds. To do so is to lose sight of the historical meaning of whiteness and its enduring legacy.
When it comes to racism, the old adage, “If you can’t beat them, join them,” simply should not apply.
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Face Up To Racism #FU2Racism with a season of stories and programs challenging preconceptions around race and prejudice.
Tune in to watch The Truth About Racism on Wednesday 1 March at 8.30pm.
Watch all the documentaries, including Is Australia Racist and Date My Race, online after they air on SBS On Demand.
Watch 'Is Australia Racist?' now below.
Comment: I was a Muslim in Trump's White House When President Obama left, I stayed on at the National Security Council in order to serve my country. I lasted eight days. Why you should laugh at racism Forget preachers, politicians or professors. Culturally diverse comedians who can make people laugh with a sharp joke and socially-charged statement are probably the biggest weapons in the fight against racism. Comment: Racism in the theatre world is real and it is debilitating If the Australian screen is dominated by white faces, the theatre is even more so. Candy Bowers, a mixed-race African, reveals the emotional and professional toll this takes on writers and performers of colour. Islam and I, we're strictly secular but extremely close Comment: What happens when you identify as secular but are deeply attached – culturally and historically – to a religion? Here’s why one secular Muslim finds inspiration in the language, culture and history of Islam. The markers of everyday racism in Australia Government signage, high fences and picnic areas without toilet facilities or lights, does certain public material make particular groups feel excluded? Comment: There's no such thing as reverse racism. There's only racism Generations of migrants and their children are now successfully active in Australian society. Even though their achievements have made the fabric of our nation's society so much richer, some 'racist people' feel they are under threat. French woman tackles Islamophobia in four steps This illustration demonstrates how empathy can diffuse hate.
.As other places reported, MtGox failed spectacularly and ceased operations today. Some will blame this on a lack of regulation. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The main reason for this failure being so spectacular is a long history of lacking competition. Even though MtGox repeatedly faced problems like days of suspended trading, customers did not have many viable alternatives. In many countries, the legal costs of setting up a financial service website like a Bitcoin exchange are prohibitive. The Internet thrives on people being able to experiment – otherwise, sites like ebay.com, doodle.com or yahoo.com would never habe been created. I personally have repeatedly met motivated enthusiasts who wanted to setup their own Bitcoin exchanges. Unfortunately, regulation is holding them back. Had they been able to create their exchange websites, MtGox would have seen much more competition much earlier – giving customers the opportunity to diversify and reducing their exposure to a single operator.
However, in an ironic twist, the very regulation that seeks to protect customers potentiated their risks by preventing them from effectively diversifying. The financial services industry is in an ongoing vicious circle of market failures that make politicians enact more rigorous regulation, which stiffles competition, which again leads to more market failures and regulation.
– Written by Luzius Meisser, President of Bitcoin Association Switzerland
AdvertisementsFollowing heralded college hoops careers, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden took wildly divergent paths once they arrived in the NBA. One became a future Hall of Famer, while the other nearly vanished. KD is thrilled for his buddy Greg now that he’s found a place back in the L. Per the Sun-Sentinel:
With Oden back in the league after sitting four years because of knee injuries, no one is happier than Durant.
“When he signed with the Heat, I texted him,” Durant said after Wednesday’s shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I just told him congrats and I was happy for him. It’s great for him to try to get back in the league and I’m happy that he’s back.”
Oden has steadily progressed since being inserted into the rotation in mid-January. He’s averaged 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in five games. The contribution has been minimal but weighs heavily for a player once headed toward being known as the trivia answer to who was drafted before Durant.
“As a player, I’m excited he’s back in the league,” Durant said. “He’s overcome a lot in his career. It’s a great story that he has, five knee surgeries and he was thinking about retiring before 25. But he came back and he’s out there playing extremely well. It’s fun to see him back. As a good friend, somebody I’ve known since high school, I’m excited for him.”MODESTO-
Marisa Martinez, 13, is being hailed a hero for saving an 8-year-old boy from being kidnapped.
“I was pretty scared at first, but I knew I had to go and save him,” said Martinez.
On Sunday, Martinez and two boys were playing basketball in a driveway when they say they noticed a man trying to break into a neighbors home.
“I asked him if he lived there. He said, ‘Yeah I do.’ I said, ‘No you don’t. You need to get out of here,'” said Martinez.
Martinez says that is when the man, identified as 32-year-old John Jenkins, grabbed one of the kids, an 8-year-old boy, and started walking away.
That is when Martinez stepped in to save him.
“I started pulling on him and told him to let the kid go and I screamed for my mom,” said Martinez.
Martinez was able to pull the boy away from Jenkins and run to her mother.
Her mother and others at a nearby church kept an eye on Jenkins until Modesto Police arrived.
“Obviously, she could have been harmed by this subject,” said Sgt. Ivan Valencia. “We are pretty astonished that she did this.”
Jenkins is a registered sex offender. He is now in custody for kidnapping and molesting a child.The UK household deficit — the amount by which debts like credit cards, car leases, and student loans exceed our incomes — will reach 3% of GDP and stay there for an extended period, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, which called the phenomenon "unprecedented."
You can see from this chart that as Chancellor George Osborne's budget plan drives the government deficit back into a surplus by 2020 (the red line), households will make up for the loss of government benefits by taking on more proportionately more debt liabilities (the blue line):
OBR
British consumers have seen only weak gains in pay over the last few years but low interest rates have allowed them to extend their spending via credit. The problem is that if a recession hits — and incomes decline or interest rates rise — consumers will be in trouble. The prospect of a vast swathe of the UK population being suddenly unable to service or pay back its debt could trigger a new economic crisis. (Lord Adair Turner has written a whole book about this problem.) The 2008 credit crisis came from the same phenom, although it originated from mortgage loans.
The OBR used some alarming language to describe the situation. Usually, household deficit stays in a surplus, as households only take on new debts in modest proportion to their growing incomes. Only briefly does the deficit go negative, during times of economic stress, such as in the 2008 boom-bust. This new extended period of ongoing deficits adds "very significant uncertainty" to thepicture, the OBR said:
We forecast little change in the household deficit, which is expected to remain around 3 per cent of GDP through the forecast period. The persistence of a household deficit of this size would be unprecedented in the latest available historical data, which extend back to 1987. Other datasets extending back to 1963 also suggest little evidence of a large, persistent household deficit, with the household surplus moving into negative territory in only one year between 1963 and 1987. A household deficit of the size and persistence we expect over the forecast period might be considered consistent with the unprecedented scale of the fiscal consolidation and the extremely accommodative monetary policy upon which our forecast is conditioned. It nevertheless demonstrates that the adjustment to the fiscal consolidation is subject to very significant uncertainty, and alternative adjustment paths are quite possible
Household gross debt to income is up: OBR
Our savings rates are down:
OBR
Barclays recently published this chart of UK consumer savings. We haven't got any:
Barclays
The obvious worry here is that if and when the next recession hits, that debt might go very bad, very quickly.At some point during the fall of 2005, Brian Stone grew tired of throwing up in a bucket and decided to go rogue. Stone (who requested that his real name not be used) was doing his vomiting three days a week at an inpatient clinical-trial site in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, following a tip he’d gotten from a stranger at a bar. “He had quite a few to drink,” Stone recalled, “and he was yakking about a place where he could get paid $2,500 just to do painkillers and drink alcohol. And everyone was laughing at him, like, ‘You’re full of shit.’” As it turned out, he wasn’t. At the time, Stone was unhappily working a hodgepodge of part-time restaurant and factory jobs. Intrigued by the promise of an easier way to make money, he enrolled as a guinea pig in a four-week study testing the effects of alcohol on a painkiller drug. “It was pretty harsh,” he said. Many of the participants became violently ill; Stone vomited while having his blood drawn. The clinic staff told participants to use a bucket rather than the toilet, if possible, so that they could look through the vomit to see how much of the pill had been digested before it came back up. After the first round, Stone said, he began sneaking into the bathroom after each dose and forcing himself to throw up the pill, to stave off the side effects. The staff didn’t catch on, he told me, and he didn’t share his trick with any of the other participants. “I figured I could get away with it if I kept my mouth shut.”
At the end of the four weeks, he collected his $2,500 and vowed never to do another trial again. It was a promise that didn’t last very long. Soon afterwards, Stone did a second study, this time for a diabetes drug. The second experience was the opposite of his first, he said, with no side effects: Just swallow a pill and relax in between blood draws and blood-pressure tests. He began looking up the numbers for clinics in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, calling regularly to learn about upcoming tests. At each one, he networked, befriending other participants who told him about new opportunities. He quit his jobs. He moved to Austin, where trial sites are more plentiful than they are in Columbus. Today, Stone no longer relies on strangers in bars—instead, he’s a part of a small community that shares info about study opportunities. Stone says he sends mass texts whenever he sees a new study online. In exchange, the group does the same for him. The members of this group call themselves guinea pigs, or lab rats. They also call themselves professionals. * * * There are a few things most serious guinea pigs eventually learn. The first is: There’s such a thing as being too honest. When Robert Helms, a former union organizer and now-retired guinea pig from Philadelphia, began doing studies in the early 1990s, other guinea pigs he knew from around the neighborhood “drilled me on what to say and what not to say,” he said. “Basically, it’s ‘Have you ever been sick a day in your life?’ ‘Has anyone you’ve related to ever been sick a day in their life?’ And the general answer is no.” They threw up into buckets rather than the toilet, so that clinic staff could see from the vomit how much of the pill had been digested. For studies looking for healthy subjects, the screening process generally comes in two steps. The first is over the phone, when guinea pigs call to express their interest. “A lot of places will ask if you’ve ever smoked a cigarette even once,” Stone said. “And if you say yes, boom, that’s the end of it. Sometimes you have to skirt around it.”
The second step is in person, where clinic staff will check blood, urine, and vital signs to determine whether subjects’ claims are true. Some studies, the well-paying ones, are competitive, and clinics will often admit more people than they need from the phone screen, expecting to cull the herd after the round of physicals. Pros know to avoid alcohol and drugs in the days leading up to the screening. Some of the more cautious ones will also abstain from exercise, out of worry that an increased creatinine level will make it appear as though they’ve been drinking. Clinics will also ask about the so-called “washout period,” the 30-day window most clinics require in between when a person last participated in a study and when they can begin a new one. It’s a twofold purpose: protect the health of the subjects, and protect the integrity of the data. There are some companies, like Verified Clinical Trials, that track participation across trial sites; researchers can subscribe to make sure their subjects aren’t enrolled in more than one study at the same time, or haven’t been in one too recently. Often, though, clinics rely on the participants themselves to enforce the washout. “Usually you’ll say, ‘I haven’t been in a study since the last time you saw me,’ or ‘I was in one last year in such and such a place,’” Helms said. “They all keep separate lists and it only very rarely crosses over, [like] when a nurse who happens to work in two places takes a shift at a different place.”
“It sounds selfish,” Helms said of the deception, “but the way it works is, I’m working poor, and the people making the drugs are filthy rich, and I need a job.” Depending on when it happens, getting caught in a lie can either get a participant bounced from a study, or it can cause a company to scrap the whole thing. “It really jeopardizes the science and the integrity of the data you’re going to gather,” said John Lewis, the vice president of public affairs at the Association of Clinical Research Organizations. “If you go back and you find people who violated that or were not honest … then you’re potentially throwing out their data and maybe the whole study,” at a potential cost of millions of dollars. But Helms believes the risk to companies comes with a trade-off: Professionals may lie their way into a study, he says, but they also make it run more smoothly. “They need people who are reliable. Pro guinea pigs, we come where we’re supposed to be on time, we’re not afraid of needles. When you explain something it’s going to be understood because you know what’s going on,” he said. “It’s not going to be a disaster. The way disasters happen is when a guy comes in and he doesn’t know the ropes.” * * * In chronological order, the phases of drug testing work like this: Phase 1 studies, which test for safety, typically use between 20 and 80 healthy subjects to determine a drug’s side effects and how it’s metabolized in the body. Assuming the drug proves safe, it then advances into Phase 2, which measures its effectiveness against another treatment or a placebo; this time, the study participants are patients with whatever condition the drug was developed to treat, usually somewhere between a few dozen and a few hundred. Phase 3, the last phase before the drug is submitted to the FDA for approval, can include hundreds or thousands of patients and measures both safety and efficacy, as well as how the drug behaves in different types of patients or in conjunction with another therapy.
For professional guinea pigs, Phase 1 trials are almost always where the money is. Some are run out of hospitals or universities, but more often, they’re run by contract research organizations (CROs), groups that the sponsoring pharmaceutical companies pay to handle everything from the institutional review board through to dosing the subjects. “They ask, ‘Have you ever been sick a day in your life?’ And you answer no.” Many CROs maintain their own trial sites for inpatient studies, housing and feeding participants for the duration of the trial. Accommodations at these sites are generally dorm-style, often with a handful of people bunking up in the same room. Food varies widely in both source and protocol: Studies can be catered or rely on an in-house kitchen, and may require participants to finish their meals or track how much they leave over. Some sites supply computers, TVs, or reading material; at others, guinea pigs are in charge of providing their own entertainment. (When I spoke to Stone, he was at a site that had a pool table and video games, but he told me he was planning to ignore both and spend the time brushing up on his Spanish.) Phase 1 studies are also the least regulated. Companies aren’t legally required to register a trial with Clinicaltrials.gov, the database maintained by the NIH, until it reaches Phase 2. “It seems to me like if you were considering signing up for one of these things, you would at least want to know the data that’s out there about [safety],” said Carl Elliott, a bioethics professor at the University of Minnesota |
back A3080 A4Tech X-718BK A4Tech X-748K Emprex M873u Everglide G-1000 Ktec KTM-9500+ Logitech MX518 NZXT Avatar Razer Diamondback Roccat Kova Thermaltake Azurues Thermaltake Azurues Mini A3080E Logitech MX518 2nd Gen. S3088 Razer Diamondback Plasma Razer Krait S3668 Razer Boomslang 2007 CE Razer Deathadder 3G Razer Diamondback 3G Razer Salmosa S3888 Razer Abyssus Razer Abyssus Razer Deathadder 3.5G A3090 Commatech M1 Coolermaster Alcor Coolermaster Recon Coolermaster Spawn Corsair/Raptor Gaming Katar Corsair/Raptor Gaming M30 Corsair/Raptor Gaming M40 Cougar 300m Cougar 400m Cougar 500m EVGA TorQ X3 Func MS-2 GEIL Epic Gear Cyclops Genius Maurus Genius Maurus X Gigabyte Raptor Hama uRage Reaper 3090 I-Rocks IR-7572 I-Rocks M05/IM3 I-Rocks M06 I-Rocks IRMO5-WP NEWMEN GX1-Pro NEWMEN GX1-R "2015 Glare" NEWMEN GX2-Pro NEWMEN GX3-Pro Mad Catz R.A.T. 3 Ninox Aurora Ozone Radon Opto Perixx MX-1800B Puretrak Valor Rapoo V300 Roccat Kone Pure Optical Roccat Savu Sky Digital NMouse 4k Steelseries Kana v2 Tesoro Gungnir H5 Thermaltake Saphira Thermaltake Theron Infrared Zalman ZM-M600R Zowie AM Zowie EC1/2 eVo Zowie FK S3095 Logitech G400 Logitech G400S
Sensor Brand Model " Microsoft BlueTrack" Microsoft Sidewinder X8
Sensor Brand Model VT5366 Hades Ares Black Hades Phorcy H8 Steelseries Kinzu
Sensor Brand Model PAW/PAN3305 A4tech Bloody V2 A4tech Bloody V3 A4tech Bloody V5 / V5M A4tech Bloody V7 / V7M A4tech Bloody V8 / V8M A4tech X-718BK "Rev. 2" A4tech X-748K "Rev.2" Gigabyte M6900 NEWMEN GX1-F NEWMEN GX2 Roccat Kova[+] Roccat Pyra Sharkoon Fireglider Optical Sharkoon M20 Speedlink Prime Z-DW Steelseries Kana Steelseries Kinzu V2 Steelseries WoW Legendary Zowie Mico PAW3307 Cougar 230m
Sensor Brand Model A3050 A4Tech Bloody Blazing A6 A4Tech Bloody Blazing A60 A4Tech Bloody Blazing A70 A4Tech Bloody Blazing A9 A4Tech Bloody Blazing A91 A4Tech Bloody N50 A4Tech Bloody R3a A4Tech Bloody R7a A4Tech Bloody R8a A4Tech Bloody Warrior RT5 A4Tech Bloody Warrior RT62 A4Tech Bloody Winner T5 A4Tech Bloody Winner T6 A4Tech Bloody Winner T7 Asus Espada GT200 Coolermaster Devastator II Coolermaster Octane Coolermaster Xornet Delux M626 Fühlen G90 Cougar 200m Cougar 250m Gamdias Apollo Gamdias Erebos Extension Optical Gamdias Hades Extension GEIL EpicGear Blade GEIL EpicGear Zora Hama uRage Reaper nxt I-Rocks IR-7810R I-Rocks M09 James Donkey 112S NEWMEN GX1-R Oeron MS Ozone Xenon Rapoo V20 Rapoo V200 Rapoo V21 Rapoo V210 Rapoo V22 Rapoo V25 Rapoo V26 Rapoo V29 Reachace VX10 Redimp GM200-A Roccat Kiro Roccat Lua Speedlink Ledos Steelseries Kinzu V3 Sunsonny S-M15 Taidu TSG100 Taidu TSG301 Team Scorpion G-Reaver R2 Tesoro Sharur Spectrum Thermaltake Talon ThunderX3 TM20 ThunderX3 TM25 Turtle Beach Grip 300 V7 GM120 Zalman G12-3050 A3055 Logitech G100 Logitech G300 Logitech G300S Logitech G90 S3059 Steelseries Rival 100
Sensor Brand Model S3988 Asus Gladius Coolermaster Sentinel III Corsair Sabre Optical Corsair Scimitar Cougar 550m EVGA TorQ X5 optical GEIL EpicGear Morpha Gigabyte Aorus M3 Gigabyte XM300 Hori Edge 101 Razer Deathadder 4G Razer Krait 4G Roccat Kone XTD Optical Tesoro Ascalon S3989 Razer Deathadder Chroma PMW3310 Asus Sica Asus Strix Claw Corsair M45 Cougar 450m Cougar 530m Cougar Minos X3 Dreammachines DM1 Pro Dreammachines DM2 Comfy Ducky Secret E-3lue M668 Finalmouse Ergo Finalmouse Tournament Pro Fnatic Flick GEIL EpicGear Cyclops X Genesis Krypton 700 Genius M6-400 Genius M6-600 Hansung GTune M40 Hansung GTune M42 Kingston / HyperX Pulsefire KM-Gaming K-GM1 NEWMEN GX1000 Pro Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X Mionix Avior 7000 Mionix Castor Mionix Naos 7000 MSI Clutch GM40 Natec Genesis GX75 Ozone Exon F60 Origen Ozone Neon M50 QPad 8k Optical Reachace S100 Reachace S100 Firewire Roccat Kone Pure Mil Speedlink Decus Respec Steelseries Rival Steelseries Rival 300 Taidu TSG550 Tesoro Sagitta Spectrum Thermaltake Ventus R Thunder X3 TM30 Thunder X3 TM50 Xtrfy XG-M2 Xtrfy XG-M3 Zowie EC1/2-A Zowie FK-1/1+/2 Zowie ZA Series
Sensor Brand Model AM010 Logitech G100S Logitech G302 Logitech G402 Logitech G602 PMW3320 Akko Mouse Retro Azio EXO1 Coolermaster Xornet II Corsair Harpoon Fühlen CO300 Fühlen CW100 OMG Genesis Xenon 400 Mad Catz R.A.T. 1 Oeron MS2 Ozone Neon 3K QPad DX-20 Rapoo V26S Rapoo V280 Rapoo V28S Rapoo V29S Rapoo V302 Razer Deathadder 3500 Razer Taipan 3500 Razer Turret Roccat Kova 2015 Steelseries Rival Rescuer Trust GXT-170 Heron PMW3329 Razer Abyssus V2 PMW3325 A4Tech Bloody P81 A4Tech Bloody P87 A4Tech Bloody P88 ABKO A600 Delux M626 Fühlen G90 Pro Fühlen G91 Pro Fühlen G93S Genesis Krypton 500 Mad Catz R.A.T. 2+ Oeron MF2 Oeron MS3 Roccat Kone Pure SE Taidu TSG309 Talentech Ember ThunderX3 RM5 Zalman G18-3325
Sensor Brand Model PMW3366 Logitech G303 Logitech G403 Logitech G502 Logitech G703 Logitech G900 Logitech G903 Logitech Pro PMW3360 ABKO A660 ASUS ROG Gladius II Coolermaster MasterMouse Pro L Coolermaster MM520 Coolermaster MM530 Corsair M65 Pro Cougar Minos X5 Cougar Revenger Cougar Revenger S Creative SoundBlasterX Siege M04 DARE-U EM925 Pro "12000DPI" Delux M625 Digital Alliance G Premium Dreammachines DM1 Pro S Finalmouse Scream One GEIL EpicGear Morpha X Havit HV-MS735 Mad Catz R.A.T. 6+ Mad Catz R.A.T. 8 Mad Catz R.A.T. AIR Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X+ MSI Clutch GM70 Newskill Renshi Guang Ninox Astrum Ninox Venator Nixeus Revel Omen by HP Gaming Mouse 600 Ozone Exon F90 Perixx MX-3100 Plugable PM3360 Pwnage Altier Red Square 1337 Speedlink Omnivi Steelseries Rival 500 Steelseries Rival 700 Taidu TSG660 Thermaltake Nemesis Switch Thermaltake Ventus X Optical Trust GXT 188 Laban Zalman G18-3360 Zowie EC1-b Zowie EC2-b PMW3389 Kingston/HyperX Pulsefire Surge Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ Mad Catz R.A.T. X3 Razer Basilisk Razer Deathadder Elite Razer Lancehead TE Razer Naga Trinity PMW3361 Roccat Kone EMP Roccat Kone Pure 2017 Roccat Leadr PMW3367 Corsair Glaive Corsair Scimitar Pro TRUEMOVE 3 esburtz pro juan:juan Steelseries Rival 310 Steelseries Sensei 310 PMW3336 DARE-U EM925 DARE-U EM925 Pro Gamdias Zeus P1 Reachace DM60 Sharkoon Skiller SGM1 PMW3330 Coolermaster MasterMouse S Cougar Surpassion Genesis Krypton 800 Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S+ Mad Catz R.A.T. S3 Modecom MC-GMX4 MSI Clutch GM60 SkyDigital NKEY G007 Steelseries Raw Optical Talentech Ember Pro ThunderX3 AM7 ThunderX3 TM55 PMW3339 Razer Abyssus Elite Razer Jugan TrueMove Juan Steelseries Rival 110 Steelseries Rival 300s
Sensor Brand Model "Mercury" Logitech G102 Logitech G203 "HERO" Logitech G603
Optical Laser (VCSEL)
Sensor Brand Model A6010 A4Tech XL-740K A4Tech XL-747H A4Tech XL-750BK Microsoft Sidewinder Microsoft Sidewinder x3 Microsoft Sidewinder x5 Raidmax Hoorai Sharkoon Fireglider S6006 Logitech G3 Logitech G5 Logitech G7 S6018 Microsoft Habu Razer Copperhead A6090 Cyber Snipa Stinger Gigabyte M8000 Logitech G9 Roccat Kone Steelseries WoW A6098 Hades Eris H2
Sensor Brand Model A9500 Ace of Sweden EDGE 3200 Anyzen G9 Aorus Thunder M7 Asus GX850 Corsair/Raptor Gaming M4 Corsair M60 Corsair M95 Cyber Snipa Silencer EVGA TORQ X3 "Best Buy" Func MS-3 GEIL EpicGear Meduza Genius Deathtaker Gigabyte M6980X Gigabyte M8000X Hewlett-Packard X9000 OMEN Leetgion Heelion Leetgion El'Druin Mionix Naos 5000 Nacon / Big Ben GM-400L Oklick Hunter Ozone Neon Ozone Smog Perixx MX-2000ll Powerlogic Alien G9 Prestigio PMSG1 QPad 5K Revoltec Fightmouse Elite Roccat Kone [+] Sharkoon Darkglider Sharkoon Drakonia Speedlink Decus Speedlink Kudos Speedlink Kudos RS Steelseries Sensei Steelseries Sensei Fnatic Steelseries Sensei RAW, Diablo 3, Blackops II, Guild Wars 2, Heroes of the Storm Steelseries WoW Cataclysm Steelseries Xai Team Scorpion Zealot Tesoro Shrike H2L Thermaltake Black "DTA" Thermaltake Black Element Thermaltake Ventus Thermaltake Ventus X Thermaltake Ventus Z Zalman ZM-GM1 S9500 Dell Alienware TactX Logitech G500 Logitech G700 Logitech G9X A9800 A4Tech Bloody Terminator TL5 A4Tech Bloody Terminator TL6 A4Tech Bloody Terminator TL7 A4Tech Bloody Terminator TL8 A4Tech Bloody Terminator TL9 A-jazz AJ100 Asus GX860 Asus GX950 Asus GX1000 Asus Spatha Coolermaster Havoc Coolermaster Mizar Coolermaster Sentinel Advance II Coolermaster Reaper Corsair M65 Corsair M95 Corsair Sabre Laser Cougar 600m Cougar 700m Dare-U Total excellent soldier armor mouse EVGA TorQ X5 EVGA TorQ X10 Etekcity Scroll Alpha Gamdias Erebos Laser Gamdias Hades Gamdias Zeus GEIL EpicGear Anura Genius Gila Gigabyte Krypton G.Skill Ripjaws MX780 James Donkey 007 Lioncast LM20 Lioncast LM30 Mad Catz R.A.T. 6 Mionix Avior 8200 Mionix Naos 8200 Ozone Argon Patriot V560 Perixx MX-3000 QPad 5K L.E. QPad 8K Laser Rapoo V310 Rapoo V900 Rapoo V910 Roccat Kone Pure Roccat Kone XTD Roccat Tyon Rosewill RGM-1100 Sentey Lumenata Pro Sharkoon Drakonia Black Sharkoon M51 Sharkoon M52 Skillkorp M20 Steelseries Sensei MLG Taidu TSG601 Tesoro Gandiva H1L Tesoro H2LV2 Tesoro Thyrsus Thermaltake Level 10M Thermaltake Volos Thunder X3 TM40 Thunder X3 TM60 Turtle Beach Grip 500 Zalman ZM-GM3 Zalman ZM-GM4 "Knossos" S9808 Logitech G500S Logitech G600 Logitech G700s S9818 Razer Ouroboros Razer Taipan S9819 Razer Taipan
"Optical checkerboard"
Saitek R.A.T. 3 CYONS2001 Mionix Saiph 3200 CYONS1001U Nova Slider X600 CYONS1001U Steelseries Ikari Laser CYONS1001U
"Doppler Shift"
CM Storm Inferno PLN2031 Sentinel/Sentinel Advance PLN2032 Ozone Radon 3K PLN2030 Radon 5K PLN2032 Gigabyte M8600/M8600 v2 PLN2032 Aivia Uranium PLN2032 Razer Imperator PLN2032 Imperator 4G PLN2033 Lachesis PLN2031 Lachesis 3.5G PLN2032 Mamba PLN2032 Mamba 4G PLN2033 Naga/Hex/Epic/Molten/2012 PLN2032 Naga 2013/2014 PLN2034 Orochi PLN2031 Orochi 2013 PLN2033 Spectre PLN2032 Tron PLN2032 Saitek/Mad Catz R.A.T. 3 PLN2030 R.A.T. 5 PLN2031 R.A.T. 5 Refresh PLN2032 R.A.T. 7 PLN2032 R.A.T. 7 Refresh PLN2033 R.A.T. 9 PLN2032 R.A.T. 9 Refresh PLN2033 R.A.T. T.E. PLN2034 R.A.T.M. PLN2033 Tt esports Black "DTG" PLN2031
"Gaming Mice" with Office Sensors (LED and VCSEL)
Asus Cerberus A5050 CM Storm Devastator PAW3309 Cougar Deathfire A5050 Minos X1 A5050 Etekcity Scroll X1 (M555) A5050 Gamdias Demeter A5050 Demeter Laser A5050 Ourea optical PAW3606DL Gigabyte GM-M6800 PAW3101 James Donkey 112 PAN3509 Mad Catz R.A.T. 1 Rev.2 PAW3204 Nacon / Big Ben GM-105 SPCP 168A GM-300 A5050 Ovann 6D 2400dpi SPCP 168A Perixx MX-800 A5050 Redragon M601 CENTROPHORUS A5050 Saitek Cyborg V3 A7550 Sharkoon Shark Force PAN3509 Tesoro Sharur A5050 Zalman ZM-M300 A5050
Credits:
-Skylit, Bullveyr, DeMS, and few people that will go unnamed: You know who you are. Thank you.
-Anyone who has made a contribution to this thread: Sorry If I didn't name you =x
Sources:
Richard L. Owens: Optical mouse technology. Served as a reference for older tech.On Wednesday 24 September we reached a major milestone in Fairphone history: We have Fairphones in stock for the first time ever! That means every single Fairphone pre-ordered in the past five months has been delivered or is on the road. From now on, any Fairphone order placed on our website will be processed in just a couple days and shipped under two weeks.
Thank you… you… you and every one of you that pre-ordered
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we want to once again say THANK YOU to each and every one of our committed community members who pre-ordered a Fairphone. By trusting us with your hard-earned cash before the phone was ready to ship, you have enabled us to keep operating independently, as well as start production.
A look inside the distribution center in the Netherlands.
Shipping within 10 days for new orders – please spread the word
Your order also allowed us to produce stock for the first time ever. That means we can now sell phones in our online shop to anyone who wasn’t prepared to endure that difficult wait at the pre-order stage. The sales of the remaining stock will help fund ongoing projects, as well as new research and activities as we work toward designing the next generation Fairphone device.
Do you know anyone who didn’t buy a Fairphone because they were a little nervous during the pre-order period? Let them know that it’s finally available in our shop – without the long wait.
At the moment, we have a rolling number of phones waiting at our distribution center in the Netherlands. Going forward, we will continue to receive shipments each week from China until all the remaining phones have arrived in the Netherlands. We hope to have sufficient stock for the coming months, but as always, supplies are limited! If you’re ready to commit, it’s better to act fast.
For all orders placed beginning today, we estimate about two days for processing and up to 10 days for delivery (depending on your country of residence). As a friendly reminder, we’re still only shipping within Europe.
Thanks once again for helping us spread the word and reach another turning point. We couldn’t do it without you.Computer Easter eggs
An Easter egg is a term that refers to an undocumented feature or novelty that is in a program that the makers of that program placed in the program for additional fun and credits. Easter eggs are in no way destructive to any software or hardware in the computer and are usually meant for something unique and fun.
Program Easter eggs
Below is a listing of various Easter eggs found in programs.
Adobe Photoshop
Electric Cat - Press and hold Ctrl+Alt and click on the eye on the tool bar.
- Press and hold Ctrl+Alt and click on the eye on the tool bar. Merlin Lives - Press and hold Ctrl+Alt, click on the arrow on the layers box, and choose palette options.
Fax Works:
Squid Alert - Click your logo's manufacturer or logo of faxworks. When the about screen comes up, press and hold Shift+Ctrl and left click on the world until a new picture comes up.
Microsoft Excel:
Excel 97 Flight Sim - In a new worksheet, press F5. Type X97:L97 and press Enter, press the Tab key once. Press and hold the Ctrl+Shift keys and click the Chart Wizard toolbar button, note you must have DirectDraw installed for this Flight Sim with credits to work. To fly, press your hold right to go forward/faster forward, or press and hold the left to backwards or slow down.
Microsoft FrontPage:
Credits - In the Microsoft Front Page Explorer, press and hold Shift and go into help and about 3 times, pressing ok 2 of those times.
Microsoft Word:
Sex in Spell Check - Type "zzzz" without the quotes and press the Spacebar to get the red wavy line to indicate it is spelled incorrectly. Then run spell check and see what it suggests as an option.
Game Easter eggs
Diablo:
Cow Jokes - Start a new game, visit the cows on the eastern part of town. Click on a cow a couple times until something happens, repeat the process and you will get something else, then will repeat after that.
Doom 2:
Programmer's Head - Warp to the last level; type idclip, run through the daemons face and shoot the head to win the last level an alternate way.
Tomb Raider:
Lara and no clothes - During the "Tunnel" round, type "kkooii" at any point, then draw again. Lara will then drop the guns, as well as all her clothes.
Tomb Raider 2:
Lara turning into a monster- Get to level 3 and turn around 5 times, shoot 8 times with the shotgun, jump up 3 times, minimize the Tomb Raider 2 Window, 'dive by with insert 4 times, type in Alt+Tab+Scary, run into a wall and Lara should then turn into a giant dragon.
Warcraft 2:
Hidden Song - Press Enter, type in "disco," and press Enter again.
Other Easter eggs
Palm Pilot:
The below easter eggs have only been tested with the Palm Pilot and Palm Pilot Professional.
Credits - Go into the Memory app, hold the stylus on the "System v. 1.0.2" text in the upper left corner, press the scroll down button
- Go into the Memory app, hold the stylus on the "System v. 1.0.2" text in the upper left corner, press the scroll down button Dos Error Message - In the giraffe typing game, hold the stylus in the upper-right corner, press the "page down" button.
- In the giraffe typing game, hold the stylus in the upper-right corner, press the "page down" button. Guys in tuxedos - Hold the stylus in the lower right corner of the display area, press page up.
- Hold the stylus in the lower right corner of the display area, press. Dancing hula tree - Hit the Help button, then draw the "#" character.
OS Easter eggs
MS-DOS :
Joke - Type msd from the DOS directory (this does not work if in Windows directory); select help, then about and press F1. Note that any DOS after 6.2 (or Windows 95 or later) this Joke will not work.
Windows 3.x :
Picture or Bear - Hold Ctrl+Al+Shift and continue holding through the remainder of the steps. Go to Help from Program Manager and select "About Program Manager." Double-click on one of the four colors on the Windows flag at the upper-right portion of this window. Repeat the above steps twice, clicking on a different color each time (still holding down Ctrl+Alt+Shift). The Windows flag should begin waving. Repeat the above steps once more and you should then get a picture of a person and their name, or possibly a bear. To get the bear, the process sometimes needs to be repeated several times.
Windows 95 :
Windows 95 Main Easter egg - Note: ALL the following are case-sensitive and is typed without the quotes! On the desktop, right-click on the desktop and select New folder. Name the folder "and now, the moment you've all been waiting for" and press Enter. Right-click on the folder again and type "we proudly present for your viewing pleasure" and press Enter. Right-click on the folder again and rename it to "The Microsoft Windows 95 Product Team!" and press Enter. Open the folder to see the Easter egg.
- Note: ALL the following are case-sensitive and is typed without the quotes! On the desktop, right-click on the desktop and select New folder. Name the folder "and now, the moment you've all been waiting for" and press Enter. Right-click on the folder again and type "we proudly present for your viewing pleasure" and press Enter. Right-click on the folder again and rename it to "The Microsoft Windows 95 Product Team!" and press Enter. Open the folder to see the Easter egg. Various Volcanoes - For this to work, you must have Windows 95 OSR2. Right-click on the desktop, click Properties, then click on the Settings tab. Choose 3-D text as the screen saver and click on Settings. In the text box, type "volcano" and click OK.
- For this to work, you must have Windows 95 OSR2. Right-click on the desktop, click, then click on the Settings tab. Choose 3-D text as the screen saver and click on Settings. In the text box, type "volcano" and click OK. Hide the Start button - Press Ctrl+Esc, let go and press Esc, press Alt+- (minus). Move the arrow up to Close and press Enter. Once the start has vanished, to get it back, press Alt+Ctrl+Del, end task Explorer, which will bring up your Shutdown window. Press your Esc key once and wait. It will then bring up a message saying that Explorer is not responding. Press Cancel and your Start should be back. If, by some chance, it is not back, press Alt+Ctrl+Del two times or until it reboots. Once it starts back into Windows, the Start will be shown again.
Windows NT:Speaking at the University of Tennessee on Wednesday night, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro had a ready answer when he was asked by a young woman whether leftist feminist women should feel "disenfranchised" by the recent revelations of rampant sexual abuse in Hollywood. Shapiro criticized the Left for their insistence that men should abandon their traditional roles as protectors of women, noting that the concept of teaching men not to rape was an illusory remedy for the problem of sexual abuse, proffering the idea that men need to be given positive role models who could act as guides for boys before they turn into men, and slamming the current climate in which sex is viewed as transactional.
The young woman prompted Shapiro's reply with this question: "Do you think that women who voted for Hillary, women who have strongly defended the feminist movement and supported the Left are feeling disenfranchised given the current climate of sexual brutality and oppression brought to light in Hollywood recently?"
Shapiro responded:
So I think that people have a willingness to blind themselves to facts that they don’t want to see. And so what I’ve seen a lot is people saying, "Well, the problem with sexual harassment isn’t unique to Hollywood and has nothing to do with our culture regarding sex, the leftist culture regarding sex. No, it has to do generally, with men. It has to do generally with American society; it has to do generally with power relationships."
It’s funny how everybody is willing to generalize as soon as their ox is gored. As soon as the Left sees, "Wait, our culture, our feminist culture that we said that we were going to promulgate and was going to protect women hasn’t protected women nearly at all," then all of a sudden it turns into, “Well, it’s not us that’s sinned. It’s men that sin.”
I’ve been getting a lot of this online in the last couple of days: “It’s you men who haven’t stood up.” And I keep saying, “What do you want me to do and I’ll do it. Really, what do you want me to do?” If you show me a rapist like Harvey Weinstein allegedly is, then I will say, "send him to jail or castrate him." This is not difficult. But if you just say to me, “You don’t acknowledge the rape culture,” again, I need you to define that and I need you to explain to me what I did. Like, really? I didn’t do anything, and I think the vast majority of people in this room didn’t do anything, and if they did do something then maybe people should report it to the police because that seems to me the best way to root out evil, is to actually have law enforcement get involved.
So the question of what the Left is doing about this, do they feel disenfranchised? No, I think they’re just going to blame the same people they always blame because we’re all in our own little bubbles. Should they feel disenfranchised? 100%. Because in a society that treats sex as transactional, in a society that basically reduces sex to a physical transaction that is based solely on consent, it makes it very difficult to explain why it is that the casting couch in Hollywood is bad, per se.
Feminist theory says that it's bad because of power imbalances, but the sort of libertarian culture of the Left suggests that power imbalance doesn’t have anything to do with it. If I feel like trading my body for a part in a movie, well, that’s my business. And if you say differently then you’re slut-shaming me. You can’t really have it both ways; either it’s bad or it’s not bad.
And if we are going to fight sexual harassment and sexual assault, it seems to me that we have to do a couple of things; one: we have to reinvest sex with value beyond just a physical transaction. It’s not just two people who are getting each other’s rocks off; it actually means something beyond that, there’s a relationship attached to it; and beyond that, I think that we need to reinculcate in men themselves, not just the “teach men not to rape” routine, like again, that’s such a weird concept. When I was 11, my dad didn’t sit me down and say, “Son, don’t rape people.” (laughter) If you have to teach your child that, my guess is that you’ve got a bigger problem than that on your hands. What my dad taught me was to be a gentleman, and to treat women with respect.
And that has to do with being a gentleman and recognizing differences in sex roles. Because one of the things that’s happened is that traditional masculinity, the idea that it’s a man’s job to protect women, this is one of our jobs, as human beings, as men, to protect women, the feminist movement doesn’t like that.
Well, then you can’t blame us for not protecting women if you don’t want us to protect women. I want to protect women; I think men should protect women. I think one of the reasons God put Man on earth is to protect women. Okay, well, then it is incumbent on me to protect women, but if you’re telling me that I can’t even open the door for a woman because it is now an offense to her honor, and if I say that it’s Man’s job to protect women that this is somehow reinforcing gender stereotypes, then don’t come whining to me when bad stuff happens. Because the answer to bad behavior is good behavior; the answer to vice is virtue. The answer to vice isn’t just yelling and hash-tagging crap.Picture of how our climate is affected by greenhouse gases is a 'cloudy' one
Related images
(click to enlarge)
The warming effect of human-induced greenhouse gases is a given, but to what extent can we predict its future influence? That is an issue on which science is making progress, but the answers are still far from exact, say researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the US and Australia who have studied the issue and whose work which has just appeared in the journal Science. Indeed, one could say that the picture is a "cloudy" one, since the determination of the greenhouse gas effect involves multifaceted interactions with cloud cover.
To some extent, aerosols -- particles that float in the air caused by dust or pollution, including greenhouse gases -- counteract part of the harming effects of climate warming by increasing the amount of sunlight reflected from clouds back into space. However, the ways in which these aerosols affect climate through their interaction with clouds are complex and incompletely captured by climate models, say the researchers. As a result, the radiative forcing (that is, the disturbance to Earth's "energy budget" from the sun) caused by human activities is highly uncertain, making it difficult to predict the extent of global warming.
And while advances have led to a more detailed understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions and their effects on climate, further progress is hampered by limited observational capabilities and coarse climate models, says Prof. Daniel Rosenfeld of the Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of the article in Science. Rosenfeld wrote this article in cooperation with Dr. Steven Sherwood of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Dr. Robert Wood of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Dr. Leo Donner of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration..
Their recent studies have revealed a much more complicated picture of aerosol-cloud interactions than considered previously. Depending on the meteorological circumstances, aerosols can have dramatic effects of either increasing or decreasing the cloud sun-deflecting effect, the researchers say. Furthermore, little is known about the unperturbed aerosol level that existed in the preindustrial era. This reference level is very important for estimating the radiative forcing from aerosols.
Also needing further clarification is the response of the cloud cover and organization to the loss of water by rainfall. Understanding of the formation of ice and its interactions with liquid droplets is even more limited, mainly due to poor ability to measure the ice-nucleating activity of aerosols and the subsequent ice-forming processes in clouds.
Explicit computer simulations of these processes even at the scale of a whole cloud or multi-cloud system, let alone that of the planet, require hundreds of hours on the most powerful computers available. Therefore, a sufficiently accurate simulation of these processes at a global scale is still impractical.
Recently, however, researchers have been able to create groundbreaking simulations in which models were formulated presenting simplified schemes of cloud-aerosol interactions, This approach offers the potential for model runs that resolve clouds on a global scale for time scales up to several years, but climate simulations on a scale of a century are still not feasible. The model is also too coarse to resolve many of the fundamental aerosol-cloud processes at the scales on which they actually occur. Improved observational tests are essential for validating the results of simulations and ensuring that modeling developments are on the right track, say the researchers.
While it is unfortunate that further progress on understanding aerosol-cloud interactions and their effects on climate is limited by inadequate observational tools and models, achieving the required improvement in observations and simulations is within technological reach, the researchers emphasize, provided that the financial resources are invested. The level of effort, they say, should match the socioeconomic importance of what the results could provide: lower uncertainty in measuring human-made climate forcing and better understanding and predictions of future impacts of aerosols on our weather and climate.Basic Fireworks Tutorial Using Photoshop
Photoshop Lighten Mode
Blending Fireworks
Knowing that many of you will be out shooting New Years fireworks tomorrow night, I figured this would be a perfect time to share a small firework blending tutorial. This is a method that can be used in many different circumstances. We will go through the process using my firework shots from last New Years in San Francisco.
This process requires a sturdy tripod and multiple exposures taken from the same position that we will blend later in Photoshop. The first thing to do is to get your base exposure before the show starts. (Canon 5D MK III and Canon 17-40mm f/4 L Settings: f/18 – ISO 200 – 60 Seconds, but this can change, depends how you want to shoot it) Expose the city scape to your pleasing. Fireworks tend to be brighter than the ambient city light. So if we expose for the city the fireworks will probably be blown out when a lot go off in the same place, and if you expose for the fireworks, the city will be underexposed.
During the actual fireworks show, I set my camera on bulb mode and went off feel to expose for just the fireworks. (Settings: f/11 – ISO 400 – Bulb so anywhere from.1 to 1 second shots. I go off feel for how big the firework was. You could also set your fstop around f/5 to f/8, I might recommend that better) Make sure you don’t move your camera, zoom, tripod or setup throughout the show. Layering will be a lot easier for a more natural bend if the camera remains undisturbed.
Here is my shot exposing for the city, don’t mind the crop as I will crop later to get rid of the bottom right corner. I did touch this shot up a bit before hand with Lightroom though. Did some basic exposure, contrast, white balance, highlights, shadows and lens corrections. Start by opening this shot up in Adobe Photoshop.
Shot exposing for the fireworks
Open this shot in Photoshop as well and bring it into the photoshop file with the main shot. Make sure the fireworks are on the top layer and that is the layer selected. You will then select “lighten” from the drop down menu as shown below.
You should notice that only the bright areas of the photo show, aka the fireworks. If the photos where not lined up the same, you will notice that lights from the bridge or buildings show a doubling (3D) effect, you can fix an issue like this by creating a mask and painting out all the ares around the fireworks, or by erasing everything around the firework area.
I then found a few other shots which I thought would fit well with the overall image. Shown below are the three images I chose. I can now put each of them above the other two layers and also set them to “lighten” mode. The first thing you will notice is that one firework is hidden behind the others in a not so pleasing way. Because I am already photoshopping this shot, why not move things around to make it visually more pleasing. So I move them around and even add an extra one sometimes to create your own little firework show. Why not?
Firework shot #1
Firework shot #2
Firework shot #3
At the very end I decided that the main shot was a bit to bright so I brought down the brightness and played |
one of my all time favourites), it shows for sure. For example, the targetting system and the sounds it makes seem very similair. For me it's a good thing, it's certainly not copying it, but it has a very familiar feel to it. It also has elements of Battlestar Galactica in it too (the newer version), a certain mission in an asteroid field felt very similar to an episode involving a certain Cylon Raider, your ship in this mission also somewhat resembles a Viper.
Considering how much I've missed playing a decent space shooter, ASTROKILL might just be able to plug that little hole for me.
It's not often I come off so overwhelmingly impressed by an Early Access game, but ASTROKILL feels really quite amazing. The action is intense, the controls feel like they should and it's pretty damn exciting.
I did encounter one bug, where the controls randomly inverted by themselves. I had to invert them in the settings and then undo it to fix it. Minor issue, but apart from that it seems fine.
I have to hand it to the developer, they've really put in the effort in this one, I think they're well worth supporting. You can see their full changelog for the recent update here.
Thanks to the "King in the North" for gifting me a copy.Get the biggest Weekday Swansea City FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Leon Britton has confirmed that Wilfried Bony will miss Swansea City's Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool over the festive period due to a hamstring injury.
The Ivorian had to be replaced by Tammy Abraham in the fifth minute of the Swans' 3-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night after suffering the leg problem.
And caretaker manager Britton has revealed that Bony is set to be out for between seven and 10 days, meaning he may not feature for the Swans until the New Year.
"He’s got a hamstring strain, it will be about seven to 10 days so we will see how we go," said Britton.
"Maybe he has an outside chance of Watford but that might be pushing it."
And discussing the possibility of naming himself in the starting lineup when Roy Hodgson's side come to South Wales this Saturday, club stalwart Britton responded: "I can, but I have a calf injury."
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Bony's latest injury comes as a huge blow to the Swans who have scored just 10 goals in 18 Premier League matches so far this season.
The 28-year-old got off the mark during his second spell with the Swans as he netted the opener in a 2-1 defeat to his former club Stoke at the bet365 Stadium earlier this month.
He followed that up with a crucial strike to secure a 1-0 win against West Brom at the Liberty Stadium on December 9 but was substituted in both of the defeats to Man City and Everton.
Elsewhere, central defender Kyle Bartley returned to training earlier this month following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, although he is unlikely to feature for the Swans over Christmas.Loskarn was a top Senate aide until Dec. 11. | Courtesy, AP Photo | Courtesy Judge explains Loskarn ruling
A federal judge overseeing the child pornography case against an ex-Senate chief of staff on Tuesday gave an explanation on why he believes releasing Jesse Ryan Loskarn from custody earlier this month was a “tolerable risk.”
In a two-page court document filed Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola wrote that court restrictions on Loskarn’s Internet access and enrollment in a high-intensity supervision program “will reduce to a tolerable risk the danger he presents.” Loskarn was released on his own recognizance Dec. 16 after being arrested five days prior on child pornography accusations.
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“Moreover, the defendant, an education man who held a senior staff position in the United States Senate, surely appreciates now, if he did not appreciate it before, how law enforcement can track those who download child pornography from the Internet,” Facciola said.
( PHOTOS: Lamar Alexander’s top aide investigated for child porn)
“I concluded, therefore, that the risk of his resuming the downloading of child pornography is not great,” he continued in the memorandum filed Tuesday afternoon.
Facciola said pre-trial limits on Web access for Loskarn were appropriate even though a federal appeals court panel in Washington rejected similar restrictions for a convicted offender in a case decided earlier this month. The judge noted that Loskarn had consented to the Internet ban, and that it was imposed on a pre-trial basis pending the case’s outcome.
Federal prosecutors have “what appears to be a very strong case” against Loskarn, Facciola added in the memorandum.
Loskarn, who was Sen. Lamar Alexander’s (R-Tenn.) top aide until his arrest Dec. 11 on child pornography allegations, has been living with his parents in Sykesville, Md, since his release. The Justice Department has accused Loskarn of sharing and possessing child pornography for several years.
As a condition of his release, Loskarn is banned from Internet access and must wear an ankle bracelet. His parents, Chuck and Laura, have said the only Internet-capable devices in their home are password-protected iPads.
The judge has also approved a 30-day delay on a deadline for a grand jury indictment on child pornography charges in the Loskarn case. The original target date was Jan. 11, 2014, but that’s now been pushed back to Feb. 10.
The delay was requested because of the holiday season and attorneys would not be in the office for much of late December and early January.
“Much of the forensic work has not yet been completed and the defense has not yet been provided any substantive discovery,” lawyers wrote in a court document filed Dec. 18. That filing also indicated that attorneys were looking into the “possibility of a pre-indictment disposition.”
Pam Satterfield, one of Loskarn’s attorneys, declined to comment Tuesday on Facciola’s memo.
Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
This article tagged under: Scandals
Ryan LoskarnNo conference has taken it on the chin more during the era of realignment than Conference USA and this week's news of the league's paltry new TV contract is a potential death blow.
Harry Minium of the The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., reported details of C-USA's new TV deal on Tuesday. C-USA programs will receive $200,000 annually as part of the new two-year contract after previously getting $1.1 million.
Only the Sun Belt Conference has a worse TV contract with each of its schools getting $100,000.
The Mid-American Conference, which has long been considered a notch below C-USA in terms of competition, has a TV deal that earns its members $800,000. The American Athletic Conference schools get $2 million each and the Mountain West comes in at $1.7 million per program.
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According to the The Virginian-Pilot report, C-USA schools are set to share $20.5 million in revenue this year, a major drop in the projected $34.4 million.
C-USA will receive a decent bump in exposure in a new TV deal that includes ESPN, CBS Sports Network, beIN SPORTS and American Sports Network, but the money payoff has to be depressing for the league's athletic directors. The deal was negotiated at the worst possible time due to a shrinking cable subscriber base. The new TV contract was supposed to take a hit, but few expected it to be that small.
C-USA delivered Top 25 teams in football the last two years, produced men's basketball teams that won NCAA Tournament games the last two seasons and sent four squads to the NCAA baseball tournament this year. That all matters little in the eyes of cable TV executives.
On the field, C-USA is doing fine. Off the field, it is struggling.
C-USA was once considered the top non-power conference in football and regularly flirted with major conference status in men's basketball when its membership consisted of programs like Memphis, Cincinnati, Marquette and Louisville.
Those days are long gone and news of the minuscule TV contract begs the question - Is Conference USA worth saving?
Geographic mess
In its current form, C-USA is an awkward 14-team league that stretches from El Paso, Texas, to Norfolk, Va. That's a 2,000-mile gap between the campuses of UTEP and Old Dominion.
C-USA's membership consists of programs still trying to gain relevance after making the recent jump to FBS, former Sun Belt members and others frustrated they can't take at least one step up to either the Mountain West or American.
It's gotten to the point where it makes no sense for UTEP to send its softball team to Marshall in Huntington, W.Va., for a three-game series, or vice versa.
With the cost of big time athletics on the rise and C-USA's revenues shrinking, it's hard to see the league going forward in its current form for the long run.
In my view, there are only two options for C-USA in this situation:
1. Dissolve as members form their own regional conferences.
2. Devour the Sun Belt to form a conference not that different from the defunct project from four years ago that was supposed to be the merger of C-USA and the Mountain West.
Under the first option, C-USA's two charter members, Southern Miss and UAB, could get together and convince schools like Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky to leave the conference. Those five schools could form a more regional outfit that includes Sun Belt programs like Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette and South Alabama. Georgia Southern and Troy could be thrown into the mix. (That would make for a fun conference baseball tournament in Biloxi, right?)
There is no longer a need to have 12 members to have a football title game so a 10-team league would suffice.
A new Conference USA
The second option of merging with the Sun Belt may be the best option to preserve Conference USA while also cutting down on travel and creating more regional rivalries. This would also lead to more hands in a shallow revenue pool, but it's not that big of a deal when you're not getting much money to begin with.
The C-USA/MWC merger was supposed to include 18 to 24 universities that would be separated into regional divisions. You could see something similar in a C-USA/Sun Belt merger that includes 24 schools separated into four divisions.
Here's how one hypothetical C-USA could look like following a merger:
WEST - Texas-San Antonio, Rice, North Texas, Arkansas State, Texas State, UTEP.
MID-SOUTH - Southern Miss, UAB, Louisiana Tech, WKU, Middle Tennessee, UL-Lafayette.
SOUTHEAST - South Alabama, Troy, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Florida International, Florida Atlantic.
ATLANTIC - Marshall, Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte, Appalachian State, UMass.
UMass would be a football-only member, but that could easily be resolved by including either Texas-Arlington or Arkansas-Little Rock, a pair of Sun Belt schools that don't feature football programs.
The teams could have an eight-game conference slate that includes five divisional games and one locked in cross-over game such as Southern Miss-South Alabama or Arkansas State-Louisiana Tech. The other two conference games would rotate each season.
A massive conference that includes 24 to 28 teams seems extremely awkward and probably not worth the outcome.
So we're back to No. 1. Conference USA would likely be better off splitting up and allowing teams to form their own common sense regional lineups. This would probably result in more programs dropping down to FCS like Idaho did earlier this year, but contraction may be the best thing to happen to the FBS field at this point.
I'm not saying that Conference USA is breaking up tomorrow or five years from now, but there has to be a discussion on whether it's healthy enough to go forward in its current edition.
Contact Patrick Magee at pmagee@sunherald.com, follow him on Twitter at @Patrick_Magee and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MageeOnSportsOn Wednesday, Mike Dickinson, a Virginia Democrat running to replace Eric Cantor, R-Va., in the House of Representatives, compared gun owners to children in a message on Twitter. Earlier in the day, he said guns should be “titled” and registered just like cars.
“Gun owners are like little kids right now. They all the rights but none of the responsibility (sic). With rights comes responsibility,” he tweeted.
One person said Dickinson should either “quit huffing paint thinner or quit twitter.”
“Reading your tweets is like watching Idiocracy,” added “Chair Force One.”
Trending: You’d never guess from all her crowing, but AOC didn’t come up with the Green New Deal
One person, however, expressed hope he would win the election “so you can use ARMED Govt agents to disarm these gun owners.” We were informed by email that individual was being facetious with his comment.
In another tweet, Dickinson said that anyone who sells a gun should be responsible if that weapon is used in a crime, making a comparison to bar owners who sell alcohol to those who drink and drive.
“If you as a private person sell someone a gun and it is used in a crime you should be held civilly responsible,” he said.
“If you sell a gun and it ends up being used in a crime or shooting- you should be held responsible,” he wrote in another message.
“Gun retailers should be as well if a gun is used in crime,” he added in another tweet.
Dickinson, however, said he is not for “removing guns,” but compared them “to the norovirus” and made it clear he wants them to be treated like vehicles, and all sellers held responsible for actions taken after the sale.
He also suggested every state have the same gun control laws.
“If every state had same gun control laws, America would be healthy. However we do not. We have some sick states that get everyone else ill,” he tweeted.
He also went after the NRA, saying the organization should fight for abortion and LGBT rights since it supports freedom.
Recently, Dickinson attacked Fox News and suggested the FCC “monitor and regulate” the network.
Since that report, Dickinson has agreed to debate this writer on Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. Pacific time, here.
Related:
For your convenience, you may leave commments below using either the Spot.IM commenting system or the Facebook commenting system. If Spot.IM is not appearing for you, please disable AdBlock to leave a comment.Russia's Federation Council has approved a bill that would prohibit the use of Internet proxy services -- including virtual private networks, or VPNs.
The bill approved on July 25 would also ban the anonymous use of mobile messaging services.
The bill was adopted in its final reading by the lower house of the parliament, the State Duma, on July 21.
It now goes to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into the law.
If signed by the president, the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2018. That is less than three months before a presidential election in which Putin is widely expected to seek and win a new six-year term.
Under the bill, Internet providers would be ordered to block websites that offer VPNs and other proxy services. Russians frequently use such websites to access blocked content by routing connections through servers abroad.
The legislation also would require messenger apps to verify users through their phone numbers and to send out compulsory text messages from government agencies on request.
Lawmakers who promoted the bill said it is needed to prevent the spread of extremist material and ideas.
Critics say Putin's government often uses that justification to suppress political dissent.
Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and MeduzaFirst Look: Bloodshot Reborn #12
First Look: Bloodshot Reborn #12
We’ve got your first look at the next installment of Bloodshot Reborn written by Jeff Lemire with artwork from Lewis LaRosa.
Bloodshot Reborn #12 is presented in the deluxe Valiant Prestige format. The story follows Bloodshot 30 years into the future where he teams-up with an aged Ninjak to lead an assault on the fortified ramparts of Los Angeles in 2046 in order to discover the secret that transformed the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Not only will the two heroes attempt to breach the walls of Los Angeles, but they will also face off against marauding bands of Shadowmen and the deadly X-O Manowar armor drones. Bloodshot will face steep odds as his technology is no longer top of the line.
More from Bounding Into Comics
The two will also encounter the Man in the White Tower who might just be responsible for this extraordinarily dangerous post-apocalyptic future.
Bloodshot Reborn #12 will come with a number of variant covers from Ryan Bodenheim (FEB161896), Phil Jimenez (FEB161897), Jeffrey Veregge (FEB161898), Tula Lotay (FEB161899), and Roberto De La Torre (FEB161900).
Bloodshot Reborn #12 hits comic book shelves on April 20, 2016. The final order cutoff is March 28, 2016.
(Visited 374 times, 1 visits today)Such an outcome would confront the Obama administration with a potentially nettlesome political problem heading into next year’s midterm elections. After the government unleashed $787 billion to stimulate economic growth, and after it bailed out financial institutions and the auto industry, the unemployment rate exceeds worst-case projections envisioned by the administration early this year.
On Friday, Jared Bernstein, the top economic adviser to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., said the picture would look far worse were it not for the stimulus spending. He added that more help was on the way as the government distributed the remaining two-thirds of the package.
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“Our interventions have contributed to significant cuts in the rate of job loss,” Mr. Bernstein said. “We’re headed in the right direction, but we’re far from out of the woods. There are simply too many Americans seeking work.”
If the jobless rate continues to climb, as is widely expected, that could generate pressure for another stimulus spending package. But given intensifying concern about the size of federal budget deficits — now projected to exceed $9 trillion within a decade — any new spending could be politically perilous.
The latest snapshot of the nation’s labor situation testified to the drastic improvement since early this year, when nearly 700,000 jobs a month were disappearing. Yet it also underscored the continued bleakness of the economic landscape.
“It’s a good picture compared to where we were, which was just a free fall,” said Dean Baker, a director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. “But compared to anything else, this is just a horrible report. The rate of decline is slowing, but it’s not going to stop. We’re likely on a path toward more than 10 percent unemployment.”
Most economists see recent improvements as the result of pulling away from the disaster of last fall — when the investment giant Lehman Brothers collapsed, spreading fear throughout the financial system — and not a sign of vigorous growth ahead.
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After years of borrowing against soaring home values, tapping credit cards and harvesting stock market winnings to spend in excess of their incomes, millions of households are being forced to conserve. That limits consumer spending, which makes up 70 percent of the nation’s economy. And that makes businesses that might otherwise hire and expand more inclined to hunker down.
“Household balance sheets are shot,” Mr. Ruskin said. From here, spending “has to come from income, and income has to come from employment, and at this juncture it looks like employment will only improve very slowly.”
The unemployment rate is up from 9.4 percent in July, when the economy lost 276,000 jobs.
The jobs report underscored the broad reach of the labor crisis, which has imposed austerity even on those still employed. In the last year, average weekly earnings have increased by only 0.8 percent — a decline, after factoring in the rising cost of goods. So many companies have trimmed working hours that paychecks have shrunk.
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The so-called underemployment rate — which counts the jobless along with those working part time because their hours have been cut or they cannot find full-time jobs — reached 16.8 percent in August.
In recent months, the economy has benefited from a slowdown in the pace at which businesses have slashed inventories, prompting factories to expand production. Auto sales have been aided by the cash-for-clunkers program, which gave buyers incentives to trade in cars. Home sales have been stimulated by a tax credit for first-time homebuyers, an inducement that expires in November.
After those programs wear off, the nation may again confront a fundamentally weak economy.
“Everybody is looking around saying, ‘Where is a robust recovery going to come from?’ and not finding it,” said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the labor-oriented Economic Policy Institute in Washington. “We’re going to have elevated unemployment for four years to come.”
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In Williamsburg, Va., Ginny Hoover, 49, has remained unemployed since she lost her job at a pharmaceutical company in November 2007. She has maxed out her credit cards and borrowed money from friends. She broke her apartment lease and moved in with her boyfriend. But other than an offer to sell insurance door-to-door for commissions only, she has found no work.
“I thought maybe a month or two and I’d have another job,” Ms. Hoover said. “I never would have guessed that it would be as brutal as it was out there.”
Despite increased factory production, manufacturing shed 63,000 jobs in August. Construction lost 65,000 jobs. Health care remained a rare bright spot, adding nearly 28,000 jobs.
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“I don’t think businesses will hire back anytime soon,” said Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics. “Companies are rewarded by the stock markets for not hiring and keeping their costs down. We will see another jobless recovery.”
In Delray Beach, Fla., Donna Angelillo lost her job as a property manager in May and quickly exhausted her savings. Her $1,000 monthly unemployment check does not cover her $1,030 monthly rent.
Jobs are scarce, she said. Past-due bills are abundant.
“I don’t have September rent, but right now I’m more concerned about the electricity,” she said. “Either today or tomorrow, they’re going to shut it off. I’m getting desperate.”(CNN) -- The mother of an 8-year-old boy suspected in the shooting deaths of his father and another man said Monday that the youngster "loved his dad" and had a strong relationship with him.
"He's a very good little boy," Eryn Bloomfield said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "What happened to being innocent until proven guilty?"
For legal reasons, Bloomfield -- who is identified in court papers as Eryn Thomas -- could not discuss details of the case. She said she is not even allowed to discuss the case with her son.
Prosecutors in Apache County, Arizona, filed a motion Friday to dismiss one of the two murder charges against the boy -- the charge involving the death of his father. The filing gave no explanation, saying only, "The state believes the interest of justice will be served by such a dismissal."
Authorities last week released a videotape of the boy's police interview in which he initially denied any involvement in the shootings, but later said he had shot his already-wounded father "because he was suffering." Watch the boy talk to police »
Legal questions surround the interview. One of the boy's defense attorneys said he was not read his rights and had no attorney or parent present. Police have not responded publicly to those complaints.
Asked what she heard on the interview tape, Bloomfield responded, "A scared little boy, that's what I hear -- someone who's very afraid of what's going on."
"He had a very good relationship with his father. He did a lot with him," she said. "They did everything together. He loved his dad."
She described her son as "very outgoing. He loves animals. He likes to ride his dirt bike, skateboarding, you know, outdoor things."
Asked if he's ever been in trouble at school, she replied, "No. Not at all. I mean, acting out as far as not raising your hand when he needs to speak -- you know, just normal stuff like that."
The boy lived with his father, Vincent Romero, 29, in St. Johns, Arizona. Bloomfield lives in Mississippi.
The Apache County Superior Court clerk's office said the latest legal agreement between the boy's parents was from April 2006. The mother had weekly visitation rights and had the boy on some weekends and holidays, according to court documents.
Romero and Tim Romans, who rented a room in Romero's home, were found dead inside the house November 5. Police said the next day that the boy had confessed to shooting the men with a.22-caliber weapon. Watch why observers find the interrogation troubling »
The killings shook the town of about 4,000 residents near the New Mexico border.
Trying to hold back tears, Bloomfield told ABC that her son is scared and living alone at a juvenile detention center. The other children were removed so that older juveniles could not influence him "in the wrong way," she said.
"So he's in there by himself, in his cell by himself," she said.
Authorities have said the boy is attending school at the detention facility. Apache County Court Administrator Betty Smith said earlier this month, "Every effort is being made to see that he's comfortable."
Bloomfield described heart-wrenching visits -- 30 minutes each day -- when she can speak to her son through a glass partition.
"I get two visits with him that are physical visits -- to where we sit in a room and he will come and sit in my lap pretty much the whole time and hold onto me," she added.
She will be allowed 48 hours with him at home over the Thanksgiving holiday, she said.
"We're going to watch movies, play games, try to keep things normal as possible," she said, adding that the boy had picked out the movie "Kung Fu Panda."
Officials from the juvenile detention center and a court-appointed guardian will be present during the visit, Smith said. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, Judge Michael Roca warned the media not to contact the juvenile.
"The minor is off-limits," he said, according to the newspaper. "I think common decency should protect him, but, just in case, he is not to be contacted."
Asked what she'll say to him on Thanksgiving, Bloomfield answered, "I tell him every day that I love him, and I don't know how much more I can express that, but I definitely plan on doing that -- just to let him know that I'm here for him and how much I do love him."
All About Murder and Homicide • ArizonaIn February the EMDrive V6 has been under test on the Technical University Dresden.
As the pretest-board didn´t output the expected power, I made a quick redesign right before the test date.
The output after a day in vacuum was around 500mW, that´s "only" 3dB less than the desired 1000mW. Not so bad for a simple 4-Layer board.
Here is the board inside the scale box:
I am not allowed to publish detailed results, but some information upfront:
The thermal drift was much bigger than the possible thrust - anyway the force is depending on the frequency and seems - I say seems because that´ s only a quick observation - to be proportional to the amplitude of the resonance peaks.
I was only able to spend two days in Dresden so the following long duration tests has been made without my presence.
Possible forces are lower than 0.1µN, it´s still not 100% to say without eliminating the thermal drift, so we have to wait until this problem is solved.
The thermal drift shows always in the same direction and disturbs the interesting signal into uncertainty. So thrust is not confirmed but also not busted yet.
From my side - the Baby EMDrive is completed, unless an affordable amplifier with a significantly higher power appears.
There is an IAC abstract from Prof. Tajmar submitted about this EMDrive with details available on the conference beeing held in September this year in Australia.
Thanx to the many interesting discussions and suggestions.
Special thanx go to Prof. Tajmar, Matthias Koessling and Marcel Weikert for making the measurements possible, and Dave, who boosted the project by financial help - hope we get some thrust out of it so we can send it to space.William IV (German: Wilhelm IV; 13 November 1493 – 7 March 1550) was Duke of Bavaria from 1508 to 1550, until 1545 together with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria. He was born in Munich to Albert IV and Kunigunde of Austria, a daughter of Emperor Frederick III.
Political activity [ edit ]
William IV of Bavaria
Though his father had determined the everlasting succession of the firstborn prince in 1506, his younger brother Louis refused a spiritual career with the argument that he was born before the edict became valid. With support of his mother and the States-General, Louis forced William to accept him as co-regent in 1516. Louis then ruled the districts of Landshut and Straubing, in general in concord with his brother.
William initially sympathized with the Reformation but changed his mind as it grew more popular in Bavaria. In 1522 William issued the first Bavarian religion mandate, banning the promulgation of Martin Luther's works. After an agreement with Pope Clement VII in 1524 William became a political leader of the German Counter reformation, although he remained in opposition to the Habsburgs since his brother Louis X claimed the Bohemian crown. Both dukes also suppressed the peasant uprising in South Germany in an alliance with the archbishop of Salzburg in 1525.
The conflict with Habsburg ended in 1534 when both dukes reached an agreement with Ferdinand I in Linz. William then supported Charles V in his war against the Schmalkaldic League in 1546, but however did not succeed in preserving the Palatine electoral dignity. William's chancellor for 35 years was the forceful Leonhard von Eck.
Cultural activity [ edit ]
On 23 April 1516, before a committee consisting of gentry and knights in Ingolstadt, William issued his famous purity regulation for the brewing of Bavarian Beer, stating that only barley, hops, and water could be used. This regulation remained in force until it was abolished as a binding obligation in 1986 by Paneuropean regulations of the European Union.
In 1523 with the appointment of Ludwig Senfl began the rise of the Bavarian State Orchestra. Of particular importance is the Eckbibel Johann Eck wrote on behalf of William, a biblical translation from 1537, which is theologically directly against Luther and therefore belongs to the Catholic correction bibles. It is also significant in terms of linguistics because it is not written in the East German Saxon, but in Bavarian Upper German.
William was a significant collector and commissioner of art. Among other works he commissioned an important suite of paintings from various artists, including the Battle of Issus by Albrecht Altdorfer. This, like most of William's collection, is now housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. With his order to expand the Neuveste with the so-called Rundstubenbau and to set up the first Court Garden began the history of the Munich Residenz as a representative palace. To the history cycle of the garden pavilion belonged Albrecht Altdorfer's painting. In 1546, he and his son Albert V ordered the construction of Dachau Palace from a Gothic ruin into a Renaissance style four-winged palace with a court garden which later became the favored residence of the rulers of Bavaria.
William died in 1550 in Munich and was succeeded by his son Albert. He is buried in the Frauenkirche in Munich.
Family and children [ edit ]
Maria Jacobäa von Baden, wife of Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria ( Hans Schöpfer I
In 1522 William married Jakobaea of Baden (1507–1580), a daughter of Margrave Philip I of Baden and his consort Princess Elisabeth of Palatinate; they had four children:
Theodor of Bavaria (10 February 1526 – 8 July 1534) Duke Albert V of Bavaria (1528–1579) Wilhelm of Bavaria (17 February 1529 – 22 October 1530) Mechthild of Bavaria (12 July 1532 – 2 November 1565), married in 1557 Philibert of Baden (1536–1569)
Also he had two illegitimate children: A son Knight Georg v.Hegnenberg (c.1509 – 1590) with Margarete Hausner v.Stettberg and a daughter Anna (died 1570) with an unknown woman
Hofkleiderbuch (Abbildung und Beschreibung der Hof-Livreen) des Herzogs Wilhelm IV. und Albrecht V. 1508–1551. (Court and Coat of Arms Book of Bavarian Dukes: William IV and Albert V) at the Bavarian State LibraryFate robbed me of an important rite of passage for dorks and nerds. Growing up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the 1980’s, I never got to play Dungeons & Dragons. Sure, I played lots of dorky video games with friends, watched the Saturday morning Dungeons & Dragons TV series, and read whichever trashy fantasy novel I could find at the library. I would always see the D&D rule books, with their beautiful cover art depicting scenes such as a wizard with an octopus face firing crimson rays at female barbarian clad in a bone bikini, at bookstores and toy stores, but I never knew anyone my age who played the game. The closest I ever came to dungeoneering in earnest, was a board game called Hero Quest (which is now worth $400! Why did you throw it away, Mommy?), a sort of D&D lite which came with plastic miniatures. Though, the only person I could convince to read the 40-plus page rulebook was my cousin Chris. A few times, we played the six-player game with two-players. Sad, but fun.Aside from its status as a game only for the biggest dorks, this was long before George R.R. Martin and HBO had made dark fantasy mainstream, D&D has also suffered from a stigma brought on by religious groups and lazy journalists (cough-cough) alike in the 1980s. References to demons and the occult within the game as well as a well-publicized suicide of James Dallas Egbert III caused an international stir. Egbert was a severely, clinically depressed individual who happened to enjoy playing D&D. The press ran with it as they’re wont to do and, as a result, many children, such as my 9-year-old self, were denied the pleasure of invading Castle Ravenloft to defeat its vampiric lord.Then there was Christopher “Chris” W. Pritchard, convicted of the murder of his stepfather and the attempted murder of his mother. He, along with his three cronies, happened to play D&D and they also happened to covet Pritchard’s $2 million inheritance. Even the film industry got in on the act. Three movies about the purported dangers of Dungeons & Dragons were made in the '80s with(1982) starring Tom Hanks and based on the novel by Rona Jaffe, taking honors as most silly.(1984) is a close second with its dazzling special effects and memorable dialogue: “I reject your reality and substitute my own!”“You’re not getting that. It’s bad,” our mother’s would say. It didn’t matter how cool that undead castle looked or how intense the need to fight a weretiger, “…they said on TV it’s bad.”Time went on and, for me, D&D became little more than unrealized nostalgia. Sex (or rather, the pursuit thereof) and getting high tend to replace the lust for simulated goblin slaughter. Yet, the love of fantasy persisted. Once a dork always a dork. Laughing friends would always deride my choice of fiction. Frankly, I think they’re just jealous of the cover art. Perhaps Mitch Albom would move more copies if his covers depicted a shrieking owl-bear eviscerating a hapless halfling rogue.Then, one day, it happened again. Strolling through a Barnes & Noble while waiting for a companion, that gorgeous cover art got to me. A beholder, a creature made out of teeth, tentacles and eyes menacing a heavily armored dwarf fighter wielding a jewel encrusted maul. All the years of deferred quests came through the mists of time. Before I could make an intelligence check, I was the proud owner of the Fifth Edition of D&D’s Starter Set and Monster Manual.After several unsuccessful attempts to convince friends and family to indulge me in my hunger for arcane warfare and pop and chips, I was forced to Google, “How to find people to play D&D.” I’d come too far and waited too long to give up twice. By all the gods I would have satisfaction! The search led me to a site called Meetup. A popular bit of social media, new to me, but used by many to meet others with similar interests: rock climbing, quilting, support groups and dungeon crawling.Once the obligatory practice of testing the cyber waters for serial killers was complete, I agreed to meet at a stranger’s home to finally play Dungeons & Dragons. Pop and chips in tow, I expected a human horror show from which I would politely excuse myself after an hour. Instead, I pretended I was a necromancer with a heart of gold for five hours. I actually closed my damned eyes and imagined (for |
to the Marine Corps than ISIS.”
The Republican congressman and Marine veteran from California, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is furious with Mabus for pushing through an end to the ban on women serving in all combat positions over the Marine Corps' objections. Particularly, he's taking exception to memo Mabus sent to the Marines Corps this week, instructing it integrate Marine boot camp, which has been separate for men and women, and change job titles so they’re gender neutral.
Story Continued Below
“These are long lasting,” Hunter told POLITICO. “These changes that they’re making are not thought out, they’re not researched, they’ve not been debated. The American public has no idea what’s going on … It’s going to get people killed.”
A spokesman for Mabus declined to comment on Hunter’s remarks.
Last month, Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered all military combat positions opened to women, and the services are currently in the process of figuring out how best to do that. The move was a controversial one for the Marines, which wanted to keep some infantry positions closed to women.
The Marines conducted a study that found integrated units underperformed compared those with only men. But Mabus and others argued the study was flawed.
A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Hunter has long been critical of the Navy secretary on a range of issues. And in September he called for Mabus’s resignation after his criticism of the Marines’ gender integration study.
In an op-ed published on Fox News Friday, Hunter said the Marines’ findings were swept aside because they did not fit the White House political agenda. He charged the Obama administration’s move to open all combat posts to women was “ripping apart” the fabric of the Marines and prompting some to leave the service.
“The reason the military is there is not to be a transgender, corporate organization,” Hunter said, referring to the Pentagon’s plans to allow transgender service members to serve openly. “The military is there to execute American policy overseas, protect our allies and kill our enemies. It’s not a corporation. We’re not all treated equal.”
Hunter said he’s eyeing legislation to try to address women in combat, but wasn't sure yet what that would entail.
House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) have said they want to hold hearings on the issue, but neither has suggested they'll try to block the changes.
Hunter said that many congressional colleagues — Republicans and Democrats alike — were avoiding the issue. “Other members of Congress don’t want to talk about this,” he said.Like this stuff? Get it delivered to your email inbox daily!
Archives | Subscribe | Share: I would have shared this story three weeks ago (so you could take advantage of the opportunity) but I only learned about it a few days ago. Oh well, there's always next year. -- Dan
Cupid's Mailbox
There are four municipalities in the United States named Valentine -- unincorporated communities in both Arizona and Indiana; a town in Texas whose claim to fame is being near the epicenter of the largest earthquake in the state; and Valentine, Nebraska, whose most famous resident is a fictional character -- Rebecca Donaldson, the character played by Lori Loughlin on Full House, hails from the town. The Nebraska Valentine is also home of the series of postage cancellation stamps, shown right.
The postmarks uniquely celebrate the town's name and tie-in with the themes associated with today's "holiday." And because Valentine's Day cards are so frequently mailed, the cancellation stamp is more sought-after than one would normally think. Thankfully, the town of Valentine -- which isn't even named for the saint (but rather this guy) -- is very accommodating, as noted on its website.
Simply address and stamp your Valentine's cards as you normally would, but instead of mailing them, put them in a larger envelope, and mail that envelope to them at Cupid's Mailbox, P.O. Box 201, Valentine, NE 69201, and they'll forward your mail, replete with postmark. Just get it to them by February 5th (sorry!) if you want it returned to your Valentine in time for the 14th. Bonus fact : Gasoline, wear and tear on vehicles, etc., make delivering mail (or, in the case that follows, parcels) an expensive endeavor. But UPS has found an innovative way to lower costs: few left turns. UPS specifically plots delivery and pickup routes in a way to minimize the number of left turns their ubiquitous brown vans make, citing fewer miles travelled and gallons of gasoline used as the benefit of this decision. Archives | Subscribe | Share:Syracuse, N.Y. — Exactly 60 years after earning them, the Syracuse Nationals got their true reward on Friday night in the War Memorial.
Three players from the squad finally received championship rings in a ceremony put on by the Syracuse Crunch prior to its game against Bridgeport.
Dolph Schayes, Bill Kenville and Jim Tucker, as well as family members of Paul Seymour, Earl Lloyd and Bill Gabor, were honored at center ice. The guests thought the ceremony had ended when Crunch owner Howard Dolgon took the microphone to announce he had one more gift. Crunch captain Mike Angelidis handed out the baubles.
When the Nats won the title in 1955, their mementos were ice buckets.
The Nats players and family members also received small pieces of the original War Memorial court on which they clinched the title, which had been stored in the building's basement.
The three former Nats were each escorted to center ice by Crunch players. Joey Mormina skated with Tucker, Jonathan Marchessault helped Kenville and J.P. Cote escorted Schayes.
"It was pretty awesome to see them still in Syracuse, where it all started for them,'' Marchessault said. "I'm sure it was pretty amazing for them at that time. It's just fun to see that they come back and give it back to Syracuse too.''
Both teams and coaching staffs enjoyed the festivities from their respective benches, tapping their sticks in appreciation.
Brian McIntyre, the NBA's senior communications advisor to the commissioner, was also on hand to congratulate the players. McIntyre noted how special it was for players in a different sport and a different generation to appreciate the accomplishments of the Nats.
And they weren't the only ones who wanted a piece of the moment. Fans stood in a long, winding line during the first intermission to get autographs from the former Nats.
Contact Lindsay Kramer anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2151A presentation slide, allegedly by AMD, leaked by a Japanese distributor confirmed specifications of AMD's upcoming Radeon HD 7790 graphics card. According to the slide, the HD 7790 is indeed based on a brand new silicon, with a transistor count of 2.08 billion. Compare that, to the 1.5 billion TC of "Cape Verde," and 2.80 billion of "Pitcairn." The silicon is built on the 28 nanometer silicon fab process.The clock speed mentioned in the slide could be core, which is clocked at 1.00 GHz. Next up is the stream processor count, which stands at 896. The HD 7790 is mentioned to feature a primitive rate of 2 prim/clk, suggesting that its component hierarchy is more similar to "Tahiti" than "Cape Verde," which could mean double the tessellation processing power. All said and done, the HD 7790 belts out 1.79 TFLOPs of floating-point performance. The source goes on to mention in its text that the card features a 128-bit wide memory interface, memory clock speed of 6.00 GHz (96 GB/s), a TDP of 85W, and a single 6-pin PCIe power connector. It is expected to launch no later than tomorrow (22/03).
22 Comments on AMD Radeon HD 7790 Physical Specifications, Release Date Confirmed
#1 TRWOV
Great, just after I bought 2 7770s for WCG :mad: Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 1:24 Reply
#2 sergionography
interesting, this could very much be the gpu in the xbox next(assuming they dont use an apu)
otherwise i dont see why they would use a tahiti like setup, unless they tuned it to get the benefits without losing out on gaming efficiency for a next get part, but this time around instead of rebadging, u get new setups under the same naming
another thing to note this very interesting considering it might be aimed as a next gen parts as amd has always aimed for a 1/3 2/3 3/3 configuration on gpus when possible especialy when on the same node and same architecture, since vliw5 and vliw4 it hasnt work out much cuz it was a bit of a mess
but with gcn they did so with 640 - 1280- 2048(slightly off but almost 3/3)
and if this is 896 then thats 1/3 of 1792 for the so called 8870, and with a 3/3 config u get 2688 which could be on the drawing board at amd to target titan
also with this being 85w tdp its rated almost similar to h7750 and 15w lower than 7770. so that being said it seems amd has tuned gcn while delivering better compute with a 2prim/clock configuration!
so to start with some speculations
hd 8970 - 2688 tenerife? ----225w
hd 8950 - 2304 -------------200w
hd 8870 - 1798 hainan?-------175w
hd 8850 - 1536---------------150w
hd 8830 - 1440---------------125w
hd 8770 - 896 bonaire--------85w
hd 8750 - 768-----------------50w-75w
below - 384-------------------10-50w Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 1:40 Reply
#3 Delta6326
Sounds good to me. I was hopping for a bigger memory bus, but we will see in W1zz review.
At first I thought it said 79 TFLOPS because on the TPU APP the zoom button don't go away and it blocked the "1." 79 lol. Those keep blocking many things. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 1:47 Reply
#4 Xzibit
sergionography said: so that being said it seems amd has tuned gcn while delivering better compute with a 2prim/clock configuration!
so to start with some speculations It was foretold..
Figure out if its Bonaire Pro or XT first.. :p It was foretold..Figure out if its Bonaire Pro or XT first.. :p Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 1:59 Reply
#5 sergionography
Xzibit said: Figure out if its Bonaire Pro or XT first.. :p LOL well with the way amd marketing is going on the cpu side then expect something along the likes of
TENIRIFE ELITE COMPUTE AND GRAPHICS
HAINAN NO COMPROMISE PERFORMANCE
BONAIRE GAMER PRO
especialy with hd9000 being the last gen with hdxxxx marketing unless they go OVER 9000 LOL well with the way amd marketing is going on the cpu side then expect something along the likes ofTENIRIFE ELITE COMPUTE AND GRAPHICSHAINAN NO COMPROMISE PERFORMANCEBONAIRE GAMER PROespecialy with hd9000 being the last gen with hdxxxx marketing unless they go OVER 9000 Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:10 Reply
#6 The Von Matrices
I do not understood the reasoning to create new cards to fill minor price gaps like this one, especially since this price gap has existed for nearly a year already. Is there really a horde of people waiting to buy a card whose only defining characteristic is that it's more powerful than a 7770 but less than a 7850? I would think that they already either bought a 7770 or saved their money for a little while longer and got a 7850. If the 7790 used less power than either of the currently available cards or had other unique features (e.g. new video formats for hardware decoding, additional display outputs), then I could see its purpose, but I fail to see why anyone would have waited to buy this card over any of the already available alternatives. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:12 Reply
#7 sergionography
The Von Matrices said: I do not understood the reasoning to create new cards to fill minor price gaps like this one, especially since this price gap has existed for nearly a year already. Is there really a horde of people waiting to buy a card whose only defining characteristic is that it's more powerful than a 7770 but less than a 7850? I would think that they already either bought a 7770 or saved their money for a little while longer and got a 7850. If the 7790 used less power than either of the currently available cards or had other unique features (e.g. new video formats for hardware decoding, additional display outputs), then I could see its purpose, but I fail to see why anyone would come out to buy this card over any of the already available alternatives. its rated tdp is at 85w which is below hd7770 which is 100w
and about the same as hd7750
and does 2prim/clock similar to tahiti configuration
so while pitcairn and cape verde had more gaming efficient cores because they didnt have the compute muscle activated, this has that and is more efficient than both cape verde and pitcairn and tahiti offcourse
in other words it is an enhancement to the gcn architecture
edit: also hd 7850 is rated at 1.76gflops, so this tops it off with half the tdp
so performance should be something we are familiar with, but if you read between the lines its very much a next gen part its rated tdp is at 85w which is below hd7770 which is 100wand about the same as hd7750and does 2prim/clock similar to tahiti configurationso while pitcairn and cape verde had more gaming efficient cores because they didnt have the compute muscle activated, this has that and is more efficient than both cape verde and pitcairn and tahiti offcoursein other words it is an enhancement to the gcn architectureedit: also hd 7850 is rated at 1.76gflops, so this tops it off with half the tdpso performance should be something we are familiar with, but if you read between the lines its very much a next gen part Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:15 Reply
#8 Xzibit
sergionography said: its rated tdp is at 85w which is below hd7770 which is 100w
and about the same as hd7750 Its bugging me :p
7770 = 80W
7750 = 55W Its bugging me :p7770 = 80W7750 = 55W Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:35 Reply
#9 HammerON
The Watchful Moderator These look like they will be nice crunchers (Boinc):toast: Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:36 Reply
#10 hardcore_gamer
The computing performance of 1.79 TFLOPS is very close the performance of the PS4 GPU (1.84TFLOPS). This card is also very efficient compared to the current gen cards. I think AMD made a small modification to it's next gen console GPU to create this card. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:37 Reply
#11 Xzibit
hardcore_gamer said: The computing performance of 1.79 TFLOPS is very close the performance of the PS4 GPU (1.84TFLOPS). This card is also very efficient compared to the current gen cards. I think AMD made a small modification to it's next gen console GPU to create this card. These were already in the pipeline and probably desingned in parallel with the PS4 APU.
AMD to adopt 28nm Bulk CMOS manufacturing process for products in 2013 As for GPU manufacturing, AMD does not plan to make any changes. The current Southern Islands series already adopt Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC's) 28nm process, while its upcoming Sea Islands series will continue to adopt the same process. The Sea Islands series GPUs have already entered tape-out and should start manufacturing at the end of 2012 and will be announced in the first quarter of 2013. These were already in the pipeline and probably desingned in parallel with the PS4 APU. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:51 Reply
#12 sergionography
Xzibit said: Its bugging me :p
7770 = 80W
7750 = 55W thanks for the correction you are right i just checked a few reviews
though I could swear i googled the stuff right before i wrote my first comment and now i cant even remember were i got the 100w from lol
DARN THE INTERWEBZ!
edit: wait wait I found it
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5541/amd-radeon-hd-7750-radeon-hd-7770-ghz-edition-review
100w is the powertune limit
hardcore_gamer said: The computing performance of 1.79 TFLOPS is very close the performance of the PS4 GPU (1.84TFLOPS). This card is also very efficient compared to the current gen cards. I think AMD made a small modification to it's next gen console GPU to create this card. but the ps4 has 18 gcn compute units which total 1152cores, but they are rated at the same flops because they are clocked lower to get better performance/watt which allows tdp room for the cpus, so whatever it is im sure its an engineering decision that was well thought out of
ive heard rumors that the xbox was using a chip with 896gcn cores, so im suspicious about this being a xbox next chip rather than a ps4, also with the success of xbox 360 i dont know if microsoft would go the way of sony and do x86 and pretty much kill backwards compatibility. so if they use a powerpc cpu on a seperate chip this could be the gpu on board thanks for the correction you are right i just checked a few reviewsthough I could swear i googled the stuff right before i wrote my first comment and now i cant even remember were i got the 100w from lolDARN THE INTERWEBZ!edit: wait wait I found it100w is the powertune limitbut the ps4 has 18 gcn compute units which total 1152cores, but they are rated at the same flops because they are clocked lower to get better performance/watt which allows tdp room for the cpus, so whatever it is im sure its an engineering decision that was well thought out ofive heard rumors that the xbox was using a chip with 896gcn cores, so im suspicious about this being a xbox next chip rather than a ps4, also with the success of xbox 360 i dont know if microsoft would go the way of sony and do x86 and pretty much kill backwards compatibility. so if they use a powerpc cpu on a seperate chip this could be the gpu on board Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 2:57 Reply
#13 Norton
Moderator & WCG-TPU Captain HammerON said: These look like they will be nice crunchers (Boinc):toast: +1....very interested in their crunching capability :toast: +1....very interested in their crunching capability :toast: Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 6:03 Reply
#14 Prima.Vera
sergionography said: interesting, this could very much be the gpu in the Xbox next(assuming they dont use an apu) I am thinking the same thing....:ohwell: I am thinking the same thing....:ohwell: Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 6:03 Reply
#15 The Quim Reaper
I do believe we're looking at the PC version of the next Xbox GPU with this new card.
Or rather, it's actual level of performance, if not exactly the same silicon design.
1.79 vs 1.84, it's too close to be a coincidence.
..and here in the UK, Overclockers, AMD's biggest UK retail partner, are currently trying to clear out stock of their 7770 range by reducing them to £99.99 (from £120), so no prizes for guessing these new cards will be occupying that price point. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 6:24 Reply
#16 Ronnyv1
The Von Matrices said: but I fail to see why anyone would have waited to buy this card over any of the already available alternatives. I live way deep in south america so shipping a 180$ 7850 is way more expensive than shipping a cheaper 7750/7770 and if this thing does 1080p decently like the 7850 then its aimed at me :3 I live way deep in south america so shipping a 180$ 7850 is way more expensive than shipping a cheaper 7750/7770 and if this thing does 1080p decently like the 7850 then its aimed at me :3 Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 7:22 Reply
#17 fynxer
TRWOV said: Great, just after I bought 2 7770s for WCG :mad: Hmmm, how could you have missed the news about 7790. It's been on all news sites for well over a month that a release was scheduled for end of march.
In what time frame is "just bought", a week ago or 6 months ago.
If you bought your 7770 a few months ago then it's nothing to cry about, sell your 7770 quick and do a small loss now and get an nice upgrade i the process.
Read tomorrows reviews and check what AMD card give most bang for your buck. For example, some 78xx cards sell very cheap at the moment... Hmmm, how could you have missed the news about 7790. It's been on all news sites for well over a month that a release was scheduled for end of march.In what time frame is "just bought", a week ago or 6 months ago.If you bought your 7770 a few months ago then it's nothing to cry about, sell your 7770 quick and do a small loss now and get an nice upgrade i the process.Read tomorrows reviews and check what AMD card give most bang for your buck. For example, some 78xx cards sell very cheap at the moment... Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 7:39 Reply
#18 Delta6326
I'm gonna take a guesstimate and say it will be about 5% slower than a 7850. if this was to be the xbox gpu I wonder how Ports will be on it. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 9:24 Reply
#19 DarkOCean
Delta6326 said: I'm gonna take a guesstimate and say it will be about 5% slower than a 7850. if this was to be the xbox gpu I wonder how Ports will be on it. It will be slower than that 7790 has 40% less bandwidth and only 16 rops while 7850 has alot more oc potential having only 860mhz base core clock and alot of bandwidth.
Even the preliminary tests(only 3dmarks) from sweclockers showed a factory overclocked 7790 (1075/6400 vs 1000/6000) being ~10% slower than a stock clocked 7850... bottom line i'm expecting stock clocked cards to be ~15% slower than stock 7850's (about stock gtx560ti performance). It will be slower than that 7790 has 40% less bandwidth and only 16 rops while 7850 has alot more oc potential having only 860mhz base core clock and alot of bandwidth.Even the preliminary tests(only 3dmarks) from sweclockers showed a factory overclocked 7790 (1075/6400 vs 1000/6000) being ~10% slower than a stock clocked 7850... bottom line i'm expecting stock clocked cards to be ~15% slower than stock 7850's (about stock gtx560ti performance). Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 10:08 Reply
#20 Xzibit
Whats is impressive if true is the quick turn-around if its GCN 2.0.
I'm more interested to know if its Bonaire Pro or XT. That will set the stage for what we can expect for the rest of the line-up. Gentlemen, you had my curiosity. But now you have my attention.
-Calvin Candie :)
DarkOCean said: It will be slower than that 7790 has 40% less bandwidth and only 16 rops while 7850 has alot more oc potential having only 860mhz base core clock and alot of bandwidth.
Even the preliminary tests(only 3dmarks) from sweclockers showed a factory overclocked 7790 (1075/6400 vs 1000/6000) being ~10% slower than a stock clocked 7850... bottom line i'm expecting stock clocked cards to be ~15% slower than stock 7850's (about stock gtx560ti performance). The information (specs) on those leaks still dont match up..
Here are the benchmarks I asume your were refering to.
If the 7790 follows how GCN is in OC. 1075 is just a AIB icing to intise customers. Even if base is at 1000. Reference you'll probably get to 1140 before it needs outside adjustment other then those provided by AMD OverDrive. I need to see more to get excited...Whats is impressive if true is the quick turn-around if its GCN 2.0.I'm more interested to know if its Bonaire Pro or XT. That will set the stage for what we can expect for the rest of the line-up.:)The information (specs) on those leaks still dont match up..Here are the benchmarks I asume your were refering to.If the 7790 follows how GCN is in OC. 1075 is just a AIB icing to intise customers. Even if base is at 1000. Reference you'll probably get to 1140 before it needs outside adjustment other then those provided by AMD OverDrive. Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 11:39 Reply
#21 [XC] Oj101
;) The card will feature 1 GB of memory.;) Posted on Mar 21st 2013, 17:16 ReplyBurma Suspect Arrested in Relation to Elephant Killings in Pegu Division
Police have arrested a man suspected of involvement in the poaching of several wild elephants in the forests of Pegu Mountain Range.
RANGOON — Police in Pegu Division’s Daik-U Township said they have arrested a man suspected of involvement in the poaching of several wild elephants in the forests of Pegu mountain range in the past year.
Tin Oo, a police sergeant in Daik-U Township, said a suspect named Kar Zin was arrested last week on accusations of being responsible for the killing of elephants in the forests near Baw Ni village. He added that two local villagers had been brought into to testify as witnesses in the case.
“Some people who are eyewitnesses informed us that he [Kar Zin] was involved in hunting elephant; this is why we detained him,” Tin Oo told The Irrawaddy on Monday.
“We charged him with a criminal charge … of illegal killing of wild animals in the forest. We arrested him in Thaton Township in Mon State. We are still interrogating him about who else is involved in killing elephants,” he said. The suspect Kar Zin is reportedly from Thaton Township and married to a woman from Baw Ni village.
The Irrawaddy first reported on a spate of elephant killings in Pegu mountain range in Daik-U Township on Oct. 21. Reporters found one elephant carcass and local villager Myint Wai, who is fighting to stop the killings, shared photos that showed that about 20 other elephants were killed in the area in the past year or so.
Policeman Tin Oo said authorities were looking for another two suspects involved in elephant poaching. He added that police had opened an investigation after the head of the Daik-U Township Forest Department filed a complained at the local court.
“As we know, Kar Zin and other two persons are involved in killing elephants. But, we do not know the two other persons’ names yet, as we are still interrogating him,” he said. Tin Oo said it was too early to comment on police findings about the illegal wildlife trade in elephant tusks and skin, which fetch high prices on the Asian black market.
The Burma Army and police launched an operation last week at Baw Ni village in order to investigate the elephant slaughter and catch the poachers.
Local hunters have started killing Asian elephant in the forests of Pegu Mountain near Baw Ni village since 2010, according to Myint Wai, a villager who has been keeping track of the elephant killings. When the number of killings started to suddenly rise this year to about 20 deaths, he began to call attention to the situation by contacting the media and lawmakers.
“I feel a lot of pity [for elephants] when I saw the dead elephants as I am a Buddhist. They did not make any problem for people, but a group of people tried to kill them. This is why I wanted to find justice in order to stop the killing,” he said.
A Daik-U Township policeman, however, scolded him after he informed reporters about the killings. “He called me at 11 pm and yelled at me, asking why I gave information to media and he even blamed me for giving the wrong information,” said Myint Wai.
According to local villagers, there are about 150 wild elephants in Pegu mountain range, but their numbers have fallen sharply in recent years due to illegal poaching and logging of their forest habitat.
Villagers said there are different groups of elephant hunters who use a waterway at the Baw Ni dam to carry the elephant skins by boats after killing the animals. Myint Wai has said that hunters could earn more than US$10,000 from the sale of the skin of a dead elephant. The ivory tusks, which are highly prized in Asia, are likely to fetch far higher prices.Suzi Perry introduces live coverage of qualifying for the final race of an enthralling season in F1 at Yas Marina for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Suzi Perry introduces live coverage of qualifying for the final race of an enthralling season in F1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In 2013 Sebastian Vettel, who had already been crowned world champion, was second fastest in qualifying behind his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber. This time he makes his final appearance for Red Bull before he moves to Ferrari.
Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have been dominant in qualifying this season and will expect to battle it out for pole position once again. Hamilton has twice qualified in first place - in 2009 and 2012 - although he didn't go on to win either of those races.Every now and again I visit the Digital Marketing sub on Reddit. I pick up tips here and there or offer advice when and where appropriate.
This one stood out to me because this is literally what I do for Joy, so I thought I’d weigh in. I had a hunch what he was looking for (hint: a growth hack), but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and responded with some sound and simple marketing advice.
TL;DR: “I don’t want to work hard or spend money. I want a growth hack.”
I was truly amazed by his response. I work in tech, so I’m no stranger to growth hacking, but the fact that people actually assume you don’t have to do any work to acquire new users blows my mind. But here’s the reality: if you don’t care to put in the work, you can’t possibly care about your customers. And if you don’t care about your customers, you’re not going to invest in engagement or long term growth. You just want as much money as fast as you can, and that comes (if at all) at the expense of your brand.
Growth hacking is not strategy, it’s tactic
Let’s think for a moment about the “growth hacks” we’ve canonized: Airbnb’s Craigslist emails and Dropbox’s referral program. Dropbox built a virtuous value cycle. AirBnB piggybacked on an existing network, Craigslist, to build referrals. Growth hacking makes it seem like these are the same thing, but they are very different and both sprang from a clear strategy. The growth hacks of today no longer resemble those efforts—they are subversive, deceptive, and they do not keep the customer at the center. Using today’s hacks and Dropbox or Airbnb in the same sentence is destructive and unproductive.
Growth hacking, in its current form, is a dumbing down of marketing strategy. It lacks empathy. It seeks quick wins, not long term growth. I’m not suggesting it can’t be part of your mix. In fact, it should be. It brings a new energy, pace, and discipline of experimentation that had been missing from marketing for a long time. But growth hacking is a tactic, and it should only exist inside of a great marketing and operational strategy. All too often marketing is cast aside in an attempt to find the next hack. And tech has almost entirely lost sight of what’s good.
I’d like to remind you what it looks like.
It tells the truth.
The New York Times
It empowers.
McCann New York
It’s driven by content.
Fenty Beauty
It’s backed by data.
Netflix
It supported and enhanced by new technology.
Verizon x Snapchat
Stop calling it growth hacking
Growth hacking needs a new semantic. If you care about your brand and your customers stop calling your marketing strategy, “growth hacking.” Stop trying to be the next Uber, Airbnb, or Dropbox. Stop misunderstanding and misleading your users.
Instead, start operating out of your brand values. Know who you are and tell people about it in the right places and at the right time. Start engaging with your customers, daily. Spend time where they spend time. Understand them. Follow them on social media. Monitor their conversations and participate in a way that is appropriate and meaningful. Collect data, glean insights, and experiment in the language of your customers. Only then are you ready to test a growth hack — one that is relevant to your brand, intuitive in its function, and truthful in its offered value.
In other words, start working for it.
If you enjoyed this story, please recommend 👏 and share to help others find it! Feel free to leave a comment below.A fraudster made thousands of pounds selling fake Poppy Appeal and Help For Heroes pins.
Jay Meech deceived the public into thinking they were making charity donations but he was in fact pocketing the cash for himself.
Meech, 28, also sourced and sold counterfeit badges of Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Southampton.
Records from his Paypal account showed Meech ripped off the charities and Premier League clubs to the tune of around £22,000, Portsmouth Crown Court, Hampshire, heard.
Jonathan Underhill, prosecuting, said Meech sold the fake pins, made in China and shipped to the UK, through a website he ran for six years.
During that time, £95,000 went through his account.
However, he was rumbled when the Premier League had suspicions the football pins, which cost him just over £33 to set up a mould with the factory, were fake.
Officers from Trading Standards ordered Southampton and Chelsea badges and found that the information from the Premier League was correct.
Meech had also sent them a copy of his business card so they stormed his home in Gosport, Hampshire, in October 2013 shortly before Remembrance Sunday.
During the search, they discovered 5,849 Poppy Appeal badges, 706 Help for Heroes badges and over 1,000 badges of the well-known football clubs, the court heard.
Of the £22,000 made through the sales of the badges, around two-thirds of this went to Meech and £3,000 of the money accounted for was from sales of the charity pins.
Meech admitted 10 counts of unauthorised use of a trademark and was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and told to pay £1,650 in costs.
Judge Roger Hetherington said: "You started off honestly trading legitimate badges, but at some point greed got the better of you because of the profit you could get by sourcing the badges from China which showed some considerable planning.
"This was a fraudulent activity which made you a sizeable sum of money."
In mitigation, the court heard Meech had made a donation of £600 to each charity.
Councillor Roy Perry, Leader of Hampshire County Council, said: "It's despicable that anyone could think of profiting to the detriment of two such worthy charities, particularly when we have been remembering the sacrifices of our armed forces now, and 100 years ago with the commemorations of the start of the First World War.
"These kinds of criminal activities severely damage the local economy and legitimate traders by gaining a competitive advantage at their expense, and taking trade away from genuine hard-working businesses, and in this case charities."
Officials from the two charities also slammed Meech for his fraud, describing the targeting of charities to make money as 'despicable'.
Jo Brookes, from Help for Heroes, said: "He deceived the public into thinking that by purchasing one, they were helping servicemen."
Richard Dickson, president of Gosport and Alverstoke Royal British Legion in Hampshire, added: "Cheats like this need to be brought to justice and there's no more despicable a crime than targeting charities."Starlings, house sparrows and other threatened garden |
, and racism are celebrated, where pictures of underage girls are posted without their knowledge. This is the underbelly of the Internet, where creeps encourage each other to push the envelope further and further, for example, with photos snapped of women without their knowledge known as "creepshots" then posted on a Reddit for users to perv over.
Violentacrez built up quite a reputation for himself over the years and was apparently even valued by Reddit's small management team for his ability to police and manage his subreddits with dedication and competency. After Reddit shut down Violentacrez's "jailbait" board in the wake of a public outcry, Gawker's Adrian Chen decided to track down this individual and find out who he really was.
Turns out he's a white, overweight, 49-year-old computer programmer at a financial firm in Texas named Michael Brutsch (as one Gawker commenter wryly noted about those biographical details, "of course he is.")
Chen published his lengthy biography of Brutsch/Violentacrez last Friday. But even prior to doing so, word had reached Reddit users that Gawker was planning to out one of their own. Some of them blew a gasket. Some of Reddit's mods issued a blanket ban on all links to Gawker on their subreddits, as the Guardian noted. The rationale, other than a defense of one of their own, was that Chen's outing of Violentacrez was an "anti-free speech" endeavor. What's more, as Brutsch himself sputtered on the phone, in Chen's telling, "It's not like I do anything illegal."
This is ludicrous. And again, I say this as someone who strongly defends Internet anonymity and has in the past scrubbed comment threads I've moderated of people's street addresses and other personal information posted by their trollish opponents to expose them.
The two main strains of defense for Violentacrez outing people on the Internet is a nasty business and privacy should be respected as long as folks aren't doing anything illegal absolutely hold water, in my view. They're both good rules of thumb for Internet life. But Michael Brutsch and his Reddit pals were themselves walking up to the very edge of those maxims, leaping over to the other side, and now have the audacity to complain that Gawker didn't play by the rules they themselves revel in breaking.
This isn't very complicated. Posting pictures of people without their knowledge is both an invasion of their privacy and a form of outing them to the Internet. Doing so may be protected speech, but it doesn't mean it's good speech, or speech that shouldn't be shamed from the hilltops as an exercise of one's own free speech. What's more, Adrian Chen himself didn't "do anything illegal" by exposing Michael Brutsch (and yes, Redditors didn't do anything illegal by blocking Gawker links, etc., etc. the Ferris Wheel can go round and round, but at some point we have to get off and take a stand for something, I think).
If you live by the sword of exposing strangers to ridicule, contempt, and objectification on the Internet, it's pretty rich when you throw a hissy fit when the other side of that blade swings your way.
But there's also a third and fourth line of defense for Brutsch/Violentacrez, the first of which is that he and others like him are actually instrumental to protecting free speech by pushing its limits to the extent they do. But rather than making them modern-day Voltaires (actually Evelyn Beatrice Halls, but why quibble), Reddit apologists for Brutsch who hew this line but claim to dislike his online activity ignore a crucial point that disapproving of "creepshots" and "picsofdeadkids" entails a little bit more than merely defending his right to post them. Some Redditors, of course, did do more. They're the ones who spearheaded the movement to dump Brutsch's "jailbait" board in the first place.
Those who stood idly by while "jailbait" was going strong and now want to kill Gawker's messenger are, as Chen noted, expressing twisted "Reddit logic," the notion that "outing Violentacrez is worse than anonymously posting creepshots of innocent women, because doing so would undermine Reddit's role as a safe place for people to anonymously post creepshots of innocent women."
The last refuge of Violentacrez and his supporters is the claim that upsetting people's sensitivities via trolling is socially valuable in that it breaks down cultural taboos and pierces the grim veil of political correctness. Perhaps, in some instances. Trolls come in many shapes and forms, some much more aware of the subversive nature of their activities than others, as explained quite well by Whitney Phillips over at The Atlantic.
Well, there's a difference between rick-rolling someone, disrupting the flow of an online conversation, or even pointing them to goatse, and actively invading people's privacy IRL. There's a difference between using anonymity to speak more freely than you otherwise could and using it to bully, smear, and slut shame others.
Or to cause them to lost their jobs. There's a delicious irony to the "Internet's biggest troll" getting trolled so very hard himself. Who knows, maybe Adrian Chen just did it for the lulz.
For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.Internationally adored rock icon Meat Loaf is set to team up once again with legendary Grammy Award-winning epic music visonary Jim Steinman on a new album titled BRAVER THAN WE ARE it was officially announced earlier today.
The official announcement boasts a flamboyent vintage photo of the mutli-award-winning duo along with the release date of Spring 2015.
Of note, the album takes its title from a song Steinman penned for TANZ DER VAMPIRE and eventually represented in the Broadway musical DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES titled "Braver Than We Are".
Check out the original Facebook announcement here.
Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman previously collaborated on the international mega-seller BAT OUT OF HELL, one of the top-selling albums of all-time, which was followed up by the worldwide smash BAT OUT OF HELL 2: BACK INTO HELL, bolstered by the chart-topping smash "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)". Additionally, Loaf and Steinman's collaborations have included the album DEAD RINGER as well as selected songs for WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD and the concept album for the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Jim Steinman stage musical WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, plus two notable new tracks with production by Steinman for THE VERY BEST OF MEAT LOAF.
Check out my 2013 InDepth InterView with Meat Loaf for more about Jim Steinman, BRAVER THAN WE ARE and more, available here.
View a larger version of the new Facebook announcement for BRAVER THAN WE ARE below.
Photo Credit: Facebook
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From This Author Pat CerasaroFreddie Effinger started feeling what he called a "bizarre pain" in his upper thigh during the summer of 2007, just before his third year at the University of Alabama law school. After a scan, his doctors told him it was probably some sort of mass, nothing serious, and that they would remove it surgically in September.
Effinger, then 23, didn't have insurance. His parents' policy dropped him after college, and he had figured he could coast through three years of law school and land a job with benefits before suffering any catastrophic illness or injury. ("Superman Complex," he calls it.) The operation to remove the mass would only cost him about $1,200.
But when they operated, Effinger's doctors discovered something more serious.
"The tumor was the same size as my hand," Effinger told the Huffington Post. "And directly underneath that tumor was another tumor, and further down my leg was another tumor."
The following month, an oncologist told Effinger he had advanced stage lymphoma. The oncologist told him that his chemotherapy could cost tens of thousands of dollars per session, and that he would need 12 sessions. Effinger panicked.
"My mom's a schoolteacher and my dad's a juvenile detention officer," Effinger said. "They're good people, but that's not going to happen."
Effinger scrambled for insurance. He said he was told that the school's health plan for students wouldn't have adequately covered chemotherapy treatment at the nearby University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. He had no luck on the private insurance market outside the university.
"After making a couple calls explaining the situation, it was pretty much discussions of blackout periods and 'We wouldn't be able to do it,'" he said. "And it was frustrating and frightening."
Meanwhile, his leg hurt more and more. He was afraid the cancer would spread.
Staff at the hospital, St. Vincent's East in Birmingham, Ala., came up with a solution. "I spoke to someone at the hospital and they mentioned there's a certain number of patients a year they grant charity to," he said. He was eligible because he had zero income. He was indigent.
"They called me that later that day and told me they would grant me 100 percent charity. I broke down in tears. Somebody told me they were going to let me live. It was an amazing feeling."
Effinger finished up chemo and got married in July 2008. He even managed to finish law school on time and score a job with an employment law firm in Birmingham.
But Effinger is still on the hook for about $9,000 for other parts of his treatment. (That's on top of $100,000 in student loan debt, but, he said, "at least the student loan people are being cool" by comparison; debt collectors harassed him over the medical bills.) His credit is wrecked.
And the warm, fuzzy feeling Effinger got from the kindness at the hospital was tempered by the realization that he had to beg to survive, that he owed his life to charity and had added considerably to his debt all the same. He's become an advocate for health insurance reform, going door to door for Organizing for America.Last week, Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke, the creator of Pokémon GO, hinted to FORBES that certain services that helped players locate creatures within the game may be shut down. He did not wait long to act.
On Saturday, one of the more popular services, Pokévision.com said that it was "currently unavailable." When asked over the phone if the site would be down indefinitely, Pokévision cofounder Yangcheng Liu simply responded "it possibly could be." He declined to comment further and would not say if the company threatened legal action against him or his site.
Another Pokémon-locating service, PokeHound.com, displayed a cryptic message on its website noting that "We tried our best :( - Check Twitter for updates." The company shut down its Twitter account over the weekend, but not before posting a screenshot of an email presumably from Niantic that displayed its terms of service.
After launching what would become the most popular mobile game of all time, Niantic is cracking down on services that users employed to achieve the main goal of "catching them all." In Pokémon GO, players move about the physical world and try to capture virtual monsters that appear on their smartphones. Because of glitches and heavy use, an in-game feature that helped players locate creatures had long remained broken, allowing entrepreneurs to build apps and sites that could tell when certain Pokémon would appear in a given location and for how long.
A spokesperson for Niantic did not immediately return an email request for comment.
Read more on the inside story of the creation of ’Pokémon GO’ here.
In an interview last week, Liu said that Pokévision saw an explosion of usage with 27 million unique users over five days despite numerous outages. He built the free service, he said, because it was "hard to play the game in its current form." At the time, the so-called "footsteps" tool, which allowed players to see nearby Pokémon and their relative distances, was broken.
Niantic discontinued that feature on Saturday in an update sent to users, which led to plenty of online criticism. It didn't stop there, however, as the company began blocking third-party access to its servers, according to PokéBliss.com.
"Well, it's not looking pretty," the site said in a Facebook post. "Turns out our code has been fine this entire time, but they're blocking the servers. We attempted a proxy list but for some reason that's not connecting either."
Sites like PokéBliss and Pokévision collect data from the Pokémon GO servers--an apparent violation of Niantic's terms of service-- to create real-time maps of Pokémon locations. Most of those services were free, though PokeHound charged $5 a week for access.
Hanke previously told FORBES that he was "not a fan" of Pokémon locating services and hinted that a shutdown was coming.
"People are only hurting themselves because it takes some fun out of the game," he said. "People are hacking around trying to take data out of our system and that’s against our terms of service."I am proud to present a new limited edition print released today entitled ‘Peace‘. It is available in two colourways. A classic metallic gold on black and a contemporary dark chrome on white. I would like to offer a little insight into the design.
There are words that are common currency for calligraphers and artists. Often profound words that encapsulate an idea or sentiment that has broad and timeless appeal. ‘Peace’ is one such word. I felt this year was a good time for me to produce my interpretation of the word ‘Peace’.
As is often the case I have drawn inspiration from our rich heritage of letterforms in the West. These influences have been filtered through modern sensibilities to, hopefully, produce something that appears fundamentally of our time. ‘Peace’ is a melding of inspiration from many sources including Anglo Saxon art, 18th and 19th century virtuoso penmanship and Medieval illumination.
The background filigree is composed largely of spirals and stars. I was drawn to spirals because, apart from their profound beauty, they have mystical qualities. They appear as ancient Pagan symbols in megalithic art, notably Newgrange in Ireland. They appear in Norse culture on the prows of Viking ships. They appear in Maori facial tattoos and in ancient Chinese art, where they are thought to symbolise the sun. They appear in the sacred art of all the world’s major religions. So spirals are powerful symbols that cross cultural and religious boundaries. For these reasons a filigree design based on spirals seems perfect to me.
I know a piece is finished when I feel that adding or removing even the smallest of details would be detrimental to the overall design.
Behind the scenes, the dark chrome on white edition in production at BEP Screen Printing in East London:
Peace – A limited edition screen print from Seb Lester on Vimeo.
‘Peace’ is available to buy now. Full details, including pricing and technical specifications, are on my website. I am also having a launch at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in London this Thursday, September 1st, 2011. A selection of my previous releases will also be on show there until the end of October, including a third colourway of my extremely popular ‘Stars’ print.
Some original pieces of art have also become available today.
Shopping List
Since I got into calligraphy all my shopping lists look like this.
Calligraphy on found ephemera (ok, it’s my gas bill).
148 X 210mm. Framed in a modern white frame.
The Quick Brown Fox
A calligraphic study of some of my favourite pangrams.
Black ink on white calligraphy paper.
297 X 210mm. Framed in a modern white frame.
One Of Those Days
Calligraphy, metallic gold ink on black Plike art paper.
297 X 210mm. Framed in a traditional black frame with gold detailing.
For more information about all of the above new work visit seblester.co.ukThe Tokyo High Court has overturned a rare family court decision last year that granted a father custody of his daughter because he was more inclined than his estranged wife to allow greater visitation.
Thursday’s high court ruling, which returns custody of the 9-year-old girl to the mother, emerged during an appeal trial that had left custody in limbo. The parents have been living separately since the mother took off with the child in 2010.
“The daughter has been living with her mother, is growing up healthy and wants to continue living with her mother in the future,” presiding Judge Yoichi Kikuchi said. “Taking into account what is in the best interest of the daughter, it is reasonable that custody is awarded to the mother.”
The initial ruling, handed down in March 2016 by the Chiba Family Court’s Matsudo branch, attracted public attention for applying the “good parent rule,” which grants custody to the parent deemed more inclined to allow greater visitation — and ordered the mother to hand over the girl to the father.
The father had said he would allow his wife to see her daughter 100 days a year if given custody. The mother said she would allow him to see his daughter just once a month.
Thursday’s judgment was based on the principle of continuity, with the court stating that a child’s healthy development is not ensured just by seeing a separated parent.
“The number of days for visitation is not the only criteria to decide who has custody, and is less important compared with other conditions,” the ruling asserted.
“If the daughter, who is an elementary school student, goes back and forth between the parents’ houses for 100 days a year, it would be a physical burden and would affect her relationship with her school and her friends,” the court said, judging that one visit a month is appropriate.
The mother left with her daughter in May 2010 after the couple became estranged. He has not seen the girl since September that year.
The mother issued a statement after the ruling thanking the high court for supporting her claim.
The father said he would appeal. “The judgment cannot be forgiven, because it gives advantage to a parent who took away the child first,” he said.
“It is hard to believe the high court respected the child’s will,” said the father’s lawyer, Akira Ueno.Pennsylvania Rep. Glenn Thompson called his fellow Republican lawmakers’ use of the Congressional Review Act “the most underreported story in Washington today.” (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
A law that’s been successfully used only once until now is the conduit for a whole lot of action on Capitol Hill.
Republicans in Congress are expected to send a stream of bills — most of which require a single sentence — to President Donald Trump’s desk, using a process known as the Congressional Review Act to repeal agency rules. The act was tucked into 1996 legislation tied to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s famous “Contract with America.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, at a press conference last week, joined a group of Republican leaders who have trumpeted using the CRA to roll back regulations put in place under President Barack Obama. The law allows Congress to repeal certain rules of the previous administration under a fast-track process that requires only a simple majority in the Senate. Congress generally has 60 days to begin repeal of those rules.
“We’re directly attacking the over-regulation issue, thanks to the Congressional Review Act, and plan to take as many of these job-killing regulations off the books as possible,” McConnell said. Earlier this month, the Kentucky Republican pointed to “nearly 40” major rules put out by the Obama administration “on its way out the door” that he said Congress could work with Trump to undo.
“This is probably the most underreported story in Washington today,” Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Glenn Thompson said at a press conference on Feb. 16, referring to the Republicans’ use of the CRA.
Republican control
Until now, Congress has rarely had the power structure in place to make the CRA a viable legislative option for getting rules off the books.
Congressional Republicans sent several CRA bills to Obama, knowing they would be vetoed. Prior to Trump, the only CRA-repealed rule in history was signed by President George W. Bush in 2001. That rule had applied ergonomics standards through the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration under President Bill Clinton. It was aimed at preventing injuries among some workers, including repetitive-motion injuries. OSHA hasn’t attempted the rule since.
The first repeal to get Trump’s signature, on Valentine’s Day, rolled back a rule Congress had previously demanded from the Securities and Exchange Commission that forced disclosure of payments made to the U.S. or foreign governments by oil, natural gas, and mining companies.
Congress placed the mandate in the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul after Sen. Richard G. Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, produced a report in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008. The report concluded that more transparency in extractors’ payments could curb foreign government corruption involving oil-rich countries whose leaders might otherwise secretly line their pockets with natural resources revenue.
The regulation was fiercely opposed by some oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, then led by Rex Tillerson, who was confirmed as secretary of State earlier this month. Tillerson personally voiced opposition to the rule in 2010, according to a PolitiFact report.
With a stroke of Trump’s pen, the rule was gone. And the CRA’s process for rule repeals provides a legislative backstop that potentially prevents the Securities and Exchange Commission from ever coming up with a similar rule. The law states that a rule “may not be reissued in substantially the same form, and a new rule that is substantially the same as such a rule may not be issued, unless the reissued or new rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date of the joint resolution disapproving the original rule.”
What that means is 51 votes in the Senate can repeal a rule, but 60 may be needed for the repealed rule to go into effect again, since legislation containing the second version would be subject to a filibuster.
Lawmakers also heralded repeal of the so-called stream protection rule in a public signing with Trump two weeks ago. Many Republicans, as well as West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III, saw the stream rule as an attack on the coal industry.
‘Stupid way to do it’
Most Democrats are voting against the Republican-sponsored rule repeals, and some believe the majority party’s use of the law is reckless, including Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, a member of the House Rules Committee.
“By doing it this way, there’s an argument that can be made that it precludes the agency from even revisiting the subject. … I don’t know if that would stand up in court,” McGovern said in an interview on the same day the House passed three rule rollback measures.
“There’s a right way to review regulation and there’s a stupid way to do it, and we have decided to do it the stupid way,” he said. McGovern said he was referring to “bringing things up without any review by committee of jurisdiction, under closed rules, and in a way that may have some unintended consequences.”
But Utah GOP Rep. Rob Bishop said he has no problem with the repeal process, or the political hurdle that process potentially puts in place for any new version of a repealed rule. In his view, that’s the way things should be.
“It was sloppiness for the last eight decades that caused the CRA concept … an overindulgence by the executive branch in making rules and regulations,” Bishop said.
“Congress establishes the rules and regulations, not the executive branch agencies. They follow through with it,” he said.
Lawyers busy
Sheila Harvey, who heads the regulatory practices division at the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, said the Congressional Review Act has generated significant interest among clients.
“It’s one of the sleeper statutes, and legally, it’s extremely interesting,” said Harvey, whose division includes more than 100 regulatory lawyers.
The firm has begun tracking CRA action using the @EyeonCRA Twitter handle, which associate Meghan Claire Hammond maintains to keep a log of all congressional actions.
Hammond said that until now, courts have examined only a small portion of the act, given that the repeal process hasn’t been an option for many years. Now, the firm is tracking more than two dozen CRA bills making their way through Congress.
Regulatory actions consistently encounter legal challenges. Harvey said she wouldn’t be surprised to see the same thing happen to the CRA because of certain provisions — including one that blocks judicial review of repeals under the act, as well as the so-called substantially similar provision blocking future rules.
The law hasn’t had much testing in court, she explained.
“Also, some scholars might opine it would not be constitutional, that it is not subject to judicial review,” Harvey said, noting that she wasn’t making a legal assessment, one way or another.
“Clearly, it’s going to be a pretty massive effort to roll back rules,” she added.Ever since Chevrolet discontinued its SS performance sedan back in February, we wondered which car would replace it with for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series. Today, Chevy revealed its 2018 car at an event at its Detroit headquarters, and it has the face of the Camaro ZL1. And it looks pretty sweet.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet has aped the Camaro's looks for Xfinity series since 2013, but this marks the first time its pony car will be in NASCAR's top-level cup series.
Obviously, this car shares basically nothing with the Camaro street car, using a tube frame, a sheet metal body, and a fully-built racing V8. But the designers were able to make the fascia and hood look incredibly similar to the Camaro ZL1, albeit with a bit more aerodynamic angles.
Chevrolet
The race car will make its on-track debut next February during Daytona Speedweeks at the start of the 2018 NASCAR season.WASHINGTON — In an effort to spur lackluster sales of electric cars, California, New York and six other states said on Thursday that they would work jointly to adopt a range of measures, including encouraging more charging stations and changing building codes, to make it easier to own an electric car.
The goal, they said, was to achieve sales of at least 3.3 million vehicles that did not have any emissions by 2025.
The states, which represent more than a quarter of the national car market, said they would seek to develop charging stations that all took the same form of payment, simplify rules for installing chargers and set building codes and other regulations to require the stations at workplaces, multifamily residences and at other places.
They said they would also promote hydrogen fueling stations, presuming that fuel-cell cars become more widely available. And they said they would promote “time of use” electric rates that would allow charging at off-peak prices, and expand incentives like high-occupancy lane access and reduced tolls and preferential parking. The states also said they would buy electric cars for their own fleets, and in some cases encourage their municipalities to do the same.The video of ISIS running roughshod through an Iraqi museum in Mosul, defacing and smashing ancient statues is horrifying. Armed with sledgehammers, jackhammers, and other tools, members of the ultra-radical terrorist group destroyed millennia-old singular artifacts from the world’s earliest civilizations. The senseless destruction of cultural and historical monuments is a reminder of when Azerbaijan bulldozed, smashed, and pulverized an entire medieval Armenian cemetery – then turned it into a shooting range – not ten years ago.
Video of ISIS Destroying Museum Artifacts
Starting in 1998, Azerbaijan began to bulldoze thousands of intricately carved Armenian burial stones in Julfa, Nakhijevan, a territory granted to Azerbaijan during the USSR. After the turn of the century, Azerbaijani soldiers used sledgehammers to break up the headstones, some being reduced to mere gravel. The stones were then dumped in the Arax River, erasing any trace of Armenian culture there. The site of the cemetery was turned into a military shooting range shortly thereafter.
Video of Azerbaijanis Destroying Armenian Cemetery
ISIS destroyed artifacts over 2,500 years old; Azerbaijan destroyed and desecrated the final resting place of thousands of people. There is no better or worse, just different shades of sick.Australian outfit South Melbourne will appoint legendary Brazil full-back as their new head coach if they are granted A-League status for the 2018/2019 season.
The club are currently awaiting confirmation from Football Federation Australia as to whether or not they will be allowed to join the country's top flight when the A-league undergoes an expansion.
Roberto Carlos at South Melbourne today pic.twitter.com/abtLqBZxbX — SBS - The World Game (@TheWorldGame) May 29, 2017
Whilst any hopes of joining Australia's top division will have to wait until 2018, Goal report that South Melbourne have taken the unusual step of appointing Carlos as their manager, providing they are part of the planned expansion.
Speaking during a recent trip to the club's Lakeside stadium, the former 'Galactico' said of his appointment: “My idea would be to come here and keep winning and continue that mentality and keep winning things.
"If I go to a club and marry a project, I go to win. South Melbourne should be the reference for Australian football. They’re already good. I’ve been following the team. The importance is to go up.
“What I’ve seen here has moved me, the complex and the people. The most important thing now is for the club to go to the A-League and that together we make more history on top of what we’ve seen."
Despite being relatively inexperienced as a manager, Carlos admits that he has high aspirations for South Melbourne as he was lured by the club's winning mentality.
He added: " When you have the idea of winning to form champions, to try and sign up the best players you can, when I’ve noticed the club is very ambitious and has the winning mentality, and that’s satisfied me.”
Who will win the European Cup Final? Juventus Real MadridSPRINGFIELD, Ore. - A man who attempted to drown his grandmother in the toilet after she asked him to turn down his music has been jailed on a charge of attempted murder, Springfield Police said.
Police responded to a report of a woman crying for help Sunday night at an apartment complex on Pheasant Boulevard.
Police say 24-year-old Isiah Vickery was temporarily living with his grandmother in her Springfield apartment on Pheasant Blvd. According to the investigation, when she asked him to turn his music down, he turned violent.
"Basically attacked her and tried to strangle her, " says Detective Sgt. David Lewis with the Springfield Police Department. "What she described as trying to break her neck."
Sgt. Lewis says the 65-year-old tried to fight off her grandson. That's when police say he tried to drown her, first in the toilet, and then the bathtub.
"Drug her by her hair back into the bathroom," describes Sgt. Lewis. "And when the toilet didn't work too well for him. He started drawing a bath."
Police say neighbors called for help. When they arrived on scene, Sgt. Lewis says she had hair pulled out, and appeared shaken and frightened.
"She told the officer at the scene that she thought he for sure he was going to a kill her," added Lewis.
According to police, Vickery ran before police arrived. They searched for him that night, and put flyers out at nearby businesses.
They arrested Vickery near the apartment the following day.
Vickery was arraigned Tuesday on a number of charges, including attempted murder, fourth-degree assault, and strangulation.
Sgt. Lewis says Vickery has been arrested in the past on a domestic abuse charge.
This investigation is ongoing, and Vickery could face additional charges. His next court hearing is scheduled for December 21.Nottingham Forest chairman and owner Fawaz Al Hasawi has released the following update for the club's supporters.
I would, however, like to apologise to those who could not get a ticket for our opening fixture against Burton due to the situation with our reduced capacity. We had a very positive meeting with Nottinghamshire County Council earlier in the week and we are confident the matter will be resolved soon.
I have been pleased with our dealings in the transfer market this summer and with our recruitment of players. I have worked very hard with both our director of football Pedro Pereira and head coach Philippe Montanier to help provide them with a strong foundation on which to build a successful Championship campaign. I believe we have not only added to our numbers but, more importantly, we have brought in the right players to fit into the ethos of our club.
I appreciate there has been much speculation about the ownership of the club and about my current level of involvement. I would like to clarify that it is true that I have been discussing potential investment with different parties, but at this moment in time I cannot confirm any definite deal has been done. I have always said I will do what is best for Nottingham Forest and if I decide to make a deal with an investor it will be in the best interests of the club’s future.
Until that time I will continue to work alongside the senior figures at the club and always look to improve our position both on and off the field. Together we have significantly improved our commercial revenue through partnerships such as 888sport and our pre-season partners Myprotein to name only a few. This was an aspect of the business I was keen to improve on and I am pleased with our development so far.
Thank you again for your continued loyal backing.
Fawaz
Firstly I would like to thank our fans for the support they have shown the team at our home game against Burton Albion and during last night’s win at Doncaster Rovers. After a long summer without any football it has been great to see so many of you getting behind the team both home and away.Getty Images
The scandal that brought down General David Petraeus last fall contained a miniscandal within it: just how easy it is for the FBI to read people’s e-mail. If Petraeus and his biographer Paula Broadwell had communicated about their extramarital affair solely by telephone, their exchanges might have remained secret. But e-mail does not get the kind of legal protection from government snooping that phone calls and regular mail do.
There have long been calls on Congress to upgrade e-mail privacy, but it has not done so — and recently, it let us down once again. This failure to act is not the usual Washington inertia or gridlock. It is because there are a lot of people in government who like the idea of being able to read citizens’ private e-mail. And Internet users — who have gotten good at pushing back against Facebook over privacy issues — have not been putting pressure on Congress to strengthen e-mail privacy.
(LIST: Top 10 Scandals of 2012)
The Electronic Communication Privacy Act — the main law governing e-mail privacy — was enacted in 1986, when no one had any idea how important e-mail would become or how it would be used. The ECPA requires the government to obtain a search warrant to read e-mail — just like regular mail — but the FBI’s position is that it does not need a warrant once you have opened your e-mail. That means in much of the country — some federal courts have said no — all the FBI needs to do in order to read your e-mail is, essentially, ask Google or Yahoo nicely (and issue an easy-to-do subpoena).
Last fall, when Congress got to work on rolling back privacy protections for online videos — something Netflix wanted badly — the original bill contained a provision requiring the FBI to get a search warrant before reading people’s e-mail. But in late December, Congress passed the “Netflix amendment,” which did not include the e-mail-privacy provision. Make no mistake: the protections did not get lost in the shuffle. Law enforcement lobbied strongly against the requirement of a search warrant to read stored e-mails, arguing that it “could jeopardize the effectiveness of investigations,” and opposed new requirements that would give people prompt notice if the government obtained a search warrant to look at their e-mail. The bill is headed to the President, who is expected to sign it.
(MORE: Will We Ever Get Strong Internet-Privacy Rules?)
Many people think that keeping the government from wantonly searching e-mail is not important because the FBI is targeting bad guys — al-Qaeda operatives and organized-crime figures — and not ordinary folks. But there is no way of knowing if this is true, and there are some worrisome indications that it is not. As recently as 2005, the National Security Agency was intercepting millions of purely domestic e-mails and phone calls between Americans. That is a lot of messages — and it is hard to believe that many law-abiding people were not caught up in the surveillance net.
The weak privacy protection for e-mail is a real crisis because e-mail is one of the most sensitive realms of modern life. There is a great deal of constitutional law about the right not to have the government search our cars or our regular mail. But those things cannot compare with e-mail, where people often put their most private, intimate communications, as the Petraeus scandal demonstrated. Millions of people care deeply about their privacy rights, but they are not as well organized or sophisticated as the government lawyers and law-enforcement groups that have been fighting for access to e-mail. If Americans want their e-mail protected, they are going to have to start speaking up at least as loudly as the law-enforcement interests who want to keep reading their private communications.
MORE: Why Is Congress Protecting the Gun Industry?Procedural macros are one of the main reasons Rust programmers use nightly rather than stable Rust, and one of the few areas still causing breaking changes. Recently, part of the story around procedural macros has been coming together and here I’ll explain what you can do today, and where we’re going in the future.
TL;DR: as a procedural macro author, you’re now able to write custom derive implementations which are on a fast track to stabilisation, and to experiment with the beginnings of our long-term plan for general purpose procedural macros. As a user of procedural macros, you’ll soon be saying goodbye to bustage in procedural macro libraries caused by changes to compiler internals.
Macros today
Macros are an important part of Rust. They facilitate convenient and safe functionality used by all Rust programmers, such as println! and assert! ; they reduce boilerplate, and make implementing traits trivial via derive. They also allow libraries to provide interesting and unusual abstractions.
However, macros are a rough corner - declarative macros ( macro_rules macros) have their own system for modularisation, a fiddly syntax for declarations, and some odd rules around hygiene. Procedural macros (aka syntax extensions, compiler plugins) are unstable and painful to use. Despite that, they are used to implement some core parts of the ecosystem, including serialisation, and this causes a great deal of friction for Rust |
make the photo my eyes caught a lone sticker on the lamppost. Guess what it said: "Make Racists Afraid Again." Can you believe this? In one of the most globo-capitalist cities on the planet all that Antifa is concerned with are the "racist" locals who may dare to resist their own dispossession. If any more proof was needed of Antifa being the useful open-border idiots of the global plutocracy, here it came black on white.My respect for the local patriots has risen double-folded. Asiacouver is a most difficult terrain. Demographically, the city seems to be close to the tipping point. Financially, I suspect it is already in the pockets of the new overlords. Furthermore, in contrast to Western European cities the case cannot be simply made that mass immigration is bringing the place down. The influx of foreign money does upscale the city and the cohabitation between the different ethnic groups is harmonious on the surface, making it a showcase of successful globalization.I do not pretend to understand the place from a beery Saturday night, though, and I did not even visit the satellite cities around. I am well aware that I only saw a — polished — part of the real picture. Unaffordable rents, dense traffic, unfair job competition, foreign crime and arrogance — all these negative side effects must be weighing heavily on the locals in their daily struggle for survival. It will be up to the local resistance groups to form a response which addresses these social issues and revives an identitarian spirit at the same time.What I know from my short visit is that Vancouver is a crown jewel of Canada, where land, sea and sky mixes into a truly blessed spot, and if I were Canadian, I would be fighting tooth and nail for it. And if you can't fight them on the beaches, fight them in the fields, in the hills, and in the streets. Fight them with growing confidence and strength everywhere. This time we are all in it together.CCA-Dave Where's my RS Christmas Lobster?!
Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Squamish Posts: 854 Thanked 2,081 Times in 510 Posts
Is this thread serious?
I'm 100% okay with a vehicle being pulled over at midnight because the driver (in some way or another) clearly doesn't match the registered owner. I don't think that's a profiling problem, I think it's actually a helpful and reasonable use of police resources. BECAUSE, if my car is being driven after midnight by a person who clearly doesn't match my registered name in some way or another, I would be quite happy to hear police pulled them over to find out if their story seemed reasonable or not.
Now, true, I'm a white male so probably don't experience profiling in the way that others do or feel they do. BUT I have been pulled over in the middle of the day because I'm clearly not Asian and I'm driving a vehicle with a very Asian sounding name on the ownership. In that particular case the modifications piqued the officer's interest, and when he ran the plate he realized there was very little chance I was the owner, so I was pulled over for a check. Another time I was pulled over in Montreal while driving a professional rallyists race car. The cop knew I wasn't said "top five" driver, and pulled me over to inquire as to why I had the race car and confirm that it hadn't been stolen.
In both cases I left feeling like I had found two traffic officers that were great at their jobs, and interested in doing more for the community than simply meeting a ticket quota.
-D Last edited by CCA-Dave; 02-28-2015 at 05:21 PM. Reason: grammerFrench restorer and sculptor Alain Bellino utilises recycled materials such as cutlery and chandeliers to weld fascinatingly detailed pieces of steampunk art. Born in 1955, the artist learned the techniques of gold and silver plating and bronze restoration in his father’s workshop. In 2010, after years of technical research, Bellino began to showcase pieces inspired by both the Renaissance period and steampunk aesthetics, including his famous steampunk skulls
Many of his pieces feature surrealist elements, with castles emerging from skulls and machinery meshing with the human form. He describes his work on his official website: “In his work of re-directing and re-assembling, which is both iconoclast and highly rigorous from a formal point of view, at the crossroads between past and future, Alain Bellino sublimates and rehabilitates the ornamentation.”
Check out some of these awesome sculptures below, or find out more here.Glasses are cool, hearing aids are not. Eyeglass frames in countless varieties are popular fashion statements. Beige earplugs aren’t a fashion statement people want to make, and many can’t even afford to. Although designer glasses can be pricy, there are stylish, budget-friendly options like Warby Parker’s $95 models. Hearing aids average $4,700 a pair in the U.S.
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Pricing Mayhem The U.S. government doesn’t cover the cost of hearing aids for older adults under Medicare, nor do most private insurance plans for any ages. “If Medicare starts covering something, a lot of insurance companies will follow,” says Meg Wallhagen, professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Medicaid, which serves the poorest Americans, varies by state. Some do cover hearing aids, mainly for children. The coverage is generally small compared to the overall cost of devices and care. “There’s so many consumers every day that I hear say, ‘I need something, but I have to decide between [buying hearing aids] and putting my kid in daycare or paying rent. I can’t afford $5,000 out of my pocket,'” says 38-year-old Kristen “K.R.” Liu, a Silicon Valley marketing veteran with severe hearing loss. “They just suffer,” she says. Liu is also on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America and a promotional “ambassador” to World Wide Hearing. One reason for high hearing-aid prices: They bundle services by the audiologist. This includes hearing tests, cleaning, and maintenance, in addition to fitting the device and tuning it to a person’s needs by checking deficiencies in certain frequency ranges. “It’s not like eyeglasses. You don’t put on a pair of hearing aids and start hearing automatically,” says Chris McCormick, CMO of Starkey Hearing Technologies, one of the six hearing aid manufacturers that control over 90% of the market. Smartphones Are Leading The Global Charge Against Blindness Thanks to advances in AI, smartphones are revolutionizing care for the visually impaired, providing everything from diagnoses to “sight.” How much do these audiologist services cost? Who knows? You can’t buy a Starkey or most other hearing aids unbundled. The problem is compounded, says Lintz, because there aren’t uniform descriptions of the specs and features so people can compare models. “Who purchases a $6,000-to-$8,000 item without doing research?” says Lintz. “Just because the office you walk into, that makes a huge profit on it, says, ‘This is good for you’?” Most audiologists sell a single hearing aid brand most of the time, says the President’s Council Of Advisors On Science And Technology. In an October 2015 report on hearing aids, the government agency recommended unbundling so that, as with glasses, people can get testing done in one place and elect to use the report, called an audiogram, to buy their hearing aid and get it fitted someplace else. Potential benefits of unbundling were also mentioned in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report. Some companies do sell hearing aids directly to consumers, who simply sign a waiver acknowledging that they are buying on their own, without guidance from an audiologist. (Online, it could just mean clicking a box on the checkout page.) That doesn’t help people who want guidance from a specialist but don’t want to be locked in to buying from them.
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Unbundling all hearing aid sales could be tough on mom-and-pop audiologists, who spend years consulting with patients to close those deals: The average time from first visit to sale is seven years. The solution is to reform health insurance coverage, says Wallhagen, who chairs the Hearing Loss Association of America‘s board of trustees. Before patients reach the point of needing hearing aids, audiologists can help with evaluations and teaching lifestyle strategies to deal with impaired hearing; they can also provide continued help for people who have hearing aids. Known as aural rehabilitation, it can be anything from explaining to friends and family what you can and cannot hear to learning how to make sense of the flood of new sounds you can now pick up with hearing aids. “If we could get those services covered, it could shift the model to where there’s less focus on selling hearing aids and more focus on: What really are your hearing needs?” Wallhagen says. Consumer Electronics To The Rescue? While hearing aid sales are minuscule, consumer electronics companies are selling hundreds of millions of audio devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, that do many of the same things. Mass-market CE components are going into devices called personal sound amplification products, or PSAPs, which have become unofficial budget hearing aids. Emphasis on “unofficial.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits claiming that the devices can help people with hearing loss. (We contacted the FDA, but they declined to be interviewed.) “They look like hearing aids, they act like hearing aids. For all intents and purposes, many people would consider that they are hearing aids,” Renyi says. The President’s Council report sort of agrees, recommending that PSAP makers be allowed to say that their products can at least help people with “age-related hearing loss no worse than mild-to-moderate.” A June study by Northwestern University compared 11 products, a mix of official hearing aids and PSAPs ranging in price from $8 to $3,200. It found that some PSAPs did as well or better than some hearing aids. Some super-cheap ($49 or less) PSAPs were abysmal, but so were some low-cost ($199) devices with FDA designation as hearing aids. “The technology in our hearing aid and in our personal sound amplifier is exactly the same,” says Shawn Stahmer, VP for business development at Sound World Solutions. “The restrictions are all on the marketing side.” Its Companion Hearing Aid sells for $449 each, while the very similar CS50+ Personal Sound Amplifier sells for $349. (It’s one of the companies that sells hearing aids directly to consumers.) Sound World has brought down prices by eschewing custom components. “The chip that we’re using for our [device’s] brain is part of hundreds of millions of units that are already in the field for Bluetooth products,” Stahmer says. Some fudging is required to install custom signal-processing algorithms on a chip that wasn’t designed for hearing aids.
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Sound World’s hearing aid (left) and PSAP (right) use the same technologies. There’s a problem with mass-produced chips from companies like Qualcomm or Intel, according to Starkey’s McCormick. “They don’t understand ultra-low voltage,” he says. “Think about the battery that’s in your iPhone. Try putting that in your ear.” Hearing aids have to run 24/7, for a week at a time on a battery about the size of an aspirin, he says. Renyi says her company’s hearing aids will get a week of battery life. Sound World Solutions claims 18 hours battery time for its Companion,
which recharges like a Bluetooth headset. Most hearing aids still use disposable batteries that add up to about $50 per year. Starkey’s Muse Starkey is offering a lot with its latest bespoke chip, called Synergy, which powers its new Muse, Halo 2, and SoundLens hearing aids. The 1.2-volt system chip has a quad-core processor running two “compressors”—software that filters out distracting noise. One optimizes speech, while a second processes music. The chip is fast enough to detect and reduce the noise that occurs in between syllables as someone speaks. Directional microphones allow the devices to identify and filter out environmental noise from behind or the side. “We can analyze if a person is sitting in a restaurant talking to a person and there is significant background noise, and the hearing aid makes decisions based on the particular type of audio input,” McCormick says. For example, it can automatically dampen the sound of a coffee grinder at a café. “We’re essentially delivering for hearing-impaired people at levels exceeding those of people who have regular, normal hearing,” says McCormick. “We’re essentially delivering audio quality for hearing-impaired people at levels exceeding those of people who have regular, normal hearing.” “If you just want to communicate with your family and friends, you’re not going to need all this high-rent stuff,” Wallhagen says. “And if the new ones come into the market, some of the older ones [now] don’t cost as much, but they’re really good.” The Halo 2 has Apple’s “Made for iPhone” designation. It streams all audio, be it iTunes or Siri, and is adjustable through an iPhone app. Halo 2 uses the phone’s GPS to identify a location and call up the audio settings that worked best there in the past. At a recent tech conference, says McCormick, “People would come up…and say, ‘I don’t need a hearing aid. I have normal hearing. But why can’t I have that?'” They may get their wish. “You can make these for normal-hearing people, and that’s certainly an area of consideration that we’re exploring aggressively,” says McCormick. “Stay tuned, it’s very likely you can have them in the near future.”
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A startup called Doppler Labs is also aiming for people who want to hear better than normal. It launched on Kickstarter in 2015 with Here Active Listening, a $249 set of AI-driven wireless earbuds that recognize and filter ambient sounds, such as bringing down background noise in a subway or boosting voices during a conversation. A smartphone app lets users pick filters and effects (like simulating the ambience of a concert hall), adjust volume, and tweak a five-band equalizer. Doppler’s next product, Here One, debuts in November for $300 and adds wireless streaming from smartphones and other devices. Doppler’s Here One Doppler’s headphones drift into hearing-aid territory, starting with the setup. It begins by creating a “personal listening profile,” which sounds a lot like a hearing-aid fitting. “What that does is, it actually takes a snapshot of each of your ear’s unique characteristics and calibrates the entire system to your hearing,” says Doppler’s 29-year-old CEO Noah Kraft, who came up with the idea for the company because of his love of music. He then blurts out what could be mistaken for the disclaimer in a TV commercial for pharmaceuticals: “To be very clear,” he says, “Here One is not a medical device. It is not meant to be a medical device. It is not meant to replace a hearing aid. If you have severe hearing loss, you should go to an audiologist.” Doppler Labs And The Quest To Build A Computer For Your Ears Leveraging everything from advanced hardware engineering to AI, this startup wants to give you control over your world’s sounds. I tried the original product while chatting with Doppler Labs at a slightly noisy café in San Francisco. With me was K.R. Liu, who joined Doppler about a year ago as director of accessibility and advocacy. Selecting a filter for restaurants dampened the background sounds of milk steaming or people chattering, and selecting the Human Speech enhancer zoomed in on Liu’s voice. Still, I had the feeling I was listening through an intermediary and had a sense of being under water. Doppler folks say the final Here One (which they didn’t have on hand) will perform better, and that I might need tips in a different size to better fit my ear canals. There’s still quite a distance between Here One and a hearing aid like Starkey’s Halo 2, and not just on price or legal status. Doppler advertises a five-hour battery life for Here One. (They come in a battery-powered charging case, similar to the Apple AirPods.) “That’s unusable for us,” says McCormick. The Halo 2 automatically adjusts the sound filters to environmental noises. It’s a manual selection process with the Doppler app, although it will suggest what setting to use. Starkey’s Halo 2 The Here Ones are also bulky, although Doppler plays that up as fashion. “The Warby Parker example is great. People go to Warby Parker who don’t even have vision loss,” says Liu. “They go to wear it because it’s fashionable. I would love to see somebody say that about in-ear tech.” (We asked Warby Parker for its opinion on these comparisons. The company declined to comment.) A self-described “fashion victim,” Liu has short blond hair like Robin Wright that leaves her ears exposed. When we met, her compact hearing aids (which cost $12,000 a pair) were scarcely visible. She wore a blouse with an abstract print in stark black and white, which are the two color options for Here One. Liu seems awfully excited about a product that officially won’t help her ears. With a little prodding, CEO Kraft admits that Doppler wants to go farther. “Long term, if the FDA changes the regulations, Doppler would love nothing more than to be able to provide tech to all ears,” he says. “If we can provide tech to mild-to-moderate [hearing-loss patients], we will create tech for that. If we can provide tech to people with severe hearing loss, I guarantee you, we can create that tech.”
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As consumer electronics companies nudge into the hearing-aid space with PSAPs, and as hearing-aid companies nudge into the CE space, a new wearable tech category may be emerging. Called “hearables” by their boosters, the gadgets could encompass a range of over-the-counter, in-ear devices that allow people to hear better—either by making up for diagnosed hearing deficiency or tweaking how live music and voices sound. There are a lot of barriers in the way: public health regulations like the FDA’s labeling rules; health care concerns that people will get safe products; ensuring a correct fit; hearing aid makers and audiologists wanting to recoup costs; and technological challenges like getting battery life up and making devices easy to configure. If money and interest flow into hearables, audio technology could advance faster and prices could come down for all devices. Fashion could also have a hand in determining the trend, though wearable tech has a patchy record. Headphones go in and out of style, with big cans currently en vogue again. Google Glass flopped. Glasses themselves took centuries to become cool and affordable, but they’ve certainly arrived. If companies can get the right mix of tech, style, and price, hearables could be the new glasses.Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in a Friday interview that President Barack Obama has been "commendably cautious" in dealing with the Islamic State.
"I think our main goal is ISIL. And I don't know that we have a, quote,'responsibility' in Syria after that. And I think the president is being commendably cautious here about being involved in the middle of a Syrian civil war. It's at the minimum a three-sided conflict and probably a lot more than that," Cole, an ally of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), told MSNBC's Chuck Todd.
Earlier in the interview, Cole also stressed that Obama should seek approval from Congress before taking any "extensive military action" against the Islamic State.
"I don't think the president should engage in extensive military action beyond what's allowed under the War Powers Act, without going to Congress," he said. "I think it's important politicly, and it's important for the world to understand that when we deploy force, we're doing it as a country and not in a partisan manner, that we genuinely are united. So I think the elements of a strategy are there."
Obama spoke at a White House press briefing on Thursday and said his administration was preparing a "range of options" for dealing with the Islamic State.
"Look, the president's made it clear, and I think appropriate, that we're talking about airstrikes at some point. We're talking about special operators. We're talking about, you know, aid and training for people on the ground. And we're talking about alliances in the region, which I think are going to be not easy to construct, but pretty doable since nobody on the ground, even our enemies, don't like ISIL," Cole told Todd.
The former al Qaeda-affiliated group is centered in Iraq and Syria, and has recruited fighters from Europe and the United States.
Calls for a U.S. response to the group have grown since the gruesome beheading of James Foley, an American journalist who was kidnapped in Syria two years ago.In case there was still any doubt about the long-rumored “GDrive’s” existence, a page now appearing on Google’s search results offers a pretty clear indication that something is going on. On Writely.com – the online word processing service Google acquired in 2006 – a test page is now appearing with a title that reads “test page for Platypus (GDrive).”
Well, there you have it.
Currently, the full title of the search result reads “Writely – The Web Word Processor – test page for Platypus (GDrive)” and the URL is www.writely.com/BasePage.aspx. Of course, when you click through, the link takes you to an error page of sorts, with a message reading “Unknown action. Please check the URL and try again.”
It should be noted that the www.writely.com domain itself redirects to Google Docs.
Platypus, for those unaware, was the codename for GDrive used internally at Google until it was killed off in 2008. But recent findings have hinted that Google Drive is making a return. For example, in September, MG reported that code found in Chromium (the open source Web browser which serves as the testing ground for Google Chrome) referenced the non-public URL drive.google.com.
Later that month, a screenshot from a presentation at a Google-sponsored event showed something that looks very much like Google Drive, complete with text that even reads “My Google Drive.”
From MG’s earlier reports, the forthcoming service is essentially a rebranding of Google Docs with an accompanying desktop software component, similar to Dropbox. When exactly Google will finally launch Google Drive, after years of waiting, is still unknown. But at least we know they’re working on it.
Thanks Dan Behun
UPDATE: OK, well that test page has been around since 2006, it seems. Previously, it pointed to the Project page for Platypus (GDrive), but now it’s pointing to Google Docs. Nothing to see here, move along!
A better tip comes from Alex, who points out in the comments below, that going to drive.google.com will forward you to the https version of that site before giving a 105, rather than a 404.The addition is called "The Steam Inventory Service" and it only exists in beta form thus far (and therefore only to users who opt-in to the beta version of Steam). Here's how Valve describes it:
"The Steam Inventory Service is a set of new Steamworks APIs and tools that allow a game to enable persistent items that have been purchase or unlocked by individual users without having to run special servers to keep track of these user's inventory."
Snoozefest, we know. The long and short is that game creators can now add unlockable item systems to their games, and those unlocked items can be "marked as tradable through Steam or sellable via the Steam Marketplace." Which is to say: the economy of items that's existed for so long through Valve's own games is now opening to the wider Steam world. And that's a good thing! Well, kind of.
On one side, it means that game developers are potentially able to add more value to their games -- play our game for 50 hours and your in-game character gets a special sash noting your dedication! On the other side, there's of course potential for abuse: game developers could start building their games with economies like this in mind, and Valve's unlikely to police those games from its service.
It's all very early days, naturally -- the system's still in beta and we've yet to hear any devs signing on just yet. A year from now, though? We could be talking about the next $50 million Valve's paid out to users who are creating and selling content on a vast swath of games.President Donald Trump’s thin skin has evolved into rage about the role of criticism of any sort. Giving what Fox & Friends this morning actually called “a great uplifting speech” at Liberty University on Saturday, Trump declared, “No one has ever achieved anything significant without a chorus of critics standing on the sidelines explaining why it can’t be done. Nothing is easier — or more pathetic — than being a critic, because they’re people that can’t get the job done.”
So, what do folks who spend much of their professional lives offering tough, thoughtful criticism have to say about that rather unsophisticated broadside?
Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips: “If Trump defines a critic as anyone who’s second-guessing what the hell he’s up to on any given day, then we’re living in criticism nation. And it’s a sign that we haven’t gone completely numb to the outrages.”
Harvey Young, dramatist and a theater and African-American studies expert, Northwestern University: “The president is clearly conflating naysayer and critic. Critics, by and large, analyze and evaluate on the basis of fact, deep research and an enviable depth of historical and practical knowledge.”
“They help us to appreciate the larger context. They often are among the first to advise on how something can be done and to applaud path-blazing innovation. It is true that critics will call out moments of error, failure, ineptitude — akin to telling the emperor that he has no clothes — but that’s being truthful, not oppositional.”
Elizabeth Taylor, co-editor of The National Book Review and former president of the National Book Critics Circle: “With all the stuff coming at us every day, where would we be without critics? Without critics, we have only the loudest voices in the room.”
“In a world where everyone seems to be a critic — in the rise of the citizen reviewer with undisclosed biases — we need discerning critics who can make convincing cases to readers and lead a conversation about quality.”
Robert Abrams, board member of the Dance Critics Association and critic for ExploreDance.com: “Mr. Trump is confusing criticism with negativity. This is a common misconception, unfortunately. Well-crafted criticism helps readers understand the work in question with a greater depth than the reader might have seen before.”
Andras Szanto, former director of the now-defunct National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia’s University’s Graduate School of Journalism: “In the world of art, artists and institutions welcome criticism because it validates what they do and connects them to a broader public. By saying what he said, Trump underscores two overarching features of his presidency: He does not seek validation from anyone but himself, and ultimately he doesn’t care much about what the public thinks. He is not interested in being part of a two-way discourse.”
Mary McNamara, television critic of the Los Angeles Times: “Well, the obvious first response is that this is pretty rich coming from a man who has spent years criticizing many, many people including and especially President Obama, mostly through the facile and pot-shotty platform of Twitter. Perhaps that is what he means by ‘nothing is easier than being a critic.’”
“Still, even that sort of criticism remains an important part of our democracy, which was, after all, born of criticism. What were the founding fathers if not critics?”
Well, of course, don’t expect any uprising of the Fox News army of analysts to coalesce in outrage. After all, isn’t Trump calling them idiots, too. Right?
Puerto Rico’s giant mess
The island’s financial woes are prodigious. The Wall Street Journal discloses that losses for mutual funds that invested in Puerto Rico’s debt is about $5.4 billion in the last five years and explains exactly how it came up with the not-easy-to-divine figure. (The Wall Street Journal)
SNL’s best moment
The shots at Trump via Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy were not the show’s strongest elements Saturday. If you missed, it wasn’t even a close second to a skit on a new Amazon Echo Silver for seniors. (Recode)
Call to critics
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University is today unveiling a survey of visual arts journalists. It’s led by Mary Louise Schumacher, the 2017 arts and culture fellow at the Nieman Foundation and expands on a study conducted 15 years ago by the above-mentioned National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University (ah, time flies, I was on that board before it was disbanded).
The survey aims to find out about priorities and pressures facing those in a field impacted by industry contraction and new digital platform. It will take 20 to 30 minutes and can be found at www.research.net/r/artsjournalism.
If you’ve got questions, send them to Schumacher, who is the art and architecture critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on leave) at criticssurvey@gmail.com.
Headline of the weekend
“What happens when the pro-Trump media get actual scoops? — Major scoops by former trolls have short-circuited the bullshit detector of the mainstream media.” (BuzzFeed)
Amid the morning fragmentation
“In a move network boss Jamie Horowitz characterizes as ‘another big swing,’ Fox’s upstart cable sports network FS1 is gearing up for the introduction of its first-ever morning show. The New York-based First Things First with and and Nick Wright will begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, two days before the 2017 NFL season kicks off.” (Ad Age)
On last week’s Comey coverage
The Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan mulls the media’s coverage of the FBI director’s firing, with a heavy dose of opining from Ari Fleischer, who greatly minimized the Comey tale as a Fox pundit on “Hannity”:
“Journalism has been called the first rough draft of history, but last week it felt more like an adrenaline-fueled doodle on Snapchat — scribbled in one frantic instant only to disappear the next.”
“The news cycle, once a stately 24 hours, was reduced to mere seconds. It was hard for dizzied news consumers to know what, or whom, to believe.” (The Washington Post)
The “most tempered and thoughtful man in D.C.?”
Peter Baker of The New York Times says its former Washington Post colleague Dan Balz. (@peterbakernyt) Amid ageism in the journalism business, chalk up a victory for non-millennials.
Thrush, Spicer, McCarthy and Guilfoyle
It’s all a mish-mash, isn’t it, with Melissa McCarthy surfacing again as the beleaguered Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live, with Bobby Moynihan as The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush. It’s funny, but is it effective satire, mere parody, a mix of the two or none of the above? (The Spicer-Trump-McCarthy-Alec Baldwin smooch didn’t work, guys.)
Then there’s the real Thrush and colleague Maggie Haberman reporting, “And while Mr. Trump has raised the Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle to allies as a possible press secretary, he has spent several hours with Mr. Spicer this week, praising his television ‘ratings’ during the briefings.” (The New York Times)
Guilfoyle as press secretary? It might at least be addition through subtraction at Fox’s The Five, which needs some more coherent production in its prime time version, or what my late Viennese grandmother would tag a more gemütlich, or comfortable air.
Finding your political representatives
OK, you know your congressman and two senators (right?). But your state rep and senator or city council member?
“The feature can be found by pulling up Facebook on a desktop or by opening the app on your phone. Click the three horizontal lines in the lower right corner of the screen. Scroll down to ‘Explore’ and tap ‘See More.’ ‘Town Hall’ should be there, with a blue or white building icon.” (Techwalla)
The Wall Street Journal and Jimmy Carter
The paper editorialized Saturday, “Mr. Trump has assembled many able advisers and officials who are trying to serve the country and steer and mercurial President from his own worst instincts. If Mr. Trump won’t heed their counsel, he really will turn into Jimmy Carter.”
Jimmy Carter? James Fallows of The Atlantic, who was a Carter speechwriter, says, “Carter had approval ratings 25-30 percent ahead of Trump’s at this stage; was broker and personal force-of-will creator of most lasting peace deal in the Middle East; began the process that broke the inflationary cycle (though that was part of what cost him the presidency); reinvented the role of ex-presidents; de-regulated the airline industry (which the WSJ should like) and home-brewing industry (which set the stage for the craft brew revolution) — not to mention winning the Nobel prize.”
“He had his limitations, but if Trump matched a tiny fraction of his genuine accomplishments it would be a miracle.”
Mother Jones’ crowdfunding
“Mother Jones on Friday announced a half-million dollar crowdfunding campaign to investigate any connections between the Trump administration and Russia, asking for reader support to “make sure truth prevails over power.” (Poynter)
A question Lester Holt forgot
Emmanuel Macron, new president of France, was interviewed by a classical music website in France. Below is a translation via an American music site. Just imagine Trump getting the same question and what his answer might be:
Q. More personally, what is your favorite composer and/or opera?
“I have a great admiration for Rossini. For me, he occupies an essential place in the history of music. His freedom, his life and his genius have always impressed me. He took opera out of its yoke by offering a new freedom to the voice: he completely reinvented lyrical singing.” (Musical America)
Imagine the comparative pedestrian nature of most any American politician’s answer to the same question if a journalist was ever moved to inquire.
Drawing a short straw on Mother’s Day
Tom DeFrank, a predecessor as New York Daily News Washington bureau chief, drew the short straw Sunday as White House pool reporter in his role these days for the National Journal.
“All’s very well,” he said during a day spent largely at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia (I once shot a very satisfying 88 there in a driving rain). “In Texas, we call it drawing the black bean, after an ill-fated military expedition by the Republic of Texas before joining the Union in 1845. Net effect is the same, of course.”
“Every Texas school kid knows the story. Google Mier Expedition, 1842.”One in 10 captured Texan prisoners were executed after an attempted escape; they were the ones who drew black beans from a pot. Draw a white bean, you live; black bean, you die.”
The morning babble
The panel on Fox & Friends unveiled their upteenth blond female newsreader (need males not apply?) and expressed concerns about cyber attacks continuing today. But most of all, they sounded off about the “liberal media” being unfair to Trump via liberal-bashing “media analyst” Cabot Phillips a 20-something “media director for Campus Reform.” Who?
CNN’s New Day was focused on a successor to James Comey. They also discussed what they deemed Melissa McCarthy’s “tour de force” as Sean Spicer on SNL. That’s debatable. And co-host Chris Cuomo said, “not funny” on “fat shaming” Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
MSNBC’s Morning Joe opened on Comey, with polling on people not trusting Congress to investigate the Russian issue, preferring an independent counsel. The Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski line is that there’s justifiable grounds for impeachment.
But, alas, no mention on any show of the eighth birthday today of Eliot G. Warren! Oh, well, I will handle those duties shortly.
Corrections? Tips? Please email me: jwarren@poynter.org. Would you like to get this roundup emailed to you every morning? Sign up here.It wasn’t supposed to happen this fast.
Some of the reefs around the Florida Keys are dissolving. They may have crossed a tipping point due to increasing ocean acidification, raising the alarm that climate change impacts in the ocean are continuing to happen at a much quicker pace than scientists previously suspected.
Rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are making seas more acidic. That makes it harder for coral to build up their skeletons.
Scientists expected that the rising tide of acidic waters would cross a tipping point and start dissolving reefs by mid-century. But some of Florida’s reefs appear to be getting a head start, according to research published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles on Monday.
Scientists sampled seven sites across the 300-mile stretch of reefs stretching from Miami south to Key West. The findings show that the northern stretches of the reefs and their limestone bases are already dissolving.
“Those reefs are starting to waste away,” Chris Landon, a researcher at the University of Miami who helped lead research, said. “Each year there will be a little less limestone than the year before.”
Many of the other reefs in the study are dissolving in fall and winter when ocean waters tend to be more acidic due to natural processes like seagrass dying off. Only the two southernmost reefs that he sampled are still building up mass year-round.
The loss of these reefs is a very real concern for people living the region. According to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the reefs there provide an estimated $2 billion in income and 70,400 jobs. They are home a variety of fish and provide protection against storm surge to the millions of residents in southeast Florida.
“This is a really important study for understanding when net dissolution will start occurring on a coral reef,” Emily Shaw, a reef researcher at California State, Northridge, said. She noted that the localized analysis provided a clearer view than more typical global analyses of ocean acidification.
Derek Manzello, a scientist at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Atmospheric Marine Laboratory, said the results were in line with his findings from a 2012 study. He said the main driver of the decline, however, was more likely “that much of the live coral has been lost in the Florida Keys since the early 1980s owing to disease and bleaching.” That weakened the reef’s limestone base enough so that they |
alone serves more than two million Chinese students each year and has annual revenues of around $1.5 billion.
Reuters’ report is only the latest in a string of investigations into shady practices at Chinese education companies. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the SAT—the standardized test that most US colleges require applicants to take—was compromised by a massive cheating operation run by several Asian test prep companies.
The whispers of fraud come a time when Chinese students are swarming to the US for college, with the number increasing fivefold over the last decade. International applications overall in that timeframe by comparison only doubled.
The case for removing college applications’ most gameable aspects, it seems, grows stronger yet.TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - One of Alabama's most hyped players entering the season was junior college transfer
Duron Carter
.
The Crimson Tide had hoped the former Ohio State and Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College wide receiver could come in this fall and help absorb the impact of losing
Julio Jones
, who was a first-round draft pick with the Atlanta Falcons.
Carter's transition was not smooth. After moving here in July, he missed most of preseason practice until his enrollment in late August.
Expected to debut Sept. 10 at Penn State, Carter revealed via Twitter he would not play in the game. A source later confirmed to al.com newspapers Carter had not traveled to State College, Pennsylvania.
Carter has not played for Alabama to date because he has not satisfied those necessary with the proper paperwork to play this season.
Alabama coach
Nick Saban
said last month that Carter would likely redshirt this fall barring any new developments.
Since then, Carter has adjusted to life on the Crimson Tide's scout team turning his focus toward improving for next season.
"He does a good job in practice," Saban said. "He works hard. I think that all players in that position should be focused on responsibility to first of all understand why they're in the position they're in, what they could have done differently and how they can improve themselves in the future so they don't have to deal with any consequences by making good choices and decisions on what they do and on what they don't do.
"He's responded pretty well to that at this point."
Carter will have two years of eligibility remaining if he follows through with a redshirt.Oh, IKEA, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways… Beyond the scads of flat-pack furniture, indoor herb gardens, and solar-powered shelters for emergency victims, the Swedish retailer is gearing up to launch a new product that is nothing short of a revelation. Later this year, IKEA will begin selling a chainless bicycle called SLADDA, and the multiple award-winning design has already been dubbed the “best of the best.” Come August, we’ll get to find out how true that is.
The SLADDA bicycle relies on a corrosion-resistant drive belt, rather than a traditional bike chain. IKEA claims the drive belt will last up to 9,320 miles, which is two to three times longer than the average chain drive. The company partnered with Oskar Juhlin, Jan Puranen, and Kristian Eke of Veryday design studio to produce the stylish bike, which sports a minimalist aesthetic and clean white frame. SLADDA is a unisex bike with adjustable handlebars, which means, according to IKEA, anyone over the age of 12 can use it.
Related: IKEA’s new app lets you try out furniture in virtual reality
Although details are limited, IKEA says the bike also sports a “click system” that allows the rider to attach accessories. So far, we know this includes a basket, a rack for panniers, and the towing trailer. Designer Juhlin hinted that other manufacturers might create additional accessories: “Sladda is like tablet apps: you can add endless accessories to enhance ease of use.”
IKEA’s new bike design won the retailer one of three Red Dot Awards this year, an honor given for excellence in product design. SLADDA won the Best of the Best, which is the top prize in each category.
The lightweight aluminum frame bike will be available in 26- and 28-inch models for a limited time. SLADDA will debut in European stores in August for a cool $797. Members of IKEA’s loyalty program will be eligible for a limited offer discounted price of $569.
Via Huh Magazine and Bike Europe
Images via IKEAUrbit, the galactically inspired network of cloud servers, has announced plans to rebuild its infrastructure based on ethereum tech.
A network of P2P personal cloud servers that conceives of itself as “virtual real estate,” Urbit has always borne a certain kinship to blockchain technology, but never deployed a blockchain as part of its infrastructure.
However, the test version of Urbit, which has been online for about a year, will now be upgraded to use ethereum’s smart contracts.
According to a blog post from the company, the smart contracts will be based on ERC20, the formal standard for ethereum tokens, to allow Urbit property owners to cryptographically secure their holdings.
According to the post, which uses the project’s standard space-themed terminology:
“We’ll instantiate a land registry for Urbit address space; an ERC20 “spark” token which is burned to create a generic star; and a voting system for self-governance. We’ll also create template contracts which galaxies can use to auction stars, and stars to distribute planets.”
Going forward, all payments will now occur on the blockchain. Urbit will further create its own web browser forked from ethereum’s code.
By using smart contracts to formalise relationships on the network, Urbit said it can outsource its security measures to the ethereum platform.
However, the decision to integrate ethereum did not come without some doubts. Developers Curtis Yarvin and Galen Wolfe-Pauly state that due to their “bottom-up” approach to development, “depending on Ethereum goes against all Urbit’s instincts.”
Detailing this hesitancy further, the developers argued:
“Ethereum’s user experience is notorious; its governance is suspect and unstable; its dilution rate is unconscionable; its dev environment is full of bugs and misfeatures; in short, it’s a classic MVP. It has only one real goal: success. It seems to be doing pretty well with that.”
In spite of this, the move is going ahead and Urbit is also expected to launch an ethereum-based token sale of its “galaxy” soon.
Galaxy image via ShutterstockThe chaos in post-Saddam Iraq unleashed by the American invasion of 2003 is reaching crisis proportions. Now the country’s second-largest city and primary oil center, Mosul, has been overrun by Sunni militants. According to the New York Times, the city has fallen primarily into the hands of an insurgency group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria—“ one of the most extreme groups,” according to the paper. Local officials were saying many of the Sunni fighters were jihadists who had swept in from the porous border between Iraq and Syria.
Islamist militants already had gained dominance over the city of Falluja and parts of neighboring Ramadi, in Anbar province. Now they are in position to leverage resources captured in Mosul to strengthen their positions in Anbar and extend their influence to other parts of the country. The situation was captured by an analytical observation, quoted in the Times, by Ayham Kamel of the strategic consulting firm Eurasia Group:
The reach of armed Sunni extremist groups beyond the restive province of Anbar reinforces our view that the Islamist insurgency will create significant challenges to the security forces and central government authority over the next two years. [The insurgency force will likely] use cash reserves from Mosul’s banks, military equipment from seized military and police bases, and the release of 2,500 fighters from local jails to bolster its military and financial capacity.
“The reach of armed Sunni extremist groups” was precisely what the U.S. government sought to curtail when it invaded Iraq and destroyed the regime of Saddam Hussein eleven years ago—in response to the 9/11 attack on America from the leading armed Sunni extremist group of that time, Al Qaeda. And yet such groups now seem to be spreading throughout large portions of the Middle East—in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya. What went wrong?
The central problem was ideology—the idea that America was special, that our governmental norms and practices could and should be exported abroad, that we had a right and duty to destroy regimes, based upon the slightest pretext of national interest or none at all, that failed to live up to our standards. That’s what drove the American-led expeditionary force into Iraq; that’s what led to President Obama’s decision to employ military resources to upend Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi; that’s what is driving the call for American intervention in Syria to overthrow Bashar al-Assad.
In all these instances, the status quo was better for the United States than what came after (or is likely to), and it carried the added benefit of not requiring the kind of American intervention that inevitably enflames cultural passions in an inherently unstable and culturally defensive region.
This is true even in Iraq, as demonstrated by an effort to place President George W. Bush’s momentous invasion into a historical context and survey the possible scenarios. First, some background: The fundamental power distribution within the area that is now Iraq (never really any kind of nation until after World War I) never changed much from the time of the Ottoman invasion in the sixteenth century. The Sunni Ottomans, fearing the power of Shi’ite Persia on their eastern border and the large numbers of Shi’ite tribesmen in their own countryside, turned to the one element in society they could trust—the Sunnis of the cities between the Tigris and the Euphrates. They relied on these cities, particularly Baghdad, to keep the desert Arabs in check and to hold Iran at bay. The old Sunni families held all the major administrative and military positions, staffed the bureaucracy and dominated the Sunni religious establishment. It was a closed world, enforced when necessary with brutal suppression. And it was perpetuated in turn, in the name of stability, by the subsequent British rulers, then the kings who were installed by the British, and finally, by the military dictators who succeeded the kings, right up to Saddam Hussein.
A careful analysis of the situation following 9/11, when America realized it faced a serious threat from the spreading passion of Islamist fundamentalism, would identify three possibilities in Iraq: One would be to accept the status quo, since Saddam’s regime, though disgusting in its brutality, was largely secular in outlook and represented a check on Iranian adventurism. Another would be a post-Sunni regime, built on democratic concepts and thus inevitably dominated by the majority Shi’ites—and inevitably beset by a savage Sunni resolve to restore itself to its previous dominant position. The third would be the capture of the country (excluding Kurdish-dominated areas) by the very Islamist elements that constituted the fundamental threat in the first place; this represented a very possible outcome from the second scenario given the societal chaos foreshadowed by that scenario.
The United States spurned the first scenario for ideological reasons; opted for scenario two based on the same ideology; and is getting scenario three based on real-world forces that were never seriously considered when the invasion decision was undertaken.
The same outcome is emerging in Libya, which has descended into chaos since those heady days when American policy makers were opting for intervention based on a gauzy optimism that some kind of reformist pluralism could emerge in that country—which, unlike Iraq under Saddam, actually had promised to shun and resist anti-Western jihadism. Now we have a situation that London’s The Guardian captured in a recent headline: “With Libya’s return to war, democratic dream is all but ruined.” The lead: “When Libya threw off the shackles of dictatorship in its Arab Spring revolution, few could have imagined that, three years later, it would have two rival governments installed at opposite ends of the country, presiding over fighting that has, in effect, torn the nation in two.” One of those governments, residing in the capital of Tripoli, is dominated by what the Guardian calls “Islamist militants.”
As for Syria, while some early anti-Assad insurgents seemed favorable to certain democratic concepts, the insurgency has been captured largely by Islamist radicals bent on jihadist missions. And yet many Americans, including the president on any given day, want to help these people succeed in upending Assad because he is a brutal dictator who will seize just about any means available to save from destruction his regime, his neck and his followers. Again, the likely outcome, in terms of the so-called war on terror, is largely ignored.
What are the lessons from all this? That American exceptionalism isn’t a strong foundation for American foreign policy, particularly in the culturally estranged Middle East. That it’s a fool’s mission to seek the spread of democracy there through the overthrow of dictators. That Islamist fundamentalism is a strong and widespread current of sentiment running through Middle Eastern society, and it is stimulated in part by Western intrusion into those lands. That Middle Eastern dictatorships aren’t necessarily intrinsic enemies of the West, whereas radical Islamist regimes represent far more dangerous threats. That balance of power considerations—as, for example, between Iraq and Iran—should never be dismissed or ignored.
It isn’t difficult to see how these lessons should have informed U.S. policy making in the Middle East after 9/11—or to see how the region would be less chaotic today had they been pursued with a degree of seriousness. It’s more difficult to see how they should be applied in today’s far more enflamed and dangerous region. But one thing is clear: The United States will never get it right so long as it is guided by the ideological mix of American exceptionalism, prodemocracy Wilsonism, self-congratulatory interventionism and foreign policy arrogance of the past two decades. Losing those attitudes is paramount, as the most recent events in Iraq amply demonstrate.
Robert W. Merry is political editor of The National Interest and the author of books on American history and foreign policy. His most recent book is Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians.Between being told that Christianity is a system of oppression, a complex way to justify burning with hatred over the existence of gay people, and a general failure of the human intellect, I begin to suspect that few people know why Christians exist at all. This is my attempt to explain why I am a Christian.
Any philosophy that claims that there exists nothing supernatural cannot grant purpose to suffering.
If some natural, secular purpose could be granted to the man suffering, then his pain would cease to be suffering and begin to be useful pain. The athlete can point to the material purpose of fitness and strength to answer the problem of his sore muscles. The old man who wakes up ever day with inexplicably sore muscles can point to no such thing. Though the pain experienced is the same — down to the last, aching twinge — the old man suffers, and the athlete does not. Suffering, to be suffering, requires the lack of a natural, secular answer.
The secular cannot answer the problem of suffering (as I’ve spoken in depth elsewhere), but suffering is still a problem we naturally want resolved. (If you don’t believe it is, develop leukemia, have a close family member die, and then try being content with not having any answers, meaning, or purpose.) We are obliged to ditch the secular and take up the religious, as a man cutting wood ditches the fork and picks up the saw. Which religion? I cannot speak for all of them, though the very existence of religion as a fundamental human institution does lend support to what I’ve just argued, that we must leave the purely secular if we want answers in this life. I can only speak for Christianity. Think of Christianity as some obscure, New Age cult — so as to judge her fairly — and I will give you her claims:
CLAIM 1: Suffering is the result of sin. If you are an atheist, freaketh not, for we know this on a purely experiential level. When we sin against others — when we steal from them, malign their names, or harm their bodies — we cause them suffering. When we sin against our nature — when we isolate ourselves, or demean our bodies — we cause our selves suffering. Suffering is the result of sin.
CLAIM 2: This verified reality is in fact the reality of the entire cosmos. The very state of human beings and the universe they inhabit is a sinful one.
Again, this is not a religious claim. The word sin is translated from the Hebrew ‘chattah’, which means ‘to miss the mark’. To say that the world is in a sinful state is to say that our world is not all it should be, that it misses the mark, that it is — in a word — imperfect. This is verifiable. We do not wish children to suffer and die, and yet we live in a world in which they do. It is entirely possible that we will have to at some point push spiky balls of calcium through our urethras. The experiences of these natural things as imperfect — to say the least — is a universal experience. We live in a world that “misses the mark” of perfection.
(OBJECTION 1: I suppose it could be argued to the contrary that the world is perfect, but we apply our human standard of perfection upon the world, and are disappointed when she doesn’t meet that standard. Both claims are statements of faith. One says, “I experience the universe as imperfect. I believe this experience corresponds to reality.” The other says, “I experience the universe as imperfect. I believe this experience does not correspond to reality.” Both are statements of belief based on a common experience — the experience of imperfection, found in kidney stones, dying children, 9/11, Katrina, etc.
The latter statement of faith — that the universe isn’t imperfect, we just believe it to be so — means human beings are far too strange to exercise rational thought. To say that what I experience as reality does not necessarily coincide with what reality actually is is to be unable to say anything at all. If what I experience as true does not necessarily coincide with what really is true, then I can hardly say “It is true that the universe is perfect.”
But this is obvious, and I digress going after the few who would argue that children dying is a matter of ultimate indifference, and that it is only our projections that make it seem otherwise.)
So the universe is imperfect. To be imperfect is to “miss the mark” of perfection. To be in a state of missing the mark is to be in a sinful state. The universe is therefore in a sinful state. As we’ve established, suffering is the natural result of sin. Thus suffering is inherent to our sinful universe.
CLAIM 3: As the universe is imperfect, God is perfect, the fullness of Perfection itself. This is first of all a simple matter of definition. If you have in your mind an imperfect God, then he is not God. But there is proof to this claim. As the philosopher Thomas Aquinas says:
“Among beings there are some more and some less good, true, noble and the like. But “more” and “less” are predicated of different things, according as they resemble in their different ways something which is the maximum, as a thing is said to be hotter according as it more nearly resembles that which is hottest; so that there is something which is truest, something best, something noblest and, consequently, something which is uttermost being.”
If God created all things, and all things are good in varying degrees, than God must be the standard of Perfection from which all things derive their relative goodness. (Minor objection: Of course, this assumes the existence of God, which I do not aim to prove. Rather I aim to say, if there is a God, he is perfect. (I come dangerously close to bringing up St. Anselm.))
(OBJECTION 2: If the Christian sheeple (I’m joking) believe that God is the fullness of perfection, and that to say that our universe is sinful — or imperfect — is to say that our universe is lacking total union with God, why then, would Perfection allow our imperfection? If God is all-powerful, surely he could forever stop us from sinning, and thus from ever suffering? Is he so cruel as to allow us to suffer, children to die, etc.?
We are allowed to sin — and thus to suffer — because God loves us. If we could not refuse him, the fullness of perfection, we would be puppets attached to his celestial fingers. We could not not love God. But love, to be love, must be freely given. Perfection is meaningless if we have not the choice of imperfection. We are granted, in love, the opportunity to sin.)
CLAIM 4: Christianity answers the problem of suffering with the bizarre claim that a man who was God, the fullness of Perfection, known commonly as Jesus, “became sin”. We must listen attentively to her claim, and suspend at least a minutia of our disbelief, for we’ve already established the impossibility of an answer to the problem of suffering springing from a secular source.
(OBJECTION 3: I understand of course, that I’m not proving that God became Man. This would of course provide proving that there is a God, which is not my goal here. Rather, I beg the atheist to read this and understand that, if there is a Christ, then suffering is granted meaning, and then decide from there whether there in fact is a God, a Christ, etc.)
Jesus “became sin”. Sin is the act of missing the mark, of missing perfection. It follows that Jesus, in totally becoming sin, became totally absent from perfection, a claim verified by the words of Jesus on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” By becoming imperfection, he is forsaken by Perfection.
We arrive at a paradox. If Jesus is God, and God is Perfection, how could Jesus “become sin” — the absence of Perfection — and thus become the absence of God? How could God become the absence of God?
He could not: He would die. If I were to become the total absence of myself, I would cease to exist. I would negate myself, as a negative number and the same positive number join to make an abyss and a zero.
CLAIM 5: God died.
All atheism has its ultimate source in Jesus Christ then, for by his death he negated the existence of God. And in his death, sin itself died, for he became sin itself. And if sin died, suffering died, for suffering is the result of sin. And if all suffering died, than death itself — the ultimate human suffering — dies.
But again, we arrive at a paradox. What happens to the man who by his death, destroys sin, and by destroying sin, destroys death? He certainly cannot die, or else he could not have destroyed death. He could not die: He would have to rise.
Claim 6:
(OBJECTION 4: Why then, if this is all true, do we still suffer, sin and die?
Time is a product of the universe, and if there is a Creator of the universe, he must exist outside of universe, and thus outside of time. The saving action of an infinite God cannot be limited to time.
It’d be a mistake to believe Christ killed death and suffering, freeing from suffering and death only those born after him. Such an expectation assumes that Christ’s sacrifice is limited to the laws of our time, that his action affects only the future, as a human action only affects the future. But his action was infinite, outside of time. He died once, for the entire world, for the past, present, and future, lifting all things to Perfection.
Thus the place without the suffering we are promised cannot be a part of earthly space and time. It must be part of the “time” of an infinite God, a time that contains all our past, present and future. Thus we are told that Christ died that we might have eternal life, life free from suffering outside of earthly time, a place Christianity has given the name Heaven.
But more than this, we suffer now for the precise reason we can sin. God will not force salvation upon us. He will not demand we claim his victory over sin and death. We are not his puppets. We must choose his salvation as we chose to sin.)
And this, finally, is the answer Christianity gives to suffering. Since Christ became all sin, and suffering is the result of sin, Christ took upon himself all suffering. Since his act was for all earthly time, this includes our current suffering. If this is true, no suffering is apart from the suffering of Christ. All is his. I am a Christian because I can acknowledge the reality that my suffering is in fact the suffering of Christ, and thereby “offer it up” with him, giving it meaning and the most glorious of purposes: The end of all suffering.
As Paul says: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Our suffering, because it is Christ’s, saves the world.
This changes everything: To see the child with leukemia is to see Christ suffering in that child, suffering to bring the world back to Perfection. To experience agony is to cry out with the strain of lifting this fallen world to Paradise. We are called to recognize this, and to actualize this. This is why I am a Christian.A historic meeting is taking place in Paris right now. In one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history this week, the group is discussing what actions countries can take to stop the global issue of climate change, the New York Times reports.
But there are still many who don’t believe that climate change is real, or don’t believe that it’s accelerated by human beings. Bill Nye knows this better than most; he is often called on national television to argue with climate change deniers. This time he took on Donald Trump.
In a recent interview with Leonard Lopate on the radio station WNYC, Nye threw punches directly at Trump and other people who deny climate change.
“Bring it on,” Nye said. “That’s what I say to the climate change deniers. You can attack me, but the climate’s still changing, and now you’re in a minority of people who deny it.”
Does Bill Nye think the climate change conference in Paris will make a difference?
When it comes to the Paris talks, Nye told Lopate he’s only “somewhat optimistic.” He’s more excited about the fact that a recent CBS News poll revealed that the majority of Americans recognize climate change as a real problem.
“The big news for me today is that 53 percent of the U.S. populous now accepts that humans are causing global climate change,” Nye said to Lopate.
“So if the U.S. is leading the world in addressing climate change, then I think things can happen in Paris.”
President Barack Obama's message about climate change in Paris
“Our nations share a sense of urgency about this challenge, and a growing realization that it’s within our power to do something about it,” Obama said in an address to the UN in Paris.
“I’ve come here personally as the leader of the world’s largest economy and the world’s second largest emitter to say that the U.S. not only recognizes our role in creating this problem, we embrace our responsibility to do something about it.”
Obama pledged to cut total emissions in the U.S. by approximately 26 to 28 percent by the year 2030, Lopate reports, though Obama faces opposition from Republicans in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, who says Obama’s plan would cost thousands of American jobs and raise electricity costs.
"Commitments the president makes [in Paris] rest on a house of cards of his own making," McConnell wrote on Nov. 27 in a fiery op-ed published in the Washington Post.
Why Bill Nye believes climate change deniers don’t matter anymore
Nye told Lopate that it doesn’t matter what McConnell or other climate change deniers say.
“Knock yourself out, Mitch, but the rest of the world wants to make changes, and now apparently, Mr. McConnell et al. are now in the minority.”
Nye and John Oliver, a comedian and host of the show “Last Week Tonight,” have a specific method of dealing with people who don’t believe in climate change. Check it out below.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, seen here during a press conference at Trump Tower on Wednesday in New York City, on Friday fired off a series of posts on Twitter, which included criticism against his opponents and a pledge to release a "full report on hacking within 90 days." Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
NEW YORK, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Donald Trump on Friday said his "people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days" in reference to allegations Russia has damaging data on the president-elect.
In a series of posts in Twitter, the president-elect took jabs at his 2016 presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton, and the U.S. intelligence community. Trump's response follows news of a report that was given to multiple news agencies about unsubstantiated personal and financial information Russia allegedly has about Trump.
"It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued," Trump tweeted.
The FBI and CIA are investigating a report from a former British MI6 operative that Russia has information on Trump that could be used against him. They have not yet verified it and Russia has denied the report.
"Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans - FAKE NEWS! Russia says nothing exists," Trump continued. "Probably... released by 'Intelligence' even knowing there is no proof, and never will be. My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days!"
Trump also referenced Thursday's announcement by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Justice in which he said he would investigate the department and the FBI to determine whether they violated policy before November's presidential election.
Democrats criticized FBI Director James Comey for his part in the controversy -- announcing potential new evidence related to the Hillary Clinton email investigation about a week before the election on Nov. 8.
"What are Hillary Clinton's people complaining about with respect to the F.B.I. Based on the information they had she should never... have been allowed to run - guilty as hell," Trump tweeted. They were VERY nice to her. She lost because she campaigned in the wrong states - no enthusiasm!"FuncUnit and Cucumber - a perfect combo for frontend testing
This weekend I spent some time playing with FuncUnit and Cucumber. In this article I'll explain why I like this combination, and how it enables you to super charge your frontend tests.
Cucumber
From the Cucumber wiki:
Cucumber is a tool that executes plain-text functional descriptions as automated tests.
Cucumber allows you to define your functionality in plain text and then run tests based on those definitions. Its main feature is that it allows BDD style of development, while allowing non technical stakeholders to write feature definitions.
I started by defining the list of features my component should implement. Since I decided to build a multiselect component, all of my features are related to selecting and deselecting items:
Feature: Deselecting items Scenario: Deselect all items Given A multiselect widget with selected items When User clicks on the deselect all items button Then All items are removed from the selected items list And All items are returned to the not selected items list...
After defining features, next step is writing tests. FuncUnit is an especially good fit for this case since it allows you simulate user behavior with an easy and clean syntax.
FuncUnit
From the FuncUnit homepage:
FuncUnit enhances assertion libraries like QUnit and Jasmine, enabling them to simulate user actions, easily test asynchronous behavior, and support black box testing.
FuncUnit has two main concepts:
Actions - used to simulate user behavior like clicking, typing, dragging or scrolling. Waits - functions that will wait until a condition is true, or they will timeout and fail the test.
Here's an example:
F('#login').click(); F('#login-modal').exists("Login modal appeared");
FuncUnit uses jQuery - like syntax, so here's what we did in the example above:
We clicked on the element with the login id We waited until the element with the id #login-modal appeared on the page, and then asserted true with the "Login modal appeared" message
FuncUnit + Cucumber
I created a bit of glue code that allows you to use Cucumber and FuncUnit together (with QUnit as the assertion lib), and it allowed me to write my tests like this:
... this.Given('A multiselect widget with selected items', function(next){ F('.selected-items-wrap li').size(1, function(){ ok(true, self.getCurrentStepName()); next(); }); }) this.When('User clicks on the selected item checkbox', function(next){ selectedItem = can.trim($('.selected-items-wrap li:first').text()); F('.selected-items-wrap input[type=checkbox]:first').click(function(){ ok(true, self.getCurrentStepName()); next(); }) })...
Each step is wrapped in a Given/When/Then block, and it does as little as possible to satisfy the current step definition.
When passing the callback function argument to the FuncUnit action or wait, FuncUnit will ensure that this function is called only when the action or wait was successful.
We use the callback function to report the status of the test and call the next function which will call the next step.
All these assertions are ran inside the QUnit's test, which is setup to expect an equal number of assertions as there are steps in the scenario.
The test runner glue code is pretty short (~100 lines), but I believe it allows a pretty nice API.
Results of the tests
Super charging the tests
After getting all of this to work, I got another idea: What if we could reuse these tests as the form of documentation?
Feature definitions are already written in a language that can be understood by non-technical people, so the only thing left is to somehow demonstrate what it would look like if someone used the compoment.
That turned out to be pretty easy to accomplish. I've extended the FuncUnit action functions so every time it simulates the click or typing (or any other user action) it will first move the div with the fake cursor to that element. In my opinion the result is pretty awesome:
Click on the scenario in the sidebar to run it as a demo
You could use this approach to demo the functionality to your customer and to have a living documentation of your components. You can find the code powering this demo on the GitHub.
If you have any comments or questions, either leave them below or you can contact me via my email.Have you registered for a postal vote?
Algocracy is the concept of organisational decision making through algorithms. It was coined in 2006 by A. Aneesh in a political governance context.[1]
Historical applications
Many proven political and decision making processes can be viewed as applications of algocracies. For example, an election could be considered an expression of the rules which allow:
Political parties to exist as legal entities
Suffrage e.g. of citizens over 18 years of age
Regional electoral processes, such as a FPTP or a simply majority after AV
National electoral processes, such as the rules of forming majority and minority governments and the integrated or separate election of an executive
Fund raising rules
Media rules
Additionally, political parties themselves apply their own rules around:
Premiership and affiliation rules [2]
Regional and national candidate selection procedures
Policy processes
Change any of these variables, as is often done and the 'algorithm' of how an election is contested will be affected accordingly.
Contemporary applications
The matching of organ donors to waiting recipients is already performed by algorithm. Factors such a seriousness of condition, age, geographic location attempt to continually optimise this market.
There is heavy use of algorithms in services like Uber and shipping and logistics companies, as well as processes such as security checks and speeding fines.[3]
Politics is starting to adopt data-driven services for automating a lot of low level decision making.[4]
Future applications
The growth of such decision making methods seems to know no limit, with even trade unions proposed to be automated, leading to criticism of Silicon Valley's priorities.[5]
John Danaher's Algocracy and the Transhumanist Project seeks to evaluate the interaction between humans and artificially intelligent, algorithm-based systems of governance at different levels.
This may involve better use of fact checking, prediction markets or hybridisation with current electoral processes.[6]
In fiction
In the revelation space series, the decentralised Demarchists used a brain-computer interface to constantly influence their decentralised government's decision making process.Lehtonen enlists help from old teammate – and skilled artist – to create look for new Stars uniforms
Kari Lehtonen’s new Stars mask for the 2013-2014 season is a first for InGoal from Finnish painter Joni ‘Bona’ Hallikainen, a former pro goaltender who now makes his living as a mask artist and also loves creating replica masks from the 1970’s NHL era.
Although ‘Bona’ did paint one mask for Lehtonen last season, it is fitting that we introduce a new artist today with the first mask Lehtonen will use with the Stars newly designed uniforms. Hallikainen and Lehtonen have been friends for many years, having played together on the same junior team, Jokerit Helsinki, in 1999.
As Hallikainen tells it, “I was going in to my last Junior A season and broke my ACL in the very last exhibition game before the regular season. Kari was a Junior B rookie and he was called in. The rest is history.”
While Hallikainen would probably be happy to be in the Dallas net himself, the mask art world is happy that he has perfected his craft after more than 19 years of painting.
Lehtonen enjoys a good conversation about gear and goalies as much as anyone and he gave Hallikainen some specific instructions about the design, requesting the new Stars logo on the sides, the graphic design on the top of the mask and the longhorn on the chin. Like any great artist, Bona took the suggestions and ran with them, creating a clean, bold look that will look fantastic with the Stars new uniforms.
To see more of Hallikainen’s fantastic work, visit his Facebook page or contact him directly via email.Greg Woolf, Rome: An Empire’s Story (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 384 pp., $29.95.
[amazon 019977529X full]THE ROMAN Empire casts a long shadow. It may not have been the largest empire ever to exist, but it was one of the largest, and few if any can match its longevity. The Romans ruled Italy by the end of the fourth century BC, dominated the entire Mediterranean world by the middle of the second |
a personal problem,' telling me things like that. The fact that I was able to make something that can help other people, that was the greatest thing to me, you know?" With this new mindset, Darnielle released another new album one year after the release of "The Sunset Tree." That is this work, "Get Lonely." After two previous works dealing with personal issues, Darnielle says the following about writing this album. "Although it's based on my experiences, it's not autobiographical. The stories are imaginary, but they're born out of real things in me. Although every album is like this, for this one I searched my true feelings and expressed them in stories and scenes. Up until now, the source of my inspiration has been people I worked with, sick kids, homeless people, people I met during my time as a nurse, etc, various people, right? For example, the main character in "Naming Day" is, maybe, a part of me, I think. But, more radical than me. Sometimes I feel like 'I am hiding in the house,' but it's not really that I'm hiding in the house. I only feel like hiding. As a person with an extreme loneliness, the main character is afraid of people who come near the door, doesn't even answer the phone, doesn't read the mail. In reality, I'm not like that, but there are times I've felt like that kind of person." Even when telling a good story, John Darnielle asserts, making music is the first priority. "I like simple stories, so, sometimes, it will end up becoming a story where almost nothing happens, but even then I like to tell stories such that the details are vivid; I always aim for that. I want to precisely convey the characters' circumstances, their natural environment – look, trees, the weather, things like that – using various people's raw voices and views so that they can be heard." So, the world this man, so particular about details, expresses, is so extremely iconic that various scenes are very easily projected onto the screen inside the listener's head. And, naturally, his fixation extends even to very simple sounds. The sound is simple, but for that reason it is a sound that can talk about many things. In Darnielle's music, the feeling is aroused in the listener's mind that even the silences and the spaces between sounds are trying to convey or express something. "I think by taking a simple acoustical approach, each component has a bigger impact. If there's only 3 instruments, you can properly focus on the vocals. There's also a poetic aspect to it. What I like are sonnets – 14-line poems, like that. To some extent, I think having an established routine (pining down the shortest length, the minimum number of instruments) is better, giving the music room, and allowing for interesting playfulness." After he said this, I asked who had influenced him in regards to this particular sound. "The breaks and silences in 'Get Lonely' are influenced most by producer Scott Solter. He has the ability not only to make out the quiet parts, but to distinguish between silences that are from pauses in tempo from spaces in the rhythm where nothing is happening. I also spent some time listening to a collection of Toru Takemitsu solo piano works. He handles pianissimo, spaces, and silence skillfully. Though I'm not a classical composer, there are times I search for something like the mood of listening to classical music."
Personal
本ライナーに引用したダーニエルの発言はすべて、メールによるインタビューに応じてもらった時のものだ。これまでにも私は、何度かメールによるインタビューを行なったことがあるが、すべての質問に対し、ここまで具体的かつ丁寧に回答をくれた人は多くない。恐らく、電話で話すのの何倍も時間はかかったことだろう。この回答からだけでも、ダーニエルの誠実な人柄とやさしさ、音楽に向き合う真摯な姿勢が読み取れるというもの。が、このメール・インタビュー以前、私の中のダーニエル像は、人里離れた所でひっそり暮らす世捨て人に近いものがあった。だから、失礼を承知で、それをそのまま質問として彼にぶつけてもみたのだった。「私のダーニエル象は間違っていますか？」
「これに関しては、僕はなんとなく”二重人格”なんだ。僕はこっそり曲を書くタイプで、色々なことをプライヴェイトに保ちたい。でも反面、僕の歌は、スタジオで作業している時や、特に観客の前でライヴをしている時、本当に生き生きとしてくるんだよ。観客が僕の歌にはまった時、ピーターと僕と観客の間に電気回路のようなつながりが出来て、そこに電流が流れる感覚がある。そういう時、人が多ければ多いほどいいんだ」
以前、誰かが言っていた。孤独を感じるのは、孤独でない時間を知っているからだ、と。だから。ダーニエルも私たちも、誰かとつながったり、何かを共有できることの喜びを知っている反面、孤独でやるせない時間や場面を避けて通ることもできない。
「ツアー中に孤独を感じることは多いね。今もマサチューセッツ州ノースハンプトンの部屋でひとりなんだ。でも時には、たくさんの人がいる部屋にいても孤独を感じることがある。空っぽで、よそ者っぽいフィーリングをね。「ゲット・ロンリー」では、そういうものを曲の中で詳しく追求してみたかったんだ。孤独はどこで終わるのか？いずれ終わるものなのか？それともそれはいつもどこかにあるものだと思うんだけどね」
「ゲット・ロンリー」は、孤独と上手につき合うためのテキストなのだ。孤独は、辛いし、寂しい、せつないけれど、特別なものでなければ、ましてや恐れたり、嫌悪したりすべきものではない。ダーニエルが歌うストーリーの主人公はみな、孤独にさいなまれているけれど、その主人公こそが、同士であり、はたまた自分自身であると気づいた時、孤独と上手につき合うための一歩が踏み出せる、そんな気がしてならない。
All the quotations used in this liner are taken from an e-mail interview with Darnielle. Up until now, I have given many e-mail interviews, but there have not been many people who answer every question with concrete and polite answers. Sometimes talking over the phone takes many times as long. From reading these answers alone, one can see Darnielle's sincere personality and kindness and his earnest approach to his music. However, before this e-mail interview, the image I had in my head of Darnielle was something close to a hermit living inconspicuously in some remote place. Therefore, although aware of the impoliteness, I tried throwing him the following question. "Is my image of Darnielle mistaken?" "With regard to that, for some reason or other I have a'split personality.' I'm the type to write songs in secret, and to keep various things private. But on the other hand, when working on my songs in the studio, or especially playing live in front of an audience, I become really lively. When the audience is dancing to my songs, Peter and I and the audience are able to connect like an electric circuit, and it feels like there's a flow of electric current. At times like that, I say the more people the better." It's as was said before. Feeling loneliness, you know there will be a time when you won't feel loneliness. Therefore. Although Darnielle, us, anyone knows the joy of connecting with others, of being able to share things, on the other hand you cannot avoid loneliness and pass through it to another time and place. "I feel lonely on tour a lot, you know? Even now, I'm alone in a room in North Hampton, Massachussetts. But many people have also felt lonely in this room. Feeling empty, like an outsider, you know? On "Get Lonely" I wanted to try exploring these kinds of thoughts in detail. Where does loneliness end? Does it eventually end? Or, I think, is it something that's always somewhere?" "Get Lonely" is the textbook for how to skillfully keep company with loneliness. Loneliness is bitter, desolate, painful, but if it's not something special, much less fearful, it is not something one must hate. All the main characters whose stories Darnielle sings are tormented by loneliness, but I cannot help but feeling that it is those characters who are our fellows, and when we notice they are ourselves, we can take our first steps toward keeping company with loneliness.
Biography
「マウンテン・ゴーツ」
インディアナ州ブルーミントン生まれ、カリフォルニア州育ちのジョン・ダーニエルは、幼い頃からレコードが大好きで、実父（５歳の時に両親は離婚。その後母親が再婚した相手＝儀父に虐待を受けながら育っている）の薦めでピアノのレッスンを受けたこともあるという。１０代の頃は、シスターズ・オブ・マーシー、バースデイ・パーティ、クリスチャン・デスなど、本人いわく「ダークなテーマのモダンな音楽」あるいは「大好きな括りで言うところのゴス・ミュージック」や、マーラー、ブラームス、ジョパンなどのクラシックを好んで聴いていた。と同時にへヴィ・メタルに対しても「変わっていて神秘的で謎めいた音楽でとても幅広い」との見解から興味をそそられていたそうだ。
自分で曲を書き始めたのは１１歳の時で、高校時代は数々のバンドに所属。カリフォルニアの名門ピッツァーカレッジを卒業後、精神病院の看護士として働いた彼は従業員宿舎のアパートの一室で余暇にひとりでギターを弾き、歌い、録音することを始め、それがマウンテン・ゴーツの活動に発展していった。
当初、ほとんどの作品はコンデンサー・マイク内蔵のラジカセで録音され、７インチの形態で発表された。「当時は７インチというフォーマットが僕にとっては一番魅力的だった。世界中に７インチ・ファンのコミュニティがあったし、ビジュアル的にも遊べたし、色々なアイディアが実現できた」とダーニエル。７インチ制作の一方では様々なコンピレーションに楽曲提供もしており、キャリア１５年余にして世の中に発表した曲は５００曲以上にのぼっている。また、初期の頃はバンド編成も女性レゲエ・バンドをバックに据えたり、デュオになったり流動的であったが、現在は主にピーター・ヒューズ（ｂ）とのコンビで活動し、スタジオ・ワークにはフランクリン・ブルーノが策３のメンバーとして参加している。
２００２年、マウンテン・ゴーツ流ローファイ・ミュージックの集大成とも言うべき「All Hail West Texas」を発表した後、４AD レーベルと契約。以後、レコーディング・スタジオでの作業に切り替わり、「Tallahassee」（２００３年）、「We Shall All Be Healed」(２００４年）、「The Sunset Tree」（２００５年）と、コンスタントに作品を発表、「今世紀のベスト・ソングライター」（ローリング・ストーン誌）、「アメリカが誇るヒップホップ以外のベスト・リリシスト」(ニューヨーカー誌）など高い評価を受けている。
蛇足ながら、カリフォルニアを後にしアイオワで６～７年暮らしたダーニエル、現在は奥様の故郷ノース・カロライナ州ダーラムに居を構えて３年になるという。
２００６年１０月 赤尾美香
Mountain Goats Born in Indiana, raised in California, John Darnielle loved records from a very young age. His biological father (when he was five, his parents divorced. After that, the man his mother remarried was abusive toward him growing up) recommended he take piano lessons. At the age of 10, he liked listening to Sisters of Mercy, Birthday Party, Christian Death, etc; as the man himself says, "modern music with dark themes" or "I loved what might be lumped together as goth music," plus classical artists like Mahler, Brahms, Chopin, etc. At the same time, his interest was aroused in heavy metal and "a wide range of unusual, enigmatic, or mysterious music." He started writing his own music at age 11, and was a member of various high school bands. After graduating from California's prestigious Pitzer College, he worked as a nurse at a mental hospital while spending his free time alone playing guitar, singing, and beginning to record, developing these activities into The Mountain Goats. Most of the work was initially recorded on a radio cassette with an internal condenser mike, and published on 7-inch. "At the time, the 7-inch format had the most charm for me. There was a worldwide 7-inch fan community, it played visually, and various ideas could be realized," says Darnielle. The 7-inch works have been included on various compilations, and in The Mountain Goats' 15-year career, the number of songs released worldwide has exceeded 500. In 2002, after The Mountain Goats' release of what should be called a culmination of their lo-fi style, "All Hail West Texas," they signed a contract with the label 4AD. After that, they shifted to working in a recording studio, recording "Tallahassee" (2003), "We Shall All Be Healed" (2004), "The Sunset Tree" (2005), constantly receiving such high praise of their work as "this generations' best songwriter" (Rolling Stone Magazine) and "America's best non-hip-hop lyricist" (New Yorker Magazine). To top it off, after living 6-7 years in California and then Iowa, Darnielle has now been settled in his wife's hometown of Durham, North Carolina for 3 years. October, 2006. Akao Mika.
Bonus tracks
ボーナス・トラックについて
Naming Day
アルバム「ゲット・ロンリー」用にこの曲をレコーディングしてみたものの、この曲の本質が非常に闘争的で、半分狂っていて手に負えない感じだった為、他の収録曲としっくり馴染まなかった。おそらく、この曲の主人公が経験がしている孤独というのは、結果的にそこまで独りぼっちというわけではないと思う。なぜなら、彼の頭の中には想像上の敵といった、たくさんの人々が生きているから。
They Are Stone Swallowers
ジョン・ヴァンダ―スライスと初めて会った時、彼に「４トラックで全部レコーディングしてるって本当？」と聞かれた。僕が「いや。４トラックなんて持ったこともない」と言うと、彼は「何？！君が４トラックを持っていると聞いたのに」と言った。「いや。みんなただそう思いたいのだろう」と僕が言うと、彼は「４トラック欲しいかい？」と言ってくれて、僕が「もらってもどう使ったらいいのかわからない」と答えると、彼は「僕の古いトラックを送ってあげるよ」と言ってくれたんで、僕は「OK。ありがとう」と言った。
その約一ヶ月後、サンフランシスコから大きな小包が届いた。凄く古い電子ドラム・パッドに、自分のESP製エレキ・ギターと一冊のノートを出してきて、早速その４トラックであれこれ試してみた。この曲が唯一その４トラックを使ってレコーディングしたものだと思う。
Keeping House
アルバムにこの曲を入れることができなくて残念だった。というのも、アルバムの持つ雰囲気をこの曲は上手く捉えていると思うから。幽霊を餌付けし、餌付けすることで気持ちを晴らすことを覚えるという曲。ある意味、このイメージというのは、アルバムの曲全体に通じると思う。また、他と違う変拍子だということも、この曲に独特な雰囲気をもたらしている。
２００６年１０月 ジョン・ダニエル（マウンテン・ゴーツ） 訳：佯野由里子
About the bonus tracks. Naming Day Although I tried recording this song for the album "Get Lonely," its nature is very combative, unruly, half-crazy, so it didn't fit well with the rest of the songs. Perhaps the isolation the main character is experiencing might not be called loneliness. Because they have so many imaginary enemies in their head that there are lots of people around. They Are Stone Swallowers The first time I met John Vanderslice, he asked me, "Is it true that you do all your recording on four-track?" I said, "No way, I don't even have a four-track," and he said, "What?! But I heard you had a four track." When I said, "No, everyone just wants to think so," he said, "Do you want one?" When I answered, "Even if I accepted, I wouldn't know how to use it," he kindly said, "I'm going to send you my old four-track recorder," and I said, "OK. Thanks." About a month after that, I received a large package from San Francisco. Inside was an extremely old electric drum pad, an ESP-brand electric guitar, and a notebook, and I quickly began trying this and that on the 4-track. I think this is the only recording I made on the 4-track. Keeping House I was disappointed that this song couldn't make the album. Because I think this song does a good job capturing the mood of the album. I feel like "feeding ghosts" lightens the mood. In a sense, I think this image leads to an entire album of songs. Also, the strange rhythm brings about a unique atmosphere in this song. October 2006. John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)
Translator: Yoya Yuriko
Lyrics
ワイルド・セージ (wild sage)
外が明るくなって直ぐに家を出る
まるで説獄する囚人のように
そしてこっそり１５－５０１ビジネス道路に向かう
賞金稼に追われているかのように
誰かが僕を車に乗せてくれる
でも１ブロック離れたところで降ろされる
そして高速道路沿いには 空虚な鬼が繁殖し
野生のセージが雑草の中に生えている
歩数を数えながら未舗装の路肩を歩く
太陽を目に受けながらなんとなく東に向かう
足を踏み外し、転んだ拍子に手を捺むく
そして独り笑い、空を見上げる
すると天使の声が聞こえたような気がした
鏡に向かってビー玉を投げたような音
そして高速道路沿いには不運な野良犬が蔓延(はびこ）り
野生のセージが雑草の中に生えている
家族を恋しいと思わない日もある
恋しく思うひもある
もっと一生懸命頑張れば気が晴れるのにと思う日もある
大抵の日は、そんなことないとわかっている
転んだ場所で横になる、冷たい草が顔にかかる
潮の音のような車の行き交う音に耳を澄ます
そして手の付け根の傷口を眺める
痛みが弱まるまで、血が乾くまで
そして誰かに「大丈夫か？」と聞かれると
答えに困ってしまう！
そして高速道路沿いには捨てられた無数の種から
野生のセージが雑草の中に生えている
ニュー・モンスター・アヴェニュー (new monster avenue)
広い芝生の上の影
木々が空を覆う
真夜中を過ぎた頃には
地面が凍りつくだろう
いてつく寒さの中、飛ぶ鳥達
いったい何をしているのだろう
塩室にはナギイカダが生い茂っている
背中に風が当たる
日が昇るまでには
地面が皹（ひび）倒れてるだろう
自分の手を見下ろす
鏡を見るかのように
日の出と共に飲むコーヒー
唇をコップにあてて暖める
あまりに長い時間持った
ようやく僕の番号に回ってくる
地所の人達がみんな玄関ポーチに出てきた
明かりを手に揺らしながら
ハーフ・デッド (half dead)
外が雨だったから今日は家の掃除した
午前中の半分を古いものを捨てるにのに費やした
決して浸らないように、機械のように取り組む
やるべきことにだけ集中し、その意味を考えないようにする
君のことが頭から離れない
君なしではどうしようもない！
死んだも同然
窓際の定位置に座り、外の道に目をやる
行き交う車の点と線がまるで暗号文のよう
全ての思い出の箱が曲がり角でくるまっている
言葉のない歌を自分に歌っていた
君のことが頭から離れない
君なしではどうしようもない！
死んだも同然
昨日の深夜、裏庭を散歩した
銀白の月光の中で松の木が凍っていた
冷たい土から巨人のようにそびえ立つ
僕が共に分かち合った月日は
いつか報われるのだろうか？
君のことが頭から離れない
君なしではどうしようもない！
死んだも同然
ゲット・ロンリー (get lonely)
早起きして
お洒落として
出掛ける
ドアの鍵を二度確かめる
そして人混みを見つけ
少し混じってみる
そして見出そうとする
そこにちょっとした安らぎを
そして寂しくなり
息苦しくて
君の名前を唇から発する
信号煙管のように
そして繁華街（ダウンタウン）に行き
ビルの影に立つ
コートのボタンを上まで閉めて
気丈でいようとする
気持ちは前向き
そして家に戻ってきて
友達に電話でもしてみる
絵で描いてみようか
そのときの気分次第
そして寂しくなり
息苦しくて
高窓を見上げ
君の顔を見つける
メイビー・スプラウト・ウィングス (maybe sprout wings)
悪いに夢に魘（うな）され
汗だくで起きた
暗闇の中、シャワーまで走りながら
既に忘れかけている
なるべく楽しいことを考えようとし
自分の意識をはっきりさせる
部屋を湯気でいっぱいにする
鏡に指でなぞった絵が浮かび上がる
幽霊、雲、名のないものたち
目を細めて一生懸命祈るんだ
翼が生えるかもしれない
リビングの窓まで這っていき
寒い中、そこに立ち尽す
夢の最後が、遠くの人形ように
なかなか掴むことができない
音の友達のことを思った 失踪してしまった仲間達
彼らの名前を三度呼んだ
薄暮の中の幻影
鉱山の中のカナリア達
幽霊、雲、名のないものたち
目を細めて一生懸命祈るんだ
翼が生えるかもしれない
ムーン・オーヴァー・ゴールズボロ (moon over goldsboro)
ガソリン・スタンドに行った
特にあてもなく
高校から叫び声が聞こえた
フットボールのシーズンか・・・
駅前の空き地
おそらく永遠にそのままだろう
高さ４フィートの柵を僕は乗り越え
束縛から解き放たれようとした
空には月が出ていて
石のように冷たい
毎晩、君の腕の中で過ごし
目覚めるといつも独り
雑草の上で横になる
本当に寒い夜だった
僕は幸せだった 夜勤の事務員が来て
投光照明を点けるまでは
歩いて帰りながら僕は小声で君に話しかける
絶対に面と向かっては言わないことを
先の高速道路でサイレンの音がした
僕を構えに来てくれないだろうかとちょっと思った
歩道には霜が降りて
骨のように白い
君にまた近づこうとする
目覚めるといつも独り
うちの玄関先の階段を登りながら
そこで一瞬躊躇（ちゅうちょ）した
僕らの小さな家に引っ越した時のことを思い出し
イメージがあまりに鮮明になって耐えられなくなった
君はもうすぐ眠るところだった
服を半分脱いだ状態で
君の隣に横になり
君の頭を胸に抱える
勇気のある男だったら
状況を冷静に見極めただろう
君をじっと抱きしめたまま疑問を投げかける
ただ闇雲に君を手放さないのではなく
でも僕達は益々熱を帯び
君は笑い、うめき声を漏らす
一晩中幽霊と共に過ごし
眼覚めるといつも独り
イン・ザ・ヒドゥン・プレイシズ (in the hidden places)
ふらふらと高速道路に合流する車のように秋がやってきた
雨水でいっぱいの溝に濡れた葉っぱが浮かんでいる
僕は街を裸足で散歩してみた
小学校で習った歌のメロディを思い出した
今日、市内横断バスで君を見かけたよ
君は雑誌を読んでいた
僕は顔を背けた
そして目を固く閉じた
光から隠れて咲く花を思い浮かべた
暗い丘の斜面の
隠れた場所で
ブレーキの音が鳴り、バスは僕の家の近くで停まった
曲がり角で僕は降りた
両手が隠れるまで袖を下した、両手が隠れるまで
そして他の誰かになりたいと思った
そしてもっと暖かかったらいいのにと思った
家に着いてから君のことを考えた
手がかりを見つけようと躍起になってる警察のように
その瞬間、気絶しそうになった
そしてまた目を閉じた
再び暗い丘の斜面に向かった
隠れた場所に
ソング・フォー・ロンリー・ジャイアンツ (song for lonely giants)
誰も僕の耳の裏を洗ってくれなかった
高い木の上で
何年も一人きりだった
独りぼっちの音階（スケール）を練習した
風船のように舞い上がるまで
眺めていた
何処までもいくのを
葉っぱに顔を埋め
喉は歌を歌う
空中に落ちてみる
浮くことを願って
独りぼっちの音階 （スケール）を練習した
重たくなるまで
持てなくなるくらい
眺めていた
何処までもいくのを
ウォーク・アップ・ニュー (woke up new)
初めて
君がいない朝を迎えた時
自由に感じたのと、寂しかったのと、不安になったのと
ほとんど直ぐに独り言を言っていた
独りきりでいるのに慣れなくて
初めて自分一人の為にコーヒーを入れたら
作り過ぎてしまった
でも一人で全部飲んだ
僕が物を無駄にするのを君が嫌がるから
そして僕は迷子の子供ように
家中を一人彷徨った
宇宙にいる宇宙飛行士でも
僕の目の中の渇望をみることができただろう
そして僕は歌った ああ、どうしよう、どうしよう、どうしよう
君なしで僕はどうすればいいんだ
初めて
君がいない朝を迎えた時
寒くて、セーターを着て
暖房を入れてみた
壁が迫ってくるようで
凄く悲しく、怖くなった
僕は思わずリビングから街に駆け出していった
そして風が欠き始め
木々が揺れ出した
そして世界が、冷淡にも、活気づいてきた
そして僕は電車を持つサラリーマンの如く
そこに立ち尽くした
そしてこれから訪れる未来に備えた
そして歌った どうしよう、どうしよう、どうしよう
君なしで僕はどうすればいいんだ
イフ・ユー・シー・ライト (if you see light)
村人達が家の前までやってきたら
僕は食卓の下に隠れる
膝を胸まで抱えて
村人達が家の前までやってきたら
僕はお腹の上のほうから浅い呼吸をする
玄関の扉が粉々に蹴破られるのを待つ
冬の間中待つ
村人達が家の前までやってきたら
僕は顔を床につけてひっそり隠れる
目をじっと閉じて
この辺りでは秘密を守れる人は誰もいない
何か知れば直ぐに全員に知れ渡る
そうなったら可哀想な罪人（つみびと）はいったい何処行けばいいんだ
玄関の扉が粉々に蹴破られるのを待つ
冬の間中待つ
コブラ・タトゥー (cobra tattoo)
太陽がちょうど木々の上に顔を出す頃、僕の一日が始まる
橋の上は氷が張って
北東の風が欠き込む
「君は僕の頭を打ち
僕は君の踵を打つ」
北の松林を通り過ぎ
ハンドルから手を放さないように注意する
夜、夢を見る
腕にコブラの入れ墨をした
少女の夢を
パラシュートのように広がった蛇の頭
薮の霧の玉の中のプリズム
スケート・ケース水兵の財布が浮かんでいる
黒い針の襲撃
「星よりも高く
私は王座を設けよう」
神はアブラハムを必要としていない
神は石から子供達を育てることだってできる
夜、夢を見る
コブラの入れ墨をした少女の
懸命に聞き取ろうとする
不明瞭な通信が届くのを
イン・カローラ (in corolla)
僕が人類に背を向けた日
親指がむずむずした
遙か暗い彼方からの放送のような塩っぽい空気
僕が変身する時
暖かい水辺に行き
ペリカンが飛び去っていくのを見た
高速道路に一度手を振り、文明に分かれを告げ
草むらをかき分けて入っていった
僕を構えにくる人なんていない
誰も知る由もない
必ず燃やしたものを跡に残しているにもかかわらず
行くところ全てで
涼しくて静かだった
この湿地帯
塩っぽい水に自分の頭を沈める
髪に水がまとわりつくを感じる
陽が大西洋に沈んでいく中
君に最後背を向けた
沈みながら祈ろうと頭を働かせた
自分にできる精一杯のことだった
そして僕は言った
小生よりもみんなが幸せになりますように
アシの茂みが肌を刺す
そして僕は言った
今の僕よりもみんなが幸運でありますように
水が流れ込んでくる
ネーミング・デイ (naming day)
僕は家の中に隠れている
誰かが門をくぐってやってくる
玄関の呼び鈴が空襲警報のように鳴る
僕は横になりながら待つ
昔はもっと訪問客が多かった
疑いの目を待った人達や次馬達
今わざわざ訪れる人は
自動的に容疑者
僕は窓に忍び寄る
僕とこの興奮した脳
二人のエホバの証人が
来た道を帰っていくのを眺める
僕はまだ外には出ない
まだ寒すぎる
放っておいてくれ
干し草を横金に紡ぐ方法を僕が覚えるまでは
暗視装置（ゴーグル）を着る
壁伝いに台所へ行く
初雪が降って直ぐ
指がむずむずしだした
だからすべての扉の鍵を閉じめ
全ての窓も密閉した
暫く（しばらく）は友達も遊びに来たけど
絶対中には入れなかった
そしたら誰も来なくなった
やっと誰も来なくなって、三人だけが残った
ここの壁
復元聖徒のキリスト教会
そして僕
僕はまだ外には出ない
まだ寒すぎる
放っておいてくれ
干し草を横金に紡ぐ方法を僕が覚えるまでは
ゼイ・アー・ストーン・スワロワーズ (they are stone swallowers)
君はストックホルムに１週間行き
頬に引っ掻き傷を作って帰ってきた
幾つものの棟が高速道路を緑取り、泣いている
腹の底から、死ぬまで
給水塔の連中は全くの悪魔だ
毒性が飽和状態になりつつある
僕は起き上がり、その日を迎え打つ
蛇達が地下から這い上がるのを見る
君はザルツブルクで一晩過ごす予定だった
僕の髪が真っ白になろうとしていた
君と君のとこの連中は無罪放免
僕らが決して知ることはない多くの罪人達
市の職員に会った、笑ってしまったよ
ケーブルを掘り起こし、それを半分に切る
太古の太陽が沈むまで見届けた
蛇達が壁をすり抜けてやってくるのを見た
キーピング・ハウス (keeping house)
がらくたの引き出しを君は片付け
血をモップで拭く
新種の生物の一番手が
泥の中から這い出る
彼が息をついたその瞬間を
呪いながら
君の玄関前の段階にいる幽霊は
餓死しそうだ
君は窓をスプレーし
全て綺麗に拭く
そして自分の古い服を
開けたてのガソリンに浸す
そして君の玄関前の階段にいる幽霊は
雨でびしょ濡れになりながら
お腹を抱え
あまりの痛さに吠える
君が一日中忙しくしてたって大丈夫
彼は何処にも行かないから
だから全ての明かりを灯し
心を明るく保つこと
大音 |
party.
It was a potluck affair held at a coworking space in downtown Washington DC. And it provided an opportunity for me to compare notes with other drivers.
My conversations with drivers suggested that my earnings — $600 for 50 hours of driving — were a bit lower than average but not an outlier. One driver told me he made $550 last week after working around 40 hours. A Jewish driver expressed frustration that he only makes around $600 per week, though to be fair his earnings were hampered by the need to keep the Sabbath on Friday nights. A third driver told me that the $600 I made my first week wasn't unusual.
Still, the drivers I met were generally positive about their Lyft experience. There's been a lot written about the uncertainty created by "gig economy" companies like Lyft. Lyft drivers aren't guaranteed a steady income, nor does the company offer the benefits that come with a full-time job.
But drivers I talked to were enthusiastic about the flip-side of this relationship: the freedom to set your own hours, and change them at a moment's notice.
Nobody wants to spend their weekend nights behind the wheel rather than with family or friends
"It's great, man — you can drive whenever you want," one driver told me. He loved the fact that if he got up in the morning and didn't feel like going to work, he could take the morning off and make up the time by working in the evening. Few traditional employers offer that kind of flexibility — especially to low-skilled workers.
Of course, not everyone is happy with the way Uber and Lyft are changing the taxi market. In recent months, their expansions have sparked worldwide protests from taxi drivers, who argue, with some justice, that the startups are being allowed to play by a different set of rules than traditional taxicabs. Like any innovation, the emergence of smartphone-based taxi services will be bad for some drivers, who may see their wages pushed down due to growing competition.
Yet if Lyft and Uber manage to expand the market, many more drivers could benefit. Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally told me that Lyft's flexibility is a big draw in recruiting drivers. For example, she said, Lyft driving is a good fit for "a single mom who doesn't have to shuffle shifts or find someone to cover when she needs to stay home with her kid."
And Dally also emphasized that many drivers aren't relying on Lyft as their primary source of income. Lyft drivers make the most on Friday and Saturday nights, making it a suitable complement to a conventional day job. "We want people to tune in when they can, drive extra for holidays," Dally said.
Of course, in an ideal world people wouldn't have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Nobody wants to spend their Friday and Saturday nights behind the wheel rather than with family or friends. But for people who do need extra money, Lyft's flexibility and high weekend demand make it an appealing option.
It's an open question whether Lyft will be able to compete effectively against its larger rival. Uber has several advantages, including a larger market share and $2.4 billion in cash. But whether or not Lyft thrives, the model that it helped to pioneer is offering a new, more flexible way to earn a living.Bully: Anniversary Edition now available for smartphones
Includes Scholarship Edition content, updated graphics, and multiplayer.
Rockstar Games, in conjunction with War Drum Studios, has released Bully: Anniversary Edition for smartphones in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary this year. It is available for iOS via the App Store and Android via Google Playy. It costs $6.99.
Bully: Anniversary Edition includes everything from Bully: Scholarship Edition, plus support for high-resolution displays, enhanced graphics, improved lighting and textures, and controls redesigned for touch gameplay. “Friend Challenges,” multiplayer classroom and arcade style mini-games, have also been added.
Here’s the full overview, via Rockstar Games:
About The Rockstar Games tradition of groundbreaking, original gameplay and humorous tongue-in-cheek storytelling invades the schoolyard in Bully: Anniversary Edition. As mischievous 15-year-old Jimmy Hopkins you’ll navigate the social hierarchy of the corrupt and crumbling prep school, Bullworth Academy. Stand up to bullies, get picked on by teachers, beat the jocks at dodge ball, play pranks, win or lose the girl and survive a year in the worst school around. Bully: Anniversary Edition includes everything from the critically acclaimed Bully: Scholarship Edition plus support for high-resolution displays, enhanced graphics, improved lighting and textures, and controls redesigned for touch gameplay, all while adding multiplayer with new Friend Challenges. Friend Challenges are head-to-head classroom and arcade style mini-games: see who can dissect the frog fastest in Biology, solve word problems in English, help a flying squirrel destroy his enemies with acorns in Nut Shots, and much more. Features Includes the complete Bully story with extra missions, characters, classroom mini-games, and unlockable items from Bully: Scholarship Edition
Gorgeous graphics: high resolution textures, dynamic lighting, shadows and particle effects
Native support for high resolution displays
Challenge your friends anywhere with turn based multiplayer Friend Challenges. Play on the go and get notified when it’s your turn
Intelligent touch controls with contextual buttons only when you need them
Seamlessly continue your game across all your devices with cloud saves via the Rockstar Games Social Club
Physical controller support
Watch the launch trailer below.
Thanks, Glixel.Cruz says a moderate Republican candidate will keep'millions' home on Election Day. | AP Photos Cruz draws line from Jeb to Hillary
Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday took a thinly veiled shot at Jeb Bush, saying that Republicans will ensure a Hillary Clinton presidency if they run a more moderate candidate in 2016.
Appearing on CNBC, the Texas Republican and tea party favorite was asked about Bush and said that presidential candidates from the party’s establishment wing — like Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2008 and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in 2012 — consistently fail to turn out millions of voters.
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“[I]f we run another candidate in the mold of a Bob Dole [in 1996] or a John McCain or Mitt Romney, we will end up with the same result, which is millions of people will stay home on Election Day, which is what happened for all three of them,” the senator said. “And if we run another candidate like that, Hillary Clinton will be the next president.” Clinton, the former secretary of state, is widely considered to be the front-runner for the Democratic nomination if she chooses to run.
( POLITICO Magazine: How to Back Hillary Into a Corner)
Cruz, himself a potential 2016 candidate, was initially asked what he thought of a potential Jeb Bush candidacy. Bush, who has staked out some centrist positions on issues like immigration reform, is openly considering a bid and has some support from the more moderate wing of the Republican Party.
“Jeb has not declared his candidacy. I like Jeb. I’m a fan of Jeb Bush’s. I’m going to let him decide if he’s running first and let the primary voters make a decision,” Cruz said. “But I will say this: We need to learn from history, we need to look to history and what works and what doesn’t.” The senator then went on to make his comments about Dole, McCain and Romney.
Cruz clarified that he thought all three former Republican nominees were “good, honorable men” and “patriots.”
( Also on POLITICO: 2 former Hillary Clinton aides move on)
The senator has made similar statements in the past, noting in a June profile in the New Yorker that Republicans are clamoring for “another establishment moderate” in 2016 despite the party’s poor track record with those candidates.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll earlier this month showed Bush leading a crowded GOP primary field, with Cruz finishing in ninth.NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — It’s easy to get lost in the numbers that swirl around a project as massive as Tesla’s $5 billion gigafactory. But by sitting back and looking outside of the box, the potential ground-level benefits of such an immense factory begin to set in.
The numbers might make you woozy: a $5 billion investment, a $1.25 billion tax break in Nevada, 6,500 new jobs, 50 gigawatts of battery storage by 2020, 500,000 electric cars per year.
What this really means is the massive factory -- which Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA, +5.67% CEO Elon Musk and his first cousin, SolarCity Corp. US:SCTY CEO Lyndon Rive, hinted Wednesday at a private conference may be the first of several perhaps larger plants -- is that an increased level of manufacturing scale will improve the efficiency and affordability of lithium-ion batteries.
That, in turn, will power not just the car, but also the home. In fact, of the 50 gigawatts of battery power Tesla aims to produce through the gigafactory by 2020, 15 gigawatts is expected to be funneled directly towards stationary energy storage systems.
It’s that intersection of batteries and power storage that these two cousins, who conceived of SolarCity several years ago in an RV on their way to Burning Man, hope to forge together.
SolarCity and Tesla have for years operated as separate entities, seemingly with a separate focus. But that is starting to change. Musk, in a closed-door interview with the press on Wednesday, said Tesla is using SolarCity’s customers as a base to discover how to make battery packs that are small enough, light enough and powerful enough that they might one day sit comfortably in your garage, a mere four inches from the wall.
“We want to make sure the gigafactory has excess capacity for grid storage.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk
Musk didn’t provide specifics on this futuristic vision, but alluded to the fact that home storage might one day fit into a device similar to the size of a Nest thermostat GOOGL, +0.08% or, perhaps, a flat-screen TV.
“We want to make sure the gigafactory has excess capacity for grid storage,” Musk said earlier Wednesday at a SolarCity and renewable energy conference. And in envisioning this future, Tesla is working directly with SolarCity to determine what its customers need.
That paves the way for a potential partnership between the two in the future, although Musk said Tesla wouldn’t, well “couldn’t,” provide exclusivity to SolarCity, likely for financial and competitive reasons.
Today, the batteries needed to store a sufficient amount of solar energy are far too large to be tacked onto a single residential home. However,as the two work together and utilize SolarCity’s existing customer base, they hope to scale down the size of a battery over time.
Shares of Tesla were up 0.56% to $262.84 in premarket trade Thursday after closing up 0.25% to $261.38 on Wednesday. SolarCity’s climbed 1.06% premarket, following a 0.19% decline to $67 on Wednesday.
The symbiotic relationship between these two companies was first introduced in late 2013 in the form of SolarCity’s DemandLogic product, which uses complex algorithms in conjunction with a homeowner’s power system to discharge power from a Tesla battery during peak demand hours.
At 5 p.m., when the sun starts to set, solar production decreases and a homeowner becomes more reliant on the utility, the battery steps in as a temporary fix during peak, high-demand periods, enabling the homeowner to meet energy needs without relying too heavily on the utility and being forced to pay peak prices.
The next morning as the sun rises, the battery is fully charged again and the cycle restarts.
Tesla Motors Inc. A look at the Tesla Gigafactory to be based in Nevada.
In the future, a dual system like this may help to keep more energy off the grid and make homes more self-sufficient. However, Musk and Rive both admitted that the utility will never quite die, with Musk predicting a future where 65% of energy consumption comes from solar, and the rest from utilities.
“A grid is useful and has its needs,” Rive said. “But I’m hoping a majority will come from the inside.”We already know that coal-fired power plants are bad for the planet, but that’s usually because we are just thinking about the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide emissions they contribute to our atmosphere. A new Greenpeace report entitled The Great Water Grab sheds light on another terrifying aspect of the coal industry – its astronomical water consumption. The report suggests that the global coal industry uses the same amount of water that would serve one billion people each year. Because coal plants are often situated in water-scarce areas of the world, this adds up to a devastating misuse of Earth’s precious resources.
The Greenpeace report evaluated the water usage of 8,359 existing coal plants as well as 2,668 planned plants around the world. Most of the water consumed by the coal industry is used as a coolant during energy production, but some water is also used when coal is extracted from the ground—usually to keep coal dust from escaping. The new report, published this week, says as many as 44 percent of the coal-fired power plants are located in regions where water supplies are already threatened, pitting people against industry in a fight for survival.
Related: This insanely detailed map shows every power plant in the United States
In a head-shaking realization, the report found that one-quarter of the planned power plants are in places struggling with accelerated groundwater depletion, further increasing the risks for sinkholes. Of particular interest to Greenpeace is the coal industry’s growth in China, where more than 200 new plants are planned, despite the nation’s recent commitments to slashing carbon emissions and moving away from fossil fuels. The report claims coal plants in the northern part of the country are contributing to a worsening drought, to the point that even the plants themselves are not able to continue operating at full capacity. Yet, the government has not shut them down.
Although China is still the biggest polluter on the planet, air pollution from coal plants is worse in India, and nations like Poland and South Africa top the charts for coal dependence. On a global scale, environmental experts hope to see access to clean water and conservation of the world’s water supply trump the reliance on filthy fossil fuels that take water from people who need it, contribute to global warming, and pollute the environment with chemicals that damage the ecosystem even further.
Via Gizmodo
Images via Shutterstock and GreenpeaceFan films are not necessarily about displaying technical prowess on a limited budget or how far you can twist the existing material for shock value, but the sheer exuberance and joy that exists when you craft something fun with friends in honor of a film or franchise you truly love.
With that in mind, check out this ambitious fan feature, which re-creates the entirety of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Directed by Tim Hoekstra, this shot-by-shot redux makes up in patience and determination what it lacks in any credible sets or costumes and is an excellent example of the fan film community's unwavering spirit.
Filmed over the course of a single week and including over 650 separate shots, 110 visual effects, this tribute film clocks in at an hour and 45 minutes and took four months to edit. The result is impressive, considering the epic task, and you will be smirking when you see the props and sets Hoekstra and his crew came up with, improvising with everything from mop buckets, bedsheets and plastic toys to cardboard masks, soft soap dispensers and pool sticks. It's an artful celebration of improvisation and wild creativity that deserves a watch!
Take the high ground and see Lucas' Episode III as you've never seen it before.
Video of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith **SPECIAL EDITION**
(Via io9)Modern Warfare 3 Conquers Japan. Puts Urban Legends About Japanese Gamers to Rest.
Giuseppe Nelva November 23, 2011 10:23:00 AM EST
Some say that Japanese gamers hate FPS games. Others say that they can’t stand Western games. Today’s Media Create software charts say that they’re wrong.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 leads the Japanese charts for its launch week with a very solid 180,372 units sold on PS3 and 30,467 on Xbox 360, beating One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 on Nintendo DS that sold “only” 116,062 units, and, against my own predictions, Ni No Kuni, that starts with only 67,032 units finding a Japanese home.
This last piece of information is the most surprising, considering how strongly marketed Ni No Kuni was and how absolutely stunning it is. Maybe launching in the same day as Modern Warfare 3 damaged it’s performance, or maybe the divide between the fairy tale-like graphics and the relatively adult userbase of the PS3 caused it to sell less than expected. The fact that it came after a DS release of the same game (even if the PS3 version isn’t identical) may also have influenced the result.
It’s also possible that critical response influenced the commercial success of the game. Famitsu gave Modern Warfare 3 an almost perfect 39 (10, 10, 9, 10), while Ni No Kuni received “only” a 37 (8, 9, 10, 9). One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 was scored less than both, with a 35 (8, 8, 9, 8), but the Japanese love One Piece and everyone in Japan has a DS (or two), so it’s not surprising that it still sold well.
One thing is for sure, western games, even FPS games, can sell definitely well in Japan. Modern Warfare 3 demonstrated as much.Don’t call your holiday party a holiday party.
That’s the recommendation from Texas Woman’s University – posting a series of tips on how to make December office parties ‘all-inclusive’ and ‘multicultural.’
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“Not all faith traditions have holidays in December, and not everyone identifies with a particular faith tradition,” TWU writer Anna Ryan wrote in “A Festivus for the Rest of Us: Tips to plan an all-inclusive multicultural holiday party at the office.”
That means dropping the word “holiday” for starters, said Dr. Mark Kessler, a professor of multicultural women’s and gender studies – and the university’s expert on party planning.
“’Holiday’ connotes religious tradition and may not apply to all employees,” Kessler told the news service. As an alternative he recommended calling your December gathering an “end of the semester party.”
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He also recommends not decorating with Santa Claus, a red-nosed reindeer or evergreen trees. And whatever you do, don’t serve red & green sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees, first reported by the fine folks at Campus Reform.
“Avoid religious symbolism, such as Santa Claus, evergreen trees or a red nosed reindeer, which are associated with Christmas traditions,” Kessler recommended. “Excellent alternatives are snowflakes, snow men or winter themes not directly associated with a particular holiday or religion.”
Now, that one left me a bit puzzled – because I can’t seem to find any reference to a red-nosed reindeer in the New Testament.
Speaking of snowflakes, he also suggested party planners avoid playing Christmas carols or any music associated with a “faith tradition.” Instead, he recommended “celebratory party music.”
Instead of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Texas Woman’s University wants everybody to Wang Chung tonight.
As for the Yuletide noshing, Professor Kessler advises a diverse menu with “items that reflect dietary preferences and requirements of non-majority groups in your organization (e.g, halal or kosher).”
Just imagine the festive scene at TWU’s all-inclusive winter shindig. Instead of scarfing down Little Smokies and shrimp cocktail, guests would be stuffing their faces with gluten-free hummus and Gefilte fish. So if you are one of the unfortunate souls who received an invitation, you might want to drop by the Chick-fil-A drive-thru before the party.
I reached out to the university spokesperson to get the back story or at least some context on their Yuletide suggestions – but so far no one has returned my telephone call.
Because as it now stands, it sure looks like the folks at Texas Woman’s University are a few nuts shy of a fruitcake.As in previous, smaller outbreaks, children are underrepresented among Ebola patients in the current epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, those under 15 made up 13 percent of cases in the epidemic’s first nine months, though they accounted for about 43 percent of the population. They may be less exposed to major risk factors, such as caring for sick relatives or preparing bodies for burial.
Young people tend to fare better than adults in their 40s or older when they do contract the disease, although some studies have shown that very young children, those under 5, are more vulnerable than older children and young adults. Researchers speculate that the reason may be their immature immune systems, or the possibility that they are exposed to a larger initial dose of virus through close contact with their mothers. Children under 15 as a whole in the current outbreak do not have an overall survival advantage, according to W.H.O. statistics.
At the center here, half of the children under 15 have survived, a rate slightly, but not significantly, higher than that of patients over all. Sixteen children in that age group have been discharged or have died since the center opened in mid-September, after being built by the charity Save the Children. Seven are now being treated, as a recent surge in patients has filled the 26-bed confirmed ward to capacity.
Junior, who weighed 44 pounds, seemed very ill at admission. He had no relatives to take care of him, and staff members, sweltering in their protective suits, could not always stay long enough to provide comfort. Like the two boys with whom he would share the ward, his viral load was fairly high, a bad sign. He was given an intravenous line and oral liquids with electrolytes to combat dehydration.
Over days, his trajectory was noted. Oct. 3: admitted with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, and pain in his abdomen, chest and head. Oct. 4: bleeding from gums. The only other child in the ward was “scared to death to be in the room with him,” Audrey Rangel, an American nurse, said during rounds.It was not the ideal start to the Archbishop of Canterbury's grand initiative to bring a new morality to Britain's banking sector.
Just months into his tenure at the head of the Church of England, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, last week announced plans to use the Church's clout to take on a controversial new breed of money lender and "compete [them] out of business." With the financial clout and moral authority of the Church of England behind it, the proposal was not made lightly.
Then came the revelation a few days later that the church’s own pension fund holds a stake in one of those very lenders, Wonga. It was, as Archbishop Welby himself admitted to the BBC, "very embarrassing."
But despite the stumble out of the gate, Welby appears committed to taking on payday loans – small, high-interest, short-term loans to those who can't get credit elsewhere – as a means of "speaking for the poor." And his plan raises questions about just how much clout the Church of England wields through its portfolio of investments and through the influence the church has over its flock – how it ought to wield it.
A campaign against usury
Appearing Tuesday at a Christian festival in Shepton Mallet, a small town in the English county of Somerset, Welby said that despite the pension-fund embarrassment, he has seen strong initial support for his initiative, which will involve expanding credit unions as an alternative to financiers charging enormous interest on payday loans.
"For a start, the positive comments have outweighed the negative – which in the letters that come to me is unusual,” he said. “What people have commented on is a church speaking for the poor. And when the Church is real, people pay attention."
Welby – a former oil trader who has been highly critical of banking practices while serving on Britain's Banking Standards Commission, a cross party group consisting of MPs and members of the House of Lords – wants to drive payday lenders out of business by launching a network of credit unions.
Struggling families and individuals unable to get credit from banks are among the customers of the pay lenders, who provide loans of up to £1,000 ($1,500) to be repaid when weekly or monthly wages come through. Though meant to be short-term, the loans involve astronomical annualized interest rates – for example, those offered by Wonga, which Welby specifically criticized, amount to 6,000 percent.
Welby’s initiative is the centerpiece thus far of a markedly more activist approach to his role from predecessors. But can he really hope to compete the lenders, whose business he describes as “morally wrong,” out of existence?
'It could deliver'
Elizabeth Oldfield, the director of Theos, a London-based religion and society think tank, says that plans come with significant risks, particularly for an institution juggling a range of other challenges, not least declining church attendances. But “at the same time, if the church threw its weight and resources behind it, it could deliver,” she adds.
“You are still talking about an organization with billions of pounds behind it, people in every parish, a high amount of social and volunteer capital, and a more energizing connection with community organizations.”
Oldfield also says that the church has bounced back quickly from last week’s controversy, helped by Welby’s public mea culpa and very evident annoyance with an investment that he had been unaware of. Welby ordered an independent inquiry into investments by the Church’s £5.2 billion ($7.9 billion) investment fund, which holds a small, indirect stake in Wonga via a US venture capital fund it has invested in.
“Holding up his hands and saying ‘we should not have done this,’ in PR terms, was much better than trying to justify it. We have also had five to 10 years of realizing that the economy is much more complex than we thought and that it’s sometimes unclear where our money is. A lot of people may have thought, ‘Gosh this could somehow have happened to me as well.'”
Investment morality
Now, the Church could well look to speed up divestment of the more questionable interests in its investment portfolio, which grew in value last year by 9.7 percent.
Under existing rules, it cannot invest in firms that make more than 10 percent through arms dealing, more than 3 percent from pornography, or more than 25 percent through payday lending or gambling. Those limits, and particularly the 25 percent one, are now expected to be reconsidered.
And it is already facing calls to divest for other moral reasons.
Last year, the church sold its £1.9 million ($2.9 million) share in News Corp after concluding it was not satisfied with the media company’s handling of the scandal surrounding allegations of phone-hacking. A Conservative member of Parliament, Claire Perry, has urged the Church to disinvest from Google in protest at a perceived failure to tackle online child pornography. And environmentalist members of the church want it to end investments with connection to fossil fuels.
“Having a church that does not have an involvement with fossil fuels means that it can then speak about climate change from a real position of integrity,” says Siobhan Grimes, a young campaigner and worshiper in the London diocese of Southwark.
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Grimes was involved in a vote by the diocese’s local assembly on July 5 to call on the Church of England’s general synod to ensure that the Church’s investment policy was “in line with its theological, moral and social priorities including the Christian responsibility to care for the planet.”
Grimes says that the Church should be actively thinking about what genuinely progressive sectors it should be invested in. “It is possible not to invest in fossil fuels, and I think that’s infinitely more sensible from an environmental and theological viewpoint."Glass and Steel by Random 14-Year-Old
Glass and Steel: Pt. 1
Date: 3 August 2005, 2:52 am
Part 1: The Ambition
A sudden rush of excitement hit the nerves of Pira 'Tipermee as he studied the signal readouts in front of him. The scanners had detected a lost Covenant artifact in deep space, thanks to a transmitter embedded into the object as a security measure.
"What's that?" Rigo 'Onermee asked as he looked over the screen. "Another lost artifact? Listen, Pira, we can't run to the Prophets whenever we think we found something important—"
"But what if it is important?" 'Tipermee argued. "An increasing amount of our battleships are being struck down by the humans, and almost all of them are likely to contain not only mortal lives, but valuable items as well, possibly even of Forerunner nature! Do we simply collect Forerunner artifacts just to lose—"
"I get your point, Pira," 'Onermee said bluntly. "All I'm saying is that the Prophets have more to worry about than stuff like this. Go ahead, ask the Prophet for permission to investigate..."
Pira 'Tipermee left the communications room, heading straight for the High Council chamber that the Prophets dwelled in. He entered the chamber warily; he had nothing to fear in a ship of the Covenant, but nonetheless the empty chamber gave 'Tipermee a strange sense of hopelessness.
"Permission to advance?" he called into the chamber.
"Permission granted," a grim voice echoed back. It was the voice of the Low Prophet of Gaiety, the leader of this specific fleet of Covenant ships. "Your name?"
"Pira 'Tipermee, from Communications. We have detected a Covenant transmitter signal, most likely an artifact that was lost when a Covenant ship was destroyed."
"What is the location of this signal?"
'Tipermee paused. "That is the reason you must trust my judgment. The signal is coming from a remote planet that is far off our planned course, but—"
"Then it is not worth my trouble," Gaiety declared. "However, if you have no doubt that the signal deserves investigation, I shall grant you a single Seraph fighter. Bring as many crewmen as the ship can carry, and a quick jump will be made to the system in question. From there, you are on your own."
"Thank you, Prophet."
"I expect that this artifact will be recovered—or there will be punishment."
"It will be recovered." And with that 'Tipermee left the chamber to rally his crew.
Ren Basely strolled calmly out of his new home, in search of someone to talk to. After all, he had deserted all of his friends back at Reach when his family made the decision to move to the Outer Colony named Luther. Apparently his mother and father were sort losing their minds living on Reach, constantly watching armory trucks go up and down the streets of the city.
Speaking of Reach, the planet's resources were starting to run tight. The war with the Covenant was not going well at all, and naturally this put more and more pressure on Reach to provide innumerable amounts of supplies in the likes of weaponry and even full-scale warships for deep-space battles. Thus, everyday Ren and his mom and his dad would hear the rumbling of heavy transporters as they shipped metals and stuff like that to factories somewhere else in the region.
"The war has reached us!" Ren's mother had cried once after hearing the news, which claimed "the UNSC is doing everything in its power to prevent the war from reaching Earth, the Inner Colonies and Reach." And for once in Ren's teenage life, she was right. The Covenant hadn't attacked Reach, but seeing trucks filled with weapons in the streets was just as depressing.
Ren, now 17, may have left his friends, but there were always more to be made. A new home also meant a new reputation; he could build a new image of himself in this new community. It was a whole new start, and Ren couldn't wait to see what kind of people Planet Luther had to offer.
"Penalty! Freeze! I said freeze!"
Ren spun his head in the direction of the girl's voice, and he saw a field full of kids playing some sort of game. Their field looked like it had once been the ground of two houses, a lot a seemingly wasted space for a bunch of little kids. Ren would have built something useful there, and he would have used the kids as assistants—
"Okay, two points from Shorts!" the same girl bellowed into the field. She had just stood up from her bench, and Ren realized she must be the referee.
"What?!" one of the little boys screamed. "That's not fair!"
"It's very, very fair, Dorko," the girl replied, turning up her chin. "Everyone gets equal treatment."
Ren made his way over to the field, interested in the strange game these children were playing, and also the girl barking orders at them.
"I hope this seat isn't taken," Ren said once he had crossed the field and arrived at the bench. "Because—"
"Taken?" the girl interrupted. "Everyone else here is playing the game, why would the seat be taken?"
"Because," Ren continued smoothly, "I'd normally expect a crowd to be huddled around someone so fine."
The girl smiled, but Ren couldn't help seeing more amusement than flattery in her expression.
"So you've got a name?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, and it's No-Stranger-To-Corny-Pickup-Lines," she replied. Ren had to force himself not to retort with a wittier and meaner comeback.
"Har, har. Okay, I'll just call you Nostra, alright? I'm Ren. I just moved here from Planet Reach—"
"Wow, Reach!" she interrupted for the second time. Ren felt himself losing control of the conversation.
"Listen," he said, sitting down on the bench and moving closer to the girl, "I'm on a stroll around the neighborhood, and if you could tell me your name, I'd appreciate it if you could, you know, show me around."
"Quite the smooth operator," the girl chuckled. "I can only imagine how many sluts you had back at Reach. But for the record, my name is Ariana."
"And for the record, Ariana, I had not even one girl on Reach, or else I wouldn't be asking for a walk with you. That's how faithful I am."
"Yes," she said, hardly even listening to what he said. "If you don't mind, I need to focus on this game. You see, my little brother thinks he can be above the law of the game since his sister calls the shots. But I'll tell you what—" Ariana turned and looked at Ren. Her brown eyes seemed to have a crystal-like quality to them, and her long brown hair shone in the midday sun. "This game is over in about five minutes, so I'll meet you at my house in a little bit—here." She picked up a memo pad and a pen that had been lying on the bench. The front page had a mess of numbers scribbled on it, apparently scores of the game the children were playing. She flipped to a blank page, wrote down her address and phone number, and tore out the page. "I like you, Ren." And she gave him the paper.
"Ditto," Ren said, looking at the paper. "I'll see you, then." He turned around and left, but not before giving Ariana a sexy smile that she returned to him.
The sun was starting to approach the horizon as Ren sat on the porch of 5132 Purchase Avenue. At last, a car slowed to a stop in front of the house and parked itself along the sidewalk. But it wasn't a girl that stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and stormed up to the porch of the house. Instead, Ren was now looking up at one hell of a pissed-off man.
"I thought...that I told you kids...to stop putting...your asses on my front porch!!!" The man cracked his knuckles and spit in the air. The saliva just nearly missed Ren's left leg.
Ren smacked himself. "Wow. What a prankster."
Glass and Steel: Pt. 2
Date: 7 August 2005, 4:40 am
Part 2: A Reevaluation
"It doesn't sound like she likes you."
"You think? I had the impression that she was madly in love with me."
Ren curved a smile when he saw his father's annoyance at the sarcasm. It wasn't often that he opted to confide in his parents, but he was really left with no choice when he came home with a black eye and a bruise to the head; the former caused by an angry stranger and the latter by Ren himself.
"Girls are tricky, Ren," his father continued, ignoring the sarcasm. "But I think that in this case, she wasn't tricky at all. You should have just left her alone."
"Are you kidding?" Ren laughed. "And admit defeat like that? Give me a break, Dad. Did you just give in when Mom rejected you for the first time?"
"Mom didn't reject me. In those days we had enough brain cells to tell when girls were interested in us or not."
"You're no help," Ren grunted, and went to find his jacket. It was a new day, with new opportunities and new ways of tackling them. He was going straight to that playing field, and he would sit next to Ariana and ask her out, right then and there. Ren would have to rethink his entire approach, which meant no more beating around the bush and definitely no more meaningless pickup lines. Ariana seemed impervious to them, anyway.
"Try and get home early," Ren's dad warned when he saw his son leaving the house. "It looks like a storm, but the neighbors say that they're really common on Luther because—"
Ren shut the front door and strode off the porch with a hint of nervousness in his step. Where he had been confident and cocky the day before, Ren now felt rather hopeless and defeated.
However, Ren forced himself to get over it when he saw the field he had come to associate with Ariana, but instead of seeing a bunch of bratty kids playing a sport, Ren was looking at a bunch of bratty kids beating each other up. And at the center of the mob was none other than Ariana.
"No, it wasn't there!" one kid screamed. "No! Shut up, |
am Springs and Tahlequah.A narrow majority of Marylanders support legalizing marijuana, and more than eight in 10 say the consequences for possessing small amounts of the drug should be fines or rehabilitation rather than jail time, according to a new poll.
The Goucher Poll also found that nine out of 10 citizens support use of marijuana for medical purposes, if prescribed by a doctor.
Based on the poll findings, decriminalization of marijuana “will be an issue to watch” in the upcoming legislative session, said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher University.
During this year’s legislative session, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill authorizing distribution of marijuana for medical purposes by qualified academic centers. Legislative analysts have said it is unlikely the drug would be legally dispensed before 2016, and it remains unclear how many institutions will participate.
A separate bill passed the Senate this year that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, subjecting those caught to only a civil fine of up to $100. That legislation died in the House of Delegates. Supporters have vowed to try again when lawmakers reconvene in January.
The Goucher poll found that 51 percent of Marylanders support making marijuana use legal in the state, while 40 percent oppose legalization.
When presented with a list of consequences for possessing small amounts of marijuana, 49 percent of residents supported policies that focus on fines, while 34 percent said they favor rehabilitation. Six percent said they prefer measures that focus on jail time.
Meanwhile, 90 percent support the use of marijuana for medical purposes, according to the poll.
The same poll also found that a year after Maryland voted to legalize same-sex marriage, more than seven in 10 citizens say gay nuptials have changed society for the better or had no effect.
The Goucher poll found that 28 percent believe same-sex marriage has changed Maryland society for the better, while 44 percent believe it has had no effect. Twenty-three percent said allowing gay couples to wed had changed Maryland society for the worse. Another 5 percent didn’t know or refused to answer.
The poll was conducted nearly a year after Maryland voters approved a ballot measure, 52 percent to 48 percent, upholding a same-sex marriage law passed by the legislature last year. Gay couples have been allowed to get married in Maryland since Jan. 1.
The Goucher poll also found Marylanders are divided in their opinions about a new gun-control law that took effect Oct. 1.
Twenty-seven percent of Marylanders think provisions in the new gun law are “too strict,” while 32 percent think they are “not strict enough,” according to the poll. Another 23 percent think they are now “about right.”
Maryland’s law includes new fingerprinting and training requirements. The law, championed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings in December, also bans 45 types of assault rifles and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and includes steps intended to make it harder for those who are mentally ill to obtain firearms.
The Goucher poll of 665 Maryland residents was said to be conducted Oct. 27-31. The sample did not restrict respondents to registered or likely voters. The margin of error was said to be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.Republican candidate’s team pushed centrist image despite policies that show otherwise in response to criticism over comments on women’s health spending
Jeb Bush’s comment questioning whether a half of billion dollars was needed to cover women’s health issues opened the candidate up to criticism that he is “anti-woman” as he touted his pro-life record.
Following the controversial remark, the campaign immediately sought to clarify it, saying the candidate “misspoke” and that his comments referred specifically to defunding Planned Parenthood and not women’s health generally.
From the outset, Bush has aimed to run an inclusive campaign, casting himself as a “compassionate conservative” with the ability to broaden the party’s appeal.
But in Tallahassee, Bush, who declared himself “probably the most pro-life governor in modern times”, had a reputation as a deep-dyed conservative, especially on social issues, said Matt Corrigan, a professor of political science at the University of North Florida and author of Conservative Hurricane: How Jeb Bush remade Florida.
“Running as the party’s centrist alternative, he’s trying to have a more moderate tone, but his record as governor is very conservative so I think he’s battling between those,” Corrigan said. “Something like yesterday shows that it’s a difficult balance to strike.”
While governor, he signed into law state-issued “choose life” license plates, restricted late-term “partial-birth” abortions, and approved a parental notification law for minors seeking abortions.
Bush lobbied a judge to consider appointing a guardian to the fetus of a mentally handicapped woman who had been raped in group care. He also intervened in a case in an attempt to prevent a 13-year-old girl from having an abortion.
In 2001, he failed to veto a controversial measure, known as the Scarlet Letter law, that required women to publish their sexual histories in the newspaper before putting their babies up for adoption if they did not know the father’s identity. Bush later signed the repeal of the law, after a state court ruled it unconstitutional.
Though this wasn’t a measure Bush signed, he appeared to suggest that a lack of public shaming was responsible for an increase in out-of-wedlock births in his 1995 book, Profiles in Character, which was dredged up and reported on earlier in the campaign.
“One of the reasons more young women are giving birth out of wedlock and more young men are walking away from their paternal obligations is that there is no longer a stigma attached to this behavior, no reason to feel shame … There was a time when neighbors and communities would frown on out-of-wedlock births and when public condemnation was enough of a stimulus for one to be careful,” he wrote at the time.
Bush recently sought to clarify the passage, saying his views have “evolved” since he wrote the book two decades ago, and said the passage was intended to highlight the challenges children raised in single-parent households face.
Bush’s comments on Tuesday came while he was discussing the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood during a Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Earlier in the day, anti-abortion activists had released the latest in a series of secretly-taped videos in which representatives from the women’s health group discuss the sale of fetal tissue donated to science. However, the videos do not appear to show any unlawful conduct, as Planned Parenthood said it was only seeking reimbursements for the cost of processing and shipping tissues. Still, Bush agreed that the women’s health group should not receive federal funding.
The candidate’s views on Planned Parenthood have been scrutinized by Republicans as well, after a pro-life blog riled conservatives with a report that Bush had served on the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies when it donated tens of millions of dollars to the women’s health group.
In a statement to the Daily Caller, the campaign said he was not involved in the decision to allot money to Planned Parenthood and emphasized “Bush’s strong record of fostering a culture of life”.
The campaign reiterated on Tuesday Bush’s commitment to preserving life in response his remarks about funding women’s health. The release noted that during his tenure as governor, Bush had proposed a hotline that would direct women seeking to terminate their pregnancies to crisis centers opposed to abortion. The release also said he passed a law expanding treatment to women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer and increased funding for breast cancer research by allowing state-issued “fight breast cancer” license plates.
With Democrats keen to promote the Republicans “war on women” narrative, Bush may be pushed to fine-tune how he uses his conservative record, careful to thread the needle by appealing to the party’s base without hurting his standing with women.
“Bush has a really strong socially conservative record in Florida,” Corrigan said. “It will be interesting to see how much he plays on that during this election, especially during the primary.”Historian Prof Diarmaid Ferriter has questioned the decision to invite members of the British royal family to the Easter Rising commemorations in 2016.
He said the decision was taken without consulting the expert advisory group on the centenary which includes himself and other prominent historians such as Martin Mansergh and Prof Eunan O’Halpin of Trinity College Dublin.
Prof Ferriter, professor of modern history at University College Dublin (UCD), said the emphasis on the good relations between Britain and Ireland had led to a “noble aspiration to please everybody and include everybody, which will not do justice to the historic divisions that were there that we need to understand”.
Complicated
“Allegiances and loyalties that existed in Ireland 100 years ago were very complicated and multi-layered,” he said. “I’m worried that we are heading towards something that is full of holes as to the historical reality at the time.”
He is concerned that the presence of the British royal family will end up “distorting history quite significantly”.
The decision to invite the royal family was first mooted in September by the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore. It would appear to have been confirmed by Queen Elizabeth II in her speech in Windsor Castle last week when she said: “My family and my government will stand alongside you, Mr President, and your ministers, throughout the anniversaries of the war and of the events that led to the creation of the Irish Free State.”
No consultation
The decision to invite a royal family member was taken without consulting the expert advisory group which meets every six to eight weeks. “The State can make this invitation, but what are we there for if we are not going to be asked for advice on big decisions like that?” Prof Ferriter said.
“The State doesn’t own the legacy of 1916. Nobody does except the people. We are trying to organise public consultations to get people’s views.”
He believed the presence of the royal family might give succour to those who believed the Rising was unnecessary, as the British government had committed to the introduction of home rule once the war was over. “I’m on the side of evidence. There was no evidence that Britain was prepared to settle its Irish question until it was forced to do it. We don’t need to abandon our critical faculties because of the warm haze after the Queen’s visit.”Can Twitter Go Public and Still Be a Champion of Free Speech?
With Twitter set to make its debut on American stock exchanges, a critical question looms: Can toppling dictators also be good business?
Over the course of its seven-year history, Twitter has gone from scrappy, disorganized start-up to a heavyweight of the social media revolution. In the process, it’s become much more than a business. From Tahrir Square to Gezi Park, Twitter has made itself indispensible to activists everywhere, providing a tool to decry abuse, organize protests, and help overthrow bad leaders. "Now we have a menace that is called Twitter," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in June amid widespread protests against his government. "The best example of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society."
Soon, that menace to society will be the hottest technology IPO since Facebook’s 2012 offering. But with a publicly traded stock, Twitter may find itself in something of an existential crisis. In establishing itself as the activist’s weapon of choice, the social media company has built up a well-deserved reputation for fiercely protecting user data and standing up for free speech. Is that an ethos, however, that can be squared with Wall Street’s relentless emphasis on profits and revenue? It is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which Twitter will have to sacrifice its values, at least somewhat, on the high altar of the quarterly earnings report.
Among the three most important Internet companies today — Twitter, Facebook, and Google — Twitter occupies something of a unique position. "Twitter is the first major speech platform to come on the market with the intention of being a free-speech platform," says Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That identity poses a thorny problem for the company, which will inevitably change as it grows larger and its business expands. Other companies have already faced similar problems. "Google … started out as ‘don’t be evil,’ but as they grew, we’ve seen a lot more efforts to censor content," York says.
Twitter has already run into trouble abroad, where governments, both democratic and otherwise, have not taken too kindly to a service that lets anyone and everyone broadcast thoughts onto the web. At the height of the protest movement in Egypt that brought down Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian government blocked Twitter. During a wave of rioting in Britain in 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to shut the service down. (He did not.) In July of this year, French courts forced Twitter to hand over user data to help authorities identify the authors of anti-Semitic and racist tweets. In China, the service is blocked entirely.
For a young start-up with private investors, shutdowns like these pose no serious problems. But how will Wall Street react to service outages? Each time the service goes down, Twitter is effectively losing money, and that’s something investors seem unlikely to accept. Thus, there will be an incentive for the company to make concessions to governments for the sake of achieving greater market share. "In the peaceful countries, it’s an easy sell," Santosh Rao, a managing director and the head of research at Greencrest Capital, says of Twitter. "They are good for revolutions but bad in that bad elements can start a rumor. Twitter is a double-edged sword."
A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment on whether the company had considered the implications for its freedom of speech commitments when deciding to go public. However, the company has already made some notable concessions to the censorship laws of the countries in which it operates. In January 2012, for instance, it announced a new policy under which it granted itself the power to restrict some content in accordance with local laws. "As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," the company wrote in announcing the policy. "Some differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there…. Until now, the only way we could take account of those countries’ limits was to remove content globally. Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world."
The question now is whether Twitter will make further concessions in order to widen its availability — and boost its profits. For instance, to tap into the Chinese market, would it be willing to strike a deal with the Chinese government that would all but certainly entail rampant self-censorship? So far, there is no indication that such a move is underway, and according to Rao, Twitter’s stock will be priced with the understanding that it cannot easily expand into China. But if there’s any doubt about Wall Street’s appetite for Internet companies moving aggressively into China, consider this: When Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg made a stop there on Wednesday for a meeting with the country’s Internet regulator, the company’s stock jumped 3 percent to an all-time high.
For those concerned about Twitter’s future as a defender of rights, the company’s announcement that it plans to go public was accompanied by a worrying development: the departure of Alex Macgillivray, Twitter’s general counsel and a champion of freedom of speech. "You don’t want business interests affecting judgment about content," he told the Times last year. "That is against corporate interests. It’s against the trust your users have in your service." The reasons Macgillivray is leaving the company now remain unknown.
The conundrum facing Twitter is one that’s faced every iconoclastic up-start: Should it take the money and run? We’ll know its answer soon enough.China, the world’s largest mobile phone market, is getting a late start with Apple’s new iPhones — the big and bigger ones, designed in large part with the Chinese market in mind.
Pre-orders don’t officially start until Oct. 10 and the phones won’t go on sale before Oct. 17, but you can already see the virtual queues growing.
You can literally watch them grow. In China you have to make a reservation to get on the pre-order list, and at least one Chinese e-commerce site — JingDong — has been posting reservations as they come in. Unless Apple puts a stop to it, JingDong’s reporting is a good proxy for how sales are likely to go.
At 11 p.m. Friday Beijing time, the split between the two models was nearly even:
iPhone 6: 1,372,160
iPhone 6+: 1,473,075
.
Based partly on JingDong reservation numbers, Tencent news estimates that in the four days since the iPhones were approved for sale in China, reservations topped 4 million.
UPDATE: By Saturday reservations on JingDong alone had passed 6 million, having doubled overnight. JingDong’s split, as of 7:30 p.m. Beijing time:
iPhone 6: 3,020,359
iPhone 6+: 3,133,027
.
Warning: We could be seeing a Heisenberg effect here: U.S. press reports on JingJong’s numbers making their way to mainland China and sending Chinese customers/scalpers to JingJong’s site.
[Refresh the JingDong page for updates.]
See also: First iPhone 6/6+ numbers from China
Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter at @philiped. Read his Apple (AAPL) coverage at fortune.com/ped or subscribe via his RSS feed.The captain of the Titanic which sank after colliding with an iceberg in 1912 is believed to have originally failed his navigation test, TV historian Tony Robinson said today.
But Edward John Smith, who famously went down with the ship, was eventually given the all clear and he received his Masters Certificate in February 1888.
He is among the well-known seamen to appear in The Great Britain, Masters and Mates Certificates 1850-1927, which were published today on the family history website Ancestry.co.uk.
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The question of what shall we do with the drunken sailor? was a sobering question which puzzled 19th Century politicians and led to the stricter regulation of seamen.
The 280,000 documents, released in partnership with the National Maritime Museum, detail the seamen who passed examinations designed to test their experience and general good conduct, and give evidence of their sobriety.
The system aimed to combat drunk and disorderly behaviour, which was rife in the Merchant Navy during the early 19th century.
Launching the newly accessible records in London today, Robinson, of TV's Time Team, said: "It is believed, for instance, that Captain Smith who was eventually the man in charge of the Titanic when it sank failed his exams the first time round because he did not have sufficient navigating skills."
He went on: "In the mid 19th Century there was an incredible problem in Britain's Merchant Navy which was essentially that all the sailors were getting hammered all of the time.
"It's quite understandable. They were away from their homes for years on end, away from any port for months on end with nothing to do on the ship.
"In addition to that, water went off very quickly. It went brackish and alcohol is obviously quite a robust preservative so they were drinking far more rum than you or I would think to be appropriate."
Robinson added that as sailors began to earn a more generous wage, increasing amounts of money were spent on alcohol.
"In the early 1800s, doctors were becoming much more interested in health generally and they realised that this was a real social problem. There's one doctor that I've read was working on a ship and described one sailor as being so drunk that he had 'lost the ability to look after his personal attention', and somebody else had been drunk non-stop for 10 days.
"So the Victorians documented and recorded all of this and set tests which would ensure that there senior staff were sober and could exhibit good conduct."
Upon passing, men were awarded a Masters Certificate as proof that they were fit for service. Certificates specified the recipient's name, address, certificate number, birth date, birth place, port of issue, examination date and the previous ships on which they sailed.
It was the Mercantile Maritime Act of 1850 that led to the introduction of Masters Certificates by the British Board of Trade and all ranks, from mates to captains, were required to sit these examinations.
After the new law was introduced in 1850, disorderly sailors were quickly forced to clean up their act. Crucially, legislation stated that seamen were no longer permitted to "sell bad drugs", "work under the influence of alcohol" or "fraudulently alter" their Masters Certificates.
Other famous examples of captains who managed to successfully pass their examinations include:
:: Captain George Moodie - Master of the renowned British tea clipper the Cutty Sark, he was awarded his certificate in Fife in 1861 before captaining numerous voyages to India.
:: Sir Edgar Britten - despite running away to sea aged 15, he qualified as a Master in December 1900 and went on to captain the RMS Queen Mary, a large ocean liner that was later used as a troopship carrying Australian soldiers to the UK.
"All of this stuff is hand-written and the ink has faded, often there's very bad handwriting and mistakes are made or rats ate the documents," said Robinson.
"So it's a complex activity, cleaning this up and putting it online but the more people that become interested in family history the more cost effective it becomes."
Ancestry.co.uk international content director Miriam Silverman said: "These records provide fascinating insight into Merchant Navy life at the turn of the 19th Century and signal the end of the stereotypical 'drunken' and disorderly sailor.
They also went a long way to helping the Merchant Navy become respected the world over.
"They are also a rich source of information for anybody looking to find out more about a seafaring relative, or trace the career of a famous captain."
John Sloan has used the newly released documents to learn more about the life of his ancestor, the Merchant Navy's Captain Christen Klitgaard.
"I had a lot of information about him anyway through Ancestry.co.uk, but one of the things I was missing was his Masters Certificate which was a very important document to prove that he was actually a qualified captain."
Captain Klitgaard first went to sea in the 1800s as a cabin boy at the age of 15. From there he progressed through the ranks to the post of Captain, eventually becoming a ship owner.
"He actually ended up spending 50 years at sea and covering one million miles, which was always his ambition," said Mr Sloan.
"During that time he got married and had 10 children, all of whom sailed with him.
"He actually trained at Queen Alexander hospital to become a midwife so that he could be on hand (to help deliver his children)."
PAWith so many new series popping up on streaming services and DVD, it gets harder and harder to keep up with recent shows, much less the all-time classics. With TV Club 10, we point you toward the 10 episodes that best represent a TV series, classic or modern. They might not be the 10 best episodes, but they’re the 10 episodes that’ll help you understand what the show’s all about.
Dysfunctional TV families are now de rigueur, but there was a time when veteran writers Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt felt the market was saturated with saccharine portrayals. They’d both been around the sitcom block before taking their idea for what became Married… With Children to Fox—Moye had written for Diff’rent Strokes and Good Times, and his fellow Jeffersons writer Leavitt had previously worked on Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Their combined experience with sitcom clans ran the gamut from idealized to aspirational yet relatable, but they were passionate about creating a show that turned up the realism. So the two pitched Fox on a sitcom premise that guaranteed group hugs would be few and far between.
Moye and Leavitt’s original concept for Married… With Children (née Not The Cosbys) was simple: The series would depart from the formulaic warmth and lessons of shows like Leave It To Beaver and Silver Spoons (the latter of which Moye co-developed) to create a singularly unhappy family for TV viewers. Instead of featuring an Eddie Haskell or a Kimmy Gibler, Married… With Children would center on a whole family of misfits, who we’d be lucky to see tolerate each other, let alone grow as the show progressed. Peg and Al Bundy would be the indifferent and downtrodden parents, respectively, of two teens who raised hell instead of any kind of awareness on issues affecting youth.
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When the show was first pitched, Moye and Leavitt envisioned Sam Kinison as Al Bundy, the unsuccessful shoe salesman whose high school football glory is never far from his mind. The series creators had also hoped to snag Roseanne Barr for the role of Peggy, a stay-at-home mom who rarely left the couch. The producers reportedly modeled the characters after Kinison’s and Barr’s stand-up personas, which were popular but not exactly lovable. The two stand-ups passed on the show, with the latter debuting her own series about a less-than-perfect family just a year later on ABC. Kinison would later guest star in the season-four episode “It’s A Bundyful Life.”
Even without established comedians heading up the dysfunctional Bundy household, the fledgling Fox network picked up Married… With Children, adding it to a Sunday lineup that featured 21 Jump Street, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, and The Tracey Ullman Show. By then, Ed O’Neill and Katey Sagal had been cast as the miserable marrieds; they appeared in the pilot with Tina Caspary and Hunter Carson, who were initially cast as Kelly and Bud. But when the show debuted on April 5, 1987, Christina Applegate had replaced Caspary as elder sibling Kelly, while David Faustino donned the future baggy pants of Bud Bundy.
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The Bundys were a whole family of malcontents, who sparred as much with each other as everyone else around them. They were a fun-house mirror version of a nuclear family. Al was a hollowed-out shell of Ward Cleaver—he had a family and a job, but derived little satisfaction or comfort from either. Most episodes centered on the Bundys’ discordant home life and Al’s depressing work life, with jokes mostly coming at the paterfamilias’ expense. But he was no mere put-on schlub; he was more openly bigoted than Archie Bunker and more skeptical of the people around him than George Jefferson. Al was the de facto series lead, but he was hardly a character to get behind. He was a misogynist and a bigot, who had one foot out the door. Forget all the hooting that followed his entrance in every episode; those hollers were the soundtrack for his latest failure.
Married… With Children also skewered the happy homemaker archetype, featuring a mother with a complete lack of maternal instinct and zero remorse about that fact. Sagal envisioned the character as a former cocktail waitress, so she crafted the look of someone who was trapped in a permanent happy hour: big hair, stretch pants, cigarette permanently in hand. Like everyone else in the family, Peggy lacked any real redeeming qualities, but her parental neglect was easier to play for laughs because her kids were old enough to mostly fend for themselves. But they were plenty bitter about that—even the dim-witted but beautiful Kelly could tell something was missing. She was often too busy picking on her younger brother, Bud, who made up in brains what he lacked everywhere else. The Bundy teens were also subverting the sitcom norms—Bud was a hornier, less personable version of annoying little brothers like Ben Seaver, while the prepossessing and older Kelly boldly engaged in sexual encounters that were only insinuated on shows like Family Ties and Growing Pains.
That same unusual and unflattering portrait of family life stalled out the show. Offering up what Moye and Leavitt considered a more accurate representation of American families was the extent of Married… With Children’s innovation. Its dedication to having so many unlikable characters at its core—even the Rhoades and D’Arcys next door didn’t prove to be much better in the long run—wore thin over the course of the show’s 11 seasons. There have been so many flawed families on the small screen since, with one glaring difference: All of those groups, from the Malcolm In The Middle clan to the Gallaghers of Shameless, showed some growth over time. Married… became tedious and skirted nihilism in its later seasons, churning out family feuds and dreams deferred ad nauseam. The breakup threats preceded (and mirrored) The Simpsons’ will-they/won’t-they divorce conceit, as did so many of Al’s downright cartoonish schemes and accidents.
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The utter lack of morality didn’t sit well with some TV viewers, including a Michigan woman who led a boycott in 1989, which in turn led to a rise in popularity for the show. But most people who tuned in before and after the boycott didn’t do so to watch Kelly learn something or see Al score a small victory (though those things certainly happened); the show’s midsize but ardent following did so to revel in its eschewing of any values system. And that’s what they got, with diminishing returns. Here we offer 10 episodes that saw the Bundys at their best, which was the same as their worst.
1. “Married… Without Children” (season one, episode seven)
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With their upward mobility and more progressive values, the Rhoades were intended to be a foil to the resigned Bundy clan. Marcy in particular served as a counterpoint to Al’s misogyny, and regularly battled with her boorish neighbor on everything from political issues to aesthetic matters. Marcy and Steve’s relationship deteriorated throughout the first four seasons; she became domineering, and he withdrew. Their differences were highlighted in this season-one episode, which saw them instantly regret wanting to play house with the Bundy kids. Despite being equipped with “a game recommended by Psychology Today,” the Rhoades can’t get through to the little hellions. The failed experiment revealed that only Marcy was ready for the next step in their marriage, foreshadowing her split with Steve years later.
2. “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (season two, episode seven)
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Though mostly resigned to his fate, Al occasionally railed against the latest cause of disappointment in his life. Over the course of the series, the sad-sack everyman took on various systems, usually after some assault on his backwards values or small comforts, like beer. The futility of his efforts was clear from the get-go, but Moye and Leavitt gave him the odd win here and there to maintain the illusion—for the character and audience—that life wasn’t quite meaningless. “For Whom The Bell Tolls” sees Al and the series in high form, with a story that’s both heavy on the barbs and dissatisfaction. For the rest of the family, Al’s battle with the phone company is nothing more than an inconvenience, but he sees it as a form of resistance. He works himself up into a patriotic lather and pulls out a small victory, but true to its nature, the show saddles him with an even bigger problem: a visit from his mother-in-law.
3. “Eatin’ Out” (season three, episode 11)
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The Bundy home was made up of a bitter husband, an equally bitter wife, and two hormonal teens, so the fighting was almost nonstop. For many viewers, this dynamic was far truer to life than that of the more wholesome households that reigned over the other networks. But even that seemingly accurate representation of home life would wear thin (and did) if it weren’t for the occasional ceasefire. And watching the Bundys battle a common enemy was often more enjoyable than seeing them spar among themselves. In this midseason episode, a small windfall leads to—what else?—some brief fighting before a fancy family dinner replete with zingers. Most significantly, Kelly and Bud are able to see their parents as something other than downtrodden authority figures. It doesn’t last, because in typical Bundy fashion, they find themselves unable to settle up at the end of the meal. The group ends up split along familiar lines, with the kids worrying about themselves while Peg and Al figure out a way to avoid debtors’ prison.
4. “976-SHOE” (season four, episode eight)
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Over its 11-season run, Married… With Children taught us that if Al didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all: The shoe salesman went from struggling provider to human punching bag. The writers laid it on thick, putting the sad sack in increasingly dismal and cartoonish circumstances. It became equally punishing for viewers over time, as there appeared to be some kind of checklist of humiliations and slights for Al to endure. And even though he didn’t give his family much of a reason to have his back, their abysmally low opinions of him dragged down the momentum. Which is what made the intermittent return of his will to live so important—it cut the bleakness as effectively as the occasional win. In “976-SHOE,” Al launches a shoe advice hotline in a desperate attempt to make the last couple decades of his life count for something. Everyone else thinks the idea stinks, including Steve, who lent him the money to start the business. Their fortunes are all tied together, so they all fail together. Steve gets fired, marking the beginning of the end of his marriage to Marcy.
5. “Oldies But Young ’Uns” (season five, episode 17)
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The paternalistic nonsense of the “daddy’s little girl” convention was very much a part of this sitcom family, but in this case, Daddy was a lout and his daughter, not so innocent. In order to keep up appearances, Al remained willfully ignorant of Kelly’s wild ways, and she tried her damnedest to keep them from him. But their arrangement couldn’t hold up against the revolving door of Kelly’s boyfriends, which spit out future sitcom stalwart Matt LeBlanc in this late season-five episode. LeBlanc plays Vinnie, the son of Al’s old friend Charlie. Their courtship is hindered by Al, whose latest quixotic quest involves naming the song whose tune is stuck in his head. There’s a short-lived victory for everyone here: Al gets his hands on the correct Beatles record, which is promptly destroyed, and Kelly is free to date Vinnie, who eventually finds his way to two failed spin-offs.
6. “Hi I.Q.” (season six, episode 20)
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There was little love lost between siblings Bud and Kelly—he resented her ability to coast on her looks, and she was put off by his early-onset bitterness. Although they would continue to clash, things became slightly more harmonious when they each found their niche: Bud was the smart one, while Kelly remained the hot one. These weren’t the most inspired let alone respectful storytelling decisions, but they allowed them to coexist. That is, until one of them began to encroach on the other’s territory, like in this late season six episode, where Kelly is invited to join a MENSA-like group. Bud is instantly jealous, and he flings the usual insults at his sister. But when he realizes she’s been duped, he won’t stand for anyone (else) to mock her. The arc redeems Bud far more than it adds any dimension to Kelly, but it doesn’t entirely sell her short, as she at least displays a mechanical aptitude before episode’s end.
7. “The Chicago Wine Party” (season seven, episode seven)
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Class struggle was at the core of the series, with the Bundys frequently playing into gross stereotypes of working schlubs. But their more affluent counterparts were also subjected to plenty of ridicule. And more often than not, the Bundys’ salt-of-the-earth quality was held up as admirable. Take “The Chicago Wine Party,” which saw the family band together against everyone and everything else, including decency. In one of the show’s most overtly political offerings, Al becomes a firebrand—but only after a two-cent beer tax is proposed. He rallies his family to the polls, where they represent the uninformed voter, the apathetic voting public, and later, the downfall of civilization itself. Before it devolves into a bacchanalian mess, the episode makes good points about how various measures are introduced, and just whose rights are being protected.
8. “Luck Of The Bundys” (season eight, episode four)
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Logically, we understand that the Bundys’ frequently dire financial circumstances are the result of many things, including but not limited to unplanned pregnancies and lack of college degrees. (No judgment, but it’s hard to save for retirement when you’re barely making enough to support yourself in the present.) But Al chalks up his bad living to bad luck—the Bundy curse means any happy incidents will quickly turn to shit. The show seems to agree that the Bundys can’t escape their fate, as everyone’s attempts to strike out on their own end in disaster. It’s a road we’ve been down more times than we can count, but writer Richard Gurman pushes the absurdity beyond the usual bounds to set this fall from a greater height.
9. “No Pot To Pease In” (season nine, episode nine)
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Married… With Children held a mirror up to the Bundys and itself in this episode, even making sly reference to the 1989 boycott that led to a jump in ratings. Longtime director Gerry Cohen was at the helm for this meta-episode, in which the Bundys are confronted with their flaws, but still learn very little from them. After Kelly spills her family’s secrets during an audition, the Bundys end up on the small screen. Everyone but Al finds the portrayal unflattering, leaving him on his own yet again. (Their mixed reactions are also a nod to the show’s real-life reception, which was divided, to say the least.) Al puts their feelings above his and marches down to give the studio executive hell. Their lumpen family values aren’t to be ridiculed, he rages, shortly before accepting a payout. Neither his happiness nor |
arrival.
Many were disappointed too by the limited selection of apps available on the Windows Phone Marketplace. While essentials such as Facebook and Twitter were available at launch, it didn’t take long for users to realize that other third-party apps were being launched first (and in some cases, only) on iPhone and Android, as developers were wary of spending time and resources on an unproven OS with few users.
The first WP7 devices were somewhat lackluster as well. HTC’s selection of handsets was poorly differentiated, although the giant HD7, with its 4.3-inch display, proved to be a popular choice as demand for larger screens across all platforms continued to grow. In the weeks and months following its launch, Dell’s Venue Pro suffered from any number of technical issues – from SIM card problems to Wi-Fi connectivity flaws – and many of those attempting to exchange malfunctioning handsets found that the company initially had no replacement units to offer them due to supply constraints.
Windows Phone 7’s story might well have ended a good deal sooner, were it not for a well-placed ally in Finland.
In September 2010, Stephen Elop had left his position as head of Microsoft’s Business Division, where he was in charge of several major product lines including Office, to become the new CEO of Nokia. Like Microsoft, Nokia had also been caught out by the rise of iPhone and Android, and by the time of Elop’s appointment at the top of the company, it was painfully obvious to everyone that its Symbian OS was no longer fit for purpose in the new age of touch-focused smart devices. Adding to its woes, Nokia’s efforts on the Linux-based MeeGo front weren’t going quite as well as the company had hoped – when Elop joined, its first MeeGo device was still a year away.
With its own OS development efforts lagging, and Symbian no longer competitive, Nokia faced only one realistic alternative: to use a third-party OS. In February 2011, Stephen Elop sent an internal communiqué to Nokia’s staff, which quickly became known as “the burning platform memo”.
In it, Elop likened Nokia’s position to that of the protagonist in an apocryphal tale of a man on an oil platform in the midst of a rapidly unfolding disaster in the middle of the night. With the flames practically licking at his back, he faces the terrible choice of standing on the platform to be burned alive, or taking his chances and plunging dozens of meters into the dark, icy waters below. “We too, are standing on a ‘burning platform’”, Elop said, “and we must decide how we are going to change our behaviour.”
Soon afterwards, Nokia announced that it was putting all of its smartphone eggs in Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 basket.
After a shaky start from Microsoft’s mobile OS, it was a stunning coup to win over the world’s largest handset-maker, which had manufactured around 450 million of the 1.4 billion phones shipped around the world in 2010.
The future suddenly looked very bright indeed for Windows Phone 7.
Mango
A few days later, at Mobile World Congress 2011, Microsoft announced details of its next major update in the works for the OS, which promised to finally deliver some big new features, including better multitasking support, Twitter integration into the People Hub, and a vastly improved web browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9.
In May of that year, Microsoft announced further details about what it referred to as the ‘Mango’ update, revealing even more appealing features, including enhanced Live Tiles, linked email inboxes, and a big upgrade for Bing searches, incorporating new ‘Local Scout’ functionality, “providing hyper-local search results for information on shopping, restaurants and activities”.
Image via hitechreview.com
Microsoft was also pleased - and probably a bit relieved - to reveal that it had signed up new partners to the platform. Acer and ZTE were among them, and for a second time, Microsoft announced that Toshiba would build a Windows Phone device. Indeed, that handset was finally unveiled in July 2011, as the stylish Fujitsu-Toshiba IS12T - which, to this day, is still in an extremely exclusive club of water- and dust-resistant Windows Phones.
Significantly, Mango would be the version of the OS that would ship on Nokia’s first Windows Phone handsets, and there were high expectations for what the two companies would bring to market together. When the partnership was first announced, Elop had emphasized that Nokia would have a special relationship with Microsoft, allowing it “to jointly drive the future of Windows Phone 7”. Nokia, he said, would “have the ability to do customizations and extensions to the software environment that are unique and therefore differentiate”, emphasizing that it was “not a standard OEM agreement”.
When the first Nokia Windows Phones – the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 – were unveiled by Elop in October 2011, he declared that “Lumia is the first real Windows Phone”, something of a middle-finger to the other companies that had been working on the platform since long before Nokia joined the party.
While the Lumia 710 was a pretty humdrum low-cost device, the Lumia 800 was the real star of the show. The bold, beautiful colours, extraordinarily stylish polycarbonate bodywork, and curved glass display all combined to make the device stand out among the comparatively ordinary-looking handsets that had been revealed with Windows Phone up until that point - albeit with the exception of the psychedelic Fujitsu-Toshiba IS12T, although its availability was officially limited only to Japan.
Nonetheless, there was no missing the fact that the Lumia 800 wasn’t uniquely designed for Windows Phone; it was a light modification of the Nokia N9, the company’s one and only MeeGo handset, which – confusingly – it had launched a few months earlier, despite having already signalled that its commitment to MeeGo was effectively dead.
As anticipated, the Lumia 800 and 710 soon went on sale with the Mango update – by then known as Windows Phone 7.5 – pre-installed. But while some had expected Nokia to make sweeping changes to the OS, in fact, it had left Windows Phone 7.5 more or less intact, swapping out some Microsoft services for its own, and making a few additional firmware revisions to better integrate its own hardware with the OS.
While both devices attracted a great deal of attention at launch, not everyone was entirely convinced that they would succeed. As with the first generation of Windows Phones, there were concerns that Nokia’s Lumia handsets were priced too highly. A senior executive at European mobile giant Telefónica said in no uncertain terms that the Lumia 800 was simply “too expensive” and suggested that the device “doesn’t differentiate sufficiently”.
Nonetheless, Nokia was convinced that it had succeeded in developing the right product and price mix with both the 800 and 710, and just a few weeks later, the company was ready to unveil a third Windows Phone.
In January 2012, it unveiled a new flagship for its Windows Phone range, the Lumia 900, which built on the design language of the Lumia 800, offering various improvements over that device, including a larger display and more storage, along with the introduction of a front-facing camera – an omission on all first-generation Windows Phones, as well as the first Lumias.
Perhaps inspired by the misguided complacency of Ballmer and Microsoft in earlier years, Nokia decided to abandon any sense of humility with its Lumia 900 launch. Instead, it decided that being a pompous blowhard was the best approach; in April 2012, the company declared: “The smartphone beta test is over” – implying that all other devices from each manufacturer on every other platform had somehow just been a dry run leading up to Nokia’s release of the ultimate smartphone.
Nokia was quickly forced to eat those poorly chosen words, as customers soon complained of issues including a purple hue on the display, network connectivity issues, faulty hardware buttons, and various other problems, documented by Windows [Phone] Central. Some of these flaws were resolved with software patches, but the company was left looking a little foolish having raised expectations to such great heights with its ‘beta test’ proclamation.
But the complaints that it faced over those issues were nothing compared with the anger and frustration of Lumia 900 buyers just a few weeks later.
Apollo
In the dying days of the ill-fated Photon project, before the ‘reset’ button was pressed, Microsoft was quietly working on efforts to make the Windows NT kernel run on ARM processor architecture commonly used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. By the time the company had refocused its mobile development onto what would eventually be launched as Windows Phone 7, the NT-on-ARM efforts had matured considerably, and even as development continued on WP7, engineers were already working on building a new version of Windows Phone on the NT kernel.
Development of this new version, codenamed ‘Apollo’, was closely integrated with teams working on Windows 8 and Windows RT, and Microsoft was understandably enthusiastic about the prospects of being able to maintain multiple operating systems based on just one kernel. By ditching the Windows CE architecture for Windows Phone, it also had a much more convincing proposition for developers, who would be able to create apps that could be ported more easily between smartphones, tablets and PCs.
In June 2012, just a couple of days after it had unveiled its first-generation Surface [Pro] and Surface RT tablets (running Windows 8 Pro and RT, respectively), Microsoft was finally ready to share Apollo with the world for the first time. At an event in San Francisco, it unveiled Windows Phone 8, and while the visual similarities with its predecessor were obvious, it delivered an astonishing array of changes and improvements compared with earlier versions. For all intents and purposes, Apollo was a new operating system, which just happened to look like what had come before. Symbolic of this change – and mirroring a similar move for Windows 8 and RT – Windows Phone 8 ditched the old Windows ‘flag’ logo in favor of the new, sharper, monochromatic trapezoid version.
The list of changes and additions was seemingly endless: over-the-air updates, true multitasking support, a new and more flexible Start screen layout, NFC, Internet Explorer 10, support for high-definition displays and multi-core CPUs, microSD card support, Bitlocker encryption, and the ability to capture screenshots (!) were just some of the major additions, while thousands of smaller tweaks and improvements had been made across the entire OS. Suddenly, it felt like Microsoft was finally catching up with its smartphone rivals.
However, along with all the big announcements, there was devastating news for those who had purchased Windows Phone 7.x devices. Just a year and a half after the first Windows Phone 7 handsets had gone on sale, and just two months after the flagship Lumia 900 reached stores with Windows Phone 7.5, Microsoft announced that no existing handsets would be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8.
Needless to say, those who had recently signed a two-year-contract on AT&T to get the Lumia 900 felt particularly hard done by, quickly venting their frustrations at both Nokia and Microsoft.
Microsoft promised owners of these older devices that they would not be abandoned, and said that Windows Phone 7.x handsets would be eligible for a further update, Windows Phone 7.8, bringing a handful of new features, such as the updated Start screen from Windows Phone 8. Unfortunately, carrier and manufacturer support for Windows Phone 7.8 was poor, to say the least, as Microsoft’s partners saw little point in spending time and resources on updating devices that were effectively heading for a dead end anyway.
Microsoft also said that it would introduce an early access program for enthusiasts and developers to install previews of new versions of the OS before they were generally available, although it didn’t give any indication of how long it would take for those plans to be implemented.
Microsoft brought Windows Phone 8 to market in late 2012 – but just as with its Windows Phone 7 launch, it did so with minimal support from its hardware partners. By that point, LG had followed Dell in abandoning the platform completely, and Acer, Toshiba and ZTE were nowhere to be seen either, leaving only HTC, Nokia and Samsung to offer Windows Phone 8 hardware at its launch.
Even so, the launch line-up for Windows Phone 8 was much more convincing than that of WP7. Alongside the relatively ordinary Lumia 820, Nokia also unveiled the remarkable Lumia 920 flagship, but some potential buyers were frustrated by the lack of a low-cost Nokia device at launch.
Unusually – and perhaps in an effort to dissuade growing concerns that Nokia would dominate the Windows Phone hardware ecosystem, leaving little room for other OEMs to succeed – Microsoft focused heavily on HTC, referring to it as the manufacturer of the new operating system’s ‘signature devices’. Indeed, HTC’s launch handsets were (slightly awkwardly) named directly after the OS itself: the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S.
Of course, a wider range of devices was introduced in the months that followed, including the Lumia 520, which became the single most popular Windows device to date, and is still the most widely used Windows Phone in the world.
Nokia also launched the remarkable Lumia 1020, cramming the magnificent 41-megapixel camera from its Symbian-based 808 PureView into the Windows Phone handset. Indeed, Nokia's range was growing into an incredibly diverse selection of devices - but as its range expanded, it also became increasingly confusing, with little real differentiation between many of its smartphones.
Microsoft’s development of the OS ended up mirroring that of WP7 in its pace; the company released its first incremental update – General Distribution Release 1, or GDR1 – just a few weeks after the first devices went on sale, but its next more substantial update didn’t arrive until seven months later. GDR2 was also a relatively modest update, delivering some handy new features and improvements, but GDR3 – which was announced in October 2013, and also known as 'Windows Phone 8 Update 3' – was where the OS picked up some much more significant changes.
For Windows Phone enthusiasts, the most exciting new feature was the long-awaited launch of the Preview for Developers Program. Over a year after the program was first announced, Microsoft released an early version of GDR3 to registered developers (although in practice, anyone could register fairly easily and at no cost).
Among various other additions, it introduced support for Full HD (1080p) displays and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 SoC for the first time, paving the way for ‘true’ flagships that could compete more effectively with the powerful devices being offered on rival platforms. The 6-inch Lumia 1520 and 5-inch Lumia Icon flagships were among the first to launch with GDR3, and like other Windows Phone 8 updates, it was made available over-the-air to other WP8 devices, bringing features such as a screen rotation lock and custom notification sounds. The fact that it took three years after WP7 first launched for such basic features to reach Windows Phones was emblematic of the nature of the operating system’s development; a common criticism against the OS was that it had constantly been playing ‘catch-up’ with its rivals.
But after spending so many years being left behind, Microsoft was keen to finally level the playing field – and to take the fight to its rivals in a more aggressive and confident way than ever before.
Blue
Even before Windows 8 – the PC operating system – had launched, there were rumors of an update on the way codenamed ‘Blue’. By November 2012, just weeks after the OS had launched, it was becoming clear that Blue would be a major Service Pack-style update, delivering a substantial overhaul to the desktop OS, including significant UI changes. Behind the scenes, Microsoft was also rumored to be revising its pricing structure for the OS.
In May 2013, Microsoft confirmed that Blue would be delivered to PCs before the end of year as the free Windows 8.1 update, but just a few weeks later, details emerged revealing that the Windows Phone version of Blue would not arrive until sometime in 2014. While Microsoft had originally intended for its updates to Windows Phone 8 to roll out at a much more accelerated pace, The Verge reported that problems in the update approval process – particularly with regard to unlocked devices, and how they connected to carrier networks – had set things back considerably.
After GDRs 1-3 made their way to WP8 devices in 2013, Blue was officially unveiled as Windows Phone 8.1 at Microsoft’s Build conference in April 2014.
The update expanded the platform's hardware support considerably; after GDR3 had introduced support for the high-end Snapdragon 800 SoC, Windows Phone 8.1 added the Snapdragon 200 and 400 to the list too, paving the way for increasingly capable handsets at lower price points.
As with Windows Phone 8, Microsoft had made a considerable effort to introduce a wide range of new features. Windows Phone 8.1 finally delivered a notification center to the OS – known as the Action Center – along with an overhauled app store, multitasking improvements, new lockscreen features, deeper Skype integration, a structured file system, and many other additions. Significantly, the new version of the OS also offered big improvements for business and enterprise customers, including VPN support, encrypted email, and enhanced MDM policies for corporate buyers, finally equipping Windows Phone with key features needed to make devices more suitable for use in business environments.
Microsoft reworked the keyboard too, which was already considered to be a pretty decent offering in previous versions of the OS. The Word Flow keyboard included Swype-style functionality, allowing users to swipe their thumb across the display from letter to letter, spelling out each word with a single gesture. Such was the impressive performance of the keyboard that it was used to break the Guinness World Record for world’s fastest typing on a touchscreen (although that record was later broken again on an Android device).
But one of the most greatly anticipated new features in Windows Phone 8.1 was one that had originally been rumored as far back as September 2013: Cortana, its digital ‘personal assistant’. While relatively limited in functionality at first – and initially restricted only to the United States – Microsoft continued to build on Cortana's foundations, massively expanding the capabilities of the assistant on Windows devices.
Aside from the rumors, though, September 2013 was an important month for Windows Phone for a very different reason. By that point, it had become painfully clear that Windows Phone had not been the commercial success that some had predicted it would be. Having focused all of its smartphone efforts on Windows Phone, Lumia sales were pitifully small and failing to grow at any meaningful rate. By 2013, Nokia was already planning to launch low-cost handsets running a forked version of Android, and Microsoft could evidently see trouble brewing.
Nokia's own product mix wasn't doing it any favors either. It was spending huge sums on designing, building and marketing ever more devices - even to the point that it launched its own Windows RT tablet, the Lumia 2520 - in late 2013. Costs were rapidly increasing, while sales weren't growing quickly enough to offset them.
With Nokia shareholders becoming restless over the lack of success from its Windows-based strategy, and with Nokia already preparing to release its first Android devices, speculation began to grow that the Finnish company might eventually ditch Windows Phone in favor of nurturing its Android experiment into a larger, more complete range of devices. Given that Lumia had come to overwhelmingly dominate Windows Phone sales by that point, Nokia’s departure from the platform would have dealt a severe blow to Microsoft’s mobile ambitions. Against this backdrop, on September 3, 2013, Microsoft announced that it was acquiring Nokia’s devices and services business in a deal worth around $7.2 billion.
The deal was finally completed on April 25, 2014 – three weeks after Windows Phone 8.1 was unveiled (and two months after Nokia – locked into commitments with suppliers, retailers and other partners, had launched its dismal ‘Nokia X family’ of Android handsets; the less said about those, the better). Microsoft boldly – perhaps bravely – announced that its acquisition ‘aimed to remake the mobile market’.
But in fact, Microsoft had made another important change just weeks before its Nokia acquisition was completed, which aimed to remake, and reinvigorate, its own mobile platform. Crucially, it also hoped that that change would reduce its own burden for building devices, in the knowledge that it was about to become the single largest handset-maker in its ecosystem by a massive margin.
Indeed, that change – introduced as part of its Windows Phone 8.1 announcement – was not a new feature, or a tweak or improvement to an existing one. As the rumors had suggested way back in November 2012, Microsoft introduced a fundamental overhaul of its Windows licensing fees, making the OS free for smartphones and other devices with screens smaller than 9-inches.
In 2012, an executive from ZTE – which, at the time, was a Windows Phone partner – revealed that the company paid around $23-$31 to Microsoft to license the OS for each device. For flagship-class handsets retailing for hundreds of dollars, that might seem like a trivial amount – but for manufacturers aiming to build low-cost smartphones, that expense was cost-prohibitive, and created an insurmountable barrier preventing many OEMs from joining Microsoft’s mobile platform. By dropping those fees, Microsoft opened the floodgates to a wave of new partners ready to embrace Windows on both phones and small, affordable tablets.
By October 2014, just six months after announcing the end of Windows licensing fees on these devices, Microsoft had attracted 50 new hardware partners, many of which were offering Windows Phones as well as tablets, and even small, low-cost laptops. Even more companies continued to join the Windows platform in the months that followed.
Nonetheless, even after its deal with Nokia was finalized, Microsoft continued to flood the market with new Lumia handsets, and its range became increasingly confusing with significant overlap between many of its devices.
In November 2014, it unveiled the Lumia 535, the first Windows Phone to carry its own brand, rather than that of Nokia (which had only licensed its brand to Microsoft for a limited time). Along with the 535, Microsoft launched a further six lower-end handsets - Lumias 430, 435, 532, 540, 640 and 640 XL - in just six months, while its mid-range and high-end offerings stagnated. Almost eighteen months passed without Microsoft announcing a new flagship (and until last October, its most recent top-tier device, the Lumia 930 - which went on sale in mid-2014 - was just an international variant of the Verizon-only Lumia Icon that had been released several months before it).
But despite its hopes of growing the platform with new partner devices, alongside its own masses of handsets, Microsoft’s efforts ultimately failed.
Although dozens of new manufacturers launched Windows Phones, the latest figures – published a few weeks ago by AdDuplex – indicate that Nokia and Microsoft Lumia devices still make up a staggering 97% of active Windows phones. To make matters worse, sales of Lumia devices are no longer growing, but falling at an alarming rate; Microsoft’s latest quarterly report showed that Lumia sales had plummeted by 57% year-over-year.
#WIndows smartphone Market share 2007 12%, 2008 11%, 2009 9%, 2010 5%, 2011 3%, 2012 3%, 2013 3%, 2014 3% and now 2015 down to 2% #Lumia — Tomi Ahonen (@tomiahonen) January 29, 2016
Windows Phone’s global smartphone market share now stands at less than 2%.
Soon
In July 2014, less than three months after completing its Nokia acquisition, Microsoft announced the biggest job cuts in its history, laying off 18,000 people, with over two-thirds of those having just joined the company from Nokia. A year later, amid a massive $7.6 billion write-down – an ‘impairment charge’ associated with its purchase of Nokia's hardware business – the company revealed that it was restructuring its phone division, and cutting a further 7,800 jobs from its workforce.
Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, said that the company was “moving from a strategy to grow a standalone phone business to a strategy to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem including our first-party device family”. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it was much the same strategy that Microsoft had been trying to pull off since it removed its Windows licensing fees for phones – the difference this time around was that Microsoft itself was signalling a dramatic scaling back of its own hardware portfolio, actively offloading far more of the responsibility for building devices to its partners.
Today, the company continues to sell the Lumia handsets that it launched with Windows Phone 8.1, and it has since unveiled its newest portfolio of devices running Windows 10 Mobile. Nadella said last year that Microsoft would build new handsets focusing on just three key areas: value phones, business phones and flagships.
Last October, it unveiled the Lumia 550 as its low-cost entry-level device, alongside the high-end Lumia 950 and 950 XL. Yesterday, it announced the Lumia 650 with little fanfare as its new business-focused handset - although aside from its sleek metal body, there’s very little evidence of what supposedly makes that device uniquely suited to business users.
Meanwhile, Windows 10 Mobile itself hasn’t had the smoothest of launches. While diehard Windows fans are predictably gushing with praise for it, you don’t have to search for long across the web and social media to find an extensive list of complaints about the new OS - even on Microsoft’s costly flagships - with problems ranging from random device crashes and reboots, to buggy software, unimpressive battery life, and other reliability issues.
And development delays – a recurring theme throughout the history of the platform since the days of Photon – remain an issue too. Microsoft originally planned to begin upgrading some of its Windows Phone 8.1 handsets back in December, but then pushed its plans back to ‘early next year’. Many of its carrier partners were clearly left with the impression that it would roll out the update in January, but rumors of a further delay until at least February proved to be true, and the company still hasn’t announced any details of exactly when devices will be upgraded.
But despite reports of its imminent demise, Microsoft’s mobile efforts aren’t dead yet, although it’s not hard to understand why people have been left with that impression.
Microsoft, the biggest vendor of Windows phones, is reducing the number of handsets it produces, at a time when the platform’s market share is already lower than anyone envisaged amid the enthusiasm and excitement when Windows Phone 7 was first unveiled. And even while sales of its own Lumia devices have been falling, those of its dozens of new Windows Phone partners haven’t been rising enough to make up the difference. Viewed in this simple, raw context, it’s hard to see Microsoft’s slice of the global smartphone market getting bigger.
Even so, there are still signs of life.
The Universal Windows Platform – which allows developers to create apps that run across phones, tablets, PCs and many other types of device with only minimal changes – is a hugely important asset for Windows 10 Mobile’s future prospects. Many big brands have already launched Universal apps for Windows 10 PCs and phones in recent months, and many more have signalled plans to do so. Even so, not everyone is convinced.
Some companies aren’t yet sold on the Universal vision, and have chosen to focus their development on ‘classic’ Win32 desktop applications instead. In a recent high-profile embarrassment, one of Microsoft’s Windows 10 launch partners binned its Universal app development efforts. Tencent – the Chinese multimedia giant that Microsoft named in its Windows 10 launch announcement – said that it was ending work on its Universal app for QQ, the company’s IM platform with over 800 million users, specifically citing the falling market share of Windows phones as its reason for doing so, and saying that it had seen little evidence that Microsoft was doing enough to reverse that decline.
Microsoft’s ‘app-gap’ problem – which the company famously declared it had 'closed' back in 2013 – has been another consistent issue since WP7’s launch, and the continuing drop in market share will hardly offer much incentive for developers to bring their apps across. But of course, the beauty of the Universal Windows Platform is that apps run across multiple device types – software-makers don’t need to develop uniquely for Windows phones, when they can also create apps for the 200 million other devices that are already running Windows 10, a number that Microsoft expects to quickly grow to over one billion.
Whether or not that will convince developers to create software that can run across phones too remains to be seen, even with compelling tools such as Microsoft’s ‘Project Islandwood’, designed to make it easy to port an iOS app to Windows 10 with relatively little effort.
However, at the same time, Microsoft hasn't been making it easy to love Windows phones, as it ports more of its own software across to other platforms, including features previously unique to its own OS, such as Office, Cortana and the Word Flow keyboard.
But even while tales of woe and demise follow almost any mention of Windows on phones these days, manufacturers are already investing in developing new devices for Windows 10 Mobile – from low-cost phones to stylish and well-featured flagship-class handsets, and even small tablets. Even HP, which bailed on Windows Phone 7 before the OS officially launched, appears to be preparing a Windows 10 Mobile handset, the Elite x3.
And Microsoft itself hasn’t given up on mobile hardware. While its new-generation portfolio of handsets is somewhat lackluster, the company is believed to be working on a new class of mobile device, starting with the mythical 'Surface phone', building on the exciting foundations laid down in Windows 10 Mobile.
Existing flagships running the new OS include support for its PC-like Continuum feature, which allows users to connect a mouse and keyboard to the handset, and then connect the handset to a larger display – effectively turning the phone into a mini-PC, including a desktop-style UI and Start menu. Microsoft's next-gen device could take this setup to a whole new level.
It’s not hard to imagine a'mobile-first' future in which such devices become the norm, and as mobile hardware becomes ever more powerful, Microsoft may well position itself at the forefront of a new era in which users can own a single device – for communicating, for productivity and for gaming – in their pockets or handbags, which can be used on the go, or hooked up to a big screen.
And if the company can build on its successful Surface tablet model – by creating desirable ‘pocket PC’ handsets that prove the commercial viability of its distinctive new hardware – it may even succeed in encouraging its hardware partners to take on the lion’s share of device-building, allowing it to maintain a smaller ‘Nexus-style’ hardware business that may even lead the mobile market in new and exciting directions, after years of lagging behind its rivals.
That's a wildly optimistic vision, to be sure, but Microsoft has established some strong foundations on which to build its latest mobile efforts. Even so, there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding them - and of course, there was no shortage of optimism surrounding Microsoft's future in the mobile space when Windows Phone 7 was first unveiled all those years ago, brimming with potential waiting to be realized.
In many ways, perhaps, that’s always been the problem with Windows phones – the waiting never ends; the good stuff is always coming soon.
Additional image credits: Photon screenshots via XDA DevelopersMike Barnicle: proud member of the Barack Obama "terrible deeds in the name of Christ" school of moral blindness...
Joe Scarborough opened today's Morning Joe with a protracted and impassioned plea for America—and in particular President Obama—to call out radical Islam by name. Mika Brzezinski was dubious, citing unspecified "difficult times" in the past when presidents used the wrong language. But taking Mika's misgivings a giant step further, Mike Barnicle flatly declared that we can't call radical Islam by name because "we're the Crusaders."
What could be driving Barnicle, other than a desire to defend at all costs President Obama's revolting linguistic reticence?
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: There have been times, difficult times, where a president has misstepped because of the wrong words used. What should he be saying?
JOE SCARBOROUGH: This is radical Islam. We're fighting radical Islam. We're fighting a group of people that have the most fundamentalist, base reading of the text of the Koran and they are seeking a religious end to the world. Their vision of --
BRZEZINSKI: -- in what context should he say that? Should he be surrounded by certain members --
SCARBOROUGH: Let's not exaggerate --
BRZEZINSKI: I'm just asking, what's the message--
SCARBOROUGH: When 21 Christians have their heads carved off, say they were killed because they were Christians. When Jews are shot up in synagogues, say anti-semitism is sweeping across Europe. When Islamic radicalism accounts for the majority of terror attacks over the past 15 years, say that. Not because you're hammering Islam but because -- because Muslims are saying the same thing. I guess, Mika, the more important question is, why is he not saying this? Why is he trying to put a smoke screen over the truth? What is he afraid of?
MIKE BARNICLE: Let me ask you, off of that, do you think at one level of the discussion about what the president is going to say when he appears in public and says something, do you think there is the discussion about language in terms of if we say this we have the Saudis and we have the Egyptians and we have the Jordanians sort of coming our way. So don't say this because we don't want to put them in a tough position.
SCARBOROUGH: No, because they all agree. They call it Islamic radicalism. They call it Islamic extremism.
MIKE BARNICLE: But they can do that. We can't. We're the Crusaders.A Polish oil worker out on a survey in the Sahara Desert recently stumbled upon this incredibly well-preserved Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Riddled with bullet holes and featuring the tell-tale signs of a crash landing, the remains tell a harrowing story — one with a likely tragic ending.
Back in 1942, as Rommel was making life hell for British forces in North Africa, a British Flight Sergeant named Dennis Copling was tasked with a seemingly routine mission: Return a damaged P-40 Kittyhawk ground-attack fighter to an Egyptian repair base behind friendly lines.
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A Kittyhawk fighter of the Desert Airforce
Copling was never heard from again. The exact details of what happened are a mystery, but the discovery of his plane — which remained completely untouched for 70 years — now offers some important clues.
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Flight Sergeant Dennis Copling
The condition and position of the plane strongly suggests that Copling crash-landed in the Western Desert; the buckled propeller and landing gear were discovered nearby. Perhaps he ran out of fuel, or the damaged plane finally cut out on him. Indeed, the Kittyhawk was riddled by bullets, but it's not known when, in the large scheme of things, the shots were received.
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It's also clear, but for reasons unknown, that Copling strayed significantly off course; the plane rests in a remote location in the Sahara about 250 miles (400 km) from the nearest town.
Related: Are Spitfires buried in Burma?
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What's more, it's fairly clear from the remains that Copland survived the crash. Alongside the plane were the remnants of a makeshift shelter, a ramshackle construction made from the pilot's parachute, a few panels, and a pile of rocks.
It's quite possible that Copling set out on a desperate attempt to find help. And in fact, human remains have been found several miles from the downed aircraft, though it's not clear if they belong to the lost pilot.
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The plane, which has been declared the "Tutankhamun's tomb" of aviation history, was recently in a different kind of battle. Though it was discovered late last year, the turmoil in Egypt has made recovery efforts difficult. Thankfully, it has been relocated and now rests in a secure hanger. The Royal Air Force Museum is currently negotiating via the British Embassy in Cairo to make the fighter a permanent fixture of its London display.
[ news.com.au | Photos: Jakub Perka/Picture Media ]A few months ago, I was lucky enough to see the movie Goon, based on the small press book by
(I posted the red band NSFW trailer below. It’s better)
One of the things I’ve been asked a few times is whether or not, in the context of the awful tragedies that unfolded this past summer, if it was tasteless to release a movie that ‘celebrates’ hockey fighting.
The short answer is no, it isn’t tasteless. And the movie doesn’t necessarily celebrate hockey fighting.
The movie follows someone who stumbles into a ‘career’ as a minor league hockey fighter, and who not only likes his role in the sport, finally finds one place where he is comfortable in life. He is still a square peg in the round hole of hockey, growing up with little to no ambition to be involved in the sport, beyond going to games with his super fan friend. His family wants him to do something more with his life, but while his brother is a doctor, he isn’t going to go down that path. He is invited to a tryout with the local hockey team for his ability to fight. When he finds hockey, it’s a cultural learning curve for him, and some of the comedy from the film comes from that. And some of the comedy comes from the fighting.
There’s the one punch knock out. There’s the fight with his own teammates. And while, like most movies this side of the latest Mission Impossible, our hero tends to bounce back from the fights and injuries a little too quickly, over time you see the accumulated effects of the fights. But still, the fighting is mostly… funny.
Yeah, I said it. There is some slapstick to the fights. And like all good movies, the context is certainly being manipulated. When a fight is meant to be funny, you know. And when one is meant to be dark and upsetting, you feel it. The movie plays both sides while focusing on how those sides affect our hero.
Then you think of the classic hockey movie to end all hockey movies, Slap Shot. The comedy came from hockey fighting and violence on the ice. We are much more forgiving of Slap Shot because of the era it was filmed in, and we take it in that context. Just like people are taking the idea of Goon in the context of the era it’s being released in. But make no mistake, Slap |
Riven was, and still is, the hardest of the series, and ups the ante when it comes to mental callisthenics, and is every bit as absorbing as the debut title, Myst.
Buy the pre-owned game from Amazon
38. MDK
It seemed like a big release for its time, coming from Shiny Entertainment, creator of Earthworm Jim, but on the PS1 it didn't really get out of the starting blocks. This is a shame as, although short, MDK was a great third person shooter, packed with humour and unique features for the time.
As heroic janitor, Kurt Hectic, you have to save the earth from invading aliens, and you use the powerful coil suit to do so. This suit allows Kurt to glide long distances and take out his foes both a close and long range, thanks to a powerful arm machine gun which can be slotted onto Kurt's head to form a sniper rifle.
It's a very quirky title with impressive visuals at the time of its release, and some interesting missions and mini games. It spawned a sequel, but many fans still say the first is the best of the two.
Buy the pre-owned game from eBay
37. Jade Cocoon
This is an RPG that combines some of the more traditional RPG elements with creature training and evolution. The protagonist, Levant, is a Cocoon Master, able to capture and tame Minions. These creatures can be used to fight for Levant, and can be fused together with other Minions to create more powerful beings that inherit the skills of the paired creatures.
Battles mainly consist of plentiful use of elemental powers, with the various abilities having strengths and weaknesses against others. Fire attacks beat wind, for example. Minions possess these elemental powers, with more powerful, new generations of creatures having more than one. The graphics are good, the audio design great, and the game world is expansive, making for a unique, well-rounded RPG.
Buy the pre-owned game from Amazon
36. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
The first game in the Blood Omen series, preceding the more well known instalments like Soul Reaver, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is not a 3D action adventure like it's followers, but is a top down action RPG. It features full voice acting (some of which is unintentionally humorous), and simple, but enjoyable hack and slash world-roaming and dungeon-crawling.
The game is an origin story, depicting the series' main antagonist, Kain's rise to power as he hunts down and slays the Circle of Nine. As well as his martial skills, Kain also possesses various magical abilities, such as shape-shifting, and he attains more skills and items as he progresses, similarly to Nintendo's Zelda series.
With the game's setting of Nosgoth set to return to modern systems soon, this debut outing of the series is one to check out.
Buy the pre-owned game from Amazon
35. The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
Part of the Mega Man Legends series, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne casts players as the titular anti-heroine, and features various gameplay styles, including 3D action, puzzles and strategy. Using her robotics and army of Servbots, Tron wis on a mission to raise money to pay off a family debt, which means making money in any way possible, usually by stealing.
Tron's army of Servbots is a big feature of the game, with each one having their own personality, and they can be improved by undergoing training minigames. The visual style is the same as the other Legends games, and it's a gleefully colourful and enjoyable robotic romp, even if it strays far from the usual Mega Man style of play.
Buy the pre-owned game from Amazon
34. Galerians
Galerians is one of the more interesting Resident Evil clones, and focuses not on traditional, scour-the-area-for-every-single-bullet play, but instead features the use of mind powers. As protagonist, Rion Steiner, a boy who wakes up with no memory, players explore the hospital Rion wakes up in, and by using special drug can utilise his psychic powers to combat foes. If Rion takes too much damage, he can unleash a powerful, but uncontrollable assault, killing foes instantly.
Still satisfying the survival horror mechanic, Rion needs vials of drugs to fuel his powers, of which there is a limited amount, so conservation is still needed whilst navigating the world and solving puzzles.
Galerians was originally lost in the fever surrounding Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but genre fans should certainly check it out.
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33. Tobal 2
Sadly, Tobal 2 never got a release outside of its native Japan, which is a shame as it's one of the better fighters on the system. It might not have the mainstream appeal of the Tekken and its ilk, but the core fighting engine of Tobal 2 is one of the best of the generation, and the combo system is fast and fluid, all running at an impressive 60fps. There's even an RPG-style quest mode spanning several dungeons to add more longevity to the core fighting. This combat doesn't need all that much help, though, with around 200 characters to choose from, and a fully 3D fighting arena. A quality title that's a must import for the genre's fans.
32. Tempest X 3
For the handful of people who bought an Atari Jaguar (and the few who didn't immediately take it back to the shop), one of the best games for the system, and an all-time classic arcade title, was Tempest 2000. Tempest X 3 is basically the same game, but for the PlayStation.
Jeff Minter's trademark acid trip visuals and a thumpingly brilliant soundtrack accompany the eye-melting action, and the result is a digital, high score-seeking drug. As simple as it is addictive, Tempest's gameplay hasn't aged one bit, and this is clearly evident in this version of the game, which is straightforward, reflex-challenging bliss.
Buy the pre-owned game from Amazon
31. Disruptor
Created by Insomnia, the team responsible for the Resistance series, Disruptor is a great early example of a non-N64 console FPS title that worked well, with decent controls and steady challenge.
Disruptor is a traditional corridor shooter at heart, with a range of decent weapons and psi powers accompanying the bullet-slinging. It looks pretty good for an FPS release at the time of the PS1, and although it does little all that differently from other similar period entries in the genre, psi powers aside, it's one of the best FPS releases on Sony's debut platform.
Buy the pre owned game from Amazon from £18A message in a bottle has washed up on a Scottish beach more than 4,000 miles away from its origin.
The bottle, thrown into the sea in the summer of 2015, was written by a four-year-old German boy on holiday in the Dominican Republic.
The boy, known only as Luke, asked whoever found the bottle to reply to him as soon as possible.
• READ MORE - 50-year-old message in a bottle traced to Edinburgh sailor
Kenny MacKinnon, a firefighter based at Barra Airport, found the bottle on the island’s west coast.
He told the Press and Journal newspaper: “I had just finished cutting the greens on the Barra Golf Course, and since it was a nice night I went down to the shoreline for a walk.
• READ MORE - Message in a bottle travels from Findochty to Russia
“I saw a bottle bouncing on the water, and because it’s a pebble beach, I went and got it before it smashed. It had growths on it, like barnacles, so I guessed it had been in the sea for a long time.”
Mr MacKinnon revealed how he could see there was a message inside, so he took the bottle home and removed the cork to get it out.
He continued: “It was a letter from a boy from Germany who was on holiday in the Dominican Republic, and he had sent the message from there in the summer of 2015.”
The message read: “Hello. My name is Luke. I’m on holidays with my brother Earle and my father Felix and my mother Kerstin.
• READ MORE - Iceland message in a bottle washes up on Tiree after a year
“We are staying 3 weeks in the Dominican Republic. I’ll become 5 years on the 11th of November. I’m going on to write this letter in hope to receive an answer as soon as possible.”
Mr MacKinnon confirmed that he had replied to the boy, telling him how far the bottle had travelled, as well as including photos of the bottle and its final destination.We’re surrounded by information about the health and nutritional benefits of different food, but a lot of it conflicts—and it’s leaving people more confused than ever about how to make healthy food choices. Should we eat all organic? Does our food need to be natural, and fresh? One recent fad is to avoid genetically modified food.
GM food has negative connotations for many consumers because of general mistrust of the food production industry, but also because anti-biotech activists have been so effective at stoking concerns. It’s led to an sharp increase in non-GMO labels, even on products like salt, which can’t be genetically modified because sodium chloride is an inorganic compound that doesn’t contain genes.
But non-GMO labels do more than placate people concerned about scientists secretly tinkering with their food. They might persuade people to make a poor food choice. That’s because genetically modifying food can actually make it safer, by limiting the need for, say, pesticides. According to Pam Ronald, who studies genetics at the University of California, Davis and whose husband is an organic farmer, farms going non-GMO to meet consumer demand are causing major damage.
“These non-GMO labels have proliferated, and they’re really a problem,” Ronald told Quartz. “Because there’s no regulation, they can just spray anything they want. So what’s happening is… they’re going back to using [far] more toxic compounds. And I think that’s really a disservice to the consumer to market it as somehow being more healthy—when of course, it’s not, and it’s also more harmful to the environment.”
(A representative from the non-GMO Project was not available for an interview.)
Watch the video above for more on how misleading labels confuse consumers, and some expert advice on how to actually make healthier choices. (Hint: it’s not choosing non-GMO.)Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Jan. 13, 2015, 8:58 AM GMT / Updated Jan. 13, 2015, 3:01 PM GMT
Police in riot gear used tear gas to break up crowds in Columbus, Ohio, early Tuesday after Ohio State beat Oregon to win the college football championship.
At least a dozen small fires were reported after thousands of people poured out of bars to celebrate, authorities said. Denise Alex-Bouzounis, a Columbus police spokeswoman, said that a handful of arrests were made.
As many as 8,000 people converged on the Ohio State football stadium, known as the Horseshoe, and several hundred forced their way inside, the school said. The crowd tore down a goalpost. The championship game was played outside Dallas.
Police deployed three canisters of tear gas in front of the Ohio Union at about 1:15 a.m. local time and emptied the area, The Columbus Dispatch reported. It said officers also used pepper spray shortly after midnight, with some people leaving the area “with stinging eyes and runny noses.”
A police dispatcher told NBC News that officers were called to reports of trash-bin and couch fires in the streets around the Ohio State campus.
The Buckeyes won the game 42-20 as Ezekiel Elliott had 246 yards on 36 carries and scored four touchdowns.
SOCIAL
— Shamar Walters and Alastair JamiesonJazz is one of those musical genres that many guitarists check out, but get stuck when it comes to knowing exactly how to sound jazzy in their own playing.
If you’ve checked out jazz guitar before today, you’ve probably spent time learning countless modes, arpeggio shapes and other technical items on the fretboard.
While learning how to play scales, chords, and arpeggios is important, learning how to play jazz licks is the most direct way to bring a jazz sound to your playing.
In this lesson, you’ll study 8 essential jazz guitar licks that you can apply to your blues and rock solos when looking to bring a jazz vibe to your phrases.
“8_Jazz_Licks-Matt_Warnock.gpx”
(click on the image to download the Guitar Pro file)
If you’re new to jazz, start with the first lick and work your way down from there, as these licks start with the most “bluesy” and continue down to the more “outside jazz” sounds from there.
Lastly, each lick is written in one key, or over one chord, so start in that key when first learning how to play these jazz licks on guitar.
From there, you can transpose these licks to other keys and chords as you take these ideas further in your jazz guitar, and soloing in general, studies.
If you have any questions about these licks, or the concepts behind any of these licks, post your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll be glad to help out.
Note: You need Guitar Pro 6 to view the musical examples. If you haven’t checked out GP6 yet, you can download the trial version here.
Now, on to the jazzy licks!
Jazz Lick 1 – “Jazzy Double Stops”
This first lick uses double stops, two notes played together, to give a piano sound to the line.
Played over an A7 chord, you can also use this lick over any A major chord in your solos when you want to bring a jazz-blues sound to your lines.
The lick is constructed with notes from the A Mixolydian scale, as well as one blues note, the C on the 3rd beat of the second bar.
Though it’s a short lick, and sounds pretty easy to play, getting it to sound smooth can take some time in the practice room.
Spending time on the transitions between double stops will help bring a smooth flow to this lick, which is just as essential to the sound as the notes themselves.
Jazz Licks 2 – “Classic Jazz Blues Sax”
Jazz guitarists love to steal, I mean borrow, licks from other instruments, especially jazz saxophonists.
This lick is one of the best examples of a sax line in the style of jazz great Hank Mobley that’s been adapted to sit cleanly on the fretboard.
Built with the G blues scale, this line works great over G7 and G major chords, or any chord in a G blues song that you’re soloing over.
If you want to get a true sax sound with this line, give the second last note, Bb, a bit of a pull to imitate the “growl” jazz saxophonists get in their bluesy lines.
Jazz Lick 3 – “Wes Montgomery Blues Scale”
When people hear the words “jazz guitar”, the name that most comes to mind is Wes Montgomery.
Because he’s such a giant in the genre, no study of jazz guitar licks would be complete without digging in to at least one Wes Montgomery line.
This B7 phrase, which can also be used over B major chords and any chord in a B blues, features Wes’ characteristic legato to create a slippery jazz blues lick.
When learning this line, try to get the notes as legato, connected, as possible in order to sound as close to Wes as possible.
If you want to take this jazz guitar lick further in your studies, you can repeat this line to create a four-bar phrase, which is something Wes enjoyed doing in his solos.
Jazz Lick 4 – “Joe Pass Chromatic Blues”
Another jazz guitarist that ranks among the best in the business is Joe Pass.
This lick is reminiscent of the chromatic runs that Joe used when soloing over 7th chords and major chords when he wanted to bring a bluesy sound to his lines.
Written over a G7 chord, you can also play this line over G major chords in your solos.
The line is built by combining the notes of the G triad, G, B, and D, with notes from the G minor blues scale, Bb, C, and C#.
Because this lick uses notes from the G triad, you’ll need to play it only over G or G7 chords when adding it to a G blues or rock-based progression.
If you want to bring it to another chords in the progression, such as the IV chord C7, you’ll need to start the lick on the note C to avoid any clashes in your line.
Playing licks over each chord, transposing them to fit the changes, is something every jazz guitarist needs to tackle in the practice room.
If you’re new to playing one lick per chord, work on applying this line to the three chords in a G blues first, G7, C7 and D7, before taking it to other chords from there.
Jazz Lick 5 – “Charlie Christian Major Blues Line”
This line is found in the playing of many jazz guitarists, and I’ve always associated it with Charlie Christian, as it has the major blues sound he loved in his solos.
Built with the A major blues scale, this line can be used over an A major or A7 chord in your solos.
Though it’s not as bluesy as the licks based around the minor blues scale, this line is helpful when you want to keep a major feel, but also want a touch of blues in your solo at the same time.
Again, because this lick has the triad build into it, A, C#, and E, you’ll only be able to play this line over A chords.
If you want to play it over another chords, such as the IV chord in an A blues D7, you’ll need to begin the line on the note D in your playing.
Jazz Lick 6 – “Maj7 Bebop Lick”
Now that you’ve looked at a number of scale and triad-based lines, it’s time to add an arpeggio-based lick to your vocabulary.
This line is built around the Gmaj7 arpeggio over a G chord, or Gmaj7 if you find one in your playing, with a chromatic note thrown in at the end for good measure.
This note, D#, is a chromatic passing note, which means that it connects two diatonic notes, in this case D and E.
Though it falls outside the key of G major, because it acts as a connector, this passing note sounds great over the chord, and is the most interesting part of the lick.
Chromatic passing notes are an essential jazz guitar sound.
Therefore, if you’re interested in learning more about jazz, you’ll want to spend time learning more about passing notes in your playing.
Jazz Lick 7 – “Sidestepping m7 Arpeggios”
For those that are looking for a bit more tension in your solos, you’ve come to the right place.
This lick uses an “outside” arpeggio to create tension in the second half of the first bar, before resolving that tension at the start of the third measure.
The outside arpeggio is an Fm7, being played over the underlying Bm7 chord.
When you see one chord and play another in jazz, this is called chord substitution, which is used to create tension in your solos against the chords played by the band.
The key to playing this outside arpeggio, which is a tritone away from the Bm7 chord, is to resolve it properly.
Using tension in any genre of music is cool, as long as you resolve it.
There’s a fine line between sounding hip and sounding like a mistake, if you can find that line, then licks like this can go a long way in your solos.
If you go outside but can’t find your way back inside the chord changes, your solo will fall apart.
So, take your time with this lick and concept, practice it at home first until you’re fully confident with it, and only then try taking it to a jam or gig situation.
Jazz Lick 8 – “Essential ii V I Line”
No study of jazz guitar would be complete without looking at a ii V I line.
The ii V I chord progression is the most famous, and most used, progression in jazz.
Think of it as the IV V I of jazz guitar, the “Louis Louis” if you will of jazz, and it’s found in just about every classic jazz standard in the genre in one form or another.
Because it’s so popular, having a few ii V I licks under your fingers will go a long way if you ever get a chance to jam on a jazz tune on a gig.
If you’re looking to explore jazz further, beyond applying jazz licks to blues and rock situations, learning this lick in 12 keys is a great place to start.
It’ll help you get your fingers around a classic jazz lick, and get the sound of the ii V I progression into your ears at the same time.
There you have it, 8 jazz licks that you can use in your blues and rock solos over major, minor, and 7th chords when you want to bring a jazz vibe to your lines.
Next time you want to spice up your solos, throw in a line from this lesson, it’ll turn some heads, and push your improvisations in new and exciting directions.
Enjoy these jazzy licks!
– Matt Warnock
mattwarnockguitar.com
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Download Matt’s free 84-page “Beginner’s Guide to Jazz Guitar“.
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>> Guitar Pro readers can get a special 33% off the list price by entering “gp6” then “update cart” at checkout.The holiday was originally conceived of by Andrew Simms, of the U.K. think tank New Economics Foundation. This year, it falls on August 20, two days (or three, depending on the calculations) earlier than it came last year, following a relatively steady trend since 2001: falling about three days earlier each year. (Humanity first went into overshoot in 1970; that year, Earth Overshoot Day fell on December 29.)
That's because Earth Overshoot Day is the day each year when we've consumed natural resources at a rate beyond which our planet can replenish, and have produced more waste than can be reabsorbed, according to the Global Footprint Network, a think tank based in the U.S., Switzerland, and Belgium.
The cause for our unsustainable consumption is multi-pronged. We have a growing population (now at more than 7.1 billion, and according to the World Popular Clock, the net gain is one person every 13 seconds) with growing demands for products and services that create more waste, and use more resources. At our current rate of global consumption and waste production, the level of resources required to support us is about 1.5 Earths. The Global Footprint Network says we are on track to needing two Earths before we reach the middle of the century.
Today, according to the Global Footprint Network, more than 80 percent of the world's population lives in countries that use more than their ecosystems can renew. Some of the bigger offenders: Japan consumes 7.1 Japans worth of resources; Italy, four; and Egypt, 2.4. China's ecological footprint is the largest (they would need 2.5 Chinas to accommodate their population)--though the per capita footprint is smaller than many European or North American countries.
To calculate the date, the Global Footprint Network figures out how many days of a particular year the Earth's biocapacity can provide for the total ecological footprint. So, world biocapacity divided by world ecological footprint times 365 equals Earth Overshoot Day. The think tank calculates biocapacity by looking at the amount of productive area (both land and sea) available to provide resources and to absorb wastes under the constraints of current technology and management practices. A country has an ecological reserve if its footprint is smaller than its biocapacity, and likewise, if its footprint exceeds biocapacity, it is an ecological debtor.
The Global Footprint Network notes that the date is an approximation. The precision of the exact date is limited by aggregated country datasets, but still shows that humans are using the Earth at a rate that is unsustainable, year after year. To read about more environmental holidays, go here.The system of Japanese numerals is the system of number names used in the Japanese language. The Japanese numerals in writing are entirely based on the Chinese numerals and the grouping of large numbers follow the Chinese tradition of grouping by 10,000. Two sets of pronunciations for the numerals exist in Japanese: one is based on Sino-Japanese (on'yomi) readings of the Chinese characters and the other is based on the Japanese yamato kotoba (native words, kun'yomi readings).
Basic numbering in Japanese [ edit ]
There are two ways of writing the numbers in Japanese: in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) or in Chinese numerals (一, 二, 三). The Arabic numerals are more often used in horizontal writing, and the Chinese numerals are more common in vertical writing.
Most numbers have two readings, one derived from Chinese used for cardinal numbers (On reading) and a native Japanese reading used somewhat less formally for numbers up to 10. In some cases (listed below) the Japanese reading is generally preferred for all uses.
Number Character On reading Kun reading Preferred reading 0 零 〇 * rei / れい - zero / ゼロ 1 一 ichi / いち hito(tsu) / ひと・つ ichi 2 二 ni / に futa(tsu) / ふた・つ ni 3 三 san / さん mit(tsu) / みっ・つ san 4 四 shi / し yon, yot(tsu) / よん、よっ・つ yon 5 五 go / ご itsu(tsu) / いつ・つ go 6 六 roku / ろく mut(tsu) / むっ・つ roku 7 七 shichi / しち nana(tsu) / なな・つ nana 8 八 hachi / はち yat(tsu) / やっ・つ hachi 9 九 ku, kyū / く, きゅう kokono(tsu) / ここの・つ kyū 10 十 jū / じゅう tō / とお jū 13 十三 jū-san / じゅうさん (tosa / とさ) jū-san 20 二十 / 廿 ni-jū / にじゅう (futaso / ふたそ / hata / はた) ni-jū 30 三十 / 卅 san-jū / さんじゅう (miso / みそ) san-jū 40 四十 shi-jū / しじゅう (yoso / よそ) shi-jū 50 五十 go-jū / ごじゅう (iso / いそ) go-jū 60 六十 roku-jū / ろくじゅう (muso / むそ) roku-jū 70 七十 shichi-jū / しちじゅう (nanaso / ななそ) shichi-jū 80 八十 hachi-jū / はちじゅう (yaso / やそ) hachi-jū 90 九十 ku-jū / くじゅう (kokonoso / ここのそ) ku-jū 100 百 hyaku / ひゃく (momo / もも) hyaku 1,000 千 sen / せん (chi / ち) sen 10,000 万 man / まん (yorozu / よろず) man 100,000,000 億 oku / おく - oku 1,000,000,000,000 兆 chō / ちょう - chō 10,000,000,000,000,000 京 kei / けい - kei
* The special reading 〇 maru (which means "round" or "circle") is also found. It may be optionally used when reading individual digits of a number one after another, instead of as a full number. A popular example is the famous 109 store in Shibuya, Tokyo which is read as ichi-maru-kyū (Kanji: 一〇九). (It can also be read as 'ten-nine' - pronounced tō-kyū - which is a pun on the name of the Tokyu department store which owns the building.) This usage of maru for numerical 0 is similar to reading numeral 0 in English as oh. It literally means a circle. However, as a number, it is only written as 0 or rei (零). Additionally, two and five are pronounced with a long vowel in phone numbers (i.e. にい and ごお nii and goo).
Starting at 万, numbers begin with 一 (ichi) if no digit would otherwise precede. That is, 100 is just 百 hyaku, and 1000 is just 千 sen, but 10,000 is 一万 ichiman, not just *man. This differs from Chinese as numbers begin with 一 (ichi) if no digit would otherwise precede starting at 百. And, if 千 sen directly precedes the name of powers of myriad, 一 ichi is normally attached before 千 sen, which yields 一千 issen. That is, 10,000,000 is normally read as 一千万 issenman. But if 千 sen does not directly precede the name of powers of myriad or if numbers are lower than 2,000, attaching 一 ichi is optional. That is, 15,000,000 is read as 千五百万 sengohyakuman or 一千五百万 issengohyakuman, and 1,500 as 千五百 sengohyaku or 一千五百 issengohyaku.
The numbers 4 and 9 are considered unlucky in Japanese: 4, pronounced shi, is a homophone for death (死); 9, when pronounced ku, is a homophone for suffering (苦). See tetraphobia. The number 13 is sometimes considered unlucky, though this is a carryover from Western tradition.
On the contrary, numbers 7 and sometimes 8 are considered lucky in Japanese.[1]
In modern Japanese, cardinal numbers are given the on readings except 4 and 7, which are called yon and nana respectively. Alternate readings are used in month names, day-of-month names, and fixed phrases. For instance, the decimal fraction 4.79 is always read yon-ten nana kyū, though April, July, and September are called shi-gatsu (4th month), shichi-gatsu (7th month), and ku-gatsu (9th month) respectively. The on readings are also used when shouting out headcounts (e.g. ichi-ni-san-shi). Intermediate numbers are made by combining these elements:
Tens from 20 to 90 are "(digit)-jū" as in 二十 (ni-jū) to 九十 (kyū-jū).
Hundreds from 200 to 900 are "(digit)-hyaku".
Thousands from 2000 to 9000 are "(digit)-sen".
There are some phonetic modifications to larger numbers involving voicing or gemination of certain consonants, as typically occurs in Japanese (i.e. rendaku): e.g. roku "six" and hyaku "hundred" yield roppyaku "six hundred".
× 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 100 1000 100 hyaku, ippyaku nihyaku sanbyaku yonhyaku gohyaku roppyaku nanahyaku happyaku kyūhyaku - - - 1,000 sen, issen nisen sanzen yonsen gosen rokusen nanasen hassen kyūsen - - - 1012 itchō nichō sanchō yonchō gochō rokuchō nanachō hatchō kyūchō jutchō* hyakuchō issenchō 1016 ikkei nikei sankei yonkei gokei rokkei nanakei hakkei kyūkei jukkei* hyakkei** issenkei
* This also applies to multiples of 10. Change ending -jū to -jutchō or -jukkei.
** This also applies to multiples of 100. Change ending -ku to -kkei.
In large numbers, elements are combined from largest to smallest, and zeros are implied.
Number Character Reading 11 十一 jū ichi 17 十七 jū nana, jū shichi 151 百五十一 hyaku go-jū ichi 302 三百二 san-byaku ni 469 四百六十九 yon-hyaku roku-jū kyū 2025 二千二十五 ni-sen ni-jū go
Other types of numerals [ edit ]
Beyond the basic cardinals and ordinals, Japanese has other types of numerals.
Distributive numbers are formed regularly from a cardinal number, a counter word, and the suffix -zutsu (ずつ), as in hitori-zutsu (一人ずつ, one person at a time, one person each).
Powers of 10 [ edit ]
Large numbers [ edit ]
Following Chinese tradition, large numbers are created by grouping digits in myriads (every 10,000) rather than the Western thousands (1,000):
Rank 104 108 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028 1032 1036 1040 1044 1048 1052 or 1056 1056 or 1064 1060 or 1072 1064 or 1080 1068 or 1088 Character 万 億 兆 京 垓 𥝱, 秭 穣 溝 澗 正 載 極 恒河沙 阿僧祇 那由他, 那由多 不可思議 無量大数 Reading man oku chō kei gai jo, shi jō kō kan sei sai goku gōgasha asōgi nayuta fukashigi muryōtaisū
Variation is due to Jinkōki, Japan's oldest mathematics text. The initial edition was published in 1627. It had many errors. Most of these were fixed in the 1631 edition. In 1634 there was yet another edition which again changed a few values. The above variation is due to inconsistencies in the latter two editions.
Examples: (spacing by groups of four digits is given only for clarity of explanation)
1 0000 : 一万 (ichi-man)
983 6703 : 九百八十三万 六千七百三 (kyū-hyaku hachi-jū san man, roku-sen nana-hyaku san)
20 3652 1801 : 二十億 三千六百五十二万 千八百一 (ni-jū oku, san-zen rop-pyaku go-jū ni-man, sen hap-pyaku ichi)
However, numbers written in Arabic numerals are separated by commas every three digits following English-speaking convention. If Arabic numbers and kanji are used in combination, Western orders of magnitude may be used for numbers smaller than 10,000 (e.g. 2,500万 for 25,000,000).
In Japanese, when long numbers are written out in kanji, zeros are omitted for all powers of ten. Hence 4002 is 四千二 (in contrast, Chinese requires the use of 零 wherever a zero appears, e.g. 四千零二 for 4002). However, when reading out a statement of accounts, for example, the skipped digit or digits are sometimes indicated by tobi (飛び) or tonde (飛んで): e.g. yon-sen tobi ni or yon-sen tonde ni instead of the normal yon-sen ni.
Decimal fractions [ edit ]
Japanese has two systems of numerals for decimal fractions. They are no longer in general use, but are still used in some instances such as batting and fielding averages of baseball players, winning percentages for sports teams, and in some idiomatic phrases (such as 五分五分の勝負 "fifty-fifty chance"), and when representing a rate or discount. The bu fractions are also used when talking about fevers - for example 九度二分 (kudonibu) for 9 and two parts - the temperature 9.2°C.
One system is as follows:
Rank 10−1 10−2 10−3 10−4 10−5 10−6 10−7 10−8 10−9 10−10 Character 分 厘 毛 糸 忽 微 繊 沙 塵 埃 Reading bu rin mō shi kotsu bi sen sha jin ai
This is the system used with the traditional Japanese units of measurement. Several of the names are used "as is" to represent a fraction of a sun.
The other system of representing these decimal fractions of rate or discount uses a system "shifted down" with a bu becoming a "one hundredth" and so on, and the unit for "tenth" becoming wari:
Rank 10−1 10−2 10−3 10−4 10−5 Character 割 分 厘 毛 糸 Reading wari bu rin mō shi
This is often used with prices. For example:
一割五分引き (ichi-wari go-bu biki): 15% discount
打率三割八分九厘 (daritsu san-wari hachi-bu kyū-rin): batting average.389
With the exception of wari, these are rarely seen in modern usage. Decimal fractions are typically written with either kanji numer |
7 The Baltimore Sun Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.While Hugh Jackman is hanging up his claws as Wolverine in the film franchise, it seems the prolific Marvel character can’t stay out of the spotlight. Marvel announced Tuesday that it’s partnering with a popular podcast network to bring a serialized “Wolverine” story to life through audio.
“Wolverine: The Long Night” will debut exclusively on Stitcher Premium in the spring of 2018. However, those who don’t want to pay for the service can wait until the fall, when it sees a wide release across all podcast platforms. This means fans of Marvel and podcasts will be able to enjoy a dark, gritty Wolverine story like last year's "Logan" on-the-go.
According to Marvel's announcement, “The Long Night” follows agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall as they arrive in the fictional town of Burns, Alaska. They’re there to investigate a series of murders in which the prime suspect is the gruff, unfriendly Logan. Their search will not only uncover Logan’s identity as Wolverine, but will take them on a journey through the small town’s corruption.
Written by award-winning DC Comics writer Ben Percy, the new Wolverine will be a self-contained plot spanning 10 episodes. “The Hobbit” and “Hannibal” star Richard Armitage will lead as the titular mutant character joined by Scott Adsit, Bob Balaban and Brian Stokes Mitchell in other roles.
“‘Wolverine: The Long Night’ brings our fans a whole new way to experience our iconic characters and the Marvel Universe,” said Dan Silver, vice president, head of platforms and content for Marvel New Media.
“This tremendous cast will bring a thrilling level of intrigue and drama to our listeners. The character of Logan and this landscape make it the ideal premiere vehicle for us, and we’re excited to continue to explore the dynamic possibilities of the podcast medium.”
While the announcement marks Marvel’s first foray into the ever-growing world of podcasts, The Hollywood Reporter notes that it isn’t the first time the comic book giant has had a brush with the audio-only format. In 1975, the company released a 13-episode “Fantastic Four” radio series. Additionally, the concept album “Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero” was released with narration from Stan Lee himself.Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield
✯ Lieutenant Colonel in the French and Indian War
✯ Commander in Chief of the Continental Army
✯ Only president to lead troops during his presidency
✯ West Point graduate
✯ Training officer during WW I
✯ Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe
✯ 5-star General
✯ Elected Captain during the Black Hawk War
✯ Colonel in the Spanish-American War
✯ Led the 'Rough Riders' at San Juan Hill
✯ Dropped out of college to join the 3rd Virginia Regiment in the Continental Army
✯ Rose to Major during the Revolutionary War
✯ Army 1791-1798
✯ Fought Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe
✯ War of 1812, Supreme Commander of the Army of the Northwest
✯ West Point graduate
✯ Served in the Mexican War
✯ Supreme Commander of the Union Army, Civil War
✯ Appointed full General after the war
✯ War of 1812; Seminole War; Black Hawk War
✯ Commanded the Army of Occupation, Mexican War
✯ Lieutenant Colonel, Civil War, rising to Major General
✯ Fought in the battles of Middle Creek, Shiloh and Chickamauga
✯ Colonel in command of 70th Indiana Regiment: Civil War
✯ Promoted to command the 1st Brigade of the
1st Division of the XX Corps
✯ Given rank of Brigadier General
✯ Navy's youngest fighter pilot in 1943
✯ Shot down during attack on a Japanese-held island
✯ Distinguished Flying Cross
✯ Naval Academy graduate, class of 1946
✯ Engineering officer on the nuclear submarine Sea Wolf
✯ Served under Hyman Rickover
✯ Enlisted as a private in the Poland Guard, later merged into the 23rd Ohio Infantry
✯ Eventually commissioned an officer
✯ By war's end, promoted to Brevet Major in the Union army
✯ Captain in WW I, serving as a battery commander in an artillery regiment in France
✯ He rallied his troops at one point by using profanity that he had 'learned while working on the Santa Fe railroad.'
✯ During preparation for Civil War, he was made Brigadier General & assigned to the quartermaster department
✯ Efficient at housing & outfitting the troops that poured into New York City
✯ Promoted within the state militia to Inspector General, then to Quartermaster General
✯ Commanded Navy PT-109, WW II
✯ 3 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps' First Motion Picture Unit, WW II
✯ Discharged with rank of Captain
✯ Reserve officer in Army cavalry
✯ Naval officer in the Pacific during WW II
✯ Naval passenger control officer for the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command
✯ Rose to rank of Lieutenant Commander
✯ After British captured Hampton, VA in 1813, he organized a small militia company to defend Richmond
✯ No attack ensued, Company was dissolved
✯ Commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy during WW II
✯ Rose to rank of Lieutenant Commander
✯ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine engagement stars and the Philippine Liberation
✯ Early opponent of the Civil War
✯ Stated they should just let the South go
✯ After Fort Sumter he joined a volunteer company composed of his Literary Society friends
✯ Major (eventually rising to Major General) in the 23rd Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry
✯ Brigadier General during the Mexican War
✯ Led the 1st Brigade in the newly created 3rd Division
✯ Joined Scott's army in the Battle of Contreras
✯ Seriously injured in the battle, when his horse broke its leg and fell, pinning him underneath
✯ Texas Air National Guard
✯ Naval officer WW II
✯ Decorated by General Douglas MacArthur
✯ Fought in the American Revolution
✯ Major General in the Tennessee Militia
✯ Creek and Seminole Wars
✯ Major General in War of 1812
✯ As a Federalist, he initially opposed the War of 1812
✯ When the British invaded neighboring Maryland, he joined a volunteer light dragoon unit and served in the defense of BaltimoreThe Washington Capitals’ loss to the New York Islanders Sunday afternoon, just 15 seconds into overtime of game three, was excruciating. One group of fans happened to capture their agony on video, and have shared their priceless results with the world.
Brett, Sean, and John had nearly destroyed their Fairfax, Va., basement celebrating Nicklas Backstrom‘s game-tying goal in the third period. During intermission they set up a webcam in the hopes of capturing an even more crazed reaction if the Caps could pull out an overtime win. Instead, they watched John Tavares chip a loose puck past Braden Holtby to give the Islanders a 2-1 series lead.
In the video below, you’ll see a broad range of reactions that perfectly encapsulate what it’s like to watch your favorite team lose an important playoff game.
Video
From left to right:
Brett just can’t handle it. He storms out of the basement to find something more fun to do, like chores or homework. Ugh.
Sean is dumbstruck. He can’t believe what he’s just seen, and can barely even bring himself to change the channel and end the sadness.
John is so overcome with despair that he loses all control of his bodily functions, including the ability to sit on a couch or clutch his security blanket snugly enough to contain his emotions. Fortunately, the camera is positioned so we can’t see him paralyzed on the floor, cold and alone with nothing but his own pain to keep him warm.
As Sean told RMNB, “The low moments like these are a part of being a fan, and make the good moments that much more worthwhile.”
So, how did you react to Sunday’s loss? More importantly, how are you moving past it?
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PinterestIt is expected that there will be an announcement later today, or tomorrow about the sale of the Formula One group by CVC Capital Partners. The buyer is the US firm Liberty Media, or some vehicle belonging to it. The initial phase of the deal will involved the transfer of CVC’s 35.5 percent share to Liberty and the payment, I hear, of $1 billion. The actual amount of cash required to complete the deal is only around $4.4 billion because the debt that CVC has incurred which will, no doubt, be replaced by borrowings that Liberty will make. Who knows? Perhaps some of the debt will be paid off. This is not the sort of things that finance people tell the world. If the CVC shares go with all the conditions that existed prior to the sale we will see Liberty gradually picking up the shares of the others involved as it is believed that many of them have drag-along or tag-along clauses, which mean that they have agreed to sell when CVC sells. This means that they are committed to sell. Now, some may decide to ask Liberty if they can re-invest and thus there can be paper transactions with shares being converted into different shares, and in some cases there may be people who take money and shares. However, all of this will not happen until Liberty has run the while thing past competition authorities to see whether they have any objections. There is no reason that there would be problems with the sale, as long as this does not get mixed up with F1’s other competition issues, but there might be a question mark over the fact that Liberty also owns a chunk of Formula E. This should not really matter. Formula E is small potatoes in the stew of international motorsport and the fact that one group owns the commercial rights to two championships is not that exciting. If the rights of these two are bundled in the future perhaps it could be a problem, but united ownership will help to create a situation where races never clash and perhaps we can see some crossover between the two. It would be fun, for example, to see F1 stars take a weekend off and race in Formula E in guest appearances? One of the reasons that Malone has bought the sport is to get access to content that he can use for his many and varied TV networks around the world. He is not a content creator, but he does want to pull more viewers to his empire and using f1 is a good way to do it. If he can offer F1 for less than it is offered today, then he will find viewers. And he can also make sure that his rivals who want to sell F1 to their customers will have to pay more for the privilege. One would imagine that Sky will now have a bit of a rethink… One thing that Liberty will almost certainly do is to switch focus in F1 much more to the United States, where it has many millions of customers. This has got to be good for the sport because one can imagine that careful promotion in the US will create new revenues, as merchandising and such things will become more important. When you have the world’s biggest consumer market within your grasp, it makes no sense not to reach out. This has always been a weakness of modern Formula One, but to make it work will involve some more sensible race fees and more of a sense of investment. Under Liberty, I also see many firms deciding that they will want to get involved in F1 as sponsors. We will see. As to who owns what in the long term we don’t really know what has what rights to which shares. There are shares that used to belong to the now-defunct Lehmann Brothers empire that are earmarked for CVC. That is 12 percent, which is worth about $1 billion in theoretical value. There are also financial firms Waddell & Reed (20.9 percent), Norges Bank (4.5 percent), the Teachers’ Retirement System of Texas (4.5 percent), JP Morgan Whitefriars (3.0 percent) and Black Rock (2.6 percent). Then there are those with personal involvements: the Ecclestone Family trust fund(s), which are unrelated to Bernie Ecclestone, which own 8.5 percent. Bernie himself owns 5.3 percent. The two have to be careful to act as separate entities as the authorities are not keen on trust funds that do not acts trusts and governments are prone to impose taxes on such entities if they can prove collusion. There is Churchill Capital which got 0.7 percent for introducing Bernie Ecclestone to CVC Capital Partners. That may not sound much but it amounts to about $35 million. The FIA owns one percent of the business as well and that is worth about $44 million (on paper). However the federation has to now sell as it is bound by a drag-along deal. What happens to this money will be interesting. The last time the FIA made a big deal, it was all given to the FIA Foundation charity, but I don’t expect that to happen this time. Jean Todt would be smart to invest in the sport around the world. There are various directors and staff (and former staff) who own 3.3 percent of the business between them. Some of these will be surplus to requirements under the new regime. There was talk of the sport ending up being listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, perhaps as part of a bigger entity, but it is hard to imagine that transparency will come easily to F1…
The big question that remains is whether or not the new owners will want to keep soon-to-be 86-year-old Bernie Ecclestone involved. I have no idea. He would be a useful man to have on-side because the new owners must get down to the business of negotiating a new commercial contract with the team teams for 2020 and beyond. Bernie knows how to push the teams around, although he has been less successful of late at this with Mercedes and Ferrari pushing back. The negotiation will not be easy but Liberty must understand that it will be best to give aways a little more and work with the teams and promoters rather than squeeze them until they squeak, as CVC has done. A little good will and working together will help F1 enormously. It is certain that change will now come, but the key point is what that change will be. Doing it the American way will be most interesting… There is so much room for development in the digital world, in merchandising and in customer relations.President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging news conference Thursday took on many different issues, but by the end of it all, Rep. Elijah Cummings, who represents Maryland, was forced to defend himself when an unexpected story line surfaced.
When asked a question about the White House collaborating with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to stop crime in inner cities, the president said he’s tried to line up a face-to-face meeting with the Maryland congressman, but it never happened.
“I actually thought I had a meeting with Congressman Cummings,” Trump said. “And he was all excited. And then he said, ‘Oh, I can’t move it might be bad for me politically. I can’t have that meeting.’ I was all set to have the meeting. You know, we called him and called him, and he was all set. I spoke to him on the phone, very nice guy… but we called, called, called, called, they can’t make a meeting with him. Every day I walk in, I said ‘I would like to meet with him,’ because I do want to solve the problem.
But he was probably told by Schumer [Sen. Charles “Chuck” Schumer (D-NY)] or somebody like that, some other light weight, he was probably told, he was probably told: ‘Don’t meet with Trump, it’s bad politics.’ And that’s part of the problem in this country.”
As that announcement quickly circulated in Washington, the congressman released a statement saying Trump’s claims were false.
“I have no idea why President Trump would make up a story about me like he did today,” the statement reads. “Of course, Senator Schumer never told me to skip a meeting with the President.”
“The meeting was never set,” he later said. “We didn’t get all of these calls that he talked about. As a matter of fact, I’m still looking forward to meeting with the president.”
Cummings says he was actually working with the president on something totally different, the issue of high prescription drugs costs, not crime.
Now, after this very public disagreement, the congressman said he still wants the president’s support to reverse the effects of high prescription drug prices.
“No, I’m still excited about meeting with the president. I think basically his staff gave him some incorrect information,” Cummings said.
At the press conference, which lasted for more than 75 minutes, Trump declined to answer White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks April Ryan’s question about a planned executive order aimed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, saying he’ll let it speak for itself when it’s announced, and on the issue of inner city crime said:
“As far as the inner cities, as you know I was very strong on the inner cities during the campaign. I think it’s probably what got me a much higher percentage of the African-American vote than a lot of people thought I was gonna get. You know, we did much higher than people thought I was gonna get. And I was honored by that. Including the Hispanic vote, which was also much higher. And, by the way, if I might add, including the women’s vote, which was much higher than people thought I was gonna get. So we are going to be working very hard on the inner cities having to do with education, having to do with crime. We’re going to try and fix as quickly as possible — you know it takes a long time, it’s taken 100 years and more for some of these places to evolve, and they evolved, many of them, very badly — but we’re going to be working very hard on health and health care. Very, very hard on education. And also, we’re going to be working in a stringent way, in a very good way, on crime. You go to some of these inner city places, and it’s so sad when you look at the crime. You have people — and I’ve seen this, and I’ve sort of witnessed it, in fact in two cases, I have actually witnessed it — they lock themselves into apartments, petrified to even leave in the middle of the day. They’re living in hell, we can’t let that happen. So we’re going to be very, very strong. It’s a great question. And it’s a very, it’s a very difficult situation because it’s been many, many years. It’s been festering for many, many years. But we have place in this country that we have to fix. We have to help African American people that, for the most part, are stuck there. Hispanic American people. We have Hispanic American people that are in the inner cities and they’re living in hell. I mean, you look at the numbers in Chicago. There are two Chicagos as you know. There’s one Chicago that’s incredible, luxurious and safe. There’s another Chicago that’s worse than almost any of the places in the Middle East that we talk about and that you talk about every night on the newscasts. So we’re going to do a lot of work on the inner cities. I have great people lined up to help with the inner cities.”
Before the president could take another question, Ryan pressed him further.
“When you say the inner cities, are you going to include the CBC, Mr. President, in your conversations with your urban agenda, your inner city agenda… are you going to include the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as the Hispanic Caucus?”
“Well I would, I’ll tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting” Trump asked. “Are they friends of yours? No, set up the meeting. Let’s go, set up a meeting. I would love to meet with the Black Caucus, I think it’s great, the Congressional Black Caucus, I think it’s great.”
After that statement is when he started in on his accusations about Cummings.
Cummings’s office released this statement following the press conference:
“I have no idea why President Trump would make up a story about me like he did today. Of course, Senator Schumer never told me to skip a meeting with the President. I was actually looking forward to meeting with the President about the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs. What I have been doing for the past several weeks is working closely with my partner on these efforts, Senator Bernie Sanders. My goal was to finalize our proposal to allow HHS to negotiate lower drug prices so I could present it to the President. The President has said many times that he supports this proposal, so I wanted to have our bill ready to get his support. I also sincerely have no idea why the President made this claim in response to an unrelated question about the Congressional Black Caucus. I am sure members of the CBC can answer these questions for themselves. The skyrocketing price of prescription drugs is an issue that affects every American family—not just people of color—and I hope the President will make good on his promise to finally allow HHS to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of American families. I look forward to meeting with him on this issue and others.”
The CBC also tweeted Trump.
Hi, @realDonaldTrump. We’re the CBC. We sent you a letter on January 19, but you never wrote us back. Sad! Letter: https://t.co/58KiuHmITF — The CBC (@OfficialCBC) February 16, 2017
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on FacebookBuy Photo The new Milwaukee Bucks Arena under construction looking west. (Photo: Angela Peterson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)Buy Photo
From the upper concourse of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena the past and the future stand in stark contrast.
Looking to the south, weeds are growing on a small roof section of the Buck's present home, the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Opened in 1988, the BC is showing its age as it enters its final NBA season.
Turn around and look into the new, more intimate facility that will be the Bucks' new home. The seating bowl is largely in place and the electrical, heating and air conditioning equipment are nearly ready to rock.
More than half of the trusses are set, and workers have installed large sections of the actual roofing in the east and west ends. Another enormous roof truss section was ready to be lifted into place as early as Wednesday.
With construction of the arena proceeding at a breakneck pace, many elements of the finished building are popping up throughout the site.
"We're actually slightly ahead of schedule," said Mike Sorge, the project principal for Mortenson Construction, the construction manager for the arena project.
Work is about 45 percent complete, and employment on the site has increased to about 600 from about 200 in spring, Sorge said. The $524 million facility, being built with $250 million in public funds, is scheduled to open in time for the 2018 NBA season.
The second of 10 escalators was to be set into place Tuesday afternoon and four of the 10 elevators are in the works.
It was clear from a tour of the facility with top executives from Mortenson and the Bucks, that there are details that need ironing out. Such as grout.
"We worry about grout lines, we worry about every detail," said Bucks President Peter Feigin. "It's important for us to be present on the site."
Feigin conducts early morning walkthroughs twice a week and keeps a set of binoculars in his Schlitz Park office windowsill, with a view of the project a few blocks away.
During the tour, Feigin took a minute for a quick conversation about grout with Mortenson leaders and Marc Farha, executive vice president of ICON Venue Group, who monitors the project for the team.
"We gotta figure that out," Feigin said, running his hand over a section of tile wainscoting with grout lines not to his liking.
He stepped to another section across the concourse and said "this looks much better to me. This is preferred." For an outsider, it was virtually impossible to tell the difference between the two sections of tile.
"I think we're close," Sorge responded.
Asked about the exchange, Feigin said he wasn't nit-picking, but thinking long-term about how the arena will function - and wear - in the years to come. The team is responsible for the upkeep of the facility, and the waist high tile will protect the walls from wear and tear from fans and equipment passing down the halls.
"We have to be thinking about day-to-day, how we're going to operate this arena," Feigin said.
Such details, small and large, popped up time and again during the tour.
Towering panels of glass have been installed in the northwest corner, and the glass carries a faint pattern in it, meant to discourage birds from crashing into the windows.
The home and visiting team locker rooms have their own entrances to the arena floor, eliminating a Bradley Center feature that can be entertaining to fans but perhaps not the players. "That way, they don't have to go down the same hallway together," Sorge said.
Framing is complete and drywall hung for some of the 34 suites that range from $200,000 to more than $300,000 per year. Five remain to be sold, and potential customers will now be able hear the sales pitch from the construction site.
Employment on the site will swell to 800 to 900 workers once the building is completely enclosed in late fall, Sorge said.
As that milestone is reached, it's clear that the Bucks aren't alone in taking the long view of what all involved believe will be a downtown landmark. Other businesses - like a group that was gathered near the Mortenson Contstruction trailer - hope to join the team for the long haul, once the facility opens.
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"The group behind us, those guys are some of the bidders for cleaning of the building," Sorge said.
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Read or Share this story: https://jsonl.in/2tXIj8FHE’S STILL ONLY 24, but Brodie Retallick has already been capped 35 times by the All Blacks and was named World Player of the Year in 2014.
The very real prospect of the Rangiora man continuing to improve beyond his current level is a thrilling one for New Zealand and frightening for the rest of the rugby world.
Retallick helped to break Irish hearts in 2013. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Retallick looks certain to be one of the stars of this year’s World Cup in England as his form picks up with every game he plays. Tomorrow’s Rugby Championship clash against South Africa in Johannesburg will be the latest test on the path towards his peak, but there were typical markers of his quality last weekend against Argentina.
Distributor
One of the things that ensures the All Blacks remain the best team in the world is their basic passing and handling skills. Steve Hansen’s side invariably have 15 players on the pitch who are entirely comfortable at catching and passing under pressure.
There is no room for forwards who can’t put a teammate into a hole in this Kiwi team; it’s non-negotiable and it’s one of the major reasons they constantly threaten the defence.
Retallick epitomises the All Blacks’ handling prowess, whereas some international locks are uncomfortable when asked to shift the ball accurately. Underlining the point is the fact that Retallick passed the ball almost twice as often as he carried it into contact against Argentina.
It was a similar story with five of his fellow All Blacks forwards, while three others in the matchday squad had equal pass/carry ratios. In contrast, only two of the 25 forwards involved in the Australia vs. South Africa meeting last weekend passed the ball more often than they carried.
Each team has a different tactical approach, of course, but Retallick is the perfect illustration of why New Zealand can attack in such a rounded fashion.
While he does carry the ball well himself, the towering lock is synonymous with the ‘tip-on’ pass, which he shows off in the clip above.
Retallick is consistently looking for players running off him (as they invariably are) and delivers late passes close to the gainline that pose a different question to the defenders than a straightforward carry would.
A lock certainly needs to be able to provide effective carries, but that same player possessing passing skills opens up a whole range of possibilities.
Above, we see a catch and pass in midfield that any centre would be proud of. It allows New Zealand to attack the space on the outside edge of the Argentina defence, whereas other teams might have had to use Retallick and Jerome Kaino as carriers in this scenario.
It’s technically superb from Retallick, who has his hands up and body open to accept the pass from Dan Carter in the still image below.
Retallick moves the ball swiftly across his body in a clean, smooth motion and finishes the movement with his hands pointing at his target.
Post-pass, Retallick isn’t falling away back down the pitch, admiring the beauty of the spiralling ball. Instead, he’s moved onto the prospect of his next job, staying alive after the pass and continuing this run upfield.
As if to highlight exactly how much he brings to the Kiwis’ attack, Retallick gets back on the ball in a distributing role on the very next phase, after Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu have been freed to make big yards in that space wide on the left.
This time it’s a shorter catch and pass from the lock, but it’s equally as impressive.
The All Blacks often use Retallick in the role as the link passer between scrum-half and an inside back, with the second row passing the ball behind one or more decoy-running forward players.
It’s a shape used by almost every professional team in the world and one that most will be very familiar with, but again Retallick is generally very sharp in this area too.
Head up
Aside from the actual technical strength of his passing, built up through repeated practice and good coaching, Retallick’s ability to actually look up during games is what makes him a good distributor.
There are many tactical geniuses among the ranks of international forwards, but similarly there are the those who simply go from collision to collision while leaving the thinking to their on-pitch gameplan leaders.
Again, the All Blacks basically have 15 of those, Retallick being one of them. While the likes of Dan Carter do boss their teammates around the park, the 24-year-old lock rarely needs to be told where to go next or when to release the ball.
We get a decent illustration of Retallick’s brains in the video above, after New Zealand have shifted the ball wide to the left. The second row is close to the bottom of the screen as the video begins, tracking the ball to that wide channel.
As Charles Piutau heads into contact, Retallick is already thinking about what comes next, slowing his run as he recognises that New Zealand have enough supporting bodies to resource the ruck that is going to ensue.
Retallick is already on the next phase of play in his head, setting himself up to act as first receiver, appreciating that New Zealand’s pattern needs a forward to accept the ball from the scrum-half in this situation.
After taking the ball, he’s got his head up for a quick glance to calculate whether his own carry or a tip-on pass will result in more gainline and more momentum for his team. On goes that pass again.
To seal the deal on a really excellent few seconds, the lock hammers into the ruck and clears an Argentinian body a couple of metres past the tackle point, completely removing him from the game and helping to ensure quick possession.
Retallick’s huge work-rate, which is driven by his outstanding levels of fitness, allow him these multi-action, effective involvements even after he has covered lots of ground to get into position.
Indeed, his rucking is a major strength of his game.
Clearing bodies
It goes without saying the above really; Hansen’s men are well renowned as the best rucking team in the world. Retallick is a leader in this field too, despite the gangly frame that could have made him an awkward presence.
Above we see him clear Marcos Ayerza away after the Pumas prop has assisted in the tackle on Nonu. Retallick always brings that nice edge of aggression to his clear-outs and we get a demonstration of a style that he’s particularly effective with here.
Just as he drops down towards Ayerza, the intention being to roll the prop’s body away from and beyond the ball, Retallick dips his body weight towards his right shoulder, tucking his arm into his body as he does so.
That allows him to smash into Ayerza with that right shoulder and a huge amount of force behind it. The alternative might be to attempt to lever the Argentinian up and away with his arms, a process that would leave him unable to use his momentum in the most ideal fashion.
Retallick possesses the whole range of tricks when it comes to ruck time, however, and generally selects the perfect option.
After another of his tip-on passes above, Retallick recognises swiftly that he’s not in a strong position to clear Pumas back row Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe towards his the visitors’ tryline.
Instead, he adapts in an instant and wraps in underneath the Toulon man’s shoulders, pulling him towards New Zealand’s line. Not ideal perhaps, but it ensures that the threat of Lobbe is removed and the ball is available for scrum-half TJ Perenara to play.
Fight
Defensively, Retallick is extremely strong around the fringes of the ruck, more often than not being somewhere near the top of the tackle charts, both in terms of raw numbers and in regard to the quality of his hits.
He regularly flirts with the offside line in his eagerness to ensure the opposition carriers don’t make it over the gainline, and that allows him to power into tackles and win the collisions.
Whatever about a lock’s passing range, rugby is also a combat at its very core. If second rows aren’t winning these contests, then the team suffers greatly. The above is a combined hit with Luke Romano; the All Blacks locks delivering in tandem.
When the opposition looks to kick the ball, Retallick is usually sniffing around for a blockdown, although Kieran Read is almost always on the same scent. This application of pressure is key to the All Blacks’ success; even when they’re not getting a hand to the ball, they’re close.
Retallick is constantly alert, tuned into the possibility of an opposition error, living the game in every moment. That concentration is a genuine skill too.
Above, the ball breaks loose after Richie McCaw causes havoc in the ruck and Retallick reacts in a flash, forcing Tomas Cubelli into a panicked pass attempt. From there, Read takes up the mantle to run onto the ball and score.
Complete
That Retallick offers all these skills around the pitch is what makes him so complete a player, not just a second row. We have not dwelt on his set-piece work, but he invariably competes well on the opposition throw and delivers clean ball from the New Zealand lineout.
At scrum time, he has overcome his long frame to offer real solidity in the loosehead lock position. The partial removal of the ‘hit’ from the scrum in recent years has only accentuated the importance of the second rows, and Retallick has responded by working hard to keep himself nice and low behind his loosehead props, using his impressive fitness to deliver real power.
The big work-on for Retallick and his fellow forwards from last weekend is their much-highlighted maul defence. We can be sure that the 24-year-old has put in the hours to ensure that the All Blacks will suffer less in that department.
Up against the bruising pair of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, Retallick will be keen to stamp his authority on this game. An enthralling second-row battle awaits, but Retallick usually has that little bit extra.This listing hit Craigslist in Raleigh, N.C. a week ago and immediately went to its best-of archive. As a former resident of North Carolina's capital city, I can tell you that this guy is neither the hero we deserve, nor the one we need right now.
I am preparing to make my debut as Raleigh's first masked Crime-Fighter/Caped-Crusader/Masked Avenger/Protector of Truth and the Innocent, and am in need of a sidekick. Perhaps you have seen my post in the [Raleigh News & Observer] regarding this position opening. I need someone who is available nights and weekends, and who can supply their own costume. I have a car that will be the crime fighting mobile, as yet to be named (that name depends upon the name I chose for my crime-fighting alter ego).
If this is Captain Cary, then you're riding shotgun in a Saab or a Volvo. If we're talking about the Green Garner, hello Camaro.
It would be cool if you could help out with gas money sometimes, though, if I happen to be short here and there. Discretion is a must as no one must learn of our TRUE IDENTITIES! If they are compromised, so will be our crime-fighting efficacy.
And our means to either get laid or get a real job, presumably the two reasons we're reading Craigslist in the first place.
This is more of an unpaid internship type situation, so if you're looking to get rich, this might not be for you. Although I would not be surprised if we are presented the KEY TO THE CITY soon after our criminal-foiling commences. If you're |
Free University and the Emerging Economy provides clarity and optimism in a period of the greatest change our educational systems and society have seen, and offers everyone the tools needed to prosper in the Emerging Economy.
Read Chapter 1/Table of Contents
print ($20) Kindle ($9.95)
Things are falling apart--that is obvious. But why are they falling apart? The reasons are complex and global. Our economy and society have structural problems that cannot be solved by adding debt to debt. We are becoming poorer, not just from financial over-reach, but from fundamental forces that are not easy to identify. We will cover the five core reasons why things are falling apart:
1. Debt and financialization
2. Crony capitalism
3. Diminishing returns
4. Centralization
5. Technological, financial and demographic changes in our economy The reasons are complex and global. Our economy and society have structural problems that cannot be solved by adding debt to debt. We are becoming poorer, not just from financial over-reach, but from fundamental forces that are not easy to identify. We will cover the five core reasons why things are falling apart: 1. Debt and financialization2. Crony capitalism3. Diminishing returns4. Centralization5. Technological, financial and demographic changes in our economySecretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley on Sunday insisted that the United States will remain in the Iran nuclear deal.
President Donald Trump on Friday said he would likely pull the U.S. out of the deal unless Congress and the other nations in the seven-country accord made a handful of adjustments he demanded.
“Let’s see if we cannot address the flaws in the agreement by staying within the agreement, working with the other signatories, working with our European friends and allies within the agreement,” Tillerson said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
He said “that may come in a secondary agreement as well.”
“So we want to take the agreement as it exists today, as I said, fully enforce that agreement, be very demanding of Iran’s compliance under the agreement, and then begin the process of addressing these flaws that we see,” Tillerson said.
“Before the Senate not long ago, your counterpart at the Pentagon, Secretary Mattis, was asked if he thought staying in the agreement was in the best interests of the United States,” Jake Tapper said, referring to Secretary of Defense James Mattis. “It sounds like you agree with that as well.”
“I do agree with that,” Tillerson said. “And I think the President does as well.”
Tillerson: “We want to take the agreement as it exists today…and then begin the process of addressing these flaws” https://t.co/GxottySQVX — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 15, 2017
“I think what you’re going to see is the President’s going to work very closely with Congress to try and come up with something that is more proportionate,” Haley said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“I think right now, you’re going to see us stay in the deal. Because what we hope is that we can improve the situation,” she said. “We’re in the deal to see how we can make it better. And that’s the goal. It’s not that we’re getting out of the deal.”I finally returned to Warcraft III several years after purchasing it (and not finishing it). My problem at the time was that I played too many random maps, which ended up being the same thing over and over (settlement building, army building, attack, rinse, repeat) and I got tired of it. I never even finished the Alliance campaign.
In the meantime I played World of Warcraft (which is set four years after the events of Warcraft III) and then I decided to give Warcraft III another try, both to finish a game I never finished and to play through the storylines that led up to WoW. By this time I was familiar with the big characters and events, thanks to playing WoW and reading about the lore, but it was very exciting to actually play through them on my own. Part of the WoW setting is the aftermath of the invasion of the Burning Legion, so to see it all happen in Warcraft III was really quite amazing. While Warcraft I and II seem to be more straightforward (essentially dealing with the humans and the orcs battling each other), Warcraft III really expands the lore of the game world. Arthas falls, the Legion invades, the orcs travel to Kalimdor, the night elves reawaken the druids, etc. There are a lot of big events that you can play through in these four campaigns.
My only complaint would be that sometimes it gets a little repetitive with the settlement building aspect. I know this is the heart of a strategy game, but completing a chapter could take as long as two hours simply because you have to build everything up, create an army, attack an enemy outpost (thereby losing many units), and then re-building the army to do it all again. However, there are many other chapters that do not involve a high degree of settlement building, and some chapters are straightforward exploration and questing. So thankfully there is a variety of play styles across the campaigns.
Finally, regarding the Battle Chest product specifically: this is simply a fantastic value. It comes with separate discs for Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne, the original game manuals for each, as well as mini Brady game guides for each. Blizzard certainly did not skimp on the included materials for this collection.A man armed with an AK-47 robbed several customers at a Dallas-area Waffle House before he was shot in the restaurant parking lot by a man carrying a licensed handgun, police said.
The suspected robber, Antoine Devon Cooper, 26, entered the Waffle House in Desoto at 2:30 a.m. Thursday, July 7, police said in a news release.
After allegedly holding up several customers, Cooper exited the restaurant.
A customer armed with a pistol—worried because his wife was headed to the restaurant—followed Cooper outside and called out to the robber.
Cooper had robbed the Desoto, Texas Waffle House and several customers before one of them, fearing for his wife's safety, followed Cooper to the parking lot and shot him. (Google Earth)
When Cooper turned around and pointed the rifle in the man’s direction, the customer shot Cooper several times, police said.
Cooper remains on life support following the shooting.
Police have not filed charges against the unidentified customer who shot Cooper.
Cooper's tattoos were used to identify him. (DeSoto Police Department)
An investigation into the incident is ongoing and will be referred to a grand jury.
Images showing the suspect’s tattoos were used to identify him.
Texas law permits the use of deadly force if a person believes their life, or the lives of others, are in danger or could face serious bodily injury or unlawfully entered a occupied habitation, vehicle, place of business or employment.Russia supports Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces and will back anti-Assad rebels as long as they are fighting Islamic State, President Vladimir Putin told Germany’s Bild, countering claims that Moscow only backs the regime rather than hitting jihadists.
“We support both Assad’s army and the armed opposition,” Putin said in a lengthy recent interview to the newspaper, now published in full. “Some of them have publicly declared this, others prefer to remain silent, but the work is ongoing.”
According to the president, “This is hundreds, thousands of armed people fighting Islamic State [IS, previously ISIS/ISIL].”
“We are coordinating our joint operations with them and support their offensives by airstrikes in various sections of the front line,” Putin said.
The Western media has repeatedly criticized Russia over its airstrikes in Syria, claiming they only support the Assad regime and allegedly focus on hitting the Syrian opposition rather than IS.
“They are telling lies,” Putin reacted, when asked about the allegations. Despite the existence of evidence showing the facts on the ground, Russia’s critics “prefer to ignore it.”
“Look, the videos that support this version appeared before our pilots even started to carry out strikes against terrorists. This can be corroborated,” the president said.
Russian air force provides support for 7,000 Syrian rebels advancing on #ISIShttps://t.co/Nk063JLPZbpic.twitter.com/crKoCaAFBI — RT (@RT_com) January 11, 2016
By contrast, Putin brought up the deadly US airstrike on a hospital that killed over 20 people in northern Afghanistan in October and the following lack of mainstream media attention.
“American pilots hit the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, by mistake, I am sure,” he said. “Western media outlets have attempted to hush this up, to drop the subject and have a very short memory span when it comes to such things. They mentioned it a couple of times and put it on ice.” On the contrary, “this phony evidence” about Russian pilots allegedly targeting civilian targets “keeps circulating,” Putin added.
“If we tag the ‘live pipelines’ that consist of thousands of petrol and oil tankers as civilian targets, then, indeed, one might believe that our pilots are bombing these targets, but everyone is bombing them, including the Americans, the French and everyone else,” he said.
Explaining Russia’s goals in the conflict, Putin reiterated that the main concern is to avoid the creation of a complete power vacuum in Syria, leading to the devastation of the country, as happened in post-Gaddafi Libya.
“I can tell you precisely what we do not want to happen: we do not want the Libyan or Iraqi scenario to be repeated in Syria,” he said.
In order to avoid such a turn of events, Syria should restructure its government, basing it on a new constitution, the Russian president said.
“This is the only way to achieve stability and security, to create conditions for economic growth and prosperity, so that people can live in their own homes, in their homeland, rather than flee to Europe,” Putin added.
State Dept confirms ‘working document’ laid out timeline for Syria regime change https://t.co/i2ydWp6qyTpic.twitter.com/cNtyftK0fU — RT America (@RT_America) January 7, 2016
Putin reiterated that the Syrian people should decide their own country’s future, regardless of whether Assad stays in his post.
“I assure you, if this process is conducted democratically, then Assad will probably not need to leave the country at all,” Putin said.
When asked if he would grant Assad asylum in Russia if he was forced to leave Syria, the President said it was “premature” to speculate about that.
“We granted asylum to Mr. Snowden, which was far more difficult than to do the same for Mr. Assad,” he added.
On Russia’s global ambitions: ‘We do not claim the role of a superpower’
Putin also responded to questions regarding Russia’s position on the global stage. He disagreed with US President Obama’s labeling of Russia as “a regional power,” but added that Moscow is not striving to become a “superpower.”
“We do not claim the role of a superpower. This role is very costly and it is meaningless,” Putin said, pointing out that, in fact, the Russian economy occupies “roughly the sixth place in the world.”
Speaking at a nuclear summit at Dutch capital The Hague in March 2015, Obama referred to Russia as a “regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors.”
While admitting that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Putin said that Obama’s remark was quite vague.
“If we say that Russia is a regional power, we should first determine what region we are referring to,” he said pointing out Russia’s vast geographical territory, which stretches from Europe, China and Japan to the maritime borders with Alaska in the US and “Canada across the Arctic Ocean.”
“I think that speculation about other countries, an attempt to speak disrespectfully about other countries, is an attempt to prove one’s exceptionalism by contrast. In my view, that is a misguided position,” Putin said.
On Russia-NATO tension: ‘If we’re not welcome, that’s fine with us’
The interview also touched upon prospects for the renewal of Russia’s cooperation with the G8 and NATO. Both groups cut ties with Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“It was not Russia that cut off cooperation through the G8 or the Russia-NATO Council. We are willing to interact with everyone, once there is a matter for common discussion,” Putin said.
Yet, Russia will not go out of its way to be accepted back into these forums, he added, instead advocating a happy relationship “when the feeling is mutual.”
“If we are not welcomed as partners, that’s fine with us then,” the president said.
NATO agrees to boost Turkey’s air defense weeks after downing of Russian jet https://t.co/nZQNhEUKdTpic.twitter.com/PRYWNuC3dz — RT America (@RT_America) December 19, 2015
Russia-NATO ties worsened following Turkey’s downing of Russia’s Su-24 jet and the killing of its pilot by Ankara-backed Turkmen rebels on November 24. Shortly after the attack, Ankara called an emergency NATO meeting.
“Instead of trying to provide us with an explanation for the war crime they committed, that is, for downing our fighter jet that was targeting terrorists, the Turkish government rushed to NATO headquarters seeking protection, which looks quite odd and, in my view, humiliating for Turkey,” Putin said.
He expressed the hope that “such incidents” would not trigger “large-scale hostilities,” but insisted that Russia “would defend its security interests by all available means at its disposal” should it be threatened.
Putin's comments were published as the second part of a wide-ranging interview to Bild, the mass-circulation German newspaper, conducted on January 5 at his residence in Sochi.
READ THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERVIEW HEREA student at one of the UK's elite universities who stabbed her boyfriend with a bread knife has avoided prison.
Lavinia Woodward was given a 10-month suspended sentence. The judge had said in May that he might not impose prison time, which prompted some British newspapers to complain she was getting special treatment because of her connection to prestigious Oxford University.
The Sun tabloid wrote that she was judged "too brainy to be jailed.''
LAVINIA WOODWARD/FACEBOOK Lavinia Woodward, 24, punched and stabbed her then-boyfriend during an alcohol-and-drug-fuelled row.
Oxford Crown Court Judge Ian Pringle told Woodward there were many "mitigating'' factors that allowed him to suspend her sentence.
READ MORE: Aspiring heart surgeon who stabbed boyfriend in England may avoid jail because she's 'extraordinary'
"Principally, at the age of 24 you have no previous convictions of any nature whatsoever,'' he said. "Secondly, I find that you were genuinely remorseful following this event.''
LAVINIA WOODWARD/FACEBOOK Woodward is studying to be a heart surgeon at Oxford University.
He also said experts had concluded she suffered from a personality disorder, a severe eating disorder and dependence on alcohol and drugs.
The judge credited her with being "determined'' to get rid of her drug and alcohol addictions.
"Finally, and most significantly, you have demonstrated over the last nine months that you are determined to rid yourself of your alcohol and drug addiction and have undergone extensive treatment including counseling to address the many issues that you face,'' he said.
LAVINIA WOODWARD/FACEBOOK Woodward was described as an extraordinary talent who has had articles published in medical journals.
Woodward had pleaded guilty earlier to "unlawful wounding,'' which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The incident happened on December 30. The judge said her boyfriend visited her, found out she had been drinking, and called her mother, which infuriated Woodward.
He said she then attacked him with a bread knife, stabbing him in the lower leg, before turning the knife on herself. He said the boyfriend intervened to prevent her from harming herself.Europe’s ruling elite fear the “contagion” from Greece
15 December 2008
It is necessary for working people, especially the young, to consider the broader implications of the past week’s events in Greece. It is, after all, a question that is occupying the thoughts of senior figures within the ruling elites of Europe and the United States.
The rioting that has engulfed Greece had its spark in the police killing of a 15-year-old boy, Alexis Grigoropoulos. But this ignited a seething mass of discontent, especially amongst Greece’s youth and its student population. Despite the efforts of the New Democracy government and its nominal opponents on the official left to blame anarchist agitators, only this social opposition can account for the sustained character of the protests and their spread throughout the country, even in the face of brutal repression.
Numerous reports have drawn attention to the dire situation facing the younger generation in Greece, even those who have graduated from university. Unemployment affects one in four 15-to-24-year-olds, even in advance of the full impact of the slump in the world economy. Post-graduates are routinely forced to take minimum wage jobs at just €600 a month, if they are lucky. Some work two jobs in order to survive.
Andre Gerolymatos wrote in Canada’s Globe and Mail that “the predominant factor for the actions of such young people is a sense of hopelessness,” noting that unemployment for those between 15 and 20 is “just over 22 per cent.” He continued: “It’s no coincidence that most of the rioters fall within that age group. In effect, one in four young men and women face a future of low-paying jobs and poverty.”
The situation in Greece is dire, but it is by no means the exception. Across Europe a similar picture is developing. Hence the commentaries to the effect that Greece is emblematic of what the Wall Street Journal acknowledges to be “growing discontent among youths in many European countries.”
The Journal noted that young people in Greece have been “dubbed ‘Generation 600’—referring to the country's national minimum wage of €600.” It then listed similar designations: In Germany it is “Generation Intern” because graduates “have found themselves working as interns for no or low pay for long periods.”
In Spain, young people are referred to as “mileuristas” — “loosely, those who scrape by on a thousand euros a month … entering the workplace with few benefits or protections, often moving between temporary contracts.”
In a more extensive December 9 comment on Spain, Bloomberg noted that its “Best Generation” is being hit hardest as “boom turns to bust.” Some 28 percent of Spain’s young people are out of work, twice the European Union average. Fully 63 percent of those between the ages of 15 and 24 who were working were on temporary contracts last year, “so the young people are the first ones to lose their jobs and they’re losing them massively,” explained Gayle Allard, vice-rector of the Instituto de Empresa business school in Madrid.
The average net monthly salary for people under age 29 is just €964. Only 55 percent of young workers can afford all their costs, according to a government report.
The day before Alexis Grigoropoulos was killed, Forbes ran a report by Selcuk Gokoluk warning, “Rising unemployment among young Turks threatens to fuel social unrest.” Bulent Pirler, general secretary of an employers’ group, stated, “Turkey has a young population. If they are not educated and employed, it means you have a bomb in your hands.”
Forbes continued: “Data shows that 1.09 million people are registered at the state unemployment agency, but it is advertising only 14,526 job offers. More than one third of the jobless claims registered last month were made by people aged 15-24.”
The Telegraph in Britain featured an article in its December 8 business pages by Constantine Courcoulas insisting, “Investors are wrong to ignore the Greek riots.”
After warning that the present “uproar is unprecedented” and “no longer limited to an anarchist fringe” due to “widespread anger at the government,” Courcoulas wrote that “the tensions created by unemployment, marginalised youth and incompetent governments are far from exclusively Hellenic. Similar outbreaks are possible in other countries. Recessions are always tough on the young. And while the Greek rioters’ slogan— ‘bullets for your youth, money for your banks’—may not qualify as sound socioeconomic analysis, it has a catchy ring.”
He concluded, “Social protests have sometimes changed the world. Think of the French and Russian revolutions.”
Writing for the Associated Press, a similar appraisal was made by Paul Haven, who stated that the “authorities in Europe worry conditions are ripe for the contagion to spread” as the continent “plunges into recession.”
Most tellingly, the Scotsman newspaper drew attention to the response of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the Greek events. Rejecting budget proposals from his own party that he considered too obviously biased toward the wealthy, he remarked, “Look what is going on in Greece.”
Sarkozy expressed concern that unrest could spread to France, the Scotsman reported. “The French love it when I’m in a carriage with Carla, but at the same time they’ve guillotined a king,” he said.
The citations above are drawn from leading financial journals, newspapers with a distinctly right-wing colouration and organs generally designated as newspapers “of record.” They are serious appraisals made of a growing threat to the capitalist system posed by a generation of young people, often educated, highly intelligent and articulate, who are living on next to nothing. Told for years that an education was all that was required to succeed, they have no prospects for the future despite their sacrifices and those of their parents.
Faced with governments of the official left and right seeking to make working people shoulder the full weight of the economic crisis, and opposition parties that offer no real opposition to this agenda, young people in Greece have taken to the streets in a mass display of anger and frustration. But make no mistake. We are witnessing the beginning of a profound social shift that must assume political forms that will not be confined to the compromised and discredited trade unions and organisations of the official left.
Chris MarsdenDiatonic triads are triads or chords that belong to a key. In this case, the key of C. The definition of a triad is 3 notes and the definition of a chord is 3 or more notes so you can call these either at this point. Once we add more notes to our triad we will want to call them chords.
We end up with a series of major and minor chords with the seventh one called diminished. These are the chords belonging to the key of C.
Because all major scales are built the same way :
W W H W W W H
the I, IV and V chords will always be major
the ii, iii, vi will be minor
and the vii will be diminished
Note we will use upper case roman numerals to indicate major and lower case for minor.By
If you have not seen it by now, Steelers linebacker James Harrison absolutely went off on a few subjects in an article at Men’s Journal. He predictably rips Roger Goodell and the New England Patriots, but surprisingly even spews some venom at members of his own team.
Some people seem to admire Harrison’s “refreshing” honesty. Personally, I think that Harrison comes across like a classless idiot, even though I simultaneously find his story of hard work and perseverance inspiring, as it speaks to the genuine fire in his heart and his extreme mental and physical toughness.
James Harrison is, without question, a complicated and multi-layered figure, a compelling amalgamation of virtue and vile born to be a star figure on America’s gladiatorial gridiron; but ultimately, I think he pretty much just comes across as a scumbag in this interview.
So, in the spirit of Reddit and one of the many memes often found there (which started as “Scumbag Steve” if you want the background), let’s salute “Scumbag James Harrison” and the most notorious of the comments in his Men’s Journal interview heard ’round the sports world.
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(By the way, my guess is that 99% of you won’t get this last one. That’s okay. It’s another meme involving Bear Grylls and his urine-drinking ways. Here, this might help you understand the context.)
James Harrison w/ guns image credit: Men’s JournalIn a context of severe cultural alienation, how can the EU talk with Russia?
You can find Andrey Kortunov's commentary 'How not to talk with Russia' here.
After Russia’s annexation of Crimea, many policymakers in Europe concluded that it had been a mistake to let Russia get away with the 2008 Georgian war. “We were not clear enough on Georgia, that’s why they moved to Ukraine,” was the gloomy conclusion. In all likelihood, similar conversations took place also in Moscow. “We were not clear enough in Georgia, that’s why they moved to Ukraine,” people would say, having in mind the expansion of Western outreach.
You can download this essay as a PDF here
This example illustrates the problem that Russia and the West now face. We have fundamentally different understandings not only of what constitutes acceptable international behaviour, but also of the goals and “natural” drivers that underpin it. And we are unable to have a direct conversation about our differences. Different frameworks combined with miscommunication have grown, over time, into self-perpetuating antagonistic narratives.
In Russia, where decision-making is concentrated in the hands of a narrow and like-minded group of people, a coherent anti-Western narrative has emerged that is already nearly impossible to penetrate. At delicate moments, this can be highly dangerous: if both sides consider the other side the aggressor, misreading the other side’s intentions can lead to reckless action.
While the desire to have “a positive conversation” is in itself understandable,...a shallow approach to the issue holds considerable dangers. Our differences run so deep that they cannot be papered over with another bureaucratic initiative
In this context of cultural alienation, is it still possible to talk to Russia, and what would that take?
This is the question that now plagues both NATO and the EU. While in the NATO context the dangers of miscommunication are sometimes recognised, EU discussions are all too often driven by bureaucratic political logic. A desire to have “a positive conversation” alongside (or instead of) sanctions, fosters the hope that, if engaged positively, Russia will mellow and a “new deal” might be found that turns Russia towards co-operation again. In the latter context, cooperation between the EU and Eurasian Economic Union is often mentioned as a potential deal-maker.
While the desire to have “a positive conversation” is in itself understandable, and cooperative co-existence with Russia should definitely remain Europe’s long-term strategic goal, a shallow approach to the issue holds considerable dangers. Our differences run so deep that they cannot be papered over with another bureaucratic initiative, however well-intentioned. Worse still, in the context of mutual miscommunication, raising expectations based on false assumptions will not just lead to disappointment. Given our history of disillusionment, each future disappointment is likely to be more emotional than the last, and cause a more dangerous backlash.
America’s experience with its reset policy is an instructive example here. For the US, the reset was just such a “positive conversation.” It was pragmatic policy – an attempt to work with Russia on areas of common interest and therefore to limit publicity around disagreements. But in Russia, the reset – coming so soon after the Georgia war – was interpreted effectively as a geopolitical apology: as America’s admission that it had ventured too close to what Russia considers its sphere of influence. It was seen as a promise to change course.
As a former Russian diplomat, speaking under Chatham House rule, later acknowledged:
“The concept of the reset was misinterpreted by Russia. Russia thought it was finally accepted among the great powers, but in fact the reset turned out to be about a narrow set of issues. This was a great disappointment. The concept of tactical co-operation is alien to the Russian elite. Relations with other countries have always been emotionally charged. Recognition is an important concept and Russia wants to be treated as an equal.”
The nature of the disagreement
That Russia wants to be treated as “an equal” is a phrase that often comes up in conversations with Russian policymakers and experts. However, the definition of “equal” is elusive. Institutionally, one could argue that Russia has been treated as more than equal: it has been admitted to all the Western organisations it wished to join without necessarily qualifying for them. The West has also done its utmost to link Russia up with the EU and NATO as a like-minded “strategic partner”. But Russia still feels less than equal and humiliated. How come?
For Moscow, being “equal” means having the right to set and tweak the rules, not just to advance its own interests within the post-Cold War European system with its common set of rules.
The truth seems to be that Russia has never wanted to be treated as an equal partner inside the Western OSCE-based system. Rather, for Moscow, being “equal” means having the right to set and tweak the rules, not just to advance its own interests within the post-Cold War European system with its common set of rules. It means having geopolitical veto rights and uncritical acceptance of the nature and practices of its domestic regime – neither of which the OSCE principles can provide.
Contrary to what many would claim, Russia is not an expansionist power. It does not want to dominate the world, conquer Europe or even restore the Soviet Union. But it wants a sphere of control in the area that the EU calls its Eastern neighbourhood, and it wants spheres of control as such to be accepted as an organising principle of international life. Russia does not have an ambitious global agenda: its approach to the Asia-Pacific region is inspired more by its Western and great power relationships than by any local context. Likewise, its actions in the Middle East have less to do with the region itself than with Moscow’s counter-revolutionary stance and the “principle of inviolability of regimes”. These are issues that have troubled Russia in the Western context, rather than the Eastern one, as Russia views the West as having engineered most of the popular revolutions of the last few decades.
While these actions do not constitute a global challenge to the West – reminiscent of the Cold War times – they do nevertheless constitute a sharp clash of paradigms that is bound to manifest itself again and again.
The nature of the miscommunication
This clash is magnified by the accompanying misunderstandings and miscommunications. Decision-makers in Russia view Western actions through their own paradigms: they seem to sincerely believe that the West is engineering “colour revolutions” with the aim of weakening Russia’s sphere of influence and strengthening its own. They suspect that the ultimate goal is to bring about regime change in Russia.
The West in turn has until recently been largely oblivious of the extent to which Russia sees the world and its working principles differently. It has interpreted Russia’s actions as aberrations, misunderstandings, or as inspired by domestic political considerations. There has been a strong belief that as Russia experiences the benefits of cooperation, it will eventually become a fully paid-up member of the OSCE-based order.
It is entirely normal that the abyss between our world views should have deepened as the authoritarian regime consolidated itself in Russia. However – and this is not entirely logical –, the West’s ability to grasp the depth of it did not catch up, at least until the annexation of Crimea served as a wake-up call. This ignorance is rooted not only in intellectual laziness and wishful thinking. It also has to do with the decline in the quality of communication – and this in turn has something to do with the personalities of leaders, first and foremost with the personality of Vladimir Putin.
A Russian expert who for a long time has been advising the Foreign Ministry, has pointed out that the reason why Russia acquiesced to the first two rounds of NATO enlargement was the fact that these had been discussed with Moscow in terms that were understandable to them:
“They did not like enlargement, but they saw that stopping it had an unacceptable price, and so they negotiated compensation. All Russia’s wishes that Moscow managed to articulate were met – whether Russia managed to make use of what it got is a different matter. But it was a deal that Russia knew it had accepted.”
These talks, however, had mostly taken place between the Yeltsin government and the Clinton administration. With the advent of the Putin and Bush presidencies, both Russia’s ability to articulate its wishes and the West’s ability to understand them started to decline.
And here one comes to Putin’s personality. Putin’s worldview and his modus operandi have been shaped by Soviet norms and hagiography to a greater extent than is necessarily common among Russians, even of his generation. His communication habits bear some unmistakable Soviet characteristics, which when used in conversation with the West, are often misunderstood and make him seem deceptive. This is not necessarily intentional.
In Soviet life, hypocrisy was the norm, characterised by the famous Soviet saying: “we pretend to work, they pretend to pay us”. Adherence to the nominal state of affairs – pretending to work, pretending to believe in Communism - was a social obligation, but everyone knew that this was just a pretence. In these circumstances, there were just two ways of discussing the true state of affairs: between the lines (using official rhetoric), or in a trusted environment, abandoning the pretence.
In his communication with the West, Putin has used both: he has used Western liberal rhetoric to get across his own – often quite illiberal – messages. He has also resorted to the crude naked truth – exposed in statements such as “Ukraine is not even a country”. The West, however, tends not to hear his message: in “politically correct” statements we miss the double speak; the more “naked” messages can be so crude as to be grotesque, or they are dismissed as bullying and blackmailing not worth engaging with.
This is not to say that the West never uses double speak itself. It does, but of a different kind. In the West, double speak may be used to cut some corners and solve some thorny real-life problems, but it has never become a norm nor led to a sustained double reality. Rules can be breached, but they still remain rules, even in the eyes of those who breach them. In the Soviet system, it was vice versa: rules were known to be fictional even in the eyes of those who followed them.
This logic may also explain why Russia is so unhappy with many of the international rules and norms it has voluntarily signed up to, be it the OSCE charter or WTO rulebook: it never thought that these were meant to be followed in letter as well as in spirit.
Russia has an interesting double-track behaviour when it comes to rules and norms. While it can be very rigid and legalistic in clinging to the letter of the law, it can also freely ignore its spirit. It can also use the letter of the law to evade the spirit. But such behaviour is often driven by Russia’s notion that by so doing, it in fact engages with the “real conversation,” beneath the veneer of public norms – as the Soviet Constitution covered the realities of Soviet policy making.
Its special operation in Crimea bears all the hallmarks of such logic. It was important to observe the “letter of the law” – that is, to pretend that the Crimea referendum had local roots, to have at least implausible deniability of Russia’s involvement.
Seeing what was happening, many Europeans concluded bitterly that “Putin lies”. But there is a logic to his lies. They are not just intended to deceive, but to communicate. The Crimea operation communicated that Russia was willing and able to set rules in its neighbourhood. It was not just physical, but also a mental demonstration of force, telling the West that: “you may know we are there, but you cannot prove it, so you cannot do anything and so you had better accept our terms.”
It is often said that Putin is a good tactician with no strategy. Perhaps. But he knows very well where he wants to get, makes use of the openings he sees and often uses escalation as an invitation to talk or a demand that his wishes be taken seriously. Doing so is often his substitute for direct discussion. As one astonished Brussels official acknowledged:
“Russia never said it wanted a sphere of influence in Ukraine! Had they said so, we would have approached the issue differently.”
But neither Russia nor Putin said it. They thought it was self-evident, too obvious to be put into words.
After Putin’s first years in power, a Russian media article characterised his foreign policy as “Bulgakovian,” referring to the famous sentence from Mikhail Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita: “You should never ask anyone for anything. Never. Especially not from those who are more powerful than you”. Contrary to expectations, Putin did not pick a fight over the Baltics joining NATO; he did not ask for money or for a sphere of influence. After 9/11 he sided with the US without asking for anything in return. But the fact that he did not articulate demands does not mean that he did not have expectations. After all, Bulgakov’s next sentence reads: “They will make the offer and they will give of their own accord”.
This offer, however, never materialised. What for Putin were great concessions on his part, the West interpreted just as common interests, and instead of coming up with a payback of a suitable nature and magnitude, or – rather – explaining why the latter could not be offered, it simply said “thank you”. And so the cycle of miscommunication started.
What next? Policies and problems
After the annexation of Crimea exposed the depth of differences, three different policy options have been put forward in the West.
The first focuses on constraining Russia. It suggests beefing up the defence plans for NATO territory, trying to limit Russia’s leverage in its non-NATO neighbourhood, and sticking to economic sanctions that supposedly sooner or later will bring down the ever more brittle regime in Moscow.
The second approach – advocated, among others, by US foreign policy gurus Zbigniew Brzezinski and Henry Kissinger - is essentially a geopolitical deal with Russia, which focuses around a permanent non-aligned status for Ukraine.
The third approach is a mix of carrots and sticks. This is the position often heard in Europe: we need to be firm on sanctions and use them to regulate the situation in Ukraine, but at the same time we should look out for ways to offer Russia a new stake in the European order. This could be done by legitimising the Eurasian Economic Union by allowing it to co-operate with the EU.
All these suggestions have been made with the best of intentions, but people remain unaware as to what it would really take to adopt any of these concepts as a policy.
While constraining Russia is clearly necessary, one needs to resist the temptation to draw excessive parallels with the old Cold War. Doing so would encourage people to apply old solutions to new challenges; instead of informing thinking it would risk making one blind to current realities. The memory of the Cold War has also now become an “edited” memory in the minds |
it. Never push or exhaust yourself. Work within your limits, however modest these may be.
The main thing is to choose a form of exercise you like and can do easily, and at home if necessary. Try putting on music and dancing; rebounding, (mini-trampolines); swimming; tennis; golf. Start slowly, and build up. If a person has cancer and is so far down the hole, where exercise seems like climbing a mountain, then regaining one’s footing and health and cancer-free existence is going to depend not only on exercise but on a mainline cancer treatment—which is what Anti-Inflammatory Oxygen Therapy is.
Working out on a stationary bicycle or treadmill, while breathing concentrated oxygen is perfect for controlling and disciplining your efforts while receiving the levels of oxygen necessary to threaten all the cancer cells in your body.
The key is to find what you are able to do physically and build on it day by day. I suggest riding the bicycle slowly for a few moments, then resting, and then doing that repeatedly while breathing the oxygen until you can ride, walk or run continuously for fifteen minutes.
Maybe do three or four short sessions per day to start out. Instead of weeks before solid results show up it will only be days with the power that oxygen will give to the whole process. Riding or walking with the standing exercise equipment necessary to do this gives us instrumentation to measure our oxygen content, heart rate, distance traveled, calories expending and speed at which we are moving. Measuring our progress helps motivate us to further achievement.
Cancer patients should set short- and long-term fitness goals and to embrace exercise rehabilitation as a journey, not a destination. The more compromised your health and fitness the more seriously one needs to take this advice. Patients with significantly compromised physical functioning and with severely compromised quality of life need to start with minimal amounts of exercise and plan on it being long-term and for the rest of their life. Truly even the most ill have a chance to amaze themselves with what they can achieve with exercise and the great assistance that oxygen lends to the process.
The only thing missing in this picture and video (It will help you choose your type of exercise machine) is oxygen masks strapped on to these peoples’ faces leading via large diameter hoses to large oxygen reservoirs full of purified oxygen. Then we are looking at the ultimate medical healing system available anywhere on earth.
Anti-Inflammatory Oxygen Therapy
A tool of training the cardiorespiratory system utilized by athletes and those seeking to regain their health is Oxygen Multistep Therapy (OMST). The primary objective for most when using OMST is to overcome oxygen deficiency as a result of either intense training regiments or to recover from health disorders. The key discovery during the course of long standing research in cancer therapy using OMST discovered an unexpected switching mechanism of the microcirculation of the entire organism.
This switching mechanism is interpreted as a re-enlargement of the capillary narrowed by oxygen deficiency (old age, disease, distress). The re-enlargement appears after increased oxygen uptake of the blood and improved oxygen utilization of human tissue over a certain period. The OMST provides a measurable and long lasting increase of the energy status of individuals from varying health backgrounds.
Anti-Inflammatory Oxygen Therapy reaches a new level (beyond OMST and EWOT) where one can combine much higher levels of oxygen with ever intensifying exercise to open micro circulation and allow responsive healing. Exercise with OMST should be a key component in successful cancer prevention and treatment.Looking for love? Try the office! Relationships that begin in the workplace most likely to result in marriage
Couples who met at work were most likely to marry
Meeting through friends also resulted in long term love
By contrast, those who met at the pub tended to have flings
Short term romances were also likely for those meeting on holiday
Those who meet after locking eyes over the water cooler are more likely to enjoy long lasting love, new research has revealed.
Despite discouragement from companies and colleagues, office romances are more likely end in marriage than relationships that start in any other way - even meeting through friends.
By contrast, relationships begun in a nightclub or pub almost always end in either a fling or a one-night stand.
Recipe for romance: Couples who meet at the office are more likely to end up married than any others
Happened for him: Google co-founder Sergey Brin met his former wife Anne Wojcicki at work as well as reported girlfriend Amanda Rosenthal
The trend emerged following a detailed study of 2,000 adults which also found the stresses and strains of work and the sheer number of hours we spend with colleagues to be key factors.
14 per cent of couples who met through work ended up married, compared to 11 per cent who were introduced by friends.
Almost one in ten of those who became an item after a holiday romance also ended up walking down the aisle.
But while relationships which started in work have a good chance of success, 23 per cent of those questioned said attempts to find love during a night out had resulted in nothing more than a one night stand.
Another 22 per cent of couples who met in a nightclub didn't get any further than the first night, along with 13 per cent of holiday romances.
Couples who are introduced at a party are also among those who struggle to be more than a casual liaison.
Researchers also found that 51 per cent of people think the place or situation where you meet someone can affect how successful the relationship is.
And almost one in five have even refused to pursue a relationship with someone because they worry the way they met means it is doomed before it starts.
One in five Britons also admitted to lying about how they met their other half, with more than half saying it's because they were too embarrassed by the real story.
37 per cent like to make it sound more interesting than it really was while 17 per cent get bored of telling the same story over and over.
Not happening: Relationships that begin at the pub or on holiday are likely to be short lived
A romantic one in four of those who are currently in a relationship even say they often return to the place they met for an anniversary or special milestone in their relationship.
A spokesman for the survey, commissioned to mark the season eight DVD release of How I Met Your Mother, said: 'You might not think where you meet can affect how long a relationship lasts but it seems those who meet through work can expect more longevity than most.
'We spend so much time at work that it's inevitable that you will form close friendships that may go onto become a relationship further down the line.
'But being in a relationship where you work in the same place as your partner also means you have something in common before you even get to know each other, and being in the same career means you are both like-minded and have similar interests.
'And while other couples may struggle to talk to their other-half about work when they get home at the end of a long day because they don't understand or simply aren't interested, you're not going to have that problem if you marry a work colleague.
'Meeting through friends - something How I Met Your Mother's Barney and Robin can relate to in the show - also seems to be a sign that the relationship is destined for marriage.'
FOR MARRIAGE MEET AT WORK...
Couples who met through work were most likely to end up married along with those who met at university and online. The top five also includes:
1. Through work 2. Through a friend 3. They were already a friend 4. At university 5. Online BUT TRY THE PUB FOR A FLING!
Those who met by chance at the pub were the least likely to end up wed, along with people who met on holiday or in clubs. Other unlucky places to meet include:
1. In a pub 2. In a nightclub 3. On holiday 4. At a party 5. Through workBring up the subject of Near Earth Asteroids and everyone wants to talk about the one that’s inevitably going to strike the planet and kill us all. But what if I told you asteroids could be just as beneficial as they might be dangerous? The possibility of landing on and mining one of these flying space rocks is a hot topic for astronomical entrepreneurs and policymakers alike, and it’s the latest subject being tackled by the team at Slooh, as we witness the close approach of the $5 Trillion Asteroid, also known as asteroid 2011 UW158.
On Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 PM PDT/6:00 PM EDT/22:00 UTC International Times: goo.gl/hI6moH, Slooh hosted a very special broadcast, with live views of this pricey rock from their telescopes in the Canary Islands, accompanied by a conversation about what makes it worthy of the largest display in the jewelry store.
Mining.com reported that scientists believe the half-kilometer-wide asteroid contains up to 90 million metric tons of platinum and other precious metals.
Host Eric Edelman, along with Slooh Astronomer Bob Berman, discussed the #TrillionDollarBaby and how asteroid close approaches and asteroid mining come together.
“It’s always fun when an asteroid whooshes past our world,” says Slooh Astronomer Bob Berman. “So the Slooh telescopes will be watching live when asteroid 2011 UW158 passes 30 times closer to us than the nearest planet, on July 19. What makes this unusual is the large amount of platinum believed to be lurking in the body of this space visitor. Can it be mined someday, perhaps not too far in the future?”
Click on image for Larger View from Original Source
In 2014, Slooh Space Act Agreement with NASA to help identify and protect Earth from hazardous asteroids. The subject of asteroid mining offers a slightly different approach. With the success of the European Space Agency’s mission to comet 67P, and the advent of companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, the possibilities for expanding mankind’s reach into the universe have never seemed more endless. Perhaps the $5 Trillion Asteroid, or others like it, will be our next stop.
About Slooh
Slooh makes astronomy incredibly easy, engaging and affordable for anyone with a desire to see outer space for themselves. Since 2003 Slooh has connected telescopes to the Internet for access by the broader public. Slooh’s automated observatories develop celestial images in realtime for broadcast to the Internet.CLOSE The tech industry leader said those who believe the hype show a "profound lack of empathy." Video provided by Newsy Newslook
File photo taken in 2013 shows Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's co-founder, CEO and chairman. (Photo: PETER DASILVA, EPA)
Facebook is taking steps to eliminate fake news and hoaxes that some critics have suggested might have influenced the 2016 presidential election, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.
While reiterating earlier comments in which he said it was "extremely unlikely" that phony stories posted on Facebook changed the election outcome, Zuckerberg said work has already begun that would enable the social media giant's users "to flag fake news and hoaxes."
"Our goal is to show people the content they will find most meaningful, and people want accurate news," Zuckerberg wrote in a personal Facebook statement posted Saturday night.
"This is an area where I believe we must proceed very carefully, though," said Zuckerberg, who asserted that "more than 99% of what people see is authentic."
Zuckerberg provided no specifics about how Facebook's News Feed might be changed, cautioning that "this work often takes longer than we'd like in order to confirm changes we make won't introduce unintended side effects or bias into the system." He encouraged Facebook's 1.79 billion worldwide users to follow updates online.
The latest statements responded to growing criticism of Facebook's ascendant power to sway public opinion. He initially dismissed suggestions that fake stories — such as ones that stated Pope Francis had supported Donald Trump — played a role in the Republican presidential nominee's victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"To think it influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," Zuckerberg said Thursday at the Techonomy conference in Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Zuckerberg's back-to-back statements came as Trump's win prompted Silicon Valley soul searching, with some wondering whether tools created in the U.S. tech world's capital might have run amok. Social media has increasingly become a go-to news source. Nearly half of Americans get their news from Facebook, according to the Pew Research Center. In contrast, just two in 10 U.S. adults get news from print newspapers.
As its dominance has grown, Facebook has resisted calls that it's become a defacto news publisher, exercising editorial judgment with the power to sway the minds of billions, and instead reiterated that it's simply a technology platform.
Zuckerberg repeated that stance, saying "I believe we must be extremely cautious about becoming arbiters of the truth ourselves," he wrote.
"Identifying the 'truth' is complicated. While some hoaxes can be completely debunked, a greater amount of content, including from mainstream sources, often gets the basic idea right but some details wrong or omitted," he wrote.
Even more Facebook news stories "express an opinion that many will disagree with" and incorrectly flag them as inaccurate, added Zuckerberg.
While fake news has posed a longstanding challenge for Facebook, the problem appeared to accelerate during the election. President Obama addressed the issue during a pre-election Michigan rally for Clinton last week.
"And people, if they just repeat attacks enough, and outright lies over and over again, as long as it's on Facebook and people can see it, as long as it’s on social media, people start believing it. And it creates this dust cloud of nonsense," said Obama.
The issue has also been the subject of debate among Facebook's leadership and employees, The New York Times reported Saturday. Some in the tech world have similarly flagged the controversy.
Tech investor Dave McClure, founder of the business accelerator 500 Startups, called technology "a propaganda medium" that has contributed to the growing spread of fake information.
"People aren’t aware of the [expletive] they’re being told," McClure said at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, addressing Trump's victory.
Self-blame often doesn't come naturally to the generally positivist ethos of the tech industry. The election-related criticism was a wake-up call.
"It is a very good thing if people in Silicon Valley are contemplating the consequences of the inventions they delivered to an unsuspecting world," Silicon Valley forecaster Paul Saffo said. "The fact that there's any reflection going on at all is a very good sign. There has long been this naive view that technology is neutral and there's nothing neutral about technology. The problem is we can never figure out which way it's going to cut until it arrives."
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kevin McCoy on Twitter: @kmccoynyc
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2fp5PX6Just when you thought college campuses couldn’t get any crazier or that Harambe’s legacy couldn’t get more strange, Clemson bureaucrats have entered the Twilight Zone.
A Clemson Housing Representative is now telling freshman to take down all “Harambe references.” Apparently it adds to Clemson’s notorious “rape culture” and is a form or racism. Of course, it is both sexist and racist to consider a photo or meme of Harambe as sexist or racist.
On Friday, September 23rd, employees acting on behalf of Clemson University Housing and Dining department, sent an email to Resident Assistants (R.A.s) instructing them to inform their freshman to remove all Harambe references from their doors and floor hallways. These must be taken down by September 30th, after which the students may be subject to punishment. One freshman has reported to the Tiger Town Observer that their R.A. told them “you cannot have any Harambe related thing up publicly after September 30th. After that the individual/individuals will get in some trouble!”
It appears the sudden decision for such unilateral action comes in the wake of an alleged mean-spirited Harambe meme that was sent to a freshman. In an email sent to campus RAs, Housing officials stated “If residents are asking why they have to take them down you can share that there was a report from an individual about a meme being offensive and biased in nature and as a result all Harambe references are no longer allowed within our community.”
Graduate Community Director Brooks Artis sent an email attempting to clarify the situation, saying “there have been reports that he (Harambe) and the incident surrounding his death have been used to add to the rape culture as well as being a form of racism.”
This is nothing short of sheer lunacy! Neither email from Clemson Housing officials reveals how a Harambe reference could encourage racist actions or propagate rape, nor do they define what they mean by a “Harambe reference.” Does a photo from the Cincinnati Zoo or a poster from “Planet of the Apes” count as a Harambe reference? What about written and spoken references to “Harambe”? If a student opens their dorm window and yells “I love Harambe” will they be subject to punishment? If a student posts a sign that says “Harambe was a racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic gorilla,” will they be subject to punishment?Introduction by Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University How political leaders and their intelligence agencies assess the long-term intentions of their adversaries in international politics, how their assessments change in response to changes in the adversary’s capabilities or behavior, and the extent to which political leaders rely on their intelligence agencies are old questions in the study of international relations. The assessment of long-term intentions is an extraordinarily difficult task, and the development of generalizable theory about the process is equally difficult. Keren Yarhi-Milo’s recent book, Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations, is an enormously valuable contribution to our understanding of these questions. Unlike many studies of intelligence, it is well-grounded in international relations theory, and it effectively builds upon theories of social psychology, cognitive science, and organizational theory. Yarhi-Milo distinguishes herself from many other theorists by emphasizing that the assessment processes of political leaders may differ from those of state intelligence organizations, but at the same time she integrates both within a single overarching theoretical framework. Yarhi-Milo tests her theoretical arguments against leading alternative interpretations in three sets of important and revealing historical cases: British assessments of Germany’s intentions from 1934-1939; and U.S. assessments of Soviet intentions during the years leading to the collapse of détente (1976-1980) and during the end of the Cold War (1985-1988). Yarhi-Milo’s in-depth comparative studies utilize historical archives, published documents, and, for the U.S.-Soviet cases, interviews with key participants. The core of Yarhi-Milo’s argument is the ‘selective attention thesis,’ which consists of three primary hypotheses: the ‘vividness hypothesis,’ which is grounded in affective models of decision-making; the ‘subjective credibility hypothesis,’ which is grounded in strictly cognitive models of decision-making; and the ‘organizational expertise hypothesis,’ which is grounded in models of organizations and information processing.[1] The first two focus on how political leaders form inferences about the long-term intentions of the adversary, while the third focuses on how intelligence organizations process information about adversary intentions. Together, these hypotheses explain both assessments of intentions and variations in those assessments across different governmental actors. The vividness hypothesis posits that political leaders tend to rely on information that has an emotional impact, that is spatially and temporally proximate, and that is easily imaginable. Personal impressions from private interactions with adversary leaders are particularly important, as are those leaders’ responses to ‘litmus tests’ devised by individual decision-makers. The subjective credibility hypothesis posits that decision-makers’ preexisting world views and theoretical expectations exert a disproportionate impact on their perceptions of adversary intentions. Leaders tend to see what they expect to see. Consequently, they are relatively unreceptive to incoming information that does not fit their world views; they are slow to update their beliefs in response to new information; and decision-makers with different pre-existing beliefs or world views generally make different inferences about intentions based on new information. The organizational expertise hypothesis posits that intelligence organizations rely on different indicators to assess the adversary’s long-term intentions than do political leaders. Given organizational missions, goals, and expertise, intelligence organizations prioritize the assessment of adversary capabilities, and they tend to assess adversary intentions through the prism of those capabilities. Yarhi-Milo makes a serious effort to engage leading alternative theories of how states assess the long-term intentions of the adversary. From the literature she identifies the ‘capabilities thesis,’ the ‘strategic military doctrine thesis,’ and the ‘behavior thesis.’ The capabilities thesis is drawn from offensive realist theory and posits that uncertainty about the current and future intentions of the adversary leads state actors to make worst-case assumptions and base their assessment of adversary intentions on adversary capabilities. Increases in adversary capabilities are assumed to reflect an increase in the hostility of intentions, while slow-downs in military build-ups are assumed to reflect a turn toward more benign intentions. The strategic military doctrine thesis suggests that the adversary’s military doctrine (offensive, defensive, or deterrent, for example), military deployments, and public declaratory statements reveal information about its intentions. The behavior thesis posits that state actors focus on non-capability-related adversary actions as diagnostic indicators of intentions. These actions might include military conquests, interventions, and withdrawals, and decisions to join or exit international organizations or arms control agreements, among other things. Yarhi-Milo distinguishes between current actions (undertaken by the current political leadership) or past actions (undertaken by a prior leadership), in an attempt to evaluate whether inferences about intentions are specific to a particular adversary leader or more generally valid for the adversary state. Each of the reviewers offers substantial praise for Knowing the Adversary. David Edelstein argues that the book is likely to be a “go-to work” in the study of adversary intentions. Jennifer Sims praises Yarhi-Milo for her “bold leap” over the longstanding, wide, and seemingly unbridgeable gap between theories of intelligence and theories of international politics. Jeffrey Taliaferro argues that this is a “superb book.” I agree. Knowing the Adversary is an important contribution both to the theoretical literature on the assessment of intentions and to the historiography of three important cases of threat assessment. Each of the reviewers raises some issues, of course, and to these I now turn. David Edelstein identifies five major issues. The first three have to do with time, capabilities, and uncertainty. Edelstein notes that Yarhi-Milo focuses on the adversary’s “long-term” intentions, which she defines as “longer than a week or two into the future” (263, fn. 2). Edelstein questions the analytic utility of this dichotomous conception of short-term and long-term, and argues that a more differentiated categorization of the long term would be preferable.[2] He hypothesizes that the longer the time horizons, the greater the reliance on more general adversary characteristics like ideology and the less reliance on specific behavioral indicators. As for capabilities, Edelstein accepts the argument that capabilities do not automatically determine intentions. He argues, however, that Yarhi-Milo underestimates the extent to which material capabilities nonetheless constrain intentions, a point raised by other reviewers. That is, capabilities are necessary to implement intentions but not sufficient to determine those intentions. Edelstein also emphasizes the inadequate attention Yarhi-Milo gives to the role of uncertainty. He notes that although Yarhi-Milo’s historical analyses occasionally mention the high degree of uncertainty that analysts attached to their estimates, she fails to integrate uncertainty into her theoretical analysis.[3] Edelstein applies the themes of time, capabilities, and uncertainty to Yarhi-Milo’s efforts to establish congruence between beliefs about intentions and the policies that follow, while recognizing that this is not Yarhi-Milo’s primary aim in the book. Edelstein ends with a set of methodological issues, including the question of case selection, noting that all three of Yarhi-Milo’s cases focus on democracies assessing the intentions of non-democracies. Jeffrey Taliaferro also raises the case selection issue, and I return to it later. Jennifer Sims focuses on a number of definitional and conceptual issues. She argues, first of all, that Yarhi-Milo fails to provide a clear definition of her central concept of ‘intentions.’ She points out that governments often do not know what they intend to do, especially over an extended period of time, and that this fact needs to be incorporated into the definition of intention.[4] Another definitional issue concerns the concept of ‘perceiver’ or ‘decision-maker,’ and how they differ from intelligence organizations. As Sims points out, Yarhi-Milo restricts her organizational expertise hypothesis to joint intelligence community products, not to individual or agency-level perceivers. This generates some additional theoretical issues. It suggests the possibility of a gap between the assessments of joint intelligence products and the assessments of individual heads of agencies – with the former being shaped primarily by estimates of capabilities (reflecting the expertise of intelligence organizations) and the latter being subject to some of the same affective and cognitive biases affecting decision-makers. A related issue emerges from the fact that some political leaders previously served as the head of an intelligence organization, and some of them were deeply socialized and trained in those organizations. This raises the question of whether their earlier training has any influence on their threat assessments when they become political decision-makers, or whether they make a clean break. The implication of Knowing the Enemy would seem to be that Vladimir Putin’s sixteen years in the KGB had no impact on the analytic framework he later employed during his role as Russian president and prime minister. Turning to democratic leaders, did Ehud Barak’s many years in Israeli military intelligence affect his assessments of adversary intentions while later serving as prime minister? Similarly, did George H. W. Bush’s role of director of the Central Intelligence Agency influence his assessments of adversary intentions while he was president? Did Robert Gates many years of experience in the CIA, including his role as director, affect his assessments of adversary intentions while he was secretary of defense? Sims also raises the question of how political decision-makers interact with intelligence agencies. She argues that this interaction goes beyond Yarhi-Milo’s emphasis on decision-makers’ reading of formal and joint intelligence products to include their contact with individuals at different levels of the intelligence organization. That interaction varies with the nature of the issue, the pace of decision-making, the availability of sources on adversary intentions, and (presumably) on personal contacts. Sims also emphasizes the point raised by Edelstein about the importance of the time horizons associated with a particular issue, arguing that the most useful indicators of adversary intentions vary depending on the time horizons of interest.[5] She also argues that if the most useful indicators for a particular analysis – human intelligence, for example – are not be available, intelligence analysts tend to resort to capabilities. Sims ends by briefly articulating her own views, based on many years of experience in the intelligence community, of the keys to success in intelligence analysis. Like Edelstein and Sims, Jeffrey Taliaferro also raises the question of whether Yarhi-Milo underestimates the role of capabilities in assessments of long-term adversary intentions. Taliaferro is sympathetic to the role of psychological factors, but he emphasizes the difficulty of empirically disentangling decision-makers’ subjective assessments of the intentions of the adversary from their perceptions about the current balance of power and about trends in relative power. He notes that there is a high correlation between shifts in relative power and assessments of adversary intentions in all of Yarhi-Milo’s cases.[6] In both the British-German case of the 1930s and the U.S.-Soviet case of the late 1970s, he argues, individuals and organizations in the democratic state perceived an adverse shift in relative power and moved toward a more “malign” interpretation of the adversary’s intentions.[7] In contrast, the late 1980s witnessed both an objective shift in power in favor of the United States and a shift toward more benign U.S. perceptions of the Soviet Union. Taliaferro also notes, in a point that echoes Edelstein’s concerns about case selection, the limited variation in the nature of the entity whose intentions are being assessed: each is a longstanding adversarial state of the democratic state. Taliaferro suggests that it would be useful for future research to examine perceptions of the intentions of actors posing novel types of security threats, such as transnational terrorist networks. Having summarized the reviewers’ critiques of Knowing the Adversary, I would now like to add some comments of my own. These comments, like those of the reviewers, are made in the context of great admiration for the book and appreciation of its contribution to our understanding of how states assess the long-term intentions of the adversary. It is important to emphasize, first of all, that each of the three competing theories of assessments of intentions that Yarhi-Milo identifies – the adversary capabilities, strategic military doctrine, and behavior hypotheses – is a rational unitary actor theory. Their unitary actor assumption leads to the prediction of the absence of variation in assessments of adversary intentions across political leaders or between political leaders and intelligence organizations. Moreover, each assumes a rationalist costly signaling model of assessment of intentions. Given incentives for deception in international politics, the only words and actions of the adversary that reveal information are those that incur some costs for the adversary – costs that either constrain its future actions or involve an expenditure of resources that cannot be recovered. ‘Cheap talk’ is not credible.[8] This rationalist signaling modeling is now the conventional wisdom in most international relations research communities on international conflict. Knowing the Adversary should be read as a critique of this conventional wisdom. It constructs an alternative theory of the assessment of long-term intentions, one that is non-unitary and, for the most part, non-rational.[9] Others have advanced theoretical arguments about the limitations of costly signaling model, but the extensive and systematic evidence provided in Yarhi-Milo’s historical case studies sets Knowing the Adversary apart from previous work. Yarhi-Milo also makes a distinctive and important new theoretical contribution to the literature by emphasizing the importance of personal impressions from face-to-face meetings and by specifying the psychological mechanisms that help explain the impact of those impressions on the perceiver. Although historians have occasionally emphasized the importance of personal impressions in individual cases,[10] this factor has been generally neglected in the theoretical literature. The causal importance of personal impressions relates to my point in the previous paragraph about costly signals: because political leaders can do a great deal to manipulate the impressions they convey in face-to-face meetings, information and interpretations derived from those impressions should not be particularly credible. Nonetheless, Yarhi-Milo demonstrates that decision-makers often give this this information considerably more weight than it warrants in terms of its evidentiary value. Yarhi-Milo makes another important theoretical contribution by analytically separating political decision-makers and intelligence organizations. Analyses that fail to make this distinction – which include any analysis based on the capabilities, strategic military doctrine, or behavior theses described by Yarhi-Milo – cannot explain situations in which political leaders and intelligence organizations come up with different estimates of adversary intentions, or in which political leaders ignore intelligence estimates and substitute their own judgments. These situations are sufficiently common – most readers can probably think of examples beyond Yarhi-Milo’s three cases – to suggest the limitations of any unitary actor model of threat assessment and to highlight the utility of analytically separating political leaders from intelligence organizations. The utility of distinguishing between political decision-makers and intelligence organizations is evident in any attempt to explore the question – often asked by students of intelligence – of whether intelligence shapes policy or whether policy shapes intelligence. The failure to distinguish between political decision-makers and intelligence organizations leads to the failure to recognize two quite distinct causal mechanisms underlying the policy-drives-intelligence hypothesis. One involves a political mechanism – the politicization of intelligence, or top-down pressure by political leaders on intelligence agencies and analysts to shape intelligence to support the leaders’ policy preferences.[11] The other involves a psychological mechanism – the motivated biases (or motivated reasoning) of political leaders, where a political leader’s preferences for a particular policy may lead them to see what they want to see, to rationalize their pre-existing policy preferences. These are analytically distinct processes. Among other things, the first can be explained by a rational model; the second cannot. Despite the utility of Yarhi-Milo’s theoretical framework for facilitating the differentiation between these two different paths to an outcome in which policy influences intelligence, Yarhi-Milo gives little emphasis to either the politicization of intelligence or to the role of motivated biases in her theoretical analysis of the assessment of intentions. Let me begin with the politicization of intelligence hypothesis. This hypothesis clearly does not fit Yarhi-Milo’s vividness hypothesis, subjective credibility hypothesis, or the capabilities focus of the organizational expertise hypothesis, nor any of the three alternative explanations, each of which posits a unitary rational actor. Yet we can surely think of cases for which the politicization of intelligence hypothesis is a leading candidate for explanation. As Robert Jervis argues with respect to the political mechanism, “Policy often drives intelligence as much as intelligence drives policy.”[12] Many argue, for example, that pressure by the George W. Bush administration on the Central Intelligence Agency contributed significantly to flawed U.S. estimates of the Iraqi nuclear weapons program.[13] Yarhi-Milo briefly mentions the politicization interpretation in her discussion of British intelligence agencies’ assessments of German intentions. She notes that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain strategically used estimates from the Chiefs of Staff that supported his policy preferences, but argues that “there is no evidence, however, that Chamberlain intentionally manipulated British intelligence to reach these conclusions” (108).[14] This is an important analytic distinction, and her conclusion that Chamberlain did not attempt to influence the intelligence product is an important piece of the story of British intelligence in the late 1930s. Still, I would have preferred that the politicization hypothesis be explicitly mentioned in the theoretical section as an alternative explanation that needs to be considered. It probably does not play a role in the majority of cases, but it may play an important role in some cases, and it needs to be put on the radar screen of the empirical investigator. I now turn to the motivated reasoning argument. This hypothesis does not fit the subjective credibility hypothesis, which is grounded in strictly cognitive rather than motivated biases, or the organizational expertise hypothesis. Although the vividness hypothesis, like the motivated reasoning argument, does incorporate affective factors, those affective factors relate to face-to-face meetings and personal litmus tests, which are different than motivated reasoning. One can dig one step deeper, however, and ask how political decision-makers form their personal impressions of adversary leaders in their face-to-face meetings. One possibility is that leaders’ personal impressions are significantly influenced by motivated reasoning. Leaders go into meetings with adversary leaders with certain policy preferences. In those meetings they may subconsciously form impressions that help to reinforce those policy preferences. Such impressions may also help minimize any cognitive dissonance that might result from preferring one policy but viewing the adversary leader in a way that would contradict that policy.[15] That is, in their face-to-face meetings there may be some tendency for leaders to see what they want to see. If so, we could posit a causal chain leading from policy preferences to motivated reasoning to personal impressions. This is not to say that this is the only mechanism shaping the formation of personal impressions, but that it is one of several alternatives. Although Yarhi-Milo does not address this possibility of a more generalized motivated reasoning hypothesis in her theoretical analysis, she mentions this alternative interpretation in her analysis of Chamberlain’s assessments of German intentions. She notes the possibility that the Prime Minister’s views may have been influenced by motivated biases, but she concludes that he was instead influenced by his personal impressions. She does not consider the possibility that motivated biases might have shaped Chamberlain’s personal impressions (88). Later, in what looks like a possible contradiction, she includes Chamberlain’s “motivated defensive avoidance” (a form of motivated bias) among several factors reinforcing his selective attention to information about German intentions (92). It is not surprising that Yarhi-Milo gives only brief attention to motivated reasoning (or to politicization, for that matter), given that selective attention thesis points us in other directions and provides little reason to focus on this factor in empirical analysis. My point is that motivated reasoning can be integrated into the vividness hypothesis, and that this theoretical refinement would have led to a sharper empirical analysis of the possible role of motivated reasoning in the assessment of adversary intentions. This is not to say that motivated biases necessarily played an important role. In fact, Yarhi-Milo’s discussion of how Neville Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, and Lord Halifax, who succeeded Eden as Foreign Secretary, reacted to their face-to-face meetings with German Chancellor Adolph Hitler provides some evidence that works against any motivated reasoning interpretation. Two comparisons are particularly revealing. First, although Chamberlain had fairly strong policy preferences going into the meetings with Hitler at Munich, Eden did not, yet they each came away with quite positive impressions of Hitler and of his willingness to reach a negotiated settlement (81). Halifax’s policy preferences were initially closer to Chamberlain’s, but after the meeting with Hitler at Godesberg in September 1938 Halifax’s perceptions of Hitler’ intentions shifted much more significantly than did Chamberlain’s. Halifax concluded that Chamberlain had been excessively influenced by Hitler’s assurances (73). Yarhi-Milo’s affect-based vividness hypothesis and cognitive-based subjective credibility hypothesis, along with the motivated reasoning hypothesis, each emphasize individual belief systems and reflect an individual psychological model of judgment and decision-making. One might ask about the role of shared beliefs in the processes of assessment of adversary intentions. These shared beliefs might be the product of a societal-level ideology or cultural frames, or an organizational-level strategic culture.[16] Theoretically, these shared beliefs and cultural frames are often associated with constructivism.[17] In a footnote (269, fn 56) Yarhi-Milo refers to constructivism and explains why she does not incorporate changes in ideology or domestic practices into her analysis. She mentions the example of a convergence in two countries’ ideologies and domestic practices, which should lead to more positive assessments by each state of the other’s intentions, and argues that the predictions of this hypothesis should be indistinguishable from those of the behavior thesis. Fair enough. But ideologies, identities, domestic practices, and norms might affect assessments in another way. By shaping political leaders’ beliefs about the adversary or about causal relationships in international relations, they can influence how leaders process information about adversary intentions. More specifically, ideological and cultural frames can lead to selective attention to information, anchoring on pre-existing beliefs shaped by those frames, and to inefficient updating in response to new information. In one sense, this shared beliefs hypothesis fits perfectly into Yarhi-Milo’s subjective credibility hypothesis of the selective attention thesis. One difference, however, is that shared beliefs would predict minimal variation in assessments across political leaders. One of Yarhi-Milo’s important findings is that there are often substantial variations in assessments of adversary intentions across decision-makers. One cannot be too confident in generalizing from these three cases, however, and the investigator must be open to the possibility that selective attention to information might be driven by shared beliefs and cultural frames. One such case might be the Israeli intelligence failure of 1973. One of the leading interpretations of that failure traces it to a collective mindset that resulted in selective attention |
the month so I don't believe that giving me free data helps me at all, and especially not on a Sunday either," he said.
Business customers can contact Telstra for compensation, which it says it will consider on a case-by-case basis.MASON COUNTY, MI - A Silly String incident at a Walmart store has resulted in retail fraud charges against a couple who made a mess with the canned string.
The Muskegon couple entered the store outside of Ludington and commenced to get in a "fight" with the Silly String, said Mason County Sheriff Kim C. Cole. They allegedly ended up emptying "multiple" cans of the string - which comes out of an aerosol can - in multiple aisles of the store, Cole said.
"It sounds like they did make quite a mess," he said.
Employees of the store demanded the couple pay for the cans they used, Cole said.
"They opted just to leave rather than pay," the sheriff said.
And so a sheriff's deputy responded, nabbing the couple nearby and throwing them in jail for retail fraud.
Free on bond are Samantha Christiansen, 26, and Derek Gomez, 24, both of Muskegon, according to the sheriff's office.
"They're certainly old enough to know better," Cole said.
Misdemeanor third degree retail fraud -- stealing products worth up to $200 from a store -- is punishable by up to 93 days in jail or a fine up to $500 or three times the value of the items taken - whichever is greater.
Silly String sells for about $3 a can.
Lynn Moore is a reporter for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email her at lmoore8@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.It’s been two months now since Hope left.
Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, and sometimes it feels like it was a lifetime ago.
Today, it’s feeling like yesterday… And the pain feels just as fresh too. Honestly there are still some days where it hurts just as much as it did the day she left.
Usually it’s the days when I see her in a commercial on TV. Or when her face is plastered on a billboard somewhere. Or she’s on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store. Some days, it’s like I can’t escape. I see her everywhere. Vibrant and happy and beautiful… Every single time I see her face, it’s just a reminder of all we lost. Everything we left behind.
Sometimes it makes me so damn angry. It makes me wonder how she could have just left me like that. I feel like she threw everything away. Like she picked her career over me. Like our love wasn’t really enough for her. Wasn’t worth fighting for…
And other times, it just makes me sad. Guilty. How could I have treated her so terribly? How could I have ruined everything and pushed her away? She never deserved any of it. I know she didn’t. And that’s how I know she’s better off without me now.
There are still times I wanna talk to her though. I could if I really wanted to. I still have her number. We’re still friends on Facebook (even though I have all her posts hidden). But I know it’s too soon. Neither of us are ready to talk yet. Hell, maybe we never will be.
And it’s thoughts like that that still kill me.
I guess in a weird way though, even if things aren’t getting any better, they’re getting easier. I’m kind of used to the pain by now. It’s still there, but it’s not affecting me the same way it used to. I’ve been cooking again. I leave the apartment a little more than I did before… Little stuff like that. ‘Small victories’, Ur-Oma calls them. She says they’re the first steps toward the big ones.
And I’m really hoping tomorrow will be a step toward victory too…
I finally sucked it up and did it. I booked an appointment with a shrink. My first one since I was a little kid. And as much as I hate to admit it, I’m fucking terrified. Just thinking about it makes me wanna puke.
I emailed him a couple times before I made the appointment, and we talked on the phone once. He seems like he won’t be so bad, maybe. And he’s a little younger than I’d thought he was gonna be. Which I think makes it less weird. Maybe. Or weirder. I dunno.
I’m still not even sure exactly what we’re gonna talk about. I’ve never been good at talking about my feelings or any of that crap. It’s easy to write about, sure. I could make a huge list of all the shit that’s wrong with me right now. How depressed I’m feeling about Hope, how angry I am all the time, how stubborn and jealous I can be, how goddamn scared I am of letting everybody down…
God, I’m such a fucking mess. Ur-Oma was right. I have a lot of shit I need to figure out. And as much as I fucking hate it, I know I can’t do it on my own. I’ve tried. And I can’t. I just wish asking for help didn’t suck so damn much.
And until I figure out this whole therapy thing, I’ve decided to wait a little longer before I start doing anything else with the restaurant. Just a couple months or something… And this time, it’s not just some dumb excuse. I just really need to figure out how to fix myself first before I worry about anything like that. All it’s been doing is adding more stress. More shit to worry about. And I have enough of that on my own.
I just wish I could have figured that out a long time ago. Maybe things could have been different. Maybe I could have already started my restaurant by now. Maybe Hope would still be here with me. Maybe I’d actually be happy.
I can’t go back and change the past now. There’s no way for me to ever know for sure how things could have been, but I think I’ll always wonder.
Anyway, the point is that this whole thing still sucks. And I really really didn’t wanna cave and resort to seeing a shrink. But I figure it couldn’t hurt to at least try taking everybody’s advice. What’s the worst that could happen?
I mean, I already lost the love of my life.
What the hell else is there to lose?
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Writing a major studio franchise is a lot of pressure. If the movie bombs, you’ll get blamed, by the studio, by fans, and by critics, and the pressure is only more intense if you love the franchise in question. So, yeah, Simon Pegg nearly bailed on writing Star Trek Beyond a few times.
Pegg’s currently promoting his romantic comedy Man Up, and as a result, is mostly being asked questions about Star Trek. Talking about the writing process, Pegg had this to say:
Funny, I remember there was a line in Spaced about certainty. I said, ‘As sure as eggs is eggs, as sure as day follows night, as sure as every odd-numbered Star Trek movie is shit …’ – and I am now writing Star Trek 13. I quit like three times, I think. Every time, J. J. Abrams said, ‘Oh come on, Simon …’
At least he now has a breakdancing Idris Elba to relieve his anxiety. Really, between Idris’ dancing and his unparalleled motivational speaking skills, any rewrites for this movie should be a snap.
(via Sydney Morning Herald)A 21-year-old man's decision to take the potent psychedelic drug NBOMe nearly cost him his life.
A former university student who spent more than a week in a coma after taking the potent psychedelic drug NBOMe had to learn to eat and walk again.
The 21-year-old man, who would only give his name as Michael, has spoken publicly for the first time about the experience that nearly ended his life last year to warn others about the dangers of taking psychoactive substances.
Michael's father spent many hours in Christchurch Hospital wondering whether his son would ever wake up and did not believe the penalty for supplying drugs like NBOMe, also known as "N-Bomb", was tough enough.
SUPPLIED A 21-year-old man lies in a coma at Christchurch Hospital after taking the potent psychedelic drug NBOMe last year.
Michael was with a friend in a forest near the Ashley River, north of Christchurch, last year, when he took the synthetic drug, which mimics lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
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* Drink spiked with 'N-bomb': Terrifying two-day trip
Within seconds he was convulsing and had become incoherent.
NBOMe is a powerful psychedelic drug that has been linked to deaths overseas.
"The last thing I remember was having a full out-of-body experience like I left my body and... I felt like there was some other force putting me on the scales deciding whether I should live or die," he said this week.
Michael was flown to Christchurch Hospital where he spent at least 10 days in a coma. During that time his kidneys shut down and his life hung in the balance. His friends and family wept at his bedside.
"It kind of shattered my world," Michael's father said.
"The biggest thing was walking into the room when he finally did recover consciousness and seeing... his eyes light up and... [hearing] the words 'I love you Dad'. I'll never forget that."
Michael said he had to learn to eat and walk again after he was discharged from hospital.
Physically and mentally he had recovered from the ordeal but his immune system was still weak and he often got sick.
Michael said he had not taken recreational drugs since and likely never would ever again.
"I still see a lot of people... taking these drugs even though they've seen what I've been through. It's very frustrating knowing it's so easy... for the same thing to happen [to someone else]. They say they know what they're putting in their body, but really they don't," he said.
"[Psychoactive substances] are not something that should be messed with."
Michael said he could not remember how he sourced the NBOMe, because the experience had erased that part of his memory. However, he thought he was buying another hallucinogenic psychoactive substance called DMT.
"The people are just selling them [drugs] to get a quick buck and not realising the effects they can have," he said.
Police arrested Jacob Douglas Wanhalla, from Kainga, in connection with the drugs Michael took last year.
Wanhalla later admitted selling a psychoactive substance and was sentenced to community work and supervision.
Michael's father said the penalty for supplying unapproved psychoactive substances (a maximum of two years imprisonment) needed to be harsher to deter dealers.
"I would encourage people to talk to their kids about them [the drugs] and if at all possible explain the effects and the possible outcome. It's terrible stuff. Try and keep your kids safe."
New Zealand Drug Foundation chief executive Ross Bell said the country's black market was "swamped" by unknown and "probably very dangerous" substances that were being sold as drugs like cannabis, LSD and ecstasy.
Harsher penalties had not stopped New Zealand's drug problem previously, Bell said. He believed users needed to be supplied with better information about new drugs on the black market.
Officials have previously said NBOMe should be treated like LSD – a class A controlled drug along with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine (P)
Work was under way to have it reclassified under the Misuse of Drugs Act, they said.
Last week, police in Christchurch seized many kilograms of synthetic cannabis worth potentially millions of dollars.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Stewart said the investigation, which had interrupted a major South Island supply chain, was ongoing.
WHAT IS NBOME?
NBOMe is a potent series of synthetic hallucinogenic drugs that have been linked to deaths overseas.
The most common substances in the group are 25I-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe and 25C-NBOMe.
They are often sold in blotter tabs by drug dealers as LSD because its effects are very similar. They can also be sold in capsules, tablets or bags of powder.
NBOMe emerged in New Zealand in 2012.WASHINGTON—Overwhelmed by the frustration of being utterly unable to solve any of the numerous difficult problems it faces, a worn-out nation finally broke down Thursday morning and begged its smart people to please just fix everything now.
Admitting they had "absolutely no idea what the fuck [they were] doing," millions of Americans immediately ceased trying to manage the country's large-scale, ongoing disasters and pleaded with U.S. scientists, economists, educators, philosophers, and inventors to intervene and make things better again.
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"You are good at doing things, and we are bad, okay? We admit it," said Cincinnati-area executive Robert Everhart, who belongs to the growing consortium of citizens desperately asking America's qualified people to take it from here. "So we're begging you, please grab hold of the reins. We know we said we didn't need to read any books or have a lot of expertise to do this stuff, but we were wrong. We need your help, and we need it bad."
"Obviously we've messed things up pretty severely, but we're fairly certain you can fix them back up," Everhart added. "You guys are really smart."
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Acknowledging they lacked the know-how to put anything together without it all falling apart again in a matter of seconds, millions of ordinary Americans implored the nation's skilled individuals to just use their knowledge to end the financial crisis, manage the health care industry, determine which human beings are actually fit to hold political office, teach the nation's children, and enact overarching policy decisions that serve the greater good.
Citizens across the nation also promised to stay completely out of the way while those people who actually have some idea what they're doing roll up their sleeves and get down to the bottom of all this. In addition, the competent have been issued assurances they will not be hindered by irrelevant, totally uninformed opinions while they are getting things done.
"You won't hear a single word out of us, we swear," said Chicago real-estate broker Paul Linder, mentioning that smart people can have all the time and resources they need to make the necessary repairs to society. "We're going to keep our attention where it's best suited by watching some T.V., surfing the Internet, or maybe trying to mend that fence of mine that's been falling down for so long. That kind of thing is really more our speed."
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"Although, actually, if you guys could help out with the fence, that would be great," Linder added.
According to Beltway insiders, the phenomenon has spread to the highest levels of the U.S. government, with hundreds of lawmakers crumpling up all bills currently under debate and claiming that pervasive problems related to unemployment, a crumbling infrastructure, and energy crises should probably be left to people who know some things about that stuff.
In the hours following the country's desperate pleas, the 2012 Republican presidential candidates issued statements agreeing that the United States was in pretty bad shape right now and that it would indeed be best to start letting people with a track record of accomplishment act on the nation's behalf.
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"As anyone who listens to me for even two seconds can tell you, I'm no expert when it comes to pretty much anything," Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said. "That's why I promise voters that as president, I will make it my top priority to just hang back and let smart people take care of everything."
"Come to think of it, though, I'm not really qualified to give an opinion on this or any other issue," Perry continued. "I should probably just shut the fuck up now and go away."Google Glass Apps Get New (Giant) Landing Pages in Glassware Directory
Check out the official Glassware directory when you get a moment. It looks the same on the surface, but there’s a huge change just one click away:
Individual apps now have dedicated landing pages (with unique URLs) with gigantic images. The Swingbyte app (shown above), for example, can be found at this URL — glass.google.com/glassware/10402899337386778219 — and has a couple beautiful golfing-with-Glass images that you can scroll between.
The new landing pages ares actually a bit too big (and I’m on a 32-inch monitor), but overall it’s a much better presentation of the individual apps that are available — way better than the small pop-up window that used to activate when clicking an app’s card in the directory.What does Sarah Paulson remember about the first time she kissed a girl? “Nothing that I’m going to tell you!” she teases, laughing as if to say “nice try.”
Not that the actress’ entire life is a secret. It hasn’t been.
In 2005, when then-girlfriend Cherry Jones was named a winner at the Tony Awards, Paulson planted a sweet kiss on Jones’ lips. But the 40-year-old acting dynamo isn’t one to kiss and tell – a practice extending to many aspects of her public life, which she’s regulated for a reason: so as not to distract from the stories she’s a part of telling.
Those stories are wide-ranging. In addition to her chameleonic roles in Ryan Murphy’s FX hit “American Horror Story,” where she’s currently playing a hip ’80s-inspired druggie named Sally, she stars as Cate Blanchett’s former flame, Abby, in writer-director Todd Haynes’ powerful lesbian love story “Carol.” In the film, Blanchett plays a married woman with a passionate desire for a department store clerk named Therese (Rooney Mara). But it’s the 1950s – homosexuality is taboo, and the closet doors are closed.
Paulson’s story, however, is a different one. And the doors? They’re mostly open.
How do you reflect on your accidental coming out?
I was very young, and I was in love. It was the reality of the person I was with. She just won a Tony Award – I’m not gonna pat her on the back, give her the big thumbs up and say, “Go up there and get your award, sweetie.” It was not a really conscious thought. I didn’t think of what the implications were gonna be. I just did what was true and honest to me in that moment.
The truth of the matter is, it was early enough in my career that there have been no attachments made to me as a performer. I think the thing that makes it somewhat easier in terms of there not having been ramifications is that I’m a character actress – nobody is assigning a particular kind of sexual anything to me, I don’t think. Maybe that’s totally not true (laughs). But it just seems if you’re sort of known for being a sex kitten and that’s how you come on the scene, and then you end up being a total femme fatale actress, and then all of a sudden you make a statement about your sexuality, it becomes news. Whereas I’m a character actress; I can do a lot of things. I don’t think anybody’s made one particular association with me that would then make them go, “Well, I can’t see her this way now.”
You do seem to put your career before your personal life.
I do think it’s more important, and I know that Matt Damon got a terrible amount of flak for the way he phrased those things (earlier this year, he said: “People shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”), but the sentiment is still true: My personal life… I’m not gonna hide it from you, but I also don’t want you to think about that before you think about the character I’m playing. And so I want that to be of paramount importance – it’s of paramount importance to me that you believe the story I’m trying to be a part of telling you, and if my personal life is going to get in the way of that, I don’t like that at all.
Have you been strategic, then, in what you reveal to the public?
The thing with Cherry was very accidental. And, again, I was very young. If it happened to me today, I don’t know what I would do necessarily. I really don’t. I think what I’d like to think is that I would just be who I am and whomever I was with, if I had won an award or they had won award or if it was some kind of public thing, I would not do what I would do simply because I was afraid of being revealed. I don’t think that would be a choice I would make. But I think it was hard a bit because when she and I broke up (in 2009) there were some public statements said by her in, I think, an accidental way that ended up being hurtful to me, so I’ve been very kind of careful now about what I’m willing to talk about in terms of specifics.
So, it’s not been strategic; it’s been life experience. I’ve learned lessons, and therefore I behave in different ways now, and they are not in ways I’m upset about or ways that I think are not good. But like for Therese in “Carol,” you live and you learn and you come into your own and you start to be responsible for your own power and your own choices and what you’re willing to reveal. At the end of the day, I put enough of my interior life on camera when I’m acting by giving as much of myself as I possibly can – I don’t have to give everything to everyone.
Did working on a movie about repressed sexuality have you reflecting on your own sexuality?
What it really made me think about is the power of love and how, at the end of the day, love is love, period. The end. It sounds cliche, but I think most cliches are cliches because they’re very, very true. And it’s very interesting, because I’ve been with men and women, and (the movie) puts a very fine point on that truth, which is that it’s very personal and that love is love, and sometimes you love a person you weren’t expecting to love – and how glorious is that?
How would you describe Abby’s relationship with Carol?
Carol and Abby were former lovers, for sure. But it was brief and it was much more meaningful to Abby than it was to Carol. In the scene with Cate at the bar, when we’re having our martinis and I say, “I hope you know what you’re doing,” about Therese, I basically say, we can just go back and have that furniture store in New Jersey and Carol basically says no. That is my 1952 way of saying, “Let’s try this again.” It’s code for, “Let’s make out.” Carol doesn’t want that with Abby. For me, what I was interested in portraying and making sure was there was that sort of sadness that Abby has – that light and love for Carol that’s not reciprocated – but still, that she would rather be in Carol’s orbit in any way that she can be, so she will be a friend to her no matter what.
You’ve been so matter of fact about your sexuality since unintentionally coming out in 2005. How have you escaped becoming a pillar for the LGBT community?
Because I refuse to give any kind of label just to satisfy what people need. I understand that everybody wants to have a person to look toward that is actively making change around this issue, and I understand for young people coming out they want to attach that hope to a particular person, but I think that honesty is the most important piece of this for me.
All I can say is, I’ve done both, and I don’t let either experience define me. I don’t let having been with a man make me think I am heterosexual, or make me want to call myself that, because I know I have been attracted to women – and have lived with women. So, for me, I’m not looking to define myself, and I’m sorry if that is something that is seen as a rejection of or an unwillingness to embrace (my sexuality) in a public way, but it’s simply not. It’s simply what’s true for me, and that’s all I can speak to.
I can’t speak to how anybody’s experience about this works for them or how they got there or where their comfort zone lies. I would never want that for anyone, and I would never want anyone to ask that of me. And simply because I’m somewhat of a public person doesn’t mean that I then have a responsibility to give you what you want simply because you think I should.
Do you think there is pressure on LGBT celebrities to be activists?
I do, and I think sometimes within the community itself people are like, “You have a responsibility to it – young people need the voices, we need the voices, we need people to see it.” And I get it. But my reality is different than your reality. I have had different experiences. I can meet a man tomorrow and fall in love with him and marry him and I wouldn’t discount any of the experiences that I’ve had with women, or vice versa. I just don’t think anyone is in a position to dictate what that is for me. I understand why the call is what the call is, and that’s also why I don’t hide it. I don’t pretend it’s not true. It’s just, I have to be honest about what’s true for me, that things kind of coexist.
How do you feel about the way Cate Blanchett reacted to the idea that because she’s playing a woman attracted to other women she must have had relationships with women?
I think it’s very interesting – all of it, really. Is anyone asking George Clooney what he likes about having sex with a woman? Nobody does. It’s a foregone conclusion that it’s just an acceptable reality and nobody thinks to bother to ask. But you have a story about two women together or two men together and all of a sudden it becomes fair game and assumptions are made that are just never made in the reverse, and I just think it’s terribly unfair. I don’t know what her reaction was, but I hope it was, “Bugger off!”
Why is anyone making assumptions about anything about anybody’s life? It’s a funny thing when actors complain, like, “I didn’t ask for this; I just wanted to act.” Well, in a perfect world we’d all just be able to act and none of this would be part of it, but it is a part of it – this is part of it – and on some level, it comes with the territory. But on another level, you can be responsible and you can control what you will talk about and what you won’t talk about. Either you live your life in a very private way or you don’t, and I never have done that – ever – and I won’t do it going forward. I also won’t serve it up on a platter for someone to feast on, because it’s mine.
Let’s talk about “American Horror Story: Hotel,” in which you’re currently starring. And you’ve been on the show since the beginning, in 2011. Are you seeing it through to the end?
If they’ll have me. They’re gonna have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming. It’s gonna be “American Horror Story” Season 720 and I’ll be an 80-year-old woman going, “This is the greatest job in the world.” I will be around as long as they’ll have me – absolutely.
Both “AHS” and “Carol” are associated with sexuality in some way or another. As an actress, are you drawn to roles related to sexuality?
As human beings we are very fascinated by sexuality and what it means and who we’re attracted and why, because I think there’s a really big mystery about it. There’s something so unknowable about it, which is part of what makes it so exciting. And I do think this about my career all the time: People think I pick such great jobs – that I picked “12 Years a Slave,” I picked “Carol,” I picked “Game Change.” I auditioned for them and I got the jobs. And so I’ve been lucky – I actually give the credit to Steve McQueen and Todd Haynes and Ryan Murphy and people who saw something in me that they went, “You’re the girl. I want you.” And so, it’s less about choices I’ve made and things I’ve been drawn to – it’s what has been drawn to me.
I can’t believe you still have to audition.
With some things I don’t! There are a lot of things on TV I don’t. And there are some movies I don’t have to. But for “Carol” it was a sought after role and many people wanted it and I had to fight like a dog to get it.
How does it feel without Jessica Lange around for the first time this season?
She and I have been friends for a long time. We did “Glass Menagerie” on Broadway together in 2005, and the whole reason I’m on the show, really, is because of Jessica. I had been at a dinner for Project Angel Food where Jessica was presenting an award to someone and (show creator) Ryan (Murphy) was there, and I was gonna do a play in New York that fell through and so I ended up staying in town. Jessica leaned over to Ryan and said, “Can’t you find something for Sarah to do on the show?” And Ryan, whom I worked for before, went, “Ah, yeah! Actually, I think there’s something coming up,” and it was Billy Dean, the psychic. So, I did it, and that’s how it all started. So I have Jessica to thank for a lot of things, including my run on “American Horror Story.”
We always shared a trailer. Basically, we have these banger trailers, and every cast member has someone on the other side of the wall. And, for me, it was Jessica for three years straight. Now I have one with Kathy and that’s wonderful because I love me some Kathy Bates, but my personal history with Jessica is long, and so I miss having her around because she was my friend – she is my friend. That part isn’t so fun, but I think Lady Gaga is bringing a really wonderful kind of new energy to it – just different energy. It’s not better energy. It’s a different energy, and I think it’s really wonderful.$2 From Every Argos Ticket Sold in June to be Donated to the Pinball Clemons Foundation
For the entire month of June, the Toronto Argonauts will donate $2 from every ticket sold to the Pinball Clemons Foundation, the team announced today.
“As another school year comes to end, we are reminded that not all kids have the same opportunity when it comes to education,” said Michael Copeland, President & CEO of the Toronto Argonauts. “And as we prepare to kickoff another season of Argos Football, we have an opportunity to help empower our youth, by empowering our fans to make a difference. Simply buy a ticket to an Argos game during the month of June and you are helping make a difference in a kid’s life.”
The goal of the Pinball Clemons Foundation is to give a hand up not a hand out to the most disadvantaged youth in our communities. The Foundation believes this is best accomplished through education.
“Football is a tough game but life can be infinitely tougher,” said Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons. “The funds collected will support kids’ right here in our local community. Kids who lack responsible adult allies, youth who don’t have a permanent home and young people for whom the normal school stream is often not possible or practical. The Pinball Clemons Foundation Ambassador School has achieved unprecedented academic success supporting the most underserved kids in Toronto. This is, quite possibly, the best work we do.”
The Argos have also set up a mechanism for anyone who wants to donate the tickets they purchase to underprivileged youth in the Toronto community. To take advantage of this offer, please contact Melissa Robinson at mrobinson@argonauts.ca or 416-341-2787.
Visit Argonauts.ca to buy tickets and help empower youth today.Rafael dos Anjos is the WEC killer. He earned his UFC title shot by knocking out Ben Henderson, won the lightweight title vs. Anthony Pettis, and successfully defended the belt with another win over Donald Cerrone. The first time RDA and Cerrone fought, it was a non-title unanimous decision win for the Brazilian. This time around he needed just 66 seconds to dispatch "Cowboy", and he looked absolutely phenomenal tonight.
For the final time in 2015, here's how the pros reacted on Twitter to a UFC main event.
Que Deus abencoe nosso Campeao, warrrrr @RdosAnjosMMA — rafael natal (@rafaelsaponatal) December 20, 2015
I sparred @RdosAnjosMMA a couple years ago before I fought #ClayGuida & immediately after, I said "he's going to be the next champ." — Dennis Bermudez (@MenaceBermudez) December 20, 2015
Rds looking a lot smaller then his last fight — Chad Laprise (@ChadLaprise) December 20, 2015
Man, @Cowboycerrone looks like a predator ready to atrike! #UFCOrlando — Sara McMann (@Sara_McMann) December 20, 2015
It's time. Go @RdosAnjosMMA Na torcida — THALES LEITES (@thalesleites) December 20, 2015
And still!!!!!!! Congrats to ma boy @RdosAnjosMMA — Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) December 20, 2015
RDA is a fucking beast man wow. DC chokes on title fights keep ur head up homie ur still a #badboy @ufc — Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) December 20, 2015
Alright now we have a super fight for @UFC 200 @TheNotoriousMMA vs @RdosAnjosMMA — Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) December 20, 2015
Excelente. @RdosAnjosMMA representou. Muito merecido. Um monstro. Excellent. And still. Congrats bro. You deserve — THALES LEITES (@thalesleites) December 20, 2015
Dam... Keep your head up homie. — Brandon Thatch (@RUKUSMMA303) December 20, 2015
Damn — The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 20, 2015
Very impressive @RdosAnjosMMA congratulation! — John Makdessi (@JohnMakdessiMMA) December 20, 2015Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and pretty much every other crazy rich tech leader you can imagine have announced that they're banding together to combat climate change with a new partnership called the Breakthrough Energy Coalition. Their timing couldn't be better—or more telling.
Through the partnership, the group's members have committed to use a substantial portion of their hundreds of billions of dollars in collective net worth to invest in early stage clean energy companies.
Zuckerberg wrote a Facebook post Sunday night announcing the partnership, complete with a photo of WIRED's 2010 cover shoot of Zuckerberg and Gates. In the post, Zuckerberg framed clean energy as foundational to solving so many of the world's other problems. "Solving the clean energy problem is an essential part of building a better world," he wrote. "We won't be able to make meaningful progress on other challenges—like educating or connecting the world—without secure energy and a stable climate."
The timing of the announcement coincides with the global climate conference, COP21, taking place in Paris this week, where world leaders including President Barack Obama will convene to discuss their plans to deal with climate change. On one hand, with this timing, the Coalition is capitalizing on the fact that clean energy is on everyone's radar this week. On the other hand, the announcement smacks of a distinctly tech-centric belief, shared by so many in Silicon Valley, that there's only so much that the government leaders gathered at COP21 will ever be able to accomplish without the private sector's help.
In a video explaining his involvement with the coalition, Bill Gates essentially said as much.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/MzDE8rTRqY4
"If you look at where we've had huge success in the past, the government's been there to fund the basic research," he says in the video, adding that the government was critical to funding the research that led to the creation of the Internet. "We need the basic research, but we have to pair that with people who are willing to fund high-risk breakthrough energy companies."
There's no word yet on just how much the members of the coalition—which also include Jack Ma, Meg Whitman, George Soros, and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer—plan to invest. But they say they will fund startups in a range of industries, from agriculture to transportation to electricity storage. They'll also focus the investments on the countries that are part of Mission Innovation—a consortium of 20 countries, including the US, that have committed to doubling their investment in clean energy over the next five years.Thinking about putting the for sale sign in the front yard? Here’s a quick guide to maximize your property’s potential and get show ready this spring.
Step 1: DECLUTTER
Your home should look like a hotel – warm and inviting, but like no one lives there. We know…easier said than done, but making the effort will pay off! Remove personal items like refrigerator magnets, religious statues, children’s artwork, etc. These items detract from what you are trying to highlight- square footage. Eliminate bulky furniture and oversized décor to help the buyer to visualize their belongings in the house. Your countertops should be clear, shelves orderly and closets paired down to the bare necessities. If these spaces appear cluttered the buyer will have concerns about the home’s storage space. Also, accommodating short notice showing requests will be easier with less to tuck away.
Step 2: CLEAN
If the property is not sparkling it appears unkempt, which creates unnecessary buyer concern over major system or structural maintenance. Consider hiring a professional to do a deep clean once you have decluttered. Think beyond the regular light cleaning items – air returns, baseboards, fan |
after 10 weeks of football, Manning currently ranks:
5 th in NFL in passing yards (2,705)
in NFL in passing yards (2,705) 3 rd in NFL in passing TDs (21)
in NFL in passing TDs (21) 1 st in NFL QB Rat (108.0)
in NFL QB Rat (108.0) 5 th in passing yards/game (301)
in passing yards/game (301) 2 nd in competition % (69.7%)
in competition % (69.7%) 6 th overall fantasy QB and 6 th overall fantasy scorer (175 points) averaging 19.4/game
overall fantasy QB and 6 overall fantasy scorer (175 points) averaging 19.4/game In 6 out of 9 games he’s had over 20 or more fantasy points
While Peterson ranks:
1 st in NFL rushing yards (1,128)
in NFL rushing yards (1,128) 3 rd in yards/attempt (5.7) however the two ahead of him (Spiller and RG III) have a combined 168 attempts, while Peterson has 195 himself
in yards/attempt (5.7) however the two ahead of him (Spiller and RG III) have a combined 168 attempts, while Peterson has 195 himself 2 nd in NFL rushing TDs (7)
in NFL rushing TDs (7) 1 st in NFL with rushes over 20+ yards (13) almost double second place (McCoy 7)
in NFL with rushes over 20+ yards (13) almost double second place (McCoy 7) 1 st in yards/game (112.8)
in yards/game (112.8) 7 th overall fantasy scorer, and 1 st RB (164 points) 16.4 ppg
overall fantasy scorer, and 1 RB (164 points) 16.4 ppg 4 games with 20 or more fantasy points
Averaging 157.3 rushing yards/game last 4 weeks
While both have been more than remarkable, who is the most impressive?
I’m giving the slight edge to Peterson, although I do believe that Manning is having an MVP-type season.
Yet, Peterson is a mere 199 yards away from surpassing Jamal Lewis’s 2001 season’s rushing yards when he returned from ACL injury. Not only Lewis’s season, but Peterson is only 632 yards away from surpassing his own season-high of 1,760 yards. In addition, despite the both of them having phenomenal season’s, when you look at stats, AP is the #1 RB in fantasy, that means there is no one better than him right now, while Manning is ranked 6th.
But, taking a step back from statistics it’s the way Peterson continues to play despite his knee. Every time he runs the ball he continues to look for contact, refuses to run out of bounds, cuts and jukes like he’s a rookie again, and looks better than anyone could’ve imagined.
AdvertisementsA banker who claims he was defamed by the makers of The Wolf of Wall Street has won the right to proceed with a $50m lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, according to the New York Daily News.
In February last year, Andrew Greene, who was on the board of directors of Stratton Oakmont, the brokerage firm portrayed as a den of hedonistic excess and impropriety in Martin Scorsese’s film, filed a claim saying the character of Nicky Koskoff (played by PJ Byrne) bore a resemblance to himself. He said that the film-makers’ depiction of Koskoff was damaging to him, citing in court papers the character’s portrayal as a “criminal, drug user, degenerate, depraved and devoid of any morals or ethics”.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Wolf of Wall Street trailer: Scorsese and DiCaprio reunite
Paramount’s lawyers’ claim that the character of Koskoff is an amalgamation of many people mentioned in the Jordan Belfort book on which the film is based, and that it would not be reasonable to identify him as Greene. But New York Eastern District Judge Joanna Seybert said that Greene was arguing “libel by fiction”, and that he need only prove that people he knew could reasonably be expected to associate the character with him.
The Wolf of Wall Street, which was a box office hit and received multiple Oscar nominations in 2014, is based on the tell-all memoir by former Wall Street trader Belfort. In the film, Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) engages in fraud and corruption and uses drugs and prostitutes while working for Stratton Oakmont. Koskoff is one of his cohorts, and is referred to as “Rugrat” in the film because he wears a wig. Greene also wore a hairpiece, but was referred to as “Wigwam”. The film shows Koskoff arrested for money laundering. Greene was never implicated in wrongdoing.
Paramount has responded by denying malice, citing their first amendment rights and admitting that some elements of the character – namely his hair – are derived from Greene, but that the descriptions of the wig as “a piece of shit hairpiece” are factually accurate, so can’t be used in the claim. “Some or all of the allegedly defamatory statements complained of by plaintiff (Greene) are true or substantially true, and thus cannot give rise to any claim against any defendant,” they wrote.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Wolf of Wall Street star Jonah Hill: ‘A part of every one of us wants everything’
The Wolf of Wall Street has proved a popular, if controversial, film since its release. It was the most pirated film of 2014, and was attacked by some critics for glamourising the brokers’ bad behaviour. After its release, Belfort, who served 22 months in prison for securities violations, was pursued by the US government, which sought permission to seize 50% of his $1m (£610,000) rights payments, to pay compensation to his victims. DiCaprio also came under fire for helping to promote Belfort’s motivational speaking career in a video testimonial.And there’s a chance things are about to get a lot worse in the Eureka State.
“There are currently 11 anti-gun bills working their way through the California state legislature and if they all manage to pass California could literally turn into gun owners hell.
“The following updates are from the NRA-ILA on the pending bills. If you’re a California resident now is absolutely the time to act. It’s a sad state of affairs that California residents are forced to be on the defensive to protect what limited gun rights they have remaining.”
Several of these bills are in their final reading, so if you live in California, the pressure’s on you to tell legislators what you want done soon.
Colion has his own website if you’re interested. Take a look if you haven’t already. Otherwise, there’s always Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.
Oh, and you can buy that “No Right to Bear Arms” tee right here.Consumers want the experience of streaming media everywhere, anytime. However, consumers also haven’t given up on live/linear programming, and current ratings support that notion even for Millennials. It’s just that in this case, there is no live/linear streaming currently that can be delivered with consistent high quality, in particular when the audience scales.
The streaming industry struggles when it comes to live/linear programming, especially at scale and high resolution, like 4K, for example. Part of the reason is the reliance on conventional CDN technology, and as part of that, its reliance on the internet. And why? Because this type of distribution is based largely on unmanaged networks (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1
There’s also a lack of motivation for streaming live/linear programming by the “power triangle” of programmers, multi video program distributors (MVPD) and advertisers. This triangle of constituents is resting on their multibillion dollar laurels because, 1) they have a very tight, albeit, highly-profitable triangle generating tens of billions of dollars in subscription and advertising revenue; 2) they aren’t loosening up their cable packages now or apparently any time too soon, and 3) cable programmers are currently satisfied with TV Everywhere (TVE) distribution, which has its limitations.
This triangle is also a very complicated web of rights and relationships that is too tenuous to unwind without potentially sacrificing the existing programming environment and losing control of current advertising outlets and revenues.
Yet consumers are demanding fragmentation of programming and entertainment for their own personalized consumption. They want live/linear and on-demand programming, simultaneous with internet content and applications—all synchronized; and they want it anywhere, not just in the home.
Not only is there a disconnect with today’s television/media services and consumer demand, the level of service consumers are demanding contains a “golden goblet” yet to be achieved that goes beyond streaming video: it’s streaming “television.” At such point when content providers can stream live/linear television anywhere, combined with personal internet content and targeted advertising, there lies the makings of a user experience far superior to what currently exists. It would also be superior for those content providers too, because they would be able to parlay their large broadcast audiences into increased advertising outlets based on as many demographic categories as Web-based targetability can uncover.
A NEW MVPD NETWORK
Now let’s think about the over-the-air (OTA) network, both literally and figuratively as the new over-the-top (OTT) network; an improved MVPD network that goes direct-to-consumer—physically and commercially—that doesn’t rely on the internet or a mish-mash of inconsistent third-party last-mile providers; a network that can simultaneously serve both live/linear and high resolution streaming content via OTA broadcast, in conjunction with broadband content and doesn’t rely on conventional CDN technology and instead can multicast throughout the distribution chain as needed (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2
The effective curation and distribution of content requires a direct-to-consumer relationship combined with quality of experience (QoE) analytics to enable a constant re-application of more personalized content along with targeted advertising. At that point we would have a network capable of delivering a superior consumer experience and significant advertising revenues.
BROADCASTER’S ASSETS AND ATSC 3.0
Broadcasters have large audiences and premium programming, both live/linear and on-demand. And, they have a ubiquitous footprint via the airwaves that goes direct-to-consumer—and with ATSC 3.0—could also reach mobile devices.
Furthermore, broadcasters have a simpler position in the overall business equation as they are both content provider and network provider. As a result they have a more singular relationship with advertisers and consumers. The fact that broadcasters have smaller programming offerings that don’t rely on a broader network of channels plays well into the demand for “skinny bundles” of programming where consumers prefer to assemble their own custom bouquets of entertainment.
Via ATSC 3.0, broadcasters will be able to:
Seamlessly combine broadcast programming and broadband content;
Facilitate comprehensive direct-to-consumer delivery;
Consistently scale high-quality broadcast via multicast;
Enable personalization of internet content and targeted advertising.
To meet the overall QoE demands of consumers of streaming media, ATSC 3.0 has adopted several new generation elements, the first being “dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP” (DASH), the first international adaptive bit-rate HTTP-based streaming standard. With this, ATSC 3.0 has developed an enhanced broadcast transport method called “Real-Time Object Delivery over Unidirectional Transport” (ROUTE)/DASH for delivery of DASH-formatted content and non-real time (NRT) data. Additionally, for broadcasting, ATSC 3.0 has also adopted the MPEG Media Transport (MMT) standard, which inherits the best features of MPEG-2 transport streams (TS) and is useful in real-time streaming delivery via a unidirectional delivery network.
And in terms of quality of service (QoS)—the ability to deliver the overall experience—ATSC 3.0 empowers the broadcast network to deliver both on-demand content and linear origination from locations unimpeded to consumers, because it doesn’t rely on the internet or third-party last-mile providers. The ATSC 3.0 network can also multicast broadcast content to make the distribution service truly scalable and efficient enough to distribute 4K content.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TOWERS
So what makes ATSC 3.0 and broadcasting so powerful? A backbone of tower locations. There are tens of thousands of tower locations in the U.S. alone, and since they are distributed points of presence, they reside at the “edge” closest to the consumer; the very same “edge” that conventional CDN suppliers attempt to replicate. It’s this same “edge” where companies like Netflix locate caches for the very same reasons.
The closer the content or linear origination is to the consumer, the higher the QoE and QoS. But the economics of achieving this for all consumers by the current conventional content distribution networks provides diminishing returns; and the effects of these diminishing returns have been illustrated when streaming events at scale (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3
Geographic location of content, origination, video processing and other workflow elements closest to the consumer in a broadcast network has not been cost effective because these elements have been provided by manufacturers largely as appliances (i.e. dedicated hardware and software). However, as a result of virtualization technology, the hardware expense (CAPEX) can be minimalized and the QoE and QoS can be delivered via software and subsequently as OPEX (i.e. pay-as-you-go). This shift makes embellishment of tower locations both practical and powerful, and the beauty of virtualization is that as the market changes, so can the infrastructure.
STREAMING ‘TELEVISION’
Current conventional CDNs are built to facilitate distribution of video, which is only a single part of many when we consider the makeup of “television” programming. When you think about it, “television” is a mashup of live, linear, on-demand and advertising. Now, further combine that with blackouts and program substitution and coat it all with distribution rights of which live, linear, on-demand and yes, even advertisements, are all subject to having their own set of distribution rights. Conventional CDNs have structural limitations when supporting this complex mashup creating “television” and the streaming thereof, particularly at scale. Since conventional CDNs have been built to support individual modes of transmission—either live, linear, on-demand or interstitial, all independently— these CDNs shift large-scale traffic from one mode to the other in real-time during a “television” experience, overwhelming processing resources.
ATSC 3.0 brings a number of significant new capabilities to broadcasters; in particular, cloud transmission. Tower locations can be transformed into a new network capable of facilitating superior QoE and QoS to consumers that can’t be achieved by current conventional content distribution means. And as part of this broadcast/multicast distribution, the mashup of elements that go into “television” can be assembled by broadcasters in the very same manner they do today.
Broadcasters are in an advantageous position to achieve this “golden goblet,” and have the opportunity to significantly leapfrog the level of service currently provided by the cable networks, programmers and MVPDs. Broadcasters need to firmly evaluate the concepts of cloud services residing in tower locations, and how these can improve the QoE and QoS to the consumer, and as a result, broadcasters’ bottom line.
Broadcasters must also take into consideration their potential new roles in these new services and workflows, both in terms of just how much of the overall workflow they want to own and operate, vs. how much of this workflow they should procure as third-party OPEX.
And once the new workflows and distribution are mapped out, broadcasters need to move quickly, working with tower providers to embellish the tower locations through extension of their workflows into those facilities.
Mark M. Myslinskiof OpenVideo Consulting,is a 15-year veteran of the digital cable television industry combined with more than six years recent experience in the streaming media industry. A majority of his recent focus has been on streaming media distribution and the challenges associated with live/linear programming, both for large scale audiences and high resolution content. Much of this latter experience has been in association with new generation and hybrid content distribution networks, most recently on ATSC 3.0 and the next phase of opportunity in the broadcasting industry. Mr. Myslinski can be reached atmark_mys@comcast.net.
See moreTV Technologycoverage at ourATSC 3.0 silo.FBI director: “No such thing as absolute privacy in America”
The WikiLeaks exposures and the CIA’s threat to democratic rights
10 March 2017
Speaking at a cybersecurity conference at Boston College Wednesday, FBI Director James Comey said, “there is no such thing as absolute privacy in America.” Every activity that Americans engage in, including conversations between spouses and with members of the clergy and attorneys, is within “judicial reach.” He declared, “In appropriate circumstances, a judge can compel any one of us to testify in court about those very private communications.”
The FBI director did not add, although he could well have, that a judicial order is completely irrelevant to the US military-intelligence apparatus. The US government has far more direct methods than court orders to learn what its citizens are thinking and talking about, through the use of sophisticated cyberweapons. These include the thousands of hacking tools whose existence was made public Tuesday by WikiLeaks, in a data release exposing efforts by the CIA to turn millions of ordinary electronic devices, from cellphones and smart TVs to the computer systems running most cars, into spy weapons.
The FBI director’s declaration that there is no right to privacy was greeted with a yawn by the corporate media, which barely reported his comments, and by Democratic and Republican party politicians. This is in keeping with the overall treatment of the WikiLeaks revelations, which has been one of indifference to the threat to democratic rights exposed in the CIA cyberweapons cache.
As far as the media is concerned, anyone who raises concerns about the right to privacy, or other democratic rights, being threatened by the national-security apparatus is an agent of Russia. This position was put most bluntly by the Washington Post, in its lead editorial Thursday, headlined, “WikiLeaks does America’s enemies a big favor.”
The editorial begins with a flat-out, 100 percent defense of the CIA, declaring, “The first thing to say about the archive of cyberhacking tools stolen from the CIA and released by WikiLeaks is that they are not instruments of mass surveillance, but means for spying on individual phones, computers and televisions. There is no evidence they have been used against Americans or otherwise improperly …”
The editorial continues, “It follows that the targets of the hacking methods, and the prime beneficiaries of their release, will be Islamic State terrorists, North Korean bombmakers, Iranian, Chinese and Russian spies, and other U.S. adversaries.” The editorial goes on to smear WikiLeaks as a tool of Russia, and denounces “privacy zealots” who “are, in effect, advocating unilateral U.S. disarmament in cyberspace.”
In response to such a brazen defense of the CIA, one is tempted to ask, why doesn’t the Washington Post simply announce that it is a propaganda arm of the U.S. government, tasked with the ideological and political defense of the military-intelligence apparatus? There is not a shred of an independent, critical attitude in this editorial. The newspaper swallows whole the CIA’s assurances that its agents are “legally prohibited” from spying on Americans. And it denounces WikiLeaks for acting as real journalists do, collecting information about government misconduct and making it public.
This from a newspaper that, 46 years ago, in conjunction with the New York Times, published the Pentagon Papers, over the vehement objections of the Nixon White House and the CIA and military leaders of the day, who raised the same cry of “national security.” One can only conclude that if someone brought the equivalent of the Pentagon Papers to the Post (or the Times ) today, the editors would immediately call up the FBI and have the leaker arrested.
The line of the Post has been repeated in innumerable forms in newspapers and on television. Former director of the CIA and the NSA Michael Hayden has been brought forward on nearly every news program to deliver the official government line. None of the major broadcasters adopt a critical line or seek to interview anyone who supports WikiLeaks and its exposure of CIA crimes.
A concrete demonstration of the relationship between the media and the military-intelligence apparatus is provided by a report posted on the web site of the New York Times earlier this week by David Sanger, the newspaper’s principal conduit for information that the CIA and Pentagon wish to make public.
Sanger wrote about how he and another Times reporter, William Broad, prepared last Sunday’s front-page report on US efforts to counter North Korean missile launches, headlined, “Trump Inherits a Secret Cyberwar Against North Korean Missiles,” which suggested that the US military had developed methods for causing North Korean missile launches to fail. The main thrust of this article, splashed across the newspaper’s front page, was that the countermeasures were insufficient, and more drastic actions were required against the supposed threat of a North Korean nuclear strike against US targets.
In a remarkable paragraph, Sanger describes “the sensitive part of these investigations: telling the government what we had, trying to get official comment (there has been none) and assessing whether any of our revelations could affect continuing operations.” He explains, “In the last weeks of the Obama administration, we traveled out to the director of national intelligence’s offices,” where, Sanger says, it was “important to listen to any concerns they might have about the details we are planning to publish so that we can weigh them with our editors.”
In plain English, the New York Times’ front-page “exclusive” was nothing more than a press release from the military-intelligence apparatus, aimed at spreading fear of North Korean nuclear capabilities in the upper-middle-class readership of the Times, and setting the tone for national media coverage of the issue. The political goal was to shape public opinion to support a preemptive US military attack on North Korea, an impoverished country the size of the state of Mississippi.
The main significance of the media response to the WikiLeaks revelations is that it demonstrates the complete erosion of democratic consciousness in all the institutions of the American ruling elite. In any serious accounting of the threats to American democracy, the CIA would be in first place: America’s own Gestapo, what even President Lyndon Johnson described as a “damned Murder Incorporated” for its brutal methods of assassination and provocation across the Caribbean and Latin America.
There is no greater danger to the democratic rights of the American people than the military-intelligence apparatus of the American government itself, the last line of defense for a crisis-stricken and historically doomed ruling elite.
Patrick Martin
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.In news that will come as a shock to no-one, the University of Sheffield and its lead researcher, Professor McGonagall, have today revealed that MMO gamers are never satisfied.
Having researched MMO players, their gaming preferences and habits for the last 25 years, Professor McGonagall and her team will finally publish their results this week. “Twenty-five years is a long time to study anything, but we felt there was value in it, in order to understand the market and how players react to the games they’re playing. We wanted to learn what would satisfy typical massively multiplayer gamers.”
Unsurprisingly and despite interviewing over 500,000 “hardcore” MMO players, (people Professor McGonagall refers to as Pearl) the consensus rarely altered: it wouldn’t matter how much content or freedom developers gave to players they’d always be unhappy with what they were given. “I’ve never in all my years of research seen anything like it, they’re just so miserable. It’d take witchcraft and wizardry just to find someone.”
Perhaps the most surprising thing is the amount of time Professor McGonagall and her team dedicated to the study. Did they really need so much time? “Honestly, no. We reached the point however where we just wanted to find one person who was satisfied. Out of more than half a million players, not one had much good to say. Those who did always quickly found something to complain about.”
What about the cost? A team of 100 researchers working full time for 25 years can’t have come cheap. “We’ve spent many millions of pounds that probably would have been better spent taking these players somewhere fun, like a water park or an adventure playground. It might have cheered them up.”
Professor McGonagall and her team are due to publish their survey results in full in the next few days. We’ll keep you posted.While modern corporations seem invincible, considering their vast resources and their extensive government granted legal monopoly privileges, they are actually slowly losing their power to cooperatives and the underground economy. As we have been reporting in recent months, companies like McDonalds, Monsanto and Coca-Cola are experiencing a large loss in profits, and it looks like their business model is failing.
Meanwhile, co-ops now employ more people worldwide than corporations. This is partly because many of the jobs at the corporations have either dried up or are too low paying, and partly because the co-ops are more practical in these difficult times. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) estimates that the top 300 co-ops in the world account for over $1 trillion in economic activity annually, and there are now actually over 800 million people being employed by co-ops, and that’s just on the record. Also, it is important to point out that small, locally owned businesses employ more than half of the workers in the US, and those numbers are even higher in other countries.
Business and labor Cooperatives don’t just benefit the people who work and invest in them, but also greatly benefit the communities that they are established in by offering quality goods or services at fair prices. In addition to the competing currencies that Greece has been experimenting with during their Euro financial crisis, people have also been developing natural food co-ops which allow customers to overstep the middleman and buy directly from the suppliers. This leaves both the farmer and average person with more extra cash, and this actually even results in a higher quality of food, because with the extra money most farmers have been investing in organic crops, as opposed to GMO’s.
Also taking business away from large corporations are the black and grey markets, or the informal economy. Some economists have labeled this underground, informal economic sector as “System D”, which is derived from a French term “débrouille”, which basically translates to “do your best in a challenging situation.” In 2011, it was estimated that the informal economy of the world, AKA System D has a projected GDP of $10 trillion every year.
As the paradigm that we have been trapped under for generations begins to fall we will be left with two choices; to work together and create a new paradigm based on peace and voluntary interactions or to listen to the politicians who got us into this mess and follow them off into oblivion. If the events playing out before us in the informal economies of the world are any indication of the future, there is surely much hope left for humanity.
The presentation below discusses how mutual aid groups and the informal economy has helped to empower the people of Africa.
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war.
This article ( Cooperatives And Underground Markets Employ More People Than Big Corporations Do ) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.Watch Bale's last-minute wonder
The Europa League is live on ESPN this season. Click for details on how to subscribe.
Tottenham winger Gareth Bale admitted he is in career-best form after another eye-catching display against Lyon, and insisted he pays no attention to rumours of a move to Real Madrid.
Bale, 23, continued his remarkable match-winning form with two superb free-kicks - including one with the last kick of the game - to help Spurs defeat Lyon 2-1 in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie. Bale, however, feels he can still get better.
"It's probably the best I've been playing so far in my career," he said. "I'm enjoying my football and the team's playing well, which obviously makes it easier for me. I've just got to keep my head down, keep working hard, keep trying to keep my form.
"I've still got a lot of improvement. I know what I've got to do, season after season improving in all areas. I just want to keep doing that, keep working hard and, hopefully, keep getting better."
Bale's match-winning performance came down to such an attitude. The free-kicks, he revealed, were the result of long sessions on the training ground.
"I knew it was the last kick of the game but I had to get it up and over the wall and thankfully I saw it go in," Bale said. "I've been practising for a while now, all sorts of distances. It was just nice to see them go in. It's one of them things I think if you keep practicing, it does come off in a match."
Bale's rich vein of form has made him Tottenham's saviour in recent weeks. It has been five matches, or 18 days, since any other Spurs player has scored. But the Welshman scotched any talk of being a one-man team, denying he feels any extra pressure now to constantly produce.
"I think we work as a team on the pitch, I'm just lucky enough to be getting the goals at the moment," he said. "So, yeah, we worked hard as a team again tonight. I don't think it's down to individuals but the whole team deserves credit. No-one can win the game on their own and, as I said, we just want to keep working hard and winning every game."
Bale similarly deflected questions in the White Hart Lane mixed zone about mooted moves to Real Madrid and eventually winning a Ballon D'Or.
"I'm not looking too far into the future," he said. "All I'm concentrating on is each game, trying to work my best for the team and seeing what I can. I don't take too much notice, I'm concentrating on every game as it comes and just hoping I can keep my form going."
Bale also felt the late 2-1 win should be enough to see Spurs through, given the fact that Lyon now how have to attack and leave themselves open to an away goal.
"It was great to get the goals but I think the most important thing is that we've got the victory tonight which gives us a bit more of an advantage going into the second leg now.
"It's going to be a difficult game. They made it difficult for us in patches tonight. Yeah, I think the good thing is they have to come at us now, they're behind in the tie and hopefully that will leave gaps in behind them."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Lycangrope Profile Joined October 2013 United States 110 Posts Last Edited: 2015-03-09 14:10:33 #1
A bit of info about upcoming events and changes to the Lycan League. Sign ups for March are linked below.
First, thank you to everyone who participated and watched the February cups. Three weeklies and one grand final with $550 in prize money. The first month was a huge success and I look forward to many more tournaments.
A bit of info about upcoming events and changes to the Lycan League. Sign ups for March are linked below.First, thank you to everyone who participated and watched the February cups. Three weeklies and one grand final with $550 in prize money. The first month was a huge success and I look forward to many more tournaments. Legacy of the Void Beta Month (Date TBD)
With the recent news that the Legacy of the Void beta MIGHT be released in late March/early April, I have decided the the first full month after the beta will be strictly Legacy of the Void in Lycan League. I love beta tournaments. They're fun, shocking, crazy, and a month of cups and a finals seems like a great way to get some awesome games.
With the recent news that the Legacy of the Void beta MIGHT be released in late March/early April, I have decided the the first full month after the beta will be strictly Legacy of the Void in Lycan League. I love beta tournaments. They're fun, shocking, crazy, and a month of cups and a finals seems like a great way to get some awesome games. Changes
Additional Points for Ro. 32 and Ro. 16
To encourage repeat participation, we will be experimenting with additional point awards.
Ro. 32 will receive.25 points and Ro. 16 will receive.5 points.
If you find yourself doing well and reaching the Ro. 32 or higher, I strongly recommend participating each week if you have time. One thing I noticed when tracking points was a lot of people coming close to qualifying or having to play a tie breaker because they only participated in one event.
Team Liquid Map Contest Map for Lycan League Pool
There was a lot of excitement around the TLMC and great feedback from the participants in the tournament, to include several pros. I will be adding one map to the pool for March. The map choice will be announced later this week. Feel free to give your feedback below!
To encourage repeat participation, we will be experimenting with additional point awards.Ro. 32 will receive.25 points and Ro. 16 will receive.5 points.If you find yourself doing well and reaching the Ro. 32 or higher, I strongly recommend participating each week if you have time. One thing I noticed when tracking points was a lot of people coming close to qualifying or having to play a tie breaker because they only participated in one event.There was a lot of excitement around the TLMC and great feedback from the participants in the tournament, to include several pros. I will be adding one map to the pool for March. The map choice will be announced later this week. Feel free to give your feedback below! March Madness!
Sign Up for the first March Lycan League Weekly (LL Week #4)
Date: 03/09/15
Time: Check in starts 09:30 AM PST/ 5:30 PM CET | Tournament starts at 10:00 AM / 6:00 PM CET
Admin: Suede#444
Server: EU (open to all regions)
Format: Bo1 until the Ro. 32 then Bo3 until finals which is as Bo5
In Game Chat: Lycan League
Pool: $125 Prize (1st $100 / 2nd $25) and points for top 8 to qualify for monthly $200 finals.
Stream: twitch.tv/basetradetv
Account names: You must play under an account with your proper ID. You cannot play on a barcode/smurf.
Manners: Personal threats, chat/pause spamming, excessive cursing, and insults that go beyond tasteful trash talk should be reported with evidence provided to the admin. Verified cases will result in a month long ban from Lycan League. Minor offenses such as pausing before leaving or unprovoked rude behavior will result in smaller penalties such as point deductions, single tournament bans, etc. All of this is at the discretion of the admins and Lycan.
Veto system: 3 Vetoes per player then decide map order as following:
P1 Veto
P2 Veto
P1 Veto
P2 Veto
P1 Veto
P2 Veto
P1 Map 1
P2 Map 2
P1 Map 3
If you can't decide who starts vetoing process, contact admin for coinflip.
Map Pool:
Coda
Emerald Plaza
Expedition Lost
Overgrowth LE
Secret Spring
Vaani Research Station
Catallena LE
Deadwing LE
Inferno Pools Date: 03/09/15Time: Check in starts 09:30 AM PST/ 5:30 PM CET | Tournament starts at 10:00 AM / 6:00 PM CETAdmin: Suede#444Server: EU (open to all regions)Format: Bo1 until the Ro. 32 then Bo3 until finals which is as Bo5In Game Chat: Lycan LeaguePool: $125 Prize (1st $100 / 2nd $25) and points for top 8 to qualify for monthly $200 finals.Stream: twitch.tv/basetradetvAccount names: You must play under an account with your proper ID. You cannot play on a barcode/smurf.Manners: Personal threats, chat/pause spamming, excessive cursing, and insults that go beyond tasteful trash talk should be reported with evidence provided to the admin. Verified cases will result in a month long ban from Lycan League. Minor offenses such as pausing before leaving or unprovoked rude behavior will result in smaller penalties such as point deductions, single tournament bans, etc. All of this is at the discretion of the admins and Lycan.Veto system: 3 Vetoes per player then decide map order as following:P1 VetoP2 VetoP1 VetoP2 VetoP1 VetoP2 VetoP1 Map 1P2 Map 2P1 Map 3If you can't decide who starts vetoing process, contact admin for coinflip.Map Pool:CodaEmerald PlazaExpedition LostOvergrowth LESecret SpringVaani Research StationCatallena LEDeadwing LEInferno Pools Commentator Confucius say, "it is easy to make it over the hill when banelings lead the way."It’s a property most Canadians can only dream about. At $899,000, in today’s market it seems downright affordable, especially when you hear it’s a 22-acre lot with 1,250 square feet of oceanfront.
[np_storybar title=”Take that Toronto, Vancouver! Canada’s housing market is now ‘a tale of 22 cities’” link=”https://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/mortgages-real-estate/take-that-toronto-vancouver-canadas-housing-market-is-now-a-tale-of-22-cities”%5D
Fresh data out today shows our housing market is a lot more resilient than we thought, with gains no longer driven by just two powerhouses, says BMO
[/np_storybar]
Throw in the fact you get a 2,000-square-foot home and accompanying 800-square-foot cottage and you might say “I’m ready for a bidding war” – but if you’re from outside Prince Edward Island your battle is just beginning.
Because of its size, the listing from broker Mary Jane Webster of Re/Max Charlottetown for the property in Tracadie, on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, ultimately falls under the province’s strict foreign ownership limits.
“As a business person I’m probably against it, but as an Islander I’m for it,” said Webster about non-resident |
her.
Previously, Tom has always been proud that he would take his beloved dog with him on the red carpet.
Even so, Tom shared the sad news just weeks before that his beloved pet pooch had passed away, at only six years old.
Ton has always been vocal about his dog – even giving him a cameo role in Peaky Blinders.
A statement read: “I don’t normally speak out about family and friends, but this is an unusual circumstance.
“Woody affected so many people in his own right, so with great respect to his autonomy and as a familiar friendly face to most of you, it is with a great, great sadness and a heavy heart that I inform you that after a very hard and short six month battle with an aggressive polymyositis, Woody passed away two days ago.”
At the age of 15, the actor had a Labrador named, and he would refuse to go to acting class without his loyal dog beside him.
After Max passed away, later Tom found Woody wandering along the highway alone – and decided to rescue him, bringing him to his home to London.
Tom continued: “He was far too young to leave us, and we are at home devastated by his loss. I am ultimately grateful for his loyal companionship and love, and it is of some great comfort that he is no longer suffering. Above all, I am completely gutted. The world for me was a better place with him in it by my side.”Obama received $20 million from healthcare industry in 2008 campaign
“What it also means when you look at it just on its own merit is that Obama definitely has a relationship with the health sector,” Levinthal told Raw Story. “When you raise $20 million from one group, obviously they’ve curried some favor with you and you have a lot of people in that sector who support you. Some experts who spoke with Raw Story also noted the rather stark evolution from candidate Obama, who once advocated for universal healthcare and was a vocal critic of mandated health insurance, to President Obama, who excluded single-payer advocates from White House healthcare summits and who has since strongly embraced mandates. Historian and media critic Norman Solomon, who was also an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention, called the president’s transformation on healthcare since taking office “shameful … corporate friendly in a way that I believe is injurious to public health.”
The Raw Story, January 12, 2009
Obama received $20 million from healthcare industry in 2008 campaign
Almost three times the amount given to McCain
While some sunlight has been shed on the hefty sums shoveled into congressional campaign coffers in an effort to influence the Democrats’ massive healthcare bill, little attention has been focused on the far larger sums received by President Barack Obama while he was a candidate in 2008.
A new figure, based on an exclusive analysis created for Raw Story by the Center for Responsive Politics, shows that President Obama received a staggering $20,175,303 from the healthcare industry during the 2008 election cycle, nearly three times the amount of his presidential rival John McCain. McCain took in $7,758,289, the Center found.
The new figure, obtained by Raw Story through an independent custom research request performed by the Center for Responsive Politics — a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics — is the most comprehensive breakdown yet available of healthcare industry contributions to Obama during the 2008 election cycle.
Currently, the Center’s website shows that Obama received $19,462,986 from the health sector, which includes health professionals ($11.7m), health services/HMOs ($1.4m), hospitals/nursing homes ($3.3m) and pharmaceuticals/health products ($2.1m). Miscellaneous health donations (from which Obama received $860,411) are also factored into the current total health sector numbers but are not accessible on the site.
Health insurance industry contributions, however, are not included within the Center’s current health sector totals. Rather, contributions from the health insurance industry are contained within the site’s finance and insurance sector. Seeking a more complete total, the Center culled health and accident insurance donations from this sector (for which Obama received $712,317) and combined them with his existing health sector total ($19,462,986) to arrive at his healthcare industry total ($20,175,303).
rsilogo Obama received $20 million from healthcare industry in 2008 campaignThe Center employed the same methodology in its analysis for John McCain and based all of its findings on the latest data released by the Federal Election Commission.
Dave Levinthal, the Center’s communications director, noted that Obama out-raised McCain in nearly all business sectors that contributed to the 2008 presidential candidates. In that regard, the healthcare industry figure is not in itself an anomaly.
But Levinthal underscored the significance of the industry’s largess.
“What it also means when you look at it just on its own merit is that Obama definitely has a relationship with the health sector,” Levinthal told Raw Story. “When you raise $20 million from one group, obviously they’ve curried some favor with you and you have a lot of people in that sector who support you. So to say that just because he out-raised McCain overall doesn’t mean anything in the context of the health sector might not necessarily be true.”
“People want to be able to curry favor with those who are in power,” he added. “And one way to do that is by making donations to candidates and officials who are represented by the party in power. Or who look like they’re going to win.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Gary Jacobson, a campaign finance expert and political science professor at the University of California, San Diego, says the healthcare industry saw the writing on the wall and sought to “protect their interests.”
“Contributors expect access,” Jacobson, author of Money in Congressional Elections, told Raw Story. The healthcare industry “anticipated an Obama victory and they wanted to be in the game.”
While experts agreed that there is certainly nothing illegal about receiving such copious contributions from the industry within the current U.S. system of campaign financing, all emphasized the inevitable impact this money has in influencing public policy.
Obama’s considerable windfall from the healthcare industry merits attention, they said.
Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for government watchdog Common Cause, said that her organization has been mostly focused on what members of Congress have received in campaign contributions from the healthcare industry. But she called Obama’s campaign receipts from the industry “not surprising.”
“The healthcare industry has been ramping up in recent years in anticipation of this healthcare debate, giving both to Democrats and Republicans,” Boyle explained in an interview with Raw Story.
Some experts who spoke with Raw Story also noted the rather stark evolution from candidate Obama, who once advocated for universal healthcare and was a vocal critic of mandated health insurance, to President Obama, who excluded single-payer advocates from White House healthcare summits and who has since strongly embraced mandates.
Obama delegate now takes umbrage with healthcare position
Historian and media critic Norman Solomon, who was also an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention, called the president’s transformation on healthcare since taking office “shameful.”
“Overall it’s been a very corporate friendly healthcare approach from Obama as president,” Solomon said in an interview with Raw Story. “Corporate friendly in a way that I believe is injurious to public health.”
He underscored the subtle but substantive change in healthcare language used by Obama and the White House.
“We don’t hear so much now about ‘healthcare reform,’” Solomon said. “We’re hearing a lot more about ‘health insurance reform.’ And that is absolutely in large measure driven by the White House.”
He also concurred with Boyle’s assessment on the success of the industry’s special interests.
“The funding from the healthcare industry to the Obama campaign, in retrospect, was not misplaced,” Solomon said. “It appears, based on policy, that those funders are getting what they would’ve hoped for.”
“Let me put it this way,” he added. “Single-payer advocates literally couldn’t get into the White House. And you have [chief pharmaceutical industry lobbyist and former Republican congressman] Billy Tauzin and Big Pharma and all of these in-depth strategy meetings in the White House in mid-2009 cutting deals. And I think it’s shameful.”
But Boyle puts the blame more on the campaign financing system than on President Obama.
“It’s getting worse every year,” she said. “This story line is going to continue until the end of time until we change the way we pay for our political campaigns. It’s the system. Everyone’s stuck in it. Everyone gets kind of caught up in it.”
Yet she believes these new numbers clearly show the industry was “trying to gain access and influence to the president, just as they have tried — and been quite successful — at gaining access to members of Congress.”
Boyle also noted the industry’s success in achieving this goal over the course of the healthcare debate.
“We’ve seen many examples of the healthcare industry’s interests – and we would argue that a lot of it has to do with the money – prevailing over the public interest,” she said. “The fact is, we have this broken system that allows interests that want the most out of government to have the loudest voice and to get that loudest voice by contributing the most money and spending the most money.”
Brad Jacobson is a contributing investigative reporter for Raw Story.
shortlink to this post: http://wp.me/p3xLR-lJWhy are you shutting down Miiverse?- We started the Miiverse service in 2012 along with the launch of the Wii U system because we wanted to provide a space where users could share their feelings about games with each other. Thanks to users' support throughout the years, we think we were able to achieve that goal. We decided to end the service at this time because, among other reasons, many users are shifting to social networking services.- Users can download their old Miiverse posts (without comments or messages from others) by visiting http://miiverse.nintendo.net and registering before the Miiverse service ends on Nov. 7, 2017 at 10 p.m. PT. Once registered, users will receive an e-mail via Nintendo Account mail a few weeks after the Miiverse service ends, which will include a unique URL to download their past Miiverse posts.When will the Miiverse service end?- Nov. 7, 2017 at 10 p.m. PT- Once the Miiverse service ends, users will not be able to access Miiverse on Wii U, any of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems or an Internet browser on PCs and smart devices.Will the Miiverse icon still be displayed on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Home Menu?- Yes. The Miiverse icon will continue to appear, but an error message will be displayed when it is pressed.Many games use Miiverse as a major game-play feature, including Super Mario Maker for Wii U. What happens to those games when Miiverse shuts down?- Super Mario Maker (Wii U): Users will still be able to share levels, but will no longer be able to comment on them.- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): While users will still be able to play Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and complete all 88 levels in the main game, the Community feature will be discontinued, preventing players from sharing levels and receiving additional Stars. As there will be a limit to the number of Stars that can be obtained, not all objects may be unlocked from the Workshop.- Splatoon (Wii U): Miiverse posts will no longer display in Inkopolis Plaza or the game's stage maps.- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): The Miiverse stage will still be playable, but Miiverse user posts will not display in the background. Players will also be unable to post replays to YouTube/Miiverse, share stages or create tournaments.- Mario Kart 8 (Wii U): Players will not be able to upload game-play videos to YouTube since they also post to Miiverse at the same time. The tournament function will also not be available.- Super Mario 3D World (Wii U): In Super Mario 3D World, the Miiverse posts that appear on the course select screen and when selecting courses will disappear. Players will still be able to collect in-game stamps, but not post them to Miiverse.- Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U): In Xenoblade Chronicles X, the BLADE report feature will no longer be available.Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars will be losing major features. Will you continue selling the game?- Yes, the game will continue to be sold. Users will still be able to complete all 88 levels in the main game, and create and play their own levels locally.Will Miiverse posts still display in Wara Wara Plaza on Wii U?- Moving forward, default Miiverse posts that appear during offline mode will be displayed in Wara Wara Plaza.Will Wii U Chat still function after the closure of Miiverse?- The Wii U Chat service will be discontinued with Miiverse on Nov. 7, 2017, at 10 p.m. PT.Can users still view their old Miiverse posts once the service is shut down?- Users can download their old Miiverse posts (without comments or messages from others) by visiting http://miiverse.nintendo.net and registering before the Miiverse service ends on Nov. 7, 2017 at 10 p.m. PT. Once registered, users will receive an e-mail via Nintendo Account mail a few weeks after the Miiverse service ends, which will include a unique URL to download their past Miiverse posts.Will there be a similar service to replace Miiverse on Nintendo Switch?- Currently Nintendo has no plans to implement any services to replace Miiverse, but the Nintendo Switch system includes features for connecting with Facebook and other social networking services.'We feel insulted': Orthodox community lashes out at wife who turned back on Jewish community and 'left a trail of broken hearts' with explosive memoir
She told the world her story of a loveless arranged marriage and religious restrictions, but now, the Orthodox Jewish community that she left is firing back.
Deborah Feldman, 25, left her ultra-conservative Satmar community in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn more than two years ago, and says she hasn’t looked back.
But to her neighbours and former husband, she has left little more than feelings of hurt and betrayal, as her former community says Ms Feldman paints a misleading picture of Hasidic life.
New life: Deborah Feldman renounced her Hasidic upbringing, criticising its oppressive attitude to women. She has since penned a memoir about her old life in New York's Williamsburg
Controversy: Ms Feldman appeared on The View to talk about her life, old and new. Her memoir Unorthodox has sparked a wave of retaliation from the community
Following a whirlwind book tour, including a lengthy interview on ABC’s The View, Ms Feldman is blazing her own trail apart from the conservative religious community in which she grew up.
However, her family says things revealed in her memoir, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, including that she was trapped in a ‘loveless’ marriage, came as news to former husband Joel Feldman.
Mr Feldman’s uncle Izzy Berkowitz told the New York Post an entirely different story. ‘(Deborah) was crazy about this boy. She was dying to get married.’
Ms Feldman said on the View that she had known her husband-to-be only half an hour prior to their marriage.
Mr Berkowitz continued: ‘He did everything and anything for her, but she never appreciated anything no matter what he did.’
He speculated that she ‘lacked happiness’ and could never be content. Another neighbour in the conservative Williamsburg community said Mr Feldman felt ‘betrayed’ by Ms Feldman’s portrayal of him in her memoir.
In one passage, she writes: ‘Whenever (Joel) feels libidinous… he approaches me much in the same way I imagine a dog pounce on a leg of furniture.’
Family front: Deborah Feldman, pictured with her ex-husband and son, when she lived as an ultra-conservative Satmar Hasid in Williamsburg
‘We feel insulted,’ neighbour Pear Engelman said of Ms Feldman’s book. ‘It paints the whole community in a bad light.’
In one passage of the memoir, she writes of a shocking tale in which a 13-year-old Satmar boy is murdered by his father for masturbating, and the whole gruesome story is covered up by the Orthodox volunteer ambulance corps Hatzolah.
She wrote that the boy had his penis cut off and was nearly beheaded by his livid father. In defence, New York Jewish Week said the story was in fact about a 19 or 20-year-old man who committed suicide.
When asked about her stance by the Jewish Daily Forward, Ms Feldman replied: ‘I don’t have a response. I am not a journalist…You read the book, you saw how I portrayed that story.’
She now lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with her son, who is almost six.
Mother and son: Ms Feldman with her son, now five. After she gave birth, she knew that she she did not want to raise her child into the strict Satmar community
At just 17, Ms Feldman found herself in an arranged marriage.
Sex was dysfunctional. In an interview with the New York Post, she remembers never hearing the word'sex' or 'vagina' mentioned and intercourse was a dark, fumbled affair after which her husband called the rabbi who then declared her consummated and 'unclean'.
'If you’re sitting on a sofa, you have a divider between you. It makes you feel so gross. You feel like this animal in the room.'
The rabbi has the final word on sex and health - even inspecting underwear 'in a zip lock bag' to declare whether a woman's period is kosher or nonkosher.
For two weeks of each month, her husband was not allowed to touch her, or even come into secondary contact with her. 'If you’re sitting on a sofa, you have a divider between you. It makes you feel so gross. You feel like this animal in the room,' she told the newspaper.
In a note from the author, Ms Feldman explains the roots of Satmar Hasidism, a Jewish sect that is largely shielded from modern life - and one that she believes, she told the Post, is no better than extreme Muslim fundamentalism.
Pariah: Her community has disowned her, some encouraged her to commit suicide after leaving Williamsburg. Now, she says she enjoys simple pleasures, like growing her hair long and eating out
A reaction to the atrocities of Holocaust, the sect is named for a Hungarian town that was the home of a rabbi who fled to the U.S.
'Hasidic Jews in America eagerly returned to a heritage that had been on the verge of disappearing, donning traditional dress and speaking only in Yiddish, as their ancestors had done,' she writes.
'Most important, though, Hasidic Jews focused on reproduction, wanting to replace the many who had perished and to swell their ranks once more. To this day, Hasidic communities continue to grow rapidly, in what is seen as the ultimate revenge against Hitler.'
In the book, she describes how she was forbidden from speaking in English and was told that 'impure languages' act as welcome mats 'put out for the devil.'
UNORTHODOX: AN EXCERPT
'I have secrets too. Maybe Bubby knows about them, but she won’t say anything about mine if I don’t say anything about hers. Or perhaps I have only imagined her complicity; there is a chance this agreement is only one-sided. Would Bubby tattle on me? I hide my books under the bed, and she hides hers in her lingerie, and once a year when Zeidy inspects the house for Passover, poking through our things, we hover anxiously, terrified of being found out. Zeidy even rifles through my underwear drawer. Only when I tell him that this is my private female stuff does he desist, unwilling to violate a woman’s privacy, and move on to my grandmother’s wardrobe. She is as defensive as I am when he rummages through her lingerie. We both know that our small stash of secular books would shock my grandfather more than a pile of chametz, the forbidden leavening, ever could. Bubby might get away with a scolding, but I would not be spared the full extent of my grandfather’s wrath. When my zeide gets angry, his long white beard seems to lift up and spread around his face like a fiery flame. I wither instantly in the heat of his scorn. “Der tumeneh shprach!” he thunders at me when he overhears me speaking to my cousins in English. An impure language, Zeidy says, acts like a poison to the soul. Reading an English book is even worse; it leaves my soul vulnerable, a welcome mat put out for the devil.'
Source: Simon and Schuster/Amazon
She told the Post that the emphasis on faith was so all-pervading that every day she was forced to put her life into the hands of God - and health and safety was all but ignored by her family and friends.
She rode in a car without a seatbelt, never visited a doctor and was made to respect all older Hasid men, even if they posed a threat to her wellbeing.
She suggests that at age 12, she was sexually assaulted by a cousin and was made to feel it was her problem: 'It’s obviously all your fault and not his, and you need to keep quiet about it,' she told the newspaper.
In her memoir, she recalls hiding her contraband Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott books:'Once a year when Zeidy [grandfather] inspects the house for Passover, poking through our things, we hover anxiously, terrified of being found out. Zeidy even rifles through my underwear drawer. Only when I tell him that this is my private female stuff does he desist, unwilling to violate a woman’s privacy'.
Stories of a different world - promises of hope and glimpses into what could be - the books opened the author's eyes to a future beyond Satmar Hasidism.
It was the birth of her son, now five, combined with the classes she had enrolled in at Sarah Lawrence College, that flicked a switch in the young Brooklyinte's head - she knew that there was more to life.
A car near-fatal crash was the final straw, and on leaving the hospital, she packed her bags and moved in with her college friend.
Throwing herself into life as a young, independent single mother, Ms Feldman is set on making up for lost time - relishing the simplicities of day-to-day living that she was denied in her ultra-conservative upbringing.
Ms Feldman describes how much she enjoys visiting restaurants.
Memoirs of a Hasid: Her old life far behind her, Ms Feldman has enjoyed the support of College friends. It was a car crash that finally tipped her over the edge
'I think I love eating out more than most people,' she says, 'because I was never allowed to do it. Women aren’t allowed to eat out.'
Hair is another area in which she relishes having freedom. For a year, she followed the Satmar expectation of women to shave their heads and wear wigs. 'I have a hard time cutting my hair now, because I remember how long it took to grow it out the first time,' she says.
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots, by Deborah Feldman is out of February 14
Her clothing was as restrictive as her language - at 11-years-old, dressing rules became stricter, she told the Post, forcing girls to 'only wear high-neck blouses, with woven fabrics, because their theory is that woven fabrics don’t cling. T-shirts show boobs.'
Swimming suits were 'ridiculous' full-body cladding, consisting of 'nylon fabric and thick, floppy, long sleeves, and pants covered with an extra layer of material to make it look like a skirt.'
She now celebrates her body and womanly curves, wearing short dresses and comfortable knits.
The decision to leave Hasidism and her family - she now has primary custody of her son - she says, was not made lightly. She received emails from her closest relatives encouraging her to commit suicide and says she is now a pariah - but that the book acts as 'protection'.
'[My relatives] are terrified of having their actions become public. So it’s an insurance policy, in a way.
'There’s a reason why Hasidic people in New York get away with so much. There’s this sort of tacit arrangement: They don’t do anything the media can criticize,' she told the Post.BY Joey Parsons | Jun 22, 2014 11:42 PM EDT
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It seems like the Snowdrop Engine did not work quite well as Whatifgaming reported that The Division has already been downgraded visually. According to Whatifgaming, a source dev told them that the team has already took out 'quite a lot of screen space reflections from the game' and that the final product will not look as good as its E3 2013 reveal.
Below is the full email Whatifgaming received.
"We really loved the reception to the demo we showed on the PC version at E3. Currently as it stands, there is definitely a lot of push coming from publishers to not make the experience so different on consoles as to alienate people into thinking that next generation is not as powerful as PC. This is probably what happened at Ubisoft Montreal. I think that while making stability changes is definitely important, it does not completely obliterate a lot of enhanced rendering applications."
"Right now we already took out quite a lot of screen space reflections from the game and are working on asset management the best we can given consoles have that great unified memory. Naturally we will also be using online servers and have to produce a synchronization that higher graphics add to the latency so it had to be turned down. To me it still looks good, but not as good as the original reveal. I am sure as we get closer to launch and the actual console versions of the game featuring SD (Snowdrop) that it will start to seem all too obvious to people especially those on PCs. I just wanted to write and let you know that it definitely is not just stability but marketing politics plays into this a lot as well."
"UPDATED 2nd Response from The Division Developer: Truth be told in regards to your question that while 'Yes' the lead platform is the PC, we simply cannot have such a big gap. As you know when the first WATCH DOGS Review was published by that one site, Ubisoft called it a "false review" and I am sure everyone can see how bad that sounded when they saw the game did look marginally better than something that was a last generation GTA IV. But no, they will not admit that they practice this or actively downgrade a game. It is much easier to say they removed things for stability which is often a lie as you can tell by the post-issues which are expected in any production we do."
"Also to answer your 3rd question, no...they will never fully disclose what was removed from what build as no laws ask them to do so in terms of consumer rights. If we as developers published that information in very real terms for the consumer such as "Replaced particle fog simulation with 2d layer simulation in 3d space, removed particles from all explosions, lowered explosion volume multiplier by 20x, removed X # of trees and civilians, etc." we would be out of a lot of sales and probably it would actually require too much time to deliver on the current hype that a lot of downgraded games see which look incredible with a vertical slice. I do share this in the hope's that my colleagues and publishers and a lot of people who make false promises and do demonstrations which wrongfully create too much hype that they cannot deliver on ultimately stop doing such things. I want to see the industry actually move forward and not be so full of itself by promising too much and delivering too little. Regards"
It remains to be seen whether Whatifgaming's report is legit or not. As with Watch_Dogs, this was the same scenario were the E3 reveal was astounding during the E3 2013 reveal but turned out to be lesser than anticipated.CLOSE Missing for 6 weeks, dog gets clean bill of health
Buy Photo Dr. Chad Zadina checks out Banjo with the help of Kathy Foster, left, and Banjo’s owner, Donna Hill on Tuesday at Tabby Road Animal Hospital in Wellington. Hill's family reunited with Banjo a few days after she was lost in the Poudre Canyon for six weeks. (Photo: Morgan Spiehs/The Coloradoan)Buy Photo
WELLINGTON – Banjo, the Siberian shepherd found after being lost six weeks in the Poudre Canyon, was emaciated and about 25 pounds lighter, but in otherwise good health.
That was the conclusion Dr. Chad Zadina of Tabby Road Animal Clinic came to Tuesday after examining the 9-month-old puppy.
The dog, owned by the Hill family of Glacier View Meadows in Livermore, went missing after she and “her boy” Bradeden, fell into the Poudre River while hiking near the Crystal Wall climbing area June 13.
She was found in Estes Park and returned to her elated family on Friday, dirty, smelly and skinny, but alive, said Donna Hill, Braeden’s mother.
How Banjo survived and ended up in Estes Park is unknown. She’s still a bit skittish but getting more comfortable day by day, Hill said during Banjo’s vet visit.
Banjo happily gobbled up medicine to prevent worms, fleas and ticks from the hand of a Tabby Road veterinarian technician. Zadina also chipped the dog for easy identification if she ever goes missing again. But it’s not likely Banjo will ever be far from her family’s sight.
“No more hiking and no more swimming,” Hill said, fighting back tears while telling Banjo’s story one more time.
Northern Colorado residents rallied around Banjo and the Hills, keeping a look out in the canyon, providing moral support to the family and helping search for the missing pup.
“We are just so grateful to everyone,” for helping bring Banjo back home, Hill said.
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Read or Share this story: http://noconow.co/1HZrBacUgh. You’re up an hour early, your body hates you for it, and even a gallon of coffee can’t get your day on track. Daylight saving sucks. But you know the worst part? It doesn’t have to be like this.
>> This article was first published in March 2013.
Daylight saving isn’t as old as you think it is. First suggested by Benjamin Franklin, in 1784, it was at the time shot down by many very sensible people as being pointless. Then, in the First World War, it was introduced—first by the Germans—to save coal during war time.
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Somehow in that age of austerity, the concept soon caught on and everyone started doing it. Sadly, nobody’s really thought to change back. Except Arizona, and it hasn’t fallen off the face of the planet as a result.
But oddly, some people still support the use of daylight saving: they say it saves energy, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and reduces traffic accidents. So let’s bust the myths right now and make it clear that daylight saving needs to go.
Daylight Saving doesn’t save energy...
The Germans introduced daylight saving to lower fuel costs. The idea is that, while changing the clocks reduces the use of artificial lighting in the evening but increases use in the morning, the evening reduction outweighs the morning increase.
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Great—but that was a century ago. Recent studies point out that, at best, DST might reduce the US electricity usage by 1% during March and April. Other estimates, by the National Bureau of Standards, suggest it has zero effect.
...cut accidents...
Many folks point to the fact that DST reduces the incidence of road traffic accidents as a good reason to keep using the system. In fact, the data surrounding road safety disagree widely. Some studies show that it makes no difference, others suggest a 0.7 per cent reduction in traffic fatalities during DST. When the data’s that limited, it’s not enough to base a decision on.
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...or make us any healthier...
It’s true that DST does provide extra daylight in the evening, and that it may bring with it increased physical activity and reduced incidence of depression. But there is plenty of evidence that changing the clocks by an hour can have a detrimental effect on our health.
Clock shifts disrupt our circadian rhythms. Studies have show that, around the times of the spring clock changes, there are spikes in suicide rates and an increase in the number of recorded heart attacks. In fact, when Kazakhstan ditched DST in 2005, it cited health reasons. Sure, it might make you go for an extra jog or two every year, but it might also help contribute to a heart attack. I know which I’d prefer.
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...but is incredibly disruptive.
So, none of the arguments for maintaining DST weigh up. I have one, very large, argument to support scrapping it, though: it loses the US billions of dollars every year. It damages retail, affects the stock market in a negative way, and even disrupts agriculture.
A century ago, we didn’t have data to tell us whether DST made a real measurable impact; it was acceptable to run with it because, for all we knew, it was useful. Now, we know better. Day light savings sucks—and we need to get rid of it.
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Image: eflonBut the brothers' convictions for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in 2000 were quashed after it was revealed two jurors had conducted their own investigations in the case, visiting the park where the crime occurred despite a judge's direction not to do so. Those revelations came to light after the jury foreman told an acquaintance, Queanbeyan lawyer Gabriella Jean Piscioneri, that he and possibly other jurors had gone to the crime scene. Ms Piscioneri, who was not involved in the trial, came forward with the information to the court, as was her duty, and the convictions were quashed on appeal. Both were later convicted at a second trial and resentenced, after NSW brought in new laws to enable a retrial without the victim having to give evidence again. Following media reports on the case in 2005, forums appeared on the ZGeek website talking about Ms Piscioneri under the headings of "Tool of the Week" and "Bitching and Rants".
Much of the content was obscene and attacked her for coming forward, some describing her as a "f---ing moron" and a "stupid b---h", although some of the later posts supported the lawyer's actions. The lawyer was alerted to the content four years later, and requested an apology and for the material to be taken down. More posts were made in 2010, one under the title "Latest desperate attempt to silence ZGeek", which were also alleged to be defamatory. Ms Piscioneri then started defamation proceedings in the ACT Supreme Court in 2011, alleging the posts implied she was unjust, indecent, extremely wicked, immoral, and insane, among other things. The posts, she argued, implied she was responsible for Bilal Skaf's retrial and reduction in sentence, and acted incorrectly by coming forward.
Her claim alleged she was brought into hatred, ridicule, and contempt, and had been gravely disparaged and her reputation injured. The defendant, ZGeek owner and administrator Anthony Scott Brisciani, denied those imputations arose from the posts, and said the entirety of the content, read in context, vindicated the lawyer for her actions. Mr Brisciani – who started the discussion of the lawyer's actions through his own "Tool of the Week" post – also argued his website was a "silly site", that was "extremely irreverent" and should not be taken seriously. The forums, he said, never tried to be a "source of truth", but rather served as an online community for people to organise games and get-togethers, only attracting about 1000 active users. Mr Brisciani submitted the initial posts were made not knowing that Ms Piscioneri had a responsibility to report the jurors.
He argued the posts were "based on the truth of the media coverage at the time and fair comment", and pointed to a disclaimer on the site saying all the material on the site were the opinions of those posting. Justice John Burns found in favour of the plaintiff on Tuesday, and ordered Mr Brisciani pay $82,000 in damages. He found that the discussion under the "Bitching and Rants" topic, except for its first post, was not defamatory. That was because the thread, when read in its entirety, vindicated the lawyer's actions in coming forward about the jurors and made clear she had a legal obligation to do so. The "Tool of the Week" forum, however, was found to be defamatory, conveying that the lawyer had acted unethically and exposing her to hatred, ridicule and contempt, and not making it clear she had a legal duty to do what she did.
The 2010 posts were also found to be defamatory. Mr Brisciani's defences of qualified privilege, honest opinion, and triviality, all failed.M&R: Official fired by Palin bears no grudge
CARSON CITY, NV - SEPTEMBER 13: Republican U.S. Vice Presidential Candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a campaign rally September 13, 2008 in Carson City, Nevada. Palin will be campaigning alone for a few days before rejoining Republican U.S. Presidential Candidate John McCain the next week. (Photo by Max Whittaker/Getty Images) less CARSON CITY, NV - SEPTEMBER 13: Republican U.S. Vice Presidential Candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a campaign rally September 13, 2008 in Carson City, Nevada. Palin will be campaigning alone for a... more Photo: Max Whittaker, Getty Images Photo: Max Whittaker, Getty Images Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close M&R: Official fired by Palin bears no grudge 1 / 3 Back to Gallery
The former Alaska public safety commissioner who refused to fire a state trooper embroiled in a domestic dispute with Gov. Sarah Palin's sister says he holds no grudge, but still believes the GOP vice presidential nominee is too thin-skinned for the job she hopes to fill.
"She apparently has difficulty compartmentalizing personal feelings from official acts," said Walter M |
airlines are seeking to bolster ties with Chinese carriers. Delta invested US$450 million in China Eastern in July 2015 for a 3.6 per cent stake. United Continental Holdings this year signed a deal with Air China to improve connections and enhance frequent flier benefits between the airlines.
To be sure, rising jet fuel prices, spurred by Opec's production cuts in November, may hold back some of China's expansion, said Ajith, the analyst at UOB Kay Hian. While capacity growth on routes between the US and Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou has been "off the charts," Chinese airlines have "maxed out" under the current bilateral agreement, said Kris Kelley, an airline analyst at Janus Capital Management.
All the same, Australia's government announced on Dec 4 an agreement with China to remove all capacity restrictions between the two nations. In October, Britain agreed to double the number of flights between UK cities and China.
Chinese airlines are improving their business class, too, giving them confidence to compete around the world, according to Horton, the analyst at CAPA. With every new generation of aircraft, that level of service only improves, he said.Contents show]
Personality Edit
The(小さな鬼,"Little Demon") is a creature that appears within Soul's mind after having gotten the Black Blood within him from Ragnarok, the oni-appearing creature representing the Black Blood within him.
The Little Ogre acts not only as the manifestation of the Black Blood present within Soul, but also the subsequent madness it produces. As such he has an extremely cautious nature, concerned only with the concept of power and the goal of drawing Soul further into his intoxicating madness, which would mean that The Little Demon would be able to take Soul's body as his own. It seems he cannot lie, being a part of Soul; he is unable to keep secrets from him. However, he can distort the truth to Soul by only speaking partial truth and manipulating the manner in which he says things to him.
He also contains his composure most of the time he is seen, having the very same, creepy smile on his face at almost all times. However, he has a powerful voice when he becomes annoyed or displeased and is enraged by speaking of the Black Blood's resistance. The Ogre only seems to be excited by the use of the Black Blood, and often expresses his excitement by biting on his fingernails.
Appearance Edit
The Little Ogre only appears in the Black Room with Soul. He appears as a horned, red imp creature in a black double-breasted suit. The creature has rather long arms and black fingernails. He has a noticably long, large nose, and completely white almond-shaped eyes. There appears to be a black mask around his eyes. He also has a wide, eerie smile and sharp teeth.
Relationships Edit
He is a nameless little demon that resides inside Soul's soul and called "Little Ogre" by Soul, since he doesn't know his name. Created after Soul was infected with the Black Blood by Ragnarok, he is the Black Blood manifested.
The Little Ogre tends to show himself whenever Maka and Soul are on the verge of losing a battle, and constantly tries to tempt Soul into using the Black Blood's power. This would boost Soul's and Maka's abilities exponentially, yet it would also edge them closer to madness. For the most part Soul ignores the ogre's temptation, though if all options are exhausted he will give into the power, albeit briefly. It would seem the Little Ogre is concerned with Soul's survival, but this is likely only because he apparently needs Soul's body.
Soul appears to dislike the Ogre and being in the Black Room. Once, when the creature tries to invite him into the Black Room, Soul, who is seemingly irritated by this, commands him to close the door because he's 'letting in the stink'.[2]
Although the two only share a very loose connection established due to her role as Soul's partner, Maka is still influenced by the Little Ogre's presence whenever its madness is induced within Soul. Little Ogre doesn't seem to think much about Maka positively or negatively. However, for all appearances he respects Soul's dedication to her since he let Maka throw in her opinion on the use of the Black Blood's power against Crona.
History Edit
"The Eve's Fight to the Death" Edit
The first time the Little Ogre appears is during Maka and Soul's second confrontation against Crona, though Maka manages to find Crona's soul and convince Crona to be their friend before the Black Blood's madness could overcome both Soul and herself.
He next appears in the battle against Mosquito, where the Blood's Resonance was channelled into Kid and Black☆Star along with Maka via Soul's piano playing. This provided the group with a massive power boost, easily overwhelming Mosquito's form from 100 years ago. It still retained the same consequences though, inflicting Soul with madness. However, Soul cut off the power when he knew they couldn't win due to the current circumstances.
"Operation: Capture Baba Yaga's Castle" Edit
The Little Ogre's next appears in Baba Yaga's castle when Soul is caught in Arachne's trap, where he mocks Soul for his weakness (though the spell is broken before he can go any further).
Later on, during the final battle with Arachne he appears again, imploring Soul to call upon his power to defeat the madness spread throughout the castle by the powerful Witch. This time, though, Soul counters him, saying it wouldn't be useful as his power wouldn't be able to reach everyone. Arachne's spider webs, which are invading the minds of everyone in the castle and causing madness, have also gotten into the soul room. However, Soul manages to turn this to his advantage by using Soul Resonance via piano playing to counter Arachne's power, defeating her without calling upon Little Ogre's power, much to the diminutive apparition's surprise.
"Mad Blood" arc Edit
As Crona fights against Tsar Pushka and Feodor in Moscow, the release of Crona's new Black Blood ability, Mad Blood, is felt even by Soul Eater in Death City. He clutches his chest, feeling pain in the scar Crona gave him long ago.
Soul and Maka then receive an order from DWMA to accompany Franken Stein, Kim Diehl, and Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupré to assist the DWMA Moscow forces to determine how Crona transformed Tsar and Feodor into globs of Black Blood. Upon their arrival in Moscow, Soul is clutching his chest with one hand—and clutching Maka’s pigtail with the other, as he has fallen again into madness. Soul screams out of his pain, as a blast of energy erupts from his chest’s scar, as if an eye is opening. From within Soul, the Little Ogre cackles at the prospect of ruining the Death Scythe's life.
As the mad Soul fights Stein and his friends, Maka realizes that Soul's scar has reopened to the point that madness itself leaks out. Inside his soul, Soul demands that the Little Ogre explain what has happened to him—only to see the creature is no longer little but towering over him. The Ogre explains that Soul has finally become honest with himself, and he wants to hear the Weapon answer: "What kind of guy are you?"
As he faces down Soul, the large Ogre identifies the Weapon's problem: he is afraid to be more reckless and exploit the Black Blood to its potential because, even if it would make him stronger, then he would be judged for his madness. Soul hides behind excuses of his fear of madness and his desire for discipline.
This is Soul's pattern, the Ogre decides, as the weapon has always held back out of a family history in fear of never being as good as other members of his musical family, including his brother Wes. But the Ogre challenges Soul: has anyone ever actually aloud made any comparison of the Evans brothers? So long as Soul says he is not really trying, then he does not have to be judged for coming up short. If Soul had tried to compete and actually try his hardest, then he would no longer look cool. The Ogre reasons this fear is why Soul changed his last name, so not to ruin his family's reputation.
The Ogre issues a challenge: how much longer will he spin his wheels? Why not, as he has today, firm up, "grow a pair," and unleash that power? "Start playing for keeps!" the Ogre screams. "Who are you?"
Even as the Ogre has its mouth up against Soul, screaming at him, Soul clicks his tongue. To answer who he is, Soul responds, "I already know." But as the Ogre is up close to him, he sees how things really are: the Ogre never grew—he somehow is piloting a larger robotic duplicate of himself!
The Ogre leaps out of the robot, refusing to take credit for this robot: it was Soul's madness that manifested this form before the weapon. Soul counters that Ogre makes poor assumptions: the weapon changed his last name not out of fear of embarrassing his family or to run away from them. "It was to draw a line."
So the Ogre asks again: "Who are you?"
More confidently, Soul answers: "I'm the Demon Scythe Soul Eater."
The madness has ended. The Ogre is disgusted at how anticlimactic Soul's answer is, lacking "flair" or "gusto." Soul responds that "not being able to" speak with such qualities is just "part of who I am." As Soul answers, he fails to notice his meister standing in front of him until she smashes his head in with her hand in retaliation for Soul trying to act cool after tugging on her pigtails.
"The Dark Side of the Moon" Edit
As Maka fights Asura directly, the Kishin manages to stab his hands through Maka's chest. But thanks to her resonance with Soul Eater's Black Blood, she is able to heal the injury completely, even forming a new version of the Black Blood dress armor. With these enhanced abilities, Maka uses Soul's Death Scythe form to cut into Asura and throw herself and Soul into Asura's soul. From within his soul, Maka locates Crona, who announces plans to use the Mad Blood and Brew to create a seal around the Moon, then draw all of Asura's Black Blood from his body to form a seal around the Moon to trap Asura, Crona, and the dangerous contents of the Book of Eibon.
As Maka and Soul escape Asura's body, they not only repel Asura's internal Black Blood but also seem to tear the Little Ogre away from Soul's body. In the Black Room, the floor around the Little Ogre breaks apart, as if the Black Blood that is represented by this room is leaving Soul's body. All Ogre can say is: "It's gonna be lonely", implying he is being expelled from Soul's body. Upon exiting Asura, the blackness in Maka's dress is pulled away, leaving her in a white dress while that Black Blood is combined with the rest to form the seal around the Moon. After this point, the Ogre is not seen again for the remainder of the manga, potentially no longer part of Soul.
Anime Edit
This section contains an instance from an anime not present in the manga and/or a deviation
In the anime, the storyline is almost the same up until the battle against Mosquito for Brew. The Ogre appears once again to help Soul in the fight. As Soul plays the piano the Chain Resonance between Maka, Black Star, and Kid becomes stronger. Instead of the battle being cut short after Kid's attack, Soul continues to play the piano, him and Maka perform Soul Resonance and use the Majin Hunt ending the fight. Mosquito then escapes with the BREW he's found. He returns in the battle against Medusa Gorgon in her lair. When Crona "dies" - after saving Maka's life - via their mother, Maka falls under an uncontrollable rage that causes the Black Room to fill up with Black Blood. The Little Ogre appears and tells Soul she cannot hear him and that all he can do is sit back and take in the madness. Fortunately, Marie Mjolnir saves Franken Stein and Maka from the madness and they team together to defeat Medusa (and save Rachel Boyd). Maka and Soul use Majin Hunt to kill Medusa and rescue Rachel from Medusa's control. The Little Ogre appears again in the final fight against the The Little Ogre appears again in the final fight against the Kishin. Soul begins playing the piano. As before, the teams Chain Resonance is strong. However, this time, not too long after Soul begins to play, the ogre begins to grow in size, and soon after Soul is engulfed inside his body. After Soul collapses Maka then enters his mind in an attempt to save him. Upon entering, she finds herself in a large empty area. A door appears leading down, she enters it to find another door. Upon finding four more doors, the last one is blue. Inside she meets "Soul". This Soul shuts the door behind her stating that he is Soul. Maka then tells him that they should leave, coming up with different scenarios of escaping, with the Soul objecting to every one of them. Then he comes up with a solution. He shows Maka a blue box that looks similar to a treasure chest. He states that after activating the Black Blood, he hid his "courage" in the box, and that the only way to get out is to open the box, and only Maka can do it. A key appears in Maka's hand, and as she reflects on what she should do, she reveals that the one standing in front of her is not Soul, and that if it were Soul, he would have asked her if she had everything before shutting the door. After being noticed, the Little Ogre took his true form. He explained to Maka, that in there is the true Soul, and if the box is opened, Soul will be sucked into himself, and madness, if she doesn't, both himself and Soul will die. Even so, Maka decides to open the box, stating that she won't let Soul be pulled in. Maka saves Soul and they return to the same room that Soul is usually in. After, Soul accepts the Little Ogre as a part of himself, and then eats him whole. This is the ogre's last appearance most likely he "died" and the Black Blood was now in Soul's complete control.
Trivia Edit
The Little Ogre's Black Room resembles the Red Room from director David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks : both rooms contain old gramophones playing music where the Little Ogre in Soul Eater and the Red Room's occupant, The Man from Another Place in Twin Peaks, perform odd dances. These details are a few of the allusions that Soul Eater creator Atsushi Ōkubo has made to Lynch's works, such as an allusion to his film Mulholland Drive in Episode 17, and the allusion to his Twin Peaks film Fire Walk with Me, its title named in the product description for Ōkubo's series Fire Force. [3]
: both rooms contain old gramophones playing music where the Little Ogre in and the Red Room's occupant, in, perform odd dances. These details are a few of the allusions that creator Atsushi Ōkubo has made to Lynch's works, such as an allusion to his film in Episode 17, and the allusion to his film, its title named in the product description for Ōkubo's series. The Little Ogre has a tendency to bite down on his fingers in moments of intense excitement (Like when Soul gives consent for power boosts via the Black Blood).
The Little Ogre is referred to as the "Little Demon" or simply just "Demon" in the Anime.
The Little Ogre seems to enjoy Swing music.
The Little Ogre also seems to reside inside Maka, or at least for a short time.
The manga features a scene where the Little Ogre grows to great size, exactly as in the anime. However, the manga version is simply the normal sized ogre sitting inside of a large mechanical imitation, this, and his comment about courage being unable to suppress madness, are clear references to the anime ending.
References EditDave Cameron laid out the methodology behind the rankings last Friday. Remember that the grading scale for each category is 20-80, with 50 representing league average.
2012 Organizational Rankings
#30 – Baltimore
#29 – Houston
#28 – Oakland
#27 – Pittsburgh
#26 – San Diego
Minnesota’s 2011 Ranking: #6
2012 Outlook: 42 (23rd)
Quite a difference a year makes, as the Twins lent credence to the dreaded #6org meme for a second consecutive year by losing 99 games in what was likely the worst season in club history. A good portion of the damage done was self-inflicted — though injuries certainly had their way as well — and steps have been taken to ensure that no repeat of 2011 will occur.
Firing Bill Smith — in November, no less — was the right move, but that didn’t cure the Twins of its ills overnight. In a meticulously crafted offseason, old-but-new GM Terry Ryan managed to add mostly depth to a team that for all intents and purposes is only one season removed from dominating the American League Central.
But times have changed.
For one, firing Smith doesn’t undo the Matt Capps or J.J. Hardy deals, and secondly Prince Fielder moving to Motown means it’ll be an uphill battle for any team to challenge for the Central crown, let alone dig out from a near 100-loss season. The Twins should be considerably better in 2012 — I have them pegged for 84 wins in my own personal projections — but that makes the club unlikely to contend for one of the new wildcard spots instituted for the upcoming postseason.
2013+ Outlook: 43 (25th)
There isn’t a ton of help on the immediate horizon, but at least in my perception, the Twins do well to add quality in spots where it isn’t usually projected. Chris Parmelee has been a pleasant surprise, and has forced the Twins’ hand into placing him onto the Opening Day 25-man roster as either a right fielder or first baseman. He, Joe Benson, and Liam Hendriks — thirteenth, ninth, and seventh in Marc Hulet’s 2011 Twins prospect rankings, respectively — are the few beacons of light that might immediately provide shine from the Twins metaphorical lighthouse.
The rest of the club’s big time help is offshore a considerable amount, as Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, and Levi Michael all represent the next crop of big prospects likely to descend on Minneapolis in the next handful of campaigns. They’re closer in proximity — a number of them will suit up for the Beloit Snappers — than proclivity.
The three wild-cards in the Twins deck are right-handers Kyle Gibson (arm surgery), Alex Wimmers (yips), and whomever the club selects with the second-overall pick in the upcoming amateur draft — a lot that may still include high school phenom Lucas Giolito, who allegedly hit 100 on the radar gun in one of his final starts before he too fell victim to season-ending arm woes.
Nonetheless, the farm system is a bit of a teeter-totter — with some depth on either side but a bit soft in the middle — but overall doesn’t stand out, especially when placed in comparison with the Royals or even the Indians, a system whose prospects are mostly graduated and playing full-time roles.
In terms of big league talent, the Twins are forced to retool rather than rebuild due in large part to owing Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau roughly $40 million in each of the next two seasons. The success of both 2012 and subsequent seasons will hinge greatly on the health of the Twins incarnation of the M&M boys.
Financial Resources: 47 (t-20th)
According to recent Forbes figures, the Twins are the 14th most valuable franchise at $510 million. Certainly, moving to Target Field has boosted the team’s value, as has not having to share or outright pay to the Vikings the concession dollars collected from the previously shared Metrodome. The Twins have long maintained that they use ~50 percent of revenues toward on-field personnel, and Forbes’ suggestion that the team’s revenue of $213 million in 2011 falls right in line with the $113.2 million payroll the club funded last season.
One thing worth watching will be the attendance as the Twins head into year three at Target Field. Oddly, though the Twins were 31 games worse in the standings from 2010 to 2011, attendance only dropped about 55,500 — roughly 700 heads per date — and the club actually jumped from third to second in the junior circuit in attendance. The Twins announced in August last season that there would be no increase in season ticket prices, and despite recent cold calls I’ve received from the ticketing department, all signs seem to point to another great year of season ticket renewals according to team president Dave St. Peter.
One place the Twins simply can’t keep up with is television contracts. While teams like the Angels have been able to procure astonishing, astronomical TV deals — the Halos opted out of a $50 million per year deal to strike a new one with Fox worth $150 million per annum for 20 years — the Twins are sort of stuck in flyover country, pulling in a reported $29 million per season to be broadcast on Fox Sports North.
Baseball Operations: 40 (t-28th)
This ranking is no doubt the hangover of the Smith era at the helm of the front office. In Smith’s short tenure in the GM’s chair — four years, five weeks — the trades were few but ultimately, quite disastrous.
* Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Eduardo Morlan for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie
* Johan Santana for Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Carlos Gomez*, and Deolis Guerra
* Capps for Wilson Ramos
* Hardy for Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson
To Smith’s credit, he did turn Gomez into Hardy.
Now this isn’t entirely to besmirch Smith’s character as GM; his late-season/waiver-wire deals were generally good — including Brian Fuentes, Carl Pavano, and Jon Rauch — and he did sign Jim Thome for peanuts, but all-in-all the writing was on the wall that Smith just wasn’t the man to resurrect the suddenly downtrodden franchise. Want some perspective on how big of a deal the Twins firing someone is? The Twins permitted Tom Kelly to manage the team despite losing seasons from 1993-2000. Only when Kelly retired was he replaced by incumbent skipper Ron Gardenhire. In short, if you’re a Twin, you’re often a Twin for life. Consistent with that notion, Smith was retained as a special assistant to Ryan and St. Peter.
Overall: 43 (25th)
As I stood in the clubhouse at the end of last year’s dismal run, Twins legend Tony Oliva — in full team attire, mind you — ambled into the middle of the room and asked why everyone was so glum. “Sure, today it’s raining,” Oliva offered. “But sometimes you have to go through the rainy days in order to see the flowers.” It was a simple phrase spoken through broken English, but Oliva made a good point: If a team needs to have a 99-loss season to right some wrongs and get back on track, maybe it’s worth it.
The 2011 season was all sorts of ugly for the Twins; every single regular with the exception of since-departed Michael Cuddyer and holdover third sacker Danny Valencia missed significant time, and the Tsuyoshi Nishioka experiment sort of cemented the notion that Smith was in over his head in terms of player evaluation.
The climb back to the top of the rankings is going to be exponentially longer than the fall was, but as long as Ryan is at the helm — he’s still mum on what his long-term plans are — it would seem likely that a consistent climb is in the future.NEW DELHI: The permission to NHAI to build a bridge and its approach roads across the river for the Delhi- Meerut Expressway should be allowed to help ease traffic congestion, an expert committee today told the National Green Tribunal.
The Principal Committee, headed by Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, told a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar that the "project may be allowed" subject to fulfilling of certain conditions including increasing the cost of monitoring during construction phase of bridge by nearly Rs 2.5 crore.
The committee, constituted by the NGT for implementation of 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017', has recommended that project proponent should save "as many trees" as possible and no wetland area on the floodplains should be disturbed during the construction phase.
The Principal Committee also comprises Special Secretary of MoEF, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, Delhi Chief Secretary, DDA, Delhi Jal Board, municipal corporations, Commissioner and others.
Professors C R Babu, A K Gosain, Brij Gopal and A A Kazmi of IIT Roorkee are also members of the Principal Committee, which also said that strong iron marshes of 8 inch height should be erected along the proposed bridge to stop the public from throwing solid waste in the Yamuna.
The matter is listed for next hearing on November 22.
The submissions came in response to National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) plea seeking NGT's nod for building of bridges and approach roads over Yamuna.
In its plea, NHAI had said that currently the route between Delhi and Meerut (NH-58) had frequent jams causing lot of inconvenience to traffic between the two cities and the project will reduce the time of travel to 40-45 minutes from three hours at present.
NHAI had moved NGT in view of a 2015 order saying that construction of "new barrages and roads, railway and metro bridges and embankments and bunds" should not be permitted.
However, in exceptional cases, "a critical impact of their potential impact on flood aggravation and environmental clearances should be made mandatory," it had said.
The Delhi-Meerut Expressway will be built through public -private-partnership mode and slated to be operational by March 2018. The project starts from National Highway-2 at Ring Road in Delhi and ends at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.[Haskell] ANNOUNCE: Galois web libraries for Haskell released
Galois, Inc. is pleased to announce the open source release of a suite of web programming libraries for Haskell! The following libraries are available, providing support for a wide range of Haskell web programming scenarios: * json JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language, Standard ECMA-262 3rd Edition - December 1999. This library provides a validating parser and pretty printer for converting between Haskell values and JSON. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/json * xml A simple, lightweight XML parser/generator. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/xml * utf8-string A UTF8 layer for IO and Strings. The utf8-string package provides operations for encoding UTF8 strings to Word8 lists and back, and for reading and writing UTF8 without truncation. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/utf8-string * selenium Haskell bindings to communicate with a Selenium Remote Control server. This package makes it possible to use Haskell to write test scripts that exercise web applications through a web browser. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/selenium * curl libcurl is a client-side URL transfer library, supporting FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SCP, SFTP, TFTP, TELNET, DICT, LDAP, LDAPS and FILE. libcurl supports SSL certificates, HTTP POST, HTTP PUT, FTP uploading, HTTP form based upload, proxies, cookies, user+password authentication (Basic, Digest, NTLM, Negotiate, Kerberos4), file transfer resume, http proxy tunneling and more! This package provides a Haskell binding to libcurl. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/curl * sqlite Haskell binding to sqlite3 <http://sqlite.org/>, a light, fast database. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/sqlite * feed Interfacing with RSS (v 0.9x, 2.x, 1.0) and Atom feeds http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/feed * mime Haskell support for working with MIME types. http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/mime Together these fill in a big chunk of the web programming stack for Haskell. Get the code! You can find all the cabalised packages on hackage.haskell.org. About: Galois <http://galois.com> researches, designs and develops high assurance technologies for security-critical systems, networks and applications. We use Haskell as a primary development tool for producing robust components for a diverse range of clients. Web-based technologies are increasingly important in this area, and we believe Haskell has a key role to play in the production of reliable, secure web software. The culture of correctness Haskell encourages is ideally suited to web programming, where issues of security, authentication, privacy and protection of resources abound. In particular, Haskell's type system makes possible strong static guarantees about access to resources, critical to building reliable web applications. We hope that the release of this suite of libraries to the community will push further the adoption of Haskell in the domain of web programming. This release brought to you by: Iavor Diatchki Trevor Elliott Sigbjorn Finne Andy Gill Eric Mertens Isaac Potoczny-Jones Don Stewart Aaron TombSirPsycho Psychotic Reviews, Saturn, Sega 3d, arcade, cheap, combat, exclusive, futuristic, game arts, import, mech, mech war, open level, saturn, sega
In the middle years of the 1990s every company that had not already done so built a 3D engine to enter the new world of gaming. With 3D arcade games wowing audiences worldwide it was natural that everybody would be excited to see this new dimension come home on the next generation of home consoles. Gungriffon started off as one such project at Game Arts, starting its development with the vague working title 3D Polygon. The game released exclusively on Sega’s Saturn worldwide in 1996. The game’s events take place in 2015 (what???); so when you play it, make sure the right side wins this mech war!
Gungriffon is a game that would feel right at home as an upright cabinet in an arcade. It really has that feel to it. It is a mech combat game, with a fairly limited set of controls built around the Saturn’s controller. This actually helps the game keep a simple design while still giving the player tools to easily navigate the levels. There are only six levels in the game, and each one is essentially a box you can openly move around in. Most of them will last less than ten or fifteen minutes.
[b]Why did Star Wars Battle Pod have closed levels instead of a big box to fly around in?[/b]
This game is a popular import. It requires little Japanese, and the only text you have to worry about is a mission briefing before each level. The first batches of levels just involve you killing every enemy in the level, but the objectives of later levels varies from destroying a specific target, to protecting your allies. This could confuse those who opt into a cheaper Japanese copy and wonder why they keep failing some of the levels.
By virtue of being a mech combat game the controls do take some getting used to, but once you do its quite easy to maneuver and make your way from one end of a stage to the other in a much smaller amount of time than you’ll think. The music in the game is excellent, and I found myself just relaxing at the mission select screen for a few minutes between every stage. Gungriffon goes for a more realistic atmosphere when you’re on the ground stomping around and blowing up enemy tanks, transports, air support, and mechs! You hear a lot of radio chatter and the sounds of your mech whirring as it walks like the giant robot it is.
This game does have some of the best 3D on the Saturn, with all enemy designs being clear and detailed for its time. It even looks better and runs smoother on the Saturn than the Mechwarrior ports to the Playstation! Game Arts always manages to pull the most out of the systems they work for, and its quite surprising to see this run so smoothly on a Saturn. A common thread I’ve noticed in games for the system is that there are small areas in games that just weren’t fully optimized, and slowdown occurs as a result. I never encountered any slowdown in Gungriffon, and its more detailed than some 2D Saturn games I’ve played that have this slowdown problem!
If you’re looking for a great game to add to your Saturn collection then consider Gungriffon, its a joy to play and is not too pricy. North American copies are around $25 right now, with import copies from Japan running around half of that after shipping. Gungriffon is easy to pick up and play in short or long bursts, and it may help to satisfy an itch to fire up the Saturn if you’re not in a fighting game mood.
AdvertisementsIn a rare act of bipartisanship, the Senate on Wednesday voted 74-22 for a $109 billion transportation bill that directs 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf states harmed by the disaster. The fines are expected to be in the billions of dollars.
The BP Oil Spill Trial: a Look Back in Photos 19 Gallery: The BP Oil Spill Trial: a Look Back in Photos
The big question is what the House of Representatives will do.
, R-Ohio, has been unable to generate a majority in the House for a GOP version of the transportation bill, which includes increases in offshore and land-based oil exploration opposed by most Democrats.
Boehner has said he would take a look at the Senate bill and decide whether to bring that measure up for a House vote, which would speed the process.
Another alternative for the speaker would be to call up a bill continuing highway and transit funding at current levels. If he decides on the "status quo" option, backers of the Clean Water Act find measure, known as the Restore Act, would have to find another way of enacting the plan.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., urged Boehner on Wednesday to pass the Senate version, which she said has bipartisan support, provides an infusion of jobs when the nation needs it and ensures BP fines benefit the states most harmed by the 2010 oil spill.
The Restore Act, which was thought to be in trouble a few weeks ago, was added to the transportation bill in a lopsided 76-22 vote last week. Landrieu and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., praised Wednesday's final vote to pass the two-year transportation funding bill.
"My colleagues and I are so proud to have passed the RESTORE Act, which will not add to the deficit, but will rather apply fine money that will be levied very soon in the courts against BP, and it will redirect this money back to the Gulf Coast - the states and communities that suffered the damage," Landrieu said.
Added Vitter: "Our reform approach, which has zero earmarks, will allow Louisiana and the metropolitan planning organizations greater flexibility to work together with the private sector to meet their transportation needs -- with much less federal bureaucracy slowing down the process," Vitter said. "Passing this bill with the Restore Act included is also a big, big win in the fight to save our coast."
For Louisiana, the bill would provide $385.3 million in 2012 projects related to national highway improvements. It adds $46.5 million for highway safety improvement projects in the state.
The Environmental Law Institute said the Clean Water Act calls for fines of between $1,100 per barrel of oil spilled to $4,300 per barrel, depending on whether BP is determined to have acted with due diligence or with gross negligence. It could generate as much as $17.6 billion in fines, of which 80 percent would go the five Gulf States if the Restore Act is implemented.
Under current federal law, Clean Water Act fines are supposed to go the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for use in future spills. The goal of those fighting for the Restore Act was to ensure that the bulk of the money is used to help the Gulf states recover from the BP spill.
Jay Austin, a senior attorney with the Law Institute, said that even without the Restore Act, the Justice Department could negotiate for supplemental environmental projects, as it did in a recent settlement with MOEX Entities, a firm that worked on the doomed BP rig.
But Louisiana lawmakers said there's no guarantee a settlement would keep the fine money in the Gulf.
Stephen Bell, a spokesman for Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said leaving the issue of funding to out-of-court negotiations was more of a gamble than his boss was willing to take. A coalition of environmental groups agreed.
"We do support the Restore Act and worked hard on it. So did the entire environmental community," said Brian Moore, director of budget and appropriations for Audubon, a national environmental organization.
Garret Graves, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, commended the Louisiana congressional delegation "for leading efforts to return these funds to the Gulf."
But he suggested the Jindal administration wants to work with members and federal agencies to ensure the "most appropriate allocation and use of Clean Water Act fines." He declined to elaborate, but there have been complaints that too much support goes to other Gulf states that didn't suffer as much damage from the spill as did Louisiana.
Bell said Scalise, who led efforts to pass the Restore act in the House, has heard those complaints but believes the compromise funding formula makes certain Louisiana gets a substantial amount of money for coastal restoration while providing the votes needed for passage. In addition to Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida get a share of the Clean Water Act fines.
The Restore Act directs that BP fine money be distributed to the five Gulf States for ecological and economic recovery along the coast.
It sets up a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to develop and finance a comprehensive plan for ecological recovery and establishes a Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Restoration, Science, Observation Monitoring and Technology Program.
Bruce Alpert can be reached at balpert@timespicayune.com or 202.450.1406. |
and find much love for Carly Fiorina. #GOPdebate — Jeff Simon (@jjsimonCNN) August 6, 2015
Without comment or fact-checking on substance, Carly Fiorina has seemed most in command–to the extent anyone can in this format. #GOPDebate — Jackie Calmes (@calmesnyt) August 6, 2015
Even fellow debate participants agreed. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry seemed to suggestthat Fiorina would make a better Secretary of State than John Kerry:
Rick Perry says he’d rather have Carly Fiorina negotiating the Iranian deal that John Kerry. A nice compliment across the stage #GOPDebate — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) August 6, 2015
Among Fiorina’s strongest answers were her responses on the Iran deal and how she would face cybersecurity threats America faces from Russia and China
“We need to be very well aware of the fact that China and Russia are using technology to attack us, just as ISIS is using technology to recruit those who would murder American citizens. I do not believe that we need to wholesale destroy every American citizen’s privacy in order to go after those that we know are suspect or are — are already a problem,” she said.
Twitter gave her an A-rating:
Jindall and Fiorina are the only two that stand out in the opening act #GOPDebate — ♛ (@bg440_) August 6, 2015
Fiorina killed it on that answer. I underestimated her persuasive skills. She just about convinced me for a hypothetical WW3 #GOPDebate — Daniel Tellez (@danieltellezjr) August 6, 2015
#GOPDebate Loving Fiorina. Smart and on point! — Casandra Styles. (@LittleLadyCassy) August 6, 2015
1st place Fiorina. 2nd place Jindal. #GOPDebates — GiMiller (@Lisa_Luerssen) August 6, 2015
Carly Fiorina is winning this!!! #GOPDebate
Fiorina is shining, Perry talks about border control, and Santorum is surprising me. #GOPDebate
— Ashley Stroud (@astroud7) August 6, 2015
Fiorina has substance; not to be underestimated #GOPDebate — Tiffany Easter (@TiffanyEaster) August 6, 2015
Game. Set. Match = Carly Fiorina. Overwhelming performance. #GOPDebate — Bean Counter (@TNBeanCounter) August 6, 2015
Update: Chris Wallace, Charles Krauthammer and George Will of Fox News–which hosted the debate along with Facebook–both agreed in their post-debate analysis. Fox News’ Bret Baier concurred that social media had reflected a big win for Fiorina.
Fox News’ snap poll indicated that 82% of viewers thought Fiorina won. As Sarah Rumpf notes:
Fox News viewers agreed with the people appearing on their television sets. In a flash poll taken after the debate, Fiorina was the overwhelming favorite. About two hours after the debate ended, a whopping 82 percent said that Fiorina won the debate. Left in her dust were former Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) at 7 percent, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) at 6 percent, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at 2 percent, and former Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) and former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-VA) at 1 percent.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz and on Facebook.Still no press conference for Palin whose levels of reality-denial keep going up. Even her Doctor Frankenstein, Bill Kristol, favors her actually, you know, engaging the press in a free country. But no medical records, not even a one-on-one at NBC, just phone calls to Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham and insane pronouncements of unvarnished untruth. It's worth pointing out that this has never happened before. Every vice-presidential candidate in modern times has given at least one press conference between being picked and the election. Why is this one different? What is she so afraid of? Why is McCain allowing this? Roland Martin is having none of it:
So, Sarah, if you want to talk big on the campaign trail to those audiences that don't talk back, go right ahead. But if you truly are the maverick politician you say you are, come on and talk to us soft, coddled, elitist journalists. Surely we aren't as tough as the moose you like to take down with your Second Amendment-protected hunting rifle.
Who is she really? A press conference now.
(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty.)
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ON Monday night, “Das Rheingold,” the first part of a mammoth new production of Richard Wagner’s opera cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” will thunder down on the Metropolitan Opera. A 45-ton set will test the theater’s foundations; a reported $16 million budget will test the company’s finances. In the midst of economic troubles, is it seemly to spend such a vast amount on a spectacle that will be seen by a relatively small, elite audience?
Such questions inevitably arise whenever an opera company forges the “Ring” anew. Last season, the Los Angeles Opera completed its presentation of the cycle, spending $31 million. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors became embroiled in arguments over Wagner’s anti-Semitism, and the singer David Byrne asked on his blog whether the money might have been better spent on arts education. “There is a greater value for humanity,” Mr. Byrne wrote, “in empowering folks to make and create than there is in teaching them the canon.”
As someone who makes a living writing about what Mr. Byrne calls “those dead guys,” I don’t accept his critique. But it’s a thoughtful statement, demanding a more thoughtful answer than the bromides that classical-music advocates have dispensed in the past. It’s not enough to murmur that opera is “high culture” or “serious music.” For one thing, opera has a right to be silly, and often is.
As it happens, a more effective riposte comes from Wagner himself. Amid his absurd and repulsive pronouncements on all manner of topics, you can find some acute insights into music’s place in society. He did not write for the high and mighty; his music is as much a critique of power as an exercise in it. And at a time when so much cultural expression seems secondhand and retrospective, young artists have much to learn from Wagner’s mad ambition.
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A few words, first, on the question of money. Opera is expensive, yes, but in the latter-day annals of extravagance it wins no prize. A budget of $16 million, or even $31 million, is hardly extreme for a four-part production that will unfold over two years. (Julie Taymor and her producers are said to be spending $60 million on a “Spider-Man” musical, which will presumably last only one evening.) Furthermore, the money comes almost entirely from ticket sales and donations; in the financial year just ended, the Met received just $698,000 from various government sources. And the “elite” image is exaggerated. The average seat at the Met costs $138, which is almost exactly what people pay to see the Rolling Stones.I read new baseball stories every day, and I forget most of them the instant I’m finished reading them, but I remember many of the players and anecdotes that taught me something I hadn’t thought about before. One of the stories that’s stuck with me is the tale of Carlos Gomez’s transformation. Gomez has always been fast, and because Gomez has always been fast, he was instructed earlier in his career to try to put the ball on the ground. Gomez, eventually, figured out he’d be better by tapping into his power, instead of trying to be a speed-only player. Fast players commonly end up being trapped. They run well, so that just ends up the focus.
You’re not going to find Trea Turner in a trap. An excerpt from an enjoyable article by Jorge Castillo:
[College coach Elliott] Avent isn’t the only confidant to relay this kind of advice to Turner. If not bunt, at least focus on putting the ball on the ground, the consultants advise. If the Washington Nationals’ rookie sensation can do that, he can leg out a few extra hits, the theory goes. And the more he’s on base, the more he can terrorize defenses with his speed. Turner listens and scoffs. “People tell me that,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘Shut up.’?”
I don’t know what’s actually the most exciting play in baseball, but Trea Turner can do most of them. Big fan of stolen bases? Turner will steal you bases. Prefer a solid stand-up triple? Turner will hit you a triple. Dingers? He’s got dingers. He’ll even make the occasional diving stop in the outfield. Before this year, he wasn’t an outfielder. Everything a position player can do, Turner does. He’s never going to complete a perfect game, but that’s not to be held against him. He’s dripping with tools, and he’s using them to sculpt a big-league career.
Let’s focus on the blend of speed and power. Turner, of course, isn’t the only player in possession of both. But he is one of the newer ones, and, say, here’s a home run from Monday afternoon. That was his sixth this year in the majors, all since August 3. Turner is running an ISO just under.200. By exit velocity on balls hit in the air, Turner compares well to this year’s Bryce Harper, Jay Bruce, and Nolan Arenado. Turner is not a slugger. Yet, Turner can slug. He doesn’t just try to slap pitches on the ground.
And when he gets moving, there might be no one faster. Turner is already 20-for-23 stealing bases. He has as many triples as homers, and he has what would be one of the highest speed scores in baseball history. Speed score might not be perfect, but it reflects what Turner has done, and Statcast loves him, too. Even last year, in a brief cup of coffee, Turner impressed. This year he’s been measured on some incredible triples. When it comes to top observed speed, Turner is in the highest possible tier. There are reasons, see, why the Nationals thought he could move to the outfield in the first place.
So now, let’s plot. We’re going to use imperfect statistics, but I don’t think we have much of a choice. Included below are all players who have batted at least 200 times this year. Isolated power is on the y-axis, with speed score on the x-axis.
Turner stands out, with an above-average ISO and the league’s highest speed score. Now, ISO isn’t the same as strength, and speed score isn’t the same as raw footspeed, but I do think this captures Turner’s essence. The closest player in the plot would be Byron Buxton, and Buxton has been a top prospect for years because of his enviable all-around skillset. The difference here is that Buxton, in the majors, has had a strikeout problem. He hasn’t been able to make the most of his tools. Turner’s already off to a hell of a start, as he looks to establish himself as one of the most exciting regular players in the game.
The Nationals shouldn’t yet take too much for granted. Opponents are still learning about Turner, and, with that in mind, here’s his swing map:
Turner loves to swing at inside pitches, and he prefers to lay off the pitches away. That’s pretty normal for any right-handed hitter, but Turner has taken it to the relative extreme.
The average difference is 9%. Turner has tripled that. So opponents might increasingly turn to the outer half, and then we’ll just have to see what Turner would do. This isn’t damning. There are quality hitters on that list. Heck, consider the case of Brian Dozier. Everyone knows his plan, and yet, it’s working better now than ever. You just have to look for potential vulnerabilities. Turner hasn’t walked much yet, and he’s shown a reluctance to visit the outer half. It’s conceivable that could be turned against him.
He’s been a whale of a fastball hitter, but his exit velocity has dropped against everything else. There’s a 9.1mph difference between Turner’s fastball EV and non-fastball EV, which is the fifth-biggest such difference out of more than 300. Turner might have some issues staying back or implementing mid-swing adjustments. And to just add this on there, Turner’s opponents have averaged a 114 ERA-. Mike Pelfrey has a 111 ERA-. Turner has faced a relatively soft slate of adversaries, and the pitchers stand to get more challenging. In short, Turner has plenty left to prove. He could probably tell you that himself. He’s not a finished product, and he’s not a sure thing, even despite the early success.
But what is a sure thing is that Turner can run, and also that Turner can hit the ball hard. There aren’t many players with that blend of skills, and Turner has already come through with big-league value. There’s less for him to figure out than there is for Byron Buxton. And though there’s still figuring out left to do, Turner’s going to try to do that as an everyday player on a contender for the World Series. The Nationals thought their center fielder would be Ben Revere. In a way, it kind of is. In still other ways, it very much isn’t.Toodles, Teddy.
Nashville‘s Eric Close, whose character was taken away in handcuffs at the end of the ABC drama’s third season, will not be a series regular in Season 4, TVLine has learned exclusively.
RELATED Nashville EP on the Mystery Flatliner, Hope for Juliette and Why the Hospital Wedding Almost Really Happened
ABC declined to comment, but we’re hearing Close’s status change is part of a larger creative effort to place the focus of the show squarely on the music business.
For three seasons, it seemed as if Teddy had been starring in his own satellite show about local Nashville politics. His penchant for making terrible decisions finally caught up to him in the third season finale, when the Feds arrested him for frequenting a high-priced call girl and then embezzling official funds to pay her off.
RELATED Secrets and Lies Season 2 Will Air in Nashville Slot at Midseason
However, the character’s strong ties to Rayna (Connie Britton) — he’s her ex and they have two children together (one biologically) — likely ensures that we have not seen the last of him. In fact, a source tells TVLine that there’s a very good chance Close will be back as a guest star.
In the meantime, Close is set to reprise his Suits role of lawyer Travis Tanner for one episode in the USA drama’s upcoming fifth season.This is one of those things that car accessory scientists have been debating for years: can nearly every piece of adhesive-backed chrome bullshit sold in the JC Whitney catalog be adhered to one vehicle, or would that vehicle collapse into a singularity, as the math suggests? This Craigslist ad seems to show it’s possible.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moe Pep School Of Shit You Stick On Cars have long attempted, in carefully-controlled laboratory settings, to produce such a car, but never with any success. That’s why the sight of this 1985 Chrysler Executive Limousine laden with what has to be an entire JC Whitney catalog worth of shiny bullshit is proving to be so revolutionary.
The car is referred to as “Penny the Talking Limo,” likely in reference to Chrysler’s then-current electronic voice-alert system, the place where 90% of Generation X Americans learned the meaning of the word “ajar.”
Minimal other information about the car is given, except that the anonymous owner wants an alarmingly low $8900 for this triumph, and that it retains the always-underwhelming 4-pot FWD K-Car drivetrain.
Let’s just take a quick look at some of these pictures, and really evaluate the magnitude of this achievement:
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Look how well-protected those headlights are. A truly elegant vehicle treats its headlights like prisoners. Beautiful, light-giving prisoners, trapped in chromed cages, like miraculous birds.
And why pick one kind of mesh, when you can have three? Who says gaudy amber position lights are for truck cabs? Why shouldn’t the discriminating man of taste not delineate every elevation change of his hood with an amber lamp, tastfully planted on a triangular chrome pad?
Also, if you think little rubber blocks make fine bumper guards, then, clearly you lack the breeding to understand such a job is best suited to a pair of chrome lion heads, flanking what appears to be a towel rack.
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I’m pretty sure the 2.2-liter K-car engine has just one little exhaust manifold that runs centrally under the car, but it should have two massive chrome flex-pipes that run all the way down the side of the car.
Also, why take the risk of not having a couple of extra chrome, tire-less wheels for your car? Perhaps those aren’t actually wheels, but some manner of massive turbine air intakes there just below the A-pillar.
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Whatever they are, they’re stunning. And, kudos to the owner for placing an extra marker light on the fender there. Let the DOT know for you, it’s not just about meeting the requirements – it’s about exceeding them.
Oh, and those chrome vents on the door are a great way to remove excess heat from the window winding motors.
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Landau bars on your vinyl top? Cute. Check out this goddamn chrome LANDAU EAGLE, properly and respectfully housed in its own frame atop the vinyl. Plus, an opera window and at least two opera lights, so all your opera viewing and lighting needs are covered.
Here’s a nice overall profile of this Baroque goddess in all her glory. The warmth you may be feeling is raw, uncut class leaking out and soaking your ankles.
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Curtains? Of course. With all the offers of vigorous boning that a car like this is certain to elicit, you’ve got to have a little bit of leopard-print privacy.
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Attempt to achieve this before have often been stymied by small-minded people who think things like “I have one fake spare tire, so I guess I’m done.” That’s loser talk.
I’m not totally sure why the radio is popping out of its socket. Perhaps it’s afraid of the menacing chrome bull to its right, or perhaps it’s hoping to wear that chauffeur’s hat up on the dash.
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What’s the carpet and floor mat look like in your Rolls-Royce Ghost? Pretty plain? Is it goddamn brocaded, with a no-skid chromed floor mat? No? Too bad. Enjoy your shitbox.
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Leather? Alacantara? Those are two great synonyms for ‘bullshit.’ Velour, baby, and lots of it. Look at this, really look, drink it the fuck in, people.
Is that a silky pull-tassle? You better fucking believe it. Need to make a call? Put down that mass-pablum iPhone, and pick up this landline-grade telephone. Need a bejeweled wand circumscribed by a golden, jewel-studded oval? Take you pick, bitches, because we’ve got two here.
A golden fleur-du-lis? Check. Casette deck, I think? Check. Caviar by the bucketful? More foie gras than you can chug? Check and fucking mate
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No-skid rear wheel skirts mean that the car won’t oversteer, right?
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The ad’s pictures end with this cryptic image. I guess this is a warning that if you don’t buy this car, you might end up stuck with some POS Bentley like this poor bastard.
(Thanks, Steven!)Share. Everyone wants a piece of the Dark Knight. Everyone wants a piece of the Dark Knight.
Update: DC had previously provided us with the wrong Sean Murphy variant cover. The gallery has been updated with the correct cover.
DC is poised to release The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 this week. That issue is shaping up to be one of DC's best-selling comics of the last decade, not just because it's a sequel to one of the most popular Batman comics of all time, but because DC has commissioned dozens and dozens of variant covers to celebrate the occasion.
Batman artists past and present have joined in to offer their own takes on iconic characters and moments from The Dark Knight Returns. In the lead-up to the release of the first issue, DC has revealed each of the more than 50 variant covers that will be available to purchase this week. While some of these variants will see wide release, many of them are exclusive to a specific comic book retailer. Scroll down to see all of these covers and where you can find them:
every dark knight III variant cover 10+ IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 OF 53 Main cover by Andy Kubert 01 OF 53 Main cover by Andy Kubert every dark knight III variant cover Download Image Captions ESC
The list of variants covers is even bigger when you count the fact that some retailers will also be selling rarer black-and-white versions of their exclusive covers. That pushes the grand total to around 70 covers so far. Fans who hope to collect each and every cover will certainly have their work cut out for them.
Let us know which of these many Dark Knight images is your favorite in the comments below, and be sure to check our our review of The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.Get ready to wheel and deal.
Being a fantasy baseball owner is all about mimicking the life of a real-world general manager, so it's only natural, then, that so many of us enjoy making trades in our game.
If you're at a point in your season where you've assessed your roster's strengths and weaknesses, this is an ideal time to begin exploring the trade market. I'll even help: Wednesday, I'm proposing several straight-up trades I'd make right now.
These are swaps meant to identify opportunity, either players whose values might be perceived too high or those who could be currently undervalued, and they go straight by my rankings, updated below. This means that they all follow the order of my ranks, yet build in some wiggle room; some owners might disagree with my order of players, but also the difference between players ranked only 10 spots apart in the 150-160 range is minimal, for example.
Give these swaps a try, or even if unsuccessful, you might find that substituting a comparably ranked player might get the deal done.
Bailey
Cashner
Andrew Cashner for Homer Bailey.
I'm as big an Andrew Cashner fan as anyone -- he was my No. 31 starting pitcher entering the year and a near-top-100 player overall -- but a four-quality-starts-in-five performance resulting in a 2.10 ERA and 1.05 WHIP nevertheless presents a cashing-in opportunity, and fantasy owners need to use said chips to acquire more talented players when and if they can. Cashner, after all, has an injury history: He missed more than 60 games in 2012 with a lat injury, and missed almost all of 2011 with shoulder woes.
Bailey, meanwhile, has been obliterated by bad luck, whether matchups (double St. Louis Cardinals), the wind or this statistical fact: He has a 28.6 home run/fly ball percentage, fourth highest among qualified pitchers. His BABIP is a league-high.421. His well-hit average -- the percentage of at-bats against him that resulted in hard contact -- is.125, which is actually lower than his.149 number in 2013.
Stanton
Braun
Ryan Braun for Giancarlo Stanton.
Braun has come up in this space before, and every caution previously offered stands even now. Nevertheless, he's on pace for 46 home runs and 123 RBIs, largely on the strength of two huge games (a three-homer outburst on April 8 and a two-homer game on April 19), but I'd argue that those build your case to trade him rather than keep him around. Braun's thumb issues could resurface, and if he'll fetch you first-round value, it's wise to purge yourself of the risk of him missing time.
Suggesting Stanton as a return might seem puzzling, considering he has some injury questions of his own -- he missed 85 games combined from 2012-13 -- but based on his early returns it's a chance worth taking. He's on pace for 44 homers, and I'd suggest his chances of actually reaching the 40-homer plateau are greater even if both stay healthy; he simply has more raw power of the two.
Alvarez
Trumbo
Mark Trumbo for Pedro Alvarez.
Trumbo is off to a solid start -- No. 35 on the Player Rater despite his.210 batting average -- but haven't we heard this story before? He is a player who historically excels early in the year but struggles late, evidenced by his first-/second-half numbers:
Career first half:.268/.324/.517, 60 HR, 22.2 K%, 28.2 Miss%,.215 WHAV
Career second half:.227/.268/.410, 35 HR, 28.8 K%, 31.1 Miss%,.186 WHAV
Meanwhile, Alvarez went 15 spots later on average during the preseason and has the lesser 2014 Rotisserie stats of the two --.179-6-13 to Trumbo's.210-7-19 -- but I was always on board with him being the better overall player of the two, and I still think he is the better bet to breeze past the 30-homer mark (and perhaps approach 40). Alvarez's well-hit average thus far is right on par with his numbers in 2013: He has a.192 mark, which compares nicely to last year's.199.
Hosmer
Segura
Jean Segura for Eric Hosmer.
Segura is and should remain a useful source of stolen bases, but he's not as powerful a hitter as he showed in 2013, typically a player who hits 60 percent of his balls in play on the ground. So far this season he has hit just eight fly balls (for a 76.4 percent ground-ball rate), but the greater concern is that he's just 5-for-9 in steals, after struggling to the tune of a 17-for-25 steals performance in the second half of 2013.
Hosmer, meanwhile, might have a pair of doughnuts in the homer and steals departments -- that's your strongest case to acquire him cheaply -- but everything in his game hints that he's doing all the same things he did during his breakthrough 2013: He's hitting to all fields, not chasing too high a rate of non-strikes and he has cut his swing-and-miss rate by more than 7 percent. With a little lift on the ball he could be a 25-homer hitter, and he'll even chip in a few steals, helpful for those who might feel the pinch from dealing Segura and his speed.
Dozier
Walker
Neil Walker for Brian Dozier.
A quick glance at Walker's statistics shows minimal change in skills outside of one area: power. That's easily explained by his 18.8 home run/fly ball percentage, which is nearly 9 percent higher than his numbers in either 2012 or 2013. Walker is a handy player even in mixed leagues -- he's middle infield material in a 10-team league -- but he lacks the kind of power/speed upside evident in Dozier. Dozier is a natural fly-ball hitter, with a 43.1 percent rate thus far in his major league career, plus a.152 isolated power, and he's plenty capable of stealing in double digits. Absorbing Dozier's batting average might be a negative for some fantasy teams, but it's one well worth taking based on his greater homer/steal upside.
Cobb
Lynn
Lance Lynn for Alex Cobb.
You'll notice that Cobb plummeted in this week's ranks, upon word that he would likely miss another six weeks with his oblique injury, but the correct time to deal for him is not at the end of May, once he fully recovers. The time is now. Lynn, a notorious hot starter, is an ideal trade chip, a pitcher with a 12-0 record, 2.60 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 13 career starts in the month of April.
Normally I'd resist trading for an injured player, but in Cobb's case, my confidence is based upon his strong recovery from injury last year, in a more challenging situation: He had a 2.41 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in nine starts after recovering from a concussion sustained when he was hit in the ear by a line drive. Cobb is an underrated pitcher who has made a major breakthrough the past two seasons on the strength of his changeup; he has merely been unlucky in the injury department.
Wieters
Mesoraco
Devin Mesoraco for Matt Wieters.
The case can be made that Mesoraco and Wieters aren't that different in terms of 10-team mixed value; both by all rights could end the year with.260 batting averages and 20-25 home runs. Mesoraco's owners might prefer to stick with him and see whether he can extend his hot start. Here's why they shouldn't: Wieters is the player with the greater experience, critical for a catcher, as the learning curve appears to be lengthier for the position (a point about which he's an outstanding example). He's 28 years old, had a strong spring and has experienced a small uptick in both his isolated power and fly-ball rates thus far in the regular season.
Tristan H. Cockcroft's top 250 "going-forward" rankings
For a detailed rankings breakdown by position, click here.It’s been a busy week for me here in Tokyo…
After all too many years of living in foreigner guest houses, I decided that it was finally time to get a real Japanese apartment.
Now, I know you’re probably thinking that this is a completely normal and respectable proposition. However, I can assure you that moving shop in Tokyo is anything but easy.
What exactly is involved in renting a real apartment in Tokyo? Good question!
For starters, Japanese use the phrase hikoshi-bimbo to describe someone who recently moved into a new apartment.
Literally translating as ‘moving poor,’ hikoshi-bimbo describes the state of having to fork over six months’ salary for the privelege of renting a new apartment.
That’s right folks – it costs an average of six months’ salary to rent an apartment, not including purchases of furniture, bedding, appliances and other “luxury items.”
Believe it or not, Japan still has a number of feudal laws on the books aimed at maintaining the gap between rich and poor.
Essentially, this means that you need a serious amount of cash on hand before you can even step foot into the realtor’s office.
Confused? So was I, though hopefully this post will help clear things up a bit.
My new apa rtment is a 2LDK, which means that it has two bedrooms, one bathroom and an all-purpose living room / dining room / kitchen. It is located in a high class part of Tokyo, though the rent is affordable since the building is fairly old.
Rent for one month is 170,000 yen (US$1500), which isn’t that terrible considering that I’m sharing the place with a good friend. However, before being handed the keys, we had to pay considerably more than this amount – in cash.
As a rule, all new renters also have to pay two month’s rent in advance, which is somewhat reasonable considering the percentage of defaulters in Japan.
On top of that, all new renters have to give another two month’s rent as a security deposit, which is refundable assuming there is no damage to the apartment.
Here is where things start to get a bit shocking…
On top of that, all new renters also have to give another two month’s rent as a gift to the landlord, which is not refundable under any circumstances. This money, which is known as reikin (礼金; key money) in Japanese, is a huge blow to the wallet.
On top of that, all new renters also have to give another month’s rent as a finder’s fee to the realtor, which is also not refundable under any circumstances. This money is considered to be a small price to pay given the competiveness of the Japanese real estate market.
To summarize, this means that my somewhat affordable apartment required an initial down payment of a whopping 1,190,000 yen or approximately US$10,000 in cash.
With that said, my apartment is amazing, especially if you’re a fan of traditional Japanese architecture. Although I’m certainly going to be hikoshi-bimbo for a little while, at least I’m doing it in style.
(If you don’t believe me, check out the pictures of my swinging pad!)Mr. Levin said that at his store vinyl copies of “In Rainbows” outsold the CD by a wide margin. Demand for the album was such that some record shops put it on sale before the label’s planned “street date,” resulting in sales of about 9,000 copies the previous week.
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But sales of the plastic and vinyl versions of the album also received a boost from digital services like iTunes, where the album sold about 28,000 copies. The iTunes service, which sells individual songs for 99 cents and albums typically for $9.99, had not carried any of the band’s previous albums, owing in part to Radiohead’s demand that its recordings be sold only as complete works.
But Bryce Edge, one of Radiohead’s managers, said the band decided to sell “In Rainbows” on iTunes because it expects that EMI, the British music giant that released the band’s first six albums, will soon post them for sale on the service, and it would be strange for the new album to be excluded. An EMI representative declined to comment.
The decision to release the music as a digital file so far in advance of the CD also allowed time for the music to circulate on free, unlicensed file-swapping networks. Big Champagne, a tracking service that studies file-sharing, estimates that the album was downloaded more than 100,000 times on free networks in the first 24 hours after Radiohead delivered it to fans who had preordered it from its Web site. But Eric Garland, chief executive of Big Champagne, said that by offering the music for as little as zero from their own site, Radiohead “stole market share” from pirate networks.
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Mr. Edge said that sales of 100,000 copies of the album this week would be “almost certainly less than the number we would have achieved if we hadn’t” offered it as a digital download. But the band still came out ahead, he said, in part because it attracted so many fans to Radiohead’s Web site, where it collected e-mail addresses from fans looking to acquire the album.
The band has not said how many copies it distributed. Now that the CD is in shops, some fans who paid for the initial downloads may have been tempted to buy the album, in effect, for a second time. But Steve Gottlieb, chief of the independent label TVT Records, said he believed the sales mainly reflected fans who were acquiring the music for the first time.
“Radiohead is one of those really big groups that appeals to people outside the intensely pirating demographic of 16 to 29,” he said. “To the extent Radiohead still has a significant audience in its 30s and 40s, there’s a bigger audience of those people who will still pick up something at Best Buy or don’t want to bother with figuring out how to go to a Radiohead Web site and track it down.”
Still, Mr. Gottlieb said, the sales suggested that the band’s name-your-price offering, and fans’ subsequent free sharing of files, had taken a toll. “Clearly we can’t give it all away and expect to sell CDs,” he said.
But Radiohead will have yet more opportunities to gain fans. The band said yesterday that it planned to perform in more than 20 North American cities this year.RIAA lies about Pandora's royalty rates
Have you heard a lot of Internetular argle-bargle about Pandora's crazy-low royalty rates? How they compare unfavorably to satellite rates, and how the company's trying to cut them? You have? Me too. Turns out (unsurprisingly), it's RIAA lies. For example, the comparison to satellite streaming rates is pure spin -- it compares the rate of sending a song to every person turned into that satellite station to a single person listening to a Pandora stream. It would be pretty surprising if Pandora's per-listener rates weren't a fraction of the rates paid by satellite radio for a whole audience.
And the business about trying to cut royalties just isn't true, either:
The next issue concerns the publishing side. Historically, Pandora has paid essentially the same rate as all other forms of radio, a rate established unilaterally by the performing rights organizations, ASCAP and BMI, in the late 1990s. In November of last year, following a lengthy negotiation, Pandora agreed with ASCAP to a new rate, an increase over the prior amount, and shook hands with ASCAP management. Not only was our hand-shake agreement rejected by the ASCAP board, but shortly thereafter we were subjected to a steady stream |
’ and call for them to be ‘fried like bacon.’ ” Walker was referring to a small group of protesters in Minnesota who by all accounts are unrepresentative of the larger movement. Still, their actions came in the wake of a brutal attack on a Texas police officer, Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth, who was shot 15 times at a gas station near Houston. And as such, it was fuel for Walker’s charge, as well as for claims from Fox News and other conservative outlets that Black Lives Matter is a “hate group.”
A struggling Christie—who, along with Huckabee and Cruz, lags far behind in the polls—has picked up on this, and run with it. On Tuesday, during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the New Jersey governor slammed Democrats on crime. “It’s the liberal policies in this city that have led to the lawlessness that’s been encouraged by the president of the United States,” he said. “And I’m telling you, people in this country are getting more and more fed up.” Likewise, on Fox News, he blasted President Obama’s rhetoric—or alleged lack thereof—on police killings. “The president says little or nothing about these issues where police officers are being hunted,” claimed Christie.
This isn’t true. But that doesn’t mean Christie can’t find traction. With crime and killings in the news, Democrats may be vulnerable to claims of indifference or even encouragement, given their support for Blacks Live Matter. Indeed, this violence threatens the whole project for criminal justice reform.
To a large degree, the move toward deincarceration and less draconian policing is a product of declining crime. Americans are less afraid of being victimized, which makes them either open to policies that might look “soft” in a more dangerous environment, or they are just apathetic about the issue. But even apathy works; when the public is indifferent, it’s easier to pass unpopular policies or make potentially unpopular commitments. It’s one reason why Hillary Clinton—a cautious politician by any measure—has felt confident enough to openly endorse Black Lives Matter; outside of a dedicated few, no one is paying attention, and no one is trying to use it against her.
Christie and other Republicans are trying to change that. By blaming Obama and Black Lives Matter for an increase in crime or new attacks on police officers, they’re working to conjure the fear and uncertainty of the ’80s and ’90s—when violent crime was at an all-time high—and capitalize on them. And it’s worth noting the extent to which these appeals come at the same time that Republicans need to increase their share of the white vote to win a national majority. It’s no accident, perhaps, that Trump has called for giving “power back to the police, because crime is rampant.”
“Cops across this country are feeling the assault,” said Cruz from the trail last week. “They’re feeling the assault from the president, from the top on down as we see. Whether it’s in Ferguson or Baltimore, the response of senior officials of the president, of the attorney general, is to vilify law enforcement. That is fundamentally wrong, and it is endangering the safety and security of us all.” Cruz isn’t as invested in this message as Christie is—he’s busy rallying against same-sex marriage in Kentucky and the Iran deal in Washington—but he’s part of the same push to make Black Lives Matter a liability for Democrats.
Yes, this rhetoric is false. Neither Obama nor Eric Holder nor Loretta Lynch, the present attorney general, has “villified” law enforcement. But trust has limited reach in national politics. The question for projecting an outcome is whether crime is salient again. If it is, then Democrats are stuck between a protest movement they ostensibly support and a scared and anxious public. And if it isn’t, then Christie and his peers will have to find something else to save their flailing campaigns from fast-approaching obscurity.Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of Poland’s ruling conservative party, is to sue former President Lech Wałęsa over claims that Kaczyński caused the death of his twin brother and 95 others in the Smolensk air disaster.
Lech Kaczyński, then president, died on 10 April 2010 when his plane crashed while trying to land in fog at the Smolensk airport in western Russia.
In 2016 former Solidarity union leader Wałęsa accused Jarosław Kaczyński of being “mentally disturbed” and pressuring his brother to force the plane to land in Smolensk, despite bad weather.
Wałęsa said Jarosław Kaczyński told his brother to make sure the plane landed as scheduled during their last ever phone call, while Lech Kaczyński was in the air.
Recordings of the call have not surfaced but Jarosław Kaczyński said that he spoke to his brother, who called him from the plane, to talk about their ill mother.
“Since they were born [Jarosoław Kaczyński] always made the decisions, Lech went along … he always waited on Jarosław’s decision on everything,” Lech Wałęsa said on Facebook in 2016.
Jarosław Kaczyński has demanded Wałęsa revoke his claims the Law and Justice (PiS) party leader was “sick, mentally disturbed” and that, “during the flight of the plane carrying the Polish delegation to Smolensk, knowing of the unfavourable weather conditions, and driven by heroics, [he] ordered the plane land, which led to the air disaster”.
Wałęsa has not denied saying those things.
“Everything you have said against me … I confirm… I believe that [Jarosław Kaczyński is] responsible for the deaths in Smolensk,” Wałęsa said on Facebook on Wednesday.
Since coming to power in 2015, the PiS government has launched a new investigation into the 2010 presidential plane crash, having long challenged an official report into the crash issued by the previous Polish government.
The earlier report cited a catalogue of errors on the Polish side, while also pointing to errors made by Russian staff at the control tower of Smolensk Military Airport.
A Russian report placed all the blame on the Poles.
The new investigation under PiS claimed the plane was probably destroyed by a mid-air explosion and that Russian air traffic controllers deliberately misled Polish pilots about their location as the plane was approaching the runway.
The 96 Poles on board the plane were heading to commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Katyń massacres, during which some 22,000 Polish officers were executed by the NKVD, a forerunner of the Soviet Union's secret police organisation the KGB. (vb/pk)Get the biggest Liverpool FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Liverpool fans have launched a campaign to make Dejan Lovren player of the month, after the defender received vile abuse regarding his family.
Reds supporters have taken to social media and pleaded with fellow fans to vote for Lovren in the club's monthly awards in October.
Users on the Liverpool FC Reddit page have also sent Lovren private messages in support.
The Croatian defender, who has come under intense criticism for recent performances, received a sickening private message on Instagram which read: “I'm gonna murder ur family u Croatian p****.”
Lovren shared the image on the social media platform with the caption: “Horrible what kind of people we have.”
He then added to that later on, writing: “I don't mind when people talk s*** about me, it says more about them!
“But I cannot ignore when my family is threatened. I just can't and won't accept that.
“Disgusting.”
Jurgen Klopp met with Lovren yesterday to discuss the death threat, as the player focuses on returning to full fitness after sustaining a thigh injury in the warm up prior to Saturday's 3-0 win over Huddersfield.
And now Liverpool fans are seeking on showing they back the defender with a touching gesture.
Mo Salah looks likeliest to win the award however – just as he did in August and September – with his huge following in Egypt proving decisive once more.
On Reddit, user CompetitiveInhibitor said: “I don’t know if he will ever read them but in light of recent events I sent him a DM saying 'You’ll Never Walk Alone' and I think it would be a kind gesture if anyone here could do the same! It’s important to support our players no matter how poorly he may have been playing recently. YNWA.”
It has received plenty of support, and you can read the whole thread in its entirety here.
Well played, everybody.Some parts of this page will not display.
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“I have been informed that Premier Jim Prentice was the victim of a terrible aircraft accident last night.
“I spoke with his wife, Karen, and expressed the profound sorrow and sympathy I feel, and that I know all Albertans feel, in the face of this unspeakable tragedy.
“I also spoke with PC leader Ric McIver.
“There are no words adequate for moments like this, as my family knows very well.
“But there are words to remember Premier Prentice’s contributions to Alberta. He served our province in so many roles for so many years. He deeply loved Alberta. He worked tirelessly for all of us, in the true spirit of one who is committed to public service. I benefited from his advice, and the Government of Alberta is continuing to pursue many of his initiatives. All Albertans are the better for this.
“We will find an appropriate occasion to fully remember Premier Prentice’s career and contributions.
“But today our thoughts are with his family. With Karen and their daughters Christina, Cassia and Kate. And with two grandchildren who will have much to be proud of in their grandfather.
“This tragedy was made worse by the death on the same flight of Premier Prentice’s good friend, and father of his son-in-law, Dr. Ken Gellatly.
“Our thoughts are also with Premier Prentice’s friends and colleagues.
“For Alberta, today is a day of sorrow in the face of terrible tragedy.
“To all Albertans, I urge you to look at the faces of those we love and remember that every moment with them is a precious gift.”
Related information Former Premier Jim Prentice memorial pageGartner analysts Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald told a conference audience yesterday that Microsoft’s Windows product is collapsing and must make radical changes to its operating system or risk becoming a has-been.
They specifically pointed out the slow adoption rate by businesses – just 6% to date – and the fact that the Vista code base is so large. That means changes take years, and only high end computers can really take advantage of it anyway.
For most early adopters (and all Mac users), the browser is increasingly the only operating system that matters anyway. Windows isn’t really that relevant any more just because of the increasing utility of online applications like Google Docs, which competes with Microsoft Office. Vista could be perfect and it still wouldn’t matter. The fact that it is flawed only makes the situation worse.
Microsoft makes a ton of revenue on sales of software that sit on the computer. $15 billion a year for Windows alone, and another $16 billion for Office and Exchange Server in 2007. That’s 60% of Microsoft’s total revenue, and profits from those groups float the rest of the company. Microsoft isn’t a viable company without their consumer and business desktop software profits.
The real question isn’t “What can Microsoft do to fix their Windows product?” but rather “Even If Windows and Office were perfect, would it be enough to keep Microsoft relevant in the medium term?” I think the answer to that latter question might be “nope.” And that, of course, is why they want Yahoo so badly. Online advertising revenue is their only real hope of long term survival.Shiv Sena and BJP leaders may be working overtime to keep the political arithmetic intact, but there is a visible change in the chemistry as BJP national president Amit Shahs Mumbai schedule finds no mention of any visit to Matoshree, the residence of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Shah will be on his first visit to Mumbai on September 4 after becoming the BJP chief.
Officially, BJP and Sena have both confirmed that no meeting has been scheduled between Uddhav and Shah in Mumbai this week.
The BJP Monday clarified that Shahs visit to Mumbai would be confined to organisational matters and Ganpati darshan.
The primary reason for Shah not meeting Uddhav is apparently because of the disputes within the alliance over the seat-sharing formula for the ensuing Assembly elections, which still needs to be resolved. The BJP wants to send out a signal that it will not allow Senas highhandedness in the state polls.
Seat-sharing negotiations are still under way. If Shah and Thackeray meeting takes place, it should be conclusive. And by September 4, we are not confident things will get resolved, said one of the political managers of the BJP.
Officially, both the Shiv Sena and the BJP are exercising caution. A close confidant of Uddhav Thackeray said: We are not aware of any visit by Amit Shah.
State BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis told The Indian Express, Amit Shah will visit Mumbai for the first time after taking charge as all-India BJP president. He will address party workers at Shanmukhananda Hall (Dadar), and also visit some of the popular Ganesh mandals, including famous Lalbaugcha Raja in Lower Parel.
He said Shahs decision to confine the visit to just BJP programmes was not political.
Fadnavis, meanwhile, asserted that the seat-sharing negotiations between Sena and BJP were taking place as per schedule and going in the right direction.
By next week, we hope all the issues will be resolved. And we will be able to at least have the first list of candidates and seats ready, he said.
The state BJP president also dismissed any thought that Shahs decision to not meet Thackeray might affect the alliance. Both parties understand that they have to address their respective party cadre. Moreover,
Shah has not been able to visit Mumbai as he was busy with the campaign in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, he argued.
Notwithstanding the explanation given by the BJP, there is some unrest in the Sena. Though none of the leaders spoken to was willing to make any official comment, a senior Sena MP who did not wish to be named said: Circumstances and leadership change is bound to bring some deviation from the past. In the past, often central BJP leaders, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, would make it a point to come to Matoshree and greet the late Bal Thackeray.
The Sena MP, who claimed to have been a witness to many such meetings, said: Often, there was no agenda or politics. The visits were part of the bonding, which was so natural between top leaders. However, post Thackeray and Atal-Advani era, things are undergoing some changes in the BJP.
He added: We have not sought any meeting with Amit Shah. So, there is no question of his reciprocating or dismissing our invitation.
However, a senior BJP functionary said: During the Shiv Senas annual Dussehra Rally, nobody from the BJP is ever invited. So what is the big deal Even in the past, there were instances when Advanji came for a party function and left without meeting Thackeray. There are often time constraints too.
BJP chiefs schedule
Shortly after his arrival in Mumbai, Shah is going to have a meeting of state core committee leaders at Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Vinod Tawdes residence at Vile Parle. A tea session will follow. Shah will then attend a lunch meeting at BJP national secretary and MP Poonam Mahajans residence in Worli. Thereafter, he will go to a couple of Ganesh pandals beginning with Lalbaugcha Raja. He will also visit Ganesh mandals headed by city BJP chief Ashish Shelar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha.If you love the country, hate silly hats, and can’t stand Hollywood actors bitterly clinging to their sense of self-importance, this event may be for you.
In May we noted that the “Mom’s March for America“, a virtual event in support of American mothers and American culture, was being organized for September 23.
As that date approaches, organizers have arranged for a number of well known conservative speakers, including former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin, Candy Carson (wife of Dr. Ben Carson) and Missy Robertson (Duck Dynasty) join list of power moms speaking at the Mom’s March—a national gathering of mothers—September 23 in the Heartland of America, in Omaha, Nebraska, and broadcast live across the nation. Thousands of mothers in every state in America have signed up to join the march in person or online where they are. Public gatherings to view the march are being organized in several states. …Mom’s March for America isn’t a physical march walking down the street, shouting, and carrying signs. It is a cultural march toward a higher standard of decency, civility, and liberty. “The Mom’s March isn’t about politics, parties, or presidents,” says Kimberly Fletcher, “it’s about standing for, and promoting, the principles and values America was founded on—the principles and values that made us the freest, most prosperous nation on earth.
Dawn Wildman, Director of the Coalition for Policy Reform, will be at a viewing event in San Diego. She offers another perspective about this virtual rally, noting that the timing could not be more exquisite, as it comes on the heels of the tasteless, crass, and disastrous Emmys.
“Average Americans across the country spent last Sunday being insulted, demeaned and derided by Hollywood. The Mom’s March for America is not only a counter-culture response to Hollywood, but is truly an uplifting event that will bring families together in a celebration of this country. I think most kids would be less embarrassed by their moms being caring and loving participants in a video party than seeing them screaming vulgarities on national television about all the power their vaginas hold!”
Dawn confirms that silly, pink hats will not be mandated, though she suspects that many participants may be wearing stiletto heels in honor of Melania Trump’s hurricane relief efforts.
For those of you interested, the link to the Sept. 23 live steam is HERE!
If you love the country, hate silly hats, and can’t stand Hollywood actors bitterly clinging to their sense of self-importance, this event may be for you.The New York City Ebola scare wasn’t enough to halt the festivities for Bob Gruen’s 69th birthday on Thursday night. In honor of the legendary rock photographer, singer/songwriter Jesse Malin and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong teamed up to play a secret set of covers at the tiny East Village bar 2A.
In front of a packed crowd of Gruen’s specially invited friends and family, the two performed versions of songs such as the Clash’s “Jail Guitar Doors,” the Ramones’ “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker,” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.” The hour long show also included a string of special guests including Alice Cooper who kicked off the night with his classic “I’m Eighteen.”
Former Distillers singer Brody Dalle, Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls and rockabilly-revivalist Robert Gordon all made brief appearances. New York musician Paul Collins also sang “Hanging On The Telephone” – a track originally recorded by his old power-pop band the Nerves but which was later made famous by Blondie.
Debbie Harry was also in attendance but did not perform.
Speaking to the Post after the show, Armstrong paid tribute to Gruen’s iconic work which was particularly crucial to the careers of punk and new wave bands like the Ramones, the Clash and Blondie. “When you’re 15, living in the suburbs and learning about punk rock, Bob’s pictures are the ones you tend to gravitate towards.” He also recalled the time when Gruen photographed Green Day in 2009. “When he took us to the top of the General Electric building, it was amazing to think he’d only done this with the Clash, John Lennon, and us.”
Earlier in the night, Armstrong, Malin, Harry, Dalle and Cooper had all played at the annual “Little Kids Rock” benefit concert at Hammerstein Ballroom – a charity which provides music lessons and instruments to under-served American schools.The Panthers administration made a brave and bold decision to stand down trio Matt Moylan, Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku for breaking team protocol.
In doing so they made a statement about the club, not only what it stands for now, but what they believe it should stand for moving forward.
It all starts with accountability and respect.
Culture is the buzz word in rugby league circles. Building a 'good culture' is talked about in nearly every interview, with every player, across every club, every week across this country and the Tasman.
The fact that the Panthers stood down their captain and superstar fullback Moylan sent a powerful message. Reputation or standing counts for naught if you don't follow the team rules.
Respect for your teammates, the jersey and the journey is paramount.
The Panthers took this course of action even though they had a slow start to the season, including a heavy loss to the Storm.
Sure, the players could have been slapped on the wrist, fined and allowed to play. Plenty of clubs have taken that route. Plenty still would.
But what message would that have sent to firstly the players involved and secondly their teammates?
When your captain breaks the team rules, why can't everyone else?
There is little question the team with the greatest aura and culture is the Melbourne Storm. But it is not lip service paid at media conferences, nor is it just a result of the 'big three' and Bellamy. It is lived and breathed by everyone that works for the organisation.
It's hard to think of a player who has gone to Melbourne and not improved and become a better player.
That's no fluke.
A good culture takes years to build.
Almost a decade ago Storm CEO Dave Donaghy was at a bar in Moore Park when he was then the media manager for the club. It was not a working day for him, he was going to the Sydney Football Stadium as a fan to watch two non-Melbourne teams play.
Asked if he wanted a beer, he politely refused, saying the team was on an alcohol ban leading into the finals.
It was one-in, all-in.
It wasn't up for discussion, it was a pact that ran through the whole organisation, from the players, through to the support staff. So Donaghy stayed off the booze, even though no one from the club would have known.
The respect for the club and the self-policing was not just restricted to the players.
It was so powerful in its simplicity and it has stayed with me to this day.
Back to the Panthers, who were gallant in their one-point defeat against the Rabbitohs, there's no guarantee the banned trio would have made any difference to the result.
All three played in the Intrust Super Premiership against the Newcastle Knights and their side still went down 26-20.
But being forced to watch from the sidelines as their team lost by one point in the dying seconds would have been an incredibly difficult lesson to learn. You can't imagine they or anyone from the team will be breaking team protocol again.
Coach Anthony Griffin knows it too. The decision wasn't about this week, it was about something much bigger.
The Panthers might have lost to the Rabbitohs, but it's just one loss in a long season. If the Panthers go deep into this competition, or even next year's, they might look back on this week as a key step in that direction.
Good culture starts from the top.
McCullough's play of the week
Andrew McCullough is the youngest ever player to reach 200 NRL games, and Broncos captain Darius Boyd believes it is time the consistent rake is rewarded with a representative jumper.
McCullough came up with a match-defining play against the Roosters and it sums up everything that his teammates love about the 27-year-old.
The Broncos dummy-half saved a certain try against the Roosters after he had already made 41 tackles in a frantic clash at Suncorp Stadium. When the Roosters made a break, McCullough chased and caught Daniel Tupou, forcing the winger to pass to Michael Gordon who was steaming on his outside. McCullough managed to get around Tupou and chased again, desperately diving and clipping the fullback's boots with a centimetre perfect ankle tap. It was a lung-busting play that saved a certain four points that would have got the Roosters back in the contest.
It was inspirational, and while the ankle tap itself may have been somewhat lucky, the effort to get himself into a try-saving position twice in the same play was anything but.
It wasn't just ankle tap, McCullough makes tackle on Tupou to force pass and then chases again to get Gordon. Effort on effort! HUGE #NRL pic.twitter.com/9Hm7DtOpt9 — Andrew Bryan (@AndrewBryan321) April 6, 2017
Taumalolo is a stat monster
The Cowboys didn't get the result despite being heavy favourites against the Wests Tigers, but lock Jasaon Taumalolo could hold his head high. While his team lacked cohesion and polish, Taumalolo tried almost single handily to keep them in the contest.
If he isn't the best player in the competition at the moment, he's in the top three.
His Dally M medal was no fluke.
Against the Tigers, Taumalolo ran for 260 metres, made 23 tackles, 9 tackle-breaks, a linebreak, two offloads and scored a try for good measure. Opposition teams have no answer for the 23-year-old.
The scary thing for opposition teams is that it was a typical Taumalolo performance.
He ran for 295 metres against a huge Raiders pack in Round 1, 231 metres against the Broncos in Round 2 and 'just' 217 metres against the Rabbtohs after serving a two game suspension in Round 5.
In season 2017 he is averaging a staggering 96 post contact metres, every game. That's more than a lot of forwards make in pure metres a game.
The Cowboys and Taumalolo both took a big risk in signing his lucrative 10-year contract, but if he keeps that form up, he could go down as one of the all-time greats.
Mighty Red V
With the Sharks beating the Storm in Melbourne – their first ever win at AAMI Park – it means that every team in the NRL Telstra Premiership has now been beaten.
It also means the St George Illawarra Dragons are the league leaders with the best attack in the competition.
Who in their right mind would have picked that?
The Dragons have earned their place on the ladder, but face a daunting month of football. We'll soon learn a lot more about the Red V with clashes against Cowboys, Roosters, Storm and Sharks in the coming four weeks.
Are they the real deal? We are about to find out.Drawing distinctions between two international threats, President Bush said Tuesday he is confident North Korea's nuclear buildup can be stopped diplomatically, but warned that Saddam Hussein "has not heard the message" and may be headed toward conflict with the United States.
The president said he had not decided whether to wage war with Iraq, but suggested the economic cost of going to war to eliminate Saddam's weapons of mass destruction is better than risking an attack from them.
"An attack from Saddam Hussein or a surrogate of Saddam Hussein would cripple our economy," Bush said as he stopped for lunch at a local diner near his Texas ranch. "This economy cannot afford to stand an attack."
Bush made the comment in response to a question about reports that his administration was ready to spend between $50 billion to $60 billion to disarm Saddam.
In his first public remarks on North Korea in two weeks, Bush said "all options, of course, are always on the table for any president," but he also suggested that military conflict is not being considered.
"I believe this is not a military showdown. This is a diplomatic showdown," Bush said, adding that he thought the confrontation could be resolved peacefully.
He said the United States is working with its allies to help persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. In violation of a 1994 deal with the Clinton White House, Pyongyang has restarted its efforts to develop nuclear weapons and add to a stockpile that U.S. officials believe already consists of one or two bombs.
Bush is coming under criticism for treating Iraq as a greater threat than North Korea, when the United States has not proven whether Saddam has nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
Asked to explain the distinction, Bush said that Saddam had been close to developing a nuclear weapon in the 1990s and said Iraq has flouted efforts to curb his aggression for 11 years.
He said Saddam's first attempt to comply with the latest United Nations arms resolution -- a declaration of the status of his weapons program -- "was discouraging." U.S. and U.N. officials have said the document had glaring omissions, and the Bush administration declared Saddam in "material breach" of his U.N. agreements, a step that could be used to justify military action.
"Thus far, it appears at first look that Saddam Hussein hasn't heard the message," Bush said.
The president responded abruptly when a reporter suggested that war was inevitable.
"You say we're headed to war in Iraq. I don't know why you suggested that," he said. "I'm the person who gets to decide, not you."
His point, Bush said, was that no decision has been made about whether to take military action -- and that it is up to Saddam to comply with the U.N. mandate to avoid war.
As Americans prepared for New Years Eve celebrations, Bush said he personally authorized the FBI to put out an all-points bulletin for five men suspected of being smuggled into the country.
U.S. intelligence said the men came through Canada, but it is unclear whether they have any plans to carry out terrorist acts.
"We don't have any idea or what their intentions might be, but we are mindful that there are still some out there who would try to harm America and harm Americans and so therefore we take every threat seriously, every piece of evidence seriously," Bush said.
On efforts to protect America from future attacks, he said, "It's a lot safer today than it was a year ago, and it's going to be safer after this year than it was this year because the United States of American will continue to lead a vast coalition of freedom-loving countries to disrupt terrorist activities, to hold dictators accountable," he said.
On a separate note, Bush said the Republican Party has not been damaged by Sen. Trent Lott's comments suggesting sympathy with segregation because, he said, Americans know that the GOP cares about equality "regardless of color of skin."
Lott, R-Miss., stepped down as Senate majority leader after harsh criticism from Bush and pressure from his Senate GOP colleagues.Becomes an aura that consumes all corpses within 15 yards to restore 11 Essence per corpse. The range of this effect is increased by 50% of your gold pickup radius.
Active: The Golem becomes a tornado of bone carrying all nearby enemies to the targeted location, stuns them for 3 seconds and deals 2000% weapon damage as Physical over the duration.
Cooldown: 45 seconds Active: Command the Golem to the targeted location where it collapses into a pile of 5 corpses. Passive: Raise a Flesh Golem to fight for you. Flesh Golem deals 450% weapon damage as Physical per attack.
Cost: 10 Essence Cooldown: 10 seconds Rip bones from nearby enemies, dealing 125% weapon damage as Physical, and create armor that reduces damage taken by 3% per enemy hit up to a maximum of 10 enemies. Lasts for 60 secs.
While moving, damage taken is reduced by up to 50%.While standing still, damage dealt is increased by up to 100%.
While moving, damage taken is reduced by up to 50%.While standing still, damage dealt is increased by up to 100%.
One Shot Stun Blood Spear Build
Build Guide
Start by using your golem to provide some ammo, try and keep your distance as much as possible while stunning enemies using your various abilities to provide massive bursts of damage for your spears. If an enemy leaps on top of you use golem or bone armor to stun and one shot them or kite away.Many times we are in need of knowing detailed Computer hardware configuration for various purposes such as to get right driver, debugging, to prepare system information report, etc. In linux many such tools are available in command line. Here I am trying to list down three tools which I know. They are hwinfo, lshw and dmidecode. I believe both lshw and dmidecode are installed by default Ubuntu installation. If not follow the instructions below to get it installed. Now let’s see one by one.
My laptop is Sony VAIO VGN-CS15GN/B with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz), Memory 2GB and Hard disk drive 250GB. I have installed Ubuntu 10.04 on it.
1. hwinfo – Probe for hardware tool
The man page says “hwinfo is used to probe for the hardware present in the system. It can be used to generate a system overview log which can be later used for support. This is the best tool in my opinion – it gives more information about your system hardware specification than any other tools and also the report is well organized and easily accessible through command line switches”.
Installation:
$ sudo apt-get install hwinfo
Usage:
$ sudo hwinfo
The above command will fetch complete report about all hardware components, model number, serial number, vendor, device class, descriptions, features, etc.
If you don’t want full report, you can get information about a particular class of hardware such as BIOS, Processor, memory, hard disks, printer, scanner, etc. The below command will fetch information of your computer’s RAM (memory is the hardware item in this example. To know all hardware item supported by this tool check with man page of hwinfo).
$ sudo hwinfo –memory [sudo] password for blackgod: 01: None 00.0: 10102 Main Memory [Created at memory.61] Unique ID: rdCR.CxwsZFjVASF Hardware Class: memory Model: “Main Memory” Memory Range: 0x00000000-0x754fffff (rw) Memory Size: 1 GB + 896 MB Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
Similarly the below command will fetch the amazing amount of information about wireless LAN component of your system.
$ sudo hwinfo –wlan [sudo] password for blackgod: 20: PCI 300.0: 0282 WLAN controller [Created at pci.318] UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_8086_4232 Unique ID: y9sn.4sCLS2kIqkC Parent ID: hoOk.ABTEjCxdYN4 SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.2/0000:03:00.0 SysFS BusID: 0000:03:00.0 Hardware Class: network Model: “Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100” Vendor: pci 0x8086 “Intel Corporation” Device: pci 0x4232 “Wireless WiFi Link 5100” SubVendor: pci 0x8086 “Intel Corporation” SubDevice: pci 0x1301 Driver: “iwlagn” Driver Modules: “iwlagn” Device File: wlan0 Features: WLAN Memory Range: 0x94600000-0x94601fff (rw,non-prefetchable) IRQ: 30 (no events) HW Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx (Edited for security) Link detected: yes WLAN channels: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 36 … 149 153 WLAN frequencies: 2.412 2.417 2.422 … 5.745 5.765 WLAN encryption modes: WEP40 WEP104 TKIP CCMP WLAN authentication modes: open sharedkey wpa-psk wpa-eap Module Alias: “pci:v00008086d00004232sv00008086sd00001301bc02sc80i00” Driver Info #0: Driver Status: iwlagn is active Driver Activation Cmd: “modprobe iwlagn” Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown Attached to: #9 (PCI bridge)
2. lshw – list hardware
The man page says “lshw is a small tool to extract detailed information on the hardware configuration of the machine. It can report exact memory configuration, firmware version, mainboard configuration, CPU version and speed, cache configuration, bus speed, etc. on DMI-capable x86 or IA-64 systems and on some PowerPC machines (PowerMac G4 is known to work)”.
Installation:
$ sudo apt-get install lshw
If you want GUI tool, install lshw-gtk also (courtesy: Reddit)
$ sudo apt-get install lshw-gtk
Usage:
The below command will list down the supported hardware class. This is necessary to get information about a specific class.
$ sudo lshw -short
The below example shows how to get storage controller hardware information.
$ sudo lshw -class storage *-storage description: SATA controller product: ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1f.2 bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2 logical name: scsi0 logical name: scsi1 version: 03 width: 32 bits clock: 66MHz capabilities: storage msi pm bus_master cap_list emulated configuration: driver=ahci latency=0 resources: irq:28 ioport:60e8(size=8) … memory:96804000-968047ff
3. dmidecode – DMI table decoder
The man page says “dmidecode is a tool for dumping a computer’s DMI (some say SMBIOS) table contents in a human-readable format. This table contains a description of the system’s hardware |
McLaughlin.
According to the study, for “every dollar in corrections spending, there’s another 10 dollars of other types of costs to families, children and communities that nobody sees because it doesn’t end up on a state budget.”
Researchers concluded the “annual economic burden” resulting from the high rate of incarceration in America is an estimated $1.2 trillion, or nearly 6 percent of the GDP. This burden is also eleven times higher than what governments take from taxpayers to support state and federal prisons.
From the study:
“The $80 billion spent annually on corrections has been cited as the cost of incarceration. However, a growing body of research suggests the true cost of incarceration far exceeds the amount spent on corrections. This is because corrections spending ignores costs borne by incarcerated persons, families, children, and communities.”
According to researchers, the wages prisoners could have earned average “$23,286 ($33,066 in 2014 dollars) in lost productivity” each year, yielding $24.6 billion in lost wages nationwide.
But other costs were also considered, such as the cost of nonfatal injuries prisoners sustain while incarcerated.
At least 3.2 percent of jail inmates and 4 percent of both state and federal prison inmates were sexually abused in 2014, prompting local, state, and federal governments to provide victims with medical care. Throughout the year, the 86,288 incidents cost taxpayers $324,690.
The study also suggests that, over time, mass incarceration leads to yet another unwanted effect that’s adding to the prison system’s high cost: high mortality rates.
“The mortality rate of formerly incarcerated persons is 3.5 times higher than that of people who have not been incarcerated,” the study explains. Each year, the study suggests, about 7,230 premature deaths can be linked back to the high mortality rates among former prisoners, which leads to a $62.6 billion loss in lifelong wages.
Other costs to family members are also hidden, such as travel and moving costs.
According to the study, 700,000 families in America now have at least one incarcerated family member. Considering that at least one member visits their incarcerated loved one once a month, researchers found that, each year, $0.8 billion is spent on these trips.
But as families lose wages due to incarceration, two other costs enter the picture: moving and eviction costs.
On average, families spend $0.5 billion each year to change residencies after an arrest, while many others lose their homes due to the loss of income. According to the report, evictions may occur when families lose a loved one to the prison system or when a former convict is released. Because many former inmates have difficulties finding a job, they are more likely to lose their residences.
Since the average cost of an eviction is $1,635, “the total incarceration-related cost is $0.2 billion.”
Other factors that end up costing families and communities include the increased risk of divorce, which costs $17.7 billion, and the loss of income and education to children whose parents are incarcerated, leading to a total loss of $166.6 billion.
According to McLaughlin, this study helps to prove that “the marginal cost of incarcerating an additional individual exceeds the marginal benefit.”
Considering non-violent offenders who broke immigration or drug laws make up 60 percent of the U.S. prison population, it’s safe to say the true costs of the broken U.S. drug and immigration law codes are far too high.
This article ($1.2 Trillion: What You’re Not Being Told About the Hidden Costs of Mass Incarceration) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Alice Salles and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article to edits@theantimedia.org.
Pin 1 708 SharesNIS America President Apologizes for Ys VIII Localization, Promises to Fix it
Azario Lopez October 10, 2017 3:13:22 PM EST
NISA President states that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has "not reached an acceptable level by our own standards".
The President of NISA Takuro Yamashita has released a statement through NIS America about the quality of the western release of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, with a PC release planned.
Instead of writing an introduction, I’ll just post the open letter from Takuro:
To All Customers of Ys VIII, Thank you for all the feedback and support we have received since the launch of Ys VIII. It has come to my attention that the quality of the Ys VIII localization has not reached an acceptable level by our own standards, but most importantly by yours. As president of NIS America, Inc. I want to apologize to you personally for this grave error. This situation should not have happened – especially to a game as wonderful as Ys VIII and by a company that strives to deliver the very best customer experience in each title. We have begun internally to investigate the causes of this situation as well as to implement steps to ensure that a similar situation does not occur again. As for Ys VIII itself, we will have a new translator and editor go over the entire localization to fix grammatical errors, typos, inconsistencies, and also to take a fresh look at the dialog and characterizations. For the script, where necessary, we will re-translate and re-edit the game including updating voicework to reflect these changes. We plan to have this work done by the end of November and will offer the updated localization free of charge for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game via patch. The Steam version of the game will include this localization in its initial release. We humbly request your patience in this process. Again, as the president and CEO of NIS America, Inc, I deeply apologize and vow to you that we will bring the quality of the localization of Ys VIII up to the high standards that it and you deserve. Please allow us this opportunity to restore your faith in NIS America, Inc. Sincerely, Takuro Yamashita
The localization of the game became an issue for fans when the publishing and localization license was switched from XSEED to NISA. On a personal note, I reviewed the game and although I commented on the game’s lack of personality in the localization, stating that the localization team played it safe, the game is playable and offers hours of entertaining Ys gameplay.
Throughout the game’s localization, NISA assured fans that they were doing everything they could to be “consistent” with the game’s previous localization. However, I feel like this might have translated to a “by the books” job and lost the series’ personality that fans of the developer and series have come to love.
The liberties taken by a localization team can potentially make or break the game. Often, fans request a direct translation, when other times they want a proper localization, the field is divided which makes it difficult to gauge what fans actually want. However, one thing is certain and that is NISA is clearly up to the task of putting out a product that fans can get behind. Sadly, it wasn’t up to standards at the game’s release, but it must have taken a lot for the the publisher to acknowledge their mistakes and want to do better.By
Gluten Free Funny Of the Week:
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Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or Google+.Malayalam Writer Kamal C Chavara, who symbolically cremated his novel in protest against the jingoist nationalism, has alleged he was attacked by a Sangh Parivar activist on Sunday in Kunnamangalam near Calicut in Kerala.
Chavara said the attacker approached him and asked whether he was the one who had burnt his book on Saturday. When he replied yes, the assailant slapped him and pushed him to the floor without any provocation.
“He slapped me and hit me in the chest several times. Since he threatened me to come out of the bar for more I remained there and called the police,” he said.
The novelist alleged that the attacker was a Sangh Parivar activist and threatened that those who criticise national symbols will meet with dire consequences.
The writer, injured in the ear, was admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Also read: Kerala author’s decision to burn his novel in public echoes Perumal Murugan
Kamal C Chavara has decided to withdraw his book and symbolically cremated it in protest against the fascist action by the Sangh Parivar and police high-handedness.
Kamal C Chavara, who hails from CPI(M) ruling state, was slapped with sedition charges following BJP workers complaint that his novel Smashanangalude Nottupusthakam contains derogatory portions about national anthem.
The writer was booked under section 124(A) of IPC for allegedly mocking the national anthem on December 18.Reproductive Justice New Brunswick says a new clinic set to open in Fredericton that will offer abortions is a major step forward for access to reproductive services in the province.
Spokeswoman Jessi Taylor says Clinic 554 will open at the site of the former Morgentaler Clinic in the coming weeks after a fundraising campaign raised more than $125,000 to help it begin operations. The Morgentaler Clinic was the only private facility in the province offering abortions before it closed in July because of a lack of funds.
New Brunswick women who had to travel outside of the province to Montreal and Maine to get abortions will now have more access to care at home, Taylor said in an interview Friday.
"The idea that New Brunswickers had to cross borders in order to access health care was absolutely disgusting," she said. "It is a major step forward in many ways, but only because last July we took such an incredible step backwards."
Taylor says her organization has been told by the provincial government that abortion services offered at the new clinic will not be covered by Medicare, which could be a challenge for the clinic in the long term.
"It would definitely be a lot more sure and stable if we had the guarantee of Medicare support."
The clinic will also offer services for the province's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, as well as people with HIV, sexually transmitted infections and Hepatitis C.
Under changes made by the Liberal government that took effect Jan. 1, women no longer have to get the approval of two doctors before having an abortion.
'Only a Band-Aid solution'
Premier Brian Gallant has said the move is aimed at opening access to the procedure for women but he recently appealed for patience because it will take some time before hospitals in the province are ready to perform abortions.
The controversy over access to abortions heightened in the province when the Morgentaler clinic closed. It was doing more than 600 abortions a year, while the Health Department has said about 400 were being done at two hospitals in Moncton and Bathurst.
The hospitals in Moncton and Bathurst that provide abortions are part of the francophone health authority known as Vitalite.
Gallant has said both hospitals are bilingual and it is not unusual that certain procedures are only available at some hospitals.
The Horizon Health Network is developing plans to provide access to abortions and hopes to offer the service in April.
But Taylor said the government should be funding private reproductive clinics.
"[Clinic 554] is only a Band-Aid solution," she said. "What really needs to happen is the government needs to provide support for services that are preformed in clinic settings.
"It's really nice to be where the rest of Canada was in the '80s, but it's far from sufficient."Doctor, Doctor help me please, I know you'll understand
There's a time device inside of me, I'm a self-destructin' man There's a Red, under my bed
And there's a little green man in my head
And he said, "you're not goin' crazy, you're just a bit sad
'Cause there's a man in ya, gnawin' ya, tearin' ya into two."
- Destroyer, The Kinks, 1981
Give the People Want They Want
If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
We Americans sure are a fearful people, aren’t we?
We’re always terrified of something.
If there’s one thing that epitomizes the American spirit, it’s fear.
We’re always pissing our collective pants over something. We’re always terrified of one boogeyman or another. We live in a perpetual state of constant pants wetting, we Americans.
We’re addicted to it. Fear. We just can’t get enough of being afraid.
It’s the emotion that defines modern America, fear. Knee knocking, spine tingled, sphincter loosening, pants wetting fear.
That’s us.
When we don’t have something to be afraid of, we make something up.
We’re afraid of enemies foreign and domestic and everything in between. Clinical paranoia has got nothing on us as a nation, we see enemies everywhere. We’re afraid we’ll get invaded. We’re afraid we’re being invaded right now. Hell, we’re afraid we’ve already been invaded. We’re afraid of the Chinese and the Russians and Mexico. We’re afraid of foreigners and we’re afraid of our neighbors. We’re afraid of conservatives and we’re afraid of liberals. We’re afraid of the young and we’re afraid of the old, we’re afraid of the rich and we’re utterly terrified by the poor. We’re afraid of terrorism and we’re afraid to fly and we’re afraid of the TSA. We’re afraid of Nazis, and communists, and European style socialism. We’re afraid of wind turbines and fracking and solar panels and electric cars, we’re desperately afraid somebody is going to come take away our giant trucks, and we’re afraid we’re going to run out of oil. We’re afraid to go to the store unarmed and we’re afraid of people with guns, we’re afraid we don’t have enough guns and we’re afraid that we might have too many. We’re afraid of the white cops and brown gangbangers and the yellow horde. We’re afraid of kids with saggy pants and we’re afraid of that rock & roll music and we’re afraid of the establishment. We’re afraid the government isn’t doing enough to keep us safe and we’re afraid the government is going to do too much. We’re afraid our kids are uneducated idiots and we’re afraid of education. We’re afraid of disease and we’re afraid of vaccines. We’re afraid of religion and we’re afraid of evolution and we’re afraid of climate change and we’re afraid of industrial disease.
We’re afraid of death and we’re afraid of taxes.
We’re afraid of our past, and we’re afraid of the present, and we’re utterly terrified of the future.
Last week it was the Islamic State.
The week before it was … something. I forget. IRS? Benghazi? FEMA death camps? Illegal immigration? The Ukraine? The National Debt, the Deficit? Gay Marriage? The Arab Spring? Chemtrails? 2012? Fluoridation? The Rapture? Bird Flu? Missing airliners? Obama? Bush? The Reds? I’m afraid I just can’t remember any more, we’ve been afraid for so long that it all just runs together.
What it comes down to is that last week we were afraid of this week and this week we’re afraid of last week.
And now? Today? Today we’re afraid of Ebola.
There’s an old military adage popularized by Herman Wouk’s classic tale of paranoia and fear, The Caine Mutiny. And it goes like this:
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!
That should be America’s motto.
E pluribus unum? Out of many, one? Obviously we don’t believe in that, do we?
No we don’t. Out of many one? Why that just smacks of things we’re afraid of, socialism and communists and illegal immigration. In fact, that E pluribus unum stuff just plain terrifies us, doesn’t it?
So we replaced it with In God We Trust.
But that’s complete bullshit too, isn’t it?
And In God We Trust? Trust? In God? Don’t make me snort chocolate milk through my nose.
If there’s one thing we don’t trust, it’s God. God has serious anger issues. That crazy bastard once wiped out the entire world in a fit of pique, right? And that’s the guy you trust? Really? Hell, the most pious believer doesn’t really trust God, does he? If anything, that’s what believers fear most, their God. They’re terrified he’s going to do something crazy. That’s the defining criteria of religion, don’t make God angry. Lightning bolts and poison toads from the sky. Plague. Flood. Famine. Rivers of blood. That’s what they tell us, isn’t it? Oh, you’d better not make God mad, or he’ll smite us all. For them, God is like a Mafia protection racket, better pay up and be respectful while you’re doing it, or else God will burn your house down and cast you into the pit.
Yeah, let’s trust that guy.
And it’s pretty obvious that religious Americans really don’t trust their God to keep them safe, from Ebola or terrorists or anything else, otherwise they wouldn’t go around armed and demanding that we seal our borders. Q.E.D, Folks, just saying.
No, if there’s any motto that describes America today, it’s Herman Wouk: Run in circles, scream and shout.
Be afraid, be very very afraid.
We should put that on the money.
We demand fear as our right, we Americans.
Over the last month, we’ve been talking about Ebola on my Facebook page a lot. Now, the thousands of people who make up my Facebook audience are, as a general rule, a reasonable and fairly sane bunch of people – this isn’t an accident, I’m careful who I let into my playground. But a month ago when I first mentioned the disease and suggested that compared to measles and the flu and AIDS/HIV, Ebola wasn’t exactly something Americans should be panicking over, I had to unfriend a number of folks who became obnoxious and almost literally demanded that I wasn’t afraid enough to suit them. A week ago when I said that, as an American, you’re far more likely to trip over your cat and take a fatal header down the stairs than you are of dying from Ebola, the same thing happened. And, yesterday, when I again pointed out that, especially as an American, you’re a whole lot more likely to die from random gun violence at the mall than you are of contracting Ebola, I immediately started getting letters from frightened angry people, some hoping I get the disease and die a slow painful death, presumably so that they can feel justified in their pants-wetting fear, and many again telling me that I need to be afraid of the coming plague. Many of the messages were outraged that I had the effrontery to counsel calm and reason instead of fear and panic. Because not being terrified is just plain unAmerican.
And it’s not just me, is it?
That’s one of the chief complaints about Obama. How dare the president be calm and rational? How dare he tell Americans not to panic?
“That’s a paradox of a president in a crisis,” says Jeremy Mayer, a political scientist at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. “If he seems to be taking it too seriously, he’ll encourage a panic. But if he doesn’t take it seriously enough, he’s seen as lackadaisical.”
That’s the complaint, Obama isn’t emotional enough. He approaches a crisis like a law professor, calm, rational, let’s solve the problem. But, we don’t want that,we want an angry emotional rant about fear. We want the President to declare war! Yes! War On Ebola! That’s what we Americans want, another war! You’re either with us or against us! Stand the Navy out to sea, launch the stealth bombers, open the missile silos! To the Bunkers, America! We start bombing at dawn!
First we were afraid that Obama wasn’t going to appoint an “Ebola Czar.” Now we’re afraid that he did.
No matter what, we’re determined to be afraid. Panic, it’s our right as Americans, it doesn’t really matter what Obama says or does, Americans are determined to panic no matter what.
We’re conditioned to it. When the bell rings, we drool.
In fact, if Obama tells you there’s no reason to panic, that’s a reason to panic!
"The U.S. must immediately stop all flights from Ebola infected countries or the plague will start and spread inside our 'borders.' Act fast!" screamed Donald Trump.
Nations have done this in the past, restricted travel. Quarantine. It doesn’t work. Viruses don’t care about borders.
Hiding from the disease won’t cure it.
And really? You’re listening to Donald Trump? About disease? Okay, sure, if he was maybe talking about catching a case of the Clap, but Ebola? C’mon.
"Reports of illegal migrants carrying deadly diseases such as swine flu, dengue fever, Ebola virus and tuberculosis are particularly concerning," worries Georgia Congressman Phil Gingrey.
There are no, repeat no, cases of Ebola crossing the border in such a manner. None. The only “reports” of such are made up fever dreams manufactured whole cloth by those who profit from peddling fear to a terrified America. In fact, due to the nature of the disease and the process of illegal immigration itself, it would be almost impossible for someone infected with Ebola to enter the US in this way.
But then, a Southern Conservative painting brown people from Central America as dirty diseased vermin isn’t really anything new, is it?
Ebola just gives the old fearful racism a convenient cover.
"I don't know, but I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control. Shit is getting crazy bruh," tweeted rapper Chris Brown.
I don’t know. But I’m afraid anyway. I don’t know. But I’m sure they’re coming to get us. I don’t know. I don’t know. But I’m scared, it’s getting crazy!
But then again, maybe Brown has a point:
That’s Todd Kincannon, former head of South Carolina's GOP, rabid pro-lifer, and morally superior right-wing God-warrior.
Kill ‘em all, let God sort it out. Ain’t nothing more American than that kind of compassionate conservatism, eh?
Sorry about the napalm, Brown People, but we’ve got to look out for ourselves. You know how it is.
All the usual pundits, from Rush Limbaugh to Glenn Beck to Anne Coulter to Michael Savage have declared their firm belief that President Obama is going to deliberately infect the United States with Ebola in order to do … something something terrible death camps kill Whitey revenge something something OH NOES! They’re not alone, Larry Klayman, conservative nutbar extraordinaire, filed a lawsuit against President Obama last week for “providing material support and aid to international terrorism and facilitating terrorism” by not implementing a travel ban on people from countries facing an Ebola outbreak. Klayman is the non-veteran who led the “Million Veteran March” to the White House last year under the banner of the Confederate Battle Flag and demanded Obama’s surrender and trial by a self-appointed Citizen’s Grand Jury for something something terrible death camps kill Whitey revenge something something.
If you’re terrified of being ebolanated, look around, these are the people you’re standing with.
Think about it.
You can disagree with the President, but if you believe even slightly that Obama is planning on infecting white people with Ebola in revenge for slavery so he can herd them into FEMA camps and turn America into Africa then you. Are. Fucking. Crazy. You’re beyond booger eating stupid. You are a drooling racist moron so eaten up with fear that you’ve lost all ability to reason. If you give people like Beck, Limbaugh, Coulter, Klayman, or the sorry excuse for what passes as news media nowadays any credence whatsoever, then you are nuts. You’re a paranoid frightened little pants wetter who can’t seem to understand that these people are literally fear-mongers in that they profit hugely from making you afraid, making America afraid. Fear. Paranoia. That’s their stock in trade. If you weren’t afraid, these people would have to get real jobs.
Here’s what it comes down to, Folks, this right here: There is always going to be some crisis. Always.
There is always going to be some crisis. That’s the nature of the world.
There are always challenges to face.
There are always puzzles to solve.
There are always problems to overcome. And when you solve them, there will be another, and another, and another. Forever.
That’s the nature of life.
The test of character is how you face those problems.
The true test of character, for people, for nations, for civilization itself, is how you rise to the occasion.
Ebola isn’t the end of the world.
Ebola isn’t even an actual crisis, at least it doesn’t have to be.
Ebola is just another problem to solve. And when we solve it, there will be another disease. And another after that. There are a million things that may kill us, that’s just how it is.
We’ve faced far worse diseases, far worse problems, far worse threats, and we have risen to far greater challenges.
We are the United States of America. We’re Canada. We’re the United Kingdom. We’re France. We’re Germany. We’re Spain. We’re Mexico. We’re Russia.
We’re ten thousand years of scientific advance.
We’re the human race.
We are the species that makes other species extinct.
And it’s about time we remembered that.
You shouldn’t be afraid of Ebola, Ebola should be afraid of us.
We can beat Ebola.
And we will.
We can wipe it from the face of the earth, just like polio and small pox – diseases I’ll remind you that once killed far, far, far more people than Ebola ever has. Those diseases are gone, or beaten into submission, we remain.
In this regard Ebola is a metaphor for larger, far more important things.
We can solve all the problems we face, disease, poverty, food, energy, all of it. And we don’t need divine intervention to do it.
We just have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
We just have to stop being afraid all of the time.
Silly boy ya' self-destroyer!
Paranoia, the destroyer!
Self-destroyer, wreck your health
Destroy friends, destroy yourself
The time device of self-destruction
Light the fuse and start eruption
(Yea, it goes like this, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Here's to paranoia)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Hey hey, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like this)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like THIS!)Confidence in the future of Hong Kong is at its lowest since April 2003, according to the latest University of Hong Kong poll.
The HKU Public Opinion Programme interviewed 1,001 Hong Kong people between 14 and 18 March in a recurring poll held once every three months.
The results showed that Hong Kong people’s net confidence in the future of the city and One Country, Two Systems dropped “significantly” by 13 and 15 percent to -9 and -8 percent respectively.
Hong Kong people’s trust in the local government also plunged 14 percent after an upward trend last year – it now stands at -6 percent. Between March and December 2015, the net trust figure in Hong Kong government went up from 0 to 8 percent.
The net percentage “swings” are calculated by deducting negative feedback from positive feedback.
Scepticism towards Beijing
Meanwhile, Hong Kong people’s trust in the Central government plunged 9 percent – now at -10 percent. The figure went up from -9 to -1 percent last year.
People’s confidence in China’s future remained the highest among the three governments, with a net confidence of 26 percent, although it decreased by 8 percent in the past three months.
“Further analysis shows the younger the respondent, the more one distrusts the HKSAR and Central governments, and the less confident [they are] in One Country, Two Systems’,” Frank Wai-Kin Lee, research manager of the programme, said.
Over 70 percent of the interviewees between 18 and 29 years old said they did not trust the Hong Kong and Central governments, and 80 percent of the same age group said they had no confidence in One Country, Two Systems.Heck cattle aka Hitler’s cows (Picture: Quickfire Media/Sam Gracey)
It has been almost 70 years since the Nazis were defeated, but the reality of their terrifying vision for the future is still only just coming to light.
And now a documentary by National Geographic has focussed on the largely unknown Nazi plan involving not humans, but animals.
Because as well as being obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect Aryan race, the Nazis were also attempting to take control of the animal kingdom.
And their plan wasn’t far off the plot of early-90s film Jurassic Park.
But instead of recreating a land of dinosaurs, the Nazis attempted to recreate the primeval forests of Germanic folklore stocked with ancient breeds of beasts for ultimate hunting sessions (yes, they were attempting to recreate extinct animals, just so they could then hunt them).
Lutz Heck post-war (Picture: National Geographic)
The brains behind the plan were zoologist brothers Lutz and Heinz Heck. Their plan actually started as a private project before the Nazis came to power, but it wasn’t long before Lutz embraced the new regime and became good friends with Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second in command.
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There were two aspects to the plan – the animals and the land.
The two creatures they focused on (although it seems they were working on trying to back-breed a few) were auroch (a super-sized, wild and violent breed of cattle) and tarpan (the wild and aggressive ancestor of the modern horse).
Then there was the land. The area the Nazis earmarked for this project was the primeval Bialowieza forest in Poland, which was home to packs of wolves, the elusive Eurasian Lynx, the European moose, and some of the last surviving European bison.
Senior Nazi’s looking at a model of the Bialowieza forest (Picture: National Geographic)
So how far did they get in completing this plan?
Well pretty far. Sort of.
They gained control of the land when they invaded Poland, and in true Nazi style they immediately set about ethnically cleansing it. In three years they cleared 20,000 people including a large Jewish population who they either executed on the spot or sent off to concentration camps.
An Auroch skull (Picture: Quickfire Media/Sam Gracey)
And what about the animals? Well it took him 14 years, but Lutz Heck did manage to breed what he thought was an auroch, which he subsequently released into the Bialowieza forest. But while it may have resembled the ancient creature physically, scientists say they are no closer genetically than any other cattle.
Today the forest flourishes as a vast nature reserve between Poland and Belarus, and is still a major sanctuary for rare wildlife including wild bison. But what happened to the Nazis’ faux-aurochs? Well that still remains a bit of a mystery, but it’s thought the aurochs were probably slaughtered by partisans or Soviet officials.
Hitler’s Jurassic Monsters is repeated on National Geographic Channel Wednesday June 18, 4pm, and Friday June 20, 1pm.Image caption HP is pursuing two approaches, a tablet with a keyboard dock, and a traditional laptop with a touchscreen
PC-makers are showing off a range of new computers aimed at convincing users to upgrade after Windows 8 is released.
Microsoft's operating system features a touchscreen interface prompting manufacturers to restyle their laptops.
HP, Toshiba, Dell, Asus and Lenovo are among those showing off new products.
Efforts are split between models in which keyboards detach from screens, ones in which the keys remain attached but can be hidden behind displays, and traditional fixed clamshell designs.
The hybrid tablet/laptop concept had been championed by Intel at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year.
Apple - which makes the bestselling tablet on the market - later suggested that mixing the different types of computer together risked a situation in which "you wind up compromising in both and not pleasing either user".
But some analysts say Windows 8 is specifically designed to work in both modes, so the designs may make sense. The operating system has been scheduled for release on 26 October.
Magnetic dock
Image caption Dell's screen pivots in its bezel allowing it to face away from the keyboard
Hewlett-Packard, the world's largest tech company by sales, has shown off three new models in San Francisco.
Its most portable device - the HP Envy x2 - has opted for a design in which its 11in (27.9cm) screen can attach to a keyboard dock, using magnets to guide both parts into place.
The model distinguishes itself from earlier designs by featuring an 8 megapixel camera on the back of the screen allowing it to be used as a camera and the inclusion of NFC (near field communication) technology to allow users to easily share photos, contacts and other content with each other.
HP's two other models both feature touchscreens built into a traditional laptop design.
By contrast Toshiba's Satellite U925t features a screen that can slide over its keyboard. The computer - which was unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin - features a bigger 12.5in (31.8cm) display than has been traditional with this format.
Screens that swivel
Dell's XPS Duo 12 takes another approach, allowing its screen to pivot around its bezel. Once the user has spun it around the laptop can be closed leaving the display face-up, ready for use.
Dell also announced the XPS 10 tablet - which is powered by an ARM-based processor rather than the x86 design used in Intel's products.
Image caption Toshiba's design slides its keyboard behind the screen to become a tablet
This will run Windows RT - Microsoft's first PC system to support ARM's chip architecture. Dell's model is paired with a detachable keyboard dock.
The idea of using a detachable keyboard had been popularised by Asus' Transformer series of Android computers.
The Taiwanese company has now shown off two models running Windows 8 using the Vivo Tab brand: one running Windows RT, and a slightly bigger version running the full system.
Twist and flip
Lenovo bucked the trend at IFA releasing three laptops with regular screens that do not accept touch input.
A spokeswoman for the Chinese firm said it believed there would still be a market for such devices after Window 8 became available.
But she highlighted the fact that the firm also planned to formally launch the Ideapad Yoga at a later point.
The hybrid PC uses a hinge to swivel its screen around so that it can be flipped up flat against the back of the keyboard, or part-folded so that it can prop itself up on table.
Image caption A prototype of Lenovo's Ideapad Yoga was shown to the public earlier this year
"Windows 8 is a tipping point," said David McQueen, principal analyst at the tech consultancy Informa.
"Microsoft has already shown off its Surface design - which looks great with its keyboard that doubles as a cover - and we're now seeing other approaches in which manufacturers are trying to make the machines suitable for both productivity and fun.
"At the moment the firms seems to be throwing lots out and waiting to see what sticks. It will be interesting to see how much product refresh there is - if people buy one model and then want to switch to another design for a different experience, and how quickly they do that.2After some grandstanding to placate outraged constituents, establishment Republicans in Congress quietly voted to fund Obama's unconstitutional plan to fundamentally transform your neighborhood by bringing in more federally funded “diversity.” In short, if Big Brother's race-obsessed data-gathering machine determines that there are not enough poor or minority residents on welfare living in your city, town, zip code, or neighborhood, Obama wants to change that using your tax dollars. The scheme also sidelines states and borders by considering “regions” instead, a key element of the agenda to break down the traditional United States and its federalist system of government.
But the battle is far from over. And Americans still have many tools at their disposal to block the scheming. For instance, the “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing” plot is contingent on successfully bribing local officials into compliance. As more than a few analysts have observed, that means cities and communities can easily reject the plan. Simply stated, all they have to do is refuse to accept unconstitutional bribes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If the bribes (disguised as “grants” and so on) from a bankrupt Uncle Sam are refused, the strings they come attached with are null and void, leaving Washington, D.C., bureaucrats with no leverage. Some cities are already leading the way.
Separately, state governments can and should stand up to the agenda as well. Among other tactics, lawmakers can use the power of nullification to prohibit cities and towns from becoming federal agents in Obama's quest to re-shape America via anti-constitutional housing policy. Nullification has been used by American states since the 1700s to resist unconstitutional or immoral activities, including the “Fugitive Slave Act” purporting to require the return of runaway slaves. The powerful tool promoted by America's Founders remains relevant and in use today — including by liberals in states such as Colorado, which voted to nullify |
, of re-presenting oneself.
The essential character
What is sought underneath the polished surface is the ideal type: the team player, the natural born leader, the clear communicator. Or the revelation that you’re not one of these.
The new version of the process is not based on fit and mutual interest, but on the idea of essentialism:
Essentialism is the view that, for any specific entity, there is a set of attributes which are necessary to its identity and function.
Platonic idealism is the earliest known theory of how all known things and concepts have an essential reality behind them (an “Idea” or “Form”), an essence that makes those things and concepts what they are. …
The essential qualities of an object, so George Lakoff summarizes Aristotle’s highly influential view, are “those properties that make the thing what it is, and without which it would be not that kind of thing”.
The essential problem
But we know nothing about how the human mind works, personality is fluid, identity is negotiated and we all “contain multitudes.” The view of what a person’s “real” character is, is purely subjective and first and foremost relies on his or her background being relatable.
It is difficult to relate to those that are significantly different from ourselves and so anyone that strays from the company or industry norm is skipped over. Hence why people across all professions tend to conform: it’s the result of a normative recruiting process. (“Culture fit.”)
Short-circuit
The recruiting process of the industrial organization that started out as ostensibly “rational,” fact-based and competent, has degenerated into the complete opposite: a theater of quasi-psychology and impression management.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dWMIuipn_c
The unreality of it all is evidenced by the fact that there is now a reality show about hiring:
Inside Job takes on the other side of business—human resources—in a devious twist worthy of George Orwell. Each episode features a business that is hiring for a position; the applicants are invited to live at a house for a week with each other, while being filmed, as they go through more steps of the application process. But unbeknownst to them, one of their temporary roommates is actually someone from the company they’re trying to work for. At the end of the episode, all is revealed, and someone gets the position. —A.V. Club
To escape this absurd process, many people on both sides of the table prefer to utilize personal connections within the company.
If you know someone at the workplace, that can cancel out the need for the process outlined above. The ties don’t have to be strong, just strong enough so that you’re looked at as a human being rather than a new resource, so that there is some amount of familiarity and relatability.
A second alternative way is to instead of qualifications look for distinction— Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, internships at prestigious companies— in an attempt to find “higher quality” applicants, all along the same concept of essential traits.
Often these overlap: the person who gets into one of the “good” schools get access to various types of ways to interact with companies, alumni, and so on and form useful connections. And the person that gets into this school may have a greater social capital than someone who didn’t get in to begin with.
We’re now back at a situation where, in practice, social background is the only real predictor of a “successful career.”
How to do it better
Tighe’s trajectory is one that all future employees would follow: One by one, members of the DuckDuckGo community have gradually increased their involvement with the site—building plug-ins, recommending obscure data sources, even contributing code—eventually positioning themselves as no-brainer job applicants the next time the company is hiring. —Inside DuckDuckGo
We’ve really come to a point where the entire recruiting progress of industrial-era organizations has been proven to be both inefficient and backwards, and where it can finally be avoided completely. CVs shouldn’t be central documents in the process and they shouldn’t do all the initial talking. There should never be such a disconnect with the real world that ad hoc hiring processes become the norm. What they completely miss is the fact that the only really relevant characteristic is interest.
The digital organizations that are springing up are in constant contact with a community of people who are personally engaged with its products and ideas and interact with them every day as a natural part of work.
For them, hiring doesn’t even need job ads: they can just send a message to a user on its forums that they already know and ask if they’d like to become a paid member of the team. And everyone in the organization can suggest who to hire.
Everyone in a company has to act like a CTO (Chief Talent Officer). The only way that you are going to get the best talent to your company is to have an idea that is so new, so exciting, so edgy, that the stars who are looking for a challenge or an opportunity to make a difference can’t resist engaging in a conversation. —It’s always going to be about the peoplePrepare for another healthy dose of eerie Swedish electronica: The Knife is back. The brother-sister duo of Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer hasn’t released a full album since 2006’s Silent Shout (unless you count their 2010 opera, Tomorrow, In A Year), but the pair announced today that Shaking The Habitual, their next record, will be released sometime early next year. Light Asylum’s Shannon Funchess is contributing to the effort.
To celebrate their return, the sibs have released a 43-second album teaser creepily titled, “We asked our friends and lovers to help us.” It features the two of them innocently enjoying an afternoon on the swings while clad in high heels, garish wigs, and leather onesies—which is presumably just how everyone in Scandinavia dresses. Like their music, it lives right on the edge of hauntingly beautiful and super, super creepy. [via Pitchfork]Good news for skaters in Jerusalem: A state of the art skatepark will soon be built in the capital's Liberty Bell Garden. The park will span some three 3 dunams (0.7 acres) at an investment of NIS 5 million (roughly $1.3 million). The site is slated to open at the end of next year.
The idea was the brainchild of a group of Jerusalem teens, who demanded Mayor Nir Barkat build an extreme skateboarding park. They met with representatives of the city's sports authority and protested until the mayor decided to grant their request.
According to plans, the new park will offer facilities that can serve up to 70 skaters at once, and will be suited for national and international competitions.
"Jerusalem will be joining leading cities around the world with a modern and professional skatepark that will attract many visitors," Mayor Barkat said on Sunday.Beer Mile Champ Strikes Intoxicating 6-Figure Deal... Beers On Me!
Beer Mile Champ Strikes Intoxicating 6-Figure Deal... Beers On Me!
Exclusive Details
The endorsements are rolling in for the greatest Beer Mile runner in the world... who just signed his 2nd major deal in less than a year, TMZ Sports has learned.
The beer god is 22-year-old Lewis Kent -- the reigning Beer Mile world champ who set the world record last year with a time of 4:47 (that includes pounding 4 beers!).
Last year, he became the 1st ever chug-and-runner to land a sponsor -- striking a deal with Brooks running... and now, he's racked up deal #2.
We spoke with Kent's agent, Kristopher Mychasiw, who tells us... Kent just inked a 2-year contract to be the face of the National Beer Mile Circuit. While he wouldn't disclose exact numbers, we're told the deal is north of $100k.
Mychasiw says the contract numbers are similar to the Brooks deal.
It's an important deal in the world of Beer Mile running -- 'cause it shows the athletes that you can make real money if you're at the top of the game.
In fact, Mychasiw says some of the elite runners he represents are considering joining the Beer Mile craze -- because they feel there's real opportunity to expand their brands and make some extra coin.
As for Kent -- who's becoming so popular he was even featured on "Ellen" -- he's graduating from college next month and we're told he will become a full time Beer Mile runner.50 more things you don’t know about Halifax
At least one person in City Hall had a sense of humour in 1979. When Dartmouth city clerk Neil Cohoon retired on June 20 of that year, someone filed a fake set of council minutes along with the real minutes for the day’s meeting. According to the alternate minutes, council proposed that a missile-launching site be set up on Lawlor’s Island, “with missile pads aimed at City Hall.”
Halifax is a treasure trove of weird-but-true trivia. Back by popular demand, here are 50 more unbelievable, remarkable, and strange things you don’t know about Halifax.
Business Beginnings
1. In the late 1800s, Dartmouth’s Starr Manufacturing was one of the world’s top producers of ice skates.
2. Samuel Cunard was the first merchant to purchase tea directly from Canton, China. In 1826, he put 6,517 chests of tea up for sale in his Halifax warehouse.
3. In 1926, marine biologist Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman invented fast-frozen fish fillets. At the time, he was Director of the Fisheries Experimental Station in Halifax.
4. Haligonian William Piggot opened the first licensed coffee house in Canada on April 8, 1751. It was located on Argyle Street, close to Blowers Street.
5. In 1960, the Nova Scotia Technical College on Spring Garden Road became one of only three locations with the new “electronic brain”, a computation device used for mathematical or technical calculations. It was a Royal McBee (LGP 30) computer.
Odds & Ends
6. Haligonian Peter Cox was Halifax’s Town Crier, serving from 1974 until 2008.
7. The Mi’kmaq people originally called the Dartmouth area Boonamoogwaddy.
8. In the 1980s, Halifax held an annual Mardi Gras celebration that, at its peak, attracted over 40,000 people. In a 1990 council report, Alderman Fitzgerald stated that the event was simply a “drunken brawl.”
9. In 1900, the Halifax Crescents became the first team from Atlantic Canada to play for the Stanley Cup. The Montreal Shamrocks won the two-game series, played in Montreal, 10-2 and 11-0.
Language & Literature
10. “Haligonian” is formed from the Latin “Haligonia.” Historians suggest that Thomas Chandler Haliburton coined and popularized the term around the 1850s.
11. Thomas Chandler Haliburton also invented a number of popular expressions, including “barking up the wrong tree”, “early bird gets the worm,” and “facts are stranger than fiction.” These expressions were introduced through his Sam Slick character, who featured regularly in Joseph Howe’s newpaper, The Novascotian.
12. Harold “Hal” Rudolf Foster became known as “the father of adventure comic strips,” when he created the Prince Valiant strip, which debuted in 1937.
13. The first trade bookstore in Canada was the Wesleyan Book Room, later known as simply The Book Room. The store opened in 1839 and closed in 2008.
Hometown Heroes
14. 1936 Olympic bronze medalist Aileen Meagher was also a teacher at St. Patrick’s High School. Her dual career earned her a nickname: the “Flying Schoolmarm.”
15. Dartmouth’s Flying Officer Allan Selwyn Bundy was the first black Nova Scotian combat pilot to fly with a frontline RCAF squadron. He flew 42 operational missions in Europe during the Second World War.
16. Thomas Wilby and Jack Haney embarked on Canada’s first cross-country road trip on August 27, 1912. They reached Vancouver in 52 days.
17. Anna Leonowens, former teacher to the King of Siam and subject of The King and I, was a patron of the Victoria School of Art and Design (now NSCAD).
City Hall Oddities
18. In 1939, a woman wrote Mayor Walter Mitchell a letter, asking for his help in finding a suitable partner. He posted a notice in the Halifax Mail, making eligible bachelors aware of her availability.
19. In 1918, an angry mob swarmed City Hall and pushed a police vehicle into the harbour—all because a drunken soldier was arrested.
20. Dalhousie University used to sit on the land where City Hall is now. Some of the university’s timber and stones were used to build City Hall.
Bizarre By-laws
21. A 1961 bylaw stated that anyone who wanted to raise, collect, or solicit money had to be approved by City Council. It has since been repealed.
22. A 1893 ordinance stated that no one could “ride, drive, lead, or back any horse, cart, waggon, sled, sleigh, handcart, wheelbarrow, bycicle, trycicle, or velocipede” on a sidewalk, unless the sidewalk had to be crossed in order to park the vehicle.
23. The same 1893 ordinance stated that no one “shall put up or exhibit any pictures of the human form in a nude or semi-nude state or in what is known as ‘tights’.”
24. A 1921 ordinance stated that, from May to September, barbershops had to remain closed from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
25. A 1927 ordinance ordered citizens to purchase bicycle licenses, for a fee of $1.00.
Street Names
26. Argyle Street was originally named after the Duke of Argyll, Archibald Campbell.
27. The southern part of Brunswick Street was often referred to as “Knock ‘em down Street” because of the frequent fights outside the nearby brothels and taverns.
28. Young Avenue was named for Sir William Young. His will provided $8,000 to complete the road.
29. Tower Road was named after the Prince of Wales Tower in Point Pleasant Park. British forces built it in 1796 to protect Halifax from French attacks.
30. Sir Sandford Fleming once had a cottage on Dingle Road. Dingle is the Old English word for “forest dell.”
Remarkable Buildings
31. The north part of the Rona building on Robie Street was The Nova Scotia Cotton Manufacturing Company, built in 1882.
32. Bellevue Mansion was once the headquarters of the General Officer commanding Halifax. It’s now the site of the Halifax Central Library.
33. The 930 Young Avenue mansion was commissioned by tobacco merchant Rudolph Alexander Hobrecker in 1901. It was inspired by his family’s castle in Germany.
34. The former home of Melville Prison’s warden still exists today, as part of the Armdale Yacht Club.
35. 1260 Blenheim Terrace was once owned by Sir Sandford Fleming, “the Father of Standard Time”. He earned the name by inventing the world’s time zone system.
36. In 1862, the Halifax Club purchased its Hollis Street land for $8,000.
Famous Visitors
37. When Charles Dickens attended the opening of Halifax’s Legislative Assembly in 1842, he remarked, in a letter to an acquaintance, that it was “like looking at Westminster through the wrong end of a telescope.”
38. Lovelorn Adele Hugo, daughter of Victor Hugo, followed English army officer Albert Pinson to Halifax in 1863. She spent her time in Halifax living on Barrington Street.
39. The statue of Winston Churchill commemorates the British Prime Minister’s visit to Halifax during the Second World War. It was unveiled on January 20, 1980.
40. Julie de St-Laurent was the mistress of Edward, the Duke of Kent. Julie’s Walk, Prince’s Lodge, and the music rotunda beside the Bedford Highway, are all part of the estate the Duke built for her.
41. John Taylor-Wood, commander of the CSS Tallahassee, stopped in Halifax during the U.S. Civil War. When the war ended, he returned to live in Halifax.
Halifax Ghost Stories
42. “Double Alex” was a soldier who was stationed on Sambro Island. He hanged himself there years ago, and was rumoured to haunt the lighthouse. The lens from the lighthouse was moved to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. By coincidence, when Double Alex’s name was mentioned during a tour, a pane of glass shattered in a nearby exhibit.
43. It’s rumoured that a little ghost girl accompanies tours of the Halifax Citadel. A number of visitors have reported feeling the sensation of a small child was holding their hand as they toured the grounds.
44. There’s a life-sized marble statue of Captain James Augustus Farquhar in the Maritime Museum. For years, staff members have claimed that they can smell his pipe smoke in the hallway.
45. The Moxon children died from cholera in 1888 and were buried under wooden crosses. Their parents saved for and purchased a proper headstone, but were killed in the Halifax Explosion before they could place it. The gravestone is now in the Maritime Museum and, legend has it, that the children now haunt the museum.
Maritime Lore
46. In 1797, an unexpected gale pushed HMS Tribune onto the rocks of Herring Cove. 13-year-old Joe Cracker saved two of the 14 survivors.
47. The tugboat Erg sank three times in the Halifax Harbour: once during the Halifax Explosion, again after being rammed by a Norwegian freighter, and one final time after being towed into the Bedford Basin.
48. When the SS Atlantic ran aground near Prospect (en route to Halifax) on April 1, 1873, 371 of the 933 passengers survived. But when a group of survivors reached Halifax, officials initially dismissed their tale as an April Fool’s joke.
Untimely Deaths
49. Griffin’s Pond in the Public Gardens is named after an Irishman who was accused of murder and hanged.
50. In 1891, a Halifax district tax collector tried to collect taxes from a man named George Roma. His notes read: “Killed by bull. Can’t collect this.”
Writer’s note: It’s difficult to put together an article of this kind without a lot of help from knowledgeable, expert sources. Thanks to everyone who helped.
• Richard S. MacMichael, Senior Heritage Interpreter, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/default.aspx
• Joanne McCarthy O’Leary, Local History and Geneology Librarian and the Reference Department at Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library, Halifax Public Libraries: www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca
• Albert Lee, Research Associate at the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies, Saint Mary’s University: www.smu.ca/administration/gorsebrook/. Facts were found in Halifax: Sights of the City.
• Susan McClure, Archivist, HRM Municipal Archives: www.halifax.ca/archives/
• Barry Copp, illustrator, graphic designer, and amateur historian
The source for Number 9 is the book Long Shots: The Curious Story of the Four Maritime Teams That Played for the Stanley Cup (Nimbus Publishing) by Halifax Magazine editor Trevor J. Adams.
Number 34 was found on the Halifax Club website (www.halifaxclub.ns.ca).
Original sources can be provided upon request.
CORRECTION: Due to a fact-checking error, item #16 above originally gave an incorrect date for Thomas Wilby and Jack Haney’s departure. The version above is correct.Editors’ Introduction:
The following article was written by Barbara Leon for Feminist Revolution, a book first published in 1975 by Redstockings analyzing the gains and setbacks, theory and history of the Women’s Liberation Movement in its explosive years in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of the critical issues of the time that remains so today is that of when—or whether—women should fight for our liberation in groups and organizations of women only. At a time when the pressure on feminists to be “inclusive” is a strongly “moral” and mostly absent consideration of political consequences, we reprint it here to stimulate current thinking as well as reprise past theory.
You may post your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this article. Sign in is required.
• • • • •
Separate to Integrate
by Barbara Leon
With the resurgence of the women’s rights movement in the middle 1960s the question of female separatism quickly came to the fore. The critical issue was the demand for groups both of and for women.
Of course, there had been groups of women long before this: in the political spectrum these ranged from Women’s Strike for Peace on the left to the League of Women Voters in the middle to the Daughters of the American Revolution on the right. In addition, there were myriad non-political women’s organizations—ladies’ auxiliaries, women’s clubs, women’s colleges, the YWCA, etc. The exclusively female composition of these groups alarmed no one because their goals, no matter how much they differed from group to group, were the same in the one crucial respect of not addressing the question of women’s rights.
Given the conditions of male supremacy, these women’s groups were often the only places where women could work at all freely on what interested them. At best they represented an attempt to survive under male supremacy, but certainly not to end it. Given women’s demands to get out of the house, men allowed this form of woman’s group as a preferable alternative to having women in the ranks, and especially in the leadership, of their own organizations.
In the early and mid-1960s, women active in the radical movement were beginning to take actions which confronted male supremacy in their organizations and the question of how to work with men on an equal basis. In 1964, for example, SNCC women held informal meetings to deal with their position in the movement. At one point they presented these issues to a SNCC staff meeting, an action led off by Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, a SNCC founder. It was in these meetings that the phrase “women’s liberation” began to be used. Later efforts included the demand for a women’s plank at the 1966 SDS convention and the 1967 National Conference for a New Politics where women attempted to put women’s issues on the agenda and paralleled the demand of black people for 51% voting power at the Conference. During this period the women who were raising the slogan “women’s liberation” and the radical ideas behind it were still trying very seriously to work within the “integrated” radical movement. Independent women’s liberation groups did not yet exist.
In June 1966 the National Organization for Women was formed. As its title indicated, this was not to be an organization of women but of women and men for women. The first paragraph of the NOW Statement of Purpose reads:
We, men and women who hereby constitute ourselves as the National Organization for Women, believe that the time has come for a new movement toward true equality for all women in America…
Although questions could be raised about either the extent or the effect of male participation in NOW, the group clearly rejected female separatism as a tool for winning women’s rights on the grounds that to exclude men would mean to acquiesce to segregation. They presented themselves as idealists in this respect—they would not be guilty of the same bigotry as men—although one always sensed an undercurrent of fear: fear of being called man-haters, of turning off other women, of confronting the reality of men’s power over women and deciding what actions would be necessary to end it.
From the statements and oral arguments of many NOW representatives, it would seem that the strategy behind NOW’s membership policy was that of standing up for a principle, “living” a principle, making a “model” of it as the way of actually implementing it. It was assumed, on superficial moral grounds, that a group fighting against the exclusion of women on the basis of sex could not itself exclude on the basis of sex. But a look at the actual history and events shows that NOW’s integrated feminist efforts remained virtually invisible until the radicals began separatist organizing.
From 1967 onwards, independent women’s liberation groups—groups both of and for women—began to form. The early founders were responding directly to the failure, and sometimes ridicule, which met their early efforts to raise the issues of women’s liberation in integrated movement groups. Their experience of working with men, both men who claimed to be sympathetic to women’s liberation ideas and men who claimed to be unsympathetic, combined with the explosive contribution of ideas from the black power movement, left few in doubt that women would have to meet alone, without men, to begin to really do something about women’s liberation. Though their reasons varied, by the time the radical women were ready to try to start an independent women’s liberation movement, they had already come to the conclusion that some form of separatist organizing was necessary.
Nevertheless, in their early actions these radical women clearly differentiated their idea of separatism from the old concept and practice of sexually segregated groups. The separatism they espoused was to be only a means for ending the age-old problem of sexual segregation and the in-equality it spawned, a distinction which was emphasized in the very first demonstration of the early independent women’s liberation groups. In a joint action of New York and Chicago Radical Women in January, 1968, New York Radical Women called upon the women at the Jeanette Rankin Brigade, an all-woman peace group, to stop organizing on the basis of their traditional female roles—in this case as wives and mothers for peace—and to start organizing for women’s liberation. They were in effect calling for an all-women’s group to end all-women’s groups. At the core of feminism, after all, was the demand for the integration of men and women in society and an end to the artificial division of labor and of power based on sex.
However, there were differences in the reasons radical women felt separatism to be strategically necessary and these were significant. Women like Shulamith Firestone, a founder of New York Radical Women, saw separatism as a way of building a power base for women:
We must not come as passive suppliants begging for favors, for power ‘cooperates’ only with power … Until we have united into a force to be reckoned with, we will be patronized and ridiculed into total political ineffectiveness. (Firestone, leaflet for Jeannette Rankin Brigade, January 1968)
Pam Allen, who was also a founder of New York Radical Women was representative of another prevalent view. She saw the reason for female separatism in terms of psychology, not power:
… women themselves don’t feel up to filling leadership positions. They don’t feel as qualified as men do, nor as competent or political. We found that there are very strong inferiority feelings amongst women and that it was very productive and positive to have women meet together and find out that it is not an individual problem … chauvinism is man’s problem. We have enough to work out to begin to develop a sense of true identity.
Allen goes on…
I seem to be on one side of what may be a very basic difference … It has to do with whether or not one’s goal is to attack men and push men into allowing us to be part of their society or beginning to define who and what we are in our own terms. (Allen, excerpts from WBAI interview with Pam Allen and Julius Lester, May 5,1968)
The psychological and therapeutic analysis vs. the political analysis reflected very different feelings about oneself and other women. The women who took the political view of separatism did not feel themselves unqualified with respect to men and found themselves running into problems with radical and non-radical men alike just because they were qualified. They felt that the opposition and antagonism placed in the way of women who recognized their equality and acted on it, were the essential problem for women as a whole, whether women felt inferior or not. The “inferiority feelings” described by other women, when correctly analyzed, would be revealed to be genuine fear, confusion, etc.—in other words, a logical outcome of having to cope with people with more power. The need to meet separately was due to a political conflict of interest with men at that point in social and political history. One could not organize against male power with men right in the room. To ask that women be able to do so was to demand some kind of mystical superiority, that they be better than the ordinary human beings both men and women are.
The two views also reflected different goals. According to Allen we had a choice of two goals—becoming “part of their society” or “beginning to define who and what we are.” Left out of this analysis is the radical feminist goal of defining not who we are but what we want and in doing so shaping our—not their—society.
Generally speaking, whether the early women’s liberation spokeswomen took a liberal therapeutic view or a radical political view of the solution to their problems as women, separatism was seen only as a necessary strategy. The purpose was always integration with equality. A look at the original use of the slogan “sisterhood is powerful” in the leaflet in which it was first raised shows this clearly. It exemplified the radical theory on which the women’s liberation movement was launched. (Click box to enlarge)
The separatist independent women’s liberation movement actually began to fight in many concrete ways to implement this kind of radical, feminist integration. The fight for the right to abortions, after all, was a fight for sexual relations with men—but on an equal basis. The fight to get men to share the housework was another essentially integrationist fight from a growing power base of the women’s liberation movement, as was the fight for childcare centers. The success of these fights would have the effect of freeing women further to assault the longstanding segregated bastions of work life and political life.
The response of the left to the radical women’s groups changed when it became obvious that feminist ideas were catching on and spreading across the country. While the earliest responses had ranged from pure ridicule of women to a minimizing and individualizing of the problems of women, now some parts of the left began to express a seeming acceptance of the basic premise that women were an oppressed group and that the issue was an important one to be attacked right now. In fact, they continued to resist women’s liberation by opposing the means of getting it—the independent women’s liberation movement. They accused all-women feminist groups—the very groups which had forced this minimal recognition of male supremacy in left groups—of perpetuating the undesirable division between men and women. Like NOW, the left insisted that men and women must work together to change the system which oppressed them. It would seem that, where the position of women specifically was concerned, the left had finally caught up with, but gone no further than the “bourgeois” NOW for which it had such contempt.
What brought about resistance by the left was the threat of real action on feminist issues. The firing of Carol Hanisch by the Southern Conference Educational Fund was a case in point. Hanisch, then a paid organizer for SCEF, wanted to organize women into women’s liberation groups. SCEF responded that male supremacy should be dealt with in “mixed groups”. But in “mixed groups” the men prevailed.
Yet SCEF supported all-women’s groups where the issue was not feminist. A protest letter from New York Radical Women pointed out to SCEF that their position was directly the opposite of the organizing principles of women’s liberation:
Forming separate women’s groups on issues other than women’s rights and liberation is reactionary. It falls right within male supremacist designs for keeping women segregated, excluded and ‘in their place’. Only if the stated purpose of a women’s group is to fight against the relegation of women to a separate position and status, in other words, to fight for women’s liberation, only then does a separate women’s group acquire a revolutionary rather than a reactionary character. Then separation becomes a base for power rather than a symbol of powerlessness … we are oppressed in other ways besides as women … we have to fight for other issues as well. When we organize on working class issues, however, we will be organizing as workers, not as women … unless, of course, we have to form women’s caucuses in unions in order to win our rights in those unions. But that would be a women’s rights issue and, therefore, would necessitate a separate women’s group (and power base). If we cannot win our rights in general organizations, then we will form new general organizations open to men who accept our demands. Organizations like Women for Peace, Women for Schools, even a Women’s Action Group which fails to deal openly and directly with the particular oppression of women, are basically ‘ladies auxiliary’ formations. The word radical when applied to them is a contradiction in terms. They serve to give women ‘something to do’ without rocking the male supremacist boat. We demand that SCEF stop organizing such auxiliaries, calling that ‘women’s liberation.’ (Kathie Amatniek for New York Radical Women, NY Women’s Liberation newsletter, 5/1/69)
Events of the early 1970s effectively settled the argument over whether there should be all-female women’s liberation groups. Such groups were in fact springing up all over the United States and in many other parts of the world. But, while the political assumptions of the early radical women were proving correct, much of their analysis of the function of a separate women’s movement was lost. In an ironic throwback to the old days of the women’s clubs, many women’s groups began to be seen as ends in themselves—places for socializing, making friends and self-development.
Former opponents began to fight in a new way by accepting the ideas that had proven so popular and then revising them. Many women in liberal politics, for example, made use of the slogan Sisterhood Is Powerful to try to organize women around non-feminist issues, forming groups of women against war, poverty, imperialism or consumer exploitation. Their argument, true as far as it went, was that women are affected by and must fight against all kinds of repression and exploitation. However, their use of the all-women’s group to do this—rather than fighting for mixed groups around these issues with full and equal participation for women—was opportunistically based on the widespread appeal of women’s liberation.
As revision of feminist theory has become more and more of a problem in the women’s liberation movement, the separatist issue has been even further distorted. The last couple of years have seen the elaboration of an ideology which makes sexual separation not a tactic, not a strategy, not even a compromise with a bad situation, but an ultimate goal. Thus the rewriting of feminist theory and specifically of the separatist question has reached full circle back to the point where women are again to be eternally defined by their sex.
One of the most striking examples of this reactionary separatism is the praise given to Elizabeth Gould Davis’ The First Sex. This book attempts to prove the existence and superiority of an ancient matriarchal civilization (rule based significantly on good old fashioned Motherhood) and calls for a return to matriarchy:
In the new science of the twenty-first century, not physical force but spiritual force will lead the way. Mental and spiritual gifts will be more in demand than gifts of a physical nature … And in this sphere woman will again predominate. She who was revered and worshiped by early man because of her power to see the unseen will once again be the pivot—not as sex but as divine woman—about whom the next civilization will, as of old, revolve. (Davis, The First Sex, p. 339)
One might ask what would happen to women in Davis’ world who are tired of the pressure to be divine, to be Woman in her special “sphere”, and who want simply to be accepted as human.
Jill Johnston’s work is another example. She endorses Davis’ view of a matriarchal future in her book Lesbian Nation: The Feminist Solution, a book which revises the definition of feminist to mean lesbian right in the title. She goes further:
The word lesbian is expanded so much through political definition that it should no longer refer exclusively to a woman simply in sexual relation to another woman … The word is now a generic term signifying activism and resistance and the envisioned goal of a woman committed state … The essence of the new political definition is peer grouping. Women and men are not peers and many people seriously doubt whether we ever could be. (Johnston, Lesbian Nation, p. 278)
Johnston and others whose goal is segregation (“peer grouping”) have attacked women who do not share this goal and who are actively fighting against exclusions based on sex. They complain that feminists see themselves as women only in relation to men:
All the feminist issues—abortion, child care, prostitution, political representation, equal pay—are in relation to the man. In other words in relation to reproductive sexuality. (Lesbian Nation, p. 152)
Although it is difficult to see what political representation and equal pay have to do with reproductive sexuality, the general point about men and the specific point about issues concerning reproductive sexuality are true. But this is not a contradiction in feminism; rather, at its heart. Feminists see women as an oppressed class, a class which can only exist in relation to another oppressing class, men, and for a purpose—the exploitation of labor, which in the case of women also means reproductive labor. The only radical goal is the elimination of all classes.
Related to this revision of the radical feminist theory of separatism has been the attempt to turn feminist strategy from political to personal action. It was radical feminism which pointed out the necessity for women to move from personal to political solutions to our problems. Separating from men in one’s individual life was not part of this political strategy, falling in the realm of individual rather than collective action. The particular tactics for their liberation struggle that women used as individuals in their personal lives and particular circumstances could best be determined by women themselves. The current insistence in some parts of the movement that women prove their feminism by leaving their men, while viewed by some as more “radical”, really represents a limitation of tactics and a kind of accommodation. To those who accept the idea that male supremacy is incurable and therefore permanent, there can only be two alternatives—living with it or withdrawing from it. They will then pressure women to accept that analysis and resign themselves to one choice or the other.
Fortunately, the acceptance of permanent sexual classes has not fooled the masses of women |
workforce as brands move interstate
Updated
The shedding of 39 jobs at Launceston's Boag's Brewery has come as a shock, the United Voice union says.
Parent company Lion said it was making the changes to improve efficiency in its brewing network.
The Boag's brands will still be fully brewed in Launceston but various national brands will move interstate.
It will reduce the workforce from 104 to 65, and cut the annual brewing volume from 56 million litres per year to 36 million.
Company spokeswoman Leela Gantman said the market had faced a "challenging" time and added brewing costs in Tasmania had also been a factor.
"We've done this off the back of some very challenging years in the beer market and the need to ensure our operations both nationally and in Tasmania are sustainable," she said.
"Certainly the rate of decline of beer production has been sharper than originally anticipated, so this has put our entire brewery network under pressure."
It is very difficult to find a job at the moment, especially in the Launceston area, so it will be a very, very distressing time for those workers and for their families. Jannette Armstrong, United Voice
Contractor roles will also be impacted in the transition which is expected to be completed by September.
United Voice secretary Jannette Armstrong said the decision came as a surprise and was "devastating".
"This is going to have a massive impact, particularly [in] Launceston which is already feeling the hurt of unemployment," she said.
"It is very difficult to find a job at the moment, especially in the Launceston area, so it will be a very, very distressing time for those workers and for their families.
"Last year they laid off a whole heap of casuals and they have been talking about the reduced beer market across Australia, but in terms of any indication they were going to be cutting more jobs [that] was an absolute shock and we're disappointed there wasn't more notice and greater consultation."
Union to press for few job cuts
The union will meet the company on Tuesday and hopes to convince it to reduce the number of job losses.
"It is just such a shock talking about expanding and creating [the brewery's] visitor centre to then laying off all of the casuals and, now this year, laying off 30 or 40 employees, it hurts," Ms Armstrong said.
Some of the 39 workers have been told they will be redundant but others are yet to learn their fate.
The Tasmanian Government said the decision was disappointing.
In a statement, Minister for State Growth Matthew Groom said the company had not requested any assistance but workers were able access support through the department's skills unit.
Ms Armstrong urged the State Government to do more to protect the jobs.
"We would love to see the State Government stepping in to see what they can do to try to keep these jobs," she said.
Labor's Michelle O'Byrne believes the Government could have done more.
"What did the Government do for the last 12 months to ensure that this wouldn't happen, what actions were taken to engage with this organisation so we could deal with whatever barriers were in place and keep these jobs in Tasmania?"
Sackings a 'kick in the pants'
It is another blow for the north.
One hundred workers will lose their jobs when Launceston steel factory, Bradken, closes in the middle of the year.
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the Boag's move was upsetting for many in the community.
"We want to see continued growth because we have got at the moment lots of positive things happening around Launceston and this is something that's a real kick in the pants," he said.
Boag's was established in Launceston in 1881.
Topics: food-and-beverage, launceston-7250
First postedWe’ve featured quite a few Jensen Interceptors recently. I’m not sure if there are simply more coming to market or if we have all just been on a Jensen kick lately, but seeing yet another Interceptor is really giving me an itch to join the Jensen club. There aren’t too many things out there that are better than an Italian bodied British sports car with a big American V8 under the hood. Not only does this one have a V8, it has a 440 big block. Sadly, it also has lots of issues and may not be the car to start with for someone just joining the club. If you think you are up for the task, take a look at it here on eBay with a $2,250 BIN.
The seller didn’t really provide much in the way of information, but they are clear in the fact that this one is going to need lots of work. Getting the engine running and the car moving shouldn’t be that difficult, given the extensive use of Chrysler components. Making the car safe and comfortable to drive will be a different story. The exterior is covered in rust, so one can only imagine what the floors look like. There aren’t any photos of the interior, but I would assume it is in equally as rough shape as the outside. The seller claims they will be adding more photos in a few days of the interior and underside, which would greatly help in deciding whether to take the plunge into Jensen ownership.
If this were a Jensen FF, the Interceptor’s all-wheel drive sibling, I would already have a transporter headed to El Paso, Texas to pick it up. Given that it isn’t the incredibly rare FF, it is going to take a Jensen aficionado, or at least someone who wants to become one, to get this back on the road. If the rust hasn’t turned to cancer yet, this could actually make for a great project, but without an inspection I would plan for the worst. Hopefully someone who is already a card carrying member of the Jensen club can chime in here and give us some advice on what things to look for when buying an Interceptor! So who else here would like to put one of these great looking machines into their garage?Alejandra Fierra lives with her husband in the Hueco Tanks colonia, where they bought land in 1987. They still don’t have access to running water or a sewer system. When her children were growing up, she would pour water from a well into a tub and wash them, one, two, three, in the same water. She does the same for her dishes. She gets a delivery of a 2,500 gallon water tank for bathing and washing, and buys bottled water from Walmart for drinking and cooking.
In Montana Vista, a colonia some 22 miles east of El Paso, the septic tanks of the 2,400 families who live there frequently overflow, creating rivers of sewage in their backyards. In the summer, the smell can be horrific. Tina Silva, a resident and activist, lives here in a spacious one-story adobe house surrounded by a stone wall. She raises chickens and a giant pig in her backyard, where a rusted out car sits, half painted, in the sun. She loves her home and her neighborhood, but she doesn’t understand why it has taken so long to put in a sewer system. “We’re human beings. We pay taxes. Somebody needs to listen to us,” she says. Various politicians have promised her they’d help get the money to install services, but it’s never actually happened, Silva told me.
Part of the problem is that no one wants to take responsibility for paying to install these services. The developers who sold the land promising water and sewers are long gone. And for many the thinking—at least according to Escobar—is that if the homeowners wanted to buy land without access to running water, that’s their problem.
It may seem obvious that the homeowners who bought cheap land without access to water and sewers should be responsible for installing access to services. But that isn’t realistic either. More than 40 percent of colonia residents live below the poverty line, according to a 2015 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The median household income in colonias is less than $30,000 per year. And the conditions in the colonias are troubling. There are water and mosquito-borne illnesses, high rates of asthma, lice, and rashes. One doctor told the Texas Tribune that rates of tuberculosis in the colonias are two times the state average and that there is a lingering presence of leprosy.
In 2012, the Texas Department of State Health Services issued a nuisance determination in Montana Vista documenting the health problems the septic tanks were causing, which meant the El Paso Water Utility could receive a grant for more than half of the project costs. In December, the Texas Water Development Board agreed to provide a $2.8 million grant to El Paso Water Utilities so that the utility could start designing the sewer system. But it will cost an estimated $33 million to build the system, and that money has not yet been secured.Transgender issues have increasingly popped up in news and media as TV shows like Orange Is the New Black and Transparent bring mainstream attention to trans people, but many Americans remain confused about the most basic aspects of gender identity and expression.
Sam Killermann, the social justice advocate behind the blog It's Pronounced Metrosexual, tried his hand at a clean explanation of the complicated topic, offering this adorable infographic (click to enlarge) inspired by a now-deleted Tumblr post:
The infographic explains how some people may identify beyond the expectations of society. Some identify with a gender different from the one assigned to them at birth, or as genderqueer, meaning they don't belong to any socially defined gender. Most people don't identify with only masculine or feminine qualities. Someone who identifies as gay might be attracted to women to a very small extent. Some bisexual people might have a slight preference for men over women. Others might not be attracted to anyone at all, identifying as asexual.
Still, there's one issue with the graphic: the category for biological sex. As the GLAAD media guide explains, a person's genetics or biology don't trump gender identity: trans people who identify as men are male, and those who identify as women are female. Especially as more studies show gender identity is a characteristic someone is born with, focusing on genetics too much can over-simplify the complexity of someone's identity and expression.
Update: Some trans advocates said they prefer the Gender Unicorn, a graphic from Trans Student Educational Resources:
Further readingAngela Merkel has suggested Germany and Europe can no longer rely on the US under Donald Trump.
Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, the German Chancellor emphasised the need for friendly relations with the US, Britain and Russia, but added: “We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.”
Ms Merkel said that as the traditional western alliance is threatened by the new US presidency and Brexit, “the times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days.”
While Germany and Europe would strive to maintain relations with the US and Britain, Ms Merkel said, “we need to know we must fight for our own future as Europeans for our destiny.”
Her comments came after Mr Trump said he needed more time to decide if the US would continue backing the Paris climate deal, which has frustrated European diplomats.
Mr Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honour the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.
I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017
Although he tweeted to say he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate change deal, signed by 195 countries, clearly annoyed Ms Merkel.
“The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying,” she told reporters.
“There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not.”
G7 leaders went on to blame the US for the failure to reach an agreement on climate change, in an unusually frank statement which read: “The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics.
“Understanding this process, the heads of state and of government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement.”
Mr Trump has reportedly told “confidants” including the head of the Environmental Protection Angency Scott Pruitt, he wants the US to leave the international agreement on climate change, the Axios news outlet reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge.
A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision told Reuters a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Mr Trump¦s expected announcement later in the week.
It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.
Despite the Trump administration’s talk of an “America first” policy and ongoing criticism of Germany for its massive trade surplus, the G7 summit in Sicily did vow to fight protectionism, reiterating “a commitment to keep our markets open”.
They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism, on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine.Last week, out of nowhere, my period arrived at my apartment and insisted we go shopping. It showed up just as I was settling in for a hard day of studying, or pretending to study but actually Googling “recent UFO sightings — real.”
“LET’S GO SHOPIIINNNGGG!!!” my period screamed.
I grumbled but ultimately agreed, because I’ve come to accept that what my period wants, my period gets. (Except for making out with pirate Johnny Depp, rolling around in the sand with pirate Johnny Depp, and discovering buried treasure with pirate Johnny Depp — to pay for grad school!)
Together we headed to the mall. My period tried to steer me into Forever 21 because it’s a valueless skank who doesn’t care that their clothing is ripped off from independent designers or that their owners secretly paste Bible verses onto their bags. It was all, “You need some clothes for going out! Except you pretty much never go out because barely anyone likes you!” I redirected us to Express, which is another good place for purchases you’ll come to regret within a week, unless you’re presently a popular sixth-grader.
My period made me grab this totally trashy, silver-sequin-covered minidress. I tried to reason with it: “I’m too old to wear sequins. I’m an adult. I practically got an A in graduate-level statistics.” It gave me a stern look and said, “Maybe if you bought anything besides plaid button-down shirts, you’d find even ONE boy who’d want to date you.” So I said, “You’re a bitch, and I hate you, and plenty of boys probably want to date me. Fine, I’ll try on the dress.”
Within 15 minutes, my period and I walked out of the store with the stretchy, sequin-y minidress and a set of heavy silver arm bangles. I never wear bracelets, but there you have it. My period told me I needed them, because it likes shiny crap. In that respect, it’s actually a lot like a raccoon. (See also: garbage-eating.)
I tried to leave the mall, but my period made me stop for a snack. I was like, “I’m not even hungry!” It sneered, “Doubtful. You’re always hungry, and you know what’s delicious? Fried, salty pretzel dough, covered in cinnamon sugar. In stick form!” I was silent. I hated my period, but all of a sudden my asshole feet (ew!) marched me right over to Auntie Anne’s.
While I inhaled my pretzel sticks, my period said, “Wouldn’t you like to use your internet phone to look up pictures of your ex-boyfriend and his pretty new girlfriend? She’s prettier than you, you know. She is actually the most beautiful girl I have ever seen IRL.” I paused, pretzel stick in mouth, and took out my phone. I hesitated. “I’ve looked at these pictures a few (dozen) times already. What good is this going to do me now?” My period looked at me like I was a giant idiot and went, “Don’t you want to see if they’ve maybe broken up?” I sighed. It was right, of course, but they weren’t broken up, they were very much together, still, despite the fact that New Girlfriend is clearly stupid and has an untrustworthy look about her.
My period suggested that I throw my phone onto the mall floor. We compromised, and I sort of flung it softly six inches to my side, onto the bench. After glaring at it for a few seconds, I picked it up to check for scratches. My period rolled its eyes at my anal-retentiveness. “NOT appealing in a mate,” it whispered, but it knew I could hear.
I finally convinced my period that we should leave the mall. We walked to my car, hooked up my iPod, and turned on a playlist specially demanded by my period — a three-song rotation: “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé, and “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis. The Trifecta of Tears. Needless to say, it was going to be a pretty emotional drive. I headed home, but my period shouted, “Take the next exit! We’re going to Target.” I rolled my eyes; I should have seen this coming.
Once we were inside, my period lost its shit. “What should we get? I know! 13 Going on 30 on DVD! A tube top! A pack of Magic: The Gathering cards! Glitter!! TWENTY TUBES OF GLITTER!!!” We headed to the arts-and-crafts aisle, and I tried to be reasonable by picking up a package of black pens. My period made me throw them back, not even nicely, onto the hook. “Wouldn’t you like some wedding-themed stickers and scrapbooking paper, just in case?” it asked. I glared. “Haha JK! Come on. That was a good one. It’s funny because you’re literally never getting married.” I clutched three packs of glitter-encrusted, hand-cutout wedding-themed stickers, and started to cry. “Ohhh, clean-up on aisle 12, right?! Waterworks!!!” My period laughed. But then, apparently, it had a change of heart. “Come on, let’s go get ice cream.”
Half an hour later, we were home. I sat on the couch, eating a Skinny Cow ice cream bar. It was by far the best thing my menstrual cycle (which is its full, legal name) had ever bought me. They’re 110 calories each, which is perfect, because my period and I agreed that I could have three, if I wanted.
Katie Heaney graduate-studies, writes, and blames her shopping on everyone/everything else in Minneapolis.
Picture via FlickrRyan Mason was carried off and taken to hospital after receiving eight minutes of treatment on the pitch
Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason has had surgery after fracturing his skull during Sunday's game at Chelsea.
Mason, 25, clashed heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill 13 minutes into the Premier League match.
After eight minutes of treatment on the pitch, he wore an oxygen mask as he was carried off on a stretcher, and taken to St Mary's Hospital in London.
"Ryan is in a stable condition and expected to remain in hospital for the next few days," said a Hull statement.
"Everyone at the club would like to express their sincere thanks for the excellent and swift care given to Ryan by both the accident and emergency department and neurosurgery unit at St Mary's Hospital."
Hull added they would issue a further update on Monday.
The incident happened as Hull's record signing attempted to head the ball clear of his own box following a cross from Pedro from the right wing.
Mason got to the ball a split second before Cahill, who was already committed to his attempted header, and the pair collided.
Both players spent a lengthy period receiving treatment.
Cahill, who continued playing, said: "I tried to get on the end of the cross. We smashed heads. I wish him all the very best."
Mason joined Hull from Tottenham last August for a club-record undisclosed fee.
He has scored one goal in 16 Premier League appearances for the Tigers.
Prior to his move, he made 53 top-flight appearances for Tottenham, and had loan spells at Yeovil, Doncaster, Millwall, Lorient and Swindon.
Hull lost Sunday's game 2-0 as goals from Diego Costa and Cahill gave Chelsea a victory that took them eight points clear at the top.
Media playback is not supported on this device MOTD2 pundits wish Ryan Mason wellOver every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley
I'm now taking commissions, if you're interested in some high quality terrain PM me or add me on Skype, my username is 'GWterrain'
WorldPainter (for creating the map)
Chunky (for rendering the map)
Dropbox (to host the download)
Thanks for stopping by, if you enjoyed this submission please consider leaving a diamond!
The sweeping sunset of the Roughhew Rocks is deceiving. The mountain becomes beautiful, the forests become picturesque and the rugged rocks look tamed. Even the birds sing a loud song heard far and wide over the coastal rocks. Don't be fooled, you're not safe. The beauty is the danger, one feels so safe, so alive, so free in Roughhew. But the same cannot be said for the human. Only two people have escaped Roughhew alive, and the thousands that are enticed here each season are slain. Some say it is nature that kills them, others say it's haunted, some claim the beauty was too much for them. While nobody knows the cause of death of these people there is one thing that cannot be disputed - this region has the highest rate of death in all the land.I like this map but I found it incredibly difficult to get nice renders of it. As such it marks the first map I've made where the cover photo is from the ground rather than a top down isometric view. This map I changed normal smooth stone for rock, a combination of stone and cobblestone, to create a rougher and more rugged terrain and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I also used gravel in the valleys to show heavy erosion and an unstable land, despite the towering mountain looming over it.I used the following tools to create this map:This article is about male ejaculation. For the female counterpart, see Female ejaculation. For other uses, see Ejaculation (disambiguation)
Ejaculation example
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract, usually accompanied by orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases, ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease. Ejaculation may also occur spontaneously during sleep (a nocturnal emission or "wet dream"). Anejaculation is the condition of being unable to ejaculate. Ejaculation is usually very pleasurable for men; dysejaculation is an ejaculation that is painful or uncomfortable. Retrograde ejaculation is the condition where semen travels backwards into the bladder rather than out the urethra.
Phases
Stimulation
A usual precursor to ejaculation is the sexual arousal of the male, leading to the erection of the penis, though not every arousal nor erection leads to ejaculation. Penile sexual stimulation during masturbation or vaginal, anal, oral, or non-penetrative sexual activity may provide the necessary stimulus for a man to achieve orgasm and ejaculation. With regard to intravaginal ejaculation latency time, men typically reach orgasm 5–7 minutes after the start of penile-vaginal intercourse, taking into account their desires and those of their partners, but 10 minutes is also a common intravaginal ejaculation latency time.[1][2] A prolonged stimulation either through foreplay (kissing, petting and direct stimulation of erogenous zones before penetration during intercourse) or stroking (during masturbation) leads to an adequate amount of arousal and production of pre-ejaculatory fluid. While the presence of sperm in pre-ejaculatory fluid is thought to be rare, sperm from an earlier ejaculation, still present in the urethra, may be picked up by pre-ejaculatory fluid.[citation needed] In addition, infectious agents (including HIV) can often be present in pre-ejaculate.
Premature ejaculation is when ejaculation occurs before the desired time. If a man is unable to ejaculate in a timely manner after prolonged sexual stimulation, in spite of his desire to do so, it is called delayed ejaculation or anorgasmia. An orgasm that is not accompanied by ejaculation is known as a dry orgasm.
Video of an ejaculation
When a man has achieved a sufficient level of stimulation, the orgasm and ejaculation begins. At that point, under the control of the sympathetic nervous system, semen containing sperm is produced (emission).[3] The semen is ejected through the urethra with rhythmic contractions.[4] These rhythmic contractions are part of the male orgasm. They are generated by the bulbospongiosus and pubococcygeus muscles[5] under the control of a spinal reflex at the level of the spinal nerves S2–4 via the pudendal nerve. The typical male orgasm lasts several seconds.
After the start of orgasm, pulses of semen begin to flow from the urethra, reach a peak discharge and then diminish in flow. The typical orgasm consists of 10 to 15 contractions, although the man is unlikely to be consciously aware of that many. Once the first contraction has taken place, ejaculation will continue to completion as an involuntary process. At this stage, ejaculation cannot be stopped. The rate of contractions gradually slows during the orgasm. Initial contractions occur at an average interval of 0.6 seconds with an increasing increment of 0.1 seconds per contraction. Contractions of most men proceed at regular rhythmic intervals for the duration of the orgasm. Many men also experience additional irregular contractions at the conclusion of the orgasm.[6]
Ejaculation usually begins during the first or second contraction of orgasm. For most men, the first ejection of semen occurs during the second contraction, while the second is typically the largest expelling 40% or more of total semen discharge. After this peak, the magnitude of semen the penis emits diminishes as the contractions begin to lessen in intensity. The muscle contractions of the orgasm can continue after ejaculation with no additional semen discharge occurring. A small sample study of seven men showed an average of 7 spurts of semen followed by an average of 10 more contractions with no semen expelled. This study also found a high correlation between number of spurts of semen and total ejaculate volume, i.e., larger semen volumes resulted from additional pulses of semen rather than larger individual spurts.[7]
Alfred Kinsey measured the distance of ejaculation, in "some hundreds" of men. In three-quarters of men tested, ejaculate "is propelled with so little force that the liquid is not carried more than a minute distance beyond the tip of the penis." In contrast to those test subjects, Kinsey noted "In other males the semen may be propelled from a matter of some inches to a foot or two, or even as far as five or six and (rarely) eight feet".[8] Masters and Johnson report ejaculation distance to be no greater than 30–60 cm (12–24 in).[9] During the series of contractions that accompany ejaculation, semen is propelled from the urethra at 500 cm/s (200 in/s), close to 18 kilometres per hour (11 mph).[5]
Refractory period
Most men experience a refractory period immediately following an orgasm, during which time they are unable to achieve another erection, and a longer period again before they are capable of achieving another ejaculation. During this time a male feels a deep and often pleasurable sense of relaxation, usually felt in the groin and thighs. The duration of the refractory period varies considerably, even for a given individual. Age affects the recovery time, with younger men typically recovering faster than older men, though not universally so.[9]
Whereas some men may have refractory periods of 15 minutes or more, some men are able to experience sexual arousal immediately after ejaculation. A short recovery period may allow partners to continue sexual play relatively uninterrupted by ejaculation. Some men may experience their penis becoming hypersensitive to stimulation after ejaculation, which can make sexual stimulation unpleasant even while they may be sexually aroused.
There are men who are able to achieve multiple orgasms, with or without the typical sequence of ejaculation and refractory period. Some of those men report not noticing refractory periods, or are able to maintain erection by "sustaining sexual activity with a full erection until they passed their refractory time for orgasm when they proceeded to have a second or third orgasm".[10]
Volume
The force and amount of semen that will be ejected during an ejaculation will vary widely between men and may contain between 0.1 and 10 milliliters[11] (by way of comparison, note that a teaspoon is 5 ml and a tablespoon holds 15 ml). Adult semen volume is affected by the time that has passed since the previous ejaculation; larger semen volumes are seen with greater durations of abstinence. The duration of the stimulation leading up to the ejaculation can affect the volume.[12] Abnormally low semen volume is known as hypospermia. One of the possible underlying causes of low volume or complete lack of semen is ejaculatory duct obstruction. It is normal for the amount of semen to diminish with age.
Quality
The number of sperm in an ejaculation also varies widely, depending on many factors, including the time since the last ejaculation,[13] age, stress levels,[14] and testosterone. Greater lengths of sexual stimulation immediately preceding ejaculation can result in higher concentrations of sperm.[12] An unusually low sperm count, not the same as low semen volume, is known as oligospermia, and the absence of any sperm from the semen is termed azoospermia.
Development
During puberty
Diagram of the male pelvic and reproductive organs
The first ejaculation in males often occurs about 12 months after the onset of puberty, generally through masturbation or nocturnal emission (wet dreams). This first semen volume is small. The typical ejaculation over the following three months produces less than 1 ml of semen. The semen produced during early puberty is also typically clear. After ejaculation this early semen remains jellylike and, unlike semen from mature males, fails to liquefy. A summary of semen development is shown in Table 1.
Most first ejaculations (90 percent) lack sperm. Of the few early ejaculations that do contain sperm, the majority of sperm (97%) lack motion. The remaining sperm (3%) have abnormal motion.[15]
As the male proceeds through puberty, the semen develops mature characteristics with increasing quantities of normal sperm. Semen produced 12 to 14 months after the first ejaculation liquefies after a short period of time. Within 24 months of the first ejaculation, the semen volume and the quantity and characteristics of the sperm match that of adult male semen.[15]
Semen development during puberty Time after first
ejaculation (months) Average volume
(milliliter) Liquefaction Average sperm concentration
(million sperm/milliliter) 0 0.5 No 0 6 1.0 No 20 12 2.5 No/Yes 50 18 3.0 Yes 70 24 3.5 Yes 300
^a Ejaculate is jellylike and fails to liquefy.
^b Most samples liquefy. Some remain jellylike.
^c Ejaculate liquefies within an hour.
Control from the central nervous system
There is a central pattern generator in the spinal cord, made up of groups of spinal interneurons, that is involved in the rhythmic response of ejaculation. This is known as the spinal generator for ejaculation.[16]
To map the neuronal activation of the brain during the ejaculatory response, researchers have studied the expression of c-Fos, a proto-oncogene expressed in neurons in response to stimulation by hormones and neurotransmitters.[17] Expression of c-Fos in the following areas has been observed:[18][19]
Hands-free ejaculation
Although uncommon, some men can achieve ejaculations during masturbation without any manual stimulation. Such men usually do it by tensing and flexing their abdominal and buttocks muscles along with vigorous fantasising. Others may do it by relaxing the area around the penis, which may result in harder erections especially when hyperaroused.[20]
Perineum pressing and retrograde ejaculation
Perineum pressing results in an ejaculation which is purposefully held back by pressing on either the perineum or the urethra to force the seminal fluid to remain inside. In such a scenario, the seminal fluid stays inside the body and goes to the bladder. Some people do this to avoid making a mess by keeping all the semen inside.[21] As a medical condition, it is called retrograde ejaculation.[22]
Health issues
For most men, no detrimental health effects have been determined from ejaculation itself or from frequent ejaculations,[citation needed] though sexual activity in general can have health or psychological consequences. A small fraction of men have a disease called postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), which causes severe muscle pain throughout the body and other symptoms immediately following ejaculation. The symptoms last for up to a week.[23][24][25] Some doctors speculate that the frequency of POIS "in the population may be greater than has been reported in the academic literature",[26] and that many POIS sufferers are undiagnosed.[27]
It is not clear whether frequent ejaculation increases,[28] reduces[29] or has no effect[30] on the risk of prostate cancer. Two large studies:[31][32][33] "Ejaculation Frequency and Subsequent Risk of Prostate Cancer"[34] and "Sexual Factors and Prostate Cancer"[35] suggest that frequent ejaculation over a lifetime offers some protection against prostate cancer. The US study involving "29,342 US men aged 46 to 81 years"[34] suggest that "high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer".[34] An Australian study involving "1,079 men with prostate cancer and 1,259 healthy men" found that "there is evidence that the more frequently men ejaculate between the ages of 20 and 50, the less likely they are to develop prostate cancer":
[T]he protective effect of ejaculation is greatest when men in their twenties ejaculated on average seven or more times a week. This group were one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer when compared with men who ejaculated less than three times a week at this age.[36]
Other animals
In mammals and birds, multiple ejaculation is commonplace.[37][38] During copulation, each side of a short-beaked echidna's penis is used alternately, with the other half being shut down between ejaculations.[39]
In stallions, ejaculation is accompanied by a motion of the tail known as "tail flagging".[40] When a male wolf ejaculates, his final pelvic thrust may be slightly prolonged.[41] A male rhesus monkey usually ejaculates less than 15 seconds after sexual penetration.[42] The first report and footage of spontaneous ejaculation in an aquatic mammal was recorded in a wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin near Mikura Island, Japan in 2012.[43]
In horses, sheep, and cattle, ejaculation lasts for several seconds or fractions of a second, but in boars, it can last for 10–30 minutes[44] or 5–10 minutes.[45] Ejaculation in boars is stimulated when the spiral-shaped glans penis interlocks with the female's cervix.[46] A mature boar can produce 250–300 ml (8.8–10.6 imp fl oz; 8.5–10.1 US fl oz) of semen during one ejaculation.[45] In llamas and alpacas, ejaculation occurs continuously during copulation.[47]
The semen of male dogs is ejaculated in three separate fractions.[48] The third fraction is produced during the copulatory tie, and consists mainly of prostatic fluid.[49]
See also
ReferencesYouTube video leads cops to drugs, guns, dead dog at Harvey home
Harvey police arrested three alleged gang members for drug crimes and dogfighting after the young men bragged in a 40-minute YouTube video that they were selling drugs and staging dog fights. | Harvey Police Dept.
In a lengthy video posted on YouTube, a group of men appear to flash guns, smoke marijuana, sell drugs, brag about dog fighting and even say they have a dead dog in the garage of a home in south suburban Harvey.
Harvey police detectives who watched the video recognized several of those men as known gang members.
And that led to a raid of the home on Wednesday that turned up guns, drugs — and the dead dog, according to Sean Howard, a spokesman for the Harvey Police Department.
Three alleged gang members were taken into custody and charges are pending, Howard said.
“There are several people in the 40-minute video with guns and drugs,” Howard said. “The group even sold marijuana to an individual while the video was being recorded. The group boasted of dog fighting and admitted that there was a deceased dog in the garage. The dog died during a fight with another dog.”
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the items shown on the video, and raided the home in 100 block of West 158th Street about 4 a.m., Howard said.
A large amount of marijuana and several guns were confiscated, and the dead dog was found, along with two other “poorly-treated dogs,” Howard said. They also confiscated “a significant amount of a white substance, believed to be cocaine,” which is being analyzed by lab technicians.
Howard said “lead gang member in the video is known as ‘MONK'” and that he was under house arrest at the time of the raid.It's been a good long while since we heard about Supervisor Norman Yee's proposed ban on delivery robots on SF sidewalks. But that doesn't mean it's fallen by the wayside — in fact, Yee's still pushing the ban after negotiations with delivery companies left him unsatisfied.
So reports the Examiner, which notes that the ban has opposition from two prominent San Francisco business groups.
One of those is the Chamber of Commerce, which argues that a ban might force robot companies out of SF. "A similar argument was made in support of the Twitter tax break," the Ex wryly notes. Small Business Commission has also voted against the proposal, first delaying a June vote "as Yee agreed to hold further |
that Doe would become a member/subscriber of Auto Trader and receive material from the organization.
55. Auto Trader is an online marketplace for car shoppers and sellers.
56. In registering Doe for Auto Trader, Respondent provided Auto Trader with Doe's name, email, business address and telephone number.
57. Respondent's provision of registration in the name of Doe was false in that the registration was not that of Doe as she had not authorized Respondent to complete the registration in her name.
58. At the time Respondent submitted the registration in Doe's name, Respondent
knew that the registration was false.
59. As a result of Respondent's actions, Doe began receiving emails from Auto Trader and other new and used car dealerships, including numerous telephone calls on Christmas Eve.
60. At no time did Doe authorize Respondent to complete an online registration in Doe's name for Auto Trader.
61. At no time did Doe authorize Respondent to provide her name and contact information to Auto Trader, its agents or assigns.
62. By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, by completing an online registration in Doe's name for Auto Trader when Respondent knew that his provision of registration was false in that the registration was not that of Doe and Doe did not authorize Respondent to complete the online registration in her name, in violation of Rule 8.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT VI
(Dishonesty-false reviews of Doe posted to Martindale.com and Lawyers.com)
63. On June 12, 2016, Respondent created a false review of Doe's professional ability and posted the false review on the Martindale.com and/or the Lawyers.com website.
64. Martindale.com and Lawyers.com are websites in which individuals can locate and connect with attorneys and read reviews from attorneys' peers and prior clients.
65. In creating the false review of Doe's professional ability, Respondent listed Doe's name and provided a low rating - a 1.0 out of a possible 5.0 for Doe.
66. On June 14, 2016, Respondent created a false review of Doe's professional ability and posted the false review on the Martindale.com and/or the Lawyers.com website.
67. In creating the false review of Doe's professional ability, Respondent listed Doe's name and provided a low rating - a 1.3 out of a possible rating of 5.0 for Doe.
68. By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, by knowingly creating false reviews of Doe's professional ability and uploading/posting the reviews on the Martindale.com and Lawyers.com websites for viewing by the general public, in violation of Rule 8.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT VII
(Dishonesty-creation of a false Facebook profile)
69. Respondent created a false Facebook account on the Facebook.com website in the fictitious name of John Kollengrade for the sole purpose of posting a negative review of Doe's professional ability.
70. After Respondent created the false Facebook account, Respondent created a negative review of Doe's professional ability and uploaded/posted the negative review to the Facebook page of Doe's law firm so that the negative review could be viewed by individuals who accessed the Facebook page of Doe's law firm.
71. At the time Respondent created the Facebook account for "John Kollengrade" and created the negative review of Doe's professional ability, Respondent knew the account and review was false.
72. By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, by knowingly creating a false Facebook Account in the fictitious name of John Kollengrade for the sole purpose of creating a false review of Doe's professional ability, and uploading/posting the false review on the Facebook page of Doe's law firm so that it may be viewed by all who viewed the firm's webpage, in violation of Rule 8.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
WHEREFORE, the Administrator requests that this matter be assigned to a panel of the Hearing Board, that a hearing be held, and that the panel make findings of fact, conclusions of fact and law, and a recommendation for such discipline as is warranted.Image copyright PA Image caption Police and the bomb disposal unit were seen outside a property in Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Action has been taken against an alleged Islamist terror plot in the UK that could have happened at Christmas, counter terrorism sources say.
Four men were arrested early on Tuesday in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
An Army bomb disposal team cordoned off a street in Chesterfield where a 31-year-old man was arrested. Nearby homes were evacuated.
Three other men aged 22, 36 and 41 were arrested in the Burngreave and Meersbrook areas of Sheffield.
All four suspects were detained on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
They have been taken to a police station in West Yorkshire for questioning. The cordon in Chesterfield was later lifted.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Elizabeth Fogarty lives on the street where a raid by police took place this morning
The cordon around one of the properties - the Fatima community centre on Brunswick Road in Burngreave - was extended on Tuesday afternoon and the bomb disposal unit attended.
A large number of police vehicles and officers were outside the two-storey building. The main door appeared to be broken on the ground.
Five raids at houses took place on Tuesday at:
Shirebrook Road in Meersbrook, Sheffield
two addresses in Burngreave, Sheffield - including Fatima Community Centre on Brunswick Road
a house on King Street North in Chesterfield
an address in Stocksbridge
Four men were arrested - all at their home addresses.
one in Chesterfield
two in Burngreave
one in Meersbrook
At 21:30 GMT, police said searches had been stood down for the evening but would resume at the scenes in Burngreave and Chesterfield in the morning.
A neighbour in Shirebrook Road, Sheffield, reported hearing "an enormous bang" as one of the raids took place at 05:30.
Carol Perry, who lives two doors from the scene, said: "I was asleep and then I was woken suddenly... and the house shook.
"My immediate thought was that it was an earthquake."
Image copyright PA Image caption A large police presence could be seen outside the Fatima community centre in Sheffield
A spokeswoman from Counter Terrorism Policing North East said: "The public may have heard a loud bang at the time as police entered one of the properties, but it was not an explosion.
"[We] would like to reassure them that it was part of the method to gain entry to the property."
Retired Joan Miller, 63, who lives opposite the run-down house, said she looked out of her window to see many plain-clothed armed officers in the street.
Ms Miller said: "[There] was very loud bang. It shook the house.
"I pulled the curtains and saw lots of armed men in the street, so I kept watching because that was quite extraordinary."
Image copyright PA Image caption Police and Army activity is continuing in Chesterfield
She said the officers shouted "very abruptly" for people to stay in their homes.
Elizabeth Fogarty, who lives across the road from the house in Meersbrook, said: "I've only recently moved up from London.
"One of the reasons we moved up north to Sheffield is because we felt quite nervous living in London with all the terrorist attacks taking place."
Analysis
By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent
Image copyright PA
There are two types of terrorism raids in the UK. Many occur very quietly as detectives knock on the door and take the suspect into custody under normal police powers.
Then there are the full-on raids where doors or windows have to be knocked in, cordons set up and the bomb squad called.
Such operations are only ever mounted because secret intelligence - perhaps from an intercepted communication and often only fragmentary - suggests there is something at a property they need to get to the bottom of.
None of which is proof that any of those who have been arrested have committed an offence - but officers now have up to 14 days, subject to court oversight, to build a case.
One of their priorities is likely to be forensically examining phones. All recent major terrorism investigations have turned on not just what officers found during searches, but what they uncovered from online lives.
Supt Una Jennings of South Yorkshire Police said: "I understand our local communities will have concerns about this morning's police activity but I want to offer my reassurance that we will continue to serve and protect the public of South Yorkshire."
Derbyshire's Assistant Chief Constable Bill McWilliam said: "We of course understand that police activity of this nature can be unsettling.
"However, please be reassured, the arrest we wanted to make has been made.
"Our advice remains to be vigilant, which is not different to our day-to-day advice in the current climate, but continue to go about your business as usual."Theresa May is to offer free movement to Irish citizens in and out of Britain after the UK leaves the EU.
Theresa May is to offer free movement to Irish citizens in and out of Britain after the UK leaves the EU.
Irish to get right to live and work in UK as part of special travel deal
News of the offer of a "Schengen area" between Britain and Ireland came as the UK government prepares to publish a formal proposal to the EU on the future of the Northern Irish border.
By making this offer, the prime minister hopes that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will become a key ally for Britain during the tough withdrawal negotiations.
Mr Varadkar has expressed his frustration at the failure of the UK government to ensure there is no return to the "hard" border between the North and the Republic.
Britain will also offer to track goods across the Irish border with CCTV cameras and automated number plate technology as part of a light-touch customs regime.
It comes alongside other documents setting out how Britain's involvement in the customs union will be after Brexit. More papers on fisheries and agriculture will be published next week. Other papers about the continued availability of goods for the EU and the UK, and confidentiality and access to official documents after Brexit will also be published.
The publications come as David Davis, the Brexit secretary, prepares a third round of talks with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator.
Mr Barnier is reported to have said the first two rounds failed to produce clarity on the Irish border, rights of EU citizens in the UK, and Britain's "divorce bill". His gloomy assessment cast doubt on whether enough progress will have been made to begin discussions in the autumn on a free-trade deal.
One source at Britain's Department for Exiting the EU said: "We've been crystal clear that issues around our withdrawal and our future partnership are inextricably linked, and the negotiations so far have reinforced that view. These papers show we are ready to broaden the negotiations."
The Ireland/Northern Ireland paper, which will be published this week, is the UK government's pitch to "protect the common travel areas and the Good Friday agreement", said a source.
"Ireland and the UK will be effectively its own Schengen area. The movement of people should not alter at all - you can come into Ireland as you do now. And any Irish person at the moment can work freely in the UK as can a UK citizen in Ireland."
Government sources in Dublin said they look forward to seeing detailed proposals from the UK government
© Telegraph
Telegraph.co.ukApple is having a tough time breaking into India. If Apple wants to open up physical stores in the world's second-biggest country, it's going to have to sell locally sourced products, according to a report from Reuters. Apple reportedly lost out on an exemption to the rule that requires foreign companies to offer Indian products in their stores. This is the second major setback for Apple in the past month, after it was blocked from selling or importing refurbished phones due to the potential to increase India's e-waste problem.
The exemption was for companies selling high-tech goods, according to Reuters, but Apple failed to meet the qualifications. According to the rule as interpreted by The Economic Times, foreign companies subject to the rule must source 30 percent of the value of its goods from India. If Apple wants to open retail stores in India, it would require dramatically altering its production lines to incorporate Indian goods, something that it may not be willing to do.
Apple has made it clear that India is the next big market for the company. It invested $25 million in a new technology development center in Hyderabad, and CEO Tim Cook recently wrapped up a four-day meet-and-greet in India that included an official visit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With only 2 percent of the smartphone market in India, Apple has a long way to go before its presence is truly felt, and it doesn't look like the Indian Government will help to make it any easier.Trustees say appeal is likely
Trucks line up at the Rumpke landfill off Colerain Aveune and Struble Road in Colerain Township. (Photo: File photo)
Rumpke plans to proceed with plans to double its landfill operation on Struble Road after a judge ruled in favor of the company in its zoning dispute with Colerain Township.
Visiting Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lee H. Hildebrandt Jr. released his ruling Tuesday, saying the zoning of roughly 350 acres is "unconstitutional beyond fair debate. It denies Plaintiffs of all economically viable use of the land and the zoning designation does not substantially advance a legitimate government interest."
Rumpke attorney Joseph Trauth said the company is planning to proceed with its expansion, that would double its size and extend the life of the landfill by 50 years.
Colerain Township trustees Jeff Ritter and Dennis Deters said it's likely the township will appeal.
"This is an extremely sad day for Colerain Township," Ritter said. "The judge has sentenced the township to 50 more years of landfill operation and its negative effects and consequences for our residents and development."
Hildebrandt's ruling says the evidence establishes that there are no economically viable uses of the property as it is currently zoned.
Hildebrandt's ruling said the evidence establishes that it is better to expand an existing landfill than to create a new one. Expanding an existing landfill limits the number of landfill sites and allows the larger landfill to hold more waste in a smaller area. It says a sanitary landfill is a reasonable and proper use of the property and that the proposed light industrial use to house Rumpke's offices is reasonable.
The township has 45 days to zone the property to the solid waste disposal/light industrial use proposed by Rumpke, the ruling states. If the property is not zoned as proposed within 45 days, Rumpke may commence reasonable and proper use of the property "including expansion of the landfill," according to the ruling.
Rumpke filed suit against Colerain Township after the township rejected its 2006 plan to expand to the east of its landfill location, effectively doubling the size of the landfill.
Rumpke officials took that decision to court. The waste company claimed the landfill was a public utility and as such, was exempt from the control of township zoning. The second challenge claimed the township's current zoning of light industrial and residential does not allow them a viable economic use for their property, and is therefore unconstitutional.
NEWSLETTERS Get the News Alerts newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Be the first to be informed of important news as it happens in Greater Cincinnati. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-876-4500. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for News Alerts Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled against Rumpke on the public utility question, but the case over the constitutionality of the township's zoning began in September. Hildebrandt's ruling was filed Monday.
"The court was 100 percent right: we believe the zoning was put in place to prevent the Rumpke landfill from expanding," Rumpke attorney Trauth said. "There was no research or economic study done to support the zoning.”
Deters said he was disappointed with the ruling and said it clearly tells the community it has very little control over what happens to it. "It's evident that there is more concern over what is good for the county than what is good for Colerain Township," he said.
"The judgement did not even give the township the opportunity to rezone, but rather ordered us to live with another 50 years of landfill," Ritter said
Colerain Township has a special meeting set for 4 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Colerain Township administration complex, 4200 Springdale Road. The board of trustees plans to go immediately into executive session to discuss pending litigation. Officials said they plan to take no action at that meeting.
Colerain Township resident Matt Tietsort said the ruling isn't really a surprise, but the fact that it seems to imply that expanding landfills is preferable to building new ones can't be good news for Colerain Township. "Hard to say where that would stop," he said. "I am assuming the township will appeal the decision, and once it is appealed, that could lead to another settlement offer."
Trauth said a settlement may be considered.
“We attempted to settle with the trustees and the trustees voted the offer down,” Trauth said. “We may be open to continuing those settlement talks in the future.”
Read or Share this story: http://cin.ci/1RUxvxnSee related patient information handout on psoriasis, written by the authors of this article.
Psoriasis is characterized by red, thickened plaques with a silvery scale. The lesions vary in size and degree of inflammation. Psoriasis is categorized as localized or generalized, based on the severity of the disease and its overall impact on the patient's quality of life and well-being. Patient education about the disease and the treatment options is important. Medical treatment for localized psoriasis begins with a combination of topical corticosteroids and coal tar or calcipotriene. For lesions that are difficult to control with initial therapy, anthralin or tazarotene may be tried. The primary goal of therapy is to maintain control of the lesions. Cure is seldom achieved. If control becomes difficult or if psoriasis is generalized, the patient may benefit from phototherapy, systemic therapy and referral to a physician who specializes in the treatment of psoriasis.
Psoriasis affects about 2 percent of the U.S. population. In 1990, psoriasis was the reason for more than 1 million visits to physicians.1 In the past, the treatment of psoriasis was primarily managed by dermatologists; this disorder accounted for only 0.4 percent of skin-related visits to family physicians.2 The number of patients treated by family physicians, however, is likely to have steadily increased as more patients seek medical care of psoriasis from their primary care physicians.
This article describes an algorithmic treatment approach for primary care physicians. The algorithm is based on treatment guidelines for psoriasis published by the American Academy of Dermatology,3 supplemented by a review of the medical literature. There currently are no evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis. Because localized plaque psoriasis is the most common form, the algorithm focuses on the treatment of this type of psoriasis.
Diagnosis Jump to section + Abstract
Diagnosis
Topical Therapy
Intralesional Injections, Phototherapy and Systemic Therapy
Goals of Therapy and When to Refer
References The primary cause of psoriasis remains unknown. Abnormal epidermal cell kinetics and abnormal activation of immune mechanisms are thought to be the major contributors, and treatment may affect one or both of these mechanisms.4 Psoriasis is characterized by red, scaling plaques, ranging from only a few lesions to total involvement of the skin. The primary lesion is a well-demarcated erythematous plaque with a silvery scale. Characteristically, psoriasis is symmetrically distributed, with lesions frequently located on the ears, elbows, knees, umbilicus, gluteal cleft and genitalia (Figure 1). The joints (psoriatic arthritis), nails and scalp may also be affected. View/Print Figure FIGURE 1. Common areas of distribution of psoriasis. The lesions are usually symmetrically distributed and are characteristically located on the ears, elbows, knees, umbilicus, gluteal cleft and genitalia. The joints (psoriatic arthritis), nails and scalp may also be affected. FIGURE 1. Common areas of distribution of psoriasis. The lesions are usually symmetrically distributed and are characteristically located on the ears, elbows, knees, umbilicus, gluteal cleft and genitalia. The joints (psoriatic arthritis), nails and scalp may also be affected. Psoriasis undergoes “koebnerization,” manifested by the appearance of lesions at sites of cutaneous trauma. Itching is the most common symptom,4 and extensive scratching can often lead to superimposed lichen simplex chronicus. In some patients, burning and pain may be the only symptoms. Psoriasis can be classified into four types: plaque-type psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, localized pustular psoriasis and generalized pustular psoriasis. (Table 1). The less common forms of psoriasis include pustular (localized and generalized) and erythrodermic variants. The most common form is plaque-type psoriasis (Figure 2). The scale itself is variable, ranging from a thick, massive scale, as is generally seen on the scalp, to no scale at all, as is generally seen in intertriginous or partially treated areas. View/Print Table TABLE 1. Types of Psoriasis, Associated Findings and Treatment Options Type of psoriasis Clinical features Precipitating factors Differential diagnosis Treatment options Plaque-type psoriasis Red, thick, scaly lesions with silvery scale Stress, infection, trauma, medications, xerosis Atopic dermatitis, irritant dermatitis, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, pityriasis rubra pilaris, seborrheic dermatitis Localized: topical therapy with corticosteroids, calcipotriene (Dovonex), coal tars, anthralin (Anthra-Derm) or tazarotene (Tazorac). Generalized: phototherapy, systemic agents, combination therapy Guttate psoriasis Teardrop-shaped, pink to salmon, scaly plaques; usually on the trunk, with sparing of palms and soles Streptococcal throat infection Pityriasis rosea, secondary syphilis, drug eruption Ultraviolet B phototherapy, natural sunlight Pustular psoriasis, localized Erythematous papules or plaques studded with pustules; usually on palms or soles (known as palmoplantar pustular psoriasis) Stress, infection, medications Pustular drug eruption, dyshidrotic eczema, subcorneal pustular dermatosis Same as for plaque-type psoriasis Pustular psoriasis, generalized Same as localized with a more general involvement; may be associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, malaise and diarrhea; patient may or may not have had preexisting psoriasis Stress, infection, medications Pustular drug eruption, subcorneal pustular dermatosis Systemic therapy and/or hospitalization usually required Erythrodermic psoriasis Severe, intense, generalized erythema and scaling covering entire body; often associated with systemic symptoms; may or may not have had preexisting psoriasis Stress, infection, medications Drug eruption, eczematous dermatitis, mycosis fungoides, pityriasis rubra pilaris Systemic therapy and/or hospitalization usually required TABLE 1. Types of Psoriasis, Associated Findings and Treatment Options Type of psoriasis Clinical features Precipitating factors Differential diagnosis Treatment options Plaque-type psoriasis Red, thick, scaly lesions with silvery scale Stress, infection, trauma, medications, xerosis Atopic dermatitis, irritant dermatitis, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, pityriasis rubra pilaris, seborrheic dermatitis Localized: topical therapy with corticosteroids, calcipotriene (Dovonex), coal tars, anthralin (Anthra-Derm) or tazarotene (Tazorac). Generalized: phototherapy, systemic agents, combination therapy Guttate psoriasis Teardrop-shaped, pink to salmon, scaly plaques; usually on the trunk, with sparing of palms and soles Streptococcal throat infection Pityriasis rosea, secondary syphilis, drug eruption Ultraviolet B phototherapy, natural sunlight Pustular psoriasis, localized Erythematous papules or plaques studded with pustules; usually on palms or soles (known as palmoplantar pustular psoriasis) Stress, infection, medications Pustular drug eruption, dyshidrotic eczema, subcorneal pustular dermatosis Same as for plaque-type psoriasis Pustular psoriasis, generalized Same as localized with a more general involvement; may be associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, malaise and diarrhea; patient may or may not have had preexisting psoriasis Stress, infection, medications Pustular drug eruption, subcorneal pustular dermatosis Systemic therapy and/or hospitalization usually required Erythrodermic psoriasis Severe, intense, generalized erythema and scaling covering entire body; often associated with systemic symptoms; may or may not have had preexisting psoriasis Stress, infection, medications Drug eruption, eczematous dermatitis, mycosis fungoides, pityriasis rubra pilaris Systemic therapy and/or hospitalization usually required View/Print Figure FIGURE 2. A primary lesion of plaque-type psoriasis. The typical lesion is a well-demarcated, thick, erythematous plaque with a silvery scale. FIGURE 2. A primary lesion of plaque-type psoriasis. The typical lesion is a well-demarcated, thick, erythematous plaque with a silvery scale. Guttate psoriasis is characterized by numerous small, oval (teardrop-shaped) lesions that develop after an acute upper respiratory tract infection. These lesions are often not as scaly or as red as the classic lesions of plaque-type psoriasis. Usually, guttate psoriasis must be differentiated from pityriasis rosea, another condition characterized by the sudden outbreak of red scaly lesions. Compared with pityriasis rosea, psoriatic lesions are thicker and scalier, and the lesions are not usually distributed along skin creases. The diagnosis of psoriasis can usually be made on the basis of the clinical presentation; histologic confirmation is rarely needed. If the diagnosis is uncertain, a biopsy can be performed or consultation with a dermatologist can be obtained. POST-DIAGNOSIS PATIENT EDUCATION Once the diagnosis of psoriasis is made, patient education about the disease should begin. Points that should be emphasized about the disease initially include its noncontagious nature and the possibility of controlling but not curing it. Patients should also be assured that psoriasis is quite common. Exacerbating factors should be discussed, including stress, infection, trauma, xerosis and use of medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-adrenergic blockers, lithium and the antimalarial agent hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). The National Psoriasis Foundation is a widely used resource for patients (Web site: http://www.psoriasis.org).
Topical Therapy Jump to section + Abstract
Diagnosis
Topical Therapy
Intralesional Injections, Phototherapy and Systemic Therapy
Goals of Therapy and When to Refer
References An algorithm for the treatment of localized psoriasis is depicted in Figure 3. Localized psoriasis can be defined as disease that is limited to such a degree that topical therapy controls it. Generalized psoriasis may require oral medications, treatment with ultraviolet light or treatment at an outpatient or inpatient facility. View/Print Figure Treatment of Localized Psoriasis FIGURE 3. Algorithm for the treatment of localized psoriasis. Treatment of localized psoriasis is initiated using topical corticosteroids, alone or in combination with coal tar or calcipotriene. Patients with resistant lesions may benefit from the addition of anthralin or tazarotene. Treatment of Localized Psoriasis FIGURE 3. Algorithm for the treatment of localized psoriasis. Treatment of localized psoriasis is initiated using topical corticosteroids, alone or in combination with coal tar or calcipotriene. Patients with resistant lesions may benefit from the addition of anthralin or tazarotene. The treatment of psoriasis requires an understanding of the effect that psoriasis is having on the patient's quality of life, and that effect is extremely variable. Taking the individual patient's treatment needs into consideration can improve the overall outcome. Topical therapy, including corticosteroids, calcipotriene (Dovonex), coal tar products, tazarotene (Tazorac) and anthralin (Anthra-Derm), is the mainstay of treatment for localized disease (Tables 2 and 3). While the use of emollients should be encouraged, they should be used selectively because many (e.g., products containing lactic acid or alpha-hydroxy acids) can be irritating to inflamed or broken skin. View/Print Table TABLE 2. Profiles of Topical Agents Used in the Treatment of Psoriasis Topical agent Inconvenience Atrophy, HPA axis effect* Staining Skin irritation Hypercalcemia Comments Emollients (Moisturel, Cetaphil, Curel, Nivea, etc.) + – – +/– – Low-potency corticosteroids (classes 6 and 7), such as desonide (Desowen), aclometasone dipropionate (Aclovate); hydrocortisone agents (Cortizone, Cortaid, etc.) + + – – – Medium-potency corticosteroids (classes 3, 4 and 5), such as triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog), hydrocortisone valerate (Westcort), fluticasone propionate (Cutivate), halcinonide (Halog), mometasone furoate (Elocon) + ++ – – – Duration of safe use unknown High-potency corticosteroids (classes 1 and 2), such as halobetasol propionate (Ultravate), clobetasol propionate (Temovate), diflorasone diacetate (Psorcon), betamethasone dipropionate (Diprolene), clobetasole propionate (Cormax) + +++ – – – Super-high potency safe for up to 4 weeks Topical calcipotriene (Dovonex) + – – + + at 120 g per week Safe for up to 52 weeks; pregnancy category C Coal tar preparations (Estar gel, Balnetar, MG271, Neutrogena T/Gel, DHS Tar) ++ – ++ + – Anthralin (Anthra-Derm, Drithocreme, Dritho-Scalp, Miconal) +++ – +++ ++ – Tazarotene (Tazorac) + – – +++ – Pregnancy category X TABLE 2. Profiles of Topical Agents Used in the Treatment of Psoriasis Topical agent Inconvenience Atrophy, HPA axis effect* Staining Skin irritation Hypercalcemia Comments Emollients (Moisturel, Cetaphil, Curel, Nivea, etc.) + – – +/– – Low-potency corticosteroids (classes 6 and 7), such as desonide (Desowen), aclometasone dipropionate (Aclovate); hydrocortisone agents (Cortizone, Cortaid, etc.) + + – – – Medium-potency corticosteroids (classes 3, 4 and 5), such as triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog), hydrocortisone valerate (Westcort), fluticasone propionate (Cutivate), halcinonide (Halog), mometasone furoate (Elocon) + ++ – – – Duration of safe use unknown High-potency corticosteroids (classes 1 and 2), such as halobetasol propionate (Ultravate), clobetasol propionate (Temovate), diflorasone diacetate (Psorcon), betamethasone dipropionate (Diprolene), clobetasole propionate (Cormax) + +++ – – – Super-high potency safe for up to 4 weeks Topical calcipotriene (Dovonex) + – – + + at 120 g per week Safe for up to 52 weeks; pregnancy category C Coal tar preparations (Estar gel, Balnetar, MG271, Neutrogena T/Gel, DHS Tar) ++ – ++ + – Anthralin (Anthra-Derm, Drithocreme, Dritho-Scalp, Miconal) +++ – +++ ++ – Tazarotene (Tazorac) + – – +++ – Pregnancy category X View/Print Table TABLE 3. Treatment of Psoriasis in Problem Areas Site Special problem Treatment options Scalp Hair-bearing areas are not receptive to ointment vehicles. A topical corticosteroid and/or topical calcipotriene (Dovonex) in a solution vehicle are recommended, along with daily use of a tar shampoo. Nails The thick keratin of the nail blocks absorption of topical agents. For onycholysis, a topical corticosteroid in a solution vehicle may be used under the nail. Systemic therapy may be required to improve severe disease. Genitalia The thin skin of the genitalia is highly sensitive to the adverse effects (atrophy) of topical corticosteroids. A low-potency topical corticosteroid ointment is recommended. Topical calcipotriene, which is not associated with a risk of atrophy, may be used. Palms and soles The thick stratum corneum of palms and soles is a barrier to penetration of topical agents. A highest-potency topical corticosteroid is recommended. Methotrexate (Rheumatrex) or acitretin (Soriatane; a systemic retinoic acid analog) may be needed. TABLE 3. Treatment of Psoriasis in Problem Areas Site Special problem Treatment options Scalp Hair-bearing areas are not receptive to ointment vehicles. A topical corticosteroid and/or topical calcipotriene (Dovonex) in a solution vehicle are recommended, along with daily use of a tar shampoo. Nails The thick keratin of the nail blocks absorption of topical agents. For onycholysis, a topical corticosteroid in a solution vehicle may be used under the nail. Systemic therapy may be required to improve severe disease. Genitalia The thin skin of the genitalia is highly sensitive to the adverse effects (atrophy) of topical corticosteroids. A low-potency topical corticosteroid ointment is recommended. Topical calcipotriene, which is not associated with a risk of atrophy, may be used. Palms and soles The thick stratum corneum of palms and soles is a barrier to penetration of topical agents. A highest-potency topical corticosteroid is recommended. Methotrexate (Rheumatrex) or acitretin (Soriatane; a systemic retinoic acid analog) may be needed. TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS Topical corticosteroids are the most commonly prescribed treatment for psoriasis.5 They are available in ointment, cream, lotion and solution forms. Corticosteroids have well-recognized anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects, which are thought to be their primary mechanism of action in psoriasis.6 Topical steroids are classified as low-, medium-, high- and super-high potency agents (Table 2). In general, treatment is initiated with a medium-strength agent, and high-potency agents are reserved for the treatment of thick chronic plaques that are refractory to weaker steroids. Low-potency agents are used on the face, on areas where the skin tends to be thinner, and on the groin and axillary areas, where natural occlusion increases the potency of a low-potency agent to the equivalent of a higher potency agent. Use of high-potency agents in these areas increases the risk of side effects and therefore should be avoided. Potential side effects from corticosteroids include cutaneous atrophy, telangiectasia and striae, acne eruption, glaucoma, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression and, in children, growth retardation. The true incidence of corticosteroid-induced hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal suppression is unknown, but it is of concern with prolonged use.7 Often, evidence of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression is found on the laboratory results, even when clinical symptoms are absent. Careful long-term follow-up of patients receiving topical corticosteroid therapy is highly recommended to detect potential complications. Although corticosteroids are rapidly effective in the treatment of psoriasis, they are associated with a rapid flare-up of disease after discontinuation, and they have many potential side effects. Consequently, topical corticosteroids are frequently used in conjunction with another agent to maintain control. Topical calcipotriene is often used in combination with topical corticosteroids to speed clearing of the lesions and maintain control after the initial phase of treatment is completed. CALCIPOTRIENE Calcipotriene is a vitamin D 3 analog available in cream, ointment and solution formulations. It inhibits epidermal cell proliferation and enhances normal keratinization. This agent has a slow onset of action, and patients should be aware that the effects of calcipotriene may not be noticeable for up to six to eight weeks after the initiation of therapy. Although calcipotriene monotherapy has been shown to be moderately effective in reducing the thickness, scaliness and erythema of psoriatic lesions,8 maximal benefits are achieved when calcipotriene is used in combination with potent topical corticosteroids. A simplified approach for combination therapy is to begin therapy with a “quick-fix” phase, followed by a “ |
/plain; charset=UTF-8 Great, will do. On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, Marlon Marshall <mmarshall@hillaryclinton.com> wrote: > Thanks > Amanda and Brynne pls add to our list for our meeting tmrw > > > > > On Jul 15, 2015, at 6:12 PM, Robby Mook <re47@hillaryclinton.com > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > > My rough notes from today...so folks have them. Big picture, I just > want to make sure we get back to them with action plans and set up a follow > up. More proactive surrogate operation a prioritiy for both. > > > > SENATE > > --Create an action plan for them and set up our first follow up call > > --Proactive surrogate press plan, including rapid response on GOP > > --Amplification program for major events and speeches > > --Bi-weekly organizing calls (set one up fo > > --Assign each of them a set of states > > --Social media assignments > > --Get their travel schedules for grassroots fundraising events and > organizing events > > --Get union calls to Mikulski > > --Engage Hirono in overall immigration organizing program > > --Gillibrand wants to do campus events > > > > > > HOUSE > > --Create an action plan and set up a follow up convo > > --Get them lists of super delegates to whip, especially women > > --Ask for their travel schedules for grassroots events > > --Schakowsky is willing to organize vols to travel; doing a big > organizing mtg in her district this month > > --They think we should have celebrity surrogates to amplify attacks on > GOP > > --They want to be alerted when they can take action on social to hit GOP > > > > Things they want: > > --They want a bus tour > > --They want HRC to meet with women's caucus > -- Brynne Craig Deputy National Political Director || Hillary for America (646) 847-7577 (O) (202) 812-2619 (C) --089e0158ba0a9dedb8051af15a1c Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Great, will do.=C2=A0<br><br>On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, Marlon Marshall &= lt;<a href=3D"mailto:mmarshall@hillaryclinton.com">mmarshall@hillaryclinton=.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 = 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Thanks<br> Amanda and Brynne pls add to our list for our meeting tmrw<br> <br> <br> <br> > On Jul 15, 2015, at 6:12 PM, Robby Mook <<a href=3D"javascript:;" o= nclick=3D"_e(event, 'cvml','re47@hillaryclinton.com')">re4= 7@hillaryclinton.com</a>> wrote:<br> ><br> > My rough notes from today...so folks have them.=C2=A0 Big picture, I j= ust want to make sure we get back to them with action plans and set up a fo= llow up.=C2=A0 More proactive surrogate operation a prioritiy for both.<br> ><br> > SENATE<br> > --Create an action plan for them and set up our first follow up call<b= r> > --Proactive surrogate press plan, including rapid response on GOP<br> > --Amplification program for major events and speeches<br> > --Bi-weekly organizing calls (set one up fo<br> > --Assign each of them a set of states<br> > --Social media assignments<br> > --Get their travel schedules for grassroots fundraising events and org= anizing events<br> > --Get union calls to Mikulski<br> > --Engage Hirono in overall immigration organizing program<br> > --Gillibrand wants to do campus events<br> ><br> ><br> > HOUSE<br> > --Create an action plan and set up a follow up convo<br> > --Get them lists of super delegates to whip, especially women<br> > --Ask for their travel schedules for grassroots events<br> > --Schakowsky is willing to organize vols to travel; doing a big organi= zing mtg in her district this month<br> > --They think we should have celebrity surrogates to amplify attacks on= GOP<br> > --They want to be alerted when they can take action on social to hit G= OP<br> ><br> > Things they want:<br> > --They want a bus tour<br> > --They want HRC to meet with women's caucus<br> </blockquote><br><br>-- <br><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><font si= ze=3D"2" face=3D"georgia, serif">Brynne Craig</font><div><font size=3D"2" f= ace=3D"georgia, serif">Deputy National Political Director || Hillary for Am= erica</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"georgia, serif">(646) 847-7= 577 (O)</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"georgia, serif">(202) 812= -2619 (C)</font></div></div></div></div><br> --089e0158ba0a9dedb8051af15a1c--Editor's Note: The following has been adapted with the author's permission from its original publication on Carolina Culture Warrior.
It’s fair to say most people missed the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards from March 11. That being said, the show was so trashy and off the charts, it made last year look tame by comparison. The hits included sexually-charged musical performances and drug use references. While Nick would argue that their target audience was eight or ten to 16, most watching were in the six to 14 age range.
Here’s a snippet from one of the songs performed by a British pop music act named Little Mix (a nominee for the ceremony’s Favorite Global Music Star category), titled Shout Out To My Ex:
This is a shout out to my ex Heard he in love with some other chick Yeah yeah, that hurt me, I’ll admit Forget that boy, I’m over it I hope she gettin’ better sex Hope she ain’t fakin’ it like I did, babe Took four long years to call it quits Forget that boy, I’m over it
Isn’t that nice? A children’s network allowing lyrics like this on their airwaves — how unseemly.
And it got worse. Up-and-coming rapper Machine Gun Kelly has a new album out later this month, featuring that “classic” song Bad Things featuring singer Camila Cabello and included – what else? Sexually charged lyrics and drug references. And the awards ceremony actually gave him a platform to perform that piece of junk as well. Here’s a little taste of the song’s lyrics:
Am I out of my head? Am I out of my mind? If you only knew the bad things I like Don’t think that I can explain it What can I say, it’s complicated Don’t matter what you say Don’t matter what you do I only wanna do bad things to you So good, that you can’t explain it What can I say, it’s complicated I can’t explain it I love the pain (....) Let me paint the picture Couch by the kitchen Nothin’ but your heels on Losin’ our religion You’re my pretty little vixen And I’m the voice inside your head That keeps telling you to listen to all the bad things I say
After hearing those two pieces of garbage, far-left blogger Perez Hilton (yes, that Perez Hilton) was outraged that those songs were performed: “Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE both Miz Cabello and the Little Mix girls, but this is a freakin’ show for kids. Have the producers not realized that the British girl group’s most recent chart toppers are pretty sexual?”
Yikes But it’s just fine with the rest of the liberal media, which celebrates people like Machine Gun Kelly, as well as Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. Those who fight against this moral depravity are defamed and smeared. That’s why few people are courageous enough to speak up.
There is a lot of danger in trying to tackle the secular media elite, especially the entertainment industry. Enough is enough with the drug references, sexual content, and general disrespect for morals and decency.
Parents who want to look for something appropriate for children might want to think twice before going to Nickelodeon. The fact that songs like these were cleared for the airwaves tells you everything you need to. Kids might find it hard to say goodbye to SpongeBob, but it could be for the best at the end of the day.“We knew we were never going to be the biggest or the most efficient,” said Mr. Eckhouse, 64. “We were going to be small and make something very special.”
Nor was their goal to replicate Italian or Spanish prosciutto. “It would be American prosciutto,” he said. “The flavor is very rich, very sweet, very meaty.”
From the beginning, the couple insisted on humane and healthy practices. They use no pork from pigs fed nontherapeutic antibiotics or raised in confinement pens in huge metal barns. They require that growers provide pigs space to congregate, a place to sleep in deep bedding and access to the outdoors.
The acorn-fed Tamworths are raised by Russell Kremer on 150 acres of woodland in the Ozark Mountains. Each fall, the pigs graze among the trees, consuming five or six varieties of acorns.
The Eckhouses developed their taste for the thinly sliced, richly marbled cured ham during the 3 1/2 years they lived in Parma, Italy, where Mr. Eckhouse was the chief executive of the Italian subsidiary of what was then known as Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a Des Moines seed company. They lived an Italian life, sent their children to Italian preschools and ate prosciutto two or three times a week. “We didn’t learn anything about making it, but we learned about eating it,” he said.
When they returned to Iowa in 1989, they were struck by the beauty of the landscape, with crops “bursting out of the ground and the rich black soil,” he said. “You think: ‘This is amazing. What are we making here that we can be proud of? What are we making that shows that we really appreciate this bounty?’ ”
Maybe, they said, they could make prosciutto. Most of their friends weren’t even sure what it was.
Mr. Eckhouse left Pioneer in mid-2000 and spent the rest of that year preparing what his wife calls “his master’s thesis on prosciutto.” It was a practical, if hopeful, plan for making something new of a 2,000-year-old meat. They were inspired by the American evolution of other European products like cheese, wine and craft beer.THE Waratahs are negotiating to play in a star-studded World Club Championship game against French giants Toulon just a week before their Super Rugby title defence kicks off.
NSW are in deep talks with the Top 14 champions about playing the game in Toulon on February 5 or 6, before making a rapid dash back to Sydney to prepare for their Super Rugby season opener against Western Force on February 15.
Because it would be the Tahs’ third and final pre-season game, they would field a stellar top side that features nearly all the players who took out the 2014 title.
Kurtley Beale v Matt Giteau, Israel Folau v Leigh Halfpenny, and Adam Ashley-Cooper v his best mate Drew Mitchell are some of the mouth-watering potential match-ups that would take place if the match can be finalised.
Waratahs captain Dave Dennis was put through a gruelling pre-season session at Moore Park on Thursday. Source: News Limited
Waratahs captain Dave Dennis said his side will only make the arduous trip if they felt it would not hamper their preparations for the round one match in Sydney.
“It still can happen, it’s a possibility, at this stage if it was to happen it would be our last trial,” said Dennis, who would likely make his return to the field in that game after undergoing knee surgery four months ago.
“It would have to be a Thursday or Friday game over there so we have time to travel back and start our normal week for the Force. We’ve got a Sunday game so we’re going to have to get back by the previous Saturday or Sunday to start a normal Monday week.
“Obviously there is a bit of a gamble there. It is a great opportunity for us as a club, but you want to be in the best position to win the first round.
“We’ve got to get that balance, so that’s where it was all left when I last spoke to Cheik.
“He was over there [in France] so maybe he had the chance to catch up to them.
Toulon’s Matt Giteau could line up against the Waratahs in February. Source: Getty Images
“From the players’ point of view they’d want to go, and from a rugby perspective fan point of view it would be good.
“But you don’t want to — and we never would — disrespect that first round. The priority is winning the first round of footy.
“Hopefully it can still come to fruition.”
The two teams had discussed the idea of playing a match last year but it could not be agreed upon due to clashing dates.
. Waratahs players were pushed to their limits on their return to pre-season training'. Source: Supplied
Toulon is the world’s most famous rugby, boasting a who’s who of rugby stars on their past and present rosters.
Along with Giteau, Halfpenny and Mitchell, Toulon boasts Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Carl Hayman, Ali Williams, Juan Smith and English brothers Delon and Steffon Armitage.
Defending Super Rugby champions NSW begin their defence against the Force on a Sunday, but have a short turnaround, playing their round two match in Melbourne just five days later.
What could aid the planning of the Toulon game is that NSW has the bye in round three, which would allow their players to recuperate from the France trip and two opening games before the crunch match in round four against Queensland.
That match in Brisbane should feature current Toulon star James O’Connor, who will join the Reds in January, as well as former NRL and AFL star Karmichael Hunt.So you want to improve your handwriting? It really is easy, it just takes practice. You can practice with the free printable grid worksheets I created for the post How to improve your handwriting as a grown up, you can use a bullet journal (like the Leuchtturm* one I practice in) on a Rhodia Dot Pad or grid pad.
here. Please note that *This page might contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy
Grab Your Supplies Here
The basic kit to help you improve your handwriting:
My favourite pens:
I’m a complete sucker for a thin-nibbed pen. It makes my writing so much nicer and I find the ink flow much easier to control.
Is great for lettering, projects and writing on the front of envelopes (because of the nature of the ink).
I wasn’t joking when I said I was a sucker for a thin nib.
Whether it’s a rollerball or a biro, I find them much nicer to write with.
Now I’m going to completely contradict what I just said.
This is a quite a thick nib for me (1.0mm) but honestly, it is the nicest pen to write with.
Even if it does make my writing much larger than necessary.
It’s so smooth! I highly recommend these pens to anyone and everyone.
The hot pink ink is from the Gelly Roll Moonlight pack linked above.
Different ways to practice:
Practice the alphabet, over and over again. You will soon discover which letters you have problems with.
I suffered nerve damage in my neck which affects my writing, even with practice. You can see the problem letters I have in some of these photos.
When I’m experiencing the same issues, again and again, I practice the problem letters repeatedly until I’m happy.
Grab Your Supplies Here
Just write.
You can write to practice. Write lists, write song lyrics, a speech or your favourite quotes.
Check out this Pinterest board of great quotes.
Use books
Depending on the style of handwriting you want to improve will depend on the books you should get.
Print writing is much easier to develop than cursive, but both skills are worth developing.
Some great handwriting books:
A note on hand lettering:
You might be reading this post hoping to improve your handwriting so that you can start to learn hand lettering.
That’s what I did back in 2010.
Handwriting and hand lettering are two different things.
Hand lettering is more akin to drawing letters.
These are the absolute basics of faux calligraphy as shown in the image above. Done with a black sharpie pen and Zig writer :
Cursive
An extra line on the down stroke
Colour in the space
==> The hot pink is a Tombow Dual Brush in Rubine Red
Different methods of learning hand lettering:
Depending on the type of hand lettering you wish to learn will depend on the methods you choose!
Practice sheets for:
Books:
Online courses for Hand Lettering:
I’ve shared loads of hand lettering classes on this blog because I’ve taken loads!
I love lettering classes, and it’s my passion for lettering and practice that got me published in Jenny Doh’s most recent book Creative Lettering for Kids. I’m so excited to have gone from having to completely retrain my handwriting in 2012 (after suffering nerve damage) to being published for my lettering skills! It feels amazing.
My favourite lettering courses are from different sites, most notably through Skillshare and Brit&Co.
✅Reader Special: Skillshare is offering an exclusive three free months of Skillshare Premium (instead of one month!!!) to you, my lovely reader, so sign up and take a handwriting course for FREE!
==> 20 excellent lettering resources for beginners
A peek at my Bullet Journal turned Handwriting practice book & journal where I practice alphabets:
I hope the tools and tricks about how to improve your handwriting have helped you on your way to beautiful handwriting!
And FinallyFrom top: Simon Coveney TD and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English TD
The Rebuilding Ireland Plan has allocated insufficient funding, is manipulating the use of the term ‘social housing’ and misleading people with its promises
Dr Rory Hearne writes:
The government has been responding to the Apollo House action by stating that dealing with the housing crisis is its “number one priority” and that their housing plan, Rebuilding Ireland, will address the crisis through the investment of €5bn in “a truly ambitious social housing programme of 47,000 units to 2021”.
Minister Coveney claims that “There’s a real acceleration happening here in terms of delivery” and has stated that there will be more than “21,000 social housing solutions provided in 2017”. With Budget 2017 providing “for a very significant increase in housing funding (of €1.3 billion).
But the Minister’s figures and the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Action plan just don’t add up.
The graph above is the forecast provision of social housing in the Rebuilding Ireland Plan from 2016-2021. But in this you see that the new construction of social housing (represented by dark blue shade at the bottom) is only a very small proportion of the overall 100,000 ‘social housing’ units to be provided over the next 5 years.
The majority of ‘social housing’ is in fact not new build social housing at all but are various housing support schemes provided through the private rented sector such as the Housing Assistance Payment and the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
These social housing ‘solutions’ (as the Minister’s refers to, note change of language from ‘new build housing units’ to ‘solutions’) are temporary, do not provide tenants with security of tenure and most importantly do not increase the much needed supply of real permanent social housing homes.
The schemes such as RAS and HAP have not met their delivery targets due to lack of availability of private rental housing (thus the governments social housing strategy also exacerbates the rental crisis – as it is taking supply from a sector that requires greater supply – a third of all tenancies are state funded social housing schemes.These should not be classified as social housing as it is not providing a secure form of tenancy).
Of course the HAP schemes suit government because they can reduce the housing waiting lists and make it appear as if the housing crisis is being dealt with – also while subsidising private landlords and avoiding allocating the necessary increase in funding to government/local authority state provision of affordable housing.
The Rebuilding Ireland Quarterly Review published in November gave the first official figures for what is represented in the graph above and breaks down the 47,000 ‘new social housing’ units figure.
This outlines that of the 47,000 social housing units by 2021:·
It is expected that 26,000 units will be built (construction, voids, Part V) exclusively for social housing 11,000 will be acquired (by LA, AHB & HA) from the market And 10,000 units will be leased by LAs and AHBs – this will be a mix of units from the existing housing stock and newly-built units
Now the key figure here is the new build one because this provides additional housing supply. This is particularly important in Dublin, the commuter counties and other large cities (Galway, Cork) which need new units built and do not have the same vacancy level as other parts of the country. So the actual figure for ‘new build’ social housing units is 26,000 units (just over half the headline 47,000 figure).
Now as is mentioned this also includes bringing local authority voids back into use and new housing built under Part V (the 10% social housing provided in large private housing developments). But Part V delivered just 65 units in 2015 (but 286 were in progress).
Given that Part V delivered 3,246 units in 2007 (4.5% of total 71,000 private units delivered), and that was when Part V was 20% of all developments – which has since been reduced to 10% (but developers could pay cash to the local authority in lieu of the units and this is no longer available), then using the same percentage, then on the basis of 25,000 private units per annum, Part V is likely to deliver no more than 1,250 units per annum in the coming years.
That brings the 26,000 ‘new builds’ down to 24,750.
It was also estimated that 800 local authority voids would be brought back into use in 2017 so taking that away it leaves us with 23,950 new real social housing units planned to be built between now and 2021: which is 3,991 units per annum.
At that rate of delivery it would take 22 years to house all those of the current social housing waiting lists (90,000 households) into real permanent social housing homes.
How can that, in any way, be deemed an acceptable time frame of delivery to address the crisis? Particularly given that housing need is increasing significantly.
So what about the increase in the allocation in social housing investment in Budget 2017? The total exchequer Housing allocation in 2017 will be €1.2 billion –up from €814million in 2016.
However this is the same trick – the main increase is on temporary social housing through the private rental sector. Current (mainly spent on private rental sector schemes and leasing from private sector) increases from €382m to €566m while capital expenditure (includes new building and purchase of permanent social housing) only increased by an additional €150 million from €432m in 2016 to €655m in 2017.
But the ‘housing’ capital budget appears also includes €50m for an ‘infrastructure’ fund for local authorities to enable the development of private sites for housing, the payment for previous social housing already built by housing associations, the mortgage to rent scheme, urban regeneration, €70m for retrofitting existing social housing stock, €45 million for grants for private housing and funding for schemes such as the Pyrite Remediation Scheme. So while we don’t have an exact figure we can see that the actual budget allocation for new building (and purchase) of social housing is certainly under €400 million.
Therefore, the social housing units outlined in the Rebuilding Ireland plan are in fact largely various forms of private sector and privatised housing delivery. They are dependent on various forms of private financing, ‘off-balance sheet’ mechanisms, Public Private Partnerships, acquisition from the private market and delivery from Part V mechanisms.
The plan itself acknowledges that securing the social housing output is “dependent on a number of critical factors” including, most importantly,
“A functioning private residential construction sector, with levels of supply to meet demand (delivering 10% social housing units under Part V and providing a supply for targeted acquisitions)”.
Social housing provision is being privatised onto the private rented sector– which has meant a failure to achieve social housing targets and reduced private rental stock available to the wider population. This is not a ‘social housing’ strategy!
And this is where the plan ultimately fails. Its output of social housing is dependent on a very significant increase in supply in the private housing market which has already proven in its inability to do so.
What is required is an increase of the social housing capital allocation to €2bn per annum to local authorities and housing associations to ensure the building of at least 12,000 new permanent social housing units. This is alongside the changing of NAMA’s mandate to prioritise its social mandate over the maximising financial return and to ensure the 20,000 units it builds are affordable and public housing units – and to use its 3bn cash reserves to build an additional affordable and social 30,000 units.
It is only when we get close to building at least 20,000 new affordable and social housing units per annum that we can get close to addressing the national emergency of the housing crisis.
Ultimately the only guarantee of affordable supply of housing to a broad range of income groups (from the lowest income to middle income workers) is by the state through local authorities (with support from Housing associations). A social mix in developments can be achieved by the state building affordable housing available to different income groups.
This should be a mix of traditional public housing, cost rental housing, shared ownership, equity partnerships and cooperative housing. It is the time for a ‘New Deal’ in housing where we take this opportunity to ensure the provision of affordable and high quality homes as a right to all in this country.
It is great to see that Home Sweet Home’s Emergency Housing Plan includes these ideas as some of its core proposals.
Home Sweet Home outlines that there should be the provision of “a minimum of 10,000 new social/public housing units owned by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies per year for the next decade in order to clear all social housing lists”.
The government should “suspend all sales by NAMA of land and assets and use its finances to deliver 10,000 new social and affordable housing units for families and low-income households”.
Most importantly Home Sweet Home outlines that this new social and affordable housing building programme can be financed through “ceasing all tax cuts until the current housing and homelessness crisis has been averted”. It states that it “is morally reprehensible that we have so far given more than €2.5 billion in tax cuts while homelessness has doubled and thousands of children are spending their childhoods growing up in hotel rooms”.
They also highlight correctly that “should borrowing be necessary, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has borrowed €500m at an interest rate of 0.81%. This low cost borrowing could provide up to 5,000 social housing units per year”. F
urthermore, they point out that in 2014 the Irish League of Credit Unions formally proposed making up to €5bn available for social and affordable housing schemes but “two years on and Government has yet to formally respond. This source of funding should be accessed as a matter of urgency”.
The reality is that the government in its Rebuilding Ireland Plan has allocated insufficient funding to the new build of permanent real social housing homes. It is manipulating the use of the term ‘social housing’ and misleading people with the figures it is using in order to suggest its plans will address the crisis – when in fact there is much less new build of real social housing in the plans than the government is trying to portray.
Rebuilding Ireland is a fundamentally flawed plan as it driven more by an ideological aversion to the state building affordable homes than evidence-based policy solutions based on meeting the housing needs and right to housing for people.
The Plan is based on the taxpayer incentivising and subsidising the private construction industry and private speculative finance through the various private rental social housing schemes, the ‘help-to-buy’ subsidy (for which there was no cost-benefit analysis done!), Real Estate Investment Trust tax breaks, the sell-off and leasing of local authority land to developers and the sale by NAMA at discount of land and property to vulture funds and investors.
The alternative approach outlined above is, therefore, urgently required. And that is why it is really important that the Apollo House and Home Sweet Home campaign gain sufficient public support to achieve this policy change.
Dr Rory Hearne is a policy analyst, academc, social justice campaigner. He writes here in a personal capacity. Follow Rory on Twitter: @roryhearne
RollingnewsThe Wild will lease space for a rink and training facility at the former Macy’s building in downtown St. Paul.
The team and developers announced Thursday that the Wild was the first tenant to sign a lease at the building that is in the midst of a massive overhaul.
“We feel this is an exciting moment, not just for the Minnesota Wild, but for the city of St. Paul and for the entire state of hockey to now have an arena in a multiuse facility here,” said Jamie Spencer, a vice president with the Wild.
Developers expect to open the practice facility and rink this fall. Some of the team’s practices will be open to the public, Spencer said.
The Wild will use the ice rink only about 5 percent of the time, said Lee Krueger, president of the St. Paul Port Authority, which is teaming up with Hempel Cos. on the redevelopment project.
The rink will also be available year-round for local teams, figure skaters and groups to rent.
The Wild’s training facility and practice space is a key piece of the overhaul of the building, which covers an entire block in downtown at Wabasha and 6th streets.
Wild officials will have offices and training space in the basement of the building and will use private elevators to get to the rink, which will be enclosed in glass and located on the top level of the building.
St. Paul Arena Company, a subsidiary of the Wild’s parent company, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, will manage the ice rink on the fifth floor of the building, Spencer said.
Developers would not give specifics on other tenants that will be moving into the building, but Randy McKay, a principal at Hempel, said they would be making announcements about other leases in the next month or two.
“This component of the project springboards us forward for working with 120,000 square feet of office, retail and medical space within the project, along with 800 parking stalls,” he said.
The former Macy’s, which is currently called Wabasha Center, has sat empty for years. The building’s name will likely change again soon, Krueger said, as a sale of naming rights is being pursued.
While it looks quiet from the outside, developers have been working to prepare the building for businesses and the Wild to move in. Interior demolition and asbestos abatement were done this summer.
McKay said they expect to begin tearing down portions of the building’s old concrete exterior in the next month.
“There are going to be very substantial changes to the front of the building, and it will be primarily glass,” he said.
The project is expected to cost $63 million, McKay said. That is a slight increase from the developers’ $60.6 million projection earlier this year.A map of West Antarctica. Credit: Wikipedia A rapidly melting section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet appears to be in irreversible decline, with nothing to stop the entire glacial basin from disappearing into the sea, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine and NASA.
The new study presents multiple lines of evidence – incorporating 40 years of observations – that six massive glaciers in the Amundsen Sea sector "have passed the point of no return," according to glaciologist Eric Rignot, a UC Irvine Earth system science professor who is also with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The new study has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
These glaciers already contribute significantly to sea level rise, releasing as much ice into the ocean each year as the entire Greenland Ice Sheet does. They contain enough ice to boost the global sea level by 4 feet (1.2 meters) and are melting faster than most scientists had expected. Rignot said the findings will require that current predictions of sea level rise be revised upward.
"This sector will be a major contributor to sea level rise in the decades and centuries to come," Rignot said. "A conservative estimate is that it could take several centuries for all of the ice to flow into the sea."
Three major lines of evidence point to the glaciers' eventual demise: changes in their flow speeds, how much of each glacier floats on seawater, and the slope and depth below sea level of the terrain they're flowing over. In a paper published last month, the research group showed that the speed at which the glaciers are moving has accelerated steadily for four decades, increasing the amount of ice draining from them by 77 percent from 1973 to 2013. This new study focuses on the other two lines of evidence.
The West Antarctic glaciers flow out from land over the ocean, with their front edges afloat. The point at which they lose contact with land is called the grounding line. Virtually all glacial melting occurs on the undersides of their floating sections – beyond the grounding line.
Just as a boat that's run aground can float again if its cargo is unloaded, a glacier can float over an area where it used to be grounded if it becomes lighter, which it does by melting or by stretching out and thinning. The Antarctic glaciers studied by Rignot's group have shrunk so much that they're now floating above places where they used to sit solidly on land, which means the grounding lines are retreating inland.
They're "buried under a thousand or more meters of ice, so it's incredibly challenging for a human observer on the ice sheet surface to figure out exactly where the transition is," Rignot said. "This analysis is best done via satellite techniques."
The team used radar observations from the European Remote Sensing satellites (ERS-1 and ERS-2) between 1992 and 2011 to map the grounding lines' inland creep. The satellites employ a method called radar interferometry that enables scientists to measure very precisely – within a quarter of an inch – how Earth's surface is moving. Glaciers shift horizontally as they flow downstream, but their floating portions also rise and fall with changes in the tides. Rignot and his group mapped how far inland these vertical motions extend to locate the grounding lines.
The accelerating flow speeds and retreating grounding lines reinforce each other in a recurring loop. As glaciers move faster, they stretch out and thin, which decreases their weight and lifts them farther off the bedrock. As the grounding line retreats and more of the glacier becomes waterborne, there's less resistance underneath, so the flow accelerates, and so on – with each action intensifying the next.
Slowing or stopping these changes requires "pinning points" – bumps or hills rising from the glacier bed that snag the ice from below. To locate them, researchers produced a more accurate map of bed elevation that combines ice velocity data from ERS-1 and ERS-2 and ice thickness data from NASA's Operation IceBridge mission and other airborne campaigns. The results confirmed that just one pinning point remains upstream of the current grounding lines. Only Haynes Glacier has major bedrock obstructions upstream, but it drains a small sector and is retreating as rapidly as the other glaciers.
Bed topography is another key to the fate of the ice in this basin. All the glacier beds slope deeper below sea level as they extend inland. As they retreat, they cannot escape the ocean's reach, and the relatively warm water melts them even more rapidly.
The accelerating flow rates, lack of pinning points and sloping bedrock all point to one conclusion, Rignot said:
"The collapse of this sector of West Antarctica appears to be unstoppable. The fact that the retreat is happening simultaneously over a large sector suggests it was triggered by a common cause, such as an increase in the amount of ocean heat beneath the floating parts of the glaciers. At this point, the end appears to be inevitable."
Explore further: New study shows major increase in West Antarctic glacial lossMedical marijuana may soon be legal in Australia, as soon as next month. A group of senators are pushing for parliament to adopt legislation, the Regulator of Medicinal Cannabis Bill, that would create a federal agency tasked with regulating medical marijuana.
This legislative effort has been endorsed by lawmakers of diverse political backgrounds. The Senate committee working on the bill features lawmakers from all major parties, including “the Coalition (the Liberal Party, the National Party, the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, and Queensland Liberal branch the Liberal National Party), the Labor Party and crossbench senators.” On August 10, these senators will present a report in which they articulate their strong recommendation for the bill’s passage.
While some members of the committee have recognized that the bill is not perfect, the cross-party leadership exercised by the committee is a sign of hope for Australians, whose federal government currently enforces a blanket prohibition on marijuana, including for medical purposes. According to RT, recent polls show that “over two-thirds of Australians support the idea of medical marijuana use and only 9 percent oppose it.” By pushing for federal medical marijuana legislation, the senators |
-obsessed don’t need a reason to watch the final minutes of a preseason game, but here’s one anyway for those tuning into the 49ers’ exhibition opener Thursday: Lawrence Okoye.
Yes, the football-novice defensive tackle is expected to receive a few late-game snaps against the Broncos and his debut could be appointment television.
Will the carved-from-granite former Olympic discus thrower toss a left guard into the loge level? Or, less than a month removed from figuring out how to put on a football uniform, will he get driven back into Burlingame?
Based on the pre-game chatter, the latter scenario appears more likely.
“He’s not a good football player,” Jim Harbaugh said. “And his next growth seems to be not a bad player … I want him to be a bad football player because that’s really the next jump up for Lawrence Okoye.
Offended? Please. Okoye agrees.
“My goal with my coach, the first step was to get to a position where I could be looked upon as just like a really bad football player,” Okoye said. “A really bad guy. Just a bad football player. And I think we’re getting to that stage.”
At 6-foot-6 and 304 pounds, Okoye doesn’t lack for size or strength, but his football skills are understandably unrefined. His lack of experience becomes particularly glaring when he matches up against Pro Bowl offensive linemen Mike Iupati and Joe Staley in practice. Still, defensive line coach Jim Tomsula spends plenty of time mentoring Okoye, which is a sign the highly respected assistant sees some promise.
If Okoye, 21, shows enough progress this summer, the 49ers will stash his potential on the practice squad. He’s not ready to compete for a roster spot, but is he ready to function in an organized football game?
“I don’t know,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said.
Stay tuned … deep into the fourth quarter.
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How are things going for you out here?
Lawrence Okoye: My goal with my coach, the first step was to get to a position where I could be looked upon as just like a really bad football player. A really bad guy. Just a bad football player. And I think we’re getting to that stage. I think I can say I’m a bad football player now. So that’s a good step for me. I think to be a considered as a football player is what I want to be, initially. And then we can build from there. So I’m pretty happy with where I am at the moment. But like I said, there’s a long, long way to go before I can consider myself a decent or a good football player. We’re at first base now.
You were an accomplished rugby player and discus thrower. Is this humbling?
LO: It is. I should be knocking guys out every day, but some guys have been knocking me out a lot of the time. I’m struggling to get leverage, I’m struggling to push guys back. If I look at myself in the mirror, I should be knocking these guys out, but there’s so much skill involved in this game, which people don’t appreciate. And I’m learning that every day. I’m enjoying the ride.
Going against like Mike Iupati and Joe Staley every day is tough. But I’m enjoying it. Sometimes I leave and my ears are ringing, but it’s a good feeling. Going against these guys couldn’t be better. I’m getting better every day. I’m enjoying being a really bad football player at the moment. As things go on, who knows where I’m going to end up. But I’m enjoying it.
Does matching up against Iupati give you confidence you’ll be OK in a real game?
LO: I feel going against Iupati is making me a better player. I have no idea how I’m going to fare on Thursday. But I couldn’t be better prepared going forward in my career going against these players. Having Jim Tomsula in my ear. Having guys like Justin Smith and Ray McDonald there every day. It doesn’t get better than that. Joe Staley, having him come and say to me after practice ‘You’re getting better.’ That means the world to me. And it’s just helping me stay motivated every day to get better.
Where you a bad discus thrower when you first started?
LO: Oh, I was terrible. Oh, I was so bad. I wouldn’t even call myself a discus thrower. I was a … I don’t know. I was really bad. I understand the process of learning skills. When you start off, you’re going to resort to brute force and then you realize that you have to use certain techniques and certain skills to do your thing better. I’m hoping that this time next year, in the future, I can say to myself that I’m a decent football player.
Do you expect to play Thursday?
LO: Jim said I’d probably get some reps out there. It’s going to be interesting in front of the Candlestick crowd. My first-ever football game. It’s going to great, but I have no idea what to expect. When I had my first padded practice here, I thought I was ready, but I really wasn’t. It was crazy to see the difference. It’s going to be another step up.
It doesn’t look like you’re getting discouraged out here. Are you?
LO: I wouldn’t say I’m getting discouraged, no. I’d say I’m learning, learning all the time. I’m making 50,000 mistakes a day, but I’m learning from those mistakes. If I can continue to do that, I’ll end up in a good place. Like I say, I couldn’t be in a better place to learn from those mistakes.
Do have any nicknames?
LO: When I was training for the combine, the guys I was training with called me ‘Great Brit.’ That was quite funny. Or ‘Brit.’
Do you have nicknames here?
LO: No. They just mimic my accent and call me Lawrence.
Tomsula spends a lot of time coaching you. Obviously, he must see some potential …
LO: It’s so much motivation for me. Just to show him just how right he is to believe in me. That’s one of the biggest motivations I have. Just everyone in the organization has been so good. Just come up to me, given me advice, given me encouragement. I want to do it for them as well for myself. I get new motivation every day. A different person comes up to me.
Today, Michael Crabtree came up to me and said ‘I’m really excited to see how you do on Thursday.’ I haven’t trained with him yet. He’s been injured all this time, but even he’s taken an interest. It’s so inspiring for me. I have every motivation to do well. And I’m looking forward to proving everyone right.APCO Extremely Disappointed, Remains Committed to Seeing Public Safety Telecommunicators Properly Classified as a ‘Protective’ Occupation
Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee’s (SOCPC) recommendations for revising the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), under which Public Safety Telecommunicators would continue to be inappropriately designated as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations.” These preliminary recommendations go against comments from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO), the public, and the Congressional Next Gen 9-1-1 Caucus Co-Chairs advocating that Public Safety Telecommunicators be categorized as a “Protective Service Occupation.” APCO – the world’s largest association of public safety communications professionals – strongly disagrees with this designation and will urge correction from OMB.
The SOC is one of several classification systems established by OMB to ensure coordination of federal statistical activities. In its current version, 9-1-1 professionals are identified as “Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers” and classified as “Office and Administrative Support Occupations.” In 2014, OMB initiated a revision for the 2018 SOC. The SOCPC was established, consisting of representatives from nine federal agencies, to review public comments and make recommendations to OMB. Comments from APCO, members of the public, and the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Next Gen 9-1-1 Caucus Co-Chairs advocated for identifying 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers as “Public Safety Telecommunicators” and categorizing them as a “Protective Service Occupation,” the same category as police officers, firefighters, lifeguards, and a variety of other occupations. OMB is seeking public comment on the SOCPC’s contrary recommendations before adopting a final structure for the revised SOC. Comments are due September 20.
Public Safety Telecommunicators perform many critical functions during emergency response, including coaching 9-1-1 callers through life-saving first aid, evaluating reports of suspicious activity, and coordinating communications for high-stakes events such as active shooter incidents. Categorizing professional telecommunicators as “Administrative Support” belies the stress, skill, and life-or-death nature of the job. Further, the term “Public Safety Telecommunicator” more effectively captures the jobs that fall under this designation than the SOC’s current label, “Dispatcher.”
“I am extremely disappointed that the Policy Committee failed to address the inaccurate classification of Public Safety Telecommunicators in the SOC,” APCO President Brent Lee said. “Maintaining the status quo for the SOC – leaving public safety communications professionals out of the Protective category – is unacceptable. APCO will use every available resource to ensure that this is rectified and Public Safety Telecommunicators receive the recognition they deserve.”
Stay tuned for guidance on how to voice your support, including instructions and suggested language for interested parties to submit comments to OMB. APCO will provide further information during a webinar Thursday, July 28, 1:00 EST. Register.Pittsburgh’s Rodu Training Is World’s First Ultimate-Exclusive Gym
Rodu Training in Pittsburgh is the first-ever ultimate-exclusive gym.
At a glance, Rodu Training looks like any other functional fitness gym en vogue across the country.
There are plates, pull-up cages, sleds, 3,000 square feet of turf – all the equipment and esthetics that have become synonymous with modern fitness. It isn’t until you reach the center of the space that owner and trainer Rob Dulabon tips his hand.
There, in plain sight, are four 175 gram Discraft Ultrastars.
“Rodu is an Ultimate specific training facility geared toward Ultimate athletes getting ready for their seasons,” says Rob Dulabon about his new endeavor.
“Whether it’s rec league, youth players, elite club players, professional players, women, men…It’s open to everyone in the Ultimate community in Pittsburgh, but only the Ultimate community in Pittsburgh.”
With Ultimate as the out front focus of Rodu, are the days of being the outlier person that other gym goers thinks plays Frisbee Football coming to an end?
Ultimate specific fitness is not a new idea. Leaders and advocates in the game like Tim Morrill, Ren Caldwell, and Melissa Witmer have been servicing the community through online programming and clinics for years. But an 11,000 square foot structure designed to serve the Ultimate community… that is a little outside the scope of what players and coaches have become accustomed to.
Dulabon’s athletic resume offers accomplishments in high level Ultimate as well as fitness; four trips to college nationals with Pitt, a strength and conditioning specialist certification, a gold medal with Team USA at Beach Worlds in 2011, a certification in functional movement screening, three year of club with Washington DC’s Truck Stop, and most recently Temper.
“I’ve always been interested in fitness and training in different ways,” Dulabon said. “I feel like I’ve filtered a lot of stuff along the way through my own personal training to make this as sport-specific and applicable to the game as I can.”
Dulabon talked to Ultiworld in depth about his approach to programming, like using a work:rest ratio that emulated the cut-and-clear nature of Ultimate, the necessary adjustments to training that need to be made during different parts of the season, and stressed the quality of an exercises reps over sheer volume.
There are many movements Ultimate shares with other sports but it’s the combination of those that makes the game – and the preparation – unique.
Stephen Hubbard, the strength and conditioning coach for the AUDL’s San Francisco Flamethrowers, described the approach to training for Ultimate.
“Ultimate is a field sport. It’s a throwing sport. It’s a jumping sport. It’s a laying out sport – so you need to be good at those things,” explained Hubbard, who trains members of the Flamethrowers at CrossFit Power Grid in the Bay Area. “If your training doesn’t help you be good at those things, it’s not good training.”
The road to Rodu Training has some pretty modest beginnings. A few years ago Dulabon began training a few local Junior Worlds applicants in a friend’s garage. He eventually moved the group to a CrossFit space, and a little while later into the massive expanse it is now.
Dulabon’s experiences with youth strength coaching are going to come in handy. Success with younger players will be paramount is Rodu is to be a success. With the rapid growth of Ultimate at the youth levels kids are growing up with the game, not stumbling upon it at the club sports fair during freshman orientation.
“I have been noticing the tides changing in that regard, especially around Pittsburgh,” Dulabon said about Southwestern Pennsylvania’s growing youth scene.
“I broke my thumb practicing with The [DC] Current a couple years ago, went to the doctor and her son played in the middle school league. Earlier that day I went to Walgreens to pick up a brace for the thumb and the guy who helped me had a son who played in the high school league.”
Five years ago those interactions don’t happen.
As a market, Pittsburgh should be a good measuring stick of whether or not Rodu will become a blueprint for similar gyms in other Ultimate hubs.
The Community for Pittsburgh Ultimate has roughly 1,700 members. In 2014 there were two open club teams, three mixed teams, and a women’s team. The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon are both within the city limits. With a middle school league, nearly year round high school leagues, and Camp Spirit of the Game, kids can start playing Ultimate as early as age 7. Rodu is also a partner and the official strength and conditioning facility of the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, the city’s first year AUDL team. It would appear that the client base is there.
If Pittsburgh is unable to support Rodu it’s hard to imagine a facility like this existing elsewhere.
With seasonal leagues, the pro game, and club tryouts getting more competitive all the time, the off season window for Ultimate players is shrinking. Year round Ultimate requires year round training.
“To have a dedicated program that goes through preseason, in season, off season, peaking at the right times, tapering properly…” Dulabon reflected. “I’m excited to try to provide that for as many people as I can.”
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The game is growing in many different ways. This is yet another well-deserved, logical step in the progression of any sport that considers itself… well… a sport.
Stephen Hubbard made an on point observation on a strange phenomenon when I asked him about his reaction as a player and fitness trainer to discovering that an Ultimate-centric gym even existed.
“I think everyone in the Ultimate world is always surprised when there’s some advancement,” he said. “Like, Wow! Ultimate, really? We’re on TV now? Or Ultimate? We have gloves for this sport now? That’s crazy! We have college scholarships. Any time we move forward towards larger amounts of people, larger amounts of influence, it’s always surprising. We always think of ourselves as countercultural or not the way everyone else is. Like that, I was surprised and delighted.”
Why are Ultimate players always surprised when progress is made? We should have nice things like specialized training centers. Believe in the product. Ultimate is sweet.
“I’m done being surprised,” added Hubbard. “This sport is awesome enough that I’m not going to be surprised when we’re in the 2024 Olympics.”Agents posing online as young girls and women helped lead investigators in Tennessee to the arrests of nearly three dozen people, including two ministers, this month, part of an intensified yearlong effort to combat prostitution and human trafficking in minors.
The two ministers had responded to ads on backpage.com, a website often used to solicit sex partners, placed by what they believed to be a 15-year-old girl, and were charged with felony human trafficking and prostitution, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement issued last Friday.
In addition, 25 men were arrested on charges of promoting prostitution, a felony, or patronizing a prostitute, which is a misdemeanor. Five women were cited for prostitution, the statement said.
This sting, called “Operation Someone Like Me,” was the fifth effort of its kind since Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation into law in May 2015 giving jurisdiction over trafficking cases to Tennessee’s bureau of investigation. The 32 arrested this month represent the largest group yet, an assistant special agent in charge, Margie Quin, said on Thursday.Time triallists are, by their nature, methodical beings, and Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) saw no reason to break from his pre-established career plan even when his progression from rouleur to Grand Tour contender was suddenly fast-forwarded at last year’s Vuelta a España. Related Articles Dumoulin reflects on brutal defeat in Vuelta a Espana
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After leading the race into the final weekend before eventually placing sixth overall in Madrid, conventional thinking would now see Dumoulin designated to spend the coming seasons looking to replicate the feat by targeting high overall finishes in the Grand Tours.
With the Rio 2016 Olympics time trial at the back of his mind since the hilly parcours was first announced – and, seemingly, with an affinity for the De Coubertin ideal dating back to childhood – Dumoulin has opted to take the path less followed and rein in his aspirations over three weeks for at least one more year.
“I will be definitely Tom the Chrono Man in 2016 and not Tom the GC Man,” Dumoulin told reporters light-heartedly on the eve of the Tour of Oman, his first race of the new season.
“We will postpone that for one more year. It came so suddenly the Vuelta. It was a nice experience, it was very special. But I’m afraid to go with the flow and be the big GC man who always goes for GC. That was never the plan. When I started with this team we had a plan to make little steps and to be at the top level after six or seven years, and then compete at that top level.
“Why should we give it all away and go full on for GC now? I started thinking that it is not what I really want, so what I really want is to get this opportunity in an Olympics. Riding for GC is for later, for 2017.”
Dumoulin will make his Giro d’Italia debut this year and all eyes will be on the Dutchman during the opening time trial in Apeldoorn and perhaps even beyond. The punchy opening week, culminating with the time trial in Chianti country on stage 9 ought to suit his style of racing, but like the Vuelta, he insists that he will approach the corsa rosa without any long-term ambitions.
“If I’m still there in GC after stage 9 and the time trial, then obviously I won’t give it away but we’ll have to see what the shape will be,” said Dumoulin, though the fact that he will eschew an altitude training camp ahead of the Giro seems a firm indication that talk of Rio is not merely a decoy.
“We decided not to go to altitude before the Giro, which is a choice we made to focus this season on time trials rather than GC in Grand Tour,” said Dumoulin, who trained at Sierra Nevada before his crash-shortened Tour de France last year, and at Livigno ahead of the Vuelta.
“I’ll probably be going to altitude before Rio,” he said when asked why he wouldn’t be doing so before the Giro. “It would be very difficult, because I don’t want to be away from home the whole year and mentally my focus is on Rio. If I put too much focus on the Giro and make myself really tired there, it will affect me for the Olympics and that is not what I want.”
The articulate Dumoulin, so unflustered by the increased media attention that followed his Vuelta exploits, certainly gives the impression of being a rider with a very clear ideas. After mulling over the Rio or Grand Tours dilemma through the off-season, his solution was a considered blend of the rational and the emotional.
“Maybe some people think it’s stupid not to go for the GC in the Giro or whatever, but for me personally the Olympics were the biggest thing in my childhood, the highest thing you could achieve in sports,” he said. “So now I have that chance, to maybe get that medal, so I want to put everything else aside this year.”
Dumoulin lines up at the Tour of Oman this week with just five Giant-Alpecin teammates, a consequence of the team’s crash at its Calpe training camp last month, and without any particular aspirations for what is his first outing of the new campaign.
“It’s a good race for me normally, and I really hope to be competitive, but without stress," he said, adding: "It’s different to Paris-Nice. I can tell you now I’ll go for GC there, and with a little pressure too, but that is not the plan for here.”That’s that then: it was a $415m mistake. We have heard from several sources that Cisco has laid off virtually the entire Invicta all-flash array engineering and development team. If true, Cisco – still led by John Chambers – has admitted the 2013 Whiptail acquisition was a complete cock-up.
Timing-wise, this has happened at the same time as Cisco is exiting the set-top box business. It looks like this is another deck-clearing exercise by Chambers before handing over the CEO reins to Chuck Robbins on July 26, unless Robbins is himself wielding the axe.
Whiptail’s CEO and co-founder, James Candelaria, became director of engineering at Cisco in October 2013. He quietly slipped out of Cisco’s back door in March this year and now runs Candelaria Consulting. That month Cisco said it was pushing Invicta products again after a withdrawal from sale due to quality problems.
In April, the Cisco VP and general manager of its UCS computing systems, Paul Perez, who was associated with buying Whiptail, moved to Dell to become enterprise chief technology officer.
Cisco had at that point withdrawn from VCE, giving control of that converged system builder to EMC. During the whole sorry Whiptail saga, Cisco tried to position the array as in integrated UCS server accelerator, trying to avoid it competing with VCE partner EMC’s products, while hooking it up to the servers by Fibre Channel, just like any other networked all-flash or disk array.
This was ludicrous marketing: it was trying to say its Fibre Channel-linked all-flash array did not compete with other Fibre Channel-linked all-flash arrays, such as EMC’s XtremIO, because it was “integrated” in some fairy tale way with UCS servers.
The Whiptail array used little or no independent IP in hardware terms and its development didn’t keep its technology up with industry standards. Now it has been abandoned as a product by Cisco, which is out of the storage hardware game, relying instead on partnership deals with other suppliers. Will it get back in? There have been rumours about it buying Nutanix.
A Cisco spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied that the Invicta team had been laid off: “We have no updates to provide on this or any other areas of our business. In the event of an update to our markets, product portfolio or workforce, we would be committed to communicating with our employees and affected customers first and foremost."
“Digital disruption is happening fast, and companies need to change quickly. Cisco is no exception. As we prepare for the future, we are taking a balanced approach — focussing on building our culture and people, while responding to market and business needs in localised areas. This means regular, ongoing adjustments to our strategy in specific parts of the business. By building a best-in-class culture with a sensible approach to financial management and resourcing, Cisco can best help our customers solve their biggest business problems.”
Invicta all-flash products are for the moment still listed on Cisco’s website. ®HELSINKI — A landmark poll in Sweden reveals a massive shift in public opinion that favors the non-aligned Nordic state joining NATO. Conducted by research organization TNS Sifo (part of the WPP Group), the poll shows 41 percent support for Sweden becoming a full NATO member, 39 percent remain opposed and 20 percent are undecided.
"What is most surprising is the rapid change in opinion. Since the annexation of Crimea and crisis in Ukraine, we have seen a steady trend where opposition to NATO membership is in decline," said political analyst Ulf Bjereld.
The new figures represent a sharp 10 percent increase in pro-NATO support compared with a similar poll carried out in May. Swedish public support for joining NATO hovered at a lowly 17 percent in 2012. By year-end 2013 it was 29 percent.
The poll comes in the wake of an historic reversal in policy by the former NATO-skeptic opposition Center party.
Once staunchly anti-NATO membership, the Center is now advocating that Sweden join the Western alliance as part of a joint initiative with fellow non-aligned Nordic state Finland.
This simultaneous action, the Center contends, would help secure the long-term defense capabilities and national security interests of both nations in an increasingly unpredictable and potentially volatile region.
Three other opposition groups, the Liberals, Moderates and Christian Democrats, who together with the Center belong to the so-called alliance parties, also favor NATO membership.
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This powerful political bloc is expected to pressure the ruling Social Democratic-Green government to test the nation's mood on NATO by convening a referendum.
"We are seeing a clear trend, and in particular alliance voters are moving toward a pro NATO membership position," said Toivo Sjörén, a public opinion analyst at TNS Sifo.
In contrast to rising pro-NATO support by alliance voters, supporters of the ruling Social Democrats and Green parties remain largely opposed to membership.
Around 52 percent of Social Democrat voters are against joining NATO while 30 percent support membership. Some 61 percent of Green voters oppose NATO membership while 27 percent favor joining.
In an interesting twist, the poll shows that while the leadership of the nationalist Sweden Democrats are opposed to NATO membership, 54 percent of the opposition party's supporters favor joining.
The poll results emerged several days after a delayed action by Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallström to call in Russia's ambassador to Sweden, Viktor Tatarintsev, to explain controversial comments he made in July.
Tatarintsev warned that Russia's friendly relationship with Sweden would change markedly if the non-aligned state were to join NATO. Sweden, said Tatarintsev, would be subjected to "countermeasures" and would also run the risk of being targeted militarily.The first outrageous statement in last night’s Republican debate also ends up being the one that’s likely to stay around the longest. In a discussion of the minimum wage, Marco Rubio pivoted to discussing the importance of vocational training, arguing that a better trained workforce could earn more without requiring market intervention.
"Welders make more money than philosophers," Rubio said, not for the first time. "We need more welders and less philosophers."
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So far, much of the chatter, on both sides of the political spectrum, has been about whether he’s literally correct or not. Rubio’s supporters – including the Fox News crowd – jeered a bit over his comment; some pointed out that welding employs far more Americans than philosophy. And it does: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 850,000 people employed in welding and similar fields, which compares to a mere 23,000 postsecondary teachers of philosophy and religion, the most typical full-time philosopher gig.
But Rubio’s line was about welders earning more, and here he seems to be wrong. The annual mean wage for welders – again, this is from the BLS -- is between $36,450 and $40,040, while for college philosophy and religion teachers, it’s $71,350.
There are two other ways to look at this that may be more substantial than just comparing salaries. The first comes from the GOP’s anti-intellectualism and war on the liberal arts. It wasn’t that long ago that conservatives fought for the literary canon, for student exposure to Western civilization, and the like: A certain kind of Republican saw himself as defending the humanities against the identity-politics-driven radicals.
But that kind of Republican – the blue-blood WASPs as well as conservative Jewish intellectuals like Allan “Closing of the American Mind” Bloom -- are not really driving the political right any more.
In the Tea Party age, a more typical conservative is someone like Pat McCrory, governor of North Carolina, who went a bit farther than Rubio along the same anti-intellectual lines. McCrory complained to old Reagan hand and high-stakes gambler William Bennett about college curriculums being out of sync with where jobs are. “So I’m going to adjust my education curriculum to what business and commerce needs to get our kids jobs as opposed to moving back in with their parents after they graduate with debt," the governor said. "What are we teaching these courses for if they're not going to help get a job?"
He went on to say, “If you want to take gender studies that's fine. Go to a private school, and take it. But I don't want to subsidize that if that's not going to get someone a job."
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Though Rubio has become more assertive these days, he’s still working hard to be the friendly face of the Republican field, and he rarely follows his ideas through when he speaks about them. The large number of candidates in the debates means he can just toss out a phrase including the term “21st century” in it and draw applause. But he’s coming from the same place as McCrory on these matters. Education is not there to deepen your critical thinking, expose you to the great works of the past, or enlarge the soul, but simply to get you a job.
Of course, expanding vocational training and taking it seriously does not have to be opposed to studying philosophy. It doesn’t have to be anti-intellectual to pursue a trade.
The non-reactionary case for vocational training was made eloquently by Matthew Crawford, who trained as a political philosopher at the University of Chicago, joined a right-of-center think tank, and resigned to devote more of his time to repairing motorcycles. His book “Shop Class as Soulcraft” begins by describing the huge number of “metal lathes, milling machines, and table saws” floating around now that vo-tech education has been dismantled for the sake of the “knowledge worker.”
“The disappearance of tools from our common education is the first step toward a wider ignorance of the world of artifacts we inhabit,” Crawford writes. “Many people are trying to recover a field of vision that is basically human in scale, and extricate themselves from dependence on the obscure forces of a global economy.”
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The book’s argument – which is by turns individualistic, a bit macho, and a critique of capitalism – is hard to sum up. Let’s just say that, contra Rubio and his like, it’s possible to imagine an America that values both the welder and the philosopher, and doesn’t pit the two against each other. Somehow, this notion seems unlikely to come up at the next GOP debate. But that's a 21st century I could get behind.Libertarians had a golden opportunity in the 2016 election to give Americans a viable third-party option in light of the widespread unpopularity of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. All they had to do was nominate an actual libertarian ticket, but the Gary Johnson-Bill Weld ticket fails to meet that standard. Here are seven reasons the libertarian ticket isn't very libertarian.
1. Weld thinks that a rifle can become "a weapon of mass destruction." Weld said during an interview with Revolt: "The five shot rifle, that’s a standard military rifle; the problem is if you attach a clip to it so it can fire more shells and if you remove the pin so that it becomes an automatic weapon, and those are independent criminal offenses. That is when they become, essentially a weapon of mass destruction."
He also said that "the problem with handguns probably is even worse than the problem of the AR-15" and called for banning those on the terror watch list from owning guns.
As The Daily Wire has explained here and here, it's a lot more difficult to convert a semiautomatic rifle into an automatic rifle than people realize, and banning people on the terror watch list would deprive people of due process.
2. Johnson openly scorns religious liberty and freedom of association. Johnson believes it's OK to penalize a New Mexico photographer for refusing to participate in a gay wedding and made the nonsensical analogy of shooting someone because of "freedom of religion."
3. The debt increased massively during Johnson's tenure as governor of New Mexico. It increased from $1.8 billion to $4.6 billion when he left office, which National Review's James Spiller notes is "a rate of increase unmatched by the 22 governors in either party who have filed for presidential primaries in the past two decades, with the exception of Governor Tom Vilsack (D., Iowa) in 2007."
And yet, Johnson claims that he balanced the budget every year as governor. Spiller explains how this statement is highly misleading:
Johnson also claims to have balanced the budget every year, but what he means by this is that he complied with the New Mexico constitution, which as a practical matter prohibits operational spending deficits. New Mexico’s debt is required to be off the books, or at least off those books, in a separate “capital outlay” budget. This means that of course his operating budgets were balanced; New Mexico makes the alternative impossible. The capital outlays are considered “balanced” if it is believed that they can likely be paid for in the future, and rosy assumptions are permitted. It’s as if you or I claimed to be debt-free because our current account, which does not allow for overdrafts, had no overdrafts, despite our taking out ever more maxed-out credit cards and making minimum payments on each. In the sense that Johnson says he balanced the budgets, every president and Congress in history has passed balanced federal budgets 100 percent of the time.
Some of the spending initiatives Johnson engaged in as governor included dues for the United Nations (and Weld supports U.N. membership), a movie subsidy, and using government dollars for science prizes.
4. Weld supports eminent domain. Conservative Review's Rob Eno highlights a New York Sun article which paraphrased Weld as saying "the benefit to the public created by such private projects would justify the use of eminent domain" in voicing support for the "Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn." Eminent domain is not even remotely libertarian and is a detriment to freedom, as The Daily Wire explains here.
5. Weld backstabbed the Libertarian Party in New York when the going got tough. As Reason magazine explains, "Weld was going to be the great Libertarian hope in the 2006 gubernatorial race but then backed out of the party's nomination when he did not also concurrently win the Republican Party nomination. People in the New York delegation here remember this incident like it was yesterday, and have vowed revenge."
6. Johnson wants to fund the baby-dismembering Planned Parenthood. "I am opposed to cutting the funding or eliminating funding to Planned Parenthood," Johnson said in an appearance on PoliticKing with Larry King.
Not all libertarians are pro-life, and Johnson certainly isn't, but government funding to private organizations like Planned Parenthood are completely out-of-line with libertarian philosophy.
7. Weld seems to throw-in with the left-wing environmentalist movement. Eno points out that Weld supported higher smog standards from the Environmental Protection Agency and lobbied for an EPA rule that required two percent of Massachusetts automobiles available for purchase to be electric cars.A tentative agreement has been reached to end the nearly month-long strike at the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont.
Unifor announced that it reached a tentative deal with General Motors at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday. In a statement posted on the Local 88 website, the union said details of the agreement will not be released until a ratification vote is held.
The vote is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. at the Western Fair grounds in London.
If the tentative agreement is approved, the union says the employees will start going back to work Monday at 11 p.m.
Mike Van Boekel, the union's plant chair at CAMI, spoke to CBC News on Friday.
"We have addressed job security which will be in this deal. I think it's a fair agreement... and everybody is looking forward to going back to work and making vehicles their customers want, knowing there will be some sort of job security there."
General Motors said in a written statement to CBC that a deal has been reached but was subject to ratification.
The union representing the striking workers has been pressing for GM to designate the CAMI as the leading producer of the top-selling Chevrolet Equinox. There's no word on whether that demand was met.
Van Boekel said negotiations with the auto giant in the last few days have been "extremely frustrating". "You never get everything you want.... but you do the best that you can to (reach) a deal members (will be) happy with."
The 2,800 production workers at CAMI have been on strike since September 17.PANGUITCH — A Panguitch woman who was suicidal when she allegedly ran at a Garfield County sheriff's deputy more than once with |
the internal architecture of Kyua, and 3) explain how Kyua integrates into NetBSD to provide a test suite for the whole OS that is available out of the box. I will emphasize how this makes the development of NetBSD itself more agile, how it has helped the project catch regressions early on, and how it allows system administrators to validate the behavior of a production machine.
About the Speaker: In his daily job, Julio Merino takes care of the lower layers of the storage stack at Google in his Site Reliability Engineer position in the New York office since 2009.
Regarding NetBSD, Julio has been an official developer of the project since 2002. In this time, his duties in the project have fluctuated from being the maintainer of the Spanish translation of the web site, then being the owner of the Gnome 2.x packages for several years, then developing the tmpfs file system and the testing framework in the base system, and later by serving the Board of Directors from 2011 to 2013.
Finally, regarding his studies, he got his masters in Computer Architecture, Networks and Systems in 2007, and his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2006.
ESO Extremely Large Telescope: Real Time Control for Adaptive Optics with FreeBSD by Poul-Henning Kamp
Abstract: Force Inc. and Poul-Henning Kamp have delivered a prototype compute cluster for ESO’s ELT telescopes adaptive optics. This talk shows how a vanilla FreeBSD kernel was turned into a high performance deterministic real-time computer, delivering 250GFLOPS with 20 microseconds jitter.
About the Speaker: Poul-Henning Kamp has been committing to the FreeBSD project for most of its duration. He is responsible for the widely used MD5 password hash algorithm, a vast quantity of systems code, including the FreeBSD GEOM storage layer, GBDE cryptographic storage transform, part of the UFS2 file system implementation, FreeBSD Jails, malloc library and the NTP timecounters code. He is the lead architect and developer for the open source Varnish cache project, a HTTP accelerator.
Zero-Copy Socket Splicing in the OpenBSD Kernel by Alexander Bluhm
Abstract: In OpenBSD relayd can be used to terminate and forward TCP connections, while checking the content of the stream. To increase performance, the new functionality socket splicing has been added to the OpenBSD kernel.
Socket splicing allows to move the data portion of TCP streams or UDP packets from one socket to another. Unlike IP forwarding, the whole mechanism is controlled by the process that owns the file descriptors of the sockets.
The talk will introduce how mbufs and socket buffers work. Based on that, the implementation and API of socket splicing gets explained. Finally it is demonstrated how relayd uses the API.
About the Speaker: Alexander finished his studies of mathematics at the University of Leipzig in 2001. Since then he works for genua, a German company that builds firewalls based on OpenBSD. In the year 2007 he got his OpenBSD developer account. His major projects were the IPv6 fragment reassembly code in pf and socket splicing for zero-copy data transfer.
Netmap: The Fast Network Packet I/O Framework by Luigi Rizzo
Abstract: In this talk we will give an overview of how the netmap framework has evolved in the past two years, and the lessons learned from it.
netmap was designed in 2011 as a simple OS-bypass solution for fast network I/O. It brought impressive performance improvements to basic packet processing applications. Since then, we have explored extensions to the framework, trying to apply its performance enhancement techniques to virtual switching and virtualization, and making it useful for more general applications within the OS.
We have used the netmap API to create an in-kernel software switch, called VALE, which can connect virtual machines at tens of millions of packets per second. VALE has been then extended to attach to physical interfaces and to the host stack, providing a functional replacement for FreeBSD and Linux native bridges, with much higher performance. More recently, the VALE switch has been integrated with OpenvSwitch, adding a flexible control plane to its high performance data plane.
Using VALE as an interconnect between virtual machines helped us get a better understanding of the dynamics of device emulation at very high speeds. In the process, we managed to improve QEMU and adapt device drivers to a VM environment, reaching a throughput of millions of packets per second even with conventional NIC emulation. Matching bare-metal speeds, we have made virtual machines a useful environment for performance testing of the OS.
We are now working at using the netmap API in more places within the OS network stack, and at the same time extending the API itself to support features such as split buffers, widely used in the stack.
About the Speaker: Luigi Rizzo is an Associate Professor of Computer Engineering at the Universita` di Pisa, Italy.
His research focuses on computer networks and operating systems. In particular, he has done some highly cited work on multicast congestion control, FEC-based reliable multicast, network emulation, and more recently on packet scheduling, fast network I/O, virtualization. Much of his work has been implemented and deployed in popular operating systems and applications, and widely used by the research community. His contributions include the popular dummynet network emulator (a standard component of FreeBSD and OSX, and now also available for linux and windows); one of the first publicly available erasure code for reliable multicast; the qfq packet scheduler; and the netmap framework for fast packet I/O.
Luigi has been a visitor at several industrial and research institutions, including ICSI (UC Berkeley), Intel Research Cambridge (UK), Intel Research Berkeley, and recently Google Mountain View. Luigi has been General Chair for SIGCOMM 2006, TPC Co-Chair for SIGCOMM 2009, and TPC member/reviewer for many networking conferences and journals.
Traffic Deep Inspection: Realtime Traffic Analysis at 20Gbit/s using Netmap on FreeBSD by Fabrizio Invernizzi
Abstract: A number of DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) commercial solutions exists with main area of application laying in legal interception, ISP traffic profiling, statistic data collection, security and more. Even if often based on open platforms like Linux and BSD family operating systems, commercial solutions lack the flexibility needed to implement custom and very specific traffic analysis use cases that can be required in order to profile specific services or traffic anomaly, as, for example, traffic caching potential (video, file sharing, P2P), user QoE indexes, content popularity, and more.
In order to cover these specific needs, Telecom Italia LAB, in the context of the Mplane EU founded project (www.ict-mplane.eu), is working on a FreeBSD based DPI solution named DATI (Deep Application Traffic Inspection) that, leveraging on open source technologies like NETMAP and REDIS, offers the flexibility of building specific and complex traffic analysis associated with the scalability of real-time traffic capacity in the order of 20 Gbs.
This presentation will introduce the current state of the implemented architecture and will share with the BSD community learned lessons and open issues of a BSD based DPI solution.
About the Speaker: Fabrizio Invernizzi received the Dr. Ing. degree in Telematics Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, in 1999, contributing with his degree work to the first Italian IPv6 experimental service provider (NGNET, Telecom Italia). He joined Telecom Italia R&D in 2001 where he contributed to research projects in the area of IPv6 deployment and co-authored some “on-field” IPv6 projects like the introduction of IPv6 in Telecom Italia Sparkle network. He worked on the NATO project INSC (Interoperable Network for Secure Communications) supporting the Italian Department of Defence in the definition of the architecture of a new secure multinational military network. Currently his work is mainly focused on innovative solutions for passive traffic analysis.
The Surprising Complexity of TCP/IP Checksums by Henning Brauer
Abstract: TCP and IP have well known and well understood checksum mechanisms. The actual checksum math is easy and, from a performance standpoint, so cheap that it can be considered free. In the process of improving the use of hardware checksum offloading engines, recalculating the IP checksum has been found to be essentialy free. However, that is not the case for the TCP and UDP checksums, which was partially expected. On further inspection a surprising complexity in dealing with the protocol checksums has been found. We’ll look at how these checksums are calculated, where the complexity comes from, how an ancient BSD performance hack made it into hardware offloading engines, the stack interaction and issues with hardware offloading engines.
About the Speaker: Henning Brauer is 34 and lives in Hamburg, Germany. He is running the Internet Service Provider “BS Web Services” there, and has done so for about 15 years. He joined OpenBSD in 2002 and has been working on many things, most network related, since. He started OpenBGPD and OpenNTPD, the framework he has written for bgpd is used by almost all newer daemons in OpenBSD. He has been working on the OpenBSD packet filter, pf, from the beginning and has architected and written a very large fraction of today’s pf. When he’s not hacking you can find him mountain biking, traveling and hiking or in one of the many bars in his neighborhood with his friends, enjoying brewer’s art and often playing tabletop soccer.
Reaching 40Gbit/s and beyond with the FreeBSD Network Stack and Driver Interface by Navdeep Parhar
Abstract: how the FreeBSD kernel utilizes modern NICs:
description of the path of data from userspace to the wire (sosend to the driver’s if_transmit) and the path from the wire to userspace (driver interrupt to soreceive). “Expensive” operations along the way will be called out.
brief overview of how a driver exposes its capabilities (IFCAP_xxx) and the “simpler” ifnet capabilities — checksumming, VLAN tag extraction/insertion.
discussion of ifnet TSO and LRO capabilities.
other common hardware assistance: tx and rx multiqueues, multiple rx interrupts (MSI-X), interrupt mitigation, etc.
discussion of stateful TCP offload (IFCAP_TOE) and the TCP_OFFLOAD implementation in the kernel: where the various driver hooks are, how they are supposed to work, etc.
Zero copy: sendfile, hardware TOE tx zero copy, hardware TOE direct data placement on receive.
About the Speaker: Navdeep is the author and maintainer of the FreeBSD cxgbe(4) driver that supports 10G and now 40G Ethernet adapters from Chelsio Communications. He maintains the slightly older cxgb(4) driver too. He’s also responsible for the current state of the TOE total TCP offload support (TCP_OFFLOAD) to the network card in the FreeBSD kernel.
Extending the FreeBSD Kernel to Netflix Video CDN Scale by Scott Long
Abstract: Modern I/O scheduling has to consider SSDs vs. HDDs, better integrating I/O scheduling in CAM, and evaluating the modern usefulness of the legacy bioq_disksort() scheduler, along with compare/contrast with Luigi Rizzo’s GEOM scheduler framework. Additionally extensions to the AIO and sendfile APIs have been made to support more concurrent disk->net I/O under heavy load at Netflix.
About the Speaker: Scott is with Netflix since 2012 as a OS engineer and FreeBSD evangelist. He’s working on OpenConnect.netflix.com. Prior to that he spent 5 years at Yahoo keeping YBSD running and moving from FreeBSD 4 to FreeBSD 9. He was the FreeBSD release engineer from 2002-2006, committer since 2000, and a user since the 386BSD days in 1992. He has a bachelor of science degree in aviation and did a brief stint as an airline pilot while at Yahoo.
Highly Parallel, lock-less, user-space TCP/IP Stack based on FreeBSD by Michael Dubiel
Abstract: Continuously increasing throughput and connections per second demands of web services providers poses great challenges on TCP/IP stacks. New solutions emerge, which attempt to eliminate bottlenecks of traditional stacks by exploiting multi-core nature of modern chips.
This paper presents how the FreeBSD TCP/IP stack has been used as a zero-copy, lock-less, highly parallel user-space stack running on 36-core Tilera TILE-Gx 8036 chip.
Of the main topics included, it describes and justifies design decisions, which enabled effective parallelisation, elimination of locks inside the stack and utilisation of the platform’s hardware features. It also elaborates on FreeBSD TCP/IP stack’s flexibility and adaptivity to be used as a high performance networking solution on many-core architectures.
About the Speaker: Michal Dubiel graduated in 2009 from the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Electronics of AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. Throughout his career he worked for ACK Cyfronet AGH on hardware-accelerated data mining systems and later for Motorola Electronics on DSP software for LTE base stations. Currently he is working for Semihalf on embedded systems software development. He is mainly interested in the computer science, especially the operating systems, programming languages and digital signal processing.
Presentations Track #3 Abstracts and Speaker Bio’s
Towards a BSD Licensed and GPL-free Toolchain for NetBSD by Jörg Sonnenberger
Abstract: Over the last two years, NetBSD and pkgsrc have received a lot of attention for supporting Clang. More recently, the infrastructure for building and using libc++ as well as the MCLinker project has been put in place. This presentation covers the status of the various pieces, a few common failures to look for as well as what still needs to be done to finally remove GCC and binutils from the toolchain.
About the Speaker: Joerg Sonnenberger is studying mathematics and working as contract developer for German federal agencies. He is an active NetBSD and pkgsrc developer. His interests span topics from power-management, the compiler toolchain to networking and mathematical optimization.
Towards modern IAA Facilities in UNIX: Redesigning Identity, Authentication and Authorization by Dag-Erling Smørgrav
Abstract: After decades of shoehorning new IAA technologies into the same old model and API, it is time to wipe the slate clean. We investigate the requirements for a modern IAA framework for Unix OSes and attempt to sketch out an API and architecture.
About the Speaker: Dag-Erling Smørgrav is a software engineer and system administrator at the University of Oslo and a member of the UiO CERT. He has been a FreeBSD committer since 1998 and is the author of OpenPAM.
ASR: New Asynchronous DNS Resolver Implementation for OpenBSD by Eric Faurot
Abstract: We present a completely new implementation for the resolver in OpenBSD, based on an asynchronous core API.
The classic resolver interface, as found in the standard C library, is blocking, which makes it impractical in cases where the program wants to keep running while a resolution process is performed. This is especially true for network deamons. Other heavy resolver users, such as web browsers, try to alleviate this problem by using a thread pool. This is especially sub-optimal in OpenBSD, since the resolver has long relied on an internal lock, making it useless in this case.
Along with the standard resolver functions, the new implementation provides an alternate asynchronous API. This API allows to perform resolution without making any blocking call. It only deals with file descriptors, and it does not rely on threads, external programs or signals.
The asynchronous implementation was first integrated into the OpenSMTPD daemon for handling all DNS lookups. It has now moved into libc, as the core for the new resolver. The API is very easy to use within an event loop, or with any event-based framework, such as libevent.
About the Speaker: Eric Faurot received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Caen, France. He is currently working as an R&D Software Engineer for a telecom company.
He has been using OpenBSD for many years and started contributing as a developer in 2007. He is the author of the ASR resolver, and one of the lead developers for the OpenSMTPD project.
Packages on FreeBSD: Back to the Present by Baptiste Daroussin
Abstract: Packages experience used to be stuck in the 90’s on FreeBSD, last year pkg 1.0 has brought it back to 2000, how pkg 1.1 and next version will try to getting the package experience back to the present time: upcoming new features, bug fixes and innovations.
This talk will also explain how vendors can easily embrace pkg, building their own package repositories, creating their appliances using pkg.
About the Speaker: Baptiste is System Engineer, FreeBSD ports committer for 3 years and src committer for 2 years. Member of the port management team. Author and lead developer of the new package management tool for FreeBSD. Author and co-developer of poudriere.
Ports and Packages in OpenBSD: Refactoring an Existing Tool Base by Marc Espie
Abstract: The ports and package system in OpenBSD is no longer experimental. After a few good years of steady changes, it has reached a somewhat stable state. The most important new challenge is to keep things fresh: as with all software systems, adding new features can become increasingly difficult.
Experience will be taken from:
major improvements to the distributed ports builder: better performance, smarter repartition on clusters. Bringing tests in. Concurrency issues.
newer package building issues. Refactoring the infrastructure on an 8000+ ports tree
package installation: incremental updates, etc
About the Speaker: Marc Espie is a former alumnus of ENS Ulm. He holds a Phd in computer science (combinatorics). His day job involves teaching systems programming and computer security to graduate students. He’s been a long time contributor to the OpenBSD project over the past ten years. He is the chief architect of the OpenBSD ports and package system, and maintainer of make, m4, sqlite, and makewhatis in openbsd.
Porting Modern KDE4 to OpenBSD: A Success Story by Vadim Zhukov
Abstract: Porting modern KDE to OpenBSD began a few years ago. Although there is a working port of KDE3 for quiet a long time, KDE4 experienced many problems and was plain broken for many years. The talk is about the whole set of steps done: from messing with kdelibs internals through patching CMake scripts to tweaking ksystemlog log files paths and names. There were some interesting parts, e.g. finishing up “libexec” directory support, making KSharedDataCache work on OpenBSD and so on.
Currently, there is a working collection of ports, including not only KDE4 SC but many other applications: Digikam, KMyMoney, Kdenlive etc. And only a few steps are going to be made to enable building KDE4 as a part of official packages, mostly related to OpenBSD packages build system itself. Also, there is already a framework to support multiple KDE4 SC versions in tree.
About the Speaker: Vadim is a 28 years old sysadmin and programmer from Moscow, Russia. He works in IT for more than 10 years, and his first BSD-related job was at a web hosting company about 8 years ago. Currently he’s working most of the time on a security systems company. He also works as a CS teacher sometimes, giving mostly talks about different OSes and wrote a small learning guide for Moscow Technological Institute that they use on their courses.
Vadim started using OpenBSD a bit earlier, since 3.7 release, while actively contributing to the project for a few last years, becoming a committer at end of 2012. He has many different interests in *BSD, but most time now he spends on hacking KDE and other “heavy” ports.
Porting Firefox to *BSD: How to Keep Up with Fast Moving Projects and Upstream Patches by Landry Breuil
Abstract: Maintaining the port of Firefox to OpenBSD is an interesting challenge, since the web and its related technologies are evolving faster and faster, and third-party OS are struggling more and more to keep up the pace with a fast-moving target such as Mozilla. I’ll explain how I got caught into this by accident in the beginning of 2010, what are the key things to know about Mozilla development when coming from another big OSS project, how to properly cooperate with upstream, and how I managed to wrap up a workflow that eases the port updates at each new Mozilla release.
About the Speaker: Landry is an OpenBSD developer since 2007, working mostly on ports. He started with Xfce (the desktop environment), and got (almost by accident) maintainership of all the mozilla ports in 2010. Since then he’s improved the situation wrt upstream push-back. In his day-to-day job he works on GIS data.
Introducing the 64bit ARMv8 Architecture by Andrew Wafaa
Abstract: The ARM architecture is widely adopted with more than 10 billion processors shipped annually by ARM partners. These have primarily been into mobile and micro-controller markets; however, with power consumption becoming more critical ARM is entering new segments such as data-centre and networking infrastructure equipment for example. ARMv8 launched about a year ago as its new version of the architecture to support 64bit platforms, this is the biggest addition ARM has done to its architecture in recent years and will enable partners to target a new range of devices and platforms in new segments. This talk will present features introduced by ARMv8 and how they can be used with OSes like BSD.
About the Speaker: Andy has been involved in Open Source for over 10 years, working with a variety of industry leaders like Sun Microsystems and Fujistsu. Andrew’s responsibilities cover Linux and Open Source activity at ARM, working with ARM partners and Open Source communities to enable the use of Linux and Open Source technologies with ARM technology and products.
NetBSD on Marvell Armada XP System on a Chip by Zbigniew Bodek
Abstract: This talk covers the recent work on design and implementation of the NetBSD operating system port for Armada XP, the cutting edge, ARM based, System-On-Chip from Marvell.
Armada XP (Extreme Performance) is the industry’s first ARMv7 quad-core processor designed for enterprise-class cloud computing applications. With its rich set of peripheral interfaces including Gigabit Ethernet ports, SATA, PCI-express and security engines, Armada XP addresses the needs of many emerging server and networking markets.
The primary focus of the talk is to describe the challenges of developing NetBSD port for modern ARM platform, intended for professional and commercial use, thus standing out from other similar. The material briefly describes the porting process starting from low-level system abstracts, through the peripheral devices and special, Armada XP-specific features support and evaluation, ending with the integration to the mainline NetBSD source repository.
The talk also elaborates the implementation of the networking driver for NETA – the on-chip network accelerator, using Armada XP generic abstraction layer.
Finally the talk takes the opportunity to confront the NetBSD support for Armada XP with the equivalent FreeBSD port including comparison of the supported features, overall system performance and portability.
About the Speaker: Zbigniew Bodek is an embedded systems engineer in Semihalf. He is involved in BSD and Linux operating systems development for ARM and PowerPC based, embedded platforms.
Zbigniew has finished Electronics and Telecommunication at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. He is mainly interested in computer science, microprocessor technology, embedded operating systems and kernel development.
Porting FreeBSD/ARM to new SoC’s and Boards by Andrew Turner
Abstract: FreeBSD is starting to support more ARM platforms. With the armv6 project branch now merged FreeBSD is able to run on modern ARM CPUs, however the process of getting FreeBSD running on a new chip can be difficult.
This talk will explain the common boot method most consumer development boards use. I will go on to give details on how FreeBSD fits into this process. Finally I will describe a few methods to figure out why FreeBSD is failing to boot, even without a working console.
About the Speaker: Andrew started with FreeBSD on ARM by porting it to the Samsung CPU within the OpenMoko phones. After receiving a FreeBSD commit bit he started to update FreeBSD to work with the ARM EABI.
When not hacking on FreeBSD Andrew works as an Embedded Software Engineer. He has worked with many ARM CPUs, from deeply embedded devices with a few kB of RAM, to systems with multiple DSPs and FPGAs controlled by a central ARM board. Recently Andrew has been working for a semiconductor company making sure Multimedia works as expected on devices containing their chips.
Porting NetBSD to the AVR32 Architecture by Tomás Niño Kehoe and Leandro Santi
Abstract: In this talk we walk through the experience of producing a NetBSD port to the AVR32 platform from scratch. Special attention is given to the techniques involved in managing the complexity of this process, which we believe is a key factor enabling undergraduate students with general background in computer systems architecture to engage and fulfill such task (this project is in fact the main subject of one of the speaker’s engineering thesis). We also revisit some of the main technical details of the port, aiming to provide to the audience proper understanding of our work.
Brief outline of the talk
Introduction
Motivation
The AVR32 architecture
Sources of inspiration
Walkthrough Preliminars Bootstrapping the kernel Porting pmap, take 1: kernel VM Basic trap support: kernel related page faults Ticking the clock Switching LWPs Basic hardware support Porting pmap, take 2: user VM System call emulation stubs Traps, take two: user VM and exception handling Hello World! Signals System calls, continued Running the shell
Conclusions and outlook on future projects
About the Speakers: Tomás Niño Kehoe is an Engineering student and a Teacher Assistant at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He works developing software for a high performance distributed system related to the stock exchange. His interests include Computer Architecture, application development and Agile methodologies.
Leandro Santi is Jefe de Trabajos Prácticos, or head of the TA teams at the University of Buenos Aires. He also is an IT manager in a multinational telecommunications company. He has contributed patches to several Open Source projects including the Postfix MTA and the MySQL database. He obtained an Electrical Engineering degree with specialty in signal processing, and telecommunications Masters, both from the University of Buenos Aires.
FreeBSD BHyve Hypervisor hosting Other Systems by Peter Grehan
Abstract: The bhyve hypervisor was initially developed and debugged with FreeBSD as the guest operating system due to the developer’s familiarity with FreeBSD internals. However, a hypervisor that can only host a single operating system is of limited use. This talk will discuss the work involved in getting non-FreeBSD operating systems to work under bhyve (OpenBSD, NetBSD, Linux, Windows). The differences in boot loaders, quirks in accessing hardware, and the ability to debug with varying levels of access to custom builds and source code (or lack thereof) will be examined.
About the Speaker: Peter Grehan is a FreeBSD committer who has been using BSD-derived operating systems in some form since the days of DEC Ultrix. He co-developed the bhyve hypervisor with Neel Natu.
Virtualization on Intel Itanium by Klaus Brandstätter
Abstract: We present the details of a virtualization emulation for Intel Itanium based on FreeBSD we are developing in-house.
About the Speaker: Klaus Brandstätter was born 1954 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. He studied electrical engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen in Germany between 1974 and 1980. In 1981 he founded HOB Germany serving as CEO and CTO. In the beginning he focused on software and hardware for IBM mainframes (3270 terminals), working with SNA and X.25 protocols. More recently he develops remote desktop, RDP, VPN, SSL, IPsec, and security software in mostly in Java.
Security Infrastructure in the FreeBSD Kernel by Kirk McKusick
Abstract: The FreeBSD security model has been developed over thirty years of evolving consumer needs. Many of the key developments have come from the contributions of an active security research community. This talk describes the underlying model and its practical implementation, from its origins in the UNIX process model and file permissions, to more recent additions: the Capsicum capability model, lightweight Jail virtualization, Mandatory Access Control, and security event auditing. These elements combine to meet the requirements of diverse systems ranging across hand-held computing devices, network devices, storage appliances, and Internet service-provider’s large-scale hosting environments.
About the Speaker: Dr. Marshall Kirk McKusick’s work with Unix and BSD development spans over four decades. It begins with his first paper on the implementation of Berkeley Pascal in 1979, goes on to his pioneering work in the eighties on the BSD Fast File System, the BSD virtual memory system, the final release of 4.4BSD-Lite from the UC Berkeley Computer Systems Research Group, and carries on with his work on FreeBSD. A key figure in Unix and BSD development, his experiences chronicle not only the innovative technical achievements but also the interesting personalities and philosophical debates in Unix over the past thirty-five years.
Presentations Track #4 Abstracts and Speaker Bio’s
Short talks in the FreeBSD Developer Summit Track #4 on Saturday are only selected a few days before the conference and will be announced on-site.
Presentations Track #4 Abstracts and Speaker Bio’s
Short FreeBSD Developer Summit Talks by various Speakers
Abstract: Various people from the FreeBSD Developer Summit present their completed and in progress works. The short talks and presentations will be announced shortly before the conference. More information can be found in the FreeBSD Developer Summit Wiki.There really is something special about the power of an Olympic medal.
Rhian Wilkinson has two of them as a member of the Canadian women’s soccer team at both the London and Rio Olympics. The power of those bronze medals was on display Monday morning after Wilkinson finished doing an interview at her mother’s home in Baie-d’Urfé and brought them with her to a nearby park, which was named after her in June, for a photo shoot with the Montreal Gazette’s Dave Sidaway.
A Grade 6 gym class from Dorset Elementary School, located beside the park, was using one of the two soccer fields and teacher Natalie Bourque noticed the woman wearing a red Team Canada jacket and kicking a soccer ball.
“Are you Rhian Wilkinson?” Bourque asked as she approached with a sparkle in her eyes.
Bourque then asked Wilkinson if she would mind speaking to gym teacher Scott Taylor’s class. The look on the kids’ faces was priceless when they got to see, and touch, the Olympic medals. They also had plenty of questions for Wilkinson, like “how did you get so good at soccer?” and “what does it feel like to win an Olympic medal?”
Wilkinson attended Dorset Elementary School and at age 12 wrote in her yearbook that she wanted to become a pro soccer player when she grew up.
“I think I thought I was going to play for Liverpool,” Wilkinson said with a laugh, adding it’s “unreal” to think a park she grew up playing in is now named after her.
Wilkinson’s soccer journey has been a remarkable one for someone who was cut from her high-school team at Villa Maria and was also cut twice from Lakeshore Triple-A teams during her early teens.
“I kept playing because I loved the sport,” she said Monday morning in her mother’s home. “And those are the years I probably grew the most as an athlete. I was actually practising probably more just on the playing fields with my friends. So getting those extra hours in made the difference. I was captain the following year when I made it (with Lakeshore).”
At age 17, Wilkinson was good enough to receive a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee, where she earned an English degree. She made her debut as a defender with Canada’s national team in 2003, but the long soccer journey is nearing an end for the 34-year-old who said now is the right time to retire from international soccer, but she wants to take a couple of months to be certain after the emotions of the Olympics.
Wilkinson’s only regret is that she couldn’t win a gold medal with Team Canada. While her first bronze four years ago in London was a dream come true, this year’s bronze in Brazil was a bit of a disappointment.
“We knew we could have been in that final and vying for the gold,” she said. “So that’s how far the (Team Canada) program went in four years and how exciting the future is for the program. I never want to say that this Olympic medal isn’t incredible, because it is. But there’s definitely a tiny bit of disappointment in all of us that we weren’t playing for the gold.”
Wilkinson is certain Team Canada will win Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2020 and promises to be there to watch, even though she won’t be playing. She has purchased a home in Vancouver with her twin sister, Sara, and is launching a company called iS4 in November in a partnership with old teammates Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson and Karina LeBlanc. The plan for iS4 is to work with soccer camps and in communities to keep young girls involved in sports. Wilkinson noted there is a dramatic drop-off rate around age 14. The four also plan to do corporate and motivational speaking, something Wilkinson will be excellent at, judging by the way she handles herself in interviews and how she spoke with the students on Monday.
Wilkinson said the medals she showed the youngsters don’t mean as much to her as the journey she took to win them.
“It’s viewed by outside people as this wonderful, incredible thing — and it is,” Wilkinson said about winning an Olympic medal. “But the journey to the medal is what it’s all about and enjoying the people you’re with. And then you get this medal and you just sort of go, OK, this is what it was. You keep it in a vault or your bookshelf or wherever you decide to keep it. But it’s a medal, essentially. You have to remember that it’s the memories leading up to that that will be so meaningful and not the actual moment of winning it and the actual physical thing you’re given at the end.
“The real pleasure of the medal is sharing it with other people because there’s so much around it that people have built up and the media’s built up. So for me, the greatest part is having this thing that you can share with people and hopefully inspire them to achieve something wonderful in their lives, whatever it’s in. That, for me, is the best part.”
As the gym class was wrapping up before Monday’s lunch bell rang, teacher Taylor asked his students if they had any more questions for Wilkinson. A young girl’s hand shot up.
“Can I hug you?” she asked Wilkinson.
They hugged.
It was very special.
scowan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/StuCowan1The 34th America's Cup was a series of yacht races held on San Francisco Bay, in September 2013. The series was contested between the defender Oracle Team USA representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club, and the challenger Emirates Team New Zealand representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Oracle Team USA defended the America's Cup by a score of 9 to 8, after winning eight consecutive races from Race 11 onwards.[1] Team New Zealand won the right to challenge for the cup by winning the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup. The 34th America's Cup's race sequence was the longest ever, by both number of days and races, and the first since the 25th America's Cup to feature both teams in a match point situation.
Background [ edit ]
The Golden Gate Yacht Club defeated Société Nautique de Genève in the 2010 America's Cup to become the Defenders of the America's Cup. The first Challenger of Record for the 34th Cup was Club Nautico di Roma, and a joint press conference was held on May 6, 2010 to plan for the event.[2] The planning process was to include definition of new rules, an independent management team, definition of a new class of boats created in conjunction with all teams, regular racing in multiple venues and provision for increased television and online coverage.
Protocol [ edit ]
The Protocol for the 34th America's Cup was published on September 13, 2010.[3][4]
Boats [ edit ]
Two new classes of boat were announced. AC72 wing-sail catamarans are being used for the America's Cup races and the AC45 class, a scaled-down one-design version of the AC72, was used for the preliminary training and racing until boats built to the AC72 rules became available. The amended AC72 Class Rule version 1.1 was published on February 22, 2011.[5]
The AC72 can reach speeds averaging about 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) with peaks over 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph); that speed can be as much as 1.8 to slightly over twice the actual wind speed.[6] This is significantly faster than the previous ACC boats that reached speeds of 11 to 13 knots (20 to 24 km/h; 13 to 15 mph).[7]
America's Cup World Series [ edit ]
In order to increase global awareness, and hence attract sponsors for the teams, an America's Cup World Series was held over the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons. The winner of each annual series was declared the America's Cup World Series Champion for that season. There were three regattas in 2011, five in 2012, and two in 2013. Each regatta lasted for one week and had approximately 6 days of racing, including official practice. Each AC World Series regatta was a combination of match and fleet racing. AC45 one-design catamarans were used for each World Series regatta.[citation needed]
Cost reduction [ edit ]
Officials adopted rules for the 2013 America's Cup to reduce costs and thereby attract more challengers:[8]
No-sail periods limit the time for on-the-water boat tuning and crew training.
Rules limit the number of boats, sails, equipment, and support boats that each team may use to two AC72 boats. Competitors shall not launch the first boat before July 1, 2012, and from July 1, 2012 through January 31, 2013, may sail their AC72 boat for a maximum of 30 days. The competitor's second AC72 boat may not be launched before February 1, 2013. From February 1, 2013 through May 1, 2013, the competitors may sail their AC72 boats for a maximum of 45 days per AC72 boat. There are no sailing-days restrictions from May 1, 2013 onward. [9] [10]
Rules limit crew size to 11 sailors.
Despite these measures, the cost of mounting a competitive challenge likely exceeds US$100 million.[11]
Youth America's Cup [ edit ]
In |
falls far short of the eminent dignity of our soul, so the social structure of the Christian community, though it proclaims the wisdom of its divine Architect, still remains something inferior when compared to the spiritual gifts which give it beauty and life, and to the divine source whence they flow.
64. From what We have thus far written, and explained, Venerable Brethren, it is clear, We think, how grievously they err who arbitrarily claim that the Church is something hidden and invisible, as they also do who look upon her as a mere human institution possession a certain disciplinary code and external ritual, but lacking power to communicate supernatural life.[120] On the contrary, as Christ, Head and Exemplar of the Church "is not complete, if only His visible human nature is considered..., or if only His divine, invisible nature..., but He is one through the union of both and one in both... so is it with His Mystical Body"[121] since the Word of God took unto Himself a human nature liable to sufferings, so that He might consecrate in His blood the visible Society founded by Him and "lead man back to things invisible under a visible rule."[122]
65. For this reason We deplore and condemn the pernicious error of those who dream of an imaginary Church, a kind of society that finds its origin and growth in charity, to which, somewhat contemptuously, they oppose another, which they call juridical. But this distinction which they introduce is false: for they fail to understand that the reason which led our Divine Redeemer to give to the community of man He founded the constitution of a Society, perfect of its kind and containing all the juridical and social elements - namely, that He might perpetuate on earth the saving work of Redemption,[123] - was also the reason why He willed it to be enriched with the heavenly gifts of the Paraclete. The Eternal Father indeed willed it to be the "kingdom of the Son of his predilection;"[124] but it was to be a real kingdom in which all believers should make Him the entire offering of their intellect and will,[125] and humbly and obediently model themselves on Him, Who for our sake "was made obedient unto death."[126] There can, then, be no real opposition or conflict between the invisible mission of the Holy spirit and the juridical commission of Ruler and Teacher received from Christ, since they mutually complement and perfect each other - as do the body and soul in man - and proceed from our one Redeemer who not only said as He breathed on the Apostles "Receive ye the Holy Spirit,"[127] but also clearly commanded: "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you;"[128] and again: "He that heareth you, heareth me."[129]
66. And if at times there appears in the Church something that indicates the weakness of our human nature, it should not be attributed to her juridical constitution, but rather to that regrettable inclination to evil found in each individual, which its Divine Founder permits even at times in the most exalted members of His Mystical Body, for the purpose of testing the virtue of the Shepherds no less than of the flocks, and that all may increase the merit of their Christian faith. For, as We said above, Christ did not wish to exclude sinners from His Church; hence if some of her members are suffering from spiritual maladies, that is no reason why we should lessen our love for the Church, but rather a reason why we should increase our devotion to her members. Certainly the loving Mother is spotless in the Sacraments by which she gives birth to and nourishes her children; in the faith which she has always preserved inviolate; in her sacred laws imposed on all; in the evangelical counsels which she recommends; in those heavenly gifts and extraordinary grace through which with inexhaustible fecundity,[130] she generates hosts of martyrs, virgins and confessors. But it cannot be laid to her charge if some members fall, weak or wounded. In their name she prays to God daily: "Forgive us our trespasses;" and with the brave heart of a mother she applies herself at once to the work of nursing them back to spiritual health. When, therefore, we call the Body of Jesus Christ "mystical," the very meaning of the word conveys a solemn warning. It is a warning that echoes in these words of St. Leo: "Recognize, O Christian, your dignity, and being made a sharer of the divine nature go not back to your former worthlessness along the way of unseemly conduct. Keep in mind of what Head and of what Body you are a member."[131]
67. Here, Venerable Brethren, We wish to speak in a very special way of our union with Christ in the Body of the Church, a thing which is, as Augustine justly remarks, sublime, mysterious and divine;[132] ut for that very reason it often happens that many misunderstand it and explain it incorrectly. It is at once evident that this union is very close. In the Sacred Scriptures it is compared to the chaste union of man and wife, to the vital union of branch and vine, and to the cohesion found in our body.[133] Even more, it is represented as being so close that the Apostle says: "He (Christ) is the Head of the Body of the Church,"[134] and the unbroken tradition of the Fathers from the earliest times teaches that the Divine Redeemer and the Society which is His Body form but one mystical person, that is to say to quote Augustine, the whole Christ.[135] Our Savior Himself in His sacerdotal prayer did not hesitate to liken this union to that wonderful unity by which the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son.[136]
68. Our union in and with Christ is first evident from the fact that, since Christ wills His Christian community to be a Body which is a perfect Society, its members must be united because they all work together towards a single end. The nobler the end towards which they strive, and the more divine the motive which actuates this collaboration, the higher, no doubt, will be the union. Now the end in question is supremely exalted; the continual sanctifying of the members of the Body for the glory of God and of the Lamb that was slain.[137] The motive is altogether divine: not only the good pleasure of the Eternal Father, and the most earnest wish of our Savior, but the interior inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit in our minds and hearts. For if not even the smallest act conducive to salvation can be performed except in the Holy Spirit, how can countless multitudes of every people and every race work together harmoniously for the supreme glory of the Triune God, except in the power of Him, who proceeds from the Father and the Son in one eternal act of love?
69. Now since its Founder willed this social body of Christ to be visible, the cooperation of all its members must also be externally manifest through their profession of the same faith and their sharing the same sacred rites, through participation in the same Sacrifice, and the practical observance of the same laws. Above all, it is absolutely necessary that the Supreme Head, that is, the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, be visible to the eyes of all, since it is He who gives effective direction to the work which all do in common in a mutually helpful way towards the attainment of the proposed end. As the Divine Redeemer sent the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, who in His name [138] should govern the Church in an invisible way, so, in the same manner, He commissioned Peter and his successors to be His personal representatives on earth and to assume the visible government of the Christian community.
70. These juridical bonds in themselves far surpass those of any other human society, however exalted; and yet another principle of union must be added to them in those three virtues, Christian faith, hope and charity, which link us so closely to each other and to God.
71. "One Lord, one faith,"[139] writes the Apostle: the faith, that is, by which we hold fast to God, and to Jesus Christ whom He has sent.[140] The beloved disciple teaches us how closely this faith binds us to God: "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God."[141] This Christian faith binds us no less closely to each other and to our divine Head. For all we who believe, "having the same spirit of faith,"[142] are illumined by the same light of Christ, nourished by the same Food of Christ, and live under the teaching authority of Christ. If the same spirit of faith breathes in all, we are all living the same life "in the faith of the Son of God who loved us and delivered himself for us."[143] And once we have received Christ, our Head, through an ardent faith so that He dwells within our hearts,[144] as He is the author so He will be the finisher of our faith.[145]
72. As by faith on this earth we hold fast to God as the Author of truth, so by Christian hope we long for Him as the fount of blessedness, "looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God."[146] It is because of this universal longing for the heavenly Kingdom that we do not desire a permanent home here below, but seek for one above,[147] and because of our yearning for the glory on high that the Apostle of the Gentiles did not hesitate to say: "One Body and one Spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling;" [148] nay rather that Christ in us is our hope of glory.[149]
73. But if the bonds of faith and hope, which bind us to our Redeemer in His Mystical Body are weighty and important, those of charity are certainly no less so. If even in the natural order the love of friendship is something supremely noble, what shall we say of that supernatural love, which God infuses in our hearts? "God is charity and he that abideth in charity abideth in God and God in him."[150] The effect of this charity - such would seem to be God's law - is to compel Him to enter into our loving hearts to return love for love, as He said: "If anyone love me..., my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him."[151] Charity then, more than any other virtue binds us closely to Christ. How many children of the Church, on fire with this heavenly flame, have rejoiced to suffer insults for Him, and to face and overcome the hardest trials, even at the cost of their lives and the shedding of their blood. For this reason our Divine Savior earnestly exhorts us in these words: "Abide in my love." And as charity, if it does not issue effectively in good works, is something altogether empty and unprofitable, He added immediately: "If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love; as I have also kept my Father's commandments and do abide in His love."[152]
74. But, corresponding to this love of God and of Christ, there must be love of the neighbor. How can we claim to love the Divine Redeemer, if we hate those whom He has redeemed with His precious blood, so that He might make them members of His Mystical Body? For that reason the beloved disciple warns us: "If any man say: 'I love God' and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God loveth his brother also."[153] Rather it should be said that the more we become "members one of another"[154] "mutually careful, one for another,"[155]the closer we shall be united with God and with Christ; as, on the other hand, the more ardent the love that binds us to God and to our divine Head, the closer we shall be united to each other in the bonds of charity.
75. Now the only-begotten Son of God embraced us in His infinite knowledge and undying love even before the world began. And that He might give a visible and exceedingly beautiful expression to this love, He assumed our nature in hypostatic union: hence - as Maximus of Turin with a certain unaffected simplicity remarks - "in Christ our own flesh loves us."[156] But the knowledge and love of our Divine Redeemer, of which we were the object from the first moment of His Incarnation, exceed all that the human intellect can hope to grasp. For hardly was He conceived in the womb of the Mother of God, when He began to enjoy the Beatific Vision, and in that vision all the members of His Mystical Body were continually and unceasingly present to Him, and He embraced them with His redeeming love. O marvelous condescension of divine love for us! O inestimable dispensation of boundless charity! In the crib, on the Cross, in the unending glory of the Father, Christ has all the members of the Church present before Him and united to Him in a much clearer and more loving manner than that of a mother who clasps her child to her breast, or than that with which a man knows and loves himself.
76. From all that We have hitherto said, you will readily understand, Venerable Brethren, why Paul the Apostle so often writes that Christ is in us and we in Christ. In proof of which, there is this other more subtle reason. Christ is in us through His Spirit, whom He gives to us and through whom He acts within us in such a way that all the divine activity of the Holy Spirit within our souls must also be attributed to Christ.[157] "If a man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," says the Apostle, "but if Christ be in you..., the spirit liveth because of justification."[158]
77. This communication of the Spirit of Christ is the channel through which all the gifts, powers, and extra-ordinary graces found superabundantly in the Head as in their source flow into all the members of the Church, and are perfected daily in them according to the place they hold in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Thus the Church becomes, as it were, the filling out and the complement of the Redeemer, while Christ in a sense attains through the Church a fulness in all things.[159] Herein we find the reason why, according to the opinion of Augustine already referred to, the mystical Head, which is Christ, and the Church, which here below as another Christ shows forth His person, constitute one new man, in whom heaven and earth are joined together in perpetuating the saving work of the Cross: Christ We mean, the Head and the Body, the whole Christ.
78. For indeed We are not ignorant of the fact that his profound truth - of our union with the Divine Redeemer and in particular of the indwelling of the Holy spirit in our souls - is shrouded in darkness by many a veil that impedes our power to understand and explain it, both because of the hidden nature of the doctrine itself, and of the limitations of our human intellect. But We know, too, that from well-directed and earnest study of this doctrine, and from the clash of diverse opinions and the discussion thereof, provided that these are regulated by the love of truth and by due submission to the Church, much light will be gained, which, in its turn will help to progress in kindred sacred sciences. Hence, We do not censure those who in various ways, and with diverse reasonings make every effort to understand and to clarify the mystery of this our wonderful union with Christ. But let all agree uncompromisingly on this, if they would not err from truth and from the orthodox teaching of the Church: to reject every kind of mystic union by which the faithful of Christ should in any way pass beyond the sphere of creatures and wrongly enter the divine, were it only to the extent of appropriating to themselves as their own but one single attribute of the eternal Godhead. And, moreover, let all hold this as certain truth, that all these activities are common to the most Blessed Trinity, insofar as they have God as supreme efficient cause.
79. It must also be borne in mind that there is question here of a hidden mystery, which during this earthly exile can only be dimly seen through a veil, and which no human words can express. The Divine Persons are said to indwell inasmuch as they are present to beings endowed with intelligence in a way that lies beyond human comprehension, and in a unique and very intimate manner which transcends all created nature, these creatures enter into relationship with Them through knowledge and love.[160] If we would attain, in some measure, to a clearer perception of this truth, let us not neglect the method strongly recommended by the Vatican Council [161] in similar cases, by which these mysteries are compared one with another and with the end to which they are directed, so that in the light which this comparison throws upon them we are able to discern, at least partially, the hidden things of God.
80. Therefore, Our most learned predecessor Leo XIII of happy memory, speaking of our union with Christ and with the Divine Paraclete who dwells within us, and fixing his gaze on that blessed vision through which this mystical union will attain its confirmation and perfection in heaven says: "This wonderful union, or indwelling properly so-called, differs from that by which God embraces and gives joy to the elect only by reason of our earthly state."[162] In that celestial vision it will be granted to the eyes of the human mind strengthened by the light of glory, to contemplate the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in an utterly ineffable manner, to assist throughout eternity at the processions of the Divine Persons, and to rejoice with a happiness like to that with which the holy and undivided Trinity is happy.
81. It seems to Us that something would be lacking to what We have thus far proposed concerning the close union of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ with its Head, were We not to add here a few words on the Holy Eucharist, by which this union during this mortal life reaches, as it were, a culmination.
82. By means of the Eucharistic Sacrifice Christ our Lord willed to give the faithful a striking manifestation of our union among ourselves and with our divine Head, wonderful as it is and beyond all praise. For in this Sacrifice the sacred minister acts as the viceregent not only of our Savior but of the whole Mystical Body and of each one of the faithful. In this act of Sacrifice through the hands of the priest, by whose word alone the Immaculate Lamb is present on the altar, the faithful themselves, united with him in prayer and desire, offer to the Eternal Father a most acceptable victim of praise and propitiation for the needs of the whole Church. And as the Divine Redeemer, when dying on the Cross, offered Himself to the Eternal Father as Head of the whole human race, so "in this clean oblation"[163] He offers to the heavenly Father not only Himself as Head of the Church, but in Himself His mystical members also, since He holds them all, even those who are weak and ailing, in His most loving Heart.
83. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is itself a striking and wonderful figure of the unity of the Church, if we consider how in the bread to be consecrated many grains go to form one whole,[164] and that in it the very Author of supernatural grace is given to us, so that through Him we may receive the spirit of charity in which we are bidden to live now no longer our own life but the life of Christ, and to love the Redeemer Himself in all the members of His social Body.
84. As then in the sad and anxious times through which we are passing there are many who cling so firmly to Christ the Lord hidden beneath the Eucharistic veils that neither tribulation, nor distress, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor danger, nor persecution, nor the sword can separate them from His love,[165] surely no doubt can remain that Holy Communion which once again in God's providence is much more frequented even from early childhood, may become a source of that fortitude which not infrequently makes Christians into heroes.
85. If the faithful, Venerable Brethren, in a spirit of sincere piety understand these things accurately and hold to them steadfastly, they will the more easily avoid those errors which arise from an irresponsible investigation of this difficult matter, such as some have made not without seriously endangering Catholic faith and disturbing the peace of souls.
86. For there are some who neglect the fact that the Apostle Paul has used metaphorical language in speaking of this doctrine, and failing to distinguish as they should the precise and proper meaning of the terms the physical body, the social body, and the Mystical Body, arrive at a distorted idea of unity. They make the Divine Redeemer and the members of the Church coalesce in one physical person, and while they bestow divine attributes on man, they make Christ our Lord subject to error and to human inclination to evil. But Catholic faith and the writings of the holy Fathers reject such false teaching as impious and sacrilegious; and to the mind of the Apostle of the Gentiles it is equally abhorrent, for although he brings Christ and His Mystical Body into a wonderfully intimate union, he nevertheless distinguishes one from the other as Bridegroom from Bride.[166]
87. No less far from the truth is the dangerous error of those who endeavor to deduce from the mysterious union of us all with Christ a certain unhealthy quietism. They would attribute the whole spiritual life of Christians and their progress in virtue exclusively to the action of the Divine Spirit, setting aside and neglecting the collaboration which is due from us. No one, of course, can deny that the Holy spirit of Jesus Christ is the one source of whatever supernatural powers enters into the Church and its members. For "The Lord will give grace and glory" as the Psalmist says.[167] But that men should persevere constantly in their good works, that they should advance eagerly in grace and virtue, that they should strive earnestly to reach the heights of Christian perfection and at the same time to the best of their power should stimulate others to attain the same goal, - all this the heavenly Spirit does not will to effect unless they contribute their daily share of zealous activity. "For divine favors are conferred not on those who sleep, but on those who watch," as St. Ambrose says.[168] For if in our mortal body the members are strengthened and grow through continued exercise, much more truly can this be said of the social Body of Jesus Christ in which each individual member retains his own personal freedom, responsibility, and principles of conduct. For that reason he who said: "I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me"[169] did not at the same time hesitate to assert: "His (God's) grace in me has not been void, but I have labored more abundantly than all they: yet not I, but the grace of God with me."[170] It is perfectly clear, therefore, that in these false doctrines the mystery which we are considering is not directed to the spiritual advancement of the faithful but is turned to their deplorable ruin.
88. The same result follows from the opinions of those who assert that little importance should be given to the frequent confession of venial sins. Far more important, they say, is that general confession which the Spouse of Christ, surrounded by her children in the Lord, makes each day by the mouth of the priest as he approaches the altar of God. As you well know, Venerable Brethren, it is true that venial sins may be expiated in many ways which are to be highly commended. But to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, We will that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy spirit, should be earnestly advocated. By it genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the Sacrament itself. Let those, therefore, among the younger clergy who make light of or lessen esteem for frequent confession realize that what they are doing is alien to the Spirit of Christ and disastrous for the Mystical Body of our Savior.
89. There are others who deny any impetratory power to our prayers, or who endeavor to insinuate into men's minds the idea that prayers offered to God in private should be considered of little worth, whereas public prayers which are made in the Name of the Church are those which really matter, since they proceed from the Mystical Body of Christ. This opinion is false; for the divine Redeemer is most closely united not only with His Church, which is His Beloved Spouse, but also with each and every one of the faithful, and He ardently desires to speak with them heart to heart, especially after Holy Communion. It is true that public prayer, inasmuch as it is offered by Mother Church, excels any other kind of prayer by reason of her dignity as Spouse of Christ; but no prayer, even the most private, is lacking in dignity or power, and all prayer is of the greatest help to the Mystical Body in which, through the Communion of Saints, no good can be done, no virtue practiced by the individual members, which does not redound also to the salvation of all. Neither is a man forbidden to ask for himself particular favors even for this life merely because he is a member of this Body, provided he is always resigned to the divine will; for the members retain their own personality and remain subject to their own individual needs.[171] Moreover, how highly all should esteem mental prayer is proved not only be ecclesiastical documents, but also by the custom and practice of the saints.
90. Finally, there are those who assert that our prayers should be directed not to the person of Jesus Christ, but rather to God, or to the Eternal Father through Christ, since our Savior as Head of His Mystical Body is only "Mediator of God and men."[172] But this certainly is opposed not only to the mind of the Church and to Christian usage, but to truth. For to speak exactly, Christ is Head of the universal Church as He exists at once in both of His natures[173] moreover He Himself has solemnly declared: "If you shall ask me anything in my name, that I will do."[174] For although prayers are very often directed to the Eternal Father through the only-begotten Son, especially in the Eucharistic Sacrifice - in which Christ, at once Priest and Victim, exercises in a special manner the office of Mediator - nevertheless not infrequently even in this Sacrifice, prayers are addressed to the Divine Redeemer also; for all Christians must clearly know and understand that the man Jesus Christ is also the Son of God and God Himself. And thus, when the Church Militant offers her adoration and prayers to the Immaculate Lamb, the Sacred Victim, her voice seems to re-echo the never-ending chorus of the Church Triumphant: "To him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb benediction and honor and glory and power forever and ever."[175]
91. Venerable Brethren, in Our exposition of this mystery which embraces the hidden union of us all with Christ, We have thus far, as Teacher of the Universal Church, illumined the mind with the light of truth, and Our pastoral office now requires that We provide an incentive for the heart to love this Mystical Body with that ardor of charity which is not confined to thoughts and words, but which issues in deeds. If those who lived under the Old Law could sing of their earthly city: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten; let my tongue cleave to my jaws if I do not remember thee, if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy,"[176] how much greater then should be the joy and exultation that should fill our hearts who dwell in a City built on the holy mountain of living and chosen stones, "Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone."[177] For nothing more glorious, nothing nobler, nothing surely more honorable can be imagined than to belong to the One, Holy Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, in which we become members of One Body as venerable as it is unique; are guided by one supreme Head; are filled with one divine Spirit; are nourished during our earthly exile by one doctrine and one heavenly Bread, until at last we enter into the one, unending blessedness of heaven.
92. But lest we be deceived by the angel of darkness who transforms himself into an angel of light,[178] let this be the supreme law of our love: to love the Spouse of Christ as Christ willed her to be, and as He purchased her with His blood. Hence, not only should we cherish exceedingly the Sacraments with which holy Mother Church sustains our life, the solemn ceremonies which she celebrates for our solace and our joy, the sacred chant and the liturgical rites by which she lifts our minds up to heaven, but also the sacramentals and all those exercises of piety by which she consoles the hearts of the faithful and sweetly imbues them with the Spirit of Christ. As her children, it is our duty, not only to make a return to her for her maternal goodness to us, but also to respect the authority which she has received from Christ in virtue of which she brings into captivity our understanding unto the obedience of Christ.[179] Thus we are commanded to obey her laws and her moral precepts, even if at times they are difficult to our fallen nature; to bring our rebellious body into subjection through voluntary mortification; and at times we are warned to abstain even from harmless pleasures. Nor does it suffice to love this Mystical Body for the glory of its divine Head and for its heavenly gifts; we must love it with an effective love as it appears in this our mortal flesh - made up, that is, of weak human elements, even though at times they are little fitted to the place which they occupy in this venerable body.
93. In order that such a solid and undivided love may abide and increase in our souls day by day, we must accustom ourselves to see Christ Himself in the Church. For it is Christ who lives in His Church, and through her, teaches, governs, and sanctifies; it is Christ also who manifests Himself differently in different members of His society. If the faithful strive to live in a spirit of lively faith, they will not only pay due honor and reverence to the more exalted members of this Mystical Body, especially those who according to Christ's mandate will have to render an account of our souls,[180] but they will take to their hearts those members who are the object of our Savior's special love: the weak, We mean, the wounded, and the sick who are in need of material or spiritual assistance; children whose innocence is so easily exposed to danger in these days, and whose young hearts can be molded as wax; and finally the poor, in helping whom we recognize as it were, through His supreme mercy, the very person of Jesus Christ.
94. For as the Apostle with good reason admonishes us: "Those that seem the more feeble members of the Body are more necessary; and those that we think the less honorable members of the Body, we surround with more abundant honour."[181] Conscious of the obligations of Our high office We deem it necessary to reiterate this grave statement today, when to Our profound grief We see at times the deformed, the insane, and those suffering from hereditary disease deprived of their lives, as though they were a useless burden to Society; and this procedure is hailed by some as a manifestation of human progress, and as something that is entirely in accordance with the common good. Yet who that is possessed of sound judgment does not recognize that this not only violates the natural and the divine law [182] written in the heart of every man, but that it outrages the noblest instincts of humanity? The blood of these unfortunate victims who are all the dearer to our Redeemer because they are deserving of greater pity, "cries to God from the earth."[183]
95. In order to guard against the gradual weakening of that sincere love which requires us to see our Savior in the Church and in its members, it is most fitting that we should look to Jesus Himself as a perfect model of love for the Church.
96. And first of all let us imitate the breadth of His love. For the Church, the Bride of Christ, is one; and yet so vast is the love of the divine Spouse that it embraces in His Bride the whole human race without exception. Our Savior shed His Blood precisely in order that He might reconcile men to God through the Cross, and might constrain them to unite in one body, however widely they may differ in nationality and race. True love of the Church, therefore, requires not only that we should be mutually solicitous one for another [184] as members and sharing in their suffering [185] but likewise that we should recognize in other men, although they are not yet joined to us in the body of the Church, our brothers in Christ according to the flesh, called, together with us, to the same eternal salvation. It is true, unfortunately, especially today, that there are are some who extol enmity, hatred and spite as if they enhanced the dignity and the worth of man. Let us, however, while we look with sorrow on the disastrous consequences of this teaching, follow our peaceful King who taught us to love not only those who are of a different nation or race,[186] but even our enemies.[187] While Our heart overflows with the sweetness of the teaching of the Apostle of the Gentiles, We extol with him the length, and the breadth, and the height, and the depth of the charity of Christ,[188] which neither diversity of race or customs can diminish, nor trackless wastes of the ocean weaken, nor wars, whether just or unjust, destroy.
97. In this gravest of hours, Venerable Brethren, when bodies are racked with pain and souls are oppressed with grief, every individual must be aroused to this supernatural charity so that, by the combined efforts of all good men, striving to outdo each other in pity and mercy - We have in mind especially, those who are engaged in any kind of relief work - the immense needs of mankind, both spiritual and corporal, may be alleviated, and the devoted generosity, the inexhaustible fruitfulness of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, may shine resplendently throughout the whole world.
98. As the vastness of the charity with which Christ loved His Church is equalled by its constant activity, we all, with the same assiduous and zealous charity must love the Mystical Body of Christ. Now from the moment of His Incarnation, when he laid the first foundations of the Church, even to His last mortal breath, our Redeemer never ceased for an instant, though He was the Son of God, to labor unto weariness in order to establish and strengthen His Church, whether by giving us the shining example of His holiness, or by preaching, or conversing, or gathering and instructing disciples. And so We desire that all who claim the Church as their mother, should seriously consider that not only the clergy and those who have consecrated themselves to God in the religious life, but the other members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ as well have, each in his degree, the obligation of working hard and constantly for the building up and increase of this Body. We wish this to be borne in mind especially by members of Catholic Action who assist the Bishops and the priests in their apostolic labours - and to their praise be it said, they do realize it - and also by those members of pious associations which work for the same end. There is no one who does not realize their energetic zeal is of the highest importance and of the greatest weight especially in the present circumstances.
99. In this connection We cannot pass over in silence the fathers and mothers of families to whom our Savior has entrusted the youngest members of His Mystical Body. We plead with them most earnestly, for the love of Christ and the Church, to take the greatest possible care of the children confided to them, and to protect them from the snares of every kind into which they can be lured so easily today.
100. Our Redeemer showed His burning love for the Church especially by praying for her to His heavenly Father. To recall but a few examples: everyone knows, Venerable Brethren, that just before the Crucifixion He prayed repeatedly for Peter,[189] for the other Apostles,[190] for all who, through the preaching of the holy Gospel would believe in Him.[191]
101. After the example of Christ we too should pray daily to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest.[192] Our united prayer should rise daily to heaven for all the members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ; first for Bishops who are responsible in a special way for their respective dioceses; then for priests and religious, both men and women, who have been called to the service of God, and who, at home and in the foreign missions, are protecting, increasing, and advancing the Kingdom of the Divine Redeemer. No member of this venerated Body must be forgotten in this common prayer; and let there be a special remembrance of those who are weighed down with the sorrows and afflictions of this earthly exile, as also for the suffering souls in Purgatory. Neither must those be neglected who are being instructed in Christian doctrine, so that they may be able to receive baptism without delay.
102. Likewise, We must earnestly desire that this united prayer may embrace in the same ardent charity both those who, not yet enlightened by the truth of the Gospel, are still outside the fold of the Church, and those who, on account of regrettable schism, are separated from Us, who though unworthy, represent the person of Jesus Christ on earth. Let us then re-echo that divine prayer of our Savior to the heavenly Father: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."[193]
103. As you know, Venerable Brethren, from the very beginning of Our Pontificate, We have committed to the protection and guidance of heaven those who do not belong to the visible Body of the Catholic Church, solemnly declaring that after the example of the Good Shepherd We desire nothing more |
the uncompromising removal of the Jews altogether".
Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center said that the organisation bought the letter for $150,000 (£90,000) from a private dealer last month.
He said the letter - the existence of which has long been known to scholars - was a critical document from World War II because it "ties Hitler directly to the destruction of the Jews".
"In 1919, when he was a nobody he writes a letter... we need not emotional pogroms, we need legislation, we need a national government that would be ruthless enough, to do what? Total removal of the Jews from society," he told the BBC.
When it was written, Hitler was serving in the German army, and had had a tendency to stir up troops with his anti-Semitic rhetoric.
A superior officer asked him to put his ideas on paper, according to AP news agency.
The document was displayed at New York's Museum of Tolerance, but it will go on permanent show in Los Angeles from July.Why does Israel still refuse to show us the full footage from the Mavi Marmara? Perhaps because it knows what we’ll see
Last weekend saw the release of the Palmer Report (which can be read here – a PDF file) dealing the Flotilla incident and the assault on the Mavi Marmara last year. To make a simplistic summary, the report reaches two conclusions: That Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip is legal, which means is entitled (in fact, required) to enforce it; and that the assault on the Mavi Marmara was wild and lacked proportion.
The Israeli government, naturally, quickly adopted the first part and did its best to keep the second out of sight. Netanyahu even had the gall to announce Israel accepts the first and rejects the second. I’ll be dealing with the first part, but – as I think the death of nine human beings and the wounding of dozens more is more important than questions of legality – will spend most of my time dealing with the second part.
To begin with, the Palmer Report is a strange animal. The committee investigated nothing on its own and it only relies on the reports delivered by Israel and Turkey. The committee had to ascertain whether the naval blockade of Gaza is legal, and this posed some problems. The first one is that for a blockade to take place, there have to be two belligerent sides – and Israel never recognized Hamas as such. The committee solved the problem by recognizing Hamas as a belligerent (article 73). In the same article, the committee notes it is aware that “under the law of armed conflict, a State can hardly rely on some of its provisions but not pay heed to others.” Yours truly is not an expert on international law, but it looks as if the Palmer Committee recognizes the Hamas gunmen as warriors, enjoying all the rights accorded them in international law. This means Israel can no longer treat them as criminals and try them in its kangaroo courts; it must treat them as prisoners of war. This is something Israel fought against for decades. Since Netanyahu was so happy to adopt the parts of the report dealing with the blockade, one assumes he agrees to this, as well.
The report bypasses another mine on its path to legalizing the blockade, this time the demand that its enforcement be “effective and impartial”, by saying it began in January 2009 (art. 76), and ignoring the fact Olmert allowed several flotillas to reach Gaza. Article 77 shows the committee at its naïve best, when it says the policy of land siege of Gaza is unconnected to the naval blockade, and by saying the blockade is only intended to prevent the smuggling of arms. The committee ignores the fact that equipment which reaches Gaza by sea also has to pass through the Israeli checkpoints – and that Israel’s siege is not at all limited to arms. For instance, it refuses to allow the import of construction material, under the pretense Hamas may use it to build bunkers. Hamas, which controls the tunnels, has all the construction material it needs, thank you for asking; it’s the common Gazan who wants to build a house, or who wants to rebuild the school Israel destroyed, who is harmed by this policy.
The committee also says the Mavi Marmara could not have landed in Gaza, since there are no adequate port facilities (art. 78), while tacitly ignoring the fact that the port does not exist because Israel bombed it, and it is not rebuilt because Israel refuses to assure the donating countries it won’t bomb it again. Furthermore, Israel’s policy regarding Gaza has been expressed publicly in the past. It is not military, per se. It is a policy of economic pressure against the population for its support of Hamas. An American communiqué leaked by Wikileaks said that “Israeli officials have confirmed to econoffs on multiple occasions that they intend to keep the Gazan economy on the brink of collapse without quite pushing it over the edge.”
The Gisha Center, which focuses on the siege on Gaza and its effect on Gazans and Israelis, noted in its response to the report that international law – which, as the report says, A State can hardly rely on some of its provisions but not pay heed to others” – requires Israel “Israel to allow freedom of movement for people and civilian goods to and from the Strip, subject only to individual security inspections. The Palmer Commission did not review Israel’s overall closure of the Gaza Strip, still in place today”. Needless to say, Israel does not abide by these standards.
And now for the really interesting part: What happened on the Marmara. The report strongly rebukes Israel for carrying the attack a long distance away from Gaza, for carrying it out at dawn and without the warnings common in international law – such as warnings, firing across the bow, and so on. No such warnings were given even though the IDF’s battle order said they ought to be, as well as informing the vessels prior to the assault that the navy “was obliged to take all necessary measures” (art. 110-111). The committee found that the decision to attack at dawn without prior warning derived as much from Israel’s wish to avoid publicity as from operational reasons (112). It further finds the assault, as carried out, treated the flotilla as if it was an immediate military threat, which it certainly was not (114), and reached the conclusion that the attack without warning on the ship was a major factor in the deterioration into violence (115). It says that had the IDF bothered to supply a warning – for instance, a shot across the bow – this may well have calmed tempers, and the incident may have been prevented. It also criticizes the IDF for not using non-lethal weapons.
The IDF, as you probably recall, claimed his men did not open fire until they were attacked by a raging mob. And while such a mob certainly was there, the committee finds the IDF’s claims to be reality-challenged. Bullet holes have been found in the upper decks of the Marmara, which clearly indicate being shot from above, and the committee assumes guns were fired at the ship from the helicopters. The committee also accepts the Turkish claim that the ship was also under fire from Israeli navy boats surrounding it, all of which denies the IDF’s claim of “using accurate fire”.
Another reason to dismiss this claim comes from the number of rounds fired. The IDF gunmen say (126) they fired 308 live bullets, 264 paintball bullets, and 87 beanbag bullets. Seven out of nine dead suffered a number of injuries to sensitive parts of the body. Five of them were shot from behind (at least three suffered a shot to the back of the head), two were each hit by one accurate bullet (one of them was hit between the eye, one in the throat), and at least one of them, Furkan Dogan, took a bullet to the back of the head at point-blank range after already taking bullets to the leg, face and back, and was likely lying down. The committee refrains from saying he was murdered execution style (128).
The Israeli representative failed to explain how each of the victims was harmed, and said (127) given the circumstances, Israel could not find out the circumstances of each wound – which says all needs to be said about the quality of IDF debriefings, which the army lauded. The IDF failed to provide the committee with any proof that and of the men he killed was armed (128), and one of the dead – who was shot from a passing boat – was holding at the time of his death a weapon of mass destruction cleverly disguised as a fire hose (ibid).
The committee also finds that the IDF used unnecessary violence – admittedly, non-lethal – towards people on the other ships of the flotilla, even though no resistance was offered to the boarders (132), and refers (135-145) to the abuse and looting which were suffered by the detainees by the heroes of the IDF.
If you please, may I point out an elephant in the middle of the room? During the takeover, the IDF confiscated all of the magnetic media found on the flotilla, including photos and videos documenting the assault itself. It released a few short videos it took itself, but so far – 15 months after the events – it won’t release neither its own full filming of the assault, nor the confiscated media.
After reading the report, one understands why: We would see an ecstasy of violence not just from the IHH goons, but from Israel’s finest gunmen, who fired 659 rounds of various sorts on the Marmara. Which is to say, more than one bullet per person on the ship, or – given the IDF’s claim that 30 activists resisted the boarding – more than 20 bullets per resister. This isn’t controlled fire; this is unbridled frenzy, which was possibly the result of three soldiers being taken captive by the people on the Marmara. The IDF had all the chances in the world to prove it is in the right: All it had to do was release the documentary data. It didn’t, and probably with good reason. The Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, later forbade the testimony of soldiers by the Israeli investigative committee. Again, he probably had a good reason for that.
The IDF not only assaulted the Marmara ignoring its own battle order (which said warning before the assault is required); not only did so in an unusually poor attempt to avoid publication of the attack (as if such a thing was remotely possible), and not only lost its senses when it was on board – it also ruined any chance of rebuilding our relations with Turkey. The army said time and time again that an apology would be a “humiliation of the Shayetet soldiers”, which made it impossible for Israel politicians to make such an apology.
The IDF is not alone here, of course: Binyamin Netanyahu, always willing to buy right-wing votes at the expense of Israel’s interests, refused to apologize. At first, Israeli pundits noted, he told the Obama administration he is afraid that Liberman will use the apology as a pretext for leaving the government. Once the Americans spoke with Liberman, who said he won’t resign, Netanyahu demanded he say so in public, which Liberman duly did. And then Netanyahu informed the Americans he can’t apologize, not with a social justice protest movement on his hands.
Naturally, other politicians are riding this horse – Erdogan prominent among them; he certainly could use any drop of patriotic fervor as he chucks his military leadership in prison – but it is jaw-dropping to see, once more, how a military screw-up at company level causes most of Israel to defend the military, despite the staggering diplomatic and political price.
Which, one fears, is just the appetizer before the main dish, to be served in about three weeks.Our perfect pub classic autumn/winter dish of bangers and mash makes a welcome return, following its brief summer break, offering a heart-warming meal which has been a firm favourite – for ever.
Delicious
Served with three succulent Lincolnshire sausages, a good helping of Maris Piper mash, garden peas and a delicious caramelised onion & ale gravy, it rejoins our pub classic line-up. Bangers and mash is a common British dish comprising sausages (bangers) and mashed potato (mash). Traditionally served with onion gravy, it is a staple of the country’s overall cuisine and is a popular pub dish.
Bangers
The term ‘bangers’ supposedly originated during World War I, when meat shortages resulted in sausages being made with several cheaper fillings, notably water, causing them to pop and explode, when cooked. No such worries in Wetherspoon’s kitchens, with our prime meat premium pork Lincolnshire sausages, as well as our vegetarian option and regional variations.
Traditional
Our pubs across Wales serve Welsh dragon sausages (accompanied with Caerphilly cheese mash), while our pubs across the Republic of Ireland offer Irish mellow sausages (with champ – a traditional Irish recipe of mashed potato and spring onion). Wherever you are with Wetherspoon, enjoy our bangers and mash pub classic.
The word sausage derives from the Latin salsisium, meaning something which has been salted. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first specific reference in English came in 15th-century vocabulary – ‘salcicia’, a ‘sawsage’. Sausages are thought to have first been introduced to Britain by the Romans c400 AD.
During the early days of the Empire, Romans mixed fresh pork with finely chopped white pine nuts, cumin seeds, bay leaves and black pepper. In 320 AD, because of sausages’ association with pagan festivals, Roman Emperor Constantinus I and the Catholic church made sausage-eating a sin – and their consumption was banned.
Under the rule of King Charles I, sausages were divided into links for the first time. Queen Victoria was apparently particularly fond of sausages, but made the tedious request that the meat used be hand-chopped, rather than minced.DETROIT -- Observed in the locker room after the Detroit Lions' 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals:
Silence: After one of the tougher losses Detroit has had in recent seasons -- and certainly its most difficult loss of this season -- it was mostly a silent, beat-up locker room after the game. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush declined to talk with reporters after the game.
Sitting at his locker: Give Sam Martin some credit. He did own up to the shanked punt, explained what happened and answered about two-and-a-half minutes of questions. After, though, he sat and stared at his locker for a while before long-snapper Don Muhlbach started to talk to him.
Watching the scene: After he was done with his media obligations, quarterback Matthew Stafford was one of the last players to leave the Lions' locker room. He sat in a corner and stared out at the rest of his guys. No one was really talking to him, just looking on in complete silence. Stafford, when asked after the game if it was one of the toughest losses he’s been a part of, he answered with one word: “Yep.”Thousands run in Hood to Coast relay Copyright by KOIN - All rights reserved Hood to Coast kicks off at Mt. Hood, August 25 2017. (KOIN) [ + - ] Video
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Hood to Coast relay kicked off Friday morning at 5 a.m. with thousands of runners making their way from Mt. Hood to Seaside.
Approximately 12,600 runners in 1,050 teams of 12 will participate in the relay, which is a fundraiser for the Providence Cancer Center.
The familiar faces of KOIN 6 News personalities Jenny Hansson, Trevor Ault, Claire Anderson, Andrew Dymburt, Carly Kennelly and Sally Showman will be joined by KOIN’s Allison Marple, Presley Weir, Rich Kurz, Pat Nevin, Nathaniel Hartwig and Chris Krup.
Hood To Coast KOIN News Hounds Van 2 assemble! @KOINNews pic.twitter.com/fQ79z26Z5I — Claire Anderson (@ClaireKOIN) August 25, 2017
Businesses along the route, like Mountain Moka in Sandy, are already stocked up as they expect those runners to pass through town Friday afternoon.
"It definitely gets crazy," Avery Johns at Mountain Moka said. "Lots of coffee, lots of snacks and sandwiches."
The coffee shop will be fully staffed to serve all the extra people in town.
"There's quite a few hundred that I've I seen come by," Johns said. "And it's always fun to see them."
On their 199 mile journey, members of those teams of 12 will also pass by the Big Apple Market off Highway 26, where Josh Brownfield watches from the counter every year.
He said locals know to watch their speed when runners are passing through, and this year in particular they're used to the rush.
"We were downright slammed for the eclipse," Brownfield said. "It's definitely crazy having both of those events back to back and it's something that doesn't happen a lot."
Copyright by KOIN - All rights reserved Trevor Ault, Jenny Hansson, Sally Showman, Presley Weir, Allison Marple-Schlenker and Rich Kurz at Mt. Hood getting ready for Hood to Coast. (KOIN)You are correct due to the async calls your requests will possibly be done out of order. You can combat this by either using an IIFE or by moving your ajax call to a separate function and pass the index the page should be loaded to.
IIFE
for (var i = page; i < total; i++) { var full = query + "/" + i + ".html"; (function(idx){ $http.get(full). success(function (data) { pages[idx] = {image: $(data).find('img#image').attr('src')}; j++; //assuming j is a counter for knowing when pages are loaded if (j == total) { cb(pages); } }). error(function () { console.log("Error getting chapter"); }); })(i); }
Separate function call
function doAjax(url,pageArray,idx,cb){ $http.get(url). success(function (data) { pageArray[idx] = {image: $(data).find('img#image').attr('src')}; j++; //assuming j is a counter for knowing when pages are loaded if (j == total) { cb(pages); } }). error(function () { console.log("Error getting chapter"); }); } //.... for (var i = page; i < total; i++) { var full = query + "/" + i + ".html"; doAjax(full,pages,i,cb); }
Note since $http calls return a promise you can use $q.all to wait till all the pages are loaded to call your cb(pages) call instead of incrementing j and checking (I am assuming that is what your if statement for the cb(pages) is attempting to accomplish)'I'm shot in the face,' woman tells 911 after attempted murder-suicide
"I have been shot two times…I'm bleeding badly," Martha Smith told a 911 operator. "I'm shot in the face and the hand."
The 911 call of a Kissimmee woman who survived being shot in an attempted murder-suicide was released Wednesday, a day after the shooting.
At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Smith called police saying William Marble, 84, had shot her at a home on Poinsettia Lane near the city's lakefront. And she said Marble then shot himself, according to police
"He's not living," she said.
Police found Marble's body in the home. He and Smith, 64, both worked as caregivers for the unidentified homeowner who was not there during the shooting, according to police.
Smith remains in stable condition at an undisclosed hospital, according to Kissimmee police.
The shooting remains under investigation.
hcurtis@tribune.com or 407-420-5257.It’s summer time, so let your tropical goddess shine! Yellow is such an unusual colour for me (previously my worst!) but there was something about this dress that I fell in love with. And boy am I glad I gave it a try!
I find the draping of Ms MoneyPenny’s designs so perfect for the curvier and plus size figures – they just know exactly where to distract, and where to enhance. The fabric is lovely and slinky and high-quality.
This frock is the perfect choice if you want to stand out from the crowd and make a splash – and yes, it’s available in other colours, even though I just love it as a ray of sunshine!
Dress: Ms Moneypenny available from Fefla Couture
Earrings: Violet Vanilla Shop
Hair flower: Miss Happ at Retrospective Fashion
Hair cut and colour: StyleBar
Photographer and Stylist: Simone from Yellow PapayaThis week, we sit down with filmmaker Werner Herzog. We cover a fair amount of ground in our dense conversation with him, including his fascination with death row and his latest movie, Into The Abyss, a documentary about a triple homicide and the man sentenced to die for his role in it. Herzog also describes his Rogue Film School where he teaches his students to, among other things, forge film permits in the hopes of inspiring them to adopt his stop-at-nothing approach to filmmaking. Plus, he reflects on his unique ability to play villains in movies, which he'll do opposite Tom Cruise in the film One Shot. Herzog says that he can really be "vile and debased" on screen despite the fact that in real life he's a "fluffy husband." Herzog also recounts the story of him literally eating his shoe in 1979. It was an event sparked by a challenge he gave the then-untested filmmaker Errol Morris, which was documented in the short film by Les Blank, Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. Incidentally Herzog will be giving the Career Achievement Award to Blank at the International Documentary Association Awards (IDA) in December.
Today's Banter Topics:
- James Cameron's 3D conversion of Titanic
- The struggles of NBC to get a hit
- The ironic economics of the Occupy Wall St. movement buying Guy Fawkes masks from V for Vendetta
Banner image: Filmmaker Werner Herzog at KCRW. Photo by Bill ZelmanShare this
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Email You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. University Rutgers University
RUTGERS (US) — The effect prolonged chemotherapy has on the development of new brain cells and rhythms may be the cause for the fog-like condition known as “chemo-brain.”
It’s not unusual for cancer patients being treated with chemotherapy to complain about not being able to think clearly, connect thoughts, or concentrate on daily tasks. Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (chemo-brain) is common, but the scientific cause has been difficult to pinpoint.
New research suggests that extended chemotherapy reduces the development of new brain cells, a process known as neurogenesis, and disrupts ongoing brain rhythms in the part of the brain responsible for making new memories. Both are affected by learning and in some cases are necessary for learning to occur.
[sources]
“One of the things that these brain rhythms do is to connect information across brain regions,” says Tracey Shors, professor in the Department of Psychology and Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers. “We are starting to have a better understanding of how these natural rhythms are used in the process of communication and how they change with experience.”
For the study, published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, rats were treated with a chemotherapy drug—temozolomide (TMZ)—used on individuals with either malignant brain tumors or skin cancer to stop rapidly dividing cells that have gone out of control and resulted in cancer.
Researchers found that the production of new healthy brain cells treated with the TMZ was reduced in the hippocampus by 34 percent after being caught in the crossfire of the drug’s potency. The cell loss, coupled with the interference in brain rhythms, resulted in the animal being unable to learn difficult tasks.
The rats had great difficulty learning to associate stimulus events if there was a time gap between the activities but could learn simple task if the stimuli were not separated in time. Interestingly, Shors says, the drug did not disrupt memories that were already present when the treatment began.
For cancer patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy this could mean that although they are able to do simple everyday tasks, they find it difficult to do more complicated activities like processing long strings of numbers, remembering recent conversations, following instructions, and setting priorities.
Studies indicate that while most cancer patients experience short-term memory loss and disordered thinking, about 15 percent of cancer patients suffer more long-lasting cognitive problems as a result of the chemotherapy treatment.
“Chemotherapy is an especially difficult time as patients are learning how to manage their treatment options while still engaging in and appreciating life. The disruptions in brain rhythms and neurogenesis during treatment may explain some of the cognitive problems that can occur during this time. The good news is that these effects are probably not long-lasting,” says Shors.
Source: RutgersThe mother of a girl who wagged the equivalent of more than half a year of school says she simply did not want to go.
Lilene Davis' daughter, a Freyberg High School pupil, managed to skip 108 full days and 23 half days of school between January 2012 and April this year.
Those absences led to Davis pleading guilty in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday to failing to ensure her child went to school.
The girl's father, Craig Gardner, pleaded guilty to the same Education Act charge last month.
According to the summary of facts, conferences were held to try to get the girl to go to school, and Davis was given multiple warnings by the school and police about her daughter's behaviour.
Davis told the court her daughter simply did not want to go to school.
She moved her daughter to a school in Levin to try to turn things around but the child continued to wag.
Judge Gerard Lynch fined Davis $150 and ordered her to pay $230 in costs and solicitor's fees.CLOSE Pastor Jamie Coots, star of the National Geographic reality show 'Snake Salvation', died after he was bitten by one of the snakes he was handling. Coots' son says this was the ninth time his father had been bitten while using snakes in a service. VPC
Pastor Jamie Coots had appeared on "Snake Salvation."
Jamie Coots of Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church of Middlesboro, Ky., holds a rattlesnake during a service at Tabernacle Church of God in LaFollette, Tenn. on May 24, 2012. (Photo: Shelley Mays, Gannett) Story Highlights The Rev. Jamie Coots suffered bite Saturday night
Coots refused to go to a hospital
Emergency officials later found him dead
A Kentucky pastor who co-starred in the TV show Snake Salvation has died of a snakebite.
Emergency personnel received a call Saturday night that someone at a church, Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name, had suffered a snakebite, Middlesboro Police Chief Jeff Sharpe said in a statement. He said an ambulance crew went to the church, but the Rev. Jamie Coots had left. The crew went to Coots' home and found him suffering from a bite to the hand.
RELATED: Serpent-handling pastors to star in reality show
RELATED: Young snake handlers say they grasp the power of faith
"After a brief examination and discussion of the possible dangers if the wound was not treated, treatment — and transport to the hospital — was refused," Sharpe said.
An hour later, police, emergency officials and a deputy coroner returned to the home to find that Coots had died, Sharpe said.
Coots, who was profiled on The National Geographic show featuring pentecostal, serpent-handling preachers, pleaded guilty last year to violating Tennessee's exotic animals law and agreed to surrender his snakes.
Coots and the show's co-star, the Rev. Andrew Hamblin, believe in a passage from the Gospel of Mark that suggests a poisonous snakebite won't harm them if they are anointed by God's power:
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Most churches view the passage as a metaphor, but for almost a century a small number of believers in Tennessee, Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia have followed the passage literally. Coots and Hamblin believed that, if they did not practice the snake-handling ritual, they would be condemned to hell.
Cody Winn, another preacher at Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name, said he was right next to Coots when he got bit during the Saturday evening service, according to WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tenn.
"Jamie went across the floor. He had one of the rattlers in his hand, he came over and he was standing beside me. It was plain view, it just turned its head and bit him in the back of the hand before, within a second," said Winn.
He said Coots dropped the snakes, but then picked them back up and continued on. Within minutes, he said Coots headed to the bathroom with his son and Hamblin, who is on Snake Salvation.
"Andrew said he looked at him and said'sweet Jesus' and it was over. He didn't die right then, but he just went out and never woke back up," Winn said.
Coots' son, Cody, said his dad had been bit eight times before, but never had such a severe reaction.
He said he thought the bite his dad received Saturday would be just like all the others.
"We're going to go home, he's going to lay on the couch, he's going to hurt, he's going to pray for a while and he's going to get better. That's what happened every other time, except this time was just so quick and it was crazy, it was really crazy," said Cody Coots.
Cody Coots said he and a group of people at the church helped carry his dad to the car and took him home, where he died later that night. He said his dad didn't believe in going to the doctor for a snakebite.
The Snake Salvation Facebook fan page featured a "Rest in Peace" cover photo on Sunday. A Day Of Support and Remembering of Pastor Coots was announced for Tuesday.
"I am so sorry for the family's loss," Janet Ellison posted. "He died doing what he felt led to do by God. Heaven gained a true warrior tonight!"
Not all the reaction was so sympathetic. Hemant Mehta, in the Friendly Atheist blog, wrote: "Alright, everyone just get it out of your system: 'I told you so.' There. Much better."
Jamie Coots isn't the first to be fatally bitten at the Middlesboro, Ky., church. A snake handler named Melinda Brown died after she was bit in 1995.
Contributing: Bob Smietna, The Tennessean; Evan Johnson, WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tenn.
CLOSE Kentucky Pastor Jamie Coots died after he was bitten by a snake Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at his chuch Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name. The Tennessean
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1eF9STxUPDATE: Diamond has been adopted by a retired fire fighter 🙂
Diamond is one of those cases that makes me not want to go back to the shelter. She was burned very badly at one point, she had her ears chopped off by a novice and she has been in and out of the shelter for many years. Animal Control has been out to her house many times for tethering, letting his dogs run loose and keeping them in unsafe conditions. Listening to her story makes me very sad.
But when you approach her, she doesn’t wear the abuse in her demeanor. She is friendly, but shy. She loves to walk around with me, never pulling on the leash. She’s just happy to go where I want to go. She goes nose to nose with other dogs without a problem and even licked a feral cat in the face. When I take her out into the outside play area, she gingerly walks around the area a few times, then comfortably sits down by me in the shade.
She is eight years old, so she is docile. But that also means she is wise. She has been in this shelter before. She has seen people time and time again walk past her without a second glance. Or people walk past her and tell their children not to touch.
She knows the drill. She sits in her crate and waits for her next meal. Or her next trip outside. But mostly, she just sits there and waits to die.
Diamond is at Fulton County Animal Services: A466949. Please email neelyannconway@gmail.com if you are interested in helping Diamond with either a foster or an adopter.
AdvertisementsTaylor Swift was her typically charming and elegant-looking self during last night’s Grammy awards. The “Blank Space” singer posed for pics with seemingly everyone including, perhaps surprisingly, Kanye West and Diplo (she had the infamous Grammy sabotage from the former and a very public beef with the latter).
Taylor donned a teal Elie Saab gown with a look that quite a few folks via social media felt reminded them of perhaps the only bigger female pop star of 2014 – Elsa from Disney’s Frozen!
When you take a gander side-by-side (click on the image for a zoom) you can see the similarities – and hey, it’s a pretty cool compliment to be compared to a Disney princess.
As far as any competition between the two… We’re gonna “Shake It Off” and “Let It Go” because with Taylor and Elsa we all win 😉No value assigned
Saturday
Ray's at Killer Creek Sat., Aug. 20, 6 p.m. Whole Hog Whiskey Dinner Enjoy a five-course specialty menu featuring whole hog created by executive chef Mike Fuller. Distiller Dave Pickerell will pair whiskey concoctions with each course. Details
Woodruff Park Sat., Aug. 20, 2-7 p.m. German Bierfest Atlanta Enjoy the 13th annual Bierfest for a day filled with authentic German beer, snacks, music and sports. Guests will also receive a commemorative tasting glass. VIP tickets are available. Details
Sunday
The Art Farm at Serenbe Sun., Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m. Art Over Dinner Lexus and Serenbe will host Susannah Darrow with ArtsATL, an independent online publication devoted to building and showcasing the city’s arts community. Attendees can rub elbows with Darrow and other culture enthusiasts over food from Homespun and wine from the Farmhouse at Serenbe. To keep things nice and intimate, seating is limited to 40 guests. Details
Eddie's Attic Sun., Aug. 21, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Gospel Brunch Eddie's Attic is teaming up with southern restaurant Revival, to bring back the heart of the soul food and music through this Sunday brunch. With a fresh food buffet accompanyed by performances by Otis Redding III, son of the late, great Otis Redding, Mudcat and the Atlanta Horns, this event is southern-can't-miss. Details
Turner Field Sun., Aug. 21 Brunch with the Braves Enjoy brunch with the Braves on Aug. 21 prior to the game against the Washington Nationals. Ticket packages include a catered buffet, one drink ticket, a souvenir cup, live music on the hospitality patio and a ticket to the game. Details
Bosch Experience Center at Serenbe Sun., Aug. 21, 2-3:30 p.m. The Essentials of Cooking: Summer Pasta Bacchanalia's chef de cuisine, Jonathan Kallini, will guide students through the essentials of summer pasta dishes. Each participant will take home a menu with recipes from the class. Details
Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails Sun., Aug. 21, 6 p.m. Garden Dinner Mouths typically start watering as soon as the first hors d’oeuvres and libations are passed during the evening reception. During this time, guests have an opportunity to tour Milton's Acre. Then, it’s on to a memorable four-course meal of inspired comfort foods served family style under the stars. DetailsReady 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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On July 12 Julian Assange’s new legal team is scheduled to appeal before a London court his extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning in a sexual assault case brought by two Swedish women. Solicitor Gareth Peirce and barrister Ben Emmerson are respected human rights attorneys replacing a previous team described by Guardian investigations executive editor David Leigh as “high-priced Fleet Street lawyers.” Ad Policy
If Assange loses his July appeal, he can continue protesting his extradition to Sweden, ordered by a London court last February, by appealing to the United Kingdom’s supreme court and the European Court of Human Rights.
Assange’s previous legal team had argued that London is a better sanctuary than Sweden, where he worries he will be extradited to the United States on WikiLeaks conspiracy charges now being explored by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia. In their legal submissions, Assange’s first set of attorneys argued that if Sweden ever extradited him to the United States, he could be detained at Guantánamo.
Referring |
]
In the early 1980s foreign companies began transferring technology by licensing agreements and sales of equipment. Later in the 1980s many multinational corporations started transferring technology by entering into joint ventures with Chinese companies in order to expand in China. China in the 1990s introduced increasingly sophisticated regulations of foreign investment by which access to the Chinese market was traded for technology transfer. The entry of China into the World Trade Organization in 2001 required this practice stop but critics argue that it continues. Chinese critics have argued such technology transfer may be useful for catching up but does not create new, cutting edge technologies.[20]
China has increasingly encouraged multinational corporations to create R&D centers in China. Chinese critics have argued that foreign owned R&D mainly benefits foreign companies and removes many talented Chinese researchers from indigenous companies and institutions. Chinese supporters have argued that the foreign R&D serves as a role model and encouragement for indigenous companies and creates skilled communities from which labor and knowledge can easily flow to indigenous companies. In 2010 there were 1,200 such R&D centers and 400 out the Fortune 500 corporations had created such R&D centers. Corporations have argued that this is a necessity in order to adapt products for the local requirements of the Chinese market as well as it being essential for maintaining global competitiveness to make use the many available Chinese engineers and scientists. China is now ranked first when multinational corporations are asked in which nation future R&D centers are most likely to be located.[20]
Innovation [ edit ]
A 2005 report found serious shortcomings to China’s national innovation system. There were problems with services to help turn S&T work into results and the allocation of national funding to support S&T was far from optimal. Sometimes researchers became short-sighted if they get too close to the market. Another serious problem was that companies facing severe competition looked first to purchase foreign technology rather than investing in developing technology and technology development capacity at home in China. Many of the patent applications came from medium-sized enterprises (70%) since small enterprises invest little in research.[34] China's hierarchical, top-down society where authority is greatly respected and feared has been argued to stifle creative debate.[35]
China in a 2006 report outlined policies for improving innovation. They include 20 large megaprojects in areas such as nanotechnology, high-end generic microchips, aircraft, biotechnology, and new drugs. This is combined with a more bottom-up approach on a Silicon Valley model consisting of small start-ups, venture capital, and cooperation between industry and universities.[36]
It has also been argued that China is the world leader in making small, innovative improvements to existing designs. One example is continual improvements to the design of power supplies making them gradually smaller, less expensive, and more energy efficient. This may not create completely new products or create headlines but may be more important for creating employment.[37][38]
A 2016 NBER paper found that the Chinese economy is becoming increasingly innovative.[39] The study found that rising labor costs in China and "expanded market opportunities in the world economy" were the main drivers behind innovations.[39] The study also found that state-owned firms innovated less than private firms, even though state-owned firms received far greater subsidies.[39]
Procurement [ edit ]
The central Chinese government, a large buyer of high-tech products, in 2009 proposed controversial policies demanding that companies selling to it promote Chinese innovation and that the products sold are free of foreign intellectual property.[36] The most controversial parts were later withdrawn but local Chinese governments continue to use procurement to encourage indigenous innovation.[20]
Intellectual property [ edit ]
Effective protection of intellectual property has been seen as weak. There has been an increasing recognition of that this discourages indigenous innovation and efforts has been made to strengthen the system.[20]
China has been accused of not protecting foreign intellectual property and tacitly allowing such technologies to be copied and claimed to be Chinese intellectual property,[36][40] and even of directly facilitating the transfer of foreign technological intellectual property from corporations to Chinese companies.[41] Companies are required to divulge to Chinese authorities the inner workings of many technologies in the name of national security, and have accused the Chinese security forces of illegally sharing this technology with civilian industries.[42]
Patents [ edit ]
In 2011, China became the nation with the greatest number of filed patent applications. However, this reflects in part that the government gives companies incentives for filing patent applications regardless of if eventually granted. The percentage of patents applications in China filed by Chinese companies rose from less than 52% in 2006 to nearly 73% in 2010. World Intellectual Property Organization data shows that Chinese companies have also become more important regarding patents overseas with Chinese companies now being on place two and four regarding number of patent applications filed by individual companies. China aims to transform the economy from "Made in China" to "Designed in China" and from contract manufacturing to having brand name companies with resulting improved profit margins.[43]
China lags behind the United States for several patent indicators. In 2013, US residents filed 287,831 patents, almost the same number as non-residents (283,781). In China, on the other hand, just 17% of patents were filed by non-residents and there were as many as 704 936 resident applications to the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office. This compares with 21% of patent applications involving non-residents in Japan. In addition, although China is catching up fast, it still trails the USA, Japan and the European Union for the number of patents in force. China counted 1,851 triadic patents in the USPTO database in 2012, compared to 15,391 for Japan; 13,978 for the European Union and 13,785 for the United States.[44]
Among patents filed with the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office in 2013, just over half (64,153) of those filed by non-residents (120,200) were granted. This compares with one in five for residents.[15]
China's global share of triadic patents rose from 0.5% to 3.6% between 2002 and 2012. Over the same period, the Republic of Korea almost doubled its own world share to 5.5% (up from 2.8%). In 2012, Japan, the European Union and the United States continued to dominate global patents, accounting for 29.6%, 26.9% and 26.5% respectively. This means that the Big Five[clarification needed] accounted for 92% of the triadic patents in the world in 2012.[45]
Standards [ edit ]
To encourage innovation and avoid foreign intellectual property China has been developing indigenous technical standards. One example is the TD-SCDMA 3G standard. Critics have seen it as costly and delaying 3G introduction while supporters argue that it has increased technical abilities and experience which has increased Chinese competitiveness regarding 4G.[20] Long-Term Evolution Time-Division Duplex is being implemented as China's indigenous 4G standard.
Academic publishing [ edit ]
The Royal Society in a 2011 report on academic publishing stated that in share of English scientific research papers the United States was first followed by China, the UK, Germany, Japan, France, and Canada. The report predicted that China would overtake the United States some time before 2020, possibly as early as 2013. China's scientific impact, as measured by other scientists citing the published papers the next year, is smaller although also increasing.[46] An analysis of ISI Web of Knowledge data found that China had increased its share of the most highly cited science articles from 1.85% in 2001 to 11.3% in 2011. By 2014 China could surpass Germany and the UK and be ranked second after the United States. The share of the United States declined from 64.3% to 50.7% during the same ten-year period.[47]
A 2009 study of Chinese social science studies in the Social Sciences Citation Index found a slow increase until 1999. The 1999-2007 period saw a very rapid increase. However, in 2007 China still only contributed 1.39% of the studies and mainland China only surpassed Hong Kong in 2006. Economics & business had larger share than social, political & communication science and psychology. The low share of social sciences compared to natural sciences may reflect that this is a common pattern in Asian nations, that Chinese social scientists publish in national journals not included in the Index and have less career incitements regarding publishing in international journals, and that state ideology and control is more important for social sciences than natural sciences. In China natural sciences are administered by the Ministry of Science and Technology while social sciences are administered by the National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Sciences which may hinder inter-disciplinary collaboration.[48]
Articles published in China related to basic medial science and clinical research and indexed by PubMed increased on average by 31.2% and 22% each year between 2000 and 2009. Randomized clinical trial were about 1/3 of clinical research articles. However, in 2009 this still represented only 1.5% of worldwide clinical research articles and 1.7% of worldwide randomized clinical trials. Clinical research education for medical students and the involvement and the supporting environment for medical doctors regarding clinical research have shortcomings.[49]
Science-Metrix, a Canadian data-analysis company, predicted that in 2010 China would publish as many natural sciences and engineering peer-reviewed papers as the United States. In 2015 China is predicted to publish as many papers as the US across all fields. In 2030 China is predicted to surpass the US in life and social sciences.[50]
There are 8,000 journals and 4,600 in scientific fields. Almost all Chinese science organisations publish their own journal. The government owns or supports most journals with only a small number being privately owned. The "publish or perish" system has been argued to contribute to many low quality journals and articles that are infrequently cited and also to plagiarism and fraud. The Chinese government has put into place stricter regulations, punished or terminated some journals, and aims increase quality control and peer evaluation of journals as well as to create five to ten large publishing groups.[51] As part of the reforms, in 2012 the China Association for Science and Technology, which oversees 1,050 journals, in a declaration listed various forms of misconduct, plagiarism, and fraud and as well, the penalties for perpetrating them such as written warnings, blacklisting, contacting the researcher's home institution or funding agencies, or public disclosure. It has also been seen as important by increasing pressure on other journals and by informing editors who may not know that some actions such as favoring researchers based on personal relations are unacceptable. China also plans to give substantial financial incentives to top journals based on factors such as their Chinese and international impact factor. It has been questioned if this will have an effect on the many poor quality journals who in return for money help researchers fill their institutional requirements for published papers.[52]
State-owned enterprises [ edit ]
Chinese state-owned enterprises are owned by a variety of actors such as local governments and governmental agencies. They may benefit from advantages not available for smaller, more innovative firms which have been seen as problematic. In 2010 state owned enterprises won many biddings for renewable energy projects since they did not have worry about paying off investments for several decades and could ignore risks and costs. The owners may attempt to protect their enterprises from competition by regulations or otherwise use their influence in an unfair manner which may stifle more innovative, private competitors. Private enterprises surpassed stated owned enterprises during the 2002-2007 period regarding rapidity of increase of research spending, patent applications, and R&D laboratories. The number of research scientists and engineers increased rapidly in private enterprises while they declined in state owned enterprises.[20]
Corruption [ edit ]
Concerned about corruption in Chinese science,[53] some Chinese scientists, including Professor Liu Ming (刘明) of Zhejiang University in his 2005 book Critique of the Academic Evaluation System (学术评价制度批判), argue that interference from government officials and university bureaucrats makes peer review far less effective in China than it could be. The time scientists spend cultivating politically influential people is lost to scientific research. Liu argues that the command economy mentality of measuring everything by the numbers combined with pervasive political interference results in a great waste of money, human talent as well as considerable corruption in Chinese science.[54] A 2008 investigation into a certification for high-tech enterprises allowing large tax breaks and other advantages found that more than 70% of the enterprises had gained this under questionable circumstances and an investigation of a sample found that 73% did not pass the requirements.[20]
Awards [ edit ]
The State Science and Technology Prizes, including the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, are the highest honor in People's Republic of China in science and technology, in order to recognize citizens and organizations who have made remarkable contributions to scientific and technological progress, and to promote the development of science and technology.
Specific areas of R&D [ edit ]
Value in dollars of high-tech exports by country in 2009. The value of Chinese high-tech exports was more than twice that of any other nation.
The 13th Five-Year Plan for the National Economy and Social Development (2016–2020) will initiate the key Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030 Project in the following key areas: aero-engines and gas turbines; a deep sea station; quantum communication and quantum computers; brain sciences and brain research. The project also encompasses nine other sub-projects, including an innovative
seed industry, smart grid, space-terrestrial information network, intelligent manufacturing and robots.[55]
Agriculture [ edit ]
There is a lack of arable land and water which means only new technology can increase the output of Chinese agriculture. Former President Jiang Zemin's has therefore called for a "new revolution in agricultural science and technology."[56] Restrictions and regulations concerning genetically modified foods have been introduced or proposed after widespread public concern.[57] China has been buying millions of foreign breeder animal as well as large amount of foreign semen and livestock embryos in order to rapidly improve the genetics of Chinese livestock.[58] More advanced agricultural methods such as increasing use of pesticides has contributed to concerns regarding the Food safety in China.
Aquaculture and fishing [ edit ]
In 2008 the fishing industry in China accounted for 34% of the global output. Aquaculture in China had more than twice the output of capture fishing and contributed 62.3% of the global aquaculture output.[59] The rapid growth of aquaculture is in part due to Chinese research such as regarding the artificial breeding of carps.[60][61]
Chemistry, materials science and nanotechnology [ edit ]
A 2012 study found that China's share of academic papers in the field of nanotechnology had increased from less than 10% in 2000 to nearly a quarter in 2009 and had overtaken the United States for first position. However, China was less influential in the top three journals and regarding citations, suggesting a lesser quality.[62] In terms of the density of publication, however, the United States remained ahead, with 68.76 articles on nanotechnology per million inhabitants, compared to 25.44 per million for China in 2014.[15] China was in second place for the number of patents granted. A number of bodies have been created to establish national standards and ensure oversight.[62]
According to the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Science and Technology, China contributed about one-quarter of all academic articles published around the world in materials science and chemistry and 17% of those published in physics between 2004 and 2014 but just 8.7% of those in molecular biology and genetics. This nevertheless represents a steep rise from just 1.4% of the world share of publications in molecular biology and genetics over 1999–2003.[15][17]
Jinling oil refinery in Nanjing
KPMG in 2010 predicted that the Chinese chemical industry will become world's largest producer by 2015. The Chinese government aims to make China self-sufficient regarding petrochemicals and plastics with the exception of the raw feedstock of oil and gas. The Chinese industry is increasing R&D in order to create higher value products using more advanced technology.[63] Another development
Deep sea exploration [ edit ]
China is developing its deep sea exploration capabilities, such as by the Jiaolong submersible, with an eye to future applications such as deep sea mining.[64]
Electronics and information technology [ edit ]
In 2009 China manufactured 48.3% of the world's televisions, 49.9% of mobile phones, 60.9% of personal computers and 75% of LCD monitors. Indigenously made electronic components have become an important source of recent growth.
Artificial intelligence [ edit ]
On 8 July 2017, the Chinese State Council announced plans to turn China into the world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, seeking to make the industry worth 1 trillion yuan.[65] The State Council published a three-step road map to that effect in which it outlined how it expects AI to be developed and deployed across a wide number of industries and sectors, such as in areas from the military to city planning.[65] According to the road map, China plans to catch up to current AI world leaders' technological abilities by 2020, make major breakthroughs by 2025 and be the world leader in 2030.[66][67]
Drones and robotics [ edit ]
China is the leader in drone technology, it is the first country in the world to create large scale transport drones, as well as the first to produce an amphibious drone. Chinese drone companies such as DJI and Ehang (Beijing Yi-Hang Creation Science & Technology) conquered majority of the civilian drone industry, with DJI alone dominating 85% of the global market share. Ehang also created the world's first flying taxi drone, Ehang 184, an eco-friendly low altitude autonomous aerial vehicle capable of providing transportation and medium distance communication.[68][69][70][71][72]
In some regions, such as the Pearl River Delta, manufacturers have problems with labor shortages, raising wages, and higher expectations regarding work from more highly educated young people. This has increased the demand for industrial robots. As of 2017, China is the largest user and producer of robotics technology, as well as the first country in the world to perform an automated dental implant. It is the largest and fastest-growing robotics market in the world, and plans to manufacture at least 100,000 industrial robots annually by 2020.[73][74][75]
Software industry [ edit ]
The Chinese software industry in 2010 had a higher than 15% share of the world's software and information service market and had been growing by an average 36% each year during the previous decade. Chinese IT companies have been moving away from narrow downstream services and products to having a full range. China, with the active support of the Chinese government, is a leading pioneer in Internet of Things technology.[76]
According to the China Internet Network Information Center there were 751 million internet users as of 2017, with 53.2% of the population being internet users. The number of mobile internet users reached 724 million, with high penetration rates for mobile phones and broadband internet.[77][78] By 2017, China has the largest e-commerce market in the world, worth US$1.132 trillion, with a significant lead on other markets and almost tripling US market, the second largest.[79]
In 2017, there were more than 1.36 billion mobile subscribers in China, with the number of fixed line subscriptions hitting 310 million. The number of 4G users increased significantly, hitting 932 million by August 2017.[80][81][82] By 2020, China plans to adopt 5G network nationwide. State-owned China Telecom has already deployed 5G-oriented C-RAN fronthaul network, unveiling that it will be conducting commercial trials of 5G technology in 2019 and carry out network field trials in six Chinese cities in the latest sign of China's determination to lead the global deployment of the next-generation mobile technology.[83][84][85]
Microprocessors [ edit ]
China has its own versions of microprocessors, manufactured and developed domestically, which are also used to build the world's most powerful supercomputers.
Supercomputing [ edit ]
Supercomputing in China has expanded rapidly. Supercomputing affects the possibility to do cutting-edge research in many areas such as design of pharmaceuticals, cryptanalysis, natural resource exploration, climate models, and military technology. As of 2017, China had 202 of the 500 greatest supercomputers in the world, far exceeding any other country (including the US which has 143), in addition to possessing the top 2 most powerful supercomputers.[86][87] China is developing the capacity to manufacture the components domestically and plans to be the first to build an exascale supercomputer. China may also be planning to create much more powerful large-scale distributed supercomputing by connecting its supercomputer centers together.[88] Tianhe-1 was for a period in 2010-2011 the world's fastest supercomputer.[89] In June 2013, Tianhe-2, the successor to Tianhe-1, took the crown from its predecessor. In 2016, China's new supercomputer, Sunway TaihuLight became the world's most powerful supercomputer, significantly surpassing Tianhe-2's capabilities by three folds, while using Chinese-made chips. This signals China's success not only in the supercomputing industry, but also its domestic chip-making technology.[90][91]
Semiconductors [ edit ]
China's semiconductor industry has despite extensive governmental support had many problems in areas such as innovative new designs. This may be due to factors such as poorly guided state and local government support for soon outdated technologies and geographically scattered efforts, lacking engineering education, and poor protection of intellectual property. This may change by factors such a new emphasis on market mechanisms rather than direct support, concentration of efforts, return of Chinese who have studied abroad, increased pressure on foreign companies to transfer technology, indigenous Chinese technological standards, and increased demands for indigenous technology in the local market.[21][92][93]
The country has rapidly progressed in the semiconductor industry, while backing its largest chip maker and developer, Tsinghua Unigroup, with a US$150 billion funding to secure China's dominance in the semiconductor technology, and build a world-class semiconductor industry over the next 5 years.[94][95][96]
Energy [ edit ]
As China rapidly industrializes, power consumption and power generation are also increasing as well as research on these issues.
Power generation and transmission [ edit ]
Coal is predicted to remain the most important power source in the near future and China has been seen as the world leader in clean coal technology.[97][98][99] In 2009 China, become the world's largest investor in renewable energy technologies.[100] Nuclear power is planned to be rapidly expanded with China wanting to maximize self-reliance in nuclear reactor technology manufacturing and design although international cooperation and technology transfer are also encouraged. Advanced pressurized water reactors such as the CPR-1000 and the AP1000 are the mainstream technology for the near future. Later very high temperature reactors, such as pebble bed reactors, are a priority. By mid-century fast neutron reactors are seen as being the main technology.[101]
China in 2012 intended to spend $100 billion on smart grid technology during the next five years, to install 300 million smart meters before 2016, and to become the world leader in electric power transmission.[102] Ultra high voltage electricity transmission in China is being introduced order to reduce transmission losses.
is increasing focus on environmental concerns and renewable energy technology.[103]
Entertainment [ edit ]
The Chinese animation industry and access to the latest technology, such as 3D computer-generated imagery technology, is actively supported by the Chinese government and included in the latest national planning. In part, this may be because of a desire to increase Chinese soft power. The same technology as in Hollywood is available and much postproduction is outsourced to China. Successful indigenous artistic creativity is seen as a problem and may be restricted by factors such as production being aimed at getting government patronage rather than public approval, censorship, and some storylines based on Chinese culture not appealing to foreign audiences.[104] DreamWorks Animation, in a joint venture with Chinese companies, will set up a studio in Shanghai that may eventually get bigger than DreamWorks HQ, in part to avoid to quota restrictions on foreign films with China within a decade having been predicted to become the world's biggest cinema and entertainment market.[105][106] Disney has also entered into a partnership in order to help develop the Chinese animation industry.[107]
The China Research Institute of Film Science & Technology and the China Film Group Corporation developed and in 2012 put into commercial use the DMAX motion picture film format as well as associated technologies. It has been described as a competitor to IMAX and as laying the foundation for Chinese film projection technology using indigenous Chinese technology and intellectual property.[108]
Environment-friendly technologies [ edit ]
Rapid industrialization has been accompanied by many environmental problems and rising pollution in China. One part of the Chinese response involves advanced technology such as the world's largest high-speed rail network and high fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles.[109] China is rapidly expanding its wastewater treatment systems and power plant emission reduction systems.[110][111] Due to the Chinese water crisis, as well as for future exports, China is building up its desalination technological abilities and plans to create an indigenous industry. Some cities have introduced extensive water conservation and recycling programmes and technologies.[112]
Health [ edit ]
Biotechnology and genetics [ edit ]
Monitor Group in a 2010 report predicted that China within a decade will become the world leader in discovery and innovation in life sciences. Some research is seen as less controversial in China than elsewhere such as research regarding the genetic causes of intelligence. BGI, formerly Beijing Genomics Institute, has been described as having the world's largest DNA sequencing facilities.[88]
Stem cell research and stem cell treatments are less controversial in Chinese culture which have supported Chinese research as well medical tourism to China in order to receive experimental and often unproven therapies. In 2012 a regulatory crackdown was instituted which may increase the ability of the Chinese industry to get approval for sales of future therapies to other nations.[113][114] More generally, China aims and has made progress towards becoming a world leader in regenerative medicine which also includes areas such as tissue engineering and gene therapy.[115]
China in 2011 stated that biotechnology (including biopharmacy, biological engineering, bio-agriculture and biomanufacturing) was a major priority for science and technology spending. Biotechnology will be used to enhance economic development as well as for improving Chinese environmental protection, nutrition, healthcare, and medicine. The Chinese governments expects biotechnology to add 1 million jobs during the 2011-2015 period.[116]
Brain research [ edit ]
On 22 March 2018, an agreement was signed establishing the Chinese Institute for Brain Science, Beijing.[117] The launch of this institute may represent a significant departure from the current policy focus on applied research and development. [17]
Once completed, the new brain institute will serve as a core facility for the country’s planned project to study the human brain. The institute will not be part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Rather, it will collaborate with the academy, along with Beijing’s other leading biomedical institutions, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences.[17]
The new institute will probably receive funding both from the National Natural Science Foundation and from the mega-science programmes within the Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030 Project. In March 2018, the government announced plans to place the National Natural Science Foundation under the Ministry of Science and Technology but the implications of this latest reorganization of science are unclear, as the two agencies have different missions in support of basic research.[17]
Pharmaceuticals and medical technology [ edit ]
Merrill Lynch predicted in 2011 that China would become the world's second largest pharmaceutical market in 2013 and the largest in 2020.[118] The chief executive of Hoffmann-La Roche in 2012 stated a few years ago many Chinese life sciences scientists had to leave China but that many were now returning to conditions often better than in the West regarding laboratories, funding, and political support for the industry.[119] Counterfeit drugs have caused a number of scandals as well as being a problem for drug development and authorities have increased regulations and enforcement.[120][121]
A 2011 report by PwC stated that a decade earlier China barely had any presence in the medical technology industry but its abilities had been rapidly growing. China could well become more important than Europe by 2020.[122]
Development of advanced machine tools, such as computer numerical control machine tools, are seen as a priority and supported by the Chinese government. China is the world's leading producer and consumer of machine tools.[123] A 2010 US government report stated that US export controls of advanced five axis machine tools were ineffectual due to the technical capabilities of Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers.[124]
Military technology [ edit ]
One example of new Chinese military technology is the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile which reportedly has contributed to a quick and major change in US naval strategy.[125] China is developing anti-satellite weapons and plans to make the navigational Beidou system global by 2020.[126] Other new technologies include Chinese anti ballistic missile developments, the Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation jet fighter, and possibly electromagnetic pulse weapons.[127][128] Chinese reconnaissance satellites are, according to a 2011 report, almost equal to those of the United States in some areas in which China had almost no capability a decade earlier.[129] Despite increased defense spending, China's share of the world's import of arms is rapidly falling, in part reflecting the increased abilities of the indigenous military production.[130] China is also developing power projection military capabilities such as through the Chinese aircraft carrier programme and the Type 071 amphibious transport dock.
15-28% of governmental R&D expenditures may go to military research according to some unofficial estimates. The Chinese defense sector remains almost completely state-owned but military equipment production has been reorganized into corporate bodies allowing limited competition and the defense patent system has been reformed to allow greater rewards to innovative enterprises and individuals. The organizational structure has shed civilian applications while at the same time cooperation with the civilian sector has increased and state supported civilian research sometimes have dual use applications.[20] Chinese jet engines remains a problematic area that has caused concern at the highest levels with China still being largely dependent on imports from foreign manufacturers. One possible explanation is a continued Soviet style fragmentation of the research and production line into many isolated units having little contact with one another causing problems with overall standardization, integration, and quality control. More problems from this may be duplication of efforts, dispersal of efforts, and unproductive competition over patronage causing problems such as dishonest reporting of problems. High precision jet engines may be particularly sensitive to accumulated quality problems.[131]
History of China's hydrogen bomb [ edit ]
China successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on June 17, 1967 at Lop Nur Nuclear Weapon Test Base, in Malan, Xinjiang (also known as "Test No. 6"). China became the fourth country to have successfully developed a thermonuclear weapon after the United States, Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. The device was dropped from a Hong-6 (Chinese manufactured Tu-16) and was parachute-retarded for an airburst at 2960 meters. The bomb was a three-stage device with a boosted U-235 primary and U-238 pusher. The yield was 3.3 megatons.
It was a fully functional, full-scale, three-stage hydrogen bomb, tested 32 months after China had made its first fission device. China thus produced the shortest fission-to-fusion development known in history. China had received extensive technical help from the Soviet Union to jump-start their nuclear program, but by 1960, the rift between the Soviet Union and China had become so great that the Soviet Union ceased all assistance to China.[1] Thus, the Number 6 test was indeed an independent endeavor, after the induced military and economic sanctions enacted by the superpowers at the time, the United States and the Soviet Union.
China's H-bomb was different from the traditional Teller-Ulam configuration. As an advantage, it was completed without the calculations needed from supercomputers, which would consume a lot of time. To shrink the size of the weapon, the reflectors were made parabolic with the solid fusion fuel located at the foci. It is also known as Yu Min Design (or Yu-Deng Design) as Yu Min made major contributions included the solutions to a series of fundamental and critical theoretical problems of nuclear weapons, which led to breakthrough of the unique hydrogen bomb.
The goal of China was to produce a thermonuclear device of at least a megaton in yield that could be dropped by an aircraft or carried by a ballistic missile. Several explosions to test thermonuclear weapon designs, characteristics and yield boosting preceded the thermonuclear test.[1]
Mining and rare earth industry [ edit ]
Advisory firm The Beijing Axis director Lilian Luca in 2010 stated that China was becoming a world leader in mining technology. Technological solutions were initially concentrated on achieving massive low-cost production but increasing emphasis has been placed on environmental and safety issues in part reflecting greater concern in China with environmental issues. China was already a world leader in certain areas such as rare earth elements.[132] China has imposed export quotas on rare earth elements, 95% of which are mined in China, citing environmental issues, but has been accused of wanting to force high-tech industry using rare earth elements to move to China.
Finding rare earth elements is only the first and some argue the easiest step. Other steps towards manufacturing such as refining is controlled by China and Japan with the previously dominant United States having lost all of its producers and much of its fundamental technological ability with the number of scientists and engineers in the area declining dramatically.[133]
Polar research [ edit ]
The Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA) organizes China's scientific programme for both the Arctic and Antarctic. Polar research by China, in particular in Antarctica, has been growing rapidly. China now has three Antarctic research stations and one in the Arctic on the Norwegian island of Svalbard.[134][135]
Space science [ edit ]
The Chinese space program is a major source of national pride.[137] In 1970 the first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, was launched. In 2003 China become the third country to independently send humans into space with Yang Liwei's spaceflight aboard Shenzhou 5. In 2008 China conducted a spacewalk with the Shenzhou 7 mission. In 2011 Tiangong-1 was launched which was the first step towards a Chinese space station around 2020. The active Chinese Lunar Exploration Program includes a lunar rover in 2013 and possibly a manned lunar landing in the 2020s. Experience gained from the lunar program will be used for future programs such as exploration of Mars and Venus.[138][139]
China plans to launch 5 commercial satellites for foreign customers in 2012 and aims to capture 15% of the commercial launch market and 10% of the satellite export market by 2015. In 2011 China launched a total of 19 rockets, which was the second most after Russia.[140]
The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, completed in 2016, is the world's largest radio telescope.[141][142]
Textiles [ edit ]
China in 2012 produced more than one-third of the developed world's apparel import but the share has been decreasing in recent years as low-technology and labor-intensive production has been moving to regions like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.[143][144]
Transportation [ edit ]
Transportation infrastructure continues to be rapidly developed. The National Trunk Highway System was in 2011 estimated to surpass the US interstate system in length.[145] Many Chinese cities have or are planning to build metros or other forms of rapid transit.
Commercial aircraft [ edit ]
The state owned Comac aerospace manufacturer aims to reduce Chinese dependency on foreign companies for large passenger aircraft.[146] The future C919 aims to be completely made in China.[147]
Motor vehicles [ edit ]
The automotive industry in China is the world's largest producer of motor vehicles.[148] However, China's indigenous car companies have had difficulties on the global market and the growing electric vehicle market has been seen as way to remedy this. China in 2010 proposed controversial legislation requiring foreign electric vehicle producers to form minority joint-ventures and share technologies with Chinese carmakers in order to get market access.[149] A 2011 report financed by the World Bank stated that China was becoming the world leader on electric vehicles.[150]
Shipbuilding [ edit ]
In 2009-2010 China become the world's largest shipbuilder but South Korea regained the top position in 2011 in part due to more advanced technology. China is developing its technological abilities and competition is expected to increase.[151][152]
Trains [ edit ]
The BBC wrote in a 2011 article on high-speed rail in China that China in 2005 had no high-speed railways. In 2010 it had more than Europe and in 2012 China was expected to have more than the rest of the world combined. China demanded that foreign companies wanting to participate had to share their technology. Some 10,000 Chinese engineers and academics then in three years produced a faster Chinese high-speed train that China is now exporting it to other nations.[35]
See also [ edit ]
Source [ edit ]
This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0 UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030, UNESCO, UNESCO Publishing. To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use.
References [ edit ]THE NRL is planning to drop the number of interchanges and next season we’ll get the first taste, with substitutions reduced from 10 to a maximum of eight.
There’s strong potential for that number to be reduced again to six depending on how the changes fare, and head office is making no bones about why.
They’re taking the game back for the little man, before he gets run right off it by today’s standard 110 kilo human wrecking ball.
With that in mind and an announcement on the way in the next week or so, we take a look at the blokes that you’d expect to thrive with a reduction in the interchange, and those that could struggle with fewer breathers and a bigger workload.
The players that should excel
Ben Hunt (Broncos)
Hunt has earned a few comparisons recently to Allan Langer — the man David ‘Cement’ Gillespie feared coming up against most despite being one of the heaviest hitters rugby league has seen — and not just because he wears the Broncos No. 7 jumper.
Hunt’s running game is his greatest asset |
assist. After only playing nine minutes in each of the first two preseason games, Marvin Williams‘ absence in the third exhibition game opened up the spot for Christian against the Boston Celtics. Steve Clifford gave the young man a chance and he rewarded his head coach with some positive play on the court.
He hasn’t really had the chance to make a name for himself on the NBA level just yet as he only played in 17 games for the 76ers last season. The preseason is the best opportunity for young players like Wood to make their mark and get ample game action against other NBA level talents. Christian seems to be taking full advantage of the chance that he has been given by coach Clifford and the Hornets.
The former UNLV player is arguably the biggest question mark for the Hornets heading into the 2016-17 season. While he has plenty of upside, it is unclear what his role will be with the team this year. Christian may be battling for minutes but the unpredictable nature of the NBA may leave him with the Swarm in the D-League for most of the regular season.
Here’s a look at some of the athletic plays that Christian Wood made during the game against the Boston Celtics:
Christian Wood dunk and block! https://t.co/aQnYZurTJ3 — Jerry Stephens III (@JR_Steph23) October 9, 2016
While it may be unclear what the team plans to do with Wood this season, there is no questioning his upside. The Long Beach, CA native probably has the most potential of any player on the Hornets’ roster. As the youngest player currently on the team, you can understand why while there is a major upside to his game, there are also plenty of question marks ahead.
The potential is clear but Wood is still a very raw prospect in terms of NBA level play. He has the athleticism to play with some of the best big men in the world but he needs to continue to develop other parts of his game. There are plenty of holes including offensive scoring in the post and movement/awareness on both ends of the floor that come with experience.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Wood this season and if he plays with the Hornets or the Swarm. Steve Clifford is a great teach for Christian and Charlotte is the perfect team to develop and learn from. They will give the young big man plenty of time to develop into a contributing player and with the potential he has, that should be sooner rather than later.It didn’t used to be the case that there was appreciable demand for professional line-waiters, but Samuel’s company competes with people from the likes of Task Rabbit, a website for hiring strangers to do odd jobs, and Craigslist, a website for hiring strangers to do odder jobs. His response, then, has been to turn to branding. He’ll show up at long lines just to hand out business cards, and he’ll write his company’s name in chalk on the city’s sidewalks.
Executive assistants used to be the province of the wealthy, and the fixed cost of taking the time to seek out someone to do your laundry or buy your groceries every once in a while was too high for most people. But sites like Task Rabbit have streamlined this process to the point where anyone willing to pay $20 an hour can have an executive assistant whenever they'd like.
Of course, unsavory things can happen when people pay others to exempt themselves from mundane tribulations, and maybe not all lines are in need of professional waiters, but companies like SOLD have brought to the middle class banal services previously available only to the wealthy. Samuel’s experience with SOLD attests to this; when Business Insider asked him about his clientele, he described them as “everyday people.”
Task Rabbit and Craigslist have presented middle-class people with their very own errand-runners, and their success in doing so has suggested there's untapped demand for services that do trivial but pesky tasks. As a result, there are now a number of new companies that have formed to accommodate this demand: They'll do your laundry or assemble your Ikea furniture. But whereas Craigslist is a peer-to-peer platform—which is a relatively new concept—these companies market their services in a traditional, business-to-consumer manner. In this way, companies like Samuel's, which trade the risk that comes with hiring a stranger for the trust that can be built by a brand (a risk that still lingers even considering the user reviews that Task Rabbit compiles), represent a decidedly old-school response to Craigslist and Task Rabbit, two uniquely modern developments.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.TENSIONS have been flared as work begins on a controversial West End housing development.
City developer Hugh Scott is currently in the process of building four townhouses and 45 flats on a site in Otago Lane.
Residents who are opposed to the plans claim that the development is threatening their jobs and safety.
Otago Lane Community Association has said that concrete anti-tank barriers installed over the weekend are restricting customers and residents from entering the area.
A spokesman for the group said: “People, including several children under five-years-old have been prevented from accessing the lane, making it both dangerous and congested, but also emergency vehicles and cleansing.
“Council rubbish removal lorries were not able to remove the waste from any of the flats on Otago Lane and even the neighbouring Otago Street residential properties which Mr. Scott actually owns.
“At a time when the UK is still reeling from the effects of the Grenfell disaster, the health and safety and environmental health consequences are almost too serious to contemplate.
“The community fears that this is indeed just the start, and much worse is to come.”
A three-year battle was waged between local residents, businesses and politicians and Scott’s Otago Street Development following plans being lodged.
An ‘anti-flats’ petition was signed by more than 3,500 people with more than 600 individual objections.
Despite the backlash, Glasgow City Council approved the plans in 2012.
The community association added: "It transgresses almost every planning policy that was designed by Glasgow City Council to protect the historic nature and natural environment of the city.
“The ambitious and unsympathetic building project which was granted approval in 2013, in spite of massive public protest, and clear grounds for its rejection by the planning committee will effectively spell the end of the Kelvin River Wildlife Corridor, vital to provide cognate habitat for such rare species as bats and otters.
“In addition the livelihoods of up to 30 workers on the lane's iconic artisan businesses - Voltaire and Rousseau, Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, Mixed Up Records and Kenneth Chappelle Clock Restorer's (unique in the UK) - are at risk due to to the length and disturbance of construction (up to two years).
“If recent events are anything to go by, Hugh Scott plans to be anything but sensitive to the local community.”
Fears have previously been raised about privacy, daylight, overcrowding and flooding issues.
They have also objected to the design and scale of the development.Love » After-marriage » In-a-name-080818 What's In A Name?
Would you change your FIRST name along with your last name after marriage?
To change or not to change. Not even an option until a decade ago, the decision whether they should change their last name to adopt that of their husbands is high on the agenda for soon to-be brides. For career oriented women taking on a new last name can cause many complications at work. Some are going with hyphenated trend, which seems to be a mid-way compromise. They reason that this is the best way to retain their own identity and merge with that of their spouse. So the latest trend for the urban Indian woman's signature is to appear something like ''Mrs. Meena Parikh-Ajgaonkar''.
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Ironically, the Western world is seeing the fad finally starting to fade after thirty years. Recent studies at Harvard show that an increasing number of brides in North America are now opting to take on the groom's last name; with no hyphens.
Now the more interesting part - Did you know that some Indian communities follow a tradition of changing the bride's first name after marriage? Sindhi, Bengali, Maharashtrian, Kannada and certain Punjabi families change the bride's first name. Some have a name change ceremony after the wedding, where the groom carves his bride's new first name in rice using a ring. Others ask the groom to whisper the bride's new first name in her ear. The name is chosen based on astrological compatibility of both newlyweds.
"When the pundit told us that my change of name would bring our marriage loads of good fortune; I agreed immediately. Besides, I did get a say in the chosen name; only the beginning alphabet was calculated by him", says Heena D, a jewellery designer. However, she maintains her full maiden name (first and last) at work since it's just more convenient. Here was a girl who was professionally successful and independent. Rebellious and fashionable, yet she agreed to change her first name, which many women equate to one's complete identity.
Personal orthodox beliefs are not what prompted Sudha Naik, a pre-school teacher in Bangalore. She was coaxed by her in-laws and her husband; who believed in age old Kannada tradition. "I did it to maintain peace and keep everyone happy." she says. Many women today would respond by saying it should not be their burden alone to maintain peace in the family.
Shalini Mirchandey was thrilled when she learnt that her in-laws did not care for her to follow this norm of their community. "It was an absolute no-no for me. How does one adjust to a new first name after 25 years? The new last name itself was difficult to get used to." Her sister-in-law to be does not have the same circumstances. Since Sunita shares the same first name with her mother in-law, she'll have to change her first name after the wedding. Imagine the comedy of errors in a household with two women sharing identical first and last names.
Rupjot Gill, a Toronto based lawyer, shares her story. "My in-laws suggested that I change my first name to Rupman since they thought that sounds better but I discussed my disapproval with my husband. I like my name and am proud of what my parents chose for me". Rupjot and Shalini, like many others, are questioning the old belief system where women should bow to any requests from their in-laws. They are proud of their identity and are not willing to change that.
Does a name change who you are or your character? What's so wrong in having a new first name if that's what makes your family happy? In life's bigger picture, the name game is so insignificant. I am still me. My parents and old friends continue to call me by my maiden first name while my in-laws use my new name. Legally and professionally I sign with my maiden first name and my new last name (due to laziness I got only the last name changed on all legal documents). Confused? It gets better! My husband doesn't call me by either of those two first names. He just uses various terms of endearment. Still, having several names does not alter the fabric of my being. I know myself and am confident of whom I am. What you call me is not going to change an iota of my personality.Digital Album Streaming + Download Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Purchasable with gift card Buy Digital Album $7 USD or more Send as Gift
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In late 2015, Northern English melodic doom quartet Elephant Tree entered Paul Epworth’s Church Studios in Crouch End, London with an album's worth of ambitious new compositions harvested from a tireless year of live shows in the UK and across Europe.
Elephant Tree's second titanic volume of metal, rock and progressively heavy psychedelic doom was produced by the band with assistance from Adam Durbridge (and tracked on the original Neve console that Pink Floyd famously used to record Wish You Were Here) and mixed by renowned engineer Matt Wiggins (U2, The Pop Group, Foster The People) in less than a week.
PRESS:
"Elephant Tree are masters of combining gloomy atmosphere with head-bobbing grooves... It's truly a mind-numbing and nirvana-like experience to hear this talented band do their thing." - Metal Injection
"Molten heaviness, memorable songwriting and a sense of overarching cohesion that I have no doubt will make it one of this still-new year’s most satisfying debut full-lengths." - The Obelisk
"A celestial roller coaster ride, all you can do is gaze around you in awe, mouth agape as you become swathed in cosmic gossamer. Listening to Elephant Tree, you imagine stars collapsing all around you, being violently sucked into Black Holes and then gently cradled back to freedom." - The Doom Charts
"A bewitching amalgam of crushing weight and heartfelt melody. Fresh as a breeze, heavy as a mountain troll, and bloody addictive." - Ghost Cult Magazine
"Their prismatic approach to songwriting seamlessly combines elements of grunge, blues, and psych with Sabbathian archetypes, achieving an expansive, novel sound that distinguishes them from the pack." - Doomed and Stoned
"Elephant Tree have taken the base elements of stoner rock and mixed it with their own take on psych to create an album that simply gets better with every listen. It’s little nuances jump out and surprise you whilst its underbelly is laced with tremendous heaviness." - Echoes and Dust
"Dynamic and diverse, full of heavy and hyptonic riffs, a challenging and quite good journey." - Music & Riots Magazine
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released April 22, 2016
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all rights reservedOne would think car crash rates would be higher, especially among younger drivers, in states where people are smoking more pot. But researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health found an 11 percent reduction in traffic fatalities on average in medical-marijuana states.
The study also found the presence of medical-marijuana dispensaries correlated with fewer traffic fatalities.
Dr. Silvia Martins, faculty member in the Epidemiology Department at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and the study’s senior author, theorized that lower traffic fatality rates in legal pot states might be related to reduced levels of drunk driving, as young people substitute weed for booze.
“We found evidence that states with the marijuana laws in place compared with those which did not, reported, on average, lower rates of drivers endorsing driving after having too many drinks,” Martins said in a written statement, reported the Washington Post.
There was little evidence of a reduction in traffic fatality rates for people 45 or older, who are disproportionately registered in larger numbers in state medical-marijuana programs.
The largest drop in traffic fatality rates in states with medical-marijuana laws occurred among drivers between 15 and 44, according to the study.
Researchers took into account factors such as whether states had graduated driver licensing laws, household income, unemployment rates, state speed limits, seat belt laws and bans on cellphones and texting while driving.
The study was carried out as more states passed medical-marijuana laws—nine between 2010 and 2014—and concerns rose about the possible effect on public safety.
Previous research has shown that driving while stoned has a measurable but relatively mild effect on psychomotor skills, yet it does not appear to play a significant role in vehicle crashes, particularly when compared to alcohol.
Past studies have found that drivers who were high tended to reduce their speed and increase headways—suggesting that stoned drivers are aware of their impairment and make an effort to compensate.
The recent Colombia University study, published online in the American Journal of Public Health, analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data on traffic fatalities from 1985 to 2014.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.President Donald Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion with Russian government officials. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Trump on Manafort indictment: ‘There is no collusion'
President Donald Trump dismissed allegations of collusion with Russian government officials on Monday after his former campaign chairman and another campaign official were charged with various offenses, including money laundering.
Also on Monday, court records made public revealed that George Papadopoulos, 30, a former foreign policy adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about his outreach to Russian officials.
Story Continued Below
“Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????” the president tweeted. Trump added: “Also, there is NO COLLUSION!”
Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Richard Gates, another former top Trump campaign official, were indicted Monday on charges including failure to disclose their work as foreign agents, money laundering and making false statements.
According to the charges, Manafort and Gates acted as "unregistered agents" for the government of Ukraine at least from 2006 to 2015.
The president and the White House repeatedly swatted away claims of cooperation between their campaign and foreign officials since clinching their electoral victory last November.
Earlier Monday, as reports of a looming indictment in Mueller’s probe intensified, Trump incorrectly claimed that former President Barack Obama’s campaign organization paid nearly $1 million to the private investigation firm behind the infamous dossier on alleged ties between his campaign and Russia.Adviser to team that interrogates terror suspects says politicians like Trump ‘have no idea how little they know’ about the perils of reinstating torture
A senior adviser to the FBI-led team that interrogates terrorist suspects has blasted an impending executive order from Donald Trump as a dangerous and ignorant potential return to torture.
Steve Kleinman, a retired air force colonel and chairman of the research advisory committee to the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG), warned that weakening US prohibitions against torture carried significant consequences for national security.
Trump to order Mexico wall in national security crackdown Read more
“If the US [were] to make it once again the policy of the country to coerce, and to detain at length in an extrajudicial fashion, the costs would be beyond substantial – they’d be potentially existential. We’ve seen how [torture] promotes violent extremism, how it degrades alliances. We’ve seen how it only serves to provide information that policymakers want to support [desired policies], not what they need,” Kleinman said.
“A lot of these people who weigh in heavily on interrogation have no idea how little they know, [and do so] because of what they see on television,” said Kleinman, who emphasized that he was not speaking for the HIG.
Opposition was quickly coalescing on Wednesday to an executive order the US president was expected to issue that would create a pathway to restoring the detention of terrorism suspects at facilities known as “black sites”, formally ending Barack Obama’s thwarted order to close the Guantánamo Bay wartime prison. This would also remove limitations on coercive interrogation techniques set by a longstanding army field manual intended to ensure humane military interrogations, which is mostly compliant with the Geneva Conventions.
Will Trump return USA to dark days of 'war on terror' black sites? Read more
Trump, on the campaign trail, pledged to bring back techniques “a hell of a lot worse” than the simulated drowning known as waterboarding used by the CIA during George W Bush’s administration.
In an interview with ABC News, the president repeated his belief that torture works, “absolutely”, and that the US should “fight fire with fire”.
“I’ve spoken in recent days with people at the highest level of intelligence, and I’ve asked them: ‘Does torture work?’ And the answer was ‘Yes, absolutely.’
However, Trump said he would defer to the incoming CIA director, Mike Pompeo, and the defense secretary, James Mattis, on the issue.
Senator John McCain, a torture survivor and co-author of a 2015 law barring the security agencies from using interrogation techniques that surpass the prohibitions in the army field manual, pledged defiance over a return to torture.
“The president can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America,” said McCain, the Arizona Republican who chairs the Senate armed services committee.
McCain referenced explicit guarantees from Pompeo and Mattis during their Senate confirmation proceedings to follow the interrogations law and the army field manual. “I am confident these leaders will be true to their word,” McCain said.
A draft version of Trump’s executive order – published by the Washington Post and the New York Times but whose authenticity was contested by the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer – contains a prohibition on “torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment”. But security veterans and civil libertarians were concerned that the order, expected to authorize a “review” of the field manual, would lead to revisions that would substantially gut the prohibitions on torture as an end-run around the law.
“US law is clear that the army field manual cannot be modified for at least two years, and even then, to ensure it complies with domestic US legal obligations. Reviewing whether ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ should be part of that manual would be tantamount to reviewing whether torture should be part of it, and such a review should not be undertaken,” said Laura Pitter of Human Rights Watch.
Mark Fallon, who was the deputy chief of Guantánamo’s Bush-era investigative taskforce for military tribunals, said: “It does appear like a subterfuge to enact more brutal methods because that was what candidate Trump campaigned on during the election.”
Fallon warned that the field manual’s appendix M, which allows extended “separation” of a detainee from other captives, represented a “slippery slope that could bring back torture”.
Pompeo, confirmed as CIA director on Monday, said in Senate testimony that he would “absolutely not” comply with an order from the White House to use interrogation techniques outside the army field manual.
But in subsequent questioning by the Senate intelligence committee, Pompeo said he would “consult with experts at the agency and at other organizations in the US government on whether the army field manual uniform application is an impediment to gathering vital intelligence to protect the country or whether any rewrite of the army field manual is needed”.
Does torture work – and is it worth the cost? Read more
Kleinman said he was heartened by Pompeo’s seeming opposition to torture in his confirmation testimony, but noted that Trump’s nominee had now “ walked that back”.
Additional suspicion of a “re-examination” of the field manual springs from the existence of a voluminous sheaf of literature on interrogations, arisen over the past decade, that with striking uniformity rejects torture as ineffective, as well as brutal. Much of it was authored by experienced interrogators and behavioral scientists.
It began with a multi-volume study in 2006, chartered by the Intelligence Science Board, called “Educing Information”. Kleinman, whose career provided him with more than 30 years’ experience in human intelligence, was its lead author. Under Obama’s administration, the study contributed to the creation of the HIG, a secretive group from the FBI, CIA and military with a mandate to interrogate high-level terror suspects without torture.
Most recently, in August 2016, the HIG published an interrogation “best practices” report that found an “effective interrogation requires an individualized, flexible, rapport-based and information-gathering approach”, rather than brutality.
Kleinman said: “There is, at best, anecdotal evidence to support torture.
“There is, on the other hand, a robust body of scientific literature and field testing that demonstrates the efficacy of a relationship-based, rapport-based, cognitive-based approach to interrogation, as well as a robust literature that would suggest torture immediately undermines a source’s ability to be a reliable reporter of information: memory is undermined, judgment is undermined, decision-making is undermined, time-references are undermined. And this is only from a purely operational perspective; we can’t take the morality out of strategy.”
Fallon, the former Guantánamo investigative official, said the call for surpassing the torture prohibitions was not coming from interrogators.
“It’s against what practitioners are calling for. What President Trump needs to recognize is that interrogations professionals are not looking for additional techniques, they’re looking for the science to aid existing techniques,” he said.
Hours after the supposed draft order leaked, representatives of the CIA and the Pentagon distanced themselves from the unfolding political fracas.
“At this time, the US army has not made any requests to review Army Field Manual 2-22.3,” a spokesman told the Guardian, using the formal designation for the interrogations field manual. Similarly, CIA sources leaked to Yahoo News that Pompeo was blindsided by the draft of the order.WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump promised “some very pleasant surprises” to come on the North American Free Trade Agreement, in a gathering with U.S. chief executives in which he also said he wants to overhaul the federal government’s computer systems to make them more secure and up-to-date.
The president sounded upbeat notes at the gathering at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, but offered few specifics on his plans for Nafta, the trade pact he frequently attacked on the campaign trail. He is expected to seek mainly modest changes to the agreement in coming negotiations with Mexico and Canada.
“It’s been a disaster from the day it was devised and we’ll have some very pleasant surprises for you on that one, I can tell you,” he said.
Corp., and others on the overhaul. Mr. Trump also highlighted his hopes to upgrade the federal government’s computers, saying he would work with Ginni Rometty, the CEO of International Business Machines, and others on the overhaul.
“We have a computer system in this country that’s 40 years old, so when you hear we’re hacked...we’re like easy targets,” he said.
Corp.’s F-35 jet fighters but had to point out quickly that he also liked Co.’s F-18s. “We’re working with a very, very wonderful woman from IBM...and others, and others, many others,” he added to laughter, saying that it was like when he had previously praised Lockheed Martin F-35 jet fighters but had to point out quickly that he also liked Boeing F-18s.
Citing the high cost of maintaining the existing computer system, Mr. Trump said: “I think we can buy a whole new system for less money, what do you say?” When Ms. Rometty appeared to say “sure,” Mr. Trump quipped back: “We’ll give you 10 billion right now.”
IBM declined to comment on the gathering.
Mr. Trump also spoke several times of his efforts to boost job creation, made a passing reference to his tax proposals by saying he would reduce taxes, and said of his environmental policy that “we’re going to be very, very careful on the environment, it’s very important to me” but that cutting regulations in his early weeks in office has already freed up companies to step up production.
Mr. Trump has prioritized regulatory rollbacks, particularly retarding the energy industry, though their immediate impact hasn’t been enough to change long-term trends such as the decline of the coal industry.
He said that in all, he believed he was a quarter of the way through his plans to cut regulations, and would continue to focus on the Dodd-Frank financial rules in particular, “keeping some obviously, but getting rid of many.”
’s Indra Nooyi, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Toby Cosgrove of the Cleveland Clinic, Mary Barra of Co. and IBM’s Ms. Rometty. Mr. Trump held an initial meeting of CEOs, many of them picked by Blackstone Group LP’s Stephen Schwarzman, in February. Others who came then returned Tuesday, including PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Toby Cosgrove of the Cleveland Clinic, Mary Barra of General Motors and IBM’s Ms. Rometty.
Also in attendance were Jim McNerney, who used to head Boeing, and Jack Welch, the retired CEO of General Electric Co.
Mr. Trump was joined in the meeting by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, who “has the easiest job” in Washington, Mr. Trump joked.
An alumnus of the House of Representatives, Mr. Mulvaney was unable to cajole the hard-line conservative bloc of which he had once been a member to back GOP leaders’ bill to overturn the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Now, Mr. Mulvaney is working on budget negotiations designed to avert a government shutdown.
Cleveland Clinic’s Mr. Cosgrove characterized the conversation as “totally unscripted, totally capable of bringing original, innovative things to the fore” and said the president was “incredibly engaged.”
“I thought the emphasis was around creating the jobs and stimulating the economy. A tremendous number of interesting, innovative ideas came out of this,” he said.Here we demonstrated a novel therapeutic means of intranasal immunization against obesity. Intranasal immunization with a newly developed vaccine, which contained the vaccine antigen ghrelin–PspA, attenuated body weight gain in DIO mice and leptin-deficient genetically obese mice. Most lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity are asymptomatic; therefore, non-invasive vaccination (e.g., mucosal administration) is preferable over invasive vaccination (e.g., subcutaneous or intramuscular injection) to increase medical adherence. The intranasal vaccine developed here provides advantages over injectable vaccines in terms of less pain, psychological stress, and local skin adverse events.24
Despite the lack of acylation at serine 3 residue of the ghrelin sequence in ghrelin–PspA antigen, intranasal immunization with ghrelin–PspA induced not only UAG-specific antibodies but also AG-specific serum IgG antibodies. In addition, immunization with ghrelin–PspA elicited polyclonal IgG antibodies against UAG (see Supplementary Figure S2A,B). The main targets of the induced serum IgG antibodies were the N-terminal (amino acids 1–9) and the C-terminal (amino acids 20–28) portions of the ghrelin sequence (see Supplementary Figure S2A,B), as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is thought to be why immunization with ghrelin–PspA elicited antibodies against both AG and UAG.
In terms of the immunization schedule, we intranasally administered ghrelin–PspA vaccine once a week for 5 weeks. One or two doses of vaccine did not induce AG-specific antibody responses (see Supplementary Figure S3). Although serum IgG antibody against AG was elicited when intranasal immunization was given three or four times, five doses of immunization induced a higher anti-AG antibody titer (see Supplementary Figure S3). In addition, three doses of nasal vaccination with ghrelin–PspA vaccine did not ameliorate the body weight gain in DIO mice (data not shown). Therefore, we concluded that a protocol of five doses of intranasal immunization was the most suitable for attenuating obesity.
Although a high titer for antibodies against AG was maintained at 1 year after five doses of immunization, the effect on the attenuation of body weight gain was lost at 9 weeks after the final vaccination in DIO mice. There are two possible explanations for this discrepancy. The first is simply that the antibody titer at 9 weeks after the final immunization (reciprocal log 2 titer approximately 13) was functionally insufficient compared with the titers in the previous weeks (reciprocal log 2 titer at 1 week, 14.33; at 8 weeks, 13.17; and at 12 weeks after vaccination, 13.00) (Figure 1b). Indeed, in a preliminary study where intranasal immunization was given only three times, not five times, ghrelin–PspA induced an increased antibody titer (max. reciprocal log 2 titer 11.83) but did not attenuate body weight gain in DIO mice (data not shown). The second possibility is that the weight gain in DIO mice might become accelerated or uncontrolled after 9 weeks of being fed a high-fat diet, meaning that the AG-specific antibody alone is insufficient to attenuate the body weight gain. Indeed, it has been shown that long-term consumption of a high-fat diet in |
‘follows’ him around. But because Tibbles is more natural than that region of space time, ‘that’ does pick out Tibbles. It is the very same naturalness that makes ‘cat’ denote a property that Tibbles (and not the trailing region of space time) satisfies that makes ‘that’ denote Tibbles, a fact that will become important below. The same kind of story can be applied to the cloud. It is because the cloud is a more natural object than the region of space time a mile above the cloud that our demonstrative ‘that’ denotes the cloud and not the region. However, none of the o i are more natural than any other, so there is still no fact of the matter as to whether ‘that’ picks out o j or o k. Lewis's theory does not eliminate all semantic indeterminacy; when there are equally natural candidates to be the denotation of a term, and each of them is consistent with our dispositions to use the term, then the denotation of the term is simply indeterminate between those candidates. Weatherson's theory is that the role of each precisification is to arbitrarily make one of the o i more natural than the rest. Typically, it is thought that the denotation of a term according to a precisification is determined directly. It is a fact about a precisification P that, according to it, ‘cloud’ denotes property c 1. On Weatherson's theory this is not the case. What the precisification does is provide a new, and somewhat arbitrary, standard of naturalness, and the content of the terms according to the precisification is then determined by Lewis's theory of content. The denotations of ‘cloud’ and ‘that’ according to a precisification P are those concepts and objects that are the most natural according to P of the concepts and objects that we could be denoting by those terms, for all one can tell from the way the terms are used. The coordination between the two terms, the fact that on every precisification ‘that’ denotes an object in the extension of ‘cloud’ is explained by the fact that the very same thing, naturalness according to P, determines the denotation of ‘cloud’ and of ‘that’.
Objection: (From Stephen Schiffer 1998) The supervaluationist account cannot handle speech reports involving vague names. Imagine that Alex points cloudwards and says, “That is a cloud”. Later Sam points towards the same cloud and says, “Alex said that that is a cloud.” Intuitively, Sam's utterance is determinately true. But according to the supervaluationist, it is only determinately true if it is true on every precisification. So it must be true that Alex said that o 1 is a cloud, that Alex said that o 2 is a cloud, and so on, since these are all precisifications of “Alex said that that is a cloud.” But Alex did not say all of those things, for if she did she would be committed to saying that there are millions of clouds in the sky, and of course she is not, as the supervaluationists have been arguing. Reply: There is a little logical slip here. Let P i be a precisification of Sam's word ‘that’ that makes it denote o i. All the supervaluationist who holds that Sam's utterance is determinately true is committed to is that for each i, according to P i, Alex said that o i is a cloud. And this will be true if the denotation of Alex's word ‘that’ is also o i according to P i. So as long as there is a penumbral connection between Sam's word ‘that’ and Alex's word ‘that’, the supervaluationist avoids the objection. Such a connection may seem mysterious at first, but note that Weatherson's theory predicts that just such a penumbral connection obtains. So if that theory is acceptable, then Schiffer's objection misfires.
is a cloud, that Alex said that o is a cloud, and so on, since these are all precisifications of “Alex said that that is a cloud.” But Alex did not say all of those things, for if she did she would be committed to saying that there are millions of clouds in the sky, and of course she is not, as the supervaluationists have been arguing. Objection: (From Neil Mackinnon 2002 and Thomas Sattig 2013) It is part of our notion of a mountain that facts about mountain-hood are not basic. If something is a mountain, there are facts in virtue of which it is a mountain, and nearby things are not. Yet on each precisification of ‘mountain’, this won't be true; it will be completely arbitrary which fusion of rocks is a mountain. Reply: It is true that on any precisification there will be no principled reason why this fusion of rocks is a mountain, and another is not. And it is true that there should be such a principled reason; mountainhood facts are not basic. But that problem can be avoided by the theory that denies that “the supervaluationist rule [applies] to any statement whatever, never mind that the statement makes no sense that way” (Lewis 1993, 173). Lewis's idea, or at least the application of Lewis's idea to this puzzle, is that we know how to understand the idea that mountainhood facts are non-arbitrary: we understand it as a claim that there is some non-arbitrary explanation of which precisifications of ‘mountain’ are and are not admissible. If we must apply the supervaluational rule to every statement, including the statement that it is not arbitrary which things are mountains, this understanding is ruled out. Lewis's response is to deny that the rule must always be applied. As long as there is some sensible way to understand the claim, we don't have to insist on applying the supervaluationist machinery to it. That said, it does seem like this is likely to be somewhat of a problem for everyone (even the theorist like Lewis who uses the supervaluational machinery only when it is helpful). Sattig himself claims to avoid the problem by making the mountain be a maximal fusion of candidates. But for any plausible mountain, it will be vague and somewhat arbitrary what the boundary is between being a mountain-candidate and not being one. The lower boundaries of mountains are not, in practice, clearly marked. Similarly, there will be some arbitrariness in the boundaries between the admissible and inadmissible precisifications of'mountain'. We may have to live with some arbitrariness.
Objection: (From J. Robert G. Williams 2006) When we look at an ordinary mountain, there definitely is (at least) one mountain in front of us. That seems clear. The vagueness solution respects this fact. But in many contexts, people tend to systematically confuse Definitely, there is an F, with There is a definite F. Indeed, the standard explanation of why Sorites arguments seem, mistakenly, to be attractive is that this confusion gets made. Yet on the vagueness account, there is no definite mountain; all the candidates are borderline cases. So by parity of reasoning, we should expect intuition to deny that there is definitely a mountain. And intuition does not deny that, it loudly confirms it. At the very least, this shows a tension between the standard account of the Sorites paradox, and the vagueness solution to the Problem of the Many. Reply: This is definitely a problem for the views that many philosophers have put forward. As Williams stresses, it isn't on its own a problem for the vagueness solution to the Problem of the Many, but it is a problem for the conjunction of that solution with a widely endorsed, and independently plausible, explanation of the Sorites paradox. At this stage, i.e., as of 2014, there are no published replies to Williams's argument. In his dissertation, Nicholas K. Jones (2010) argues that the right response is to give up the idea that speakers typically confuse Definitely, there is an F, with There is a definite F, and instead use a different resolution of the Sorites.
Space prevents a further discussion of all possible objections to the supervaluationist account, but interested readers are particularly encouraged to look at Neil McKinnon's objection to the account (see the Other Internet Resources section), which suggests that distinctive problems arise for the supervaluationist when there really are two or more clouds involved.
Even if the supervaluationist solution to the Problem of the Many has responses to all of the objections that have been levelled against it, some of those objections rely on theories that are contentious and/or underdeveloped. So it is far from clear at this stage how well the supervaluational solution, or indeed any solution based on vagueness, to the Problem of the Many will do in future years.
Some theorists have argued that the underlying cause of the problem is that we have the wrong theory about the relation between parts and wholes. Peter van Inwagen (1990) argues that the problem is that we have assumed that the parthood relation is determinate. We have assumed that it is always determinately true or determinately false that one object is a part of another. According to van Inwagen, sometimes neither of these options applies. He thinks that we need to adopt some kind of fuzzy logic when we are discussing parts and wholes. It can be true to degree 0.7, for example, that one object is part of another. Given these resources, van Inwagen says we are free to conclude that there is exactly one cloud in the sky, and that some of the ‘outer’ water droplets are true of it to a degree strictly between 0 and 1. This lets us keep the intuition that it is indeterminate whether these outlying water droplets are members of the cloud without accepting that there are millions of clouds. Note that this is not what van Inwagen would say about this version of the paradox, since he holds that some simples only constitute an object when that object is alive. For van Inwagen, as for Unger, there are no clouds, only cloud-like swarms of atoms. But van Inwagen recognises that a similar problem arises for cats, or for people, two kinds of things that he does believe exist and he wields this vague constitution theory to solve the problems that arise there.
Traditionally, many philosophers thought that such a solution was downright incoherent. A tradition stretching back to Bertrand Russell (1923) and Michael Dummett (1975) held that vagueness was always and everywhere a representational phenomenon. From this perspective, it didn't make sense to talk about it being vague or indeterminate whether a particular droplet was part of a particular cloud. But this traditional view has come under a lot of pressure in recent years; see Barnes (2010) for one of the best challenges, and Sorensen (2013, section 8) for a survey of more work. So I'll assume here it is legitimate to talk about the possibility that parthood itself, and not just our representation of it, is vague. As Hudson (2001) notes though, it is far from clear just how the appeal to fuzzy logic is meant to help here. Originally it was clear for each of n water droplets whether they were members of the cloud to degree 1 or degree 0. So there were 2n candidate clouds, and the Problem of the Many is finding out how to preserve the intuition when faced with all these objects. It is unclear how increasing the range of possible relationships between each particle and the cloud from 2 to continuum-many should help here, for now it seems there are at least continuum-many cloud-like objects to choose between, one for each function from each of the n droplets to [0, 1], and we need a way of saying exactly one of them is a cloud. When van Inwagen addresses an objection like this one, he solves it by saying that not every function will correspond to an object. That is, he appeals to something like brute composition, although in this case it is mixed with fuzzy logic. But it is the bruteness not the fuzziness that does the philosophical work. So it does not look like this solution is any better than Markosian's brutal composition solution, and may even be worse given the contentious appeal to fuzzy logic.
A different kind of solution is offered by Mark Johnston (1992) and E. J. Lowe (1982, 1995). Both of them suggest that the key to solving the Problem is to distinguish cloud-constituters from clouds. They say it is a category mistake to identify clouds with any fusion of water droplets, because they have different identity conditions. The cloud could survive the transformation of half its droplets into puddles on the footpath (or whatever kind of land it happens to be raining over), it would just be a smaller cloud, the fusion could not. As Johnston says, “Hence Unger's insistent and ironic question ‘But which of o 1, o 2, o 3, … is our paradigm cloud c?’ has as its proper answer ‘None’.” (1992: 100, numbering slightly altered).
Lewis (1993) listed several objections to this position, and Lowe (1995) responds to them. (Lewis and Lowe discuss a version of the problem using cats not clouds, and I will sometimes follow them below.)
Lewis's first objection is that it positing clouds as well as cloud-constituting fusions of atoms is metaphysically extravagant. As Lowe (and, for separate reasons, Johnston) point out, these extra objects are arguably needed to solve puzzles to do with persistence. Hence it is no objection to a solution to the Problem of the Many that it posits such objects. Resolving these debates would take us too far afield, so I will assume (as Lewis does) that we have reason to believe that these objects exist.
Secondly, Lewis says that even with this move, we still have a Problem of the Many applied to cloud-constituters, rather than to clouds. Lowe responds that since ‘cloud-constituter’ is not a folk concept, we don't really have any philosophically salient intuitions here, so this cannot be a way in which the position is unintuitive.
Finally, Lewis says that each of the constituters is so like the object it is meant to merely constitute (be it a cloud, or a cat, or whatever), it satisfies the same sortals as that object. So if we were originally worried that there were 1001 cats (or clouds) where we thought there were one, now we should be worried that there are 1002. But as Lowe points out, this argument seems to assume that being a cat, or being a cloud is an intrinsic property. If we assume that it is extrinsic, if it turns on the history of the object, perhaps its future or its possible future, and on which object it is embedded in, then the fact that a cloud-constituter looks, when considered in isolation, to be a cloud is little reason to think it actually is a cloud.
Johnston provides an argument that the distinction between clouds and cloud-constituting fusions of water droplets is crucial to solving the Problem. He thinks that the following principle is sound, and not threatened by examples like our cloud.
(9′) If y is a paradigm F, and x is an entity that differs from y in any respect relevant to being an F only very minutely, and x is of the right category, i.e. is not a mere quantity or piece of matter, then x is an F. (Johnston 1992: 100)
The theorist who thinks that clouds are just fusions of water droplets cannot accept this principle, or they will conclude that every o i is a cloud, since for them each o i is of the right category. On the other hand, Johnston himself cannot accept it either unless he denies there can be another object c´ which is in a similar position to c, and is of the same category as c, but differs with respect to which water droplets constitute it. It seems that what is doing the work in Johnston's solution is not just the distinction between constitution and identity, but a tacit restriction on when there is a ‘higher-level’ object constituted by certain ‘lower-level’ objects. To that extent, his theory also resembles Markosian's brutal composition theory, though since Johnston can accept that every set of atoms has a fusion his theory has different costs and benefits to Markosian's theory.
After concluding that all of these solutions face serious difficulties, Hudson (2001: Chapter 2) outlines a new solution, one which rejects so many of the presuppositions of the puzzle that it is best to count him as rejecting the reasoning, rather than rejecting any particular premise. (Hudson is somewhat tentative about endorsing this view, as opposed to merely endorsing the claim that it looks better than its many rivals, but for expository purposes I'll refer to it here as his view.) To see the motivation behind Hudson's approach, consider a slightly different case, a variant of one discussed in Wiggins 1968. Tibbles is born at midnight Sunday, replete with a splendid tail, called Tail. An unfortunate accident involving a guillotine sees Tibbles lose his tail at midday Monday, though the tail is preserved for posterity. Then midnight Monday, Tibbles dies. Now consider the timeless question, “Is Tail part of Tibbles?” Intuitively, we want to say the question is underspecified. Outside of Monday, the question does not arise, for Tibbles does not exist. Before midday Monday, the answer is “Yes”, and after midday the answer is “No”. This suggests that there is really no proposition that Tail is part of Tibbles. There is a proposition that Tail is part of Tibbles on Monday morning (that's true) and that Tail is part of Tibbles on Monday afternoon (that's false), but no proposition involving just the parthood relation and two objects. Parthood is a three-place relation between two objects and a time, not a two-place relation between two objects.
Hudson suggests that this line of reasoning is potentially on the right track, but that the conclusion is not quite right. Parthood is a three-place relation, but the third place is not filled by a time, but by a region of space-time. To a crude approximation, x is part of y at s is true if (as we'd normally say), x is a part of y and s is a region of spacetime containing no region not occupied by y and all regions occupied by x. But this should be taken as a heuristic guide only, not as a reductive definition, since parthood is really a three-place relation, so the crude approximation does not even express a proposition according to Hudson.
To see how this applies to the Problem of the Many, let's simplify the case a little bit so there are only two water droplets, w 1 and w 2, that are neither determinately part of the cloud nor determinately not a part of it. As well there is the core of the cloud, call it a. On an orthodox theory, there are four proto-clouds here, a, a + w 1, a + w 2 and a + w 1 + w 2. On Hudson's theory the largest and the smallest proto-clouds still exist, but in the middle there is a quite different kind of object, which we'll call c. Let r 1 be the region occupied by a and w 1, and r 2 the region occupied by a and w 2. Then the following claims are all true according to Hudson:
c exactly occupies r 1
c exactly occupies r 2
c does not occupy the region consisting of the union of r 1 and r 2
and r c has w 1 as a part at r 1, but not at r 2
as a part at r, but not at r c has w 2 as a part at r 2, but not at r 1
as a part at r, but not at r c has no parts at the region consisting of the union of r 1 and r 2
Hudson defines x exactly occupies s as follows:
x has a part at s,
there is no region of spacetime, s*, such that s* has s as a subregion, while x has a part at s*, and
for every subregion of s, s´, x has a part at s´. (Hudson 2001: 63)
At first, it might look like not much has been accomplished here. All that we did was turn a Problem of 4 clouds into a Problem of 3 clouds, replacing the fusions a + w 1 and a + w 2 with the new, and oddly behaved, c. But that is to overlook a rather important feature of the remaining proto-clouds. The three remaining proto-clouds can be strictly ordered by the ‘part of’ relation. This was not previously possible, since neither a + w 1 nor a + w 2 were part of the other. If we adopt the principle that ‘cloud’ is a maximal predicate, so no cloud can be a proper part of another cloud, we now get the conclusion that there is exactly one of the proto-clouds is a cloud, as desired.
This is a quite ingenious approach, and it deserves some attention in the future literature. It is hard to say what will emerge as the main costs and benefits of the view in advance of that literature, but the following two points seem worthy of attention. First, if we are allowed to appeal to the principle that no cloud is a proper part of another, why not appeal to the principle that no two clouds massively overlap, and get from 4 proto-clouds to one actual cloud that way? Secondly, why don't we have an object that is just like the old a + w 1, that is, an object that has w 1 as a part at r 1, and does not have w 2 (or anything else) as a part at r 2? If we get it back, as well as a + w 2, then all of Hudson's tinkering with mereology will just have converted a problem of 4 clouds into a problem of 5 clouds.
Neither of these points should be taken to be conclusive refutations. As things stand now, Hudson's solution joins the ranks of the many and varied proposed solutions to the Problem of the Many. For such a young problem, the variety of these solutions is rather impressive. Whether the next few years will see these ranks whittled down by refutation, or swelled by imaginative theorising, remains to be seen.Minnesota State found themselves back on top after a series sweep on the road at Ferris State. This, is combination with some other action that took place this past weekend, gave the Mavericks all first place votes this week.
Rank Chris Jeff Nate Matt Ryan Mary Josh SBN Rank 1 Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State Minnesota State (70) 2 North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota (63) 3 Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Duluth Harvard Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Duluth Nebraska Omaha Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Duluth (54) 4 Nebraska Omaha Boston University Minnesota Duluth Nebraska Omaha Nebraska Omaha Minnesota Duluth Nebraska Omaha Nebraska Omaha(45) 5 Bowling Green Harvard Boston University Bowling Green Harvard Harvard Boston University Harvard (39) 6 Harvard Nebraska Omaha Bowling Green Boston University Bowling Green Boston University Bowling Green Boston University (37) 7 Boston University Yale Nebraska Omaha Harvard Boston University Bowling Green Harvard Bowling Green (33) 8 UMass Lowell UMass Lowell UMass Lowell UMass Lowell UMass Lowell UMass Lowell Yale UMass-Lowell (20) 9 Miami Bowling Green Miami Western Michigan Miami Miami UMass Lowell Yale (10) 10 Yale Western Michigan Yale Michigan Yale Western Michigan Western Michigan Miami (8)
1. Minnesota State 18-4-1 (70)
The Mavericks handled their first ever national number one ranking with aplomb with a very difficult road sweep over Ferris State. They hung on for a 2-1 victory on Friday night. On Saturday, they fell behind early 1-0--the first time they had trailed in eight games--but capitalized on a five-minute major power play in the third period to tie the game, then scored twice more to earn a 3-1 victory. The Mavericks head to the North Star College Cup next weekend as the nation's top team, but they will be searching for their first ever victory at the XCel Energy.
- Chris Dilks
2. North Dakota 16-5-2 (63)
North Dakota hosted a home series against Niagara, currently ranked dead last in college hockey in the Pairwise, and took care of a business with wins of 7-1 and 5-0.
- Chris Dilks
3. Minnesota Duluth 13-8-1 (54)
The Bulldogs hosted a red hot Western Michigan team last weekend and could only manage a single league point against the Broncos, tying Friday night's game and then losing in a shootout and then falling by a score of 4-2 on Saturday. The Bulldogs outplayed Western Michigan all weekend, but struggled to score against disciplined, physical defense of Western Michigan.
- Chris Dilks
4. Nebraska Omaha 15-6-3 (45)
The Mavericks 4-3 on Friday night at Colorado College, giving CC their first NCHC conference win of the season. On Saturday, they fell behind 1-0 in the first period, but fought back for a 4-1 victory. With Minnesota Duluth struggling vs. Western Michigan and North Dakota playing out-of-conference, the Mavericks were able to increase their lead atop the NCHC standings, though not by as many points as they had hoped.
- Chris Dilks
5. Harvard 11-3-2 (39)
Jimmy Vesey continued a stellar junior season with two goals and five points on the weekend, despite the Crimson dropping a 5-1 decision to St. Lawrence on Sunday. He remains the only player in Division 1 with at least a point in each of his team's games this season after setting a new career-high with two goals and two assists in a 6-3 win over Clarkson on Friday and getting credit for the team's lone goal in the loss to SLU. The Crimson visit Cornell and Colgate in its only two true road games of the month this coming weekend.
- Joshua Kummins
6. Boston University 13-4-4 (37)
The Terriers scored twice in the third period after falling behind 3-0 but dropped a 4-2 decision to archrival Boston College on Friday night, while freshman Jack Eichel netted the overtime winner in Sunday's 4-3 win over UMass Lowell. BU was resilient once again in the weekend-closing victory, coming back from a 3-1 deficit en route to jumping into a first-place tie in the Hockey East standings with 18 points. Junior Danny O'Regan is one of just four Division 1 players with at least 16 goals on the season after scoring one in each game on the weekend. Next up, BU hits the road for a weekend pair at Vermont.
- Joshua Kummins
7. Bowling Green 14-4-4 (33)
The Falcons traveled north for a hard-fought series against Michigan Tech. The Huskies got the better of them on Friday night with a 4-3 victory--Bowling Green's first loss since November 14th --but the Falcons answered back with a 3-2 victory the following night, led by goalie Tommy Burke making 38 saves on 40 shots in the win.
- Chris Dilks
8. UMass-Lowell 15-5-3 (20)
On Friday night, UMass-Lowell took to the road to find a victory against Maine in a 2-0 decision. Despite having a day of rest, the River Hawks fell to Boston University on Sunday in a 4-3 OT game. Next up, UMass-Lowell starts a home-home series with Providence this weekend.
- Matt Christians
9. Yale 11-4-2 (10)
The Bulldogs squeezed out a win against Brown by a score of 1-0 on Friday night. Finishing the series sweep, Yale downed Brown by a 5-1 decision the following night. This weekend Yale's on the road Friday and Saturday for games against St. Lawrence and Clarkson, respectfully.
- Matt Christians
10. Miami 14-8-0 (8)
The RedHawks had the weekend off to recover from being swept by St. Cloud State two weeks ago, and prepare for next weekend's series against Denver. The combination of Miami losing all six league points to St. Cloud State, and Denver gaining all six league points against St. Cloud State last weekend has really tightened up the race between fourth and fifth place in the NCHC, and the upcoming series between Denver and Miami could have huge playoff home ice implications down the road.
- Chris DilksAn army of 4chan trolls have fooled the mass media in reporting on a bogus petition to have Caitlyn Jenner stripped of her Olympic medal.
The trolls—from 4chan’s politically incorrect community, /pol/, and the site’s most popular and controversial imageboard, /b/—duped CBS Detroit, the Washington Post, Perez Hilton, the Daily Caller, Yahoo, and Us Magazine into reporting on its Change.org prank at the expense of Jenner, who revealed the results of a gender transition on Vogue’s July cover.
Two news organizations rightly skeptical of the petition were the Daily Beast and Independent.
Each one of these news organizations failed to mention 4chan’s involvement in the Change.org petition—a “hoax to fuck with feminists and trannies,” as one organizer had it. The phony campaign calls for the International Olympic Committee to make Jenner return the gold medal earned in the 1976 Summer Olympics because “we must now either claim that Bruce Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner are two entirely different people (which we know is not true) or that Bruce Jenner was, in fact, a woman participating in a men’s event.”
“We urge Ms. Jenner to support the transgender community by giving up the medals earned by competing against the wrong gender,” the petition concludes. As of the morning of June 4, it has more than 9,000 digital signatures of the 10,000 it calls for. (Update: After the petition reached 10,000 signatures, the goal posts were moved once again, to 15,000.)
The prank has been in the works since Monday, with numerous threads urging people to sign the petition and share it over social media.
4chan
4chan
4chan
As is often the case with most 4chan pranks, the underlying motivations are as juvenile as “for the lulz.” But in this particular case, Jenner’s transition only fuels /b/ and /pol/’s longtime obsession with ridiculing and sharing photos of transgender people.
Such boorish behavior is commonplace on /b/ and /pol/, whose users have made it their goal to taint the feminist movement and holidays such as Father’s Day with its perversions.
If the overarching goal of these 4chan pranks is to spark social media outrage—as was the case with the “#cutforbieber” saga—then these two 4chan communities take immense pride in fooling the media. This was also the case in January 2014, when /b/ fooled the media into reporting on a disturbing new fashion trend involving a woman’s weight and her bikini bottoms. The prank was called Operation Bikini Bridge.
Anyway, the next time you see the Worst Thing Ever™ on the Internet, take a deep breath and repeat this mantra: “It’s probably just 4chan.”
Illustration by Max FleishmanNew research finds people who read an article presented in a symmetrical format find it both more appealing and more relevant.
Visual symmetry increases aesthetic appeal. (Photo: SteafPong88/Shutterstock)
Are you enjoying this article? Do you find it relevant to your life? I’d like to take all the credit for that, but new research suggests your positive reaction may simply reflect its physical presentation.
It finds articles with a simple, symmetrical layout—something close to what we routinely use at PSmag.com—are more appealing to readers, and seem more personally significant. What’s more, readers apparently pay closer attention to the arguments contained in such pieces.
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Reported differences in reading difficulty did not account for the findings, leading psychologists Brianna Middlewood and Karen Gasper of the Pennsylvania State University to conclude the key factor is “the appeal of symmetry.”
“When it comes to making people care about information, visual appeal matters,” the researchers write in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Gasper and Middlewood present evidence for their thesis in the form of three experiments. In one of them, 67 people recruited online read a short article describing the pros and cons of year-round schooling.
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"When it comes to making people care about information, visual appeal matters."
For half of the participants, two boxes containing the text were presented in a simple, side-by-side layout. For the others, each box was tilted either 30 degrees or 45 degrees.
After reading them, participants responded to a series of statements, including “How difficult was this article to read?” and “This topic matters to me.” They were further asked whether they wanted more information on the subject, and whether they’d be interested in signing a petition supporting one side or the other.
The results: Participants judged the more symmetrical layouts as more appealing, and this quality stimulated a sense that the subject matter was relevant to them. This in turn led to “information engagement—in particular, the desire to obtain more information and to take action to help the cause,” the researchers write.
A second experiment, featuring 146 adults recruited online, used a simpler pair of layouts. Half read an article presented in two adjacent boxes, while the others read the same text presented in boxes located on the top left and bottom right corners of the page.
This time, the article laid out the case that colleges should require comprehensive examinations for graduation. But there were two different versions of the piece.
Half of the participants read a text featuring strong, well-thought-out arguments, such as “graduate and professional schools show a preference for undergraduates who have passed a comprehensive exam.” The others read a version featuring weak arguments, such as pointing out that instituting such an exam “would allow the university to be at the forefront of a national trend.”
All then rated the piece in terms of its appeal, relevance, and difficulty to read. They also reported the extent to which they agreed with the position being advocated.
Once again, “the symmetrical layout was rated as more appealing than the asymmetrical layout,” and those who found the article appealing also rated it higher in terms of personal relevance.
Moreover, those who considered the piece highly relevant apparently paid closer attention than the others. They agreed more with the proposal if they read the strong rather than the weak arguments. For those who considered it not particularly relevant, the strength of the argument had no effect on their level of agreement.
So it appears that regarding a piece of writing as personally relevant makes a big difference, in terms of reading it critically, as well as its ability to potentially spur action. But why did the layout—a seemingly irrelevant factor—prompt people to feel it was of more or less significance to them?
The researchers offer some possible explanations. “Visual symmetry increases aesthetic appeal,” they note, likely “because it increases the ease with which information is processed.”
This easy understanding triggers a sense of fluency, in that reading the text is an enjoyable experience. Since, in the researchers’ words, “people want to identify with things they like,” it makes sense that they’d find a topic that aroused warm feelings to be particularly relevant.
So if you’re designing anything from a simple flyer to a complex website, you might want to keep in mind the value of simplicity.
“Asymmetrical designs may grab people’s attention,” Gasper and Middlewood write. But if your goal is to get people intrigued, inspired, or involved, proportionality is your pal.Odds are, pretty well.
The National Football League is a professional sports juggernaut. Revenue this season is expected to be in the $10 billion range, with television rights fees coming in around $4 billion.
The craptacular Jacksonville Jaguars — the JAGUARS — recently sold for $780 million.
So I’m always startled and amused whenever I come across something like this, from the league’s 2011 collective bargaining agreement:
Also, airline meals shall not be considered “food.”
Okay, that’s just a sub-clause I would go to war for.
Yep, don’t go over $19 for breakfast fellas! Hell, $19 dollars doesn’t even buy half a grapefruit at the Ritz-Carleton, which is the caliber of hotel NFL teams stay in. That 2020 number does worry me though — the NFL must know something about food inflation we don’t.
At least there’s a provision that looks out for those of us who enjoy the occasional pre-breakfast, however:Corpse Party: Blood Drive coming to PS Vita
Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, has recently announced that Corpse Party: Blood Drive is officially a game to look forward to. The sequel to Corpse Party: Book of Shadows‘ eighth chapter which acted as a sequel to the first Corpse Party, will be releasing in Japan later this year on the PlayStation Vita. This third entry in the Heavenly Host Elementary School saga is said to be the finale. The story synopsis suggests Naomi and Ayumi’s efforts to save their friends from Heavenly Host will continue. Awesome.
After a fan of RoH convinced me to check out the first Corpse Party, I’ve become hooked on the series. Not too long ago I reviewed Book of Shadows for the PSP. Today’s news that the sequel has been officially confirmed and that it’s a Vita title, as opposed to a PSP one, is just the icing on the cake. Gory anime drawings will have never looked so pretty!
Now, my only hope is that XSEED works on translating this game simultaneously to its development so we won’t have to wait a year for it to be localised.
[Source, Via Siliconera]
[nggallery id=95]Although it’s not easy to look at this without thinking about the Dirtbag Gourmet guide to cannibalism, these cross-section images of the thighs of three men are highly motivating. People of a certain age will acknowledge that kicking hard for another interval, adding another loop to your trail run, or banging off another skin lap gets progressively harder as you get older. We know both intuitively and empirically that it pays off, of course, but here’s even more evidence.
The first image shows the legs of a 40-year-old triathlete. The center oval is the femur, which is surrounded by muscle (dark) |
used to further slow and guide it through the final metres to the landing site.
The Imperial team propose a landing site near the equator, where milder conditions exist.
They would hope to land near a pre-sent Martian habitat module and rover, although the rover could be robotically controlled to travel from the habitat to the landing site if the distance was too great for a crossing on foot.
Then the Martian visit would begin - a first human landing on another planet.
The time spent on the Martian surface would be dictated by the next time Earth and Mars aligned for a speedy return home. It could be two months, or we might choose to spend more than two years on Mars, says the Imperial team.
It is during this time that the human crew could try to demonstrate why humans could still outperform robots in analysing and understanding the Martian environment.
"Some people think that the use of humans is just something that is popular and attractive from an adventure and inspirational point of view, but there are also real scientific benefits for sending humans," said Prof Mark Sephton, the team's geologist.
"Humans can data process while they're walking around, while they're looking at rocks. They're probably the most sophisticated computer, the most sophisticated robotic living organism that we can imagine."
Radiation would remain a danger during the stay, with Mars possessing no magnetosphere to shield the surface from cosmic and solar rays. Shovelling up soil from the surface during the mission and part-burying the habitat module could help, as could staying inside during a solar burst.
Then comes the return home, which would be far from simple.
The approach taken by the Imperial scientists would be to pre-send both the habitat module, rover and a return vehicle before any human launch.
The return vehicle would land at a latitude where water ice would be found in large amounts just a few centimetres beneath the surface. Robotic devices would mine the ice, which would then be split into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis.
These gases could be used as fuels on their own, or the hydrogen could be combined with carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere using a catalyst to produce methane, which is a more stable and energy-dense fuel than hydrogen.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The team suggest we could mine Mars for ice to fuel the return craft
As the Imperial team propose landing near the equator, a crew would have to travel by rover to a cooler latitude where the return vehicle and ice-mining devices would be waiting. Several hundreds of kilometres may have to be crossed, posing both risks and opportunities to further explore the Martian landscape.
Should they make it safely, the crew would have a narrow launch window to ensure the quickest most fuel-efficient return to Earth.
After leaving Mars, the return vehicle would dock with the orbiting cruise vehicle and replace the Martian lander as the counter-balance within the spinning tethered structure en route to Earth. Like the lander, the return vehicle would have to be fitted with a shield to protect the crew during extreme solar activity.
After at least nine months, the craft would reach Earth orbit and dock with the International Space Station before the astronauts could take a Soyuz capsule home, the team envisages.
The new Imperial concept comes amid renewed interest in the Red Planet, with two private groups having proposed missions.
Businessman and former space tourist Dennis Tito wants to send an American couple on a mission beginning in 2018 that would pass within 100 miles (160km) of Mars before using the planet's gravity to "slingshot" the craft back to Earth.
The Dutch project Mars One proposes putting a human colony on the planet beginning in 2023, while SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has spoken of sending a private human mission to Mars within 12-15 years.
The US, Russian, European and Chinese space agencies maintain long-term plans to put humans on Mars.
The documentary How to put a human on Mars can be seen this weekend on the BBC News channel and BBC World News.(North Texas media relations)
Graham Harrell was a record-setting quarterback at Texas Tech, setting several NCAA passing records within coach Mike Leach's quarterback-friendly Air Raid offense.
At North Texas, former Alabama quarterback Alec Morris is playing under Harrell in essentially the same offense.
That means Morris will have a chance to put up some big numbers if he can win North Texas' starting quarterback job, which he is on track to do.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Morris, a graduate transfer, left the Tide in January, transferred to North Texas and took the majority of the reps as the Mean Green's first-team quarterback this spring.
"He's done really well," Harrell, who is entering his first season as North Texas' offensive coordinator, said of Morris. "Early on, he was playing better than anyone else was, and we just had to advance someone as quickly as possible, and we tried to do that with him. That's kind of where he sits. We expect him to have a good fall camp. And if he does, then I'd expect he could be the starter easily around here."
Nick Saban follows through on promise to participate in charity event The event was Tuesday
North Texas hired another Leach disciple, Seth Littrell, as its head coach in December. Harrell was one of Littrell's first hires, joining Littrell's staff after two years working under Leach at Washington State.
One of the early priorities was finding a graduate transfer quarterback after quarterback issues played a large role in the Mean Green finishing just 1-11 last season.
It turned out to be Morris, who was looking for an opportunity to be a starting quarterback after serving as Alabama's third-string quarterback the last two years. Morris was a factor in the competition for the Tide's starting quarterback job leading up to last season, but ended finishing third behind Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman.
"It was definitely a difficult decision to leave Alabama. No doubt," said Morris, who had been at Alabama since 2012. "One thing that made it easier was that I had been around Alabama quite a long time. I had seen a lot of my really close friends graduate and leave, so the amount of relationships I had as far as truly close friends just being around, a fifth-year senior, guys graduate and they move on. So that was one aspect. But a lot of great relationships were made there that I had to leave behind for the time being, so it was no doubt a difficult decision."
Alabama QB Alec Morris 'finally getting the recognition he deserves,' ex-teammate says Morris has emerged as possibly the most likely of Alabama's quarterbacks to be named the starter
Why North Texas? Location was one reason.
The school is less than an hour away from Morris' hometown of Allen, Texas. The other big one was the combination of Littrell and Harrell.
"I liked what type of program they said they wanted to have, and I liked the attitudes, and I liked the offense as well," Morris said. "So all things included, details like that (and being close to home) were really what made me want to come here."
The quarterback that likely would have been Morris' top competition for the starting job -- DaMarcus Smith, who started six games last year -- left the team in March.
Morris' remaining competition for the starting job is a redshirt freshman, a former two-star recruit and a walk-on.
Morris was 17 of 35 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions during North Texas' spring game in April.
"He's big, has a good arm, he can throw it around, and he picked the offense up pretty quickly," Harrell said. "That's the thing that I thought would be his biggest obstacle, picking things up and learning it and getting comfortable with the offense, but he did a really good job with that in the spring and was able to progress pretty quickly.
"In this offense, the quarterback has a lot of responsibility and he's the one that makes the offense go, but it's a great offense to play in. It's fun, and you've got a chance to put up big numbers. We're excited about Alec. We're going to play an exciting brand of football and hopefully put up some great numbers and win a lot of games."In late October of 1971 a group of academics and technologists gathered at a conference at Georgetown. They were given the task of devising the most comprehensive (yet invisible) surveillance program imaginable. What they came up with sounds an awful lot like our current debit card system.
This was the question posed to the researchers in 1971:
Suppose you were an advisor to the head of the KGB, the Soviet Secret Police. Suppose you are given the assignment of designing a system for the surveillance of all citizens and visitors within the boundaries of the USSR. The system is not to be too obtrusive or obvious. What would be your decision?
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What amazing, unobtrusive surveillance system did they come up with? It wasn’t a network of intercepting every phone call or placing cameras on every street corner. They imagined an electronic funds transfer system, or EFTS—a system that looks strikingly similar to the debit card system we all use today.
The September 1975 issue of Computers and People magazine gave readers a peek at this system that was to come:
Let’s look at one way it might work. Say you are about to buy a book. You present your card (sometimes called a “debit card”, although National Americard calls theirs an “asset card”) to a clerk who puts it into a terminal which reads it and then calls up your bank. If you have enough money in your account, or if your bank is willing to grant you that much credit, the transaction is okayed; your account is debited; and a credit is dispatched form you bank to the book store’s bank account.
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“Not only would it handle all the financial accounting and provide the statistics crucial to a centrally planned economy,” Paul Armer wrote in 1975 recounting the KGB-infused thought experiment. “It was the best surveillance system we could imagine within the constraint that it not be obtrusive.”
Armer was a computer scientist at RAND and an early advocate of digital privacy, long before people had debit cards, let alone access to the internet. Computers in Armer’s era were much larger and their networking tools were much more primitive. But Armer could see what was coming. And he thought that this cashless society actually posed the greatest threat to the privacy of Americans.
Think for a moment about the information that banks collect every time you swipe your card. They know precisely where, when, and how you’re spending your money. After just a few transactions, anyone with access to that information can start to paint a pretty detailed picture of how you live your life. And perhaps most importantly, that picture is being painted without you giving it much thought at all.
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More from Armer in 1975, emphasis in the original:
The dimensions of the final form of EFTS which are of importance to its potential surveillance capabilities are such things as the percentage of the transactions recorded; the degree of centralization of the data; and the speed of information flow in the system. Suppose for a minute all transactions over $10 must go through the system and that they are immediately debited to your account in your bank’s computer. Thus the system not only collects and files a great deal about your financial transactions — and that means a great dal of data about your life — but the system knows where you are every time you make such a transaction.
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Today, we hear an awful lot about the monitoring of our emails and our phone calls. The Snowden leaks have seen to that. But one aspect of surveillance seems to be absent from much of the debate around surveillance: How we buy things.
I don’t expect that debate to shift in any meaningful way within my lifetime. We’ve already bought into the system. It’s just too convenient. But it’s perhaps an important thing to think about every now and again, even if it’s a futile exercise.
Sure, Google knows a lot about us. But the banks are keeping tabs as well. And we can’t say that 1970s futurists didn’t warn us.
AdvertisementMicrosoft Research today unveiled Verifiable Confidential Cloud Computing (VC3), a framework for processing data that keeps code and data from being seen by attackers or people working for a cloud provider.
VC3 is a MapReduce framework that can run distributed computations on top of Hadoop open-source software for storing and analyzing lots of different kinds of data.
Researchers are showing off their work on the project today at the annual IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Jose, California, according to a blog post from Microsoft Research’s Allison Linn.
Microsoft isn’t announcing any sort of commercial productizing of VC3 — but if that happens, it could be of interest to companies that want to offload complex computing jobs to an external cloud but have some concerns about data security.
If Microsoft does introduce VC3-style computing in its growing Azure cloud, it would be another way to attract workloads from big enterprises, where Microsoft has earned trust over many decades. And it would be a new way for Microsoft to make itself look more appealing alongside other expanding public clouds, like the Google Cloud Platform and market-leading Amazon Web Services.
Microsoft is revealing VC3 a few weeks after it said it would boost email content encryption in Office 365. Clearly, security is one area Microsoft wants to take seriously, not only for its cloud software but also for cloud infrastructure that can run other companies’ applications.
Meanwhile, other cloud service providers have been striving to do more with encryption. Box recently announced Enterprise Key Management for storing customers’ encryption keys and audit logs on dedicated hardware security modules. And IBM research scientist Craig Gentry, who was named a MacArthur fellow in September, is looking to improve the performance of an encryption method called Fully Homomorphic Computing (FHE).
FHE in particular is currently not efficient for most computations, the Microsoft researchers concluded in their paper on VC3. And systems like Cipherbase and CryptDB “do not protect all code and data,” they wrote.
Thus the development of VC3, which the researchers were able to run on the HDInsight Hadoop distribution running on Windows. And importantly, as they noted, performance wasn’t dragged down:
Experimental results on common benchmarks show that VC3 performs well compared with unprotected Hadoop; VC3’s average runtime overhead is negligible for its base security guarantees, 4.5% with write integrity and 8% with read/write integrity.
Read the full VC3 paper here (PDF).TEHRAN – Tehran on Monday denounced the United States for supporting terrorist groups, such as the anti-Iran Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO or MEK), which carry out acts of terror against the Islamic Republic and other regional countries.
In a news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi condemned the U.S. for threatening the security of the region, saying Washington must pay for its wrongdoings.
Qassemi’s remarks came days after the head of the MKO, Maryam Rajavi, met with John McCain, a senior U.S. senator who was the Republican nominee for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
“You have stood up, fought, and sacrificed for freedom, for the right to live free, for the right to determine your future,” said McCain, referring to Rajavi.
Qassemi further said the meeting came of no surprise to him, since the United States has supported various terrorist groups in recent decades.
Once an important political actor inside Iran, the MKO fought the rule of Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, before the Islamic Revolution. However, after the 1979 revolution, it resorted to acts of terror and assassinations, killing thousands of innocent Iranians.
According to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, MKO members were trained in the United States from 2005 to 2009, under former President George W. Bush. Their training included intercepting communications, cryptography, weaponry and small unit tactics.
Following the election of Donald Trump as president, anti-Iran warmongers became much more vocal in U.S. politics, which in turn has empowered the MKO-like groups and individuals who are now calling for “regime change” in Iran.
Also, a week ago, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, called for replacing the Islamic Republic with a “parliamentary monarchy”.
“My focus right now is on liberating Iran,” he said.
Days after Pahlavi’s anti-Iran remarks, came John Bolton’s. Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is infamous for being one of the most hawkish politicians in America, called Iran “a terrorist state” in a New York Post article published on Sunday.
“The nuclear threat from rogue states like Iran is a terrorist rather than a military threat, aimed to intimidate, or ultimately kill and maim, innocent civilian populations around the world,” he wrote.
Among many other U.S. politicians, Bolton has also spoken in favor of the MKO at its conference in Brussels. He, too, repeatedly calls for regime change in Iran.
MH/PAAlthough most people understand the importance of getting checked for STDs, many people have anxiety when it comes to STD testing. For many, the process is embarrassing, especially if their results turn out positive. Not to mention, the testing process can be a hassle. These factors lead many people to avoid getting an STD test altogether. However, STDCheck has eliminated these issues with their web-based STD testing service.
The STDCheck testing process has been designed entirely around the concept of being secure, private, and confidential. Every step of the testing procedure has been implemented to help conceal your identity, from your visit to the testing lab to the payment process to the delivery of your results. STDCheck has truly taken every step possible to ensure confidentiality.
How STDCheck Private Testing Works? Click Here to Learn More.
Even more impressively, this company has devised an online platform which makes the entire process fast, efficient, and hassle-free. After ordering your customizable test panel and paying using the online platform, simply show up to your chosen lab for a five minute test. Within a few days, you will receive your results.
This three step testing process makes this service very attractive for anyone looking for a fast and private STD testing experience. Below, we have conducted a deep dive review of STDCheck.com, which should help to answer all the questions you have about this company. In this review, have provided a snapshot of this company, explained the types of diseases they test for, explained how the process works, outlined their credentials and pricing, provided answers to commonly asked questions about this company and their service, and examined the sentiments of consumers who have previously utilized this company’s services.
About STDCheck
STDCheck is an online platform that provides a fast, efficient, and confidential testing for sexually transmitted diseases. This company makes STD testing easy and private. Users simply have to order their preferred testing package online, show up at a lab for a five minute test, and wait for their results. This company is a private company and was founded in 2010 by Fiyyaz Pirani, the current CEO. They are headquartered in Houston, Texas, but operate nationwide.
Who can use this service:
Anyone can use STDCheck.com, especially those who have had an unprotected sexual experience. Minors over the age 16 do not need parental consent to use this service.
How long does it take to get results:
The time to takes to receive results can vary. Usually, you will receive your results within about 1-2 days.
Which diseases does STD Check test for?
STD Check overs a range of testing for the most common types of STDs. Their testing can be conducted in either a full 10-panel test, or you may opt to customize your own panel by picking and choosing the diseases you’d prefer to be tested for. The full range of diseases covered by this company’s testing are as follows:
HIV Type 1
HIV Type 2
Herpes 1
Herpes 2
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Click Here to View STDcheck Pricing & STD Test Packages
STDcheck Review – How it Works
STDCheck has an easy and effortless sign-up and testing process. The majority of the testing process takes place on their online platform, while only a five minute lab test is required for the offline portion of the process. The testing process is completed using the steps below:
Step 1: Find Your Nearest Testing Location
When you arrive at the STDCheck website, you will be able to enter in your zip code to see all of the testing locations that are available in your area. You can choose the testing facility that is the most convenient for you. Testing facilities reside in all fifty U.S. states, with over 4,500 locations to choose from.
Step 2: Order Your Test Package
Next, you will complete your order by selecting the type of test or test package that you prefer. There are a variety of test panel options and packages to choose from which enable you to customize the testing panel that will work best for you. The testing is paid for online, before the test is conducted.
Step 3: Get Your Lab Work Documents
Once you have ordered your test, STDCheck will provide you with a lab request form and a testing code. This information should be brought to the lab when you arrive for your test. These documents will tell the lab which type of samples are needed for your test. However, for privacy reasons, the lab will not be privy to the types of tests that will be conducted on your samples.
Step 4: Go For Your Lab Test
At your convenience, you may arrive at your preferred testing location. No appointment is necessary. The testing process will be completed within five minutes and does not require you to fill out any paperwork at the testing location.
Step 5: Wait For Your Results
When your results are ready, you will be able to check them in your STDCheck.com account. Usually, results are delivered within a few days. Your results will not be reported to your insurance company.
Sample STD Test Result
Credentials
It is important that a company such as STDCheck is both a safe and reliable testing option. Especially since you will be providing them with your private information. Luckily, this company appears to be both highly trusted and reputable, as they boast the following set of credentials:
STD Check maintains FDA approved testing.
Each test is overseen and signed by a physician.
STDCheck is the only online testing service that offers early detection HIV RNA testing that has been approved by the FDA.
Each of this company’s 4,500 testing labs are CLIA certified.
STDCheck has been accredited by the BBB.
They also have an A+ rating via the BBB. This rating is given based on the BBB’s examination of a company’s complaint history, the type of business being operated, the length of time the company has been in business, the transparency of their business practices, the number of times they failed to honor their BBB commitments, their licensing and legal situations, and any issues they have had regarding their advertising.
The Pros
STDCheck’s website is very easy to use.
This company provides a very fast service and testing process.
Users of this service will receive their results in just a few days.
STDCheck.com provides an efficient online ordering and payment experience.
There are thousands of labs scattered throughout the United States that individuals can choose from when they order their test.
This company offers very friendly customer service.
The entire process is highly private and confidential from end-to-end.
Test results are not reported to any insurance agencies, nor to the official medical records of those using the service.
The actual testing process itself is confidential and the testing procedure only lasts about five minutes.
Test results are sent via an encrypted private e-mail account, which only you will have access to.
You will have the ability to speak with a doctor and request a prescription if results are positive.
All testing operations are overseen by a physician.
This is a highly trusted company, backed by substantial consumer support, and maintains accolades from professional business and government organizations.
STDCheck.com offers customizable testing options, which allow you to choose a complete 10 test panel, or customize your panel.
STD Check provides professional service, with all medical privacy laws abided by.
The Cons
Some results may take longer than expected.
Lab locations published on their website need updating (be sure to verify the location of your desired lab before selecting one to ensure it hasn’t moved).
In most cases, you will need to talk to someone over the phone if your results are positive.
Want to Save Money? Today’s Top Deal: Save $10 OFF with This Special Link.
(Note: Your $10 Off Order coupon will be applied at stdcheck.com’s checkout page.)
STDCheck Testing FAQ
Q: When should you get tested for STDs?
Ideally, STD testing should take place three weeks after unprotected sex. A second round of testing should be conducted three months after the first test is completed to confirm and verify the results of the first test. It is important to receive a confirmation test, because not all diseases are detectable so soon after transmission.
Q: Where will your STD test be conducted?
STDCheck has a network of over 4,500 testing facilities in the United States. You will be able to choose the testing location that works best for you.
Q: What is early detection HIV RNA testing?
STDCheck offers early detection HIV RNA testing. This test is designed to detect HIV infection in the early stages after transmission, or between 9 and 11 days after exposure has occurred.
Q: Are appointments necessary during any part of the STDCheck process?
No. You can show up to any testing center with your paperwork to have your testing completed at any time, as long as you arrive during the testing center’s posted business hours.
Q: Is testing confidential?
STDCheck states that they take every stride necessary in ensuring the confidentiality of all tests. For example, even the labs which conduct the testing are not granted with knowledge regarding the purposes/reasons for your testing, as these labs test also for a range of other diseases besides STDs. Additionally, STDCheck states that they are subject to the same privacy laws as any physician practice, and abide by all HIPAA laws. They do not share your personal data or billing information with third parties. Testing results are not reported to insurance companies.
Q: What happens if you test positive for an STD?
If you test positive for an STD, STD Check will allow you to talk one-on-one with one of their practicing physicians. This physician will serve as a consultant who will explain the results of your test and answer any questions you may have. If you prefer, the physician may also write a prescription for you, although this service costs extra.
Q: What kind of samples are needed for your test?
Depending on the type of testing being conducted, a urine or blood sample will be taken at the testing facility. A urine sample will be used for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing, while blood samples are required for HIV, herpes, hepatitis, and syphilis testing.
Q: Will you need to fill out paperwork at the testing lab?
You will not need to fill out any paperwork or answer any questions during your visit to the lab.
Q: Do you need parental consent if you are a minor?
No parental consent is required for individuals over the age of 16.
Q: Does this testing service require a physical exam?
No exam is required.
Q: Is health insurance accepted by this service?
STDCheck does not accept insurance.
STDCheck.com Pricing
STDCheck.com offers two comprehensive testing packages:
The original 10 Test Panel tests for HIV Type 1 and 2, Herpes 1 and 2, Hepatitis A, B, & C, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis and is priced at $198.
The upgraded 10 Test Panel tests the same set of diseases as the original panel, but also includes early detection testing for HIV RNA. This test is priced at $349.
You may also order individual tests at the following prices:
Hepatitis A: $24
Hepatitis B: $24
Hepatitis C: $24
HIV 1 & 2: $79
Syphilis: $79
Herpes 1: $65
Herpes 2: $65
Chlamydia: $89
Gonorrhea: $89
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: $129
Early detection HIV RNA: $169
Of all these testing options, the original 10 panel test appears to offer the best value. However, the individual tests might be ideal if you are looking to confirm the results of a previous positive test for a specific disease.
Consumer Sentiments
Consumers who have previously used this service have stated that the process was easy, fast, and convenient. They state that the process is easy to navigate, and the staff was professional. The majority of consumers say they highly recommend this product. On the negative side, some customers have stated they had trouble receiving a requested refund. Others have stated that their results took longer than they expected/longer than the few days that is advertised.
However, the majority of consumers who have used this service appear to express favorable sentiments towards this company, and have stated that they did receive their results within the expected time-frame of a few days. Additionally, many consumers stated that this service provided them with peace of mind.
Consumer Sentiment Data
Overall, out of 1,595 reviews on Trustpilot, 91% gave a STDcheck an ‘excellent’ rating, while 8% said that STD check is ‘great’. These results yield an STDcheck TrustScore of 9.4 out of 10.
Overall Review of STDCheck
In light of the collective information noted above, this service is trustworthy and the product is very valuable. The main draw to this service is that STDCheck provides a more private way to conduct their STD test. A typical STD testing scenario is embarrassing for many people. Instead, STDCheck.com offers a service that is more confidential and more private, where the patient doesn’t feel put under a spotlight.
Individuals who choose to use STDCheck instead of a traditional STD testing service benefit from less anxiety, a time-saving testing experience, and less stigma surrounding the results, given that these results will not be reported to any insurance company or put in your official medical record.
As an extra measure of privacy, the results are delivered to you via an encrypted e-mail which makes them super secure. The testing code you are given helps to keep your identity private while visiting the testing center. Together, all these features help to make the STDCheck process significantly more confidential than a standard STD testing procedure at a regular doctor’s office or testing clinic.
Furthermore, payments are conducted via Paypal or credit card and will show up as a confidential health transaction on your billing statement under the name ‘Health Labs’, instead of STDCheck. No insurance is accepted for payment, ensuring that your results are kept private, even from your insurance company.
STDCheck tests are clearly reliable, as this service has been approved by the FDA and their testing centers are certified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment. Another attractive feature of this service is their outstanding level of customer support. If you have any issues or questions during your experience, you are able to contact their customer support via their website, live chat, or phone. Their staff is very friendly and professional and aim to make you feel comfortable and supported every step of the way.
Most consumers appear to agree that this company is legitimate and delivers a quality service within the appropriate time-frame indicated. While a significantly lower number of consumers have expressed some level of discontent with this company and its services, this company services a large number of people, and therefore it would be expected that there would be a handful of complaints, given that no company can provide 100% customer service all the time. Overall, this company appears to be good at resolving these disputes and providing exceptional customer service.
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Final Thoughts
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Review Last Updated: February 06, 2019By: Roger Scruton
Posted: January 31, 2017This article appeared in: Vol. XVII, Number 1, Winter 2016/17
n 1960, at age 16, I purchased my first book. It was Hazel Barnes’s translation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s Being and Nothingness (1943), whose 500 pages I turned uncomprehendingly. Though I could hardly afford the book, I did not regret the expense, because I had learned from Walter Kaufmann’s collection of existentialist extracts, Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre (1956), that Sartre’s philosophy was a life-changing guide to an emerging and liberating world. He had proved that radical choice would sweep away the old attachments and set the individual free. Henceforth, thanks to this learned survey of I knew not what, I would be me, the pure individual me, in a world illuminated by a single consciousness, namely mine. All our gang at school were self-declared existentialists, each committed to proving himself with an act of radical commitment: Denzil’s was to seduce a Nigerian princess who had been installed in a posh local boarding school for girls, mine was to blow up the school cadet corps’ glider with a homemade bomb. We all claimed intimate knowledge of this book that few of us had read and none of us had understood. And we all rejoiced in the message that we read into it: the message of self. As William Wordsworth wrote of another French radical movement: “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive.”
By 1968, when the aftershocks of the existentialist earthquake were being felt in the streets of Paris, I was as disillusioned as the aging Wordsworth. I could not believe that anyone would take this stuff seriously, certainly not so seriously as to do what Sartre at the time was recommending, which was to pull down the fabric of French society and install a “totalizing” system in its stead. By then, however, I had read the early Sartre properly—the Sartre of La Nausée [Nausea], of the plays and novels, of Being and Nothingness, and the two studies of imagination. With a deep admiration for his gifts, I envied his ability to bring philosophy, fiction, and essay writing together, in prose that is both argumentative and full of imagined life. I wondered whether this synthesis of literary talents might be available to someone like myself, who believed the opposite of what Sartre believed, and who was convinced that life is not about self but about others. Thus did I set out on my own peculiar journey.
* * *
Sarah Bakewell, too, had an existentialist awakening, which occurred 20 years after mine, when she was swept off her feet at age 16 by La Nausée. This, if nothing else, is a proof that existentialism was not merely a fashion, but a literary experience that touches something deep in many of us, something that comes to the surface in those teenage years, when it is so clear that the world is governed by a conspiracy to exclude us, even though it is no fault of our own that we are here. Bakewell is a gifted writer and a serious thinker, whose previous book is How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (2010). She is able to explain engagingly the ideas of Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Martin Heidegger while relating them to the lives from which they sprang. And in this she clarifies the essential point, which is that existentialism was both a genuine philosophy, rooted in speculations that are of permanent significance, and also a way of life, in which ideas, feelings, and actions grew organically together in response to the peculiar condition of a self-destroying Europe.
The heroes of At the Existentialist Café are Sartre and de Beauvoir, for both of whom Bakewell has a soft spot. She is able to pass quickly over glaring and often inexcusable moral faults, such as de Beauvoir’s habit of grooming her female students to have sex first with her and then with Sartre, or Sartre’s excuses for the Communist genocides. Like so many commentators, Bakewell cannot find it in herself to be similarly lenient towards Heidegger, whose support for the Nazis—loathsome though it was—fell well short of the support offered by Sartre and de Beauvoir to the various revolutionary murderers who from time to time enjoyed their commitment. (Bakewell does not even mention Sartre’s public endorsement of the murder by Palestinian terrorists of the Israeli Olympic team at Munich in 1972.) I guess this is something we have to accept, now, as part of the culture—that crimes attributed to the “Right” are inexcusable, while crimes attributed to the “Left” are for the most part simply mistakes. Sartre and de Beauvoir made many such mistakes. But Sartre’s philosophy of absolute freedom and de Beauvoir’s radical feminism offered a lifeline to the adolescent Bakewell, and she clings to it still.
* * *
Bakewell brings across Heidegger’s gloomy and shut-in character, and although she repeats the now accepted platitude that he was a great philosopher—perhaps the greatest philosopher of modern times—she doesn’t hesitate to quote the oracular utterances that show him to have been no such thing. Many people whom I respect endorse the orthodox view of Heidegger, and I hesitate to say that he was a portentous old windbag who had nothing to say. The problem is that he had a way of saying nothing with a capital “N,” at a time when Nothing was on the march across our continent, and when people would prick up their ears on hearing that “Nothing noths,” or “The Meaning of Being is Time.” In emergencies we listen out for those capital letters, and forget that the mantras of the metaphysician and the slogans of the demagogue are both in the business of silencing our questions.
Bakewell gives a lively evocation of the Parisian café culture of those days. The café was a home for the metaphysically homeless, where self and other could enjoy the apricot cocktails of her title, and exchange looks across a smoke-filled room, while wondering whether any such thing is really possible. After all it is not the pour-soi (for itself) but the en-soi (in itself) that meets the eye, so how can I meet I when eye meets eye? Yet somehow it happens, and the various studies of |
eca Lake crew. I really hope you join us.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s We Are Seneca Lake, a new short film by Josh Fox, director of Gasland and Gasland 2. And we welcome Josh Fox back to Democracy Now! Josh, we only have a few minutes. This is astounding to see. Back in 2008, this fire, you believe, could—
JOSH FOX: This was a fire that nobody reported on. This was something that burned for three-and-a -half weeks. And these kinds of things, I think, are routine. When you’re talking about gas storage, you’re stuffing huge amounts of methane into underground formations. These are not steel tanks. These are actual geologic formations. And this is what people in Seneca Lake—one of the reasons people in Seneca Lake are incredibly concerned.
AMY GOODMAN: And again, place it for us, for a global audience.
JOSH FOX: OK, so the Finger Lakes region of New York state has five Finger Lakes. There are hundreds of wineries, distilleries, breweries. It’s an incredibly beautiful area. Seneca Lake itself is in central upstate New York. It’s the source of drinking water for 100,000 people. And famously, as we now know, New York has banned fracking, which is an incredible victory for both the people’s movement against fracking and the science on the subject.
AMY GOODMAN: And you were an essential part of that, with your film, Gasland.
JOSH FOX: Well, I think that Gasland helped educate people quite a bit, but it is—
AMY GOODMAN: Fracking being?
JOSH FOX: Fracking being the injection of high-pressure water and chemicals and sand to break apart rock formations underneath the ground to release oil and gas that’s trapped there. Fracked gas is, you know, a huge environmental issue right now, as well as fracked oil. And New York has banned this practice because it contaminates water supplies and air, and creates a public health crisis. But here in New York state, we still have tons of infrastructure projects—pipelines, compressor stations, power plants.
So, the Seneca Lake gas storage facility fits in with a national crisis right now, when you have the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a five-member body, basically usurping state and local authority and saying, “It’s totally OK. Let’s build a huge liquified natural gas storage facility here. Let’s take over this port,” like in Cove Point, Maryland, for example. FERC is not accountable, really, to democracy. Nobody really knows who these people are. They’re not famous. They’re not senators. They’re not the president. And yet they are controlling all of these oil and gas infrastructure projects. And you’re seeing people be incredibly frustrated and put themselves in harm’s way, again, in Seneca Lake, now almost 300 arrests over the course of six months.
AMY GOODMAN: And you were one of 20 this week that got arrested?
JOSH FOX: One of 20—one of 20 this week, blockading the front gate. Because when people feel that they don’t have representation in a democracy—this is civil disobedience, obviously, nonviolent civil disobedience, one of the last recourses that you can have to appeal to a higher sense of justice. And people are putting themselves in harm’s way because they sense that the harm is greater if they don’t.
And that’s motivated both by the local issue, I think, of Seneca Lake, and how beautiful and important it is for the microclimate and for drinking water, but also because of climate change. We can ban fracked extraction in New York state, but unless we start to take on the pipelines, the power plants, the basic infrastructure that delivers oil and gas that creates carbon, we’re going to be in deep trouble with climate change and lock ourselves into decades more of fossil fuels.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you, Josh Fox, for being with us, director of Gasland, the documentary which first exposed the harms of the fracking industry, nominated for an Academy Award, also made Gasland 2, as well as this documentary, We Are Seneca Lake.
That does it for our broadcast. We have a job opening for video production fellowships beginning July 1st. Go to democracynow.org for more information.On today’s show, your hosts dive deep into your questions after the scoreless draw to the Philadelphia Union. Did Curt Onalfo do enough to cool his seat?
CoG Studios, CA – The LA Galaxy didn’t lose to the Philadelphia Union. So in a lot of ways, that’s a step in the right direction. But for the Galaxy, a team with five MLS Cups, it can’t be anywhere near good enough.
On tonight’s show, your hosts, CoG’s Josh Guesman and LA Times Soccer Writer Kevin Baxter, take a look back and that optically oppressing game and tell you what they learned. Did the formation change work? And did João Pedro show some significant improvement? Was the formation too defensive? Why didn’t the offense get going? And where are Giovani dos Santos and Jermaine Jones supposed to be playing?
Plus, your hosts will discuss whether or not the Galaxy have already abandoned their “LA Galaxy II is our Future” plan when they went out and signed Jack McInerney. It certainly sent a shot across the bow for some of the younger players.
But the big questions will be around Curt Onalfo and whether or not he has survived the storm. Did he do enough against the Union to secure his job for the foreseeable future? Did his formation change show enough initiative to see him around for several more weeks? Did the players’ attitudes improve in this game? Has he still lost the team? We’ll answer a bunch of these question and a bunch more of your excellent and insightful tweets and emails in a quick 60-minutes of Galaxy talk tonight.
Plus, we’re answering your CoG Hotline calls as well. And some of you need to cheer up a bit.
Finally, the guys will discuss the upcoming four-game road trip that will start as soon as they’re done with their three-game homestand against the Chicago Fire. Will Juninho get a warm welcome back in SoCal?
We hope you enjoy the show. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell your parents! And thanks for talk Galaxy soccer with us!
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commentsA More Sex Positive Conception of Nudism
Nudists are inadvertently very sex negative. But they shouldn’t be.
John P Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jul 26, 2017
Nudism¹, simply defined, is the practice of nonsexual social and recreational nudity.
The phrase “nudism is not sexual”² is found on every legitimate source of information concerning the topic of nudism. It’s a fact stated in every article written about the lifestyle. It’s in the rules posted for every clothing optional venue. It’s practically the mantra of all nudist organizations, large and small. By far and away, it’s the most common rhetorical defense of nude recreation.
Before going any further, I’d like to take a moment to establish that this claim is one hundred percent true. I want to be totally clear about that: nudism is not a sexual activity. Absolutely nothing written here should be interpreted in any way as being in opposition to that premise.
Nudists typically enjoy things like skinny dipping, sunbathing, and potlucks. Nudist resorts host events like 5k runs, volleyball tournaments, and karaoke nights. None of these activities are even remotely sexual in nature. The reason that nudists do these and other activities in the nude is simply that they enjoy the comfort and sense of freedom that comes from being without clothes. They’re not participating in clothing optional activities in order to see or be seen. Nudists do nothing in public view that one normally would not with the exception of being nude. Normal, every day, non-sexual activities don’t become sexual just because they’re being done sans clothing.
Sex is a behavior, not a state of dress. It’s an intentional act with the purpose of arousing and pleasuring oneself or others. Nudists lack any such intent.
So why do nudists feel like they have to repeatedly state this simple axiom about our lifestyle?
The answer is because no matter the reality of what nudism is and what nudists do, it’s still very common misunderstanding among the general public. Most people only experience nudity around others in sexual contexts, such as between a couple in their bedroom, or in pornography, or at a strip club where it’s clearly meant to tease and entice. This leads many to the mistaken belief that social nudity always has a sexual purpose.
Consequently many people form an objection against social nude recreation which goes like this:
“Nudism is wrong because you’re all a bunch of sexual deviants!”
To which nudists answer:
“Actually, nudism isn’t sexual at all, so it’s not wrong.”
Hence why the phrase is so common across nudist media; it’s an attempt to address the most likely objection someone might have to nudism.
Let’s break down the argument in a little more detail. The objection is based on the premise that sexual activity is wrong, offers a proposition that nudity is sexual activity, and concludes therefore nudity is wrong.
By answering with “nudism isn’t sexual”, nudists challenge the argument’s proposition. Nudism is not sexual activity, they argue, and therefore the conclusion doesn’t follow. Which it’s worth noting is a perfectly valid logical challenge.
However, it’s worth thinking through the implications of relying on this particular response to that objection. By only challenging the proposition “nudism is sexual activity”, it leaves completely unchallenged the premise: “Sexual expression is wrong”. And by implicitly accepting that premise, it positions nudists as accepting the sex negative view of the world on which that premise is based.
Sex negativity is defined as hostility towards sexual expression. It’s a belief that sexual activity is always wrong — or at most, it’s only acceptable in narrowly proscribed circumstances, such as between a married opposite-sex couple in private for the purposes of procreation. It’s the belief that sexual pleasure should not be pursued. Sex negativity is the notion that sexuality itself is inherently immoral, even in the absence of any demonstrable harm.
Perhaps many nudists are in fact sex negative and agree with those ideas, but I don’t believe that’s actually the case. I think most nudists simply want to defend their freedom to enjoy non-sexual nudity from both mainstream society that would prohibit it as well as from those that would seek to sexualize it based on the mistaken belief it already is. The argument “nudism is not sexual” seemingly accomplishes both these ends.
The problem is that by failing to address the sex negativity of the original criticism, the argument is ultimately counterproductive.
Sex negativity is premised on a type of moral philosophy where things are arbitrarily declared either “good” or “bad”, mostly based on existing social norms rather than any kind of consistent philosophical reasoning. Sexual expression is viewed as one of the bad things simply because social norms treat it as a bad thing.
The opposition to social nude recreation should be understood this way. I believe nudists are making a fundamental mistake about their critics reasoning — people by and large don’t actually believe “Sex is wrong, nudity is sexual, therefore nudism is wrong.” By and large they believe “Nudity is wrong, and therefore nudists must be involved in other things I think are wrong, like sex.” Even if nudists could successfully completely disassociate nudity from sex in the minds of the public at large, we would still see opposition to nudist activities on the basis of “people just shouldn’t do that”.
Nudists argue that social recreational nudity should be one of the “good” things, while being content to let sexuality remain as a “bad” thing. But if the argument is simply which things are good or bad, with no greater foundation than we’re okay with some social norms (like sex negativity) but disagree with others (like the nudity taboo), then nudists will always lose that argument. There are simply too many people who associate sex and nudity and believe that both are wrong for nudists to have a real chance at convincing a critical mass of people otherwise.
So when nudists fail to challenge sex negativity, they implicitly accept the framework under which nudism is categorized as wrong and fail to forward a convincing argument as to why it’s not. They undermine their own cause by accepting the validity of this moral philosophy.
Semantic pedantry aside, there are practical consequence to this too. By conceding there’s something wrong with sexuality and accepting the legitimacy of attitudes and policies based on that, nudists wind up being on the same side of a larger cultural debate as ultra-conservative types who aren’t likely to support nude recreation no matter what. It aligns nudists with sex negative elements of society — religious social conservatives, mainstream NIMBY’s, homophobes, et al — for whom preserving the social status quo is of primary concern. Nudists wind up rhetorically supporting the people who are fundamentally opposed to nudism and who would seek to shut down the beaches and clubs we enjoy.
While there’s an argument that “We’re just like you except for this one thing” could ultimately lead to acceptance of that “one thing” (nudity in this case), I believe such a strategy is ultimately doomed to failure. Nudity is such a strong taboo that there is simply no amount of appeasement, puritanical behavior, or admonitions of innocence that will convince someone who strongly believes it is wrong that it should instead be allowed. I see no convincing evidence otherwise.
So what should nudists do then? Luckily, there’s an alternative to being sex negative. Somewhat predictably, that alternative is to be sex positive.
Sex positivity is the notion that consensual sexual activity is fun, healthy, okay to engage in and importantly, there’s nothing morally wrong with it.
To be clear about what it isn’t — being sex positive does not mean you believe everyone should have sex with everyone else all the time. It doesn’t imply any participation in sexual activities at all. In this context, it certainly does not mean nudists have to change what they are or suddenly start accepting sexual behavior at nudist venues. It’s simply having a different attitude towards sex.
Beneficially, being sex positive would mean nudists would be aligning themselves with those most likely to be our allies rather than our most likely opponents. It would put nudists on the same side of the cultural conversation as other communities that are sex positive. It means sharing common cause with people and groups who are likely to support the right to nude recreation even if they don’t themselves choose to participate in it, such as the LGBT community, feminists, social liberals, the polyamorous, swingers, kinksters, and many others.
Any given sex positive community might be fairly small, but in the aggregate it’s a large number of people with the same general goals. They all seek greater social understanding and acceptance for who they are, the freedom to practice their lifestyles without interference, and appropriate venues where relevant activities can take place. Mutual support of one another in these goals means all are more likely to succeed, and nudists should be a part of that.
I imagine many nudists reading this are feeling uneasy at this point, if not already prepping angry responses fiercely asserting “we’re not like them!”. Nudists have historically been reluctant to talk positively about sex or to associate themselves with groups that are explicitly about sexual activity. So many people already think nudism is somehow sexual that nudists worry about reinforcing those misconceptions, which makes many skeptical of adopting any position that might further associate sex with nudism.
But this concern is unfounded, because of the most important word in the definition of sex positivity that I provided above. I’ll repeat it here, with that word highlighted:
Sex positivity is the notion that consensual sexual activity is fun, healthy, okay to explore and importantly, there’s nothing wrong with it.
What ultimately links all sex positive communities to one another and to the practice of nudism is emphatically not sexual expression — it’s consent. These communities and all who share the sex positive philosophy are united in the belief that sex is okay when it’s consensual, and decidedly wrong when it is not. It holds that the morality of an activity is independent of the activity itself — what matters is that everyone involved has consented to their participation.
And this, whether most nudists realize it or not, is the core rationale of nudism.
A nudist environment is one in which everyone has consented to being nude and being around other nude people. The activity is fully consensual, that’s what makes it okay. I would hope that most nudists would agree it’s wrong to strip someone against their will, or to flash non-participating strangers. Without consent, what you’re doing is not nudism.
Critically, nudists are not consenting to any sexual activity when they practice nudism. There are clear boundaries concerning what’s being consented to and what is not. Simply, there is absolutely no consent given to engaging in sexuality or participating in a sexual display.
By this logic, a man who shows up to a nude beach and starts masturbating isn’t wrong to do so because “nudism isn’t sexual”. He’s wrong because none of the people on that beach consented to being sexualized by him. Secretly taking photos of nudists for later sexual gratification isn’t wrong because nude photography is wrong. It’s wrong simply because the subjects have not consented to having their photos taken, and certainly not for that purpose. A pair of swingers having oral sex on the side of a hot tub isn’t wrong because there’s something wrong with being swingers or performing public sex, it’s wrong because others around them have not consented to being voyeurs to their exhibitionism. Simply being nude does not excuse or justify any of these behaviors towards the nude person. Or to put it another way:
Nudity is not consent.
Importantly, this framing removes the moral judgment from these activities. They’re not wrong in of themselves, and in fact any of those activities are perfectly ethical in other contexts. A blow job at the hot tub is acceptable in swinger resorts that where such activity is permitted and where everyone present understands that it’s allowed and they might expect it. Nude photography is fine when you have a model or subject that’s agreed to be photographed. A person can go to a strip club where the performers are consenting to being sexualized by their audience.
So let’s re-frame what nudism is using these idea:
Nudism is a social or recreational activity where people are consensually nude, but are not consenting to sexual activity.
In a nudist environment, people are nude, and it is nonsexual. The environment is not nonsexual because sex is wrong, or because nudity itself is magically nonsexual. It’s nonsexual because nudists have not consented to be part of anything sexual. They’re not consenting to sex by entering the environment, and they’re not consenting to it by removing their clothes.
That means any sexual activity taking place there would be nonconsensual. It would be harassment, or in the worst cases rape. Such behavior ought to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, both inside and outside of nudist contexts.
So a sex positive conception of nudism is one that is more logically consistent as well as a clearer statement of what nudists value. Perhaps most importantly, it can win us new allies and lead to more people trying and enjoying nudism.
That just leaves the question of how might nudists adopt sex positivity. The first step is simply awareness, which I hope this article helps to accomplish. Hostility towards sexuality is so pervasive in our culture that it’s easy to be reflexively sex negative. Questioning why one feels the way they do towards certain behaviors is a good exercise, and catching oneself being negative is a good start.
Beyond that, it’s mostly a matter of communication, messaging and vocabulary. It’s certainly good to tell the world that nudism is nonsexual; but this factual statement shouldn’t be presented as an argument. Consent, both the word itself and the idea behind it, needs to feature much more frequently in nudist media. Nudists need to be unafraid to identify as sex positive, and support others who are sex positive.
The more nudists who do so, the better it will be for our lifestyle and all those who enjoy it.Content Warning: This story contains references to sexual assault and post-traumatic stress disorder.
By Caleb Huisingh, Erasmus Baxter, and Asia Fields
A Western senior who was banned from campus in winter 2015 after being charged with a felony count of raping another student has been readmitted to the university after pleading the case down to a lesser charge and serving jail time. He is taking classes this quarter, according to the Registrar’s office.
Connor Patrick Griesemer, 24, pleaded guilty Aug. 24, 2015 to a gross-misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, and was sentenced to 30 days in Whatcom County Jail, according to court records.
Wayne Rocque, Associated Students vice president for student life, a position not a part of the university’s Office of Student Life, criticized the university’s decision to readmit Griesemer.
“The readmission of Connor Griesemer is a slap in the face to students that advocate for survivors, as well as survivors themselves and is a testament to the general complacency that plagues campuses across the country,” Rocque said in an email to The Western Front.
Paul Cocke, university director of communications and marketing, declined to comment on the specific case, citing federal privacy law.
Cocke said the readmission process begins with an evaluation of the situation and the student’s ability to re-enter the campus community.
“The Dean of Students Office is responsible to first assess the community safety issue, which is the top priority for the campus, and for the individual to be able to be successful and avoid repeat offenses,” Cocke said in an email.
In February 2015, Griesemer was found in violation of Western’s student code on sexual misconduct, according to a university incident report obtained in a Western Front public records request. He was prohibited from contacting the survivor, and suspended from campus through September 2016. However, he was allowed to stay on campus until he finished his last final exam in March, approximately a month later, according to university records.
The Western Front reached Griesemer via text and he declined to comment for this story.
Western has been under U.S. Department of Education investigation for how it handles sexual assault and misconduct cases since April 2015.
University documents referenced in this story were obtained via Western Front records requests.
Campus Concerns
In his email, Rocque said the AS Board was concerned with Griesemer’s readmission.
“There has been a history of the Office of Student Life putting survivors of sexual assault in extremely unsafe and compromising situations,” Rocque said. “The Associated Students [Board] and I am appalled at the recent decision to permit this student to attend classes on this campus without being transparent with our student body.”
The Western Front has not been able to confirm if Griesemer’s classes are on Western’s campus or not.
Rocque and the AS Board encourage students to call the Office of the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, and the Office of Student Life, to demand transparency in light of this case.
“Do your research about how this university has handled sexual assault in the past and demand answers,” Rocque said. “This decision goes against everything the students of Western Washington University stand for. This decision actively works against vulnerable student populations. Those that commit sexual assault are a threat to all students at Western.”
Cocke said in some cases, the university lets previously suspended students return only after those who filed complaints against them have graduated. In other cases, students are allowed to come back to campus and it is the Office of Student Life’s responsibility to ensure the students do not have classes together.
“In all cases, every effort is made to ensure that the student/complainant reporting the concern has full access to their educational experience,” Cocke said.
However, Western senior Martín Prado, an advocacy counselor with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services and member of Western’s Empowerment and Violence Education, said the decision to let a known sexual assault perpetrator on campus can harm students’ educational experience.
Prado said not all survivors react the same way, but a major aspect of recovery is regaining control of their lives and the spaces they occupy. He said that can be hard to do when they have to think about turning a corner on campus and running into a known perpetrator of a sexually motivated crime.
“Especially in a learning environment like Western, it would definitely make it harder [to begin recovery],” Prado said. “Of course [survivors] can be successful, but it would be easier to breathe if you knew the perpetrator wasn’t anywhere near you, and it would be beneficial not having to worry about them doing it to someone else.”
Griesemer was a visual journalism major and has worked on the staff of The Western Front. His major is now undeclared, according the Registrar’s Office.
Given the amount of small group and one-on-one work involved in senior level visual journalism classes, senior Kyra Taubel-Bruce, a visual journalism major, said she wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing a class with someone convicted of sexual assault.
“I worked one-on-one with a classmate in advanced visual journalism to put together our capstone project, and it did involve the two of us going different places, being in his car and being alone,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t feel comfortable if I knew the classmate I was working with had been convicted of sexual assault.”
She said she is personally skeptical of the university’s decision based on past handling of sexual assault cases and the ongoing investigations by the Department of Education.
“I want to think they have students’ best interests at heart, and they are taking into consideration all the different possibilities and all the different questions that go into the readmission of this student,” she said. “But, I think a lot of students would question that based on the university’s track record.”
University Discipline
According to Whatcom County Superior Court records, Griesemer originally faced a charge of second-degree rape, a felony. Prosecutors said he raped a female Western student following an off-campus party on Jan. 11, 2015.
After meeting with the survivor, Assistant Dean of Students Michael Sledge emailed Griesemer on Feb. 2, 2015 to schedule a student conduct review, according to university documents. The meeting was scheduled for Feb. 5, 2015.
At the meeting with university officials, Griesemer read a prepared statement denying the allegations and said he would not answer any questions, according to the documents.
After reviewing police documents, the university reports indicate that Sledge emailed Griesemer on Feb. 17, 2015 informing him he had been found in violation of the student conduct code which states, “consent to any sexual activity must be clear, knowing, and voluntary.” In the email, Sledge said he found it more likely than not that Griesemer had committed the acts of which he was accused.
Sledge wrote that the suspension would not go into effect until after Griesemer completed his last final of the quarter. That quarter’s finals week went until March 20, 2015 approximately a month after Sledge decided Griesemer would be suspended. The letter informed Griesemer that his suspension would end on September 6, 2016, at which point he could apply for readmission.
Cocke said expulsions at Western are rare and are based on how severe the university sees the offense.
“The student conduct process is intended to be educational at its core,” Cocke said. “If the person involved has gone through the process and is demonstrating by their actions they are responding in a positive manner, that certainly will be taken into consideration. But safety always is the top priority.”
University records show Griesemer appealed the decision and was denied by Dean of Students Ted Pratt. In Pratt’s March 13, 2015 written response to Griesemer’s appeal, he called the assault a “bad decision.”
“It is unfortunate that you [Connor] are so close to graduation and to have that journey interrupted by a bad decision influenced by alcohol,” Pratt wrote. “I hope that this is a situation that is not to be repeated in your life experiences.”
Court Decision
Griesemer ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge than the original felony count of second-degree rape. On August 24, 2015 he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in jail. The reduced charge meant he was not required to register as a sex offender.
Griesemer was ultimately sentenced to 30 days in Whatcom County Jail and ordered to pay $2,000 in fines. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail on Oct. 27, 2015 and released Nov. 17, 2015, according to jail records. He was also issued a no-contact order regarding the survivor.
The survivor of the assault graduated in spring 2016, before Griesemer was allowed back on campus, according to the Registrar’s office. She sought counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder from the assault and suffered frequent flashbacks and nightmares, according to court records.
University policy change
Multiple complaints have been filed with the Equal Opportunity Office (EOO) since 2012 regarding the Office of Student Life’s handling of sexual assault and misconduct cases, as reported by The Western Front in Nov. 2016.
Students were concerned with what they saw as insensitivity and lack of transparency from Sledge during sexual misconduct investigations, as well as light punishments for those found guilty. An EOO investigation cleared Sledge of wrongdoing, but recommended additional training for Sledge on handling such cases.
Responsibility for handling these complaints was moved from the Office of Student Life to the EOO in September 2016. The university felt this change would be beneficial to students, as it would consolidate sexual assault and misconduct investigations in a single office, Cocke told the Front in November. The decision came after an internal review and while a number of investigations into how Western handles sexual assault and misconduct cases were ongoing.
However, some still feel the university’s response to concerns has been lacking.
“It has been conveyed to the Office of Student Life and the vice president for enrollment and students services, Eileen Coughlin, that sexual assault cases have been mishandled a number of times,” Rocque said. “There has been little to no tangible action on ensuring the safety of survivors on the Western Washington University campus.”
Prado said it is important for the university to have staff that those who have experienced sexually motivated crimes can trust.
“These topics are hard to talk about for many people, so if that trust isn’t there, there are going to be large amounts of people not seeking help or resources, and not letting the university know what’s going on,” Prado said.
Western is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The investigation began in April 2015, after a student sexual assault survivor filed a complaint with the federal government over how the university was handling sexual violence and harassment complaints.
Updated Tuesday, May 16 to explain that the AS vice president of student life is not a position under the university’s Office of Student Life.Japan ranks among the most free and open countries in the world in terms of digital rights and Internet access.
Yet an increasing number of people, including a United Nations official, have recently warned that this high degree of technological freedom to disseminate one’s opinions and views is offset by growing concerns over official and unofficial restrictions on freedom of expression and fears that the Japanese public may not be inclined to aggressively defend such freedom.
In fact, the lack of eagerness on the part of citizens to defend their rights could give the government leeway to control more of their electronic communications in the name of cybersecurity, according to one expert.
When David Kaye, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, wrapped up his Japan visit last month, he concluded that government policies like the state secrets act put pressure on individual journalists who are critical of the administration. He also said the country’s notorious press club system is a threat to freedom of expression.
At the same time, however, Kaye praised Japan in the area of digital rights.
“(Japan) has a high level of Internet penetration, and the government does not engage in content restrictions. The very low level of interference with digital freedoms illustrates the government’s commitment to freedom of expression,” Kaye said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on April 19.
In its “Freedom on the Net 2015” report released in October, the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization Freedom House ranked Japan seventh worldwide for Internet freedom, out of 65 countries surveyed.
The report noted that Japan enjoyed a 91 percent Internet penetration rate as of 2014, that social media, political and social content were not blocked, and that no bloggers had been arrested.
“No direct political censorship has been documented in Japan,” the report said.
Industry experts say a major reason for the high ranking is that the laws regulating communications start with the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and the right to know, and its Article 21, which prohibits formal censorship.
“The Telecommunications Business Law says that ‘the secrecy of communications being handled by a telecommunications carrier shall not be violated.’ This covers an extremely wide range of ‘communications,'” said Toshiaki Tateishi of the Japan Internet Providers Association.
“Many of those in the telecommunications business, upon entering their firm, are drilled in the importance of guarding these secrets, so the level of awareness of the law in the telecommunications industry is extremely high,” he said.
Unlike other countries, there is no independent regulatory commission in Japan for the Internet. Instead, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications regulates the telecommunications, Internet and broadcast sectors, while various nongovernment groups, including the Japan Internet Providers Association, self-regulate not only the Internet but also television broadcasting.
Tateishi noted that the way Japan’s Internet system is set up is also a reason for the high Internet freedom ranking. NTT East and West, which have the largest number of cables in Japan, are barred by law from offering Internet services. From the late 1990s, when the Internet first began to spread, the number of Internet service providers went from several hundred to several thousand. Today, JIPA said it has information on between 700 and 800 ISP companies.
“On the other hand, the number of major cellphone providers is limited to three. So even without passing a law, a directive from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will, in effect, place regulations upon the cellphone companies. In fact, a ministry directive has already led to putting filters on cellphones used by children,” he said.
But while the technological and legal barriers to going online in Japan are among the fewest in the world, attitudes about what to say once logged on may be more cautious.
A report released in November 2015 by the Washington D.C.-based Pew Research Center, “Global Support for Principle of Free Expression, but Opposition to Some Forms of Speech,” includes a survey of 1,000 Japanese.
Asked if they agree with the statement that “it’s very important that people can use the Internet without censorship in our country,” only 40 percent of Japanese respondents agreed. That figure was lower than responses in North America, Europe and Latin America, and within Asia. It was below Australia (53 percent) and South Korea (50 percent) as well. The global median was 50 percent.
The Pew study also found 57 percent of Japanese respondents agreed that “It’s very important that people can say what they want without censorship in our country.” That was less than in North America and six South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela), but the same as Britain and Poland, and just above the global median of 56 percent.
Yet only 45 percent of the Japanese respondents agreed with the statement that “it’s very important that the media can report news without censorship in our country.” That was below other nations in Asia, North America, and all European and Latin American countries surveyed. It was also below Australia (57 percent), the Philippines (53 percent) and South Korea (52 percent). It was even below seven of eight African countries surveyed, and 10 percentage points below the global median of 55 percent.
Such surveys, whatever their limitations, raise concerns for their potential impact on government attitudes toward greater control of all electronic communications in the name of cybersecurity.
“As the (Japanese) government considers legislation related to wiretaps and new approaches to cybersecurity, I hope that the spirit of freedom, communication security and innovation online is kept at the forefront of regulatory efforts,” warned Kaye.To create more flat land for the fast-growing cities in western China, local planners are increasingly turning to the drastic measure of bulldozing mountaintops and filling in valleys with dump trucks full of dirt.
The impact such massive earthmoving projects will have on soil conditions, erosion, groundwater and other environmental factors remains largely unknown. Nor is it clear whether the filled-in land will provide adequate structural support for tall buildings; construction on unstable foundation has led to new high-rises tumbling elsewhere in China.
Three scientists from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Chang’an University in Xi’an last week published a forceful commentary in the journal Nature warning that “earthmoving on this scale without scientific support is folly.” As an example, they highlighted the city of Yan’an, in China’s central Shaanxi province, where planners aim to “double the city’s current area by creating 78.5 square kilometers of flat ground.” While the potential revenue from land sales is high, the scientists argue the risks are higher:
SEE ALSO: China Wants Its People in the Cities
“Yan’an is the largest [earthmoving] project ever attempted on loess—thick, million-year-old deposits of windblown silt. Such soft soils can subside when wet, causing structural collapse.”
Unfortunately, scientists have been largely sidelined from the planning process. “In Yan’an, the research started three months after excavations began,” the letter in Nature reads. “Lab tests that could have established the exact moisture content needed to harden loess foundations were unavailable to guide the project. Preliminary results are now available, but for only a few soils.”
Mountaintop removal projects elsewhere in China are wreaking havoc on the environment. Near the central city of Shiyan, the scientists note, “the changing of hills to plains has caused landslides and flooding, and altered watercourses.” Near the western city of Lanzhou, where mammoth earthmoving projects are under way, researchers have estimated soil erosion will increase by 10%, and the concentration of dust particles in the air will increase by almost 50%.
SEE ALSO: China Wakes Up to Its Environmental Catastrophe
As the scientists conclude, “Land creation by |
Swift 3 closures are non-escaping by default. So blankDefaultsWhile's trailing closure doesn't need a @noescape to avoid the self tax.
There's actually a sixth "Host Domain" that scopes preferences to host name. But this is (even more) rarely used, and only accessible through Core Foundation.↩︎
As for the rest, the global domain holds system-wide preferences for all apps. The argument domain holds preferences we pass when launching apps from the command line (or via "Arguments Passed on Launch" in our Xcode project's scheme). The volatile domain is more or less equivalent to the persistent domain, except its values don't get saved to disk, and are thus lost every time an app is quit.↩︎Two dozen former U.S. intelligence professionals are urging the American people to demand clear evidence that the Syrian government was behind the April 4 chemical incident before President Trump dives deeper into another war.
AN OPEN MEMORANDUM FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
From: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)
Subject: Mattis ‘No Doubt’ Stance on Alleged Syrian CW Smacks of Politicized Intelligence
Donald Trump’s new Secretary of Defense, retired Marine General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, during a recent trip to Israel, commented on the issue of Syria’s retention and use of chemical weapons in violation of its obligations to dispose of the totality of its declared chemical weapons capability in accordance with the provisions of both the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.
“There can be no doubt,” Secretary Mattis said during a April 21, 2017 joint news conference with his Israeli counterpart, Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman, “in the international community’s mind that Syria has retained chemical weapons in violation of its agreement and its statement that it had removed them all.” To the contrary, Mattis noted, “I can say authoritatively they have retained some.”
Lieberman joined Mattis in his assessment, noting that Israel had “100 percent information that [the] Assad regime used chemical weapons against [Syrian] rebels.”
Both Mattis and Lieberman seemed to be channeling assessments offered to reporters two days prior, on April 19, 2017, by anonymous Israeli defense officials that the April 4, 2017 chemical weapons attack on the Syrian village of Khan Shaykhun was ordered by Syrian military commanders, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s personal knowledge, and that Syria retained a stock of “between one and three tons” of chemical weapons.
The Israeli intelligence followed on the heels of an April 13, 2017 speech given by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that, once information had come in about a chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, the CIA had been able to “develop several hypothesis around that, and then to begin to develop fact patterns which either supported or suggested that the hypothesis wasn’t right.” The CIA, Pompeo said, was “in relatively short order able to deliver to [President Trump] a high-confidence assessment that, in fact, it was the Syrian regime that had launched chemical strikes against its own people in [Khan Shaykhun.]”
The speed in which this assessment was made is of some concern. Both Director Pompeo, during his CSIS remarks, and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, during comments to the press on April 6, 2017, note that President Trump turned to the intelligence community early on in the crisis to understand better “the circumstances of the attack and who was responsible.” McMaster indicated that the U.S. Intelligence Community, working with allied partners, was able to determine with “a very high degree of confidence” where the attack originated.
Both McMaster and Pompeo spoke of the importance of open source imagery in confirming that a chemical attack had taken place, along with evidence collected from the victims themselves – presumably blood samples – that confirmed the type of agent that was used in the attack. This initial assessment drove the decision to use military force – McMaster goes on to discuss a series of National Security Council meetings where military options were discussed and decided upon; the discussion about the intelligence underpinning the decision to strike Syria was over.
The danger of this rush toward an intelligence decision by Director Pompeo and National Security Advisor McMaster is that once the President and his top national security advisors have endorsed an intelligence-based conclusion, and authorized military action based upon that conclusion, it becomes virtually impossible for that conclusion to change. Intelligence assessments from that point forward will embrace facts that sustain this conclusion, and reject those that don’t; it is the definition of politicized intelligence, even if those involved disagree.
A similar “no doubt” moment had occurred nearly 15 years ago when, in August 2002, Vice President Cheney delivered a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars. “There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction,” Cheney declared. “There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies and against us.” The message Cheney was sending to the Intelligence Community was clear: Saddam Hussein had WMD; there was no need to answer that question anymore.
The CIA vehemently denies that either Vice President Cheney or anyone at the White House put pressure on its analysts to alter their assessments. This may very well be true, but if it is, then the record of certainty – and arrogance – that existed in the mindset of senior intelligence managers and analysts only further erodes public confidence in the assessments produced by the CIA, especially when, as is the case with Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction – the agency was found so lacking. Stuart Cohen, a veteran CIA intelligence analyst who served as the acting Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, oversaw the production of the 2002 Iraq National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that was used to make case for Iraq possessing WMD that was used to justify war.
According to Mr. Cohen, he had four National Intelligence Officers with “over 100 years’ collective work experience on weapons of mass destruction issues” backed up by hundreds of analysts with “thousands of man-years invested in studying these issues.”
On the basis of this commitment of talent alone, Mr. Cohen assessed that “no reasonable person could have viewed the totality of the information that the Intelligence Community had at its disposal … and reached any conclusion or alternative views that were profoundly different from those that we reached,” namely that – judged with high confidence – “Iraq had chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of the 150 kilometer limit imposed by the UN Security Council.”
Two facts emerge from this expression of intellectual hubris. First, the U.S. Intelligence Community was, in fact, wrong in its estimate on Iraq’s WMD capability, throwing into question the standards used to assign “high confidence” ratings to official assessments. Second, the “reasonable person” standard cited by Cohen must be reassessed, perhaps based upon a benchmark derived from a history of analytical accuracy rather than time spent behind a desk.
The major lesson learned here, however, is that the U.S. Intelligence Community, and in particular the CIA, more often than not hides behind self-generated platitudes (“high confidence”, “reasonable person”) to disguise a process of intelligence analysis that has long ago been subordinated to domestic politics.
It is important to point out the fact that Israel, too, was wrong about Iraq’s WMD. According to Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli Intelligence Officer, Israeli intelligence seriously overplayed the threat posed by Iraqi WMD in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq War, including a 2002 briefing to NATO provided by Efraim Halevy, who at the time headed the Israeli Mossad, or intelligence service, that Israel had “clear indications” that Iraq had reconstituted its WMD programs after U.N. weapons inspectors left Iraq in 1998.
The Israeli intelligence assessments on Iraq, Mr. Brom concluded, were most likely colored by political considerations, such as the desire for regime change in Iraq. In this light, neither the presence of Avigdor Leiberman, nor the anonymous background briefings provided by Israel about Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities, should be used to provide any credence to Secretary Mattis’s embrace of the “no doubt” standard when it comes to Syria’s alleged possession of chemical weapons.
The intelligence data that has been used to back up the allegations of Syrian chemical weapons use has been far from conclusive. Allusions to intercepted Syrian communications have been offered as “proof”, but the Iraq experience – in particular former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s unfortunate experience before the U.N. Security Council – show how easily such intelligence can be misunderstood and misused.
Inconsistencies in the publicly available imagery which the White House (and CIA) have so heavily relied upon have raised legitimate questions about the veracity of any conclusions drawn from these sources (and begs the question as to where the CIA’s own Open Source Intelligence Center was in this episode.) The blood samples used to back up claims of the presence of nerve agent among the victims was collected void of any verifiable chain of custody, making their sourcing impossible to verify, and as such invalidates any conclusions based upon their analysis.
In the end, the conclusions CIA Director Pompeo provided to the President was driven by a fundamental rethinking of the CIA’s analysts when it came to Syria and chemical weapons that took place in 2014. Initial CIA assessments in the aftermath of the disarmament of Syria’s chemical weapons seemed to support the Syrian government’s stance that it had declared the totality of its holding of chemical weapons, and had turned everything over to the OPCW for disposal. However, in 2014, OPCW inspectors had detected traces of Sarin and VX nerve agent precursors at sites where the Syrians had indicated no chemical weapons activity had taken place; other samples showed the presence of weaponized Sarin nerve agent.
The Syrian explanation that the samples detected were caused by cross-contamination brought on by the emergency evacuation of chemical precursors and equipment used to handle chemical weapons necessitated by the ongoing Civil War was not accepted by the inspectors, and this doubt made its way into the minds of the CIA analysts, who closely followed the work of the OPCW inspectors in Syria.
One would think that the CIA would operate using the adage of “once bitten, twice shy” when assessing inspector-driven doubt; U.N. inspectors in Iraq, driven by a combination of the positive sampling combined with unverifiable Iraqi explanations, created an atmosphere of doubt about the veracity of Iraqi declarations that all chemical weapons had been destroyed. The CIA embraced the U.N. inspectors’ conclusions, and discounted the Iraqi version of events; as it turned out, Iraq was telling the truth.
While the jury is still out about whether or not Syria is, like Iraq, telling the truth, or whether the suspicions of inspectors are well founded, one thing is clear: a reasonable person would do well to withhold final judgment until all the facts are in. (Note: The U.S. proclivity for endorsing the findings of U.N. inspectors appears not to include the Khan Shaykhun attack; while both Syria and Russia have asked the OPCW to conduct a thorough investigation of the April 4, 2017 incident, the OPCW has been blocked from doing so by the United States and its allies.)
CIA Director Pompeo’s job is not to make policy – the intelligence his agency provides simply informs policy. It is not known if the U.S. Intelligence Community will be producing a formal National Intelligence Estimate addressing the Syrian chemical weapons issue, although the fact that the United States has undertaken military action under the premise that these weapons exist more than underscores the need for such a document, especially in light of repeated threats made by the Trump administration that follow-on strikes might be necessary.
Making policy is, however, the job of Secretary of Defense Mattis. At the end of the day, Secretary of Defense Mattis will need to make his own mind up as to the veracity of any intelligence used to justify military action. Mattis’s new job requires that he does more than simply advise the President on military options; he needs to ensure that the employment of these options is justified by the facts.
In the case of Syria, the “no doubt” standard Mattis has employed does not meet the “reasonable man” standard. Given the consequences that are attached to his every word, Secretary Mattis would be well advised not to commit to a “no doubt” standard until there is, literally, no doubt.
For the Steering Group, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
William Binney, Technical Director, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.)
Marshall Carter-Tripp, Foreign Service Officer (ret) and former Office Division Director in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Thomas Drake, former Senior Executive, NSA
Bogdan Dzakovic, Former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security, (ret.) (associate VIPS)
Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)
Matthew Hoh, former Capt., USMC, Iraq & Foreign Service Officer, Afghanistan (associate VIPS)
Larry C Johnson, CIA & State Department (ret.)
Michael S. Kearns, Captain, USAF (Ret.); ex-Master SERE Instructor for Strategic Reconnaissance Operations (NSA/DIA) and Special Mission Units (JSOC)
Brady Kiesling, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, ret. (Associate VIPS)
Karen Kwiatkowski, former Lt. Col., US Air Force (ret.), at Office of Secretary of Defense watching the manufacture of lies on Iraq, 2001-2003
Lisa Ling, TSgt USAF (ret.)
Linda Lewis, WMD preparedness policy analyst, USDA (ret.) (associate VIPS)
Edward Loomis, NSA, Cryptologic Computer Scientist (ret.)
David MacMichael, National Intelligence Council (ret.)
Elizabeth Murray, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Near East, CIA and National Intelligence Council (ret.)
Torin Nelson, former Intelligence Officer/Interrogator (GG-12) HQ, Department of the Army
Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, US Army Judge Advocate (ret.)
Coleen Rowley, FBI Special Agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel (ret.)
Scott Ritter, former MAJ., USMC, former UN Weapon Inspector, Iraq
Peter Van Buren, U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Officer (ret.) (associate VIPS)
Kirk Wiebe, former Senior Analyst, SIGINT Automation Research Center, NSA
Lawrence Wilkerson, Colonel (USA, ret.), Distinguished Visiting Professor, College of William and Mary (associate VIPS)
Sarah G. Wilton, Intelligence Officer, DIA (ret.); Commander, US Naval Reserve (ret.)
Robert Wing, former Foreign Service Officer (associate VIPS)
Ann Wright, Col., US Army (ret.); Foreign Service Officer (resigned)Microsoft will sell its first-party games on Xbox One for $59.99, the same price as most new releases on the current generation of consoles, a representative for the company confirmed to Polygon.
"I can confirm that Microsoft Studios games on Xbox One will be $59.99 (MSRP)," the representative wrote.
That's the same price at which PlayStation 4 games will launch, Sony America president and CEO Jack Tretton hinted at during a CNBC interview following the console's February reveal event. "We're going to welcome free-to-play models, games from $.99 up to those $60 games," Tretton said during a CNBC interview following the console's reveal. We've reached out to Sony to confirm that its first-party games will be released at $59.99, which Tretton's comments seem to imply.
That's also the same price that several retailers, including Amazon and Gamestop, have been listing for first-party Xbox One and PS4 game pre-orders following the two companies' Monday E3 press conferences.For people experiencing hair loss, there's a new treatment on the market called stem cell therapy. It's less invasive than hair transplant procedures, and could someday be the gold standard.
The idea that this procedure could spark new hair growth has breathed new life into the race to clone hair. And that may just be the beginning.
Arlene Johnson has been losing hair for years now, and she's hoping to turn back the clock.
"It was taking me like 20, 30 minutes to comb my hair, and with products to make it look like I had more hair, and that is aggravating," Johnson said.
Her weapon of choice? What could be the future of cosmetic treatments: stem cell therapy.
Hair loss specialist Dr. Daniel McGrath is hoping to jumpstart the stem cells in Johnson's hair follicles.
"Typically with female patients they have female pattern hair loss -- thinning they can't do anything about -- and it gives them thickening and regeneration of their hair, that's huge," Dr. McGrath said.
Here's how it works: A small amount of the patient's blood is taken, and the platelet-rich plasma is separated out. Then it's mixed with a wound-healing powder called "a-cell", and injected back into the scalp. Johnson's head has been numbed, so she doesn't feel a thing. Finally, the doctor using some massage and small needles to create tiny wounds, which will help trigger a healing response.
"The results we've seen thus far, not only in my practice but my colleagues I'm close with across the country, has been better than 80 percent re-growth of hair or regeneration of hair across the board with our patients," Dr. McGrath said.
This sort of therapy is being tested for a host of cosmetic uses, from plumping lips, to firming sagging skin -- even breast enhancement.
As for Johnson...
"I don't want to look 60 or 50 or 40. I just want to look as good as I can for my age," she said.
It costs about $3,500 for a treatment, but Johnson says it'll be money well spent, if it works. We'll check back in 6 months to see her results.
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Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices'Transformers 5' Opens with Franchise Low as 'Wonder Woman' Surpasses 'Batman v Superman' Domestically
June 25, 2017
Paramount's Transformers: The Last Knight took the #1 spot this weekend as expected, but that opening was the lowest the franchise has seen thus far by a rather significant margin as a lot of attention will now turn toward the film's international run. Meanwhile, WB's Wonder Woman is still tearing up the box office as it has now become the highest grossing release within the DC Extended Universe and it is showing little sign of stopping.
Only one of the previous four Transformers features opened on a Wednesday and that was 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third feature in the now five-film franchise, and it debuted with $162.6 million over its first five days in release, $97.8 million of that from the three-day weekend. By contrast, Transformers: The Last Knight brought in a mere $69.1 million over its first five days in release, an estimated $45.3 million of which over the three-day weekend. While this is relatively on par with the $70 million industry expectations, it puts added pressure on the $217 million production's international run.
As for that run, Last Knight kicked things off in 41 international markets with an estimated $196.2 million led by $123.4 million from China alone, the largest opening for a Transformers film in that market. Additionally, openings include Korea ($13m), Russia ($8.9m), United Kingdom ($5.7m), Germany ($4.7m), Taiwan ($4.1m), Australia ($3.6m), Philippines ($3.3m), Malaysia ($2.8m), Thailand ($2.8m), Hong Kong ($2.5m), Singapore ($2.2m) and Italy ($1.9m). While that China opening may be a franchise high, topping Transformers: Age of Extinction by more than $30 million, the other numbers aren't as impressive.
Before going on to gross over $858 million internationally, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $15.8 million in Korea, over $20 million in both Russia and the UK, $11.1 million in Germany, $8.3 million in Australia and so on. With the domestic run looking to finish somewhere around $130 million or so The Last Knight has a lot of work internationally yet to do. As for future releases, it will open in France next week, followed by July releases in Brazil and Mexico, with Japan and Spain premiering in early August.
Opening weekend demographics domestically show The Last Knight playing to an audience that was split 57% male versus 43% female and of that crowd, 29% were under the age of 18 and gave the film an "A" CinemaScore. Unfortunately, the 18-and-over crowd scored it a bit lower bringing the overall CinemaScore down to a "B+". Comparatively, only Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen scored below an "A-" when it too received a "B+" in 2009.
Moving along, Disney's Cars 3 and Wonder Woman are in a tie for second place with both studios reporting an estimated $25.175 million weekend. Beginning with Cars, the latest Pixar title dipped 53% in its second weekend and now stands just shy of $100 million after ten days in release. Internationally the film debuted in Australia with an estimated $2 million, contributing to an estimated international weekend of $11.9 million from 26 markets for a $41.4 million international gross and a $141.3 million global cume. The film hits theaters in Brazil, Korea, Spain, UK and Japan in mid-July which releases in France, Italy and Germany in August and beyond.
As for WB's Wonder Woman, it continues to live up to its protagonist's name, dropping only 39% in its fourth weekend in release. The film is now just shy of $320 million domestically and is now out-pacing all three of the previous DC Extended Universe releases as it now passes Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which had brought in $311.3 million after the same number of days in release. To that point, Wonder Woman has already outgrossed the entire domestic run for Man of Steel, is ~$7 million away from outgrossing the domestic run for Suicide Squad and will surpass Batman v Superman's $330.4 million run over the next few days, which will make it the third largest DC Comics adaptation domestically, behind only The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
GET MORE: Compare the domestic runs for all four DC Extended Universe releases right here!!!
Internationally, Wonder Woman brought in an estimated $20.5 million from 65 markets as the overseas cume currently stands at $334.5 million. The film is still behind the three previous DC releases internationally, but it is just $42.5 million behind Man of Steel. This weekend it released in Spain where it brought in an estimated $2.2 million and it still has yet to be released in Japan, where it will premiere on August 25. Overall, Wonder Woman has now topped $635 million worldwide as it currently stands as the sixth largest DC Comics adaptation of all-time worldwide.
Entertainment Studios' 47 Meters Down held on rather well, delivering an estimated $7.4 million, a 33.6% drop from its opening weekend last week as its domestic cume now stands at $24 million.
Rounding out the top five is a massive decline for Lionsgate's All Eyez On Me, which delivered a more-than-expected opening weekend last week, but dropped nearly 80% in its second weekend, delivering an estimated $5.85 million as its domestic cume now stands at $38.6 million.
Just outside the top ten, Roadside's release of Beatriz at Dinner brought in an estimated $1.8 million after adding 414 theaters this weekend bringing the total to 491 locations. A24 also expanded their release of The Exception into 48 theaters (+34) where it brought in an estimated $138,134 for a $2,878 average.
In limited release, Lionsgate's release of The Big Sick grossed an estimated $435,000 in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles, a per screen average of $87,000, the largest per screen average of any film opening on more than one screen this year. Also, Focus's release of Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled delivered an estimated $240,545 from four locations for a strong $60,138 average, the film will expand to over 500 screens in North America next weekend.
Additionally, Neon's release of The Bad Batch delivered an estimated $91,074 from 30 locations ($3,036 PTA) and Abramorama's Food Evolution opened with an estimated $3,311 from one theater.
Next weekend sees the release of Edgar Wright's Baby Driver on Wednesday ahead of the long, July 4 weekend. Meanwhile, Universal will debut Despicable Me 3 (which has already generated $18.9 million internationally) into over 4,350 theaters on Friday and Warner Bros. will release the comedy The House into over 3,000 theaters as all films look to take advantage of what will amount to a five-day weekend with the July 4 holiday falling on a Tuesday this year, which hasn't happened since 2006.
You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.
Discuss this story with fellow Box Office Mojo fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @boxofficemojo and author Brad Brevet at @bradbrevet.Lukas Fabianski has confirmed that he has turned down the offer of a contract extension at the Emirates and will look for a new challenge when he becomes a free agent in the summer.
The Pole, who plays second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny both at Arsenal and at international level, has long spoken of his desire for first team football and will no doubt have many suitors. At 28 he’s coming into his peak years and has already demonstrated that on his day he’s a very good keeper indeed.
The Daily Star quote Fabianski as saying, “I want to be number one in the club and in the Polish national team. I have learned a lot at London during very positive and challenging periods.
“With biggest respect to this great club, I didn’t accept the extension offer as I am looking forward to a new challenge in England or abroad.”
Having watched Don Vito move to Sunderland and thrive as a first choice, it wouldn’t be surprising if a Premier League club offers Fabianski a chance. It’ll be interesting to see whether Arsene Wenger looks to bring in an experienced head, promotes Damien Martinez (currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday) or exercises his right to buy Emiliano Viviano permanently from Palermo.
For what it’s worth, the Daily Star also include a sensationalist take on Sagna rejecting a new deal, but seeing as that’s not backed up by quotes it’s not really worth anything.In another feature story timed to the release of her first book, this time with the Hollywood Reporter, Fox News star anchor Megyn Kelly dishes on her scuffles with now-President-elect Donald Trump, her reported $20 million contract offer from Fox, why she does not identify as a feminist, and how her alleged mistreatment at the hands of former network chief Roger Ailes caused her to feel a “sense of loss.”
Of her future in cable news, Kelly told THR she has not “ruled anything out.” Several cable news outlets are said to be interested in Kelly, though at least one unidentified network executive told THR that the business is wary of high-dollar deals after CBS’ $75 million gamble on Katie Couric in 2006.
Kelly told the outlet that the conduct of Roger Ailes — whom she has accused of sexually harassing her — was “particularly dangerous” given his role as the company’s CEO: “I don’t understand how a good person could do the things he did. But it’s a loss. I feel a sense of loss.” (Ailes has vehemently denied Kelly’s allegations).
Of Trump, with whom the anchor memorably sparred after the first Republican primary debate, the anchor says she believes he will feel “humbled” now that he has won the presidency: “Hopefully we’re going to get the charming, magnanimous Trump and not the small, petty, mean-spirited version that we’ve seen occasionally in this campaign. Hope springs eternal.”
From the Hollywood Reporter:
“He’s scaring the shit out of people,” laughs Megyn Kelly. “He’s walking up and down the halls, popping in on people unexpectedly. It’s great fun. He has brought a new wave of energy into the building.” She is describing Rupert Murdoch, the 85-year-old patriarch of 21st Century Fox and the man who tapped Roger Ailes to create a counterweight to what the two men had perceived as the overwhelmingly liberal bias of the mainstream media — and who, in an extraordinary turn of events, ultimately ousted Ailes and stepped in to replace him in the wake of widespread sexual harassment allegations. (Ailes has denied all allegations of sexual harassment.) Kelly also can be given her share of credit for bringing new energy to Fox News — and for expanding the tent at the hugely successful ($1 billion in profit last year) but often reviled-by-the-left network. Ever since she challenged Donald Trump on his sexist remarks at the first Republican debate in August 2015 (more than a year before the “grab ’em by the pussy” hot mic conversation with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush leaked), she has burnished her journalistic bona fides and reputation for independence in an era defined by vitriolic partisanship. “I think my viewers want smart, honest programming,” she says. “They don’t want to be told what makes them feel good.” …
Read the rest at The Hollywood Reporter.The route for the 2017 Tour of Britain has been announced, with organisers putting the focus on the sprinters and rouleurs. After searching out tougher summit finishes over the past four years, the race steers away from them altogether this season. Instead, the route is much more undulating and will feature several circuit finishes to allow spectators to see the riders more than once. Related Articles Tour of Britain and Women's Tour announce Ovo Energy as title sponsor
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"We introduced summit finishes for the first time in 2013, this year we are giving a chance to the sprinters and rouleurs in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain," said race director Mick Bennett. "Following the success of the Tatton Park finish last year we have introduced several finishing circuits, this will add a new dimension for both the sprinter's teams, who will get to see the finish beforehand, and the fans as a whole who will enjoy the spectacle of the race twice."
Most of the stages will be shorter than their counterparts from last year, but with no final-day time trial, the race's total length is set to be 15km longer at 1,310km.
The race will begin in Edinburgh for the first time and ventures away from its traditional split-stage finish in London, opting for a 180km open stage into the centre of Cardiff. This year's race will be the first under the new title sponsor Ovo Energy, which recently penned a deal with the Tour of Britain and the Women's Tour.
Stage 1 sets out from the Scottish capital on Sunday, September 3, and travels along the coast before turning south towards the finish in Kelso, passing through the finish line before taking in a loop of the area and back to the finish. Both cities featured in the 2015 Tour of Britain, with Elia Viviani taking victory at Floors Castle in Kelso.
The race will cross the border into England for stage 2 as the riders head from Kielder Water and Forrest Park in Northumberland to the finish in Blythe. Blyth is another town that featured in the 2015 race, and it was Fernando Gaviria who came up trumps on that occasion while he rode as a trainee for the Etixx-QuickStep squad. With a relatively flat finish, it's likely to be another bunch gallop. At 211km, it will be the longest stage of the race.
Stage 3 sees one of the biggest transfers of the week as the race moves from the North East down to the 300-acre Normanby Hall Country Park, almost 150 miles south. From there, the riders will take a meandering route around North Lincolnshire before the finish in Scunthorpe, which should be another day for the sprinters. It is the first time that the region has held an entire stage and the first time since 2009 that the race has visited the area.
Mansfield to the southwest of Scunthorpe will play host to the start of stage 4 with Newark-on-Trent featuring as a finish town for the first time. It's a fairly undulating day out and the slight rise to the finish could be an opportunity for the non-sprinters in the bunch to have a chance.
Stage 5 will be a standalone time trial, a departure from recent years where it has been part of a split stage. It is a pan-flat power course around Tendring with a few technical sections that could catch people out. At 16km, it is one of the longest time trials featured in the race and will be an opportunity for the specialists to lay down a big marker in the overall classification.
The race moves a bit further north for stage 6 between Newmarket and Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. The 183km route has just 1,228 metres of ascending and is yet another chance for the sprinters to duke it out.
The final weekend of the 2017 Tour of Britain brings the riders across England and into Wales for the grand finale. Stage 7 from Hemel Hempsted – a former finish town where Mathias Brändle won in 2014 – to Cheltenham is the toughest of the week with 2,370 metres of climbing over 186km. There is constant ascending and descending throughout but the majority of it is packed into the final kilometres and it could be a chance for the rouleurs to break up the peloton.
The last stage takes riders from Worcester to Cardiff and contains 2,042 metres of ascent. Most of the climbing is in the middle of the 180km course, with a flat run to the line. A sprint finish looks likely but if things are close in the overall classification, it is possible that one of the GC contenders will try something different.
Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) won the 2016 edition of the Tour of Britain, beating Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) by 26 seconds.
2017 Tour of Britain
Stage 1: Sunday 3 September – Edinburgh to Kelso, 188km
Stage 2: Monday 4 September – Kielder Water & Forest Park to Blyth, 211km
Stage 3: Tuesday 5 September – Normanby Hall Country Park to Scunthorpe, 172km
Stage 4: Wednesday 6 September – Mansfield to Newark-on-Trent, 175km
Stage 5: Thursday 7 September – The Tendring Stage Individual Time Trial, 16km
Stage 6: Friday 8 September – Newmarket to Aldeburgh, 183km
Stage 7: Saturday 9 September – Hemel Hempstead to Cheltenham, 186km
Stage 8: Sunday 10 September – Worcester to Cardiff, 180kmNetwork Rail will help a new Saudi Arabian railway to run on time in a deal worth nearly £100m. It marks a major advance in attempts to commercialise the debt-ridden railway operator.
The Government had been keen to see the independent but state-backed rail operator find alternative sources of revenue to ease the more than £30bn debt it had racked-up in maintaining and running 20,000 miles of Britain’s track, 32,000 bridges and tunnels, and 19 major stations, including Glasgow Central, Liverpool Lime Street and London Waterloo.
Last month, Network Rail was nationalised, in effect, when this debt was shifted on to the Treasury’s books. This month, the Office of Rail Regulation warned that the track operator was failing to be “sufficiently transparent” in its financial reporting.
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.
Network Rail’s consultancy arm was established in 2012 to take advantage of its in-house experts and win lucrative international advisory work to help reduce costs. Sir David Higgins, its then chief executive, said at its launch that the consultancy division would be a “national champion” and “become a valuable international ambassador” for the UK rail industry.
In its biggest contract to date, Network Rail Consulting, which helps governments to manage their rail construction projects, has been made the preferred bidder for a contract with the Saudi Railway Company, in a deal worth between £50m-£100m. This dwarfs the previous record of around £15m for advisory work on a 23-mile track in New South Wales, Australia.
The Saudi Railway Company is behind the biggest railway in the world currently under construction. As well as stretching for 1,708 miles, the North-South Railway will have 148 bridges, 17 of which are being built over valleys. The £3.3bn railway is intended to develop Saudi Arabia’s economy and will include freight services and passenger trains.
Because the deal is worth more than £50m, it requires the approval of Network Rail’s chief executive, Mark Carne, as well as the consulting arm’s board, led by managing director Nigel Ash. The final agreement is expected to be in place and signed off by the end of the year.
A Network Rail spokesman confirmed that it had been made preferred bidder “for a consulting contract in the Middle East”, but declined to give more details due to “confidentiality conflicts”.
The new contract comes as the Government described its move to take responsibility of Network Rail’s debts as a “reclassification” to meet European accounting rules.
This means that the group’s debt burden is added to the country’s balance sheet and government ministers will have to approve the business cases behind Network Rail’s biggest decisions. It will also have a greater say on who sits on its board.
Network Rail has just set out its latest five-year-plan for Britain, which includes spending £38bn on projects such as running up to 700 extra trains between large northern cities, electrifying 850 miles of track and upgrading Birmingham New Street and Manchester Victoria stations.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives |
said allegations of sabotage were extremely serious, and had an "emotional loading" that was not supported by the facts.
He said the group was continuing to pursue its legal case and was hopeful it would get an urgent Court of Appeal hearing.Bernie Ibini is set to make his Socceroos debut in next month's friendlies in the Middle East but his selection will spark a row between club and country as Sydney FC are furious about having to go without their star forward for up to two A-League games.
Fairfax Media understands Ibini will likely be selected by Ange Postecoglou for the friendlies against the UAE in Abu Dhabi on October 11 and against Qatar in Doha four days later. A call-up would rule him out of Sydney's opening game of the season against Melbourne City, and may also jeopardise his participation in the Sydney derby in round two due to fatigue.
Club versus country: Sydney FC recruit Bernie Ibini. Credit:Peter Rae
Ibini is one of a number of A-League players who are all but certain to be on the list in the next Socceroos squad announcement as Postecoglou aims to boost the player pool for next year's Asian Cup on home soil. His selection in the national team, alongside the likes of Melbourne Victory captain Mark Milligan, again questions whether the A-League should break for FIFA international dates.
Unlike most leagues around the world, the A-League does not break for international games. There has been a long-held argument between clubs and Football Federation Australia over calls for scheduling changes. Sydney FC may be the next club to enter the debate as they prepare to lose almost their entire strike force in the coming months due to international duty.ESPN’s Joe Schad reported on Sunday that Alabama safety Vinnie Sunseri will bypass his final season of college eligibility and declare for the NFL draft.
Sunseri, a junior, is moving on despite his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL that took place in the Crimson Tide’s game against Arkansas in mid-October. Prior to the injury, Sunseri had 20 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Texas A&M
The 6-foot, 210-pounder was excellent in run support and nimble in space before his injury, but will have to show he’s got his speed back if he wants to be selected in the early rounds of this draft.
Don’t worry about Alabama. One big-time safety leaves and another will step up and take his place. While Sunseri and starting free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are both headed to the NFL, rising juniors Landon Collins (who started when Sunseri was hurt) and Geno Smith are ready to become stars in their own right.CLOSE Dwan Wakefield, DeAllen Washington, and Byron McBride have been arrested in the shooting death of the 6-year-old. Therese Apel/The Clarion-Ledger
District attorney says three suspects arrested will face capital murder charges
Martin Archie carries the grief stricken Ebony Archie, mother to Kingston Frazier, 6, down stairs after learning her son, Kingston, was found dead after being kidnapped during the theft of his mother's vehicle from the Kroger parking lot Thursday. (Photo: Elijah Baylis/The Clarion-Ledger) Story Highlights View photo gallery of family, friends mourning Frazier's loss
Watch video of law enforcement about Frazier's shooting
Map shows route suspects believed to have taken after stealing car
Ebony Archie collapsed after learning her child had been killed. Unable to stand, a family member carried her down a flight of stairs at the district attorney’s office in downtown Jackson.
In between screams and sobs, Archie cried out, “I told y’all that s—t wasn’t right, I told y’all.”
The body of her 6-year-old son, Kingston Frazier, was shot to death in the backseat of his mother’s car, abandoned on a dead-end road in Madison County. The car was 15 miles from the Kroger parking lot in Jackson where it was stolen early Thursday morning with Frazier asleep in the backseat.
UPDATE: What happened to Kingston Frazier?
Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason told media that a deputy stationed at Kroger on I-55 saw Archie exit the grocery store at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. Archie approached the deputy and said that her car was missing, and authorities began an auto theft investigation, he said.
It was not until later, Mason said, that Archie told authorities that her son was in the car.
"When we found out later that there was a child in the back, we immediately notified the highway patrol (who) put out an Amber Alert," Mason said at an evening press conference.
It is unclear how long it took Archie to tell law enforcement that her son was in the car or how long after that the Amber Alert was issued. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety sent the Amber Alert at 4:30 a.m.
Kingtston
Three suspects are in police custody. Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest said he planned to file capital murder charges against each of the three.
Dwan Diondro Wakefield, 17, of Ridgeland, was taken into custody by the Madison Sheriff's Department Thursday morning. Wakefield, a senior at Ridgeland High School, was the starting quarterback on the school's football team, according to Superintendent Ronnie McGehee. He was dismissed from the team last year, McGehee said.
DeAllen Washington, 17, turned himself in to the Hinds County Sheriff's Department Thursday afternoon.
Story continues below photo.
Bryon McBride Jr. was taken into custody and transported to the Madison County Sheriff's Department by the U.S. Marshals late Thursday.
At 9:47 a.m., approximately seven hours after Kingston was taken, the Amber Alert was canceled. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation confirmed the car had been found, but authorities did not immediately release if Kingston was dead or alive.
Family members gathered at the Kroger parking lot began praising God and pointed to the Facebook page of Kingston's father as proof the child was alive.
The father had posted that Kingston was found alive in Greenwood, Mississippi, two hours north of Jackson.
Less than 30 minutes later, police called Kingston's uncle, David Archie, and asked him to meet them at the district attorney’s office downtown.
When family arrived, Ebony Archie was on the building’s second floor speaking with law enforcement. The mood was still one of optimism, with Kingston's grandfather, Walter Williams, saying, “We believe he’s alright. It’s going to be OK.”
Story continues below gallery.
As the minutes went by with no update on Kingston's condition, a crying Williams yelled out, “Someone said the child is safe. Is it too much to ask to know if he’s safe?”
In an instant, the mood changed. One by one, family members began hearing that the boy was dead.
A scream rang out. And another. And another.
“Oh God, my baby.”
“Why, God, why?”
Kingston's grandmother, Ruby Archie, doubled over and sank to the ground.
David Archie’s phone rang and his face fell. He screamed out, “It don’t look good.”
Ebony Archie’s friends rushed the locked office door, desperately trying to reach their friend.
“She needs us,” they screamed, banging on the door.
Authorities let her cousin, Martin Archie, inside. He emerged moments later, Ebony Archie limp in his arms. Barefoot and crying, her words were inaudible.
While carrying her to the car, a family member asked about Kingston's body. Suddenly alert, Ebony Archie asked, “Kingston? Where is Kingston?” Her family members tried to get her to stand, to no avail. She collapsed again. Martin Archie and another family member carried her to a waiting truck, laying her in the backseat.
As the truck drove away, those left behind sank into each other’s arms. For a moment, the street was silent.
A man sat on the curb, his head in his hands. Law enforcement on scene wiped away tears.
Walter Williams was led away, shaking with sobs.
Grief then gave way to anger.
Story continues below photo.
Kingston Frazier (Photo: JPD)
Kingston's father showed up, shirtless, yelling at the police. Family members calmed him down and pulled him away.
Velma Eddington, Kingston's great-aunt, said the family appreciated the outpouring of support but said the child’s death was the result of evil.
“Everyone that was praying for us, that we would find Kingston alive, we want to thank everybody for that, but this is, really, this is, it’s hard to know that people out there are evil, that would kill a child. That’s evil,” Eddington said. “That baby hadn’t done anything to him. That baby hadn’t done nothing. They could have left that child on that backseat, asleep. They didn’t have to kill him. Those people are evil. Evil. They need to find that other one before we find him…it’s evil what they did.”
Remembering the boy, David Archie said, “Kingston was all outgoing. He didn’t want to be serious about anything.”
"He just liked to have a lot of fun. He was dedicated to his uncles, to his aunties and anytime he saw any of them he would take off running to them, no matter where. If he was at my house or one of the other uncle’s or aunt’s house, he doesn’t want to go home with mom because he knows that we’re going to baby him and we’re going to have fun.
“Since the day he was able to talk he was like that. Just a great, great, 6-year-old who we just can’t imagine that something like this would happen, that people would have in their heart to do that to a 6-year-old. Even if I was mad at the world, I couldn’t do this to a 6-year-old. To me, it’s hatred. There is nothing out there worth taking a 6-year-old’s life,” he said.
David Archie said the family was committed to helping police find those responsible for Frazier's death.
"I can tell you this, we won't rest until they're brought to justice," he said. "You can believe that."
Original story and updates
4:14 p.m. update: The third suspect has been identified as Byron McBride, Jr. He is currently in the custody of the Madison County Sheriff's Department. He was brought in by the U.S. Marshals.
4:07 p.m. update: A third suspect is in custody. Their identity is currently unknown.
2:42 p.m. update:
The second person of interest, DeAllen Washington, is in custody, according to law enforcement.
12:18 p.m. update:
After hearing that Kingston had been killed, family and friends reacted to the news.
Remembering Kingston, his uncle, David Archie said, "Kington was all outgoing…He didn’t want to be serious about anything."
"He just liked to have a lot of fun. He was dedicated to his uncles, to his aunties and anytime he saw any of them he would take off running to them, no matter where. If he was at my house or one of the other uncle’s or aunt’s house, he doesn’t want to go home with mom because he knows that we’re going to baby him and we’re going to have fun. Since the day he was able to talk he was like that. Just a great, great, 6-year-old who we just can’t imagine that something like this would happen, that people would have in their heart to do that to a 6-year-old. Even if I was mad at the world, I couldn’t do this to a 6-year-old…to me, it’s hatred. There is nothing out there worth taking a 6-year-old’s life."
HIs great-aunt, Velma Eddington, said the family appreciated the outpouring of support but said the child's death was the result of "evil."
"Everyone that was praying for us, that we would find Kingston alive, we want to thank everybody for that, but this is, really, this is, it’s hard to know that people out there are evil, that would kill a child," she said. "That’s evil. That baby hadn’t done anything to him. That baby hadn’t done nothing. They could have left that child on that backseat, asleep. They didn’t have to kill him. Those people are evil. Evil. They need to find that other one before we find him…it’s evil what they did."
David Archie said the family was committed to helping police find those responsible for Kington's death.
"I can tell you this, we won’t rest until they’re brought to justice," he said. "You can believe that."
11:32 a.m. update:
A person of interest in the death of Kingston Frazier, 6, is in custody. Dwan Wakefield is in the custody of the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. Authorities are also searching for DeAllen Washington in connection to the case.
10:35 a.m. update:
Authorities confirm that 6-year-old Kingston Frazier was found dead in Madison County.
Officials said Kingston died from a gunshot wound while sitting in the backseat of the vehicle.
10:05 a.m. update:
Reports say that 6-year-old Kingston Frazier and the stolen vehicle were recovered in Gluckstadt. His condition is not known.
10 a.m. update:
The family of 6-year-old Kingston Frazier says he was found in Greenwood. His condition is not known.
9:47 a.m. update:
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has canceled the Amber Alert issued earlier for 6-year-old Kingston Frazier. No details were given.
Original story:
An Amber Alert was issued Thursday morning after a car was stolen from a grocery store parking lot with a child inside.
Authorities are looking for a 2000 silver or gray Toyota Camry taken from the Kroger parking lot on Interstate 55 with 6-year-old Kingston Frazier was inside. The boy was last seen wearing a white tank top with khaki shorts and black and gold Jordan shoes.
The license plate on the Toyota Camry is HYX 783.
Jackson police chief Lee Vance held an emotional press conference Thursday morning, asking whoever has Kingston to bring him home.
"Just drop him off at the store," Vance pleaded, emphasizing the desperation of the situation.
According to the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, the child's mother, Ebony Archie, left her Camry running with Kingston inside.
David Archie, Ebony Archie’s uncle, said Kingston was sleeping in the car when his mother went inside the store.
Within a short time, two men in a two-door Honda Civic pulled up and the passenger jumped in Archie’s car with the child inside. Both vehicles sped away. Authorities are searching for a 2014 Honda Civic Coupe with license plate MDV 361 with a dent on the rear passenger side.
Hinds County, JPD and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are working the case.
“When a child is taken, we pull all resources available to us. This is the type call that hits home with every officer involved," said Major Pete Luke.
“This is a very emotional time for everyone and we ask the public’s help to bring Kingston home."
David Archie begged for his nephew’s safe return.
“We’re just asking, regardless of who you are, what you are and where you are, if you could just return the child. Leave him somewhere, find a way to get him to a store, to a gas station, to a restaurant, Wal-Mart, anywhere people are and just drop him off.”
“He doesn’t even know what was going on,” David Archie said. “We just want a safe return of the child, this 6-year-old child shouldn’t be, of course, caught up in this matter of stealing a vehicle.
“This is a 6 year old innocent child and, at the end of the day, regardless of how and what took place, that is the only thing that we’re concerned about at the moment.”
A 2014 Honda Civic is being sought by police. (Photo: JPD)
Read or Share this story: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2017/05/18/jackson-amber-alert/329460001/Following in the footsteps of tiny Licking Township in taking action against fracking when the state of Pennsylvania won't, Pittsburgh has banned corporations drilling for natural gas within the city limits. As Yes! Magazine reports, the ordinance prohibiting fracking received unanimous support in the city council and was prompted in part by corporations taking out leases to drill under area parks and cemeteries. Drafted with the help of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which also helped draft the bill in Licking Township, goes beyond just banning natural gas drilling, it takes some very important steps towards reigning in the legal rights of corporations more broadly.
Provisions in the ordinance eliminate corporate "personhood" rights within the city for corporations seeking to drill, and remove the ability of corporations to wield the Commerce and Contracts Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to override community decision-making. In addition, with adoption of the ordinance, Pittsburgh became the first city in the U.S. to recognize legally binding rights of nature. By recognizing the rights of nature, Pittsburgh is effectively protecting ecosystems and natural communities within the city from efforts by corporations to drill there--and by other levels of government to authorize that drilling. Residents of Pittsburgh are empowered by the ordinance to enforce those rights on behalf of threatened ecosystems.
The bill still has to be signed by the mayor, and as you might expect, drilling companies are expected to challenge the ban in court.
I wonder if this means that the Pennsylvania Department of Homeland Security now considers all the members of the city council environmental extremists?However, despite a poor consumer response to the Windows Phone platform over the years, persistently negative outlooks by the media and justifiably frustrated voices from fans, a growing number of OEMs are investing in the platform. Many people who have been along for the ups and downs, shifts in the platform and broken continuity may be asking, "why?" Why would OEMs choose Windows 10 Mobile when: …the market is saturated to the point that the entrenched leaders are striving to find areas of profitability? …many smartphone users are locked into their ecosystems of choice? …the developer community has shown little consistent support for the modern Windows ecosystem of Store apps? Well, just as Noah built an ark on dry ground, it may be that OEMs are placing their confidence in a solution that is preparing for what's coming rather than trying to meet present conditions that are on the verge of a shift. Change is inevitable
We have moved further into a personal computing world where most people in developed regions have a smartphone; intelligent cloud computing manages our experiences and our phones have become in form and function, our computers. If in 2006 someone had told us that in less than a decade a seismic shift would occur in personal computing where phones would dominate our social interactions, we may have scorned that person for such a preposterous prediction. To believe in a future where our collective heads would be bowed perpetually toward a 5-inch touch screen pocket computer, from the perspective of a flip phone-dominated world — a world where smartphones were clunky and the rare tool of business executives — would have seemed unlikely. OEMs may see Continuum-powered Windows 10 Mobile phones as the next bend in the curve. Yet, in less than ten years that shift has occurred. As quickly and comprehensively as we have gone from a smartphone being the tech toy for geeks and business types, to the essential hub of our digital lives, the next shift may be just as unexpected and complete. One thing is sure, especially in technology: nothing stays the same. Satya Nadella said this of the current smartphone paradigm:
"…we have to be on the hunt for what's the next bend in the curve. That's what…anyone has to do to be relevant in the future…We're doing that with our innovation in Windows. We're doing that with features like Continuum. Even the phone, I just don't want to build another phone, a copycat phone operating system, even."
I think it is this vision of the next bend in the curve that may be winning some OEMs to Windows 10 Mobile. Those critics whose eyes are squarely on the present may cry, "Surely, OEMs must know Redmond's rocky history, see the diminishing market share and recognize the ever visible app quantity and quality disparity between the Windows store and the app stores of rival platforms." I concede it is certain they do. But it is also certain that Microsoft is selling something different in a market where PC sales are declining and smartphone sales, supported by an outdated warehouse of apps model, are stagnating. Seeing beyond the desert
OEM partners, have recognized the value of Windows 10 Mobile devices that are supported by a Universal Windows Platform and Continuum and that offers a solution to the challenges facing both PC and phone manufacturers. From the perspective that things are the way they are and will remain that way, an investment in Windows 10 Mobile may indeed seem foolish. However, a forward-looking view at the direction toward convergence (at least in part) that the smartphone and PC industries are headed paints a different picture. This meeting of PC and phone technology, driven by increasingly complex mobile computing, user behavior and digital experiences managed by an intelligent cloud, highlights the strengths that Microsoft brings to this potential future scenario. A potential convergence of PC and phone technology highlights Microsoft's strengths Microsoft ranks second in Cloud technology, has inspired an industry explosion of context sensitive 2-in-1 computers, pioneered the first unified platform which provides consistent development and UI experiences across devices. Additionally, to date, Microsoft, with Continuum, is the only company that provides a platform-wide solution of turning a mobile phone experience into a desktop PC experience. These are appealing core strengths to both PC and phone OEMs who are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate from competitors and profit in individual, PC or phone, markets that are now saturated. For some OEMs, the phone as a PC that a Windows 10 Mobile phone promises, is an early investment in what they may see as a potential growth market. Thus, some OEMs have embraced high-end Windows 10 Mobile devices that support Continuum. Still, other OEMs find it difficult to compete in a low-end space saturated with cheap Android smartphones. For these manufacturers, an investment in affordable Windows 10 Mobile devices is a means to offer differentiation and options to consumers looking for an affordable device. This at least helps to get the platform into the market the Redmond's key differentiator, Continuum, is not part of the offering. Finally, some OEMs offer a diversified portfolio with both a high-end Continuum supported phone as well as a budget device. Pioneering a future-focused platform
As a community of users and observers, there are many views regarding the merits of Microsoft's mobile prospects even with the support of a growing number of OEM partners. In Microsoft and the duo user part V we briefly looked at 13 OEMs that are bringing 17 Windows 10 Phones to the market. Though many may find it hard to reconcile, these OEMs likely see the future of their mobile strategy tied, at least in part, to a platform that they feel is best equipped for the future. Now that we know why manufacturers may be choosing Windows 10 Mobile lets take a brief look at these 13 OEM partners and the 17 devices in question. Acer
Based out of Taiwan, Acer's been in the PC game for a long time, so a Windows phone seems like a natural fit. Their Jade Primo was the first Windows 10 Mobile phone announced with support for Continuum, and Acer has built an ecosystem of accessories around the feature that position it more like a PC than a phone. Alcatel Alcatel has produced numerous low-end Android phones (and a few higher-end ones), but they only recently embraced Windows 10 Mobile. They produce two Windows 10 devices — the Fierce XL phone (which does not support Continuum) and the Pixie 3 LTE tablet — and are working on a higher-end Pro phone. Alcatel's design, marketing, and price have traditionally targeted younger "millennial" customers. Alcatel's Chief Marketing Officer, Dan Dery articulated it this way:
"Millennials want to have fun, but they also want those experiences to be simple, meaningful and authentic"… "Because both quality and price are important to millennials, we feel that Alcatel — with our DNA of making innovation accessible to everyone — is uniquely in tune with their needs."
Coship Coship is a China-based PC manufacture who first announced a partnership with Microsoft for Window 10 Mobile during Mobile World Congress 2015. China, of course, is one of the world's largest markets for smartphones. Coship's support with both the affordable Moly X1 and the Continuum supported Moly PcPhone W6 allows this PC manufacturer to bring a differentiated product portfolio to a saturated market.
Covia Covia is a Japan-based smartphone manufacturer that has recently embraced Microsoft's mobile vision. The Breeze X5 is the company's affordable Windows 10 phone that is set to compete with a growing number of other Windows phones introduced in the region. The Breeze which cost's ¥24,800 (about $226) does not support Continuum, but with Microsoft's withdrawal of first-party phones from the low-end it is a budget-friendly alternative to a low-cost Android phone. Cube Cube is a China-based manufacturer who is not new to making devices inspired by Microsoft's Windows 10 family of devices. The company has already introduced a Surface-inspired 2-in-1: the Cube i9. The company is now reported to have a nearly seven-inch Windows 10 Mobile phone in the works. It will be interesting to see how this tablet-sized phone running Continuum, thus capable of being a phone, tablet and PC will be positioned and received in the market. Freetel Freetel is a Japan-based smartphone manufacturer that offers a range of Android smartphones. The Katana 01 and Katana 02 are the company's first foray into the Windows ecosystem. These affordable Windows phones, which do not support Continuum, are likely a reflection of the company's attempt to expand its portfolio beyond a very competitive Android space. Unlike many of the smaller manufacturers who seem content with their regional reach, Freetel has global ambitions with the intention of reaching more than 20 countries. Funker Funker is a Spanish manufacturer who is bringing two Windows 10 Mobile devices to the market. Funker is in a unique position as the only Spanish manufacturer of Windows 10 Mobile phones. The Funker W5.5 Pro and the larger, better specced, Continuum-supported Funker 6.0 Pro 2 look to offer a good representation of the platform in that market. HP HP is an American corporation with a global footprint in PC, printer and enterprise products and services. The high-end HP Elite x3 is their second attempt in the smartphone space; Windows 10 with UWP and Continuum offers a strategic advantage they didn't have during their ill-fated webOS venture. HP's experience in bringing PC and IT solutions to businesses large and small around the world will help to create a platform and IT solution around the HP Elite x3.
Lenovo China-based Lenovo is one of the world's most recognized brands in personal computing. They acquired IBM's personal computing business in 2005 and Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014, and they're already the largest smartphone vendor in Mainland China. The Softbank 503 LV is a mid-range Windows 10 Mobile phone without Continuum and is the product of a collaboration between Lenovo and Softbank. Lenovo's strong globally recognized brand may help to position this device favorably in the market. Mouse Computer Like a growing number of PC manufacturers, the Japan-based Mouse computer has made investments in the smartphone space. The mid-range Madosma is the company's first Windows 10 Mobile device. Though it does not support Continuum it is yet another Windows 10 Mobile phone in the Japanese market which should provoke competition and innovation. Nuans Nuans is a Japan-based company that seeks to bring a new experience to the smartphone with the Continuum-supporting Nuans Neo. They present themselves as bringing "The answer to a comfortable digital life." Nuans creatively "side-stepped" the software customization limitations of Windows 10 Mobile by allowing broad customization of the hardware with an assortment of interchangeable casings. If this proves to be a popular feature (though a poor Kickstarter response suggests otherwise), other OEMs may mimic the solution.
VAIO VAIO is a Japan-based manufacturer of personal computers. The Phone Biz is the company's first Windows 10 Mobile phone, and its svelte high-end design and specs with Continuum support make the phone an appealing complement to the company's portfolio of personal computers. Sadly this beautiful device won't be making its way to the US.
Yamada Denki Yamada-Denki is one of Japan's largest consumer electronics retail chains. The company will likely leverage this position to provide exposure for the Every Phone, the company's affordable Windows 10 Mobile phone. This device does not support Continuum but offers yet another Windows phone option to consumers in the region. Wrap Up The mobile component of Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform has a rigorous and uphill battle ahead of it. Not only because of its entrenched competitors and the flawed "more is better" approach to apps, but also because Microsoft is approaching the personal computing industry with a holistic solution which requires a change in perception of the industry of consumers and developers, followed by their acceptance of what the UWP offers.ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
Disturbing body cam footage showing the moment an unarmed man was shot dead by a US police officer while he pleaded for his life has been released by a US court
The ruling to release the footage showing the death of father-of-two Daniel Shaver came after a former Arizona police officer was cleared of his murder.
Father-of-two Mr Shaver can be heard sobbing and begging "please don't kill me" before he is shot five times by an officer in La Quinta Hotel, Arizona.
Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty of murder on Thursday after the fatal shooting in 2016, but Mr Shaver's have described the killing as an "execution".
Footage finally released by the judge shows the encounter. In harrowing scenes, Mr Shaver crawls towards the officer pleading for his life before Mr Brailsford opens fire.
The shooting occurred in Mesa, Phoenix after officers responded to a call that a person was pointing a gun out of a window of the hotel.
Police ordered Mr Shaver to leave his hotel room, lie face-down in the hallway and not make any sudden movements.
The officers warned Mr Shaver frequently that he could be shot if he made any sudden movements or failed to obey their commands.
Mr Shaver, 26, can be heard sobbing in the video as he begs police not to shoot and crawls towards the officers.
He can be heard saying: "Please do not shoot me."
As he makes his way towards the officers he reaches towards the waistband of his shorts and Mr Brailsford opens fire, hitting him five times and killing him instantly.
Mr Brailsford said he fired his rifle as he believed Mr Shaver was reaching for a handgun from his waistband.
No gun was found on Shaver's body, but two pellet rifles related to his pest-control job were later found in his room.
The detective investigating the shooting agreed the movement appeared like Mr Shaver was reaching for a pistol, but also noted that it looked like Mr Shaver was pulling up his shorts.
The newly-released footage has been met with outrage online, with many branding the encounter "disgusting", "sick" and "horrifying".
Mr Shaver's widow, Laney Sweet, and his parents have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the city of Mesa over the shooting death.
Mr Shaver's family's lawyer Mark Geragos described the shooting as "an execution pure and simple.
After the verdict was read he said: "The justice system miserably failed Daniel and his family."
During his trial testimony, Mr Brailsford described the stress that he faced in responding to the call and his split-second decision to shoot Shaver.
Mr Brailsford told jurors that he was terrified for the safety of officers and a woman who in the hallway. He also said he felt "incredibly sad" for Shaver.Former treasurer says there is ‘genuine dismay’ on global stage at the lack of attention given to climate issues on G20 agenda
Australia has “gone from lifter to leaner” on action against climate change, and must not block the topic’s inclusion on the agenda for the G20 summit in Brisbane next month, the former treasurer Wayne Swan will say.
In a speech to the Lowy Institute on Wednesday, Swan will argue that Tony Abbott plans to “list the fig leaf of ‘energy efficiency’ on the agenda as a means to camouflage the anger and dismay within the international community at Australia’s stance as the first nation to go backwards”.
Swan wants the Brisbane leaders’ meeting on 15 and 16 November to specifically discuss climate change and spreading fairly the benefits of economic growth.
Abbott has previously argued the focus of the G20 should be on boosting economic growth because that was “the best way to address global poverty”.
When asked about climate change in February the prime minister said: “We do not want to clutter up the G20 agenda with every worthy and important cause because if we do, we will squander the opportunity to make a difference in the vital area of economic growth.”
But Swan, the Labor treasurer from 2007 to 2013, says climate change previously sat at the core of the G20 agenda “not just as an environmental issue but as a core issue of sustainable economic growth”.
“In the corridors of Washington, Berlin and elsewhere, there is genuine dismay about the lack of attention to climate change in the G20 agenda,” he says.
Referring to the Gillard government’s carbon pricing scheme, which has since been abolished by the Abbott government, Swan says: “Australia has been recognised around the world as an energy-intensive nation and a beneficiary of significant commodity exports, for taking seriously its international obligations to reduce its carbon emissions.”
“At best, Australia has gone from leader to laggard on climate change,” Swan says.
“At worst, it’s gone from lifter to leaner. This is at the very time significant players like the US and China are more willing than ever to address climate change, and international financial institutions like the IMF are highlighting the strong links between climate change action and positive economic outcomes.
“It’s important the Australian people understand just how unacceptable their government’s climate denialism is in the highest councils of global economic decision-making.
“Sadly, whatever the outcome of the G20 on any of the other substantive issues before it, history will recall that in 2014 Australia used its privileged position to slow progress on what President Obama has called a ‘growing and urgent threat’.”
Mining companies are campaigning for the G20 to support continued use of coal as a solution to the global “energy poverty” crisis.
Abbott said on Monday coal should not be demonised because it was “good for humanity”.
On Tuesday the treasurer, Joe Hockey, dismissed the finding that Australia was the highest per-capita emitter of greenhouse gases in the OECD.
Swan will also suggest G20 finance ministers and central bank governors who met in Cairns last month failed to make meaningful progress on infrastructure policy.
“As the host of the G20, the Abbott government’s ideological bent has denied the G20 an opportunity to build a consensus around the importance of debt-financed infrastructure,” Swan says, according to an advance copy of his speech.
“The big announcement we got from Cairns was a global infrastructure centre involving among other things a global database of infrastructure projects to help match potential investors with projects.
“I know you won’t mind my being blunt: this is simply not enough – a piece of new bureaucracy to cover for a lack of any meaningful progress on a vital economic agenda. And I know I’m not the only one who thinks that, including some of the people who will be in the room in Brisbane.”
Swan reflects on the role played by the G20, a forum for economic co-operation that includes 19 countries and the European Union. The G20 held its first leaders’ summit in Washington, DC, in December 2008 to plan responses to the global financial crisis, including strengthening financial regulation.
Swan describes the elevation of the G20 as “Australia’s biggest foreign policy achievement since the founding of Apec, 19 years previously”.
“I can tell you that when the discussion started about meeting in a broader group than the G8 to tackle the snowballing global financial crisis, 20 was not the number we were looking at,” he says.
“It was hard to move people off eight, for a start, but most of the talk was in the low teens – a G12 just adding China, India, Brazil and South Africa was a firm favourite. That we arrived at the G20, more particularly, that we got to 20, and so Australia was in the room and not with noses pressed against the glass outside, is a great achievement.
“Inevitably, though, having made such pains of ourselves insisting on the G20 as the steering room of the global economy, the expectations on Australia in its host year are enormous.”Burlington, Ont. – Oct. 8, 2015— To mark Local Government Week, which runs Oct. 18 to 24, residents and high school civics classes are invited to participate in an exciting and informative scavenger hunt that will lead participants to discover (or rediscover) some of the wonderful and amazing places and features of Burlington.
“Of the three levels of government, it’s the municipal or local government that has the most impact on our daily lives,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “This week is about highlighting and appreciating the work that is done to keep our city moving forward while balancing growth, the economy and environmental concerns.”
Scavenger hunt participants can share their scavenger hunt selfies on Twitter with #BurlOnGov or upload the photos at Burlington.ca/localgovweek. Photos submitted or tagged will be entered into a random draw for prizes. Participating Grade 10 civics classes will be entered to win a pizza lunch for their class. Individuals, families, teams or classes are encouraged to be creative with their selfies.
For the list of scavenger hunt goals, visit burlington.ca/localgovweek or come to the clerk’s desk at City Hall, 426 Brant St., during regular business hours.
About Local Government Week, Oct. 18-24
Local Government Week is a campaign intended to highlight the key role that Ontario municipal governments play in helping to define the character, priorities, amenities and physical makeup of Ontario's diverse communities.
The objective of the campaign is to help students and residents gain an understanding of municipal government and its impact on everyday lives. It is also intended to create more engaged citizenship and stewardship of our local communities.
The campaign is a partnership between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the |
better animation" than Flash.Buy Photo Monroe County GOP Chairman Bill Reilich (Photo: File photo 2015)Buy Photo
The chairman of the Monroe County Republican Committee said Wednesday that his party is digging through donation records to determine whether it needs to return or redirect any contributions connected to a public corruption scandal.
That's a shift from Tuesday, when GOP Chairman Bill Reilich said he didn't expect the party to return money. At the time, he said most donations from people or organizations tied to the local development corporation case preceded his time as chairman, before any indication they might be improper, and that the money had likely been spent by now.
On Wednesday, Reilich said that he hadn't read the latest plea deal in the case before he had been asked about the contributions a day earlier. Tuesday's events were the first indication there might be anything wrong with these donations, he said.
“If at the end of the day there are dollars that came in and they were less than honorable, we’ll refund them, donate them,” Reilich said.
Concerns about the local development corporations, or LDCs, have mounted for years. Tens of thousands of dollars in donations from people connected with the LDCs also flowed into local political coffers — mainly to the GOP — before and after Reilich became chairman in 2008.
Questions intensified this week after businessman Daniel Lynch admitted in a plea deal Tuesday that he helped to orchestrate a bid-rigging scheme through the LDCs and profited from inflated contracts for work on county technology projects.
Lynch also admitted that some money stolen through this scheme was later donated to the county GOP's housekeeping committee and the Friends of Maggie Brooks political committee, among other organizations.
Brooks, a Republican, was county executive from 2004 to the end of last year.
Reilich defended his handling of the matter and said the party in 2012 returned a $10,000 donation from a company founded by Lynch as soon as state investigators asked for records of contributions associated with Lynch.
“We said, 'We don’t want to be associated with that at all,' ” Reilich said.
But campaign finance records show many more political contributions tied to Lynch.
The same company, Treadstone Development Corp., also gave the GOP's housekeeping or campaign accounts $5,000 in 2009, $2,000 in 2011 and $3,000 in 2012.
Lynch himself gave $47,000 to the Republican housekeeping committee from 2006 to 2011, and more than $12,000 to Brooks' political committee from 2006 to 2010.
The GOP also received more than $30,000 from a subcontractor named in Lynch's plea deal as a vehicle for donating stolen money to political campaigns.
Jamie Romeo, chairwoman of the Monroe County Democrats (Photo: Provided)
A local Democratic leader called on the GOP Wednesday to return any money pilfered from county government.
"The Republican Committee must do the right thing and not sit on this stolen money," said Jamie Romeo, chairwoman of the Monroe County Democratic Committee, in a statement.
Reilich shot back by accusing county Democrats, who have long criticized the LDCs, of hypocrisy. He noted that they received a combined $4,500 in 2009 and 2010 from Navitech Services Corp.
The company is a central LDC contractor that Lynch formed and from which he profited.
"The Monroe County Democrat Committee is the only political organization that has taken donations directly from Navitech," Reilich said in a statement. "I would hope that Ms. Romeo would take her own advice and refund or donate the implicated funds.”
The political donations described in Lynch's plea deal came through an unnamed employee at Catalog and Commerce Solutions, or CCS — a Pittsford web-development company that was involved in the same county contract as Lynch.
CCS directly donated $31,000 to the county GOP's housekeeping and campaign committees between 2006 and early 2012, according to state campaign finance records. But it's not clear whether or not these are the contributions referenced in the plea deal.
The company also gave Friends of Maggie Brooks $5,000 in 2008.
Brooks and Dawn Staub, the treasurer listed for Brooks' campaign account, did not respond Tuesday to emails requesting comment.
Also in his plea agreement, Lynch admitted conspiring with an employee at Toshiba Business Solutions to use county funds to pay for a "chalet" at a Senior PGA Championship golf tournament in 2008 at Oak Hill Country Club.
Toshiba, too, widely donated to political campaigns from 2007 to 2013. Locally, that included a little more than $73,000 to the county Republicans, with the most recent donation in 2013, and just over $4,000 to Friends of Maggie Brooks.
While allegations about Toshiba and CCS were laid out in an indictment released in late 2013, Reilich said Tuesday's plea deal was the first indication he saw of potential problems involving the companies, and that the party is now researching past donations.
Buy Photo Businessman Daniel Lynch leaves court after entering a plea deal. (Photo: MAX SCHULTE/@maxrocphoto/ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“We’re digging through years of records to find out now what we’re learning, but we had no knowledge prior,” he said.
If the party decides that any donations were untoward, it's not immediately clear how it might handle them. The money likely can't be returned to its original source, Reilich said; the GOP will look into how best to redirect it.
Meanwhile, Reilich recalled how his party dealt with a $10,000 donation from Treadstone, a company Lynch led, in 2010.
Treadstone originally gave the money to Brooks' campaign committee, Reilich said. The contribution exceeded limits, and when a party staffer explained this, Treadstone directed the money to the GOP housekeeping account instead, Reilich said.
Two years later, the Attorney General's Office asked the GOP for records of donations associated with Lynch during its investigation of the LDCs. At that time, the party refunded the contribution to Treadstone, Reilich said.
In her statement, Romeo also credited Republican County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo for working with county legislators, including Democrats, to establish a county Office of Public Integrity to restore public trust.
"It is time for Mr. Reilich and the county Republicans to do their part as well," Romeo said.
DRILEY@Gannett.com
Includes reporting by staff writer David Andreatta.
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“I was (and am) a huge fan of Eternal Darkness, and I'm quite excited to hear that a spiritual successor is in the works from folks who worked on the original game!” -- Dr. Ray Muzyka, Founder of Bioware "Playing the role of Paul Becker will be a blast as he is both complex and conflicted. I intend to provide gamers with a provocative and memorable experience on the roller coaster ride that is Shadow of the Eternals." -- David Hayter, Accomplished Actor, Screenwriter and Director “Precursor has been able to leverage some of the major features of the CryENGINE for use within their game and they've been able to apply their skill, talent and speed to produce already very high quality assets as well as gameplay.” -- Sean Tracy, US Engine Business Development Manager, Crytek
A psychological horror game, Shadow of the Eternals is the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, being developed by the original creators of the popular and critically acclaimed classic. Featuring an eclectic cast of heroes and villains, Shadow of the Eternals will span thousands of years of history with an H.P. Lovecraft flare. Players’ perception of reality will be shattered as they try to balance the mechanics of combat, magick, and exploration as they progress through the adventure.
Shadow of the Eternals is: A single-player third-person action/adventure game with horror elements.
An 8-10 hour complete experience.
. Multiple playable characters throughout different time periods of history.
Sanity events - special graphical, audio, and controller effects - will challenge your senses and your mind, causing you to question what is real.
Developed in collaboration with the community via an exclusive area on our forums.
Developed with CryENGINE 3 for PC (Windows) and Wii U.
Available via a DRM-free distribution method (for PC).
Vote for Shadow of the Eternals on Steam Greenlight The story begins as Detective Paul Becker is called to Pleasant View Hospital, the site of one of the bloodiest gang massacres in Louisiana state history. The massacre is survived by two individuals who seemingly have no recollection about who they are or what has transpired -- one a suave businessman, and the other a hardened, rogue-like biker. Both men have lost all memory of who they are -- and yet they are compelled to kill each other.
Through Becker’s interrogation of the suspects, a story unfolds that is set in Hungary 1610 AD at Csejthe Castle – home to the noblewoman Erzsébet Báthory. Báthory is a notorious serial killer; torturing and killing as many as 400 young women in her obsessive quest to retain her youth. You play the role of Báthory’s handmaiden and lover Klára, who is being blackmailed by the authorities into gathering information about a missing nobleman’s daughter.
Events are soon set in motion that will change Klára's life forever.
The player uses the mechanics of combat, magick, and exploration to progress through the game and uncover its mysteries. Each playable character will have different levels of proficiency in these mechanics and will tackle situations very differently. Their level of sanity affects their ability (both positive and negative) in all these mechanics.
Combat
Each character uses a variety of melee and ranged weapons which are historically accurate to the time period. Becker is a trained detective and a skilled shot with his Smith & Wesson SW99, while Klára is a handmaiden working as an informant for the police so discretion and stealth is important. She uses a concealed ballock dagger and wheellock pistol.
and which are historically accurate to the time period. Becker is a trained detective and a skilled shot with his, while Klára is a handmaiden working as an informant for the police so discretion and stealth is important. She uses a concealed and. Combat is very tactical by allowing the player to select specific parts of their enemy to target, which can leave them vulnerable to follow up attacks.
of their enemy to target, which can leave them vulnerable to follow up attacks. Finishers can be used to ensure once an enemy is down, they stay down.
This video is comprised of pre-visualizations and concept art which should give an idea on the direction we want to take the combat system.
Magick
The use of magick is not to be taken lightly and can have serious consequences. In the right hands magic has the ability to turn the tide in combat and help solve puzzles.
Charging a spell is an intensive, real-time process that requires the player to concentrate and stand still which makes them vulnerable to enemy attacks.
Exploration
Exploration is the most important tool that the player has at their disposal and can help them get past hazards or solve puzzles.
Interact with the environment via item or location inspection to uncover the mysteries of the game.
You are not alone in this world and will need to use the dialog system to extract information or plead for assistance.
This gameplay video is an early work in progress, designed to give you a taste of what is to come in Shadow of the Eternals.
Paul Becker Confronting the violent chaos surrounding the bloodiest massacre in Louisiana state history, Detective Paul Becker is faced with a bizarre mystery that threatens far more than the peace of Pleasant Hill, and casts him headlong into the darkest abysses of his own psyche. The shadows emerging from the carnage only force more questions, particularly about himself and the loss of his wife. Paul Becker will be voiced by the incredibly talented David Hayter. David was the voice of Solid Snake in the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid series and also did voice acting in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Klára Rusznyák Klára is a young woman escaping a brutally transient life as a gypsy, torn between the enticing arms of her lover and mistress, Erzsébet Báthory - and an executioner's axe. Blackmailed by the authorities, Klára attempts to uncover the fate of a missing nobleman's daughter within Csejthe Castle, and offer up the Countess' secrets in order to end her nightmarish reign. Erzsébet Báthory, The Blood Countess Driven by her obsession with everlasting youth and beauty, mass murderer and noblewoman Countess Erzsébet Báthory has sacrificed over 400 young women to further her knowledge of the occult. But her despicable acts have been pushed aside for a new obsession – her growing love for the handmaiden Klára. Shadow of the Eternals is a unique experience created in a new way, enabling you – the gamer – to join the Order of the Unseen, an elite group of fans whose goal is to participate in helping design the game the way they want it, by providing feedback directly to the development team. Upon any pledge of $5 or more, you will be granted a special ribbon that provides access to our Official Development Forums, and a spot among the Order of the Unseen. This group is where you can begin sharing your ideas and shaping aspects of Shadow of the Eternals, helping create an experience that you – the gamer – want to play. Your participation in the forums will be rewarded by having influence on key story elements, plot twists, and the overall direction of the project. This is the chance for players to use their imaginations to help create startling gameplay, nightmarish storylines, and unique twisted characters. When you pledge, you will receive an email from Kickstarter titled 'Thanks for becoming a backer of Shadow of the Eternals by Precursor Games'. Forward the above email to kickstarter@precursorgames.com, then head over to our forums and sign up using the same email address that you use for Kickstarter. Within 10 minutes, you should have access to the Order of the Unseen and a badge indicating that you've backed the project on Kickstarter! Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was one of the highest rated games on the Nintendo GameCube with a metacritic of 92%. For years, fans have requested a follow up, and with Shadow of the The Eternals, that is exactly what Precursor Games is prepared to do with your help. To make this game the best it can be, we have one core focus: community created content. We will be working with you and the rest of the community to create this game. Have you ever thought that you could improve a game that you loved, or contribute to it in some way so that others could enjoy it more? Look no further, as that is what has already been happening with Shadow of the Eternals. Join the Order, share you ideas, get your name in the credits and experience what it’s like to be working on a video game. With the drastic change of the video game industry in the past decade, crowdfunding is the only avenue to help create a game similar to Eternal Darkness. When we created the first game, we wanted to do something truly different in the horror genre, and with our fans and contributors we will do something exciting once again. Help us make history and create Shadow of the Eternals, a spiritual successor to a game that truly deserves a follow-up. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a registered trademark of Nintendo. All rights reserved. Forum Access: This allows you to have direct interaction with the development team of Shadow of the Eternals. Being a member of the Order rewards players for contributing to the community forums. By contributing to the forums you may receive rewards like having your name included in the game's credits, your own contributions featured in the Ephemeral Codex, creating content for the game and voting privileges on integrating the best community created content. The Game: One copy of Shadow of the Eternals for Wii U or Windows PC provided DRM-free and/or via your preferred digital retailer such as Steam, if available. Whateley’s Secret Study: Receive in-game entry to a hidden room called Whateley's Secret Study, a haven containing special weapons, spells and items to aid you on your journey throughout Shadow of the Eternals. Soundtrack: Receive a digital download to the DRM-free Original Soundtrack for Shadow of the Eternals. Available in mp3, mp4, and WAV formats. Bathory's Theme Sample Track: Main Theme Sample Track:
Whateley’s Recordings: Listen to audio recordings of 'Whateley's Journal', narrated by the mysterious man himself. Tyrannus’ Gladius: A powerful in-game weapon from the past. Magickally enchanted. Whomever wields this sword is cursed with immortality. Each time the character dies, their strength grows with the life force of the weapon's previous victims. Their flesh is reformed as the pain and suffering of each death is infused as a vivid memory attacking the sanity of the wielder. Use of this weapon should be exercised with caution.
Alternate Costumes: Change the appearance of playable characters Klára and Becker with outfits to be voted on by the community. Digital Art Book: Digital PDF Ebook, "The Art of Shadow of the Eternals," containing character concepts, sketches, screenshots, and wallpapers. Beta Access: Receive access to the beta version of Shadow of the Eternals on the PC. This gives you an opportunity to try parts of the game and give your feedback before it is launched. Special Thanks Credits: Your name appears in the credits under “Special Thanks to these Kickstarter Supporters” Boxed Copy: A boxed version of the game for Windows PC. The game disc will be DRM-free. Collectors Edition Box Copy: A boxed version of the game for Windows PC. The game disc will be DRM-free and also includes a digital version of the game.
A boxed version of the game for Windows PC. The game disc will be DRM-free and also includes a digital version of the game. Ephemeral Codex: Hardcover book with contributions from Precursor Games and the Order. You can participate in creating content for this high quality color volume which will be packed with stories, design ideas, concept art, sketches, and other Shadow of the Eternals lore. (Hardcover, 200 pages)
Personal Dossier: Your own Personal Dossier and Photograph added somewhere in the game, forever inscribed in Shadow of the Eternals for other players to discover. Royalty-Style Portrait: A large royalty-style portrait of you that will be hung in an environment in the game. You will also receive a physical print of your in-game portrait.
Your Content in the Game: Work with the Shadow of the Eternals team to contribute your own piece of creative content to the game, such as a Sanity Event, musical piece, artwork, or storyline! Includes an Associate Game Designer credit. Demo the Game at an Event: Work with Precursor to demo Shadow of the Eternals at an event like E3 (Los Angeles), PAX (Seattle), or GDC (San Francisco). Must be able to arrange travel to the location. Visit Precursor Games: Visit the Precursor Games studio with an invitation to the private launch event celebrating the creation of Shadow of the Eternals. Must be able to arrange travel to the location. Executive Producer Credit: Get your name in the Shadow of the Eternals credits as an Executive Producer, to be displayed on a dedicated title card. Includes Personal Bio and Photo on the Precursor Games Team Page.Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was in the US on a two-week-long tour, where he met several individuals and was also a part of a round-table with eminent Indian and south Asian experts hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP), a Democratic-leaning think tank.
In his last leg of his US tour, Rahul Gandhi was in New York on Friday, when he said that freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were all NRIs.
“Mahatma Gandhi was a Non-Resident Indian. Jawaharlal Nehru came back from England, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Sardar Patel – these were all Non-Resident Indians. Every single one of them went to the outside world, saw the outside world, returned to India and used some of the ideas they got to transform India,” he said.
A huge uproar took place back here in India where many particularly the right wing trolls lashed out at the Congress VP for calling freedom fighters NRIs. Certain news channels, the usual suspects, also devoted entire prime time shows to mock the statement of Rahul Gandhi.
However, as it emerged, Prime Minister Modi too, in his speech in 2014, had echoed the same words at his gathering at Madison square in New York.
Now see and hear modi calling Mahatma Gandhi a NRI Sanghi mindset vermins Now go and shower your insults n abuses on modi
If you've BALLS pic.twitter.com/NKhO92SOp1 — KilaFateh #INC (@KilaFateh) September 22, 2017
Lashing out against this hypocrisy, many social media users have had the last laugh:
Go on Republic, tell us more about the gaffe. LOL! pic.twitter.com/DmfKo3B9zo — SamSays (@samjawed65) September 22, 2017
I think @republic & @BJP4India have forgotten that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is to commemorate the return of Mahatma to India https://t.co/2fvTyhIIUa — Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) September 23, 2017
That RepupLick arnab was with times now in 2014
This video is from his channel Now go figure, you Sanghi licker arnab pic.twitter.com/9FNpXPlHyV — KilaFateh #INC (@KilaFateh) September 22, 2017
To be fare to #republictv, Modi talked about some other Gandhi, Mohanlal Karamchand Gandhi to be precise.
Maybe this mohanlal chap was NRI — Rocky Balboa (@vagabond_junkie) September 23, 2017
he certainly was an nri. he wasnt a tourist in south Africa was he? gandhiji was living there!! — manavsaraf (@manavsaraf) September 23, 2017
cant believe these Cowsamis call Modi's own comment a gaffe. — Aaron Abraham (@ROALY) September 23, 2017It's easy to become blasé about software companies' "point" releases; IT PRO receives dozens of press releases about minor upgrades to products every day. But just sometimes, it is worth scrolling through the emails, as companies can hide significant information below the list of new features.
So it is with Adobe's point release – 5.5 to be precise – of its flagship Creative Suite software. Creative Suite, or CS, is in fact a family of products, based around programs such as Photoshop, Premiere, Dreamweaver and InDesign, with different suites for print designers, web page developers, video producers and so on.
To be fair to Adobe, there are some useful new features in CS5.5, especially for businesses and design shops creating content for smartphones and tablets. But for IT professionals, the real significance comes with Adobe's announcement of a new, subscription-based, pricing option.
Adobe's professional software is not cheap. That is not to say it is poor value. In fact, I use an Adobe application almost every day and wouldn't be without them. But when any company makes something that makes Apple's offerings such as Final Cut Studio seem like a bargain, it is certainly not an impulse purchase.
Adobe's Production Premium suite, for video editors, costs £1,509 and its Master Collection, with all the toys, costs an eye-watering £2,303, according to Adobe's estimated prices.
Upgrades for existing users will be cheaper, but Adobe does at least realise that software costing this much makes a significant call on the cash of the freelancers and small design and production companies who make up the bedrock of its customer base.
Unlike large corporates, these users do not qualify for volume licence discounts and may well struggle to find the money up front for software that costs more than their PC or Mac.
So Adobe's decision to offer the suites on subscription is a sensible move. At the most basic level, a user can rent Photoshop on its own for £28 a month, or the whole Master Collection for £116 a month. Adobe says the subscriptions will be flexible too, allowing a designer, say, to mix and match applications on outright licence purchase and subscription, take out annual subscriptions, or pay for just what they want for a month.
A graphic designer could then buy InDesign, rent Photoshop on an annual contract and take out a monthly sub to Premiere and After Effects just to complete a video project.
The subscription works by installing the full software on the user's computer, so there's no need to download a large file – and Adobe's apps are large – for each project or to run the software over a possibly unreliable web connection.
Provided the subscription technology works as described, it could be an incredibly useful option for companies that only do occasional creative work or that need to preserve their cash flow.
Just as with car hire, renting software is rather more expensive in the long term than buying a licence. Indeed, a user renting the CS Master Collection would be better off buying after 20 months. But for many the flexibility and cash flow benefits will outweigh the longer-term costs. One day, maybe all software will be offered this way?
Adobe's subscription plans (US pricing)
Stephen Pritchard is a contributing editor at IT PRO.
Comments? Questions? You can email him hereHome » Dark Tech How to turn a Local admin account in to a Domain Admin account Dark TechEditors Pick How to turn a Local admin account in to a Domain Admin account 2366 Views
I could have easily called this article “How to hack and take control of an entire Windows Network” but that would draw a lot of negative attention, and it probably should. Let’s start off with a little background on the terminology for those who don’t know that much about Window’s methods of networking. (You can skip to the next section otherwise) A “Domain Admins” is is the security group for users who have administrator rights on every machine that is a member of the domain. A domain is like a workgroup of computers that are under control of the local Active Directory Server. If you’re not in the domain you don’t have access to much. We’re going to change that, by gaining this level of access. There are two basic types of users. Administrators, and Users. Users aren’t allowed to do very much, can’t install software, change things, etc. Whereas Administrators have total control. Local administrators have control of that one computer only. Domain Administrators have control over all pc’s that are part of the domain. In particular they have access to the root share, C$ the default share on every windows professional based pc. If you can become Domain admin, you can access every file on every computer through this share! Now many legacy applications will fail to run as a simple user, so it’s common practice to make a “User” a “Local Admin” of a computer. That means that user has access to add printers, add/remove software of their own pc. This was the pc is still managed, but the user has more freedom to blow up their computer doing awesome stunts like deleting c:/windows/system32 to save space. “But I don’t use that so I thought it was ok to delete…” If you can grasp all that, I’ll go ahead into the description of the “How” you elevate from “Local Admin” to “Domain Admin”
How to a turn my local admin into a Domain admin?
Ok, this is where I’m going to scare you a bit. It’s easy, you don’t need any tools, or the advanced knowledge of expert know how. You only need to type these two lines into a batch file!
net user /domain /add dirtyhackor mysecretpass
net group /domain "Domain Admins" /add dirtyhackor
The first line creates a new user on the domain name dirtyhackor and the second line add that user to the Domain Admins Group. The masters of Windows domains maybe laughing right now, because they know this script won’t fly as it. Because the users don’t have access to create users, and they will only get an error, and Mr. Admin you are to sly to run a batch script without reading it first right? Well how about these apples, place the script in the all users folder under Programs in the “Startup Folder” on this computer. Now when the domain admin walks by to fix your computer, when they log in they will unknowingly run this script and voila! Now you have a secretly created user called “dirtyhackor” on the domain with full access to everything!
But how to get a domain admin to access your computer? A little sabotage can usually get a member of the domain to sign into your(target) computer. Many users are also members of multiple computers as well. What if you wanted to get you’re newly found batch script on to all of the computer’s you are a local admin? Just one more line of batch will let us easily spread the script to other computers over the network!
net user /domain /add dirtyhackor mysecretpass
net group /domain "Domain Admins" /add dirtyhackor
for /F %%i in ('net view') do copy /Y %0 "%%ic$documents and settingsall usersstart menuprogramsstartup"
As you can see, the two lines above are the same as in the previous example, but the third line will scan for all pc’s on the local network, and for the ones that you have local admin rights to, will copy this script to each computer you have access to! So let’s say three people work at the one workstation. Sam logs in, and this spreads to all computers he has access to. Then Sally logs in and it spreads to all of her workstations, Followed by Steve. If they all have access to 3 computers each, that’s 7 computers with the script on it now. Then if anyone uses their computers…. the pattern of spreading continues throughout the network! Eventually a domain admin will run the script and you’re in!
What can you do with this power? Install software on any pc, remotely, keyloggers,send spam, webservers, game servers, backup storage, anything you would want to. SO if you’re a network admin (Like me) You’re probably really thinking about all the times you’ve logged in to a workstation! So what can you do against this threat? Well being aware of this type of trickery is a start, and secondly, make sure you assign domain admin to as few people as possible.
Spread the word! E-mail this to someone who you know needs to be aware of this, and please stumble or dig this, as that will really help get the word out! Thanks for reading!!! +GreenIf you would like to see more articles like this please support our coverage of the space program by becoming a Spaceflight Now Member. If everyone who enjoys our website helps fund it, we can expand and improve our coverage further.
Updated at 6:15 p.m. EST (2315 GMT) with details.
SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk announced Monday plans to send two paying “private individuals” on a week-long flight around the moon and back to Earth by the end of next year.
Musk said the would-be space tourists approached SpaceX to fly on a mission beyond the moon, launching aboard the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and returning to Earth approximately a week later.
“They’re very serious about it,” Musk said, declining to identify the passengers in a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. He later added the clients include “nobody from Hollywood,” but would not provide details on their backgrounds.
The two-person crew will be trained for emergencies, but the Dragon spaceship carrying them will fly on autopilot, loop around the far side of the moon on a “free-return” trajectory, then speed back to Earth. Musk said SpaceX aims to launch the circumlunar flight in the fourth quarter of 2018.
“This would do a long leap around the moon,” Musk said. “We’re working out the exact parameters, but this would be approximately a week-long mission, and it would skim the surface of the moon, go quite a bit farther out into deep space, and then loop back to Earth. I’m guessing probably distance-wise, maybe 300,000 or 400,000 miles.”
He acknowledged the trip will be risky.
“I think they are entering into this with their eyes open, knowing that there is some risk here,” Musk said of the passengers. “They’re certainly not naive. We’ll do everything we can to minimize that risk, but it’s not zero.”
He declined to say how much the space tourists will pay, but SpaceX said it has already received a “significant deposit” for the moon mission.
“They do know each other,” Musk said of the prospective space tourists. “I don’t want to comment too much on their background, but they certainly will have extensive training before going on the mission, and I also can’t say the exact amount (they will pay).”
The tourists will ride inside SpaceX’s Dragon 2 capsule, or “Crew Dragon,” in development under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The spaceship is scheduled to launch on its first uncrewed test flight to the station in November, followed around six months later with a demonstration mission to the outpost with two NASA astronauts on-board.
SpaceX and NASA plan at least one Crew Dragon flight to the station per year once the spacecraft proves itself on the test flights, rotating in and out four-person crews on six-month expeditions.
NASA contracted with SpaceX and Boeing to develop, test and fly commercially-operated spaceships to transport crews to the station, replacing services currently provided by Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Russia charged the U.S. government $81 million per seat in the latest crew transportation deal. Boeing and SpaceX have not disclosed their prices for an astronaut ticket to the space station, but NASA says the average cost between the two providers runs about $58 million per person for a round-trip flight.
Musk said the price SpaceX’s moon mission fliers will pay is confidential, “but it would be comparable to a little more than what the cost of a crewed mission to the space station would be.”
Space Adventures, a Virginia-based firm, is the only company to date to arrange for paying tourists to fly into space, brokering eight flights by seven clients to the International Space Station in the 2000s. Other companies, like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, offer suborbital trips for paying tourists and researchers, but they have not commenced commercial service.
In 2011, Space Adventures announced a venture in partnership with Russia to send two tourists on a trip around the moon for $150 million per person inside a modified Soyuz capsule, but the mission never materialized.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft is a major upgrade from the cargo-carrying version of Dragon currently flying resupply missions to the space station.
It is already being designed to deep space journeys, Musk said, with an ablative carbon heat shield capable of withstanding re-entry speeds from the moon, which are much faster than descent velocities from low Earth orbit missions.
The robust design of the Crew Dragon supports SpaceX’s long-term objective of Mars missions, with an eye toward setting up a permanent base there and making humanity a “multi-planet species.”
But the Dragon capsule will need new systems for the trip to the moon and back — its first time to fly higher than low Earth orbit — such as deep space communications equipment.
“This would be communication at several hundred thousand kilometers (more than 250,000 miles), as opposed to around 400 kilometers (250 miles at the space station’s orbit),” Musk said. “It’s mostly with respect to the communications system, but Dragon is designed to be hardy with regard to … space radiation and have triple-redundant systems. We feel that the modifications necessary will be quite limited.”
The Dragon spacecraft’s lunar flight will come after it completes test flights to the space station, Musk said.
The orbital test flights will wring out many of the Crew Dragon’s life support, navigation and computer systems, and Musk said NASA will certify the capsule as “human-rated” once those demo missions are successfully completed.
But the space station crews will blast off on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster, not the Falcon Heavy, which is required for the round-trip voyage around the moon. The Falcon Heavy is expected to launch for the first time some time this summer, Musk said, several years later than originally envisioned.
“Dragon 2 is going through NASA human-rating, (and it) will fly with NASA astronauts to the space station before it flies this mission,” Musk said. “The same is true of the Falcon 9 vehicle. The difference is that we’re adding two additional Falcon 9 first stages as strap-on boosters to increase the performance of Falcon 9, which is what we’re calling Falcon Heavy.”
The Falcon Heavy will lift off on the power of 27 Merlin engines, three times the number that power the Falcon 9’s core stage.
“All the pieces of that system will be human-rated by NASA,” Musk added. “One could say that there’s some incremental complexity with the integration of those systems.”
SpaceX will seek a license from the Federal Aviation Administration for the purely commercial tourist trip around the moon, Musk said.
“We should have quite a bit of Falcon Heavy flight history (by the time the lunar mission flies), and, of course, a tremendous amount of heritage coming from Falcon 9 going into Falcon Heavy,” Musk said. “Dragon 2 has been designed to very high standards, so it’s capable of taking a re-entry from lunar entry velocity, with significant margin, so we’re confident that this will be a good vehicle to fly on.”
Spaceflight Now members can read a transcript of the media conference call with Elon Musk. Become a member today and support our coverage.
SpaceX said NASA is a “key enabler” for the commercial circumlunar mission, which would be the first flight by humans to the moon’s distance since the Apollo 17 lunar landing in December 1972, and perhaps the most distant space expedition in history.
NASA said in a statement it “commends its industry partners for reaching higher.”
“We will work closely with SpaceX to ensure it safely meets the contractual obligations to return the launch of astronauts |
component maker, Fernandez took his life in a completely different direction. He got out of technology. He searched for bigger meaning. He left the country.
"I have always had too many interests," he said.
Photo courtesy of Bill Fernandez
One of those interests was the martial arts. Fernandez was a brown belt in Aikido, a Japanese form of the martial arts that is primarily defensive and centered around the concepts of peace and unity. The curiosity about Japan and the Far East that he inherited from his mother, combined with his own studies in Aikido, compelled Fernandez to leave Silicon Valley for Japan in 1979.
"I got a cultural visa and then went over there and lived there for two years," said Fernandez. "I got to go and live in a country where I had a lot of interests and kind of immerse myself in the culture."
He settled in Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido, which is about the same latitude as southern Alaska. "It's snow country for Japan," said Fernandez.
Fernandez went to Japan to do a combination of three things. He worked as an English teacher and tutor for adults. He studied Aikido more deeply to earn his first degree black belt.
He served as a cultural ambassador for the Bahá'í Faith, a religion focused on building a global community through international fellowship.
"I taught English to support myself," Fernandez said. "At that time, there was a huge interest in having native English speakers tutor people in English. So I had a small group at a bank and a small group at an engineering firm... So that was part of my day. It was preparing lessons and teaching classes. And then part of it was just immersing myself in the culture... Being an American there, people were interested in that. So people would come out of the woodwork and become my friends and sort of set up cultural experiences for me."
In Japan, Fernandez also got to engage his interests as a musician and humanitarian.
"In Sapporo, the Bahá'ís sponsored a charity concert for UNESCO where I was a performer... to sing and talk about California. So I called it the 'Refreshing California' concert. I sang songs and showed slides of California cities and farmland and talked about what it was like, because America looms large in the Japanese psyche, and California is one of the places that's kind of famous and has kind of a character that attracts the Japanese imagination."
But after two years in Sapporo, in the spring of 1981, it was time for Fernandez to return to California. When he landed in Silicon Valley in search of work, Fernandez gravitated back toward some familiar friends.
"When I came back, I got into technology because that is what I knew," he said.
He did some freelance and consulting work for several months, and he also reached out to Steve Jobs. Fernandez said to him, "I need a job. Have you got anything interesting?"
"I love working in wood and sometimes wish that I'd grown up on a street of cabinet makers. But, I grew up on a street of electronic engineers." Bill Fernandez
Jobs certainly did.
At the beginning of the year Jobs had taken over the Macintosh project. He was fighting to remain relevant within the leadership team at Apple — which now had a bunch of experienced executives in its ranks — and so Jobs had set up a separate SWAT team of engineers and designers to build a different kind of computer than the Apple II. For this team, he was adding technologists that he knew and trusted. He only wanted the best.
In October 1981, Jobs hired Fernandez to come back to Apple as a "Member of Technical Staff," the 15th member of the Macintosh team.
Because Fernandez had previously been an Apple employee and his name was already in the company's database, he was re-issued the same employee number he had before he left in 1978: No. 4.
Apple was a much different company the second time around, with thousands of employees, high-powered executives, a corporate infrastructure, and a growing campus of buildings in Cupertino.
But Jobs separated the Macintosh team from Apple headquarters by putting the group into a two-story building several blocks away from campus. It was next to a Texaco station, and so the team members dubbed it "Texaco Towers."
While the Apple II was still selling like crazy, Jobs predicted that it was destined to run out of steam within a couple years and that Apple needed something much more audacious to remain a leader in the computer business. IBM and a flood of other companies were coming into the market with new products that were creating brutal competition.
The Macintosh project was something the Apple executives allowed Jobs to dabble with — partially in hopes that it would develop into the company's next great product, but partially just to keep him busy and out of the way.
Jobs fired up his band of rock star techies to create a new kind of computer that would change the world, unleash the latent creativity inside of people, and bring the power of the computer revolution to everyday people. While he was notoriously difficult to work with at times during this period, he could also be deeply inspiring.
"The Macintosh development was basically an environment filled with love — love for our loved ones and our family members, because these were the people we kept in mind as our target audience," said Fernandez. "It was hugely creative, and we knew that we were breaking new ground and that we had to invent a new world, a new way of looking at things, a new way of interacting with things. It was a very creative, inventive environment where a whole lot of hard work was being done to do that and a whole lot of hard thinking about how do we accomplish our goals, and it was all motivated by wanting to do something insanely great that would serve our loved ones. There was all of that — love, creativity, hard work, inventiveness, vision, drive. So it was a wonderful environment."
Fernandez moved into a role similar to what he had played in the early days in the Apple garage. He was a utility man, a jack-of-all-trades, the person who filled in the gaps.
"I played a lot of different roles," said Fernandez.
One of those early roles was as the manager of the engineering lab. Another was engineering project manager for projects like the Macintosh External Disk Drive and the Macintosh External Video Port. At another time, he was the project manager for the AppleTalk PC card.
When the Mac team finally moved out of Texaco Towers and into the "Bandley 4" building on the Apple campus, Fernandez worked with the architects to plan the move and make the space a great working environment for the team. That included "laying out the hardware lab, and building a no-doors-needed 'light lock' leading into and out of the CAD room, putting trees along the division between the main hallway and the break area," said Fernandez. And "putting planter boxes with trailing vines, etc. along the tops of cubicle walls to spread greenery through the office area in a space-efficient way."
One of the skillsets that Fernandez was developing along the way was designing interfaces for humans — both virtual interfaces and physical interfaces. The Mac team turned out to be an amazing place to cut his teeth on these ideas because the team dove deeply into the concept of user interface and how to build a new one that average people could intuitively understand. They famously settled on the metaphor of a physical desk, and they imposed a tremendous amount of discipline on themselves to design a system that wouldn't confuse users.
"On the Mac team, we were trying to bring the illusion of tangibility to the screen," said Fernandez.
The Mac engineers went to a tremendous amount of effort to standardize the look and behavior of the different controls in the operating system. They thought deeply about checkboxes versus radio buttons, for example.
"All of those things we consciously thought about how do we make a pattern of visual elements that communicate their function and how do we make patterns that give you a consistent way to interact with your program, no matter what the program was," said Fernandez.
"We really tried to get all the third-party developers to write programs so that they all kind of worked in the same way, so that users would have to learn essentially one language — one visual language, one user interface language, one interaction language, one behavior language — that they could then apply to all of the apps that they bought. That had a powerful force in the industry. And everyone kind of copied those patterns."
Photo courtesy of Bill Fernandez
When the first Macintosh computer arrived in January 1984, it included a secret buried deep inside of it on the molding of the case. The signatures of the members of the early Mac team — including Bill Fernandez — were emblazoned on the lining.
"The Mac team had a complicated set of motivations, but the most unique ingredient was a strong dose of artistic values," explained Mac engineer Andy Hertzfeld in an article about the early Mac team. "First and foremost, Steve Jobs thought of himself as an artist, and he encouraged the design team to think of ourselves that way, too... Since the Macintosh team were artists, it was only appropriate that we sign our work. Steve came up with the awesome idea of having each team member's signature engraved on the hard tool that molded the plastic case, so our signatures would appear inside the case of every Mac that rolled off the production line."
The signature panel was created on February 10, 1982, almost two years before the product launched, and had 47 signatures, including Fernandez, Hertzfeld, Kottke, Jobs, and early Mac pioneers like Jef Raskin and Bill Atkinson.
Another one of the signatures on the panel was three simple letters: "Woz." Wozniak had been part of the early Mac team, mostly helping conceptualize what the Macintosh should be and helping with the early processor design.
Around the time of the Apple IPO in late 1980, Woz decided to give away stock options to the earliest Apple employees who had never gotten options — including Randy Wigginton, Chris Espinosa, Kottke, and Fernandez. He gave them each a stock grant out of his own chunk of shares. It was a generous move, especially towards Wozniak's old neighbor and friend with whom he'd built his first computer and helped become Apple's first employee.
"Bill is one of my favorite people in the world," said Wozniak. "What I really respected the most about Bill was his mind. He was so clear-headed."
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Leaving Apple again
After the launch of the Mac, Fernandez remained at Apple for nine more years. In 1986, he moved from tinkering with hardware into building software interfaces, where he discovered his niche and eventually developed a reputation as a UI wizard.
"I found that I had an affinity for user interface work and gradually migrated from electronic engineering work to user interface design," said Fernandez.
"We make choices in life and choices have consequences... And you go forth in life making a series of consequences." Bill Fernandez
In the Apple and Silicon Valley tradition of thumbing its nose at corporate America and taking on tongue-in-cheek job titles, Fernandez adopted "Master of Illusions" on his Apple business card.
He went on to play a key role in the development of QuickTime and HyperCard, which had a big influence on the development of HTML and the world wide web. Fernandez was also instrumental in the evolution of the Macintosh Finder system software. One of his last big projects at Apple was designing some of the MacOS 7 folders, including the three-button concept for opening, closing, and maximizing that still remains to this day.
In 1993, "Apple had started laying off long-time veterans, presumably to save money by getting a lot of highly-paid people off the payroll," said Fernandez. "I was in the second round of these layoffs during that period."
Fernandez called the experience "liberating." He immediately got several job offers for his services as a UI expert. He worked for a database company that was acquired; he worked for a document management company that went on to an IPO; and then in 1998, he started his own company, Bill Fernandez Design, a UI consultancy. He did that for 15 years, working on many different projects for many different companies that he can't mention by name. He did that until 2013, when it was finally time for him to launch his own tech startup.
The future of UI
With a front row seat to the birth of the personal computer and the rise of the internet — and a key role in several of the technologies that helped shape those revolutions — Bill Fernandez has accumulated enough wisdom to fill a library. It gives him a ready perspective on the hottest issues in technology today, and the stuff that's going to shape the future of computers, design, and UI. Especially UI.
"There was all of that — love, creativity, hard work, inventiveness, vision, drive. So it was a wonderful environment." Bill Fernandez
"We are in a time of transition," said Fernandez. "And like [how] the water becomes brackish where river water meets the ocean, the state of UI design is messy. There's some great stuff out there, much more than there used to be, but there's still a lot of trash, and there's a lot of well-meaning but misguided efforts. One example of this is in the migration from three-dimensional, photo-realistic UI elements (window frames, pushbuttons, sliders, etc.) to 'flat' UI design. Years ago a friend asked what I thought web pages of the future would be like and I said 'like magazines.' I thought we'd see flatter designs, expert typography, beautiful, magazine-advertisement-like page layouts, etc. That prediction is coming true...
"But in moving towards flat design we are losing much of the wisdom that was embedded in the old 3D style of UI. For example: A user must be able to glance at a screen and know what is an interactive element (e.g., a button or link) and what is not (e.g., a label or motto); A user must be able to tell at a glance what an interactive element does (does it initiate a process, link to another page, download a document, etc.?); The UI should be explorable, discoverable, and self-explanatory. But many apps and websites, in the interest of a clean, spartan visual appearance, leave important UI controls hidden until the mouse hovers over just the right area or the app is in just the right state. This leaves the user in the dark, often frustrated and disempowered."
Fernandez sees the current state of flat design as "a very mixed thing" and worries "we have lost a lot of the wisdom of the past, as we're moving into a cleaner future."
The startup
As passionate as Fernandez is about the ways people will use computers in the future, today his time is being spent designing a very specific kind of UI.
Almost 40 years after helping Jobs and Wozniak start Apple, Fernandez is launching his own tech startup, Omnibotics. The company is still in stealth mode at the time this article is being published, but Fernandez gave a few hints about its trajectory.
"Now that my kids are grown and I can ignore them without harm, I have closed my consultancy to follow my dream of starting a company that will transform how we interact with our homes. This is the future I'm most looking forward to. And we're looking for rock star engineers, marketers, and investors who want to join the team," he said.
He said Omnibotics will "build smart home electronics and I'm hoping that we can finally make it possible to make your house more responsive to you, to give your house a user interface other than mechanical switches and knobs."
Wozniak said, "Because of his keen mind and his understanding of people, Bill is able to look at technology from the perspective of the viewer and design something that is usable."
Badge No. 4
For now, history will remember Fernandez as "Badge No. 4" at Apple. Kottke, however, never remembers Fernandez flaunting, or even mentioning, his badge number — even though low badge numbers were very prestigious at Apple.
No photos exist of Fernandez with the famous badge, and he gave it to human resources when he left the campus for the last time as an employee in 1993.
"I was a good boy and when I left, I gave them my badge back," said Fernandez. "Some people have ended up with their badges still in their possession. I don't know how they did that. And I wish now I'd kept mine. [But] when you leave a company you're supposed to turn in your badge."
Perhaps no Apple employee has had a greater odyssey with the company than Bill Fernandez, with timeless contributions and disquieting exits. He never made millions from stock options. He never became famous as an early Apple pioneer. But he has a legacy of work that influenced some of the most important forces of change in our time, and he walked away with a wisdom that he continues to use to play his part in technology's contribution to humanity.Dead 'Snake Salvation' Pastor Jamie Coots Had No Life Insurance; Bereaved Family Accepting Donations as Fans Mourn Loss
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The family of popular serpent-handling "Snake Salvation" star pastor Jamie Coots, who died Saturday after he was bitten by a snake during one of his snake-handling church services, says he had no insurance coverage for his dangerous lifestyle and are now accepting donations.
A Facebook fan page set up "In Memory of Bro. Jamie Coots and support for his family" made the revelation in a post Sunday that noted:
Brother Jamie did not have any insurance. Donations for his burial and his family can be mailed to: Linda Coots P.O. Box 2362 Middlesboro, KY., 40965 or Creech Funeral Home Linda Coots 112 S 21st St. Middlesboro, KY 40965. Phone number: 606-248-4700.
If you cannot make a donation, please keep Bro. Jamie's family, friends and church in your prayers. Please do not send cash. We are looking into a gofundme account also. Please share this with your family and friends.
In a statement released on Instagram Sunday with a haunting portrait of the now dceased serpent-handling pastor, the National Geographic Channel expressed their condolence at Coots' passing and highlighted his faith in what he did.
"National Geographic joins his family, friends and community in mourning the loss of Pastor Jamie Coots. In following Pastor Coots for our series 'Snake Salvation' we were constantly struck by his devout religious convictions, despite the health and legal peril he often faced," said the statement.
"Those risks were always worth it to him and his congregants as a means to demonstrate their unwavering faith. We were honored to be allowed such unique access to Pastor Jamie and his congregation during the course of our show, and give context to his method of worship. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. #RIP," it ended.
As of Monday morning the support page for pastor Coots had just over 1,500 likes. While many critics mocked the third-generation snake-handling preacher's brand of Christianity as bizarre and a cautionary tale, his fans saw his faith in what he did as an inspiration.
"… The Lord brought my mind back to the episode of their show on TV when his son was bitten. The Lord put right in front of me, of Bro Jamie, kneeling down and praying for his son. I remembered hearing the prayers of Bro Jamie going up to reach heaven. But just for a few moments, the sound that came from Bro Jamie edified my soul," wrote Fetter Wilder on Facebook.
"I know that Jamie would want his people to take courage and keep moving forward. Don't let what happened slow you down, but let it give you a more determined heart to make Heaven your home one wonderful day," he added.
According to information on the Facebook page, the funeral for Coots, a former bus driver, will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Creech Funeral Home at 8 p.m.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; his father, Gregory; two children, Trina and Cody; and his granddaughter, Sydney.A new free-to-play game based on the Ultima role-playing series puts players in control of a medieval city.
The browser-based Lord of Ultima, a massively multiplayer strategy game, was launched Tuesday by Electronic Arts.
For lack of a better term, I've come to call games like Lord of Ultima "Travian-likes," due to their similarities to the German browser game. Newcomers to the genre be warned: These games are all about forming alliances with other players and leveraging the power of numbers to your advantage. Play a game like Lord of Ultima as a loner and you're doomed to the role of punching bag.
The Ultima games were created in the '80s by role-playing legend Richard Garriott. After launching the pioneering MMO Ultima Online, Garriott parted ways with Origin Systems, the company he founded, leaving the Ultima line in Electronic Arts' hands. EA has kept the Ultima Online flame alive since 1997, recently updating it with new content called Stygian Abyss.
Image courtesy Electronic Arts
See Also:In the fourth match of ICC Twenty20 world cup 2016, Ireland vs Oman will come face to face in the T20 match. This match of both teams of Oman vs Ireland will be played at Dharamsala, India on 09 March 2016. The players of both teams of OMA vs IRE are experienced and they play long and high hits to make good scores. Both the teams will be looking for the two precious points and they will perform well in the T20 match between Oman v Ireland. The match will be interesting and the players will show their performance during the match. The winner of this match between Ireland v Oman will get the precious points and it will lead on the points table. The match between IRE vs OMA will have great importance and people will like to watch the good performance of the players of both the teams.No matter how high the odds are stacked against them, the Nuggets must stay in the bidding for star Minnesota forward Kevin Love until the bitter end, for one very basic reason.
Without one of the top 15 players in the league, an NBA team has zero realistic chance of winning a championship.
At age 25, Love is definitely among the top 15 players in the NBA, and could craft a career worthy of the Hall of Fame during the next decade.
Nobody on the current Nuggets roster is now — or ever will be — among the top 15 players in the NBA.
Is there any chance Denver could offer Minnesota more in trade than Golden State, Chicago and Boston, teams widely believed to be in hot pursuit of Love?
Go ahead, peruse the rosters of the Warriors, Bulls and Celtics. Who’s the most talented player any of those teams would be willing to surrender in trade? Then, I defy you to tell me any of those expendable players – jump-shooter Klay Thompson? Old-and-overpaid Carlos Boozer? Work-in-progress Kelly Olynyk? – has more upside and is more reasonably priced than Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried.
Yes, if the Nuggets acquired Love, he could conceivably bolt after one season as a free agent. Or the Nuggets could prove to Love that they are serious about building a title-contending team around him.
Would it be a gamble? Without a doubt.
But what’s the worse that could happen? Love dumps Denver in 2015 and the Nuggets fail to win the NBA championship for the foreseeable future, which would be no worse than what’s happened every year since the franchise joined the league 38 years ago.
As draft night approaches June 26, the Timberwolves will have to think long and hard about trading Love, who is discouraged by Minnesota’s inability to reach the playoffs during his six seasons in the league.
Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawson and Faried were all savvy pick-ups by Denver, but the ceiling for each of the Nuggets’ best current players is the All-Star Game, not superstar status.
The Nuggets refused comment Wednesday regarding specific interest in Love, but team management has repeatedly stressed it is willing to trade its first-round draft choice, a No. 11 pick, and do whatever is necessary to add an impact player this off-season.
“If we are involved in trade discussions,” general manager Tim Connelly recently told me with a laugh, “I want you guys in the media to be the last to know.”
OK, I get it. The only person Connelly needs to talk trade with is Minnesota coach, part-owner and hoops guru Flip Saunders.
Saunders liked Connelly so much when they worked together in Washington that he wanted to hire Connelly with the Timberwolves before Denver offered its job as general manager a year ago. Basketball is like any other business. Solid relationships help deals get done.
It has been reported the Celtics have dangled their picks at No. 6 and No. 17 in the 2014 draft, a future first-rounder and young veterans Jared Sullinger and Olynyk to Minnesota. Sorry, but that’s a bunch of junk, primarily because as Boston executive Danny Ainge well knows after working out draft prospects, there’s no guarantee a team that picks sixth will land a better player than the rookie selected 11th.
For starters, the Nuggets could trump Boston by offering Faried, among 28 players picked to the USA men’s national team pool for 2014-16. Sweeten the deal with the No. 11 pick in the first round. The trade could meet league requirements for approval by adding Wilson Chandler and J.J. Hickson to the mix. Saunders and Connelly have the solid relationship to revamp the deal as needed.
Is it a pipe dream to think the Nuggets could not only make the playoffs but do damage in the playoffs with a Big Three of Love, Gallinari and Lawson? Let the rest of the rotation be filled out by Timofey Mozgov, JaVale McGee, Randy Foye, Evan Fournier and Nate Robinson.
That would be a Denver roster even a free-agent star might think had a chance to be a contender.
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszlaYs VIII for PS4 details hidden elements, benefits for Japanese PS Vita version buyers
Additional dungeons, special accessories, and smaller parties.
Falcom has released new information and screenshots of the PlayStation 4 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, detailing the “hidden elements” available to players in their second playthrough, as well as bonuses available in the PlayStation 4 version for users who purchased the PS Vita version.
Get the details below.
■ “Hidden Elements” in the PlayStation 4 Version The PlayStation 4 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has hidden elements that don’t exist in the PS Vita version, including: Additional dungeons for the Adol side
Attack attribute modification accessories
A feature to change the number of people in the party Additional Adol Dungeons After you clear the main story of Ys VIII and start your second playthrough, new dungeons will be unlocked on the Isle of Seiren for Adol and his party to take on. Various formidable foes await in the areas closed out by the darkness. What awaits Adol and his party beyond that…? “Attack Attribute” Modification Accessories By clearing “certain conditions” on your second playthrough, you can obtain special accessories that can change the “Slash,” “Strike,” and “Shoot” attack attributes. By using these accessories, you can organize a battle party with your favorite characters while maintaining the balance of battle. Change the Number of People in the Party Also, by obtaining attack attribute modification accessories, you can set what is normally a three-person party to one-person or even two-person party. Travel alone as Adol, or adventure with your favorite combination of two characters. Customize your party to your own play style. —Standard Party —One-Person Party —One-Person Party in Battle ■ Special DLC for Users who Purchased the PS Vita Version Users who purchased the PS Vita version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana in Japan will receive special downloadable content for use in the PlayStation 4 version. The downloadable content set will include items and accessories that will provide players an advantage in the early to middle parts of the game. And not only that, PS Vita version consumers will also be able to access the “attack attribute modification accessories” and “change the number of people in the party” features, normally accessible in the second playthrough, from the beginning of the game.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is due out for PlayStation 4 in Japan on May 25, and for PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC in North America and Europe this fall. The PS Vita version is already available in Japan.
View the screenshots at the gallery.Putting the “dis” in dystopian, Shailene Woodley is bearish on reprising her role as Tris for the Divergent film franchise’s fourth and final entry, Ascendant, which in the wake of waning box office numbers is being produced as a TV-movie, and to set up a possible spinoff TV series.
Woodley was caught off guard by and had to read July’s original reports of the downgrade in the press. Now having had time to process the news, she told Screen Rant (during her rounds of Snowden press), “I didn’t sign up to be in a television show. Out of respect to the studio and everyone in involved, they may have changed their mind and may be doing something different, but I’m not necessarily interested in doing a television show.”
Woodley previously headlined ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager for five seasons, and is set to star opposite Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon in HBO’s upcoming Big Little Lies adaptation.
The Golden Globe nominee and seven-time Teen Choice Award winner echoed the skepticism of Divergent costar Miles Teller, who last month told The Hollywood Reporter, “We all signed on for [Ascendant] in hopes that it’d be released in theaters,’ whereas reconfiguring it as a lower-budgeted TV project presents “a different set of circumstances.”It's long been rumored that David Bowie wanted a part in Lord of the Rings; director Peter Jackson reportedly turned him down for the part of Elrond, the elf king, because he was too famous in his own right. It seems the rumors were true: In a new interview with Huffington Post, cast member Dominic Monaghan, who played the hobbit Merry, says he spotted Bowie in the casting agency's office after his audition.
"I was at the Hubbard's, which is a pretty notorious casting agency office in London, doing an audition for Lord of the Rings," Monaghan told Huffington Post. After his audition, he says he was asked to wait at reception for feedback. "As I was reading a magazine waiting, David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in. And I'm assuming he read for Gandalf. I can't think of anything else he would've read for. He may have read for something else, but I'm a huge David Bowie fan, and I was lucky enough to know his son now so just seeing him in person was pretty special to me."
It was recently reported that a sequel to Bowie's 1986 film Labyrinth is in the works.
Read our "Afterword" feature on Bowie and "Anthems for the Moon: David Bowie's Sci-Fi Explorations."USA Ultimate Relocates National Headquarters to Colorado Springs
USA ULTIMATE RELOCATES NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS TO COLORADO SPRINGS
USOC-Recognized Sport Organization Joins 22 Other NGBs in the Amateur Sports Capital of the U.S.
Contact: Andy Lee – 303-447-3472 x.113 – andy@hq.usaultimate.org
Boulder, Colo. (December 12, 2014)—USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), announced today the relocation of its national headquarters to Colorado Springs, Colo.
Often referred to as the "Amateur Sports Capital" of the United States, Colorado Springs is home to the USOC, plus 23 national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport and 58 national or international sports organizations.
"We are very pleased that USA Ultimate will be making their home in Colorado Springs," proclaimed Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach. "America’s ‘Olympic City’ has a deep connection to the world’s finest athletes, and this energetic sport will find many new fans here in the Pikes Peak region. We heartily welcome another member of the U.S. Olympic Committee."
Thanks to the generous support of the El Pomar Foundation, combined with the collective efforts of the City of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance, the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and the USOC, USA Ultimate has secured 7,500 square feet of new office space on the city’s northwest side, sharing the USA Triathlon building. USA Ultimate’s new national headquarters is located near a cluster of other NGBs, including USA Basketball, USA Volleyball, USA Wrestling and USA Cycling.
William J. Hybl, CEO and Chairman of the El Pomar Foundation and President Emeritus of the U.S. Olympic Committee stated, "Thanks to the good work of organizations like the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and others committed to building on our city’s passion for sport, the Trustees are pleased to welcome USA Ultimate to Colorado Springs."
"One of the key factors for USA Ultimate deciding to relocate to Colorado Springs was the excitement around the City for Champions (C4C) project," added Tom Osborne, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. Having USA Ultimate relocate to Colorado Springs is a perfect example of the byproduct of C4C."
The need for a new and larger national office became apparent following the significant growth both the sport of ultimate and the national governing body have experienced in recent years. Following a two-year, highly competitive search and bid process, and after USA Ultimate became a member of the USOC earlier this year, the decision was made to strategically relocate USA Ultimate’s headquarters just 100 miles south of its current location in Boulder.
Colorado Springs was one of several communities considered throughout the process, and following careful evaluation of the various options and opportunities presented to USA Ultimate, the support of community organizations and leaders, as well as the prospect of strengthening USA Ultimate’s alignment within the Olympic movement, the choice was an easy one.
"This announcement continues to further validate and strengthen Colorado Springs’ position as the top sports economy in the nation," said Tom Neppl, Chairman of the Board, Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. "The Business Alliance is delighted to have assisted USA Ultimate through this process and are excited to welcome them back home to Colorado Springs."
"The sport of ultimate has really taken off, and we can’t wait to see it grow in our vibrant, active community," stated Rick Adams, USOC Chief of Paralympic Sport and NGB Organizational Development. "Soon, USA Ultimate will be sparking new passions and increasing knowledge of the game in Colorado Springs, and we’re thrilled to see that unfold. We look forward to working together to achieve the brightest possible future for the sport of ultimate and are excited to welcome USA Ultimate to our hometown."
Founded in 1979, USA Ultimate is the largest flying disc organization in the world with more than 50,000 members. And as the national governing body for the last 35 years, USA Ultimate has consistently guided the sport through steady growth, specifically within the last few years when milestones included a Sports and Fitness Industry Association study that cited ultimate as one of the fastest-growing sports in America with more than five million active players; USA Ultimate becoming a member of the USOC and striking a four-year broadcast deal with ESPN to air its major events; and the number of colleges and universities fielding teams competing in USA Ultimate’s championship series surpassing 750.
"USA Ultimate is the leading organization driving the explosive growth of ultimate in the United States," explained USA Ultimate Board of Directors President Mike Payne. "As the longest-tenured, best-resourced and most influential body in the sport, we owe it to our members and partners to ensure that USA Ultimate’s staff, consultants and volunteers are the best in the sports business. Colorado Springs is chock-full of this expertise, and we’re excited to see what happens to our sport as we take greater advantage of that expertise. As an added bonus, our new proximity to the USOC and other Olympic NGBs and sport organizations promises better media visibility and sponsorship opportunities for ultimate."
Colorado Springs previously served as the home of USA Ultimate from 1992-2002 before the organization’s headquarters were relocated to Boulder.
"We’re very excited about our upcoming move to the "Olympic City" and "Amateur Sports Capital" of the United States," commented USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tom Crawford. "This move allows us to leverage our location for all kinds of support and education for our staff, including many seminars on best practices that occur constantly amongst our friends and colleagues in the Olympic movement and sporting community, not to mention all of the USOC expertise. One great example of this is the recent invitation we received to demonstrate and teach ultimate to dozens of senior high-performance executives at the USOC at their annual high-performance retreat. That will be fun! This is a very strategic and exciting development for our organization and the sport of ultimate, and I’m extremely proud and honored that our entire dedicated, loyal and experienced staff will be making the transition to Colorado Springs."
USA Ultimate will officially move into its new headquarters on January 9, 2015.
Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.
About USA Ultimateclick to enlarge Photo by Danny Wicentowski
Every first Thursday of the month you can head over toand catch a one-of-a-kind St. Louis comedy show. "Run the Joes," which pays homage in its name to the hip-hop group Run the Jewels, was created by local comedian Joe Murray.The show, which blends both stand-up and improv, kicked off with its first event last month. Murray says, "I wanted to make a show — this isn't just a showcase where people get up and do fifteen to twenty minutes and then the show's just over."Instead, Murray has audience members write some ideas onto pieces of paper; they will draw ideas from a hat to give the show its material. Two comedians will be on stage at once, working off each other throughout the show.Murray has been doing comedy in and around St. Louis for the past ten years in both improv and stand-up. A native of Troy, Missouri, he moved to St. Louis after college.Murray hosts every show, featuring himself and five other local comedians. That's included Greg Warren and other winners of past St. Louis comedy competitions."I'm just trying to let people know that it's something a little |
to the center’s artistic charm. The 5,000 square foot space also houses a meeting room and administrative office.
Related: Re-Imagining A City: Temporary exhibits take over San Francisco streets
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the project is the collaboration between over 50 firms providing their services and materials at cost or in-kind. Through an outreach program spearheaded by BCCI, design firms, architects, and subcontractors (many of which are competitors) banded together to lower costs and building time for a cause they supported.
The 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center celebrated its Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 19, 2016. Learn more about 826 Valencia and its initiatives here.
+ 826 Valencia
+ BCCI Construction Company
Photos via Matthew Millman PhotographyBY: Follow @mchalfant16
Bernie Sanders has more than twice the support maintained by Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination among primary voters in New Hampshire.
Currently, 63 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the state back the independent senator from Vermont, while 30 percent support Clinton, according to a University of Massachusetts Lowell/7 News poll released Wednesday.
New Hampshire Democrats are also largely firm in their decision to back a particular candidate; 74 percent say that they will definitely vote for the candidate they have chosen, while the remaining quarter believe they could change their minds.
The poll, conducted through the day following the Democratic caucus in Iowa, also indicates that Sanders has more support than Clinton across all specified demographics, including women, those who make more than $100,000 annually, and those age 65 years and older.
Surveys since August have shown Sanders leading Clinton in New Hampshire with increasing support. Following Clinton’s narrow win over Sanders in Iowa, her campaign manager tried to manage expectations for her performance in the New Hampshire primary next week in a memo to fundraisers.
"New Hampshire is Bernie Sanders’ backyard. Vermont shares a media market with New Hampshire, and the voters of New Hampshire have a history of supporting candidates from New England," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook wrote in the memo, which was obtained by Politico. "So it’s not surprising that Sanders maintains a double-digit lead in the polls there."
Mook went on to emphasize the importance of later-voting states and insist that Sanders’ inability to best Clinton in Iowa proved that he cannot win the general election.
Clinton declared victory over Sanders in Iowa early Tuesday morning while news outlets still deemed the race too close to call. The Associated Press declared Clinton the winner Tuesday afternoon, just 0.2 percentage points separating the former secretary of state and her competitor. Sanders has refused to concede the race, labeling it a "virtual tie" late Monday.
Sanders raised approximately $3 million in the 24 hours following the Iowa caucus. He called his significant support there the beginning of a "political revolution."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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I’m going to posit something radical: The most vocal support for Hillary Clinton comes from women in the commentariat, very much like myself, who have had to fight sexism to succeed in public-facing, white-collar professions and relate to Hillary’s struggle to do the same. Many of these women have also engaged in other struggles that are the opposite of Hillary’s—women like Sady Doyle, Amanda Marcotte, and my own colleague Katha Pollitt are foes of Wall Street and imperial misadventure, while Hillary has often been a friend to the wealthy, and a hawk. A quote from Lena Dunham, stumping for Hillary in Iowa, captures the sentiment well: “As a newly grown-up woman who has experienced my fair share of backlash, public shaming and of puritanical judgements, that [Hillary’s resistance to sexist attacks] really moves me.” And it’s not just true for someone thrust into fame as quickly as Dunham. Every well-known feminist is subjected to the same language on Twitter that is directed toward Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail: bitch, harpy, dumb, ugly, and so on. As Doyle writes, “Her story moves me…simply as an example of a woman who got every misogynist trick in the world thrown at her, and who didn’t let it slow her down. On that level, she’s actually become a bit of a personal role model.” To quote another Clinton, we feel her pain. Ad Policy We feel her pain.
There is a part of our own pain that we hope Hillary Clinton will fix. Marcotte, no stranger to misogynist trolls of all stripes, writes that “yes, having a woman president does matter, if only to spend election night watching the spreading urine stains on the pants of the men who spent months lecturing feminists.” Erica Brazelton wrote in these pages in June 2013 that “seeing said bodies in spaces not originally reserved for them matters.” Or to quote Sady Doyle, “When people yell at me, or dislike me, I no longer think oh, how horrible this is for me. I now think, well, if Hillary can do it. Seriously. If Hillary Clinton can be called an evil hag by major media outlets for most of her adult life and run for president, I can deal with blocking ten or twenty guys on Twitter.” Some of those guys are Sanders supporters; much digital ink has been spilled over the presence of “Bernie bros,” or dudes whose support for their candidate is expressed by being assholes to Hillary supporters. In other words, Hillary Clinton’s professional success represents one step closer to a meritocracy, where every little girl (and boy) knows that a woman can be president, and that this might trickle down to all of our workplaces, allowing each professional young woman to be taken a bit more seriously. To quote Kanye West’s timeless words, her presence itself is a gift—what she does is of secondary importance. It's not very easy to measure the power of example. But let’s try.
This is a really interesting argument, because it is not, of course, very easy to measure the power of example. But let’s try. Some countries have tried to create policy around female representation. For example, lawmakers in Norway noticed that women were vastly underrepresented on corporate boards. So, in 2003, they passed a requirement that 40 percent of every LLC board be female. Eleven years later, a study has found that “no evidence of significant differential improvements for women in the post-reform cohort, either in terms of average earnings or likelihood of filling in a top position in a Norwegian business.” Women still, by and large, take time off to raise children and suffer from sexism in promotions. There has, however, been another Nordic model that’s worked quite well. In 1995, Sweden put in place a policy that not only offered generous parental leave, but motivated both men and women to take it by offering some months of parental leave that would be lost if men didn’t take advantage of them. This counteracted the effects of entrenched sexism (women would stay home and fall behind, while men did not). Today, things aren’t perfect, but women take 75 percent of parental leave, as opposed to 99.5 percent in 1974, and Sweden has ranked in the top four countries for gender equality since the World Economic Forum introduced their gender gap rankings in 2006. In other words, bright examples are a pretty inefficient way to create change, while interventions in the workplace and the distribution of wealth works pretty well.
To take another example, Sheryl Sandberg, the author of Lean In, has become an model for white-collar women everywhere; I have been critical of her book, but in reading it found plenty of advice that applies to my white-collar workplace and that I could plausibly take as advice. Her example and encouragement are no doubt a great boon for women committed to working in competitive Silicon Valley startups. At the same time, Sandberg’s example only goes so far—it doesn’t do much good to tell a housekeeper to “lean in”—she’d just be doing more work for her boss, with no gain for her, buying into a system emotionally that exploits her physically. And in fact, when Sheryl Sandberg visited Harvard, in part to celebrate women in business, she was petitioned by housekeepers at a Harvard-owned hotel who hoped that she would “lean in” with them as part of their campaign for a union and better working conditions. She declined. They ultimately gained a union anyway and have seen work abuses drop and income increase. Visit Cuba with The Nation! Learn More
All of this is to say something pretty self-evident if you think about it—example and representation is probably pretty important within a class—it’s hard to prove, but our gut tells us that role models matter. The mere existence of female leaders can inspire confidence in others who have opportunities and just need that extra strength to seize them. What representation is pretty bad at doing is affecting who gets those opportunities—if you’re poor, no positive example is gonna just boost you out of it. That’s an old right-wing myth—if you can look up at your superiors, you can tug your bootstraps in their direction.
Others have catalogued Hillary Clinton’s opposition to policies that would redistribute wealth and power toward women a la the Nordic model, so I’ll keep that brief here. Suffice to say that she has spoken about women caring for their children on welfare with venom and has made herself an enemy of the poor. She is surely not the most egregious opponent of women’s well-being—she is, after all, pro-choice—but her allies, practically speaking, are big donors like Goldman Sachs and Walmart, which lobby hard against redistribution and good treatment of women in the workplace. Voting for Hillary is, unfortunately, a strike against poor people.
So, to support Hillary Clinton is to support a genuinely good example for white-collar women’s behavior when trying to beat sexism at work at the expense of policies that might help the majority of women. Or is that a false dichotomy?
Some believe that the presence of Bernie Sanders in the race has offered an alternative—his policies redistribute more, and he is a self-professed feminist, but…he is a man. No inspiring grit-in-the-face-of-sexism to be had in this old white dude. He is, however, a socialist and, if you haven’t figured it out already, I think socialism is women’s best hope because it accounts for the policies that will get them the stuff they need. His policies are better for more women because they’re more redistributive. The nurses of the 90 percent female union have found themselves more inspired by Sanders.
“When we heard Bernie Sanders talking about everything we’ve been talking about it was a no brainer,” says Karen Higgins one of three co-presidents of the National Nurses Union and a nurse for the last 40 years. She’s spent the last 37 working in intensive care and at 62 still works full-time at Boston Medical Center. When I spoke with her, she was home preparing to go campaign for Sanders in New Hampshire. The NNU has endorsed him, citing his longtime alignment on their trademark issues: single-payer healthcare, taxing Wall Street, less college debt for their kids, and opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes concessions to pharmaceutical companies. Contrary to much commentary on the left, the nurses don’t regard a commitment to single payer as foolishly ideological: Higgins describes receiving intensive care patients whose first question is what the treatment will cost and how they can pay. She differentiates between an insurance system (Obamacare) and universal healthcare, which would eliminate the need for individuals to wrangle with private companies. It’s been a long time since a serious candidate carried a commitment to this system as a banner issue. The nurses of the 90 percent female union, as a result, have found themselves more inspired by Sanders.
When I ask Higgins about gender, she does seem a tad regretful. “There’s a piece of me as a woman that would definitely have loved to see a woman in that position so there’s a little bit of a heartbreak that she did not come out as strong” on the nurses’ issues. “It would be nice if she had taken a stance.” What does she think of the Twitter phenomenon of Bernie Bros? “I don’t think think I’ve seen that one. I’m not good about Twitter.” It's possible to fight sexism at work and abuse the help. One could argue Hillary has done this on a national scale.
The argument that a Clinton presidency would increase respect for women, while a Sanders presidency would do nothing to create greater gender equity is belied by the experience of nurses and the people they serve. Hillary might face sexism at work, and so might white-collar women, but so do the nurses—they do care work largely assigned to women that has enjoyed little support from the government in terms of funding, wages, and reasonable structures of care. The problems that afflict the majority of women can only be resolved in the realm of organizing, policy-making, and other large-scale efforts. The proper question for a presidential election is who will forward these big programs. It is absolutely possible to fight sexism at work, come home, and abuse the help. One could argue that Hillary has done this on a national scale. “I hate to say this to women,” says Higgins, “but that has to be the real priority, whether it’s a man or a woman—what it’ll take to get people back on their feet in this country and take care of them.”Apple CEO Tim Cook gestures as he speaks at Tsinghua University in Beijing October 23, 2014. China Daily/Reuters Apple has disabled its News app on iPhones in China, according to a report in the New York Times citing a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
The Apple News app, which serves up stories and media from various news organizations, is currently only available to users in the US and is being tested in Britain and Australia. Users who have the app on their iPhones can continue to use it in other countries when they travel — except in China, according to the New York Times.
When a user opens the Apple News app in China, the top of the app which would normally display the latest news, simply shows a message reading "Can't refresh right now. News isn't supported in your current region," the report says.
The situation puts Apple, which has branded itself as a progressive corporation that champions human rights and innovation, in a tricky position as it looks for growth in the world's largest internet market, but one in which strict censorship rules exist.
China has strict self-censorship rules that Internet companies must abide by, in addition to the country's so-called "great firewall" which blocks or slows many foreign web services (Facebook and Google's YouTube are currently blocked in China). In 2010 Google pulled its search engine operations out of mainland China after a dispute with Beijing over censorship.
China now ranks as Apple's second largest market, contributing $13 billion to Apple's topline sales in the third quarter, according to the New York Times.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was among many tech leaders, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft's Satya Nadella, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to the US last month. Among the various meetings with the tech leaders was an event hosted by Microsoft, that included China's internet czar Lu Wei, who oversees Chinese restrictions on foreign tech companies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (front-row-center), poses for a photo with a group of CEOs and other executives at Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, Washington September 23, 2015. Reuters Rather than dealing with the thorny issues of figuring out which articles to censor to appease Chinese authorities, Apple may have figrured it's easier to simply disable the news app entirely in the country.
But the move is raising a backlash among some users, who note that Apple is not just blocking access to Internet access but preventing users from viewing articles that they had already downloaded to their devices in the US.
Larry Salibra, who the New York Times identified as a tech entrepreneur, posted a sharp criticism on Reddit:
They're censoring news content that I downloaded and stored on my device purchased in the USA, before I even enter China just because my phone happens to connect to a Chinese signal floating over the border. On device censorship is much different than having your server blocked by the Great Firewall or not enabling a feature for customers with certain country iTunes account. That Apple has little choice doesn't make it any less creepy or outrageous.
We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update if we hear back.Brain.exe
Die Rundumlösung
Informationen zu Brain.exe
Virenschutz
Spamfilter
Firewall
kostenlose tägliche Updates
Brain.exe erfreut sich größter Beliebtheit. Egal, ob blutiger PC-Anfänger, ob Otto-Normal-Benutzer oder PC-Poweruser, bei jedem Benutzer sollte Brain.exe verfügbar sein.
Brain.exe schützt vor Viren wie kein anderes Programm: Für den integrierten Filter gibt es tägliche kostenlose Updates. Auch noch unbekannte Variationen kann Brain.exe filtern. Das Programm trennt Spam von richtigen Mails und erreicht dabei eine Trefferquote von 99,99%. Dieser Wert kann selbstverständlich nur erreicht werden, wenn man täglich die Software auf den neusten Stand bringt. Auch eine Firewall ist Brain.exe. Es verhindert, dass schädliche Programme installiert werden und Dinge ausspionieren, die lieber privat bleiben sollten.
Die Konfiguration ist dabei denkbar einfach: Brain.exe überprüft, welche Programme auf der Festplatte vorhanden sind und analysiert mit Hilfe einer globalen Datenbank, welche Programme Internetzugriff erhalten dürfen bzw. welche Programme von extern auf den eigenen PC zugreifen dürfen.
Einfach das Programm starten und schon ist der PC geschützt. Einfacher kann kein Programm sein.
Systemvoraussetzungen
jedes Betriebssystem
jede Betriebsversion
multilingual
Trotz des großen Umfangs des Programms sind die Systemvorrausetzungen so niedrig wie möglich gehalten. Brain.exe sollte auf allen Betriebssystemen jeglicher Version unter allen Systemkonfigurationen laufen. Brain.exe ist international und kann weltweit kostenlos eingesetzt werden. Selbst im kleinsten Land ist Brain.exe vorhanden und wird auch viel genutzt. Dabei erkennt Brain.exe die jeweilige Landessprache und stellt sich auf diese ein. Es klingt verrückt, aber es stimmt!
Brain.exe kann egal unter welchen Umständen benutzt werden. Über 7 Milliarden Downloads können nicht lügen.
Usermeinungen
Markus R. (28) aus Düsseldorf:
Ich bin Fachinformatiker und für mich soll es immer das Beste sein. Denn es geht um meine Sicherheit und die meiner Kunden. Bis vor kurzem habe ich meinen Kunden immer das Antivirenpaket von Kaspersky empfohlen.
Aber dann lernte ich brain.exe kennen und will es nicht mehr missen. So einfach, so klein und doch so leistungsvoll. Es gibt nichts besseres.
Sebastian W. (22) aus Flensburg:
Ich benutze meinen PC nur zum Schreiben von Briefen und zum gelegentlichen Surfen. Bisher hatte ich ein Programm gegen Viren, eines als Firewall, eines als Spamfilter. All diese Programme richtig einzustellen ist nicht gerade einfach und auch sehr zeitaufwändig.
Dann lernte ich brain.exe kennen. Die Installation ging wie von selber und ich brauchte mich um nichts mehr zu kümmern. Es lief einfach und der PC war perfekt geschützt. Seitdem kann ich unbesorgt surfen. Danke brain.exe!
Isabell G. (24) aus Kaisershagen:
In der heutigen Zeit gibt es genug Viren, Spam und Angriffe aus dem Netz. Ich war immer sehr angetan von der Software der Testsieger ala Kapersky, ZoneAlarm und Spamihilator.
Doch dann lernte ich brain.exe kennen. Das Programm wurde auf Seiten wie chip.de, zdnet.de und heise.de als Insiderprogramm vorgestellt. Und ein solch leistungsfähiges Programm habe ich schon lange nicht gesehen. So einfach in der Konfiguration und doch so stark. Auch, wenn es -nach meiner Kenntnis- noch nirgends explizit getestet wurde, so kann ich aus Erfahrung sagen, dass man brain.exe auf jeden Fall eine Chance geben sollte: Man wird es nicht bereuen.
Nägelus Business PC Solutions aus Fulda:
Ein Unternehmen kann sich keine Patzer leisten. Zu viele Kunden und Referenzen stehen auf dem Spiel. In unserem internen Netzwerk haben wir brain.exe getestet und waren überrascht. Ein solch gutes Programm hatten selbst wir nicht erwartet.
Seitdem empfehlen wir allen unseren Kunden das Softwarepaket von brain.exe.
Download
Z.Z. liegt Brain.exe in der Version 1.0 vor, ein Software-Update ist leider nicht in Sicht. Das Programm ist schon in der ersten Final-Version so perfekt, dass es keine Updates benötigt. Lediglich die Definitionslisten werden täglich mit neuen Daten gefüllt. Diese sind kostenlos abzurufen, so einfach wie das Besuchen einer Newsseite.
Hier der Exklusivdownload --> Download
Bugs“Don’t believe what they’re going to tell you”
As Caterpillar-UAW contract vote nears, Deere workers warn of union betrayal
By Marcus Day and George Gallanis
22 March 2017
Just four days remain before several thousand workers will vote Sunday, March 26, on a contract between the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Caterpillar, the earthmoving equipment giant. And yet, workers remain completely in the dark about content of the deal the UAW wants them to vote for.
Caterpillar and the UAW have been in negotiations since January 4, and ostensibly reached a deal on the six-year proposal on Wednesday, March 15. Throughout the entire process, the UAW has refused to release any details to its members and has coordinated a “media blackout” with the company. Facing angry demands by workers last week for information, the union has sought to buy time by stating that it will release a “highlights” flyer tomorrow, three days before the vote.
The inescapable conclusion is that the UAW is seeking to force through yet another sellout. Their main concern is if workers were given the full contract and the time to study it, they would reject it decisively.
Caterpillar workers should take as a warning the experience of workers at Deere & Co., the agricultural equipment maker, in 2015. As Brian, a second-tier worker at Deere, told the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter in an interview, “Deere workers are really upset over our last contract vote. They should have been briefing workers every week at least on the details of the contract negotiations, but they didn’t. It goes to show how corrupt our union is. Why would they even think to do such a thing? To keep workers in the dark. They did it to us and they’re doing it to the CAT workers.”
Warning CAT workers, Brian stressed, “Beware. Don’t believe what they’re going to tell you. Vote no. You never vote for the first deal anyway. They’ve got a scare tactic right now. It’s all doom and gloom before the contract. They do it on purpose to intimidate workers into voting yes.”
Penny, another Deere worker in Iowa, added, “To the Caterpillar workers, look everything over and over. Then ask your local leadership why did they bring back this contract, and make them answer and not justify it with a roundabout answer.”
John Deere workers in 2015 waiting to vote in East Moline, Illinois
In 2015, the UAW nearly “lost control of its membership,” as the corporate press put it, as workers were determined to call a halt to decades of lost wages and deteriorating living standards, carried out universally with the support of the unions.
First, Fiat Chrysler workers rebelled against the UAW’s attempts to steamroll them into a “yes” vote, and demanded to be given the whole contract. When the union finally relented, workers shared information and discussed it on social media, and then voted by nearly two-thirds to reject the deal, which maintained the two-tier system, contained plans to eviscerate health care and expanded the number of temporary workers.
Following that setback, the union sought to isolate 11,000 Deere workers, whose contract was also expiring that fall, from workers at the Big Three auto companies. Announcing a tentative agreement with Deere on October 1, minutes after the midnight expiration of the previous contract, the union called for a snap vote for October 4. Workers were given a “highlights” flyer at the door of the ratification meeting and forced to vote on it following a marketing pitch by the union.
The “highlights” read like a brochure from the company human resources department. While revealing little of the substance of the contract, it sought to conceal painful concessions. Under the euphemistic heading of “Health Care Protected,” for example, it was shown that copayments for doctor’s visits and prescription drugs would double or even triple over the life of the contract.
In another section on the implementation of a punitive “corrective action plan” for employee absences, the union once again demonstrated its role as an organization that disciplines workers and enforces the profit interests of the company, writing, “Unplanned absenteeism has a significant, negative impact on employee safety and morale, the quality of our products, and overall productivity.”
The contract also maintained the hated two-tier wage system, first implemented by Deere and the UAW in the 1990s, and included “wage increases” that were de facto wage cuts when taking inflation into account.
“During every contract negotiation since I’ve started they’ve talked about ending the two-tiers wages,” Brian said. “The fact of the matter is, I’m still second-wage and I always will be under the UAW.
“During the highlights meeting, a union representative told us we would be receiving ‘pre-97’ wages in the new contract. I knew he was lying and I called him out on it. The truth was, under the new contract, it would take another six years to make what workers were making pre-1997. In addition, the new contract left us with far worse health insurance!”
As the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter noted at the time in the statement Reject UAW deal to ram through sellout agreement!, “Nobody would buy a house if they were given only a couple of hours to examine it, let alone only a brochure of ‘highlights’ prepared by some real estate agent who stood to make a lot of money. It would be no less mad for workers to accept the word of Norwood Jewell and the rest of the UAW, who also have a business interest in swindling them into buying this deal.”
While the UAW falsely claimed that there were “many improvements” for members in the deal, the real pro-corporate character of their efforts was summed up by their elation over the fact that it would give “Deere & Company the necessary tools to grow its business.”
Despite the union’s best efforts to force a vote through by keeping its real character from workers, there was nonetheless widespread opposition, with the union claiming a “yes” vote by a margin of 180 votes, out of a total of over 7,500. Angry and suspicious at the outcome, Deere workers demanded a recount, but were inevitably stonewalled by the UAW.
“Keep an eye on the votes,” Brian concluded. “Our contract was suspiciously ratified with 51.5 percent of workers allegedly voting yes and 48.5 percent voting no.”
Since the UAW forced the contract through, Deere has been given a free hand to expand job cuts and other cost-cutting measures. Within months of the ratification, hundreds of workers were laid off at plants in Dubuque and Davenport, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois. Between 2014 and 2016, the company laid off approximately 2,000 workers.
Chris, another Deere worker from Iowa, told the Autoworker Newsletter, “Every worker has the right to review the agreement in its entirety and should be given a sufficient amount of time to review and discuss it. This can be easily accomplished by making the tentative agreement accessible by a PDF file. Both company and union representatives cloak the tentative agreement in secrecy to promote a ratification. This is a complete infringement to democratic process. Furthermore, it is a direct violation of section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947. Also, according to contract law, each member has the right to question the validity of the tentative agreement.”
Referring to the role of the Socialist Equality Party and the Autoworker Newsletter in the struggle over the contract in 2015, Chris added, “Honestly, you guys were the only ones giving us a voice during our contract negotiations and afterwards. A lot of us appreciate the hard work the WSWS are doing for labor. Thank you.”
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Sorry to the millions of people displaced and otherwise affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma—as it turns out, these disasters are just God punishing you for your sins. At least, that’s according to Growing Pains actor and evangelical Christian Kirk Cameron.
From the safety of a Florida airport, from which he was flying to Arkansas, Cameron went on Facebook Live on Thursday and asked people to consider the following: Perhaps this recent slew of hurricanes and tropical storms wasn’t a coincidence, or mother nature on the rag, but instead a sign from God that he’s pissed at all of us sinners.
“How should we look at to giant hurricanes coming back to back like this? Do we just write them off as coincidence, do we write it off as a statistical anomaly? Is it just mother nature in a bad mood?” Cameron said, before proceeding to read the Bible passage of Job 37.
“He causes this to happen for punishment or to water his land and demonstrate his faithful love,” Cameron read from the Good Book.
“…This is a spectacular display of God’s immense power,” Cameron continued. “[God’s power is] never without reason, there’s a purpose…We know that whether is sent to cause us to respond to God in humility, awe, and repentance.”
Cameron then reminded parents to tell their kids that God just wants his people to cower in fear and servitude if they ask why all these natural disasters are happening.
Or, you know, parents could mention climate change instead.
H/T the Daily BeastNot all insects are pests, some are friends of the crops and, therefore, of farmers!
As part of a natural farming initiative, agricultural scientists from Khalsa College are breeding ‘friendly insects’ in their labs to control the growth of harmful insects and protect the crop.
Image for representation only. Source: by Darius Baužys, via Flickr
According to a report by The Times of India, in a research project taken up to discourage farmers from using poisonous insecticides and pesticides and to promote organic farming, the scientists have set up a Bio-Control Lab, where they breed several beneficial insect species that either feed on pests or lay eggs in the body of enemy insects, breaking their life cycles as a result.
The college’s agriculture department has adopted 50 acres of land, where crops are to be cultivated without using insecticides and pesticides. The department is also reaching out to farmers to encourage the practice of setting these friendly insects free in the infested fields to control pests biologically, without the use of chemicals.
The insects being bred in the lab are Trichogramma Brasiliensis, Isotima Jevenesis, Coccinellide, Syrphid, Spider, Carabid, Dragon Fly, Predatory Pentatomids and Abnthrocoriddbugs, as told by Rajinder Pal Singh, in charge of the college’s Bio Control Lab.
To find a solution to this problem, the department of agriculture has taken it upon itself to create awareness about ‘friendly insects’ among farmers.
Head of the department Dr Ramandeep Kaur Bal said, “By controlling them (pests) biologically, farmers will not only save money on costly and poisonous substances but will also produce healthier crops in a natural manner.”
The report also states that many sugar mills and farmers had already approached them for regular services of their Bio Control Lab to protect their crops from harmful insects.
Also read: In a First for North India, Organic Farming Enthusiast Sets Up Aquaponic Farm in Gurugram
Featured image credit: The Times of India
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!I had the privilege of being able to interview Adam Goodes to discuss his struggles, his retirement, and his future. As an Indigenous wom*n this was a great honour. For many Indigenous people, ‘success’ is not something that we can easily envision. The roles of prominent Indigenous leaders like Adam are thus all the more important, as they serve to inspire communities and encourage all different sorts of success.
Racism is something that too many people ignore, but Adam’s public suffering renewed a conversation that has long been suppressed. Many non-Indigenous people were shocked to learn that this still occurred, yet; within the communities it was just another manifestation of deep-seated tensions and unresolved traumas.
Though there’s a temptation to editorialise my conversation with Adam—to include my voice, or my understanding—it does him better justice by publishing our discussion in its entirety. So here’s Adam Goodes, an Indigenous man, who many would rather see silenced, speaking his mind: unrestricted and unadulterated.
After struggling at the start of the year, you appeared to find some of your best playing form towards the end of this season. What do you think inspired it?
There came a point this year when I knew that it was going to be my last season. I don’t know, I think when you know it’s going to be your last, you just really want to play the best you possibly can, and it was just—not that you train harder, or smarter, or go about it differently—I just think that knowing and playing on the edge and knowing that this is going to be your last couple of weeks, that you just really want to enjoy it and you really want to go out there and do your best. Getting into that mindset really helped me get to that level.
So you were always planning to retire at the end of this season? How long have you known?
I probably knew about two months before the season finished.
Is everything that has happened to you within the game in relation to racism connected to why you decided to retire or is that just one reason?
I think it’s one of many reasons. You know obviously my stand on racism is that it’s unacceptable and that we should always stand up to it. I think going into this season, you know, I’m 35 years old, I played a couple of games in the reserves this year to get my fitness back, so I think there was a lot of factors. And obviously with all the booing and everything, that was another piece of the puzzle that made my decision quite easy.
After the booing and the repercussions of that, you didn’t make any media appearances and stopped playing for a period of time. What was that period like for you? What were you doing to make sure you were okay and how were you dealing with that experience?
I just needed to be around people who really understood how it felt to be in that position. For me, I just needed that support from those people so, it wasn’t until the day after that West Coast Eagle’s game that it really hit me, and I was really down and out and I didn’t want to go training on Monday. I just figured that, for me to get the best out of myself and do the right thing by myself, I really just needed to step away and find out what I really wanted to do and hopefully getting back to where my people’re from and getting out bush could really re-energise me and help heal those wounds. Yeah that’s what I did, I went out country and it was amazing. It was just great to be out there.
To be honest, I didn’t want to come back. But you know I did. And I felt better when I did. I just needed that support and the love of everyone at my football club and my partner, my family—that made it a little bit easier to come back. Obviously the booing didn’t stop, but I was able to be a lot stronger mentally and physically to deal with that for the last couple of months, knowing that it was going to be my last couple of months.
Following up on something you said, the importance of going back to country and being with community: when you’re away from your country and your mob, how do you still connect to that while you’re still on the field? Especially when you are going through a lot of emotional things?
Yeah you just have to be true to yourself, know where you come from, make sure that your relationships with family members back in country, back home, are really strong so that connection is always there. Whenever you are feeling down or feeling a bit shitty, you do tell someone, you do have conversations with those people, because you need to let people know how you’re feeling. And for me, I’m a big meditator, so when I meditate, I meditate about country and how I’m feeling when I’m back there and use that as the strength.
Because you did have that media block out where you did take your own |
a DACL is called an Access Control Entry (ACE). When an object in any namespace is created and the application does not explicitly provide a DACL, the system looks at the parent container to see if it has any ACEs within its DACL that are marked as inheritable. If it finds some, it applies them across into a new DACL for the newly created object. There are special rules around inheritance for containers, but we won’t get into that here. If there are no inheritable ACEs, it resorts to applying the default DACL for the namespace. This is where things get interesting from a security perspective; the system object namespace, in contrast with registry and filesystem namespaces, has no default DACL. In this situation, the system applies an empty DACL, which allows everyone full access to the object.
This is a corner-case that many developers fall foul of. Objects created in the local container (i.e. the system object container for the current session) inherit some ACEs from the session container, but the global container has no inheritable ACEs, and therefore objects within it that are created without an explicit DACL will end up with an empty DACL. We can see this in action by viewing the DACLs applied to the global and session containers, using a tool such as WinObj:
Notice that all the ACEs in the global container are marked as “Inherit None”, meaning that child objects will not inherit them as part of their DACL. As such, if you create a system object such as a mutex or an event through the usual CreateMutex or CreateEvent API calls, and fail to explicitly provide a DACL, all users on the system will have unrestricted access to that object.
Whilst digging into security issues around this common mistake, I found a number of vulnerabilities in a range of products. In general the impacts of being able to mess with these were low, usually causing the affected application to lock up or stop working in some way. In Sophos Endpoint Security, however, the impact was more interesting. Most anti-malware software consists of three major sections: a user-facing GUI for controlling and monitoring the product, a high privilege user-mode service for performing various scanning features, and one or more kernel-mode modules (commonly referred to as drivers) that provide filesystem filters, notification of new threads and processes, low-level memory access, hook detection, and other kernel-level functionality. Communicating quickly and reliably between these components is a daunting task, especially when your messages have to traverse across the user-mode / kernel-mode barrier. Enter global system objects. Mutexes, events, semaphores, and shared memory sections in the global container of the system object namespace are all directly accessible from both user-mode and kernel-mode. When combined properly, these object types allow a developer to create an inter-process communications framework that is fast, reliable, and thread-safe.
One example of this might be a feature where a filesystem filter driver needs to notify the user-mode service that new data has been written to disk, so that it can scan it. Three named objects – an event, a mutex, and a shared memory section – are created within the global namespace, so that both components can access them. The event is used to signal that a write operation is pending, the mutex is used to ensure that the shared memory section is accessed by only one thread at a time, and the shared memory section is used to hold information about the event. The whole process is rather complex, and is best described in a diagram:
As you can see, the user-mode service is responsible for checking the write operations before they are allowed. The decision is passed back to the driver, which either completes the write or rejects it, issuing an appropriate error code.
Now, imagine you let a low-privilege user interact with these objects. For one, they may be able to wait on the event object themselves and modify the shared memory section via a race condition. This can be somewhat mitigated by various integrity checks, but isn’t outside the realms of possibility. Another issue is that all of these components modify their state, and in some cases block execution, when the event and mutex objects are waited upon or signalled. Imagine that a malicious local user acquires the mutex, then signals the event. The user-mode service continues execution (step 7) and attempts to acquire the mutex (step 8), but since the malicious user has already acquired it, the service thread is now blocked. From this point on, the driver’s calls to have write operations checked go unheeded. Although the architecture is not identical, this is precisely the mechanism in which Sophos Endpoint Security failed.
As the advisory describes, CVE-2014-1213 relates to a lack of DACLs applied to system objects. As we discussed above, failure to explicitly supply a DACL when creating system objects results in the object being created with the default DACL for the namespace, which is null (i.e. empty). The impact is that a local low-privilege user can manipulate these objects as they wish. Since this can lead to disk IO requests being ignored, or at least heavily delayed, the system eventually cannot continue. In many cases it simply locks up and becomes unresponsive, as user-mode programs and subsystems (e.g. SMSS / CSRSS) cannot complete blocking disk operations. In some cases, the system will recognise the pattern of failures and forcefully terminate the system with a bugcheck (BSoD) in order to reduce the potential for permanent damage to the system state. Of course, this isn’t particularly interesting from a security perspective if you only consider a desktop environment, but imagine the impact on a terminal services system with hundreds or thousands of users.
Sophos have now patched this issue in engine 3.50, which went live on the 21st of January. Portcullis have independently verified this fix as being effective after the update is applied and the system is rebooted.After Effects SLOW MOTION TUTORIAL – How To Twixtor Smooth Slowmo
Want to learn how to do smooth slow motion like this?
You found the right place.
This video covers how to do super slow in After Effects CS6/CC. Enjoy my slow motion tutorial as I show my slow mo tips and tricks for combining Twixtor, After Effects, and Premier Pro CC. This tutorial teaches exactly what I do to get the smooth slow motion you see in videos such as my Keystone Edit.
I hope you enjoy the tutorial and if not, let me know what I can fix. If you found this video helpful, please share with your friends and leave a like to help us grow! Every little bit helps and keeps me motivated to make more videos, and tutorials. Don’t hesitate to comment if any questions or concerns arise; I will be sure to respond to all of them.
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Thanks for watching.The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.
See Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents/Statement re Wikilobby campaign for the conclusions of an administrative review concerning this matter. -- ChrisO (talk) 22:22, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
WikiLobbying campaign organized offsite by political pressure group
The lobby group Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America has apparently organized more than fifty editors via a mailing list to correct what it sees as bias against Israel. The list archives are here.
So are we going to do anything about this? Or are we going to declare the source an "attack site" and make wild accusations against everyone who brings it up? <eleland/talkedits> 14:17, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Israel is an article that gets thousands of editors' attention already, both good and bad, so I doubt 50 more would make a big dent in things even if they were rabid POV warriors, which let's not assume. They may even improve the articles. If they do not, we can take action then. If CAMERA starts getting too much non-neutral editing, we can always semi-protect it and require rigid sourcing. Neıl ☎ 14:26, 21 April 2008 (UTC) There is one "rapid POV warrior" who is almost single-handedly affecting numerous articles on the subject by a combination of wikilawyering and attrition. Unfortunately no-one seems willing to do anything about him. пﮟოьεԻ 5 7 14:46, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Noting in passing that any group with the words "truth", "fairness" or "accuracy" in its name almost always stands for the exact opposite - funny old world. Guy (Help!) 14:28, 21 April 2008 (UTC) It's highly doubtful that there are "thousands" of editors working even on a big article like Israel, let alone on the articles which were specifically targeted, such as AoIA and Causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus. Even five editors working rationally in co-ordination could achieve massive changes to such articles, let alone fifty. And that's if we charitably assume that CAMERA wouldn't use their massive funding and thousands of members to create undetectable sock puppet accounts. They (including somebody with the same name and writing style as User:Zeq) were talking about creating accounts to edit unrelated topic areas, getting them promoted to admins, and then using them as "uninvolved admins" to ban people per the Arab-Israeli arbitration ruling. This is pretty serious. <eleland/talkedits> 14:35, 21 April 2008 (UTC) (edit conflict) Hopefully this revelation will put an end to the arguments about CAMERA being a strictly NPOV source. Statements such as "One or more of you who want to take this route should stay away from any Israel realted articles for month until they interact in a positive way with 100 wikipedia editors who would be used later to vote you as an administrator." are quite worrying. I wonder if zeqzeq2 is any relation to our own User:Zeq... пﮟოьεԻ 5 7 14:40, 21 April 2008 (UTC) According to this article, he's one and the same. pedrito - talk - 21.04.2008 14:44 P.S. As somebody who works hard trying to keep these articles WP:NPOV, this really, really sucks. pedrito - talk - 21.04.2008 14:46
OK let's look at this in context, Most of what is in that document is entirely non-problematically - "stick to wikipolicies, make sure you have a policy reason for removing material you think is bias, edit in a rational manner etc". That's fine, but what's worrying is the suggestion that the end game should be that some of them because admins who don't edit those articles so that they can then dive in and lock pages as "uninvolved" (and I guess take orders off-site about what articles they should be "uninvolved" on). There is a list of articles that shouldn't be touched to start with and it's noted at the end of the list that about one article in particular - be carefully as this will get you in direct fight with all the muslims there. for now I don't touch this any more until we have maybe 20 editors who can fight and two "uninvolved" admins on our side --87.112.70.168 (talk) 14:55, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
I agree that not all the suggestions proferred are entirely evil, at least when taken at face value. That is a sign that Wikipedia's core policies really do tend to channel people into the right mindset. However, the e-mails also reveal that conscious POV-pushers are well aware of the defects in our policies. For starters, the whole "uninvolved admin" trope has gotten way out of hand, and effectively undermined NPOV. If you actually know enough about a topic area to recognize stealth POV pushing, you're almost certainly involved in that topic area. As a result, subtle and well-crafted frauds absolutely plague our Israel-Palestine pages. <eleland/talkedits> 15:02, 21 April 2008 (UTC)....it would be best to note on the discussion page that 'This sentence violates Wikipedia's NPOV policy, since the description of Israel's policies as 'oppressive' is an opinion. In addition, it is often noted by Middle East experts that one of the reasons Palestinians decide to become suicide bombers is hate education and glorification of martyrdom in Palestinian society...' Sorry, that is evil, regardless of the fact that its technically bang-on and something I might post in support of. Its evil because its a Wikilaw school. Read the last sentence: they're being taught to misrepresent sources, to weasel their way around, to take advantage of assumptions of good faith. Notice the avoidance of which experts - not academic experts, you can bet. -- Relata refero (disp.)
(undent) We can't crack down hard enough on groups like this. I'd support immediate indef topic bans from all Israel-related articles for any editor demonstrably associated with activities like that. No warnings. Fut.Perf. ☼ 15:03, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Pro-Israel editors are as bad as anti-Israel editors. An indef ban seems fine here. It's WP:CANVASSing, to me. Grsz 11 15:07, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Well, it would appear that we have one. I might try and infiltrate the group to see their distribution list and see if any other editors are on it. пﮟოьεԻ 5 7 15:09, 21 April 2008 (UTC) I'd block and topic ban on sight. That sort of conduct is completely unacceptable and must be removed immediately, before others get any ideas. Rudget 15:10, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Yes. Moreover I think the uninvolved admin notion (especially, in my own opinion, as it relates to single purpose accounts) is somewhat broken. As User:Raul654 has been saying lately, this tends to shut out those very admins who know enough about a topic and its contribution history to make the most helpful calls on what to do about PoV/edit warring, original research and source warping. Gwen Gale (talk) 15:15, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Hear hear. At the moment its impossible for me to put sanctions on the various POV-pushers in the Israel-Palestine sphere as I'm an "involved" admin (although I nearly wasn't as some of the POV-pushers tried to derail my RfA through CANVASsing, though that's another story). When outside editors get involved they don't know the history of certain editors and tend to make poorly informed decisions. пﮟოьεԻ 5 7 15:23, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
My take is that the specific articles listed need to be watched more closely, and new editors entering those topics need some scrutiny, but most of what is laid out in the original document is good advice; recommending that editors follow Wikipedia's procedures and policies, and more importantly, to cite relevant materials in a civil and NPOV fashion is hardly something to condemn them for. It's collaboration, but it is specifically framed to work within Wikipedia, rather than to violate established norms. Horologium (talk) 15:18, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
An interim solution seems obvious. If Camera has indeed canvassed a stacking campaign of editors organizing themselves off-line to influence Wiki content, then it has set up an extremely dangerous precedent (of sorts: it doesn't take much editing to recognize this problem is already present). Therefore a deterrent of some sort is required. What CAMERA advocates can be repeated by other lobbies (from anywhere, on any section). I therefore suggest that CAMERA itself be declared an Unreliable Source, a sufficient warning to any external agency ringing in POV-tagteam editors that, if it tries to stack Wiki, it will suffer the consequences of not being ever cited by Wiki. Anything else is a waste of time. How this is handled will be well worth watching, it will be a touchstone on which Wikipedia's administrative integrity proves, or disproves itself Nishidani (talk) 15:19, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
No - that's a non-starter for a number of reasons. The reliability of CAMERA as a source is entirely separate to their actions here. One concern should not be piggybacked onto another. --87.112.70.168 (talk) 15:25, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
(clarifying my earlier comment after ec) Yes, CAMERA should be declared as unreliable, and use of its documents deprecated. However, if they provide reliably sourced citations (which appears to be one of the group's aims), then there should not be a problem. Horologium (talk) 15:26, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
I've been worried about this for some time. See Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Evidence-based for just one recent related problem. In addition, there have been several problematic AfDs recently of articles that have been sourced almost entirely to CAMERA and related editorials in marginal newspapers; those have mostly closed as keep after they attract vast amounts of attention. I note that RfAs should be scrutinised more carefully. All the people who vote cheerfully for people who have never participated in any form of dispute resolution, etc., etc. be warned. I haven't read the emails in detail yet, and am going offline to do so, but I've read the summary. (I notice that while Zeq is involved up to the hilt, he seems to think that Jay, while considered a useful ally, is supposed to be generally ignorant of this machination. This is good news.) Incidentally, I have been asked about this recently by a couple of reporters, including one for the Boston Globe. -- Relata refero (disp.)
Block the lot for disruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of Wikipedia, and set up a long-term abuse page on them. In fact, let's get them on Wikinews and Signpost to send a message that this isn't tolerated. We don't need Zionist crazies damaging Wikipedia, or any other crazies of <insert affiliation> either doing organized trolling and trouble. Lawrence Cohen § t/e
From their newsletter:
"The bad news is this allows anti-Israel "editors" to introduce all kinds of bias and error into the many Israel-related articles, even the entry on CAMERA. The good news is, individual volunteers can work as "editors" to ensure that these articles are free of bias and error, and include necessary facts and context. Assuring accuracy and impartiality in Wikipedia is extremely important. If someone searches for "Israel" on the Google search engine, for example, the top result returned by Google would be the Wtkjpediapag~emQn Israel. CAMERA seeks 10 volunteers to help us keep Israel-related entries on Wikipedia from becoming tainted by anti-Israel editors. All it takes to be an effective volunteer is a basic comfort level with computers. Call or email me, and I will train you on how to become a volunteer Wikipedia editor."
This group is not here to improve Wikipedia, but Israeli/their interests' standing in Google. We need to slam the door in their faces before other people decide to do this very bad thing. Lawrence Cohen § t/e 15:37, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Gosh, you make it sound as if POV-pushing is relatively rare on WP. As far as I can see, it's all over the place, and WP is fighting a losing battle. A witch-hunt to smoke out CAMERA infiltrators would be an utterly paranoid way to go about handling what actually is a specific instance of an endemic problem. Just handle the POV-pushing as and when you encounter it. rudra (talk) 15:46, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Bollocks, its worse here than elsewhere, because its co-ordinated, methods of misrepresentation are taught, and readymade, if slanted, "reliable source" quotefarms are made available. This happens only rarely elsewhere that I've seen. -- Relata refero (disp.) This is an organized attack by nest of trolling POV warriors. If we don't slap them down hard and in public, others will get this same bad idea. Lawrence Cohen § t/e I agree 110% with Lawrence, i suggest a cease and desist letter from foundation lawyers would be a good start. ( Hypnosadist ) 15:57, 21 April 2008 (UTC) It is much worse in this area than in others. The basic pattern of conflict here is the same as in the other ethnic fights, but the kind of stuff that would be easily, instantly identified as Albanian or Macedonian POV-pushing goes virtually unchallenged. We are literally still dealing with "questions" like whether the West Bank is under military occupation and whether territory outside the Green Line is Israeli. These are "controversies" in media punditry perhaps, in the same sense that global warming or evolution are "controversies," but in the relevant academic communities they are settled, consensus issues. <eleland/talkedits> 16:03, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Or, to add a recent and absolutely bizarre example, entire articles are for months blocked because no administrator with native English competence can come in and tell two or three editors that the word 'uprising', as established by dozens of quotations from scholarly books, the O.E.D., and over a 142 wiki pages, has been shown exhaustively to be quite normal to describe an insurrection like the al-Aqsa Intifada neutrally, being used for several hundred similar historical episodes in world historiography. Why is it blocked? Because one editor thinks using it of a Palestinian insurgency creates an unhappy analogy with the Jewish 'Warsaw Uprising'. It's rather like a Christian fundamentalist saying we shouldn't translate Tolstoy's novel with the word 'Resurrection' (denoting Dmitri Neklyodov's and Maslova the prostitute's Воскресение because it offends sentiments that associate the word with Christ's unique Resurrection.Nishidani (talk) 16:28, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
"We will go to war after we have build our army, equiped it, trained..." Good times. Actually, the mechanisms to deal with this are already in place. I seriously doubt that CAMERA-solicited POV-pushers will slip under the radar; the problem in such situations is more a matter of the will and energy to deal with obvious problems. I'd suggest the following as good general guidelines for this or any such situation:
Watchlist requests for adminship and demand evidence of actual commitment to and understanding of Wikipedia policy in admin candidates. Wikignoming and rolling back vandalism are great, but they don't require the tools. Adminship is a very big deal in April 2008, largely as a result of a series of ArbCom decisions which have handled thorny issues by empowering the Platonic "any uninvolved administrator" with extraordinary discretion. It's entirely reasonable to oppose people who haven't satisfactorily demonstrated a grasp of core policies and conflict resolution before requesting the tools. You wouldn't give someone a drivers' license because they can change a tire, would you?
in April 2008, largely as a result of a series of ArbCom decisions which have handled thorny issues by empowering the Platonic "any uninvolved administrator" with extraordinary discretion. It's entirely reasonable to oppose people who haven't satisfactorily demonstrated a grasp of core policies and conflict resolution before requesting the tools. You wouldn't give someone a drivers' license because they can change a tire, would you? Watchlist problem articles, even if you don't participate. Agenda-based POV-pushing thrives on a lack of outside eyes. The more these issues devolve into back-and-forth shouting matches, the less effective we are at dealing with them.
It's not hard to identify agenda accounts which place advocacy for their POV above Wikipedia's policies. It's really not. If you observe such behavior, then request outside input, here or via WP:RFC/U, sooner rather than later. It will not be pretty - in this recently-closed ArbCom case, I spent 6 months dealing with an obvious agenda account at every level of dispute resolution, only to be accused of "biting a newbie" when the situation ended up with ArbCom - but it can be done. MastCell Talk 15:53, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Thank you, a voice of sanity. The watchword is patience. rudra (talk) 16:12, 21 April 2008 (UTC) "Not hard to identify agenda accounts"? "will and energy"? What universe are you living in? If you had happened to step by recent AfDs sourced entirely to CAMERA quotefarms, you would have noticed that they became such a mess that people cheerfully closed them as no consensus keeps. Will and energy are strikingly lacking in the average AfD closer - naturally, these AfDs are hardly the straightforward closes one expects, nor are they scrutinised by higher-up muckety-mucks like that of some WR rabble-rouser. How will the standard mechanisms deal with that? When further up this page we have Durova cheerfully defending an extraordinarily tendentious editor she's mentoring, who's singlehandedly derailed normal academic sourcing on a dozen articles? When any admin is 'involved' if at any point they've edited these articles? When these "agenda accounts" are being taught to wikilawyer in such a way that it will not be easy to demonstrate, in the face of the usual cheesy uproar about character assassination and rushing to judgment and lynch mobs, that they have an agenda over and above WP's? Patience-schmatience. -- Relata refero (disp.)
The alarming thing is that the group is told that creating and editing with a user account is a way to maintain anonymity. It exposes incredibly bad faith! 24.12.95.171 (talk) 16:14, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
bangpound needs a cookie. i'm not trying to be ironic. i just forgot to log in myself! i claim the above edit. Bangpound (talk) 16:16, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Is there any corroboration of the evidence? The pdf file, generated by paper capture, comes from Electronic Intifada, who we could hardly consider to be a neutral on this topic any more than CAMERA. If in fact it can be independently corroborated, shut them out as fast as possible before EI gets the idea they should adopt the same tactics. LeadSongDog (talk) 16:20, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Can any other existing account be linked to the group, except Zeq? Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:23, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
If this is, as EI claims, a consipracy of many people - where are they? Is there any evidence in Wikipedia that there is such a group? is there any edit of mine which can be viewed as part of a group effort? seriously - it seems that someone have not done his homework as I have never took part in any tag team. It is the other side who usualy able to gather several editors who revert my contributions. This whole thing smacks of a capmgain to deletimize what all good editors are trying to do: Improve the project and keep wikipedia follow it's own policy. If anyone can point to existance on wikipedia to an orgenized campgain to re-write history by Pro Israel group I would like to see proof of it - show me diffs?. What I see now is mostly re-wrting of history by pro-Palestinian editors who may or may not work as a group. Also if my memory is correct I have never editted an article about CAMERA. please check out the history files....Zeq (talk) 16:38, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
'is there any edit of mine which can be viewed as part of a group effort? seriously - it seems that someone have not done his homework as I have never took part in any tag team.'[User:Zeq|Zeq]] Well since you asked for it, yes there is, and anyone can read the close analysis of how you operate with the full details on my talk page, where I documented how you blocked my attempt to work in reliable sources on the Mohammad Amin al-Husayni page you refused to accept, by ringing in another editor to engage in an edit-war with me, and the damage was Walter Laqueur, and Benny Morris excluded from the page, and me with a 3RR violation, after I called your game and wore an 'antisemitic' insinuation. E.g. 'Very early on October 26 Zeq asks User:Armon in New Zealand, long invisible on the page, to email him here. Quickly afterwards User:Armon begins to edit vigorously against my content contributions, often wikilawyering. No one will notice. I never reported it. But (1) You disliked my reliable sources, (2) asked Armon to email you (3)Armon immediately began to tagteam edit with you against me, and I got banned while the two of you continued on your merry way. Go to my talk page and enjoy the full details. Nishidani (talk) 17:24, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Dont't ask us if we have proof. You tell us the truth. Are you claiming the whole thing is a fake, yes or no? Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:40, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
It never fails to amaze me how often Wikipedians give themselves away simply by not denying the charges against them. <eleland/talkedits> 16:45, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Guilty until proven innocent? I am asking again a simple question: Where in wikipedia there is even a shred of evidence to show there is any such group. I edit some of the articles mentioned by EI (not all) and I follow most of them for years. I can tell you flat out that these article have no hint none what ever as to any pro-Israeli group who edit in these articles. The opposite is true: many such articles are WP:Own by group of pro-palestinian editors - this is the real issue Wikipedia need to address. take for example the article about Israeli apartheid. All other articles on such apartheid (like in Saudi Arabia) have been removed - except the article about the so called "israel apartheid" - an article that again and again by an orgenized group that prevent it from being deleted as it should have. Zeq (talk) 16:47, 21 April 2008 (UTC) One'shred of evidence': [1]. This was intended to be sent to Pinchas Cohen, Beit Or, and Humus Sapiens when it was "sent in error" to the WikiEN-I list. 66.82.9.77 (talk) 18:15, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Certainly guilty if you can't even be bothered to plead not guilty. I asked you a very straightforward quesion. Why are you not answering it? Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:51, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
...and even after I prompt you, you don't deny that you wrote those emails. <eleland/talkedits> 16:52, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Wait, are you implying that User:Zeq is organizing this off-Wiki CAMERA disruption and attack? Lawrence Cohen § t/e That is what the document shows. Unless all the mails in it are fake, he is the organiser (or would-be organiser). As he isn't actually denying he wrote those mails, I would say I've seen enough at this point. I don't believe it's a fake; it's too well done for that. Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:59, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
No. Future - You are not a court and I don't need to "plea" anything. If there is suc a group that include anyone but me - who are the group members? where are diffs with their edits? I suggest that instead of chasing ghost group wikipedia once and forall will take a look at how history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is being re-wriiten by pro-palestinian editors using clear violations of wikipedia NPOV poliocies. Zeq (talk) 16:56, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Zeq, are you a member of this off-Wiki group in any capacity, or the one who wrote this email notice to disrupt Wikipedia? Lawrence Cohen § t/e If you are not part of this group just say so, why not deny it if its a lie? ( Hypnosadist ) 17:05, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
I have not tried to disrupt wikipedia in any way. My record as good faith editor is very clear. I have my viwes _ which do not fit any group - and I edit in good faith providing sources to any of my views or edits. This record is clear over the past two years. Zeq (talk) 17:13, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
The "group" may well not yet exist of course - assuming the EI docs are genuine, canvassing for volunteers only started recently. Plus any participants are being advised to keep a low profile to start with. So this denial of any active group editing isn't really worth very much on its own, even if Zeq has nothing to do with this at the end of the day. And what is particularly galling about this is that in the past I and others, often genuinely uninvolved outsiders, have faced utterly spurious allegations of biased tag team editing, simply for making NPOV edits to articles in this area. How far did COI discussions about User:Gni get as well? I've noticed they were accused of editing from a CAMERA-associated IP address and have been barred from editing the CAMERA article. The username looks oddly linkable to name of the "senior research analyst" quoted in the documents, Gilead Ini (apologies if I'm a bit behind with this one, I've only had a quick glance around the history) --Nickhh (talk) 17:01, 21 April 2008 (UTC) The Google Group where the discussions originate does exist. http://groups.google.com/group/isra-pedia But it is invite only. Bangpound (talk) 17:03, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
There is another very disturbing issue, which does not yet seem to have been picked up. In the exchange of emails, the correspondent identified as "Isra guy (zeqzeq2@yahoo.com)" urges people to make edits to Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, writing "this is an article that the Palestinians will fight for. You want to get them into trouble: make legitimate edits on this article by bringing quotes from ACADEMIC sources (not jut from links on the web). get them sanctioned after they delete this info." So we have here evidence of a deliberate campaign of edit-warring, designed to get less-experienced, or careless, editors, banned from editing. I would urge all admins to check very carefully before applying any sanctions to an editor who appears to have been deliberately entrapped by such a manoeuvre. RolandR (talk) 17:02, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Let's get this stright: According to this accusation I am accused of telling "members of the group" to use proper academic sources and make legitimate edits... Nice. And where is the evidence for "deliberate campaign of edit-warring"? Zeq (talk) 17:16, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Oh look Zeq has editited that article a lot. ( Hypnosadist ) 17:09, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Is there any thing wrong in editing this article? Zeq (talk) 17:12, 21 April 2008 (UTC) I did not say that but its a 1 in 2,000,000 shot that you Zeq edit the article zeqzeq2 wants people to edit. ( Hypnosadist ) 17:22, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Properly speaking, CAMERA senior research analyst Gilead Ini is the organizer. Zeq was helping out, though - start on page 5 of the pdf. <eleland/talkedits> 17:02, 21 April 2008 (UTC) Page 5 of which PDF? Link please? The one at the thread start is only one page. Lawrence Cohen § t/e Pdf at bottom of this page http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9474.shtml ( Hypnosadist ) 17:14, 21 April 2008 (UTC) No it's 13 pages long, I don't think you have fully downloaded it. --87.112.70.168 (talk) 17:13, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
A thought: if electronicintifada.net has these e-mails, it will almost certainly have more. Plainly someone has signed up to the Isra-pedia Google Group with the intention of acting as a mole. I think we can expect further exposés from that source in due course. -- ChrisO (talk) 18:07, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
You can sign up for the "isra-pedia" group at Google Groups: [2]. This requires a Google account. --John Nagle (talk) 20:44, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
Ban proposal
So, the upshot so far is: Zeq is denying that the group is currently active on Wikipedia; he is not denying that the mails are genuine and hence that he was trying to organise the group. Whether its alleged or real non-activity is part of his plan, or whether its a sign of the failure of his attempts, is immaterial. What counts is that he tried to organise it. In light of this, I hereby formally propose a community-imposed topic ban on Zeq from |
also joined. As has Ahrar al-Sham – which was one of the strongest rebel groups in Idlib before the al-Qaida-linked Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) recently seized its positions.
In an attempt to give the force a real military structure, the SIG has sought to create a defense ministry that would preside over the UNA’s operations. They have also appointed Salim Idris, a defected Syrian army general, as chief of staff and General Mohammad Faris, also a defector, as defense minister.
The group’s funding has yet to be officially announced, but opposition delegates met with Qatar’s foreign minister in Doha last month, as part of a series of visits to “friendly and sisterly countries,” according to Nizar Haraki, the Syrian opposition’s ambassador to Qatar.
Jawad Abu Hatab, prime minister of the SIG, told Syria Deeply the opposition forces already had money. Better organization, rather than external funding, would be key to its success.
Objectives
The UNA has both military and diplomatic objectives, Abu Hatab said. Militarily, the UNA would form “one command” to help deploy the opposition’s military skills more effectively, he said.
“When we create a command that includes all of the opposition factions, we will have central decision making and we can use this power in the best way,” he said.
“We can develop them [the factions] from militias into a regular army that has a leader, and rules, and knows its rights and duties,” he said.
Diplomatically, military cohesion will help the opposition put up a united front at peace talks held in Geneva and Astana.
“The army will give some weight to the opposition, so it will be stronger in negotiations and impose its respect on the international community,” he said.
But even if the armed rebels unite, the opposition is still divided in its approach to resolution. Some elements insist Assad must step down as part of a peace deal, while others are more flexible about other solutions that would bring an end to the conflict.
Major Ahmed al-Hassan Abu al-Mundhir, head of the UNA’s political bureau, is part of the former. He insists that “toppling the criminal regime” is among the main aims of his fighting force.
Timing
Although SIG officials maintain that the idea of unified army dates back to at least 2015, Kyle Orton, an analyst at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said the suspension of covert CIA aid to U.S.-allied rebel groups and HTS dominance over Idlib are “important factors in having made this [the creation of the unified army] possible.”
Orton said that initiative also partially stems from the opposition’s need to differentiate itself from extremist elements such as al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State.
“Previously, the rebels, for very good practical (not ideological) reasons, were averse to openly adopting an antagonistic position toward HTS,” he explained. “That is not less of a concern and instead, both politically and militarily, there is more incentive for rebels to differentiate themselves from HTS.”
However, by positioning itself against HTS, the UNA could run the risk of a fatal confrontation.
“Whether the [Unified] National Army could or would stand up to HTS is an open question,” Orton said. “If HTS demonstrates quickly, it can attack the [Unified] National Army without incurring collective rebel and/or Turkish reprisals, then the whole idea falls.”
The new rebel coalition will likely be focused on northern Syria and would be backed by Turkey, he added. Ankara has yet to comment publicly on the project.
“The [Unified] National Army would be in its essentials a Turkish-backed enterprise,” Orton said. “There might well be some funding from Qatar.”
Rebel Divisions
According to Sam Heller of the Century Foundation, the initiative “won’t be seen as a major new vehicle for support and influence.”
For Heller, this is partially because the idea of a single rebel army does not take into account the geographic distribution of the opposition in Syria.
Having lost their major stronghold of Aleppo last December, remaining rebel territory is divided into patches in Syria’s south, southeast and northwest. This makes the prospect of unification untenable.
The FSA-linked Martyr Ahmed al-Abdo brigades and Lions of the East are a prime example of this. Both groups have agreed to form part of the UNA. However, their bases are far out east in the Badia desert near the Iraqi border in areas isolated from rebel-held territory.
“There is a reality of a fragmented regional opposition versus an opposition united in principle,” Heller said.
For Fares al-Bayoush, a former officer with the FSA-linked Free Idlib Army, the UNA’s lack of military expertise, in comparison to that of the Syrian army, condemns it to failure.
“A military more than 50 years old is different from … an army still in its infancy,” he told Syria Deeply.
He also expressed skepticism over the possibility that rebel groups could unite under one umbrella, given the opposition’s history of divisions.
Divisions within Syria’s opposition groups are potentially the greatest roadblock for the success of the deal. Jaish al-Islam, for example, has been heavily involved in rebel infighting in Eastern Ghouta, primarily with FSA group Faylaq al-Rahman, over territorial control in the besieged area. Even within the FSA, there have been divisions throughout the conflict over coordination with Salafi rebel groups who extol more hard-line religious ideologies, such as Ahrar al-Sham.
“I have no intention of participating in this project,” Bayoush, who was a member of the opposition’s military delegation at the Astana talks in January, said. “The participants in the project lack seriousness, and it represents a repeat of previous errors, and it lacks longevity.”
Even Syrian civilians who have recently taken to the streets in protest, calling on the opposition to protect them from extremist elements, are not convinced that the UNA will work.
Qusay al-Hussein, from Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, said, “[The UNA] is not expected to succeed, because at its most basic level it is not a national army: It is an army following foreign agendas, not national ones.”REUTERS – A team of militants linked with ISIS were paid 600,000 euros to carry out a bombing campaign at 50 locations in Tehran and other big cities in Iran, according to a documentary aired on Iranian state TV on Monday.
Officials in predominantly Shi'ite Iran have said in recent weeks that Sunni militants from ISIS are targeting the country.
Two weeks ago, Iranian intelligence authorities said they had foiled a large-scale terrorist attack, arresting 10 militants, and had seized about 100 kilograms of explosive material that was to be used in car bombs, and suicide and other bomb attacks in busy public places.
The 15-minute documentary featured interviews with two militants, after they had been arrested, in which they explained the planned operations.
Footage from a hidden camera which featured in the documentary showed members of the group allegedly purchasing and transporting chemicals and household products that could be used to make explosives.
Near the end of the documentary security agents armed with machine guns and wearing black balaclavas and body armour were shown raiding a house and handcuffing suspects.
The narrator of the documentary said the investigation into the attack was still continuing.
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Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard have fought against ISIS militants in Iraq as part of their support for the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad. Guard members and volunteers are also fighting against Sunni militants in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
Iranian security forces announced in May that they had arrested a dozen ISIS fighters in the east and west of the country and also more than 50 sympathisers who were promoting the group's ideology on the Internet.Story Alex Payne
Photos Nicole Brodeur
Web Feature sponsor V-dog
Originally published in Driftwood Issue Two
Paris
Unexpectedly, France’s growing vegan scene greeted us before we stepped off the plane. Our flight attendant, the perfect petite picture of a chic young Parisian, noticed a copy of Laika poking up from our seat-back pocket. She’s vegan, she said, but she didn’t think her hometown had much to offer in the way of plant-based dining. Happily, Paris would prove her wrong in a matter of hours.
My fiancée and I began our trip—a sort of pre-honeymoon, squeezed into our schedules where it fit, many months in the planning—with ten days in France’s historic capitol. Home base? The Marais, a French analogue to New York’s perennially fashionable SoHo—all boutiques, cafés, and gay bars. We chose the Marais for its central location, but it turned out to be a superb area for vegan options as well.
Groggy from the flight and famished after the airline’s wholly inadequate attempt at a meatless meal, we were grateful to be stumbling distance from East Side Burgers. A little bit rock ’n’ roll, this vegetarian/vegan burger joint quickly became a favorite. The owners, husband and wife, were behind the counter every time we visited. Typically French in their cool reserve and world-weary outlook, they claimed that veggie spots like theirs struggle along in Paris. Still, we rarely saw their place empty, the lunch crowd packing in every last seat in the space-efficient basement dining room.
Maximizing one’s time in Paris while taking advantage of the city’s vegan offerings takes a bit of planning. Dining choices are readily available but, relative to the expanse of the city, somewhat sparse. You won’t find a good vegan option near the Musée Rodin, for example, but nor would you want to miss the transportative statuary on its grounds.
We scheduled our time around visits to museums and historical sites, being sure to pick out the nearest restaurants at which to refuel when we inevitably overdosed each day on cathedrals like the Sacré Coeur, modernist sculptures at the Musée D’Orsay, or Revolution-era battle paintings at the Carnavalet. We soon discovered that reservations are a must at sit-down restaurants, even at lunch.
Café Pinson, uniformly healthy but only partially vegan, was our go-to breakfast spot when we weren’t taking our morning meal in our flat: avocado or tomato toast, whichever looked better at the corner market the evening before. During the week, Pinson does a simple spread, a vegan-friendly take on the typical baguette with jam and butter. On the weekend, their menu expands to a full brunch—everything from fresh green juice to sweet quinoa bowls, almond yogurt, and homemade fruit breads.
The aforementioned East Side Burger, while our favorite, has competition on the veggie burger front from equally casual counter service spots Hank and MOB. Both Café Ginger and Gentle Gourmet were worth second visits, for lunch and dinner respectively, the latter delivering a versatile mix of French and Vietnamese flavors before indulgent desserts.
Saveurs Veget’Halles, cooking somewhat dated vegetarian fare, was nonetheless a lifesaver after seemingly infinite hours in the nearby Louvre, where all we could scrape together for a snack were Oreos, a desiccated apple, Pringles, and red wine. Food may be an art for the French, but the food adjacent to their art frequently left much to be desired. The few times we were caught out without a dining plan found us frustratedly trudging from storefront to storefront, searching for a falafel or some similar vegan go-to, often settling for a baguette and a tub of hummus.
Ubiquitous bio (organic) grocery store chains proved invaluable, both for cooking back at the flat and stocking up for day trips. We loaded up at Bio c’Bon before venturing out of Paris to the sprawling royal grounds of Versailles and picturesque Giverny, home to Monet’s now-eternal gardens and its handsome resident chickens. Lacking options for full meals, these tourist destinations nonetheless yielded treats that were incidentally vegan. Cool sorbet served under a healthy dram of pear eau de vie was much appreciated as the last remnants of winter drizzle gave way to warm spring days.
Having exhausted our list of must-see sights—yet barely having scratched the surface of all Paris has to offer—we reluctantly boarded a train bound southeast, the countryside our destination.
Avignon
Avignon, our chosen waypoint to Provence, is perfect for a one-night visit. The city might ring a bell after a listen to 15th century banger “Sur le Pont d’Avignon,” which celebrates the local bridge. Winding our way through the city’s narrow street, we arrived at a scenic river, flanked by the soaring stone walls of the Palais des Papes. Come nightfall, we grabbed a table at Les 5 Sens, a high-end restaurant whose primary menu is a challenge, given its extensive exploitation of flesh. Skeptical but lacking alternatives, we were caught off guard by the vegetarian (vegan on request) tasting menu: several servings of seasonal vegetables cooked simply and to utter perfection. This was by far the most elegant meal of our entire trip, the restaurant’s slick interior and impeccable service a stark contrast to the humble country establishments we’d soon be passing through with nary a meatless option in sight.
The next morning we wandered deeper into Avignon, in the process discovering a fact of historic Gaelic urban planning: At each city’s center you’ll find the market. Avignon’s boasts a lively mix of stalls under one roof. With a catalog of recipes in mind, we procured spices, veggies, grains, exceptional regional olive oil, and other kitchen sundries, happily ignoring the butchers and fishmongers in favor of vendors offering up artichoke dip and tapenade. Totes overflowing, we packed up a rental car and backtracked a bit to the north, multilane highways tapering to narrow country roads.
Venasque
Just an hour later, we didn’t so much arrive in Provence as find perch above it. It takes a place as tiny as Venasque to truly understand the difference in scale between a village and a town. With no more than two dozen households and a handful of irregularly open businesses, nobody is mistaking this clifftop village for anything larger. We parked by the ramparts, still standing as a testament to Roman construction, and passed through the walls as one passes into the hazy dream of an afternoon nap.
Spending a week in Venasque was, for us urbanites, wonderfully surreal. Every structure in the village’s core defines “ancient.” For perspective: The baptistry, dating back to the ninth century, was a later addition. Our lodgings fused timeless, chilly stonework to a modern kitchen and roof deck, trapping us between eras as we split our days between exploring the countryside and keeping up with work on our laptops. The availability of quite good Internet access was an anachronism in itself. With barely any job opportunities to keep the younger generations from fleeing to the city, the majority of residents are of advanced years. We wondered how much longer Venasque would be a living place as we followed local family lineages from headstone to headstone in the village cemetery.
Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt
Leaving behind the foregone dream-village of Venasque, we drove an hour east, white-knuckling it on narrow cliffside roads. Our route skirted the edge of the decent-size city of Apt, once global center of production for glacé fruit, a centuries-old delicacy lost on contemporary taste buds. A few kilometers beyond, the village of Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt overlooks vineyards and farmland from a slight rise, its streets containing more variety and life than our previous destination.
Our base for the next two weeks was a small cottage on a lush parcel. Along the bumpy path to its door, vines sprung up for the season, adding inches seemingly by the day. In the orchard, rows of cherry and olive trees. Fat bumblebees made rounds amongst wisteria draping a pergola out front, their insect droning on the breeze evoking a steady calm. Small lizards soaked up sun before disappearing into brick crevices, while even smaller scorpions took shelter indoors when it rained. Most days mild and nature thriving, spring is the ideal time to visit Provence.
However, with the exception of a couple of bio markets, there is precisely zilch for vegans in this general area. To survive and thrive, you must know the farmers markets, their varying schedules and locations. Most every day a different village or small city will play host to a collection of stands, the selection going well beyond produce. Larger markets branch out into jams, regional delicacies like nougat (not on our shopping list), speciality items like truffles and wild mushrooms, even clothing and folksy handcraft. Shopping them practically daily, we began to see the same cast of vendors, all of whom gamely tolerated our clumsy French as we fortified our pantry. A few French phrases and the remainder in English might get you by in Paris, but out here it was parlez vous or no.
Provencal cuisine, owing to its Mediterranean character and extensive use of olive oil over butter and lard, is well suited for vegan adaptation. Many de facto vegan dishes are in the regional repertoire. Larger entrées work well if appropriately seasoned seitan or a hearty vegetable is substituted for animal protein. Paired with the plentiful and affordable biodynamic (albeit not explicitly veganic) rosés and syrah-grenache blends from nearby vineyards, our culinary experiments worked out far more often than not. A snack of garlicky olives and chilled caviar d’aubergine with fresh bread carried us from lunch to dinner after a walk to the village, where locals waited out the day’s lingering heat over tall blonde beers.
This idyllic routine left us with little desire to venture further afield, but a visiting friend required fetching from Nice. We made the most of our brief visit to the coastal city, looking a touch Miami in its sun-bleached pastels, by stopping for lunch at our first veg-friendly restaurant in many days. Endearingly tattered and informal, Le Speakeasy is the longstanding endeavor of a Californian expat. The food was straightforward and satisfying, another French spot stuck in the vegetarian cuisine of 1980s Berkeley, to no particular malice.
It wasn’t easy to close the shutters on our tiny cottage after two weeks, but the next leg of our journey was upon us. Going back through Avignon, we hopped a train bound north.
Dijon
Owls brought us to Dijon. Specifically, the trail of owl plaques embedded in the sidewalk around town, forming a walking tour of the city’s landmarks. It’s a charming way to explore an equally charming city. Dijon brings together elements of everything we’d experienced so far in France: historical and modern, city life and country life. Block by block, the city moves through eras. Down this street, chain stores that could be anywhere; down that, a duke’s grand palace, now home to art and treasures as varied as the city itself.
Avocado and cucumber rolls from Sushi Shop, a French-born franchise, were a welcome break from the stove the night we arrived. Otherwise, we found ourselves hitting the bio market and cooking for most meals in Dijon, veg options being scarce despite the density of restaurants and sizable student population. For lunch, yoga studio/café Le Shanti serves up a limited but tasty menu of Indian-influenced food, almost entirely vegan. We came back repeatedly, enjoying the happy hippie vibe with our curried tempeh sandwiches and fresh juices.
The road through the center of Dijon runs to the famed wine country of Burgundy. There, vineyards terraformed and walled in by monks long ago now produce bottles so prized that there are waiting lists to get on their waiting lists. Our guide to the area, despite his many years in the local food and wine scene, had yet to try these rarest of
rare wines.
Vinicultural pilgrims come to genuflect on Burgundy’s holy terrior. Pricey and scarce at barely 5% of total production, grand cru wines are the region’s most celebrated.
Motoring us from vineyard to vineyard, our guide fretted over an ongoing casualty of globalization: Burgundy is trying to hold on to its traditions while local families are trying to hold on to their land. Facing competition and high inheritance taxes, many opt to sell their vine-covered hectares to multinational corporations. With grapes running right up to the edge of every domicile in the area, it’s hard to imagine wine production here getting any more efficient. Greed’s thirst, it seems, is never slaked.
The idea of veganic viticulture has not taken root in France, and indeed barely translated when we inquired about the practice. Having a longstanding political tradition of regulation, France takes organic certifications seriously for many products, of which wine is a prominent example. It may take a generation or two for the idea of completely animal-product-free winemaking to find its first few adopters there. In the meantime, we appreciated that much of the wine culture in France has an environment awareness, if not an ethical one.
Departing
Finally, from Dijon back to Paris, where we had but one night and some of the next day to begin un-synchronizing ourselves from the pace of French life: occasionally faster than home but readily luxuriating in pleasures both simple and complex.
Opting once again to bed down in the now-familiar Marais, we had just enough time to revisit our Parisian favorites: East Side Burger and Gentle Gourmet. The Picasso Museum, not nearly as overwhelming in scale and scope as many of the city’s prized cultural temples, was squeezed in before we headed to the airport. We took the artist’s cartoonish minotaurs with us, stalking our memories into Paris’s maze-like streets.
We left so much of France to be explored on future trips. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed our particular cross-section of the country for its varieties of landscapes, food, history, and culture. From a vegan perspective, France may not be the ideal destination, but nor is it unmanageable, even in the countryside. Be prepared to cook, know where your next meal is coming from, and you’ll soon be looking past the butcher shops and fromageries to the burgeoning veg alternatives and thriving organic food and wine scenes. One last tipple of rosé to wash it all down? Oui, c’est délicieux!Eating hot chicken in Nashville isn’t just food to fill the belly. It’s entertainment. An event. An ordeal. It overtakes the senses like a Hank song – all tears, fire and passion. And that might be part of why it has a home in Music City – and until recently, almost no place else.
Let Buffalo have its vinegary wing and Philadelphia its greasy cheesesteak. In Nashville, no dish better embodies the city’s mix of high and low culture, the global reach of its booming economy and the down home nooks where the people behind it gather, than searingly-hot, flame-colored fried chicken.
“When people come to visit, that’s what you do. I take them straight to Prince’s or Hattie B’s or Bolton’s” says James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock, who opened the second outpost of his lauded Husk Restaurant in Nashville last year. He serves fried chicken with a nod to the hot variety. “That dish says you’re in Nashville, that’s how we do things here. And when the city owns something like that there’s a sense of pride that comes with it.”
In its most traditional form, hot chicken is fried in an iron skillet and caked in a cayenne paste until reddish-rust in color, resembling nothing so much as a rock from the surface of Hell. It arrives glowing atop white bread turned orange from those spicy drippings, with pickle rounds on the side.
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Everyone has their own method for tackling the bird, though the processes tend to follow a similar ritual. Bite of chicken followed by one of pickle, for example, then tear of bread and spoonful of cooling slaw. Repeat. As the heat ramps up, the speed of eating tends to follow because if you keep pressing onward (or so you tell yourself), you’ll push through. You’ll beat the heat. But you won’t. Beads of sweat might form, a tear could roll. What you will find in reward for feeding the addiction, though, is a high. It takes the eater to another dimension, if only for a moment, like an extra cup of coffee without the caffeine jitters or a runner’s high achieved without the run.
“It has ruined regular fried chicken for me,” Brock says. “I eat fried chicken now, and I’m bored.”
That regular fried chicken has long been a communal tradition in Nashville. Musicians from the Grand Ole Opry used to recall the smell of fried chicken while performing on the Opry stage at the Ryman Auditorium, the mother church of country music, back when guests could bring their own suppers to seats in the pews. Country star Minnie Pearl and gospel legend Mahalia Jackson each had their own fried chicken restaurants.
The spicy variant traces its roots the 1930s when, according to legend, a girlfriend of Thornton Prince dumped a hefty dose of extra spice on fried chicken she had made for her cheating lover. It was meant as revenge. But Prince loved it so much that he honed the recipe and eventually opened a restaurant that became a gathering place for the African American community. When the white musicians from the Opry heard about the distinctively addictive chicken, they made their way to Prince’s, too. In the early days, recalls current proprietor Andre Prince Jeffries, Thornton Prince’s great niece, white visitors came through the back door and sat in the kitchen. Eventually everyone ate together in the dining room, establishing hot chicken restaurants as places where what you did and where you came from were trumped by the pursuit of that poultry-induced high.
It’s a tradition that has persisted as hot chicken restaurants spread throughout the city, each offering their own twist on Prince’s classic. As Nashville’s ambitious new restaurants lure food pilgrims from across the country, creative riffs on the dish have emerged as a way for chefs to flex their chops while acknowledging local pride. A Japanese pop-up shop called Otaku South offers buns and ramen made with hot chicken, while the tasting menu at the Catbird Seat includes a dish made up of a thin piece of spicy chicken skin topped with tuft of whipped Wonder Bread puree and flecks of dill pickle salt.
Former mayor Bill Purcell, a hot chicken lover who used to hold political meetings at Prince’s, started the annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival eight years ago as a way to promote the local delicacy. The music business, long an engine of Nashville’s economy, has deep ties to the dish. Country stars Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw tried their hand at the restaurant business with a hot chicken joint. And one of the newer and more popular spots, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, opened in August 2012 after owner Nick Bishop Jr. left his job in the music business at Oh Boy Records.
Bishop first went to work with his father at Bishop’s Meat and Three Restaurant, a plate lunch diner representing another of Nashville’s culinary traditions. Since the pair served fried chicken anyway, they began experimenting with the hot variety, which Bishop grew up eating.
“We put it on menu just to see,” he says. “Over about a four-to-six-month period, it became 30 percent of entrée sales.”
Figuring they were onto something, Bishop opened his first joint with scratch-made sides and locally-brewed beer. He’ll open his second location this spring, and he said he takes inquiries about franchising weekly.
Those inquiries aren’t surprising. As trend seekers from Los Angeles to London turn their attention to Nashville, hot chicken is poised to become more than a local delicacy. It’s been celebrated in song (by the indie rockers Yo La Tengo), turned into material by comedians (Jerry Seinfeld surprised the staff at Prince’s after a local gig and Marc Maron has built it into his routine) and praised by four-star chefs (Thomas Keller is a Prince’s fan).
Diners can now find “Nashville-style hot chicken” from Brooklyn to Ann Arbor, Mich. Even the family that started it all knows is betting that the rest of the nation has an appetite for their hot town’s hottest dish. Prince and her family are scouting locations in Los Angeles.
Nashville, it turns out, has been exporting even more than its music.
Contact us at editors@time.com.TV Reviews All of our TV reviews in one convenient place.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt B+ Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt B+ B+ Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 3 Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock Starring Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane Debuts All 13 episodes will be available for streaming on Netflix on May 19 Format Half-hour single-camera sitcom. Six season-three episodes watched for review
Sometimes, the irrepressible ex-captive of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt inches forward on her own: She earns a GED, goes to therapy, or finds the resolve to tell a friend that she doesn’t have to run her cult the same exact way their former captor, Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm), ran his. Sometimes, life makes Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) move on. So it goes with the third season of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s Netflix comedy, which opens on the image of Kimmy’s roommate, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), washing ashore from his stint as a cruise-ship entertainer, before hitting Kimmy with her own cold wave of reality: The reverend wants a divorce. Oh, also, somehow the marriage ceremonies the reverend performed in the bunker were legally binding.
TV’s premier live-action cartoon has a bit of spectacle up its sleeve for season three. The heavily publicized Lemonade parody in episode two is no joke, a reverent homage that also takes into account the fact that Titus’ cash and creative reserves fall somewhat short of Beyoncé’s. The show also continues to attract top-flight guest talent, folding Laura Dern and Daveed Diggs into its collection of Big Apple dingbats, the former’s weirdo energy—as Wendy, the reverend’s new fiancée—an especially inspired match for the show. There are comments on feminism, campus culture, and racist sports mascots, and slightly more riffs on the 2016 presidential election than the creators have implied, not all of which—as a result of the show’s 360-degree joke-spray—hit their mark. But it retains a distinct method of nesting jokes within jokes, like the way Titus’ version of “Hold Up” calls back to previous mentions of a Grease cast recording and “an audio tape of commercials I use as a shopping list.”
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But amid those pyrotechnics, there’s an overriding sense that season three’s main priority is tightening focus on the show’s main characters. Romantic relationships from season two are sidelined in the early goings—can’t re-make Lemonade without some of the lemons that inspired the real deal. There’s a re-centering that gets Kimmy, Titus, Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski), and Lillian (Carol Kane) back in the same place, but not necessarily on the same track: While Kimmy applies to such august institutions as Roy Cohn Community College and Hudson University (“As seen on Law & Order: SVU”) and Lillian rages from within the political machine of the Upper Upper Upper Manhattan Zoning District, Jacqueline wages a personal war against the Washington Redskins. Titus is set adrift on the ocean of love without much story to cling to, but that frees Burgess up for episodic adventures like a dodgy recording gig and an uproarious sex farce opposite Krakowski and returning guest Josh Charles (and, eventually, Kane). He also gets the season’s best running gag, a deliciously dark insistence that he did not resort to cannibalism at sea.
The result is an Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt whose sense of humor is sharper than ever. Losing the broadcast-TV constraints for season two meant greater opportunities for serialized storytelling and greater risk for narrative bloat, a circle that Fey and Carlock seem to have squared in season three. The first six episodes find ways to reflect Kimmy’s growing sophistication—like the increasingly muted yellows in her wardrobe—while also churning out jokes with the fury of their uncannily strong protagonist turning the Mystery Crank. When Kimmy plays hardball with the divorce proceedings, the show flips the power dynamics of her relationship with the reverend, while setting up ample opportunities for Kemper and Hamm to snipe at one another on the telephone. If going to college comes across as a rote continuation of Kimmy’s GED classes, just wait until she embarks on a quest to lock down extracurricular activities for one application.
When Kimmy first encounters some college students speaking in exaggerated academic language and identity-politics terminology, it looks like the show is loading the same gun it shot its foot off with in last season’s “Kimmy Goes To A Play!” But the conclusions drawn about those characters are leavened by some surprising insight, a dose of sympathy, and some not-so-subtle reminders that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt takes place in a heightened reality occupied by cartoon people and a small population of robots. (On that note: Diggs, pivoting smoothly from the cartoon bohemian he’s been playing on Black-ish, represents the show’s very first face of Frank Grimes.) It’s still weird that Fey, Carlock, and team previously staked out Jacqueline’s Native American heritage as the hill they’re going to die on—and it still factors in to these new episodes in cringe-inducing fashion—but season three represents a smarter approach to topical material. Just like its namesake character, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is growing up.
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Reviews by Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya will run every other day beginning Friday, May 19.Welcome to The Riddler. Every week, I offer up problems related to the things we hold dear around here: math, logic and probability. There are two types: Riddler Express for those of you who want something bite-sized and Riddler Classic for those of you in the slow-puzzle movement. Submit a correct answer for either, and you may get a shoutout in next week’s column. If you need a hint, or if you have a favorite puzzle collecting dust in your attic, find me on Twitter.
Riddler Express
From Steve Simon, an adorable living-room puzzle:
Your baby is learning to walk. The baby begins by holding onto a couch. Whenever she is next to the couch, there is a 25 percent chance that she will take a step forward and a 75 percent chance that she will stay clutching the couch. If the baby is one or more steps away from the couch, there’s a 25 percent chance that she will take a step forward, a 25 percent chance she’ll stay in place and a 50 percent chance she’ll take one step back toward the couch.
In the long run, what percent of the time does the baby choose to clutch the couch?
Submit your answer
Riddler Classic
From Corey Fisher, a deadly Tolkienesque problem:
A giant troll captures 10 dwarves and locks them up in his cave. That night, he tells them that in the morning he will decide their fate according to the following rules:
The 10 dwarves will be lined up from shortest to tallest so each dwarf can see all the shorter dwarves in front of him, but cannot see the taller dwarves behind him. A white or black dot will be randomly put on top of each dwarf’s head so that no dwarf can see his own dot but they can all see the tops of the heads of all the shorter dwarves. Starting with the tallest, each dwarf will be asked the color of his dot. If the dwarf answers incorrectly, the troll will kill the dwarf. If the dwarf answers correctly, he will be magically, instantly transported to his home far away. Each dwarf present can hear the previous answers, but cannot hear whether a dwarf is killed or magically freed.
The dwarves have the night to plan how best to answer. What strategy should be used so the fewest dwarves die, and what is the maximum number of dwarves that can be saved with this strategy?
Extra credit: What if there are only five dwarves?
Submit your answer
Solution to last week’s Riddler Express
Congratulations to 👏 Jack Millson 👏 of Allston, Massachusetts, winner of last week’s Express puzzle!
You, the most eligible bachelorette in the kingdom, have decided to marry a prince. The king has invited you to his castle to meet his three sons. The eldest prince is honest and always tells the truth. The youngest prince is dishonest and always lies. And the middle prince is mischievous and tells the truth sometimes and lies the rest of the time. You want to marry either the eldest or the youngest, because at least you’ll know where you stand with them. You can’t tell them apart by looking, but the king grants you a single yes-or-no question that you may direct to exactly one of the brothers. What one question can you ask that ensures you do not marry the middle prince?
The puzzle’s submitter, Chris Horgan, has one strategy that will do the trick. Suppose you call the princes Al, Bob and Chuck. Ask Al the following: “If I asked you if Bob was the middle brother, would you say yes?” If he says yes, marry Chuck and you’re guaranteed to avoid the mischievous brother. If Al says no, though, marry Bob. (Poor Al.)
Why does asking a hypothetical question work better than asking the question outright? Let’s break down all the possible true identities of Al, Bob and Chuck, how they’d each answer and what husband you’d choose to marry in all situations. There are six cases to consider.
AL BOB CHUCK IS BOB THE MIDDLE BROTHER? AL’S RESPONSE YOUR RESULTING HUSBAND IS… Honest Mischievous Dishonest Yes Yes Dishonest Honest Dishonest Mischievous No No Dishonest Mischievous Honest Dishonest No Yes or no Honest or dishonest Mischievous Dishonest Honest No Yes or no Honest or dishonest Dishonest Honest Mischievous No No Honest Dishonest Mischievous |
An armadillo A cat A ferret Correct Incorrect Zack convinces Lisa to go on a date with Jessie’s evil stepbrother Eric by promising her tickets to see which musical act? MC Hammer George Michael U2 Paula Abdul Correct Incorrect Over the course of the series, we meet all but which of these Belding family members? The bubbly niece Penny Belding The loyal wife Becky Belding The domineering mom Ethel Belding The newborn baby Zack Belding Correct Incorrect Which of these would you not find in the home of Screech Powers? A hound dog A robot named Kevin A statue of Elvis A painting of Carl Sagan Correct Incorrect What happens when students wear the fake class rings Zack buys from con-artist Gem Diamond? Their fingers fall off Their fingers turn green Their fingers start to sink The rings won’t come off Correct Incorrect What’s the name of Zack’s old Native American friend? Whispering Wind Chief Henry Chief Willy Walks With Minors Correct Incorrect What physical trait makes Jessie most insecure? Her curly hair Her long neck Her height Her webbed toes Correct Incorrect Finish the lyrics to Zack Attack’s “Friends Forever’: “If you’re down, I’ll pick you up, I’ll never let you fall. If you ever need someone…’ I’m waiting for your call I’ll meet you at the mall I’m just down the hall I’m on the other side of that wall Correct Incorrect Which prestigious northeastern university accepted Zack after his surprisingly high SAT score? Yale Harvard Princeton Columbia Correct Incorrect What throws Zack off about temporary love interest Melissa? She’s in her 40s She smokes cigarettes She‘s a republican She‘s in a wheelchair Correct Incorrect Stacey Carosi’s boyfriend Craig cheats to win what annual competition at the Malibu Sands Beach Club? one-on-one basketball tournament A triathlon An ATV race A push-up contest Correct Incorrect Who played Screech’s girlfriend Violet Anne Bickerstaff? Jennie Garth Tori Spelling Shannen Doherty Gabrielle Carteris Correct Incorrect What song did Screech, Zack, and Slater lip-synch to in their version of the Risky Business underwear dance? “Barbara Ann” “Surfin' USA” “Sloop John B” “California Girls” Correct Incorrect When Zack dresses as a woman to woo Screech, what does he call himself? Candy Bambi Mandy Trandie Correct Incorrect What phone number should one call to buy Screech’s famous spaghetti sauce? 555-YUMM 555-SPAG 555-MMMM 555-AHHH Correct Incorrect What special power does Screech get after being struck by lightning? Superhuman strength X-ray vision Precognition Invisibility Correct Incorrect Finish Mr. Belding’s catchphrase: “Hey, hey, hey…” “What is going on here?” “What’s the big idea?” “What are you doing?” “What is this nonsense?” Correct Incorrect What did Screech name his first zit? Benny Murray Milton Humphrey Correct Incorrect The Buddy Bands commercial ends with Slater pointing to Kelly and Jessie and saying… “Ladies love them.” “Hey, they work.” “Oh, mama.” “Better buy two.” Correct Incorrect Which of these doesn’t happen during student-teacher week? Zack becomes principal Kelly becomes a history teacher Lisa becomes a gym teacher Jessie becomes counslor Correct Incorrect How did Lisa sprain her ankle before the dance competition at the Max? Playing Soccer Learning the Hammer dance She kicked the TV Trying on heels Correct Incorrect In addition to a scholarship, Slater is offered a car to play football at what fictional university? Stansbury Stansington Stanville Stansburg Correct Incorrect What mall job does Slater get to make money around Christmas time? He’s one of Santa’s elves He works at a men’s clothing store He sells eggnog He wraps gifts Correct Incorrect Zack has trouble singing his entry into the school song competition because his drink was spiked with what? Vodka Novocaine Dish soap Lemon extract Correct Incorrect Who was Miss December in the Bayside swim-team calendar? Kelly Lisa Mr. Belding Jessie Correct Incorrect How is beloved Bayside duck Becky killed? She’s run over by the driver’s ed car She drowns in oil She’s hit by an errant baseball She eats a burger from the Max Correct Incorrect How did Zack injure his knee before the big basketball game? He wrecked his car He was hit by a motorcycle He tore his ACL after landing awkwardly in practice He bumped into Mr. Belding Correct Incorrect What song are Zack and Co. singing as he drunkenly drives home from a toga party? “Wild Thing” “Twist and Shout” “I Wanna Be Your Dog” “Light My Fire” Correct Incorrect Where does Jessie’s dad get married? Reno Palm Springs Las Vegas Acapulco Correct Incorrect Where does Lisa’s dad want to take her after she admits to overspending on his credit card? Burger King Sizzler The Max Denny’s Correct Incorrect Which of the following does Screech not appear as in a dream sequence? Robin Screech RoboScreech Geraldo Screech Jean Claude Van Screech Correct Incorrect What’s the name of Kelly’s hunky older boyfriend? Jeff Todd Mark Billy Correct Incorrect Jessie subverts the Miss Liberty beauty pageant by wearing what? A Statue of Liberty costume A three-piece suit A burka Nothing at all Correct Incorrect What did Screech say his name was when he dressed as a female janitor to invade the girls’ locker room? Madonna Sinead O’Connor Olivia Newton-John Whitney Houston Correct Incorrect What place did Zack and Kelly’s song occupy on the Max’s juke box? A6 A12 A18 A24 Correct IncorrectThis article is an exposé of Hakim Bey, aka Peter Lamborn Wilson's paedophilia. A fact which many commentators conveniently brush under the carpet.
The Brooklyn Rail (July-August 2004) has just published an interview of Peter Lamborn Wilson (Hakim Bey), that gives the reader a misleading and incomplete picture of the subject. The interview was then forwarded to the Research on Anarchism list-serve. "Wilson rightly became celebrated as a kind of urban prophet," the interviewer writes, "It was an identity to add the others he bears seamlessly and without contradiction: anarchist, poet, public intellectual, psychedelic explorer, artist, social critic, Sufi mystic."
The interviewer's special phrasing, "seamlessly and without contradiction," is where she begins, unintentionally, to mislead. I am writing to describe another unusual way in which Mr. Wilson has distinguished himself that may make a wrinkle or two in the average person's opinion: he is a public paedophile intellectual of international reputation, and one who mixes anarchist ideology into his paedophile discourse. Even though we're talking about a writer whose work has now been translated into French, Russian, German, Dutch, and other languages, I should like to emphasise that there is no reason why the interviewer should have already known this. The Rail's pages, however, have presented him as entirely respectable thinker, and I am writing to correct that mistake.
It was actually the very first thing I ever heard about the man: "Same person as Hakim Bey. Goes for little Boys," was the matter-of-fact comment from one of his New York City comrades, around 1991, when I was still new to anarchism, and living in Philadelphia. At first there was no special reason for me to make an issue of it. I have known people who have mentioned sexual encounters they had with adults when they were children, and which they considered to have been harmless. I've simply pointed out that the burden of responsibility lies only with the adult, and not with the child, and that was the end of it. I have not once been considered a prude by anyone who knows me, nor anything but blunt and heavy-handed when discussing in favour of one's right to choose the sexual lifestyle. But choices made by consenting adults is the realm of the discussion.
Peter Lamborn Wilson (who writes at least as often as Hakim Bey and makes no secret of the pseudonym), uses anarchism in an ethically warped, opportunistic way by pretending that adult-child sex is a natural freedom. It isn't, and not only would almost any anarchist disagree with him, but they'd also dispute a child-rapist's right to a non-violent remedy in many cases. As a person who is and always is, in both public and private life, as an anarchist, I feel the responsibility to simply put my disagreement on record. I do so now because the forwarding of the Rail interview creates an error of omission on the r-a list.
There is a periodical, preserved at the University of Michigan's famous Labadie Collection, that seems to make an unlikely fit with the purpose of that special archive, which is to preserve anarchist materials in particular, as well as those of other social movements, including sexual freedom and gay liberation. It is the NAMBLA Bulletin, which has been published monthly since 1983 by the North American Man-Boy Love Association. "Man-boy Love" is a term used by apologists of paedophilia. I hereafter use the term paedophilia where such people would object to its use. But why was a paedophile magazine acquired by an archive with such a charter? Most people would argue that "Man-Boy Love" is not an issue relating to gay culture at all, since paedophilia occurs no more or less frequently among gays than it does with straights. Very few people of any politics consider adult-child sex to be a legitimate lifestyle choice. But the former curator who added NAMBLA Bulletin to the Labadie was actually keeping to the central mission of the anarchist archive when he subscribed to the journal.
Beginning with the July-August 1985 issue, the magazine carried a long series of items by Hakim Bey, who was already a distinctly anarchist writer. Most of them were discussions of the paedophile obsession with a clear anarchist slant. Anarchist ideology was the mode of justification, the method of persuading children to have sex and to keep it secret. Take for example the following poem, "My Political Beliefs," from NAMBLA Bulletin's June 1986 issue, page 14:
barelegged on his bicycle in the park he rides beneath
a children's fountain droplets catch his hair which
the afternoon makes somewhat bronze, beaded with molten dew
--the sunset over Jersey like an industrial krakatoa:
Newark Gold, Secaucus Red, East Orange.
The button on his blazer: Anarchist Bicyclists
he's in the bathtub, I see
him through a crack in the door playing with himself, he calls me in, shows me
underwater push-ups and sit-ups, except for his gallic buttocks his skin is gilt as the air over the Hudson. The touch of his wet, bath-wrinkled fingers in my hand... but then...
one of his parents clumps down the hall... I suppose to make sure neither of us is raping the other...
[chorus of groans] Ohhh! for a
Buster-Keaton-bomb all spherical & black as coaldust with sweet sparkling with sweet sparkling fuse a mindbomb to
Drop on the Idea of the Family! O for a libertarian isle of runaways! O goodnight
Moon, I am lost, actually lost without him
But I didn't want this to be
Just another poem about hopeless love. Pretend it's a manifesto instead. Down with School! Boy Rule OK! In the land of dreams
No governance exists
But that of anarchs and kings, for dreamers have not yet learned to vote or think past the unfurling of the moment. He touches my cheek, runs delicate fingers through the hairs on my arm.
My liege shatters all Law for a triple kiss.
--Hakim Bey
Many of Hakim Bey's best-known anarchist pitches first saw print as paedophile apologies. NAMBLA published his "Association for Ontological Anarchism, communiqué #2" in July-Aug 1986, and a journal called Gayme ran "A Temporary Autonomous Zone" and "Pirate Utopias" in issues of 1993-95, along with his more obscure "Contemplation of the Unbearded."
Bey's best-known book Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) describes spiritual zones in which anything goes, where the oppressive rules of the outside society need not interfere with what feels good to do. I realise that many honest people have read TAZ without taking any sleazy impression from it. I hope they'll forgive me for pointing out that paedophiles say these same things to children. In his essay "Obsessive Love" (Moorish Science Monitor, Vol. 7, #5, Summer 1995), in which he pretends to be quite the classical scholar, he talks about ancient religious views on romantic and obsessive love. "The Greco-Egypto-Islamic ferment adds a pederastic [i.e. paedophile] element... the ideal woman of romance is neither wife nor concubine but someone in the forbidden category..." He uses the term "spiritual alchemy" for witnessing the "Devine Beloved in certain beautiful boys," and remarks that, "since all homosexuality is forbidden in Islamic law, a boy-loving sufi has no'safe' category for sensual realisation."
In fact, one of the commonest defence lawyerish lines about paedophilia is how "the Greeks did it," or how incredibly well Michael Jackson sings and dances; or how some long-dead and noteworthy author was also was in the habit of boning the baby. These are feeble and irrelevant ways to side-step the ethical issue. Knowledge is power, and children know almost nothing. But just so we go through the points, it was a minority of rich Athenian Greeks during the Classical period, not all "the Greeks," who accepted paedophilia, while, by the way, they were also proclaiming their misogyny in rhetorically gorgeous ways. Athens was a slave-owning society in which democracy was observed only between citizens not between everyone --and the use of slaves as sexual chattel carried no age-restrictions. Furthermore, in no way should artistic talent cause one to be forgiven a sexual abuse or rape. In fact, when a paedophile is very witty and well-spoken, this very same skill is used to attract young, gullible targets. To argue for paedophilia is imbecile when it is sincere. It is so logically pathetic, in fact, that one almost needs to be a child to believe that it's sincere.
Pressing the anarcho-paedophile cause in another way, Wilson (Bey) reviewed the reprint of the late 19th century German-based anarchist John Henry Mackay's book Fenny Skaller and Other Poems, etc.. Bey's essay was entitled " Man-Boy Love Novel Still Relevant 100 Years On." (NAMBLA Bulletin April 1989). In "Obsessive Love," Bey again invokes Mackay (1864-1933), whose paedophilia was never known to other anarchist writers during his life: "I admit to a philosophical preference for Mackay's position..." [which means the] " giving up of all false chivalry and self-denying dandyism in favour of more 'pagan' and convivial modes of love." He closes the essay with his clearest anarcho-paedophile statement: "it has taken on a tantalising reality and filtered into my life in certain Temporary Autonomous Zones an impossible time and space and on this brief hint, all my theory is based." What he means by this is that he really has sex with children, rather than leaving the matter to fantasy, and that this is his purpose when he preaches anarchism.
Hakim Bey is the pseudonym for 59-year old Peter Lamborn Wilson, who has been based in New York City for most of his life, but is now living upstate in New Paltz. The Brooklyn Rail's interviewer, has this mistakenly reversed, giving Bey as the original name, Wilson as the pseudonym. The guy was born a WASP, and perhaps became Sufi one day while prowling the mountains of Asia. He has no occupation, and in 1994 told an interviewer (Voice Literary Supplement, New York, Feb. 1994) that he "thanks God that a trickle of family money keeps him 'independently poor.'"[1] The name Lamborn is rare in New York, and it is where the Sugar industry magnate Ody Lamborn died in 1971. It's been my impression that Hakim Bey's trust fund was originally earned by tormented labourers on sugar plantations. Whether it's from sugar or from something else, this brings us to Wilson's touching concern, about what he called "a class war situation" in the Rail interview : "Where's our support for the Mexican migrant agricultural workers?"
I have operated dangerous machinery in factories, carried lumber up flights of stairs, and I have (like most anarchists) done other boring, low-paid jobs to feed myself, starting around age thirteen. Still, I have known several anarchists who come from wealthy families, and I've thought well of them because they make the choice to use their privilege (freedom allowed by their trust fund) in good faith; perhaps to heal wounds made earlier by their own relatives. But Peter Lamborn Wilson gives me an unquiet feeling when he pretends to understand and hold concern in his heart for that other world, where he's never paid a visit, and where people work because they must work. It has the very phoney ring of someone pouring syrup into a liberal ear.
His use of his word-skills, of course, has me feeling still worse. As he conjoins his paedophile mission with anarchism, he knows very well that anarchism is now very popular among the very young. This is not "spiritual anarchism," as he entitled a public "Chaos Day" lecture in December of 2002. It is paedophile opportunism. Another device he uses a lot is exemplified in "Tectum Theatrum" (Fifth Estate, Summer 2003), in which he uses Latin phrases over and over, never to say something there's no English word for, but to impress the utterly naive reader. Having read Classical languages in college, this is especially tedious and transparent to me, but it certainly will have its desired effect on adolescent readers.
While he has no occupation, Bey/Wilson has not been idle. In Fifth Estate #363, just this past winter, he relates how, when he was in his mid-twenties, he was wandering around Persia and South Asia, smoking opium and "looking for traditional anarchism" in Sufism. Under his pseudonym (Bey), he's found some paedophile culture over in that region as well. His translation of Abu Nuwas' poetry, O Tribe That Loves Boys was published in Amsterdam in 1993.
When he was about thirty, Bey founded the Semiotext(e)-Autonomedia Publishing group in New York. It has since become one of the larger of the US-based anarchist publishers, and Bey remains with the group, which carries several of his titles. An early release was Loving Boys: Semiotext(e) Special (1980), edited by Bey. Thus he's been on this crusade, in print, for at least twenty-five years. For some time, he had a program on WBAI Radio, entitled "The Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade."
In the letters column of Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed (#20/21, Nov-Dec 1989, p. 42), a letter announced a new a zine for contributors 17 and under. Wild Children, as the zine was called, solicited articles on "anarchy (of course!), sci-fi, sexuality & love, spiritual paths (or lack thereof), and anything else kids would like to submit." The letter gave Hakim Bey as the editor, at a Brooklyn PO Box. Lev Chernyi, the editor of Anarchy[2] replied that "Wild Children sounds like an interesting idea. I hope it works out. Any young readers interested?" In 1998, a 64-page anthology of this zine was published, switching over to the name Wilson as editor.[3] While the anthology is not considered a paedophile text and is carried by some anarchist bookstores without concern, it should be noted that its contents were solicited by a public anarchist-paedophile apologist during the same years (1993-1997) when he was contributing pieces of clearly anarchist-paedophile intent to the magazine Gayme, which was a bit more strident than other child-molester periodicals, and was once the target of a public prosecutor in Massachussetts. Due to legal issues relating to the its contents, in fact, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives in Toronto preserves the title but will not allow scanning or copying of its pages. I have been unable to locate original copies of the zine Wild Children, but in yet another NAMBLA publication, its Journal (#7; 1986), the age "ten-and-a-half" occurs as the age of a boy in a sketch by Bey. In typical paedo-style, everything is pushed to where he can't go farther without the expectation of some angry person attacking him. But Bey takes things to the next step by using a name by which he (Peter Wilson) is actually identified. He's safe in doing so because of the extreme toleration of anarchists in general, and the shallowness of many.
Paedophilia is not the only opinion for which Hakim Bey has irritated other anarchists. One example is his views on abortion. In "Communique #9" of the Association for Ontological Anarchy, Bey wrote: "According to Chaos Theory, it does not follow that we are obliged to like or approve of murder or abortion. Chaos would enjoy seeing every bastard love-child carried to term & birthed; sperm & egg alone are merely lovely secretions, but combined as DNA they become potential consciousness, negentropy, joy... If'meat is murder!' as the Vegans like to claim, what pray tell is abortion?"
I will not offer any reason to be offended by the paedophile literature or the misogynist position of Hakim Bey as quoted above. The ethical idiocy of both are self-evident, and neither is part of anything that should be considered an anarchist idea. I am not surprised that these opinions exist, but I am most uncomfortable for realising that there is a discreet haven for both within the anarchist culture of the United States. It makes me wonder, in fact: why did the world-wide Catholic Church sex abuse scandal go by a few years ago, without any commentary from American anarchists? Is this another dirty little anarchist secret?
As for what I mean by a "dirty little anarchist secret," here's another example: when about 7,000 priests were killed, many Catholic churches burned, and many saintly cadavers mockingly defiled at the beginning of the Spanish Revolution of 1936, it was in pretty bad taste, but there were very logical and fair reasons for people (including a huge number of anarchists) to take their anti-clerical rage into action. Many anarchists have denied that any of this happened, saying that it was all just fascist propaganda, or that it's been wildly exaggerated. Actually, there is plenty of hard evidence that it did happen. Rather than a bizarre, revisionist denial, I would rather hear us say that the current craze for anarchist soccer-teams has its roots in Spain (Madrid, I believe), where teenagers played football with the skull of a saint, out in the plaza in front of the church named after him. Why don't we just talk about it? Why can't we talk about a fairly well-known anarchist author as the paedophile personality that he most certainly is? What's the point of calling oneself "anarchist" if there's some area of discussion where it's too disturbing to ever step?
More directly intriguing to me is why I have been shut out of letters columns or declined for print in anarchist periodicals on about twenty occasions (and again now, in the Brooklyn Rail) when I cite the articles, name the issue, and express my disapproval for a man who presents child molestation as a point of anarchistic freedom. The reasons given by editors vary widely. Some reactions are hostile, taken very personally. Other cases express appreciation and some concern for the information. Certain editors have written so much thick, loving praise for Bey, and printed so much of his work that they find themselves cornered when the paedophilia item is raised. They have no sympathy for child-molestation but they frantically search for paths by which they can stay clear of its discussion, perhaps fearing that somehow, the stink of it would cling to them and their publication. They'll sometimes argue that it's unfair to link the person with the person's writings. I point to these editors, as I have here, that it's in the writings that all this is happening, with the less bold examples sometimes drooling out in their own anarchist pages.
In the present case, the writer who interviewed Lamborn Wilson recently at his green wood-frame house in New Paltz was glad to have been informed, and there was a short, respectful exchange between us. But the editors of the Rail merely tossed off a form letter: "Thank you for your input..." There was no evidence of any sort of concern, nor admission that the interview made a completely skewed impression of its subject, no hint that editors have an ethical responsibility for what they put on their pages.
Worse still is for there to be no reply, not even a private note. I was particularly disgusted by Andrei Codrescu, the (obviously anarchist) National Public Radio commentator who gave "TAZ and the Tazzerites" a glowing ten minutes of his voice on All Things Considered in July of 2003. I very respectfully wrote him about these concerns, then I confirmed that he'd received my letter, but I received no reply at all. The obvious message is that it's beneath Codrescu's consideration to acknowledge in a ten-second message - Yes the paedo-stuff is a drag but I like his other writings, sorry but I disagree or whatever he thinks. He means that Hakim Bey's 25 or more years as a public intellectual of anarchist paedophilia is not any problem for him when he tells seventy million people what cool stuff the guy writes, without reference to the paedophile origin and undercurrent of TAZ, the same item he recommended.
No one anywhere denies that Peter Lamborn Wilson (Hakim Bey) is paedophile, least of all the man himself. I state what I see on his pages, I offer my opinions as opinions only, and I make no accusation of criminal conduct. The citations are right there, for anyone to check for accuracy. Endlessly, anarchists have privately agreed that I am absolutely right, on-the-money correct, about this issue. The number who have written that opinion down where anyone else can read it is very close to zero. I am left with the impression that they are not taking responsibility for what they know. This does not speak well of the anarchists of the United States. I feel that with anarchism becoming ever more popular, the greater portion of new anarchists are just consumers of anarchist stuff. Since such people can't deal with a new ethical problem, they probably would not know what to do with that new, real revolutionary opportunity for which they pine so passionately.
The fact that a widely celebrated, living anarchist writer has smeared the anarchist tradition with a sugar-coated image of paedophilia is an issue that will continue to be raised. I feel that this is fair and relevant because I keep spotting distorted presentations of Hakim Bey and his motives, as in this last issue of the Brooklyn Rail.
-------------------------
Robert P. Helms is an independent historian of anarchism, now writing about the early movement at Philadelphia. He is editor and principle author of Guinea Pig Zero: An Anthology of the Journal for Human Research Subjects (1992). Formerly of Philadelphia, he now lives in a suburb of Paris. He can be reached at gpzero(at)earthlink.net
-------------------------
Footnotes
Anyone who wants a copy of the Hakim Bey paedophile bibliography (a work in progress) should just ask, and the author will email it to you.
1. Erik Davis, interviewer,"The Wandering Sufi: Itroduction to the Mystic with Peter Lamborn Wilson," Voice Literary Supplement, New York, February 1994
2. The same editor sometimes uses the name Jason McQuinn.
3. Wild Children: A Zine For Kids. New York, Scb Publishers, 1998. Peter Lamborn Wilson (Editor) and Dave Mandl (Editor).
Taken from The Research on Anarchism List (RA-L), which is an international forum which was started on January 1, 1996, and is devoted to book reviews, research and discussion of the theories, histories and cultures of world anarchist movements and to other topics related to anarchism.My Dream Nokia #70 comes from Vilim Plužarić, an industrial designer and philosopher from Zagreb. He’s based in Croatia and is working as a freelance designer as well as writing articles for Gadgeterija.net. He previously designed concepts for the iPhone 5 and works on the “Apple Conspiracy project”. I’m pleased he’s taking an interest in Nokia concepts too.
Vilim emailed us his to help spread his new concept called the Nokia Lumia FX800. It’s somewhat higher end than the 920 with a larger 4.65″ display.
This is the back story behind the titanium built Lumia FX800
The story behind Lumia FX800 is a true rivalry to iPhone 5. It draws its inspiration from 2002 model 8910 Titanium in terms of material, stealth-bomber-looking X7 and of course, the already iconic design of N9/Lumia 800. Its name represents the visual effect, the “FX”. This one is not in color, as opposed to other Lumia range. It will come in titanium unibody and packed in extremely thin chassis.
It’s intended is to be limited edition, high-priced, high-class and high-style smartphone that puts style over innovation. Innovation is presented through Lumia 920, but it comes at the cost of bulky body. This one has almost same specs, without innovative technologies, but on the other hand, it comes in a sleek and classy form. It’s purpose is not to do harm to Lumia 920 sales, but to cover style-conscious market, and certainly market largely covered by iPhone.
It utilizes the same 4.65″ AMOLED screen seen in 2011 model from Samsung, the Galaxy Nexus. Nokia uses those AMOLEDs for their Lumias 800 and 900 with addition of their own ClearBlack technology. It is the larger screen than in Luima 900, but it keeps the same device dimensions. Unfortunately, there are no non-PenTile HD AMOLEDs from Samsung right now for the diagonals below 5.5″, so it has to suffice. Advertisements Feel free to contact me in case you have some questions and remarks.
Very slim, same footprint as the 900 except with less bezel so more screen.
About “My Dream Nokia” I’m sure you’ve dreamt up your PERFECT Nokia device/UI. What it would look like, what it would feel like, what features it would have. Why don’t you share it with the world? Or at least with other Nokia fans. It could be your own photoshopped or rendered work (seriously, you don’t need mega skills in either, basic paint job is often enough to convey a concept) of your dream product. SEND this in similarly to tips@mynokiablog.com with the title “My Dream Nokia” and perhaps the model number (and a little description, maybe a few specs in the message area? Though this bit not necessary). Who knows, maybe an image might flutter over to Nokia and through whatever route end up being real.
Cheers Vilim Plužarić!
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Related
Category: Concept, Dream Nokia, Lumia, NokiaThe idea is to destroy the sovereignty of the nations that represent the last bastion of freedom in this world; and the United States is Number 1 on their “hit list”.
Don’t believe me?
I’ll give you a few quotes from some of our REAL enemies.
“We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time magazine, and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promise of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The super-national sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
—David Rockefeller, at a 1991 Bilderberger meeting
“We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order.”
—David Rockefeller
“Today Americans would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order; tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told there was an outside threat from beyond whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will pledge with world leaders to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well being granted to them by their world government.”
– Henry Kissinger in an address to the Bilderberger meeting at Evian, France, May 21, 1992
The EU should “do its best to undermine” the “homogeneity” of its member states, the UN’s special representative for migration has said.
—Peter Sutherland, UN migration chief & chairman at Goldman Sachs bank, who wants to use (Muslim) immigration to destroy European countries’ culture
If we are frank with ourselves, we shall admit that we are engaged on a deliberate and sustained and concentrated effort to impose limitations upon the sovereignty and independence of the fifty or sixty local sovereign independent States which at present partition the habitable surface of the earth and divide the political allegiance of mankind. It is just because we are really attacking the principle of local sovereignty that we keep on protesting our loyalty to it so loudly.
… I will merely repeat that we are at present working, discreetly but with all our might, to wrest this mysterious political force called sovereignty out of the clutches of the local national states of our world. And all the time we are denying with our lips what we are doing with our hands…
—Arnold Toynbee, Address to the 1931 Copenhagen conference as published in International Affairs : Journal of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (November 1931)
Has it become clear NOW?SubStance #121, Vol. 39, no. 1, 2010
© Board of Regents, University of Wiscon sin System, 2010
8
Deleuze, Guattari, and the “Politics of Sorcery”
Joshua Delpech-Ramey
There is an entire politics of becomings-anima l, as well as a politics of sorcery, which is elaborated in assemblages that are neither those of the family nor of r eligion nor of the State. Instead, they express minoritar- ian groups, or groups that are oppressed, prohibited, in revolt, or always on the fringe of recognized institutions, groups all the more secret for being extrinsic, in other words, anomic. If becoming-anima l takes the form of a T emptation, and of monsters aroused in the imagination by the demon, it is because it is accompanied, at its origin as in its undertaking, by a rupture with the central institutions that have established them- selves or seek to become established. (
A Thousand Plateaus
, 247) The plane of consi stency is the intersection of all concrete forms. There- fore all becomings are written like sorcerer’s drawings on this plane of consistency, which is the ultimate Door providing a way out for them… The only question is: Does a given becoming rea ch that point? (ibid., 251)
On the rst page of
The Dialectic of Enlightenment
, Adorno and Hork-
heimer dene the pr oject of the Enlightenmen t in no uncertain term s. Its
goal, they write, was to liberate the world fr om magic. The devastating
success of the Enlightenment, they argue, is the ironic “technologizatio n”
of reason: having begun by setting the liber ating power of critic al insight
against the power of myth, the Enlightenment ends with the reduction of
reason to a set of techniques for the domination of the material world--a set of reinforcing principles that mythologize industrial productivity as the consummation of human creative power.
1
On this account it might seem that to liberate reason and selfhood from its imprisonment in forms of technique, it would be imperative that the
objects
of thought not be
prima
facie
reducible to the Enlightenment’s conception of “objectivity.” If the objectivity of objects, for the Enlightenment, consists in those features of
the natural world that the human mind can universally manipulate, and
if in fact, as Adorno and Horkheimer argued, this notion of objectivity
actually inhibits rather than liberates reason, it might seem that to renew
reason philosophy would have to take account of dimensions of objects not reducible to objectivity.
2
If the Enlightenment arbitrarily and disas
- trously reduced r eason to formulas of technique, and did this in order to liberate the world from magic, might we not once again, to overcome the
crisis of the Enlightenment, have to allow for the possibility of a magicalFacebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Hi-res Images | PeaceBicycles.com | 847-877-9967
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-sz await svctm %util
dm-0 0.00 0.00 601.20 0.80 19065.60 33.60 31.73 65.98 108.72 1.66 100.00
In this case we’re getting 4.5x of throughput compared to single thread and 100% utilization. We’re also getting almost double throughput of the run with 4 thread where 100% utilization was reported. This makes sense – there are 4 drives which can work in parallel and with many outstanding requests they are able to optimize their seeks better hence giving a bit more than 4x.
So what have we so? The system which was 96% capacity but which could have driven still to provide 4.5x throughput – so it had plenty of extra IO capacity. More powerful storage might have significantly more ability to run requests in parallel so it is quite possible to see 10x or more room after utilization% starts to be reported close to 100%
So if utilization% is not very helpful what can we use to understand our database IO capacity better? First lets look at the performance reported from those sysbench runs. If we look at 95% response time you can see 1 thread and 4 threads had relatively close 95% time growing just from 150ms to 250-300ms. This is the number I really like to look at- if system is able to respond to the queries with response time not significantly higher than it has with concurrency of 1 it is not overloaded. I like using 3x as multiplier – ie when 95% spikes to be more than 3x of the single concurrency the system might be getting to the overload.
With 64 threads the 95% response time is 15-20x of the one we see with single thread so it is surely overloaded.
Do we have anything reported by iostat which we can use in a similar way? It turns out we do! Check out the “await” column which tells us how much the requester had to wait for the IO request to be serviced. With single concurrency it is 7.8ms which is what this drives can do for random IO and is as good as it gets. With 4 threads it is 13.7ms – less than double of best possible, so also good enough… with concurrency of 64 it is however 108ms which is over 10x of what this device could produce with no waiting and which is surely sign of overload.
A couple words of caution. First, do not look at svctm which is not designed with parallel processing in mind. You can see in our case it actually gets better with high concurrency while really database had to wait a lot longer for requests submitted. Second, iostat mixes together reads and writes in single statistics which specifically for databases and especially on RAID with BBU might be like mixing apples and oranges together – writes should go to writeback cache and be acknowledged essentially instantly while reads only complete when actual data can be delivered. The tool pt-diskstats from Percona Tookit breaks them apart and so can be much more for storage tuning for database workload. Some of the recent operating systems also ship with sysstat/iostat which breaks out await to r_await and w_await which is much more useful.
Final note – I used a read-only workload on purpose – when it comes to writes things can be even more complicated – MySQL buffer pool can be more efficient with more intensive writes plus group commit might be able to commit a lot of transactions with single disk write. Still, the same base logic will apply.
Summary: The take away is simple – util% only shows if a device has at least one operation to deal with or is completely busy, which does not reflect actual utilization for a majority of modern IO subsystems. So you may have a lot of storage IO capacity left even when utilization is close to 100%.Apologies to those who still don't accept the inevitability of a Donald Trump candidacy in the Republican Party -- I feel your pain, as a famous prevaricator/predator once said -- but, disappointing as it may be to Fox and CNN executives, not to mention the millions or hundreds of thousands of voters loyal to Messrs. Cruz and Kasich, it's all over but the shouting and the backbiting. Cleveland in July may not be Christmas in July, but it's not going to be the second coming of the 1992 L.A. riots or the 1968 Chicago convention either.
It's going to be business -- relatively -- as usual with a Republican nominee comfortably in place before the festivities begin. And we all know who that is, like it or not. The fat lady has sung -- with a Queens accent.
I know that many see this as a disaster. The Republican Party will disintegrate. The Congress will turn blue never to return, etc. etc.
I don't. I'm sure that since I am a Trump supporter -- even though an intermittent and ambivalent one -- people will disqualify my opinion, and perhaps they should, but I don't have that worry. I think, as the old saying goes, things happen for a reason. I agree with Tucker Carlson, who said on The Kelly File Monday night that Trump was the only candidate with a chance of defeating Hillary Clinton in the general election. It is only Trump, of all the Republicans, if indeed he is a Republican, who is enough of a wild card to overcome the new American demographics that so favor Democratic candidates in presidential elections. They were bad enough when Obama ran against Romney. They are worse now.
So the fat lady's been singing for a while. But she started to hit the high notes when, just the other day, Cruz and Kasich got more desperate and decided to team up (sorta) to defeat Trump. They didn't, however, seem to have their hearts in it and only hours after the announcement Kasich appeared to be backing halfway out, saying he still wanted his supporters to vote for him. He just wasn't going to campaign in Indiana. Cruz wasn't acting particularly enthusiastic either. This wasn't exactly the Bryan Brothers going for that last Wimbledon. No real team play for these guys. Trump called them "colluders," but I'm not sure they could do a good job of even sharing crayons.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A Saudi woman who filed harassment claims in Saudi Arabia without being accompanied by a male relative has been sentenced to 300 lashes and 18 months in jail, Human Rights Watch said.
Sawsan Salim lodged a series of complaints in 2007 at government offices and in court in the northern region of Qasim in which she accused local officials of harassment, the rights group based in New York said. She was sentenced in January on charges of making “spurious complaints’’ against government officials and appearing without a male guardian, the group said in an e-mailed statement received yesterday.
“In Saudi Arabia, being a woman going about her legitimate business without a man’s protection is apparently a crime,’’ Nadya Khalife, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in the statement. “The government needs to free Sawsan Salim and keep its promise to end this discriminatory system.’’
Saudi Arabia, which maintains a code of Islamic morals, said in June at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that it would end the male-guardianship rule, said Human Rights Watch.
The system requires women to get permission from a male relative to go to classes, work, travel, open a bank account, or receive non-emergency medical care.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.How can you build interest around things that youth are passionate about to promote positive development?
The Gist
TAP is a garage studio and alley gallery that showcases legal street art produced by local youth and community members. Professional artists, teens, and neighbors have worked together to build an infrastructure for creative expression and community responsibility in a neighborhood that is diverse and thriving but also sees a high rate of illegal activity.
Overview
TAP provides a creative outlet for over a hundred youth living in Southwest Detroit. It’s a neighborhood with both the most inspiring and most challenging social and physical climates in Detroit, with a healthy level of diversity and a thriving commercial district, but also abundant exploitive opportunities for its young. Highly visible drug traffic, frequent incidents of vandalism including gang graffiti, and other illegal activities have plagued the community for generations. The neighborhood quickly realized that there was a group of youth interested in street art and subculture with no outlet or space to claim ownership of. The TAP footprint includes a small studio, garden lot, and an alley gallery showcasing 1,800 square feet of high-quality murals produced by local artists and students.
Accomplishments
Engaged 120+ youths in creative work through weekend workshops and other social gatherings.
Decreased gang graffiti in the neighborhood footprint while highlighting its eclectic and multi-cultural identity.
Built unexpected relationships between renters, homeowners, artists, youth, and service providers, increasing community pride and social responsibility.
Lead local and international conversation on the value of street art and empowering youth.
Showcased student work at the Venice Biennale and throughout Europe during an international visit.
Organization
TAP is an initiative of Young Nation, a nonprofit organization promoting the holistic development of youth in urban settings through building relationships, community education, and passion-driven projects. Since 2004, The Alley Project has evolved from 4 garage canvases and 8 to 12 students to a creative hub that welcomes 30 to 50 participants a month. Artists, youth, and neighbors gather weekly in the studio and alley to work on new projects, discuss challenges, share ideas, and maintain the space. TAP also hosts longer mentoring workshops called Graphik Jam and onsite tours.
Budget
TAP is currently unfunded. Small donations, resources, and materials are contributed by neighbors and local service providers. A one-time $38,000 community grant provided by Community + Public Arts Detroit allowed The Alley Project to host a community design charrette and build its garage studio.
Funding
For TAP, each phase of the project is planned for long-term sustainability. All labor and materials are donated by community members, providing a strong sense of ownership and value. Unexpected partners work together to maintain and build the space, utilizing resources at hand. TAP’s parent organization is also seeking additional grant support for future projects.
Participants
TAP participation has grown primarily through word of mouth. Teens and artists bring friends to the site who have not see their work or are simply interested in what’s going on. Door-to-door outreach among neighbors has also increased awareness and action.
Inspiration
A creative outlet can stir major change in a community. The Alley Project’s primary mission is to create a place that facilitates and supports the themes of creative expression, positive youth-adult partnerships, and community responsibility. While TAP can boast global and domestic accolades, the project’s primary measure of success is the frequency and depth of unlikely relationships that are formed on site. The space is an intergenerational and cross-cultural hub, and relationships are built to last longer than the paint on the walls.
Actions Taken
Address the Obvious Problem. Clearly defining site-specific challenges will lead to stronger solutions. While the larger community might have targeted vandalism as a problem, TAP partners realized the potential value of working with street artists and providing a space dedicated to creative expression. Build Support and Partners. Primary stakeholders need to be engaged in the project on the front end. When you are working in the public realm, it is very important to make connections with the local government, neighbors, and other organizations that are engaged in similar work. TAP grew interest and support by knocking on doors and building strong relationships early in the process. Take Matters into Your Own Hands. Physical action can often catalyze engagement. After reaching out through traditional methods of approval, the neighbors decided to move forward with the project and paint in spite of raised concerns. This allowed community members and local officials to visualize the project and then engage in constructive dialogue. Often, taking the first step prompts further action. Map Needs and Assets. Making a plan can be time-consuming and ineffective if the right stakeholders are not involved. By creating a needs and asset map with dedicated partners and participants, a project can articulate as series of to-do’s and the resources needed to accomplish them. Invest in Social Capital. For TAP to succeed, it needs to remain primarily unfunded. Neighbors must work together to maintain and showcase the space utilizing resources and materials that are readily available. In this case, low budget does not mean low impact. The project focuses on people, passion, and relationships to build social economies over monetary ones. Develop Sustainable Plans. While projects often focus on immediate goals with limited foresight, TAP has consciously developed self-sustaining plans for each phase of growth. From engaging neighborhood gardeners to care for the planter boxes to hiring architects who could design an multifunctional art studio, the project has been carefully programmed for adaptability and long-term use. Build a Portfolio for the Community. TAP’s evolving space is a reflection of people that are engaged in their work and process. If the community is not actively building a critical dialogue about art and creativity, the project impact would not be as strong.
Lessons Learned
Make the Physical Space Support Social Activity.
“Focus on what you want to do and create physical design interventions accordingly. While other projects spent money on high-quality materials and pieces of art, we created an environment that evolves and supports our programs. The physical space will promote social activities 10 years beyond our funding. Make the design process participatory.”
Act Now. Ask Later.
“We reached out to the city and nonprofits, but a lot of times you don’t become great partners until after you have started and proven yourself.”
Involve Your Resistance.
“People often ask if everybody around here loves art…No, this is a neighborhood, it’s not a compound. If we didn’t have people who were critical, we would not be creating an honest assessment of where we are at. If it wasn’t for people that hate the project, it would have a fence around it. They nixed it. The fence was our attempt to accommodate the most conservative neighbors, they got involved with the project and declined the fence. If you lock the fence, then its a challenge to get into it. If you leave it open, we can watch it all the time. The project is open.”
Experts
Erik Howard, Founder and Artist, support@youngnation.us
Similar Projects
DocumentsOntario's convenience stores launched another bid Wednesday for permission to sell beer and wine, and found at least one party leader willing to consider the idea.
The Ontario Convenience Stores Association released a petition with 112,500 signatures gathered across the province supporting the idea of broader retail availability of beer and wine.
"Ontarians have spoken very clearly and they are not happy with the antiquated alcohol retailing system we have in Ontario," said association CEO Dave Bryans.
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"They're responsible adults who want the simple convenience of leaving the car at home and walking to their neighbourhood store to get wine for dinner or drinks for the barbecue."
The petition was started by Joanne McMurchy, who runs the General Store in the hamlet of Vanessa, south of Brantford, where some of the 80 local residents complained they have to drive 20 minutes to a liquor store.
"My customers were persistently asking...was there any chance that beer would come to the store," Ms. McMurchy said at a press conference.
"So I decided that I would take people's names down that had requested this persistently over the past couple of years and then made up this petition."
Former Liberal premier David Peterson promised to allow corner stores to sell beer and wine in the 1980s, but it never happened, and the current Liberal government has no plans to change the rules.
"The current system balances access for both customers and suppliers with social responsibility," said Aly Vitunski, press secretary for Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.
"We take the concerns of convenience store owners seriously, but we believe the current system of selling liquor is an effective way to guard the public interest."
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The NDP has consistently opposed the sale of beer and wine in corner stores, but the Progressive Conservatives said Wednesday it was time the province re-examined its role in the liquor business.
"Should the government be in the liquor sales, liquor distribution business (and) the regulatory side as well?" asked PC Leader Tim Hudak.
"Are the old solutions from the 1930s and '40s that the government should run the alcohol business in the province from top to bottom appropriate in the 21st century?"
The last Conservative government talked about privatizing the LCBO but never followed through with the idea, while the Liberals too toyed with some sort of privatization before rejecting it.
Hudak said the Tories dropped the idea in the 1990s because the LCBO extended its hours and started opening Sundays, but admitted the idea of competition from corner stores has some appeal.
"I've been a long proponent of some kind of choice in the system," he said.
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"I think any time you have a monopoly that means you don't get the service (and) it's more expensive than it would be otherwise," Mr. Hudak said.
Convenience stores already sell alcohol in 214 Ontario communities that are too small for a regular LCBO outlet or a Beer Store, said Mr. Bryans.
"It makes no sense to anyone, and it's actually just total control," he said.
"Those that live in bigger centres suffer the most and those in rural communities can go to local convenience store and buy their alcohol beverage, and we do a very good job in those communities."
Corner stores already sell age-restricted products, including tobacco and lottery tickets, and would implement even tougher standards if they get approval to sell beer and wine, said Mr. Bryans.
"We are the biggest seller of age restricted products...much bigger than any government-controlled agency," he said.
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"And we actually do a better job at age testing."
The LCBO turned over a record $1.63 billion dividend to the Ontario government for 2010-11 after sales of $4.7 billion.Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018 (which begins on October 1 of this year) is not out yet; it’s set to be released on Tuesday, May 23.
But from the administration’s “skinny budget” released in March, as well as scattered leaks to the press by the administration and Congress, we have a pretty good idea what might be in it:
An assumption of 3 percent annual economic growth due to tax cuts, which reputable experts say is spectacularly unlikely; 1.8 percent growth is what real forecasters project.
"Trillions" in cuts to various programs, including, "food stamps, Medicaid and federal employee-benefit programs." The Medicaid cuts are above and beyond the cuts of $880 billion in 10 years contained in the Republican health bill.
Billions in cuts to lifesaving biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health.
Big, unnecessary increases to Trump’s pet programs, including a nearly 9 percent increase in defense spending, a 7 percent increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (including border wall and deportation funding) and a 6 percent increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Almost comically large cuts to every other federal agency: a 31 percent cut to Environmental Protection Agency budget, 21 percent to Agriculture and Labor, 18 percent to Health and Human Services, 16 percent to Commerce, 13 percent to Housing and Urban Development, 13 percent to Transportation, and 12 percent to Interior.
A particularly massive 28 percent cut to the State Department, in particular foreign aid funding that even conservative foreign policy types think is essential.
New funding for voucher programs and private schools alongside a nearly 14 percent cut to the Education Department, including eliminating loan forgiveness for students who go on to do public service.
This is not a serious plan. It is not something that has much, or any, shot of becoming law. And while that in itself is not too remarkable in a budget document, the fact that an administration is putting out a doomed policy proposal this egregiously unpopular and easy to attack is remarkable.
The budget is a political nonstarter
For one thing, most of these changes would require passing appropriations bills, which can, and definitely would, be filibustered by Democrats in the Senate. Slashing the EPA budget or cutting the Department of Agriculture by 21 percent or funding a border wall — that would all have to go through a process that requires 60 Senate votes, and it’s simply inconceivable that eight Democrats would defect and support cuts and immigration crackdown funding this draconian.
As the White House learned in the end-of-April government shutdown fight, the filibuster gives Democrats a ton of leverage on run-of-the-mill funding issues. In that dispute, Republicans tried to win a phaseout of Planned Parenthood spending and funds for a border wall, and got neither. The threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate was too powerful.
What’s more, a lot of this policy agenda is certain to engender vehement opposition from Republicans in the House and Senate. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has already declared the cuts to the State Department “dead on arrival.” While Republicans on the Hill are generally eager to cut the EPA, some have said they think Trump's desired cuts go too far. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, condemned Trump's proposed cuts to the Agriculture Department. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) has recoiled at the Medicaid cuts in the House health care bill, suggesting he’d oppose further cuts in a spending package.
There are ways around the filibuster barrier. The most obvious is budget reconciliation, the special process currently being used to shepherd through the health reform package. That allows policymakers to pass legislation with only 51 votes in the Senate, evading a filibuster. But there are severe restrictions on what the process can be used for. In general, for reasons relating to which committees get “reconciliation instructions,” it likely can’t be used for regular appropriations, making programmatic cuts like the ones Trump wants for the Agriculture Department or State, or funding boosts like one for a border wall, untenable.
Most importantly, you can only use reconciliation once per fiscal year. The plan had been for the FY2017 reconciliation bill to be health care reform, and then FY2018 bill to be tax reform. Designing a tax reform package is extremely tough, with Republicans disagreeing about whether to adopt “border adjustment,” whether to let companies deduct interest payments on debt, whether to include the child care provisions Trump wants, whether to cap itemized deductions, and many, many more.
Adding drastic new budget cuts on top of that carries some advantages with it. The cuts could help pay for a tax reform plan that actually cuts revenue, rather than being revenue-neutral. But putting together a tax plan is a delicate enough endeavor without introducing a lot of contentious issues surrounding how much to cut Medicaid and food stamps and other “mandatory” programs, which the reconciliation process can cut. Using the process for cuts as well as taxes could make achieving each vastly harder.
The political logic behind the budget is baffling
All of which raises the question: if these proposals are basically doomed, why is Trump making them? In the case of the Obama administration, this wasn’t a hard question to answer. After Republicans retook the House in 2010, most of Obama’s legislative agenda was doomed.
But he still put together proposals like the American Jobs Act (a $447 billion plan to cut payroll taxes and fund billions in infrastructure and other stimulus spending), universal pre-K for 4-year-olds paid for by a cigarette tax hike, a “Buffett Rule” to increase taxes on the very wealthy, and wage insurance to help unemployed people who take a new job paying less than their old one.
Obama didn’t propose these plans because he thought they could pass. He knew very well they couldn’t. But he also knew they were popular, and easy things for him and other Democrats to campaign on. People love to hear that the president wants to spend money to give them jobs in tough economic times, to make the rich pay their fair shares, to help their young kids get to pre-K without paying exorbitant tuition.
That’s why Obama made doomed proposals. So why is Trump doing it? These plans are hardly crowd pleasers. Sure, he ran on the border wall, and defending veterans. But slashing Medicaid? He explicitly promised not to do that. Cutting the Agriculture Department? That’s a slap in the face to pro-Trump states like Iowa with large farm industries. Slashing medical research? That’s something it’s easy for patient groups to mobilize on, with very little to no political upside for Trump.
The best explanation I can see is that Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s budget director, is a true believer, a Tea Party type genuinely motivated by an urge to slash federal spending. That’s his prerogative, and there’s no indication Trump himself is interested enough to force Mulvaney to change course. But if Trump just keeps allowing the conservative hardliners on his team to define his budget policy, he’ll be giving his political opponents easy material to campaign on without getting anything in return.Image copyright ITV/REX/Shutterstock
Lady Lucan, the 80-year-old widow of Lord Lucan, has been found dead at her home in London, police have confirmed.
Officers found her body after forcing entry to the property in Belgravia on Tuesday, but her death is not believed to be suspicious, the Met Police said.
Lady Lucan was one of the last people to see her husband John Bingham, the 7th Earl of Lucan, alive before he disappeared in November 1974.
He vanished after the family's nanny was found murdered at their home.
A Met Police spokesperson said: "Police attended an address on Eaton Row in Westminster... following concerns for the welfare of an elderly occupant.
"Officers forced entry and found an 80-year-old woman unresponsive. Although we await formal identification we are confident that the deceased is Lady Lucan."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Veronica Duncan married John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, in 1963
Lady Lucan was born Veronica Duncan in 1937 to Major Charles Moorhouse Duncan and his wife Thelma.
In the late-1950s and early-1960s she worked as a secretary and model in London and met her future husband at a golf event in early 1963.
They were engaged later the same year and married in November 1963.
Lord Lucan vanished after the body of Sandra Rivett, nanny to his three children, was found at the family home at 46 Lower Belgrave Street, central London, on 7 November 1974.
Lady Lucan was also attacked but managed to escape.
Lord Lucan's car was later found abandoned and soaked in blood in Newhaven, East Sussex, and an inquest jury declared the wealthy peer the killer of Ms Rivett a year later.
Image copyright Google Image caption Lord Lucan vanished from the family home in 1974 and has not been seen since
Lord Lucan was officially declared dead by the High Court in 1999, but has reportedly been sighted in Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand.
A High Court judge granted a death certificate in February last year allowing his son, Lord Bingham, to take over his title.
Earlier this year, Lady Lucan gave a television interview in which she said she believed Lord Lucan had made the "brave" decision to take his own life.
During the ITV programme she spoke of her own depression and her husband's violent nature following their marriage in 1963.
Image copyright PA Image caption Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in 1974
Lord Lucan timeline:
18 December 1934 Richard John Bingham is born in London into an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family.
1963 Marries Veronica Duncan, with whom he has three children.
Marries Veronica Duncan, with whom he has three children. 1964 Ascends to the earldom on the death of his father.
1972 Their marriage collapses and Lord Lucan moves out of the family home at 46 Lower Belgrave St, London. He loses a custody battle and accrues gambling losses.
7 November 1974 The children's nanny Sandra Rivett is found dead. Her attacker also beats Lady Lucan severely before she manages to escape and raise the alarm at a nearby pub. Lord Lucan drives to a friend's house in Sussex in a borrowed Ford Corsair, which is later found abandoned in Newhaven. Friends receive letters in which he claims to have interrupted a fight during "a traumatic night of unbelievable coincidence" and says "the circumstantial evidence against me is strong". Police mount a search but find no further trace of him.
June 1975 Lord Lucan is named as Ms Rivett's killer at the inquest into her death. Lady Lucan identifies him as her attacker.
1999 His family is granted probate over Lord Lucan's estate, but no death certificate is issued and Lord Lucan's son Lord Bingham is refused permission to take his father's seat in the House of Lords.Image: Supplied
After having all of its games removed from Steam following their decision to file a lawsuit against 100 anonymous Steam users, Digital Homicide has escalated matters by announcing that it is looking for "legal representation" for a lawsuit against Steam, and Valve, itself.
If you're not up to date with the latest ongoings with Digital Homicide, they are as follows. James Romine, the co-founder of Digital Homicide, last week filed a suit against 100 anonymous Jane/John Does on Steam that, in their eyes, were allegedly responsible for criminal impersonation, conspiracy to commit cyber bulling, continual criminal property damage for over a year, tortious interference, stalking, harassment, conspiracy to vandalise and destroy personal property, and more.
The court filing, which you can read here, also subpoenaed Valve for the information of the 100 users involved. That subpoena was granted, incidentally,
Understandably, Valve refused to put up with that. They told Kotaku that the company "has stopped doing business with Digital Homicide for being hostile to Steam customers", and subsequently removed all of the company's games from Steam.
And if you're already suing a critic for $US15 million and 100 random gamers on Steam, you might as well sue Steam itself. In a page established by Digital Homicide, the company says the lawsuit was "solely in regards to individuals where no resolution was ablet o be obtained from Steam to provide a safe environment for us to conduct business" and that the assertion that the lawsuit was hostile to Steam users was "incorrect".
"When someone bothers you on say a platform like Facebook and you find the need to ban them, the Facebook response after you ban is "Sorry you had this experience" and then that person is removed from being able to post on your page," Digital Homicide argues. "Steam's stance is what just happened to us. By removing us they have taken the stance that users have the right to harass me, tell me I should kill myself, and insult my family."
It goes on to say that Digital Homicide refused to seek action against Steam earlier out of concern for "losing my family's income", something which has now happened with Digital Homicide's games being pulled from Steam.
I've contacted Valve for comment, although the company was yet to respond at the time of writing and it's unusual for companies in any case to comment on litigation, ongoing or otherwise. I'll update this post, however, should either party issue a statement.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The work environment in Palestine suffers from violations of labor rights in general and women’s rights specifically, as women are the weakest entity in their patriarchal society. Consequently, the Palestinian Ministry of Labor and the National Committee for Women’s Employment (NCWE) coordinated with the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), with the support of the International Labor Organization, to launch the first Guideline for Women’s Employment Rights on Oct. 4 in Ramallah.
The guideline took six months to complete, and it aims at instilling equality and social justice, eliminating gender-based discrimination at the workplace, improving the work environment and raising women’s awareness of their rights.
NCWE coordinator and head of the Gender Unit at the Ministry of Labor in Ramallah Iman Assaf told Al-Monitor that the guideline was the result of the ministry’s inclination to increase working women’s awareness of their rights.
Many of the women are not well-informed of the Palestinian Labor Law and the issued laws related to their rights and duties. Consequently, they keep mum about their employers’ violations, such as depriving them of leaves and increasing their work hours without paying them overtime.
The ministry is also seeking to increase women’s employment in the Palestinian labor market. Assaf said, “According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, women’s participation in the labor market reached 19.1% in 2014 and increased to 19.4% in 2015. Unemployment among literate women reached 84% [in 2013], a figure that does not reflect Palestinian women’s ambition and their desire to join the job market.”
She added, “The service and agricultural sectors are considered the main fields employing women, and they constitute 62.9% and 13% [according to the abovementioned 2013 statistics], respectively, out of the total female workforce.”
Assaf blamed the spread of unemployment among women on the Israeli occupation, which erects checkpoints between cities in the West Bank, thus undermining Palestinians’ movements, the marginalization of Palestinian women, their isolation in some remote areas and discrimination between the two genders in employment. In addition, the quality of university education women receive is sometimes not in line with the job market requirements.
The guideline was issued in two versions. The first is a simplified version in which the rights and duties of employed women are stated in a graphic and colorful way to promote them among women who do not have a high educational level. The second version is more detailed and includes three parts: the international authorities related to working women’s rights, national laws and authorities, and challenges for women in the workplace. The two versions were coupled with an address book containing the numbers of relevant authorities that offer help for women.
Assaf told Al-Monitor, “The guideline displayed the Palestinian legislative provisions in a simplified, organized and smooth manner specifically to suit women.”
Assaf noted that the laws in the guideline comply with the 2000 Palestinian Labor Law No. 7, the 2012 Minimum Wage Law ($370/month) and the 2016 Social Security Law No. 6, which guaranteed working women in the private and public sectors the right to a social security paid maternity leave.
Assaf expects female employment to increase when the Social Security Law is implemented at the end of October, because the employer won’t have to pay maternity leave expenses — which will be paid by the social security fund. Many employers refuse to employ women due to the likelihood of pregnancy and the subsequent financial burden on the company.
Assaf said, “We will work in the coming phase on promoting the guideline through workshops and forums with women and employers and through media interviews to explain and clarify it to society.”
Assaf noted that the laws and guideline should be implemented in all areas under the Palestinian Authority’s control and in the Gaza Strip. She admitted, though, that the economic situation, the Israeli blockade and the Palestinian internal rift might prevent this implementation.
PGFTU Secretary Hussein al-Faqhaa told Al-Monitor that the official figures and the field visits of the federation to companies indicate that employed women in Palestine face many violations related to their salary and working hours. Therefore, the guideline was essential to raise awareness of their rights, especially for women working in the agricultural sector, which often lacks professional safety and health standards.
Faqhaa noted that the absence of the executive authorities’ role in periodically following up on the labor law’s implementation, the divisions plaguing labor unions and the lack of law awareness have directly contributed to creating a bitter reality for working women, especially in marginalized and remote areas.
Faqhaa added that awareness and development are gradual rather than immediate, especially with the spreading unemployment and poverty in Palestine. He said that this does not stand in the way of awareness, though, and indicated that the situation needs a comprehensive and sustainable development plan.
Safaa Abed, the deputy head of the Palestinian Women Struggle Committee Union, highlighted the need to distribute the guideline to all organizations rather than just publish it. The publication phase should be followed by promotion and awareness and should bind the employers to implementing the law.
Abed indicated that women are afraid of asking for their rights out of fear of losing their jobs, especially with the slackening of executive authorities. She underlined the importance of protecting women legally. She said, “Although the Minimum Wage Law was passed three years ago, many organizations are not implementing it. Women have to endure this situation due to the lack of alternatives and legal accountability for the noncompliant employers.”
Rima Nazzal, member of the General Secretariat of the General Union of Palestinian Women, said that the simplicity of the guideline is central in its function of raising awareness. She added that it is a pillar for educating women, expanding their awareness of their rights and highlighting their priorities.
The implementation of the guideline might be a precursor to raising employed Palestinian women’s awareness of rights that their employers violate. But respecting those rights depends on the extent to which executive authorities are willing to apply them on various organizations, especially in remote areas.Once again, major record labels are asking a court to give them power over the Internet’s basic infrastructure. This is the very power that Congress has refused to give them, and the very power they have proven unable and unwilling to use responsibly. This time, their alleged target is the website Youtube-MP3.org, a site that extracts the audio tracks from YouTube videos and allows users to download them. But as in other recent lawsuits, the labels’ real target appears to be nearly every company that operates or supports the operation of the Internet. The labels are seeking a court order that would bind all of these companies to assist the labels in making Youtube-MP3 disappear from the Internet.
Even if that website is found to be liable for copyright infringement, the law doesn’t give copyright or trademark holders such sweeping power to edit the Internet. And it never should.
Record labels have been filing many lawsuits against websites that they deem to be connected to copyright infringement. These sites, run from outside the U.S., don’t bother appearing in U.S. court to defend themselves—and the labels know this. When one party doesn’t show up to court and the other wins by default, judges often grant the winning party everything they ask for. Record labels, along with luxury brands and other frequent filers of copyright and trademark suits, have been using this tactic to write sweeping orders that claim to bind every kind of Internet intermediary: hosting providers, DNS registrars and registries, CDNs, Internet service providers, and more. Some of these requested orders claim to cover payment providers, search engines, and even Web browsers. Judges often sign these orders without much scrutiny.
Then, the labels and brands, armed with an overb |
the open and in dire need of a shock trap, but you don't have all the materials required to craft one. Press the square button to "create job" and you'll have a quest to find those materials. Useful!
The stealth is contextual. Here Horizon takes a leaf out of the Skyrim gameplay manual. When you're creeping about and unseen, an eye appears at the top of the screen as a visual clue. It disappears as soon as you are no longer hidden. This is useful for getting a jump on some of the robots, which bolt if startled or attack if they spot you.
Now for the robots. The tribespeople have lived with the machines for centuries, even though they have no idea where they came from or why the world fell, and so are used to their presence. But they've never been outright hostile to humanity until recently, when something happened to cause the corruption. Now, machines affected by the corruption are attacking settlements. (Aloy's investigation of this mysterious corruption, as well as her own origin story, drives Horizon forward.)
The dynamic HUD disappears completely when appropriate.
Machines free from corruption, however, remain an active part of the world's ecology and continue to go about their daily routine. These machines have a purpose. Some are a type of transport cargo, taking elements from one location to the other. Others simply patrol the world.
Helpfully, you're able to tame certain machines and ride them as a mount. Here's how it works: Aloy uses a unique weapon called a ropecaster that allows her to tie an enemy down to the ground. Do this enough and the robot can't move. Then, get close enough to see the button prompt that lets you stick the ropecaster into its head to hack it. After a second or two, the machine is under your control, and you can rise it around the world.
A tamed machine acts like a horse does in so many other open-world games. You can use your bow and arrow while riding it, there's a melee attack, and, if you get off, you can call it back with a whistle.
In my demo I was able to tame and ride just one robot type: the broadhead, but Guerrilla reps said, with a wink, others are up for grabs.
It's all pretty promising. Horizon feels fluid and challenging and carries a gorgeous visual design that left me keen to explore more. But best of all Horizon presents a brighter post-apocalypse. I've had enough zombies at this point. It's time for some Zoids.Made with the same secret recipe, a chocolate chip bagel at Greg's Bagels would still taste as sweet at any other shop. But as the bagel eatery changes hands for the first time in nearly 30 years, there's something to be said for keeping the name that's become as much a staple at Belvedere Square as the bagels it serves.
Greg's is one of a few longtime restaurants in Baltimore being sold away from their eponymous owners. Jimmy's Restaurant in Fells Point, named for founder Jimmy Filipidis, was sold out of the Filipidis family for the first time in 70 years. And Greg's Bagels has reopened under the ownership of former employee Tommy Hearn as founder Greg Novik steps away from the shop to battle pancreatic cancer.
Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun Greg Novik, left, is the former owner of Greg's Bagels at Belvedere Square. He is standing next to the new owner, Tommy Hearn, in the shop. Mr. Novik is helping with the transition to the new owner. Greg Novik, left, is the former owner of Greg's Bagels at Belvedere Square. He is standing next to the new owner, Tommy Hearn, in the shop. Mr. Novik is helping with the transition to the new owner. (Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun) (Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun)
At a restaurant built as much around its owner's personality as its food, the transition can be worrisome for longtime patrons who fear their cherished spot will change. And for new owners, it becomes a balancing act of preserving the founder's vision while evolving for the better.
At Greg's, customers have been stopping by the shop and peering in the windows since it closed in August. Novik, 70, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the shop's fate was uncertain until Hearn, 22, expressed interest in taking over.
He's the first person Novik has entrusted with his bagel recipe since he opened the shop in 1989.
"Hopefully I don't crash and burn," Hearn jokes. "We have this saying, you know: 'You live by the bagel, you die by the bagel.'"
And the bagels are what will keep patrons coming back.
Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry analyst with the New York-based NPD Group, said a restaurant's name is less about the person behind it and more about the experiences that surround that person — the quality of their food and the interactions with them. Maintaining a consistent menu and atmosphere will keep a restaurant thriving as a new face becomes associated with an old name.
"They're not necessarily going to that restaurant just because of that person. It's the experience; it's what that restaurant has delivered," she said. "There's an association there with the name, but it's about the restaurant, really."
Local and national restaurants, like Bo Brooks Restaurant and Catering or Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, have navigated this path before. Although the namesake restaurants are no longer operated by their founders the names still carry weight in the communities they serve.
If the restaurant was thriving before it changed hands, Riggs said it doesn't make sense to rename it. It can be a red flag to customers.
"Why take away the brand equity that has been built up in that name? If you can lend the same experience, same quality, there's really no reason to change the name," Riggs said.
That's a big part of why Rustem "Rudy" Keskin didn't change the name of Jimmy's Restaurant in Fells Point when he took over in December. Keskin, who also owns Rudy's Mediterranean Grill in Columbia, bought the storied diner from Nick Filipidis, the son of its eponymous founder.
"I want to show to them, hey, we appreciate it because you trusted me with the business, handed it to me, why's it need to change?" Keskin said. "I could open another Rudy's Mediterranean Grill. It's not that."
Jimmy's has some customers who have been coming for 50 or more years, Keskin said. Although he has some menu changes and interior updates planned for the restaurant, he's joking when he calls it "Rudy's Jimmy's."
The restaurant stayed open during the transition, but Keskin said he still gets daily calls from customers asking if it's closed.
"You really have to let them know that it may be under new management but it's still your favorite restaurant, nothing has changed about it," Riggs said.
At Greg's, Novik said he will be working to keep quality control of the bagels as Hearn learns the business.
"My job is to make sure the food stays good. That's what I'm teaching him," Novik said. "His job is to keep the keep the spiritual and thematic essence... But he has to remake it in his image."
The food was always the priority, Novik said; it was never about making a name for himself.
"The keys are uncompromising quality ingredients, staff that loves their jobs and therefore loves the customers, and an all-pervasive sense of humor in every sense of the business," he said. "And the ability to speak a little Yiddish."
Novik's sense of humor was as much of a draw to the shop as the food. And he built a loyal following. Hearn said every day leading up to the shop's reopening, people stopped in to ask about Novik's health and inquire about the shop's future.
Ed Madden, 67, said he's been coming to Greg's just about every Sunday since he moved to Towson in the late 1990s. There are a lot of factors that keep him coming back.
Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun Poppy seed bagels at Greg's Bagels in Belvedere Square. Poppy seed bagels at Greg's Bagels in Belvedere Square. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun) (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun)
"First of all, the bagels and the salmon. That's No. 1," he said.
But the atmosphere was a draw, too.
"You could tell that they were into good service and good product just from the way everybody talked," Madden said. "So it was a good combination."
Last Tuesday afternoon, before the shop reopened, several curious customers peered through the window, and a few let themselves in. Sandra Nicht, a regular, was among them.
"Been waiting for you guys to open back up," she said as she walked through the unlocked door.
Nicht, a 59-year-old yoga therapist from Arbutus, said she can't remember how long she's been a regular at Greg's. She started going when she taught yoga classes at the Lynne Brick's gym above, and goes out of her way to stop into the stop.
Like other customers, she said it's the food that has brought her back time and again. The pumpkin chocolate chip specialty bagels were one of her favorites.
"I started going by and would smell the bagels and I stopped into get one, and they were the best bagels I ever tasted," she said.
She stopped buying bagels altogether when the shop closed last year. "I can't eat a sub-par bagel," she said.
"You could tell that he cared about his product, and Greg was just the nicest guy," Nicht said. "That's one thing that makes for some loyal customers if they see you're a good person."
She said that will help Hearn as he takes the reins.
Hearn doesn't plan to change much. The shop has fresh paint, and he might add a credit card machine. And Novik's humorous touches will remain.
"We still will have a tip jar that says, 'We accept Rolexes.' So if anybody feels like dropping one off, feel free," Hearn said. "We never got one."The Cleveland Browns lost 20-25 to the Baltimore Ravens in truly Brownsy fashion on Sunday, blowing a 20-0 lead complete with a blocked PAT returned for a two-point conversion, an offensive explosion followed by three scoreless quarters, and a defense that went flaccid for Flacco in the second half. The main takeaway I had from the game, however, was a handful of baffling penalties and play-reversing calls evincing a lack of judgment fit only for an NFL officiating crew and the Chris Christie administration.
The star of the show though, as far as comedic errors go, was a taunting penalty on Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor (Sr.?) after a completion that would have given the Browns a first down on the Ravens’ 10-yard line, with :21 seconds left, down five points. Instead, the ball was sent back to the 30-yard line due to “offsetting” penalties, quarterback Josh McCown threw an interception on the next play, and the Browns lost.
Which brings me to a segment I like to call, “REALLY!?! with Kyle,” a tribute to the segment popularized by Seth Meyers on Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update,” in which he berates individuals and organizations for truly, inexplicably stupid and ignorant actions. Here’s a clip of Seth and Amy Poehler reprising the segment on Late Night with Seth Meyers on the topic of women’s sports, with a LeBron James shoutout to boot. I can’t do justice to the excoriation that Seth and Amy provide during “REALLY!?!,” but I’ll give this rant against “The Taunt” with all the righteous indignation I can muster.
REALLY, NFL!?! Really? In a hotly contested professional football game, you see fit to make a call of that magnitude, to help swing the fortunes of the game, for a taunting call? A call that has nothing to do with gameplay at all, on a play in which the Ravens were flagged for holding Terrelle Pryor (the taunter) to gain an unfair advantage, you saw fit to flag the Browns for harmless extracurricular activities. In a sport in which the primary objective on defense is basically felonious assault, you thought it just to penalize Terrelle Pryor for hurting another man’s feelings? REALLY, NFL?
Really, officials? Really? Did any of you narcs consider, even consider the mere possibility that Pryor was flipping the ball to the official (who needs the ball to spot it), and was doing him the slightest of favors by flipping it in his general direction? I mean look at the alleged misdeed below. The ball is literally INCHES from the official’s outstretched hands. Did the officials get together and say, “Hey, guys, maybe we should error on the side of caution on this one and SCREW THE BROWNS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE”?
I mean, REALLY NFL officials? Let’s make a conservative estimate here (in your favor), and assume there was a 90 percent chance Terrelle Pryor was maliciously trying to disgrace an opponent. I’ll give you 90. Who cares!?? Receivers and defensive backs talk trash before, during, and after every play. As far as I can tell, at least one full quarter of the receiver position is shit-talking. I think they test it at the combine, and teams even have a designated Assistant Coach of Trash Talking. So, if we as a society are going to penalize Pryor for his ball flip, then we should either: a. Have every complete pass accompanied by a 15-yard penalty; or b. Abolish the receiver position altogether.
And really, NFL? Did you not watch the rest of the football game? Ravens receiver Steve Smith has reacted to every reception of his career by generally acting like a maniac and attempting to humiliate his opposition as much as possible, including several times during Sunday’s game. And this wasn’t … anything?
Another week, another CB getting stuffed into a locker by Steve Smith https://t.co/RJjMa0Srjt — Barstool Sports (@barstooltweets) September 18, 2016
So, unless every Steve Smith reception is penalized with a taunting flag, then you’re blatant hypocrites for not retracting the Pryor penalty. Also, Ravens receiver Mike Wallace celebrated one of his touchdowns by taunting the Browns crowd, finding some Ravens in the front row, giving them the ball, and taking a fake selfie with them.
So, let me get this straight. Casually flipping a football in the general direction of an official and defensive back? TAUNTING! Taking a fake selfie after a touchdown, pandering to the cameras, and generally making a mockery of the entire sport of football? NOT TAUNTING!
Really, NFL? Taunting? Who cares? It’s a sport of millionaires trying to catch a ball. Outside of the occasional throat slash or drop-kicking the opposing team’s mascot, what’s even worth getting that upset about to penalize a team? How can you take yourself that seriously, NFL? I mean seriously NFL grow up, I mean REALLY.
Really, NFL? I know the obvious counter to “omg the refs screwed the Browns wahhh” is, “Hey, it’s not our fault the Browns blew a 20-point lead.” Plus, everyone knows the Browns would have subsequently found a way to throw an interception or fall into a sinkhole or shoot themselves in the foot with a rocket launcher disgruntled-teammate-in-Halo style. But the probability of the Browns scoring from the 10 with :21 seconds is like 40 percent, and the probability of the Browns scoring from the 30 with :21 seconds left is exactly -120 percent.
I mean, really. Plus, hadn’t Quarters 2-4 provided enough evidence for the officials to realize, “Hey, they really don’t need our help to screw this up.”? In fact, for as down-and-out as the Browns have been for the last 17 years, couldn’t you officials have found it within the depths of your kind and charitable souls to, you know, let this one slide? Clearly, Browns fans have suffered enough. Let’s not pile on, shall we? Instead, you looked at our stick-and-canvas tent that we’ve been surviving in for the last 17 years and been calling “home” for however pitiful it is, unbuckled your pants, and URINATED all over it. So THANKS.
Really, NFL officials? Really? Is :21 seconds left in the game the right time to take a stance on sportsmanship? Do the Browns a favor next time, and let us know when the blessed “Period of Graciousness” begins, during which Browns players will oblige with nothing but curtsies, salutes, and handshakes. Meanwhile, the Browns and their opponents will continue with the belligerence and mean-spirited fight club that compose the ohh let’s say remaining 59 minutes and 39 seconds of a regulation NFL game.
Really, NFL official Wayne Mackie (If that even is your real name)? Let’s ignore that your name sounds eerily close to the uptight guidance counselor on South Park, but what even compelled you to throw a penalty on that play? Was your entire family killed by a tragic ball flip in 1994? If so, I’m really sorry. But ball flips, just like bat flips, are awesome. So get over it, I mean, REALLY.
Really, NFL? Really!?! Your sport’s enforcement mechanism, for both penalties and off-field punishments, is utterly broken and completely arbitrary. It’s the Random Punishment Generator Machine, and Pryor’s taunting penalty is only the zillionth example of this.
Plus, professional football is a sport rife with serious, endemic issues that the NFL has done nothing to address. But taunting is not one of them. So, let’s get this straight, NFL. (We want to be on the same page here.) Former players’ brains turning to mush 15 years after retirement? Not that important! A robust division of the Twerking Police! Important!!!!
And finally REALLY, NFL official? If you see a gifted athlete catch a pass to move into the red zone in a one-score NFL game in the last two minutes and your first thought isn’t, “Wow, what a great catch and what a privilege it is that I get to officiate such a great game!” and instead you think, “A ball flip! That’s against the rules! Fifteen-yard penalty!” you should take a long look in the mirror, because you’re a dick, I mean REALLY.On Monday night, the Brewers defeated the Padres 4-3 at Miller Park. The win was their 15th on the year, against only 5 losses, and their 4th victory in a row. Perhaps the most under-appreciated hero of the team’s early hot start is starter Wily Peralta. The Crew have won all 4 of Peralta’s starts thus far this season, three of the four which qualify as “quality starts.” So just how good is Peralta? The answer to that question goes a long way towards explaining how sustainable this run might be. Let’s look at some factors driving his improvement early this year:
1) Fastball, Fastball, Fastball
Peralta has always been primarily a fastball pitcher, but according to Fangraphs he’s throwing them even more this year than last, 69.9% of the time which is up from 66.7% in 2013. Brooks Baseball actually breaks that number down further, into 4-seam and sinkers, and he’s currently relying more than ever on his heaving sinking fastball. At least this season, that pitch is generating about 3 times the number of swings and misses as his straighter 4-seamer, though that isn’t a clear trend that extends back to last season.
When Peralta isn’t throwing one of his two fastballs, he’s almost exclusively throwing his sharp slider (26.9% of the time total) instead of the changeup (3.1%) which he’s never seemed to fully trust, and even less so early in 2014. It should also be noted that Peralta’s average fastball velocity of 95.2 is currently 6th among all qualified starters in MLB according to Fangraphs, and having that kind of velocity gives pitchers wiggle room to miss and not get punished for it quite as often as someone sitting 89-91 might.
2) All of the Ground Balls
Wily Peralta has always been a ground ball pitcher, even going back to his minor league days coming up through the system, but it’s a trend that’s become even more pronounced in the early going in 2014. Thus far, Perlata is generating a ground ball 56.9% of the time when batters put the ball in play on him, a number that’s up from 51.0% last year. Perhaps even more importantly, Peralta is currently allowing fewer line drives (15.3%) than last year (21.3%). Line drives are the type of batted ball most likely to result in a safe hit, so limiting this number is a good way to prevent runs.
Peralta is also generating more infield popups than last year, a full 20% of his fly balls have stayed within reach of the infielders, as opposed to 8.2% last season. While that number hardly seems sustainable over the long haul of the season, neither does 20.0% of his fly balls ending up as home runs. Last year, Peralta only saw 11.9% of his fly balls to leave the yard, which was about 1 percent up from the league average of 10.5%. So even when we see some expected rise in his line drive rate and drop in ground balls generated, chances are he won’t be allowing home runs as often as he has early on this season.
3) Why Unearned Runs Exist
It’s fashionable (and rightly so) these days for people to scoff at the idea of “unearned runs” and to thus dismiss the idea of Earned Run Average, or ERA. After all, the difference between and earned and an unearned run really comes down to an often arbitrary decision by the official scorer. It’s fair to say that Peralta’s sparkling 2.19 ERA is somewhat misleading, because so far this year only six of the eleven runs to score on his watch have been “earned.” If we were to just dismiss the idea of earned runs, his runs allowed average would be a much-less-impressive 4.01. How fair would this be, though?
Peralta truly has been on the receiving end of some pretty bad defense, and not just the 3 errors that have been made behind him thus far in 2014. The standard (for want of a better term) SABR-line on things like this is “well, if you don’t want unearned runs to score, don’t put men around the errors and you’ll be mostly OK.” The problem with applying that logic to Peralta this year is he actually is doing a pretty outstanding job of keeping runners off the bases this year. His WHIP (walks + hits / innings pitched) is 1.09, well below the major league average of 1.30 and down from an unsightly 1.41 in 2013. So it’s really not like Peralta has put a lot of runners on base and deserves all this extra punishment from defensive misplays to his runs allowed numbers.
4) Avoiding Walks
How has Peralta pulled off this improvement in allowing baserunners? We’ve already covered part of it when talking about his low line drive rate, which has his batting average against down to.219 this year after sitting at.259 last season. That’s a really big deal, but perhaps even more impressive has been his drop in walk percentage this year. In 2013, Peralta walked 9.1% of the batters he faced, well above the 7.4% league average. This year, he’s cut that down to 5.8%, or almost 2 points better than the league average of 7.6%. This is an outstanding development.
He’s pulled this off by throwing more pitches in the strike zone, 44.7% compared with 41.9% last year. He’s also seen a solid increase in the number of strikeouts he’s generated, up to 18.5% of batters faced from 16.1% last year. The overall result has been a major improvement in his K:BB ratio, from 1.77 in 2013 to 3.17 in 2014. That is going to help any pitcher have success.
****
The $64,000 question here is just how sustainable is this improvement? If Peralta can avoid a major slip in the number of line drives he’s allowing and consolidate his gains in terms of stikeout to walk ratio, we’re probably looking at a major breakout season for Peralta. I could throw numbers at you all day (and I have) but ultimately we’re still dealing with a very complex and very human set of variables here, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.
ESPN.com’s Keith Law picked Peralta as one of his breakout candidates coming into 2014, and it’s not hard to see why. He has the kind of fastball velocity you just can’t teach and a body built to soak up innings at the big league level. It’s hard not to at least like the potential for a big breakout here, but only time will tell if it’s really happening or not.Queen Street, one of the major roads in Brisbane, after the 1893 floods. Residents are seen rowing boats to move about due to the flooding.
Map from the Irrigation and Water Supply Commission.
Indooroopilly Railway Bridge
The 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred when the Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It was the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February". There was also a fourth flood event later in the same year in June. The river runs through the centre of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland, with much of the population living in areas beside the river. It was flooded in the first flood on 6 February due to a deluge associated with a tropical cyclone, called "Buninyong".[1][2]
The second cyclone struck on 11 February, causing relatively minor flooding compared to the first flood.
When the third cyclone came on 19 February, it was almost as devastating as the first, and it left up to one third of Brisbane's residents homeless. This time however the flood in the Brisbane River was largely from waters from the upper reaches of Brisbane River, rather than the Stanley River.[3]
For the first flood, Crohamhurst recorded an all-time Australian record of 914.4 mm of rain in a 24-hour period.[4] The water surge was recorded on the Port Office gauge (now the City gauge) as being 8.35 metres (27 feet, 5 inches) above the low tide level. The February 1893 floods were the second and third highest water levels ever recorded at the City gauge, the highest being the January 1841 flood at 8.43 metres (27 feet, 8 inches).[5] There was however some oral aboriginal history suggesting a flood level of nearly 12 m prior to the first European settlement.
The 1893 events was preceded by two notable yet less severe floods in 1887 and 1890. Both were caused by high levels of summer rainfall; however the rainfall around this period (with the exception of the two summers) was described as "very low".[6]
Historical context [ edit ]
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, which became a self-governing colony in 1859. Samuel Griffith was the Premier of Queensland during the Black February period, although in March 1893 (shortly after the events) he resigned in order to join the Supreme Court of Queensland. Thomas McIlwraith then became Premier of Queensland. In 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was formed, at which time Queensland became a State.
Brisbane in 1891 had a population of 84,000 people.[7] The area was under the jurisdiction of several local governments (the Brisbane City Council being formed by their amalgamation in 1925). John McMaster was Mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, which contained the City Centre, and was the most important of the local government authorities.
Damage [ edit ]
The southern regions of the city were most affected by the flood. The most flooded suburb of what was to become the City of Brisbane was Rocklea.[8] However it only housed a small village and farms at that time.
Both of the bridges that crossed the river, the Victoria Bridge and the Albert railway bridge at Indooroopilly were destroyed.[4] The Victoria Bridge, which was an iron bridge with a turning span to allow traffic to go upriver, was partially destroyed on Monday 6 February, when the northern half of the bridge was washed away. It was not replaced until 1897, with ferries used in the meantime. The total damage caused by the flooding has been estimated at A$4 million (1893 figures), although no official figures exist.[9][10]
The great advances in technology associated with photography meant that there were many photos taken of the event, some of which still exist today. A local businessman who would later become Premier, Robert Philp had a photo album (a very expensive item at the time) of the floods, which survives today.[11]
Casualties [ edit ]
The flooding was responsible for around 35 deaths.[3] The floods also forced the hospitalisation of 190 residents.[9][12]
Ipswich Coal Mine disaster [ edit ]
Seven of the victims were workers at John Wright's Eclipse colliery in north Ipswich which was flooded on Saturday 4 February by the Bremer River, a tributary of the Brisbane River. The seven miners killed included Thomas Wright (Mine Manager) and George Wright who were both sons of the owner. The other five miners were Andrew Smart, Patrick McQuade, John McQuade (son of Patrick), Charles Walker, and Mathew Cuthbertson. The lease over the mine was nearly expired so the mine was not in operation, but the men were removing rails and other mine equipment for use elsewhere. The colliery had two tunnels, and the flood waters had already reached the works. Thomas Wright, despite his father's advice against going down into the mine, arranged for seven men to go into the main tunnel and three men to go into the minor tunnel. Without warning, the roof collapsed over part of the main tunnel with air forced out of the mine in a great rush hurling wagons out of the way and trapping all seven men who entered the main tunnel. The men signaled the engine driver on the surface to pull them out but the collapse was major enough to prevent rescue. In minutes water had flooded the works and those not killed in the collapse would have drowned.
Early warning signs of the 1st and 3rd floods [ edit ]
Henry Plantagenet Somerset (1852–1936), was a landowner in the area where the Stanley River and the Upper Brisbane River meet. He built a homestead called "Caboonbah" on the cliffs above the river, where he lived with his wife, Katherine Rose Somerset (1855–1935). Caboonbah meant “big rock" in the local indigenous language, and it was built 60 feet (18 metres) higher than the rock cliff (Weldon’s Knob) which was the location of the previous highest flood mark, from the 1890 flood event.[13]
In early February, after the heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Buninyong, the weather had finally broken, and to his surprise, Somerset saw from his porch a great wall of water come down the Stanley River. This was especially concerning to Somerset, as the heavy rains caused by a tropical cyclone Buninyong (informally named after the ship that first sighted it) had already caused the Stanley River to exceed the 1890 flood level. Somerset, realizing that people downriver where in great danger sent one of his workers, Henry (Harry) Winwood to Esk to send a telegraph to warn them. The telegraph sent warned the Brisbane General Post Office that Brisbane, Ipswich, Goodna, Lowood and other areas were in danger. The inhabitants of Brisbane were not worried however due to the fine weather, as the days of heavy rain having ended, all threat of floods seemed to have disappeared. The Brisbane General Post Office only posted the warning on a single noticeboard, and it went almost completely unheeded.[3]
On 17 February, another cyclone crossed the Queensland coast near Bundaberg to drench the already saturated Brisbane River catchment. Somerset observed that the Brisbane River was flooded in similar levels to the first flood of the Stanley River. He knew that the telegraph lines were down between Esk and Brisbane, but he knew that there was a telegraph office at the small township of North Pine (now Petrie), although this would require crossing the D'Aguilar Range. William (Billy) Mateer, of Eidsvold (Dalgangel Station) was Somerset's most talented horseman, and he was selected to undertake this dangerous mission. Somerset and his men had to arrange for a dangerous crossing of the already flooded Brisbane River, with Mateer sent on with the only surviving horse (called Lunatic). Mateer survived the hazardous journey to North Pine, and delivered Somerset's message, which was again sadly ignored.[3]
Whilst the warnings went unheeded, as a result of these heroic efforts, Caboonbah Station was made an official flood warning station, with a telegraph line to Esk.[14] Somerset initially manned the station in its early years, having to use morse code for 12 years prior to the introduction of the telephone.[13]
In modern times, Caboonbah Homestead[15] was restored and used as a museum, but unfortunately the restoration works were undone on Monday 11 May 2009, when the homestead caught fire and burnt to the ground. [16][17]
Mitigation works [ edit ]
Lake Somerset is a 904,000 megalitre dam located on the Stanley River (the normal water supply capacity is 380,000 megalitres, but the dam can hold another 524,000 megalitres of extra flood capacity). The site was first suggested for the location of a dam by Henry Somerset, after the 1893 floods, and he championed its construction when he was elected to parliament in 1904, where he served for 16 years as the Member for Stanley. Construction of the dam was not started until 1933, and it was finally finished in 1953. It was seen as a major job creation project when it commenced in the Depression, but was delayed by World War Two.
The same day that the notice of Billy Mateer's death appeared in the newspaper, there was also a major announcement that the State Government had approved the construction of Somerset Dam. The site had been identified in 1933, by the Bureau of Industry.[14][18]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]With semiautomatic rifles and pistols so ubiquitous, many gun control advocates now place a higher priority on measures like expanded background checks, to help keep guns out of the wrong hands, than on pursuing a ban on particular designs.
Image Joey firing an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle at the Markham Park shooting range for the first time. Credit Ryan Stone for The New York Times
At the same time, many remain convinced that some restrictions on the weapons would be worthwhile, especially a limit on magazines larger than 10 rounds, which could slightly slow down a mass killer.
“Just because these weapons are becoming more popular is not a reason that they should be accepted without question,” said Josh Horwitz, the executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
“Many people find it fun to shoot lots of rounds, and I don’t dispute that,” he said. “I just think we don’t have the right balance here.”
Defining an assault weapon in the civilian market has always been difficult. Starting in 1994, Congress banned sales of semiautomatic assault weapons, defined as those with a detachable magazine and any two of several traits defined as military features, like pistol grips and folding stocks on rifles and second grips on the barrels of handguns. Also banned were magazines holding more than 10 rounds.
But the law expired in 2004 and was not renewed, as opposition to gun control hardened and as no strong evidence emerged to indicate it had reduced gun violence.
Now, seven states have similar bans, including California. But gun manufacturers have adapted their designs to comply with the laws; the two AR-15 models used by the attackers in San Bernardino, Calif., this month were not banned, although the 30-round magazines the killers used are illegal in the state.
Democratic proposals now before Congress would be somewhat more restrictive than the previous federal ban. They would prohibit sales of semiautomatic rifles and pistols that combine detachable magazines with only one other “military feature” from a list of physical traits and, again, would prohibit magazines holding more than 10 rounds.The star striker then kisses three fingers again for the three of them.
Delfina is the eldest of his two children and her name is an anagram of the word Anfield. His youngest son Benjamin is four months old.
Then he lays a peck on his wrist where there is a tattoo of his three-year-old Delfina's name.
Suarez, 26, kisses his finger for his wife Sofia when he scores.
Suarez said: "I didn't know her name was an anagram of Anfield but my wife has told me that people here in Liverpool say that when I kiss my wrist, I'm doing it because I have 'Anfield' on there.
"It's a total coincidence but a very nice one at the same time. Maybe there was fate.
Suarez said: "I didn't know her name was an anagram of Anfield but my wife has told me that people here in Liverpool say that when I kiss my wrist, I'm doing it because I have 'Anfield' on there.
"I kiss my finger for my wife, I [kiss my wrist tattoo] for my daughters name - I [kiss three fingers] for my daughter and my two children."
The Kop star has scored 22 goals in just 16 appearances |
28 33 Bulgaria 39 53 50 56 57 54 France 40 36 32 30 36 34 Estonia 41 47 46 38 35 28 Korea, South 42 50 43 33 32 32 Lithuania 43 43 42 43 41 43 Argentina 44 55 71 66 56 52 Latvia 45 46 54 54 39 47 United Arab Emirates 46 33 44 41 42 38 Kuwait 47 29 39 42 45 46 Mozambique 48 48 47 53 50 50 Namibia 49 54 59 65 77 64 Ghana 50 42 48 52 40 40 Zambia 51 52 51 58 53 53 Sierra Leone 52 61 53 Lesotho 53 Morocco 54 58 58 63 63 48 Tanzania 55 56 55 59 58 57 Burkina Faso 56 51 57 71 81 Djibouti 56 Mongolia 58 57 92 89 88 Oman 59 41 23 21 25 22 Malawi 60 39 52 47 73 68 Panama 61 49 61 59 48 45 Jordan 62 64 68 64 65 63 Indonesia 63 68 67 67 68 78 Serbia 64 84 90 78 85 84 Bosnia and Herzegovina 65 60 60 50 66 75 Albania 66 63 65 76 79 Moldova 66 59 66 75 83 72 Macedonia 68 78 84 88 87 82 Guyana 69 88 91 97 Cuba 70 67 72 68 62 59 Ukraine 71 69 97 82 84 80 Tunisia 72 44 37 44 47 39 Cyprus 73 71 76 48 52 51 Gambia 74 62 Gabon 75 81 74 51 55 56 Paraguay 76 66 78 73 70 55 Greece 77 65 62 57 54 44 Senegal 78 77 79 80 71 65 Peru 79 85 89 79 80 70 Nepal 80 95 82 77 Montenegro 81 89 88 91 Nicaragua 81 72 64 61 59 66 Brazil 83 74 83 85 90 83 Bolivia 84 76 81 81 78 69 Ecuador 85 90 101 109 100 87 Swaziland 85 70 73 Equatorial Guinea 87 75 69 61 64 71 United States 88 82 85 83 97 96 China 89 80 80 74 67 60 Dominican Republic 90 91 93 70 82 74 Bangladesh 91 83 87 90 86 86 Guinea 92 92 Papua New Guinea 93 94 95 93 95 88 Trinidad and Tobago 94 79 94 87 98 94 Angola 95 87 86 100 110 112 Guinea-Bissau 95 Cameroon 97 86 106 95 92 76 Uganda 98 96 100 103 114 104 Tajikistan 99 103 Madagascar 99 105 77 72 43 41 Liberia 101 97 99 Mali 102 100 109 96 99 Sri Lanka 103 126 133 125 125 111 Congo 104 98 102 106 117 Kazakhstan 105 93 95 84 72 61 Saudi Arabia 106 101 108 104 108 90 Haiti 107 113 114 116 109 Cambodia 108 115 111 105 91 85 Belarus 109 112 105 98 94 Uzbekistan 110 109 110 106 111 110 Egypt 111 73 49 54 69 73 El Salvador 111 102 103 94 89 89 Jamaica 113 106 98 102 96 81 Benin 114 Armenia 115 109 113 Niger 116 119 Turkmenistan 117 108 117 101 102 Bahrain 118 123 70 69 74 62 Rwanda 119 99 75 86 76 Kenya 120 111 120 113 119 91 Algeria 121 129 116 110 112 107 Eritrea 122 104 Venezuela 123 124 122 120 123 102 Guatemala 124 125 112 111 103 93 Mauritania 125 130 123 124 120 Thailand 126 107 124 118 118 105 South Africa 127 118 121 123 116 99 Iran 128 119 104 99 105 97 Honduras 129 117 125 112 104 98 Turkey 130 127 126 121 115 92 Kyrgyzstan 131 114 Azerbaijan 132 122 119 115 101 101 Philippines 133 136 130 114 113 100 Cote d' Ivoire 134 128 118 117 122 113 Mexico 135 121 107 108 93 79 Lebanon 136 137 134 132 132 114 Ethiopia 137 131 127 128 121 103 Burundi 138 132 131 127 Myanmar 139 133 132 126 126 108 Zimbabwe 140 140 135 135 124 106 Georgia 141 134 142 134 India 142 135 128 122 107 109 Yemen 143 138 129 119 106 95 Colombia 144 139 138 130 130 116 Chad 145 141 141 138 135 Nigeria 146 142 137 129 129 117 Libya 147 143 56 46 61 58 Syria 147 116 115 92 75 77 Pakistan 149 146 145 137 127 115 Israel 150 145 144 141 136 119 Central African Republic 151 144 136 133 134 Korea, North 152 149 139 131 133 Russia 153 147 143 136 131 118 Congo, Democratic Republic of 154 148 140 139 128 Iraq 155 152 149 144 140 121 Sudan 156 151 146 140 138 120 Afghanistan 157 150 147 143 137 Somalia 158 153 148 142 139
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In France, I have already mentioned that there is a strong week-end effect: nowadays, there is 25% less deliveries during week-ends than during the week. Calot (1981) observed already that there were less deliveries on Sundays. This has been confirmed more recently, e.g. in http://www.lepoint.fr/ or http://www.prepabl.fr/, with a significant difference between week days, and week-ends. Here is the number of birth per day, over 40 years, with in blue the average trend during the week, and in red, during week-ends,
If we look at the evolution of the ratio week-ends over weeks days, we have the following graph
t2=as.POSIXlt(date) jour=t2$wday jour=jour[1:(1982*7)] nbre2=jour for(i in 1:1982){ taux=sum(nbre[6:7+7*(i-1)])/ sum(nbre[1:5+7*(i-1)])/2*5 nbre2[1:5+7*(i-1)]=nbre[1:5+7*(i-1)]*taux nbre2[6:7+7*(i-1)]=nbre[6:7+7*(i-1)] nbre2[1:7+7*(i-1)]= mean(nbre[1:7+7*(i-1)])/mean(nbre2[1:7+7*(i-1)])* nbre2[1:7+7*(i-1)] } nbretaux=jour for(i in 1:1982){ taux=sum(nbre[6:7+7*(i-1)])/ sum(nbre[1:5+7*(i-1)])/2*5 nbretaux[1:7+7*(i-1)]=taux } plot(date[1:length(nbre2)],nbretaux) X= date[1:length(nbre2)] Y=nbretaux library(splines) reg=lm(Y~bs(X,df=20)) Yp=predict(reg) lines(X,Yp,col="red",lwd=3)
In the beginning of the 70’s, during week-ends, there were 5% less deliveries, but 25% less around 2000. It is then possible to produce the same kind of graphs as the one above, per year of birth. And here, we clearly observe the importance of the week end effect (maybe also because of color choice)By downloading a single app onto their phone, anyone of legal age can become a paid contributor in seconds, thanks to Ruptly Stringer, a unique citizen journalism app. Launched by RT’s video news agency, Ruptly, the app puts freelance journalists and eyewitnesses in direct contact with the newsroom.
“The most popular videos are usually the ones shot by eyewitnesses on their mobile phones, and this user-generated content [UGC] is always of great interest to news agencies, TV channels, and other media platforms,” said Ruptly head Xenia Fedorova. “Ruptly Stringer not only allows us to exclusively access this content, but also helps news editors verify the authenticity of the footage received."
Many leading TV media outlets allow their audience to randomly upload self-shot footage, often for free, on the off-chance it will be broadcast. But, Ruptly Stringer is much more than that – it turns citizen journalists into a part of Ruptly’s news-gathering operation.
If citizen journalists see a story happening in front of their eyes, they can offer the footage to Ruptly at the click of a button. It will be assessed by video editors immediately, who will offer a sum for the content, and if the journalist accepts it, will pay immediately, through a connected PayPal account. The video will also be verified: a sophisticated matching system will help ensure it is original, while geolocation will be used to confirm the reporter really is at the heart of the action.
But this is not the end of it. If the story is still happening, using a chat function inside the app, Ruptly can give assignments to the journalist, for additional rewards. These may be videos, or even a live broadcast, from a phone, with professional editors guiding the reporter about getting the best shot, or providing more details of the story.
But Ruptly Stringer isn’t relying on someone always being there when a story breaks. As soon as the newsroom hears that something is happening, it will notify all those present in the same geographical area, and give them a set assignment to cover the story, with a financial reward. Ruptly is hoping that hundreds of thousands join its network, so that there will always be someone nearby, ready to do real journalism.
Ruptly Stringer is custom-built on the foundation of Babo, a Russian-designed news-gathering platform. Babo has already been road-tested by Russian-language media, where 350,000 videos were submitted to a single news website.
But now, the aim has been set even higher.
“Ruptly Stringer is a revolution in citizen journalism,” says Babo founder, Ashot Gabrelyanov, who moved to New York to develop his app.
Ruptly Stringer is already available for download for Android and Apple devices, and can be used by anyone over 18.Story highlights A total of 197 million people were without a job in 2012, says ILO report
Report: Global unemployment numbers will rise once again in 2013
Youth unemployment remains persistent problem
A total of 197 million people were without jobs in 2012, with youth being particularly hard hit, and those unemployment figures will increase again this year, according to an International Labor Organization report released Monday.
The bulk of the 4 million newly unemployed in 2012 came from developing economies in East Asia, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Global Employment Trends 2013 report.
The International Labor Organization, which is a United Nations agency responsible for overseeing international labor standards, made bleak projections of another increase in unemployment worldwide by 5.1 million in 2013 -- which would push the total to 202 million.
In 2012, 73.8 million young people were unemployed globally.
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"Many young people now experience long-term unemployment right from the start of their labor market entry," said Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, during a presentation of the report's findings. "When this occurs early on in a person's career, it can do significant damage to their long-term employment prospects."
Although new jobs may open up, they may require different skills than those that match the unemployed workers, according to the report.
"Governments should step up efforts to support skills and retraining activities in order to address such mismatches which particularly affect young people," Ryder said.
The report advised that the governments should step up efforts to retrain and support job skills to address the differences in work qualifications, with a focus on young people.
Youth unemployment is expected to rise in emerging economies in Eastern Europe, East and South-East Asia and the Middle East, according to the report.
In developed economies in Europe, firms are reluctant to hire because of uncertainty, the report said. Youth unemployment tops 50% in some European countries.
In Latin America, the region's unemployment was at 6.6% in 2012, with a more rapid recovery from the economic crisis.
In East Asia, employment expanded only 0.5%. In South Asia, female labor force participation remains low.
In the Middle East, unemployment is on the rise again after a decline in the 2000s. But vast differences remain in the region, as oil-producing countries tend to have low unemployment rates.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 77% of workers have what is called "vulnerable employment."
The report made several recommendations on stemming unemployment globally. Leaders should formulate more "coherent and predictable" policy, to address economic uncertainty, it stated.What happened after news broke of a potential new malaria vaccine still seems surreal to Dr. Stephen Hoffman. The biotech company he had founded, Sanaria, was launching the vaccine, and one of his twentysomething sons, who is in medical school in Israel, called to say, “Dad, you’re on the top of Reddit.” The next day, at his sons’ urging, he did an AMA on Reddit, and three hours later, after taking “real questions from real people,” he was a convert. “This was something I’d not paid much attention, and now I was doing it,” he said.
This week, Hoffman took another leap into the new-media world, launching a crowd funding site to raise money to build a robot called “SpoRobot” to vastly increase the efficiency of extracting the salivary glands from mosquitoes for the malaria vaccine. The disease remains a global scourge despite rapid advances in providing insecticide nets and spraying homes, mostly with DDT. More than 600,000 people died from malaria last year, according to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of them young children in Africa.
Right now, each staff researcher is able to dissect 160 mosquitoes an hour. They sit on tall chairs with bright red seats peering down into microscopes. It is tedious work. “If we had a robot, it could work 24/7 and it could increase production 20- to 30-fold,” says Hoffman. “And it would require less training. It would be a dramatic improvement to provide the vaccine if we had a robot.”
To get the vaccine to where it is now, Sanaria has relied on grants from the Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and even an “earmark” secured by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) before Congress ended lawmakers’ ability to direct funds. The vaccine is now undergoing six clinical trials, two at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the others in Mali, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, and Germany. “The results are strong, the highest efficacy that anybody has ever seen,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID director, told The Daily Beast. “Every time there’s another obstacle and another naysayer, he overcomes it…The robot is just another way to take it to the next level.”
Hoffman tried to fund the robot through a government grant. He is working with a team at Harvard’s Biorobotic Laboratory and says his proposal scored high enough that it would have been funded two years ago and this year. But in the year of sequestration, when National Institutes of Health grants were cut back, it missed the mark—“and you can’t apply again,” he said. So that’s when he decided to go with crowd sourcing. The son of a friend had just raised millions through a Kickstarter campaign for the movie Veronica Mars and urged him to give it a try. “It’s a very concrete message, and we need it,” he says. The goal is to raise $250,000 in 30 days to build Sporobot, the mosquito-dissecting robot.
The naysayers that Hoffman encountered along the way still have questions about the practicality of the vaccine he is creating. It has to be given intravenously, which is invasive and bothers some people, and full protection may require multiple doses, which makes administering it in large populations more difficult. In sub-Saharan Africa, 400,000 to 500,000 people are at risk of contracting malaria. Clinical trials will test dosages, and perhaps a better delivery system can be found. “Science is science. It’s not magic,” he says. “To have the expectation everything will work the first time around is fantasy.”
Hoffman should know. He’s been at this a long time, and he’s had his share of disappointments. After he finished medical school, he was operating a travelers clinic and teaching medicine to practitioners in San Diego, and feeling, he says, “like I was a phony tropical diseases doctor.” After avoiding the military during the Vietnam era, he surprised himself by joining the Navy, where he could practice clinical tropical medicine. He began working on malaria in Indonesia, learning firsthand how approaches that worked with typhoid and cholera didn’t work with malaria. “Too many children died who I thought I was saving,” he said, a realization that sent him on his decades-long quest to find a vaccine.
For 17 of the 21 years Hoffman spent in the military, he led the Navy’s anti-malaria program, retiring with the rank of captain in 2001. During that time and since, he’s been involved with various attempts to create the elusive vaccine. In 1987, working at Walter Reed in Washington, he was so convinced he and a small group of scientists had cracked the code that they immunized each other with the bite of five mosquitoes. “I was one of the victims. It didn’t work; I got malaria. I got very sick,” he says, recalling how he was so sure of success that he boarded a plane to give a presentation in California. “I got sick there,” he says.
Much later, working at another startup that no longer exists, Celera Genomics, he went back to basics—with the bite of an irradiated mosquito. “I was at the mecca of biotechnology, and I was laughed out of the room. They thought I was nuts,” he says. He resigned in 2002, and in 2003 founded Sanaria. He and his wife, Dr. Kim Lee Sim, a molecular biologist, have done well securing government and foundation grants, but with budgets tight everywhere and their adult sons urging them on, they hope the public will share their enthusiasm for a robot to help defeat malaria. The prospect of a robot delivering the knockout blow is just the kind of plot line to shake loose the dollars.Greetings Crusaders, long time no see. We've been really busy killing Traitors in the Eternal Crusade Alpha test. Recently we had a chance to chat with Nathan Richardsson about that same Alpha test, and ask a few questions about the future of the game.
MMORPG: Now we all understand that game development it subject to changing goals and timing constraints, but having said that, there are lots of features that players are clamoring for. Without asking you to give us specific dates, I will talk about the feature and you tell us if we will see them soon-ish, not for a while, or a long way off still. Rapid fire session… here we go!
Orks and/or Eldar factions?
Nathan: Eldar is ahead, hopefully before Christmas with a basic compliment of loadouts, vehicles and classes, Orks long way off still. The problems are animations for both. Couldn’t find any Eldars or Orks in Montreal, you know? It takes a while to get them mo-capped and rigged right.
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MMORPG: More subfactions (not new ones, just the rest for each faction)?
Nathan: Before Christmas!
MMORPG: Advanced/Hero/Special character classes?
Nathan: Long way off still, except the Warlord, he is soon.
MMORPG: More vehicles?
Nathan: Soon, variants of the Predator most likely.
MMORPG: More maps?
Nathan: About 2-3 weeks!
MMORPG: More Game modes?
Nathan: We’re still working on improving the three we have now, so not for a bit. But different game modes on current maps, probably soon.
MMORPG: More weapons?
Nathan: As fast as we can make them. I’d say every 2-3 weeks, sometimes faster if a new class is coming in.
MMORPG: Updates to the Rogue Trader Store?
Nathan: Before Christmas, when you can actually use the items you buy! That’s very important for us. That they actually exist, have stats, work and are usable in-game in personalized loadouts
MMORPG: Tyranids or anything to do with Tyranids or PvE?
Nathan: You’ll see it before Christmas on our Twitch and other previews but I’d be really happy with some of it in game as well before Christmas. But realistically, next year.
MMORPG: Now that we are stably playing the game on several maps, how do you feel about the overall progress since Alpha started?
Nathan: I’m incredibly happy with how things are progressing. We’ve been able to deploy pretty regularly new things, more balancing, new features at a regular pace and that’s part of the founders being part of the development. Of course we’re so far out from launch that this is about massive prototyping and experimentation which this early on should lead to a much better final product. We believe in agile development and early feedback despite some things breaking all the time but that’s what we’re there for, to break all the things!
MMORPG: How has player feedback been thus far?
Nathan: I’d say somewhere between incredibly good and fantastic. Two reasons for that because one is that it’s been predominantly positive from all sources but also, the Founders are giving us incredibly good constructive feedback. Yes, not everyone is happy, if we’d manage that we’d be ordering ourselves a Thunderbird but when we get to hear why people are not happy, based on trying out the game right now we understand better why and can do something about it.
It’s pretty key in our philosophy, addressing something now is faster, cheaper, fun and more sexy now than in 4 months where it’s painstakingly slow, no fun and costs us lots of resources. One might even say that we’re doing this in an intelligent and pragmatic way to decrease risk, increase quality and that the Eternal Crusade becomes the fun epic game it deserves to be. Or we stumbled upon a book with cool buzzwords and it’s going to be a mess.
MMORPG: Will you (BE) be allowed to create some original weapons in order to flesh out certain aspects of some classes (no pun intended)? FGor example Fire Dragons are largely anti-vehicle troops according to Lore, but they are also a Capping class for the Eldar, and those two purposes don’t exactly go hand-in-hand.
Nathan: We do have a lot of freedom with certain things, like the classes, their loadouts and so on but some things in the lore are not up for change. Up till now though we’ve found solutions and essentially that the factions have asymmetric classes helps with that as well.
The Ground Assault for example for space marines has a Shield, but Chaos doesn’t very much use shields, so we have the Mark of Nurgle for them instead. We’ve also been surprised that there are exceptions all around which helps us with balancing so I’d say in general, we stick to lore but we have more options than we thought in the beginning.
And for all the free expansion material, JC on a treadmill, our minds can’t stop racing to what we want to add… we’re all over the place.
MMORPG: In its current alpha form EC is pretty much a 40K-themed shooter, not much different than CoD or Battlefield. What sorts of unique features can we expect to really make it stand out from the run-of-the-mill shooter and working more towards the MMO side of the fence?
Nathan: Yes, Closed Alpha is a very, very early stage of the development of the game. This stage hasn’t really been open till lately where we have more indy developers which see the value of early feedback. So we decided to focus first on the core “shooter” of “massive online shooter”.
That means it is very much like many shooters, since it helps a lot with feedback and balancing with this part of the game. What we’re aiming for next, much of which you’ll start seeing early versions of before Christmas is character progression, your own inventory of items and stuff, personalized loadout with that as well as visual customization.
We call it “Deep Sexy Shooter” because instead of being a jump-in shooter, you will have persistent characters that you progress and fit with loadouts. This will continue to evolve and expand all the way till launch, adding more specialized weapons, character progression with flavors for the sub-factions and so on. Depth of character. We’ll also unleash more technical work, on number of players and graphics work to make it far more beautiful. And sexy of course.
MMORPG: The idea of having three outposts plus a one stronghold as a single territory, does that still look like a viable end goal, or are we looking at deviating from that?
Nathan: We’ll get to that in the New Year, where we start to see the territorial conquest over maps and then hopefully be able to start testing out the 16×16km “open territories” which contain 1 fortress and 3 outposts. There is also a PVE aspect to them and while at first they won’t be fully open, that is eventually the goal. But we have various modes of transports to give you that resemble and surprise you with encounters of various kinds.
The good thing about this new strategy is that instead of just one huge territory cramped with outposts, we can have hundreds of these huge territories open for battle to scale up in the conquest for Arkhona. I could be really cocky and say “you ain’t seen nothing yet” but you actually have seen some stuff in the Closed Alpha, so… let’s settle for “we’re bringing sexy back”.
MMORPG: Originally the mechanics for the melta gun were loosely modeled on the original lascannon mechanics. Has the changing lascannon mechanic had an impact on the planned Melta mechanics?
Nathan: Not long term no, because we often use mechanics we already have to create prototypes. The melta will have its own mechanics when we have a good idea of how we want it to be. That’s essentially how we work this early on, placeholders that are easy to work with and get us 80-95% of the way and then we create the final mechanic.
With Unreal Engine 4, this prototyping and creating mechanics happens even faster and sometimes we get stuff straight out of the box. Ok, we didn’t actually get a real box from them with stuff in it, it’s a metaphor.
MMORPG: Many thanks to Nathan for taking the time to answer a few questions for us, I hope everyone reading this is as excited as I am about where our Crusade has brought us thus far, and where we are headed next. As always, if you want to jump straight into the Alpha test with the rest of us, the founder packs are still on sale!A 33 year old man named Jahanzaib Malik was arrested on Monday. According to Canadian immigration officials, they arrested a Pakistani man who was plotting to attack on U.S consulate and other buildings too.
In a hearing on Wednesday, Canadian authorities said that Malik is a supporter of the Islamic State and al Qaeda and who was trained in Libya. Malik told police officer during investigation about his plans involving remote control explosives.
Jahanzab Malik came to Canada as a student and became a permanent resident. The Canadian govt is planning to deport him from Canada.
In Wednesday’s hearing, government lawyers said Malik attempted to radicalize an undercover officer he had befriended by showing him video of ISIS beheadings.
Prosecutors said that Jahanzaib Malik told the police officer that he was a good friend of radical United States born priest Anwaral Awlaki who was killed in a US drone attack in Yemen four years ago.
The Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven claimed that the Jahanzaib is the supporter of ISIS who was planning terrorist activities in Canada. He also appreciated authorities for their performance.
Thirty Three year old Jahanzeb came to Canada in 2004 and in 2009 he got nationality of Canada. He will be kept in custody till Wednesday but it Canadian officials have not explained that why they are not taking any legal action against him.Shipping
I ship ALL DOMESTIC items with tracking, and I ship SAME OR NEXT business day :) The tracking number with its delivery confirmation will count as proof of item received if a customer claims they did not receive their purchase for all domestic purchases, and international packages sent via Registered Mail (registered mail includes tracking.)
*For all lockets/jewelry shipped domestically, insurance is included in your shipping cost.
Arrival Times:
* U.S. Customers: First Class Mail usually arrives within 4-7 days from the date of shipment, and USPS Priority Mail within 2-3 days. Expedited Shipping arrives in 1 day. Please also do not blame me for late mail, as I ship quickly, but I simply cannot help the post office's tardiness.
* International Customers: I allow you the option to ship most items under about $100 to be shipped via First Class International Mail, which takes 1-3 weeks. Once items leave the United States border, I am unfortunately unable to 100% track or insure them. Almost all of them do have tracking all the way to their destination now thanks to some postal improvements, but it is not 100% guaranteed, hence my disclaimer.
I WILL ONLY SHIP TO THESE INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS:
Australia
New Zealand
France
Great Britain
Canada
Belgium
Sweden
Ireland
Norway
Scotland
Wales
The Netherlands
Singapore
****If you purchase from me and your address is to a country I am not comfortable shipping to, especially Russia or Italy, I reserve the right to cancel the transaction. It is nothing personal, but packages don't always make it safely to certain countries, and I cannot take that risk as a small shop owner.
Lastly, for international customers, (although luckily this usually does not happen) there is a small possibility* that you might be charged taxes/customs by your country's government when you receive your package, and I don't cover those fees and have no control/knowledge of when or why they might be incurred.
*UNITED KINGDOM CUSTOMERS please note: I have learned from other UK Etsians that if you order a locket from me that costs upwards of £40 ($62), you have a higher chance of your item being "caught" by customs. They will most likely state "insufficient postage" and slap an £8 fee on you, as well as a percentage of the total cost of your item on top of that. Usually you cannot collect your item until this fee is paid in full. I know it's not fun, but please be prepared for this possibility. The US mail will NOT allow us to ship an item without paying sufficient postage on our end, so please do NOT think I skimped on postage, as it's not actually possible to do so. I am very sorry, but I cannot be responsible for another country's governmental taxes. I don't want to deter my loyal UK customers, but please keep this in mind anytime you order something from me (or anywhere in the United States).
***PLEASE PLEASE check to make sure that the mailing address you give me is correct. I cannot be responsible for something that is lost in the mail if the wrong address was given to me.American recording label
Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. Under its founder Neil Bogart, Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently focuses on Dance and Electronic music under the direction of Rob Stevenson and Brett Alperowitz.
Biography [ edit ]
Casablanca was founded in 1973 by former Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart, who named the label in homage to the film Casablanca. He partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris and Buck Reingold in 1973, and was based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after they left Buddah and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture. Casablanca became one of the most successful American labels of the 1970s, signing and releasing albums by such acts as Kiss, Donna Summer, Village People, Cher, Lipps Inc. (with lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson), and Parliament (featuring George Clinton). In 1976, the label merged with indie-film company Filmworks, Inc. headed by founder, Peter Guber to form Casablanca Record and FilmWorks, Inc., which had hits with the movies The Deep and Midnight Express.
In 1977, PolyGram acquired a 50% stake of Casablanca for $15 million; in 1980, it purchased the remaining half. In 1980, one of the label's biggest acts, Donna Summer, departed to Geffen Records as she and Casablanca failed to agree on her musical direction for the future. That same year, PolyGram pushed Bogart out of Casablanca due to what it viewed as the label's overspending and accounting irregularities. The film division was separated from the label and renamed PolyGram Pictures. In the early 1980s, with Bogart no longer heading the label, Casablanca had hits with acts Lipps Inc, Stephanie Mills, Cameo (on sister label Chocolate City Records), and Irene Cara, but it did not have the same level of success it had enjoyed in the 1970s. The label was eventually shut down by PolyGram with some of the artist roster and catalogue absorbed into sister label, Mercury Records.
In 1999, PolyGram (including its subsidiaries) was purchased by Seagram and then merged with Seagram's MCA Music Entertainment Group to form the Universal Music Group. In 2000, the Casablanca Records name was revived for a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Tommy Mottola. In a Billboard article, Mottola said that he chose the name as a homage to the original label, but that there was no connection between the old and new labels. Casablanca is currently a dance and electronic label under Republic Records headed by GM, Brett Alperowitz.
History [ edit ]
Bogart was the head of Buddah Records, which was owned by the Viewlex Corporation. Also employed at Buddah Records were Holmes, Harris, and Reingold. Bogart had an unorthodox approach to the music business and he eventually grew tired of answering and conforming to Viewlex's business mode. In 1973, he arranged financing through Warner Bros. Records whereas he could start his own record label, which would be a sudsidiary of Warner Bros. After much back and forth, the green light was eventually given by Warner and Bogart started the new label, bringing Harris, Holmes, and Reingold with him. Bogart called the label Casablanca as it was the name of his favorite film, and he also had the same last name as its star Humphrey Bogart. Also, since Warner |
time.
"We've been very upfront about how this works," the spokeswoman said.
cdrhodes@tribpub.com
Twitter @rhodes_dawnBelow is the transcript of an interview with a US soldier who was with Bradley Manning in the discharge unit of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where Manning had been sent before he was due to be thrown out of the army in October 2007 – six weeks after he had enlisted. That decision was revoked and Manning ended up in Iraq
A former soldier was interviewed in Oklahoma as part of research for a Guardian Films profile of Manning. The transcript gives a rare insight into Manning's mental state. The film can be seen here
Reporter: What's the best way to describe you … How long did you spend with Bradley in discharge?
Soldier: Yeah, it was about two to three weeks.
Reporter: And you saw him daily, weekly?
Soldier: It was pretty much 24 hours a day as we were living together in the discharge unit of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Reporter: And when you say living together, how many people were in the discharge unit?
Soldier: The discharge unit [DU] at any given time had about 100+ men. It was basically one big room, it had a group of bunks, bunk-beds and that's where we all lived.
He was being picked on – that was one part of it. Because you know Bradley – everybody said he was crazy or he was faking and the biggest part of it all was when rumours were getting around that he was chapter 15 – you know, homosexual. They'd call him a faggot or call him a chapter 15 – in the military world, being called a chapter 15 is like a civilian being called a faggot to their face on the street
The other part of Bradley's outburst was withdrawing – because there wasn't much of a happy medium. He was either all worked up or totally secluded – he didn't really have very many moments of levity.
The kid was barely 5ft – he was a runt. And by military standards and compared with everyone who was around there – he was a runt. By military standards, "he's a runt so pick on him", or "he's crazy – pick on him", or "he's a faggot – pick on him." The guy took it from every side. He couldn't please anyone. And he tried. He really did. You know what little interaction I had with him personally – it was like he was seeking approval. And he was really good with me but … there were three guys cornering him up front and calling him a chapter 15 – calling him a faggot. There were guys refusing to go in the showers when he was even in the damn latrine. I mean, it was childish and it was hateful and this guy wasn't big enough to just stand up in your face and say: "Knock it off – quit picking on me", and I'll be damned but he tried. You know, there were several times which everyone called "emotional outbursts and tantrums", but what it was was him saying, "Leave me alone."
Reporter: What do you think about the idea that Manning was okay, wasn't unstable? The army breaks people down – wasn't he just as unstable as any other 18-year-old going through that process? Do you agree?
Soldier: No I don't, I don't agree with that at all. He wasn't a soldier – there wasn't anything about him that was a soldier. He has this idea that he was going in and that he was going to be pushing papers and he was gonna be some super smart computer guy and that he was gonna be important, that he was gonna matter to someone and he was gonna matter to something. And he got there and realised that he didn't matter and that none of that was going to happen.
Reporter: Did you get the sense that he was disappointed because it wasn't what he expected it to be?
Soldier: I never once got the feeling that he was disappointed because nobody noticed him. You noticed him. I mean, you could have picked him – within an entire formation of 160 people between the rehab side and the discharge side – in 160 people, you picked Bradley out first. He was the smallest. It wasn't that he wasn't noticed but that he was noticed too much.
Reporter: What's it like to be gay in the DU – in practical terms?
Soldier: For Bradley, it was rough. To say it was rough is an understatement. He was targeted, he was targeted by bullies, by the drill sergeants. Basically, he was targeted by anybody who was within arm's reach of him.
There was a small percentage, I'd say maybe 10-15 guys tops, who didn't care what chapter he was, who just wanted to coexist until they could get out and just get along. But the rest of them – we're talking mentally unfit. Some of them were there for criminal charges. Everyone who was there was getting kicked out. And between being mentally unfit and mentally unstable and being criminal, and then being locked in this room with the guys saying, "Oh, here's this little guy" – it was open season on him. Being gay – being Bradley Manning and being gay in the DU – it was hostile. He was constantly on edge, constantly on guard.
Reporter: Why do you think he wasn't discharged and what was your reaction?
Soldier: I was home for two or three weeks when I got a phone call from one of my friends who was actually still at the DU. He called me from a cell and he was giving me the updates, telling me what was going on and then he said: "Oh, by the way, Bradley is getting recycled."
And I was in shock, I couldn't believe it – there's no way that this guy's getting recycled – it wasn't happening. And he was like, "No, he's going back." And I was like, "How does he feel about it?" and he said, "Oh, he's great – you know, he's happy about it."
I don't know how that happened, I don't know when that happened because he didn't want to be there and they didn't want him there – he was going home. And then all of the sudden, I'm gone and I've gotta start hearing about how he's going back. I was shocked and I was angry – I mean, not angry mad, but angry like frustrated and disappointed. You know, because the system failed, they let him down: he should never have been recycled.
Reporter: Why not? Would he not have a made a good soldier in the end?
Soldier: Bradley was not a soldier. Bradley was never a soldier. Bradley is never going to be a soldier. People who become soldiers are protectors, there's a minddset to it. You know, Bradley wasn't somebody (in my personal opinion and experience) who protects people, he's not somebody who should be protecting people. He is somebody who needs protecting.
He's not a soldier, he's one of those guys that you watch out for and you take care of him. He's not somebody I'd want next to me when I kick in a door. Bradley Manning was not one of those guys who you wanted next to you in a life or death situation. He wasn't then and I don't think he is now. I just keep seeing these pictures on the news and all these pictures on his Facebook, where they show him all smiles or with a slight smirk or he's serious. All I ever keep seeing is this red-faced kid with bloodshot eyes just gritting his teeth and yelling and sweating. All I keep seeing is this scared kid. So it's tough to describe…
They have all these beds and bunks that are all lined up and at the front there's a common area. It's not much of a common area but there's a desk and doors, bathroom, storage room and then the entrance to this place. And there were three guys who had him cornered up front, and they were picking on him and he was yelling and screaming back.
And we got up there – it was me and a couple of other guys who went up there to start breaking it up – and I'm yelling, "Get the hell out of there, back off." And I started pulling Manning off him while the other guys were taking care of the ones who were picking on him. And I got Manning off to the side and, yeah, he pissed himself – you know. That wasn't the only time he did that, but that was the time I remember. It happened a few other times, I know a couple of guys who could tell you the same story, just different circumstances.
There were two occasions. One was when Manning was escorted to hospital for psych evaluation. They have what they call battle buddies. When you are on basic training you cannot go anywhere by yourself: you have to have someone with you at all times. One person. So, if you go anywhere you have to have someone with you.
When a chapter 15 has to go to see the jag [judge advocate general] and have their teeth checked. When anybody goes anywhere in the entire discharge process, they have to have another soldier with them, a battle buddy. Nobody wanted to be Manning's battle buddy. Nobody would escort Manning anywhere.
Why he was there in the first place in the DU, none of us know. They don't tell the privates in the DU who is coming in today and here's why they are coming in. It's just, here's new meat for the grinder for the most part. But the rumours were that Bradley was there because he was crazy. He was mentally unfit. I believe it was called chapter 17.
Reporter: Do you think his commanders should have kicked him out of the army? Should his commanders have spotted he wasn't suitable and gone ahead with the discharge?
Soldier: They should have gotten rid of him. I do not understand the justification or what excuses they had to keep him around. He was a wreck, he was a complete wreck.
Reporter: Every single soldier at the end of basic training is supposed to be a wreck, are they not? Why was Manning different
Soldier: The general concept of basic training is to take the citizen or take the boy, or the man, or the woman – take the person and break them down emotionally and rebuild them in the army's image. I mean that's basic training. There's the mental break. Manning was not your typical mental break. It wasn't a matter of I'm homesick or I'm a baby boy and I miss my Mummy. This was trauma. And the worst part about is that the moment that anybody senses or sees weakness, it is like being in the water for sharks. I mean, they just dive all over it and compound it. You either bounce back from that or you don't.
He was in the DU. That means he was not bouncing back. He was going home. You don't just accidentally end up in a Discharge Unit one day. You have somebody saying, "You know what, he is no good - let's get him out of here. There are a lot of steps to go to before you even hit a DU let alone before you from a DU to a bus or plane home. He wasn't broken in the conventional sense, he was traumatised
Reporter: Why was it so traumatic for Bradley?
Soldier: He was small, he was gay and he was a gay in hiding. You don't get into the military if you are gay. If you are gay and in the military, you lied to the military to get in. The recruiter told you, "Oh, don't say that," or someone coerced you and you ended up hiding that part of yourself. He was already a mess of a child to start with. Then you get him in there and expose him to sleep deprivation. When you are already unstable. When you are already incapable of having that mindset of suck it up and adapt and overcome. A soldier in basic training doesn't know that they are a soldier – they just know they have seen one too many war movies, played one too many war video games or listened to Toby Keith too much.
Here's the reality: basic training is, we build you down then we break you up – or we break you down and we build you up. Manning was not coming back up.
Reporter: You were just explaining to us the fact that you went through an experience that left you in the discharge bay as well, and that you are not mad at the army or the US government but you think there is something seriously wrong with a system that redeploys unfit soldiers. Could you just run that by me again?
Soldier: It's not the redeployment, it is the recycling. There is something wrong with the system. First off, I was in the DU for a month and in that entire month not one person was recycled from the DU. When I got out, I went home and I was getting periodic phone calls from the guys. Bradley was the only one who got recycled. And like I said, for the life of me I still don't understand how and why.
Anybody can figure out that this kid should not have been there. He didn't have the mind or the mindset for it. A lot of hands were involved when it came to the decision of keeping him in. He was actually glad about the fact that he was going back.
Somebody managed to convince him or tell him the right story, or something so that he managed to end up being glad to be getting back in the system. I don't know what happened. I don't know what the trigger was. There are a lot of steps and people you have to talk to and things to sign and go through just to get from the barracks to a DU, let alone from the packet building in the DU to actually going home.
I think I am saying what is wrong with the system. Why was the US army in such a mess that they were recycling the likes of Bradley Manning?
I know for a fact that in 2007 recruiting numbers were the lowest they had ever been. They were lowering recruitment standards like crazy. I mean, facial tattoos, too tall, too short, too fat, criminal record – it didn't matter. They even upped the age limit. You could be 42 years old and still enlist for basic training. It was take everybody you could get. Keep hold of everybody you can get. Bradley Manning should never have cleared any of those hurdles to even get into the military. And then he is in and it is a colossal failure and everyone knows it. And they say, right let's get the ball rolling, file the paperwork and get him to a DU.
Discharge in the US army means fired. AWOL means "I quit" and the military would much rather have a higher number of people discharged than gone AWOL. Because with discharge they can say, "Oh well, they weren't good enough so we got rid of them," and the money keeps flowing in. Bradley should have been discharged, he was in the DU to be discharged. He was going home but they kept him in. Why did they keep him in, who thought that was a rational decision?
It went to the first sergeant and company captain. They signed off on it and the whole packet began. Physical doctors and mental health professionals failed on him. Then you have the cadres, the drill sergeants in the DU: they failed on on him. The first sergeant and the company captain at the DU failed him. The judge advocate group that everyone in discharge had to go through, they failed him. That is a lot of people in a lot of offices and this is for a boy who is pissing his pants and curled up in a foetal position on his bunk and constantly screaming or in terror. There are a lot of people and a lot of steps that got missed. That's what I am talking about with the system, or my frustration with the system and how all this happened.
And yet he was in a DU and the army almost got rid of him. You know, they have no one to blame for everything that's going on except themselves. That's the only reason I'm saying anything. I can't help Bradley out. I tried to help him out then. A few others of us did but I can't do anything to help him. I'm not doing anything to attack the army or the government or the system or anything. I'm just saying a lot of people let him down. He is not the first one they let down and he is not the last one. That shit is going on right now at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. It is going on at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and it is going on everywhere there is a training facility. I appreciate you guys taking the time.
You can't get mad at the bull for wrecking the china shop when you have trapped the bull inside it. Bradley should never have been there. They had the opportunity to get rid of him and they didn't. That was October and November 2007. It is now 2011 and all we are hearing about is Bradley, Wikileaks, and he is the bad guy.
But the reality is that he should have never have been there. There are a lot of steps and a lot of people who let him down. Me and a few others in the DU tried to help him wherever we could. I'm not doing this because I am lashing out or I'm angry with the government or the system or anything else. I'm disappointed about the fact that no one has said anything to this day about how he was in a DU and that the army was going to fire him, they were going to get rid of him.Despite the fact that my main skin concern is dry skin, which has improved greatly since I’m using asian skincare and an asian inspired skincare routine, I still have another skin concern which is in correlation with increasing age: enlarged pores :’D I have visible pores in my T-zone, especially on my nose and what would be nicer than to make them appear smaller. Of course using BB/CC creams and or primers hides them, still it would be nice to have them smaller even without makeup. For that purpose I have started to use the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum, a daily useable serum containing BHA to gently deep cleanse pores. After using it for around 50 days (maybe more, but I was inconsistent), here is my impression:
COSRX is a affordable Korean brand “offering good quality beauty items for 10 years”. The brand name is composed of COS for cosmetics and RX for prescription. Brand like Ciracle and C20 (yes, the famous vitamin C serum) are also part of COSRX. One of the rather popular skincare lines from COSRX are the AHA/BHA skincare products. I’m using the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum in combination with the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner I reviewed previously. The packaging design of all the COSRX products is simple and similar. They all come in a white cardboard box with a black area where the product name is written in. The rest of the cardboard box contains very detailled descriptions in English and Korean. You can click on the image below to enlarge and read the description.
The cardboard description also contains the rather short ingredient list of the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum. The ingredients are also listed on COSDNA, if you want to check upon them >>here<<. The main ingredient of this astringent serum is White Willow water, which makes 80 % of the ingredients. Since it is an astringent serum for removing the sebum from clogged pores the second ingredient is alcohol, but although I have dry skin and usually too much alcohol in products makes my skin feel irritated I don’t have that feeling here. I focus for the application on my T-zone mainly, too. The Beta salicylate, the BHA, makes 0.5 % of the ingredients, and helps to exfoliate the troubled areas and smoothen the skin. Condition for the BHA to work is a low pH. The serum itself has a pH of 6-7 according to my meassurement, it says 7 on Wishtrend. Therefore it is important to use a preparation toner with a low pH before. Apart from these ingredients the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum contains Hyaluronic acid for moisturization and Zinc Oxide for UV protection. Nevertheless, you should keep using sunscreen during daytime when using BHA/AHA products!
The COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum contains 100 ml in a pump bottle made of sturdy, frosted plastic. You see an orangy liquid through the bottle. When you receive it, you will notice floating white particles in the liquid and some white residue on the bottom of the bottle. This is the sebum absorption powder as stated in the description and you have to shake the bottle before every use of the serum, so the powder dissolves in the solution. The serum is made for all skintypes for daily use in the morning and evening, but if you have very sensitive skin COSRX suggests to only use it in the evening and 2-3 times a week. Since it is an astringent serum to remove oil and clogged pores I use a cotton pad to swipe the serum over my target areas. It is important to also leave the product until it is fully absorbed, so the effect of the ingredients is not weakened.
The bottom of the bottle has the production and the expiration date printed on and you will find further Korean description on the body label of the bottle and below the sticker. The serum has a shelf-life of 12 months.
I use a couple of pumps on my cotton pads while applying the serum. The serum has a clear, runny consistency and a light alcohol-scent which dissapears super quickly and leaves a scentless finish. The serum absorbs quickly, too, and is not sticky.
The immediat effect of the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum is definetly the deep cleanse of the pores. Even after double cleansing this astringent serum shows some dirt on the cotton pad used. The area around my nose looks cleared up and the pores look less visible, which is only ahort time effect. But what about longterm effects of this serum? As I said at the beginning, I did not use this product religiously day and night, but I’d say I used it for around 50 days in total, maybe more. I’m half-through the bottle now. Below you can see a closeup of my nose starting from the first day I used it up to today. Despite the different lightening conditions you can see that the pores appear less deep. From only looking at the mirror I thought there are no huge changes, but seeing the closeup convinced me, that if used regulary I’m sure that the effects are even better to see. At the moment I do not use any other BHA/AHA products apart from this serum and the Treatment Toner, but I want to start using Mizon AHA serum in the evenings now. Let’s see how all the three (together with my OST Vitamin C serum) work together.
The COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish clearly fulfills its purpose as astringent serum for deep cleansing pores. It immedieatelly makes the pores appear smaller and clearer and even on longterm you can see some changes. If used regulary day and night I’m sure the results will be even more visible. I’d say this is a good BHA serum for people with sensitive skin to start with. I’m in love with it and so far it fits nicely into my skincare routine. Let’s see how it works in combination with a stronger AHA serum and if I will keep repurchasing it or not. You can get the COSRX BHA Summer Poire Minish Serum with a volume of 100 ml from Wishtrend for 13.80 US$. It seems the product is currently out of stock!
Check out my other reviews for COSRX products >>here<<.Bannon has not meaningfully advised the president about his response to Charlottesville. He's still on the outs with Trump, who has been calling him a leaker for weeks, though the president described Bannon as a good person on Tuesday.
They spoke by phone on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the calls, but the response to Charlottesville has been all Trump, and Trump at his purest.
according to a source with knowledge of the calls, but the response to Charlottesville has been all Trump, and Trump at his purest. On the phone to Bannon, Trump asked his chief strategist "where does it end?" according to a source with knowledge of their conversations.
according to a source with knowledge of their conversations. Trump wasn't referring to the white supremacists, but to the counter-protesters whom the president believes are on a slippery slope towards "changing history" by tearing down monuments of Confederate heroes and potentially, he has said, the Founding Fathers like George Washington, who owned slaves.
Bannon, who is in New York today, has a view of Trump's Charlottesville response that horrifies many of his West Wing colleagues:
Unlike some of Trump's other top aides — who have varied on a spectrum between frustration and disgust since the president's Charlottesville remarks — Bannon has unapologetically supported Trump's instinct to apportion blame to "both sides."
— who have varied on a spectrum between frustration and disgust since the president's Charlottesville remarks — Bannon has unapologetically supported Trump's instinct to apportion blame to "both sides." Sources who've spoken with Bannon since Charlottesville say he views this moment as analogous to the campaign moment when Hillary Clinton condemned half of Trump's supporters to a "basket of deplorables."
say he views this moment as analogous to the campaign moment when Hillary Clinton condemned half of Trump's supporters to a "basket of deplorables." Bannon believes that if Trump condemned all the people who protested the pulling down of the Robert E. Lee statue then he'd fall into a trap set by leftists, the establishments of both parties, and the mainstream media. (Some of Bannon's colleagues say this is an absurd argument. They point out it was a crowd of white supremacists holding tiki torches and chanting racist slogans, and that this is no time for the president to be searching for the "fine people" in the group. They say Trump should be condemning the tiki torch crowd unequivocally and leaving the debate over statues and free speech to another, less racially-heated, day.)
Bottom line: Both Trump and Bannon are of one mind, and, within the White House at least, theirs is a minority view. They saw the backlash to Charlottesville as an example of political correctness run amok and instinctively searched for "their" people in that group of protesters. Bannon has told associates that Trump, on Tuesday afternoon, took it to the next level for the country by asking where does it end? He especially loved Trump's line: "I wonder, is it George Washington next week?"Rebel divisions in Idlib threaten to further weaken an already fragile opposition in northern Syria, analysts have said, ripping two ostensible allies apart and throwing into question the direction and shape of the remainder of the armed rebellion.
Over the past week, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and Ahrar al-Sham, two of the most powerful rebel outfits in Syria who have long fought side by side against government forces, have turned on each other in Idlib, the country's last rebel-held province.
The fracture comes at a time when the international community is placing increasing pressure on rebels to distance themselves from JFS and enter into political negotiations with the Syrian regime.
Trilateral talks aimed at consolidating a nationwide ceasefire - a ceasefire that excludes JFS - wrapped up in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana the day before the clashes broke out. And while the aim of the meeting was to pave the way toward UN-led negotiations on February 20, it remains unclear whether any elements within the two major rebel factions in the north will participate in the process.
READ MORE: Syria's Civil War Explained
Clashes between JFS and other rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, snowballed across the north after JFS fighters launched a preplanned assault on Jaish al-Mujahideen, a rebel faction based west of Aleppo.
The infighting has left the province divided between two twisted areas of control, split between a new Salafist coalition created by new JFS, a group formerly known as al-Nusra Front that changed its name after dropping its official link to al-Qaeda, on one side, and the nationalist Islamist movement Ahrar al-Sham and smaller Western-backed factions on the other.
The new Salafist alliance created by JFS, which is united under the name Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham and includes influential factions like the Nour al-Din al-Zenki group, emerged just days after six other rebel factions that were targeted by JFS joined ranks with Ahrar al-Sham.
Analysts say the JFS attacks on other elements of the opposition were "explicitly" linked to the outcome in Astana, and have left moderate factions with difficult choices.
"The attack by Fateh al-Sham was an attempt to liquidate some of the more relevant [rebel] factions that had lent their credibility to Astana and these various other rounds of international negotiations," Sam Heller, a Syria analyst and fellow with The Century Foundation, told Al Jazeera.
"It looks like they were attempting to railroad through a consolidation of the north factions on Fateh al-Sham's terms and under Fateh al-Sham's effective leadership."
Listed as a "terrorist" organisation by the United Nations and western governments, JFS was excluded from the ceasefire established late last year by Russia and Turkey, and was highlighted as a mutually agreed upon target in a final communique signed by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran at the close of the Ankara talks earlier this month.
If Ahrar al-Sham now decides to participate in the next talks in Geneva, it will enter a much larger conflict with Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham. Hamza al-Mustafa, researcher
Ahrar al-Sham, on the other hand, has long straddled the fault line between moderate rebel groups that define themselves as "revolutionaries" and more hardline Salafist groups like JFS. While it did not attend the talks in Astana, it has been deemed a "moderate" group by Russia and receives heavy backing from Turkey.
"It probably didn't help that, presumably US, drone strikes on Fateh al-Sham have stepped up recently, which I assumed ratcheted up paranoia about rival factions and various other agents on the ground providing coordinates of Fateh al-Sham commanders and bases," said Heller.
US drone strikes targeting JFS have increased in recent weeks, one of which reportedly killed at least 100 fighters, including 10 senior commanders, in Idlib.
JFS placed the blame for the fall of Aleppo on a lack of coordination and structure among the moderate factions that held most of the city's eastern neighbourhoods.
"They all bore responsibility for the loss of Aleppo, but the narrative that they have adopted is that these MOM internationally backed factions turned out to be useless," said Heller, using the Turkish acronym for a Joint Operations Center, through which the CIA and other foreign intelligence agencies arm and coordinate with rebels in Syria's north.
Hamzeh al-Moustafa, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, argued that JFS's distrust of MOM-linked rebel factions pushed the group to declare "a new Salafist emirate".
Not only were JFS commanders worried that intelligence on whereabouts of the group's commanders and bases were being used in drone strikes, but they also believed they would be able to strip some of the more hardline elements within Ahrar al-Sham away from the group and create a larger, more ideologically pure movement.
"Al-Nusra was expecting that the hardliners in Ahrar al-Sham like Abu Jaber would push the movement to join the Nusra project," said Moustafa, referring to the former leader of Ahrar al-Sham who announced his resignation from Ahrar al-Sham on Twitter shortly after news broke that he had been named "general commander" of the new Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham coalition.
Since many of the key hardliners - who have caused ideological rifts within Ahrar al-Sham in the past - have been stripped away, the group's moderate elements may have more sway over its agenda.
"The [Ahrar al-Sham] moderates are pushing for an agenda closer to that of the Syrian people, and the hardliners in Ahrar al-Sham want to join Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham," said Moustafa.
But Ahrar al-Sham has repeatedly refused to participate in negotiations, largely due to internal divisions, and analysts are unsure if the recent change within its internal make up - its absorption of moderate Western-backed groups - and increased pressure from its regional backers will make a difference.
"One thing is for sure, if Ahrar al-Sham now decides to participate in the next talks in Geneva, it will enter a much larger conflict with Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham," said Moustafa.
Turkey, a major supporter of Ahrar al-Sham, was able to convince most of the moderate rebel factions it backs to attend the talks in Astana. But without the inclusion of Ahrar al-Sham, one of the central factions across much of northern Syria, the opposition's leverage at the negotiating table will be limited.
Ankara's shift in Syria since last summer has seen it move its priorities away from an all-out regime change towards a central focus on "the Kurdish issue" along its border region. As its rapprochement with Russia holds, it has placed increasing pressure on the Syrian opposition to "follow suit and to make Turkey's pivot effect and sustainable", according to Yazid Sayigh, a senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
"Turkey is going to have to keep pushing the Syrian opposition further along the path of doing whatever is necessary to make it possible to have a stable holding pattern in Syria, which means finding a way of dealing with Fateh al-Sham because, otherwise, this will be a constant excuse for the regime and the Russians, if not the US, to escalate, at a time when Turkey is trying to stabilize the situation."
OPINION: Why are Islamist armed groups clashing in Syria?
The moderate opposition, which now includes many elements within Ahrar al-Sham, is at a strategic juncture.
Either it rejects the diplomatic track altogether and joins ranks with JFS-led Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham coalition, or it distances itself from JFS and continues to ally with Turkey, hoping that through negotiations - and continued military support - it can maintain territory and some degree of political influence.
And while joining ranks with the JSF may help the rebels avoid all-out infighting in Idlib, it would also cost them one of their key regional backers.
"The Turks have made it clear to these factions, inclusive of Ahrar al-Sham, but not exclusively, that if they join with Fateh al-Sham and with what is approximately al-Qaeda … they're done," said Heller.
By joining ties with JFS, these groups would effectively nullify the fragile ceasefire and open themselves up to air strikes not only from the government and its Russian backer, but also from a large cross section of the international community.
Russia would then likely support a renewed and expanded military campaign in Idlib, under the premise of attacking "terrorists", which would likely generate heavy rebel losses, civilian casualties and destruction on a level similar to what was seen in Aleppo.
"Meanwhile, though, I think Russia and the regime are comfortable with the current situation," said Moustafa.
"They can sit back and watch as their ceasefire holds and the opposition fights itself."
Follow Dylan Collins on Twitter: @CollinsDylA couple of items came up at the Open Dev meeting held last night (Thursday 27th September) which are worth pushing out by way of updates to my SL Projects Update from earlier in the week.
Beta Viewer
The beta release ((3.4.1.265134) made available on September 24th is still suffering from high crash rates. Whether these are related to memory leaks or not is currently unclear, as the Lab is apparently having trouble reproducing specific causes of crashes. It is believed that tcmalloc is no longer a part of the code. As a result of the investigations, the planned frequent deploys of 3.4.1 beta releases as specified by Oz last week has been delayed. This is liable to have a knock-on effect with planning for the 3.4.2 beta releases as well, although 3.4.2 continues to roll to the development branch, with 3.4.2.265141, released on the 25th September being the current development build at the time of writing.
Mesh Deformer
Following the release of version 3.4.1.265139 on September 25th, the Mesh Deformer project viewer updated to 3.4.1.265192 on September 26th. This version has the normals calculation disabled, as it conflicted with how Blender creates sharp edges and would cause the deformer to split the edge. In addition, it appears from comments made at the Open Dev meeting that meshes uploaded prior to this version will not deform unless worn with a mesh uploaded using this version, which is intentional.
There have been further contributions to the test clothing at Hippotropolis, and Nalates Uirriah commented that some creators are placing free copies of clothing for testing up on the SL Marketplace for people to use in tests. Oz requested that anyone doing this to please explicitly state the version number of the project viewer they used to upload the mesh clothing.
At the moment, and based on contributions received, Oz is hoping to arrange for a new series of tests to be run to test the overall functionality for the deformer as it stands. Again, if you do wish to contribute clothing (uploaded using the current version of the project viewer), please refer to Oz’s original request on the subject.
Avatar Baking
Avatar baking is progressing, although there is still no time-frame for any project viewer or roll-out of code on the server-side.
Currently, work is being undertaken to move the viewer’s baking code to its own library, which will be used with the new server-side baking service as well. Thus the same code will be used when changing your appearance locally, and to send your updated appearance out via the new baking service, once it has received the updates from your viewer. This aim of this work is to further eliminate some of the errors which can occur as a result of the current baking process being reliant upon viewer-side hardware, drivers, etc., wherein the same inputs can lead to different results when using different hardware.
One of the biggest benefits of this work will be removing the burden of texture caching from the simulators. With the new system, avatar texture caching will essentially be a global service: the Texture Compositing service becomes a single point-of |
an agreement to be the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowls XLV, XLVI and XLVII.[46] In 2011, Papa John's became the official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.[46] In October 2012, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning became a franchisee in the Denver area for Papa John's, and also purchased 21 franchises in the area.[47] In July 2013, Papa John's announced it had become the Official Pizza Partner of The Football League in the UK.[48] The sponsorship ended after the 2017 season when Pizza Hut became the official pizza of the NFL in February 2018.
The company was the former beneficiary of the naming rights to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium used by the University of Louisville's football team, in exchange for Schnatter personally donating $5 million for the rights.[49] Schnatter made a further $10 million donation for the stadium's expansion,[49] and extended the naming rights to the year 2040. The Papa John's name was taken off the stadium in July 2018, after Schnatter's resignation from the company.[50]
Media coverage [ edit ]
Papa John's received attention in May 2008 when a Washington, D.C. franchise distributed T-shirts making fun of Cleveland Cavaliers star player LeBron James at a playoff game against the Washington Wizards. Photographs of the shirts quickly spread from the Internet[51] to Cleveland television. Increasing awareness of the controversy prompted an apology from the Papa John's national headquarters on May 5.[52] To apologize, Papa John's offered large single-topping pizzas for 23 cents (matching James' jersey number) at all locations in Greater Cleveland and throughout northern Ohio. The chain sold over 172,000 pizzas at 23 cents a piece, with customers waiting in lines outside of some stores for as long as three hours.[53]
Papa John's also received media attention on January 6, 2012, when an employee typed the phrase "lady chinky eyes" on a receipt issued to an Asian American customer at a restaurant in New York City.[54] The employee was fired and the company issued a formal apology.[55] A manager at the restaurant where the incident occurred told the New York Post that the cashier, a teenager, did not intend to offend saying, "It's a busy place, and it was a way to identify her and her order. You know, we do stuff like that sometimes. We'll write 'the lady with the blue eyes' or 'the guy in the green shirt.' I think the lady put it out there just to get some attention, some people like that type of attention."[56]
Papa John's CEO John Schnatter informed shareholders that his business's costs would increase due to the additional expenses associated with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and that franchisees would pass those expenses on to the consumer.[57]
John Schnatter's claim that a reverse in NFL viewer ratings (supposedly because of the NFL kneeling controversy)[58] had directly led to decreased same-store sales across Papa John's franchises was extensively reported in November 2017.[59] It was estimated that Schnatter's personal holdings in the chain had lost millions of dollars in value.[60] Papa John's disavowed statements by white supremacist groups expressing support for the brand in the wake of Schnatter's comments.[61]
A media report surfaced on July 11, 2018, claiming that Schnatter had used the word nigger in a conference call the previous May, along with graphic descriptions of violence against racial minorities. Forbes magazine reported that a media agency working with Papa John's severed its relationship with the company following the report. Steve Ritchie, who had replaced Schnatter as CEO, responded with a memo stating that "racism has no place at Papa John's," and a company spokesman wrote in an email that Papa John's "condemns racism".[62] The same day, Schnatter admitted to using the racial epithet during the conference call and resigned as chairman of the company's board of directors.[63][64] On July 13, 2018, top executives of the company decided to remove Schnatter's image from marketing materials.[65]
Litigation [ edit ]
In 1997, Pizza Hut filed a lawsuit against Papa John's based on a series of advertisements that compared the ingredients of Papa John's and its competitors. Pizza Hut successfully argued that Papa John's slogan did not constitute statements of literal fact – that "fresher ingredients" do not necessarily account for a "better" pizza. This ruling was overturned in 2000 when Papa John's appealed the decision. Although the jury's decision on the misleading advertising was upheld, the appeals court determined that Pizza Hut failed to prove, under the requirements of the Lanham Act, that the misleading advertising and puffery had a material effect on consumers' purchasing decisions.
In 2012, the company was the subject of a class-action lawsuit for allegedly sending over 500,000 unwanted text messages to customers. The suit sought over $250 million in damages, though the company settled to pay $16.5 million, awarding members of the class up to $50 in damages, and a free, large, one-topping pizza.[66]
In August 2015, Papa John's agreed to pay $12.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which the company was accused of undercompensating 19,000 delivery drivers in the states of Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina. The complaint stated that the flat reimbursement amount per delivery for drivers failed to equal minimum wage.[67]
In July 2016, Panera Bread filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Eastern District Court in Missouri accusing Papa John's of stealing digital trade secrets and proprietary data management strategies by hiring Michael Nettles, a former Panera executive who was in charge of the chain's corporate digital technologies deployment.[68] In August, a Federal judge issued a restraining order, preventing Nettles from reporting to work at Papa John's while the case was active.[69] Later that year, Panera told the Federal court that it had agreed to drop the lawsuit in December 2016. Details that led to the lawsuit being dropped were not made public.[70]
See also [ edit ]BROCKTON, Mass., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Police in Massachusetts said a divorced dad angry about being denied a visit with his kids spray painted his own name on a courthouse.
Investigators said police responding to reports of a vandal early Thursday found Andrew Steele, 45, of Tacoma, Wash., outside of the Brockton District Courthouse with a can of red spray paint in his hand, the Boston Herald reported Friday.
Lt. John Crowley said the words "Steele Boys Rights Denide," complete with the misspelled "denied," were written across three-fourths of the courthouse in two-foot-high letters.
Crowley said Steele was apparently angry about a probate court's decision to deny his request to have his children visit him.
"The officer approached and asked what he was thinking," Crowley said. "He stated he did it as a protest."
Steele was charged with tagging, malicious damage and destruction over $250. He was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail and is due in court Jan. 6.The history of figure skating stretches back to prehistoric times. Primitive ice skates appear in the archaeological record from about 3000 BC. Edges were added by the Dutch in the 13th - 14th century. International figure skating competitions began appearing in the late 19th century—in 1891, the European Championships were inaugurated in Hamburg, Germany, and in 1896, the first World Championships were held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, figure skating became the first winter sport to be included in the Olympics.
Archaeology and earliest historical documentation [ edit ]
The exact time and process by which humans first learned to ice skate is unknown. Primitive animal bone ice skates have been found in Scandinavia and Russia, some dating back to about 3000 BC.[1]
The earliest clear, written mention of ice skating is found in a book written in the 12th century by William Fitzstephen, a monk in Canterbury. In the work, centered on Thomas Becket, he describes a scene taking place below the northern city walls of Canterbury during the winter:
...if the moors in Finsbury and Moorfield freeze over, children from London play. Some of the children have attached bones to their ankles, and carry well-worn sticks. They fly across the ice like birds, or well-fired arrows. Suddenly, two children will run at each other, sticks held high in the air. They then attack each other until one falls down. Often, the children injure their heads or break their arms or legs...
The sticks that Fitzstephen refers to were used for movement, as the primitive bone-made ice skates did not have sharp gliding edges like modern ice skates. Adding edges to ice skates was invented by the Dutch in the 13th or 14th century. These ice skates were made of steel, with sharpened edges on the bottom to aid movement. The construction of modern ice skates has remained largely the same. The only other major change in ice skate design came soon after. Around the same time period as steel edges were added to ice skates, another Dutchman, a table maker’s apprentice, experimented with the height to width ratio of the metal blade of the ice skates, producing a design that remains almost unaltered to this day. The user of the skates no longer needed to use sticks for propulsion, and movement on skates was now freer and more stable.
The first depiction of ice skating in a work of art was made in the 15th century. The picture, of Saint Lidwina, patron saint of ice skaters, falling on the ice was the first work of art to feature ice skating as a main theme. Another important aspect of the painting is a man seen in the background, who is skating on one leg. This means that the ice skates the man was wearing must have sharp edges similar to those found on modern ice skates.
Social status of ice skating [ edit ]
In the Netherlands, ice skating was considered proper for all classes of people to participate in, as shown in many pictures by the Old Masters. Skating was used as a means of transportation because the waterways which connected Dutch towns sometimes froze for months on end, hampering the economy.[2]
In other regions, participation in ice skating was limited to only members of the upper classes. Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire enjoyed ice skating so much he had a large ice carnival constructed in his court in 1610 in order to popularize the sport[citation needed]. King Louis XVI of France brought ice skating to Paris during his reign[citation needed]. Madame de Pompadour, Napoleon I, Napoleon III, and the House of Stuart were, among others, royal and upper class fans of ice skating.
18th and 19th centuries [ edit ]
Skating in the 19th century, 1862 lithograph
Jackson Haines
The next step in the development of ice skating came in 1742, when the first ice skating association was formed, the Edinburgh Skating Club. The first instructional book concerning ice skating was published in London in 1772. The book, written by a British artillery lieutenant, Robert Jones, describes basic figure skating forms such as circles and figure eights. The book was written solely for men, as women did not normally ice skate in the late 18th century. It was with the publication of this manual that ice skating split into its two main disciplines, speed skating and figure skating.
In the winter of 1858–59, a skating pond opened in New York's Central Park, re-igniting interest in the activity.[3] Sex segregation at ponds disappeared early on and skating became "one of the only activities that single men and women could do together unchaperoned."[3] Additional skating ponds opened in Brooklyn, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Staten Island as the activity grew in popularity.[4][5] The Skating Club of New York was founded in 1863.[3] Jackson Haines, an American, was the first skater to incorporate ballet and dance movements into his skating, as opposed to focusing on tracing patterns on the ice. He also invented the sit spin and developed a shorter, curved blade for figure skating that allowed for easier turns. Haines was also the first to wear blades that were permanently attached to the boot. He won the first Championships of America held in Troy, New York in 1864.
For a time, the stiff and rigid British figure skating forms dominated in America, trumping Haines's more artistic way of skating. Haines instead attempted to spread his innovations in ice skating style in Europe, gaining success in such countries as Sweden and Austria. His style was still opposed by both his American colleagues as well as skaters from Victorian England, who continued to advocate a stiffer and more restrained style of skating. Haines continued to add new dance elements to his routines, and astounded a crowd in Vienna in the winter of 1868. Many in the audience expressed wonder at how a normal man could move over the ice in such a manner.[citation needed] Haines's performance led to the establishment of the Vienna School, which continued to develop Haines's artistic style. Although Haines himself died at the age of 35 in 1875 from the effects of tuberculosis, his influence lived on. His students at the Vienna School established the International Skating Union in 1892, the first international ice skating organization, and one of the oldest sports associations still in existence. It was founded in Scheveningen, in the Netherlands, but is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Union created the first codified set of figure skating rules.
In 1891, the first European Figure Skating Championships were held in Hamburg, Germany. 1896 saw the introduction of the World Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire.
Early 20th century [ edit ]
In the beginning of the 20th century, figure skating was lent a more athletic character through the developments of Ulrich Salchow, a Swede. Salchow was considered the greatest figure skater of his day by far, winning the world championships ten times. The crowning achievement of his career, however, was his development of ice skates with slightly serrated blades, giving enough traction on the ice to launch long jumps. The salchow jump, still used prominently in figure skating routines today, is named for him, and was considered Salchow's greatest contribution to figure skating.
Figure skating's Olympic debut came at the 1908 Summer Olympics—it was the first winter sport introduced to the Olympics.[6] The competition included men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and special figures.
The largest public ice rink in the world, the Sportpalast in Berlin, opened in the 1910s. The rink had an area of 2,400 m2 (25,800 ft2), with dimensions of 60 m by 40 m (197 ft by 131 ft). The new rink increased both the public interest in figure skating as well as the number of people who practiced the sport. Many new figure skaters came from Germany, among them Werner Rittberger and Charlotta Oelschägel. Rittberger invented another jump, at first named eponymously, but eventually changed to the name it is known by today, the loop jump. Oelschlägel won a championship in the United States at the age of 17, and had a professional career spanning ten years.
No major international championships were held from 1915–1921 due to World War I and the post-war recovery. In 1922, the World and European Championships were renewed and in 1924 figure skating was part of the first Winter Olympics, held in Chamonix, France. Norway's Sonja Henie and Austria's Karl Schäfer dominated the sport during the inter-war period. Henie, a ten-time world champion, brought a new style to figure skating in both athletic practice and dress. Previously, female figure skaters had skated in bulky clothing and long skirts. Henie broke with tradition by wearing a short knee-length skirt during her routines. In addition, her fluid and unlabored movements and overall elegance were considered to be a major advancement for figure skating. In the period from 1929 to 1936, Schäfer won the European title eight times and the World title seven times.
Although the Russian Empire hosted the first World Championships and Nikolai Panin won gold in special figures at the 1908 Olympics, its successor state, the Soviet Union, was largely absent from international figure skating competitions for several decades.
Post-World War II to present day [ edit ]
Not held from 1940 due to World War II, the European and World Championships returned in 1946. The construction of new ice rinks, built solely for ice skating, allowed much more intensive training and improved performance on the ice. This led to other changes in the sport, such as a heavier emphasis on the free skate, a move which turned off some spectators.
In 1952, ice dancing was added to the World Championships. It appeared at the 1968 Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport and was added as a medal sport at the 1976 Olympics.[7]
Because of the years of war, Europe fell behind North America in terms of figure skating dominance. Many of the new top competitors came from the United States and Canada, bringing with them a style that emphasized speed, endurance, and dynamic movements. They included Americans Richard Button (who was the first skater to complete both the double axel jump and a loop jump with three rotations), Hayes Alan Jenkins, David Jenkins, Tenley Albright, and Carol Heiss; and Canadians Barbara Ann Scott and Donald Jackson. In 1961, the crash of Sabena Flight 548 claimed the lives of the entire United States figure skating team and their coaches. The event sharply reduced American strength in the sport for a period but by the late 1960s the country began a resurgence led by Peggy Fleming.
The Soviet Union began appearing on the international scene in the late 1950s. Winning gold at the 1964 Winter Olympics, Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov began a forty-year Soviet/Russian gold medal streak in pair skating—the longest in Olympic sports history, running from 1964 to 2006.[6]
1973 was the last year in which solid gold medals were awarded in figure skating.[8] Once worth 60% of the score in single skating, compulsory figures steadily decreased in value to 20% and were eliminated from international competition after the 1989–90 season.[9][10]
Skaters were able to achieve greater speed with improvements in blade sharpening and water purification (affecting ice quality).[11] According to S. Schonmetzler, average distances traveled during a singles' long program were 1100 metres for men and 970 metres for women in 1980, growing to 1320 m and 1150 m respectively by the 1986 World Championships.[11] In 1992, women performed an element on average every 10.4 seconds and men every 12.8 seconds.[11]
Figure skaters were once subject to restrictive amateur status rules. In May 1990, the International Skating Union voted to allow skaters who were intending to skate professionally to return to ISU competition if they obtained their national association's permission.[12] In June 1992, skaters who had already lost their eligibility were given an opportunity to apply for reinstatement in order to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics.[13] The Champions Series was introduced in 1995 and retitled the Grand Prix series in 1998. The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships were held for the first time in 1999 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and the World Team Trophy in 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. After the 2009–10 season, the ice dancing competition was reduced from three segments to two by combining the compulsory and original dances into the short dance. The team event made its Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Beginning in the 2014–15 season, all disciplines are allowed to use music with lyrics or words, previously restricted to ice dancing.[14]
The competitive figure skating season may run from August to May. Competitions may include various pre-novice levels, novice, junior, and senior events. Since the 1990s, four skating has disappeared while synchronized skating and solo ice dance have grown in popularity. The first World Synchronized Skating Championships were held in 2000. In September 2014, the International Skating Union sent the IOC a formal proposal for the inclusion of synchronized skating in the Winter Olympics.[15]
References [ edit ]
Benjamin T. Wright, Skating in America: the 75th Anniversary History of the United States Figure Skating Association. 535 p. Colorado Springs: United States Figure Skating Association.
. 535 p. Colorado Springs: United States Figure Skating Association. Michael Boo, The Story of Figure Skating. New York: Beech Tree, 1998. ISBN 0-688-15821-8.
Media related to Figure skating in art at Wikimedia CommonsAleksandr Mikhailovich Lyapunov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Ляпуно́в, pronounced [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr mʲɪˈxajɫəvʲɪtɕ lʲɪpʊˈnof]; June 6 [O.S. May 25] 1857 – November 3, 1918) was a Russian mathematician, mechanician and physicist. His surname is sometimes romanized as Ljapunov, Liapunov, Liapounoff or Ljapunow. He was the son of astronomer Mikhail Lyapunov and the brother of pianist and composer Sergei Lyapunov.
Lyapunov is known for his development of the stability theory of a dynamical system, as well as for his many contributions to mathematical physics and probability theory.
Biography [ edit ]
Early life [ edit ]
Lyapunov was born in Yaroslavl, Russian Empire. His father Mikhail Vasilyevich Lyapunov (1820–1868) was an astronomer employed by the Demidov Lyceum. His brother, Sergei Lyapunov, was a gifted composer and pianist. In 1863, M. V. Lyapunov retired from his scientific career and relocated his family to his wife's estate at Bolobonov, in the Simbirsk province (now Ulyanovsk Oblast). After the death of his father in 1868, Aleksandr Lyapunov was educated by his uncle R. M. Sechenov, brother of the physiologist Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov. At his uncle's family, Lyapunov studied with his distant cousin Natalia Rafailovna, who became his wife in 1886. In 1870, his mother moved with her sons to Nizhny Novgorod, where he started the third class of the gymnasium. He graduated from the gymnasium with distinction in 1876.
Education [ edit ]
In 1876, Lyapunov entered the Physico-Mathematical department at the University of Saint Petersburg, but after one month he transferred to the Mathematics department of the university.
Among the Saint Petersburg professors of mathematics were Chebyshev and his students Aleksandr Nikolaevich Korkin and Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev. Lyapunov wrote his first independent scientific works under the guidance of the professor of mechanics, D. K. Bobylev. In 1880 Lyapunov received a gold medal for a work on hydrostatics. This was the basis for his first published scientific works On the equilibrium of a heavy body in a heavy fluid contained in a vessel of a fixed form and On the potential of hydrostatic pressure. Lyapunov completed his university course in 1880, two years after Andrey Markov who had also graduated at Saint Petersburg University. Lyapunov would maintain a scientific contact with Markov during all his life.
Teaching and research [ edit ]
A major theme in Lyapunov's research was the stability of a rotating fluid mass with possible astronomical application. This subject was proposed to Lyapunov by Chebyshev as a topic for his masters thesis which he submitted in 1884 with the title On the stability of ellipsoidal forms of rotating fluids.
In 1885, Lyapunov became privatdozent and was proposed to accept the chair of mechanics at Kharkov University, where he went the same year. About the initial stay at Kharkov, Smirnov writes in his biography of Lyapunov:
Here at first, the research activity of Lyapunov was cut short. It was necessary to work out courses and put together notes for students, which took up much time.
His student and collaborator, Vladimir Steklov, recalled his first lecture in the following way: "A handsome young man, almost of the age of the other students, came before the audience, where there was also the old Dean, professor Levakovsky, who was respected by all students. After the Dean had left, the young man with a trembled voice started to lecture a course on the dynamics of material points, instead of a course on dynamical systems. This subject was already known to the students from the lectures of professor Delarue. But what Lyapunov taught us was new to me and I had never seen this material in any textbook. All antipathy to the course was immediately blown to dust. From that day students would show Lyapunov a special respect."
The main contribution was published in the celebrated monograph 'A.M. Lyapunov, The general problem of the stability of motion. 1892. Kharkov Mathematical Society, Kharkov, 251p. (in Russian)'. This led on to his 1892 doctoral thesis The general problem of the stability of motion. The thesis was defended in Moscow University on September 12, 1892, with Nikolai Zhukovsky and V. B. Mlodzeevski as opponents. In 1908, the Kharkov edition was translated to French. Republished by the University of Toulouse: 'Probleme General de la Stabilite du Mouvement, Par M.A. Liapounoff. Traduit du russe par M.Edouard Davaux'.
Later years [ edit ]
Lyapunov returned to Saint Petersburg in 1902, after being elected acting member of the Academy of Science as well as ordinary professor in the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of the university. The position had been left vacant by the death of his former teacher, Chebyshev. Not having any teaching obligations, this allowed Lyapunov to focus on his studies and in particular he was able to bring to a conclusion the work on the problem of Chebyshev with which he started his scientific career.
In 1908, he took part to the Fourth International Mathematical Congress in Rome. He also participated in the publication of Euler's selected works: he was an editor of the volumes 18 and 19.
Death [ edit ]
By the end of June 1917, Lyapunov traveled with his wife to his brother's place in Odessa. Lyapunov's wife was suffering from tuberculosis so they moved following her doctor's orders. She died on October 31, 1918. The same day, Lyapunov shot himself in the head, and three days later he died. By that time, he was going blind from cataracts.
Work [ edit ]
Aleksandr Lyapunov in 1876
Lyapunov contributed to several fields, including differential equations, potential theory, dynamical systems and probability theory. His main preoccupations were the stability of equilibria and the motion of mechanical systems, and the study of particles under the influence of gravity. His work in the field of mathematical physics regarded the boundary value problem of the equation of Laplace. In the theory of potential, his work from 1897 On some questions connected with Dirichlet's problem clarified several important aspects of the theory. His work in this field is in close connection with the work of Steklov. Lyapunov developed many important approximation methods. His methods, which he developed in 1899, make it possible to define the stability of sets of ordinary differential equations. He created the modern theory of the stability of a dynamic system. In the theory of probability, he generalised the works of Chebyshev and Markov, and proved the Central Limit Theorem under more general conditions than his predecessors. The method of characteristic functions he used for the proof later found widespread use in probability theory.
Like many mathematicians, Lyapunov preferred to work alone and communicated mainly with few colleagues and close relatives. He usually worked late, four to five hours at night, sometimes the whole night. Once or twice a year he visited the theatre, or went to some concert. He had many students. He was an honorary member of many universities, an honorary member of the Academy in Rome and a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences in Paris.
Lyapunov's impact was significant, and a number of different mathematical concepts therefore bear his name:
Selected publications [ edit ]
1884, On the stability of ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium of a rotating fluid (in Russian) Published in Bulletin Astronomique 1885
(in Russian) Published in 1885 1892, A.M. Lyapunov, The general problem of the stability of motion. 1892. Kharkov Mathematical Society, Kharkov, 251p. (in Russian)
(in Russian) 1897, Sur certaines questions qui se rattachent au problème de Dirichlet
1901, Nouvelle forme du théorème sur la limite de probabilité
1901, Sur un théorème du calcul des probabilités
1902, Sur une série dans la théorie des équations différentielles linéaires du second ordre à coefficients périodiques
1903, Recherches dans la théorie de la figure des corps célestes
1904, Sur l'équation de Clairaut et les équations plus générales de la théorie de la figure des planètes
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]New evidence suggests that frozen water lurks in the dusty, pitted surface of our solar system's second most-massive asteroid. The discovery at Vesta is helping researchers understand how a once-molten protoplanet—a category that includes Earth's embryo—could gather water early in its history as it cooled and spun through space. Vesta's regolith, or rocky soil, is estimated to hold only 5 percent water by weight, however; hardly enough to get future astronauts wet or even offer them much of a drink. Space travelers would have better luck mining water on other, wetter asteroids.
The water conclusion was drawn from two teams' independent analyses of data from NASA's Dawn mission. Before embarking for dwarf planet Ceres September 5, the spacecraft orbited Vesta for more than a year, passing over the asteroid's poles (at an average altitude of just 210 kilometers for some of that time) as the protoplanet rotated below. From this orbital vantage point, all of Vesta's surface was eventually exposed to Dawn's instruments.
The results, published online September 20 in two papers in Science, reveal abundant hydrogen on Vesta and pitted craters that betray the presence of volatiles, or chemicals with low boiling points such as nitrogen, carbon and water. Taken together, the findings point toward water on the asteroid. Its small size and lack of an atmosphere, however, means the water could not exist there in a liquid state but might linger as a solid beneath its surface or disperse as a vapor into space.
Thomas Prettyman, a researcher at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz., led a team that looked closely at data gathered by Dawn's Gamma-Ray and Neutron detector (GRaND), which can distinguish compounds by recording the spray of particles produced when cosmic rays routinely slam into the asteroid's surface. The instrument detected an abundance of hydrogen in much of the asteroid's regolith.
The second team, led by Brett Denevi, a planetary scientist from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., has investigated some unique telltale pits on the asteroid's face. The pits are thought to result from space rock impacts that heat surface volatiles until they vaporize, leaving pockmarks that are "small and closely spaced, with overlapping, almost polygonal boundaries," she says.
Combine that with the hydrogen finding, and the scientists suspect that the volatiles are hydrogen-bearing compounds—hydroxyl ions and water, Denevi and her colleagues wrote. The water is probably locked within the lattice of carbonaceous chondrites, a class of dark-colored meteorites known to have struck Vesta in the past and mixed into its surface, Denevi says.
Early in the solar system's history asteroids and terrestrial planets were formed from molten material. The sizzling temperatures of young Vesta would have instantly evaporated any volatile material such as water. Therefore, the water must have arrived on Vesta after it cooled.
A plethora of low-velocity impacts over a billion or more years likely transported the volatiles to the protoplanet, Denevi says. Prettyman and colleagues also conclude that fragments from water-rich bodies—perhaps other asteroids—sprinkled Vesta's surface with the hydrogen volatiles. The impacts would have ploughed into the rocky asteroid at slower speeds than impacts at Earth or the moon, Denevi explains. That gentler pummeling would have preserved the volatiles and mixed them into the dusty regolith, in a process known as gardening.
Although surprising, water on Vesta is not as much a revelation as it would have been a decade ago. In the interim researchers have found evidence for water ice on the moon and Mars. High-resolution observations of other small bodies such as Eros and Ida could reveal an even moister solar system, says Andy Rivkin, a planetary scientist at APL who was not involved in either paper. "If water was brought into Vesta via external impacts," he adds, "we would expect everything in the Asteroid Belt to have some water."
Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says the two findings are "the highlight of the Dawn mission" so far. He was not involved in the work for either paper but wrote a commentary accompanying them.
The Prettyman team's analysis of GRaND data delivered another key bit of knowledge about Vesta: The findings conclusively matched its composition to a class of meteorites on Earth called HED meteorites (composed of howardite, eucrite and diogenite). Researchers in the 1970s had matched the colors and reflective properties of Vesta's surface to the meteorites. Now, the Prettyman analysis of the asteroid's chemical composition confirms their source. "We are now fully confident that the [HED] meteorites are from Vesta," Binzel says.
As a result, researchers can prod, scrape and peer at the chemical and physical properties of the HED meteorites here on Earth and know they hold a record of the chemistry and history of Vesta. Because Vesta formed by the same process as Earth, called differentiation, Binzel says, the rocks are "almost a model of what the very early Earth would be like chemically."After years of ambiguous signals, Russian president Vladimir Putin finally clarified Russia’s stance on cryptocurrencies last week with five presidential orders demanding officials set up a legal framework to handle digital currencies. The orders include plans to tax crypto miners, regulate ICOs, sandbox legislation for newly developed blockchain technologies, and an order that outlines the “formation of a single payment space,” likely part of the digital ruble initiative that the Russian Central Bank has been pursuing. It’s a surprising development that could solidify cryptocurrency acceptance within the Russian Federation.
It’s been a big year for cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen exponential growth in value, and ICOs around the world have generated $2.6 billion in investment. It’s also been a year of regulatory scrutiny: governments in China, South Korea, the US, and most recently, Vietnam, have been introducing legislation to address the recent boom. China has banned Bitcoin exchanges and other trading platforms, and South Korea has planned a ban on raising money through ICOs. In the midst of a worldwide regulatory crackdown, however, Russia’s back-and-forth position has befuddled observers.
On the one hand, Russia has pointed toward wider acceptance. Over the past year, Russian officials have actively encouraged the development of cryptocurrency mining. In June, Putin met with Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, in a meeting many interpreted as a government endorsement of digital currencies. As Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that month, boosting the Russian economy and increasing average household incomes “can be done only by developing innovative technologies, including digital technologies.” Since last year, the Russian Central Bank has been overseeing a group of financial institutions that are testing an Ethereum-like “master chain” to possibly issue digital rubles.
“The rush to virtual money is not a fad.”
This past July, Putin’s aide on internet matters, Dmitry Marinichev, took international press on a tour of his own cryptocurrency mine. Marinichev had converted what was originally a Soviet era car factory into a cryptocurrency server farm. Speaking over the hum of mining rigs, Marinichev revealed he had started a company called the Russian Miner Coin. "The rush to virtual money is not a fad or a fleeting phenomenon. The virtualization of our lives is a market process that has gone on and will continue," he said, according to AFP.
A few weeks later, Marinichev announced that Russian Miner Coin was launching an ICO for RMC virtual tokens, which aimed to raise $100 million worth of bitcoin and Ethereum. The plans were detailed in a media deck that touted Russia’s cold climate and cheap electricity bills. The governor of Russia’s Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, recently invited crypto miners to set up a facility in the vicinity of the Leningrad nuclear power plant in order to take advantage of the area’s cheap electricity.
News reports suggest that cryptocurrencies are becoming more visible across the country. This past summer, cafes and restaurants in Moscow began accepting crypto payments. Computer stores throughout the country reported graphic and video card shortages, which crypto miners use to boost their rigs. According to local media, AMD Radeon cards were sold out nationwide in June, and even the remaining units of the |
can still contribute to this team.”
Specific advance stats the Penguins track internally make them believe Kunitz was hit with just some bad luck in the second half and project him being a player who can still net 20 goals.
The plan with Kunitz this summer will be to explore his trade value but the team is comfortable bringing him back in a top-9 role.The mandatory State Department internal inquiry into the deadly Sept. 11 terror attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, slams bureaucrats for “grossly inadequate” security but says that poor leadership could not be punished under department regulations.
The report blames inadequate security at the mission on “systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels” of State Department headquarters, where officials turned down repeated requests from diplomats on the ground for more security, both at the embassy in Tripoli and in Benghazi.
The failures, at State’s Diplomatic Security and Near Eastern Affairs Bureaus in Washington, left the diplomatic post with security “that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place,” the report states.
Because the diplomatic compound in Benghazi — a villa and three out-buildings set in a walled garden — was a temporary post which was not expected to be in use for much longer, getting funds and personnel to secure it was “difficult,” leaving responsibility for securing it “to the working-level [officials] in the field, with very limited resources.”
The report, produced by a panel led by retired career diplomat Thomas R. Pickering and known as an Accountability Review Board, also criticized State for relying too much on unreliable local militias for security in Libya; and for being lulled by the absence of specific warnings of an imminent attack, rather than responding to the general security environment, which had been deteriorating for some time in eastern Libya.
The board “found that certain senior State Department officials within two bureaus demonstrated a lack of proactive leadership and management ability in their responses to security concerns” in Benghazi. But the report notes that poor management is “ordinarily … addressed through the performance management system” rather than through discipline.
However, the board adds that “findings of unsatisfactory leadership performance by senior officials” in relation to security “should be a potential basis for discipline recommendations” in the future, and recommends changes to department regulations that would make that possible.
The report does not name any of the officials concerned, but an investigation by House Republicans found that Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb, responsible for diplomatic security in the region, denied repeated requests for additional security in Libya from security officials on the ground.
In a letter to congressional committees Tuesday night, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she accepted “every one” of the board’s 29 recommendations, several of which remain classified. She also said the State and Defense departments were working to “dispatch hundreds of additional Marine Security Guards to bolster our posts,” and that her department had “already begun to fix” the problems the board identified.
The board, which began work in early October, found that the two waves of attacks, by dozens of heavily armed extremists, “were unanticipated in their scale and intensity.”
The first wave over-ran the compound, and the attackers set the buildings on fire, killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and State Department official Sean Smith.
Later that night, extremists also attacked a CIA facility nearby, killing two former SEALs, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, both of whom were working as security contractors for the CIA.
A copy of the full, classified report was sent to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, ahead of a closed-door briefing Wednesday for lawmakers by Mr. Pickering, and fellow board member and former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, retired Adm. Michael Mullen.
An unclassified version of the report was posted by the department on its website late Tuesday evening.
Mrs. Clinton had been scheduled to testify herself this week, but canceled her appearance owing to ill health.
Deputy Secretaries of State William J. Burns and Thomas R. Nides will testify to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Mrs. Clinton’s place on Thursday.
The 65-year-old former first lady fainted at her home last week, as a result of dehydration caused by a stomach virus, according to her spokesman, Philippe Reines at the weekend. She fell and sustained a concussion.
The announcement came after two days last week when officials had appeared to waffle on the question of whether Mrs. Clinton would testify on schedule Thursday. The timing caused some Republicans to question whether the medical advice might be a convenient way for her to avoid tough questioning from GOP critics.
Still, Republican lawmakers have insisted that Mrs. Clinton must testify eventually.
Answering tough questions about the attack “requires a public appearance by the secretary of state herself,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida Republican and chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Last Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice withdrew her name from consideration to replace Mrs. Clinton as secretary of state. Mrs. Rice was the official who stuck longest and hardest to the administration’s initial and inaccurate claims that the attack on the consulate was a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Islam video made in America, rather than a hastily planned assault by al Qaeda supporters and other extremists.
In Tuesday’s report, the Accountability Review Board confirmed that, contrary to initial reports, there was no protest outside the mission and the attack was entirely the work of terrorists.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.SMRT Corp's latest statement on the tragic accident that claimed two young lives points to a safety lapse on the part of the maintenance crew.
It said the crew must coordinate with the station for oncoming trains to be halted before any track crossing takes place, and that there was no record of this procedure having taken place on the fateful day.
Was this why Mr Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Mr Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were hit and killed on Tuesday morning by a train that was travelling at 60kmh in auto-drive mode?
It would be most unfortunate - and downright scary - if our rail safety protocol allowed a single lapse to result in a fatal outcome.
Railway tracks are hazardous places to be on foot - with intersecting metal rails, loose gravel, sleepers, bolts, brackets, fasteners and cables to trip over - even when trains are not moving.
It would not be unreasonable to say that there were several safety lapses leading to Tuesday's fatal accident on the tracks near Pasir Ris MRT station, and not just the one that SMRT pointed to in its statement. Because the alternative - to assume the safety protocol was not multi-layered - would simply be unthinkable in a place like Singapore. PHOTO: SMRT
But when trains are plying, they can be as dangerous as a loaded weapon. So any safety protocol governing the deployment of work crew during service hours would have to include a number of fail-safes - so that if there is a lapse (or even two), tragedies can be avoided.
SMRT is not shedding more light on the incident beyond what it has said in its latest statement.
It would, however, not be unreasonable to say that there were several safety lapses - and not just the one that SMRT pointed to in its statement. Because the alternative - to assume the safety protocol was not multi-layered - would simply be unthinkable in a place like Singapore.
The fact that at least one man in that work team on that tragic day had to jump out of the way of the train suggests that he did not expect it to come towards him, or to come towards him at such a high speed. That may well point to safety lapses other than the one SMRT alluded to.
According to experts, trains approaching a worksite would have to be driven in manual mode, and moving at a crawling speed.
This makes perfect sense because a train, unlike a road vehicle, cannot steer away to avoid collision. And a fully laden six-car train weighs close to 300 tonnes, and would require well over 100m (about the full length of a football field) to stop if it was moving at 60kmh in dry weather.
If it was moving at a crawling speed, the stopping distance would have been drastically shaved.
It is also imperative for a driver to be in control at all times when workers are on the tracks.
A driver in control would have a clear line of sight, so he can apply the brakes when necessary. Train systems are not designed to look out for people or obstacles - except for another moving train. So, allowing a train to move in auto mode and at 60kmh near a work zone is ill-advised.
A driver at the helm is also supposed to sound the horn as soon as he spots workers from afar. That is because MRT trains, being driven by electric motors, can be relatively quiet on an open track near road traffic.
Mr Muhammad Hatin Kamil, 24, who was with his two unfortunate colleagues when they were mowed down, said: "Our environment up there is different - you wouldn't be able to hear the train coming."
Another layer of safety that is commonly employed pertains to lookouts stationed at least 50m from the work party. This would give workers ample time to get off the tracks and get back into the safe walkway area when a train approaches.
Similarly, a flag-waving signalman must be at the station headwall to warn train drivers of workers ahead.
All these steps would have been on top of a system that requires work teams to seek permission before going onto the tracks. If so, SMRT's operations control centre (OCC) would have been aware of a work team near Pasir Ris station on Tuesday morning.
Which means train drivers moving along that stretch should already have been forewarned. So, even if there were no lookouts or signalmen, drivers would already have been on alert.
Another thing, track-switching when men are on site is a bad idea as it introduces unpredictability into an area where predictability is crucial.
The OCC could also have chosen to remove speed codes along that selected stretch, thereby forcing drivers to drive in what is known as restricted manual mode. In this mode, speed is automatically capped at 18kmh.
That is what is meant by having fail-safes.
The fact that at least one man in that work team on that tragic day had to jump out of the way of the train suggests that he did not expect it to come towards him, or to come towards him at such a high speed.
That may well point to safety lapses other than the one SMRT alluded to.
By the same token, if all the safety measures had been observed religiously, the two deaths might well have been prevented.
The two who died were part of a 15-man team, so we shudder to think how far worse the tragedy could have been if more men were not on the viaduct's walkway when that train hurtled by.
Looking ahead, we can only hope that rail operators and regulators learn from this incident and therefore be in a better position to ensure there is no repeat of it.
We can meanwhile take comfort in the fact that Tuesday's incident was only the second rail accident that resulted in staff sustaining fatal injuries on the tracks in Singapore's 29-year rapid transit history.
Let us hope the relatively clean slate has been the result of strict adherence to a robust safety protocol, and not sheer luck.Holly Farrell/ABC
It’s been an unusually tough month for the people who make school lunches.
Sunday, six million people watched a sneak preview of ABC’s “Food Revolution,’’ a reality series in which the British chef Jamie Oliver storms the kitchens of Huntington, W.Va., to improve the town’s collective diet. (The series begins Friday at 8 p.m.)
Mr. Oliver was driven to tears after a humiliating rejection by both pizza-loving students and the women of the lunchroom, or the “lovely girls” as he calls them. The cafeteria workers ended up looking so bad that the national School Nutrition Association followed up with a press release in its defense.
That wasn’t the only public thrashing. Students in Chicago showed up at a Board of Education meeting to demand better food. A blogger from the Midwest who is spending a year eating and publishing photos of awful-looking food at her school cafeteria caught the attention of national news reporters.
Meanwhile, in Washington, where Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign continues to point a finger at the school lunch line, a Senate committee on Wednesday cut by more than half President Obama’s proposal to spend a record $10 billion more on child nutrition programs over 10 years, including school food.
Although school food directors and the growing ranks of lunch room reformers are disappointed with the numbers coming out of Washington, people who have been working with the Department of Agriculture and Congress to improve school food say the bill’s $4.5 billion increase is an historic improvement.
“It’s critical we get started,” said Senator Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat from Arkansas, chairwoman of the Senate committee on agriculture and the architect of the bill. Senator Lincoln said critics need to understand that the legislation proposes the first real increase over inflation that the school food program has had in several decades. And in the current economic climate, any money is a victory.
“We’d all like to do more and we’re going to try but we’ve got to get started,’’ she said. “If we just separate and go to our separate fox holes we don’t get to the end product.”
The Child Nutrition Act comes up for financing every five years. It pays for school food and other nutrition programs for lower-income children. It’s also the mechanism legislators can use to change the rules that govern those programs.
The bill headed to the Senate floor would increase by about 6 cents the $2.68 that schools can get for each lunch — far less than the $1 a lunch increase a coalition of school food reform groups have been campaigning for.
But Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group, said the bill was still worth supporting. She has been fighting to improve school nutrition standards for 17 years.
“This is the strongest child nutrition reauthorization bill I have ever seen,” she said. “We can’t go from candy bars to apples in one fell swoop.”
In addition to the increase in financing, Ms. Wootan and Department of Agriculture staff members said a number of less obvious changes in nutritional rules and financing for special programs will improve what is served in schools as soon as next year.
For example, milk is the biggest single source of saturated fat on the lunch line. The bill would allow only skim and 1 percent milk to be offered, banning whole and 2 percent. And schools will be required to make sure children have water with their meals.
At least $40 million is available for farm-to-school programs and school gardens. Another $10 million will go toward pilot programs intended to add organic food. And millions more have been added to train cafeteria staff members.
One of the biggest changes involves food sold in places other than the cafeteria, like vending machines, sporting events and hallway fund-raisers. The law would give the Department of Agriculture power to set limits on nutrients like sodium and fat in all food sold on campus as well as setting limits on the number of bake sales and other food-based fundraisers.
“We want to make sure there’s consistency,” Senator Blanchard said in an interview. “This is not only about providing nutritional food for our children but teaching them good life skills and what the right choices are.”
If Congress acts before the summer break, some of the nutritional changes could make lunch better as soon as next fall.
The Department of Agriculture is also overhauling all school nutritional guidelines in an effort that is separate from the Child Nutrition Act but is intended to work in concert with the changes it will bring about.
The new meal standards, which haven’t been updated for 15 years, are being written by Agriculture Department staff now. Based on a report from the Institutes of Medicine, they will require more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and — for the first time in the national school food program’s history — limit the amount of calories in each meal.
“Look at the regulations now,” said Renee Hanks, food service director for the South Colonie School District in Albany. “The U.S.D.A. requires so many carbohydrates that we’re throwing whole wheat bread at them. We’re throwing extra crackers at them. If they aren’t out and active they can’t handle all those calories.”
But, she warned, adding new requirements for more expensive foods like fresh fruit had better come with more money.
Changes to the bureaucratic process might free up some money in school budgets, analysts said. For example, the amount of paperwork needed to assure certain lower-income children qualify for a free lunch will be reduced, and the cost of a meal for children who pay full price will probably increase. Extra training money already included in the proposed legislation should also help school kitchens operate more efficiently.
But whether more money will be added before the final bill is approved is in question. Officials at the Agriculture Department and various advocacy groups aren’t hopeful. Even if more money for the bill does appear, it will likely go toward the parts of the act that pay for hunger programs, not school lunch.
That doesn’t mean the conversation is necessarily over, said Rochelle Davis, founding executive director of the Healthy Schools Campaign, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for healthy school food. All the new nutritional requirements mean nothing if school districts cannot pay for them. Accepting the small increase in school food financing and calling it a victory lets Congress off the hook, she said.
“Look at the agony our country is going through over health care and the struggle to handle a sick nation,” she said. “We just have to connect the dots and get people eating right and get people moving. Healthy school food is a logical part of that.”
An earlier version of this post referred incorrectly to the varieties of milk that would be allowed in school cafeterias under legislation in the Senate. Skim and 1 percent milk would be available, not just skim milk.President Obama delivered a brief press statement today in which he stated that rumors about Russian military activity in Crimea were “deeply disturbing” to the United States. He then drew dangerous red lines that threaten a serious international military conflict.
What is the backdrop to the president’s warning?
Post-coup Kiev is not Ukraine — even the media has noted that Ukraine is deeply divided — and therefore it should have been expected that regions of Ukraine with a vast majority of Russians and Russian speakers would be less enthusiastic over the West’s picks to head up the country.
Nevertheless, what is good for the goose is definitely not good for the gander in the eyes of US foreign policy. Where the occupation of parliament in Kiev by the West-backed rebels was hailed by the US and EU as an expression of the people’s will, a similar occupation of the autonomous parliament in Crimea is condemned as an anti-democratic move. Suddenly “protesters” become “gunmen” in the US media and in statements by US politicians. The “mini-Maidan” in Crimea must be crushed because the people there have made the wrong choice according to Washington. They prefer to remain close to Russia, which is not acceptable to the West.
However Crimea and indeed much of eastern Ukraine is Russian and Russian-speaking. The breakaway of economic basket-case western Ukraine populated by Ukrainians, Poles, and others is of less concern to Russia than the threatened suppression of the Russian speaking east (one of the first acts of the new Ukrainian parliament was to overturn laws permitting the use of minority languages in Ukraine). Russia does have an interest in protect its citizens living in neighboring countries, as we saw in South Ossetia in 2008. This is not unique. The US has a similar policy when it comes to protecting Americans abroad.
Whether actual Russian troops are deployed outside their designated areas near the Russian naval facilities is a subject of some speculation. The new Ukrainian “authorities” have much incentive to exaggerate the Russian threat to excite the likes of John “we’re all Ukrainians now” McCain. Their popularity beyond the small Independence Square in Kiev is miniscule and they are no doubt bracing for a backlash from a nation bewildered by events of the past two weeks.
Josh Rogin of the Daily Beast speculates that the military-looking personnel spotted around Crimea may in fact be a private security force contracted by Viktor Yanukovich, who having not been impeached according to the Ukrainian constitution still legally retains his office — despite US and EU claims. The theory goes that Yanukovich is preparing for a return to Ukraine in Crimea from where he will struggle to regain control. Whatever the truth, Russia denies claims that its troops are operating outside areas permitted by treaty.
Into this incredibly tense mix swaggers President Barack Obama and his foreign policy team.
In today’s press conference the president continued the use of highly provocative and ambiguous terms to suggest a US military escalation should certain events transpire. In Syria the red line was the use of chemical weapons; in Ukraine it is Russian military involvement, even presumably to protect Russian citizens trapped in a violent revolution.
Said Obama today:
The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.
“Costs” is a word that appears intentionally ambiguous while at the same time threatening.
Obama further warns that Ukraine’s future “must be determined by the Ukrainian people,” skipping over the fact that his senior foreign policy officials have been engaged in manipulation of events while on Ukrainian soil from before the initial November protests.
Obama’s ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, restates (by Tweet) Obama’s threat in far starker and more confrontational terms this evening:
We call on Russia to pull back military forces being built up in region.
Is “we” the entire US government with the implied force of the US military? Or are her Twitter fingers getting overly-excited at the prospect of another US military intervention overseas? Does she speak for President Obama in this statement?
The Obama Administration is by hubris slouching the US toward a military conflict with Russia. It is time to turn it down several notches, and let us hope that cooler heads than those of McCain and Power and Rice and Nuland can prevail. Otherwise…
The Best of Daniel McAdamsThis memoir of a Guantànamo detainee’s appalling experiences is full of warmth, intelligence and sardonic humour. It is also a grim warning against flouting the rule of law
On 20 November 2001, Mohamedou Ould Slahi said goodbye to his mother and voluntarily drove himself from his home in Nouakchott, Mauritania, to a police station for questioning. Within days he was rendered to a Jordanian prison. After seven months of interrogation, he was stripped, blindfolded, shackled and flown to a US airbase in Afghanistan. A fortnight later, Slahi was shipped to Guantánamo Bay.
So begins a nightmare worthy of Josef K – but this story is real. Thirteen years later, its protagonist remains in a segregation cell 4,000 miles from home. He has never been charged with a crime.
Guantánamo Diary: ‘I saw the ghosts of my fellow detainees’ Read more
That this extraordinary book has been published is almost as remarkable as the story itself. Slahi handwrote the 466-page manuscript in his cell nearly a decade ago, after months of physical, psychological and sexual abuse. It took years for his lawyers to obtain the declassified diary. The result is by turns devastating, enraging, exasperating and – surprisingly – often very funny.
Slahi was born in a small town in Mauritania in 1970. An exceptional student, he won a scholarship to study engineering in Duisburg in 1988. He travelled twice to Afghanistan in the early 1990s, where he joined al-Qaida’s struggle against the Soviet Union-backed regime – a cause supported by the US.
He lived and worked in Germany until 1999, when he moved to Montreal. There he came to the attention of the authorities, after an al-Qaida member who attended Slahi’s mosque was caught with explosives as part of the millennium plot.
Slahi returned to Mauritania in 2000. He was arrested en route at the request of US authorities, questioned and released. After 9/11, Slahi was again detained at the US’s behest, and his world tour of imprisonment, degradation and torture began.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Yahdih Ould Slahi, the younger brother of Guantánamo Diary author Mohamedou, poses with a copy of the book during an event in London. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
Slahi writes in English, his fourth language – much of it picked up from Guantánamo guards. He is a gifted writer, exuding warmth and a sardonic sense of humour, even as he recounts his darkest moments. Guantánamo Diary’s editor, Larry Siems, quotes a letter to his lawyer: “You asked me to write you everything I told my interrogators …How can I render uninterrupted interrogation that has been lasting the last seven years? That’s like asking Charlie Sheen how many women he dated.”
He displays a sharp eye for character and startling understanding of human nature. Describing a guard, he writes: “The man was completely terrified, as if he were drowning and looking for any straw to grasp. I guess I was one of the straws he bumped into in his flailing, and he grasped me really hard. ‘I don’t understand why people hate us. We help everybody in the world!’ he said once… ‘Neither do I,’ I replied. I knew it was futile to enlighten him about the historical and objective reasons that led to where we’re at, and so I opted to ignore his comment; besides, it was not exactly easy to change the opinion of a man as old as he was.”
The descriptions of torture are harrowing. Slahi is subjected to a Donald Rumsfeld-approved “special interrogation plan”. He lives in abject horror, suffering sleep deprivation, sexual assaults, beatings and threats against his mother’s life and his own. He is blindfolded and taken on a three-hour boat ride as part of a mock kidnapping, forced to drink salt water, viciously beaten and convinced he will be murdered. But Slahi’s narrative remains restrained and understated – the horrors, and his vivid descriptions of relentless fear, speak for themselves: “There is nothing more terrorising than making somebody expect a smash every single heartbeat.”
Slahi regularly asks during interrogations: “What am I accused of?” He never receives a straight answer, and his efforts to tell the truth only anger: “Looks like a dog, walks like a dog, smells like a dog, barks like a dog, must be a dog.” In the end, he resorts to false confessions in a desperate bid to end the torment.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Redacted passages of Guantánamo Diary. US government censors added 2,500 such redactions to Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s manuscript. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
What’s striking is Slahi’s reason, resilience and grace in the face of unimaginable violence and injustice. Fear and frustration permeate the diary, but not despair, or desire for retribution. The book ends with a recent message from its writer: “That he holds no grudge against any of the people mentioned in this book, that he appeals to them to read it and correct it if they think it contains any errors, and that he dreams to one day sit with all of them around a cup of tea, after having learned so much from one another.”
A second, shadowy voice makes its presence felt throughout Guantánamo Diary. Before the manuscript’s release, US government censors pored over it, adding 2,500 black-bar redactions. The effect is jolting, the redactions an ever-present reminder of his continuing captivity and the secrecy used to control his fate for the past 13 years. Some seem arbitrary – female pronouns are removed. Others are bizarre. At one point, among unredacted scenes of stomach-wrenching torture, Slahi describes being moved to tears by a guard’s kind words – and “tears” is blacked out.
Larry Siems has edited the diary sympathetically and intelligently, using litigation and reports to fill in redactions whenever possible. He has never met or communicated with Slahi. When he requested a meeting to ensure Slahi approved of his edits, a Pentagon response quoted the Geneva conventions: “Prisoners must at all times be protected… against public curiosity” (the same article forbids inhumane treatment, violence and intimidation).
Guantánamo Diary is a gut-punch of a reminder – for some, an inconvenient one – that Guantánamo is more than a concept, or a few photographs of faceless men in jumpsuits. Its inmates are real human beings, wondering whether they will ever see freedom again.
One question gnaws the reader throughout: why is Slahi still in Guantánamo? A federal judge ordered his release in 2010, but the US government appealed; four years on, there are no signs they plan to let him go. Slahi has his own theory. He believes the government “realised, after a lot of painful work, that it had gathered a load of non-combatants” and “is stuck with the problem, but it is not willing to… disclose the truth about the whole operation”.
But Slahi’s diary is a wake-up call for our government too. While December’s report laid bare the brutality of CIA torture, UK authorities continue to avert their eyes. Until there is a judicial inquiry into British involvement, cover-up and impunity will continue.
It is also a grave warning against flouting democracy and rule of law when faced with terrorist atrocities. Slahi quotes Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Yet we’ve seen an ill-targeted counter-terrorism bill rushed through parliament and, following the Paris attacks, panicked calls to revive the snooper’s charter. We’ve seen human rights used as a political punchbag, and incoherent plans for a “British bill of rights”. When we retreat from human rights toward citizens’ privileges – that’s the way to Guantánamo Bay.
As Slahi concludes: “Crisis always brings out the best and worst in people – and in countries, too … So has the American democracy passed the test it was subjected to with the 2001 terrorist attacks?” That test is far from over – but, if our leaders learn the lessons of Guantánamo, the UK can still avoid failing it irredeemably.
Shami Chakrabarti is the director of Liberty.
Guantánamo Diary is published by Canongate Books, £20. Click here to buy it for £15The National Football League has survived more public relations crises in the past year than most multi-billion dollar organizations endure in a decade. Yet the greatest existential threat to the NFL -- if not to the existence of football itself -- still remains Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or “CTE.”
As former All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau’s documented struggle with CTE demonstrated, the presentation of symptoms that occurs in those stricken with the disease are not always readily apparent. Concussions and sub-concussive impacts on the brain cause the rapid brain decay that is a precursor to CTE. Eventually, the lobes of the brain blacken and lose density—causing depression, early on-set dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and eventual death.
Terrifyingly, the vast prevalence of the disease may not have been known until fairly recently. Just this year, Boston University found the existence of CTE in the brains of 96% of 91 tested subjects, all of whom played football at some organized level. When the disease was first discovered in 2002 in the brain of former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster by Dr. Bennet Omalu, the NFL initially tried to limit the fallout from the discovery. According to Omalu, “NFL doctors told me that if 10% of mothers in this country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport, that is the end of football.”
Last year, Lester Grinspoon a Harvard emeritus professor of psychiatry and prominent advocate for the medical use of marijuana, wrote an open letter to the NFL urging the league to support research into the neuro-protective potential of marijuana to alleviate CTE. According to Grinspoon, a National Institute of Health study on rat brain cells from 1998 pointed to neuro-protective qualities of two ingredients of marijuana, Cannabidiol and Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabidol (THC). In 2008, a similar study in Spain revealed that the THC receptors in the brain are involved in the healing process upon sustaining brain injury. In 2013, a team of researchers in Brazil showed that Cannabidiol has the ability to regenerate brain cells in mice, specifically in the areas of the brain attributed to depression, anxiety, and chronic stress—the symptoms of CTE. Most recently, a review of traumatic brain injury cases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif. found that patients who tested positive for high levels of THC were less likely to die of their injuries.
It's important to note that much more research remains to be done. The results of the animal studies cited above can't be extrapolated to humans, and the UCLA Medical Center study was only one of correlation -- since the patients with high levels of THC in their blood were also twice as likely to test positive for alcohol, one could also argue that the alcohol protected their brains.
But if components of marijuana might be beneficial to patients with neurological injuries, the natural conclusion would be to engage in further study, and if that research were to demonstrate neuro-protective effects on humans, then to go on to attempt to develop a medication that could help prevent terrible effects of concussions and CTE.
That being said, the barriers to begin this sort of endeavor—research that nevertheless could save the game of football—are high (no pun intended). Perhaps most obviously, the biggest issue is one of funding. As Dr. Grinspoon has pointed out, there are only two types of entities capable of financing the costs of legitimizing this research: a governmental organization or a major corporation. As Marijuana remains a Schedule-I narcotic, the federal government presumptively would not (and has not) participated in this sort of research. One possibility, however, is the NFL - which made over $12 billion in revenue last year - or one of its philanthropic team owners.
If the league were to finance this research, they would face an avalanche of cries of hypocrisy, as the league has a strict no-drug policy. Realistically, the program is often taken as seriously by its players as the league’s selection of the policy’s mandated testing date of April 20th (the unofficial holiday of recreational users of Marijuana). Players who have not been cited or arrested for drug possession, and who have not tested positive as part of the league’s drug program, need only to pass the single yearly Marijuana test and are then free from testing until the next off-season. Quite notoriously, players simply pass the annual test and continue to use the drug therapeutically for injuries during the season. Medical Marijuana is legal in 23 states, recreational use is legal in three states, and the drug has been decriminalized in many of the United States’major cities, yet the drug remains “illegal”for use by players.
Although the initial publicity for the NFL might be negative, the potential impact reaching into future generations is tremendous. Not only would the league attempt to cure a major medical question that plagues modern sports, but it could potentially set a precedent for major corporations to push Marijuana research forward to fully discover the drug’s potential. The looseness of the NFL’s current Marijuana policy, as well as Commissioner Goodell's recent statement that the league is willing to support research into Marijuana’s medical uses specific to football, suggest that this partnership is a more than viable option.
This article was co-authored by Blake Yagman.
Jason Belzer, Esq. is Founder of GAME, Inc. and a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Sports Law at Rutgers University. Follow him on Twitter @JasonBelzer.Historical and Scientific Proof of Jesus
It is interesting that when people seek historic and scientific proof of Jesus, they immediately discount the Bible as a reliable source.If we look at the Bible simply as a historic document, it should be among the most reliable on record compared with others.Historians routinely cite Herodotus as a key source of information. He wrote from 488 B.C. to 428 B.C. and the earliest copy of his work comes from 900 A.D. (1,300 years later). There are only eight known copies of his work.By contrast, the New Testament of the Bible (with all its information about Jesus) was written between 40 A.D. and 100 A.D. The earliest known copy is from 130 A.D. and there are 5,000 known copies in Greek, 10,000 in Latin and 9,300 in other languages.Still, to put to rest the notion that there is no historic and scientific proof of Jesus outside the Bible, we may look to Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and to Roman historian Carius Cornelius Tacitus - both well known and accepted.Josephus, in the book Jewish Antiquities" wrote:Tacitus, in writing about accusations that Nero burned the city of Rome and blamed it on Christians, said the following:According to the report published by Cisco in 2008 the number of devices connected to the internet now exceeds the number of people in the world. The number of devices that are connected to the internet is rising. This growth is not only from computers and smartphones: with the help of sensors every physical item on this planet can be connected to the internet. This phenomenon is called the Internet of Things and it will change our society as much as the industrial revolution once did.
The Internet of Things will revolutionize many industries. Sensors, big data, robotization and hyperconnected systems will all alter the ways in which we have done business in the past. When for example locks and keys become digital services – instead of physical items – the locks’ manufacturers will have to become experts in online services too.
The companies of today will have to be able to reshape their businesses along the way or simply step aside. The five things listed below will change the future of business. Read them carefully.
1. Digital and physical worlds will collide
The number of devices produced for using the Internet won’t grow alone. In the future the digital world and the physical world will become one. Many physical items are already shared online: rides are shared with car-sharing service Uber and houses with Airbnb. This means that the Internet of Things will affect not just the tech industry but all businesses. For example the music industry hardly uses physical recordings anymore because producing digital content has proved to be more cost-effective than CDs.
2. Data is capital
There is an ever-growing amount of accessible data and information in this world. The ones who can collect, manage and handle this data in a meaningful way will hold the power in the future. The ability to use big data will help solve enormously complex problems and foster understanding of new intricate systems |
basta ikaw rookie, ikaw mag-aayos ng net at tsaka ‘yung poste. Bawal na,” the source added.
UST is still investigating the matter although it is becoming apparent the administration is not happy with the revelations, the source added.
“Iniimbestigahan pa. Nung nag-meeting, hindi siya (De Sagon) nagbigay ng detalye. Ang sabi lang niya, ayaw niya ng coach na nagtatapon ng bola, nagmumura, ayaw niya ‘yung mga player takot sa coach. Ayaw niya ‘yung ganun. Magsabi ka lang ng bobo, bawal ‘yun kahit may seniority,” said the source.
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“Iniimbestigahan pa rin hanggang ngayon pero galit daw sila,” said the source. “Lahat ng mga coaches, bawal pumunta sa practice namin.”
Dela Cruz, when contacted by Spin.ph last week, denied he is no longer the coach of UST, saying it was the first time he had heard such news.SILK Road, an underground drug marketplace on the "deep web", is being held ransom by hackers.
The website, which can only be accessed through an encrypted network and whose URL changes constantly, is found on part of the internet known as the "deep web" or "dark web", which is not indexed by standard search engines.
Over the last three days the site has been crippled by a series of denial of service (DoS) attacks which involve flooding sites with traffic created by botnets - essentially computers mimicking humans - causing it to crash.
An administrator of the site posted on its forums that the attacks were the work of an individual who had been trying to blackmail the organisation.
The website posted on Saturday that it had received an email from someone, who goes by the handle "Lance G", threatening to crash the site unless it fronted $5000.
Silk Road is now offering $5000 to anyone with any "information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is behind this extortion attempt".
"I think it might be the same hacker that has been doing the same attack on many websites this week and extorting them for money to stop the attack," a Silk Road member told news.com.au. "He has attacked numerous other websites that sell drugs online. He has also attacked bitcoinstore.com."
Silk Road users pay for goods using encrypted digital currency Bitcoins and access the site using the Tor network, making it very difficult for law enforcement to combat the trade.
Debate on the Silk Road forums suggest a competitor had been scamming money to set up a similar website to Silk Road, and referred to a user named Vladimir who had reportedly taken orders and then run off with members’ cash.
It was also suggested that the user may be an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration in the US.
This isn't the first time this kind of scam has been used.
In November last year, internet users in the US, Eastern Europe and Australia had their computers disabled by hackers and were told all their personal files and data would be destroyed if they didn't pay a ransom fee of up $500.
A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police told news.com.au that more individuals and businesses were being "held to ransom" by cyber criminals as "organised criminal gangs and motivated individuals understand the technology of the internet and take advantage of the anonymity that comes with it".
The AFP said it and other law enforcement agencies "would not stand for it".
"These groups can operate from countries with less developed legal frameworks and are increasingly sophisticated, operating from a high level of technical ability," the spokesman said.
How to stay protected:
- Individuals and businesses can improve their security by ensuring you use strong passwords, that are regularly changed. Ensuring the physical safety of all electronic and merchant devices is tantamount. Never leave a terminal unattended.
- Beware that criminals may approach you posing as a terminal, electrical or phone line technician claiming the need access to your business terminal. If you give them access they may be able to install card reading technology that allows them to steal credit card information.
- If you’re still using paper receipts or manual paper facilities, ensure that all copies are destroyed in a way that makes the details unreadable.
- Merchants are required to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security guidelines, which is endorsed by all major credit card brands including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and JCB. Check to ensure you comply with the standards here.
Originally published as Silk Road held to ransom by hackersRelated News
The Nigerian Army on Monday said its troop engaged in clearing operation at Dalore in Borno State killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists, including a kingpin of the group.
The Acting Director of Public Relations at Army Headquarters, Sani Usman, said 67 hostages were freed during the operation while arms and ammunition were recovered.
Mr. Usman, a colonel, said in the statement, “Elements of 22 Brigade Garrison carried out clearing operation at Dalore camp on Sunday in which they killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists among whom was Ameer of Dalore.
“The troops also captured 2 AK-47 Rifles, 1 Small Machine Gun and 1 Hand Grenade and recovered 4 pickup vehicles.
“The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists. The freed hostages are undergoing screening at Internally Displaced Persons in Dikwa.
“Unfortunately, during the operation the troops Mine Resistant Anti-Personnel (MRAP) vehicle ran into an Improvised Explosive Device and had a damaged tyre.”'The Shermanator' is ready for his MMA debut with Diego Sanchez Copyright by KRQE - All rights reserved Video
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - UFC veteran Diego Sanchez told KRQE Sports back in July that he was trying to get a fight for a special friend. Isaac "The Shermanator" Marquez was born with down syndrome and has dreamed of becoming an MMA fighter. His MMA debut will finally happen Friday at Isleta Casino and Resort. Sanchez and Marquez will battle in an exhibition bout added to the Jackson Wink Fight Night 2 card.
Marquez is dedicating the fight to his late mother. Sanchez wanted to help Marquez fulfill his dream. He also had another reason for helping Marquez. "Most down syndrome adults don't live past 45," said Sanchez. " Isaac is 32, and I just wanted to see this young man be healthy. Exercise and martial arts are one of the most healthy things you can do." Sanchez plans to continue training Marquez even after the exhibition fight. Jackson and Wink Fight Night 2 has a 7p.m. start time Friday.
Former UFC veteran Damacio Page is in the main event against Jesus Urbina on a very stacked card. Urbina knows all about Page because he has admired him from afar, going all the way back to Page's time in the WEC. "Us young fighters we strive to be like the fighters who came before us," said Urbina. "He set the bar up high, but I'm looking to get past that.' When responding to Urbina being a fan Page said, "I think it's great, but at the end of the day he's my opponent you know. I respect that he respected me from my past."As has been made obvious, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is quite the showman. Naturally at ease before the cameras, the top cop comes across as both affable and unflappable, ever ready with a disarming quip or an earnest remark about the government’s touchstone war on drugs and crime. Recently, he came back from Thailand with a longtime, handcuffed fugitive in his physical custody, presenting a blockbuster crime-busting image. Before then, apparently to tease Sen. Leila de Lima who had said that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre’s accusation that she had profited from drug money was as fake as his hairpiece, Dela Rosa playfully donned a wig.
Given his voluble nature, the PNP chief has stayed strangely silent about the killing last Oct. 9 of anticrime crusader Zenaida Luz in Oriental Mindoro. Luz was murdered by two masked men on a motorcycle, like hundreds of others in the last three months. The killing would have been another statistic in the still-rising riding-tandem deaths, grabbing a headline for a day or two before becoming a cold number, but for a chilling twist: The killers were caught, and they turned out to be cops—the very men President Duterte has authorized, with the full backing of his office, to smash crime, ruthlessly if need be.
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Luz was laid to rest on Sunday. Yet neither the PNP chief nor the President has issued a statement on her murder; perhaps the Malacañang communications team is still working on it. That cops, bemedalled ones, can turn out to be a veritable death squad practically confirms the public suspicion that the police are involved in the nationwide summary executions that have appalled even the international community.
The administration and its allies have staunchly denied that charge; even Sen. Dick Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on justice, pooh-poohs the accusation, saying the hearings on the rash of extrajudicial killings have found no state-sanctioned campaign behind EJKs. And yet the President is on voluminous record as egging both the police and the public to kill suspects. And there’s the physical evidence itself: Some 3,700 Filipinos dead and counting, most of them killed in cold blood by shadowy killers who appear to have gotten away by virtue of a permissive environment officially billed as a war on drugs.
The two cops-turned-vigilantes—Senior Insp. Magdaleno Pimentel Jr. and Insp. Markson Almeranez—remain in police custody. Dela Rosa has yet to explain what his men were doing in a bonnet and a mask and becoming the criminals they were sworn to fight—or why they would kill an ally, a recognized anticrime crusader in the community. No police report has touched on the motive, which would presumably lead to bigger revelations. Did the cops kill Luz because she had information that implicated them, and perhaps other colleagues of theirs, in the drug trade? Who gave the go-signal to kill? Who else were in on the rubout? How many more cops are serving as hired killers?
The administration’s continuing denial of involvement in the tide of extrajudicial killings now rings more hollow with the unmasking of two cops-cum-hitmen. Unless the PNP delves into this shocking case with both dispatch and transparency, its credibility will be deeper in the pits, and the rest of the police force at bigger risk of being considered an institution no different from criminal syndicates.
Now is the time for Dela Rosa and the President to show their unforgiving hand: when law enforcers make a mockery of their vaunted anticrime stand by becoming lawbreakers themselves.
The public waits.
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MOST READFrom Team Fortress Wiki
“
— The Scout on his new outfit Yeah, lookin' good over here! ”
The Spooky Sleeves are a community-created multi-class cosmetic item for the Scout, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer and Sniper. It is a black, long-sleeved sweatshirt with a skeleton design that is worn under the player character's normal shirt, complete with matching gloves. On the Scout, it also gives him a black hood which is worn down.
The Spooky Sleeves were contributed to the Steam Workshop under the name "The Skeleton Jacket".
Painted variants
Mouseover cells to preview the images on a dark background. Click on the images to enlarge them.
Single colors An Extraordinary Abundance of Tinge Color No. 216-190-216 Peculiarly Drab Tincture Aged Moustache Grey A Distinctive Lack of Hue After Eight Radigan Conagher Brown Ye Olde Rustic Colour Muskelmannbraun Mann Co. Orange Australium Gold The Color of a Gentlemann's Business Pants Dark Salmon Injustice Pink as Hell A Deep Commitment to Purple Noble Hatter's Violet A Color Similar to Slate Zepheniah's Greed Drably Olive Indubitably Green The Bitter Taste of Defeat and Lime A Mann's Mint Team colors Waterlogged Lab Coat (RED) Waterlogged Lab Coat (BLU) Balaclavas Are Forever (RED) Balaclavas Are Forever (BLU) Team Spirit (RED) Team Spirit (BLU) Operator's Overalls (RED) Operator's Overalls (BLU) The Value of Teamwork (RED) The Value of Teamwork (BLU) An Air of Debonair (RED) An Air of Debonair (BLU) Cream Spirit (RED) Cream Spirit (BLU) Unpainted (RED) Unpainted (BLU)
October 26, 2012 Patch (Spectral Halloween Special)
The Spooky Sleeves were added to the game.
December 21, 2012 Patch
[Undocumented] Updated The Spooky Sleeves backpack icon.
October 28, 2015 Patch (Scream Fortress 2015)
Updated The Spooky Sleeves with the lastest changes by the authors.
March 10, 2016 Patch
Updated materials/models for The Spooky Sleeves.
[Undocumented] Updated The Spooky Sleeves to be equippable by the Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, and Sniper.
July 7, 2016 Patch (Meet Your Match Update)
[Undocumented] Added Strange quality.
Trivia
Glenn Danzig, a horror-punk/metal musician and ex-frontman of The Misfits, is known for his arm tattoos and dark fashion sense.
GalleryApple had quietly extended its hardware warranty in Australia to two years, but the company's retail employees have reportedly been instructed to not reveal the changes to customers.
Apple's new two-year hardware warranty places the company in compliance with Australian laws, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. But an e-mail obtained by the publication from one Apple retail store found that employees were told that they could not discuss details of the changes with customers.The Australian Consumer Law was passed in January of 2011, requiring companies to provide customers with a "reasonable" length of warranty for products. While the term reasonable is not defined, the law suggests that expensive products such as televisions should be supported for up to 24 months.The standard warranty for most of Apple's products is 12 months, though customers can purchase an extended AppleCare warranty for their device.Apple declined to comment on the alleged e-mail that directed employees to not discuss the new policy. But Rod Stowe, Fair Trading Commissioner for the New South Wales government, called hiding details of the 24-month warranty "rather surprising and disingenuous.""To instruct your staff to not let people know is something that seems of quite concern, and I don't understand why they wouldn't want to be upfront about it," Stowe said. "Apple seems to be generally one of those businesses that is quite responsible to problems."Apple's standard 12-month product warranties have placed the company in trouble in other parts of the world. Italian authorities have fined Apple nearly $1.5 million U.S. for unfair commercial practices" related to its AppleCare product warranties.Those fines were brought on by the Italian Antitrust Authority, which deemed that Apple did not provide adequate information to customers about the length of its product guarantees. Italian law requires companies to protect buyers with a free two-year warranty, but Apple continued to offer customers the ability to purchase a two-year warranty rather than receiving one for free.Three Kansas men face federal charges after authorities said Friday they uncovered a plot to bomb an apartment complex housing Somali immigrants.
The men — Gavin Wright, 49, Patrick Eugene Stein, 47, and Curtis Allen, 49 — are accused of planning to use a weapon of mass destruction to target the community in an act of terrorism, according to charges filed in federal court on Friday.
“These three defendants conspired to conduct a bombing attack against an apartment complex occupied by men, women and children in the Garden City, Kansas community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall of the District of Kansas in a statement. “Protecting our nation from such attacks, whether they are rooted in domestic or international terrorism, is our highest priority.”
In February, the FBI launched an investigation on the men, who are members of a militia group called the Crusaders. A “confidential source” first reported their activities to authorities, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
In a criminal complaint, the men are alleged to have gathered “firearms, ammunition and explosive components” and contemplated attacking several different locations before settling on the apartment complex in Garden City, Kansas, where a mosque used by residents is also located.
Recordings acquired by the FBI show the men railing against immigrants and Muslims, the Washington Post reported.
Stein met with an undercover FBI agent in September, when he sought to acquire guns. The criminal complaint alleges the group also discussed using four vehicles packed with explosives in areas surrounding the apartment complex.
On Saturday, as new details emerged about the men, the Post reported Allen’s girlfriend this week showed the authorities a room containing some of the weapons they had planned to use in an attack. She said she decided to speak with authorities when Allen struck her on Tuesday after a fight over money. Allen was subsequently arrested on a domestic battery charge.
The authorities moved to arrest the men on federal charges after Stein brought an undercover FBI agent to the complex on Wednesday, where the authorities said he revealed a strategy to use explosives. Stein allegedly told the agent the trio would use ammonium nitrate to make the bombs, a method used in 1995 by Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, according to the Associated Press.
“These charges are based on eight months of investigation by the FBI that is alleged to have taken the investigators deep into a hidden culture of hatred and violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beall. “Many Kansans may find it as startling as I do that such things could happen here.”
Dr. John Birky, who works with the Somali community, told the AP about 300 to 500 Somali refugees reside in the area where the attacks were planned.
The men’s’ next court appearance is set for Monday. If they are found guilty of the charges they could face up to life in prison.In its first revision in over two decades, the U.S. Copyright Office has published a new draft update to its existing rules regarding ownership of photographs, text and art, stating that non-human beings cannot own copyright.
The changes come in the wake of Wikimedia Commons’ controversial refusal to take down a self-portrait taken by an crested black macaque, an Indonesian monkey, that has since gone viral.
British wildlife photographer David Slater claimed copyright of the photo because the macaque had taken the photograph with one of his cameras while on a shoot in Indonesia in 2011. His request was denied; Wikimedia claimed U.S. law supported that “copyright cannot vest in non-human authors.”
Since the dispute, Slater has sought legal counsel and has claimed the photo has cost him thousands of dollars.
The new rules published Thursday now explicitly supports Wikimedia’s claim that works produced by “nature, animals or plants,” and any work created by “divine or supernatural beings” cannot claim copyright.
The rules continue to list examples such as:
– A photograph taken by a monkey.
– A mural painted by an elephant.
– A claim based on driftwood that has been shaped and smoothed by
the ocean.
– A claim based on cut marks, defects and other qualities found in
natural stone.
– An application for a song naming the Holy Spirit as the author of the
work.
The draft will remain on review until mid-December when it will then be official law.Pin 1 2K Shares
(ANTIMEDIA) As if the futility, destruction, and absurdity of the decades-long war on drugs were not already painfully apparent, a Massachusetts state chemist involved in testing evidence for drug prosecutions was high on a variety of illicit substances, including crack, cocaine, meth, and acid, for most of the nine years she worked for the government, including one year working directly for a police lab.
The chemist was not only high on drugs she stole throughout her tenure — she cooked and consumed crack cocaine at work. Additionally, throughout the years she testified in scores of drug cases, whose verdicts — along with the Drug War itself — have now been called into question.
Sonja Farak worked as a chemist for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) from 2003 to 2012, switching labs twice throughout the years. She spent most of her time with DPH at a lab in Amherst, but also worked as a chemist for the Massachusetts State Police from 2012 to 2013.
As a Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) investigation released this week summarized, her responsibilities included “testing, for authenticity, various controlled substances submitted by law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth. Additionally, she was required to testify in court as to her test results, which served as evidence in criminal cases.”
The implications of her behavior are nothing short of disturbing. “Anything that went through that lab while she was there is in question,” said Anthony Benedetti, chief counsel of the Committee for Public Counsel Services. “It’s too soon to know how many, but it clearly is in the thousands.”
In at least one case, she appeared to have consumed drugs submitted by police and replaced them with counterfeit substances. Farak was reportedly also overly inquisitive about large arrivals of new drugs at the lab, which tipped off others who worked there when considered along with the absence of other drugs.
According to the AG report:
“Farak began to consume the Amherst Lab’s standards [drugs purchased from drug companies to be used as controls in testing] on a fairly regular basis beginning in late 2004 or early 2005. The first standard she admitted to using was the methamphetamine standard, which was the largest or most voluminous standard at the Amherst Lab. The methamphetamine standard was a base sample, meaning its form was oil base and it was not cut or diluted with any other substance, essentially making the standard the purest form of a controlled substance.”
By 2009, her addiction was so consuming she had “nearly exhausted” the lab’s methamphetamine standard supply. As the report notes, “by 2009, she also began using other standards at the Amherst Lab including ketamine, MDMA, MDEA, and LSD (including police-submitted evidence samples),” as well as cocaine. She eventually took it a step further, ultimately manufacturing crack for her own consumption. By Farak’s own admission:
“During mid to late 2012, she would enter the Lab after hours or when she was working overtime, remove powdered cocaine from samples, and cook it to produce crack. Specifically, Farak would dissolve the powdered cocaine in water, add baking soda, and heat up the mixture so that the moisture would dissipate and form crack,” the AG report says.
Though she only did so three or four times, she said she made large batches to “make a quantity worth [her] time.”
“All told,” she said, according to the AG report, “she estimated that she was smoking crack ten to twelve times a day.” She says her colleagues never suspected anything. One later testified that in 2012, her appearance had begun to deteriorate, as had the quality and volume of her work.
Farak was only caught when it was discovered in 2013 that drug samples were missing from the lab. Farak was arrested and ultimately served 18 months after pleading guilty in 2014. She was convicted of “evidence tampering, theft, and possession charges relating to a handful of criminal cases.” Though she was sentenced to two-and-half years, the rest of her sentence was suspended for five years.
The state is currently reviewing cases from individuals convicted, in part, as a result of Farak’s lab work and testimonies against them. “We are deeply concerned whenever the integrity of the justice system is called into question or compromised,” said Cyndi Roy Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Maura Healey. “The information we gathered during the course of our investigation is disturbing and will no doubt have implications for many cases.”
Considering another former lab employee was found, also in 2013, to “have fabricated evidence in thousands of samples she tested at a second state lab in Jamaica Plain, possibly tainting as many as 40,000 cases,” the underlying moral of Farak’s story is perhaps best illustrated by Matthew Segal, the legal director for the ACLU’s Massachusetts branch.
“It’s easy to get caught up in these scandals, zooming in on the specific misconduct because it’s so salacious,” he said.
“But it’s also important to zoom out, and take a look at what the drug war in Massachusetts has wrought. It hasn’t cured us of an addiction problem. It has obliterated the integrity that is supposed to be the foundation of the criminal justice system.”
No doubt, his observations can apply to the United States as a whole, where corruption and drug addiction plague the very individuals and institutions tasked with the fantastical — and futile — obsession with eliminating drug use.
This article (Government Chemist Caught Making Crack in the Lab, Stealing Meth and Cocaine) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Elizabeth Montag and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article at edits@theantimedia.org.
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Location: BC, Canada
Participants: David Brayden, Jenn Brayden, Jenn, Janey Sea, Sam Drove, Paige Sorger, Patrick Latter
Time: 3 Days
Weather:-15°C | 0°C
Distance: 9.5Km Oneway
Elevation Gain: 1000m
Max Elevation: 1600m
Start Time: 5:00pm
Directions
Head north on the 99 until reach the Garibaldi Lake turn off near rubble creak.
Gear
Tent
Sleeping Pad
Sleeping Bag
Stove / Pots
Skis
Boots
Skins
Poles
Long Underwear
Ski Pants
Shell
Down Jacket
Down Booties
Many other small things…
Story
Due to heavy snow on the approach road we were forced to start 2km before the actual trail head, making the the total distance 9.5km one way. Paige was less than excited to have roughly 7 hours of skinning in the dark ahead of us. We arrived at the camp just five minutes before midnight and managed to ring in the new year with some friends and a much appreciated bottle of champagne.
The next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise and the peak of Black Tusk being bathed in a orange glow.
At about -15 degrees overnight, the warm sunlight was a welcome addition.
There was a nearby shelter with some tables that could be used to cook with your stove and have lunch/dinner.
Our friends arrived early and had time to dig out seating area which they dubbed the ‘Tiki Lounge’
We spent the rest of the day skinning up the meadow and exploring the area.
With the sun setting soon we dug a out a small area to sit and have some cheese and crackers.
There was a small creek nearby that could be used for water. This was the safest/best method, which amounted to fishing for water with a Nalgene.
The ski down back to the car went considerably faster, just 3.5 hours. Amazing, considering Paige has only skied twice before.
+1 0 SharesIn this post I will explain the concept behind “zero-copy”, which is feature of the Linux allowing for faster transfer of data between pipes, file-descriptors and sockets. I will demonstrate how you can use this functionality in your Ruby projects using a code example. This functionality has been implemented in C, Java, Ruby, Perl and nameless other languages, but in this blog I will focus on the Ruby usage.
What Is “Zero-Copy”?
The name “zero-copy” comes from the fact that the data is not copied from kernel-space to user-space as it usually would be. If you are serving a file, receiving a file, writing to a socket or reading from a socket or pipe and have no interest in programatically looking at the data then you can let the kernel do all the work. Your application runs in user-space and your application defines what you want to do with data as it comes in from various filehandles or sockets and out through other filehandles and sockets. Therefore, it is understandable that the kernel usually needs to pass the data your application, in user-space memory. Zero-copy cuts out the middle-man, your application, when your application is not interested in seeing the data. Roughly speaking, with zero-copy, you can give the kernel two file-descriptors and tell it kernel to “pass the data from one to the other and let me know when you are done”.
How Is This Faster?
Less Context-Switching
If you are reading this, I’ll assume you are a software developer or someone who can imagine what life would be like if you were a developer (the money, the women, the fame…). Have you ever tried writing code and being the person on support at the same? It is not easy. Every time you roll up your sleeves and get stuck into fixing that infinite for-loop, you get a call and your brain has start thinking about the problem of person on the other end of line. A day of this and you will get little done. It would be better to just be on support or just fixing infinite for-loops.
When you serve up a static file to the web, the data is read from a file into your application and then your application writes it out to the socket. Even if you are using the lowest-level API in your chosen language for doing this, it is a two-step process and your application has made two requests to the kernel. “Read this”. “Write this”. Between these two steps the kernel is switching control back to your application and asking, “what next?”.
With zero-copy you are saying to kernel, “read from here and write to there“. This is can be a single call to the kernel, which means less time passing control back to your application and saying, “what next?”.
Less Copying
The second reason that zero-copy is faster is because the kernel is not giving you the data. If it did it would have to copy the data from kernel-space to user-space, since kernel-space is for the kernel’s eyes only. Instead, the kernel knows what to do with that data. It transfers data from one filehandle to the other filehandle without bothering your application unless there is an error, it has completed, or the application has requested the transfer to be non-blocking.
“Splice”
This system call that does the magic is called splice. You can read the Linux manual page here.
splice – splice data to/from a pipe ssize_t splice(int fd_in, loff_t *off_in, int fd_out, loff_t *off_out, size_t len, unsigned int flags); splice() moves data between two file descriptors without copying between kernel address space and user address space. It transfers up to len bytes of data from the file descriptor fd_in to the file descriptor fd_out, where one of the descriptors must refer to a pipe. – from Kernel.org : splice(2) – Linux manual page
The key to note here is that one of the end-points must be a pipe. If neither end-points are a pipe then you can create an intermediary pipe in kernel-space memory and tell the kernel to write to and read from that pipe. You can see an example of this below, written in Ruby, where we copy data from one file to another without moving any of the data in user-space memory.
Server-Side Data Validation
The down-side to this is when you want to check the data before you send it out. It may make the server snappier, but if the data on disk is prone to corruption, then you would have to rely on the clients letting you know, since your application does not get chance to inspect the data.
Other Factors
While you may take some of the burden off the CPU and there is less time spent copying memory, depending on your system and your usage you may not see much difference. Disk seek time and network latency often leave the CPU twiddling it’s thumbs. Memory copying is very fast. Therefore, you should weigh up the cost and benefits to this. The cost would be the possibly limiting your code to the Linux platform and an additional dependency of the extra code needed to do this (a gem in Ruby’s case).
Performance
If you’re interested in getting deeper into this or would like to approach it from more of a Java angle, then I recommend checking out “Efficient data transfer through zero copy” by Sathish K. Palaniappan and Pramod B. Nagaraja. It’s from here I take the following performance results.
File size Non zero-copy Zero-copy How much faster? 7 Mb 156 ms 45ms 346 % faster 200 Mb 2124 ms 1150 ms 184 % faster 1 Gb 18399 ms 8537 ms 215 % faster
It is hard to make a clear opinion on the exact speed increase, since the performance change is non-linear, but saying that you get a 2x performance would not be unreasonable.
If you want to run your own tests to replicate this then the Java source code is available on their article.
Some other recent benchmarks by Iñaki Baz Castillo, which were written in Ruby, can be found here. I use code from these benchmarks in the example below.
Ruby Implementation
In Ruby there is an implementation of zero-copy called io_splice. This is not supported on Mac OS X, since zero-copy is Linux specific. You will get installation problems if you install this on anything less than Linux Kernel 2.6.17.
Installing The Gem
You can install the gem in the same way you install other gems.
gem install io_splice
The usual gem install output…
Building native extensions. This could take a while... Successfully installed io_splice-2.2.0 1 gem installed Installing ri documentation for io_splice-2.2.0... Installing RDoc documentation for io_splice-2.2.0...
Ruby Example – Copy File To File
In this example I will copy a file from one location to another.
Let’s create an input file first, called input_file.txt
ruby -e '1_000_000.times { puts rand.to_s }' > input_file.txt
Now, I’m going to write a short Ruby script called test_filecopy.rb. I have taken the meat of this script from Iñaki Baz Castillo‘s benchmark code.
#!/usr/bin/ruby require 'io/splice' SRC_FILE = "input_file.txt" DST_FILE = "output_file.txt" source = File.open(SRC_FILE, 'rb') dest = File.open(DST_FILE, 'wb') source_fd = source.fileno dest_fd = dest.fileno # We use a pipe as a ring buffer in kernel space. # pipes may store up to IO::Splice::PIPE_CAPA bytes pipe = IO.pipe rfd, wfd = pipe.map { |io| io.fileno } while true nread = begin # first pull as many bytes as possible into the pipe IO.splice(source_fd, nil, wfd, nil, IO::Splice::PIPE_CAPA, 0) rescue EOFError # The end of the file has been reached break end # now move the contents of the pipe buffer into the destination file # the copied data never enters userspace nwritten = IO.splice(rfd, nil, dest_fd, nil, nread, 0) end
Sure enough, it copied the file. Although, if you were paying attention, you will realize that even though we did not read the data into user-space memory, we still copied it into an intermediary pipe in kernel-space memory. We also had an extra context switch back to our code between the reading from one file and writing to the other. This is because we cannot use zero-copy to transfer directly from one file-descriptor to another file-descriptor without one of the end-points being a pipe. To get around this we created the in-kernel-memory pipe as an intermediary.
Conclusion
Zero-copy is way to increase performance when transferring static data between two end-points on your system. A good use-case for this is serving files to the web. Even though the disk is still a major bottle-neck, benchmarks do show it to be faster. If validating the data going out of your system is important to you then zero-copy may not be the solution you are looking for, as the data never enters user-space, so there is no chance to inspect it.
Resources
Posted in : Rubywho's thaT girl?
Alechia Reese is equal parts warm tea and Hennessy. She is the chief brand strategist of 360 Gateway Brands, author of the award-winning book, Eating Elephants, and the director of PR & creative marketing of Soledad O'Brien's PowHERful Foundation. She's also the former strategic marketing director of Disney star, Zendaya Coleman’s fashion line, Daya by Zendaya.
Alechia is a domestic violence thriver whose first love is the stage. Honored as a Woman of Power Awardee presented by Bank of America & NABA NYC, she specializes in the development of brand identity, strategy, marketing, public relations, and execution. She is a media personality, certified professional international speaker, and author.
Alechia’s skilled, fun and energetic speaking style has afforded her the opportunity to partner with and speak for a myriad of corporations & organizations from the entertainment stage to the corporate boardroom including Progressive, UPS, BET, the Miami Marlins, Grey Goose, Vogue Italia, Verizon, and others.
Alechia co-founded The STEAM Up Initiative to cultivate the STEM learning experience for marginalized, inner-city youth and believes beyond empowerment it is necessary to properly equip all people to succeed and she's made it her lifelong mission to do so.
Stay connected with her on all social platforms @alechiareese.
Wanna know more?
Get the deets here!DON’T BLAME BOEHNER; HE JUST WORKS THERE…. President Obama hosted a meeting at the White House with the leadership of both parties, from both chambers, and the discussion reportedly turned to Bush’s tax cuts. GOP leaders want all the cuts to remain in place, no matter how many billions of dollars it adds to the deficit. The president wants to keep the cuts for everyone except the very wealthy.
By all accounts, the chat wasn’t especially constructive, but I was glad to see this exchange took place.
Mr. Obama, who did not join the Senate until 2005, reminded Mr. Boehner and |
courage to reject any kind of goofy dad role. And I did.
So that's hard, because what happens is you've done something, and you've received some attention by it, meaning that you've done pretty well at it, then people are going to come at you with the same kind of thing. And they were. I was offered pilots. [They said] "Oh, it's perfect for him. It's just like the guy in 'Malcolm in the Middle.'" And I had the same reaction you did. I said, "Well... thank you, but I did that. And I'm not interested."
And some are dumbfounded. "Why? He'd be perfect. No, it's just exactly right for him." And it's like, "No, no, no, he's done that, he doesn't want to do that anymore."
Quite frankly, it would just be redundant because I wouldn't know how to do a sweet, goofy dad any differently than what I did for seven years.
The Life: It's gut-wrenching to watch at times...
Cranston: "Malcolm"? (laughs)
The Life: No, but he got himself into some trouble, too. Could you see Hal's life spiraling to the point of cooking crystal meth?
Cranston: His life spiraled out of control almost every episode emotionally, yeah.
The Life: "Breaking Bad" is so gut-wrenching and disturbing, but fortunately it tosses in a good amount of humor at times. But is it draining at the end of the day after going through what Walt goes through?
Cranston: Oh, yeah. You know I'm older now. It's emotionally draining, physically.... It's a very physically demanding show. I'm running all the time and hoisting people up and fighting, oh my God.... Yeah, it is. And so that's just the logistics of shooting an hourlong drama. It's very demanding, and I have the lead role, which I'm grateful for, but it's more demanding on my time.
So you become very pragmatic in the sense that you protect your weekends. And my weekends become very, very important to me that it's not just a way to get away from shooting the character, but also I need the down time. I need to shut down and rest in order to be ready for Monday.
Because when we go to work, I'm there at least a minimum of 13 hours a day, you know, usually 14, but at least 13. And that's draining. You have to really know how to pace yourself and whatnot.
So you know, [I'm] grateful to do it, grateful I have it, but reasonable in the sense that I know myself and I know what I have to do to prepare for it physically.
The Life: Are there things you can relate to, as a father and a husband, in terms of what lengths Walter is going through for the sake of his family.
Cranston: I think that's the universal question that "Breaking Bad" brings up. And I think it's one that we've been asked before. "If you had a year to live, how would you live it?"
Other people would travel and I would do this... and Bryan would probably do that. He would just be with family, travel, see some friends, eat at the best restaurants, stay at the best hotels, just experience things and do it as long as you can.... Travel to everywhere where my friends are and visit with them for periods of time and hopefully stay healthy as long as you can and kick out.
And that's what Walt is doing. Walt is doing what he feels is the best thing that he can do. And that, when given this set of circumstances that he has a year to two to live... and who knows only a year of that or less is going to be healthy? And his wife is going to clean up after him and empty his bedpan and wipe his drool, but then he still dies and then on top of that, he leaves them penniless. It's just a legacy he doesn't want to leave. It's not something that anyone wants to be known by. And so, with that condition, he makes this desperate decision to use his chemistry background to do the only thing he thinks at the time he can do. And just, for the first time in his life, be selfish. Think of doing something for your family, and then check out.
Yes, it's a very irrational decision for a very rational man. But I believed it, given the set of circumstances, and then what he doesn't realize is the world he's entering into he doesn't have the skill set for this. He's a scientist. Everything is black-and-white, everything is orderly, you put this amount with this, and you have this reaction.... Well, now he's in a world that has no rules that is filled with people, not of scientists, but people of greed and ego. And they will literally kill you and... he's woefully underestimated what he has done, and now he has to deal with it.
I think dramatically, that is very appealing. And so you see this fish out of water, this man who is just trying to do something for his family. He knows it's bad. He keeps the blinders on because he knows what he is doing is wrong. He just feels if he can just do it for a little bit, it won't have that much damage. He's fooling himself, of course, but he's hoping that's the case. And then just get out and hopefully his family won't have the hardships that he suffered.
The Life: There are some searing images in "Breaking Bad" -- Walt wearing the tighty-whiteys standing in the desert from the pilot, and [spoiler alert] the supermarket scene early in Season 2. So, will you be upping the ante by Season 3? Are viewers prepared for what's next?
Cranston: How much more revealing can I be? (Laughs.) Literally and figuratively. You know, Jim, it's an interesting thing. When they pitched that, they said, "Well, we can try to... We'll have a cover, we'll have this...."
And I said, "You know what, let's just do it." All I cared about, let's just make sure nobody has their cell phone cameras out and that sort of thing, because we don't want stuff like that to get out.
So once you buy into it and you say, "You know what, this is what the character had to do to try to mask that he lost his mind temporarily, he had to go to that extreme, it made sense. And so OK, I'm willing to do that. And it's a risqué show, so let's do that." So it really wasn't that difficult a decision to make because it just seemed to make sense. So I was willing to do it.
The Life: Switching gears a bit; I've read that before acting, you would have preferred a career in baseball. How far did you get with that?
Cranston: I could have become a professional baseball player, but I fell short in one area, and that hurt greatly.
The Life: What area?Back in March, Attorney General Eric Holder was promising that the Justice Department was on track to reform the NSA surveillance powers by the deadline of March 28, less than two weeks later. It didn’t happen.
A 90-day extension came and went, and then another 90-day extension was tacked on to that, pushing the deadline for the reform of the mass surveillance to December 5.
This time, when the deadline rolled around there was so little expectation of actual reform that its approach was barely even covered. Even the administration seemingly gave it a miss over the weekend Unsurprisingly, it was extended yet again with no real hint of reforms coming.
Other than a brief, failed attempt to pass a toothless version of a reform bill in the Senate, the notion that NSA mass surveillance is ever going to get altered in a meaningful way is looking more dubious all the time.
The statement expressed support for working with the new, more pro-surveillance Congress on “reforms,” which will be even weaker than the last failed bill. Though there are still some in Congress pushing against the wholesale data mining to the American public, for now it seems that extending the deadline indefinitely is simply the new normal.
Last 5 posts by Jason DitzThough robots and artificial intelligence may not replace our doctors entirely in the foreseeable future, they are already starting to make a difference.
Microsoft is now using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help doctors in India to diagnoze and treat eye diseases.
SEE ALSO: How the scary potential of AI brought tech competitors together
Earlier this year, Microsoft began working with the not-for-profit LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in India to have its Azure machine learning and Power BI services analyze patterns among cases and predict the surgical outcome of eye surgery patients.
The collaboration saw Microsoft going through a trove of data — anonymized records of 1.1 million people — and provide doctors with insights into how the blindness spreads in the country, Anil Bhansali, Managing Director of Microsoft India (R&D), explained to Mashable India in a conversation.
Microsoft says it utilized Azure machine learning service to crunch the numbers and Power BI service to visualize those numbers to make sense out of them. These numbers helped the doctors, Microsoft says, to ascertain how much time a patient has before their eye issues extrapolate.
Microsoft says after going through such voluminous data, its AI-platform was also able to predict how likely it is that doctors will be able to successfully perform eye surgeries. Though the company didn't share how accurate its projections have been, it said it is ready to expand the initiatives with other academic and research organizations.
Today the company announced it has partnered with Bascom Palmer - University of Miami, Flaum Eye Institute - University of Rochester (USA), Federal University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), and Brien Holden Vision Institute (Australia).
As part of the partnership, Microsoft and institutes will closely work on the diverse datasets of patients across geographies to find predictive models for vision impairment and eye disease.
Some of the issues that doctors and Microsoft would be working on include finding the rate of change of myopia in children and conditions that impact children's eyesight. They will also try to predict outcomes of refractive surgery and determine optimal surgery parameters for higher probability of success.
India accounts for nearly 55 million of the 285 million eye disease cases worldwide. Bhansali says it was one of the reasons why the company piloted the initiative in India.
India accounts for nearly 55 million of the 285 million eye disease cases worldwide.
The company maintains several other AI-driven initiatives in India, such as digital agricultural applications, and its work with the Andhra Pradesh sate government to help identify students who are likely to drop out.
Microsoft isn't the only Silicon Valley giant trying to make use of its artificial intelligence platforms to better serve Indians, though. In July, for instance, Manipal Hospitals partnered with IBM Watson at six locations to provide information and insights to physicians to help them identify personalized, evidence-based cancer care options across India.
IBM's Watson has gotten impressively accurate over the years. At the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Watson was able to recommend the same treatment as human experts for cancer diagnosis 99 percent of the time. More interestingly, in 30 percent of the cases, Watson found treatment options that the doctors had missed.While Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s “Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act” has been in the news, several other Legislators have introduced companion bills earlier this month that deserve attention.
A Few Gems
SB 1058 and HB 0970, from Senator Janice Bowling and Representative Dan Howell, would allow municipal electric utilities, such as Chattanooga’s EPB, Tullahoma Utilities Board, or Jackson Energy Authority to expand beyond their electric service area. SB 1045 and HB 1410 reclaims local authority for municipalities that want to offer telecommunications service either alone or with a partner.
HB 0970 has been assigned to the House Business and Utilities Committee; SB 1058 was referred to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
Bowling has also introduced SB 1045, a bill that allows municipal electric utilities and electric cooperatives the ability to offer telecommunications services either on their own or with private sector partners. SB 1045 and it’s companion, HB 1410, sponsored by Terri Lynn Weaver in the House, specifies that there are to be no geographic limits to the service area. SB 1045 and HB 1410 are also in the same committees as SB 1058 and HB 0970.
Correcting Existing Problems
The EPB challenged restrictive state law in 2015; the FCC determined that the law was inconsistent with federal goals. The agency preempted both Tennessee and North Carolina's laws that inhibit municipal electric utilities from expanding. When Tennessee and North Carolina appealed the FCC decision, however, the appellate court determined that that states had the right to impose those laws on local communities and reversed the preemption.
Tennessee's current state law prevents municipal electric utilities that offer Internet access and/or video within their electric service area to expand beyond those geographical limits. These new bills propose removing the restrictions; they also contain a clause that would require expanding municipal electric utilities to obtain permission from other munis or cooperatives that already operate in the areas in which they plan to expand.
Leading The Charge Again
Bowling, a Republican from Tullahoma, has fought for several years to bring back authority to local communities. She’s a Tennessee elected official who is taking the lead on pushing smart policy that will improve connectivity in rural areas of the state. Bowling's own community owns a municipal network, LightTUBe, and Tullahoma has benefited while other rural areas have continued to suffer.
For Cooperatives
SB 0301 and its companion HB 0950, introduced by Ferrell Haile and Art Swann, respectively, allows electric cooperatives to offer high-quality Internet access, but limits them to areas where no other private providers are already operating. Terri Lynn Weaver is also signed on to HB 0950.
Local Folks Working For Local Solutions
Sustainable & Equitable Agricultural Development is a group out of Tennessee that has established a Rural Broadband Campaign. They’ve put together a list and quick summary of current relevant legislation and even established a way for constituents to easily contact Legislators to express their opinions.Her 25 books included a deeply researched fictional series set in Ancient Rome, which won her the admiration of readers including former NSW Premier Bob Carr and Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, and was credited with renewing interest in ancient history among university students. McCullough's best-seller The Thorn Birds. McCullough lived on Norfolk Island for most of the past 40 years and married Norfolk Islander Ric Robinson in 1983. She died on Thursday afternoon after suffering a series of small strokes. She had lost her sight from macular degeneration and was restricted to a wheelchair. In 2013 she published her final book, the novel Bittersweet, about four sisters in 1920s New South Wales.
Her publisher at HarperCollins Australia, Shona Martyn, said McCullough had been dictating a sequel, set around World War II, into an old-fashioned dictaphone but had only completed a third of the novel when she died. Sydney literary agent Selwa Anthony, one of McCullough's closest friends, said she had encouraged McCullough to return to writing the mainstream women's fiction that had made her name. "She finally gave in and Bittersweet took her back to Colleen's storytelling. She said she would call it 'chook lit' and I said 'Don't you dare.' "The book has done extremely well [with Australian sales at 65,000 copies] and pulled in a lot of mainstream readers who had moved away." Anthony was working as a buyer at Graham's bookshop in Sydney when The Thorn Birds was published.
"I was so excited when I read it before it was published that I said I'll take 500 copies and the sales rep nearly fell over. We had already sold half of them when she came in and signed books for two hours." Australian readers loved The Thorn Birds because McCullough wrote about Australia in a way that hadn't been done. "I thought The Thorn Birds was as good as Gone with the Wind but set in our landscape," Anthony said. "It was over the top and a real page-turner. "She encouraged me to become a literary agent and gave me the courage to say I'm going to discover lots of popular Australian fiction writers." McCullough turned to the Roman novels she had always wanted to write when she had enough money to live and employ researchers to help her gather the vast amount of historical information she used. She accumulated an impressive private library of material on the Roman republic.
As NSW premier, Bob Carr quoted from McCullough's biography of Sir Roden Cutler at the funeral of the former NSW governor. This led to a friendship based on a shared passion for Roman history. Carr read all but one of McCullough's seven Roman books ("that one had one siege too many"). "Her research was unimpeachable," he said. "She spent 13 years before she wrote The First Man in Rome in the most systematised research. "She took rolls of telex paper, got all the resources of the Roman Republic and typed up everything that happened in every year. I think her background as a medical researcher explained that cast of mind." "The artistry became more finely honed as she got to the end of the series and her touch became lighter and livelier. She outshone others who have nibbled at stories of the Roman Republic. [Scottish author] Allan Massie was pallid by contrast."
Carr said McCullough was "easy to get to know; she exuberantly shared her life story and gave a colourful account of her father who was revealed to have had two families. She had a great partnership with Ric, which was hugely apparent, and they were great company." While publishers continued wanting her to write another Thorn Birds, McCullough went on to write a series of detective thrillers set in 1960s America. "She wrote what she wanted," Anthony said. Anthony described her friend as "a big lady who was open to interviews and the passion was always there. She had a big life and leaves a big legacy through her wonderful books and her generous spirit; she was always helping people." The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, paid public tribute, saying, "Colleen McCullough AO was one of Australia's most-read authors. She enthralled readers for decades.
"Colleen McCullough was a unique Australian personality and Norfolk Island's most famous resident. "Her book Roden Cutler VC will always be required reading for those who want to know the story of one of Australia's great heroes and NSW's longest-serving governor. "She will be missed."The College Democrats of America (CDA) is in turmoil this week, with its president facing impeachment after being accused of pro-Israel allegiances and charged with improper conduct.
The College Democrats of America is the official college-outreach arm of the Democratic Party. With the publication of two articles today, the organization’s chaos and infighting has spilled into the public sphere. The last 24 hours have made it clear that Democratic support for Israel ought be viewed with suspicion and that opposition to Obama’s farce of a nuclear deal with Iran has no place in the Party. It turns out not even CDA’s president is immune from such attacks.
On Tuesday, the organization began impeachment proceedings against its sitting President, Natasha McKenzie, reelected to a second term only last week.
In an article published on Daily Kos, an anonymous member of CDA’s Executive Board wrote that the reasons for impeachment included “a series of well-publicized allegations of intimidation, corruption, chaos, and other concerns raised followed the 2015 National Convention.”
The author’s claim of “corruption” hyperlinks to another story about McKenzie, written by the same author hours earlier. This article highlights an award given last week by CDA to The American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) and an award given by AIPAC to CDA President Natasha McKenzie in March. In this earlier post, also on the Daily Kos, the author lambasts CDA for allowing Jonathan Kessler, AIPAC’s Leadership Development Director and a lifelong Democrat, to speak at the CDA national convention, accusing AIPAC of being incompatible with the Democratic Party. It also questions McKenzie’s dual allegiances to the groups. McKenzie has been a decorated and vocal supporter of the US-Israel relationship, and apparently that has no place in today’s Democratic party.
In the first article, the unnamed high-ranking College Dem writes,
Why would the Democratic Party’s youth auxiliary invite a representative of an organization that is spearheading lobbying against the cornerstone foreign policy achievement of the Democratic President to not only speak, but receive an award at, our convention? … I find it incredibly inappropriate (and confusing) that CDA would bring an organization that is spending millions to defeat President Obama’s foreign policy, and then give that organization an award.
The piece seems obsessed with McKenzie, making special note of an award Natasha McKenzie received in March of this year from AIPAC (below), and her relationship with the largely Democratic organization.
https://twitter.com/TashaKenzie/status/572845726805450753
The “Advocate of the Year” award was given to McKenzie for her accomplishments on behalf of the US-Israel relationship.
It appears as though the anonymous member of CDA’s leadership is insinuating a quid pro quo has taken place between AIPAC and the current CDA administration, that AIPAC is incompatible with the Democratic party, and that such “corruption” calls into question McKenzie’s propriety as head of the organization. The author has decided that the re-elected president’s relationship with AIPAC’s undermines President Obama, the Party, and the cause.
The Executive Board of CDA, acting on these absurd sentiments, sent the following letter to Amy Dacey, the Democratic National Committee’s CEO, on Tuesday morning:
DATE: July 28th, 2015 TO: Amy Dacey, Chief Executive Officer Democratic National Committee 430 South Capitol St. SE Washington, DC 20003 FROM: College Democrats of America Executive Board SUBJECT: Leadership Change To Whom It May Concern: We, the undersigned members of the College Democrats of America executive board, wish to make a joint statement regarding the future of CDA. We do not stand by the actions of our President, Natasha McKenzie, during the 2015 College Democrats of America national convention, nor do we hold confidence in her ability to lead this organization moving forward. During the convention, Natasha McKenzie exhibited unethical behavior and promulgated an unacceptable culture of intimidation. To this end, we are hereby calling on Natasha McKenzie to resign immediately as National President of the College Democrats of America. If Natasha McKenzie shall not resign, we the undersigned Executive Board intend to move forward with official articles of impeachment for Natasha McKenzie attached below with the necessary reasoning. Noting this, we also understand CDA must be in a position to move forward as a successful and productive organization. We, therefore, express complete confidence in Marvin McMoore’s ability to assume the responsibility of National President. Marv displayed excellence in leadership during his tenure as Massachusetts College Democrats President and CDA Black Caucus Chair. We are extremely optimistic that Marv will increase the transparency and ethical standing of CDA. In pursuit of strengthening our continuing relationship with the DNC, we request a meeting with DNC personnel to discuss necessary steps to curb the unethical behavior and culture of intimidation promulgated specifically by those staffers tasked with youth engagement. During the course of the 2015-2016 academic year, we look forward to rebuilding and revitalizing the College Democrats of America in partnership with the DNC. Our ultimate goal is to create an organization that will strengthen the youth vote during the 2016 elections and elect a Democratic President of the United States. Sincerely, Jamie Zieno (NY) – Director of Development Valeria Ojeda (DC) – Director of Programs Carlos Martinez (TX) -Director of Membership Alex DiLalla (IL) – Director of Political Affairs Rawley Van Fossen (MI) – National Council Chair Naeemah Charles (CA) – National Council Vice Chair Ebony West (NC) – National Council Secretary
The two articles, published by the same author and only hours apart, seem to be using support for Israel as a means to impugn McKenzie, as if recognition for her and AIPAC’s efforts for the US-Israel relationship somehow make her more prone to malfeasance.
The claims of “unethical behavior” and “intimidation” appear to stem from conduct during election proceedings for Director of Communications. Indeed, the Director of Communications and the Vice President are the only members of CDA’s Executive Board (other than McKenzie herself) not to have signed the call for impeachment.
But these attacks on ranking pro-Israel Democrats is not new. This sudden procedural attack on McKenzie bears likeness to that on Democrat Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Soon after taking a strong pro-Israel stance in opposition to a bad deal with Iran, unrelated corruption charges were leveled against the Senator. Menendez decried that the indictment was “intended to silence” him. Since the news broke, McKenzie has been silent.
Troublingly, it seems the Democratic party, even at the college level, has taken to tendentiously quashing dissent in its ranks on matters of policy, targeting those who fail to toe the party line on Israel-related matters.Celebrating her birthday in hospital. "I remember being dragged and screaming out, 'It's not stopping! It's not stopping!' "Finally, I remember seeing the gutter next to me. The first thing I did was move my neck and my toes and I could move them so I thought, 'I'll be fine.' I said, 'I'm OK. I just want to stand up."' The 33-year-old woke up in Westmead Hospital after five weeks in an induced coma following the January 11 accident. Both her legs had been broken and degloved, meaning the skin and muscles were torn down to the bone. She also suffered a lower spinal fracture. As she discovered, she was lucky to be alive. "At first the doctors didn't even know if I was going to make it through this," she said. "Then they thought I would survive but I would have to lose my left leg because I lost so much blood and skin and muscle. It was pretty much right down to the bone."
The medical team at Westmead managed to save her left leg, using muscles transferred from her abdomen and skin grafts from her back. Her right leg, while not as severely injured, has also been reconstructed with grafts from her back. "It is so amazing, the amount of work that they did," she said. "They have basically rebuilt my legs." That was only the beginning of the long, slow process of recovery. The skin grafts were followed by months of rehabilitation to allow her to walk again. The physical recovery was tough but the mental adjustment more challenging. "When I realised the extent of the injuries I cried. It was horrible. "I cried for about three days. But that was the one and only time Iasked: 'Why did it happen to me?'
"I thought, 'Well, it was meant to happen. This is my life and it was just fate.' I just had to get past that because I couldn't just sit there being miserable." And four months after the accident she is literally moving on with her life. She is out of hospital, walking independently and driving again, and has moved back to the Parramatta home she shares with her partner David. While she faces more rehabilitation, she looks forward to returning to work at Flemington this year. And she considers herself lucky. She suffered no head injuries, and she had great medical attention and emotional support from her friends, colleagues and family. She bears the prime mover's driver no ill will. "I would like to meet him, only so he doesn't feel guilty about what happened," she said. "I don't want that for him. It was just an accident. He didn't mean it. There is absolutely no animosity there...
"When I spoke to the police, they told me he was distraught about what happened. He was crying, he was apologetic. I don't want him to feel bad about it." Such a positive attitude, along with her age and fitness, are helping her recovery. Her doctors estimate it could be one or two years before she has full use of her legs, and Constable Keles is learning to be patient. "It's really just a case now of persevering but, if anything, I have more determination now. It's happened. It can't be undone. I'm not going to let it restrict my lifestyle and I'm not going to let it stop me from doing what I was doing." She had decided to join the NSW Police Force, at 30, after a career crisis in her finance job. "I was sick and tired of the office, the nine-to-five. It was just like Groundhog Day, the same thing, the same people. I thought, there's got to be more to life." As soon as she signed up she knew it was the right decision. "I just loved it. I loved the environment. My colleagues were fantastic. Every day was different. You never knew what was going to happen."Articles like "Is San Francisco Losing Its Soul?” or “San Francisco’s Alarming Tech Bro Boom: What Is the Price of Change?” have become the norm for describing the city. As the refrain goes, the rising cost of living in San Francisco is forcing out the city’s teachers, artists, and diversity, replaced by engineers and the 1% drawn by the tech boom.
Cities’ demographics are always changing, but many believe San Francisco’s transformation is uniquely extreme and damaging. Combine a booming economy with little housing development, and the increasing desire of young professionals to live in cities is a potent recipe for drastic movements of people. It has led to a city that some of its residents find unrecognizable.
But how much of this is sky is falling hyperbole? Does the reality match the perception?
It’s impossible to quantify the cultural changes to the city. But it is possible—using Census data—to test how much San Francisco’s demographics have been altered by new arrivals.
From 2010 to 2014 – the most recent period from which detailed data is available – an annual average of about 60,000 people migrated to San Francisco and 60,000 migrated out. Since San Francisco has around 800,000 residents, that 60,000 represents about 7.5% of the population. The city’s population grew only slightly during that period.
The difference between the 60,000 coming and going is the main factor that changes the demographic character of the city. It is also impacted by people getting older, dying, having children, or becoming wealthier or poorer due to the changes around them. But in and out migration is the most important factor.
So what are the most notable facts about these 60,000 people?
The American Community Survey, an annual collection of data from a representative sample of Americans, asks individuals about whether they migrated in the past year, and where they came from. This data allows us to identify San Francisco’s comers and goers. (Though the small number of people who left for other countries are not included because they are not part of the survey.)
The basic trends are what any San Francisco resident might expect. The people moving in are more likely to have higher levels of formal education, and they tend to be younger, White and Asian. The people moving out are less likely to have completed college, and they tend be older, African American and Hispanic.
Increased demand to live in San Francisco, and a housing supply that has barely budged, means change at a striking scale.
Workers at Google’s offices near San Francisco
From Working Class to Ivory Tower
One of the most remarkable differences between the 60,000 moving in and the 60,000 moving out is just how many more of the new arrivals have completed some form of higher education.
San Francisco is the home of technological innovation. The city and the surrounding area are home to the headquarters of Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Uber, and Tesla. Compared to the large manufacturers of the past, these high-growth tech companies have an unusual need for white-collar knowledge workers.
This demand is the most likely explanation for San Francisco’s net increase of nearly 7,000 people per year—among those at least 22-years-old—with a college or postgraduate degree. This is in contrast to a net out migration of about 3,000 people without a college degree.
The table below displays an annual estimate of the net migration of people 22 to 49 who migrated in and out of the city. We chose this age group because this is the life period when adults are most likely to migrate. The numbers below are based on samples, so they are not exact. Generally, the net migration numbers in this article are likely to be accurate within 1,000 people.
It is important to remember that 4,500 additional college graduates does not mean that no college graduates left the city. In fact, 17,200 college graduates left for cheaper pastures. But another 21,700 college grads replaced them, leading to a net change of 4,500.
The Great Migration
San Francisco has long been one of the United States' most diverse cities. Since World War II, it has been a city with large Asian, Hispanic, White and Black populations. Yet the city is in danger of almost entirely losing one of those groups.
Perhaps no aspect of the annual migration in and out of San Francisco is as notable as the mass “exodus” of African Americans.
San Francisco was 13.4% African American in 1970, but its population as of 2016 is less than 6% Black. The population has steadily declined, and the trend seems likely to continue. From 2010-2014, there was annual net out migration of around 2,000 African Americans from the city. That represents a 4.6% decline of the population every year.
The story of San Francisco’s declining black population is characterized more by a lack of in migration than an unusual amount of out migration. Just about 1 in 10 African Americans who live in San Francisco leave the city every year. This is not much greater than for Whites or Hispanics. This out migration is in some ways positive, in part representing an ability to leave the city that was not possible in the days of stronger housing discrimination.
The issue is that unlike other groups, African Americans are not moving to the city. There are likely a variety of issues behind this lack of in migration. African Americans moving to the Bay Area may prefer local alternatives like Oakland that have larger African American communities, and San Francisco may not be as racially sensitive as locals like to think. In addition, the tech industry is notoriously lacking in diversity.
The Hispanic population is also declining, but not at quite the rate of the African American population. Both of these declines are particularly pronounced when we look at the key age group of 22- to 49-year-olds, the period when adults are most likely to migrate.
City of Men
San Francisco is a particularly male city. It is home to the Castro, a center of American gay male culture, and the city’s main growth industry, tech, is heavily male.
The city was already unusually male in 2010, and the gender ratio skews more each year. Tech is a growing portion of San Francisco’s economy, and men make up about 75% of the city’s computer and math workers. That 75% ratio has been stable for years and has contributed to a growing wage gap between men and women in the city.
The table below shows a net in migration of 2,400 men per year, a 0.6% increase, while the female population remains the same. So essentially all of the small population increase in San Francisco from 2010 to 2014 came from men.
And just as we saw before with the trend for race and ethnicity changes, this is more striking for younger adults. Men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are pouring into the city, increasing their total by 1.7% each year, while the number of women in this age group is barely changing. If that 1.7% growth continues for the next ten years, that would mean a nearly 20% increase in the number of young men.
The Kids Are Coming
Like many cities, San Francisco is getting younger.
After years of aging – the city was still getting older in the 2000s – San Francisco is getting younger in the 2010s. This is, in part, a manifestation of what the writer Alan Ehrenhalt calls The Great Inversion. This refers to the movement of young professionals into cities that have become more appealing due to the disappearance of “factory and warehouse grime and noise”, which is pricing out the working class and lower income families.
From 2010 to 2014, there was net annual in migration of 7,500 people 35 or under, and net out migration of over 5,000 for people 36 or over.
You might consider this normal. Of course young people come into the city for work and older people move out to find an affordable house near good schools.
But these migration patterns have not always held. When we analyzed data to see the typical in and out flows from 2005-2007, we found that there were an equal number of older and younger people leaving the city at that time. This was before the city’s most recent tech boom, and the city’s population was getting slightly smaller.
In fact, we found all of the major migratory trends happened faster from 2010 to 2014 than from 2005 to 2007. The following chart shows the annual change in the proportion of San Francisco that was made up of the following four groups: ages 35 and under, men, college graduates, and African Americans. We use change in proportion to make the two eras – one of which had in migration and the other out migration – comparable.
Newcomers Have More Money
You may have noticed that we have not discussed incomes.
Many of the changes in San Francisco are related to the increasing costs of housing. Migrants have little access to rent control, and the median monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco is north of $3,000.
Yet looking into the incomes of migrants is complex because income is so correlated to age, gender and education level. Also, the people who left San Francisco likely went to cities that have lower wages, so it’s not quite an apples to apples comparison.
We decided the best way to look at the issue was to analyze the difference in the incomes of incoming and outgoing workers, and to see whether the difference was greater from 2010-2014 than it was from 2005-2007. The chart below shows our findings. We excluded people who had no income. These |
".[9] In the same episode when Jack tells Kenneth that he knows the Ten Commandments, Kenneth snorts and says "Ten?", implying that he follows more.[9] In "100", he calls Darwin's Theory of Evolution "crazy". In "Respawn", Kenneth reveals that he believes the phrase "No, thank you", to be vulgar language.[45] The episode "The Funcooker" implies that he prefers the clean shaven look, as when Liz places him in charge, he bans beards and moustaches in the workplace.[57] In "¡Qué Sorpresa!", he lists soccer as one of the many things on television that is inappropriate.[58] Kenneth also seemingly believes in the existence of witches; in "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish", he claims that he once ate his "father pig",[25] and in "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky", Kenneth informs Jack, who is attempting to convince Kenneth to professionally ruin a potential rival in his new job, that he has never "crushed" anyone before, except for accused witches.[21]
Kenneth's family, as well as many of the citizens in Kenneth's hometown, are supporters of the Confederacy; in "Flu Shot", Kenneth reveals that his family's traditional burial for Parcell men is to have their body wrapped in a Confederate flag, fried, and fed to dogs.[27] In "Respawn", Kenneth reveal to Jack that he has tinkered with a Parcell family recipe, stating that he has replaced the ingredient of "Union Soldier meat" with boiled potatoes.[45] In "Gavin Volure", Kenneth admits to having 76,000 dollars in Confederate currency.[17] In "Let's Stay Together", Jack states that the reason Kenneth is considered foreign is because DeKalb County, Georgia "never rejoined the Union".[59][60] In the episode "Idiots Are People Three!", Kenneth states that the only information that was given in his school about Abraham Lincoln, was that he was a "gay alcoholic".[61] In "Kidnapped by Danger", Kenneth mentions that the theme at his father's prom was "Enchantment Under the Jim Crow laws".[46] In "Murphy Brown Lied To Us", Kenneth states that, where he is from, Uncle Sam has his mouth sewn shut and is lit on fire.[62]
Although he is respectful to others, male and female alike, Kenneth has displayed some harshly misogynistic opinions; in "The Funcooker", when he is put in charge, his first order is to have all menstruating women leave the workplace immediately.[57] In "The Ones", Kenneth implies to Liz that girls are generally bad in Math and that girls should shut their mouths in Math class.[10] In "Stone Mountain", Kenneth tells Jack that he finds female airline pilots humorous.[63] In "TGS Hates Women", he reveals that he wants his legacy to be a Sesame Street-esque show that "promotes illiteracy in girls".[64] In "100", he states that he believes it is "crazy" that women have the right to choose their own haircuts. In "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky", he refuses to work in Ad Sales any longer, due to the fact that numerous of their sponsors make housework easier for women.[21] In "Standards and Practices", he calls gynecologists "disgusting".[11]
Immortality [ edit ]
While Kenneth appears to be in his mid to late twenties (McBrayer was actually 33 years old at the show's start, and 39 when it ended), it has been implied numerous times since the third season that he is actually much older. This is first hinted at in "The One with the Cast of Night Court", when Kenneth states, "I've worn this old jacket since 19-hubeduh", intentionally mumbling the year.[65]
In the episode "Cutbacks", Kenneth states that he has owned his pet bird Sonny Crockett for almost 60 years, implying that it wasn't named for the Miami Vice character.[66]
In a deleted scene from "Mamma Mia", it is implied that he is a veteran of World War II, as he is recognized by an elderly man as one of his fellow troops who served in Normandy.[67]
In the episode "Into the Crevasse", Kenneth appears in a 1950s-era flashback, dancing to the song "Doin' the Microwave".[68]
In the episode The Baby Show, Dr. Spaceman has a pamphlet on his desk, that reads 'Never Die' with a picture of Kenneth on it.
In "Subway Hero", to Jack's puzzlement, Kenneth recognizes Bucky Bright, a celebrity who was described as being active in the "40s and 50s".[55] Similarly, in the episode "Verna", Kenneth states that The Today Show has not been as good since chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs was featured on the show, implying that he watched the program when the primate served as the show's mascot, which was from 1953 to 1957.[69]
In "The Problem Solvers", when Tracy asks him if he "want[s] to be a page forever", Kenneth nervously asks "Who said I've been alive forever?".[30] In "Future Husband", Kenneth states that he remembers Jenna's first acting role in a commercial that aired in the 1970s, commenting that she was "a fat little baby".[35]
In "Don Geiss, America and Hope", when NBC is bought out by Kabletown, Kenneth becomes worried and asks Jack if they will be implementing new rules for pages, such as "age limits and age verification".[70]
In "Black Light Attack!", Frank uses a cellphone app to generate a high frequency pitch that only young ears can hear, as well as a low frequency pitch only people over 40 can hear; while Frank is using the low-frequency pitch, Kenneth stumbles past the writers' room, screaming, "What is happening to me?!" implying that the low-pitched tone is deafeningly loud to his ears.[41]
In "When it Rains, it Pours", Kenneth is seen packing away an autographed photo of Fred Allen from 1947, that is dedicated: "Kenneth, you're the TOPS!", into a box marked "NBC Memories 1945-1967".[52]
In "¡Qué Sorpresa!", when he comes up with the idea of BlaBar, a black bar that would cover the lower half of a television screen as to censor material considered inappropriate, he mentions how elderly viewers are offended by certain things that are on TV, subtly gesturing to himself while saying so.[58]
In the episode "TGS Hates Women", Kenneth comments that, when he first started working as a page at NBC, Shirley Temple taught him to roll cigarettes when she was eight years old, in 1936.[64] In "Queen of Jordan", Kenneth's chyron reads "Kenneth Parcell: Elderly Page".[71]
During a flash-forward, in the episode "100", Kenneth, Tracy, and Jenna speculate where they will be in five years. The scene then shows three tombstones, with Kenneth's year of birth appearing to be listed as 1781 (although the second digit is partially obscured by a leaf in multiple shots). If this birth date is accurate, it would mean that Kenneth is over 200 years old (it is also worth noting that, while he is buried, the closing scene reveals that Kenneth is not actually dead, further supporting the theory that he is unable to die).
In "Respawn", while talking to Jack he states in his apartment there are only white cockroaches while pointing to himself indicating that he is unable to die. "Today You Are a Man", when Suze Orman asks him his age, he simply replies "Don't worry about it".[72] In "Leap Day", when Jack tells him to take off his bald cap (as he is impersonating Leap Day William), Kenneth awkwardly replies "Yes, take off my bald cap, not put on my wig", implying that he is actually bald.[73]
In "Nothing Left to Lose", he implies that he is an angel, which could possibly be the secret behind his apparent immortality.[48]
In "Meet the Woggels!", Kenneth reveals that the only Rock and Roll song he has ever listened to is Mr. Sandman, which was released in 1954, and, during the time it debuted, was considered to be of the Rock and Roll genre.[24]{{Dubious}
In "Live from Studio 6H", he is shown as a page during a flashback to an old NBC News Report.[74]
In "Governor Dunston", his mother recalls how, on the day he was born, Kenneth informed her that his body was just a "flesh vessel" for an immortal being.
In the series finale, after years of implications and clues, it is finally confirmed once and for all that Kenneth is indeed immortal when he is revealed in the distant future to have not aged. Decades earlier, at the start of his tenure as NBC president in "Hogcock!", he presents Liz with a list of "TV no-no words" that includes "immortal character," among other phrases that describe "30 Rock," such as "New York," "high concept" and "shows about shows".
In the intervening time, he apparently changes his mind, as he greenlights Liz's great-granddaughter's pitch for a period piece based upon the stories Liz had told her growing up. The series violates every one of the earlier no-no words; set at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the early 21st century, it is 30 Rock, and Kenneth loves it.
Critical reception [ edit ]
The Kenneth Parcell character has received highly positive reviews. Slate Magazine named the character as one of the reasons they were looking forward to the return of the show in fall 2007.[75] On The Extratextuals website, Kenneth is placed as number 49 on their list of 50 Best TV Characters.[76] On The Top Tens.com, he is listed as the best character on 30 Rock, with the website commenting "[...] Kenneth is one of the best television characters I can remember. Perhaps second only to Dwight Schrute".[77] CST Online wrote "Perhaps 30 Rock’s most brilliant comic creation is Kenneth Parcell".[78] Nerve.com' wrote "Kenneth the page’s naiveté and chinlessness spark endless comedy on the show. He might be a little repetitive, sure, but he's also got the highest laughs-to-screentime ratio of anyone out there".[79]
However, the character has received negative reaction, as well. The A.V. Club listed Kenneth on their list of television "Showblockers," writing "[...] Kenneth has been wrung especially dry in recent seasons, made into an ever-more-outsized caricature of sycophancy, fundamentalism, and hickdom".[80] Dustin Rowles, of Pajiba.com, listed Kenneth as a television character that should be killed off, writing "He was a great character for a few seasons, but Kenneth is useless to the show now".[81]
In 2009, McBrayer received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his portrayal of Kenneth.
References [ edit ]If you want to see heartbreaking grace and tremendous courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy, you don’t want to miss this segment from the Today show this morning with John Green, the father of the 9-year-old victim of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Christina Green was born on 9/11 and died in another act of nationally-covered violence, which her father says are “bookends” to her joyful life. Instead of lashing out, which would be entirely understandable for a heartbroken father, John instead offers us an amazing example of poise and perspective that puts many to shame:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
My granddaughter is only a year younger than John’s daughter; I cannot imagine having this much courage and grace. Please pray for the Greens, and perhaps for those tempted to use this tragedy for political purposes, take a lesson from John as well.
Addendum: Kudos to Meredith Viera for her sensitive and supportive handling of the interview.Part I: The contradictory meanings of Communism
There was a vision, called “communism,” which was held by Kropotkin and other anarchist-communists in the 19th and early 20th century. Marx and Engels shared essentially the same goal. In the stateless, classless, society of communism, the means of production would be held in common (by the community), work would be carried out due to social motives rather than for wages, and consumer goods would be available to all according to their needs.
But during the Cold War, “communism” came to mean something entirely different. Great nations were ruled by self-named Communist Parties. Their economies were managed by totalitarian states, their powerless workers produced commodities sold on the internal and international market, and they worked for wages (that is, they sold their labor power as commodities to their bosses).
In that era, “Communists” were mostly people who supported those types of state-capitalist tyrannies. They included pro-Moscow Communist Parties, Maoists, other Stalinists, and most Trotskyists. They called themselves “Communists,” and so did most of their opponents. On the other hand, “anti-Communists” were not simply those who opposed such regimes but those who supported Western imperialism — a group ranging from liberals to deranged fascists. At the same time, the pro-Moscow types denounced libertarian socialists as “anti-Communist” as well as “anti-Soviet.” Some people took to calling themselves “anti-anti-Communists,” as a way of saying that they did not endorse the Communists but were against the McCarthyite witchhunt.
Now we are in a new period. The Soviet Union has collapsed, with its ruling Communist Party. True, such states still exist, with modifications, in China, Cuba, and elsewhere. Unfortunately, they inspire many people. But overall, the number and weight of Communist Parties have diminished.. In contrast, there has been an upswing in the number of people who identify with anarchism, with its mainstream in the anarchist-communist tradition. Other people remain impressed by Marx, but look to libertarian and humanistic interpretations of his work. How then shall we use the term “communism” today? Is its meaning the same as in earlier periods? I will review the history of the term and of its meanings.
While calling themselves “socialists,” the founders of the anarchist movement, Proudhon and Bakunin, denounced “communism.” A typical statement by Proudhon is that communism is a “dictatorial, authoritarian, doctrinaire system [which] starts from the axiom that the individual is subordinate...to the collectivity; the citizen belongs to the State...” (quoted in Buber, 1958; pp. 30–31). Bakunin wrote, “I detest communism because it is the negation of liberty....I am not a communist because communism... necessarily ends with the concentration of property in the hands of the state” (quoted in Leier, 2006; p. 191). Proudhon called himself a “mutualist;” Bakunin, a “collectivist.”
If we think of a monastery, or of an army (where the soldiers are all given their food, clothing, and shelter), it is easy to see how “communism” (of a sort) can be imagined as inconsistent with democracy, freedom, and equality. In his early writings, Marx denounced the program of “crude communism” in which “the community is only a community of work and of equality of wages paid out by...the community as universal capitalist” (Marx, 1961; pp. 125–126). However, Marx and Engels did call themselves communists, a term they preferred to the vaguer “socialist,” although they used this also. (They especially disliked the term “social democratic,” used by the German Marxists.)
Marx’s concept of communism is most clearly explained in his “Critique of the Gotha Program.” Communism would be “the cooperative society based on common ownership of the means of production...” (Marx, 1974; p. 345). In “the first phase of communist society,” (p. 347) there will remain scarcity and the need for labor. “We are dealing here with a communist society...as it emerges from capitalist society...still stamped with the birthmarks of the old society...” (p. 346). In this lower phase of communism, Marx speculated, individuals would get certificates stating how much labor they had contributed (minus an amount taken for the common fund). Using their certificates, they can take means of consumption which used up the same amount of labor; this is not money because it cannot be accumulated. However, it is still a system of bourgeois rights and equality, in which equal units of labor are exchanged. Given that people have unequal abilities and unequal needs, this equality still results in a certain degree of inequality.
Marx trumpeted, “In a more advanced stage of communist society, when the enslaving subjugation of individuals to the division of labor, and thereby the antithesis between intellectual and physical labor, have disappeared; when labor is no longer just a means of keeping alive but has itself become a vital need; when the all-around development of individuals has also increased their productive powers and all the springs of cooperative wealth flow more abundantly — only then can society wholly cross the narrow horizon of bourgeois right and inscribe on its banner: From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs!” (p. 347)
(For reasons known only to himself, Lenin re-labeled Marx’s “first phase of communist society” as socialism, and the “more advanced stage of communist society” as communism. Most of the left has followed this confusing usage.)
Despite his rejection of the term communism, Bakunin also advocated a two-phase development of the post-revolution economy, according to his close friend James Guillame. Guillame wrote an essay in 1874, summarizing Bakunin’s views. “We should...be guided by the principle, From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. When, thanks to the progress of scientific industry and agriculture, production comes to outstrip consumption, and this will be attained some years after the Revolution, it will no longer be necessary to stingily dole out each worker’s share of goods. Everyone will draw what he needs from the abundant social reserve of commodities....In the meantime, each community will decide for itself during the transition period the method they deem best for the distribution of the products of associated labor.” (in Bakunin, 1980; p. 361–362) He mentions various alternate systems of remuneration for the transitional period; “...systems will be experimented with to see how they work out” (p. 361).
Today’s proposals for Parecon (“participatory economics”), in which workers are rewarded for the intensity and duration of their labor in a cooperative economy, would fit into Bakunin’s or Marx’s concept of a transitory, beginning, phase, of a free society. But unlike the Pareconists, Marx and Bakunin recognized that this was still limited. For both Marx and Bakunin, then, full communism requires a very high level of productivity and potential prosperity, a post-scarcity economy, when there is plenty of leisure time for people to participate in decision-making, at work and in the community, ending the distinction between order-givers and order-takers. However, neither Marx nor Bakunin described a social mechanism for moving from one phase to the other.
Kropotkin rejected the two-phase approach of the Marxists and the anarchist-collectivists. Instead he proposed that a revolutionary society should “transform itself immediately into a communist society,” (1975; p. 98), that is, should go immediately into what Marx had regarded as the “more advanced,” completed, phase of communism. Kropotkin and those who agreed with him called themselves “anarchist-communists” (or “communist anarchists”), although they continued to regard themselves as a part of the broader socialist movement.
It was not possible, Kropotkin argued, to organize an economy partially on capitalist principles and partly on communist principles. To award producers differentially by how much training they have had, or even by how hard they work, would recreate class divisions and the need for a state to oversee everything. Nor is it really possible to decide how much individuals have contributed to a complex, cooperative, system of production, in order to reward them according to their labor.
Instead, Kropotkin proposed that a large city, during a revolution, “could organize itself on the lines of free communism; the city guaranteeing to every inhabitant dwelling, food, and clothing...in exchange for...five hour’s work; and...all those things which would be considered as luxuries might be obtained by everyone if he joins for the other half of the day all sorts of free associations....” (p.p. 118–119) This would require the integration of agricultural with industrial work, and physical with mental labor. There remained an element of coercion in Kropotkin’s proposal. Presumably able-bodied adults who would not contribute five hours of work would not get the “guaranteed” minimum.
Anarchist-communism came to predominate among anarchists, so that it became rare to find an anarchist (except for the individualist anarchists) who did not accept communism, whatever other disagreements they may have had among themselves. Meanwhile the Marxists had long been calling themselves social-democrats. When World War I broke out, the main social democratic parties endorsed their capitalists’ war. Lenin called on the revolutionary wing of international social democracy to split from the traitors to socialism. As part of this, he advocated that his Bolshevik Party and similar parties call themselves Communist Parties, going back to Marx. Some of his followers complained that this would confuse the workers, making the Bolsheviks sound like the anarchist-communists. Lenin declared that it was more important to not be confused with the reformist social democrats. Lenin got his way (as he usually did in his party). The term “communist” had been taken back by the Marxists. With the example of the Russian revolution, most revolutionary-minded people turned to the Leninists; the anarchists became increasingly marginalized. The term “communist” became mostly the label for Leninists.
Part II: It is Not the Label but the Content Which Matters
We have the industrial potential for full communism, but there remain difficulties such as the need to reorganize technology and to appropriately industrialize the “Third World.” This raises the need for some sort of phasing-in of communism.
In the century since Kropotkin and Marx wrote about communism, there has been an enormous increase in productivity. For millennia, 95 to 98 % of humanity had to be involved in producing food. Today the ratios are reversed; in the United States, only 2 or 3 % work in agriculture. Similarly, with automated factories, it has been argued, we could produce enough for a comfortable life for everyone. More people would volunteer for work than there would be necessary jobs. An industrialized and cooperative, democratically-planned, economy could provide plenty of leisure for everyone. This is essential for any society based on democracy-from-the-bottom-up. In all previous revolutions, once the upheavals were over, the masses went back to their daily grind while only a few had the time available to actually run things. With leisure for all, then all would be free to self-manage their communes, worksites, and society as a whole.
In short, there exists all the technological preconditions for full, libertarian, communism, what Marx called the “higher phase of communism.” Therefore, some have argued that it is possible to go immediately to full communism, once the social and political conditions were met. However, I do not think that this is true.
For one thing, the productive technology which we have is a technology created by capitalism for capitalism. It is “productive” only in terms of achieving capitalist goals, that is, of accumulating capital. In other terms, it is enormously wasteful and destructive, polluting the environment, wiping out natural species, using up nonrenewable resources, stockpiling nuclear bombs, and causing global warming. In human terms, it was consciously developed to hold down the workers, to keep us from thinking, and to maintain social hierarchies. After a revolution, the workers would begin to totally overhaul industrial technology, to make it ecologically sustainable and to do away with the split between order-givers and order-takers. We would create a new technology which is “productive” in encouraging human creativity and ecological harmony.
The Need for Increased World Production
Also, while North America, western Europe, Japan, and a few other places, have much modern technology, this is not true of most of the world. The so-called Third World is underindustrialized or unevenly industrialized right now. These impoverished and exploited countries do not have the wealth or industry necessary to go even to the lower phase of communism (called by Lenin the phase of socialism), let alone achieve full communism. The workers and peasants are able to take power in their countries, establishing a system of workers’ councils and popular assemblies. However, to solidify their path to communism they would have to spark revolutions in the industrialized, imperialist, nations, in order to get aid.
I disagree with some council communists and other Marxists who claim that the oppressed nations can only make bourgeois revolutions; on the contrary, the workers and peasants of these nations can overthrow the national bourgeoisie and then spread the revolution to the industrialized countries, which will help them in developing toward communism. This view is opposed to Stalin’s concept of Building Socialism in One Country. A great deal of help from the industrialized parts of the planet will be needed to develop Africa, Asia, and Latin America, in a humane, democratic, and ecologically balanced fashion.
Therefore to say that there exists all the technological preconditions for full communism is certainly true, but true only in potential. Humanity has the technical knowledge and skills necessary to create a world of plenty for all, with leisure for all, in balance with the natural world, but it will require much work to create this world after a revolution.
Phases of Communism
It is for such reasons that libertarian communists have often presented the change to a fully communist society as taking place over time, being phased-in after the revolution. Marx proposed a higher and lower phase of communism. Bakunin implied the same. Even Kropotkin (as Anarcho has pointed out in last month’s discussion) suggested a sort of phasing-in of full communism. Immediately after a revolution, Kropotkin indicated, able-bodied adult working people would be required to work a half day (5 hours) in order to get a decent amount of food, clothing, and shelter. Most goods would still be scarce so they would have to be rationed by the community. Over time, as productivity improved, the economy would develop into full communism. Most goods would be plentiful and people could freely take them off the shelves of community warehouses. Work would be done out of social conscience and a desire to keep active. But this would not be immediately possible.
There is another factor. A revolution is likely to be carried out by a united front of anti-capitalist political groupings. For example, North America or Europe is so large and complex that no one revolutionary organization will have all the best ideas and all the best militants. They will have to work together. But some will be anarchist-communists while others will not. Leaving aside out-and-out authoritarian statists, we are likely to be in coalition with pareconists, noncommunist anarchists, revolutionary-democratic socialists, various types of Greens, and so on. We cannot force all these people to live under anarchist-communism. Compulsory libertarian communism is a contradiction in terms! The majority of one region may decide to live under anarchist communism, but a neighboring region may decide for parecon (“participatory economics”). So long as workers are not exploited, the anarchist-communists will not start a civil war inside the revolution. In an experimental way, different approaches may be tried out in different regions and we will learn from each other.
Malatesta wrote (1984), “Imposed communism would be the most detestable tyranny that the human mind could conceive. And free and voluntary communism is ironical if one has not the right and the possibility to live in a different regime, collectivist, mutualist, individualist — as one wishes, always on condition that there is no oppression or exploitation of others” (p. 103). He expected some sort of anarchist-communism to win out eventually, but felt that this might take considerable time to achieve everywhere.
Should We Call Ourselves Communists?
With modern technology, anarchist-communism is a practical goal, whether or not we have to pass through various stages or compromises. However, this does not answer the question: Should we call ourselves communists? We are, after all, opponents of every (big-c) Communist state that exists or has existed, and of every Communist Party. Yet we cannot call ourselves anti-communists, since this usually means endorsement of Western imperialism, its (at most) limited democracy, and its rule by a minority class. We are opposed to this class’ rule, far more fiercely than have been the Communist Parties. But we endorse the goals of Kropotkin and Karl Marx, of a classless, stateless, society organized by the principle, “From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.” In this sense, we are truly authentic communists.
The mainstream of historical anarchism has been anarchist- communism. We can, and, I think, should, identify with the communist tradition in anarchism, which goes from Bakunin (as a goal) to Kropotkin (as a label) to Malatesta, Goldman, and almost all anarchists of their time. There have been factional conflicts between those anarchists who called themselves anarchist-communists and those who called themselves anarchist-syndicalists, but they did not have differences of principle. The anarchist-communists were afraid that the anarchist-syndicalists would dissolve themselves into the union movement (“syndicalism”); the anarchist-syndicalists were afraid that the communists would downplay the central power and importance of the organized workers. However, the anarchist-communists mostly agreed on the need for working class self-organization, particularly on the need for unions, while the anarchist-syndicalists shared the libertarian communist goal.
Our modern agreement with the historical goal of working class anarchist-communism should certainly be stated in our documents and programs. But should it be more prominently stated, in our leaflets and in the names of our organizations?
My answer is: It depends. In some countries, communism has a positive connotation among most militant workers. This is mainly due to the historical self-sacrifice and struggle of the rank-and-file of the Communist Parties, whatever their weaknesses. Apparently this is the case, for example, in South Africa, where our co-thinkers formed the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front.
But in other countries, communism has a very negative connotation. This is not just due to negative bourgeois propaganda, but also to 75 years of its identification with the totalitarian reality of the Soviet UnionWha. This regime called itself Communist, as did its puppets and imitators in Eastern Europe, China, etc. In other countries, the Communists were well known for their slavish adoration of the USSR, for their heavy-handed domination of their followers, and for their reformism. With such reasons, I think, the Anarchist Communist Federation of the UK changed its name to the Anarchist Federation. The Irish Workers Solidarity Movement obviously does not include Communist in its name. Leaving Communist out of our name does not necessarily mean abandoning the communist tradition.
I think the United States falls into the second category. Putting Communist in our name just creates unnecessary barriers between ourselves and most U.S. workers. It makes it more difficult to distinguish ourselves from statist tendencies which also call themselves Communist. So I recommend against it, especially if we ever form a North American-wide federation.
“Social anarchism” is commonly used among anarchists to distinguish ourselves from individualists and “libertarian” supporters of capitalism. I prefer the term “socialist-anarchist.” Malatesta agreed, “We...have always called ourselves socialist-anarchists” (p. 143). Socialist is a vaguer term than communist. To some it indicates reformism, due to its being used widely by the social democrats (“democratic socialists”) as well as by the Communists. But at least it does not imply totalitarian mass murder, which is the real problem. The Trotskyists called themselves “revolutionary socialists” to distinguish themselves from the Stalinists, and non-Trotskyists have also used the revolutionary socialist label. For generations, “libertarian socialist” has also been used to mean anarchist.
My preference for “socialist-anarchist” and “libertarian socialist” over “anarchist-communist” is my personal opinion, which may be a minority view among U.S. anarchist-communists. In any case, it is not a matter of principle. It is not the label but the content which matters most.
* * * * *
ReferencesThe Sims 3 Island Paradise - Scuba Diving SKill
Guide to Snorkeling, Scuba, Dive Spots, Caves & Treasure Chests
The Sims 3 Island Paradise Scuba Diving Guides:
You get the Retro Scuba Suit at Level 10 Scuba Diving
The Sims 3 Island Paradise Expansion Pack introduces the Scuba Diving skill, which will let your Sims Snorkel and deploy scuba gear to use underwater dive spots where they can collect shells, explore caves, capture fish, and allow you to enjoy the scenery and sense of exploration. This guide will teach you all about Scuba Diving, from raising the skill to what you can do with it, and finally give you the locations of all scuba-related caves and treasure chests.
About Scuba
While Snorkeling is a feature of Scuba, the main attraction here is the ability to dive underwater and explore an area with collectibles on the ocean floor, caves to enter, and treasure chests to open. Caves may whisk you away to another dive spot if you have a high enough level, and you may encounter other divers and Mermaids. You can socialize underwater, but will want to conserve your air for finding items on the floor, catching fish, and delving into caves to gather collectibles. You have a limited amount of air, and upon returning to the surface, your Sim will need some time to decompress in order to dive again.
Scuba and Athletic
Some players report that their Athletic skill rises while using the Scuba skill because of the time spent swimming. For me, this did not happen until I took a class in Athletics - running on a treadmill would have accomplished the same. I think swimming doesn't really raise athletic until you've 'unlocked' the skill by gaining experience in Athletic first. Some say their Athletic skill builds up constantly, but mine only rises while the actual'swim' action is taking place, when going to a Snorkel/Scuba destination. Swimming underwater while Scuba Diving doesn't raise Athletic for me, nor does Snorkeling.
Drowning is easy to avoid if you pay attention to your Sim's air moodlets or seek air pockets in underwater caves.
Air, Decompression, and Death by Drowning
Sims need air to scuba dive. Your Sim will automatically wear their wetsuit and oxygen when diving below the ocean surface. They'll start with a breathing comfortably moodlet while underwater that gets longer each time you level the skill. For details on that, read the Leveling guide on the next page. You'll start with about 3-4 hours of air, depending when you first dive. When that runs out, a more dangerous breathing shallowly moodlet appears for a couple hours, before gasping for air. At that point, you have 1 hour to return to the surface or the Sim will get a visit from the reaper and die by drowning.
Self Employment and Scuba Diving Opportunities
I highly recommend you register as self employed at City Hall. That way, you'll get the Simoleon rewards you'll be given at the later levels of the 'career'. During the daytime, you can use the 'Check for Diving Work' interaction at the Science Facility, Restaurant, and City Hall. All will ask you to collect various types of items for them. They'll request messages in bottles, eel, sea shells, octopus and various other sea life that you can collect while diving. As you continue with the skill, you will sometimes be able to turn in these opportunities instantly and collect the reward.
Snorkeling is a great way to find the new Sea Shells in Island Paradise
Snorkeling
When you're first getting started with Scuba Diving, Snorkeling is your only option. It's a bad choice for leveling the skill at later levels, but Snorkeling is the best way to collect sea shells and other collectibles. This will allow you to more easily earn the Savvy Snorkeler Skill Challenge. At the first level of Scuba Diving, your Snorkeling will only find items at an 8% rate. By level 10 it nearly doubles to 15%, bringing in items much more often. It is best to snorkel out in open water, as the random paths Sims take may lead them to walk to shallow water on the shore and need to dive again, causing some downtime. Worse, they may even get confused and stop snorkeling after attempting to swim up to the beach. So, choose a spot out in the center of a nice clear area and your Snorkeling experience will be much better.
Zoom out with the Tab Key to see more of the area and plan an exploration route.
Dive Spots
As you level Scuba Diving, you will gradually unlock the four dive spots Island Paradise offers. Each one has one or more caves, treasure chests, and random spawners for sea shells and various sea life that your Sim can catch, sell, and use to gain Self Employment levels. Rocky Reef unlocks at level 2, Davy Jones' Locker at level 4, The Mermaid Grotto at level 7, and Pearl's Deep at level 9. Check the Dive Spot Treasure Chest and Cave Exploration Guide to learn more about the four Dive Spots.
You can catch fish underwater to sell or stock your fridge
Collecting Fish, Sea Shells and Messages in Bottles
You |
the means are the ends in process.
If the Voluntaryist’s desired end is to live as a free individual, then the means to achieve that end is, quite simply, to live as a free individual.
Of course it is impossible to live in a state of complete individual freedom within the context of a society that is subject to a State. So while it is not possible to live the end as means, one must attempt to approach this ideal as much as possible.
This is the path, is the destination. Is the path.
And so you have your mantra: There is no way to individual liberty—individual liberty is the way.
If all this still sounds too touchy-feely, new age-y to you, then perhaps you haven’t yet truly grokked the message. There are no blueprints here; no recipes. No bulleted and numbered lists in a Powerpoint presentation. The State is a state of mind and freedom is another state of mind: It’s all between your ears.
Only you can change those neuron-firings, and you really can’t do a darn thing about changing the neuron-firings of others if they don’t want them changed.
Which means that none of this will prevent others from trying to oppress you if that is what they decide to do. But when enough people understand the state of mind that is freedom, and reject the state of mind that is the State, then the game changes.
And that’s where we’re headed.
When you have learned to live your own individual freedom, then you can show others how to do the same, both by example and through education.
And Voluntaryists possess the tool that is perfectly geared to the purpose of mass education: The rapid and free dissemination of information through noncentralized, distributed, voluntary networks of people. It’s as close to a free market structure as one could hope for, and it is available for use right now.
Yes, I speak of Teh Interwebs. The internet is the perfect instrument for spreading the Voluntaryist meme, and that’s exactly what it is doing. Such a powerful communication device, free from central control, has never been available in all of human history. It is the decisive game-changer.
But you must first begin with yourself. Practice negative action. Live in accordance with the desired ends as much as possible. Understand why you are forced to live portions of your life unfreely, but also possess the ability to explain what would be better and why you submit to coercion in some cases.
Yes, I use the roads, I send mail, I go to school, etc., because the absence of other options due to government monopolies causes me to take these actions. Also, considering that I am forced to pay for these services, why should I feel guilty about using them? When I actually have a free choice, as in deciding whether or not to vote, I abstain from participating.
You now become an example for others to follow. You are now a source of information and inspiration. Point individuals to the path and encourage them to walk it. There is no need to exert yourself by pressing too hard on anyone—remember—every individual must arrive at volunatryism voluntarily.
The leap from Statism to Voluntaryism is large, but there are many intermediate stepping stones along the way that can be useful. Ron Paul is part of the Statist structure, but his ideas are a move away from the traditional left/right paradigm, and in the general direction of voluntaryism. Constitutionalism and minarchism are good launching points for exiting the typical State-indoctrinated
mindset. The “End the Fed” and “Tea Party” movements can spark an awakening process.
Once attention is drawn to such matters, perhaps a person next discovers Ayn Rand’s philosophy or investigates some of the free state projects or state secession movements. While none of these ideas represent logical stopping points, they can help a person make incremental steps toward the desired end.
Any and all steps forward are positive in that each opens other doors behind which lie ideas to consider that previously were miles off the radar. The path to Voluntaryism is indeed a journey rather than a single great leap, and it requires time to reach the destination. But for those who do not believe that government—that coercive
system that has dominated much of human history—is a necessary evil for human survival, then there is no stopping along the way.
Conclusion
Eventually, as has been the history of every State that has ever existed, the State takes and takes until it breaks. The people finally cannot stand it any more, and they refuse en masse to further give their support, and then that is the end of that.
But if a critical mass of the people know of no other way to organize society but to install a State, then a new State will inevitably follow. This, unfortunately, has also been part of the history of almost every State that has ever existed.
It is indeed a race. The State will fall, but I believe that if the State falls tomorrow we will be cursed with a new State in its place, though I could very well be wrong. But make no mistake—the end is coming, and it may be soon. Meanwhile, there is work to be done.
Get busy. Work smart.
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces.
~ Étienne de la Boétie, The Discourse of Voluntary
Servitude, written in the 1550s
Average: 8.71429 Your rating: None Average: 8.7 ( 7 votes)WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is conducting a new leaks investigation related to the sex scandal that led to the resignation of former CIA Director David Petraeus, The Associated Press confirmed Monday, the same day Petraeus was meeting with President-elect Donald Trump in New York.
Petraeus, who could be in line for a Cabinet nomination, arrived at Trump Tower in early afternoon and met with Trump for about one hour. Trump afterward tweeted that he "was very impressed."
Petraeus said Trump "basically walked us around the world, showed a great grasp of a variety of the challenges that are out there and some of the opportunities as well. Very good conversation and we'll see where it goes from here. We'll see where it goes from here."
A U.S. official told the AP that investigators were trying to determine who leaked personal information about Paula Broadwell, the woman whose affair with Petraeus led to criminal charges against him and his resignation. The information concerned the status of her security clearance, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Disclosure of the Broadwell information without official permission would have been a violation of federal criminal law.
Former CIA director retired Gen. David Petraeus gets on an elevator after arriving at Trump Tower for a meeting with Presiden-elect Donald Trump, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in New York.
Photo Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
The latest twist in the case could complicate Petraeus' prospects of obtaining a Cabinet position in the Trump administration, resurfacing details of the extramarital affair and FBI investigation that ended his career at the CIA and tarnished the reputation of the retired four-star general.
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He pleaded guilty last year to one misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information relating to documents he had provided to Broadwell, his biographer. He was spared prison time under a plea agreement with the Justice Department. The Army in late 2012 suspended the security clearance of Broadwell, a former Army intelligence officer. Such a move is routine when a person is under investigation, particularly in a case of a possible security breach.
The investigation began after a Petraeus friend, Jill Kelley, complained to the FBI in 2012 about harassing emails from an unknown person who turned out to be Broadwell.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly lambasted Hillary Clinton, who had come under federal investigation for her use of a private email server as secretary of state. He suggested her actions were worse than those by Petraeus.
FBI Director James Comey has drawn a distinction between the two cases, saying there was no evidence that Clinton or her aides had intended to break the law through careless handling of sensitive information. Federal prosecutors said Petraeus knew black binders he shared with Broadwell contained classified information, but he nonetheless provided them.A White House tax reform blueprint released on Wednesday would have saved President Donald Trump tens of millions of dollars in 2005.
The plan proposes the elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax, which imposed a $31 million tax obligation on Trump in 2005, according to a leaked copy of his tax returns for that year. Absent the AMT, he would have paid $5.3 million in federal income taxes on more than $150 million income, a rate of just 3.5 percent.
How much is could save him, his company or his family down the road is a mystery, since Trump refuses to release his tax returns - an issue that reemerged on Wednesday at the White House as the administration rolled out their first attempt at tax reform.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House National Economic Director Gary Cohn were repeatedly asked at a Wednesday press briefing whether the proposal would reduce the tax burdens or Trump, his family, or his company. They declined to answer directly.
“I can’t comment on the president’s tax situation since I don’t have access to that,” Mnuchin said. Asked whether the administration would make that information publicly available, he reiterated the White House’s longstanding refusal to release Trump’s tax returns.
“The president has released plenty of info and has given more financial disclosure than anybody else,” Mnuchin said. “I think the american population has plenty of information.”
In fact, every president since Richard Nixon has released information on his personal tax situation and although the White House has suggested that Trump hasn’t released tax returns due to an ongoing audit, federal law requires annual IRS audits of every sitting president.
The AMT, a version of which first went into effect in 1970, is designed to ensure that wealthy taxpayers are not able to eliminate their federal income tax burdens through deductions and other offsets. Without additional information on Trump’s more recent income tax payments, it is impossible to know whether eliminating it would reduce his payments to the Treasury.
That uncertainty, and others related to Trump’s still mysterious finances, could be a sticking point among congressional Democrats, who have criticized Trump since the campaign for failing to release additional information on his income and tax situation.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, the chamber’s second-ranking Democrat, hinted at that line of attack on Trump’s tax plan shortly after Cohn and Mnuchin spoke. “President Trump should release his own tax returns if he wants to have any credibility in a debate about America’s tax code,” Durbin wrote on Twitter..
Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic member of the budget committee, and Rep. Diana DeGette also invoked Trump’s tax returns in criticizing the plan on Wednesday.
The meat of the proposal is a reduction in rates across the board. It would bring down the corporate income tax rate to 15%, create three personal income tax brackets of 10%, 25%, and 35%, and double the standard income tax deduction. Mnuchin and Cohn said the plan would mean a tax cut for middle class families.
But both pointed to its elimination of numerous tax deductions to suggest that effective tax rates for higher-income individuals such as Trump might not be so heavily reduced, though they did not say that wealthier people would see a net increase in their tax bills.
The elimination of those deductions could also be crucial to winning the support of congressional Republicans, many of whom would rather see a tax plan that does not add to the federal budget deficit.
Mnuchin maintained that the plan would be revenue-neutral. It “will pay for itself with growth and with reduction of different deductions and closing loopholes,” he said.
Republican leadership praised the plan after its release, but suggested that it will only be the starting point in negotiations over a package of reforms to the tax code.
In a joint statement, Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the chairs of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees said the plan provides “critical guideposts” as Congress hammers out legislation.CLOSE Amanda Hensley, a neighbor of Keaton Jones, talks about bullying problems in Union County Schools. Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel
Buy Photo Horace Maynard Middle School, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Principal Greg Clay said the bullying issue with Keaton Jones was resolved last week and action was taken with the other children involved. (Photo: Michael Patrick/News Sentinel)Buy Photo
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — A local middle school student's video about being bullied in the lunchroom went viral over the weekend, leading to dozens of stories in national and international media outlets and calls for Union County Public Schools to do more to address bullying.
"I'm surprised this hasn't happened before now, because I know several parents that have gone to the school with the same problem, and not just the middle school, but all the schools," said Amanda Hensley, a parent with two students in the school district who said she is a neighbor of Horace Maynard Middle School student Keaton Jones.
"I know several people who have gone over there and it's the same old story," Hensley said. "Somebody's going to end up getting hurt if they don't get it under control."
Jones' video, in which he describes having milk poured on him and ham put down his clothes at lunch, was posted by his mother Kimberly Jones, on her Facebook page Friday.
The video prompted an outpouring of support from celebrities and athletes including "Captain America" actor Chris Evans; pop star Justin Bieber; actress Millie Bobby Brown of "Stranger Things;" Fox News host Sean Hannity; and rapper Snoop Dogg.
Meet Keaton Jones a very smart little boy who is being bullied at school. This video is heartbreaking!! I want to bring Keaton to Vegas and hang out at UFC Headquarters. If anyone knows how i can reach the family please let me know. Thank u everyone pic.twitter.com/BR8c4ldDFc — Dana White (@danawhite) December 10, 2017
The story was documented in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Daily Mail of London and other outlets, and hundreds of people took to social media to express their support for Jones.
But the heartwarming story of a bullied East Tennessee boy who received support from around the world became more complicated Monday due to fake social media accounts and accusations of racism against the boy's mother.
The video racked up more than 18 million views until Kimberly Jones made her Facebook account private early Monday amid intense scrutiny and mounting backlash.
Principal: 'It's not as rampant as the video would have you believe'
Union County Public Schools officials said Monday that bullying is not tolerated and that they have looked into the incident.
"To fulfill our mission of educating all children in Union County Public Schools, we must provide an academic environment that is safe, civil and supportive," said Director of Schools Jimmy Carter in a statement.
"We do not and will not tolerate bullying and have a policy in place that addresses conduct taking place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-supported transportation or at any official school bus stop.
"With any incident of bullying that is reported to our administrators, we follow the process of our policy and immediately investigate the alleged incidents. The privacy of all parties and witnesses to complaints will be respected in accordance with state and federal law."
CLOSE Keaton, a sixth-grader at Horace Maynard Middle School in Maynardville in Union County, sparked a national conversation about bullying after a video of him went viral over the weekend. Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel
Horace Maynard Middle School Principal Greg Clay said he wasn't aware of Jones being repeatedly bullied and that the incident described in the video had been resolved weeks ago.
"It's not as rampant as the video would have you believe," Clay said. "I can't tell you what was done, but I can tell you action was taken with the children."
'Why do they bully?'
Kimberly Jones said in her original Facebook post that she picked her son up from school early Friday because he was afraid to go to lunch.
By Monday she had made her Facebook page private and did not respond to a message seeking comment.
"My kids are by no stretch perfect, and at home, he's as all boy as they come, but by all accounts he's good at school," Kimberly Jones wrote in her Facebook post. "Talk to your kids. I've even had friends of mine tell me (their) kids were only nice to him to get him to mess with people. We all know how it feels to want to belong, but only a select few know how it really feels not to belong anywhere."
In the video, Keaton, crying in the passenger seat, says, "Just out of curiosity, why do they bully? What's the point of it? Why do you find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to 'em? It's not OK."
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Keaton said kids at school make fun of his nose, call him ugly and tell him he has no friends.
Jones, in another social media post on Oct. 18, described one such incident. At a birthday party, she wrote, another boy said he knew Keaton by his scars, one that "goes all the way across his face."
Jones wrote that her son was born with a tumor.
"It's not OK!" Keaton cried in his video. "People that are different don't need to be criticized about it. It's not their fault. But if you are made fun of, don't let it bother you. They suck, I guess. Hard. But it will probably get better one day."
As of Sunday evening, Keaton's video had been shared more than 369,000 times on Facebook. His message resonated with an eclectic mix of celebrities, who responded by condemning bullying, sharing their own experiences and lauding Keaton for his courage.
More: Crying East Tennessee boy's viral anti-bullying video attracts attention of Vols, Titans
Chris Evans invited Keaton and his mom to the premiere of the new "Avengers" movie in Los Angeles next year.
"Stay strong, Keaton," Evans tweeted. "Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better. While those punks at your school are deciding what kind of people they want to be in this world, how would you and your mom like to come to the Avengers premiere in LA next year?"
In a Saturday afternoon Facebook post, Jones responded to the outpouring of support for her son.
"Friends, overwhelmed is the understatement of the world right now. I love each of you for what you are doing," she said, adding that she could not read or respond to all of the messages and invitations to join groups that had inundated her mailbox since the viral video.
"I'm humbled by the voice my boy has been given, but he's still just a little boy, and he's a little boy who desperately wants acceptance, that I have to try to find a way to navigate him through the difference in true acceptance and attention. I know God has His hand in this and I trust that the right things will happen in the right time. In the meantime, bear with us."
Backlash
A woman who identified herself as Keaton Jones' sister on Twitter, Lakyn Jones, also did not respond to a request for comment Monday, though she was tweeting responses to allegations made on social media that her mother had posted racist sentiments in the past.
"My mother is not in anyway a racist. I can assure you of that. She is just a strong southern woman," Lakyn Jones tweeted.
My mother is not in anyway a racist. I can assure you of that. She is just a strong southern woman — Lakyn 🎄 (@Lakyn_Jones) December 11, 2017
Confederate battle flags
The controversy centers in part on screenshots of an alleged Facebook post by Kimberly Jones that internet users said they captured before she made her account private.
The post rails against Americans who are seen as protesting the American flag and contains pictures showing family members holding the Confederate battle flag. Keaton appears in one photo, holding an American flag and standing next to another boy who is holding a Confederate battle flag.
My heart goes out to anyone dealing with bullying, but wassup with the racist images on Keaton Jones' mom's facebook page? Wouldn't that kinda make her a bully too? pic.twitter.com/I86SzRvjLq — Slink Johnson (@slinkjohnson) December 11, 2017
Some called Kimberly Jones' alleged post racist and said they no longer felt empathy for Keaton. Others said the mother's alleged views did not color their opinions of the son and his anti-bullying message.
The USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee has been unable to reach Keaton or Kimberly Jones for comment. A knock at the door of a home in Luttrell owned by a "Kimberly Jones," according to state property records, went unanswered Monday afternoon. No vehicles were in the driveway.
After screenshots of the Confederate battle flag post were shared, Twitter user @Lakyn_Jones, who says she is Keaton's sister, tweeted, "My family will continue to support each other. You all can hate and tweet all you want but our faith cant (sic) be shaken."
Others try to cash in
Over the weekend, as celebrities offered to fly Keaton and his mother across the country to attend movie premieres, sporting events and exclusive tours, several Instagram accounts surfaced that claimed to belong to the pair.
The bio of one such account, @_taylormadeq, said it was run by Keaton's mother and provided a link to a PayPal account where donations could be made. The profile picture appeared to be a photo of the Jones family.
The private, verified account's profile picture and bio were removed just before 5 p.m. Monday. Then, just before 7 p.m., the profile picture was changed, the account's display name was set to "tre," and the bio read, "Selling verified pages dm (direct message) me to buy!"
An Instagram account, @_taylormadeq, claimed it was run by Keaton Jones' mother and linked to a PayPal account where donations could be made. On Monday evening, the account information was changed to what is pictured. (Photo: Travis Dorman / USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee)
A separate, unverified and public Instagram account, @kimberlyjones_38, was soliciting donations Monday through both PayPal and a now-defunct GoFundMe campaign titled "Give My Son a Good Christmas."
Joe Schilling, a professional MMA fighter, posted a video on Instagram to 146,000 followers and tagged that account in the caption.
Schilling said in his video that he felt "pretty moved" by Keaton's message, so he reached out to what he thought was the mom's account and offered to invite Keaton to an MMA event in Los Angeles.
"She just wants money. She just wants me to share her GoFundMe account," Schilling said, adding that he then asked why. "She said, 'Christmas is coming and I'm a single mother and blah blah blah, money is tight, whatever.... Make your own judgment on that."
In a second post, Schilling shared a screenshot of messages he exchanged with the @kimberlyjones_38 account. The operator of that account asked him, "What happened to us whites sticking together and helping one of (sic) another against the predator?" In his caption, Schilling acknowledged that the account might be fake.
That account apparently had been deleted as of 6:10 p.m.
Lakyn Jones tweeted that @kimberlyjones_38 was not her mother's account, and said, "She has a private Instagram and hasn't talked to anyone. We haven't received any money and don't plan on it. The gofundme's aren't by any of us."
The Instagram KimberlyJones_38 is NOT my mom. She has a private Instagram and hasn’t talked to anyone. We haven’t received any money and don’t plan on it. The gofundme’s aren’t by any of us. — Lakyn 🎄 (@Lakyn_Jones) December 11, 2017
$57,000
A GoFundMe campaign titled "Stand up for Keaton" was started over the weekend by a man named Joseph Lam. A spokesman for GoFundMe described Lam as a "stranger" who "wanted to help Keaton after the video was posted online."
The campaign raised more than $57,000 — its goal was $20,000 — before Lam "turned off donations," the spokesman, Bobby Whithorne, said in an email.
GoFundMe is working with Lam "to ensure the funds go to Keaton," Whithorne said.
"When a stranger starts a campaign and does not have a direct connection to the individual they’re raising money for, funds are collected by our payment processors, held, and then only released only to the person named as the beneficiary. All funds are on hold until we’ve received additional information from the beneficiary of the campaign," Whithorne said.
"There was a separate GoFundMe active for a short period of time, but we removed it from our platform before it raised any money because of fraud concerns. The identity of the campaign organizer did not match anyone associated with the family."
School planning to address bullying with students
The school was planning on holding an assembly Monday to address bullying with students, Clay said. He said the media would not be allowed to attend.
More: Crying East Tennessee boy's viral anti-bullying video attracts attention of Vols, Titans
An anti-bullying talk has also been planned for January "even before this came out," Clay said.
He said Horace Maynard Middle School is no different than many other schools where bullying is a problem.
"We’re having a good school year," Clay said. "I’m sorry it’s like this. We all sympathize with Keaton and we’re doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again. Everybody saw the video and it was horrible. We don’t want anyone to feel like that. Keaton’s a good kid. We’ll take care of him."
Other parents weigh in on bullying
Some parents in the district also said that while bullying is a problem from time to time, it's no worse than anywhere else.
LeAnn Ray, whose son is in seventh grade at Horace Maynard, said he faced a bullying problem last year. She reported it to the school resource officer, who "handled it pretty well" and after that "the kid left him alone," said Ray.
Becky Vandergriff, whose daughter is also a seventh-grader at the school, said she hasn't experienced bullying but that she was upset about what happened to Jones.
"She's fortunate she's never had that happen," said Vandergriff. "She doesn't think it's right. I tell my children to treat everybody with respect. I don't care what the situation is and if you see someone bullying another child, take up for that kid."
Hensley, Jones' neighbor, said her daughter, now a junior in high school, also experienced bullying when she was at Horace Maynard a few years ago.
She said her daughter was picked on and called names for being overweight.
"They like to keep it hid over there," Hensley said. "Unless something like this comes out, they don't tell nothing."
Hensley said she read about Keaton Jones on social media and felt bad, but she was not surprised.
"Now I'm just wondering if anything is going to be done," she said. "I'm not surprised at all. There are fights every day, but they just don't care. You only hear about stuff like that when it gets full blown."
Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Brittany Crocker contributed to this report.
Read or Share this story: http://knoxne.ws/2jsS0eH35 years ago today in Memphis, Tennessee, Andy Kaufman defeated Jerry Lawler by disqualification after Lawler used a then-banned piledriver on Kaufman. This of course did not stop Lawler from using said piledriver a second time on Kaufman. Andy had to be stretchered out of the Mid-South Coliseum.
31 years ago today in Yokohama, Japan, Riki Choshu defeated Stan Hansen to win the Pacific Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship.
25 years ago today, WWF presented Wrestlemania VIII (WWE Network link) from the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. 62,167 were in attendance, with 390,000 homes watching on PPV. That's down from 400,000 forWrestlemania VII.
The show was noted for the billed final match of Hulk Hogan. Hogan took a leave of absence from the company with the WWF under scrutiny for steroid use among its performers, and Hulk himself trying to jumpstart an acting career. Hogan would not return until just over a month before Wrestlemania IX.
Match ratings are from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter as recorded in the Internet Wrestling Database. Ratings are out of a possible five stars.
In a dark match, The Bushwhackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller) defeated The Beverly Brothers (Blake and Beau). (1/5)
Shawn Michaels defeated Tito Santana. (2)
The Undertaker defeated Jake Roberts. (0.75)
Bret Hart defeated Roddy Piper to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. (3.5)
The Big Boss Man, Virgil, Sgt. Slaughter, and Jim Duggan defeated The Nasty Boys (Jerry Sags and Brian Knobbs), Repo Man, and The Mountie. (0.25)
Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair to win the WWF Championship. (4.25)
Tatanka defeated Rick Martel. (1.25)
The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) defeated Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) by countout in a WWF Tag Team Championship match. (-2)
Owen Hart defeated Skinner in just 71 seconds. (0)
Hulk Hogan defeated Sid Justice by disqualification. (-2)
18 years ago today, WCW presented Monday Nitro (WWE Network link) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The show is noted for the introduction of WCW’s new logo. The logo gains a bit of infamy when in an official advertisement for the show it was compared to bird poop.
The new look did little to change WCW’s fortunes in the Monday Night Wars, though they got a little closer: Nitro does a 4.3 rating, consistent with what they were doing at the time, but RAW still wins the night comfortably with a 5.8.
Hak defeated Kendall Windham in a kendo stick match.
Konnan defeated Lizmark Jr.
Scott Steiner defeated Meng to advance to the finals of the WCW United States Championship tournament.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Lenny Lane.
Stevie Ray defeated Brian Adams, Horace, and Vincent in a battle royal to become the leader of nWo Black & White.
Perry Saturn & Raven defeated Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr. by disqualification in a WCW World Tag Team Championship match.
Booker T defeated Chris Jericho by disqualification to advance to the finals of the WCW United States Championship tournament.
Buff Bagwell defeated Bam Bam Bigelow.
Goldberg, Diamond Dallas Page, Hollywood Hogan, and Ric Flair fought to a no contest in a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match.
14 years ago today in Wilmington, Delaware, Paul London defeated Chance Beckett to win the ECWA Super 8 tournament. Other participants were Frankie Kazarian, Chris Sabin, Spanky (who would go on to moderate success as Brian Kendrick), Chris Cage, Sedrick Strong, and Alex Orion.
8 years ago today, WWE presented Wrestlemania 25 (WWE Network link) from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. 72,744 were in attendance, with 960,000 homes watching on PPV. That's down from 1,024,000 homes for Wrestlemania XXIV.
For the third consecutive year, their ticket sales broke company records, this time with $6.9 million at the gate, more than a million dollars more than the previous Wrestlemania.
In a preshow match, Carlito and Primo defeated John Morrison and The Miz in a lumberjack natch to unify the WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship.
CM Punk defeated Kane, Mark Henry, Montel Vontavious Porter, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, Christian, and Finlay in the Money in the Bank ladder match for a guaranteed world championship match of his choosing at any time up to one year. The win made Punk the first, and still only to this day, man to win the Money in the Bank ladder match more than once. (3.75/5)
Santina Marella, Santino Marella in drag, last eliminated Beth Phoenix and Melina to win the Miss WrestleMania 25 Diva Battle Royal. Other participants were Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Eve Torres, Gail Kim, Jackie Gayda, Jillian Hall, Joy Giovanni, Katie Lea Burchill, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maria, Maryse, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Molly Holly, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, Sunny, Tiffany, Torrie Wilson, and Victoria. Of note, Candice Michelle, who was at ringside for the event, made her last WWE television appearance at the show. (0)
Chris Jericho defeated Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka in a 3-on-1 handicap elimination match. (2)
Matt Hardy defeated Jeff Hardy in an Extreme Rules match. (3.25)
Rey Mysterio defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in just 21 seconds to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Post-match, Layfield quit. It was a write-off, of course; this was JBL’s retirement match. (NR)
The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels. (4.75)
John Cena defeated Edge and The Big Show in a triple threat match to win the World Heavyweight Championship. (3.25)
Triple H defeated Randy Orton to retain the WWE Championship. Had Triple H been disqualified or counted out, he would have lost the championship. (2.5)
7 years ago today on TNA Impact from Universal Orlando, Angelina Love wins the Knockouts Lockbox Challenge to win the TNA Knockouts Championship.
The title change gains a bit of infamy as Angelina not only did not beat the champion for the title, she essentially won it on blind luck.
The eight women in the match (Angelina, Daffney, Tara, Velvet Sky, Hamada, Lacey Von Erich, Madison Rayne, and ODB) faced off in a tag team match. The winners of each fall got a key that would open a lockbox containing one of four items: the Knockouts title, Tara’s pet spider, an open contract for a match of the holder’s choosing, and a striptease, while the losers of each fall got nothing.
At the end of the show, the lockboxes were opened. As mentioned, Angelina got the grand prize. Tara got her pet spider back—but she lost the title. Velvet got the open contract (she challenged Angelina to a “leather and lace” match, non-title for some reason), and Daffney drew the striptease.
On the undercard, Matt Morgan injures Hernandez, forcing him to vacate his half of the TNA World Tag Team Championship. And in the most TNA fashion, Morgan declares himself the tag team champions. And he really would be the tag team champions for the next month.
TNA gets themselves in a bit of hot water with a double dose of controversy when within a minute of each other (no, seriously) Homicide busts open Rob Terry with a chairshot to the head (something WWE had banned at the beginning of the year) and Orlando Jordan did something I will charitably describe as very lewd.
6 years ago today, WWE officially announces that The Rock and John Cena would be the main event of Wrestlemania XXVIII.
4 years ago today, Ring of Honor presented Supercard of Honor VII from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
In a preshow dark match, Kongo defeated Corey Hollis.
ACH & Tadarius Thomas defeated QT Marshall & RD Evans.
Mike Bennett) defeated Shelton Benjamin.
Michael Elgin defeated Jay Lethal to become the #1 contender for the ROH World Championship.
SCUM (Cliff Compton, Jimmy Jacobs, Jimmy Rave, Rhett Titus, and Rhino) defeat BJ Whitmer, Caprice Coleman, Cedric Alexander, Mark Briscoe, and Mike Mondo.
Karl Anderson defeated Roderick Strong.
Matt Taven defeated Adam Cole and Matt Hardy to retain the ROH World Championship.
reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeat The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
Jay Briscoe defeated Kevin Steen to win the ROH World Championship.
3 years ago today in Newark, Delaware, Matt Cross defeated John Skyler to win the 2014 ECWA Super 8 tournament. Other participants included Steve Walters, Kao Storm, Matt Saigon, Ricky Martinez, Oliver Grimsley, and Gran Akuma.
2 years ago today, New Japan Pro Wrestling presented Invasion Attack 2015 from Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) in Tokyo, Japan.
Alex Shelley, Captain New Japan, Kushida, Yohei Komatsu, and Yuji Nagata defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Sho Tanaka and, Tiger Mask.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, and Tomoaki Honma defeated Bullet Club (Cody Hall, Tama Tonga, and Yujiro Takahashi).
Roppongi Vice (Baretta and Rocky Romero) defeated The |
How to buy
The cartridge version is sold out at the time of this writing (June 7th 2017). A new batch may be produced, so keep an eye on SILICON SEX' Twitter feed (@SILICONSEX) for updates.
The downloadable version is available in their online store for a minimum price of US$10.24. You can voluntarily pay more if you feel that the content you get is worth it. This will give you access to both the MSX and ColecoVision versions.He was booted from Australian Survivor after incautiously giving his hidden immunity idol to tribemate Phoebe.
But male glamour model Rohan MacLaren, 28, certainly had no space to hide any immunity idols earlier this month as he frolicked at a Melbourne beach in a pair of barely-there swimming briefs.
At one stage, onlookers were given more than they bargained for when Rohan decided to strip completely naked in broad daylight, revealing his bare rump for all to see.
Scroll down for video
Tight squeeze! Australian Survivor evictee Rohan MacLaren, 28, certainly had no space to hide any immunity idols earlier this month as he frolicked at a Melbourne beach in a pair of barely-there swimming briefs
Having spent several weeks on the Upolu Island in Samoa, surviving off a diet of nothing but rice and beans, it was no wonder the formerly-buff hunk showcased a rather slender frame.
According to TV Week, Rohan lost a whopping nine kilograms in just 21 days, which resulted in him shedding the muscular silhouette of his gym-honed physique.
Rohan's shock elimination from Australian Survivor was dramatically billed by Channel Ten as 'the biggest blunder' in Survivor history.
Daring to bare! At one stage, onlookers were given more than they bargained for when Rohan decided to strip completely naked in broad daylight, revealing his bare rump for all to see
Humiliating exit: Rohan's shock elimination from Australian Survivor was dramatically billed by Channel Ten as 'the biggest blunder' in Survivor history
Indeed, Rohan has admitted that watching his elimination on television was rather unpleasant, telling Mamamia: 'I'm still licking my wounds.'
Since returning from his stint on the Island, Rohan has recommenced his modelling career by posing for brands such as menswear labels Aquila and Aussie Bum.
He also enjoyed a scenic trip by himself around the Kimberley region as a way of dealing with returning to society.
Back on the job! Since returning from his stint on the Island, Rohan has recommenced his modelling career by posing for brands such as menswear labels Aquila and Aussie Bum
Readjusting: He also enjoyed a scenic trip by himself around the Kimberley region as a way of dealing with returning to society
'I couldn't handle being back in civilisation,' he explained in an interview with News Corp.
'I ended up going on a bit of an odyssey and spent some time living in an indigenous community. It was great to wind down,' he said.
In true male model style, the handsome reality star documented his 'odyssey' on social media with a slew of shirtless happy snaps.Media giant Sinclair Broadcasting Group is being sued for alleged sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation by three former employees at one of the company's newest ventures.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles against Sinclair and its mobile partner Circa, alleges the employees' supervisor called them "sweetheart," suggested women were not as smart as men, and stated that women weren't valuable to work with unless they were attractive.
The supervisor, Randall Sherman, also allegedly assessed whether the three women were "fuckable" or not while in front of other workers.
The lawsuit filed in December by former employees Jaclyn Mason, Richelle Meiss, and Rebecca Zak, comes as Sinclair Broadcast Group — a television giant known for its politically conservative leaning — works to complete a $3.9 billion purchase of Tribune Media Co.
Sinclair is the largest owner of television stations in the country, with nearly 200 stations from coast to coast. The company has been known to disseminate "must-run" news segments to its local stations that push right-leaning views. The segments have included terrorism-related news from around the world, an item suggesting people not vote for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, and a message from the company's vice president of news, Scott Livingston, accusing national media of publishing "fake news."
The three women were working as staff writers at Circa Laughs, a portal on Circa.com that was launched in September 2016 as a platform to showcase "irreverent, short-form segments about news, politics, celebrities, pop culture, and social trends that have been created by a young comedy talent."
Circa Laughs was being led by director and producer David Zucker, who directed and wrote the film Airplane! and created the Naked Gun and Scary Movie franchises. Zucker created Medio Pictures Partners, where Sherman was chief operating officer, according to the suit.
In the suit, the three women allege that Sinclair Broadcasting Group ignored sexual harassment claims from Circa.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the lawsuit Tuesday and posted the complaint online.
In a statement provided to BuzzFeed News, Manny Fantis, head of content and branding at Circa, said, "Circa does not tolerate unprofessional behavior of any kind. The allegations in this case are against an external service provider, not a Sinclair employee, and we will take steps to ensure that no one, regardless of their relationship with the company, compromises the positive work environment that we support."
Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Circa have not responded to the complaint in court.
Sandra Falchetti, one of the attorneys representing the three women, told BuzzFeed News they will be looking to prove Sinclair Broadcasting was a "joint employer" of the women because of the company's relationship with Circa and Medio Pictures.
"As such, they bear some responsibility," Falchetti said.
Most of the allegations outlined in the suit are made against Sherman, who supervised the three women.
Sherman is accused of suggesting to Zak that they should "pose naked in various compromising positions," and at one point allegedly asked Meiss to orchestrate nude scenes, although Circa Laughs does not create that type of content.
The suit also claims that in another incident, Sherman held up his hand near a female writer's face during a meeting and said, "I only want to hear from the men."
Mason said in the suit that she complained about Sherman to Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which took a statement about her complaint. Medio Pictures Partners, according to the suit, also took a statement from her and other employees but the suit claims that no action was taken.
Zak was laid off in October and Meiss and Mason were told they would be let go by the end of 2017, according to the complaint.
The three women claim that the companies also intend to shut down Circa Laughs and begin a new comedy channel that "will only employ the male employees that currently work at the Circa Laughs portal."Erin Pizzey, champion of women's rights, says radical feminist plans to let victims of domestic abuse get away with murder are an affront to morality
In control: Harriet Harman is running the country while the Prime Minister is away
Harriet Harman recently made a leaden attempt at self-deprecating humour. In response to a House of Commons question about her leadership ambitions, she said that she could not possibly become Prime Minister because, if she did, then the nation’s airports would be filled with men trying to flee the country.
The joke caused bewildered looks rather than laughs, partly because of her lack of comic timing, but more importantly because there is nothing funny about her aggressively feminist agenda, which treats men as either second-class citizens or a menace to society.
Harman may try to raise a titter by playing on her reputation as a hardline women’s rights campaigner. But, in reality, men would be right to shudder if she were to seize the reins of power.
Throughout her political career, Ms Harman has promoted the extreme feminist cause.
She recently introduced an outrageously misnamed ‘Equality Bill’, which actually proposed to give legal sanction to overt discrimination against men in job recruitment.
The scheme was dressed up as an attempt to combat prejudice against women in the workplace, but in reality made anti-male bias acceptable.
Now comes an even more sinister move. Yesterday, Ms Harman — who, worryingly, is acting Prime Minister during Gordon Brown’s summer holiday — set out new proposals that may lead to a change in the law in cases of murder involving domestic violence.
As she revealed, she has embarked on a consultation process to decide whether victims of domestic violence who kill their partners should be allowed to plead provocation where they claim to be living in fear of future attacks.
At present, the defence of provocation can be used only when an individual kills during a sudden loss of self-control — during a fight, for example.
Under Ms Harman’s scheme, however, cold-blooded murder could be tolerated under British law for the first time, as long as the killer can convince a court she felt in long-term danger from her partner.
Now, I have been a supporter of women’s rights all my life. In 1971, I founded the first women’s refuge in the country, which led to the creation of a nationwide network offering shelter for victims of domestic violence.
And through that experience, as well as my own upbringing at the hands of abusive parents, I know what a terrifying problem domestic violence can be.
But it is precisely because of my desire to protect the vulnerable that I am so opposed to Ms Harman’s absurd new plan, which is not only an affront to the basic morality of our society, but also a ridiculously one-sided, misogynistic, simplistic and dangerous response to the issue.
Indeed, as with so many of her other forays into policy-making, it is driven more by feminist ideology than compassion.
Effectively, what Harman and the ultra-feminist lobby want is a licence for women to kill.
For thousands of years, one of the pillars of Judaeo-Christian civilisation has been the ethical injunction, ‘Thou shalt not kill’.
But now, radical female modernisers think that this moral edifice can be pulled down and replaced with a perverse new moral code which holds that women can murder as long as their sense of victimhood is sufficiently powerful.
If this plan is enacted, we will no longer have absolute justice in this country. Instead, our courts will have to use a carefully calibrated measure of female grievance against which to judge the darkest of all crimes.
Only in the warped mindset of feminist radicals should we protect the vulnerable by downgrading our moral abhorrence of murder.
Rather than reducing violence, Harriet Harman’s proposals could become a charter for domestic chaos, as vengeful women believe they can butcher partners they come to loathe, inventing incidents of abuse or exaggerating fears of assault.
'It is an outrage that thanks to Ms Harman, feminists such as Bindel can influence public policy'
That this grotesque proposal is even being considered by the Government only shows how far the once honourable women’s liberation movement has been hijacked by extreme feminists, who are interested in oppressing men rather than real equality.
It is telling that one of the driving forces behind these proposals is Julie Bindel, of the Left-wing pressure group Justice for Women.
Ms Bindel displayed her lack of balance in a recent article in the Guardian newspaper, entitled ‘Why I hate men’.
One of her sentences read: ‘I will say loud and proud, yes, today I hate men, and will tomorrow and the day after.’
No doubt in her misogynistic world, killing men is a form of justifiable homicide. But it is an outrage that thanks to Ms Harman, feminists such as Bindel can influence public policy.
The absurdity of the Harman position is the pretence that women in a violent relationship have no alternative but to kill their partners.
It might have been true half a century ago, when there were no refuges and neither the courts nor the police treated domestic violence seriously. But it is not the case today, not least thanks to the efforts of women’s campaigners like myself who have fought to change things.
Domestic violence is now taken seriously by all state institutions, and every police force has its own domestic violence team. A woman fearing abuse does not have to suffer alone. She can pick up the phone, and the police and social services will respond.
The proposals have also been prompted by the feminist belief that men often escape justice for their violence simply by claiming they were bullied by their partners, or that they were provoked because their partner was having any affair.
This is a myth. Home Office research shows 5 per cent of men are acquitted in domestic violence cases. Meanwhile, 22 per cent of women get off.
Another myth is that domestic violence is almost exclusively perpetrated by men against women. Again, this is nonsense.
Certain crime studies show that while one in four women has suffered from abuse, one in six men has also done so.
I will never forget one woman, who was staying in my refuge, telling me, in chilling tones, ‘knives are a great leveller’.
That is the reality of domestic violence. It is far less clear-cut than the ideologues like to pretend, with their neat division between female victims and male oppressors.
The truth is that much of the violence takes place in squalid, tortured relationships, often involving drink and drugs, where both partners are guilty of verbal and physical assault.
In the refuge I opened in 1971, for example, of the first 100 women through the door, 62 admitted that they had also perpetrated violence against their partners.
Harman’s law, if enacted, will be a recipe for injustice, not a means of protecting women’s rights. It is vital that we should uphold the law as it stands and never allow our legal system to be dragged down by amoral feminist dogma.Debates in NATO, which has a summit meeting in Wales scheduled for September, will no longer emphasize “how do we send troops around the world to do good, stabilize countries and fight pirates,” Mr. Eyal said. “Subjects like tanks and soldiers will be back to the fore, and more troops will be available for training and stationing in Eastern Europe and fewer for deployments farther abroad.”
But Mr. Eyal thought there would be changes. The members of NATO nearest Russia have let military spending slip. “If we’re there to defend them, they should put their money where their mouths are,” he said. With Estonia the exception, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the other Baltic States “should lead by example” and increase their military spending, he said.
Other NATO members are likely to at least freeze their military budgets. “It would be astonishing for a government to cut defense expenditure in the current situation,” Mr. Eyal said.
Nick Witney, a former chief executive of the European Defense Agency, said, “The answer is not to worry about spending more, but to spend it more wisely and stop wasting so many defense resources on duplicative and incompatible programs.”
Mr. Witney, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that allied statements about cooperation on naval operations and drones would be more impressive were they not so similar to pledges made a decade ago. “The issue is whether they mean it any more than they did,” he said.
John Baron, a former army officer and a Conservative member of the British Parliament, said that for Britain and NATO, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had distracted officials from growing threats from Russia and China. “The Chinese and Russians are reaching the point where they can deploy forces in a very professional manner, while we are cutting and cutting again,” he said. “We are forgetting the age-old adage that there is no substitute for boots on the ground.”
This month, a British parliamentary committee criticized the government’s planned military cuts, saying that they had been “designed to fit a financial envelope.” After cuts to the regular army, it was unlikely that Britain could recruit 30,000 reservists, the committee said, potentially leaving the army “short of personnel in key supporting capabilities.”Some of you might still remember my review of Legends of Anglerre which I posted a while ago. While reading this book I thought it would be a blast to do an interview with its lead writer and editor Sarah Newton. Luckily Sarah agreed to answer a couple of question for us.
Stargazer: Thanks for taking your time to answer a few questions for our blog, Stargazer’s World. Let’s start with a couple of questions about you. Can you please tell our readers who you you are? I especially would like to know what your first roleplaying game was and how you came to work in the RPG industry.
Sarah: My name’s Sarah Newton, and I work for Cubicle 7 as head of their editorial team and line developer and house writer on the Starblazer Adventures, Legends of Anglerre, Cthulhu Britannica, and World War Cthulhu lines. I’m also responsible for their translated games, including Qin and the upcoming Yggdrasil. I’ve been gaming for (cough cough) over thirty years, and am absolutely passionate about the hobby. I began with Tunnels and Trolls back in 1980 – the old pink "Buffalo Castle" was the very first RPG product I ever bought, even before the rules, and I ended up having to make my own rules to play it! After that I got into Traveller, RuneQuest, Dungeons and Dragons (White Box then AD&D), and then pretty much all major RPGs right up to the present day, with the exception of White Wolf, which for some reason I kind of missed – I’ve only recently discovered Exalted, though I like it a lot.
I got working on RPGs through a curious quirk of fate. Back in 2008 Jason Durall was producing his bumper "Basic Roleplaying" rulesbook for Chaosium, and, as a lifelong d100 / BRP fan, I’d pre-ordered a copy. It came through prior to proofing; in a previous life, I used to write functional specifications for web development, so proofing is something I do instinctively, and I asked Jason if he’d like me to send him some proofs. He said yes, and introduced me to Charlie and Dustin at Chaosium, who expressed an interest in my "Chronicles of Future Earth" setting. That was my first ever RPG commission – although it was only published last January! After that I got into the FATE system and met Chris Birch, who’d just written Starblazer Adventures, and wrote Mindjammer and did the lead on Legends of Anglerre, which was where I started working for Cubicle 7.
Stargazer: Who are the RPG designers and SF writers that inspired you the most?
Sarah: I think I’d have to say Greg Stafford for RPG designer: the world of Glorantha and particularly its cosmology have been a constant inspiration since I "discovered" RuneQuest back in 1981. His inclusion of concepts from Joseph Campbell in roleplaying is a stroke of genius, and exactly fits the sort of things I’m looking for in a game: the quest of a hero for transcendence and transformation, and of course rollicking good adventure on the way!
For SF writers, there are two: Cordwainer Smith and Olaf Stapledon, the latter particularly for his book "Starmaker". Smith has again a mythopoetic approach to his SF; he’s by no means a hard SF writer, but instead groks that the genre is about wonder, speculation, and the possibilities for human beings to transcend their limitations towards something far greater. Olaf Stapledon is simply breathtaking in his vision: considering he was writing in the 1930s, his ideas are only now being discussed seriously in the scientific mainstream. That’s an amazing power of vision.
For modern SF writers, I love Stephen Baxter and Peter Hamilton, and of course Ian Banks. I’ve also recently got into Gareth L Powell, particularly his novel "The Recollection", which is beautifully written space opera, and absolutely great stuff.
Stargazer: Most people probably know you because you have been one of the authors of Legends of Anglerre, the FATE-based fantasy roleplaying game by Cubicle 7. Can you tell us how you got involved in that project? And can you please share some insight on the development process. What was your goal when working on that game?
Sarah: I had the great privilege to work as lead writer and editor on Legends of Anglerre, thanks to the awesome support of Chris Birch and Dom and Angus from Cubicle 7. I’d just finished working on the Mindjammer setting book for Starblazer Adventures, and Chris invited me aboard to work on what we were calling "Starblazer Fantasy Adventures". I jumped at the chance – it’s a rare opportunity to be involved in building a complete fantasy roleplaying game from the ground up!
There were five of us closely involved in the development of Legends of Anglerre: me, Chris Birch, Mike Olson, Tom Miskey, and Marc Reyes, as well as writers such as Mike Chinn (the original writer of the Anglerre stories on the Starblazer comics) and David Donachie, who’s an Anglerre expert and a great cartographer – look for his work in the upcoming Legends of Anglerre Companion! We used to "meet up" for Skype conference calls once every week or so; we divided the necessary tasks between us, and I acted as project manager assembling the various contributions into a single manuscript. We also had a truly great playtest and peer review team on the Cubicle 7 forums, who bashed the rules around and helped us bug-check all through the process – I can’t thank all those guys enough, their contribution was invaluable.
My own goal with Legends of Anglerre was shared with Chris Birch: we wanted the game to really be the fantasy version of Starblazer. Completely compatible, for those cross-genre "fantasy spaceships" mashups, but also an absolutely complete game in one volume, with no need for endless splat books. We were also under clear instructions from both gamers and Cubicle 7 management *not* to write another 650-page monster! We condensed and edited and brought the entire thing in under 400 pages – still easily enough to kill someone with a single blow, but light enough to lift with one arm!
The thing is, although the Legends of Anglerre rules are simple and short – believe it or not, the entire rules are about 20 pages long, presented in the first and second chapters – we wanted the game to contain everything you’d need to run a full fantasy campaign in pretty much any genre. There’s plenty of scope for introducing your own flexibility – inventing your own spells, stunts, creatures, whatever – but if you *don’t* want to do that, there’s also plenty of pre-generated powers to use. There are rules for ships, sieges, running kingdoms (and staging fights between kingdoms!), guilds, empires, magic schools, and so on; there are rules for mass combat, high-powered and even godlike characters, other planes, extremely powerful creatures, creating magic items, the whole range of things you’d expect from a complete fantasy RPG – all in one book!
Stargazer: What part of Legends of Anglerre is your favorite? And was there something particularly complicated to implement using the FATE system?
Sarah: I love the powers system. We derived that from the psionics and special abilities rules in Starblazer Adventures, re-structuring them to be more logical and systematized, whilst retaining an incredible degree of freedom for spellcasters and the like. We were really keen to make sure the powers were flexible enough to work as magical spells, divine powers, monstrous creature abilities, however you want to describe them, and also to take advantage of the incredibly free-form feature set of the core Starblazer / Legends of Anglerre skill system. Starblazer Adventures, for example, lets you use a mundane skill (let’s say a weapon skill) to attack, defend, block, and perform manoeuvres; it allows a player to get truly creative with what he does with a skill, within the framework of the rules. We took that freedom, and plugged it into the powers system; now, for example, a spellcaster can use his Fire power skill to attack, defend, block other attacks, resist fire, and even create impressive fire-based manoeuvres, and then create stunts to do the really extra-cool high power stuff. We then took that into the epic and mythic space with the high-power rules, too.
I’m also very proud of the advancement system. FATE previously didn’t really have a well-defined advancement system, but a fantasy RPG needs one as a basic requirement – everyone wants to see their characters get more powerful and cool as they play. We worked very hard to make sure the advancement system wasn’t simply an "experience point" system, but was built into all aspects of the game – so you can use it not just to improve your own abilities, but to advance your own guild, warband, or even kingdom, or explore the powers of a magical item, or increase your prestige in your community. You can even become a god!
Stargazer: As far as I know you’ll be also working on the 2nd Edition of Starblazer Adventures. Can you please share with us what will be new in this upcoming edition. Will it be necessary for owners of the first edition to upgrade or are there are mostly minor changes?
Sarah: First: you don’t need to upgrade, but we hope you’ll want to. Starblazer Adventures 2nd edition is exactly that: it’s a new *edition* – it’s been re-edited. That means it’s been re-structured, some of the wording has been changed, there are clearer (and more) examples, and the typos and bugs of the 1st edition have been fixed. We’ve also taken the opportunity to include some of the new rules from Legends of Anglerre, such as future aspects, group characters, and the Fog of War mass combat rules. Structurally, the game is now in two books: a Player’s Guide and a Story Teller’s Guide, each approximately the same size. We had a lot of feedback on Starblazer 1st edition that the rulesbook was simply too big, and that players wanted something more portable they could read and use in play and for character creation. We’ve taken that on board, and the Player’s Guide contains everything players will need for the game, up to and including the core system rules.
We’ve also tweaked the equipment rules, the layout look n feel, character sheet, vehicles rules, and also included the trading rules I’d worked up for Mindjammer Adventures. We hope people will be keen to upgrade – although the 1st edition rules remain completely usable!
Stargazer: It occurred to me that a lot of FATE games like the aforementioned Starblazer Adventures, Diaspora and Bulldogs! are actually SF or Space Opera games. Do you think there’s a particular reason why FATE is used or is it just a sign of the popularity of the game system?
Sarah: I’m personally surprised FATE isn’t used more widely in all genres, although it does lend itself very well to a pulpy, action-packed style of play. In my own humble opinion, I think science-fiction roleplaying has been a bit dogged by a very serious, hard scifi approach, which is great for certain genres of roleplaying, but not particularly for action-packed space opera. To be completely honest, I don’t think there *was* a fully-featured, action-packed, cinematic space opera RPG system before Starblazer Adventures – I’ve been GMing science-fiction RPGs since the very beginning, and Starblazer is the first to feel properly space opera and let you play through the classic space opera tropes. Again, that’s all IMHO, of course! 🙂
Whilst I’ve not read Diaspora, I do own and love Bulldogs! – it’s a great game with a cool and very specific setting, with an awesome Starship Troopers feel. I love what Brennan and his team have done with the game, and wish them huge success. I think there’s loads of room for FATE love in the RPG community – it’s only been 5 years since Fred, Rob, and Lenny invented the FATE 3 system, and it’s certainly changed my RPG life. It was awesome seeing them sweep the board at the ENnies this year – congrats again, guys!
Stargazer: Apropos FATE and SF: You are the author of the Mindjammer setting for SBA and an upcoming novel of the same name. Can you tell us a bit about both? And can you give us some updates on the progress on the second edition of Mindjammer?
Sarah: Mindjammer is my attempt to write my perfect science-fiction setting. We’re now in the second decade of the 21st century, and the nature of science-fiction has gone through massive changes since the invention of SF roleplaying in the 1970s. We’ve been through 80s space opera, right through cyberpunk and beyond, and even surpassed the transhuman and singularity movements, to the extent that "transhuman science-fiction" is almost a tautology – pretty much *all* modern science-fiction is transhuman in one way or another!
I think science-fiction roleplaying should reflect that, whilst retaining its awesome, maximum game fun, action-packed feel. Mindjammer attempts to do that, by introducing transhuman themes such as longevity, augmentation, technological psionics, sentient starships, memory uploads (and downloads), and much more as the basic assumptions of the setting. Since winning the ENnie Judges Spotlight Award in 2010, we’ve been working on the Mindjammer 2nd edition, with heaps of new content and all new artwork by the enormously talented Paul Bourne. It should be out towards the end of this year, and followed by numerous other supplements.
The Mindjammer novel is Cubicle 7’s first foray into fiction to support its RPG lines, and is a 400-odd page action-packed novel of transhuman adventure, set right in the New Commonality of Humankind. If you know the Mindjammer supplement, you’ll already know some of the main characters. I’m personally very excited about the Mindjammer novel – it’s not only a cracking story of far future space opera, cinematic and geared up to gamer expectations, it’s also proper science-fiction in its own right, dealing with some of the implications of the hyper-advanced technologies which the Commonality has. The story deals with a team of troubleshooters working for SCI Force – the Security and Cultural Integrity Instrumentality – working with a culture which is being "Rediscovered" by the Commonality, and which isn’t dealing with the culture shock very well. What they discover – well, I won’t give any more away than to say it could threaten the Commonality itself! You can read more in the novel itself, available online and in good hobby stores everywhere from mid-October; check out www.mindjammer.com for more!
Stargazer: While doing some research for this interview I noticed that you have written “The Chronicles of Future Earth” for Basic Roleplaying. I actually bought a copy of that book mainly because I was intrigued by the setting. Alas I was a bit disappointed that the scope of the setting was quite limited. Do you think there will be more material for the Future Earth in the future?
Sarah: Definitely yes! The Chronicles of Future Earth was my first ever RPG book, and originally was pitched to be five times as long – well over 200-300 pages! Chaosium obviously didn’t know me as a writer at all, so were quite naturally cautious, and preferred the first book to be more modestly sized, which is the book you see today. They’ve asked me to write a player’s guide for the Venerable Autocracy, which I’m in the process of doing, and hopefully that will hit the shelves during 2012. I also have material for a trilogy of campaign scenarios and several supplements, so there’s plenty more if people want to see it. Everyone has said very kind things about Chronicles, and at the same time said they wanted more, so hopefully we’ll be able to oblige!
Stargazer: Is there anything else you’re currently working on? What else would you like to share with our readers that I forgot to ask you?
Sarah: Most of all, I’d like to say thanks to gamers everywhere for keeping our hobby going. It’s thanks to everyone’s passion, enthusiasm, support and dedication that people like me are able to produce games, and it’s a great honour and a privilege. Sites like Stargazer’s World play a crucial role in this, and great thanks and kudos to you, Michael, for your dedication in keeping it going. It’s a great hobby to be a part of!
For me, the next year or three are looking busy, with lots of material coming out for Starblazer and Mindjammer, Legends of Anglerre, Chronicles, and Cubicle 7’s upcoming Call of Cthulhu sourcebook "World War Cthulhu". For Starblazer, we have the long-awaited Planet Killers, and a very exciting new setting which we’ll be announcing in the new year; for Mindjammer, we have the second edition "Mindjammer – The Expansionary Era", Mindjammer Adventures, Planeships and Slowboats, a Commonality atlas, and PDF scenarios; for Legends of Anglerre, the upcoming Companion, plus a trilogy of scenarios, and an exciting historical fantasy setting sourcebook. I’m also working on two more Mindjammer novels, and some other fiction projects which have to remain under wraps for now. It’s a hugely exciting time to be working in the industry!
Thanks again for the opportunity to be interviewed, Michael, and best wishes to yourself and everybody reading Stargazer’s World. Happy gaming!
Stargazer: Thank you for taking your time answering our questions. Good luck with the Mindjammer novel and all your other current and upcoming projects! Take care!
By the way, you can follow Sarah Newton online at her website sarahnewtonwriter.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters after his meeting with retired United States Marine Corps general James Mattis at Trump International Golf Club, November 19, 2016 in Bedminster Township, New Jersey. Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling cabinet and other high level positions for the new administration. Drew Angerer/Getty Images The question of whether President-elect Donald Trump will run afoul of federal conflict-of-interest rules or the Constitution because of his extensive foreign investments has been the subject of intense scrutiny among legal and ethics scholars.
Legally, his foreign licensing deals could violate the Constitution.
An example: During his presidential run, Trump's name was used to market a never-finished luxury hotel in Azerbaijan, built by the billionaire son of the country's transportation minister.
The deal earned Trump more than $2.8 million between January 2014 and May 2016, according to financial-disclosure filings he filed as a candidate. (See his 2015 and 2016 reports here.)
If this type of deal occurs during his presidency and fetches anything above what's considered fair market value, it would almost certainly violate the Emoluments Clause, a provision of the Constitution meant to head off conflicts between the national interest and presidents' self-interest.
The clause, in Article 1, Section 9, of the Constitution, prevents the president from accepting "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."
A more stringent interpretation of the clause 2014 which has never been tested in the courts 2014 would bar a president from receiving any payment from a foreign government entity. A violation of the Constitution could result in impeachment proceedings.
But how will we know if Trump is violating the clause? Because of limited financial-disclosure requirements, we might not.
There are two reasons for this: One is that the disclosures required from presidents are limited. The other is that Trump has refused to voluntarily release his tax returns or other business details, a significant break from presidential administrations dating back to Jimmy Carter.
"You can't grasp all the potential conflicts and issues that the Trump empire poses by just looking at a personal financial disclosure," said Matthew T. Sanderson, an attorney at Caplin & Drysdale who has served as legal counsel on three Republican presidential campaigns.
And Trump won't have to file a comprehensive annual report of his assets, income, gifts and stock portfolio until May 2018, according to U.S. Office of Government Ethics requirements. (Trump has so far refused to release his federal or state income tax returns; three pages of his 1995 New York state income tax return obtained by The New York Times showed he declared $916 million in losses but few other details.)
Trump Organization executives and lawyers did not respond to ProPublica's requests for comment.
As a presidential candidate, Trump filed two financial-disclosure reports detailing his private companies and assets. More than 100 of the companies listed have licensing or management agreements in other countries, including China, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Among his most prized assets: 12 U.S. golf courses, three more in Ireland and Scotland, and two underway in the United Arab Emirates, along with a 30 percent stake in two office towers in New York and San Francisco.
Donald Trump Mike Segar/Reuters
Trump Organization officials have said the president-elect's business empire will be overseen by his three adult children 2014Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka. (Former Presidents Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all put their assets into blind trusts during their terms; Obama's portfolio in Treasury bills and index funds was not seen as a conflict.)
But Trump hasn't heeded calls from ethics and legal experts (and others including the Wall Street Journal editorial page) who say his foreign assets should be sold off en masse and his businesses be placed in the hands of an independent trustee during his presidency. Trump addressed the issue on Twitter, saying it was "well known that I have interests in properties all over the world" and arguing that "only the crooked media makes this a big deal!"
The potential for Trump's decisions as president to impact his business holdings loom large. "What happens if there are federal activities in the proximity of these golf courses or hotels that positively or negatively impact their value," said Lawrence Wright, a professor of economics at New York University's Stern School of Business and a former federal antitrust regulator. "He's got a zillion things going on and I don't see how he can effectively disengage."
Barring more disclosures, an outside review of Trump's business activity is difficult. In the days following his election, at least five Trump-affiliated holding companies, most of them long inactive, have been dissolved in Delaware and New York, ProPublica |
face from the success USL clubs achieved in the third round in 2015. Last year the USL went a perfect 7-0 against the NASL in the third round and advanced a total of 12 teams to the fourth round.
Biggest Winners
OKC Energy FC 2-1 (AET) Rayo OKC
Soccer fans in Oklahoma City had been salivating over the very possibility of an OKC Derby in the Open Cup since the formation of the NASL side was announced earlier this year. A victory over a crosstown rival from a “higher” league made the Energy the biggest USL winners of the night. Kyle Hyland’s game-winning header in AET was a thing of beauty. The subsequent classless display from Rayo players and fans was not.
Wilmington Hammerheads FC 2-1 Miami FC
The Hammerheads jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Jeff Michaud and Justin Moose within the first five minutes. Miami battled back and had a chance to equalize from the mark in the 82nd minute, but Eric Ati saved the penalty kick and the victory.
San Antonio FC 2-1 Des Moines Menace
Des Moines was one of the PDL sides to whom pundits gave a chance to pull an upset over a professional club on Wednesday night. The Menace took the lead in the 59th minute, but late goals from San Antonio’s Sam McBride and Jacques Francois spoiled “cupset” hopes.
Biggest Losers
Kitsap Pumas 3-1 Sacramento Republic FC
It’s no surprise that Sacramento failed put a big number on the scoreboard. The Republic have struggled in the attack all season. It is flabbergasting that Sacramento’s dominant defense allowed Kitsap to put up a big number of their own.
Charlotte Independence 0-5 (AET) Carolina RailHawks FC
The Independence advanced further than any other USL team in the 2015 version of the Open Cup, which is why Charlotte is included in the biggest losers category. There is also the scoreline, which is a tad misleading. A 10-man Independence squad held the Railhawks to a scoreless draw through regular time, but the wheels fell off in added extra time.
Other Results
Richmond Kickers 1-1 (0:2 PKs) Fort Lauderdale Strikers
The Kickers performed well for 120 minutes then couldn’t find the net in PKs.
Charleston Battery 1-2 Jacksonville Armada
This was the first Open Cup win for Jacksonville and the first loss to a second-division opponent for the Battery.
Lansdowne Bhoys FC 0-2 Rochester Rhinos
Rochester has won both of its 2016 Open Cup matches by a combined score of 9-0.
Harrisburg City Islanders 2-1 Chattanooga FC
Late goals from Wheeler and Foster kept the City Islanders in the tournament.
FC Cincinnati 0-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Cincinnati was shut out for the first time since the USL season opener.
Louisville City FC 1-2 Indy Eleven
Chandler Hoffman opened the scoring, but Louisville couldn’t hold onto the lead.
Minnesota United FC 2-0 Saint Louis FC
Some fan accounts would have you believe Saint Louis was battling both and NASL team and an officiating team.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 3-0 Arizona United SC
Yallop got ejected, and Arizona lost again to Colorado Springs.The Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) has announced that it received registration applications from 50 Bitcoin exchanges as of August 2017. The applications are being reviewed for compliance.
A report by the local newspaper Sankei Shimbun claimed that the agency has started their review on whether the exchanges dealing with virtual currencies like Bitcoin have implemented measures aimed at protecting their users.
State of the digital currencies in Japan
The government of Japan amended its fund settlement law in April 2017 to allow recognition of Bitcoin as a legal payment method. Many have credited that decision with Bitcoin’s extraordinary bull run this year.
With that approval, the FSA was required to ensure the registration of virtual currency exchanges in the country. Exchanges must be registered by the end of September.
Under the law, the FSA should ensure that the exchanges are compliant with the requirements before they can be officially registered. Among the requirements are the implementation of appropriate measures to guarantee the full protection of users. Additionally, exchanges are required to communicate with the FSA about the risk of financial losses due to such factors as price volatility.
The FSA also checks whether the assets of an exchange are clearly separated from its user deposits and ensures that a proper risk management system is established.
Japanese companies add Bitcoin exchanges in their service
Major companies in Japan are already adding Bitcoin exchanges to their service offerings. In March 2016, the publicly-traded conglomerate Remix Point Inc. launched its Bitcoin exchange called Bitpoint. Fisco Ltd., a Jasdaq-listed financial information provider, has introduced its Bitcoin exchange.
The other companies which set up exchanges include Internet major GMO, SBI Holdings, and the Money Partners Group.
The continued integration of Bitcoin into Japan’s economy almost certainly bodes well for its continued price appreciation.WWE Legend Virgil The Hulk Hogan I Knew Was Not Racist
WWE Legend Virgil -- The Hulk Hogan I Knew Was Not Racist
EXCLUSIVE
Virgil -- one of the most iconic black wrestlers ever -- says the Hulk Hogan he considered a mentor and a friend never showed any signs of racism in all the years he's known him.
Virgil tells TMZ Sports he was saddened Friday morning when he read about Hogan's N-word rant on a sex tape, and says he doesn't condone racism or racist behavior one bit.
But Virgil tells us, "You can only judge a person based on past experience. Hulk Hogan has never given me a reason to believe he is a racist."
Hogan has since apologized for the comments he made on the sex tape -- which was recorded 8 years ago.As electronic components get smaller, broken smartphones are getting harder to repair.
And as manufacturers contemplate ways to seize this opportunity, pushing DIYers and shops out of the picture, is there a future for the independent repair of portable devices?
The largest case study is smartphone repairs. Many users attempt fixes on their own using spare parts easily available online. But paying others to fix things is more common; over 15,000 shops across the US are part of the $4 billion smartphone repair industry.
Manufacturers want a larger slice of the aforementioned pie and may achieve this in three ways:
Firstly, increasing the usable life of devices can render repairs obsolete. While not good for repair shops this is great news for users – and the right thing to do for manufacturers. For example, the race for a self-healing screen has been going on for a while. Just last week, Motorola applied for a patent on a self-repairing screen, which detects cracks and applies heat from within to fix it in no time. Waterproofing on the Samsung S7 Edge, the ruggedness of Kyocera DuraForce and other improvements might become standard in mainstream smartphones within a few years, rendering repairs almost obsolete.
The second threat involves manufacturers monopolizing on repairs by making them impossible for others. The latest example is Apple is spearheading this attack with the iPhone 8, the next iteration of their flagship product expected to hit the stores in September 2017.
The iPhone 8 will be the first model that will integrate the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the screen. This sensor is a critical for the security of user data and is paired to a specific user and device. This sensor can only be replaced by Apple: it requires an activation process with a special machine that connects to their servers for secure verification in their database. With the screen-Touch ID integration planned for the iPhone 8, a broken screen can no longer be swapped for a new one by a third party. Apple’s iPhone repair machines are also sold at a hefty price to authorized repair shops, meaning the repair will be impossible for most third parties.
The third threat comes from attempts to make independent repairs illegal. Many manufacturers already prevent users from attempting repairs, usually voiding warranty and in some cases leading to legal action.
Opposing these three trends, the “right to repair” movement has gained traction in recent years and advocates not only for the right to repair your belongings, but also for manufacturers to facilitate parts, schematics and other things that facilitate repairing. Repair might be the sole option for, let’s say, a technician for medical equipment in remote Zambia, so manufacturers, they argue, should make DIY repairs safer and easier for global customers.
Physically, there is a limit to our dexterity that already separates the electronics we can tinker with and the ones we cannot. In our collective mind there is also a deep dislike for the concept of planned obsolescence, yet we embrace new technologies as fast as they come. Even if the right to repair prevails, will it be possible to exercise it in 20 years time?Search by Artist
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Artist: Distal Album: Civilization Label: Tectonic Review date: May. 17, 2012
A few tracks into Distal�s debut album, Civilization, the Atlanta producer works in a sample. A perturbed voice drawls "Have you ever been to the South? We have a way of doing things." It�s ironic because Michael Rathburn�s way of doing things couldn�t sound any more British. The beat is a ruffle of thin drum machine taps. The keyboard is close, with felt-fabric fuzziness. There�s occasional chirps that echo dub-like in the background. The distinct layers are forced together, becoming a slinking roll. It�s not really the way they do things in the South, dirty or otherwise. The textures of U.K. bass culture have been showing up throughout the pop spectrum, and Rathburn fits in just fine on British labels like Tectonic and Soul Jazz, which have been releasing his work. When he loops a hip-hop snippet, it feels as if it�s been sent on a tour of Europe first, dissected and coaxed into dancing with a two-step. This isn�t to diminish what Rathburn is doing � he�s good at it. But as electronic dance music finally approaches a mass following in the U.S., it makes one wonder what a U.S. derivation would (or will) sound like, He gets mixed results when he does full low-end suffocation. "Rattlesnake" checks off the regular dubstep tropes of bare-stripped dancehall thumps and squoodgy oscillations. If it�s more urbane than brostep, it�s also just a genre exercise. Much of the middle of Civilization moves through categories like that; a ravey �90s jungle feel here, warm techno pulsing there. The tracks that are built on longer samples and vocals are more involving. "Temple People" chops up a few different R&B shouts that use variations of the phrase "hit them.� He manipulates them into something like the ping-pong energy of Blawan�s monster Brandy rework, "Getting Me Down.� It jolts, but still sways, thanks to a lazy electric piano sitting off to the side. That gentle touch preserves the soul of stammering main lines. Strong contrasts like that are where Rathburn shines. Civilization opener "The Sun" kicks off with an industrial chug that might sound gothic were it not for its 8-bit twinkle. Cheery gushes of organs run through not-quite-melodies, spinning up into teakettle frequencies, a complete reversal of the opening mood. "She Wears Pearls" is even bolder in its incongruities. It establishes itself with a sexy sax sample, straight out of some quiet storm ballad, but a beat gradually intrudes. Not a dance beat, so much as a drum corps revelry, like a line of boyscouts with snares. Juxtapositions like this can be an opportunity for getting campy, and it�s easy to imagine a dance-rock act playing up the kitsch, but Rathburn seems sincere in his enjoyment of the source material. On one of 2011�s better tracks, Brooklyn producer FaltyDL (Drew Lustman) used a similar fade on his Hotflush track "Regret.� Even though these men coat their tracks in filters and release them on international labels, the two share a natural affinity for American R&B chillout. Could be the start of an approach that�s well suited to our shores.
By Ben Donnelly
Read More View all articles by Ben Donnelly Find out more about TectonicSomchai waves to supporters as he arrives at the Supreme Court
Somchai waves to supporters as he arrives at the Supreme Court
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Bangkok (AFP)
Thailand's highest court on Wednesday acquitted two ex-prime ministers and two former top police officers over their role in a 2008 crackdown on anti-government protesters that killed two people.
Former premier Somchai Wongsawat and his then-deputy Chavalit Yongchaiyudh faced negligence charges over a police operation to remove protesters who had laid seige to parliament.
The deadly incident was one of many violent flare-ups over the past decade between their political camp, a populist movement led by former premier Thaksin Shinawtra, and a conservative Bangkok-based establishment.
Police fought pitched battles with demonstrators, some of whom possessed homemade bombs, and fired multiple rounds of tear gas. Two died and hundreds were wounded.
After the military seized power in 2014, authorities put the four men on trial.
But in its ruling on Wednesday nine judges dismissed the case, arguing that authorities had a responsibility to clear the protesters because they had not remained peaceful and that none of the defendants bore direct responsibility for the deaths.
"The protesters surrounded parliament and threatened to storm the building, therefore it was not a peaceful rally. The authorities had to use force in order to clear the way," the court said in its published summary.
"The court has dismissed the case," it added.
Somchai and Chavalit both hail from the political faction loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-exiled billionaire tycoon who sits at the heart of Thailand's festering political divide.
Somchai, Thaksin's brother-in-law, was prime minister at the time of the crackdown while Chavalit had previously served as premier in the 1990s.
Thaksin was ousted by the army in 2006, setting off a decade of instability marked by frequent bouts of political violence, short-lived governments and another army putsch in 2014.
Parties run by or allied to Thaksin's clan have won every election since 2001, largely through the support of rural and poor voters from the populous north who adore them.
But they are loathed by much of Bangkok's royalist elite and their military allies who have used street protests, the courts and coups to crush their opponents.
During the 2008 protests it was the anti-Shinawatra faction -- dubbed the "Yellow Shirts" -- who were laying siege to parliament.
Later that year the Yellow Shirts famously occupied Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in an attempt to topple the government, an action that led to the stranding of tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the kingdom.
Two years later the tables turned. The Yellow Shirt faction was in power and it was the Shinawatras' "Red Shirt" allies who were now blockading swathes of Bangkok -- resulting in an army crackdown that killed more than 90.
No one has been prosecuted for those deaths.
Some of the senior officers behind that 2010 crackdown later led the 2014 coup that brought the current junta to power.
© 2017 AFPThierry Dosogne / Getty Images
In true Pavlovian form, humans are accustomed to getting excited at the sweet sound of an ATM dispensing cash. But is that sound artificially generated? If so, why?
The website Humans Invent, which is somehow partnered up with Sharp Electronics, posted a roundup of technologies equipped with artificial sounds “designed to help humans.” Ultra-quiet electric vehicles, for instance, are being outfitted to produce “vroom” sounds so that pedestrians and bikes can hear them coming and get out of the way, if need be. Some sports arenas have artificial crowd noises, and while those sounds are designed to help the home team, they mostly serve as reminders (depressing, sorta creepy reminders) that the arena is three-quarters empty.
The last item in the list is the ATM machine, with its “comforting whirr of the cash point,” as Humans Invent puts it:
The assumption most people jump to is that the sound is produced by rollers delivering the notes to the collection slot. In fact, the sound is an entirely artificial addition to the process. The noise is produced by a speaker and purely included in the transaction to reassure you that your money is on its way. Without the added noise, the ATM would be practically silent with its moving parts on the other side of a brick wall.
(LIST: 5 Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed)
Word of these claims quickly spread online, and in a thread at Reddit, several commenters who say they’ve worked on ATMs for years called B.S. One wrote:
I serviced ATM/ABM machines for over 4 years, there is no artificial sound, the machines really are that loud (and about 10 times louder with the vault door opened) the belts that are spinning to deliver the cash from the cash cassettes to the customer are by no means “practically silent.” And there is no f***in brick wall in the MIDDLE of the damn machines.
Humans Invent countered by pointing to a Times (of London) story about artificial electric car sounds that quickly and offhandedly also mentions a few other purportedly fake features added to various technologies over the years:
• An unpleasant odour has been added to natural gas since 300 children died in 1937 after a leak at a Texas school went unnoticed
• Digital cameras make the sound of a shutter closing to reassure users
• Cash machines whirr to convince us that our money is on its way
• Manufacturers use dye to make strawberry ice-cream pink, ketchup red and squash orange
If the cash-machine sounds are fake, you can understand why designers would make them so. As the great philosopher Jerry Seinfeld once mused:By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert, 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published April 27, 2016
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III was inducted into the Air Force Order of the Sword during a ceremony April 22 in Montgomery, Alabama.
An ancient tradition adopted by the Air Force in 1967, the Order of the Sword is the highest level of honor and tribute the enlisted corps can give its leaders. The sword symbolizes honor, truth, justice and power, and the induction distinguishes a leader among leaders.
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody presented the sword to Welsh, and he explained that the Order of the Sword is for those leaders who have made significant contributions to the enlisted corps.
"Tonight, the entire Air Force is honoring you, all of the enlisted Airmen that you have helped," Cody said. "They are all thinking of you and saying, 'What a great leader.' And I can say that you have redefined what it means to be a good leader among leaders and what it means to know an Airman."
Before the ceremony, a junior-enlisted Airman had an encounter with Welsh that exemplified the reason why the general was being honored.
While standing and waiting for Welsh's arrival, Airman Andrew Dang, a 42nd Contracting Squadron contracting specialist, admitted to the surrounding chief master sergeants that he wanted to shake Welsh’s hand. The chiefs thought this was a great idea, so when Welsh walked by, they nudged Dang toward him. The Airman quickly shook his hand but was shocked when Welsh invited him to walk into the venue with him.
"It was such a privilege, because of all the people in the room, he chose me, an Airman to walk with him," Dang said. "I was awestricken, it was amazing. I am truly thankful."
Welsh has gained the reputation of reaching out and connecting with Airmen wherever he goes, and the Order of the Sword ceremony was no different. Before presenting Welsh with the sword, Cody commended the general for his concern and care for Airmen.
"This is a significant way to honor you and there is no better example of a leader who should have it, but it almost pales in comparison to what you have given us as an Air Force," he said.
In his remarks, Welsh shared a story from his career that shaped his opinion of the Air Force's enlisted corps.
While deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Welsh said he had lost a pilot from his squadron. In his grief, he went to the chaplain's tent where he sat alone until an Airman came in and put his arm around him and just sat with him.
"He didn't have to check on me to see if I was OK," Welsh said. "He certainly didn't have to sit there and grieve with me, and he somehow had the brilliance to not say anything or to interject his feelings about how bad he felt; he just felt it with me. I'll never forget him, but that's what the enlisted corps does. They do what's necessary, and they do it when it's necessary and they do it until it's time to move on to the next task. They always take care of their own."
Welsh concluded his comments with a charge and a debt of gratitude to all Airmen.
"I do love you. Take care of each other. Lead our Airmen. Keep standing for what you stand for, and if any of you ever need help, find me. I'd be honored if you called," he said.Kashoua Kristy Yang (left) and Scott Wales (right) (Photo: Submitted photos)
An Oak Creek lawyer who came to America as a child refugee was elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Tuesday, becoming only the second Hmong-American jurist in the nation.
Kashoua "Kristy" Yang, of Oak Creek, defeated Scott Wales of Fox Point in the race for an open seat in Branch 47, whose incumbent John Siefert announced last year he would not seek re-election.
Both lawyers were first-time candidates for circuit judge.
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Yang, her parents and most of her 10 siblings were gathered at Bounce Milwaukee on the south side to watch returns, and celebrate her win.
"I don’t know that I was confident," she said, "but I knew what I had to do — reach out to voters — and I felt good about what I was doing."
The only other Hmong-American judge in the country, Paul Lo, has been on the Merced County Superior Court in California since 2014. He appeared at a fund-raiser for Yang.
Wales, 55, stressed his nearly 30 years of legal experience while Yang, 36, told voters about the hard work and values that helped her rise from a child refugee to running her own law practice.
Yang brought little to no traditional trial court experience to the race, as she's practiced in family law mediation and Social Security disability and workers' compensation since graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2009.
Wales' campaign stressed trial work as a criminal defense attorney, plus his eight years as the part-time municipal judge in Fox Point and his 25 years as a paralegal studies instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College as a huge edge in practical experience.
But Yang brought an inspiring backstory to the race: She came to the United States as a 6-year-old refugee from Laos with her parents. She grew up in Sheboygan with 10 siblings, married young, divorced and worked her way through college as a single mother.
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Yang earned a computer science degree with honors from Lakeland College, then worked six years in customer service and supply chain logistics at Kohler, a job that required travel around the United States and abroad before going to law school.
After about 10 years apart, she remarried her ex-husband and moved to the Milwaukee area.
Yang ran a TV spot that featured how she came here at age six with her family from Laos via a refugee camp in Thailand, and the only English she knew was, "Pepsi, please." She said she got "overwhelmingly positive" feedback from voters about the spot.
Wales' campaign forced him to publicly talk about a childhood birth defect, Moebius syndrome, that left his face and tongue partially paralyzed, something that led to childhood bullying until extensive work with a therapist helped him speak normally. He said constant questions about why he wasn't smiling in his campaign photo prompted him to explain his condition, and turn it into a challenge he overcame.
Wales grew up on the North Shore and has practiced law more than 25 years in Wisconsin, mostly in criminal defense, and as the part-time municipal judge in Fox Point, where he lives. Numerous judges, prosecutors and other lawyers endorsed his candidacy.
The 47 circuit judges in Milwaukee County rotate among divisions that hear misdemeanor and felony crimes, family law cases, probate, small claims, general civil and children's court matters. Judges serve six-year terms and earn about $132,000 annually.
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Now nominated for four Golden Globes including Best Score, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's survival epic is getting the vinyl treatment. Mastered for vinyl and limited to 3,000 units, this landmark release is handsomely packaged in a matte tip-on gatefold jacket with each of the two 180 gram pearlescent vinyl (one translucent blue, one cloud white) coming in their own euro sleeve. A download card for a digital version of the album is also included.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and shot in the frozen Canadian wilderness with only natural lighting, The Revenant is a story of loss, revenge and resilience in the face of impossible odds against the furies of man and nature itself.
A film of this magnitude deserves a composer who understands creative artistry and unbridled passion. Japanese master and Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor) fits the bill perfectly. Along with fellow Yellow Magic Orchestra member and frequent collaborator Alva Noto, Sakamoto has created a gripping soundtrack that is sure to be a treat for the winter crowds. Bryce Dessner (writer for Kronos Quartet and the LA Phil) also supplies additional music.Have you ever been unsure whether you should use keigo (honorific speech) or not in Japan? I have. Growing up in Japan, I’ve always faced the uncertainty of speaking keigo. If you are a fluent Japanese speaker or serious Japanese learner, I think you will be able to relate to my experience.
* I will refer to casual speech as tamego (タメ語) in this article although tameguchi (タメ口) seems to be more common.
How the Japanese learn keigo
Happy days
In the beginning, everyone is equal. In kindergarten and elementary school (1st to 6th grades) you don’t worry about keigo. You speak ‘normally’ with other children regardless of your grade. When I was six, I lived in an apartment building where there were many elementary school kids. Some of them were younger and some older. I never used keigo with them.
As far as I remember, children don’t use keigo with grown-ups either. I spoke tamego with my friends’ parents as well. You can even address your teachers without keigo. You may think that teachers are well-respected in Asian cultures and that’s certainly true to some extent, but teacher-student relationships in Japan can be quite casual (including in universities, although you will definitely use keigo with professors).
Still, you might use keigo with strangers or perhaps your distant relatives. When it happens, your parents guide you through it. Keigo is not easy for children so even if you make mistakes, adults are forgiving. Some kids won’t use keigo unless their parents explicitly tell them to.
When you are a kid, everything is simple.
Wake up call
Things are not quite the same once you enter Japanese junior high school (7th to 9th grades); you are introduced to the Japanese hierarchy.
You will notice some changes. All the older kids you used to play with start acting differently. They are now considered senpai (elder ones) and are entitled to be respected. You are suddenly uncomfortable talking to them. Something is wrong. You are supposed to use keigo with them from now on.
The change is so drastic that it’s funny. I used to take care of kids in some extracurricular activities. They spoke tamego with me up to the 6th grade but as soon as they were in junior high school, they started to speak keigo. I didn’t ask them to do so. I would actually have preferred it if they had continued speaking tamego. But they felt they had to speak keigo. In fact, some of them took pride in doing so. For them, speaking keigo was a sign of adulthood.
The senpai-kohai system in junior high school is quite strict. Some people abuse the power. It’s not unusual for a senpai to ask a kohai (younger one) to do menial tasks. For example, your senpai might ask you to buy a drink for him from a vending machine. This is called pashiri (パシリ). You don’t want to be a pashiri. It’s demeaning.
Some are unhappy with this hierarchical relationship. I would often hear kids say, ‘Why do senpai act so arrogantly as if they are superior human beings? They are just one year older than us. That’s not much different.’ Well, too bad for them; once you enter the hierarchy, there’s no going back.
And so it goes.
Afterwards
You will pretty much be using keigo throughout the rest of your life except with your close friends. The innocent days are over. Now you will face uncertain situations where you don’t know whether use keigo or not. Welcome to adulthood in Japan.
When to use keigo
Basic rules
The basic rule is simple: use keigo for older people. Have you noticed that Japanese people ask your age within a minute of meeting? That’s because they need to figure out whether you are older than them or not. If you are older, they will keep using keigo; if not, they might drop it.
Workplace
The rule for the workplace is quite easy: always use keigo. As long as you stick with keigo, you are safe. With your boss, subordinates, clients, other colleagues, using keigo is almost always appropriate. This is especially true if you are new to the company. Use keigo regardless of your position until you figure out the company’s hierarchy. When you are not considered new there anymore, you might explore other possibilities.
Exceptions: traditional Japanese company
If you are a new graduate and newly hired, you will use tamego with other new graduates. This rule usually applies to traditional, large Japanese companies that only hire new graduates once a year. If you go to this kind of company, you are likely to go through some kind of training programme with other newcomers where you build tight relationships with them.
Traditional Japanese companies are a lot like school: you have equal relationships only with people in the same year. With them, you use tamego; with people more senior (senpai), you will use keigo; with newer people (kohai) you will use tamego but they will use keigo with you, so the relationship is not equal.
Exception: smaller companies
Things are different in smaller companies as they tend to hire experienced people throughout the year. These companies have their own unique cultures and hierarchy. Some companies might be very strict like the traditional ones but others are much more relaxed.
In my company for example, people tend to speak keigo with each other regardless of their positions. Some people use tamego to newer people but it’s entirely up to them. As for me, I almost always use keigo except with four people (out of 50). Obviously, I used keigo with them initially, but as we went to lunch and sang karaoke together many times, I dropped it and they followed. The interesting thing is that most of them are actually older than I am. On the other hand, they are newer. My analysis is that since I’m younger, they are comfortable using tamego with me and since they are newer, I’m comfortable as well. It also should be noted that their personalities are very frank. They are not the most traditional Japanese people either; coincidentally, they speak above average English for the Japanese.
Workplace warning
Mind you, just because you get close to somebody at work it doesn’t mean that you can drop keigo. Many people keep using keigo even if they become friends. This is rather remarkable because friendships in the workplace occur quite often in Japan.
On the other hand, if you date somebody from work, you are most likely to drop keigo. But then, many couples keep using keigo at work to keep it professional. They also might want to keep it private from their co-workers. If you want to know more about this, take a look at my article about Japanese office love (http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/japanese-office-love-what-everyone-was-doing-behind-my-back).
Parties
Parties are where the real trouble begins. Let’s define a party as a gathering of people who don’t necessarily know each other beforehand (so I’m excluding office parties and parties with your close friends here). International meet-up events or your friends’ semi-public birthday parties are good examples. These parties are so out of the traditional Japanese context that you don’t know what kind of Japanese you are supposed to speak.
Remember the general rule: use keigo when the other person is older. This is the polite and correct way. However, in the modern Japanese context, using keigo isn’t always appropriate. It can also create a distance and you can be seen as cold if it’s a casual party and people are there to have fun. Imagine a party in a casual bar or club. In this setting, speaking keigo can be seen as uptight or even pretentious. Keigo reminds you of the traditional hierarchy which young, edgy people might not be fond of.
Sometimes, using tamego with older people is more appropriate. But the question is this: how do you know? This is a difficult task. Can you just ask him? Well, it can be awkward and rude. Can you just assume? You also risk being rude. You have to figure it out yourself in some way, but in order to decide, you have to talk to him first, which means you have to choose whether to use keigo, or tamego.
This is where your dilemma lies.
For this reason, getting to know Japanese people at a party has always been tricky for me. It takes me a while to be comfortable talking to Japanese people (or people who speak fluent Japanese). I need time to establish the social context; I need to know what kind of person he is, his social and educational background and age.
Gender effects
This is an interesting observation of myself: I have less trouble talking to random Japanese women than men. In a casual setting, I tend to just use tamego with Japanese women even if they are older and it makes things a whole lot easier. Also, younger women always figure out that it’s OK to use tamego with me even if I don’t explicitly say so. I’m not sure why I can do this. Maybe it’s because women tend to be less hierarchical. I could speculate that women put more weight on personal relationships than social hierarchy.
This also seems to apply to non-Japanese people speaking Japanese. It seems that whenever they speak Japanese, my brain automatically tries to put then in a Japanese context. So when they are men, I have the same difficulty but when they are women, I can just use tamego (unless they are exceedingly polite).
This is a very personal experience of mine so I’m not sure if other people experience similar things. If you have an opinion, please let me know.
Family relationships
You can freely use tamego with your family unless you live in an ultra-traditional patriarchal family. I’ve seen Japanese historical dramas where people speak keigo with their fathers, but I don’t think those families are common today. I’ve been using tamego with my parents and brother since I started to speak.
There’s one situation where I get uncomfortable: texting. I always feel awkward texting my family. Perhaps it’s because texting is still quite new for me. It wasn’t until my mid 20s that I got a mobile phone, and before that I rarely wrote to my family.
Also, talking to my grandmother is very awkward for me. I didn’t talk to her much when I was a child and now, I just don’t know how to speak to her. It feels too polite to use keigo but too casual to use tamego. One possible reason is that she speaks the Hiroshima dialect which I used to speak but don’t anymore. If I hadn’t forgotten the Hiroshima dialect, maybe it would be easier to talk to her.
In public
Use keigo when you order something in a restaurant. This might be different in other regions (I live in Kanto), but here, speaking keigo is the norm unless you are a regular and know the staff well. You might see some old people use tamego with waitresses (my father does that sometimes), but I consider that an exception.
If you work at a restaurant, you are most definitely expected to use keigo with customers.
I’ve heard that in 109 (a young women’s clothing store complex in Shibuay, also known as a mecca of gyal style fashion) the staff tend to use tamego with their customers who are usually young girls. This is seen positively and it |
es, but to march at the side of procession as its security detail.
August 12, 2017 9:39 AM
Instances of violence took place early at Justice Park, which another organization had been legally permitted for, as this tweet sent by the ACLU of Virginia confirmed:
Not sure who provoked first. Both sides were hitting each other at Justice Park before police arrived. #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/onABUPq1mm — ACLU of Virginia (@ACLUVA) August 12, 2017
In the street near the park’s two entrances, brawls began as the left-wing Antifa groups challenged and attacked the racist groups as they walked towards and into the protest park.
“There was no police presence,” Brittany Caine-Conley, a minister-in-training who protested the alt-right rally, told the New York Times. “We were watching people punch each other; people were bleeding all the while police were inside of barricades at the park, watching. It was essentially just brawling on the street and community members trying to protect each other.”
“State police and National Guardsmen watched passively for hours as self-proclaimed Nazis engaged in street battles with counter-protesters. ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson was on the scene and reports that the authorities turned the streets of the city over to groups of militiamen armed with assault rifles,” the left-wing media outlet ProPublica reported:
There was nothing haphazard about the violence that erupted today in this bucolic town in Virginia’s heartland. At about 10 a.m. today, at one of countless such confrontations, an angry mob of white supremacists formed a battle line across from a group of counter-protesters, many of them older and gray-haired, who had gathered near a church parking lot. On command from their leader, the young men charged and pummeled their ideological foes with abandon. One woman was hurled to the pavement, and the blood from her bruised head was instantly visible. Standing nearby, an assortment of Virginia State Police troopers and Charlottesville police wearing protective gear watched silently from behind an array of metal barricades — and did nothing.
August 12, 2017, “Shortly before 11:00 AM”
“Clad in a black, Nazi-style helmet, Matthew Heimbach told ProPublica, ‘We’re defending our heritage.’ Heimbach, who heads the Traditionalist Workers Party, a self-declared fascist group, said he was willing to die for his cause and would do whatever it took to defend himself. He was surrounded by a brigade of white supremacists, including members of the League of the South and the National Socialist Movement,” ProPublica reported:
By the time Heimbach and his contingent arrived in downtown Charlottesville shortly before 11 a.m., what had started hours earlier with some shoving and a few punches had evolved into a series of wild melees as people attacked one another with fists, feet, and the improvised weapons they’d brought with them to the park. White supremacists and anti-racists began blasting each other with thick orange streams of pepper spray. The police did little to stop the bloodshed. Several times, a group of assault-rifle-toting militia members from New York State, wearing body armor and desert camo, played a more active role in breaking up fights.
August 12, 2017, 11:06 AM
Albemarle County’s Interim County Executive and Charlottesville’s City Manager simultaneously declared a local emergency, which was set to become effective 46 minutes later, at 11:06 a.m. The declaration was posted on the Albemarle County website and the City of Charlottesville Police Department Facebook page at 11:17 a.m.:
Charlottesville City Manager Maurice Jones and Interim County Executive Doug Walker have simultaneously issued a Declaration of Local Emergency for the two jurisdictions. This joint declaration allows local officials to request additional resources if needed to respond to ongoing events in the community which are currently localized in downtown Charlottesville. Scheduled activities outside the downtown area are not impacted by ongoing events or by this declaration at this time. Local officials continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide additional details as they are available.
Here is the City of Charlottesville Police Department Facebook post from 11:17 a.m.:
Independently, Lee Catlin, director of communications for Albemarle County, confirmed this timeline, telling Breitbart News that according to information provided to her by the Virginia State Police, the local emergency was declared at 11:00 a.m.
August 12, 2017, 11:28 AM
“RICHMOND–Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement regarding the emergency declaration he authorized this morning,” according to a statement posted on the official website of the Governor of Virginia:
At 11:28 a.m., the Virginia State Police contacted me to request a state of emergency and I immediately authorized the declaration. We have maintained close contact with the Virginia State Police, the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other state and local officials on the ground in Charlottesville, and I agree that the situation in Charlottesville warrants an emergency declaration by me, in order to aid City and County law enforcement in their efforts to restore public safety and order in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding area. In the days and weeks leading up to this event, my Administration engaged in extensive planning and preparation to ensure that the rally in Charlottesville could be held in a safe and lawful environment. These preparations included the deployment of a large number of state troopers, as well as the Virginia National Guard for support. It is now clear that public safety cannot be safeguarded without additional powers, and that the mostly out-of-state protesters have come to Virginia to endanger our citizens and property. I am disgusted by the hatred, bigotry and violence these protesters have brought to our state over the past 24 hours. The actions I have taken are intended to assist local government and restore public safety. My entire team will continue to monitor this situation throughout the day, and take appropriate action as necessary. Read the full declaration here.
The full declaration does not include a time stamp or the location at which it was signed, nor does it include the signature of Gov. McAuliffe, nor the attestation signature of Kelly Thomasson, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
August 12, 2017, 11:35 AM
The Charlottesville Police Department posted on its Facebook account that “Unlawful assembly has been declared for rally at Emancipation Park.” The name of the individual who authorized that declaration was not included in that post.
Here is the Charlottesville Police Department Facebook post from 11:35 a.m.:
Lee Catlin, director of communications for Albemarle County, confirmed the timeline for the declaration of unlawful assembly. She told Breitbart News that according to the Virginia State Police timeline she had obtained, unlawful assembly was declared at 11:32 a.m. She told Breitbart News that she thought, but could not confirm, that the individual who made the declaration of unlawful assembly was the Chief of Police for the City of Charlottesville Police Department. She told Breitbart News she would attempt to confirm that information but has not yet provided the follow-up information.
The rally attendees within Emancipation Park were informed that the event had been declared an unlawful assembly by police in the park and ordered to leave at about 11:40 a.m.
On Monday, August 14, Breitbart News posed several questions to City of Charlottesville Director of Communications Miriam Dickler regarding the evidentiary basis upon which someone–either an official with the City of Charlottesville, an official with the Virginia State Police, or an official of the Commonwealth of Virginia–made this critical decision to declare the legally permitted Emancipation Park rally to be an unlawful assembly in violation of Virginia statute, Va. Code §18.2-406. Breitbart News has not received a response. Here are the questions send to Dickler:
1. Can you please provide the evidentiary basis upon which the City of Charlottesville declared the legally permitted Emancipation Park rally to be an unlawful assembly in violation of Virginia statute, Va. Code §18.2-406? 2. Given that a federal judge had issued a preliminary injunction less than 24 hours earlier ordering the City of Charlottesville to reinstate the permit for the Emancipation Park rally, did the City of Charlottesville’s legal counsel provide a legal opinion to the City Council, City Manager, or Mayor as to the additional evidentiary standard that might be required to declare an unlawful assembly? If so, could you provide that legal opinion? 3. Who, specifically, in the City of Charlottesville made the declaration that the Emancipation Park rally was an unlawful assembly? 4. At what time of day on August 12 did the Council for the City of Charlottesville issue its emergency ordinance stating”the Charlottesville Chief of Policy is hereby empowered to regulate, restrict or prohibit any assembly ofpersons, or the movement of persons ore vehicals on any public street, sidewalk, right of way, park or other publicly-owned property.”? 5. By what legal authority was the emergency ordinance issued by the Council for the City of Charlottesville? Did the Council convene in person or telephonically? 6. Why did the Chief of Police not simultaneously declare the adjacent permitted demonstration as an unlawful assembly at the same time?
August 12, 2017, 11:40 AM
About twenty minutes before the legally permitted “Unite the Right” rally was scheduled to begin at noon in Charlottesville, Virginia’s Emancipation Park on Saturday, August 12, the Virginia State Police announced to the crowd of attendees in the park that the event had been declared an unlawful assembly. (See further details at the beginning of this story.)• 'Spurs look strong at home. It is a real 50-50 tie' • Wenger still laments Arsenal exit to Barcelona
Arsène Wenger believes that his Tottenham Hotspur rival Harry Redknapp has every chance of upsetting Real Madrid and advancing into the Champions League semi-finals.
The Arsenal manager, who is no friend of Madrid's José Mourinho, continues to lament his team's European exit at the hands of Barcelona in the last 16, a tie that he feels was shaped by Robin van Persie's controversial sending-off in the second leg.
Wenger will be no more than an interested onlooker this week, when Tottenham travel to the Santiago Bernabéu for the first leg of the quarter-final.
"It is very open," Wenger said. "Who cannot be beaten? If everything went all right, Barcelona would be out today... if it had stayed 11 v 11, I am convinced of that. So why can't Spurs beat Madrid? Madrid has a disadvantage to play the first game at home and Spurs look to be strong at home. It is a real 50-50 tie."Millions of people around the world are emerging from poverty thanks to rising economic freedom. But by sharp contrast, America’s economic freedom has been on a declining path over the past decade.
America’s declining score in the index is closely related to rapidly rising government spending, subsidies, and bailouts.
According to the 2016 Index of Economic Freedom, an annual publication by The Heritage Foundation, America’s economic freedom has tumbled. With losses of economic freedom in eight of the past nine years, the U.S. has tied its worst score ever, wiping out a decade of progress.
>>> Read the full 2016 Index of Economic Freedom
The U.S. has fallen from the 6th freest economy in the world, when President Barack Obama took office, to 11th place in 2016. America’s declining score in the index is closely related to rapidly rising government spending, subsidies, and bailouts.
Since early 2009:
Government spending has exploded, amounting to $29,867 per household in 2015.
The national debt has risen to $125,000 for every tax-filing household in America—a total over $18 trillion.
The government takeover of health care is raising prices and disrupting markets.
Bailouts and new government regulations have increased uncertainty, stifling investment and job creation.
This is not something to take lightly. Economic freedom is the foundation of U.S. economic strength, and economic strength is the foundation of America’s high living standards, military power, and status as a world leader. The perils of losing economic freedom are not fictional.
It is painfully clear that our economy has been performing far below its potential, with individuals, families, and entrepreneurs being squeezed by the proliferation of big-government bureaucracy and regulations.
>>> Related: America Mired Below Top 10 in Economic Freedom
As documented by the index, and by other scholars, America’s economic freedom has been declining at an alarming pace.
Indeed, as The Wall Street Journal recently summed it up succinctly, Obama is “a champion when it comes to limiting economic freedom, and American workers have the slow growth in jobs and wages to prove it.”
Not surprisingly, our economic dynamism and innovative capacity have been measurably reduced.
Not surprisingly, our economic dynamism and innovative capacity have been measurably reduced. Self-inflicted wounds include:
No wonder the labor force participation rate has remained at near record lows after more than five years of steady decline.
Worse, vibrant entrepreneurial growth has been stymied by greater policy uncertainty and mounting debt. And a disturbing trend toward cronyism has gravely eroded the rule of law and distorted our free-market system.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, keynote speaker of the official release of the 2016 Index, recently stated:
It’s been almost seven years since the Obama “recovery” began, and our economy is barely out of neutral. Why does America have to settle for this?
Restoring economic freedom is prerequisite to revitalizing and brightening America’s future. 2016 is the year to reaffirm the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and rule of law so that we can reconstitute an America where freedom, opportunity, and prosperity flourish.
The time to act is now.What’s happening in Gorakhpur now?
On Saturday, 2nd September, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested Dr Kafeel Khan, the former nodal officer at the Department of Paediatrics at the BRD Medical College and Hospital. Dr Rajeev Mishra and Dr Satish were also arrested on the orders of the Uttar Pradesh government after being named in an FIR. Khan oversaw the acute encephalitis syndrome ward, Mishra is the former principal of BRD Medical College and Hospital, and Dr Satish headed the oxygen supply unit and anaesthesia department. On 31st August, the Gorakhpur Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Mishra and his wife Poornima to 14 days in judicial custody.
On Wednesday, 30th August, the college’s principal, PK Singh, said that 1,250 children had died at the hospital since January.
In August alone, 77 children had died of encephalitis. Singh said 16 children died on August 31, while 19 others died on September 1 at the neonatal intensive care unit, general and encephalitis wards of the hospital.
Why does this happen?
The increasing number of children dying in Gorakhpur is as much an apathy problem as it is an administrative one. Encephalitis, the disease that has caused the death of 25,000 children over a period of four decades, continues to be an epidemic in the state of Uttar Pradesh despite multiple government changes. When national headlines were taken over by the news of the death of 63 children at the BRD Hospital between August 7 and August 11, all hell broke loose. News channels rushed to Gorakhpur, which has also been Chief Minister Adityanath’s Lok Sabha constituency since 1998, and the sob-stories about the suffering started. There was outrage by the opposition, the government rushed to make amends and give excuses, and news anchors abandoned Yogi (even Arnab got angry).
Amit Shah, when asked in a press conference about his views on the Gorakhpur deaths, said, “The investigation is going on, Yogiji has initiated a time-bound investigation and the results will be made public as soon as we receive it”. Shah, known to be an astute election manager, went on to say, “This is an incident. This is a mistake, on whichever level it has happened. Our (BJP’s) intention for the development of the poor cannot be denied by you (the media)”. Shah then slumped back into his seat and went on to answer other questions.
This has always been our attitude towards the poor.
What will it take for us to be disgusted and shaken by the deaths of over a thousand of children? These children died not because the disease affecting them is incurable. These children died not because there was no way for us to save them. These children died because we don’t care. It’s common knowledge that the condition of hospitals around the country is despicable. Major government hospitals in big cities are filled with people who travel miles, sometimes from one end of the country to another, to get medical treatment. None of us are oblivious to this fact, then why have we done nothing to change it?
The question isn’t why this is happening under a BJP government. This is bound to happen regardless of the party in power. Ever since the Yogi government came under fire for the ‘Gorakhpur tragedy’, their ardent supporters have backed the government by saying that the situation was much worse under former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Is that a valid justification for the death of over a thousand children? If the hospitals of the rich can be well-maintained, air-conditioned and fully-equipped, why are the poor being handed nothing?
We have shared on social media images of a man slinging his wife’s body over his shoulder and carrying it 10 kilometers after being denied an ambulance. We have outraged over a man’s sick son dying on his shoulder after being denied admission to a Kanpur hospital. When are we going to seek real action? There is nothing to gain from bickering over which political party has been the worst. We have stopped caring about the unfortunate within this country. The headlines make a lot of noise but things eventually return to the status-quo. Provision of basic health facilities is not an outrageous demand, and if the government can’t provide this then what good are they for?Joost de Valk Joost de Valk is the founder and Chief Product Officer of Yoast and the Lead Marketing & Communication for WordPress.org. He's a digital marketer, developer and an Open Source fanatic.
Today at Pubcon Matt Cutts of Google once again promoted the use of autocomplete-type, a new property for web forms that works in Chrome (and possibly other browsers, I haven’t checked). Google first introduced it back in January 2012 in this post. I wanted to do this quick post to tell you to turn off autocomplete in your browser.
This test URL will show you way quicker than I can explain it in words. Please try it and come back. If you’re using autocomplete to, for instance, sign up for an email newsletter, you might have just provided that website with your full address and/or (even worse) your credit card details too. It’s as simple as adding the fields to the form and hiding them from the user…
So: turn off autocomplete until your browser has better controls on what gets autofilled.
How to turn off autocomplete in Chrome
In Chrome, go to your Settings, click Advanced, then make sure the top box here (that is checked in the screenshot) is NOT checked:Photo: Contributed
A pipeline company and a B.C. First Nation have signed an agreement to work together.
Trans Mountain, the company behind the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc have signed a Mutual Benefit Agreement (MBA), a confidential agreement that defines a mutually beneficial long-term relationship between an individual Aboriginal group and Kinder Morgan Canada.
According to a press release from Trans Mountain, these agreements provide opportunities for First Nations located in closest proximity to the pipeline corridor to share in the prosperity of sustainable development within their territories.
“Trans Mountain pipeline has been in the ground since 1953 and the history of relations has been challenging. To get to this stage in our relationship, we have sat at the table with Kinder Morgan Canada and had some tough negotiations,” said band Chief Fred Seymour.
“The outcome that we reached in the mutual benefit agreement involved a collaborative process, always keeping our members’ interests at the forefront, resulting in training, employment and contract opportunities for Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc members and compensation for the inequities dating back to 1953.
"Once Kinder Morgan Canada fulfills the significant obligations required by the National Energy Board, there will be greater certainty that the environmental and other commitments will be achieved. Then, the work schedule can be laid out.”
The project will create more than 15,000 jobs through construction and 37,000 after operation of the pipeline, which includes direct jobs building the pipeline and indirect jobs in sectors such as engineering, manufacturing and transportation.
Trans Mountain stated it plans to maximize Aboriginal, local and regional employment opportunities.The fate of Catalonia’s ousted leader remains unclear but Belgium’s ruled out his immediate extradition to Spain.
Madrid has issued a European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont however Brussels has made it clear the matter must be decided by its courts and not its executive.
Belgian authorities have also released a statement saying they don’t consider Puigdemont to be a flight risk so they are not in a hurry to talk to him, adding it could be Sunday or Monday.
For his part, Puigdemont has taken to Twitter to call for a united political front in December’s snap election to continue the drive for independence.
Puigdemont repeated that he is willing to cooperate with Belgian authorities over the arrest warrant.
We zijn bereid tot volledige medewerking met Belgische justitie nav het Europees aanhoudingsbevel uitgevaardigd door Spanje — Carles Puigdemont? (@KRLS) November 4, 2017
He’s also called for more protests against the jailing of eight former members of his regional government, words warmly welcomed by some on the streets of Barcelona.
“To pick someone up and arrest them is not politics. Politics is talking, discussing, to arrest someone seems to me a little bit like the action of a fascist government. It’s something that doesn’t make any sense these days in Europe, we all need to talk and discuss, that’s why we live in a democracy,” said Barcelona local Cristiano Gonzalez.
Some crucial talks are likely to take place this weekend as political parties that wish to run on a common platform have until Tuesday to register any potential coalition.CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Withstanding persistent pressure from his summer landlord, Tony Stewart, Rico Abreu earned his place in Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions victory lane on Friday evening at Atomic Speedway, capturing the Open Wheel Championships preliminary victory worth $5,000 over a field of 46 entries.
The Arctic Cat All Star triumph was the seventh of Abreu’s impressive career; his first at Atomic Speedway.
“I just gotta thank my guys for getting this car right where it needed to be tonight,” Abreu said. “Our car has been really close the last few weeks. We put ourselves in really good position tonight in relation to how the track was. I felt like we were really good right away. My guys have been clocking in a lot of work. It all pays off when you are standing up here with the trophy.”
On a surface narrowed by its abrasiveness, Abreu led all but one circuit of the 30-lap main event, swapping positions with Tony Stewart just after the pair reached traffic for the first time.
Stewart worked by Abreu to officially lead lap 11, but after a side-by-side battle during the entire following circuit, it was Abreu who would lead lap 12. From that point forward, it was all Abreu at the front of the field, chased to the final checkers by Stewart, Cole Duncan, Lee Jacobs and Joey Saldana.
“I caught him sleeping as traffic started to get him backed up,” Stewart said. “I saw where he went, so I went in a different spot and got a run on him. I just wasn’t fast enough to hold him off. He got through traffic tonight a lot better than I did. He was definitely the better car and driver.”
“He lets me stay at his house in the summertime, so I had to be pretty nice to him there,” Abreu laughed. “You have to give Tony a lot of respect. He is just as hungry as any of us out here racing.”
“I think he got himself a little too high when he got around me. That allowed me to get back below him,” Abreu continued. “I was able to get through the center a little bit better than him. I think it would have been a really good race even if it didn’t take rubber. Towards the end, I was starting to worry about my tires. At that point, all you can do is race and pray.”
The finish:
Rico Abreu, Tony Stewart, Cole Duncan, Lee Jacobs, Joey Saldana, Max Stambaugh, Dave Blaney, Caleb Helms, John Garvin, Carson Macedo, Danny Smith, Spencer Bayston, Parker Price-Miller, Ryan Smith, Chad Kemenah, Brandon Spithaler, Bryan Nuckles, Logan Wagner, Jordan Mackison, Brent Matus, Tim Shaffer, Cale Thomas, Todd Kane, Ryan Myers.If you’re currently in school, chances are that you are merely coasting by, dreaming of owning your own business at some point, but for now you’re focusing on your classes. Of course, being immersed in your schoolwork is definitely a good thing. After all, you’re in school to learn and to eventually earn a bachelor’s or more advanced degree. Still, if you want to get serious about entrepreneurship, it’s really advisable to start as early as you can. Why? Because entrepreneurship requires lots of initial failure. Getting started early will help you develop immunity toward failure so that you can hasten your success that much more quickly. Here’s how you may want to make use of your time in school:
1. Take business, economics, critical thinking, and public speaking courses.
Truth be told, you don’t have to be a business or economics major in order to be a successful entrepreneur. One of the most successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who ever graduated from my university was an English major. You should, however, take some courses that relate to numbers and money. Some schools offer classes specifically about entrepreneurship, but in lieu of these classes, take a couple of business and economics courses. Definitely take a speech or public speaking course, and certainly take an array of courses that encourage critical thinking. These can be in as diverse a field as English, philosophy, or Classical studies. In our globalized economy, be sure to take a foreign language course or two, specifically in Spanish, Chinese, French, German or Russian.
2. Join campus clubs that develop skills related to entrepreneurship.
Some universities have clubs that are specifically created for future entrepreneurs. Here is a pretty thorough list of universities that offer such clubs. Entrepreneur clubs, however, are not the only student organizations that will help you in your future career. Taking on a leadership role in any organization, from student government to environmental clubs to clubs dedicated to volunteering, are all a good start. ToastMasters is a great public speaking club that helps develop your speaking skills while also networking with local professionals.
3. Start a business. A business about anything.
You may be feeling overwhelmed by the idea of starting your own business now. What many students don’t realize is that you CAN start a simple business just to practice your skills. Let’s a call it a more grown-up version of the lemonade stand. For example, one of my friends in college started an online service that connected high school students with university student tutors. He did this his freshman year. Seven years later, his tutoring service has developed significantly and he runs the company full-time.
4. Immerse yourself in the business community outside of school.
One key ingredient in starting a business is starting and developing strong business relationships. Of course, it may be tempting to merely hang out with your own, more academic-minded peers, but there’s real value in going out into the community to start establishing business relationships early. There are many clubs for young professionals that are open to students, and there are also different events and volunteer organizations that attract business-minded people, like the industry trade associations and your local chamber of commerce.
To be sure, just because you prepare yourself for entrepreneurship in college, doesn’t mean that you’ll be a successful entrepreneur as soon as you graduate. The most important characteristic of a successful businessperson is patience. Hard work will eventually pay off, if you can persevere and wait for it. Good luck!
Katheryn Rivas is freelance writer and blogger who dedicates her time to discovering the latest online education trends. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing softball or reading a good book. She encourages your comments at [email protected].Sesame Workshop (SW), formerly the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization which has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-known, Sesame Street—that have been televised internationally. Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and foundation executive Lloyd Morrisett developed the idea to form an organization to produce Sesame Street, a television series which would help children, especially those from low-income families, prepare for school. They spent two years, from 1966 to 1968, researching, developing, and raising money for the new series. Cooney was named as the Workshop's first executive director, which was termed "one of the most important television developments of the decade".[4]
Sesame Street premiered as a series on National Educational Television (NET) in the United States on November 10, 1969, and moved to NET's successor, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), in late 1970. The Workshop was formally incorporated in 1970. Gerald S. Lesser and Edward L. Palmer were hired to perform research for the series; they were responsible for developing a system of planning, production, and evaluation, and the interaction between television producers and educators, later termed the "CTW model". They also hired a staff of producers and writers. After the initial success of Sesame Street, they began to plan for its continued survival, which included procuring additional sources of funding and creating other television series. The early 1980s were a challenging period for the Workshop; difficulty finding audiences for their other productions and a series of bad investments harmed the organization until licensing agreements stabilized its revenues by 1985.
After Sesame Street's initial success, the CTW began to think about its survival beyond the development and first season of the show, since their funding sources were composed of organizations and institutions that tended to start projects, not sustain them. Government funding ended by 1981, so the CTW developed other activities, including unsuccessful ventures into adult programs, the publications of books and music, international co-productions, interactive media and new technologies, licensing arrangements, and programs for preschools. By 2005, income from the CTW's international co-productions of the series was $96 million. By 2008, the Sesame Street Muppets accounted for $15–17 million per year in licensing and merchandising fees. Cooney resigned as CEO during 1990; David Britt was named as her replacement.
On June 5, 2000, the CTW changed its name to Sesame Workshop[5] to better represent its activities beyond television, and Gary Knell became CEO. H. Melvin Ming replaced Knell during 2011. During 2014, Ming was succeeded by Jeffrey D. Dunn.
History [ edit ]
Background [ edit ]
During the late 1960s, 97% of all American households owned a television set, and preschool children watched an average of 27 hours of television per week.[6] Early childhood educational research at the time had shown that when children were prepared to succeed in school, they earned better grades and learned more effectively. Children from low-income families, however, had fewer resources than children from higher-income families to prepare them for school. Research had shown that children from low-income, minority backgrounds tested "substantially lower"[7] than middle-class children in school-related skills, and that they continued to have educational deficits throughout school.[8] The topic of developmental psychology had grown during this period, and scientists were beginning to understand that changes of early childhood education could increase children's cognitive growth.
CTW Co-founder Joan Ganz Cooney, during 1985.
Co-founder Lloyd Morrisett, during 2010.
During the winter of 1966, Joan Ganz Cooney hosted what she called "a little dinner party"[9] at her apartment near Gramercy Park. Attending were her husband Tim Cooney, her boss Lewis Freedman, and Lloyd and Mary Morrisett, whom the Cooneys knew socially.[10] Cooney was a producer of documentary films at New York public television station WNDT (now WNET), and won an Emmy for a documentary about poverty in America.[11] Lloyd Morrisett was a vice-president at Carnegie Corporation, and was responsible for funding educational research, but had been frustrated in his efforts because they were unable to reach the large numbers of children in need of early education and intervention.[12] Cooney was committed to using television to change society, and Morrisett was interested in using television to "reach greater numbers of needy kids".[13] The conversation during the party, which according to writer Michael Davis was the start of a five-decade long professional relationship between Cooney and Morrisett, turned to the possibilities of using television to educate young children.[14] A week later, Cooney and Freedman met with Morrisett at the office of Carnegie Corporation to discuss doing a feasibility study for creating an educational television program for preschoolers.[15] Cooney was chosen to perform the study.[9]
During the summer of 1967, Cooney took a leave of absence from WNDT, and funded by Carnegie Corporation, traveled the U.S. and Canada interviewing experts in child development, education, and television. She reported her findings in a fifty-five-page document entitled "The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education".[16] The report described what the new series, which became Sesame Street, would be like and proposed the creation of a company that managed its production, which eventually became known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW).[9]
Founding [ edit ]
For the next two years, Cooney and Morrisett researched and developed the new show, acquiring $8 million funding for Sesame Street, and establishing the CTW.[17] Due to her professional experience, Cooney always assumed the show's natural network would be PBS. Morrisett was amenable to broadcast it by commercial stations, but all three major networks rejected the idea. Davis, considering Sesame Street's licensing income years later, termed their decision "a billion-dollar blunder".[18] Morrisett was responsible for fund acquisition, and was so successful at it that writer Lee D. Mitgang later said that it "defied conventional media wisdom". Cooney was responsible for the show's creative development, and for hiring the production and research staff for the CTW.[19] The Carnegie Corporation provided their initial $1 million grant, and Morrisett, using his contacts, procured additional multimillion-dollar grants from the U.S. federal government, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Ford Foundation.[20][note 1] Morrisett's friend Harold Howe, who was the commissioner for the U.S. Department of Education, promised $4 million, half of the new organization's budget. The Carnegie Corporation donated an additional $1 million.[22] Mitgang stated, "Had Morrisett been any less effective in lining up financial support, Cooney's report likely would have become just another long-forgotten foundation idea".[23] Funds gained from a combination of government agencies and private foundations protected them from the economic problems experienced by commercial networks, but caused difficulty for procuring future funding.[24]
Cooney's proposal included using in-house formative research that would inform and improve production, and independent summative evaluations to test the show's effect on its young viewers' learning.[25][26] During 1967, Morrisett recruited Harvard University professor Gerald S. Lesser, whom he had met while they were both psychology students at Yale,[27] to help develop and lead the Workshop's research department. During 1972, the Markle Foundation donated $72,000 to Harvard to form the Center for Research in Children's Television, which served as a research agency for the CTW. Harvard produced about 20 major research studies about Sesame Street and its effect on young children.[28] Lesser also served as the first chairman of the Workshop's advisory board, a position he held until his retirement in 1997.[29] According to Lesser, the CTW's advisory board was unusual because instead of rubber-stamping the Workshop's decisions like most boards for other children's television shows, it contributed significantly to the series' design and implementation.[30] Lesser reported in Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street, his 1974 book about the beginnings of Sesame Street and the Children's Television Workshop, that about 8—10% of the Workshop's initial budget was spent on research.[31]
CTW's summative research was done by the Workshop's first research director, Edward L. Palmer, whom they met at the curriculum seminars Lesser conducted in Boston during the summer of 1967. During the summer of 1968, Palmer began to create educational goals, define the Workshop's research activities, and hire his research team.[32] Lesser and Palmer were the only scientists in the U.S. studying the interaction of children and television at the time.[33] They were responsible for developing a system of planning, production, and evaluation, and the interaction between television producers and educators, later called the "CTW model".[34][35] Cooney observed of the CTW model: "From the beginning, we—the planners of the project—designed the show as an experimental research project with educational advisers, researchers, and television producers collaborating as equal partners".[36] She described the collaboration as an "arranged marriage".[37]
The CTW devoted 8% of its initial budget to outreach and publicity.[38] In what television historian Robert W. Morrow called "an extensive campaign"[39] that Lesser stated "would demand at least as much ingenuity as production and research",[32] the Workshop promoted the show with educators, the broadcast industry, and the show's target audience, which consisted of inner-city children and their families. They hired Evelyn Payne Davis from the Urban League, whom Michael Davis called "remarkable, unsinkable, and indispensable",[40] as the Workshop's first Vice President of Community Relations and manager of the Workshop's Community Educational Services (CES) division.[32] Bob Hatch was hired to publicize their new series, both before its premiere and to take advantage of |
3300
Best Audio Accessory: Rocki
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Best Car Tech: Audi Tablet
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Best Steam Box: Gigabyte Brix ProKelsey Johnson tosses away a bag of flood-damaged belongings in front of her home in the Westbury neighborhood of southwest Houston (AFP Photo/MANDEL NGAN)
Houston (AFP) - The traffic jams are back on the vast highways lacing through the heart of Houston, and the sun is shining again.
Many Houstonians are still trying to salvage what they can from their flooded homes. But one word captures the mood in the most racially diverse US city: solidarity.
"Come on in!" calls Sarah Osborne without a moment's hesitation, as she opens the door to her red brick home, a US flag planted on a tree near the entrance.
Standing before her -- hammers in hand, dust masks around their neck -- are four young men who introduce themselves as members of Ahmadiyya, of the Ahmadi sect, the oldest Muslim-American organization in the United States.
Since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas a week ago unleashing a deluge that flooded Houston, youths from the organization -- which has some 700 members in Houston and 5,000 throughout the country -- have gathered to help storm victims.
Wearing a work apron over his jeans, a cap and fluo sneakers, the dynamic Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association spokesman Rahman Nasir says that his members have rescued some 20 families by boat. As the flood waters recede they have also helped clear debris from 20 to 30 homes.
At Sarah and Robert Osborne's house the youths use their hammers to tap open the bottom of the walls and pull out waterlogged drywall. With a wheelbarrow, they dump loads of debris onto the pavement in Houston's Westbury neighborhood.
Ruined furniture, soggy carpet and cracked mirrors litter the neighborhood lawns -- scenes repeated everywhere as neighbors, friends and previously unknown volunteers help carry out household items, either to dry in the sun or to be removed as trash.
- Texas stigma -
"That's the spirit of this city, everybody is just helping everybody," says Sarah Osborne. "People just help each other. That doesn't matter, the color of your skin, or where you're from, or what your religion is, or whatever."
Her husband Robert adds: "There's a stigma in Texas that we're racists, we're white, that we're anti-Muslims or anti-homosexuals or just anti-everything, we're Bible-thumping, shot-gun blasting -- and it couldn't be further from the truth about Houston, because our city is so diverse."
Census figures show that Houston is the most racially diverse city in the United States, more even than New York and Los Angeles.
Nasir, a 23-year-old student who grew up in Houston, agrees with Robert.
"If we were to believe the news, I would get a slammed door in my face. But in reality people welcome us and welcome our service," he said.
Beyond the expressions of solidarity, the trauma of sudden loss is also evident in this neighborhood.
Moved upon seeing her child's artwork still attached to a cupboard about to be thrown out, Kelsey Johnson confides she wants to leave the house she shares with her husband DeAndre and their two children.
"How it hit Houston as a whole, I think is pretty overwhelming to a lot of people," said Tom Cosgrove, 32, a property manager who arrived Friday morning from Austin, the state capital, to help his aunt.
"Driving around this neighborhood you can just see how many people get devastated, and honestly there are probably still people in their homes who just don't know what to do yet," he said.
Behind him, his aunt, 54-year-old Lisa Plack, is scrubbing metal dishes in a tub near wet chairs and sofas that are drying out on the lawn.
"We're seriously exhausted," she said. "But the way people come together, it's very satisfying. Just the community spirit."
"You hear nothing but bad press, you hear nothing but, you know, this group hates this group, and then you find out: nobody hates anybody. Everybody comes together."In the darkness after practice, cornerback Kayvon Webster can’t make the starting lineup, but he can make sure he is ready if the opportunity surfaces. It’s his fault, of course. He loves to work, having seen how hours of “staying on the grind” turned him into his family’s first college graduate and a Super Bowl champion.
So as the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp ended Thursday, Webster’s pursuit of a bigger role did not. He has worked out in Los Angeles with a good friend, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. He ran drills with trainers in Miami, improved his balance with a Busco board. And if that guy at the local Lifetime Fitness looks familiar, it’s Webster catching at least 150 passes five times per week.
“Really the offseason for me, it really wasn’t an offseason. This is the last year of my contract. I can’t take breaks off. I know what I want. I know what I want to get,” Webster says, pausing, “and I know what it’s going to take.”
Webster, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft after graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in health sciences, seeks a bigger role. He knows it might not be available, but with uncertainty surrounding cornerback Aqib Talib’s leg injury and potential discipline from NFL headquarters, he knows he must be ready to shine. Bradley Roby projects to start if Talib remains sidelined, which could make Webster an important figure in the Denver defense’s nickel and dime packages.
“I want to play more. And it’s up to me to make the most of it, whether it’s five plays or 60,” Webster said. “I want to be part of the ‘No Fly Zone.’ I am in it, but I want people to see me as part of it. Whatever they have in store for me, I have to contribute more.”
Webster made two starts as a rookie. None since. He entered the league as an athlete, working off instincts. Working with secondary coach Joe Woods, Webster has improved his technique. The Broncos want Talib in the lineup, but Webster has offered hints this summer that the depth at cornerback is better than expected.
“Roby and Kayvon are working hard,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “I thought both of them played well last year. Roby played a whole lot. Kayvon, I’d like to see more, because he’s a good player.”
Coach Gary Kubiak praises Webster’s finishing kick, for finding a way to make an impact in the season’s second half on special teams. But his playoff run proved nothing short of a highlight reel as Webster pinned teams back with relentless effort on punt coverage. Kubiak told the players near season’s end that the team which plays best for a month will be remembered. Webster bought in. Denver Broncos More Broncos news
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“We just showed them film on the inside-the-20 stuff. You look at those playoff games against Pittsburgh and New England, and I believe he downed four inside the 5,” said special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis. “That’s going to help you win games. He worked his tail off.”
For Webster, the impact became real this week. He traveled to the White House, reuniting with teammates and soaking in the moment. It created pause for Webster, who grew up wondering if he ever would have an opportunity to play in college, let alone in the NFL.
“It was amazing,” Webster said. “I don’t know anyone who has actually been to the White House. For me to represent my family and the county I am from, it meant a lot. I got to shake (President) Barack Obama’s hand twice. It was huge. That’s a memory I am going to have forever.”
Another snapshot to savor arrives Sunday. The Broncos will receive their Super Bowl 50 championship rings in a private ceremony. For Webster, the jewelry represents what was and what is possible going forward.
“I will probably wear it the first couple of days,” Webster said of his title ring. “What we did goes down in history. And I was fortunate enough to make a few plays to help us during that run. Having that ring shows my community what hard work can accomplish. But that season is behind us too. We have to get back on another run, and I have so much more I want to do.”
Webster delivers
With uncertainty about Aqib Talib’s availability, the Broncos could lean on cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Kayvon Webster. NFL reporter Troy E. Renck analyzes Webster:The takeaway from the new poll from Toronto-based Forum Research seems rather remarkable.
If an election were held today, Forum says, 39 per cent of the country would vote for Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party and 35 per cent would vote for Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
Forum’s president Lorne Bozinoff doesn’t stop there, though. He then applies his poll result to a seat distribution model and concludes that, if an election were held right now, the result would be a Conservative minority — can you say Prime Minister Andrew Scheer? — where the Tories would have precisely half the seats in the House of Commons. The Tories would win 169, while the Liberals would win 130 seats, the NDP 26, the Bloc Quebecois 12, and the Green Party would keep its single seat.
“Trudeau enters the fall legislative session with his popularity slipping,” Bozinoff said in a statement accompanying the release of the poll on Sunday morning. “The primary beneficiary of Trudeau’s decline is Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives.”
This is just the second poll since early October 2015 that finds anyone but Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in first place. (The other one, from March, was also from Forum.) So, the question quickly posed on social networks is does this poll represent the reality of Canadian public opinion or is it an outlier?
Rival pollsters and statistics scientists will have their own opinions but the only real answer is that we truly cannot know if this is an outlier or reality unless we had an actual general election and were able to compare Forum’s poll against actual results.
Some pundits and political operatives will dismiss Forum out-of-hand because of some polls it has published in the past, where it tries to track political preference in just one riding. (It swung and missed by a wide margin, for example, during a 2013 by-election in the Manitoba riding of Brandon Souris.)
But when Forum takes the national pulse, its record versus the actual results has been as good as its peers and, in some cases, much better. For example, its final poll before the 2015 general election found 40 per cent support for the Liberals, 30 per cent for the Conservatives and 20 per cent for the NDP. The actual results? A 39.5 per cent lead for the Liberals, 31.9 per cent for the Conservatives and 19.7 per cent for the NDP.
In the 2011 general election, Forum was, by some measures, best among its peers when it came to its final poll of that campaign versus actual results.
But in this case, of course, we will not have actual results with which to compare Forum’s. The next best thing then is to take a look at several recent polls to see if Forum may have picked up on a trend.
The Forum poll, which was in the field on Sept. 13 and 14, finds the Conservatives up by four points over the Liberals. Meanwhile, the weekly tracking poll from Nanos Research, for the week ending Sept. 15, finds the Liberals with more than a 10-point lead over the Tories. For the week ending Sept. 8, Nanos had the Liberals were up by 12 points on the Tories.
Campaign Research was in the field Sept. 8-11 and it found the Liberals with a 12-point lead. Abacus Data, polling from Sept. 1-3, also found a 12-point Liberal lead. Mainstreet Research, polling Aug. 28-31, found an 11-point Liberal lead.
So you be the judge: One pollster, Forum, finds a four-point Conservative lead while five other polls from four other pollsters done around the same time find the Liberals up by 10 points or more.
Forum, for the record, uses an interactive voice response telephone survey technology and polled 1,350 for its most recent poll. Forum says the margin-of-error is three percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Campaign Research and Abacus cannot calculate a margin-of-error because their survey population is not selected on a truly random basis. (That’s not to say they may not be accurate; it’s just a statement of statistical fact.) Mainstreet, which also uses a telephone survey method and, as a result, can calculate a margin-of-error, surveyed 2,000 Canadians, reached on both landline and cell phones, and claims it is accurate to within 2.19 percentage points. Similarly, Nanos uses a telephone survey of cellphones and landlines and factors in 1,000 results collected over a four-week rolling sample. It says its margin-of-error is 3.1 percentage points.
And yet, if you take all the polls published since the 2015 election and plotted the results on a graph, as a Wikipedia contributor has done, there appears to be some evidence the spread between Liberals and Conservatives has been tightening somewhat since mid-summer. Still, there’s no denying the big picture that shows Liberal dominance in all polls since the 2015 election.
So what to make it of it all? On social media, the response among political partisans is predictable: Liberals dismiss the Forum poll as an outlier while Conservatives hold it up as proof of how public opinion has swung against the Liberals, likely as a result of their recent misadventures in tax reform.
Outlier or not, thoughtful partisans on either side see it as a reminder that, in politics, odd things can and do often happen. In Canada, we need only point to the circumstances through which B.C. and Alberta ended up with NDP governments or the United States ended up with Donald Trump.
So this Forum poll may remind some Liberals of the dangers of complacency and the damage that may be done to their brand if not enough promises are kept on everything from Indigenous issues to climate change.
For Conservatives who may have privately doubted that new leader Andrew Scheer can topple Trudeau, this Forum poll may give them some heart. The Conservatives have a solid base of support of at least 30-32 per cent no matter the pollster and that party continues to dominate when it comes to political fundraising.
As for the country’s New Democrats, they’re busy wrapping up a leadership race and should have a new permanent leader early next month. That will introduce a new dynamic into the federal political scene and it will be at that point, that all these polls – will start to take on a new importance.WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama offered his congratulations Tuesday to the new presumptive president of the Philippines who has attracted controversy over his iron-fisted approach to law and order.
The White House said Obama and Rodrigo Duterte spoke by phone in their first conversation since Duterte declared victory in the May 9 vote.
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Obama noted high voter turnout in the election was a sign of the Philippines’ “vibrant democracy,” and he highlighted the two nations’ “shared commitments to democracy, human rights, rule of law and inclusive economic growth,” a statement said.
Duterte has been a controversial character in Philippine politics. The longtime mayor of Davao City campaigned on a promise to end crime and corruption. His public threat to kill all criminals helped catapult him to the presidency but has alarmed human rights activists.
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes acknowledged the controversy over some of Duerte’s past statements but he said the U.S. wanted to build on the “good progress” made between the allies under the outgoing administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
“For us, the priorities will remain the security and prosperity of the Philippines. We’ll want to see continued efforts in the Philippines in respect of rule of law and to combat corruption, just as we support those types of efforts across Asia and around the world,” Rhodes told the Center for a New American Security think tank.
“We believe that now as much as ever it’s important that the U.S. and the Philippines are seen as working together and also working with a network of allies and partners in Southeast Asia,” he said.
The historically tumultuous relationship between the U.S. and its former colony has thrived in recent years as the Philippines has turned to Washington for support against an assertive China with which the Philippines has territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
On Aquino’s watch, the Philippines has agreed to opening up several of its military facilities in American forces — a quarter-century after nationalist sentiments forced the closure of U.S. bases in the island nation.
Vigilante killings
Duterte has been criticized for allowing a spree of vigilante killings under his administration in Davao City, and critics fear he could let them happen on a larger scale as the country’s leader.
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He has denied ordering any of the killings, but has not condemned them.
Washington has steered clear of the controversy, however, which analysts say reflects the reality of US national security interests given China’s increasingly assertive stance in Asia and maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
Duterte’s vows to restore law and order resonated with voters, but his incendiary rhetoric and advocacy of extrajudicial killings to stamp out crime and drugs have alarmed many people.
Dispute with China
Rhodes noted US support for Philippine efforts to resolve its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea through international arbitration, and a recent deal allowing a greater US military presence in the country.
“We believe that now as much as ever it’s important that the US and Philippines are seen working together,” he said.
The US stance on Duterte could echo its approach toward India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At one point, Modi was unable to obtain a US visa because of concerns about sectarian riots in the state of Gujarat when he was chief minister, but was later invited to the White House when he became prime minister.
Changing signals
The Philippines is one of Washington’s closest allies in Southeast Asia, but Duterte has indicated he may change tack.
He has said it is up to American officials to fix relations with him, after the US ambassador to Manila criticized his joke that he would have wanted to rape an Australian missionary who was killed in a 1989 Philippine prison riot.
Duterte has also indicated that he is prepared to hold direct talks with Beijing over a sensitive territorial dispute in the South China Sea, ignoring Washington’s support for Manila on the issue thus far.
In an interview with GMA TV news, Duterte said he told Obama that the alliance between the Philippines and the United States remained firm, especially on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.
“We will continue with our mutual interests,” Duterte said he told Obama.
But Duterte said he told the US leader that he might choose bilateral talks with China on their territorial dispute.
Duterte said Obama asked him to wait for the ruling of the international arbitration court before pursuing any other course to settle the dispute. With reports from the wires and Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao
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MOST READGeorge Washington University’s Elliott School may not go with the nuclear option to prevent “sausage fests” on conference panels, following mockery and legal questions.
Reuben Brigety, dean of the international affairs school at the private university blocks from the White House, told The GW Hatchet that he and the Dean’s Council “look forward to making adjustments” to the policy in response to concerns.
Enacted this summer, the policy required that every panel discussion of three or more speakers at an Elliott School event have at least one woman as a speaker or moderator. Otherwise the entire event could be canceled.
While law professor John Banzhaf was the loudest critic of the change, even though it didn’t affect him, the policy also drew scorn from the Elliott School’s Jonathan Chaves, a professor of Chinese.
He told the Hatchet he was “outraged” by the policy, which denigrated the importance of expertise on conference panels:
“It’s a total, obvious infringement on common sense to begin with and academic freedom. There’s only one standard that applies to an institution of higher education and that is who the best person is in the field. Period,” Chaves said. Chaves said gender was not as relevant to panels as other factors, like political affiliation, because gender did not directly relate to how a scholar views topics in international affairs. “Pick the best people for your panel, the best scholars and that’s it,” he said. “There’s no other way to run such an institution.”
Brigety told the Hatchet the policy was not intended to “undermine” academic freedom but simply “inculcate a sense of urgency” about pursuing diversity and inclusion.
Banzhaf has proposed a more holistic approach in which selection committees that choose conference panel speakers include both men and women, but not micromanage the composition of every panel.
Read the article.
MORE: College imposes gender quotas to prevent ‘sausage fests’
IMAGE: Center for American Progress/Flickr
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Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on TwitterOpioid use and abuse is a significant social, health and economic issue in Canada. Researchers at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) and Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) have discovered that an existing anti-gout medication is effective in reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent rodents. Their work is leading to the development of a clinical trial at the Calgary Pain Clinic.
Neuroscientist Tuan Trang, PhD and his team, including PhD student Nicole Burma, explored the underlying causes of opioid withdrawal and identified an important target in the spinal cord that is responsible for producing withdrawal symptoms in rats and mice. The target, called pannexin-1, is located throughout the body and importantly, in the brain and spinal cord. The study was published January 30 in the journal Nature Medicine.
Opioids are a potent class of drugs that are used to treat pain. Stopping opioid use can result in severe withdrawal symptoms -- a key contributor to continued opioid use. Currently, there are few medications that ameliorate these symptoms. For their study, Trang and Burma looked specifically at two common opioid drugs: morphine and fentanyl.
"Opioid withdrawal is aversive, debilitating and can compel individuals to continue using the drug in order to prevent these symptoms," explains Trang, an assistant professor in the UCVM and the Cumming School of Medicine. "In our study, we effectively alleviated withdrawal symptoms in rodents, which could have important implications for patients that may wish to decrease or stop their use of these medications."
Prior to this study, the cellular mechanism of opioid withdrawal was not well understood, hampering the search for therapeutic avenues. Trang explains, "the focus of much of the research so far has been on neurons themselves. Our study looked at key immune cells in the nervous system -- and specifically at the pannexin-1 channel on these immune cells, which is something that hasn't been explored before."
The discovery represents a key shift in understanding how withdrawal occurs and it opens the door to treatments that could have tremendous therapeutic potential.
Once they identified the mechanism, the researchers were able to test an existing drug -- in this case an anti-gout medication called probenecid that is known to have non-selective pannexin-1 blocking effects. The drug is Health Canada approved, is relatively inexpensive, and has few side effects. Importantly, the researchers were also able to demonstrate that the drug did not affect the ability of the opioid to relieve pain.
"This is an exciting study which reveals a new mechanism and a potential therapeutic target for managing opioid withdrawal, says Canadian pain researcher Dr. Michael Salter, Chief of Research at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. "The findings of Dr. Trang and his team could have important implications for people on opioid therapy and those attempting to stop opioid use."
With such encouraging preclinical results, the researchers quickly started looking at how to translate this discovery to humans. They are already moving forward with Dr. Lori Montgomery and Dr. Chris Spanswick at the Calgary Pain Clinic to design a clinical trial.
"We now need to look to see if this works with patients as well as ensure safety," says Spanswick, Medical Leader of the Calgary Pain Program. "We are at the very early stages of organizing clinical research. It will be some time before this research gets off the ground and we look forward to continuing collaboration with the HBI on this and other areas of research."
"Opioids are the pharmacological cornerstone for treating chronic pain in a large variety of diseases," says Trang. "Understanding why opioid withdrawal occurs and how to alleviate it, is of critical importance in improving pain therapy and may have implications for substance abuse in opioid addicts. The potential impact is immense."About This Game Revulsion is the missing link between old school classic first person shooters and modern day first person shooters. Imagine if the classic fps had evolved in a direction other than a story based experience, to being something much more brutal, with more advanced gameplay mechanics. Revulsion takes classic Doom and Quake style gameplay and combines it with the core concepts that permeate the Dark Souls design philosophy.
You will navigate both hand crafted and randomly generated level design to unravel a series of increasingly more dangerous environments. If you die, you will have one chance to recover your dropped credits and loot, or it will be erased forever. Revulsion is a game that is meant to challenge you without being unfair.
Revulsion also includes light RPG elements such as leveling, crafting and upgrading your equipment. In addition to that, there is a large amount of potential loot that you can discover to help you along the way. Weapons, armor, and even special abilities that are tied to limited resources. You will have the ability to craft items from blueprints, as well as repairing broken items that you may find throughout the world.
Exploration is key, as you will be searching all over the world to discover as many secrets as possible. You never know what you might find as you unearth the deepest darkest depths.
How far can you get?A CBS News/New York Times poll indicates Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has a slim 46-44 edge over Republican nominee Donald Trump in a two-way race, but Clinton and Trump are tied in a four-way race, confirming growing sentiment that third-party candidates may influence the electoral-college map due the unfavorable ratings of the two leading candidates.
In a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, Clinton received a 57 percent unfavorable rating, while Trump had a 59 percent unfavorable rating. The figures are particularly poor compared to the 2012 campaign, when presidential incumbent Barack Obama had an unfavorable rating that hovered in the 46-48 percent range while Republican nominee Mitt Romney fared slightly better at 41-47 percent.
The unfavorable ratings for Clinton and Trump present an opportunity for Libertarians and the Green Party, two political groups that are often overlooked in campaign seasons. Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein have seen a sharp uptick in polls after both parties failed to draw 1 percent in the last election. The Quinnipiac poll had Johnson at 13 percent and Stein at 4 percent.
While both Johnson and Stein have seen an improvement in national polls, it’s unclear if they can maintain such support in such an unconventional political climate. Neither is expected to reach the 15 percent needed to participate in the national debates and some third-party voters may switch to the Republicans or Democrats should the race remain tight to avoid a “spoiler” situation.
Stein likely rankled some liberal voters when she campaigned in highly coveted swing state Ohio in early September though her upcoming campaign events will take place in northeast states where Clinton enjoys sizable leads.
Recent polls had Trump leading Clinton in a two-way race in Ohio by as much as 48-43 and trailing 42-39 in a four-way race. Earlier this week, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, among the Senate’s most liberal members, announced they would campaign on behalf of Clinton in Ohio to court millennial voters.
Many Democrats no doubt worry Stein could siphon much-needed votes from other swing states as Green Party candidate Ralph Nader did in 2000. Democratic candidate Al Gore lost New Hampshire's crucial four electoral votes by 7,211 votes as Nader snapped up 22,198 votes. Bush defeated Gore in Florida by 537 votes as Nader garnered 97,488 votes.
But the rise in the polls doesn’t always translate to enthusiasm on the campaign trail. Stein has a campaign stop in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, but according to her official website, only 19 people are planning to attend the “Meet & Greet” at Dobhan Restaurant. She also has a fundraiser at the Barrymore Theatre two hours later with only one person planning on going.
Johnson is campaigning in Seattle this weekend, with hopes of making a late push for 15 percent in the polls to win an invitation to the Sept. 26 debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. But the prospect of Johnson reaching 15 percent in five major, national polls appeared dim.
In an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson admitted he has no chance to win the general election if he doesn’t get on the debate stage.
But Johnson has managed to increase his profile in 2016, and has a chance of making some states competitive. There was strong momentum for the former two-term governor of New Mexico to cut into Trump’s leads in recent months. An internal poll conducted for Rep. Mia Love in early July had Trump at 29 percent, Clinton at 27 percent and Johnson at 26 percent in Utah.
“We are on our way up, and an awful lot of people are on their way out for Mr. Trump,” Andrew McCullough, chairman of the Utah Libertarian party, told International Business Times in a July phone interview. McCullough, who is also running for state attorney general, had said Utah is one of six states Johnson was targeting.
However, Trump has extended his lead in Utah since July, according to a poll by UtahPolicy.com, which had 39 percent of likely voters saying they would vote for Trump, compared to 24 percent for Clinton and 13 percent for Johnson. Independent candidate Evan McMullin, who has traditional conservative views, received 9 percent in Utah.
And Trump seems to gain ground in a four-way race in some key swing states. A recent CNN/ORC poll in Florida had likely voters supporting Trump at 47 percent and Clinton at 44 percent. Johnson received 6 percent with Stein at 1 percent.
In a new North Carolina poll conducted by Civitas, Trump and Clinton are tied at 42 percent among likely voters, with Johnson receiving 5 percent and 9 percent are undecided.
A Monmouth University poll had likely voters in Iowa supporting Trump at 45 percent and 37 percent backing Clinton. Johnson received 8 percent, and Stein, 2 percent.
In Nevada, Clinton had previously owned a 44-42 lead on Trump, with Johnson at 5 percent. In the recent Monmouth poll, Johnson has jumped to 8 percent, and Trump now leads Clinton, 44 percent to 42 percent.When a newborn opens her eyes, she does not see well at all. You, the parent, are a blurry shape of light and dark. Soon, though, her vision comes online. Your baby will recognize you, and you can see it in her eyes. Then baby looks beyond you and that flash of recognition fades. She can’t quite make out what’s out the window. It’s another blurry world of shapes and light. But within a few months, she can see the trees outside. Her entire world is coming into focus.
UNC School of Medicine scientists have found more clues about what happens in the brains of baby mammals as they try to make visual sense of the world. The study in mice, published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience, is part of an ongoing project in the lab of Spencer Smith, PhD, assistant professor of cell biology and physiology, to map the functions of the brain areas that play crucial roles in vision. Proper function of these brain areas is likely critical for vision restoration.
“There’s this remarkable biological operation that plays out during development,” Smith said. “Early on, there are genetic programs and chemical pathways that position cells in the brain and help wire up a ‘rough draft’ of the circuitry. Later, after birth, this circuitry is actively sculpted by visual experience: simply looking around our world helps developing brains wire up the most sophisticated visual processing circuitry the world has ever known. Even the best supercomputers and our latest algorithms still can’t compete with the visual processing abilities of humans and animals. We want to know how neural circuitry does this.”
If cures for partial or entire blindness can be developed through, say, gene therapy or retinal implants, then researchers will need to understand the totality of visual brain circuitry to ensure people can recover useful visual function.
“Most work on restoring vision has focused on the retina and the primary visual cortex,” Smith said. “Less work has explored the development of the higher visual areas of the brain, and their potential for recovery from early deficits. I want to understand how these higher visual areas develop. We need to know the critical time windows during which vision should be restored, and what occurs during these windows to ensure proper circuit development.”
“We need to know the critical time windows during which vision should be restored, and what occurs during these windows to ensure proper circuit development.”
To understand the potential challenges that vision restoration later in life might entail, take the case of bilateral cataracts – when the lenses of both eyes are cloudy and vision is severely limited. In developed countries, it’s common to have such cataracts surgically removed very early in life. If so, vision typically develops appropriately.
“But in less developed, rural parts of the world, people often don’t get to a clinic until they are teens or older,” Smith said. “They’ve gone through life seeing light and dark, fuzzy things. That’s about it. When they have the cataracts removed, they recover a large amount of visual function, but it is not complete. They can learn to read and recognize their friends. But they have great difficulty perceiving some types of visual motion.” It’s the kind of visual perception needed during hand-eye coordination, or simply while navigating the world around you.
There are two subnetworks of visual circuitry, called the ventral and dorsal streams, and the latter of these is important for motion perception.
Smith wanted to know if visual experience is particularly essential for proper development of the dorsal stream. And he wanted to understand what could be changing at the individual neuron level during this early development.
To explore these questions, Smith and his UNC colleagues conducted hundreds of painstaking, time-consuming experiments. In essence, Smith’s lab is reverse engineering complicated brain circuitry with the help of specialized two-photon imaging systems Smith and his team designed and built at the UNC Neuroscience Center, where he is a member.
“We’re using our imaging systems to watch how biology builds its visual processing circuitry.”
“If you want to reverse engineer a radio to know how it works, a good way to start would be to watch someone put together a radio,” Smith said. “Well, this is kind of what we’re doing. We’re using our imaging systems to watch how biology builds its visual processing circuitry.”
In one series of experiments, Smith’s team reared mice in complete darkness for several weeks. Even the daily care of the mice was in darkness with the aid of night-vision goggles. Using his imaging system and precision surgical methods, Smith and colleagues could view specific areas of the brain with neuron-level resolution. They showed that the ventral visual stream in mice did indeed come online immediately, with individual neurons firing as the mice responded to visual stimuli. But the dorsal stream did not.
“Keeping the mice in darkness significantly degraded the magnitude of visual responses in the dorsal stream – responses to what they were seeing,” Smith said. The neurons in the dorsal area weren’t firing as strongly as they did in mice raised with normal visual experience. “Interestingly, even after a recovery period in a normal light-dark cycle, the visual deficit in the dorsal stream persisted.”
This is reminiscent of the persistent visual deficits seen in humans with bilateral cataracts that aren’t repaired until later in life.
“Not only did the mice need visual experience to develop their dorsal stream of visual processing, but they needed it in an early developmental time window to refine the brain circuitry,” Smith said. “Otherwise, their vision never properly developed.”
These experiments can help explain what happens in the human analogs of the ventral and dorsal streams when we’re babies, when part of our vision slowly develops and we try to make sense of the world moving around us during the first several months after birth.
Smith added, “Now that we have a little bit of a feel for the lay of the land – how these two subnetworks develop – I really want to drill down into the actual computations that these different brain areas are performing. I want to analyze what information neurons in higher visual areas are encoding. What are they encoding better, or more efficiently, than neurons in the primary visual cortex? What, exactly, are they doing that allows us to analyze complex visual stimuli so quickly and efficiently?”
The National Eye Institute, the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Whitehall Foundation funded this work. Spencer Smith is also a member of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities.
Other authors include UNC graduate student Leah Townsend, Ikuko Smith, DVM, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and member of the UNC Neuroscience Center, UNC graduate student Ruth Huh, and Hongtu Zhu, PhD, professor of biostatistics in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.CLOSE The actress is currently in critical condition. USA TODAY
Carrie Fisher in October. (Photo11: Andy Kropa, Invision/AP)
Carrie Fisher is being treated in an intensive care unit after a serious medical emergency on a flight, according to her brother.
On Friday night, Todd Fisher told The Associated Press that his sister was receiving excellent care, but said that he could not classify her condition. He had earlier told the AP that she had been stabilized and was out of the emergency room.
In a subsequent interview, he said many details about her condition or what caused the medical emergency are unknown, and much of what had been reported was speculation.
"We have to wait and be patient," he said. "We have so little information ourselves."
TMZ and the Los Angeles Times reported that the actress, best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise |
we have it both ways? Couldn’t a high-quality yet still-tiny camera somehow be fit into a mobile device?
That’s the question I asked myself five years ago. And the very positive answer, announced last October and shipping early in 2017, is coming from a company I started: Light.
The Light camera starts with a collection of inexpensive plastic-lens camera modules and mechanically driven mirrors. We put them in a device that runs the standard Android operating system along with some smart algorithms. The result is a camera that can do just about everything a DSLR can—and one thing it can’t: fit in your pocket. More on how it works later. First, let me tell you a little bit about my background, because that helps explain how—and why—I came up with this approach.
In 2011, I was looking for my next challenge. I had just left Flarion Technologies, a company I had founded and later sold. My engineering career—as a researcher at Lucent Technologies’ Bell Labs, before I started Flarion—had been in communications and information theory, so I’d expected to stay involved in those technologies. But I found myself instead thinking more and more about cameras.
I had taken photographs with film cameras as a child in India, but I never had any particularly good equipment. I was intrigued when digital photography started taking off, but I didn’t buy my first digital camera until 1999, when my daughter was born. I took a lot of pictures with that Kodak camera, then moved on to various Sony digital cameras. Eventually, when DSLRs came out, I went all out, purchasing a couple of DSLR cameras, a bunch of Canon lenses, and all sorts of other equipment—three camera bags’ worth. And I took lots of pictures with this gear.
Photo: Gabriela Hasbun
Ten-plus years later, I got an iPhone and also started taking pictures with it, not because the quality was really there but because of the convenience: I had to plan ahead if I wanted to take pictures with one of my good cameras, which I did less and less. As I talked with other avid photographers, I discovered I wasn’t the only one who had expensive camera gear gathering dust. It’s not that any of us were happy with the quality of the pictures we were taking with our phones—indeed, we were all frustrated by it. But at the end of the day, convenience always won out.
So when I was looking around for a new professional challenge, I realized I could attack a problem I was dealing with myself. But I didn’t start immediately; I didn’t know optics well, and I assumed that if there was to be a technical solution it would come from somebody who did.
But I kept investigating, and I soon discovered that most experts in optics don’t really understand digital-image processing, and electrical engineers and computer scientists who understand digital images don’t generally know much about optics. The solution, I later realized, straddled both the digital and the optical worlds. And I had the luxury of being able to sit at home and teach myself optics for a year.
I had only a rough idea of how the problem might be solved at that point. But as I dug in, I realized not only that there might be a technical solution but also that this was the perfect time to try to build a different kind of commercially viable camera.
I knew that cellphone camera lenses were molded out of plastic—that’s why they were so inexpensive. And thanks to cellphones, molded plastic lens technology had been nearly perfected over the previous five years to the point where these lenses were “diffraction limited”—that is, for their size, they were as good as the fundamental physics would ever allow them to be. Meanwhile, the cost had dropped dramatically: A five-element smartphone camera lens today costs only about US $1 when purchased in volume. (Elements are the thin layers that make up a plastic lens.) And sensor prices had plummeted as well: A high-resolution (13-megapixel) camera sensor now costs just about $3 in volume.
While smartphone lenses have become extremely good, the quality of the smartphone camera today is nowhere comparable to that of a high-end DSLR. There are four main reasons: First, the lenses of smartphone cameras are small and collect very little light. And you can’t produce good pictures without capturing enough light energy. So smartphone photos will often be “noisy” or grainy, particularly in low light. Second, small sensors and a high pixel count mean that the individual pixels are tiny (approximately 1 micrometer across), and therefore hit a saturation point after receiving just a little bit of light. This results in pictures with very limited dynamic range (limited differences between the darkest darks and the lightest lights). Third, smartphone-camera lenses have a fixed focal length and so can’t zoom. Finally, because of the small lens aperture, smartphone pictures have a very large depth of field—that is, they are sharp over a very large range of subject distances from the camera. That might sound like a good thing, but it’s not, because controlling the depth of field is essential for artistic photography.
I thought that all these shortcomings of smartphone cameras might be overcome by using multiple smartphone camera modules to take multiple pictures simultaneously, which could then be combined digitally. By using many modules, the camera could capture more light energy. The effective size of each pixel would also increase because each object in the scene would be captured in multiple pictures, increasing the dynamic range and reducing graininess. By using camera modules with different focal lengths, the camera would also gain the ability to zoom in and out. And if we arranged the multiple camera modules to create what was effectively a larger aperture, the photographer could control the depth of field of the final image.
Choices, Choices Though the individual camera modules have fixed focal lengths and aperture sizes, combining the images from the lenses in different ways allows photographers to change the depth of field and zoom using the focal-length equivalents of 28 mm through 150 mm. 1/5 Controlled depth of field Photo: Light 2/5 Standard image Photo: Light 3/5 28 mm Photo: Light 4/5 70 mm Photo: Light 5/5 150 mm Photo: Light
While at that point I knew it was theoretically possible to use multiple modules to overcome the shortcomings of a small camera, I needed to confirm that such a strategy was truly practical. So I figured I’d better check with some optics experts. In the first half of 2013, I cold-called Julie Bentley, a lens-design expert at the University of Rochester, in New York, and drove 5 hours from where I was living in New Jersey to meet with her.
It started as a contentious conversation: She basically told me I was crazy. But she kept asking questions. I answered them, apparently convincingly, because after about 45 minutes, she became supportive of the approach I was proposing and sent me to Moondog Optics in Fairport, N.Y., a company that does optical design. I met with the CEO, Scott Cahall, who thought what I was suggesting was doable.
And so later in 2013, I joined with Dave Grannan, who had just left Nuance Communications, and officially started Light.
Photos: Top: Rajiv Laroia; Bottom: Tekla S. Perry Puzzling It Out: Fitting the 16 cameras [above, bottom] into a box of a reasonable size turned out to be a challenge. Light founder Rajiv Laroia did paper sketches and then tried to figure it out on a computer-assisted-design system. Eventually, he cut out bits of paper [above, top] and worked with them as if they were part of a jigsaw puzzle.
The first and current version of the Light camera—called the L16—has 16 individual camera modules with lenses of three different focal lengths—five are 28-mm equivalent, five are 70-mm equivalent, and six are 150-mm equivalent.
“Equivalent” means that the lens achieves the same field of view as a lens of the specified focal length in a conventional film camera. For a simple single-lens element, when light comes from far away and hits the lens, it converges at a point. The focal length represents the distance of that point from the lens. For example, the equivalent focal length of a human eye is around 50 mm. A lens with a larger focal length has a higher magnification and makes the subjects appear larger.
All the lenses in the L16 are molded plastic, and all the camera modules capture images using standard CMOS sensors, similar to those used in smartphone cameras. Each camera module has a lens, an image sensor, and an actuator for moving the lens to focus the image. Each lens has a fixed aperture of F2.4—that is, the focal length of the lens divided by its diameter is equal to 2.4. (A lens with a lower F number has a larger aperture and so lets in more light.)
Five of these camera modules capture images at what we think of as a 28-mm field of view; that’s a wide-angle lens on a standard SLR. These camera modules point straight out. Five other modules provide the equivalent of 70-mm telephoto lenses, and six work as 150-mm equivalents. These 11 modules point sideways, but each has a mirror in front of the lens, so they, too, take images of objects in front of the camera. A linear actuator attached to each mirror can adjust it slightly to move the center of its field of view.
Each image sensor has a 13-megapixel resolution. When the user takes a picture, depending on the zoom level, the camera normally selects 10 of the 16 modules and simultaneously captures 10 separate images. Proprietary algorithms are then used to combine the 10 views into one high-quality picture with a total resolution of up to 52 megapixels. The image fusion can be done either in the camera or on another computer.
When you press the shutter button to take a 28-mm image, all five 28-mm modules fire simultaneously, recording five images of the same thing but from slightly different perspectives. All five 70-mm modules also record images. Normally, a 70-mm lens can capture approximately a quarter of the scene that a 28-mm lens takes. But our camera adjusts the mirrors in front of four of those lenses so that different modules point at each of the four quadrants of the 28-mm frame we’re trying to take, so these four 70-mm images effectively end up covering most of the 28-mm frame.
Because four 70-mm images are recorded, each at a 13-megapixel resolution, the camera captures 52 megapixels of information. The fifth 70-mm module points at the center of the 28-mm frame to ensure the best picture quality at the center of the final image. The software in the camera uses information from the 28-mm modules to precisely stitch together the 70-mm images and then combines all the data into one high-resolution, high-quality picture. It’s easy to see how this process lets us capture much more light than if we’d just used one camera module.
Zoom, Zoom To shoot an image with the equivalent of a 28-mm focal length, the Light camera’s 28-mm and 70-mm camera modules get into the act; the resulting 52-megapixel image is a combination of the data. To shoot at 70 mm, the 70-mm and 150-mm camera modules go to work and the 28-mm modules rest. The Light camera doesn’t contain any 50-mm modules, so taking a 50-mm image involves the 28-mm and 70-mm modules (the former slightly cropped and the latter slightly overlapped), resulting in a 40-megapixel image. 28 mm 70 mm 50 mm Photographs: Light; Illustrations: Erik Vrielink
To take pictures at 70 mm, we move the mirrors so that the five 70-mm modules now point straight out from the camera; all of them cover approximately the same field of view but from slightly different perspectives. We now enlist the 150-mm modules as well, adjusting their mirrors so that they capture four images that tile the 70-mm modules’ field of view. And once again, we combine the many images digitally to provide a better picture than a single-module camera could possibly take, one that rivals a DSLR image.
We can even use our technology to zoom anywhere in the range of 28 to 150 mm. Traditional zoom lenses change focal length by physically moving the lens elements with respect to one another when you rotate the zoom-control ring. Our modules are too small to have either the space or the mechanical precision to accomplish this synchronously across multiple camera modules. So we took a systems approach to solving the problem, using fixed-focal-length lenses.
Suppose you wanted to capture an image with a 50-mm field of view, smaller than what a 28-mm lens captures but larger than that of a 70-mm lens. We activate all the 28-mm camera modules and crop each of the images to the 50-mm frame. (Cropping is not ideal because we lose some sensor area and light.) We also simultaneously use the 70-mm modules. But before we do that, we move the mirrors on four of the 70-mm modules so the captured 70-mm images overlap enough to cover only the 50-mm frame. This way, we retain all of the light collected by the 70-mm modules.
There are other advantages to having multiple lenses. Because the different lenses are set slightly apart from one another, just as your eyes are, the Light camera can obtain images from multiple viewpoints and use them to generate a depth map of the scene. That’s valuable because it allows the software to produce any desired depth of field by appropriately blurring those portions of the scene that are outside a selected range of depths.
The software can also change what is called the bokeh, which refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur that appears in the out-of-focus parts of an image. Traditional cameras adjust their lens apertures by opening and closing an iris of sorts made of plastic leaves, overlapped to try to mimic a circular opening. As a result, small, bright, out-of-focus objects appear as regular polygons or circular disks. This is the effect most people are used to. Many photographers consider the ideal bokeh as having a very gentle roll-off, with no sharp edges defining the circle—a Gaussian blur.
Photographers will pay a lot of money for a lens with the right bokeh. In our design, the camera uses software to add blur with the right bokeh to those parts of the scene that are outside the selected depth of field. This approach means that users can get whatever bokeh they want. They can choose the conventional disk-shaped bokeh or one with a Gaussian blur. Or they can get creative—for instance, picking a star-shaped bokeh for use in holiday photos, making small decorative lights appear as stars.
I want to use this technology to build a camera with a 600-mm lens equivalent
The Light camera also naturally allows for an increased dynamic range. That’s because the modules don’t all have to use the same exposure. We can deliberately overexpose pictures in some modules so that they can image the dark areas with less noise, while underexposing others to capture the highlights perfectly. Because the camera records redundant images, it still has all the information to reconstruct the final picture, but with a much larger dynamic range. Apple iPhone cameras can do this today in their HDR (high dynamic range) mode, but they achieve that by taking a sequence of pictures in time, which can cause motion artifacts.
Recording all these images and then properly combining them into a composite image takes a lot of processing power. We’re using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which today is the state of the art in mobile processing. We also have a custom integrated circuit that enables us to interface 16 cameras with the Snapdragon processor. This allows near real-time processing of images in the camera, which results in a resolution of about three megapixels; that’s good enough for sharing on social media.
We expect that most of our users will render full-resolution images on their computers, though. That will be faster and won’t eat up the battery of the mobile unit. In the next generation of our camera, we will build in hardware acceleration of our processing algorithms, which will then enable the camera to process full-resolution images and manipulate the depth of field without unduly taxing the battery or the user’s patience.
The rest of our camera hardware is a standard Android package, which can run Android apps; it’s about the same length and width as a smartphone, but at 21 mm it’s about two to three times as thick. This approach lets us easily write a user-friendly camera app to simplify the interface and make it less intimidating to use the camera’s advanced features.
The Light camera can run in either auto or manual mode. The auto mode will allow you to tell the camera what you want to do—take a portrait, say, in which case the camera will activate the flash if it’s dark, select a shallow depth of field to highlight the subject, and adjust the exposure. The manual mode will offer more controls, but we’re not going to ask users to set 10 different exposures on 10 different camera modules. We will likely allow them to set everything that they could adjust on a DSLR—flash, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure—and let the camera’s software figure out the details.
Our first-generation L16 camera will start reaching consumers early next year, for an initial retail price of $1,699. Meanwhile, we have started thinking about future versions. For example, we can improve the low-light performance. Because we are capturing so many redundant images, we don’t need to have every one in color. With the standard sensors we are using, every pixel has a filter in front of it to select red, green, or blue light. But without such a filter we can collect three times as much light, because we don’t filter two-thirds of the light out. So we’d like to mix in camera modules that don’t have the filters, and we’re now working with On Semiconductor, our sensor manufacturer, to produce such image sensors.
But beyond tweaking our current technology to improve performance, I have a more ambitious goal. I want to use this technology to build a camera with a 600-mm lens equivalent in something the size of a tablet computer, perhaps a little thicker. Today, a 600-mm lens is bigger than a rolling pin, weighs more than 4 kilograms, and costs upwards of $12,000. Only professional wildlife or sports photographers would ever buy one. But if consumers could afford a 600-mm camera, travel with it easily, and take high-quality pictures with it, that would be incredibly cool.
That’s my next challenge. For now, however, I’m looking forward to seeing Light technology migrate into cellphones. Then the cameras we all carry with us everywhere will be as good as the ones we leave sitting at home.
This article appears in the November 2016 print issue as “A Pocket Camera With Many Eyes.”
About the Author
Rajiv Laroia is chief technology officer and cofounder of Light, based in Palo Alto, Calif.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
HOLDEN, La. (WGNO) - Actor John Schneider is best known for his roles as Bo Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard" and John Kent on "Smallville." But in recent years the actor traded Hollywood for life in Holden, Louisiana, just outside Baton Rouge. Last week, the torrential rains caused historic flooding in the region, and it didn't spare Schneider's home or movie studio.
"The Tickfaw River came through this house," Schneider told the morning TV show Eye Opener. "Two and a half feet up in every closet, in every draw."
Schneider said his house is basically contaminated. "When this water gets into the fiber of what this house is it starts growing mold right away. That stuff will kill you."
But Schneider didn't dwell on his misfortune. Rather he spoke about how awesome Louisianians are, especially in times of need.
"You can't count on the weather. You can't count on whatever it is you think you have. But you can count on people who will come to help you in your time of need," Schneider said. "While their houses were underwater and they could do nothing, they were looking for people who needed their help. I'm very fortunate."
"For the people in Louisiana to look at a life changing event and not gripe, not complain about it. Just go, 'OK. This happened somebody needs my help. I'm going to help somebody else until the water gets out of my kitchen. And then maybe somebody will help me.' It's astonishing. It's astonishing!" Schneider adds.
At its highest, there were nearly 3 feet of water inside Schneider's 116-year-old home.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said at least 40,000 homes have at least some damage. The US Coast Guard, National Guard, local emergency responders and even neighbors have helped rescue more than 30,000 residents and 1,400 pets, and at least 13 people have died across five parishes.You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content. Play Replay with sound Play with
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Here's another sneak peek of a Mushface Comic original.
- If we reach our goal, we'll do 30 hours straight of the Keith and The Girl show and stream it to you live!
- We'll have rotating guests throughout the marathon.
- You'll be able to listen, watch, call in and send text feedback during the entire marathon!
- For every $500 over the goal, we'll extend the marathon an extra hour... and book even MORE guests!
It's up to YOU to decide how long we go! About Keith and The Girl
We talk with comedians about current events, pop culture, politics and even intimate details of our lives. We started the show out of our spare bedroom in our house in 2005. We used to date, but we don't anymore. An hour after we broke up, we recorded another show.
Now we live separately and have a dedicated studio for the show where we create funny new shows 5 days a week.
Check out this video to find out more about us!
About the marathon:
The 30 hours will contain hilarity with us and your favorite KATG guests. We'll make sure that there is a rotation of awesome friends and comics coming into the studio providing you with the biggest ha-has a show can bring.
The marathon is scheduled to start on Saturday, March 1st, 2014. The show will stream online for free. We'll also have cameras in the studio so you can watch the show using our chat room. An audio download will be available for purchase afterwards.
You'll be able to access the marathon live, easily, via our website: KATG.com.
We'll post the updates here, Facebook, and Twitter with confirmed guests.
Past marathon guests include:
Highlights of past marathons include:
- Keith and The Girl commemorative marathon tattoo
- Listener phone calls including a marriage proposal
- Prank calls that inspired the hilarious Clowned by The Girl CD
- Live musical performances Production costs
Producing a project of this size costs thousands of dollars for software, server, studio equipment, staff and food. The money from this Kickstarter will fund these things to bring you a show packed with entertainment. With your help, we will cover the cost of running this marathon.
A list of expenses: recording equipment, marketing, server bandwidth for video and audio of show and group chat, graphic design, staff, food & drinks (soda/liquor/beer) for staff and guests, post event editing, promotional ads and a NEW KATG APP (on both Android and iPhone).
This will be the most interactive and fun marathon yet! Why?! Because YOU'RE there!About
IT IS 2012 - THE YEAR THE WORLD ENDS.
A band of spiritual seekers is gathering in the Arizona desert. A terrible Star is returning to Earth, heralding an apocalyptic battle against the Enemy-- the ghosts of the past, the forces of society, the invisible powers that rule our lives. Learn to plant, harvest, hunt, gather, and fight for survival in the strange new world to come.
Don't ask yourself, "is this real?" Don't try to rationalize it. Haven't you been waiting, hoping, hurting for a better world? A world where your actions are charged with meaning and power? A world where you're really free?
Why not just believe?
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CRITICS ARE SAYING:
"There’s a striking beauty to Lonely Star’s vastness and simplicity... its levels of complexity are absolutely astounding and make for a game that is shaping up to be fantastic." - Cliqist
"Lonely Star is intimately concerned with the details of its world... [The] demo is over an hour long, and it's impeccably polished" - Kill Screen
"Offers unexpected levels of depth as it unfolds... Combat feels great in that it can be approached from a number of different perspectives." - Rock Paper Shotgun
"It feels exactly like the ZX Spectrum plain discreet-color art lives in my head, sprinkled with imagination I had at the time and 20 years of blurring the facts." - Retronator
"A grungy, aggressive, anti-establishment American roadtrip." - Super Bunnyhop
Lonely Star is a game about combat, survival, exploration, and people.
1. COMBAT
The ghosts of the past take many forms. Some haunt specific places or people. Others wander through the world, still trying to fulfill a long-forgotten purpose, or just looking for prey. Exorcising them is your greatest task as a spiritual warrior.
Each tool or weapon does something simple; melee weapons attack and parry, shields block, ranged weapons hit from a distance, and sneaking and dodging are always options.
Stealth and confrontation are both options, and they're not mutually exclusive; retreating into shadows or foliage and outflanking your enemy is a great way to overcome their defenses.
You'll often be outnumbered, but you have an unlikely ally in the humble corn plant. Each quest will teach you an esoteric technique for unlocking the magical potential of corn. Magic reshapes the battlefield with, for example, clouds that block enemies' sight, or fire that obstructs and destroys pursuers. Enemies are smart enough to keep things interesting, but they're also predictable enough to be manipulated, and learning how to counter their tactics is as important as learning your own.
So complex possibilities emerge from a set of simple actions, and though the result isn't quite like anything else out there, it's easy to learn, because each element works in an intuitive way.
2. SURVIVAL
Survival goes beyond just combat-- it's also about learning how to live in the world. There's no money in Lonely Star. Energy is the universal currency of life, embedded in every living thing, and survival means learning many strategies for harvesting it.
Nature can be a hostile, dangerous place. The scorching desert heat, tricky geography, wild predators, and biting insects are all real threats.
But nature is also profoundly giving. The energy that keeps you alive comes from the world, as you plant, defend, and harvest corn, track and hunt animals, gather edible plants, and search out clean water.
That energy makes up your health meter, and it's also your currency for crafting. It can be sacrificed to create material goods like torches and arrows. Magic is made from a special kind of corn you can plant, an incredibly fast-growing variety with a mysterious link to the apocalyptic Star.
3. EXPLORATION
There's a big world out there, and you have pretty free access to it. The main quests go in a linear order, but side quests like meeting people and facing powerful evil spirits are always out there for you to find. The world is open enough that navigating with maps and landmarks is an important part of each quest, and full enough of content that it's rewarding to step off the beaten path.
And this world is not that different from your own. The lore of Lonely Star is interwoven with real history and realistic places, and your quest isn't just a spiritual journey, it's an investigation into how our world, and America in particular, came to be, and where it's going.
4. PEOPLE
It's people whose experiences illuminate the world, whose actions shape your perception of who you are. You'll meet a diverse cast of characters, some of them believers in the Star,
some struggling to have faith,
and others just isolated desert-dwellers,
each with their own story, struggles, and outlook on life.
Some of them you can help, either by facing their demons in your capacity as a spiritual warrior, or just with a helping hand-- a little bit of food or water, a place to sleep.
Some can help you in return. With others, you'll have to wait and see...
The soundtrack's not bad either.
Thanks so much for your help! Your name will appear in the game credits.
Your name in the credits
A digital copy of Lonely Star for PC or Mac
Everything from previous tiers
A digital download of the Lonely Star soundtrack
Everything from previous tiers
The "Pyramid County Almanac" - a PDF artbook of sketches, lore, research, photos, and concept art
Everything from previous tiers
Participate in a closed beta before the game's official release. Your feedback will shape the final game!
Everything from the $60 tier
The first twelve backers at this level will receive custom avatars in their copies of Lonely Star! This will require some correspondence, so watch your email for news
Everything from the $60 tier
Join the cult! We'll work together to place a unique NPC of you in the Lonely Star world. Limited to the first 8 backers at this level.
Everything from the $60 tier
We'll work together to create an evil spirit enemy that inhabits the Lonely Star world. Limited to the first 5 backers at this level.
Everything from the $60 tier
We'll work together to create a boss monster, including its lore, location, behavior, and appearance! One and only one of these.
I'm approaching this with a little money saved up already, about equal to the fees Kickstarter will charge if the project is funded. Most of the funds raised can go straight into development. Besides living expenses, I plan on repairing (or just replacing) my Mac; I want to make sure there's a Mac version of Lonely Star available, which is something I've been promising but haven't had the money to do yet. Living on a thousand a month is doable, and taxes will be about $2k minus deductions for the expenses mentioned above.
With an additional $700, I'll be able to commission sound design from Topher Pirkl of Yellow Chord Audio. He's done some great work on the demo, and having his help will free up the time I'd otherwise use tracking down appropriate royalty-free sound effects.
After that, everything goes into development. If Lonely Star exceeds its goal by a significant amount, I'll consider delaying its release date to add more content-- see the "Risks and Challenges" section below.For centuries alcohol has always played an important, and sometimes decisive, role in warfare. As it brought the troups moral and courage in many armies the intake of booze was allowed or even stimulated. Other commanders believed it was best to keep their troops as sober as possible, so they wouldn’t go out of control. But no matter if we’re talking wine for the Roman legions, gin and rum for the British soldiers in the colonies, whisky during the American Civil War or vodka for the Red Army during World War II, alcohol has always been an important issue in combat.
Ancient Greeks and Romans
Back in the days of Ancient Greece and later Ancient Rome it was quite normal to give soldiers a daily ration of alcohol. Most army leaders back in those days used free booze as a way to keep the troops motivated to keep fighting. Imagine that military campaigns in those times could easily take several years and alcohol turned out to be a great substitute for a warm household and a loving wife. It was also quite common to promise the soldiers ‘as much as they could drink’ when victorious in battle. The Macedonians of Alexander the Great for example were notorious drinkers. What better way to motivate them to conquor half the civilized world than promising them drunken orgies? When the Greek moral was down during the Trojan War, the cunning Odysseus used the same strategy to keep the troops from mutiny.
The Greeks also served wine (often mixed with water) to keep the troops in a healthy shape. The Romans did the same with a drink called posca. This was wine that was already turning sour, mixed with water. It became the drink of the normal soldiers and many of them swore of wine, since it was considered a decadent drink. Some high ranked officers, like Hadrian, also drank posca to show their solidarity with the troups. But in battle both the Greeks and the Romans were usually pretty sober, as in general they drank less than opponents like the Huns, the Visigoths or the Thracians.
The Vikings
In the early Medieval Times the Vikings scared the hell out of Europe. Up till today they have a reputation of fearless drunks, who killed everything in their way. But in fact the Vikings were a lot more disciplined than they often get credits for. Especially during military campaigns they arrived pretty sober. Although every victory was of course celebrated with a lot of beer, ale and mead. Interesting to mention is a tradition the Vikings and other Germanic tribes had. When they had to decide if they wanted to go to war or not, or any major decision for that matter, they would have a huge drinking session, till everyone was smashed and discuss the pros and cons of going to war.
The Roman writer Publius Cornelius Tacitus witnessed this and wrote in his book Germania: “For they think that at no time is the mind more open to simplicity of purpose or more warmed to noble aspirations. A race without either natural or acquired cunning, they disclose their hidden thoughts in the freedom of the festivity. Thus the sentiments of all having been discovered and laid bare, the discussion is renewed on the following day, and from each occasion its own peculiar advantage is derived.”
The Middle Ages
This era was also known as the Dark Ages. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Europe was set back in time hundreds of years. As clean water was hard to find, everyone drank beer or wine. And like in all times, nobody would drink more than the soldiers fighting the many pointless battles of those days. On the crusades, set out to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims, the most notorious drinkers were the Knights Templars, or just Templars. This special unit of fighting monks was usually heavily intoxicated as they robbed, raped and murdered in the name of the Lord. No wonder in those days ‘to drink like a Templar’ became a popular expression, used when someone got really smashed.
Samurai
The Japanese Samurai were a very disciplined military force, who valued their traditions. One of those was the Bushi-nin ritual, in which the warriors had a glass of the national drink sake together before battle. They promised each other to either be victorious or die an honorable death. Although the Samurai seized to exist in the late 1800’s, there was a revival of their old traditions during World War II. Japanese kamikaze pilots that crashed their planes into American ships, would have their own bushi-nin before doing so.
After a military campaign the alcohol intake of the Samurai was significantly higher. Getting smashed was pretty normal and in some cases it was atually considered quite rude not to get drunk. The Samurai in general ruled a tied ship when it came to good manners, but these drinking parties were the only times when they were often overlooked and normal soldiers could get away with not giving their superiors the required respect.
The Colonial Era and Dutch Courage
As Europe developed itself on a cultural level, the wars never stopped. But not just to gain territory. As more and more countries gained colonies in America or Asia, there were more and more battles at sea. Spain, Portugal, England and Holland were constantly trying to be the supreme force that could control the trade between the old continent and the new territories. The Dutch authorities had a strange but practical system to reach this goal; legal pirates. This basically meant that people could get a license to plunder all ships of Holland’s enemies, as long as they gave a percentage to the Dutch state. The sailors who went on these missions usually had little to lose and were most of the time far from sober. For the English reason to come up with the term ‘Dutch Courage’, an expression that’s still around when someone first needs a few drinks before doing something brave, like asking a girl out.
Another reason to drink was the large amount of diseases the Europeans could get in the colonies. The drink gin-tonic for example thanks its origin to the fact that many British soldiers caught malaria in India. The treatment quinine was rather bitter and to make it drinkable the British officers started adding gin to it. Winston Churchill later once said that these early gin-tonic cocktails saved more English lives than all the doctors in the Empire.
On the other side of the mighty British Empire rum was very popular among the troops. These distilleries, mostly located in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, would soon enough provide the whole British army with their daily ration of Dutch Courage.
Napoleonic Wars
A famous quote by Napoleon is: “In war there is always time for champagne. In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it.” Well ironically the moments he needed his bubbles the most were caused by a bunch of huge drunks. During the Napoleonic Wars the British Army gained a reputation of being quite slewed, lushy or malty, as they would say in those days, when going to battle. The daily booze ration for British soldiers back in the days was a gallon (3.78 liters) of beer, a pint of wine or half a pint of spirits, usually rum. When the soldiers wanted to test the quality of the rum they would mix some gunpowder with it and tried to light it. In case of success they were sure there was at least 57% alcohol in their drink.
Another interesting fact is that in those days most of the soldiers who were fighting for the British were actually recruited with alcohol. After some hours of free boozing, people would sign anything. Many were surprised the next morning when they found out they agreed to fight for the British cause. Many other countries handled the same strategy to increase their armies.
American Civil War
Another war that might have taken a decisive turn because of alcohol is the American Civil War. And not just because the victorious general Ulysses S. Grant was a huge drunkard. More important was that the Southern States prohibited the distillation of whisky during the war, mostly because they were afraid there would not be enough food left. Plus they wanted to use the copper from stills to make more canons. The Northern States however kept on making bourbon and taxed the whisky. This extra source of income might well have been the decisive factor that won the war.
World War I |
‘s James Hibberd pointed out, this was considered a great number for a show that had been struggling to garner ratings even a fraction as strong as its critical response. In the course of two years and just 16 episodes, Breaking Bad‘s audience had grown by an astonishing 442 percent. That’s not science, bitch. That’s a miracle.
What happened this summer with Breaking Bad was as exhilarating as it was shocking. We live in an on-demand culture. Second chances and patience are as rare as rabbit-ear antennae. The idea of a TV show slowly gaining popularity over time — heck, the idea of anything slowly gaining popularity over time — seems wildly old-fashioned. But Breaking Bad‘s rise was a rare moment of modern TV transitioning from YOLO to FOMO. Between seasons, when Breaking Bad was on hiatus from old-media AMC it was ferociously boiling on Netflix and iTunes, creating new addicts by the Winnebago-ful. By the time Breaking Bad returned for its final episodes in August, a brand-new audience was there waiting for it, bleary-eyed, jittery, and ready to score.
What followed was eight weeks of excellent TV, sure, but also an even better expression of what I’ve come to love about TV culture. Breaking Bad aired on Sundays, but the show itself was only the beginning of a weeklong orgy of conversation, argument, recaps, and precaps. We were all swigging from the same water cooler, trading the same outlandish theories. Tweets were swapped like glassine baggies of blue. From the arid deserts of Albuquerque, a thousand GIFS bloomed. Here, finally, was the television experience the Internet had promised us: at once intimate and expansive, private and shared. Breaking Bad upgraded a 20th-century size audience to a 21st-century level of engagement. For TV fans, it wasn’t a glimpse of the future: It was the future. Too bad the credits had to roll so soon.
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in early November, I sat in my apartment and watched a stream of the second episode of Black Mirror on my laptop. Titled “Fifteen Million Merits,” the hour had originally been broadcast in the U.K. on December 11, 2011, when it was viewed by 1.52 million forward-thinking Britons. Nearly two years later, the episode would air domestically on the Audience Channel, a quasi-network available only to the 20 million or so Americans who have a small DirecTV dish attached to their roof. (DirecTV doesn’t release viewership data, but it’s a pretty safe bet that only a small percentage of its subscribers were tuned in at 9 p.m. ET on November 19 when “Fifteen Million Merits” debuted.) On that rainy Tuesday, at least, it was just me, sitting in a dark room, staring at an unsettling hour about a drone named Bing who lives in a tiny box with screens instead of walls. Except for a few precious hours of silence when Bing’s permitted to sleep, those walls broadcast jabbering, noisy entertainment at him nonstop, an exploding collage of sex, violence, and aspirational blather. Fast-forwarding commercials is a privilege, not a right. An alarm sounds when he closes his eyes.
I could relate. As expansive and social as Breaking Bad was, it was the Black Mirror experience that felt more universal in 2013. The vibrant present we all shared while watching Jesse drive away and Walt crumple to the floor — a feeling that had us gasping for breath and reaching for our smartphones — very quickly receded into the past. Nothing else from 2013 could measure up. But the important point is that very little tried. The majority of the year was dominated by smaller shows, more singular experiences. The further we get from Walt’s final showdown, the more its dominance stands apart: Consider the 6-foot-tall fourth-grader from the perspective of his classmates, not the varsity basketball coach.
More of the Year in TV The Top 10 Andy Greenwald ranks the best (but really, his favorite) shows of the year Our Favorite Overlooked Shows of 2013 The Grantland staff shares its forgotten favorites The Year-End TV Power Rankings Mark Lisanti declares the winner of the televised year that was
Instead, I’m drawn again and again to the subtle slither of Black Mirror, a series with an unknown audience that, two years and one continent removed from its premiere, has been unstuck in time. Strangely, that lack of context has made it feel more relevant, not less. I’m not saying the next few years are going to look like the technological dystopia of Black Mirror (though they might), I’m saying they will look a lot like me watching Black Mirror: fully engaged, possibly overwhelmed, and more or less alone.
TV was never bigger than it was in 2013. It’s the dominant topic in our cultural conversation. It’s where the talent is. It’s where the money goes. Every month brings a blast of fresh scripted series and a panoply of new (or newly rebooted) channels dedicated to airing them. At the same time, the experience of watching TV feels as if it’s shrinking. For a golden decade, TV had seemingly managed to outrun the Internet-fueled entropy that had ravaged other media, from magazines to music. Twitter and Facebook didn’t decouple shows from their time slots, they policed them: Who could afford to miss an episode when to do so meant avoiding the web altogether? But as the truly great shows give way to a generation of very good ones, the audience has splintered. You could argue that that’s a good thing, that a tighter focus and a commitment to more personalized storytelling helps avoid the mushiness of groupthink. You could also argue against it: There’s a case to be made that the unfettered creativity and ambition that fueled TV’s millennial rise has given way to a niche-targeting cynicism, in which the great dark dramas of the ’00s are ripped off and recycled, first as tragedy, then as farce. Regardless, while there are more shows than ever to love, there are fewer and fewer to love together.
Netflix, the onetime envelope company that held its coming-out party in 2013, does not think this is a bad thing. With a consistent, if bewildering, strategy of backing up the content truck in the middle of the night and dumping original series onto its server a season at a time, Netflix has done much to privatize the viewing experience. I’ve argued before that encouraging this sort of bingeing does no favors to the art or the audience. It takes a pleasantly coursed dinner party and transforms it into a hot dog eating contest. And yet perhaps it’s just a question of showrunners adapting to the appetites of a new era. I found House of Cards‘ frictionless pessimism only mildly diverting; watching each dimly lit hour zip by reminded me of hotel floors as seen from the inside of a glass elevator. But Jenji Kohan’s Orange Is the New Black had the opposite effect. Unlike the dour and self-serious Cards, Orange lightened its heavy subject matter with an infectious impudence and one of the bubbliest casts ever assembled. The result was a show that demanded to be imbibed in great, swigging gulps, each episode able to stand on its own and on the shoulders of its predecessor. Orange restored my faith in TV’s ability to tell diverse stories in exciting new ways, and I wanted to shout as much from the rooftops, or at least the guard tower. Too bad I waited until late in the fall to finish the season. By then, there was no one left to tell.
But I suppose I’m in no position to complain. After all, it was the so-called small shows that gave me the most pleasure in 2013. My favorite program of the year was Top of the Lake, a haunting and transporting miniseries that aired on the suddenly ascendant Sundance Channel. Lake took a laundry list of the year’s most overused tropes, including crimes involving children (Broadchurch, The Following), troubled female investigators (The Killing, The Fall), old people on drugs (Mad Men), and Elisabeth Moss (also Mad Men), then subverted them all with a disquieting mix of humor and horror. It wasn’t for everyone, but it certainly was more than enough for me.
That hyper-specificity carried me through the year. I fell hard for FX’s The Americans and Showtime’s Masters of Sex, but the majority of my dalliances were more circumspect. Coming on the heels of Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel’s mournful Rectify, and the creepy French import The Returned each wormed their way under my skin quite unexpectedly. Their highs never spiked like Breaking Bad, but neither did they crash like Heisenberg’s many pale imitators. There was a similarly modest joy to be found in other unexplored corners of the dial, like BBC America’s loopy Orphan Black and Cinemax’s pulpy Banshee — or off of it completely, like Hulu’s pleasantly twee Moone Boy and the escapist, mashed-up bliss of The Wrong Mans. The best network show of the fall was ABC’s Trophy Wife, a warm comedy that ought to be the new Modern Family but instead seems modeled on NBC’s loved but little-watched Parks and Recreation. Perhaps it’s telling that these were programs I barely wrote about. It’s not that they were minor, it’s just that they seemed somehow intimate, more like private affairs than ammunition for public discourse.
Maybe that was the wrong way to consider them. With their reduced ambitions, knowing nods to genre, and highly specific points of view, these shows were a lot more relevant to the way we watch now than a splashy series finale. For as much as I’d like to hold up “Felina” as the moment the monoculture vanished to that big meth lab in the sky, the truth is it happened long ago. Ten million viewers is a pretty big deal for 2013, but it’s a pittance in the scheme of things: It was only 15 years ago that Seinfeld‘s last gasp drew 76 million people. The hum of online conversation made Breaking Bad‘s finale feel bigger than it was in the same way the glow of the television screen can make us feel less alone.
In a thoughtful essay for The Atlantic, Alexis Madrigal recently made the case that after years of prioritizing “nowness,” the Internet is slowly pulling back from what he calls “the stream.” By this he means a move away from the fevered gush of Twitter and the Facebook timeline and toward a version of online life that is a little more removed, a touch more calm. A lake, not a river. One can’t keep up with everything, so why even try? To make his case, he points to the rise of the proudly impermanent Snapchat, evergreen and “snowfalled” longform stories, and, yes, Netflix’s season-dumping strategy. Rather than mourning the loss of the collective, he considers these moves from the opposite perspective: Taking a step back not only allows the breathing room necessary to appreciate and process, it restores a cultural sense of boundaries, of beginnings and endings. In TV’s post-stream future, we might share less but appreciate more. Everybody’s watching. Does it matter if we’re all looking in different directions?Foreign nationals are arrested in February during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles. (Charles Reed/Associated Press)
Homeland Security officials on Monday unveiled the administration’s first list of law enforcement agencies that refused to detain jailed immigrants beyond their release dates so that the federal government could take them into custody and try to deport them.
Federal officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in a conference call with reporters, said local agencies, including some in Maryland and Virginia, failed to honor 206 detention requests from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3.
President Trump in January ordered Homeland Security to issue a weekly list of crimes committed by noncitizen immigrants and to identify agencies that refused to hold those people in jail on civil immigration-violation charges until federal agents could pick them up.
“These numbers will continue to go up,” a Homeland Security official said. “There is a clear public safety issue here that will only be further illuminated as we go forward.”
Advocates for immigrants say it is unconstitutional for local police to detain someone for a civil deportation proceeding when the judge in their criminal case has ordered them released.
“This is part of an overall strategy to try to scare jurisdictions into becoming deportation agents,” said Cody Wofsy, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “And the truth is that jurisdictions have the legal right to refuse to become entangled with the federal immigration enforcement system.”
Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from what are called sanctuary cities, where local law enforcement agencies do not cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau, but officials said they hoped such jurisdictions would start cooperating with federal agents instead. Officials identified 118 such agencies in the report Monday, though they cautioned it was preliminary. The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) estimates that 600 jurisdictions limit their cooperation with ICE, in most cases because they do not want immigrants to fear the police or be deported for minor traffic offenses.
Avideh Moussavian, a staff lawyer at NILC, said police often cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies on criminal matters but emphasized that immigration violations are civil, not criminal.
“They’ve created this totally false narrative that somehow local law enforcement is obstructing their work because they’re not holding people when the local law enforcement authorities have no basis for holding that person any longer,” Moussavian said.
Homeland Security officials cautioned that the report offered only a snapshot of a week’s worth of detainers — requests from ICE to a law enforcement agency to hold an immigrant for up to 48 hours after they are released on bail so that immigration agents can take them into custody and seek to deport them.
The report did not identify the alleged criminals affected by the declined detainers, but officials said many had been arrested for serious crimes, including aggravated assault and homicide. A Washington Post analysis, however, showed that fewer than half of the people had been convicted of a crime.
Most detainers were issued for citizens of Mexico, followed by Honduras.
Some local law enforcement agencies suggested Monday that the agency’s methodology is flawed. More than 60 percent of the declined detainers were from Travis County in Texas, which on Feb. 1 adopted a policy limiting its cooperation with ICE.
Maj. Wes Priddy, of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, said the agency does detain criminals convicted of serious crimes for immigration officials.
But he said his department does not turn over people awaiting trial.
“We do honor ICE detainers. But we do it selectively and in a manner which we can abide by our policy,” Priddy said, adding that in the past, immigration officials have deported people before trial, depriving defendants of their day in court and, in some cases, denying closure to crime victims. “We want to make sure that justice is served on the local level as well.”
Patrick Lacefield, a government spokesman in Montgomery County, Md., which also has a declined detainer on the list, said officials in the county cooperate with ICE and have nothing in their records matching what the federal officials have on their list.
“We looked in our records, and we don’t have either a detainer received on that date or a detainer declined on that date,” Lacefield said. “If we had a name of who it was, we could do a more thorough search. On the face of it, it doesn’t really support the information that they have.”
Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, said the report suggested that ICE may not be effectively tracking detainers it files with local agencies.
Some detainers were issued as far back as 2010 or 2014 but were logged as declined just a few weeks ago, apparently because ICE had not tracked them before then.
At the same time, Vaughan said, the list is an attempt to pressure localities to change their policies and inform the public that sanctuary cities sometimes release serious criminals.
When he signed the Jan. 25 executive order intensifying deportation efforts, Trump said jurisdictions put U.S. citizens at risk by releasing criminals who should be deported and who, in some cases, commit additional crimes after being released from jail.The End is Nigh’s Nintendo Switch Release Date Announced
Tanner Pierce November 13, 2017 7:04:43 PM EST
The End is Nigh is finally hitting Nintendo Switch on December 12, 2017, and will be getting both a physical and digital release.
Ever since the game was first revealed, fans of the upcoming The End is Nigh have been wondering when the game will be officially released on the house of Mario’s latest console. Well, today the wait is finally over, as developer Nicalis Inc. announced that the game will be hitting Nintendo Switch in a little less than a month, on December 12, 2017, to be exact.
Interestingly enough, not only will the game be available as a download on the Switch’s eShop, but it will also hit as a physical release as well, so all you collectors out there better get a space ready on your self. The physical edition also includes a sticky toy based on the in-game character Ash. Both versions of the game will set players back $29.99.
In The End is Nigh, players take control of the aforementioned character Ash, as he attempts to find someone he can call a friend after some type of apocalyptic event wiped out most of the world.
While both versions were announced at the same time, The End is Nigh came to PC first, on July 12, 2017, just a little over a month after the game was announced. Hopefully, other versions of the game won’t take as long to release, however, with no date planned for any other editions, that’s not looking likely.The moment shots rang out in a Roswell middle school gymnasium, the calls to 911 began. Those tapes were released Wednesday.
Advertisement Roswell school shooting 911 tapes released Caller: 'Some kid just walked in with a shotgun and just shot' Share Shares Copy Link Copy
The moment shots rang out in a Roswell middle school gymnasium, the calls to 911 began. Those tapes were released Wednesday.CLICK HERE to hear to full 911 calls surrounding the shooting. WARNING some viewers may find the calls disturbing.“Oh my God!” said one caller.“He just got shot,” said another.Callers were trying frantically to convey to dispatchers a child was lying on the floor of the Berrendo Middle School gymnasium.A 12-year-old 7th grader had just entered the gym, filled with about 500 people, and opened fire with a shotgun. “Some kid just walked in with a shotgun and just shot,” said a third caller.The callers feared a boy was dead, and as a result they began to beg for help to arrive.“Please hurry up,” said that third caller.VIDEO: Roswell school shooting 911 tapes releasedAs concerns over whether it was safe for medical help to enter the school, so did the calls.“It is clear to send in the medics, right? Yeah? Yeah,” said a tenth. “Get (them) in!”After a while, word spread, as well parental concern.“Was there a shooting at Berrendo Middle?” asked a 13th. “What do I do? My kid goes there.”“Oh my God,” said the 12th. “Can you tell me if anyone was hurt? Please?”Caller eight was in a room with Kendal Sanders, the 13-year-old girl who was one of three victims of Wednesday’s shooting.“I have one injured in the gym and one injured in room,” said the eighth caller.“I have a student,” said the caller. “She’s been shot with debris.”Sanders had been taken from the gym to a classroom to keep her calm. The eighth caller was a teacher telling the dispatcher to whisper, as not to send Sanders in to shock.“(She’s been hit) in the armpit, chest,” said the teacher. “She says she’s having trouble breathing.”While trying to keep Sanders calm, the teacher made it clear she had a responsibility to try and protect all of her students.“Ma’am, they’re going to have to get a master key,” she said to the dispatcher. “I’m not going to open the door to anyone.”She began to ask for advice.“Tell me what to do,” she said. “Please.”Sanders suffered injuries to one of her shoulders, and was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday night after surgery.Throughout the recordings, you can hear an officer patrolling the school’s hallways doing welfare checks on the classrooms. The officer audibly reports a victim in another classroom that suffered very minor pellet spray injuries.Other than Sanders, a 12-year-old boy and a school staff member were injured. While the staffer was likely the pellet spray injury the officer was referring to, the boy suffered injuries to the face and neck.He went into a second surgery Tuesday evening and remains in critical condition.President Donald Trump is obsessed with the media — consuming it, reacting to it and desiring positive depictions in it. That obsession arises not only out of egotism but also, as recent reports have revealed, from a seemingly uncontrollable fixation on them. (The word "addiction" is not being used here literally but when reading about his media consumption habits, a fitting substitute is difficult to come up with.)
"Print copies of three newspapers," wrote Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei of Axios in a Tuesday article describing the president's media habits on Tuesday. "When Billy Bush was on, 'Access Hollywood' every night. TiVo of the morning and evening news shows so he can watch the tops of all of them. Always '60 Minutes.' Often 'Meet the Press.' Lots of New York talk radio."
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Allen and VandeHei also reported that Trump doesn't read books and avoids reports and briefings that he considers too lengthy. That doesn't mean that Trump is hip to advancing technologies, however — he doesn't use computers and rarely uses his phone for anything but calls. Even his infamous tweets are often dictated and then submitted by others. He doesn't follow online news outlets, instead preferring traditional outlets including newspapers like The New York Times and The New York Post (which one friend referred to as "the paper of record for him") and journalistic programs like "60 Minutes."
He is particularly obsessed with TV.
Most mornings, Trump flicks on the TV and watches "Morning Joe," often for long periods of time, sometimes interrupted with texts to the hosts or panelists. After the 6 a.m. hour of "Joe," he's often on to "Fox & Friends" by 7 a.m., with a little CNN before or after. He also catches the Sunday shows, especially "Meet the Press." "The shows," as he calls them, often provoke his tweets. The day of our interview with him, all of his tweet topics were discussed during the first two hours of "Morning Joe." Indeed, Trump's emotional dependence on positive TV coverage has led to some of his earliest mistakes in his presidency.
On Saturday when Trump saw TV networks comparing his tepid inaugural turnout with Obama's much more impressive showing in 2009, the new president became so infuriated that his advisers were unable to convince him to ignore the negative coverage or to simply respond to it on Twitter, according to The Washington Post on Monday.
Instead Trump demanded that press secretary Sean Spicer denounce the negative coverage on Saturday. Despite widespread criticism that Spicer crossed the line then by blatantly promoting lies about Trump's inauguration (what Kellyanne Conway later referred to as "alternative facts"), Trump apparently was concerned that Spicer seemed too reliant on a printed statement and had not been sufficiently compelling, according to Post. He was more pleased with Spicer's performance on Monday.Pin Share 7 82 Shares
Feedly is known as the leading replacement for the now deceased Google Reader but they are also beginning to get a reputation for making absolutely bone-headed decisions.
Last month Feedly had the bright idea of forcing all their users to have a Google+ account in order to use Feedly, and today Feedly has found a way to piss off bloggers everywhere.
I have just discovered that Feedly has rolled out an unannounced update that changes how users share links.
Instead of sharing a link which leads to a publisher's website, Feedly users are now sharing links that lead to the same content, only now it is hosted on Feedly's website.
This change happened sometime around midnight Friday night. Any link shared from Feedly before midnight links to the original source, but any link shared after about 10am links to Feedly.
Update: As of midnight Saturday, Feedly has suspended the hijacking of links. All links (including the one below) now lead where they should.
For example, the following link leads to a copy of one of my blog posts which Feedly is hosting and distributing:
http://feedly.com/e/dCAnCBil
It looks like this:
Just to be clear, I don't know of any other service that pulls this kind of stunt. This is very much not okay with me and I would bet that I am not the only one.
This bothers me both as a publisher and as a reader. And just to add insult to injury the "open site" button at the top of the screen won't actually take you to my blog. It takes you deeper into Feedly.
I'm not sure how many of my readers remember but a similar problem occurred last year when the save-for-later service Readability was criticized for having users share links that led to the Readability website and not the source publisher's website (AppAdvice).
Readability was roundly criticized and quickly changed how their sharing option worked, but before that happened ReadWrite spelled out exactly why one is always supposed to share a link to the source:
I'm not moaning about page views here. That's not my point. I'm a blogger, but I don't care about blogging nearly as much as I care about reading and sharing. The problem with this is that it breaks sharing. It forces mobile users to use Readability instead of their link-saving app of choice, which might be Instapaper, a service that does treat publishers with more distance and respect. It might be Pinboard or another bookmarking service. A shared link should always, always, always be the original URL, so that users can do with it as they please. Instead, Readability skipped ads for publishers and showed ads for itself instead. Even on the desktop, though it loads the original page below, it puts the linked story in a Readability.com frame, so the URL still isn't right.
And that's not the only reason why one should be allowed to share a link to the original source.
I have contacted Feedly and confirmed that this is a new feature they are testing (and not a bug). Instead, they think it will boost engagement:
This is a tool we are building to help publishers increase the engaged readership in feedly. This also helps mobile users consume content a lot faster. This is still experimental but I will be happy to completely opt you out.
I really have to wonder about Feedly; it's almost as if they don't realize that publishers want to engage with readers directly and not have Feedly engage with readers at our expense.It's kinda the reason I have a website rather than posting everything on (for example) Facebook. Furthermore, what if said reader wants to engage via email, Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments section?
Feedly can't help in those areas, and in fact by changing the way their links work Feedly has actually hurt my ability to engage with readers.
Why they would think this was a good idea escapes me, but I have high hopes that Feedly will drop this publisher hostile policy.In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, the head of the FBI James Comey made this statement:
"We are not aware of any credible threat here of a Paris-type attack and we have seen no connection at all between the Paris attackers and the United States. The threat here focuses primarily on troubled souls in America who are being inspired or enabled online to do something violent for ISIL. We have stopped a lot of those people this year."
He's been saying this for some time, often using this phrase, "troubled souls," to describe would-be terrorists. He's also frequently used the term "lone wolves," which are usually defined this way:
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"A lone wolf or lone-wolf terrorist is someone who commits violent acts in support of some group, movement, or ideology, but who does so alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group. Although the lone wolf prepares and acts alone, he/she may be influenced or motivated by the ideology and beliefs of an external group."
Here's how Comey described it in an interview with Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes":
"These homegrown violent extremists are troubled souls, who are seeking meaning in some misguided way. And so they come across the propaganda and they become radicalized on their own, sort of independent study, and they're also able to equip themselves with training again through the Internet, and then engage in jihad after emerging from their basement."
All the experts say this is the scenario that keeps them up at night. It's no longer a group of foreign terrorists simultaneously hijacking four jet liners and flying them into skyscrapers and the Pentagon that worries them, it's these lone wolf attacks like the Tsarnaev brothers and their homemade pressure cooker bombs or the man who opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tenn., killing five servicemen.
There are several approaches to dealing with this problem but it really comes down to a question of whether the government should surveil everyone to find that lone wolf who might become radicalized through exposure to terrorist rhetoric or work through community outreach to try to calm the waters and keep these people from becoming radicalized in the first place. It's a difficult challenge in that the internet allows those with mental and emotional issues to seek out demagogues who are happy to encourage their violent tendencies, focus their anger and give them license to to carry out terrorist acts as a twisted demonstration of deepest moral conscience. Most experts suggest some combination of those approaches stand the best chance of success.
In the case of ISIS, appealing to the decency of the terrorists who are encouraging this behavior is obviously a waste of time. But there are a lot of "troubled souls" in this country who are not Muslim and do not look for meaning from the likes of ISIS terrorists in the Middle East. They look a little closer to home for permission to carry out their violent desires. And there is plenty of inspiration. They don't have to search in the dark corners of the internet or use encryption or travel to a foreign land to meet people who will stoke their violent urges and give them a moral purpose. They can just tune in to a Republican presidential debate:
Carly Fiorina: I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, it’s heart beating, it’s legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain. Ted Cruz: Well, let me tell you, Dana, number one, I’m proud to stand for life. These Planned Parenthood videos are horrifying. I would encourage every American to watch the videos. See — seeing your Planned Parenthood officials callously, heartlessly bartering and selling the body parts of human beings, and then ask yourself, “are these my values?” These are horrifying. On these videos, Planned Parenthood also essentially confesses to multiple felonies. It is a felony with ten years’ jail term to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That’s what these videos show Planned Parenthood doing. Huckabee: It's time that we recognize the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and we change the policy to be pro-life and protect children instead of rip up their body parts and sell them like they're parts to a Buick.
If some "troubled soul" didn't know better, he might just think he needed to step up to do something serious about what these very important, mainstream presidential candidates are describing as not just criminal, but barbaric behavior on the level of say... ISIS. They are describing gory mayhem that actually goes beyond the radical jihadi's horror show because the depraved Planned Parenthood butchers are alleged to be dismembering children purely for monetary profit.
None of it is true, of course. It has have all been thoroughly Fact Checked and the claims on those doctored videos have been proven false. A few Planned Parenthood facilities provide scientists with fetal tissue for vital and important medical research, with the permission of the woman from whom it's obtained, and the only money that was ever exchanged was for reimbursement of costs. There was no selling of "baby parts." There were no live infants being killed on the table to "harvest their brains." The tissue that was donated to medical research has resulted in important breakthroughs in the hunt for a cure for many life threatening diseases. But that hasn't stopped irresponsible political leaders and anti-abortion zealots from flogging this reprehensible lie in a race to see who can most graphically prove his or her anti-abortion bona fides.
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At the time of this writing we don't know for sure that a man who shot a dozen people, killing three, in the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic this past weekend did what he did as a form of terrorism against abortion providers. Members of the right wing, who are obsessively vigilant in their warnings about radical Islamic terrorism, have been twisting themselves into pretzels for days trying to excuse this event as the simple act of a madman or finding some inane way to suggest that he was actually a bank-robber or a leftwing activist. But let's just say that it's unlikely he hit the Planned Parenthood clinic by coincidence and started babbling about "baby parts" out of the blue.
From what we've seen the accused fits the classic picture of a "lone wolf" -- mentally unstable, susceptible to suggestion, looking for validation. The fact that he is reported to have used the same rhetoric as mainstream politicians should give those politicians some pause. In fact, they should have paused before they cynically dispersed these hoax videos and exploited them for political gain. After all, gory illustrations of dismemberment and mutilation are the propaganda stock in trade of our most hated enemies. They are considered the gold standard for terrorist recruitment. You would think mainstream American politicians would think twice about going down that road.
But they don't. When confronted with this act of terrorism against Planned Parenthood, Carly Fiorina had no regrets. Instead, she lashed out at those who drew the obvious connection between a man who was quoted saying "no more baby parts" and the ghastly term "baby parts" being used by virtually every Republican official and anti-abortion activist on a loop for the past few months:
“It is so typical of the left to begin demonizing the messenger because they don’t agree with your message.” “So, what I would say to anyone who tries to link this terrible tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion, or opposes the sale of body parts, is this is typical left-wing tactics.”
The threat of ISIS is presented by the right as an existential threat. Dr Ben Carson contends that a Muslim should not be allowed to be president unless he or she disavows the tenets of Islam, and various jurisdictions around the nation have even attempted to ban Sharia law despite no possibility that it would ever be enacted. There is a lot of loose talk about this being a "war of civilizations" which we must win outright or lose everything we hold dear. This is nonsense, of course. Neither the U.S. or Europe are in any danger of being "taken over" by ISIS. We will not be living under Sharia law any time soon and America is not going to become part of the Caliphate.
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Unfortunately, in a year or so the country actually could be run by leaders who think using lurid, violent imagery and rhetoric to score cheap points points and inspire "troubled souls" to shoot a dozen people in a woman's health clinic is a perfectly acceptable political tactic. These same people think the answer to the epidemic of gun violence that's killing tens of thousands of our citizens each year is to flood the nation with even more guns. And they are talking about mass deportations, requiring people to register their religion with the government and "doing certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago." This may not amount to a "clash of civilizations" but it's not being paranoid to worry that we might might lose much of what we hold dear if one of them wins the presidency.This is acruel paradox that decades of ineffective Congress rule has been bestowed upon Assam. Despite its rich reserves of coal, crude and natural gas, and hydro, solar andwind power potential, people of the state have been made to endure long hours of darkness every day. But these ‘powerless’ days and nights will soon fadeinto a bad memory.
TheBharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which promised to make Assam a power surplusstate during the poll campaign, has started moving tohonour its word soon after coming to power last month. And by doing so, it isset to usher in a new era in the state.
Assam has been reeling under excruciating power crisis with shortfallsranging from 250 MW to over 320 MW, especially in the hot and sultry summermonths. Power cuts ranging from 8 to 16 hours have been common, and the state capital Guwahati does not enjoy power supply of more thanthree hours at a stretch.
According toconsumer groups, residents of Guwahati received 11.4 hours of power supply lastyear. Power sector experts blame successive governments, mostly led by theCongress, for neglecting the power sector.
Hydel andthermal power plants have been allowed to fall into neglect. Even routinemaintenance works were ignored while funds were shamelessly siphoned off.
Nothing much has been done to harness solar and other forms of renewable energy. Noinitiative was taken, especially in the last 15 years of Congress rule under TarunGogoi, to set up new power plants.
Assam has390 million tonnes of coal reserves, 178.07 million tonnes and181.77 billion cubic meters of crude and natural gas reserves respectively. It also has a tremendous hydel power potential.
The solarand wind power potential of the state stands at at least 15,000 MW. But Assamtoday barely generates 250 MW of power, while the demand is more than 1,000 MWduring off-peak hours and 1,500 MW during peak hours.
It managesto purchase, on an average, 500 MW of power from the national grid andneighbouring states, leaving a shortfall of at least 250 MW. Thishas, apart from severely inconveniencing citizens of the state, crippledindustrial production and acted as a severe disincentive for fresh investmentsin the state.
As Sarbananda Sonowal, the new BJP Chief Minister of Assam,rightly emphasises, self-sufficiency in power is a prerequisite for developing |
want something that is lighter and more of an all-around performer, get the Tri-B. If you want a rounder shape that sports some extra performance that has some more heft behind it, go for the Prime8. Fans of the MonkeyfingeR should get ready to put an order in when these go on sale soon.
JT: Well I can easily say that the Prime8 is now my favourite yo-yo from MonkeyfingeR. Yeah I know, a fanboy. Nonetheless I think the Prime8 is a winner. And since I find it to perform better than my venerable Tri-B I must reluctantly promote it into the top spot in the Wild Card category of my Core Throw. I never thought the Tri-B would be supplanted, but if push came to shove I would have to choose the Prime8 over the Tri-B. That almost pains me to say.
Anyway, if you are a MonkeyfingeR fan then the Prime8 is one to check out. If you like H/O-type shapes then should also give it a look. I really hope that MonkeyfingeR keeps the trend of exploring increased performance and interesting shapes. Oh, and I think Tyler should be quite proud of his new signature yo-yo.
Thanks again to Mat B. for helping me out with this review. I guess I could also thank MonkeyfingeR Design for providing all of the strings used for this joint review, but that probably goes without saying in this case.
Yay, Nay, Could-go-either-way Summary
Please keep in mind that these are purely subjective. One thrower’s negatives may be another thrower’s positives, and vice versa. These were compiled by both Mat and myself.
The Yays
+ Comfort: the organic nature of the shape fits comfortably in the hand.
+ Stability: the H/O-type shape provides great stability.
+ Spin times: like the stability, the shape grants some decent spin times.
+ Anodization: seriously, you have to ask? This is MonkeyfingeR so the anodization is top-notch for both looks and grinds.
+ Design: admittedly this is a personal preference, but we reallly dig this particular shape.
The Nays
– Sharp edges: the inner grind rings are really sharp.
– String dead zone: there is a noticeable “thunk” as the Prime8 hits the end of the string.
The Could-go-either-ways
+/- Weight: the 65 grams of mass felt like it could have been shaved down by a gram to give the Prime8 some extra zip, but others may like the weight just as it is.
+/- Superfluous grind ring: having the double inner grind rings looks cool, but one would have been enough. However, since these were added for weight rather than grind functionality, we will call it as neutral.Whew...It's Finally Out!
This fun educational book focuses on the transformation of scat into coprolite (fossil dung) and what can be learned about the creatures who left it behind. Anyone ever tell you that you don’t know doo doo? Well, no more! After reading this quirky book about one of the most underappreciated remnants of the prehistoric past, you can proudly proclaim, “Oh, yes I do too!” Sure, fossilized bones are interesting and can tell us what a dinosaurs looked like....but fossilized fecal matter can tell us about their diet, digestive systems, AND possibly even maladies from which they suffered. If your child likes dinosaurs and poop, they will love this truly crappy story!
WARNING: This book is meant for immature audiences and contains uncensored photographs of actual coprolites. The subject matter may be suitable for readers over age 17 with prepubescent supervision. Known side effects include feelings of intellectual superiority. increased curiosity regarding all things poopy (both fossilized and fresh), snorting, stomach pain and/or bladder leakage due to laughter, and an extreme sense of silliness. If your heart, mind or bladder is not strong enough to handle fecal humor, please refrain from reading. If your child likes dinosaurs and poop...they will love this book! Recommended for children age 10 and older due to some use of larger scientific words.
Recommended for children age 10 and older due to some use of larger scientific words.Congratulations to EON Synergy for making it to 2nd place in the MechWarrior Online World Championships 2017! Returning from last year's World Championships, EON Synergy proved everyone of their great improvement by highly challenging their competitors during the qualifiers and the Finals at MechCon like never before.
Words from the Shout-Casters:
"EON Synergy was probably the biggest surprise of the tournament to me. I knew they were good, and they had the statistics from the semi-finals to back it up, but they took their play a step further last Saturday. At points in their matches with EmP, they were out-trading the team I think everyone agreed was the best in the world. To me, no one plays the role of a "poke" light mech better than Da Red Goes DA FASTA (EON Synergy team captain) and Hardoc isn't too far behind. That Wolfhound duo was very effective throughout the tournament, and they are fantastic at stepping from behind cover to take a shot and then immediately dropping back into cover before you even realize what happened. As an announcer, the best you can hope for is a close series, and EON gave EmP more of a run for their money than I've ever seen before." -Mdmzero0
“Eon Synergy improved drastically from 2016. They were able to not only take drops off of EmpyreaL, but a critical round sending the tournament into 'Extra Innings'. I can't wait to see if they can continue to grow as a team and, if they make it to Vancouver again next year, will they secure the #1 spot?” -Bandit B17
Words from the Referees:
“They know what they are doing and they do it well. I think that many people underestimated them going into the second to last round, including EMP. After winning the first round they played against EMP they seemed to get a little tired and I think that the impromptu break that saw half of the team run off to every corner of the convention sapped them of their momentum. When they came back, they seemed a little disorganized at the start and it took them a bit to pull things back together. That gave EMP enough of a boost to take the win in the final round.”
-MechCon Finals Referee
“They showed amazing improvement from last year, their practiced coordination and tactics proved it by not only taking one drop from EMP but managing to win an impressive 3-1 game which has never yet been seen.”
-MechCon Finals Referee
"EON returned for their second MWOWC, they looked better and more focused than ever, they had a good energy within the team and even with some members missing from their team roster at MechCon, they still very much appeared to have it together. Like always, they gave everything they had and left nothing behind.
Cannot wait to see what they bring for next year."
-MechCon Finals Referee
" Started the finals strong with their first win, they seem to be the ones to beat. Going into the next round they felt confident and EMP was a little concerned. As the matches progressed EON started losing momentum and unity. EMP saw this and acted quickly to gain the upper hand. EON tried to rally back in the final matches. It look like it was going to be a rally back, but, they just could not get the unity of the team working. Saddened by the lost they still remained thankful for the chance in the finals.”
-MechCon Finals Referee
Team Fact:
EON Synergy's team member FunkyCat was originally one of the 8 players meant to be in Vancouver and play in the Finals at MechCon however, only a few days before his flight, FunkyCat was in a car accident where he was sent to the hospital and scheduled for an operation the following day. Please recover well FunkyCat!!
This is when we immediately booked xCico to take up FunkyCat's spot. On his day of travel, xCico had missed his flight and the entire team urgently chipped in to get him another ticket to get him to Vancouver on time for MechCon.
Words from the EON Synergy Team Captain:
"MechCon was very bright with projectors, so we took our 30 minutes break between the matches to refresh by going back to our meeting room and looting lots of food back for our team meetings which was kinda fun.
The best part of all was meeting the players in real life, the team has been through so much drama, fail and wins that it just instantly brought us close together as friends in person, so meeting everyone again this year after a long time was so joyful.
We had faced a lot of problems in reality too, like getting xCico a last minute ticket at 1 AM. But overall, when we are all in Vancouver we really feel like part of a true team."
-DA RED GOES DA FASTA
Fun Team Facts:
EON Synergy was formed in Winter 2015 which was originally team VRGD. EON was founded by DA RED GOES DA FASTA, xCico and Oldhasu.
The majority of the team is merged from different units. Lizzie, Colonel Oneill and Kjubert are the newest members of the team and had their first time trip to Vancouver for the World Championship 2017 Finals.
Words from the EON Synergy Team Members:
"First of all I wanted to say special 'Thank you' to PGI HR department, Jesse did a great job helping our team when I broke my rib and EON had to substitute me with xCico...
And xCico misses his flight. No, no, no, just imagine: I have my rib broken, my spleen is also hurt and I personally hate myself because I failed, what can be worse?
[7:00 AM] (the day before the finals) DaRed is calling me from Vancouver : "[censored] Cico missed his flight!!! Check the skype as soon as possible". Cico was in panic, DaRed was in panic, Lizzee and O'Niell ordered second portion of beer. [8:30 AM] Me and Kjubert are booking the last available flight to Vancouver(with 3 stops). 23 hours later Cico successfully arrives at Vancouver. Back then I wanted to see this world on fire. But still, seems like all ended good I was watching games on a stream and even called DaRed between the drops (you can see it on a record tbh ) to say that they screwed up with lances on Tourmaline." -FunkyCat
"Mechcon 2017 was an awesome experience. It was so nice to finally meet the team, staff and all the MechWarrior players out there. Lately we actually had some ups and downs in the team, and the atmosphere was not always the greatest. At the finals though, the players in our team were in a great mood and super positive. I had a lot of fun and good laughs. In fact, everybody at this event was super friendly and nice, I liked it a lot. I really appreciate all the support and cheering from everybody. Big thanks to the crowd and the people on twitch streams. I wish there would have been more time though. Looking forward to Mechcon 2018!!!"
- Kjubert
"This years's finals was the first time I've ever played on stage and it was amazing. We had a hard time preparing for Vancouver since all EU teams refused to scrim with us and we didn't have the roster to field proper 8v8 internals so we had to invite basically anyone willing to help(mostly PHL, AS and WDMC guys). Huge thanks to them - you guys helped us a lot. Still I, and probably some other team members came to Vancouver somewhat un-confident in ourselves since I felt that we practiced a lot less than the other 2 finalists. But all my un-confidence, I was blown away after our decisive victory against 228 BW in the first round. We finally acted as a team and communicated properly, which was always our weak point. I'd also want to mention our series with EMP - these were the best games I've had in MWO.
We knew how EMP would play and tried to adapt to their strats, but didn't manage to do so in Round 2. We made some more adjustments and it finally paid off in Round 4, which we won pretty convincingly, but sadly couldn't keep up the pace in Round 5 due to exhaustion. Overall I'm pretty satisfied with our performance. We gave EMP a good run for their money - the overall score being 5-7. That's something nobody before us ever managed to do, I believe. Huge props to EMP though - their ability to adapt on the fly is really good and they rightfully took first place again.
Anyway, thanks to PGI for hosting this event. It was fun, I've met some great people, played some top tier MWO games and some MW5. See you next year, hopefully!"
-Lizzee
What they returned home with:
- $18,158 USD (30% of the Prize Pool) split across the team - 8 Razer Kraken Headsets - MWOWC 2017 Silver Medallion - Team Custom MWOWC2017 Silver Warhorn - Team Custom Decal - Team's full name Decal - Silver MWOWC2017 Decal - Silver MWOWC2017 Title - Silver MWOWC2017 Badge - Silver MWOWC2017 Trophy Cockpit Standing Item - Silver MWOWC2017 Medallion Cockpit Hanging Item - 6 Mechbays per player - 35,000 MC per player - 60,000,000 C-Bills per player - 3 Ultimate tiers from their choice of Mech Pack(s) per player"I happen to have discovered a direct relation between magnetism and light, also electricity and light, and the field it opens is so large and I think rich." -Michael Faraday
With the launch of the Fermi satellite in the late 2000s, we began observing the highest energy photons in the Universe -- gamma rays -- all over the sky, to unprecedented precision. Produced from cosmic ray showers in space when high energy protons run into other, stationary protons, these gamma rays locate point sources from supermassive black holes to supernova remnants to pulsars.
Image credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, of data from the Fermi LAT collaboration.
There is, additionally, a great correlation between the infrared sky and the gamma ray sky, since the great high-energy background scatters off of the diffuse infrared gas, producing gamma rays there as well. But while a great many sources can be correlated with known structures, Fermi reveals at least one unknown, intense behemoth that emits spectacularly in gamma rays.
Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA, for the WISE collaboration.
Go find out what my guess is as to its nature!Federal authorities have arrested ten members of the Ironworkers Union for what is being called violent intimidation.
The United States Attorney in Philadelphia released a sweeping indictment Tuesday of Ironworkers Local Union 401, which is based in Northeast Philadelphia. Ten members, including the union's top leadership, have been arrested.
Only Action News was there Tuesday morning as FBI agents raided the union headquarters, carting off boxes of documents linked to the investigation.
"They were not shy about using violence and they physically beat people. They used arson to intimidate builders and contractors to see to their demands," said Zane Memeger, U.S. Attorney.
Union boss Joe Dougherty was among 10 men arrested, including most of the union's top brass.
Authorities say Dougherty was in complete control of the union's legal and illegal business. Only Action News was there as Dougherty left federal court after posting bail.
Action News asked him what he thought about the charges.
"I'm as surprised as you are," said Dougherty.
Surveillance video allegedly shows three of the defendants doing what they called "night work." They allegedly used baseball bats to beat non-union workers at a construction site in King of Prussia.
Investigators have documented 11 incidents in which, they say, union goons intimidated and beat people who hired non-union workers.
In some cases they also allegedly resorted to arson and vandalism.
Only Action News was there as federal agents carted off box loads of potential evidence.
Dougherty and four others face mandatory minimum sentences of 35 years.
Action News asked Dougherty about the possible sentence.
"I'll be dead before then," he said.
Investigators apparently used wiretaps and other surveillance to record conversations between the suspects.
Authorities say this is an ongoing investigation that goes back many years, and they are looking for more victims to come forward.The holidays are over, January has arrived, and many of us enter the New Year determined to live our lives a little healthier than last.
If you're a baby boomer, you may be noticing a few more aches and pains this year compared to last, or perhaps a little progression of some unwelcome medical problem like high blood pressure or diabetes.
We often hear about the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies, getting a little more exercise, or getting your weight down, but did you know that adding more spices and herbs to your food can reduce inflammation and also reduce your risk of chronic disease?
Most cultures have used spices and herbs in their traditional cuisines for thousands of years; we often think of these ingredients as flavor-enhancers, but nature in her wisdom has also provided these plants to us for their powerful health benefits.
In the past 50 years, we have come to understand that cancer and other chronic illnesses may be due to damage or dysregulation of some of our genes. It has only been in the past decade, however, that scientists have discovered that many nutrients in foods, including spices, can prevent these genetic changes and reduce our risk for some of these diseases.
Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, an oncologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas is one of the leading researchers in the world looking at the health impact of spices and herbs. In many recent scientific publications and studies, he and his colleagues have uncovered the health benefits of these food ingredients and shown how they may prevent and even help treat a wide array of chronic diseases including cancer.
One of the powerful ways that spices and herbs exert their protective effect in the body is by inactivating a protein complex in cells that's known as NF kappa B.
NF Kappa B acts like a master control switch for inflammation and cell growth. When it's activated, it turns on hundreds of genes that are involved in abnormal cell growth and inflammation; this can allow a cancer cell to continue growing or it can promote ongoing inflammatory responses in the body that can fuel chronic disease.
Blocking NF kappa B can reduce cancer cell growth, or even allow cancer cells to respond better to chemotherapy drugs. Blocking this protein can also reduce the inflammation that leads to a number of chronic diseases including coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Populations that consume lots of these spices seem to have less chronic disease than we do in the United States. For example, in India turmeric is frequently consumed in curries. Turmeric contains the phytochemical curcumin, and curcumin is a particularly powerful inhibitor of NF Kappa B.
In India, Alzheimer's disease is far less common than it is in the U.S., and scientists suspect that it is the frequent consumption of turmeric that has resulted in this difference.
You don't have to look far to find these beneficial spices - you probably have many of them already in your kitchen spice rack. In addition to turmeric, they include mint, rosemary, garlic, basil, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, and red chili pepper.
Scientists are still trying to determine which of these spices would be useful if taken by capsule to prevent or treat disease, and the data is very intriguing and encouraging.
Before you run out to buy these in pill form, though, we encourage you to include and enjoy these spices in your foods on a daily basis: add some cinnamon to your breakfast cereal, enjoy some mint-ginger tea with your lunch and top your dinner pasta with a little garlic and rosemary. If you're really adventuresome, you might want to try making your own curry at home - a great time to experiment with fresh or dried turmeric. You'll give your taste buds a zing, and you'll be doing your part to keep your genes happy and healthy too.
Bon appetit!
Explore further Antioxidant spices reduce negative effects of high-fat meal
(c)2012 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)
Distributed by MCT Information ServicesBritain's Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after a flypast of military aircraft, following the Afghanistan service of commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral in London March 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON (Reuters) - Members of Parliament on Wednesday accused the British government of burying a major review into Britain’s relationship with the European Union meant to inform public opinion ahead of a possible referendum on membership of the bloc.
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to renegotiate Britain’s EU ties before holding a referendum by the end of 2017 if re-elected at a national vote in May.
His government commissioned an extensive civil service investigation into how the EU affects British life in 32 areas from health and education to the economy, tax and immigration, which was completed at the end of last year.
But in a report published on Wednesday, a committee of members of Parliament from the upper house of parliament said the review had not been publicised well enough and had probably cost more than double the government’s estimate of 1.78 million pounds ($2.65 million).
“There is no point spending up to 5 million pounds of public money on an excellent review, and then burying it. People need to know the facts about the UK-EU relationship,” said Timothy Boswell, Chairman of the House of Lords EU Committee.
The committee also criticised the government for failing to provide an overall analysis of the findings of the review, which was published as 32 individual reports.
“As a result, this major project, despite the good quality of its outputs, has yet to deliver an outcome, in the form of measurable benefits. It has so far made no impact on the public debate on the UK-EU relationship,” the committee said.Anybody see David Villa walking through the door lately at Children’s Mercy Park?
Probably not. Because he isn’t. Neither, for that matter, is anyone who comes close to Villa’s game-changing superpower. No big-timers like Clint Dempsey or Robbie Keane, or even a younger model Designated Player like Miguel Almiron or Josef Martinez, the emerging South American internationals at Atlanta United.
Oh, sure, these pricey heartbreakers and point-takers do occasionally grace the gates around the swell Kansas ground, but always en route to the visitors’ locker room. Meanwhile, they don’t really do name internationals or big-time DPs at Sporting Kansas City. And that makes the purposeful march of achievement at Children’s Mercy Park even more compelling.
Paul Tenorio Amid trying times, Dynamo finds validation in playoff hopes
The trophies are piling up impressively. Sporting Kansas City took another one last week, the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Add it to Open Cups in 2012 and 2015 and to the grander achievement that was 2013 MLS Cup.
The 22-year-old club has other honors as well, like the 2000 MLS Cup. But this is about the organization in its current construct, and about how SKC has been so consistently capable. And it’s about asking whether we are pointing enough of the bright shiny lights on a can-do club in so-called flyover country?
Even more to the point, perhaps, are we directing enough praise and attention toward the shepherd of all this on-field prosperity, manager Peter Vermes?
As you ponder that, don’t forget: The United States men’s national team will be looking for a new manager in about 10 months.
Why Vermes deserves special praise
Sporting Kansas City has built its success without reaching for the top shelf of DP selections. Rather, the Vermes project is all about building around the college draft, then augmenting with mid-level Europeans and shrewd trades. None of that is as sexy as luring, say, Bastian Schweinsteiger. You could even say it’s a little boring. We all get excited over DP singings or a fight over allocation signings or whatever, but just can’t get worked up over a No. 16 overall pick out of University of South Florida; that was Dom Dwyer, by the way, in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.
And yet, so much of the club’s success has been built around guys like Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Roger Espinoza and, before he was traded, around Dwyer. All were SKC draft picks. Seth Sinovic and Ike Opara were draft picks elsewhere, scooped later via trade.
Zusi and Besler have since become important U.S. internationals, but let’s not forget that they developed into U.S. regulars at Sporting Kansas City. Same for Dwyer. It’s easy to forget how raw he was coming out of college, collecting just four MLS minutes as a rookie and then spending much of the following season on loan at then-second tier Orlando City. Espinoza was similarly raw, mostly just a midfield hammer in his early years.
Embedded video for Why Peter Vermes deserves even more praise... and a shot at the USMNT job
Vermes was in charge of nurturing this current group, which means SKC did it the inexpensive way. Like quite a few MLS teams, Sporting Kansas City’s collective player salary is less than what Sebastian Giovinco makes at Toronto FC. Overall, SKC is No. 16 in salary spending in 2017.
Salary doesn’t tell the whole story; this is also about a system. While Besler, Opara and Sinovic have long remained building blocks of the back, the screening man in front of them has changed out frequently.
Julio Cesar had that critical position as the club won Open Cup honors in 2012. Oriol Rosell manned the position regally as SKC took MLS Cup on a bitterly cold December night in 2013.
Soni Mustivar had the assignment as Sporting took another Open Cup in 2015, and last week, Ilie Sánchez was running the midfield methodically and sensibly from the bottom of the midfield “V.” When you see that happening, it tells you something important: A system works well when teams seamlessly change out such an important part.
Not just any system in this case. It’s Vermes’ system, a 4-3-3 with which he became acquainted while playing in Holland in the early 1990s.
A body of work which speaks volumes
For all of ridiculously untamed sideline histrionics, Vermes is clearly a damn good manager. Every time you talk to the guy, as I have several times through the years, you get smarter about soccer. And you immediately understand how immersed he is in the entire project, not just in the game-day finish line.
Even from a distance, you simply cannot look at the body of work and arrive at any other conclusion. Beyond the titles previously mentioned, SKC currently owns the league’s longest active streak of undefeated matches at home (24).
It’s built on a pretty simple premise that goes something like this: We have Opara and Besler, the league’s best center back combo, and the best MLS goalkeeper this year in Tim Melia. We’re just gonna defend like we do, and you’re not going to beat us. So there.
Graham Parker If soccer wants to be part of the conversation, it needs to speak up now
They haven’t missed the playoffs since 2010. Assuming the Galaxy misses the playoffs, only Seattle and the Red Bulls will have longer active streaks come late October. Speaking of longevity and streaks: No MLS manager has lasted longer at his current post, and yet, he’s never been Coach of the Year. Riddle us that.
That’s not a list of accomplishments that will humble the Sounders or Galaxy. Then again, you know what those clubs do that SKC doesn’t? They spend like crazy.
In the MLS structure, spending as part of a recipe for success is fair game. But if we’re talking about accomplishment through the virtues of improvement, quality control, accountability and all the better angels of project fulfillment, then tip your hats to SKC. Really, that runs through the entire organization; business books deserve to be written about the club’s rags-to-riches rebranding and complete image overhaul a few years back.
Good for Seattle and the Galaxy and all their success, but to say it doesn’t have a lot to do with money would be something less than honest. Look at the recent MLS summer transfer window: Finding itself not-top-of-the-chart successful, Seattle got four new players, including at least two starters.
Vermes and Co. sat around counting their cash from the Dwyer deal this summer, confident that Diego Rubio, Daniel Salloi and Latif Blessing (all in their early 20s) can fill the gap by lifting their own contributions.
Generally speaking, if a player isn’t doing the job at CenturyLink, Seattle goes and gets a new one. Most MLS teams don’t have that luxury; they can swap out a name or two, but they generally have to improve on the practice field and in the video room by shoring up individual weaknesses and reinforcing individual strengths. In other words, they have to “coach ‘em up.” Vermes and his staff at SKC just happen to be very good at it.
This is no knock on Patrick Vieira and what he’s done at New York City FC, nor Greg Vanney at Toronto. It’s not to denigrate Sigi Schmid or Bruce Arena for what they have done in MLS. But if we’re talking about making the best of what you got,” then guys like Oscar Pareja and Vermes top the list.
Arena’s second run with the U.S. national team will end by next July, latest. Unless the federation rediscovers its foreign wanderlust, it could do a lot worse than Vermes as the pick.
Click here for more of FourFourTwo USA leading MLS coverageSitting down with The Verge early in the morning after AlphaGo’s first triumph over Lee Se-dol, Hassabis could have been forgiven if media engagements were the last thing on his mind. But he was warm and convivial as he entered the room, commenting on the Four Seasons Seoul’s gleaming decor and looking visibly amazed when a Google representative told him that over 3,300 articles had been written about him in Korean overnight. “It’s just unbelievable, right?” he said. “It’s quite fun to see something that’s a bit esoteric being that popular.”
Hassabis himself has had an unusual path to this point, but one that makes perfect sense in retrospect. A child chess prodigy who won the Pentamind championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad five times, he rose to fame at a young age with UK computer games developers Bullfrog and Lionhead, working on AI-heavy games like Theme Park and Black & White, and later forming his own studio, Elixir. Hassabis then left the games industry in the mid-2000s to complete a PhD in neuroscience before co-founding DeepMind in 2010.
DeepMind’s stunning victories over Go legend Lee Se-dol have stoked excitement over artificial intelligence’s potential more than any event in recent memory. But the Google subsidiary’s AlphaGo program is far from its only project — it’s not even the main one. As co-founder Demis Hassabis said earlier in the week, DeepMind wants to “solve intelligence,” and he has more than a few ideas about how to get there.
"Go has always been a holy grail for AI research." Sam Byford: So for someone who doesn’t know a lot about AI or Go, how would you characterize the cultural resonance of what happened yesterday? Demis Hassabis: There are several things I’d say about that. Go has always been the pinnacle of perfect information games. It’s way more complicated than chess in terms of possibility, so it’s always been a bit of a holy grail or grand challenge for AI research, especially since Deep Blue. And you know, we hadn’t got that far with it, even though there’d been a lot of efforts. Monte Carlo tree search was a big innovation ten years ago, but I think what we’ve done with AlphaGo is introduce with the neural networks this aspect of intuition, if you want to call it that, and that’s really the thing that separates out top Go players: their intuition. I was quite surprised that even on the live commentary Michael Redmond was having difficulty counting out the game, and he’s a 9-dan pro! And that just shows you how hard it is to write a valuation function for Go. Were you surprised by any of the specific moves that you saw AlphaGo play? Yeah. We were pretty shocked — and I think Lee Se-dol was too, from his facial expression — by the one where AlphaGo waded into the left deep into Lee’s territory. I think that was quite an unexpected move. Because of the aggression? Well, the aggression and the audacity! Also, it played Lee Se-dol at his own game. He’s famed for creative fighting and that’s what he delivered, and we were sort of expecting something like that. The beginning of the game he just started fights across the whole board with nothing really settled. And traditionally Go programs are very poor at that kind of game. They’re not bad at local calculations but they’re quite poor when you need whole board vision. Read more: Why Google's Go win is such a big deal A big reason for holding these matches in the first place was to evaluate AlphaGo’s capabilities, win or lose. What did you learn from last night? Well, I guess we learned that we’re further along the line than — well, not than we expected, but as far as we’d hoped, let’s say. We were telling people that we thought the match was 50-50. I think that’s still probably right; anything could still happen from here and I know Lee’s going to come back with a different strategy today. So I think it’s going to be really interesting to find out. Just talking about the significance for AI, to finish your first question, the other big thing you’ve heard me talk about is the difference between this and Deep Blue. So Deep Blue is a hand-crafted program where the programmers distilled the information from chess grandmasters into specific rules and heuristics, whereas we’ve imbued AlphaGo with the ability to learn and then it’s learnt it through practice and study, which is much more human-like. If the series continues this way with AlphaGo winning, what’s next — is there potential for another AI-vs-game showdown in the future? "Ultimately we want to apply this to big real-world problems." I think for perfect information games, Go is the pinnacle. Certainly there are still other top Go players to play. There are other games — no-limit poker is very difficult, multiplayer has its challenges because it’s an imperfect information game. And then there are obviously all sorts of video games that humans play way better than computers, like StarCraft is another big game in Korea as well. Strategy games require a high level of strategic capability in an imperfect information world — "partially observed," it’s called. The thing about Go is obviously you can see everything on the board, so that makes it slightly easier for computers. Is beating StarCraft something that you would personally be interested in? Maybe. We’re only interested in things to the extent that they are on the main track of our research program. So the aim of DeepMind is not just to beat games, fun and exciting though that is. And personally you know, I love games, I used to write computer games. But it’s to the extent that they’re useful as a testbed, a platform for trying to write our algorithmic ideas and testing out how far they scale and how well they do and it’s just a very efficient way of doing that. Ultimately we want to apply this to big real-world problems.
Sam Byford
I grew up in the UK in the late ‘90s and would see your name in PC magazines, associated with very ambitious games. And when I first started hearing about DeepMind and saw your name there I thought, "That kind of fits." Can you draw a line from your previous career in the games industry to what you do now? Yeah, so something like DeepMind was always my ultimate goal. I’d been planning it for more than 20 years, in a way. If you view all the things I’ve done through a prism of eventually starting an AI effort, then it kind of makes sense what I chose to do. If you’re familiar with my stuff at Bullfrog and so on, you’ll know that AI was a core part of everything I wrote and was involved with, and obviously Peter Molyneux’s games are all AI games as well. Working on Theme Park when I was 16 or 17 years old was quite a seminal moment for me in terms of realizing how powerful AI could be if we really tried to extend it. We sold millions of copies, and so many people enjoyed playing that game, and it was because of the AI that adapted to the way you played. We took that forward and I tried to extend that for the rest of my games career, and then I switched out of that back to academia and neuroscience because I felt around the mid-2000s that we’d gone as far as we could trying to sneak in AI research through the back door while you’re actually supposed to be making a game. And that’s hard to do, because publishers just want the game, right? Was it just that games of the era were the most obvious application of AI? Yeah, I think so, and I actually think we were doing unbelievably cutting-edge AI. I would say at that stage academia was on hold in the 90s, and all these new techniques hadn’t really been popularized or scaled yet — neural networking, deep learning, reinforcement learning. So actually the best AI was going on in games. It wasn’t this kind of learning AI we work on now, it was more finite-state machines, but they were pretty complex and they did adapt. Games like Black & White had reinforcement learning — I think it’s still the most complex example of that in a game. But then around 2004-5 it was clear that the games industry was going a different way from the '90s when it was really fun and creative and you could just think up any idea and build it. It became more about graphics and franchises and FIFA games and this kind of thing, so it wasn’t that |
swayed to work at a Fox News-type channel. (Fox News has been using “Fair and Balanced” as its slogan.)
The project will be informed by some of Penn’s real-life experiences appearing on various news shows as well as serving as correspondent for Vice News and spending two years in Washington as an associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and a member of President Obama’s National Arts Policy Committee.
Penn will executive produce Fair And Balanced alongside his longtime manager and producing partner Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment. Hurwitz and Schlossberg also will executive produce through their Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions, with Matt Lottman, their Director of Development, as co-producer.
House alum Penn recently signed on as host of Fox’s competition special Superhuman and joined the cast of Hulu’s Deadbeat for its upcoming third season. He is next up on the big screen in William H. Macy’s The Layover and an untitled Cullen Brothers film alongside Bruce Willis and John Goodman.
Schlossberg and Hurwitz also wrote and directed the 2012 American Pie movie American Reunion.At some point during this film from deep inside Iraq’s many wars, one asks oneself, shattered: “Do I need to watch this?” Jihadi executioners clear a pavement opposite a marketplace and shoot a suspected informer while he kneels, hooded, then kick the body casually. Next, the Islamist fighters are hanging alleged looters from a rafter by their bound wrists so that their quarry dangles there – “like piñatas”, says the commentary – before bullets rip through them. And there is worse to come, in a different way, from the less fervent but more arrogant cruelty of American soldiers.
And the answer is: yes, we absolutely do need to watch this film. For the violence is not gratuitous, quite the reverse: it propels a searing film-essay by the cameraman and subject of the piece, Australian reporter Michael Ware, who is unique among we correspondents who covered that carnage, for having actually lived in Iraq for seven bloody years, after which he suffered what can only be called a breakdown before mustering the courage to make his “video-diary”. Unique too for having penetrated deep within first the insurgency loyal to Saddam Hussein, then the Islamist genesis of what is now Isis. “I witnessed the birth of what is now Islamic State,” says Ware. “It’s there in the film.”
The result, Only the Dead, is the most disturbingly poignant reporting to come from this horror, initiated and ignited 13 years ago by decisions made in London and Washington and which, never-ending, spilled into Syria, France, Tunisia and elsewhere. And rages still, for the foreseeable and unforeseeable future.
Ware’s film, from the beginnings of this nightmare in 2003, was released on digital platforms last week and will soon be shown by HBO in America. He may be criticised for showing the violence as it was and is, and as the Iraqi insurgents want it shown; for being “embedded” with them, as well as with western forces like most others (though not me, I hasten to add). There is also the haunting closing scene, when Ware watches and films American soldiers search and insult a man they have fatally wounded in the head, who takes a horribly long time to die, and to whom they do not administer first aid – rather: “Hurry up and die, motherfucker.”
But the criticisms should be seen as fatuous. Ware has made the remarkable equivalent for his generation of Michael Herr’s book from Vietnam, Dispatches, an incendive personal journey through the savage kernel of war which arrives at a cry against not only the war in which he was immersed as deeply as a reporter can be, but all war.
Speaking from his home in Brisbane, Ware is disarmingly honest about how his video-diary came to be. “It took me a long time to arrive at this film. I did seven years in Iraq, full time, not flying in and out. I was resident 11 months a year, so that my experience of the war was the same as the Iraqi experience, same trauma, same day-to-day.”
He began in early 2003, with American reporter Tom Pennington, who procured a “$300 Handycam” on which Ware began to record his diary. “I was a writer for Time magazine, I wasn’t making a film,” Ware explains. “If I’d ever thought this’d be a film, I’d have shot a whole load of other stuff, and it’d probably be completely different. But it wouldn’t have been so honest or raw; it would not have been an attempt at the visual truth.”
Ware finds himself in Baghdad alongside “hundreds of other reporters who were all more experienced than me”, listening, like them, “to the Americans, to the war machine, through the summer of 2003, talking about ‘criminals’ and ‘terrorists’. The more I listened, the more I realised the Americans didn’t know who these people were who were shooting at them and couldn’t figure out why. So, purely on the principle of old-fashioned journalism, I set out to find the other side of the story. I found that the so-called ‘enemy’ was nothing like it was being described. There was a disconnect between those running the war and the war itself.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Libyan rebels on the outskirts of Ajdabya, eastern Libya, in a still from Only the Dead. Photograph: Franco Pagetti / VII
Ware’s remark reminded me of a call I made to the US state department in November 2002, having been in Iraq first time around in 1991, preparing to return and wanting a briefing on the Sunni and Shia – the rift that has now torn Iraq asunder since invasion: “What’s the plan?” I asked. “How are you spelling that?” replied the official.
At the film’s opening, Ware cuts a gung-ho figure. But once he crosses to the insurgent side his tenor changes – the unease he feels palpable. “I know these men,” he whispers as a hooded group prepares a mortar attack. “I feel bad about this tape.” However: “I went to their villages, listened to their grievances, their sense of injustice under an occupying army.”
Then the suicide bombings – and Iraq’s nightmare of 2004 – begin, and Ware realises that this is not the work of insurgents he is with, but “someone even these people are scared of”. A video duly arrives showing, for the first time, suicide bombers preparing their “martyrdom” – what Ware calls a “first propaganda masterpiece” by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the jihadi leader – for Ware to pass on to the world. True, Ware had sought out the Saddam-ites, but once he had found them, the jihadis found him, and now he ventures into their terrifying orbit. The film thereby twists into an entwinement between existential crisis and documentary horror shot through, as Ware says, “a window no one else is looking through”. It needs someone like Ware to explain that, even after the invasion of 2003, and Blair’s and Bush’s grotesque proclamations of victory, “there was not one war in Iraq, there are at least four. First, that between the Americans and British and those initial insurgents – officers in Saddam’s army and their sympathisers. Then the holy war, waged by what we now call Islamic State. Third, civil war between the Iraqis themselves, Sunni and Shia. And fourth, Iran’s war against anything they call a Ba’athist [Saddam Hussein’s secular party]. And that’s without even mentioning the Kurds.”
There is a poignant moment when Ware prepares to leave his Iraqi bureau staff for a Christmas break, and there are filmed good wishes from all of them, one Omar included. When Ware returns, Omar has been killed. And when I ask Ware why he stayed so long, his answer is simple: “First, the story. But also, I knew that when I left I’d lose my Iraqi family. And I use the word intentionally. For seven years, we went to hell and back together, and I’d be defiling my bond with them if I’d left without getting them out. So I had to stay for the time it took to find them places in the UK, Australia and US; that’s what kept me there.”
As he returned each year for a break, “I would disgorge the batch of tapes. I didn’t watch anything – I just stashed hundreds of hours of tape into a Tupperware box under my mother’s bed”. In 2010 Ware “returned to Australia and realised this had to be the end of my war. And for the next two years I was holed up alone. I struggled, gripped by pain. Not day-by-day or hour-by-hour pain – it was minute-by-minute pain. It didn’t have a face, or voice or place, just formless pain. I’d see what I thought was an IED flashing while I was driving, and accelerate – it was a speed camera! I’d swerve to avoid rubbish in the road – I ended up losing my licence.” And yet: “It occurred to me, I should have a look at what is on those tapes. I started to watch them, in snippets. Then I’d go on a bender, have an outburst of all the wrong emotions. But I began to wade through all this. I felt honour bound to do something with it. There’s been a conversation as old as time about what war does to human nature, and I felt if I could add just one half-thought to that conversation – about my experience and that of the Iraqis around me – it’d be worthwhile.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Michael Ware in Iraq in a still from Only the Dead. Photograph: Yuri Kozyrev / Noor
Ware teamed up with an Irish colleague, Paddy MacDonald, with whom “I ingested the tapes, but then the whole thing ground to a halt again. I had another period of disintegration”. However, “I got through the minefield of my own demons and incapacity to write anything and stuck with the one narrative there is: the camera, and the person behind it, even if there are scenes there I had entirely forgotten – there is a glimpse of me reflected in a shop window! And that is how we made the film”. When we reach the end, and the slow death of the Iraqi before our eyes, surrounded by jeering soldiers, we are with Ware: we simply do not know what to think or do, so like him, we just watch.
“I’m still struggling with it all,” confesses Ware in conversation. “Even now. I’ll never see the world the same way again.” We talk about how, “once back in ‘normal life’, obstacles and sanctions which are perfectly normal to most people become impossible to bear” for those suffering from what Ware calls “combat trauma”. Yet now, he says: “I’ve found my way through that rabbit hole. The road rage escapes me now.” Making the film was, he says, “a challenge, but the greatest challenge was to reclaim my life”.
I remember asking Michael Herr how he reclaimed his life. And for a man so articulate about war, he replied not with Ghandian rhetoric, nor the philosophical bon mot I was probably pursuing journalistically, but by talking with curious innocence about love and Zen. Ware is not Herr, but he does say this: “I don’t necessarily want to put it that I’ve kind of ‘Zenned’ my way back to life, but I have, actually. I came to understand that in war you cannot lie to yourself. The film happens to be set in Iraq but it speaks to all war, any war.” Ware’s video-diary is a filmed illustration of Edwin Starr’s great lines: “War, huh/ What is it good for? / Absolutely nothing!”
“The politicians, the calculations that got us here, they dissolve,” continues Ware. “All war is pointless, but it is inherent within us, there’s no moral compass. We can’t tell you what to think – you have to make your own peace. And you realise that at the end of the blood and pain and gallows wit, there’s only one thing left intact: that ultimately this is about love. That’s what sustains you, and I wouldn’t trade that lesson for anything.”
Only the Dead is now available to watch on iTunes
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At a vigil held at the site of the fatal shooting of 6-month-old Jonylah Watkins Tuesday night, the infant's family and their supporters gathered while the police investigation into her killing continues.
Among the 200 people assembled at the vigil was Judy Watkins, Jonylah's mother, who told DNAinfo Chicago she is looking for her daughter's killer and urging him to come forward.
"When I find him, he's going to jail," Judy Watkins, 19, told DNAinfo.
Police said Tuesday that they are still seeking a cooperating witness in the crime and do not have a lot to go on currently -- though, according to Fox Chicago, they have gotten surveillance video of what they think is the blue van the gunman used as a getaway vehicle.
Jonylah Watkins was rushed to Comer Children's Hospital Monday afternoon in serious-to-critical condition after being shot five times in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood. Her father, Jonathan Watkins, had been changing her diaper in the front passenger seat of a minivan when a gunman approached them and opened fire.
Jonylah died around 6 a.m. Tuesday after doctors, nurses and medical technicians worked for 17 hours to try and save her. A Wednesday Chicago Tribune story details the lengthy work involved in the ultimately unsuccessful effort.
Jonathan Watkins, 28, was also wounded in the shooting and remains hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition as of Tuesday, according to NBC Chicago. Jonylah's father has an extensive criminal record including 39 arrests, gang affiliations and was the intended target of the shooting, police claim.
When asked about that assertion Tuesday, Judy Watkins told DNAinfo she was not aware of the gang ties police were referencing. She also told the site that family members' reports that she was previously shot while pregnant with Jonylah -- who she described as "a happy baby" -- were untrue.
According to New Beginnings Church's Rev. Corey Brooks, who is acting as a spokesman for the family, Jonathan Watkins is cooperating with police on their investigation -- although he reportedly does not know who shot him and his daughter, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jonylah's death has struck a chord citywide. It inspired a surge of submissions to the anti-violence "500 Project" social media campaign and prompted Bulls star Derrick Rose to offer to help pay for the baby's funeral, according to ABC.
The initial reward for information leading to an arrest in Jonylah's death has also been drastically increased to $15,000, thanks to contribution from the community, Fox reports.
Commenting on the child's murder in a Tuesday press conference, Mayor Rahm Emanuel described her death as "a senseless, despicable act of violence," CBS Chicago reports.
Amid the investigation, Chicago's City Council on Wednesday considered a newly proposed registry that would treat violent gun offenders like sex offenders. The council voted to expand the gun offender registry, an action that will go into effect in the coming weeks.In 2016 Head Coach James Franklin hired offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead from Fordham University to reignite the Nittany Lion offense.
Moorhead did not disappoint as Penn State averaged 435.6 YPG, an increase of 87.2 YPG from the previous season.
But while watching Penn State it is apparent that the offense resembles much of what is seen in Columbus. The Nittany Lions heavily used 11 Personnel (1RB-1TE) with the TE being moved around the formation in Y-Off alignments, on the line in a three-point stance, and even flexed out wide in a trips set much like the Buckeyes did in 2016 with Marcus Baugh.
Under Moorhead, Penn State has relied on three base run plays: Inside zone, Dart/Dart-Cutback and Power Read.
Inside Zone
Inside zone is the play Moorhead hangs his hat on as it accounts for a large percentage of their run game. While playing quite a few teams that run a defense similar to Ohio State's 4-3 quarters defense, the Nittany Lions enjoyed a fair share of inside zone weak.
It is worth noting that Michigan State and Rutgers run a similar defense to the Buckeyes, as does Pittsburgh, an out-of-conference opponent of Penn State. Pictured below is how Penn State runs their inside zone play out of Trips:
With an inside zone play, the offensive line is stepping to their play side gap. The right tackle is has a base block on the defensive end while the right guard and center are double-teaming the 3-technique to the Mike linebacker. The left guard and left tackle are double-teaming the 2i to the Will linebacker with the tight end is arc releasing on a base block to the corner who is aligned 3x5 yards off the line of scrimmage.
The quarterback will catch the snap and take a step forward as he is reading the defensive end for a "give" or "keep" read. The quarterback will give the ball to the running back but if the defensive end squeezes down to tackle the running back, the quarterback will pull the ball and follow the tight end.
Against the Buckeyes, Penn State dialed up a wrinkle of their inside zone weak game this time out of a Trey formation. On the play, the quarterback is still reading the defensive end for a "give" or "keep" read. After the defensive end collapses and McSorely keeps the ball, he is now reading the corner for a "keep" or "throw" read.
This play was popularized by Auburn in 2014 as they ran it for a touchdown against Alabama in the infamous kick-six game. Here is the play from Auburn's 2013 Offensive playbook:It is a version “country house” mobile homes known here is the Alpha Tiny Home. A mobile living space measuring about 22 square meters with everything needed to live a comfortable life in the middle of nowhere. This miniature and mobile home was designed by New Frontier Tiny Homes and has many features, including large windows to let in the light, wooden walls with particularly stunning finish and a metal roof. There is also a table for 8 people and a living area with kitchen, living room and of course (whose bed is hidden in the middle of the room).
Well, it’s been a dream but it is time to return to earth, because the price is pretty amazing: 95 000 dollars (about € 83,000). The luxury mobile is not within the reach of everyone. Fold minidom The Alpha Tiny House has as standard traditional wiring, but the New Frontier Tiny Homes offers at extra charge are other off-grid options such as. Installation of the solar system. Water is heated by propane heater and the house has air conditioning unit. This house is very interesting for those who are interested in similar style housing, which offers many advantages.
Source – Facebook, Instagram, NewfrontiertinyhomesTaiG Jailbreak
TaiG Jailbreak tool is the biggest competitor of Pangu Jailbreak tool. This tool belongs to Chinese team called as TaiG team. Earlier TaiG tool functioned with only Windows, and now supported to the Mac version too. Taig team has introduced the easy guide to Jailbreak as compete with other jailbreak tools. This tool is untethered and finally, cydia 1.1.23 version install automatically.
Taig team successfully exploited the all iOS versions of iOS 8 except iOS 8.4.1 released by Apple.
Main Version iOS Version Stable Release System V2.4.5 iOS 8.1.3-8.4 25th Dec 2015 Windows V1.1.0 iOS 8.1.3-8.4 2nd Aug 2015 Mac V1.3.0 iOS 8.2 Beta 2 23rd Feb 2015 Windows V1.2.1 iOS 8.0-8.1.2 12th Feb 2015 Windows
TaiG V2.4.5 tool for iOS 8.1.3, 8.2, 8.3 & 8.4
This tool was highly recommended for iOS 8.1.3, 8.2, 8.3 & 8.4 jailbreaks. Windows and Mac versions were available to download and install Cydia. This tool was the TaiG’s latest and trusted product, which was able to run for Cydia.
Step Guide for iOS 8.1.3 - iOS 8.4 Jailbreak
Step 01 - Backup your data before jailbreak.
Step 02 - Download TaiG Jailbreak tools using following trusted links according to your computer OS.
TaiG version 2.4.5 (Windows)
TaiG version 1.1.0 (Mac)
Step 03 - Turn off passcode and Find My iPhone.
Step 04 - Connect your device to PC. Open TaiG Jailbreak Tool.
Step 05 - Uncheck the 3K Assistant checkbox and click Start button to start the jailbreak. Please wait patiently, until complete the Jailbreak process.
Step 06 - Finally you will receive the Cydia on your device home screen.
Note - If you need, you can install Chinese App Store of 3K Assistant additionally for more apps, games, plugins, wallpapers, and ringtones.
TaiG Jailbreak Troubleshooting
01 - Make sure to download the latest version of the Taig.
02 - Currently, version 2.4.5 is the latest version of TaiG. Download this version from the above link according to the operating system.
03 - Sometimes you may face Apple drive related error with TaiG jailbreak. TaiG 2 shows a message as “apple driver has not been found”. You must uninstall latest iTunes version. Then install the iTunes 12.0.1 (old version) to your computer. Old iTunes version fix Taig stuck 20% error.
TaiG for iOS 8.2 beta
This tool has expired now. Highly recommended not to use this. Cause iOS 8.2 beta is not available in the iOS beta list now. But still everyone can download TaiG tool version for iOS 8.2 beta.
TaiG for iOS 8
iOS 8 is the first attempt of the TaiG team. Successfully jailbroken iOS 8 to iOS 8.1.2. But not iOS 8.1.3. And also TaiG team released Windows tool version only. PP Jailbreak tool released for Mac users.
TaiG Jailbreak Team’s Special Moments
TaiG’s official Twitter account
This is the official twitter account of TaiG team. It has many scam accounts. Make sure to find the original one, among them.
TaiG’s official Chinese Website
For the first time they launched official website of their. But it was only for Chinese.
TaiG’s official English Website
English website was launched with English TaiG tool. It was very compatible to run the tool rest of the Chinese.
TaiG announcement of iOS 8.2 betas
TaiG released JB tool for iOS 8.2 beta 01 and beta 02. But Apple stopped the signing the usage of iOS 8.2 beta 01 and beta 02. Even if, it is still possible to download this tool, it is worthless.
Remind of @i0n1c
i0n1c pointed one of the installing Cydia issues when complete the jailbreak using the TaiG tool. Actually it was very rare one. So, it was appreciated by the TaiG jailbreak team via the announcement of twitter.
Mac version of TaiG
At the begin, they targeted Windows users only. Finally, TaiG team releases Mac versions too. This is the first time they did it. It supported to jailbreak iOS 8.1.3 to iOS 8.4.
Apple Patched TaiG tool for iOS 8.4.1
Apple has stopped iOS 8.4.1 jailbreak. So TaiG team warned not to update up to iOS 8.4.1, if users want Cydia on their iOS devices.A Wikipediholic, wikiholic, Wikipediaholic, Wikipath, wikiaddict, or wikimaniac is someone who suffers from Wikipediholism, or obsession (addiction in some cases) with Wikipedia or other wikis. It is often considered an obscure form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). One of the most common characteristics of the condition is the victim having a web browser window constantly open to the Recent Changes section of Wikipedia and/or other wikis (or in the condition's slightly milder form, one's Watchlist), and pressing the "Reload" or "Refresh" button with a high frequency (sometimes leading to carpal tunnel syndrome). Others have a bottle of Wikipedihol tablets by their desktop. Others click the "random page" button instead. Still others endlessly track and monitor the edits of users with whom they have become obsessed. This disorder can lead to a serious decrease in productivity in all other areas of the victim's life, like any other addiction. That is why they're called Wikipedia abusers, after all. Do not taunt their lack of girlfriends/boyfriends; it is but a mere illusion.
Probably incurable
Official Wikipediholism Test: If you think you are a Wikipediholic, please take this test for proper diagnosis. Note: This is quite long; set aside at least 15 minutes to take this test.
This is a recent phenomenon – having been made possible by the creation of Wikipedia in January 2001 – and affects primarily computer programmers, academics, graduate students, gameshow contestants, people living in the suburbs, news junkies, the unemployed, the soon-to-be unemployed, people who are bored and, in general, people with multiple interests and high IQs. Telecommuters have also been known to exhibit this affliction.
Although people who fit those descriptions are welcome, especially the coconut monkeys, they should know that their fellow primates do not necessarily share their world-view, and that it may be better for wiki itself if they take a walk once in a while, and remember that their body consists of more than fingers, eyes, brain, and bladder. And that wiki exists to serve us, not as an end wholly in itself.
An alternative addiction is "wikistalking". Wikistalkers have gotten over their addiction to editing. However, they enjoy watching even the most minute changes. Most probably check New pages continuously.
Signs of Wikipediholism [ edit ]
Level I [ edit ]
You turn from a reader to a writer.
You have an account with one or more other Wikipedias or other Wikimedia projects.
You procrastinate things that have been important in your life.
You realize you are editing pages on a Tuesday night.
You talk about Wikipedia frequently in daily life.
Level II [ edit ]
You read this far in the list.
You understand the term'sock puppet'.
Upon hearing the term "alcoholic", you catch yourself clarifying it to a complete stranger "Oh, you mean like a Wikipediholic only with alcohol".
Whenever your web-browser is closed, you feel a large sense of communal absence.
You've already edited this page.
You try to edit your sent items on your email account, thinking that they can be updated.
You check your watchlist and talk page more than your email inbox.
You find yourself ending emails with ~~~~ and try to italicize messages with apostrophes.
You always check all kinds of texts to see if they are wikified.
You spend most of your breaks editing Wikipedia instead of eating your food.
Level III [ edit ]
You regularly write {{fact}} or {{cn}} in the margin of any book you are reading. [ citation needed ]
When you try to explain something, you have an urge to add wikilinks with "[[]]".
. You get confused when you can't find the little blue edit markers on books and magazines.
You accidentally say "Does this spot on my hat look notable?"
When you close your eyes you see wiki code. (A case of Tetris Syndrome, personified.)
. You have dreams about an anthropomorphic Wikipedia.
You fantasise about an anthropomorphic Wikipedia
If so much as one thing you don't know comes across your mind, you bolt for the nearest computer to see if Wikipedia has a page on it. If it does, you drop whatever you were doing before the urge took you and edit the page obsessively, whether you know the topic or not. If it does not, you obsessively check every single paper encyclopedia you have and search six different search engines for information on the subject. Then you proceed to write three screens worth on the topic and create an article on it, which probably will never be seen or thought about by another being in a thousand years.
Level IV [ edit ]
You start playing WikiLadders - the game where you open two random articles and try to get from the first to the second using only the links in the first and subsequent articles......and then go back to try and do it again using fewer links.
- the game where you open two random articles and try to get from the first to the second using only the links in the first and subsequent articles... You try editing magazines.
You donate your life savings to Wikipedia.
You skip an important date to look up references for an article on a subject you'd never even heard of before you discovered Wikipedia.
You turn up late for work and bleary-eyed after a particularly aggressive XfD (and you know what XfD means because you've looked it up already.)
Your state/provincial/territorial/national reference librarians know you by first name.
You add Wiki to most words in real life, and have sent letters to the Oxford University Press demanding that "wiki" be added as an official prefix.
You have conversations with your sock puppet on the talk pages (This is against Wikipedia rules).
Your best friend is your sock puppet (Also against Wikipedia rules).
You start falling in love with your sock puppet (Actually... this is not explicitly against Wikipedia rules... yet)
Level V [ edit ]
You still live in your mother's basement at the age of 30+.
Reality and Wikipedia begin to blur (think Existenz )
) Friends begin to shun you, knowing you will only talk about Wiki issues
You edit or create a page about Wikipediholism.
Some Wikipediholics say the Wiki Prayer before beginning a day long chain of edits.
Wiki Prayer [ edit ]
(Source:[1]; adapted from The Serenity Prayer),
God, grant me the serenity to accept the pages I cannot edit, The courage to edit the pages I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.
The Subterranean Wiki Prayer Revisited, Nos. 5 and 36 [ edit ]
Johnny edits the Main Page I re-write the Stone age Napoleon and Shakespeare dress like a light bulb We'll be here all night – refresh the same page
See also:
Motto [ edit ]
One edit is too many and a thousand is never enough.
12 steps of recovery for Wikipediholics [ edit ]
We admitted we were powerless over Wikipedia; that our lives had become unmanageable. Came to believe that an Author of Knowledge greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our obsession for editing and article creation over to the care of The Author of Knowledge as we understood them. Made a searching and fearless knowledge inventory of ourselves. Admitted to the Author of Knowledge, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our factual mistakes and gaps. Were entirely ready to have the Author of Knowledge remove all these factual defects. Humbly asked them to remove our shortcomings by motivating us to be diligent in our research and study. Made a list of all persons we had harmed by spreading unverified rumors, and became willing to make amends to them all. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Continued to take personal knowledge inventories and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. Sought through Wiki prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the Author of Knowledge, as we understood them, praying only for knowledge of their will for us and the power to carry that out. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Wikipediholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
With all due reverence and respect to those who suffer from genuine addictions and have found relief and recovery through twelve-step programs, and equal respect for those who have tried and failed to do the same thing.
Those wishing to get rid of the habit, may wish to check themselves in the Clinic. Those who are sick of all these jokes and just want to talk to someone may wish to check the talk page.
Stages of Wikipediholism [ edit ]
Risk factors [ edit ]
Those who are the most at risk for catching the disease are those who have created an account, have access to a computer constantly and consistently, and who like the idea of a wiki. Those with Editcountitis may have elevated risk factors, as do hackers, Linux users, and Firefox enthusiasts (because of their exposure to open source technology).
When asked "do you want to be right or happy?", the Wikipediholic answers "be right!" without hesitation.
Early stages [ edit ]
The patient finds that he/she "likes" Wikipedia. He/she uses the Main Page as a bookmark and consults the articles for information. The patient contributes to articles that he/she finds lacking. He/she learns basic wiki markup. The patient can, however, give up now and cure themselves.
Middle stages [ edit ]
The patient uses the Main Page or their watchlist as bookmarks and their homepage. He/she reduces other online activities. The patient may join a WikiProject and contribute heavily to articles, as well as try editing outside the article and talk namespaces. He/she learns basic HTML and advanced wiki markup. The patient requests to become an Administrator, and proudly shows off his/her barnstars. Most refuse cures, which are still available.
When blocked, Wikipediholics have been known to grieve over their loss of editing privileges.
Late stages [ edit ]
The patient uses his/her watchlist as his/her homepage. He/she may also explore the Recent changes. The patient reduces other "real world" activities such as washing clothes, cleaning their house and talking to friends. Editing takes up more and more time. He/She may edit on a smartphone on the bus, at work, at home on a laptop and even in bed on a tablet. He/she may join multiple WikiProjects and contribute very heavily to many articles, as well as trying to edit heavily outside the article and talk namespaces. The patient learns advanced HTML and master wiki markup. He/she becomes an Administrator. The patient may use third party software to edit Wikipedia, and accumulate many barnstars. The thought comes to him/her, while reading this page, "this isn't funny; my contributions to Wikipedia are extremely important". Cures become scarce.
Terminal stages [ edit ]
The patient uses the Recent changes as their homepage and identifies as a Recent changes patroller. He or she reduces all other activities besides those relating to "real world" health and Wikipedia (and sometimes endanger the former). The patient joins multiple WikiProjects and contributes very heavily to many articles, as well as to the core of running of Wikipedia. He/she masters HTML and rewrites the Manual of style. The patient requests to be a Bureaucrat or Wikimedia Foundation employee. He/she shuns third-party software, preferring the "raw" Wikipedia experience. The patient has so many barnstars that he/she takes them off their userpage because they take up too much room and places them in a subpage of his/her userpage. Extreme denial may result, and cure is almost impossible. Terminal stages are when the wikipediholic spends an inordinate amount of time on Wikipedia, and may spend very little time eating, sleeping or washing due to the amount of time being spent on Wikipedia.
In extreme cases, the patient may begin publishing paper versions of Wikipedia and trying to make profit off of them.
Alternatives to cure [ edit ]
For those who see no end to their Wikipediholism, they may want to join the Department of Fun to keep things interesting. Also, keep an eye out for more Wikitivities. For instance, write songs like the parody "Hotel Wikipedia" and "Staying Alive" as laments of despair over lost and ruined lives.
You might also want to try a cure of wikipatch. In case of an "OMG" dire emergency and should all else fail, consider checking into the Clinic for Wikipediholics.
You might join troll organizations, but you will probably find very little solace there, since trolls have poor social support for each other, and they are still stuck here like the rest of us.
Perhaps the most effective solution of all is to embrace your Wikipediholism, accept it as part of your identity, and cherish it. Don't just admit it—brag about it! And if others call you a Wikipediholic, take that as a compliment. If they call you a troll, and they will, so what? Spread your Wikipediholism! It is only a good thing! We're all trolls here. Eventually.
Great Wikipediholics [ edit ]
(At enwp)
In a class of their own (> 1 million edits)
Other honorable mentions (> half a million edits)
See also [ edit ]
Treatment [ edit ]
Wikipediholism is a tongue-in-cheek term used to describe excessive time spent reading or editing on Wikipedia. The term may be humorous, but the problem can be grave. Like any behavioral addiction, Wikipedia overuse may lead to job loss, divorce, bankruptcy, or worse. Fortunately, a variety of corrective strategies exist.
Recovering from Wikipediholism [ edit ]
Read this once every hour you spend on Wikipedia:
Wikipedia is a great project. It's good to help Wikipedia. It's a good pastime and it's very educational.
However:
Every hour you spend at Wikipedia is an hour from your life. Do you have something more important to do? Do it first. Wikipedia may not help you realize your personal goals in life. Even though Wikipedia is educational, there may be other better ways of educating yourself. Wikipedia is not necessarily a substitute for them. Time is money. Are you sure you can afford the time to serve Wikipedia? If you can, that's well and good, but do so one hour at a time only. Sometimes it is necessary that you take a Wiki |
happened to see on the dropped phone a text message of a sexual nature from the governor's married chief adviser, Mason.
Bentley, whose wife of 50 years had recently and abruptly filed for divorce, denied any wrongdoing.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and senior political adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason in 2011. (Dave Martin/AP)
March 23, 2016: A sexually explicit phone call between Bentley and a woman he calls “Rebekah” made its way to the media. (Side note: Could have seen that one coming.)
The recording was made by his wife,Dianne Bentley, who was trying to ascertain the nature of Bentley’s relationship with his top adviser. In the recording, you can hear Bentley talk about putting his hands on her breasts and saying:
“Baby, let me know what I am going to do when I start locking the door. If we are going to do what we did the other day, we are going to have to start locking the door.” “You know I just, I worry about sometimes I love so you much. I worry about loving you so much.”
March 24, 2016: Bentley says this to defend himself: “I love many members of my staff, in fact, all the members of my staff. Do I love some more than others, absolutely.”
“Wow,” I wrote in response. “You know you're in trouble when you say what Bentley just said.”
Mason resigned from her job.
March 31, 2016: A state accustomed to scandal is officially embarrassed. That's what AL.com's Gore tells The Fix in a must-read interview running down the whole saga: “Everybody's talking about this. This is an embarrassment to the state. I hear that a lot — that he's embarrassed us. And that takes a lot. We have a high tolerance.”
The rest of March 2016: Republican lawmakers drop Bentley like a hot plate that they accidentally picked up after it had been sitting on the sidewalk at high noon in an Alabama August. Some called for an investigation into whether he used state property to carry out the alleged affair; others wanted to start impeachment proceedings. Republicans had little to lose and a lot to gain in ditching Bentley. As I reported at the time:
Republicans are pretty much the only game in town in this deep-red state, so it's not like a Democrat could sweep in and take the governorship when or if Bentley steps down or is recalled. Plus, Republicans have a pretty deep bench they can pull from to replace him.
Bentley and Mason in 2014. (Brynn Anderson/AP)
April 4, 2016: At an unrelated visit to a jail, Bentley said he had asked God to forgive him — but he doesn't say for what, exactly.
April 5, 2016: Alabama GOP lawmakers take the first step to impeach their governor. Bentley is defiant.
There are no grounds for impeachment, & I will vigorously defend myself & administration from this political attack. https://t.co/6yUH6APOeB — Gov. Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) April 5, 2016
February: Longtime Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) is confirmed as President Trump's attorney general, and Bentley gets to pick his replacement. He chooses the state's attorney general, Luther Strange, who was considering investigating Bentley for the whole affair saga.
March 7: Alabama lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee split 6 to 6 in a vote on whether to continue investigating if Bentley used state resources to conduct his alleged affair. They didn't split on partisan lines, but rather, half the committee voted to hold off because it wanted to see what the state attorney general's office was investigating.
Wednesday: The Alabama Ethics Commission said it's possible Bentley broke state laws. The commission didn't provide many details, only to say he may have made an illegal loan to his campaign to cover legal fees for Mason. Through an attorney, Bentley denied any wrongdoing. “The battle goes on,” his attorney told the Associated Press.
Friday: A district court blocked impeachment proceedings against Bentley in the state House, agreeing with the governor's legal staff that the proceedings were unfair and did not give the governor enough time to respond to the accusations.
Friday: The House Judiciary Committee's attorney released a 3,000-page report on the affair that claimed Bentley created an atmosphere of intimidation to keep his affair secret:
"Gov. Bentley directed law enforcement to advance his personal interests and, in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia, subjected career law enforcement officers to tasks intended to protect his reputation."
The report also alleges Bentley sent heart-eyed emojis to Caldwell (texts that were linked up to his now ex-wife's iPad) and made threats to the first lady's staff to keep the affair secret. The report also detailed what allegedly went on behind closed doors when Mason, according to the report, left the office "with her hair tousled and her clothing in disarray."
Saturday: The state Supreme Court overturned the district court's block on impeachment proceedings, allowing the impeachment process to go ahead.
Monday morning: The House Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings with the expectation it would go to the full House in a week or two. If Bentley had been impeached by the House, he'd have to step down while the state Senate considered the impeachment.
Monday afternoon: Bentley shows up at the Montgomery County Jail and poses for a mug shot, where he pleads guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to the alleged affair. The state attorney general's office announces a plea deal: The office will drop the felony charges. Bentley will serve 100 hours of community service in his capacity as a licensed physician, give some $37,000 in his campaign account to the state and likely avoid jail time.
Monday evening: Bentley headed over to the Alabama State Capitol and announced his resignation. "I love the people of this state with all my heart," he said. Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey (R) was sworn in immediately after.After this year Intel AMT fiasco, we’ve got not a new TPM madness. I ❤ IT
If you don’t know what it’s about, please take the time to read first the Microsoft Advisory ADV170012
Now, let’s quickly jump into the only question we care about: How do I find out whether I’m affected or not?
The PowerShell script provided on this page is supposed to help IT achieve this task.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t scale very well and Microsoft doesn’t give you too much details and just tells us to use PSRemoting to scale and query multiple computers.
The script has other major issues like:
it doesn’t send an object through the pipeline and just uses Write-Host to paint/color my console
it doesn’t handle gracefully the fact that you must be running the script with elevated user rights (Run as Administrator).
(please note that there’s a warning about administrative privileges in bold in the forewords)
(please note that there’s a warning about administrative privileges in bold in the forewords) it uses aliases which is not a best practice
it doesn’t respect the Verb-Noun format for function names
worse, it uses Get-TPM that is cmdlet that was introduced as of Windows 8 and that isn’t available on Windows 7
Don’t get me wrong, the script is good enough for my home computer and the code exposes very well the core logic to determine if my device is affected.
I especially love the way the return statement is used in the switch block.
Anyway, I rewrote the script to ease the scoping of this TPM madness 😀
Let’s see how to use it:
# Example 1: $c = Get-Credential $targets = @( 'PCHPModel1', 'PCHPModel2', 'PCFujitsuModel1', 'PCFujitsuModel2', 'PCLenovoModel1', 'PCLenovoModel2' ) Invoke-Command -ComputerName $targets -ScriptBlock ${Function:\Test-InfineonTPMVulnerability} -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Credential $c | Select -Property ComputerName,TPMVersion,Vulnerable,Unknown,ClearRequired,Reason | Format-Table -AutoSize
# Example 2: Invoke-Command -ComputerName $targets -ScriptBlock ${Function:\Test-InfineonTPMVulnerability} -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -AsJob -Credential $c | Wait-Job -Any | Receive-Job | Out-GridView
Bonus 1 :
In Windows 7, you cannot use the new Suspend-Bitlocker cmdlet introduced as of Windows 8.
You can use manage-bde.exe
Manage-bde.exe –protectors –disable c:
or you can use WMI
$HT = @{ Namespace = 'root/cimv2/Security/MicrosoftVolumeEncryption' Class = 'Win32_EncryptableVolume' } (Get-WmiObject @HT -Filter 'DriveLetter="C:"').DisableKeyProtectors()
Bonus 2 : On Windows 10, if you want to use the detection option 1 and query events from the Event Source TPM-WMI, the fastest way to achieve this is by using an XML query that only targets the microsoft-windows-tpm-wmi provider like this:
$xml = @' <QueryList><Query Id="0" Path="system"><Select Path="system">*[System/Provider[@Name='microsoft-windows-tpm-wmi']]</Select></Query></QueryList> '@ Get-Winevent -FilterXml $xml -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Happy TPM madness scoping 😎
AdvertisementsThe creator of HBO drama The Wire has hit out at recent remarks made by US Attorney General Eric Holder.
Holder recently urged David Simon and co-producer Ed Burns to produce a sixth season of the acclaimed series, which ended in 2008.
However, in an email to The Times, Simon angrily criticised the US government for its "misguided" war on drugs.
"The Attorney-General's kind remarks are noted and appreciated," he wrote. "I've spoken to Ed Burns and we are prepared to go to work on season six of The Wire if the Department of Justice is equally ready to reconsider and address its continuing prosecution of our misguided, destructive and dehumanising drug prohibition."
Simon further claimed that the government's current anti-drug policies are "nothing more or less than a war on our underclass".
He continued: "[It is] succeeding only in transforming our democracy into the jailingest nation on the planet (sic)."
Simon's new HBO drama Treme, which examines the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the residents of New Orleans, was recently renewed for a third season.
> More US Television newsBritish MP Naz Shah resigned as secretary to the Labour Party's shadow finance minister after an uproar over a social media post in which she said Israel should "relocate to the U.S.," British media reported on Tuesday.
Shah had also posted an article likening Zionism to Al-Qaida.
The posts were shared almost a year ahead of her May 2015 election to the British parliament, but rose to the agenda on Tuesday after being published on the Guido Fawkes web site, which is run by a right-wing political blogger.
Shah apologized for the posts saying: "I deeply regret the hurt I have caused."
“I made these posts at the height of the Gaza conflict in 2014, when emotions were running high around the Middle East conflict. But that is no excuse for the offense I have given, for which I unreservedly apologise.
“In recognition of that offense I have stepped down from my role as PPS to the shadow chancellor John McDonnell. I will be seeking to expand my existing engagement and dialogue with Jewish community organisations, and will be stepping up my efforts to combat all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.”
Shah is a member of a House of Commons committee that is conducting an inquiry into the rise of anti-Semitism. She's also the latest of a list of Labour lawmakers accused of making anti-Semitic or anti-Israel slurs in the past few months.
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The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism called for her removal from that panel as well. Spokesman Jonathan Sacerdoti said it would be hard for his organization to take the parliamentary committee's inquiry seriously if Shah remained a part of it.When it comes to seeking inspiration for football terrace anthems, the 1970s melodies of the Carpenters are not an obvious option. But late into the evening on bonfire night in Rochdale, thousands of beery Mancunian voices were channelling sunny Californian optimism into the damp Lancashire air:
"I'm on the top of the world," they sang, "looking down on creation, and the only explanation I can find, is the love that I've found ever since you've been around. Your love's put me at the top of the world."
The song is the latest favourite of the supporters of FC United of Manchester, the rebel club formed five years ago in opposition to the debt-laden takeover of Manchester United by the American Glazer family. And this weekend the lyrics just about sum the situation up.
I became a founder member of FC United in the summer of 2005, but never expected to witness scenes such as those at Rochdale AFC's stadium on Friday night, when FC United won 3-2. A non-league club conceived by a few angry dreamers in a Manchester curry house reached the second round of the FA Cup, beating a team four leagues above it with a winning goal in the last minute of injury time.
Bedlam, hysteria, delirium: no word can do justice to the scenes that followed. Jerome Wright, the club's cult forward, was still being chaired half-naked around the pitch half an hour later.
For many of the 4,000 FC fans who were wiping their eyes or locked in embrace with total strangers, a big away game used to mean Milan or Barcelona, following Manchester United. They still sing the name of Eric Cantona, the French forward and United hero, who has gone on record to support their anti-Glazer stance.
But somehow, for many of them, Rochdale was bigger than Milan. One fan said before the game that he had not looked forward to a game so much since Manchester United played in the European Cup final in 1999.
There were tears, flares, flags and endlessly swirling green and gold retro scarves. And at the final whistle there was sheer incredulity at the fact that something no one in the 7,000-plus crowd thought could happen actually had happened. "That was simply unreal," said Adam Brown, a member of the board of directors.
It was a night that gave sublime, heady vindication to a rebellion without precedent in the history of football. At the time of FC's formation, in the bleak aftermath of the takeover, there was a recurring image that summed up the attitude of a protest movement that wanted to do more than just oppose.
Back then the archetypal FC rebel would listen politely to all the pundits, Premier League officials and financial experts, nodding dutifully when told that the new Glazer regime, high ticket prices and outlandish salaries for players were just "part of modern football".
Then he or she would say: "Sod that. We'll do it this way."
FC are fan-owned. Each of the members has a vote on all important matters. Tickets are kept inexpensive. A commitment to community work is written into the club's constitution.
Manchester city council has been so impressed with the activities organised by the club in some of the most deprived areas of the city that it is expected to grant FC a lease to build their own ground in Newton Heath – where what was to become Manchester United was founded by railway workers in 1878.
More than 300 of the club's members volunteer in vital tasks to help keep the costs down. If David Cameron wants a vision of the "big society" in action, he can find it at FC.
The players play not for the money, but for the adulation of some of the biggest crowds in non-league football. The club's star striker, Michael Norton – scorer of the winning goal on Friday night – earns £80 a week playing for FC, almost £200,000 a week less than Wayne Rooney.
One much-loved ex-player, Rob Nugent – a big Manchester United fan – has just been voted on to FC's board. In his introductory statement to members, he wrote: "I retired from playing football after qualifying as an accountant, but still want to be involved with a club that I have supported since the first meeting. I have already been assisting the board with the management accounts, and would like to use the skills I have gained professionally in this manner and show that there is another way for football clubs to be run."
All this passion has found joyous expression in a set of supporters who are perhaps the loudest, most colourful and irreverent in English football. The banners and flags on display at Rochdale – and every week at the club's current home in Bury – are a triumph of attitude and chutzpah. "MUFC – FCUM – I've got love enough for two" reads one, reflecting the fact that almost all FC fans remain attached to their first love, Manchester United.
"A Right Bunch of Dicks" states another, in happy acknowledgement that not everyone has welcomed the FC revolution. Certainly not the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who once described the club's fans as "self-publicists".
The songs are upbeat and defiant, ranging from the Carpenters cover to an FC reworking of the Sex Pistols' lyric "I am an anarchist" ("I am an FC fan"). Another favourite, "He sells asparagus", celebrates manager Karl Marginson's past as a fruit 'n' veg delivery man.
Friday night's triumph at Rochdale, which was shown live on television, announced FC United of Manchester to the wider world. In that packed, rocking stand, where the level of support would not have disgraced the Nou Camp in Barcelona or the San Siro in Milan, it felt as if we were attending a political rally and a raucous religious service, as much as a football match.
The money from this scarcely believable cup run – ESPN paid FC £67,000 for the right to screen the Rochdale match – will go towards building the club's own ground. The publicity will build the profile of a club that is already taking on a special charisma of its own.
An extraordinary thing has happened. Out of the bitterness, division and recriminations that surrounded the debt-fuelled takeover of England's most charismatic football club by a Florida businessman, a new club has been born. Bring on the second round.Two Turkish boys, aged 12 and 13, could spend four years behind bars for "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Prosecutors accuse them of ripping up posters of the Turkish leader, while the boys' lawyer says the"There was no premeditation to insult the president. Also, they were unaware the face on the banners was the president himself," Ismail Korkmaz, the teenagers' lawyer, told RT.Korkmaz told RT the defense has a psychiatric report stating "these children have no ability of discernment, perception of legal meaning, consequences of the offence, or control of their behavior."Turkey has witnessed a number of anti-government protests in recent days. Ankara's decision to pull the plug on two television stations linked to President Erdogan's political rivals triggered rallies in Istanbul.The Turkish government's crackdown on opposition media is gaining momentum on the eve of the general election slated for November 1.On Thursday, two newspapers linked to the stations failed to appear on newsstands.In January, ex-Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac was arrested for posting a satirical poem that criticized Erdogan.Ismail Korkmaz told RT.Referring to the teenagers' case, the lawyer said that after Erdogan was elected president, many people have been charged with insulting the national leader, and have been prosecuted and punished."Nowadays, the judiciary has a broad interpretation of this article. Even casual criticism within the framework of freedom of expression is being considered an insult, and become part of these trials," Korkmaz said.POEHLER AS COURIC: "On foreign policy, I want to give you one more chance to explain your claim that you have foreign policy experience based on Alaska's proximity to Russia. What did you mean by that?"
FEY AS PALIN: "Well, Alaska and Russia are only separated by a narrow maritime border. (using her hands to illustrate) You got Alaska here, this right here is water, and this is Russia. So, we keep an eye on them."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "And how do you do that exactly?"
FEY AS PALIN: "Every morning, when Alaskans wake up, one of the first things they do, is look outside to see if there are any Russians hanging around. And if there are, you gotta go up to them and ask, 'What are you doing here?' and if they can't give you a good reason, it's our responsibility to say, you know, 'Shoo! Get back over there!'
POEHLER AS COURIC: "Senator McCain attempted to shut down his political campaign this week in order to deal with the economic crisis. What's your opinion of this potential 700 billion dollar bailout?"
FEY AS PALIN: "Like every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this. We're saying, 'Hey, why bail out Fanny and Freddie and not me?' But ultimately what the bailout does is, help those that are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy to help...uh...it's gotta be all about job creation, too. Also, too, shoring up our economy and putting Fannie and Freddy back on the right track and so healthcare reform and reducing taxes and reigning in spending...'cause Barack Obama, y'know...has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans, also, having a dollar value meal at restaurants. That's gonna help. But one in five jobs being created today under the umbrella of job creation. That, you know...Also..."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "What lessons have you learned from Iraq and how specifically, would you spread democracy abroad?"
FEY AS PALIN: "Specifically, we would make every effort possible to spread democracy abroad to those who want it."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "Yes, but specifically what would you do?"
FEY AS PALIN: "We're gonna promote freedom. Usher in democratic values and ideals. And fight terror-loving terrorists."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "But again, and not to belabor the point. One specific thing."
(several seconds of FEY and POEHLER staring at each other)
FEY AS PALIN: "Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "I'm sorry?"
FEY AS PALIN: "I want to phone a friend."
POEHLER AS COURIC: "You don't have any lifelines."
FEY AS PALIN: "Well in that case I'm gonna just have to get back to you!"Donald Trump. Screenshot/Donald Trump. Donald Trump released a video Monday afternoon in which he called the latest documents released by the FBI on the Hillary Clinton email investigation "proof of corruption at the highest level."
"This is very big and frankly, it's unbelievable," Trump said. "What was just found out is the State Department and the FBI colluded, got together, to make Hillary Clinton look less guilty and look lot better than she looks."
The FBI documents released Monday suggest an undersecretary of state requested that the FBI change a classified email to unclassified for what a bureau official interpreted as a "quid pro quo" exchange with the State Department.
The undersecretary of state, Patrick Kennedy, asked for assistance in changing the classification of an email that the FBI had marked classified, according to an individual whose name was redacted in the fourth batch of notes summarizing the FBI's investigation into Clinton's email conduct. The investigation took place in 2015, after Clinton had left the State Department.
According to the documents, the FBI official then contacted another person and "pressured" the individual to change the classification of the email.
In exchange for marking the email unclassified, the State Department was willing to "reciprocate by allowing the FBI to place more agents in countries where they are presently forbidden," according to the documents.
The deal, which was rejected, was characterized as a "quid pro quo" by the unnamed individual relaying an account of the conversation Kennedy had with the FBI official.
"This is one of the big breaking stories of our time, in my opinion," Trump said. "This shows corruption at the highest level, and we can't let it happen as American citizens."
"So let's see how the press covers it, because the press likes not to cover it," he continued. "The best thing that Hillary Clinton has going is the media, because without the media, she wouldn't even be in this race."
The Republican presidential nominee said the documents proved there was "collusion" between the FBI, State Department, and Department of Justice, and that the Democratic presidential nominee is "guilty of very high crimes."
Trump's campaign also called on Kennedy to resign in a statement released Monday afternoon.
"Today's release of the FBI notes on their investigation into Clinton's secret email server is deeply disturbing," senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement. "The news that top Clinton aide Patrick Kennedy tried to engage in a blatant quid pro quo for changing the classification level of several of Clinton's emails shows a cavalier attitude towards protecting our nation's secrets. Kennedy must resign from the State Department immediately and Clinton must state he has no place in her administration if she is elected President."
During the second presidential debate, and in subsequent rallies, Trump threatened that Clinton would "be in jail" should he be elected in the fall, as he promised his attorney general would appoint a special prosecutor to look into her email controversy.
"Let's hope that our country gets a fair shake," Trump said in the Monday video. "This is a big mess."
Watch the video below:
Pamela Engel contributed to this report.Bookings for the historic cruise opened today - exactly 97 years after the Titanic was lost - with the departure date set for early April, 2012.
The Balmoral, operated by Fred Olsen Cruises, whose parent company Harland and Wolff built the Titanic, has been chosen for the voyage.
It will carry 1,309 passengers - the same number that sailed on the fateful voyage - on the same route as the Titanic, leaving Southmapton in early April 2012 before docking at the Irish port of Cobh (formerly Queenstown), where the Titanic made its final call on April 11, 1912.
The cruise will continue to follow the route of the Titanic and, on April 14, it will arrive at the exact location the vessel sank some 100 years before, where there will be a special memorial ceremony between 11.40pm (when the ship hit the iceberg) and 2.20am on April 15 (when the ship sank).
Despite being built in 1988, the Balmoral is unable to sail as fast as the Titanic and will have to leave Southampton earlier than the Titanic did so that it can reach the spot where she sank on the anniversary.
After the service the cruise continues to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where excursions include a visit to the Fairview Lawn Cemetery where 121 Titanic victims are buried, before finally arriving in New York.
Miles Morgan, managing director of Miles Morgan Travel, the company which has chartered the Balmoral, expects the cruise to sell out quickly despite the economic downturn.
“The whole voyage will be steeped in Titanic history. The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear first hand from historians who have studied the Titanic story,” he said. “We have started taking registrations earlier than planned as there were so many rumours circulating on the internet about plans to mark the anniversary. The fascination for the Titanic is as strong as ever.”If you had told Spurs fans that the North London club would finish 2017 in 5th place, 3 points above Burnley and 21 points off the league leaders, you would have been called crazy.
An apt way to describe Tottenham’s form this season would be ‘patchy’. From defeating giants of European football like Real Madrid, to tying against teams in the relegation zone, the Lilywhites have struggled to find consistency across domestic and continental fixtures. Much of this patchy form can be attributed to injuries – those of Toby Alderweireld and Victor Wanyama fundamentally alter Spurs’ style of play for the worst.
With that said, successful transfers, players progressing in ability and others coming back from injury have all been amazing parts of the season. Davinson Sanchez has slotted in excellently, proving to be a phenomenal acquisition given the injury that Alderweireld is yet to recover from. Harry Winks’ massive performances have made him the modern iteration of the youth revolution at Spurs but with Sissoko, Pochettino has shown that he can improve and motivate older players as well. The Frenchman is still one of the team’s more technically limited players but he has become a solid option off the bench.
To top it all off, Erik Lamela – a castaway turned fan favorite – has returned from almost a year of sitting on the sidelines. He’s a much needed attacking option and still exhibits a certain fire, a hunger, for the ball.
Lamela’s return could not be timed better, as Spurs still struggle to break down teams that look to stifle attacks in the defensive third by packing the middle and marking the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, and Harry Kane. The latter is in the form of his life, but it’s clear that both Dele and Eriksen fade in and out of matches too often.
Being the prime conductors of our creative force, Tottenham’s play suffers greatly when one or both of them have an off-game. The very fact that Eriksen is our only true #10 (an argument can be made for Lamela, but I’d argue the Argentinian is more like Son than the Danish maestro) is worrying within of itself.
Halfway through the season now, Pochettino and Levy might be tempted to turn to the January transfer window in order to bring in some needed reinforcements.
With new additions in Sanchez and Serge Aurier, and promising academy products like Kyle Walker-Peters, Tottenham’s backline will see us through the end of the season at the very least. If Pochettino looks to bolster the team, he’ll focus in the midfield and a creative player that can take some of the burden off Eriksen’s shoulders.
It’s telling that Dembele can hardly play more than 60 minutes in a match, and yet he is so massively talented that he remains an important gear in the Spurs machine. As mentioned earlier, Harry Winks has really stepped up his performances this season – but having a developing player and an injury prone player as your only solid rotation options in the midfield isn’t ideal. Sissoko has been deployed there on occasion and although he boosts the middle of the pitch with pure physical power, he lacks the technical ability to properly bridge the gap between the middle and attacking third.
Interestingly, Spurs haven’t been linked to many midfielders as of late, so it’s possible that Pochettino & Co. don’t see an issue with depth in that position. Still, if one of Dembele or Winks is sidelined for a substantial amount of time, it would severely dent the chances of having a successful season. With the absence of Wanyama, we’ve seen how much our defense suffers when our chief shield bearer is unavailable. I believe we’d see our attack suffer in a similar way if Winks or Dembele is injured.
The question is – who would come in that could bolster our depth? The time might be right to bring back Josh Onomah from his loan at Aston Villa. Having chalked up 19 appearances and 4 goals so far, he’s had a great loan spell with the Villains.
But player movement, even something as relatively simple as recalling a player from a loan, can have unintended consequences. For one, Steve Bruce, the Villa manager, has deployed him as an attacking mid rather than an engine in the middle of the pitch. So it’s completely possible that he’s not suited to running a midfield in the top flight yet. Although he’s shown capability in tracking back and intense energy levels, changing positions and receiving more responsibility requires a change of mindset. Which leads me to my second point – pulling him out of the squad he’s been working with for 5 months now, with inherently different aspirations and chemistry, to drop him in the middle of a season where Spurs are desperate for silverware might be jarring.
From his performances, Onomah would provide a solid rotation option in the midfield, but I wonder if the move might do more to hinder him rather than keep him moving along in his career.
Of course, since Bruce has given him more starts in an offensive role, it’s tempting to think that he can be the player that can lighten Eriksen’s load. I don’t think that’s the case – we, frankly, need someone who can provide more than what Onomah can give now. Someone who isn’t just a player that comes on in the 70th minute so Eriksen can rest, but a player who actually pushes for that starting eleven spot.
Recent rumors involve the likes of Everton’s Ross Barkley and Bordeaux’s exciting Brazilian attacker, Malcom. Barkley seems the more likely of the two but, having not played a single minute of football and just returning from an injury, it seems like more of a gamble than is necessary. With Chelsea getting into the mix as well, Pochettino has a bit of a time crunch to make a decision.
Admittedly, Malcom is the more exciting prospect of the two, and I believe he can rapidly develop into a proper player at Spurs. More on this on my next post, where I’ll dive into what he can bring to Spurs.
These two gaps in depth are there for all to see – but the crux of the issue comes down to whether Spurs should do anything at all in the transfer window. Lack of competition for Eriksen and threadbare numbers in the midfield are pressing concerns, but are they so pressing that Pochettino simply must acquire new players in January?
I think the answer is no.
For one, players that hit the ground running after a January transfer are rare. A change of scenery, new colleagues, new system with new rules, and (potentially) a move to a different country, with a different language, with different customs all contribute to how rapidly a player can acclimatize to the new club. Pochettino’s system is also notorious for placing great importance on pre-season. Luckily, we’ve been blessed with the likes of Sanchez and Aurier stepping in almost seamlessly, but for the most part it takes players a substantial amount of time to become contributors to the team.
Purchasing what would no doubt be an expensive player in the middle of the season without pre-season preparation would be a disservice to the player and potentially to the club.
Depth is needed – there’s no argument there. But the smart play would be to consolidate the current team and identify realistic targets for the summer.
Advertisements12-Month Averages:
Rental vacancy rate: 18.8%
Homeowner vacancy rate: 2.2%
The emptiest city in the United States is Orlando, Fla. The 12-month average for rental vacancies stands at a staggering 18.8 percent, while in the first quarter of 2012 this number was 22 percent, highest in the nation. Florida's third largest city also has an above-average homeowner vacancy rate, but this metric has been rising during the past two quarters, according to Census Bureau data.
Despite its housing woes, Orlando has been able to avoid the financial woes of other cities, such as Harrisburg, Pa., and San Bernardino and Stockton, Calif. According to Orlando’s most recent annual report,the city has more than $125 million of cash in its general fund and over $1.1 billion in total assets (including nearly an additional $300 million in cash and cash equivalents in other funds), compared with just under $600 million in total listed liabilities.There’s been some rest and re-fit going on with BattleTech, but it’s time for the action to start ramping up once more. There’s so much heavy metal excitement, we’ve merged them into a single mega-announcement. Strap in and hang on for the atmospheric interface, ’cause it’s gonna be one fantastic ride into a hot zone of gaming action!
INTERSTELLAR OPERATION BETA RELEASE
Catalyst Game Labs is pleased to announce the Beta release of the sixth core BattleTech rulebook: Interstellar Operations.
“BattleTech has a brilliant community,” said Randall N. Bills, Managing Developer. “As we discovered during the Beta release of A Time of War several years ago, their attention to detail is fantastic, enabling us to publish better books at every step. That dedication still deserves attention.”
With that in mind we’re repeating that previous process, releasing Interstellar Operations in a “Beta Release” PDF book (players will notice there’s no index yet, for example). We’ve started a Interstellar Operations Beta fan input thread on the BattleTech forums. Until the 1st of September [end of day, PST] we’ll be watching the thread to see what problems the community discovers. At that point we’ll address those issues that need work, and then ship the to the printers. Keep in mind, though, that there’s a difference between “error/broken” and “don’t like it that way” when it comes to the rules; the prior is what well be addressing, not the latter.
To thank players for all they’ve done over the years—and for the help in ensuring this book we’ve all waited so long for is the best it can be—we’re inviting all players to submit Interstellar Operations scenarios for potential publication (as we did the Adventure Seeds for A Time of War). Once you’ve bought and downloaded the PDF, please take a look at the following downloads as well:
Interstellar Operations Scenario Samples and Template
Anyone interested in getting a scenario published should generate one using the Sample as a guide, and specifically use the Template when creating the actual scenario. The specifics of the form of these scenarios are still in flux. Player feedback will help to determine that final form…and your submission might not only be chosen, but you might just influence how these scenarios will look as well!
After reviewing the material above and generating your scenarios, post your submission(s) to the |
less interesting than the first. While it still has the strength of Chaney and Ouspenskaya’s returning Maleva, not to mention the sparkling charms of Ilona Massey slumming it in her one and only horror movie as Elsa Frankenstein, the daughter of Ghost’s most recent mad scientist, the latter portion is a bit of a mish-mash. When Chaney is interacting with Massey or the superstitious folks of Vasaria, the movie tends to work, jarring anti-Nazi imagery and hilarious 19th century German and Swiss stereotypes notwithstanding. There’s even a genuinely creepy moment when Larry locks eyes with a teenage girl in a small tavern, allowing both parties an implicit acknowledgement of pre-destined ravishment and doom, as he will soon devour her later that night.
However, the actual “Frankenstein” of the film, the Monster now played by Bela Lugosi since Chaney could only be in one place at a time, feels like an afterthought. Lugosi is widely criticized as the worst onscreen depiction of Universal’s Frankenstein Monster, yet it is not entirely the acting legend’s fault. The then-60-year-old Lugosi was given the unenviable burden of continuing a lousy subplot from Ghost of Frankenstein where the creature was awarded Ygor’s brain (also played by Lugosi) but had gone blind as a result. So, Lugosi was forced to stumble around the set as a blind Monster while speaking with a Hungarian accent. The effect…was apparently not good, and Universal executives in post had all of Lugosi’s speaking lines cut, rendering the performance even more incomprehensible.
Luckily, the aftermath was Siodmak and Chaney’s creation taking an even more central focus as the star of the movie, and soon the Universal Shared Cinematic Universe. And no matter what, there’s also not a person alive who cannot grin at Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man’s grand finale when these mutual masters of malevolence have their much hyped Combat in the Castle—throwing lab equipment and each other around like a prophecy of WWE shenanigans to come. If only Zack Snyder could have matched the sheer gonzo joy of this epic brawl.
Very quickly, Universal realized there were far greater rewards with keeping their most popular monsters together than having them stay apart. The same year of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, the studio also released the overlooked vampire gem Son of Dracula. In spite of its title, and Lon Chaney’s miscalculated pity pleas as the dark count, this is most definitely a story about the original Count Dracula (at least according to the film’s characters) coming to the shores of New Orleans. Long before Anne Rice married the vampire to voodoo, Son of Dracula did just that when a 20th century girl with a taste for the occult ends up getting more than that when she invites “Count Alucard” (get it?) home, becoming his bride.
However, the following year saw what was most certainly meant to be the original Universal Dracula make his first official showing without qualifiers since the original 1931 film. Played by John Carradine with a wispy moustache, this Dracula was angry after having a wooden stake pulled from his heart—he also was not alone in a movie that also featured the Frankenstein Monster, a mad scientist, a hunchback (the horror!), and of course the Wolf Man.
House of Frankenstein (1944) solidified Universal’s Cinematic Universe when wacky Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) escapes with a hunchback assistant (J. Carrol Nash) from prison to wreak havoc and revenge on the men who imprisoned Niemann 15 years prior for trying to reanimate the dead. First, Niemann enlists Dracula into his plan by removing the stake from his heart (the count’s corpse had become part of a traveling freak show), and then he finds Larry Talbot and the Frankenstein Monster encased in frozen ice from their last encounter. Soon, all of them, plus a lovely gypsy girl (Elena Verdugo) are attempting to play God over Frankenstein’s creation.
It's a nutty movie with production values occasionally as flimsy as its plot, but there is an undeniable appeal with the film as well.
Attempting to organize a chronology around most of the Universal’s Monster catalogue is a fool’s errand since they all take place in anachronistic landscapes and misty soundstages, often populated by the same folks with murky origins. For example, Lionel Atwill appears as a small town constable in House of Frankenstein, even though he was the Mayor of Vasaria in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. In the earlier picture, he hits it off well with Elsa Frankenstein, which shouldn’t be a surprise since he played her father, Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein, in Ghost—however she was played by Evelyn Ankers in that picture (who perhaps did not return for the crossover since she already was a Wolf Man love interest in the 1941 film).
further reading: Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe Timeline Explained!
Even the geography is a muddle since the Monster resides in the vaguely Swiss village of Vasaria in both Ghost and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. And yet, when Dr. Niemann thaws him out ostensibly “six years later” in House of Frankenstein, the village is now titled “Village Frankenstein,” while Niemann seeks to take Larry, the Monster, and the whole brood to his old lab…in Vasaria.
As these movies were released annually in the days before television (never mind Blu-ray or digital download), the filmmakers could play fast and loose with the material. But also, there is something to be said with the freedom to do whatever they want with the material.
While it is reassuring that shared franchises have master plans and are building to something presumably epic today, during the Second World War, people already had enough “world-building” in their real lives. Nobody had time or the inclination to worry about continuity, canon, and other buzzwords when they went to the movies, especially franchise films that were far more unapologetic in their cash grabs than they are today. If director Erle C. Kenton wanted another monster mash with Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, and now a lady hunchback(!) in 1945’s House of Dracula, then he’ll have it! How did they all meet up when they each bought the big silver one in House of Frankenstein? Does it really matter? Apparently not to screenwriter Edward T. Lowe Jr.!
House of Dracula followed up on the previous House party by more or less ignoring it. In fact, this is at first glance the story of a not-yet crazy scientist trying to cure an inexplicably still-alive Dracula of vampirism until the Wolf Man barges in again to make it all about him and his sorrow. Talbot even discovers the Frankenstein Monster for the maddening scientist. At the very least, Lowe and Kenton seemed considerate enough to give Larry a happy ending for once when he becomes the real hero by getting cured and saving the girl from the doc and monster.
It is all so unapologetically absurd in its quest for audience appeal and entertainment (and money) that it’s a wonder the crossovers only were relegated to Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolf Man. Strangely, the Mummy never showed up in these pictures, nor the Invisible Man. Purportedly, the Invisible Man and the Ape Woman were set to appear in House of Frankenstein when it was originally entitled The Devil’s Brood, however it seems that even in 1943, there were concerns with overstuffing a film with too many characters. Perhaps Marvel should take notes after that second Avengers.
Around the time that WWII ended, so too did the public’s appetite for Universal’s imaginary monsters. The three ghouls only teamed up one last time, including Chaney as Larry and Lugosi’s first-and-only filmic reprise of the Dracula role, in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Even the Invisible Man got the '48 equivalent to a "post-credits" stinger in it too.
Whether this could be seen as a harbinger of the dangers of oversaturation, or merely a generational distancing from the visages of death in strange European lands, is still debatable. Nonetheless, for a brief time during the World War II era, Universal’s biggest monsters—Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man—all shared the same screen universe for four pictures. And by extension, so too do the rest of the Universal Monsters interconnect due to Larry Talbot’s best intentions to do what is right. Like the story of his life, it ended in a bloodbath, but at least it continues to leave Universal fans howling.
David Crow is the Film Section Editor at Den of Geek. He’s also a member of the Online Film Critics Society. Read more of his work here. You can follow him on Twitter @DCrowsNest.
Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!Ryan: Swarzak injured himself while playing around, wrestling by Nam Huynh
The Vikings may be sporting a new logo and possibly a new uniform design in 2013.
A rumor started in late November of 2012 that the Vikings, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Jaguars were getting new logos.
The rumor originated from a post on SportsLogos.net that has since been deleted.
So what, some guy posted a rumor? Well…
The Jaguars went ahead and revealed their new logo on Wednesday, confirming at least a portion of the rumor. Jacksonville’s logo change is their first in the franchise’s 18-year history.
Lucky guess from the rumor starter? Maybe.
If you go to NFLShop.com, the official apparel site of the NFL, you’ll see that jerseys for the Vikings, Dolphins and Jaguars are discounted, while the rest of the team jerseys in the league are at regular price. That is three out of the four originally listed teams in the rumor that coincidentally have discounts.
There are rumors the Vikings are getting a simple uniform change, but not a new logo—and vice versa. It’s quite possible it could be both. We will find out soon.
Update: Dolphins CEO Mike Dee spoke a little bit about the new logo, saying it would be “a mix of modern and retro,” and navy would be an accent color.Enemy Information/How2KILL(BOSS):
If you are running away and dont have to kill trash then take your knife out for +10% speed
**MAIN OBJECTIVE:Get him to phase 2 while costing as less armor as possible**
**DO NOT USE ADS OR CROUCH AS HANS CAN RUN AND THROW GRENADES AT THE SAME TIME**
**DO NOT USE ADS OR CROUCH AS HANS CAN RUN AND THROW GRENADES AT THE SAME TIME**
if you ran out of ammo in any boss fight just pray and go get some ammoSimulated Hoe Solo Demo Fight:(basically same)He cheats by not grabbing you for heals but for insta-gibs+throw grenades when runningWelcome To Kiting Floor Simulator 2015Stay Close To Corner When Running Around Corners AKA use the least distance way to travelThere are two place you want to shoot HansA:StairsB:CorridorDon't stop except at these 2 placesSwitch Magnum/DE to another one that is on the ground ~every 3 minutesIf he runs,you run and close doorsStep 1: Go to the stairs and wait for himStep 2:If he shootsThen runElse if he throw grenades then shoot a full clip of MagnumStep 3:Keep running while closing doors until you reach the corridorStep 3.5:Spam 4 grenades at the closed doorStep 4:Repeat step 2Step 5:Go up stairs again(Don't worry about gas it doesn't hurt at all)Step 6:Repeat step 1 ~ step 5 until Hans enter hunt modeStep 7:Time your heal and counter his health drain hereStep 8:Pray there is no ZedsStep 1:Turn on flashlightStep 2:Continue kiting route but ignore HansStep 3:Don't stop ignoring Hans+Focus Zeds in front of you for at least until the flashlight run out of battery(stupid late spawns)Step 4:Get to corrider(you dont want to stop at stairs)Step 5:If Hans is runningThen don't stop running and close doors behind you until you get to the next corridorElse If Hans is throwing grenadesThen shoot him without ADS or crouch and INSTANTLY run away if he moves during grenade throwElse If Hans is shooting youthen if your health >75then trade damage using 1 clip of DE/Magnum/Eviscuator+Heal/Reload unless he starts running;PS:If you hear one of his frenzy(melee) mode lines EX:Face Meh!11! just keep runningStep 6:Repeat Step 5+Kite route until Hans enter hunt mode againStep 7:Counter Heal at same placeStep 1:Turn on flashlightStep 2:Continue kiting route but ignore HansStep 3:Don't stop ignoring Hans+Focus Zeds in front of you for at least until the flashlight run out of batteryStep 4:Get to stairs/corridorStep 5:If Hans is runningThen don't stop running and close doors behind you until you get to the next corridor(you can wait at stairs if you are confident)Else If Hans is throwing grenadesThen shoot him without ADS or crouch and INSTANTLY run away if he moves during grenade throwElse If Hans is shooting youthen if your health >75then trade damage using 1 clip of DE/Magnum+Heal/Reload unless he starts running;PS:If you hear one of his frenzy(melee) mode lines EX:Face Meh!11! just keep runningStep 6:Repeat Step 5+Kite route until Hans enter hunt mode againStep 7:Counter Heal at same placeStep 1:Turn on flashlightStep 2:Continue kiting route but ignore HansStep 3:Don't stop ignoring Hans+Focus Zeds in front of you for at least until the flashlight run out of batteryStep 4:Get to stairs/corridorStep 5:If Hans is runningThen don't stop running and close doors behind you until you get to the next corridor(you can wait at next stairs if you are confident)Else If Hans is throwing grenadesThen shoot him without ADS or crouch and INSTANTLY run away if he moves during grenade throwElse If Hans is shooting youthen if your health >75then trade damage using 1 clip of DE/Magnum/Eviscuator+Heal/Reload unless he starts running;PS:If you hear one of his frenzy(melee) mode lines EX:Face Me!11! just keep runningStep 6:Repeat Step 5+Kite route until your characters says FINISH HIMStep 7:Repeat Step 5 until he diesStep 8:Press B on Hans to pray respectsStep 9:GGNOREKTHXBAIStep 10:Enjoy your victoryFun Fat:the video is a bad example lelpatty's melee can't hit you 90% of the time unless you stop runningMinigun doesn't hurt much unless you decide to stand still and not look for coverrocket is harmless unless you stand still againmelee hits don't much damage eithermortar?i cant even see the sky fallingremember to refresh your weapons on ground every 5 minutesStep 1:Start Kiting Patty With DEStep 2:When He Summon Zeds,Shoot him with Eviscuator until he quitsStep 3:Run up to the main house while killing gore-fasts and zeds behind/zeds in front of you and reach the main house cliffStep 4:Drop down and continue kite routeStep 5:Repeat #1 until First DE ran out of ammo then switch to 2nd one/magnum and continue shootingStep 6:Step 2 ~ Step 4 againStep 7:Spend all DE+Magnum/DE+DE ammo then get your Eviscuator outStep 8:Make sure you are on the side of the tree swing before making him healStep 9:Repeat Step 4 but be very careful of double husks and siren and gore-fasts as they are more deadly then pattyStep 10:keep running and kiting but focus to clear husk/siren/other dangerous stuff by eviscuatorStep 11:Watch out for late spawners while shooting patty with everything you got left(not chainsaw plz)Step 11.5:If you ran out of ammo feel free to pick up weapons you dropped and go find some ammo,patty wont kill you unless you decide to stand stillStep 12:Press B on Patty to pray respectsStep 13:GGNOREKTHXBAIStep 14:Enjoy your victorySEOUL, South Korea — The acting president of South Korea, Hwang Kyo-ahn, on Monday called the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader, “an intolerable crime against humanity and terrorist act” masterminded by the North Korean regime.
The remarks were the strongest yet by the South Korean leadership linking the North Korean government, led by Kim Jong-un, to the brazen killing of Mr. Kim’s half brother on Feb. 13 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.
In his remarks, Mr. Hwang also urged the world to hold North Korea accountable for the killing.
“It starkly demonstrated the North Korean regime’s recklessness and cruelty as well as the fact that it will do anything, everything in order to maintain its power,” Mr. Hwang said during a meeting of security-related cabinet ministers on Monday. “We need to cooperate with the international community to ensure that North Korea will pay a just price for its terrorist act.”
Mr. Hwang’s comments escalated pressure on North Korea by formally accusing Mr. Kim’s government of carrying out a terrorist attack, which could encourage other nations, including the United States, to try to punish the government in Pyongyang.It was my senior year of high school at Trinity Christian High School. I was required to write a 20-30 page senior thesis throughout the year in order to graduate, and that thesis was required to outline 3 things: my personal religious beliefs, a defense/argument for a particular issue, and (most importantly) how my worldview would influence my professional career.
At this point in my life, I knew I wanted to major in economics — but now as I think back, I have no idea why. It was 2009, so the financial crisis was still at its peak, and for some reason I was fascinated by the title, “economist.” I thought that after years of studying economics, I would be able to intelligently and accurately predict and explain economic conditions. I really had no idea what that meant. When I told people my plan to major in economics in college, they would comment by saying, “Oh, that’s great! We need bright people like you who will figure out how to get us out of this mess.”
I agreed with them.
For my thesis, I had to personally interview an economist, and looking back at questions I had for him, I realize how naïve I really was. My questions assumed a lot of things. I assumed that economists could prescribe policies to combat recessions, that their main mission was to provide the most good for the most people, and that through years of study, a few economists could get together in room and fix things because they were intelligent and well-schooled. I guess I was excited to eventually become the hero who could make a positive impact on the world through economic policy.
I arrived at college with a sense of excitement and optimism, not just because it was a new stage of my life, but also because I would soon be learning the “secrets” of the economics profession. I couldn’t wait to enroll in econ classes. Introduction to microeconomics didn’t really appeal to me because it didn’t line up with my expectations, but I knew it was probably necessary to lay a foundation before moving on to more complicated things. When I moved on to my intro to macroeconomics class, I was immediately hooked. Even though my professor prefaced most of his lectures by saying that the models in the intro class were oversimplified for simplicity’s sake, the models showed a direct relationship between economic policy and results — and apparently these models worked beautifully. I felt well on my way to being enlightened. I was learning how to fix the economy, little by little. This is just what I was looking for.
Then I happened to read a book that would ultimately change my life: Ron Paul’s “The Revolution: A Manifesto”.
Dr. Paul’s book planted the seeds for a healthy skepticism that would lead to a drastic transformation in the way I thought about economics and its implications for my professional future. I started to read more outside of the classroom. I found the works of classical economists such as Frederic Bastiat, F.A. Hayek, and Ludwig von Mises thanks to resources provided by organizations such as Students for Liberty and the Foundation for Economic Education.
As time went on, my optimism quickly faded. I realized the whole game had been too good to be true. Very fundamental problems in mainstream economic theory started popping up all over the place. The broken window fallacy, Bastiat’s basic “seen and unseen” analysis, faulty assumptions in monetary theory relating to deflation, assuming homogeneous capital, forgetting the relationship between time, interest, and capital in creating the production structure, the knowledge problem, the true definition of economic growth, the conflicting mandates of the Federal Reserve, the unintended and forgotten consequences of artificially low interest rates, the importance of prices in allocating resources, and the effects of government spending on the economy, etc. — they all led me to rethink economics and how we teach it, learn it, and apply it. This is what I have learned in the past 3 years:
1. Economic theory can describe, but it cannot prescribe.
There are some economic principles that hold true. Incentives matter, people are rational in always wanting to make themselves and their families better off, and there is no such thing as a free lunch. Unfortunately, we try too hard to model these laws across millions of people with an infinite combination of preferences. HUGE assumptions are made in determining the endogenous and exogenous variables in these models. Just one example is applying one MPC (marginal propensity to consume) to an entire nation or state or even a city – assuming that on average, people consume 90 cents of every dollar they make is a ridiculous assumption, and that’s one of the tame ones.
We often forget that we have a ceteris paribus constraint when developing macroeconomic models that actually directly influence fiscal and monetary policy. How can you make policy based on a theory that assumes “everything else constant”? This is mind-boggling to me. Economics describes how things work. It does not address how the world should be; in fact, it often describes exactly why the world can’t be a certain way (usually a Utopian society in this instance). Even if we had population parameters instead of sample statistics to use for data analysis, any kind of policy to combat negative economic influences or shocks would instantly be outdated, and that isn’t even considering the amount of time the policy takes to implement. The economy is organic. It is made up of individuals, engaging in trades with one another that make both parties better off. The economy is not a machine, or a country, or a state. Therefore we cannot treat it as such.
2. The economics profession has incentives that lead to guaranteed errors.
It’s a very vicious cycle, really. Economists, most of who work directly for the government or state-subsidized institutions, influence economic policy and the consensus among academics. It is in their own interest to push for more government spending or pro-interventionist economic theories that will keep their jobs secure. As much as this sounds like a conspiracy, it’s not. It’s rational behavior with respect to the incentives of the system. This is why Keynesian economics is still so prominent today. It justifies more spending by the state, which helps politicians get reelected. Quite sad if you ask me.
3. Academia and the way we view education is really screwed up.
Academia is slow to change. Extremely slow. Innovation in education (with the exception of technology for the most part) crawls along, and is hampered by resistance to change amongst faculty. Once again, that’s partly due to the system. Professors spend 12+ years in school and countless more years researching the theories they learned in those first 12 years. If someone approaches them with a new perspective or a problem with the stuff they have been teaching for 30 years, some professors will take it personally, and others will just shrug it off as undergraduate ignorance. Professors are very prone to hubris and pretentiousness.
The past 3 years in college have really been humbling, if anything. I can’t show you neat fiscal/monetary policies that will lift us out of this prolonged recession and 8.5%+ unemployment, and actually, no one can — not even 100 ivy league grads in a conference room. What I can tell you is where we have gone wrong in the past, and it all revolves around really, really bad assumptions. Look out for more posts about poor assumptions. I feel like I need to address those in more detail.My friend Jimmy is 84, I come to meet him at the bar once or twice a week. I keep getting weekly paper deliveries from the Wall Street Journal. The news is usually one or 2 small articles. I always get to read alot about crypto coins on my computer. Jimmy keeps me tapped on what they say on TV, and in print. As of now almost every article has been from the Wall Street Journal. This week was definitely the heaviest delivery of news, and also most references of Ethereum coins. hmmmmmm...
I hope its good for us that the mainstream sources are talking more about cryptocurrencies. Although I don't know if I should consider the Wall Street Journal main stream, even though they are nobody probably reads it. They are making it seem like the new alt coins are go fund me campaigns for startups. I hope its deeper than that since I have been getting shares of things like Faircoin and Golem but I think those 2 companies are cool so its a tough one. Anyways I think its best for main stream outlets to embrace the coins.
What do you guys think is best for people who are already invested?
Public news about the currencies or should we keep it real on places like here, Reddit, Twitter, and Youtube?
This is the first time WSJ actually spoke much about other alt coins this openly so what do we do or buy? Is exposure always good for our bitwallets? I just say as always, buy more.
-Roscoe
https://twitter.com/PrintPainterIndonesia attempts to crush mass peaceful rallies across West Papua
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benny-wenda/indonesia-attempts-to-cru_b_10515498.html
Indonesia attempts to crush mass peaceful rallies across West Papua
06/20/2016 08:57 am ET
Last week, thousands of West Papuan people rallied in the streets to call for freedom and for our fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised. They showed their full support for the United liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)’s full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
The people of West Papua also rallied to show their support for the Pacific Islands Forum Human Rights Fact Finding Mission to West Papua, and a rejection of Indonesia’s false attempts of an Indonesian led Fact Finding Mission.
In every corner of West Papua and in several Indonesian cities, the people of West Papua gathered peacefully to show their true aspirations.
I hope that the world will look and see these demonstrations as evidence that we the people West Papua continue to risk our lives by simply calling for our fundamental right to self-determination.
While our demonstrations were entirely peaceful, the Indonesian police were determined to use brute force to crush them and unconfirmed reports estimate that over 1000 people were arrested simply for joining and supporting these peaceful demonstrations.
It is reported that in the last 5 days over 1000 people have been arrested in Port Numbay/Jayapura, over 100 people arrested in Wamena, 32 people arrested in Malang, 5 people arrested in Yahukimo and 4 people arrested in Nabire. At least one of the people arrested in Port Numbay/Jayapura is believed to have been interrogated and beaten until they lost consciousness.
Such mass arrests and brutality are becoming increasingly common in West Papua and it is estimated that in the last 2 months, nearly 3000 West Papuan people have been arrested by the Indonesian authorities simply for peacefully demonstrating and calling for our fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised.
My people cannot be silent while our fundamental human rights continue to be crushed, violated and denied to us by this brutal occupying colonial power. We desperately need a Pacific Islands Forum Fact Finding Mission to come to West Papua to help to uncover, document and expose these ongoing human rights violations.
The Indonesian government is trying to claim that there are only 11 human rights abuses that need to be investigated in occupied West Papua. We West Papuans know that this is totally and deliberately false.
It is estimated that over 500,000 West Papuan people have been killed since Indonesian illegally took control of West Papua and this killing along with torture, rape and other of the most heinous human rights abuses continues unabated to this day.
As an example of the scale of human rights atrocities in occupied West Papua, the Asian Human Rights Commission has found that between 1977 and 1978 at least 4146 West Papuan people were killed by the Indonesian authorities in the Central Highlands region of West Papua alone.
Why then is the Indonesian Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan going to West Papua, the UK and Australia, attempting to claim that he is helping human rights in West Papua when his government continues to oppress our fundamental human rights, arresting hundreds of people for peacefully demonstrating?
Clearly there is no democracy or freedom of expression in occupied West Papua. We are being silenced and suppressed by the Indonesian government, military and police. While the Indonesian government is trying to claim it is resolving human rights abuses, literally thousands of West Papuan people have been arrested in the last two months alone; just for peacefully demonstrating for self-determination.
West Papuan people continue to be arrested, continue to be tortured and continued to be murdered by the Indonesian military and police.
The world needs to see this truly desperate situation in occupied West Papua. West Papua is a militarized emergency zone with more and more Indonesian soldiers coming and killing innocent people.
The biggest human rights disaster in the Pacific is happening today just 250km North of Australia and we West Papuans are worried that if this genocide and illegal occupation continues to be ignored, in the next few decades will will be completely wiped out from our own country.
Therefore on behalf of my people I am calling for urgent international intervention in West Papua. We are suffering under a cruel genocide and have been brutally oppressed ever since Indonesia illegally took control of our country in the 1969 Act of NO Choice.
It is time for we the West Papuan people to be free to choose our own destiny and to exercise our fundamental right to self-determination in an Internationally Supervised Vote (Independence referendum).
Please help to support the people of West Papua before there are no West Papuans left. Please help to end to these human rights atrocities once and for all by joining the growing number of voices around the world supporting the people of West Papua and our fundamental right to self-determination being exercised through an Internationally Supervised Vote.
Please hear my people’s cry for freedom.
Benny Wenda is West Papua’s independence leader, International Spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and founder of the Free West Papua Campaign. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and lives in exile in the UK.
Follow Benny Wenda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bennywenda
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2) Australia’s political parties accused of double standards on West Papua human rights: Catholic Justice Commission
Updated yesterday at 8:23am
With Australia heading to a general election in less than two weeks, Catholic church leaders are calling on the major political parties to end their double standards on human rights advocacy in the region.
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission’s executive officer Peter Arndt says successive Australian governments have ignored gross and long-running human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces in West Papua while condemning similar abuses elsewhere in the region.
Richard Ewart
Source: Pacific Beat | Duration: 5min 44sec
Audio
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-20/australia’s-political-parties-accused-of-double/7524974
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AdvertisementsA $150,000 B.C. government online map that is supposed help families find needed child care spots is advertising spots that aren’t there, according to a CTV News investigation.
CTV News checked a sample of Vancouver daycares the site said had spaces for a two year old, and found only a fraction actually did – a setup that is sure to waste time for parents desperate for help, said child care advocate Sharon Gregson.
“The people who put the map together had good intentions but it’s hocus pocus,” said Gregson. “It’s trying to do something about our child care crisis without spending any money.
“It’s backwards, it’s out of date, and for parents it’s not going to be very helpful,” she said.
Child care in Vancouver is notoriously difficult to find, with wait lists in the thousands. The website was introduced with some fanfare in May, advertised as “taking the guesswork out of child care.”
“Now, for the first time, parents have access to all the information they need on one screen,” Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux said at the time.
The green icons on the map show day cares with spaces available, and the grey spots show where the facilities are full.
The ministry claimed in an email that vacancy information is automatically updated each month from the Child Care Capital Operating Funding program, and that providers can update their vacancy information with a 24-hour delay.
At least that’s how it’s supposed to work – CTV News called a sample of 20 Vancouver daycares the website said had a spot for a two year old. Only four of them actually did.
One operator said that the map was accurate – just out of date, because the spaces had been filled recently. Another said she was frustrated because she had been trying to update her daycare with the ministry but had received no response. Another said she believed the government was just making up the incorrect vacancy information on her daycare – because no one had asked her.
But across the Fraser in Surrey, every single daycare called by CTV News said the map was accurate.
The B.C. Government didn’t reply to inquiries about that discrepancy by press time.
It’s frustrating for parents, said Hanh Allbutt, who remembers clearly the difficulty she had finding a space for her daughter.
“I was pretty stunned. Your chances are next to nil,” she said.
Gregson said she believed the website was as behind as Child Care Operating Fund reports, which may be as old as April.
The NDP’s Melanie Mark told CTV News she believes the government isn’t continuing to maintain the website.
“Unless you’ve got someone making sure the numbers are accurate, you can expect there’s going to be people facing dead ends,” she said.
Mark said a better solution for parents would be to increase the number of spaces, which the NDP is proposing to implement via a $10 a day subsidized child care plan.An 18-year-old Hopkins High School senior cheerleader allegedly used her sophomore teammate as a prostitute, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County.
Montia Marie Parker, 18, of Maple Grove was arrested on one count of second-degree felony sex trafficking, and one count of felony solicitation, inducement and promotion of prostitution.
Parker is accused of soliciting her Hopkins classmate on backpage.com, taking her out of school and driving the victim to various locations to sell her oral sex services, and the complaint states Parker never shared the cash that the victim earned.
According to the complaint, the victim said she was hoping to make some extra money while at school hanging out with friends. Parker got the sophomore’s phone number and asked her if she would be willing to have sex for money. The victim said she would give oral sex in return for payment, at which point Parker asked for photos that were “not too nasty but kinda cute,” and that would have the victim “showing a little skin.”
Parker then posted the pictures on backpage.com, creating an advertisement for the victim.
On March 5, Parker took the victim out of school, drove her to Crystal and directed her to go into an apartment and give a man oral sex. The victim did, and then received $60 in cash, giving it all to Parker. Parker deposited the money her own TCF bank account, sharing none of the proceeds to the sophomore who performed the sexual act.
On March 6, Parker called Hopkins High School, pretended to be the victim’s mother, and pulled her out of school to drive the two of them to Brooklyn Park. Parker told the victim she would need to have vaginal sex with the man she was about to meet. The victim said no, and Parker replied “I didn’t drive up here for nothing, and eventually you will need to have sex.” The victim went inside the man’s residence but didn’t want to have sex, so the man refused the arrangement.
The victim’s mother found out her daughter had an unexcused absence from school on March 5, checked up on her daughter’s cell phone and found text messages from Parker with the subject of prostitution. She then called police.
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Caught On Video: Deer Rescued From Lake Mille LacsBROWNSVILLE, Texas — The land agents started working the border between Texas and Mexico in the spring of 2007. Sometimes they were representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers. Other times they were officers from the U.S. Border Patrol, uniformed in green, guns tucked into side holsters. They visited tumbledown mobile homes and suburban houses with golf course views. They surveyed farms fecund with sugar cane, cotton and sorghum growing by the mud-brown Rio Grande. They delivered their blunt news to ranchers and farmers, sheet metal workers and university professors, auto mechanics and wealthy developers.
The federal government was going to build a fence to keep out drug smugglers and immigrants crossing into the United States illegally, they told property owners. The structure was going to cut straight across their land. The government would make a fair offer to buy property, the agents explained. That was the |
acid is known, so if symptoms fit the description, immediate medical attention is advised. Cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue does not lessen the toxicity. Domoic acid is a heat-resistant and very stable toxin which can damage kidneys at concentrations that are 1/100th of those that cause neurological effects.
Discovery [ edit ]
ASP was first discovered in humans late in 1987, when a serious outbreak of food poisoning occurred in eastern Canada.[1][13] Three elderly patients died and other victims suffered long-term neurological problems. Because the victims suffered from memory loss, the term "amnesic" shellfish poisoning is used.[14] The story made front-page newspaper headlines.
Epidemiologists from Health Canada quickly linked the illnesses to restaurant meals of cultured mussels harvested from one area in Prince Edward Island, a place never before affected by toxic algae. Mouse bioassays on aqueous extracts of the suspect mussels caused death with some unusual neurotoxic symptoms very different from those of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins and other known toxins. On December 12, 1987, a team of scientists was assembled at the National Research Council of Canada laboratory in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Integrating bioassay-directed fractionation with chemical analysis, the team identified the toxin on the afternoon of December 16, just 4 days after the start of the concerted investigation.[15][16]
Possible animal effects [ edit ]
On June 22, 2006, a California brown pelican, possibly under the influence of domoic acid,[17] flew through the windshield of a car on the Pacific Coast Highway. The phycotoxin is found in the local coastal waters.
Since March 2007, marine mammal and seabird strandings and deaths off the Southern California coast have increased markedly. These incidents have been linked to the recent and dramatic increase of a naturally occurring toxin produced by algae. Most of the animals found dead tested positive for domoic acid.
According to the Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute,[18] "It is generally accepted that the incidence of problems associated with toxic algae is increasing. Possible reasons to explain this increase include natural mechanisms of species dispersal (currents and tides) to a host of human-related phenomena such as nutrient enrichment (agricultural run-off), climate shifts, or transport of algae species via ship ballast water."
In popular culture [ edit ]
In the TV series Elementary episode "The Red Team" (original air date January 31, 2013), a witness is intentionally poisoned with domoic acid.
In the "Bad Fish" episode of Get a Life (original air date: February 2, 1992), Sharon and Gus get amnesia after eating bad shellfish, and Chris seizes the opportunity to convince them that they are his best friends.
Domoic acid poisoning may have caused an August 18, 1961 invasion of thousands of frantic seabirds in Capitola and Santa Cruz, California.[19] Director Alfred Hitchcock heard about this invasion while working on his adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novelette "The Birds" for his feature film The Birds (1963), and asked the Santa Cruz Sentinel for any further news copy as "research for his new thriller."
See also [ edit ]The AICPA continues to post regular updates regarding the CPA Exam score release schedule in an effort to keep CPA Exam candidates informed. Updated score release timelines are announced twice annually on AICPA Insights and are also posted on the CPA Exam website. To eliminate confusion, candidates can use the table below to easily find their score release dates.
January/February (Q1) Testing Window If you take your test by: And the AICPA receives your examination data files from Prometric by midnight on: Your score will be released by the target release date: Jan. 20 Jan. 20 Feb. 4 Feb. 14 Feb. 14 Feb. 25 Feb. 28 March 1 March 10 Feb. 28 **After March 1 March 18
The CPA Exam score release process begins when the AICPA releases the scores to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy who then releases the score to individual state boards of accountancy based upon the target score release dates listed in the table below.
**The examination data files the AICPA receives after March 1 will be included in the final target score release date.
April/May (Q2) Testing Window If you take your test by: And the AICPA receives your examination data files from Prometric by midnight on: Your score will be released by the target release date: April 20 April 20 May 5 May 15 May 15 May 23 May 31 June 1 June 9 May 31 **After June 1 June 18
**The examination data files the AICPA receives after June 1 will be included in the final target score release date.
Keep in mind:
All dates and times are based on Eastern Time.
For the vast majority of candidates, the AICPA receives the examination data files from Prometric within 24 hours after a candidate completes the CPA Exam.
The scores for the examination data files received after the AICPA cutoff dates will be in the subsequent scheduled target score release.
Some candidates who take the BEC section might receive their scores approximately one week following the target release date due to additional analysis that might be required for the written communication tasks.
We encourage candidates to visit the Psychometrics and Scoring page for information about score release and the scoring process, including the CPA Exam Score Release Timeline FAQs.Kotlin may seem like a new kid on the block — itʼs been officially released only in February. Its history however dates a few years back and itʼs mature and stable enough to be used for developing solid reliable applications. Therefore at Allegro we decided to give it a chance — we built our new shiny server-side system using Kotlin as its primary language and we do not regret it.
One of the first features a Kotlin developer learns is the languageʼs approach to handling null values. It is quite interesting — especially at times like these when the most popular way of handling this problem is to use some kind of Option monad. As weʼll soon see Kotlin actually does not introduce any new special wrapper type — it uses regular Java types albeit with slight variance.
Null-safe world
In Kotlin when you declare a variable, a field or a function parameter, by default they cannot be null. For example letʼs suppose we have a class Greeter which has a function hello that by default prints a greeting message on the standard output:
class Greeter { fun hello ( who : String ): Unit { println ( "Hello $who" ) } }
We declared who to be of type String which is interpreted by the compiler to mean that who cannot be null. If we want to declare a nullable parameter we have to add a question mark at the end of the type name:
class Greeter { fun hello ( who : String?): Unit { println ( "Hello $who" ) } }
This simple solution turns out to be very convenient and strong at the same time. It divides the world of our code into two areas: one where null s are allowed and one where they arenʼt. As weʼll see in a moment Kotlin provides quite a range of helpful features which makes the transition between those areas entirely safe. Yet we have to be aware of a few surprising issues.
To fully explore how Kotlin handles null s underneath weʼll take a closer look at the code generated by Kotlin compiler. Weʼll do it on two levels: first weʼll inspect the output bytecode — although for brevity weʼll actually see equivalent Java code. Then, in the second part of this article — for some interesting cases weʼll have a glance at the machine code generated by JVM JIT compiler.
Smart casts
Since Kotlin compiler knows the type of every variable, field, function parameter, etc. it can check if an incorrect assignment takes place and throw an error in such case. In the code below we try to assign a nullable reference to a non-null property:
class User { private var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String?) { username = newName // the compiler will indicate an error here } }
What if we wanted to check if the reference is not null and only then assign it to a property? The following code provides an answer:
class User { private var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String?) { if ( newName == null ) throw NullPointerException ( "Name cannot be null!" ) username = newName // here the compiler knows that newName cannot be null and therefore } // its type is String and not String? }
This construct — where the compiler can infer that the reference cannot be null — is called smart casting as it seems to cast the reference from String? to String.
There is one thing we have to bear in mind when using smart casts. We can only do it with references that cannot be changed between the checkpoint and the actual assignment. In the code above the reference was taken from the function parameter which cannot change in the course of function execution. If we were to take the reference from some read/write property the compiler would not allow it:
class UserRequest { var username : String? = null } class User { private var username : String = "" fun setNameFrom ( request : UserRequest ) { if ( request. username == null ) throw NullPointerException ( "Name cannot be null!" ) username = request. username // here the compiler cannot be sure that request.username } // is not null - it could change in some other thread } // right after the condition check
The!! operator
The code shown in the above example looks quite common. When we expect a reference to be not null and this assumption proves wrong we may want to throw NullPointerException. Kotlin has a special syntax for such cases:
class User { private var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String?) { username = newName!! // the type of newName!! is String and the compiler generates a runtime check to be sure of that... } }
The equivalent Java code as taken from the bytecode generated by the Kotlin compiler is as follows:
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable ; import static kotlin. jvm. internal. Intrinsics. throwNpe ; public final class User { private String username = "" ; public void setName ( @Nullable newName: String ) { if ( newName == null ) { throwNpe (); } username = newName ; } }
We can see a couple of interesting things here:
The newName parameter of the setName method gets an annotation indicating its nullability. This annotation is used internally by Kotlin compiler and IntelliJ IDEA, although one can think of using it also in tools like FindBugs or Checker Framework. The code in setName has a striking resemblance (surprise!) to the code we wrote in our smart cast example. The only difference is the usage of the throwNpe method. Weʼll delve into the details in part 2 — for now we can make a simplification and state that it throws KotlinNullPointerException (which extends NullPointerException ).
Parameter validation
So far in our examples we didnʼt have methods which were not private and at the same time had non- null parameters. In order to gain some insight into what happens in such situations letʼs modify our code:
class User { var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String ) { username = newName } }
One obvious method that weʼd like to have a look at is the setName method. But the equivalent Java code contains a surprise:
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull ; import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable ; import static kotlin. jvm. internal. Intrinsics. checkParameterIsNotNull ; public class User { @NotNull private String username = "" ; @NotNull public String getUsername () { return username ; } public void setUsername ( @NotNull String value ) { checkParameterIsNotNull ( value, "<set-?>" ); username = value ; } public void setName ( @NotNull String newName ) { checkParameterIsNotNull ( value, "newName" ); username = value ; } }
We can see that we now have two additional methods ( getUsername and setUsername ) and the username field earned a @NotNull annotation. Weʼre witnesses to how Kotlin compiler manages properties in classes:
If it is private then a property is simply a field of the class with no special annotations — this is because this property is not visible anywhere outside the class and therefore Kotlin compiler can optimize access to it and it can be sure that the field will always be non- null. If it is not private then a property is actually a field with a pair of setter and getter methods — this is because the property is visible to the outside world and Kotlin compiler must check upon every access that it is non- null and at the same time provide this information to this outside world.
We can also observe that to check whether a value of a parameter is not null the checkParameterIsNotNull method is used. Again weʼll investigate this method in part 2. For now it is enough to say that upon receiving a null value an IllegalArgumentException will be thrown.
Elvis operator
When we have a null value there are situations when instead of throwing an exception weʼd rather do something else. We can compare this to a default block in Java switch statement. A simple if statement with an else should suffice here, but Kotlin has a special syntax for it — the famous Elvis operator.
Letʼs suppose that for a null value weʼd like to set username to "N/A" :
class User { private var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String?) { username = newName?: "N/A" } }
The equivalent Java code is:
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable ; public class User { private String username = "" ; public void setName ( @Nullable String newName ) { username = ( newName!= null )? newName : "N/A" ; } }
The Kotlin syntax is more concise and itʼs also worth mentioning that the expression after the Elvis operator is lazily evaluated and it can also throw an exception. So itʼs completely legal to have this kind of code:
class User { private var username : String = "" fun setName ( newName : String?) { username = newName?: throw RuntimeException ( "Are you nuts?" ) } }
The equivalent Java code is:
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable ; public class User { private String username = "" ; public void setName ( @Nullable String newName ) { if ( newName!= null ) username = newName ; else throw new RuntimeException ( "Are you nuts?" ); } }
Safe calls and let/run/apply functions
There are circumstances when we have a possibly null object and we want to invoke a method on it but only if it is actually non- null (because otherwise we would get NullPointerException ). We can do it with simple if, but Kotlin provides a fancy?. operator to make the code more compact. So this code:
data class SimpleUser ( var name : String ) object Users { private val userMap = mapOf ( 1 to SimpleUser ( "John" )) @JvmStatic fun getUser ( userId : Int ): SimpleUser? = userMap [ userId ] } fun getUserName ( userId : Int ): String? = getUser ( userId )?. name
has the following equivalent Java code for getUserName :
@Nullable public String getUserName ( int userId ) { SimpleUser simpleUser = getUser ( userId ); return simpleUser!= null? simpleUser. getName () : null ; }
Kotlin code is indeed a lot shorter and more expressive. To further aid developers Kotlin provides three convenient higher-order functions: let, run and apply. Although they are not directly related to null -safety issues we often use them with potentially null objects. Below you can find some code examples — they should give you an intuition about when and how to use them.
let
Letʼs look at the following code with let (pardon the pun):
fun findUserNameWithLet ( userId : Int ): String? = getUser ( userId )?. let { it. name }
let is essentially an extension function (i.e. a method of a class which you can define outside of the class definition) that can be invoked on any type. It takes a lambda expression as its parameter and calls the expression with this as an argument. If a lambda expression has only one parameter then we may skip declaring it and simply access the parameter via the name… it. Therefore in the example above this inside the lambda ( this is of type SimpleUser — the type returned by the getUser method) is accessible as it. The value of the lambda expression is returned as the result of the let function.
The equivalent Java code for findUserNameWithLet is as follows:
@Nullable public String findUserNameWithLet ( int userId ) { String result ; SimpleUser simpleUser = getUser ( userId ); if ( simpleUser!= null ) { SimpleUser it = simpleUser ; result = it. getName (); // { it.name } } else { result = null ; } return result ; }
let is usually used if we want to perform some operations on a non- null object and return the result of these operations while simply returning null for null objects.
run
The run function is a slight variation of let. It takes a parameterless lambda expression as its parameter and the object on which you invoke run can be accessed via this inside the lambda expression. Just like in let the result of the lambda expression is returned as the result of the run function.
Letʼs see an example:
fun findUserNameWithRun ( userId : Int ): String? = getUser ( userId )?. run { name }
and the equivalent Java code:
@Nullable public String findUserNameWithRun ( int userId ) { String result ; SimpleUser simpleUser = getUser ( userId ); if ( simpleUser!= null ) { SimpleUser $receiver = simpleUser ; result = $receiver. getName (); // { name } } else { result = null ; } return result ; }
As we can see there is little difference with let — Kotlin code is similar although with run it is even more concise.
apply
The last of the three convenient functions weʼre going to talk about is apply. The following code illustrates its usage:
fun findUserNameWithApply ( userId : Int ): SimpleUser? = getUser ( userId )?. apply { name = "Jane" } }
apply is similar to run — it is an extension function which takes a parameterless lambda expression as its parameter and the object on which you invoke apply can be accessed via this inside the lambda expression. However, the return value of apply is the object on which you invoke it (and not the lambda expression result).
The equivalent Java code for findUserNameWithApply is as follows:
@Nullable public SimpleUser findUserNameWithApply ( int userId ) { SimpleUser result ; SimpleUser simpleUser = getUser ( userId ); if ( simpleUser!= null ) { SimpleUser $receiver = simpleUser ; $receiver. setName ( "Jane" ); // { name = "Jane" } result = simpleUser ; } else { result = null ; } return result ; }
The most common reason to use apply is the initialisation of an object. If there is something we have to do before returning an object (and simply return null if it is null ) then apply is the way to go.
Platform types
So far we have not talked about the interoperability with Java. While from Java code point of view with regard to null -safety nothing unusual happens if we call Kotlin code, there is a difference when we want to call Java code from Kotlin. This is especially important for the case of the result returned from Java method where Kotlin compiler has to take some precautions. After all it does not know if the value returned can be null or not.
To resolve this problem Kotlin introduces the concept of platform types. In essence platform type is used every time Kotlin compiler encounters an invocation of Java method which was not generated by Kotlin compiler. At the same time a developer cannot explicitly declare anything to be of platform type — it exists solely when Kotlin compiler infers it from the code.
Letʼs look at some code samples which present most of things you have to know about platform types:
fun writeOutNullable ( s : String?) = println ( s ) fun nullableCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! writeOutNullable ( value ) // The! after a type indicates it's a platform type }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void nullableCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); writeOutNullable ( value ); }
We can see nothing special here — the platform type is taken as is when it is converted to a nullable type.
Letʼs see what happens when the target type is non- null :
fun writeOut ( s : String ) { println ( s ) } fun nonNullCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! writeOut ( value ) }
The equivalent Java code is:
import static kotlin. jvm. internal. Intrinsics. checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ; public void nonNullCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( value, "value" ); writeOut ( value ); }
Now we have a validation in the generated code. writeOut expects a non- null type, but the value type is platform type and in theory it could be null. Therefore the compiler produces a runtime check with the help of checkExpressionValueIsNotNull method which weʼll explore in part 2.
Next example shows the code where only Java methods are used.
fun pureJavaCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! System. setProperty ( "other_key", value ) }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void pureJavaCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); System. setProperty ( "other_key", value ); }
Just like when we had the nullable types no runtime check is generated. After all at no place in the code do we pass the value to the code which explicitly expects non- null values.
One might ask what happens after the value is checked not to be null — does the compiler treat it as a non- null value?
fun doubleCheckCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! writeOut ( value ) writeOut ( value ) }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void doubleCheckCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( value, "value" ); writeOut ( value ); checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( value, "value" ); writeOut ( value ); }
It appears it doesnʼt — the runtime checks are generated each time the conversion to non- null type takes place.
The following example shows assigning the value with platform type to some variable without explicitly stating this variable type:
fun assignCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! val newValue = value // newValue has a platform type String! writeOut ( newValue ) }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void assignCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); String newValue = value ; checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( newValue, "newValue" ); writeOut ( newValue ); }
No surprise here — the type of the variable newValue is also a platform type and runtime checks are generated.
What if we explicitly state the variableʼs type?
fun explicitCase () { val value = System. getProperty ( "key" ) // value has a platform type String! val nullableValue : String? = value writeOutNullable ( nullableValue ) val nonNullValue : String = value writeOut ( nonNullValue ) writeOut ( nonNullValue ) }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void explicitCase () { String value = System. getProperty ( "key" ); String nullableValue = value ; writeOutNullable ( nullableValue ); checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( value ) String nonNullValue = value ; writeOut ( nonNullValue ); writeOut ( nonNullValue ); }
As we can see the rule is simple — every time we go from the plaform type to non- null type a runtime check is generated. Once weʼre in the null -safe world no additional validation is needed.
In the examples above weʼve seen that the checkExpressionValueIsNotNull method takes a variable name as the second parameter. This is done so that when a null value is passed youʼll see an error message with the name of the variable in it. But as the name of the method implies the second parameter does not have to be a variable name. In fact itʼs always an expression name, but in the cases presented above we had simple one-variable expressions. If we had a more complicated expression…:
fun funnyCase () { writeOut ( System. getProperty ( "key" )) }
The equivalent Java code is:
public void funnyCase () { String tmp = System. getProperty ( "key" ); checkExpressionValueIsNotNull ( tmp, "System.getProperty(\"key\")" ); writeOut ( tmp ); }
If we now call funnyCase (and there is no "key" system property set) then weʼll see the following stack trace:
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.IllegalStateException: System.getProperty("key") must not be null at pl.kk.test.kotlin.PlatformTypesKt.funnyCase(PlatformTypes.kt:54) at pl.kk.test.kotlin.FunnyCaseCall.main(PlatformTypes.kt:60)
Summary
Weʼve taken a tour of different Kotlin language constructs where you could observe the code generated by the compiler. During regular development you rarely have to think about how things work under the hood. Nonetheless it is useful to know a thing or two about it. And if youʼre interested in the performance issues surrounding some of those constructs check out the second part of this article which will be soon published.Pin +1 Share 54 Shares
Phil Mudd, who worked for the CIA and the FBI when Robert Mueller was the director, on Thursday told CNN host Jake Tapper that “the government is going to kill” President Donald Trump “because he doesn’t support them.”
“Let me give you one bottom line as a former government official,” Mudd began. “The government is going to kill this guy.”
“[Trump] defends Vladimir Putin, their State Department, and CIA officers are coming home. And at Langley and in Foggy Bottom (State Dept headquarters), CIA and State they’re saying, this is how you defend us? We saw the same thing in his transgender comments. What is the military saying to him on transgender? Show us the policy. You know what that means inside government, ain’t going to happen. What did the Department of Justice say on Paul Manafort? You can say what you want, a judge told us we cause to search his home early in the morning because we don’t trust the guy who was your campaign manager,” he said.
“The government is going to kill this guy because he doesn’t support them,” Mudd declared.
Jake Tapper attempted to clear up Mudd’s comments, “obviously, when you’re talking about killing you’re using that as a metaphor.”
“What I’m saying is government — people talk about the deep state — when you disrespect government officials who’ve done 30 years, they’re going to say, ‘Really? You send Vladimir Putin sends U.S. officers home and you support him before us?” Mudd replied.
CommentsNEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar became the highest scorer in Test cricket after surpassing West Indian legend Brian Lara in the ongoing second Test in Mohali on Friday. ( Watch After breaking Lara���s record, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to reach 12000-run mark in Test cricket.The Master Blaster needed just 15 runs today to overtake Lara's Test match tally of 11,953 runs and establishing a fourth world record in his illustrious career.The 35-year-old batting maestro is already the world's top-scorer in One-Day International (16,361) and has the most centuries in Test matches (39) and One-dayers (42).The Mumbaikar came close to surpass Lara's milestone in the drawn first Test in Bangalore but he fell short of just 15 runs after playing a gritty knock of 49 runs in the second innings to help India seal a draw.Sachin made his Test debut at the tender age of 16 against Pakistan in 1989 in Karachi. From there on the little master of world cricket has never looked back.The Mumbaikar came into limelight with his first Test century on a seaming Old Trafford track against a formidable English attack as he saved the match for India.Tendulkar still remains the most admired cricketer from all quarters the world ranging from experts to cricket ardent fans despite not being in his best of form off late.The body of the master blaster has taken its toll as he has been playing international cricket to close to two decades. Though several injuries marred his playing career time and again during the last five years but his never-say-die attitude still makes him the heartthrob of cricketing world. Congratulate Sachin Tendulkar.Karen, Dan, and Dawn
On the Flirt Board. (Photo by Kitty Chambliss.)
People value social events more than organizers do.
People value speaker/ educational events less than organizers do.
The “Press Is In” and the Beyond The Love Conference was AMAZING!
...It exceeded my expectations in pretty much every way imaginable. Not only was the content and the quality of the various presentations excellent, but the overall loving, happy and accepting vibe of the entire event was just a breath of fresh air. Add to that I was meeting for the first time many friends that I have been chatting with and getting to know for years, and it’s just an explosion of AWESOME! The producers Dan, Dawn and Karen really have come up with an excellent formula. They managed to marry great and useful information via workshops with varied activities for every personality type, as well as fun socializing opportunities fostering a sense of connection with your tribe.
...Our keynote speaker Ferrett took the stage of the ballroom. He explained how he’s been married for 25 years and identified as polyamorous for half of that time. Then he went on to explain very beautifully that polyamory is most certainly not just about the sex. He spoke of “polyamorous friendship” — which he explained as deep, loving, connected friendships with special people that he considers every bit one of his loves.
...Polyamory as a Spiritual Path, by Michael Rios — What would relationships with others be like if we really were our own best friend? The more we do our own spiritual work, which is really about learning to fall in love with ourselves, the more available and loving we become.
...Relaxing Relationship Containment, by Kelly Cookson — Couples often have a lot to lose if their relationships deteriorate or break up. Consequently, couples protect their relationships by engaging in something called relationship containment. A possible alternative: Couples can learn to relax relationship containment, giving everyone involved greater freedom to develop close relationships.
...Solo Poly, by Master So’N’So — This lecture discussed the joys and pitfalls of being your own primary partner.
...Building Relationships That Last, by Kathy G. Slaughter, LCSW – This workshop explained the day-to-day habits that help strengthen long-term relationships, as well as the four habits that will destroy a relationship.
...Stay tuned for many of the above speakers to appear on my podcast!
...Don’t dream it, be it! “Showing up” is half of what life is about. :)
Last weekend I went to one of the newer poly hotel conferences that have sprung up: Beyond The Love in Columbus, Ohio, now in its third year. It sold out three weeks in advance, and a lively crowd of 240 showed up all told. Like last year, I was impressed by how well Dan, Dawn and Karen — the triad who created it — run the convention together along with their big and dedicated volunteer staff, including much of Poly Columbus.First here's my report, then one by Kitty Chambliss of Loving Without Boundaries.--------------------------------Ostensibly, the centerpiece of the convention was the four simultaneous tracks of classes/workshops, 30 in all, running during the daytime. Many of the presenters (partial list) that I saw were excellent. Of course I had to miss 3/4 of the sessions, but I was especially impressed by Neil Wehneman's superb Poly 101 for newcomers at the very beginning ( slides ), Michael Rios on Poly as a Spiritual Path/ Tool for Personal Growth, and Kathy Slaughter's presentation of John and Julie Gottman's famous research results on the simple things that create lasting, happy long-term relationships.But like last year, I was particularly impressed by the effort that went into the social aspects of the weekend. Set up in the center of the conference space was an always-buzzing social area with big round tables, display tables, and snacks nearly around the clock. (Some of the more substantial, healthy snacks were provided by sponsors, such as other Midwest poly groups, in exchange for time with a display table. This helped keep people fed.)Each evening offered a solid schedule of organized activities with effective leaders. Friday began with ice-breakers: a people scavenger hunt (“Find someone who’s been to the top of the Empire State Building. Find someone who's been poly more than 20 years”), and then the big welcoming gathering with introductions and announcements enlivened by giveaways. And a thoughtful and moving keynote address by Ferrett Steinmetz, science fiction writer and poly blogger, which he kept to 12 minutes. (Here's an attendee's later podcast interview with him.)Next came a mixer run by Boi Kris, including a PolyAthlon — in which, for instance, we were teamed up with strangers for a race to complete a list of silly tasks. A game room off to the side was always in use (Exploding Kittens, Cards Against Humanity), and quieter spaces were available for those who preferred.Saturday featured an impressively designed Roaring Twenties Ball. All weekend a Flirt Board was out. And you could put Flirt Dot signals on your nametag: red, yellow, or green.At one point Neil Wehneman gave a class titled "You Are Cleared For Take-Off: Formalizing Your Poly Group for a Larger Scale." A notable point on one of his slides was this:Big cheers for the BTL organizers, staff, and volunteers. The core triad have produced other events besides Beyond The Love and seem to have this thing nailed.Want to start a poly convention in your city? Dan says they'd be delighted to share all their knowledge and resources — including their project-management timeline that lists everything to do starting many months out, materials lists, advice on negotiating with hotels, the works.Not only did BTL sell out, some of the wait-listed people showed up and ended up with a gathering of their own in the hotel lobby. The event was proof that you can gather a jumping poly convention even in a seemingly forlorn place like central Ohio — if you've been networking the local alt-relationship community vigorously, working social media, building a reputation, and if you involve a lot of local volunteers starting far in advance. Hey Seattle… Boston… St. Louis… Minneapolis… Austin… NYC… Tampa… Chicago… Here's your chance for a jumpstart.-----------------------And now, from Kitty Chambliss, who had a press pass as a relationship writer for her website Loving Without Boundaries Read her whole article (November 19, 2015).-----------------------● What's coming up next? Here's thewith descriptions. Pass it on.If you missed Beyond The Love, the next similar hotel con is Poly Living East, February 19–21 in Philadelphia. And I'm interested in what the brand new Infinity Con in Atlanta will be like, February 4–7....
Labels: conferences, conventionJACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tom Sermanni’s tenure as US women’s national team head coach started off in style. So did the team’s 2013 season.
The US women kicked off 2013 with a 4-1 win over Scotland. Sermanni showed that he is not afraid to insert youth into the lineup, giving three players their first international caps with the senior team. Familiar faces also returned to the lineup Saturday night.
Christen Press impressed in her senior team debut, scoring two goals in the opening 32 minutes. Sermanni spoke highly of Press’s week in camp leading up to the game.
“She’s been outstanding all week in training and she brought that training performance into the game tonight,” he said.
She is no stranger to playing around members of the US women’s national team. At Stanford, Press played alongside fellow national teammates Kelley O’Hara and Rachel Buehler (who was not on last night’s roster after arriving to camp late for family reasons), and Press’ first professional stint was with magicJack with the likes of Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Shannon Boxx, Becky Sauerbrunn, Jill Loyden, Hope Solo and Christie Rampone. She is currently playing in Sweden for Tyresö FF.
In a chippy, physical game, Press gave fans the opportunity to start cheering early, scoring on her third shot of the game in the 13th minute. Press added her second of the night with a header off a Tobin Heath cross in the 32nd.
Two other players in US women’s national team history have scored a brace in their international debuts: Cindy Parlow in 1996 and Sherrill Kester in 2000.
The US controlled the pace in the first half, creating numerous opportunities. In the 38th minute, forward Alex Morgan was kicked in the left ankle and left the game moments later, not putting any weight on it leaving the field. Scottish defender Joanne Love was given a yellow card for the foul. US Soccer officially called it a “hard knock to the ankle” for Morgan and she was to be evaluated postgame. Her status is still unknown.
Ali Krieger looked strong in her return from surgery on her right ACL and MCL just over one year ago to the day. The US defense has struggled at times over the past year and Krieger’s return helps solidify one spot on the backline.
“This has been the toughest year of my life,” Krieger said. “With this injury and to be able to start 2013 with such an appearance and game is a great feeling.” Krieger played the entire 90 minutes. Throughout the game, both outside backs, Krieger on the right and converted forward O’Hara on the left, seemed comfortable attacking the flanks, causing problems for Scotland.
In the 53rd minute, Shannon Boxx scored a beauty from 25 yards out. Boxx looked strong in the midfield all game, creating many chances for her team. For Scotland, Kim Little beat US goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart in the 54th minute to give Scotland their only goal of the night. Barnhart subbed in for Jill Loyden at halftime. Tonight’s game marked the second start of Loyden’s career; veteran goalkeeper Hope Solo was not rostered due to a calf strain.
To finish off |
enthusiasts to stay ahead of your competition.
Your Objective: Brew craft beer and expand your brewery to earn victory pints!
About Pint Craft
I started developing Pint Craft in January 2012. Pint Craft is a card game where you take on the role of a micro-brewer. After dozens of play tests and five pre-release versions, Pint Craft is ready for mass consumption!
Pint Craft is a game aimed at casual gamers and beer enthusiasts. There are multiple strategies to win at Pint Craft including: focusing on seasonal beers, building your brewery business, and going for high gravity styles.
Each beer recipe in Pint Craft is based on a classic style of beer. A full list of the 25 beer styles is shown at the bottom of the page.
Brewery cards allow players to upgrade their operations or trigger events.
Ingredients in Pint Craft include base malt, specialty malt, hops, and adjuncts. Printed tokens represent these ingredients in various denominations
Each turn in Pint Craft corresponds to a season. Many recipes confer seasonal bonuses. To really learn how Pint Craft is played, download the official rules and make a print and play game by pledging at the $5 level. If you like it, you can get the full version by increasing your pledge by $20.
Rewards
The Game - You can pre-order Pint Craft starting at the $25 level. Blue Panther LLC has agreed to print the game at its facility in California. US Shipping is included (international backers, please add $10 per game to cover shipping costs - or contact me to discuss bulk purchasing options).
The game will be made in the USA.
Print and Play Game - Check the Project Updates page to get the link to download your version of Pint Craft.
Coasters - The image below will be letterpressed onto 4” x 4” heavy weight white coaster stock. J2 Art in Ann Arbor will produce the coasters.
Bottle Openers - I plan on making bottle using a plasma torch and a laser engraver (courtesy of MakerWorks). Bottle openers will be made from stainless steel. The rendering below is intended to give an idea of how the bottle openers will look - the final design is subject to change.
T-shirts - It looks just like the T-shirt in the video. The shirt is American Apparel certified organic 100% combed cotton.
Custom Recipe Cards - This is the best reward for homebrewers or true beer enthusiasts. I will take a specific recipe of your choice and translate it into a Custom Recipe card. Click here for a preview of a Custom Recipe card.
Stretch Goals
To make sure Pint Craft reaches its goals - follow along on Facebook, Twitter or Board Game Geek.
$15,000
Brewers Supply - canvas container for ingredient tokens.
canvas container for ingredient tokens Season Disc - 6" card stock game piece to track seasons (replaces cards).
$18,000
DIY Recipe Cards - 4 blank DIY Recipe cards (preview) and 4 blank ingredient tokens.
$25,000
Professional Art - all printed materials (box, cards, tokens, and the rule book) updated by a professional graphic artist.
More Info
Download the rules to Pint Craft.
Watch this short video demonstrating how Pint Craft is played (Please note that some rules have changed since this video - however the core mechanics are very similar.)
International Shipping - please add $10 US per game to cover shipping costs.
Recipe Cards
American Amber
American Dark Lager
American IPA
American Wheat
Belgian Trippel
Berliner Weiss
Bohemian Pilsner
California Common
Dopplebock
Dortmunder Export
Dry Stout
Dunkelweizen
English Barley Wine
English Brown Ale
Extra Special Bitter
German Pilsner
Imperial IPA
Kolsh
Oatmeal Stout
Oktoberfest
Old Ale
Pumpkin Spice Ale
Saison
Scotch Ale
Traditional Bock
What if I don’t reach the goal?
Kickstarter is All-or-Nothing funding. That means that if Pint Craft doesn’t reach the goal of $12,000 by November 25, then it does not get funded. If you pledge to support Pint Craft, you will only pay after this campaign crosses the $12,000 mark. The best way to make sure you can enjoy Pint Craft is to tell your friends, family, and homebrew club all about the game. As soon as this project achieves its funding goal I can guarantee it will be produced and delivered.
I chose the goal based on the production costs for a 500 copy run - which is the minimum to get offset printing through Blue Panther. The $12,000 goal incorporates costs for printing, US shipping, fees, and miscellaneous items.
You can learn all about how Kickstarter works on their helpful FAQ.Class will be in attendance at Brakebills University a little early, as Syfy will offer a chance to watch The Magicians‘ premiere ahead of its January debut.
Syfy has confirmed that The Magicians‘ pilot will have a special screening on the network on Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. ET, following the finale of the three-part Childhood’s End. The pilot will air commercial free on Dec. 16 before the show officially premieres on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. ET.
Author Lev Grossman first announced the special airing. Syfy’s series adapts Grossman’s trilogy of novels, which follow the story of Quentin Coldwater, a New York high schooler obsessed with a series of children’s books about the magical world of Fillory. Disenchanted with the real world, Quentin is surprisingly accepted to the magicians school Brakebills, as a whole new world finds its way into Quentin’s life. The Magicians on Syfy has transported those characters to post-grad life, with Jason Ralph starring as Quentin, Olivia Taylor Dudley as Alice, and Stella Maeve as Julia.
WANT MORE EW? Subscribe now to keep up with the latest in movies, television and music.I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my brother, who is a rabid Vikings fan, and he loved it. If you are looking for a unique item for a Vikings collection, look no further, as this one can't be beat. It does produce a mostly legible Vikings logo on your toast. Be forewarned, though, that the bread doesn't toast very well (if at all) where the logo isn't, so it makes for a somewhat lopsided piece of toast. But perfect toast is not the point, I suppose. The toaster itself seems to be well constructed, but there was a bit of an acrid smell on the first toasting that went away on subsequent uses - probably that new toaster smell. Purchase this for the Vikings fan in your life, and they will toast you for years to come!Doubts are growing that 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 will be able to push through a massive infrastructure package in his first 100 days, as he had once promised.
He faces likely pushback from conservatives, and he will also have to weigh many other competing priorities.
When radio host Hugh Hewitt asked incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus about a stimulus package that could be used to rebuild the nation’s roads and bridges, Priebus said that the administration would likely focus on tax reform and ObamaCare in the first nine months of the year.
In a November interview with The New York Times, Trump said that infrastructure won’t be the “core” of his first few years, but that he is interested in a large infrastructure bill.
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Tax reform, Obamacare and appropriations “are going to push infrastructure right out of the way,” predicted Chris Edwards, an economist at the Cato Institute.
Trump’s nomination of fiscal conservative Mick Mulvaney, a Republican lawmaker from South Carolina who is a member of the hard-line Freedom Caucus, also raised eyebrows.
Mulvaney has made a name for himself in Washington as an advocate for cutting spending, and would appear to be a potential voice within the administration arguing against heavy infrastructure spending.
The Trump transition website states that “the Trump Administration seeks to invest $550 billion to ensure we can export our goods and move our people faster and safer,” but it does not explain how that investment would be made.
In August, Trump suggested that he’d finance infrastructure spending through bonds. But later in the campaign, Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, Trump’s picks to lead the Commerce Department and a new White House trade council respectively, together developed a plan to boost private sector infrastructure investment with tax credits.
A document on Trump’s first 100 days that his campaign released in October seems to reference the Ross-Navarro plan, saying that Trump would leverage “public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over 10 years.” Campaign aides argued that this plan would be revenue neutral.
On Dec. 20, the Washington Post reported that Trump was planning to create an infrastructure "task force" that would help move forward on the issue.
Besides Mulvaney, Trump has named people to top administration jobs who have diverse views on the importance of infrastructure spending.
His choice for Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, told reporters last month that Trump was considering an infrastructure bank. Ross and Navarro, however, criticized 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’s proposal of direct government spending and an infrastructure bank.
Trump has nominated Elaine Chao, who served as Labor Secretary under President George W. Bush, to be his Transportation Secretary.
Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse to push back at Trump on border Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Overnight Energy: Climate protesters storm McConnell’s office | Center-right group says Green New Deal could cost trillion | Dire warnings from new climate studies MORE (R-Ky.), who earlier this month did not sound keen on an infrastructure spending plan. “I hope we avoid a trillion-dollar stimulus,” he told reporters.
Edwards said he doesn’t think Chao herself would be in favor of a large federal spending plan.
“She [was] probably the most conservative member of the Bush administration,” he said.
In a questionnaire Chao submitted to the Senate Commerce Committee, she did not name new infrastructure funding or financing as one of DOT’s top priorities. Instead, she emphasized streamlining the construction process and balancing between priorities in urban and rural areas.
But a Trump transition team spokesman told CNN that Chao "is completely aligned with the President-elect's plans to invest in America's infrastructure, and she understands the critical connection between our infrastructure and our competitiveness.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the outgoing Freedom Caucus chairman, said that Mulvaney would make sure that Trump is being fiscally responsible, though he also said the budget director could work to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.
“President-elect Trump chose my friend Mick Mulvaney for director of the Office of Management and Budget because he understands our nation’s financial situation and will work to restore fiscal sanity while also rebuilding America’s infrastructure,” Jordan said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerBrennan fires back at'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism Trump rips Harry Reid for 'failed career' after ex-Dem leader slams him in interview Harry Reid: 'I don't see anything' Trump is doing right MORE (D-N.Y.) have both praised Trump’s interest in infrastructure spending, suggesting they are keen to work with him on the issue.
If he backtracks, they are just as likely to criticize him.
Fiscal conservatives tend to think increasing federal infrastructure spending is bad policy given the size of the nation’s deficit. They don’t view many infrastructure projects as a federal responsibility and often argue that advocates exaggerate the number of jobs that will be created.
A spokesman for House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said that it’s too early to discuss the timing and substance of a bill.
But the committee plans to work with the incoming administration and other lawmakers “in exploring options that make smart, fiscally responsible investments and help ensure America has a 21st century infrastructure,” the spokesman added.
Despite the challenges, infrastructure groups are publicly hopeful that Congress will pass a bill.
“We are cautiously optimistic that Mr. Trump will move this along,” said Kevin Burke, CEO of Airports Council International — North America.
Jim Tymon, chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said that if the administration is looking for an “early bipartisan win,” infrastructure would fit the bill.
“It’s not a slam dunk that it’s one of the first issues out of the gate, but we think there’s a case to be made for it,” he said.
Sylvan Lane contributed.ARTICLE REVIEWS: HOUSE OF HERMITS
Mark W. MacWilliams: "The Holy Man's Hut as a Symbol of Stability in Japanese Buddhist Pilgrimage" in Numen vol. 47, 2000, p. 387-416.
This article concentrates on medieval to eighteenth-century Pure Land Buddhism in Japanese tales and traditional portraits of hermits, huts, statues, temples, and pilgrimage.
The very notion of pilgrimage had a dualistic history in Japan. From medieval times, the eremitic hijiri or wandering holy men promoted the use of pilgrimage by identifying sacred places, dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, benefactor of favors and securer of rebirth in the Pure Land.
On the other hand, another Buddhist medieval tradition maintained that pilgrimage had no value because ultimately there is no "place" or "space" that is free of suffering of the cycle of karma.
Travel
Reconciling these traditions was the idea of travel. Travel was an excellent metaphor for transience, emphemerality, and the passing of life to death. This sentiment is poignantly expressed by Ippen, the itinerant holy man of the 13th century:
While transmigrating through the six paths [of rebirth], there is no one for company; alone we are born, alone we die; full of sorrow is this road of birth and death.
Addressing this dichotomy of space and ephemerality (mujo) is the human dwelling exemplified by the hermit's hut. The representative example is found in Kamo no Chomei's 13th century essay, "Account of My Hut." Chomei describes the capital and its palatial houses as quintessential vanities of attempting to assert stability and permanence.
The flow of the river is a ceaseless and its waters are never the same. The bubbles that float in the pools, now vanishing, now forming, are not of long duration. So in the world are man and his dwellings. It might be imagined that the houses, great and small, which vie roof against proud roof in the capital, remain unchanged from one generation to the next, but when we examine whether this is true, how few are the houses that were of old. Some houses were burnt last year and only since rebuilt. Great houses have crumbled into hovels and those who dwell in them have fallen no less. The city is the same, the people are as numerous as ever, but of those I used to know, a bare one or two in twenty remain. They die in the morning, they are born in the evening, like foam on the water.
Chomei's essay describes the results of a series of disasters that struck the city: fire, earthquake, storms, and floods -- all reinforcing the lesson of impermanence. In response, Chomei chooses to dwell in a modest hut not merely simple but even portable, small enough to disassemble with the prospect of disaster.
It is a bare ten feet square and less than seven feet high. I did not choose this particular spot rather than another, and I built it without consulting diviners. I laid a foundation and roughly thatched a roof. I fastened hinges to the joints of the beams, the easier to move elsewhere should anything displease me. What would be difficult about changing my dwelling? A bare two carts would suffice to carry off the whole house. Except for the carrier's fee there would be no expense at all.
Chomei's hut is a response to mujo, albeit a "utopian" one. This mobility is in harmony with the law of impermanence, affords a spiritual discipline, and ultimately, says author MacWilliams,
offers a life of spiritual freedom because it mitigates the negative effects of transmigration by flowing with change rather than struggling against it, as the traveling hermit follows the path of least resistance.
Kannon tales
But a second way of capturing the metaphor of life as travel is in the concept of pilgrimage. The Kannon temples along the Saikoku and Bando routes were founded by hermits as an alternative way of conceiving of place and space. Already hermits had built themselves huts as permanent dwellings, and by the eleventh century these huts were looked upon as sacred places, as dwellings erected in sacred places.
Thus the wandering hermit Shoku would find himself fed and kept warm in winter in his hut by miracles emanating from the beneficent Kannon. Similarly, Mount Shosha is made notable by the hermits who establish a temple to Kannon. By the eighteenth century, the miraculous character of the mountain is made explicit in folk literature and with the addition of a Buddha hall and Kannon image.
Author MacWilliam notes that there are
two important spatial motifs in the Saikoku and Bando pilgrimage tales. They suggest that the holy man's move is ultimately to a place beyond impermanence and instability. That the hermit's hut stands outside of this world of mujo, and not within it, is indicated in two important ways in the tales. First, the Kannon statue that a holy man carries with him or carves displays a preternatural mobility or immobility, which results in his building of a hut/temple on the site in which it is permanently enshrined. Second, the hut itself serves as a resting place for the ascetic where he can perform austerities for the greater good of those suffering in this world of mujo. Both motifs suggest that the holy man's hut (and later pilgrimage temple or reijo) with its spiritually powerful Kannon icon is a conduit for moving human beings off the rokudo -- from a life of painful instability to the Jodo, the Pure Land Paradise of Amida and Kannon.
Thus in this tradition of Pure Land tales, the holy men or hermits are not idle wanderers but simply traveling in order to find a suitable location for a Kannon temple. When the statue they carry becomes too heavy to carry any further (preternatural immobility), the hermit realizes that the bodhisattva has chosen the temple site.
In the Rokkaku-do tale of Prince Shotoku, Shotoku rests in a forest from his travels and places his small Kannon statue in a willow tree. Later he tries to take it and cannot for it is too heavy to life. That night in a dream, Kannon reveals her intention that he build a temple on that spot.
A mysterious old woman appears, who leads Shotoku to a sacred cedar tree and tells him to use its wood in constructing the temple.
Similarly, the priest Dokyo carried a Kannon statue in search of a suitable place for it, having rescued it after becoming an exile. In the village of Chiyo, the statue becomes too heavy to bear. Dokyo prays to Kannon asking for a further sign confirming this miracle of immobility, and at once the statue flies into a tree, emitting light.
As MacWilliams points out, "preternatural immobility" has a long history in Indian Buddhist tradition, where even stories of the immobility of the Buddha's body occur. But in Japan, folk tales of the Shinto kami may be a likelier source of the Kannon statue stories. The kami wander until they find a place to dwell, usually a grouping of rocks, a tree, a pillar, even flowers; their dwellings become "god seats" or sacred sites. The kami (and their locations) are then venerated as local deities or tutelary guardians. The presences of Kannon as permanent spiritual temple resident, have more in common with these Japanese folk traditions than with the abstractions of Buddhist divinities in India.
Further, the Kannon statues are portrayed as escaping disasters such as fire, in vivid contrast to the capital palaces and structures Chomei describes as succumbing to flames. Several tales related how Kannon statues flee to safety during temple fires, easily relocating in nearby trees or caves, where they are effortlessly restored to rebuilt temple precincts. These examples of "preternatural mobility" represent the converse power of immobility. They confirm Kannon's fidelity to her decision of where to reside. The sites are indeed sacred, say the tales, but as MacWilliams notes, the sites also compensate for the absence of sites like India's directly associated with the historical Buddha. The Japanese sacred site become Japanese equivalents.
Though Kannon has chosen the sites as sacred (in line with kami folk tradition), the sites then become paradisal gateways (in line with Pure Land thought). The Saikoku and Bando tales illustrate this confluence of traditions by having the wandering hermits observe auspicious signs around the locale. Miraculous clouds, (purple or multicolored) are one common sign. Wonderful fragrance, celestial music, beautiful nature sounds of water, trees, and birds, and mystical light are other signs. Thus
holy men discover that the places where they build their huts emit mystical light. In the "Jiko-ji-engi," when meditating on a mountain, Jikun Washo saw an "ascetic forest emitting light of lapis lazuli, and when a perfumed wind blew through the leaves and branches, there was a sound of the tinkling of jewels and magical incantations."
These signs would naturally attract pilgrims. But further, the Pure Land sites are described (based on the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra) as mountainless plateaus easy to access, where no Mt. Sumeru exists. As MacWilliam notes, all these characteristics "mark the hermit's hut as a heterogeneous soteriological space, a Pure Land beyond the everyday spaces of the six courses."
Stability
A final motif in these Kannon stories of wandering ascetics is that of a holy man or hermit leaving the metaphoric road of suffering and impermanence to definitively enter a sacred space. We have already seen examples of hermits resting from their day's travel only to find their Kannon statue's immobility a sign that the hermit's travels have ended. The hut the hermit constructed along the way had been temporary, but the hut he now constructs to house the Kannon statue is but his last, the initial version of a temple.
To illustrate these stages, MacWilliams offers the example of the scholar-monk Gensan Shonin, who lived on an isolated spot on Mt. Hiei. One day he descended the mountain to attend to his mother's funeral. Afterwards he reflects:
Now I am returning to Mt. Hiei. Even if I am called a great religious scholar, what's it for anyway?... He felt the impermanence of life keenly, and lost any inclination to return to Mt. Hiei. He immediately built a thatched hut, chanted only the nembutsu, and contemplated the world. One day he was looking up at [Mt. Yoshinine] peak and noticed the strange appearance of a purple cloud floating around it. When he climbed up to see, there was neither a buddha nor a hall. However, because of the auspicious sign of the purple clouds, he thought, "This, then, is a reichi," and he lived at that place thereafter.
The reichi is sacred space, that space filled with divine presence or spiritual intelligence. Gensan Shonin's path went from simple reclusion as a scholar-monk, to eremitism as a hermit, to holy man in a hut/temple. (Note that this story has no Kannon incident, except, perhaps, the purple clouds). Gensan had departed the path of atonement and suffering to enter the Pure Land path.
There is a duality to Gensen Shonin's new abode, however, a "paradoxical symbolism." The hut still resides (says the tale) in the valley of death and along the dark road -- suggesting pre-Buddhist Japanese imagery) -- but the hut is nevertheless on the boundary of light, transcendence, and stability. As MacWIlliams states:
It is important to note that the sacred stability of the hut/temple's location reflects not only Buddhist cosmological and paradisiacal notions, but also reflects an essential trait of Kannon, a trait that marks the bodhisattva off from the suffering sentient beings traversing the six courses....
For the hermit lives in the duality of here and not here. The hermit is accessible, and his hut is made of bamboo and thatch, a real hut. He eats, sleeps, hauls water, and chops wood, we might say. The hermit of these traditions is of the Pure Land school but illustrates important aspects of Japanese Buddhist culture.
Further, as MacWilliam concludes
Even Chomei, in his "Account of My Hut," finds himself abandoning his transient hut on occasion.... He gets off the sorrowful road of birth and death [to visit temples built by ascetic predecessors]. It is these temple sites, which became the popular focus of Kannon Japanese Buddhist pilgrimage in Chomei's time, that continue to serve as stable centers of the bodhisattva's salvation from transmigration to the present day.
¶Allahpundit reported earlier on Trump’s speech at CPAC but there was a minor media story that erupted just before the speech. People waiting on Trump’s speech were seen waving Russian flags:
A section of people in the back of #CPAC2017 waving Russian flags — a staffer just came and demanded they all be handed over. pic.twitter.com/mZVoVUqudn — Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) February 24, 2017
Crowd at CPAC waving these little pro-Trump flags that look exactly like the Russian flag. Staffers quickly come around to confiscate them. pic.twitter.com/YhPpkwFCNc — Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) February 24, 2017
Someone handed out Trump Russian flags on the #CPAC2017 floor before Trump's speech pic.twitter.com/uf1ADMt6ZL — Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) February 24, 2017
A handful of tweets was enough to spawn numerous stories like this one at Raw Story headlined, “CPAC scrambles to control damage after attendees wave Russian flags during Trump speech.” Of course there was a bit more to this story that many missed. Attendees at CPAC didn’t pick these up in a gift shop. Someone had been handing out Russian flags with Trump’s name on them:
They saw red, white & blue – with "TRUMP" stamped across it – and started to wave them. Gave no thought to Russian flag, they all said. 2/2 — Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) February 24, 2017
And it turns out that someone was a progressive activist named Ryan Clayton:
This was Ryan Clayton from Bob Creamer group "Americans Take Action" handing Russian flags. Ryan was forcibly removed. You edited that out. https://t.co/hKwywREjn5 — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 24, 2017
A while later O’Keefe published video of Clayton being ejected during Trump’s speech:
David Martosko from the Daily Mail confirmed that Clayton was indeed the person seen handing out the flags:
CPAC confirms to me that it was liberal activist Ryan Clayton who was ejected today for handing out the Trump-branded Russian Flags. — David Martosko (@dmartosko) February 24, 2017
The Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross reports that Clayton, “is the head of Americans Take Action, a mysterious left-wing activist group that seeks to reform the electoral system.” Clayton is apparently one of the people behind these celebrity videos seeking to get electors to change their votes. In short, this was a progressive stunt designed to generate headlines like this one by Matt Yglesias at Vox, “Trump fans were waving tiny Russian flags until CPAC staff confiscated them.”
Finally, have to give credit to Adam Baldwin whose tweet inspired my headline:Hideo Kojima didn’t have to talk Sony into giving Death Stranding the thumbs up. They just pretty much handed him the keys to castle and said do as you like.
Kojima chose Sony for Death Stranding because it afforded him “a lot of freedom”
This is according to what Gameblog France was told by the man himself at E3 2016 this week.
Kojima said he was approached with offers by other company’s but due to his great relationship with Sony, and not having to convince them of anything, he jumped on its offer.
“For our first title, I wanted to make sure we would be in the best conditions,” he said (thanks, Google Translate). “I have great relationship with Sony,[which allows] me to concentrate on the creative part. Working with another partner, [they] would surely ask for more time on ancillary tasks.
“We would have taken time for contracts, and I do not think that things would have been as quick. Working with Sony also brought me a lot of freedom, and support has been exceptional.”
Kojima goes on to say that had he chosen a “normal company” he would have been bogged down with coming up with a presentation, seeking funding and explaining his team’s vision for the game – much like a Kickstarter.
“With Sony, of course I explained to them my approach, but they immediately said: ‘Go ahead, do what you gotta do.’ They offer me their trust. All the energy you need to put in the preparation of a project, I was able to focus on creating. This makes a real difference,” he said.
Earlier this week, Sony told VG247 it has no desire to pull the reins in on Kojima’s creative vision with Death Stranding.
We know next to nothing about Death Stranding at this point, other than what was gleaned by the teaser video starring a nude Daryl Dixon Norman Reedus washed on shore, a tiny baby attached by a cord to his navel, and surrounded by dying crabs due to what appears to be an oil spill.
It was definitely odd, but interesting, and 100% Kojima. And then there’s the enigmatic hints he has tossed out pertaining to the title. Everything we know so far on Death Stranding can be found through here. And again, it’s not much.
The next game from Kojima Productions is in development for PC and PlayStation 4.OTTAWA — Canada imposed Monday a fresh round of sanctions on Syria targeting the central bank and seven cabinet ministers in a bid to halt President Bashar al-Assad’s deadly crackdown on dissent.
The Canadian embassy in Damascus and a consulate also were shuttered and Canadian diplomats left the country, the foreign affairs ministry said.
The new sanctions brought the total number of individuals facing an asset freeze and a prohibition on economic dealings to 115. Canada has also designated another 39 entities.
“The continuing, appalling violence perpetrated by the Assad regime on the people of Syria compels us to again tighten the vice on those responsible,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement.
“These additional measures include a complete ban on the provision or acquisition of financial or other related services, as well as sanctions on the Syrian central bank and seven high-ranking Syrian officials implicated in the violence.”
The Syrian officials targeted by the new sanctions — the sixth round imposed by Ottawa since May — are Assad’s ministers of health, presidential affairs, communications, resources, industry, education and transportation.
The Assad regime has been battling a year-long uprising that has left more than 7,500 people dead, according to the United Nations.MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell discussed President Obama’s speech at Hiroshima, where he said, “death fell from the sky,” and where he hoped for a nuclear-free world. It was the first time a sitting president had visited the city, which we decimated in one of two atomic bombings during World War II that ended with Japan surrendering to the United States, ending humanity’s most destructive war.
Mitchell referenced the work of former U.S. Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Sam Nunn (D-GA) for their work in trying to curb the spread of nuclear material, where Brian Williams added that we used nuclear weapons against Japan “in anger” (via NewsBusters):
ANDREA MITCHELL: And Brian, just a word to two men that you knew very well, Dick Lugar and Sam Nunn, the fact that they had this nuclear threat initiative and that they controlled through a bipartisan act of Congress, controlled the spread of nuclear materials, non-state actors and materials even in this age of terror, all these decades after the end of the Cold War is just remarkable and I don't think they get enough credit for it. BRIAN WILLIAMS: It is and that is still the threat that people worry about that this material will fall into the wrong hands. If people have found the U.S. to be preachy in the years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki about the use of weapons, it’s because we’re the only nation to have used them in anger. Sometimes, I am amazed that the world has been without these weapons all the years since, but it is a point of, a great pride by the people who have seen to it.
Mitchell then thanked Williams, and NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss, for “helping us understanding the context better.” Beschloss had compared Obama’s speech to John F. Kennedy’s 1963 address at American University. Both the United States and the then-Soviet Union were discussing whether to implement a nuclear test ban treaty.
Yet, the notion that anger was seemingly the primary motivating factor in dropping atomic bombs is nonsense. We did it to end the war. Period. Williams previously stated on the broadcast that between 300,000 to 1 million Japanese were killed in the serial and incessant bombing campaigns we conducted throughout the country prior to dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One could make the argument, like the late Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, that proportionality should have been considered prior to the use of nuclear weapons. Of course, I disagree. I’ve already written about the outrageous casualty projections made at the time by the Joint War Plans Committee for our planned ground invasion (Operation Downfall) of the island nation, which would have soared into the hundreds of thousands for our forces—and into the millions for the Japanese. The atomic bombings were conducted to save lives and end a horrible war. It was a moral act. Given that Obama’s visit has somewhat rehashed the debate as to whether nuking Japan was necessary, are liberals more disconcerted about the method in which we decided to end 262,000 Japanese lives, or is it the death toll itself?
Again, if liberals and historical revisionists are aghast at the death toll from just the atomic bombings, they seem to forget the 300,000 to a million that were killed prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki through our sustained air campaigns. At least 100,000 men, women, and children were killed when we firebombed Tokyo in March of 1945—where’s the outrage over that act? When you take a look at the casualty estimates for the ground invasion, the very conservative ones show that over 1.2 million Japanese and American lives were saved through the atomic bombings. How is that immoral? It is not.
We should never be apologetic, hesitant, or ashamed, at using weapons at our disposal that bring wars to a swift end.AS A JUNIOR IN 2011-12
Has played in 26 games... Has recorded nine points (3g, 6a)... Had a three-game point streak from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2 (1g, 2a)... Assisted on Ross Gaudet[apos]s game-winning goal in overtime to give the Terriers a 2-1 win over Cornell at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 26... Scored his first of the season on Nov. 19 in a 4-1 win over New Hampshire... Recorded his first point of the season with an assist in a 5-4 win over Massachusetts on Oct. 29.
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2010-11
Played in 38 contests... Tallied nine points on five goals and four assists... Three of his goals came on the power play... Scored a goal in both ends of a home-and-home series with Northeastern to close the regular season... Earned first point of season with an assist in 5-4 victory over No. 17 Notre Dame in title game of Ice Breaker Tournament... Named a Hockey Eats Top Performer on March 7.
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2009-10
Named to Hockey East All-Rookie Team... Played in 37 contests, missing only one game (vs. Merrimack, March 14) due to injury... Registered 15 points on three goals and 12 assists... Tallied first collegiate point with an assist on Alex Chiasson[apos]s goal at Maine on Nov. 8... Scored first collegiate goal in 6-4 win over Merrimack on Nov. 14... Tallied five points (1g, 4a) during four-game stretch from Feb. 12-20... Put together three-game point streak from Nov. 8-14... Scored a power-play goal and assisted on Colby Cohen[apos]s game-winner in 6-2 win over Massachusetts on Jan. 29... Tallied first career multiple-point game with two assists in 7-3 win over Massachusetts on Jan. 2... Also had two-assist contests in wins over Maine (Feb. 12) and Providence (Feb. 20)... Assisted on Corey Trivino[apos]s game-tying goal against Vermont on Dec. 4... Named to the Feb. 1 Hockey East Honor Roll.
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Spent two seasons with Chicago Steel of USHL after playing for the AAA Los Angeles Jr. Kings... Recorded 31 points ( |
helmets were sold in 2007-2008 it is reasonable to conclude that total annual revenues may be counted in the billions of dollars.
Why does any of this matter from the ethicists' perspective? Frankly, if the evidence demonstrated that all of these different types of helmets were highly effective and if no one was forced to wear them there would be little to argue about. But this is not the case and so the ethicists' interest is piqued.
Currently, the most ferocious debate about the effectiveness of helmets – and the legitimacy of forcing competent adults to wear them – centres on cycling. It is not entirely clear why, but it may have something to do with the growing popularity of cycling as a sport combined with the visibility and ubiquity of "commuter cyclists" in our everyday lives. Whatever the reason, the debate about the relative effectiveness of cycle helmets is fierce and the debate about their mandatory use is even more so.
No one denies cycle helmets can protect cyclists from skull and brain injuries in some accidents. Instead, the debate focuses on how effective helmets are. Some researchers suggest that helmets reduce the risks of head and brain injury by as much as 63-88%. Others are less optimistic, claiming that the real figures are closer to 58-60%. Curnow has even argued that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that helmets provide any significant protection against serious injury to the brain.
In summary, the majority of researchers think that bike helmets provide some protection, but there is little consensus as to how effective they are.
This really matters because governments are increasingly showing a penchant for creating legislation that would force adults to wear helmets on pain of legal penalty. Australia took the initiative in the early 1990s when cycle helmets became compulsory in every state. Similar legislation now exists in a number of provinces in Canada and in a number of states in the United States, while Slovenia, Sweden, and South Korea have enacted laws requiring children to wear protective headgear. The Northern Ireland assembly also approved a cycle helmet bill back in January 2011 though it seems to have lost some legislative steam since then.
The ethical problems associated with legislation prohibiting adults from cycling without helmets are relatively obvious. First, John Stuart Mill's "Harm Principle" suggests that we should not interfere with competent adults who wish take risks with their own health. Second, even if we do not always agree with the letter of Mill's "law" we still have sound liberal reasons to avoid paternalism unless the risks we wish to prohibit are significant and unless there is a highly effective way of reducing them with little infringement of liberty.
Of course, some will argue that cycle helmet legislation conforms to these latter requirements. However, it is not clear that helmets provide sufficient protection to warrant the claim that they are highly effective and, as a keen cyclist, I would argue that the right to cycle bare-headed is by no means trivial.
I concede that cycling "sans helmet" will lead to higher costs to society in some situations. This is because a number of non-helmeted cyclists will require medical treatment following cycle accidents which they would not need if they always donned protective helmets. However, the total costs involved here are dwarfed by the costs generated by those who smoke, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, eat unhealthily and fail to exercise regularly.
As such, it seems mighty odd to create legislation prohibiting people who are engaged in a healthy activity from taking a relatively small risk of creating a relatively small cost while allowing other people to engage in highly risky activities that will generate enormous social costs. Indeed, the whole thing smacks of discrimination against the cycling minority.
So where does all this leave us? Some will read the above and continue to advocate mandatory cycle helmet legislation. It is hard to know what to say to such people other than to ask them whether they would also agree to defend a compulsory pedestrian helmet law. This might seem like nothing more than a bad April Fools' joke. However, thousands of pedestrians are injured and killed each year and many of those who suffer the worst injuries do so because of head trauma. As such, pedestrian helmets could make a real difference to people's health and significantly reduce healthcare costs to boot.
Perhaps a very committed helmetologist will claim that a pedestrian helmet law is justifiable. Indeed, the logic of the helmetology argument seems to commit advocates of mandatory cycle helmet legislation to exactly this conclusion. But I imagine that most readers would join me in resisting those who would want to give us all a bad hair day, every day.
• Carwyn Hooper is a lecturer in medical ethics and law at St George's, University of London. This article was first published on The Conversation websiteThis post may contain affiliate links; please read the disclosure for more information.
I recently visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest progress on the expansion of the park, so here’s some photos of what I found of interest while I was there:
A Nike polo shirt koins the assortment of new Studios merchandise
Also, this ladies sweatshirt
The pressed penny machines inside Mickey’s of Hollywood are gone
Additional banners were put up outside of One Man’s Dream for the Zootopia preview
Zootopia billboard replaces Star Wars
The limited edition Kylo Ren MagicBands are still available at Watto’s Grotto
New York Street awaits closure on April 2nd
More walls have gone up around the Premiere Theater as they have begun to gut the interior
Some more fun stuff painted on the walls for Pizza Planet while it is closed
Based on the style of comedy, we’re guessing this will become a Muppets restaurant
The planter outside of Backlot Express is being removed to accommodate bigger crowds for Trials of the Temple
Work has begun on what we believe to be a new meet and greet area for the park in the former American Idol audition area
Zootopia merchandise slowly hitting the parks
Taking in some Streetmosphere
Finally found the January birthstone pin, now back in stock
Some interesting changes being made at Sunset Ranch Market
They are covering more seating and walkways to better serve guests when it rains
Found more fo the new home goods in Celebrity 5 & 10
No visible progress back here yet…
Always need a Chinese Theater picture on the way out…Observers of the oral argument suggest that the NFL has a good chance of getting the Brady suspension reinstated. I don’t actually think that Petchesky is correct that this “would be the most shocking thing to happen in this whole bizarre shitshow”; if you bet on an arbitration decision being upheld in federal court you’re going to be right much more often than you’re wrong.
It is, however, worth taking note of why court observers believe that 2 members of the Second Circuit panel are likely to side with the NFL. Was the argument from the pro-NFL judges that regardless of the merits of Goodell’s ruling, the court owed absolute deference to it? Not hardly:
While a slew of scientists have weighed in with their opinion in support of Brady, using scientific experiments to show that time and weather not a locker room attendant with a needle inside a bathroom most likely led to varied air pressure measurements, two of the Court of Appeals judges, Denny Chin and Barrington Parker, Jr., seemed less sympathetic, and repeated many of the NFL’s facts and arguments of the case, including ones that have been scientifically debunked. “The evidence of ball tampering is compelling if not overwhelming,” Chin said, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. It got worse for Brady though. There were questions about Brady destroying his cell phone, which his camp has long argued was moot because NFL investigators told them they didn’t physically need it. “Brady’s explanation made no sense,” Judge Parker said, according to reports. “They weren’t credible.” There were questions about gifts given by Brady to locker room attendants being inducements (presumably to help with the deflation process) even though that has been common practice across all professional sports for generations. There was even questioning on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s claim that Brady and equipment manager Jon Jastremski never discussed the controversy swirling around them as the scandal broke in the days after the game. That was something Goodell found so preposterous – How could you not discuss it? – that he believed Brady was lying. The problem was Brady’s testimony showed he said on five different occasions that he and Jastremski did discuss the growing controversy. Goodell’s complete misrepresentation of Brady’s testimony was one of the more troubling aspects of the case. Apparently the judges didn’t review the actual testimony or they just discounted it. Who knows?
Far from undermining the legal realist lessons of the previous round, then, if the Second Circuit decides the case as expected it will re-affirm them. The text of the Federal Arbitration Act does not decide this case; Berman’s opinion was neither compelled by the language of the statute nor lawless. If Brady loses it will almost certainly be because he drew a circuit court panel that had two judges who are sympathetic to the NFL’s actions on the merits. He will be right to be outraged by this, because on the merits the NFL’s actions were completely indefensible — the evidence that Brady committed the offense for which he is charged is in fact remarkably weak, and the punishment was grossly disproportionate even if the NFL actually had any evidence. But, as we’ve seen, for a variety of reasons a lot of people are inclined to support Goodell here anyway, and federal judges are not necessarily exceptions.The president is determined to see Americans walk on Mars during his presidency, but the reality of space travel is a little more complicated
Donald Trump would like to see Americans walk on Mars during his presidency – within three to seven years, depending on the whims of the voting public. Nasa would love to get there that quickly, too. The reality of space travel is slightly more complicated.
On Monday, during a call with astronaut Peggy Whitson, who was aboard the International Space Station, Trump pressed her for a timeline on a crewed mission to Mars, one of Nasa’s longest standing and most daunting goals.
“Tell me, Mars,” he asked her from the Oval Office, “what do you see a timing for actually sending humans to Mars? Is there a schedule and when would you see that happening?”
Whitson answered by pointing out that Trump, by signing a Nasa funding bill last month, had already approved a timeline for a mission in the 2030s. She added that Nasa was building a new heavy-launch rocket, which would need testing. “Unfortunately space flight takes a lot of time and money,” she said. “But it is so worthwhile doing.”
Trump replied: “Well, we want to try and do it during my first term or, at worst, during my second term, so we’ll have to speed that up a little bit, OK?”
It was not clear whether the president meant the remark as a quip or something more serious. Nasa’s current plan aims for a 2033 launch of a crewed mission to orbit Mars, with a later mission to land there – just as the Apollo missions circled the moon before touching down. Even with private partnerships that Trump has encouraged, for instance with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, getting to Mars will take years.
“With Nasa’s current budget it would be challenging to go to Mars without a massive increase,” Phil Larson, a former senior adviser for space and innovation to Barack Obama, told the Guardian. Larson said that Nasa is far more prepared to go to Mars today than it was to go to the moon in the 1960s, but stressed: “The devil’s in the detail and the devil’s in the funding.”
In the bill last month, Trump and Congress kept most of the agency’s funds intact, at about $19bn, but cut $200m for climate science, education programs and an asteroid mission that Nasa had hoped would be a stepping stone to Mars. Although 100 days into his presidency, Trump has not yet named anyone as Nasa’s administrator. Nasa has estimated that the total cost of missions to Mars would be hundreds of billions of dollars.
Larson wrote in an op-ed last month that at the rate set by Trump’s budget request, sending “humans to Mars in less than a decade is not just impossible, it’s laughable”.
Depending on launch timing, it takes seven to nine months simply to reach Mars from Earth – the Apollo missions to the moon took on average three days – and Nasa has to overhaul its rockets and spacecraft for such a long mission.
The agency is currently building the most powerful rocket the agency has ever designed, called the Space Launch System (SLS). On Thursday, the agency pushed back its planned 2018 test flight to 2019, after a report by the Government Accountability Office cast doubt on the rocket system’s readiness to fly.
The private spaceflight company SpaceX is also developing a new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, and has announced an ambitious plan to use it to take two private citizens around the moon in 2018. That rocket also remains untested in flight.
SpaceX’s CEO Musk wants to reach Mars by 2024, but has acknowledged that his private company would probably need help and luck for that “optimistic” timeline. Any organization, public or private, needs to solve the challenges of fueling, radiation bombardment, and, if it wants to land, how to do so safely and with the ability to take off again from the surface of Mars. The planet’s atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth’s, making descent faster and more perilous than when astronauts return home.
Deep space is full of hazards to life, and Nasa has said that a crewed mission to Mars and back could take as long as three years. The agency plans to send a crewed mission into deep space in the 2020s as a “readiness” gauge – a test of whether it has technology for a long-term space habitat, protected against effects of radiation and microgravity, which over time weakens bones, muscles and eyesight. Lockheed Martin, Nasa’s partner for the project, is working toward a “main base camp” spacecraft for 2028.
Astronauts on a Mars mission will also face psychological tests of extreme isolation and close quarters whose only comparisons might be the journeys of 16th-century mariners, 19th-century whalers and the Arctic explorers in centuries past. Space agencies have had several teams do mock missions for as long as 500 days, and Nasa researchers have stressed that psychological tests and prep will be key for any crew.
Though the International Space Station has had humans on board for over a decade, it receives regular supplies and only a handful of people have logged more than 340 continuous days in space (Whitson holds the US record). A mission to Mars requires food, oxygen, water and fuel for as much as three times as long. Astronauts who land on the surface would not only need those resources, they would have to contend with uncertain terrain, high winds and even dust that could be toxic. And while the moon is sterile, Nasa also does not want to contaminate a planet where liquid water still flows – nor have Mars contaminate the astronauts.
“We’re absolutely very ready to go to Mars, all of us would be very happy to go,” Whitson told Trump on Monday. She did not say when.Story highlights Defector deploys balloons with "The Interview" to North Korea
Lee Min-bok says he finds the movie vulgar, but sends it anyway
An earlier version of this article stated that Lee Min-bok had sent tens of thousands of copies of "The Interview" to North Korea by balloon. But there appear to be numerical discrepancies from Lee, so the amount has been removed from the text.
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) Lee Min-bok didn't laugh once when he watched "The Interview." The North Korean defector calls the Hollywood comedy "vulgar," admitting he couldn't even watch the whole film.
Yet he is still sending thousands of copies across the border from South to North Korea in balloons, determined his people will see the movie in which the leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated on screen.
"The regime hates this film because it shows Kim Jong Un as a man, not a God," says Lee. "He cries and is afraid like us and then he's assassinated."
Kim is portrayed in the movie as a Katy Perry-loving, sensitive soul with daddy issues, clashing with the all-powerful image beamed out by Pyongyang's tightly controlled state media and propaganda machine.
At 1 a.m., Lee makes a final check of the wind speed and direction, then heads towards the border with North Korea. He has company. The South Korean police and military drive closely behind. After Pyongyang fired on similar propaganda balloons recently, they are monitoring launches very closely.
Read MoreVicki Gunvalson is in the money!
The Real Housewives of Orange County was awarded the $132,000 settlement instead of her ex-boyfriend, Brooks Ayers. The cancer-fraudster may have duped Vicki, but Ayers wasn’t able to dupe the judge, stemming from the Vicki’s Vodka lawsuit.
The trouble started when Vicki sold 16.67% of the company to Ayers without informing booze line business partner, Robert Williamson. Ayers, being the opportunist that he is, sold his shares to Williamson so he could reportedly pay child support demands and the IRS.
Williamson took the couple to court alleging fraud. The suit read in part, “Upon information and belief, it was the intent of Brooks and Vicki to lure [Williamson] into the purchase of Brooks interest without the good faith intent to move forward with the company and make it successful.”
Ayers then counter-sued Williamson, and here’s that laughable part, claiming Williamson had “defamed his name.” Last June a judge dismissed Ayers from the case citing an inability to “provide evidence of wrongdoing” by Williamson. Vicki was left alone to defend herself.
So how did this result in Vicki receiving the $132K judgment? When Ayers filed for the judge to compel Williamson to pay his lawyers, the judge granted that motion, but awarded the money to Vicki, because I think we all know who holds the checkbook when it comes to paying the attorneys. Finally, justice is served!
“Like” us on Facebook “Follow” us on Twitter and on InstagramAfter nearly four decades working in, running, and owning abortion clinics, both her champions and her opponents call her the “abortion queen.” That Diane Derzis, the owner of the state’s last abortion clinic, embraces that moniker is one of the myriad reasons Mississippi’s prolife absolutists want to put her out of business.
Today they may have their chance. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization has been in court to stop the implementation of a law that would effectively close its doors. The law was temporarily blocked by District Judge Daniel Jordan, a George W. Bush appointee, before it could take effect July 1. And today that same judge will hold a hearing on whether the law should go forward.
While the suit to save her clinic started in June, Derzis has been fighting this kind of opposition since she first went to work at a clinic in 1973, the year Roe v. Wade was decided. The 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision opened the floodgates for states to regulate abortion, leading to the kinds of small-bore but potent restrictions that could lead to her Mississippi clinic’s closing. In 1998 an anti-abortion activist name Eric Rudolph nail-bombed and killed a security guard at the first clinic she owned, New Woman All Woman in Birmingham, Ala., which she had run for a decade. She owns the clinic, which was recently forced out of business by anti-choice efforts Derzis calls “an absolute witch hunt.”) She owns a small Smith & Wesson (“I’ve got a cute little holster for it”) and a couple of Tasers, just in case.
Friends and colleagues describe the 58-year-old as “well put-together,” funny, savvy, and tough. She loves yard sales, thrillers take her mind off tough days, and in the ’80s she returned to school for a law degree after years of operating clinics.
Derzis said reproductive choice work found her for two reasons—her own abortion in 1974 at the age of 19, and the fundamentalist backlash to the passage of Roe, with the subsequent political candidates running to overturn the law, and the swirling propaganda of “fetuses and embryos on TV.”
In 1974 she married, but was still in college at Alabama University of Montavello when she decided to terminate her pregnancy at 12 weeks. There were no clinics in the state then, but she says she and her husband found a Birmingham doctor who performed the procedure for $125. Derzis remembers a crowded waiting room—old, young, working class, men in bib overalls and women in panty hose—all there for the same thing. “You went in and you pulled your dress up. The doctor said to me, ‘You didn’t have any problem spreading your legs before, so spread them now,’” Derzis said. “I was grateful that I was able to have a safe abortion, but it was not a great experience.” Catching site of a female prolife political candidate on television, alongside pictures of fetuses telegraphing that women were “just vessels,” “pissed [her] off” and cemented her calling to make things better.
When a clinic did open in Birmingham, Derzis “bugged them to death until they did hire me as a counselor at $5 an hour” while she was still in college. She helped open Alabama’s first clinic, the Summit Medical Center in Birmingham, which no longer exists but its building was home to her clinic New Woman All Women until it closed in May.
Derzis recalls early distaste for her profession coupled with her mother’s pride in a trip to a farmers’ market with her mother in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where she grew up. “Ask my daughter what she does for a living,” Derzis’s mother said to the lady bagging their tomatoes. “I’m a stripper,” Derzis joked and the woman smiled. “She is not, she runs an abortion clinic,” Derzis remembers her mother saying, to the tomato lady. The woman wasn’t smiling anymore. “That woman was fine with me being a stripper, not running an abortion clinic,” Derzis says, punctuating this, like many of her stories, with a deep smoker’s laugh.
Derzis bought the Jackson clinic from friend and colleague Susan Hill in 2010, after Hill died of breast cancer, and practically the first thing she did was redecorate—she painted the walls bright purples and yellows, and added red leather furniture to create a “happy, warm feeling”—a stark contrast with her own abortion experience three decades before.
Derzis has a knack for design (her home with its Jacuzzi tub and skyline view was featured in a Birmingham paper recently). The ambience of the clinic, she says, goes a long way. “Most [Mississippi patients] know nothing about abortion. After they see the dead-baby pictures and hear all that stuff, I think they feel, ‘oh wow, this is OK.’ You see the relief on patients’ faces when they walk in.” The Jackson Women’s Health Organization sees about 200 women each month. Derzis says they treated 44 in one night the Friday before the law that still may close the office was supposed to take effect.
Ann Rose, who runs an online directory listing of abortion providers from her home in Atlanta, remembers helping Hill find a building for a clinic in 1995. “People wouldn’t rent or sell to us. It was almost like we were black in [the South] in the ’60s,” she says. After a yearlong search, Rose and Hill found an art deco–style building in a rough part of town, among vacant buildings, intermittent gang activity, and across the street from a “seedy” bar called the Recovery Room. They chose the location mostly because it was next to the office of the state’s first black OB/GYN and physician, Helen Barnes, who “probably delivered more babies in Jackson than anybody, and also did abortions, including the first abortion in Mississippi after 1973,” said Rose. Now the area, called Fondren, has gentrified and is filled with shops, restaurants, and progressive-minded residents.
A week before the Jackson clinic would open, a gunman opened fire at a Brookline, Mass., abortion clinic, killing two receptionists. The next week, as the Jackson clinic opened its doors, anti-choice protesters were there. Early on Derzis encouraged a dialogue, inviting them into the clinic, offering them space and a table to hand out life-affirming information because “this is what choice means.” As debates with patients became more noxious, this invite became untenable. Derzis doesn’t open her doors anymore, because she feels the opposition is more acrimonious than ever before.
When her Birmingham clinic was nail-bombed, a guard killed, and a nurse injured in 1998, she was back within days to reopen it. Rose remembers sitting with Derzis in the clinic at night in 30-degree weather, wearing their coats because the windows and door had been blown out. The police had handed over the clinic, but it was still a crime scene. Rose describes the pink iridescent web of string that crisscrossed the building, connecting all the places where the hundreds of nails had hit. “Diane was upset, but she was more determined to get the clinic back open, not to let them deter services,” she said.
Derzis herself has faced plenty of attacks over the years, but she still describes herself as a spiritual person. Though she no longer attends the Birmingham Episcopal church because she realized being in the building and worship itself “don’t necessarily coincide,” she sometimes likes to read Bible verses to her adversaries who canvas clinic perimeters, often holding ghastly images or berating those on their way inside.
“They don’t own the Bible. God is on my shoulder as much as theirs,” she says. A favorite verse she describes with a laugh is Jesus’ warning “Beware the street corner preachers.” “He’s talking about you,” she says as if to protesters, then adds, “I only do that if I’m feeling a little frisky that day.”
Still, she admits she doesn’t see enough women helping defend to abortion rights. According to the best data available, one in three women will have an abortion during her lifetime, and some 50 million legal abortions have been performed from the 1973 passage of Roe v. Wade—which legalized the procedure—until 2008. “That’s been the biggest disappointment in my life that I have not figured out how to identify those women.” Her patients over the years have been grateful, but she wants them to be loud, too. “People will come up and whisper ‘thank you.’ But it’s a whisper.”NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas
Not much was known about Casey Walker when the New England Patriots claimed him off the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad.
He was the corresponding move to defensive tackle Sealver Siliga landing on short-term injured reserve. He was big, listed at 6’1” and 334 pounds. And he was a 2013 undrafted free agent by way of Oklahoma, where he played 33 in games, started 22, and finished with 49 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recoveries and two pass deflections.
For the rest, you’d have to dig a little deeper.
Walker did not have a Wikipedia page, nor did he have an NFL tackle on his resume. The 24-year-old had spent part of the 2013 season on Carolina’s practice squad, and returned for the 2014 preseason. He logged 95 snaps over the course of it, and received the fifth lowest Pro Football Focus grade among the Panthers’ 39 participating defenders.
Walker was waived during 53-man roster cuts on Aug. 30, subsequently rejoining the team’s 10-man roster after clearing waivers the following day. But there were no expectations when the Patriots filled the active roster with him on Sept. 27.
Even so, he has done his part to exceed the status of an enigma since then.
It began on Oct. 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Garland, Texas native was suited up for his first career regular-season game. And on a 2nd-and-10 in the second quarter, he proceeded to record his first regular-season tackle, shooting the gap vacated by Cincinnati’s pulling guard to slam rookie halfback Jeremy Hill down for a four-yard loss.
No. 98 played 14 snaps versus the Bengals in Week 5, filtering in with the likes of Vince Wilfork, first-round pick Dominique Easley, Chris Jones and Joe Vellano. He held his own when called upon in the rotation, leaning on his size and pad level to get underneath blocks as well as the offensive backfield.
He was not easily moved off the line of scrimmage in his Patriots debut. And leading up to Week 6, when cornerback Brandon Browner and wide receiver Brian Tyms were activated from their suspensions, he was not moved off the roster.
Perhaps it was positional need, as Vellano – weighing some 30 pounds lighter, and not in the mold of a stout run defender – was waived along with wideout Kenbrell Thompkins. Perhaps it was the shoulder injury suffered by Easley, which forced him to leave the Bengals game.
Perhaps it was something else.
But Walker stayed in the fold for Week 7, and he stayed in the game for an expanded sample size of 33 plays. Along the way, he was met by double teams, including a 1st-and-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The mobility for a man of his magnitude was not there on every down. The collective gap integrity of New England’s defensive line wasn’t there consistently, either. Yet as Bills quarterback Kyle Orton stepped up and tossed a shovel pass to halfback Fred Jackson for a gain of eight, Walker rolled out of engagement shipped downfield as the ball-carrier cut back.
He closed the door.
Walker did so in another fashion on a 1st-and-goal later in the second quarter against Buffalo, occupying both A-gaps. He stood up center Eric Wood at the snap, in turn, congesting the lanes for Jackson to drive through following the exchange.
Then, he finished what he started.
The second-year pro did so one more time against the Bills, aligning as the nose tackle in a three-man front on 1st-and-10. With he and Wilfork manning the middle and strong side, respectively, the Bills returned to the run with Jackson, who was set to split the difference in the midst of the third quarter.
It was a task neither simple in theory, nor practice. Jackson pivoted and veered into the right side of the line. Walker grabbed him at the point of attack, and Wilfork stepped in front to ensure the 33-year-old rusher would not rush for more.
The end result was no gain.
He is aiming to be a part of more of those results moving forward. The next chance for him to do so is Thursday night at Gillette Stadium against the New York Jets.
Moving forward, Walker may not be able to replicate Siliga’s role as a two-gapper or pocket-pusher. He may not be able to replicate what he has done in his first two showings in a Patriots uniform. He may not be more than a stopgap in a game of attrition. But what he’s shown through the early stages of his tenure in Foxborough is more than what was forecasted only three weeks ago.
He is in the process of making his own name. And even a Wikipedia page has come along with it.
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Tags: Buffalo Bills, Casey Walker, Cincinnati Bengals, Film BreakdownErdoğan: I will approve death penalty if parliament votes
ISTANBUL
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a rally of millions of people in Istanbul on Aug. 7 that he would approve the death penalty if parliament voted for it, following last month's failed coup.Erdoğan started his speech at the "Democracy and Martyrs' Rally” against the July 15 coup attempt by thanking the people who stood against the tanks and planes used by the coup plotters.He wished his condolences to the 240 people killed by coup soldiers, of whom 172 were civilians, 63 were police officers and five were soldiers. He also wished speedy recovery to the 2,195 wounded.During Erdoğan’s speech the crowd repeatedly shouted that they wanted death penalty to be reintroduced.“If the parliament accepts the reintroduction of death penalty, I will accept it,” he told the crowd, adding that the death penalty exists in the U.S., Japan and “many other countries.”“If the people want death penalty, I think the political parties will also accept it,” he also said, as he noted that the death penalty existed until 1984 in Turkey.Erdoğan said the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is blamed for the coup attempt three weeks ago, must be destroyed within the framework of the law.Saying that the people showed that they won’t accept slavery on the night of the failed coup bid, Erdoğan added that Gülen movement calculated many mischiefs, but couldn’t take the people into account.“Night of July 15 coup bid showed this country cannot be undone,” Erdoğan said.“Our presence today upsets our enemies just like it did on the morning of July 16,” he said.Getty Images
Receiver Anquan Boldin may not be the only Ravens player who joins the 49ers.
A league source with extensive knowledge of the current safety market believes that the 49ers could land Ravens safety Ed Reed.
As Albert Breer of NFL Network first reported on Twitter (as best we can tell), Reed has indeed hired David Dunn of Athletes First. Now that Reed has an agent, the agent can talk to teams in advance of the start of free agency at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The fact that Reed is in play for the Niners means that Dashon Goldson isn’t. Goldson is expected to be the hottest free agent on the safety market. Reed may not be the hottest, but he may be the next big name to join one of the hottest teams in the league.Paramisuli Aming advocates for unity both as a social worker and as someone who has directly been affected by armed conflict
Published 7:45 PM, August 03, 2017
MANILA, Philippines – War has only one face to many Filipinos. It is about the government against the rebels, or the government against the terrorists. The nation has become too fragmented that it has forgotten about the people who unfortunately, have to live their lives in between the crossfire – even children who eventually grow up hearing gunshots at night instead of lullabies.
This is what Paramisuli Aming, the 2017 Social Workers Licensure Exam top-notcher, believes in.
Aming hails from Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao. She moved to Marawi City in Lanao del Sur to study social work at Mindanao State University and to help her own people one day.
On Tuesday, August 2, her dream finally came true as she became a registered social worker.
The 20-year-old has known war all her life and she understands that it doesn’t choose who it will slay next.
In her own words, “Walang pinipili ang bullet, ang bomba, whether you’re a good person or a bad person.” (Bullets and bombs don’t choose anyone, whether you’re a good person or a bad person.)
Aming said that it is just unfortunate for them to be accustomed to armed conflicts because it should never be normal. She added that people have forgotten about the social impacts of war to people.
“It is sad that it’s almost normal to us to hear gunshots. No one deserves this (war)."
She is not alone in her desire to help fellow Mindanaoans. Two other top-notchers also came from Mindanao State University. Catherine Caulawon ranked sixth while Elmer Villamucho Jr. ranked seventh.
‘For the people’
Growing up in an island enveloped by armed conflict, Aming told Rappler that many young people like her who go to college usually choose to pursue nursing or other development courses. She is one of those whose dream is to help uplift people from Mindanao.
“It’s for the people. It is basically helping the people in a professional way,” she said on wanting to be a registered social worker.
According to her, seeing other social workers make an impact inspired her to do the same. Despite Filipinos being a resilient people, Aming said that victims of conflict, particularly the Marawi siege, direly need psychosocial attention from the government.
For Aming, the best way to completely help the victims is by rebuilding the homes and communities of the affected families. (READ: Duterte creates task force in charge of Marawi rehab)
“People need rebuilding and rehabilitation in their own places. They need the sense of normalcy,” Aming said. “There’s a lot of things that we should do. There’s a huge challenge to uplift these people,” she added.
She does not only have this perspective as a social worker but as someone who experienced war herself. In fact, Aming was in Marawi the day the crisis erupted.
Escaping Marawi
“We were happy the night before when we were in our dormitories. I was with my batchmates,” the then graduating student said.
The graduating batch of MSU was having their torch parade the night before the Maute group and the military clashed against each other. They were grateful, happy, and celebrating, without knowing that the next day would possibly be the darkest day of their lives. (READ: MSU Marawi students graduate away from home)
When the Maute group invaded the city, people in MSU started shouting “Go home! Lock your doors,” in their local language.
Aming was in panic. She ran to her cottage barefooted.
Since MSU is located in an elevated place, she said they could see establishments burning and bombs falling. Her voice started to shake during the phone interview while narrating her story.
Her roommates started to leave one by one while she went with their landlady to Balindong – a municipality 30 minutes away from the battleground. She stayed there for a night and eventually went to her sister in Cotabato.
After 8 days, Aming went to Iligan City to prepare for the board exams.
Advocating for unity
Beyond her experience in Marawi City, she is no stranger to conflict and violence. During the election day, she event witnessed one watcher shoot another watcher.
“May pinapatay without justice served even without investigation,” she said. (There are people being killed without justice served and even without investigation.)
Prejudice has also been prevalent in the environment she grew up in. She narrated that she found it difficult to find a dormitory to stay in Iligan |
day.”
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The huge installation, called zones of immersion, consists of a 150-metre screen of seven-foot-tall glass panels in alternating colours, erected between the newly renovated station’s two glistening platforms. Its mastermind is Stuart Reid, a multi-disciplinary artist and OCADU environmental design professor who, in order to create the piece, spent hours riding the subway, sketching passengers and writing poems. He later enlarged his drawings and text and transferred them to the glass, which was painted and acid-etched.
The huge installation, called zones of immersion, consists of a 500-metre screen of seven-foot-tall glass panels in alternating colours, erected between the newly renovated station’s two glistening platforms.
While some of Reid’s depictions of transit riders are amusing — on one playful panel a baby on his mother’s lap can be seen picking its nose — many appear to take a much darker tone. Some figures are rendered only as ghost-like outlines, grouped together like a ghoulish gang or the shadows of atomic-bomb victims. In one section a woman looks away while wearing an expression of utter despair. Julian Detlor, a personal trainer who lives near the station, found the images disturbing. “You know in a horror movie where there’s always like the creepy kid’s drawing? That’s what it looks like,” he said. “I don’t know who thought that was a good idea.” The artist himself explains that his goal was to create an authentic reflection of what it’s like to ride the subway, by capturing both its lighter and more melancholy moments. “It’s a bleak world down there,” Reid said in an interview. “I wanted to make it beautiful in some way, but I didn’t want to make it phoney beautiful.”
Its mastermind is Stuart Reid, a multi-disciplinary artist and OCADU environmental design professor.
Reid likened his piece to listening to the blues when you’re already feeling down. “It meets you where you’re at and deepens that experience,” he said. “We are constantly in this world of being distracted by ads to the Bahamas and promises of advertising... This is to say, ‘here’s where we are, this is our life.’ ” Reid added that although his work has been installed, it won’t be fully finished until the renovation of Union’s platform is completed sometime in the coming weeks. He promised the piece will look more vibrant when it’s properly lighted.
According to the TTC, Reid received $160,000 for “services and expenses” related to the work, while the cost of physically installing the mural was included as part of the $137-million station overhaul. Depicting the darker side of the subway ride might seem like an odd choice for the TTC, which has made concerted attempts in recent years to rebrand itself as rider-friendly. Commission spokesperson Brad Ross, however, said Reid’s piece “captures, in fact, the modernization efforts of the TTC.”
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“The art wall is stunning,” he wrote in an email. “We look forward to Union Station opening fully where the installation can and will be fully-appreciated by the public.”
In order to create the piece, Reid spent hours riding the subway, sketching passengers and writing poems.
Read more about:Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Nick Hayek, of Swatch, outlined its plans at its annual news conference
Swatch Group, the world's bestselling watchmaker, is to introduce models that can make contactless payments and display data sent by smartphones.
The Swiss company's chief executive said the first of the tech-enhanced timepieces would go on sale in May.
But he said he had no plans to sell the kinds of fully featured smartwatches being offered by Apple, Motorola, Pebble and others.
Swatch accounts for 18% of all watch sale revenues, according to industry data.
The company, which makes devices under the Omega, Breguet, Calvin Klein, Rado and other brands, as well as its own, has consistently increased its market share over the past five years.
It recently reported 8.7bn Swiss francs ($9.2bn; £6.2bn) of sales for its last financial year, a 3% improvement on the previous period.
However, some observers believe it and other mainstream watchmakers face disruption from tech industry giants who have begun selling wearable products.
Image copyright Omega Image caption Mr Hayek suggested the firm's Omega brand would be among those to get NFC chips
NFC and Bluetooth
Swatch's chief executive Nick Hayek said his company was planning to introduce two types of wireless communication tech to its wristwear:
NFC (near-field communication) - a chip that can be used to trigger contactless payments and open hotel doors and other compatible locks. The first NFC-capable watches are set to be released in two months.
Bluetooth - this chip will allow watches to send and receive data to smartphones. This could be used to show news updates, text messages and other notifications. Mr Hayek said the first Bluetooth-enabled models were due in "the summer"
Swatch said it had teamed up with China UnionPay, a Chinese credit card association, to provide touchless payments in that country. Reuters news agency reported that a similar deal with Visa is believed to be in the works for other parts of the world.
However, Mr Hayek indicated that Swatch would leave it up to others to unlock the full potential of its moves.
"Whatever usage you want, you ask some creative people to create some apps and then our chip has different layers that you can program yourself - we give it to you," he told a press conference in the Swiss town of Corgemont.
"You buy your Swatch, the one you like, and then you configure it."
He added that he believed that his company's expertise in manufacturing "ultra-low power" watches gave it an advantage over tech firms, whose products typically need to be recharged daily.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Huawei and other tech firms are launching fashion-conscious smartwatches
But he made clear that he had no intention of developing a product to go head-to-head with Android Wear or Apple's Watch OS.
"We are not a consumer electronics company," he said.
"We are not going to transform and put the mobile phone on the wrist. Let the others do it. Samsung did it, Sony did it. Everybody does it."
But Swatch is releasing an update to its existing fitness tracker.
Image copyright Swatch Image caption The Swatch Touch Zero One uses a monochrome display to maximise battery life
The new waterproof Swatch Touch Zero One is targeted at beach volleyball players and can track their number of footsteps and measure how hard they smack the ball with their hands.
It uses one of the company's standard batteries, which Swatch says lasts months between needing to be swapped.
Lesson from history
Earlier this week, Elmar Mock - one of Swatch's original engineers, who now heads the Creaholic consultancy - said his former employer risked underestimating the threat it faced from Silicon Valley
"It's understandable why [luxury brands] Breguet, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe are disinterested," he told the Swissinfo news site.
"Swatch, on the other hand, should be taking a leading role.
"Swiss watchmakers seem to have forgotten how they underestimated Japanese quartz watches in the 1970s as mere gadgets and not real watches. That mistake led to the near-collapse of the watch industry."
However, one industry analyst told the BBC he thought that Swatch was relatively well placed to maintain its lead.
Image copyright Swatch Image caption Swatch's colourful quartz-based products helped disrupt the watch industry in the last century
"I like that Swatch has its own strategy - we have seen so many me-too products over the past year, and it's good that Swatch is putting a very strong focus on battery power," said Pascal Koenig, of the Smartwatch Group consultancy.
"It also has desirable strong brands, a very good retail network - especially in Asia - good production and impressive hardware know-how.
"I do think, however, that Swatch is not good on the software side. It needs to do more on apps.
"But it has a lot of cash on its balance sheet that could be used for an acquisition to help with that."
Other leading watchmakers, including Fossil and Tag Heuer, are expected to outline their smartwatch strategies at the Baselworld trade show in Switzerland next week.New Poll Explains Debate Clash on Money in Politics
| Adam Smith
New polling post-Iowa caucus shows voters’ views on money-in-politics jumps to top tier issue
Washington, D.C.—A night of sparring between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders during a New Hampshire Democratic debate brought money in politics to the fore of their party’s nomination fight. A new poll following Iowa’s razor-close caucus released tonight explains that the issue was driving the results on Monday as well.
Sixty-four percent of Iowa Democratic caucus-goers ranked money in politics among the top three issues on their minds, according to the poll conducted Tuesday and Wednesday this week by Public Policy Polling for Every Voice, a national organization working to raise the voices of everyday people in politics. The poll sampled 577 Iowa Democrats who participated on Monday in the caucuses.
“Bernie Sanders’ central message of taking on the broken political system was a key factor in his close second-place finish in Iowa,” said David Donnelly, president and CEO of Every Voice. “While both Sanders and Hillary Clinton have comprehensive plans to give everyday people a bigger voice in politics, this polling shows that Sanders had more success connecting with voters regarding their anger about the role of money in our political system.”
“Hillary Clinton appears to have taken notice and has begun to campaign on her own money in politics platform,” Donnelly continued.
The poll found:
One in four voters ranked the issue of money in politics the top issue when making up their minds who to vote for.
Eighty-four percent of Sanders’ supporters listed his position on money-in-politics as a top reason or among the two or three top reasons for voting for him.
Seventy-five percent of voters reported hearing Sanders talking the most about money in politics as opposed to just eight percent who said Clinton talked about it the most.
Fifty-seven percent of Democratic caucus-goers said they trust Sanders more when it comes to supporting a plan to reduce money in politics.
“There’s no question that voter anger about the influence of big donors in our political system is a driving issue in this race,” said Donnelly. “Candidates must pivot, as they began to do tonight, to lock in voters for a vision of the future by promoting solutions. We can all diagnose the patient, but the time for a cure is now.”
Public Policy Polling conducted the poll of 577 Democratic caucus-goers February 2-3, 2016 with a margin of error of 4.1 percent. The polling is available here.
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Every Voice is a national nonpartisan organization fighting for a democracy that works for everyone. Learn more at everyvoice.org.President Obama is not backing down on how to solve the Israel-Palestine border issue in achieving peace in the Middle East.
Speaking Sunday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – which identifies itself as America's leading pro-Israel lobby – Obama reiterated his stance: Any negotiation has to begin by acknowledging the 1967 borders before the Six-Day War in which Israel occupied land in Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.
In his closely-watched speech on the Middle East Thursday, Obama had made it clear that this had to include “mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.”
But to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, many supporters of Israel, and Republican presidential hopefuls this was a nonstarter.
Israel “cannot go back to the 1967 lines,” the Israeli leader said. “Those lines are indefensible.”
Speaking to AIPAC Sunday, Obama sought to clarify what he had meant on Thursday regarding the 1967 borders.
“By definition, it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967,” Obama said. “It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years. It allows the parties themselves to take account of those changes, including the new demographic realities on the ground, and the needs of both sides.”
“The ultimate goal is two states for two people,” he said, “Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people – and the State of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people – each state in joined self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace.”
Other officials elaborated.
"The president didn't say that Israel has to go back to the '67 lines. He said with agreed swaps," former Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. "Swaps means an exchange of land intended to accommodate major Israeli population centers to be incorporated into Israel and Israel's security needs. ‘Agreed’ means through negotiations. Both parties must agree."
"That's not going to be a border unless Israel agrees to it and we know they won't agree unless their security needs are satisfied, as it should be," Mitchell said.
In some sense, Obama is taking a risk in urging Israel to negotiate with Palestinian leaders – especially at a time when that leadership now includes Hamas, which the United States and some other countries consider to be a terrorist organization. It’s an issue that has bedeviled presidents before him.
But Obama also warns that “the current situation in the Middle East does not allow for procrastination.”
“The world is moving too fast,” he said Sunday. “The extraordinary challenges facing Israel will only grow. Delay will undermine Israel’s security and the peace that the Israeli people deserve.”
There’s a strong political dimension to what some see as a dilemma for Obama: Look for a breakthrough in the Israel-Palestine problem at a time when much of the region is in turmoil while also keeping the support of a key part of his political base.
In 2008, Obama won nearly 78 percent of the Jewish vote, and more than ever Jewish voters remain a crucial part of his political base – in terms of campaign contributions as well as votes.
In the end, much of what he said to AIPAC was greeted with applause – especially the introductory line of the organization president Lee Rosenberg: “Thank you Mr. President for ridding the world of Osama bin Laden.”
Responding to Obama’s assertion that “the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad,” Netanyahu seemed to soften his position.
In a statement Sunday he said: “I am a partner to President Obama's wish to promote peace, and I appreciate his efforts in the past and present to achieve this goal. I am determined to work with President Obama to find ways to renew peace talks.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s position will become clearer when he addresses AIPAC Monday night.A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. Caves form naturally by the weathering of rock and they often extend deep underground. Because of their uniqueness and beauty, some caves have become very interesting places for tourists and photographers worldwide.
1. Sea Cave in Algarve, Portugal
Algarve region of Portugal. As you can see the bottom of the cave is covered with fine sand, and on the roof there is a "window to the sky". [ This beautiful sea cave is located near Benagil Beach in theof Portugal. As you can see the bottom of the cave is covered with fine sand, and on the roof there is a "window to the sky". [ map
2. Crystal Cave, Iceland
This cave in the glacier ice is the result of glacial mill, or Moulin where rain and melt water on the glacier surface are channeled into streams that enter the glacier at crevices. The waterfall melts a hole into the glacier while the ponded water drains towards lower elevations by forming long ice caves with an outlet at the terminus of the glacier.
The fine grained sediments in the water along with wind blown sediments cause the frozen meltwater stream to appear in a muddy colour while the top of the cave exhibits the deep blue colour. Due to the fast movement of the glacier of about 1 m (3 ft) per day over uneven terrain, this ice cave cracked up at its end into a deep vertical crevice, called cerrac. This causes the indirect daylight to enter the ice cave from both ends resulting in homogeneous lighting of the ice tunnel.
map] The cave is accessible through a 22-foot (7 m) entrance on the shoreline. At the end it tapers to a tight squeeze no more than four feet high (1,2 m). Ice caves are in general unstable things and can collapse at any time. They are safe to enter only in winter when the cold temperatures harden the ice. Even so one could hear constant cracking sounds inside the cave. It was not because it was going to collapse but because the cave was moving along with the glacier itself. Each time the glacier moved a millimeter loud sounds could be heard. [ link
3. Devetashka Cave, Bulgaria
Devetashka cave is one of the biggest caves in Bulgaria but it is most famous for its amazing history. It is also currently home to nearly 30,000 bats.
The man on the floor of the Devetashka cave link
Devetashka cave is located 18 km (11mi) northeast of Lovech and 2 kilometers (1.2mi) away from the village of Devetaki. The cave is also known as Maarata or Oknata for its seven different-sized holes in the ceiling, through which sunlight penetrates and illuminates the central hall and part of its two fields.
Old building inside of entrance area link
map] The entrance of the cave is 35 meters (115ft) wide and 30 meters (100ft) high. About 40 meters (130ft) after the entrance, the cave widens, forming a spacious hall with an area of 2,400 sqm (0.6 acres). The height of the hall is 60 meters (197ft); at some places it reaches 100 meters (330ft). [ link
4. Glow Worm Caves, New Zealand
Waitomo, New Zealand is famous for one thing. Every year, heaps upon heaps of travelers come here to see the infamous glow worms that line the ceilings of the nearby caves. The glow worms emit a phosphorescent glow that shines from the roofs of the caves like a starry night.
map] The interesting thing about the glow worms is that they aren’t really glow worms. They’re fly larvae. And what glows? Well, that’s their waste and snot. The larva glow to attract prey into its threads by making the prey believe they are outdoors as the roof of a cave looks much like a starry night. Hungry larva glow brighter than ones that have just eaten. There are a couple of ways to see the glow worms. There’s the three hour black water tubing trip, the five hour trip that includes abseiling and climbing, or, if you like it easy, a boat. [ link
5.
Cueva de Arpea, Spain
Cueva de Arpea is located below the twisted rock layers in Aezkoa valley in northern Spain. That area is home to some truly amazing caves.
The cave is called in french "caverne d'harpea". It's believed to have been used as a refuge by ancient shepherds since old times. [ map
6. Minnehaha Falls Cave, USA
Near where the Minnehaha Creek meets the Mississippi River, a 53 ft (16m) waterfall that freezes during the winter creates a temporary cave behind a wall of ice. Due to the extremely cold temperatures in the area during the winter months, the falls freeze, creating a dramatic cascade of ice that can last well into the spring.
Minnehaha Creek is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west and flows east for 22 miles through several suburbs west of Minneapolis and then through south Minneapolis. Including Lake Minnetonka, the watershed for the creek covers 181 square miles.
map] The creek might have been unremarkable except for the 53 foot (16m) Minnehaha Falls located near the creek's confluence with the Mississippi. The site is not far from Fort Snelling, one of the earliest white settlements in the region. [ link
7. Fingal's Cave, UK
Scotland, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonally Fingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonally jointed basalt columns
Its size and naturally arched roof, and the eerie sounds produced by the echoes of waves, give it the atmosphere of a natural cathedral. The cave's Gaelic name, An Uaimh Bhinn, means "the melodious cave".
map] The cave has a large arched entrance and is filled by the sea. Several local companies include a pass by the cave in sightseeing cruises from April to September. However, it is also possible to land elsewhere on the island and walk to the cave overland, where a row of fractured columns forms a walkway just above high-water level permitting exploration on foot. [ link
8. Giant Crystal Cave, Mexico
Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO4·2 H2O), some of the largest natural crystals ever found.
The cave's largest crystal found to date is 12 m (39 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.
map] A group of scientists known as the Naica Project have been heavily involved in researching these caverns. [ link
9. Cenote Ik Kil, Mexico
Ik Kil is a well known cave with no roof, or a sinkhole outside Pisté in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán, Mexico, It is located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula and is part of the Ik Kil Archeological Park near Chichen Itza. It is open to the public for swimming and is often included in bus tours.
vines which reach from the opening all the way down to the water along with small waterfalls. Also, there are black catfish which swim in the sinkhole. [map] This cave is open to the sky with the water level about 26 metres (85 ft) below ground level. There is a carved stairway down to a swimming platform. Ik Kil is about 60 metres (200 ft) in diameter and about 40 metres (130 ft) deep. There arewhich reach from the opening all the way down to the water along with small waterfalls. Also, there are black catfish which swim in the sinkhole. [ link
10. Blue Lake Cave, Brazil
Mato Grosso do Sul region in Brazil (and especially the quiet town of Bonito) boasts many marvelous underground lakes: Gruta do Lago Azul, Gruta do Mimoso, Aquário Natural. The world famous "Gruta do Lago Azul” (Blue Lake Cave) is a natural monument whose interior is formed by stalactites, stalagmites and a huge and wonderful blue lake.
The beauty of the lake is something impressive. The Blue Lake Cave has a big variety of geological formation but impresses mainly for the deep blue colored water of its inside lake. [ link
11. Blue Marble Caves, Chile
In Patagonia, South America, General Carrera Lake is shared by Argentina and Chile. But on the Chilean side of the beautiful emerald-green to turquoise-blue waters, there are breathtakingly beautiful marble caves carved into passageways and caverns.
These amazing marble formations were sculpted by erosion into three main marble formations: La Capilla (the Chapel), El Catedral (the Cathedral), and La Cueva (the Cave).Wes Clark considering House run
Retired Gen. and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark is considering running for Congress from his native Arkansas, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The spokesman, Erick Mullen, confirmed Little Rock chatter that the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander is weighing a bid for the House seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Vic Snyder. This would be quite a comedown in political aspirations for someone who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004.
But Clark’s people think he has a shot against former Bush aide Tim Griffin, the Republican front-runner for Snyder’s seat.
“People are urging Gen. Clark to run because of his national security profile and robust Netroots support. He’s not looking for a job right now, but he’s listening,” Mullen said.
Snyder announced he was retiring shortly after a poll showed him down by double digits.DAVE LOMBARDO Talks MISFITS In New Interview
Dave Lombardo says that the reunited classic lineup of the MISFITS should tour extensively on the back of the band's early material before contemplating making new music.
The former SLAYER drummer was sitting behind the kit for Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein when the the horror punk outfit played two historic reunion shows in 2016 at Riot Fest in Denver and Chicago. Prior to those gigs, the trio last performed together on October 29, 1983.
Asked by The MetalSucks Podcast if he thinks the MISFITS can come up with a new album that matches the band's classic offerings, Lombardo said (hear audio below): "Honestly… I'm gonna be brutally honest here. I would suggest for them to tour as much as they can off those original records, because there's some serious magic in those melodies and that songwriting. I don't know if… With the growth of each musician in that band, their method of songwriting has evolved. So I don't know if that… Unless they maybe bring in a producer that hones them and dials them into… says, 'No, the song is too long now. We're over two minutes. The song's too long. That can't be.' Maybe it can work. But I honestly… Hey, the MISFITS are the MISFITS. They can do what they want. I'm a hired gun, and I'll just stay back. And if they wanna record, I'm there."
As previously reported, the MISFITS will play on December 30 at the Forum in Los Angeles, California. This concert will mark the band's only 2017 performance.
Joining Glenn, Jerry, Doyle and Dave at the Riot Fest shows was second guitarist Acey Slade.
Only told Rolling Stone last September that he wanted the MISFITS reunion to keep going. "I know Doyle wants it to continue. I know Glenn wants it to continue," he said. "We just have to be big enough people to make it continue. And that's where we're at. Whatever it takes. We're going into our fortieth anniversary, so the timing couldn't be more perfect."
The original MISFITS band broke up in 1983, and Only brought forth a new version of the MISFITS in 1995. Various members have come and gone, but Only, along with BLACK FLAG's Dez Cadena, has kept some form of the MISFITS in the recording studio and on the road for most of the last two decades. Via Blabbermouth
Interview (audio):The Dangers of Consuming Sugar Alcohols by Sarah Pope MGA
The growing diabetes epidemic has spawned a whole new industry of alternative sweeteners known as sugar alcohols. Consumers typically view them favorably because they are not artificial like aspartame. These products with low glycemic indexes are aggressively marketed to the overweight and those with insulin problems as ideal sugar substitutes. Why? Because they are derived from natural plant based sources. These chemicals, also known as polyols, are interestingly comprised of neither sugar nor alcohol. The most familiar of these are xylitol, erythritol, mannitol, and sorbitol.
The glycemic index (GI) is the value assigned to a specific food that indicates its effect on blood sugar. The number ranges between 0 and 100, with 100 representing the effect of pure glucose. While the glycemic index of any food can be easily reduced by consuming traditional fats at the same time, for those with blood sugar issues, this is not always enough to prevent problems with insulin.
Below is a table with the glycemic index (GI) of many common sugar alcohols and sweeteners on the market. Note that a higher GI value correlates with a higher blood sugar spike when that particular sweetener is consumed. The sweeteners in bold are sugar alcohols.
Stevia 0
Erythritol 0
Yacon 1
Mannitol 2
Lactitol 6
Xylitol 13
Sorbitol 9
Isomalt 9
Agave 15-30
Date Syrup and Sugar 20
Brown Rice Syrup 25
Coconut Sugar/Coconut Nectar 30
Maltitol 36-53
Raw Honey 35-58
Sucanat 43
Organic Sugar 47
Maple Syrup (Grade A or B) 54
Blackstrap Molasses 54
Evaporated Cane Juice 55
Raw Sugar (Turbinado) 65
Corn Syrup 75
White Sugar 80
High Fructose Corn Syrup 87
Glucose 100
Sugar alcohols contain fewer calories than real sugar and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. They also have lower glycemic indexes. The sweetness of these chemicals ranges from half as sweet as sugar to equally as sweet.
The low calorie count and glycemic index combined with the fact that they do not spike blood sugar in the same way as natural sweeteners make the sugar alcohols a marketing bonanza for food manufacturers. It is also highly attractive if not enticing to consumers!
How Common Sugar Alcohols are Made
Let’s examine how each of the most popular sugar alcohols are manufactured:
Erythritol is derived from corn sugar which is most often from genetically modified (GMO) corn.
Sorbitol, a slow metabolizing sugar alcohol, can be made from fruits, (GMO) corn, and seaweed, but commercially, the source is dextrose (glucose) produced from (GMO) cornstarch.
Xylitol is a carbohydrate found naturally in the birch tree. Safer alternatives are manufactured and concentrated from birth wood waste. However, most xylitol on the market is derived from GMO corn.
Mannitol is manufactured via sugar hydrogenation. This process rearranges the fructose molecule, usually from (GMO) corn, to the sugar mannose.
It is important to understand that all sugar alcohols are highly refined in order to get them into the state in which they are able to be consumed or added to foods. This is true even if the source is natural and a non GMO source like the birch tree.
Sugar Alcohols are Highly Indigestible
The big problem with sugar alcohols and gut health is that they are, for the most part, indigestible. This is the reason why they are so low calorie in the first place! Indigestibility is not necessarily a problem when the source is a whole food like plantains or potatoes which contain resistant starch, for example.
When the indigestible source is a manufactured, highly refined and processed food like erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol that the body would not naturally encounter in that state or quantity simply consuming whole foods, however, it opens the door to creating or contributing to gut imbalance.
Manufactured foods such as sugar alcohols can cause problems even for healthy people of normal weight. They do this by triggering gastric distress, bloating and diarrhea. For those who suffer from any sort of gut disorder or autoimmune disease, sugar alcohols and processed foods containing them should most especially be avoided.
Disruption of the Gut Lining
Sugar alcohols have the potential to disrupt the functioning of the lining of the gut. Ironically, this is the very tissue that is already compromised for those suffering from diabetes and other autoimmune disorders.
The body’s inability to effectively break down sugar alcohols causes them to arrive for the most part intact when they reach the intestines. At that point, a process called “passive diffusion” takes place whereby the sugar alcohol that was consumed draws water into the bowels. This results in only partial breakdown. The unmetabolized portion begins to rot, creating the perfect environment for undesirable bacteria and pathogens to feed, thrive, and grow.
An imbalanced intestinal environment where pathogens and other undesirable microbes have a favorable place to exist is exactly the set of conditions that eventually compromise the gut lining, damage the critical enterocytes that line the gut wall, and promote the development of autoimmune disease symptoms.
And, while it is true that sugar alcohols do not feed pathogenic yeasts like Candida albicans like sugar does, the undesirable fermentation of undigested sugar alcohols has the potential to exacerbate yeast problems.
Sugar Alcohols Contraindicated for Gut Healing Diets
As discussed above, sugar alcohols like xylitol, erythritol, mannitol and sorbitol are incredibly detrimental to gut health. This is particularly true when used over extended periods of time. In recognition of this, healing protocols such as SCD, Autoimmune Paleo, and the bone broth diet do not allow them.
Another effective protocol known as GAPS was developed by Natasha Campbell-McBride MD. It works to reverse a variety of autoimmune conditions including eczema, psoriasis, ADD/ADHD, autism, celiac disease, allergies, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, diabetes, cancer, and the list goes on.
Kim Schuette, CN, Certified GAPS™ Practitioner and owner of the clinic Biodynamic Wellness in Solana Beach, CA points out that WebMD warns the following about xylitol in particular:
There is not enough information to confirm xylitol’s safety in pregnant and breastfeeding women, so they should not use it for medicinal purposes. Although some animal studies have shown tumor growth resulting from high doses of xylitol over long periods, more research is needed.
She also emphasizes the following for her clients regarding the dangers of sugar alcohols:
It is also important to note that while these refined, highly processed sweeteners have received GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), no rigorous, long-term studies have been performed. Our recommendation is that all refined food products are best avoided. While on the GAPS Diet, limit your sweeteners to fresh fruit, raw honey, and whole leaf stevia in very small amounts.
Zero Scientific Data on the Safety of Sugar Alcohols
Rami Nagel, author of Cure Tooth Decay, doesn’t even recommend xylitol gum or supplements despite its reputed ability to fight cavities and quickly resolve ear infections by encouraging proper bacterial balance in the ear canal.
His research combing through the scientific literature for any long term safety data on xylitol turned up the following:
Epidemiology: No information found
Teratogenicity: No information found
Reproductive Effects: No information found
Mutagenicity: No information found
Neurotoxicity: No information found
In essence, xylitol found in a variety of children’s products such as chewing gum and candies, is a complete wild card with regard to long term safety.
Warning: Sugar Alcohol Frequently Hides Artificial Sweeteners
While sugar alcohols can be a health danger in and of themselves, the threat grows when they are combined with artificial sweeteners like aspartame (Nutrasweet).
This is exactly what food manufacturers frequently do!
According to Dr. Mercola, sugar alcohols like erythritol are “frequently combined with other low-calorie or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, neotame, saccharin, or as in the case of VitaminWater, crystalline fructose”. Crystalline fructose is just another name for corn syrup, which is nearly always of genetically modified origin and the same cheap sweetener used in soda.
Don’t fall for the lure of sugar alcohols. While it may seem like a good idea in the short term to wean yourself off sugar, the long term risks to gut health and the potential for autoimmune disease by unbalancing the gut environment and damage to the gut wall aren’t worth it.
Better to address that sweet tooth head on and fix the source of the problem in a manner that will truly enhance health and not ultimately harm it with a band-aid approach.
References
University of Sydney Glycemic Index Database
The Sugar Association
Alternative Sweetener Risks
Sarah Pope has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Weston A. Price Foundation. Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year at the International Wise Traditions Conference in 2010. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in Economics from Furman University and a Master’s degree in Government (Financial Management) from the University of Pennsylvania. Mother to three healthy children, blogger, and best-selling author, she writes about the practical application of Traditional Diet and evidence-based wellness within the modern household. Her work has been featured by USA Today, The New York Times, National Review, ABC, NBC, and many others.Hungarian-born cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, winner of an Oscar for his achievements on “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and a nominee for “The Deer Hunter,” “The River” (1984) and the “The Black Dahlia” (2006), has died at 85. His business partner Yuri Neyman said he died January 1 in Big Sur, Calif.
Over a period of five decades in Hollywood, his other outstanding achievements included “Deliverance,” “Blow Out,” “The Ghost and the Darkness” and such Robert Altman films as “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” and “The Long Goodbye.” And he considered it the ultimate compliment that no two of his movies looked alike.
Working into his eighties, Zsigmond also shot a number of episodes of the Fox sitcom “The Mindy Project” from 2012-14. Z |
pretty stinkin’ excited:
This Tweet sends a very clear message: Romo is coming back and he’s coming back with a vengeance.
After suffering a broken collarbone in Week 2, Romo has missed the team’s last seven games. Dallas has lost each one of these games. Now, Romo is expected to return from his injury to face the Dolphins in Week 11, and he’s planning on going undefeated for the rest of the season. In fact, that seems to be the only chance Dallas has at making the playoffs.
For their part, Dallas seems more than capable of winning the final seven games on their schedule this season. They have games against the Dolphins, Panthers, Packers, Jets, Bills, and two matchups against their divisional rival Washington Redskins. None of these teams are push-overs, but none of them are unbeatable either.
The scariest games seem to be against the Panthers and Packers, but the Packers have struggled mightily in recent weeks and it seems hard to imagine that the Panthers will be able to continue to stay undefeated. This week Dallas will visit a Miami Dolphins team that has one of the worst run defenses in the league. That should mean big things for a resurgent Darren McFadden and the Dallas running game, and if McFadden can get going then Romo will find some room to throw downfield.
Dallas follows that up with arguably their toughest matchup of the season: a Thanksgiving Day showdown with the currently undefeated Carolina Panthers. If the Panthers are 10-0 heading into that game, Dallas will be in a perfect position to give them their first letdown of the season. While the Cowboys struggled last Thanksgiving, Tony Romo previously had a 6-1 Thanksgiving day record, throwing for 18 touchdowns and only 6 picks. He’ll look to have a similar performance against Carolina.
Week 13 sees Dallas entering their first of two matchups with the Washington Redskins, a team Dallas should be able to beat. Kirk Cousins looked great last week against New Orleans, but the Dallas front line should be able to get pressure on him and force him into mistakes. Dallas’ talented offense will be able to expose an over-performing Washington D.
The Packers seem scary on paper, but have not been scary on the field lately, so the Green Bay game shouldn’t be as worrisome as it was once thought to be. Games against the Jets and Bills could be tough as these teams have stout defenses, but if Romo can get his offense going, neither Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tyrod Taylor will be able to keep up.
It’s far from a certainty, but the idea of the Cowboys winning their next seven games is certainly not unthinkable. The problem is, at last place in the NFC East, the Cowboys are going to need some help from the rest of the league if they hope to make the playoffs. In particular, they’re going to need their NFC East opponents to lose quite a few games through the final stretch of this season. Here’s what the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins need to do for Dallas to get into the postseason.When it comes to video games that are promising the impossible, Vampyr is up there with Fable and Godus. Now while Fable managed to fall short and still be one of the most beloved ARPGs of our generation, Godus fared significantly less well. So even though I assumed that the open world, interconnected, “anyone can die” grey morality of Vampyr was mostly just for marketing, I was still excited to see how the bloodsucking adventure would turn out.
With Vampyr releasing in November, I finally got to see what shape all of this promise has taken. If you haven’t already checked out the 10 minute gameplay trailer recently released, go ahead and check it out here:
The demo here shows a good split between the combat and dialogue, but the private press demo focused much more heavily on the sidequests and people-feasting. Thirty minutes in total, what I saw was quite promising.
The live gameplay presentation I saw started the same as the demo above, with Dr. Reid tasked by Dr. Swansea to track down Sean Hampton, a local pastor and recently turned Skal. After the dialogue concludes, Dr. Reid hunts around a bit with his vampyric blood vision, searching the nearby hospital room for clues. Now this is the point the public demo cuts to Dr. Reid walking into Tom’s bar. What they cut out was a bit of combat and the introduction of the open world sidequests. Besieged by Skals behind a locked gate, a seemingly intoxicated man taunts the murderous beasts clawing at the gates. After quickly dispatching them with your vampire powers, you find the man unwilling to leave. As Vampyr is divided up between hostile and friendly territory, it’s up to you to convince him to make his way to safety. Once he does, he will join that area’s population, and become interconnected into that narrative web. Or you could just eat him. You are a vampire, after all.
From here the public and private demo match up again, as Dr. Reid enter Tom’s bar in search of Sean. After learning that he is likely hole up in his refuge for the poor beyond the docks, the demos once again split off as Dr. Reid hunts for food. This is where I got a much closer look at just how eating civilians will work in Vampyr. If you don’t already know, the goal with Vampyr was to create a system where most of the experience was gained through devouring the innocent denizens of London. You do gain a nominal amount of EXP through combat—maybe 80 an encounter—but you can gain anywhere from 800 to a few thousand through luring a civilian to their death. The amount that you get depends on their importance, blood quality, and how much you know about them.
What I saw in the private demo focused on three characters: a murderer, a mother, and an orphan (they all had proper names, but as I wasn’t allowed to record I’ll just refer to them as their roles). You’re first introduced to the murderer, who at first just seems like kind of a jerk. You learn that he has lost a locket he intended to give to his mother, which opens a side quest to find it. This side quest can be completed with the locket going to another recipient, a decision you’ll have to make that will lead to different outcomes and clues revealed. You find the locket nearby under a hidden pile of dead bodies, leading to the shocking conclusion that this angry bloke is far more dangerous than he first seemed. This new information not only unlocks new dialogue options with him and related characters, but increases his blood quality level.
Blood quality is the measurement of how much experience you will gain if you choose to end someone’s life. As a doctor, you can heal the sick with various remedies, improving their lives while also upping their blood quality. For the purposes of the private demo, the murderer Dr. Reid met had a cold, lowering his blood quality by 150 points. His elderly mother, on the other hand, was healthy and worth over 1000 points. You find out that the mother has also been taking care of an orphan boy, who I didn’t learn much about in the demo. Opening up her profile, you can see her close relationships and whatever clues you’ve learned about her, such as that she knows her son is a murderer and afraid to turn him in. As she provided the largest experience boost, the demo player decided she was the best meal, and ate the old lady. Harsh.
After consuming his prey, Dr. Reid has to rest to absorb the blood. The blood will give you all the memories of your victim, meaning the clues relating to their close relations will be unlocked. But their death will also impact the world. The health of the district will decrease, and I saw her house abandoned and adopted son left homeless. I got a brief chance to ask the dev team if this would always be the case, and they stated that they wanted there to be a large variance in how your actions effect the world. Some people will have far more of an impact when killed, but everyone will change the world in some way. It’s up to you to decide who lives and who dies, and if you’re willing to live with those consequences.
From here the demos largely meet up again, with the mini-boss fight and encountering Sean. What I saw in the private demo genuinely has me very excited for Vampyr. It’s a bold attempt at creating a real narrative ecosystem, and not just for show. The fact that clues and health effect the benefit of your meal makes the decision to kill all that much more personal and impacting. If I had to know the life story of my cheeseburger before eating it, I might decide on a salad instead.
The narrative complexity might not surprise you, as the developer Dontnod was behind the 2015 episodic adventure hit Life is Strange. With all the vampire narratives out there, the unique take that they are taking on this doctor/killer, shepherd/flock role is a promising one. The combat looks flashy too, I guess, though in all honestly is the last thing I really care about. As long as it all just works, I’m in this one for the story. Check out Vampyr when it drops in November on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In the meantime, have another art gallery!The Art, Experience and Science of Shifting Your Personal Timeline
By Truth | The Healers Journal
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While responding to comments on an article that was recently posted on the Healers Journal, I mentioned the fact that I have consciously experienced the process of shifting timelines on a number of occasions. Sure enough, later that day I began to receive comments asking just what the process of shifting timelines is like. Understanding the nature of timelines, I assumed that most of my readers did as well. However, these comments made me realize that perhaps this concept and experience were not as readily understood as I had previously thought. With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to explain what timelines are and what it feels like to shift between them.
What Exactly Are Timelines?
This is a very difficult concept to explain because it is truly multidimensional in nature. The mind has a difficult time grasping concepts that are outside of its direct conscious experience — in this case, that we cannot consciously be aware of experiencing two different timelines simultaneously (at least in our current state of awareness). That being said, I will take a shot at making sense of it all.
In order to understand what a timeline is, I will present you with a scenario that will help elucidate the concept. Imagine you live an entire lifetime from birth to death, with all its myriad choices and experiences that contribute to the sum total of one life experience. Then, imagine you were going to reincarnate and experience that exact same life all over again. You are born once more and everything is going fine, exactly the same as the first time, however, instead of getting married at age 25, you decide not to. This will create an entirely different set of experiences and essentially a totally different life. This is essentially what a timeline shift is — a major turning point, shift in belief or choice that causes life to be fundamentally altered from its current course from that point onward. Although we are only ever consciously experiencing the timeline that we are engaged in, in our waking state (known as the ‘focal timeline’), in reality our soul is experiencing every possible variation of timelines that could exist in this lifetime.
There are an infinite number of timelines, all occurring simultaneously that account for every possible variation of decision one could make in a given lifetime. An aspect of the soul is experiencing each one of the multitude of timelines, however, your conscious experience is only aware of the events on the ‘focal timeline’, or the one you are now aware of.
This is an extremely simplified explanation of what a timeline actually is, but essentially, every time you make a new choice, you shift a timeline. That being said, most of the time these choices are small and ‘insignificant’ (everything, always, has significance, this is just used for illustrative purposes) enough that it it does not alter the larger themes of your current timeline and therefor does not shift you off of your current timeline in any meaningful way. For instance, most of the time, choosing one item to eat at a restaurant versus another will not impact your life in a significant way that would alter the course of events dramatically and so you remain on the same timeline.
However, there are indeed instances when choosing one thing off the menu over another can alter your timeline, for example, if you got seriously ill, or because the food took longer to come out you ended up in a car accident later that day. These situations do occur, but more often than not, such small decisions have no significant effect on your current focal timeline. And in fact, when the above examples do occur, you are most likely still on the same timeline because these are not conscious decisions where you aware that such a small, normally insignificant choice will have a major impact on your life. These types of events are often planned or called in by the higher self for various reasons, however, this concept is beyond the scope of this article.
The important distinction here is that ‘true’ timeline shifts occur when you have a profound conscious and/or spiritual realization that shifts the direction of your life. That is why you hear people tell stories where they say things like, “…suddenly I had this incredible realization that changed my life forever…”. When we have a profound (often times spiritual) realization about ourselves or the way we perceive reality, we undergo a shift so dramatic that it fundamentally alters the course of our life. It causes us to radically change the way we approach our decision making and life in general and hence a radically different set of possibilities open up to us. Again, conscious timeline shifts happen when we have a conscious spiritual realization.
I think that gets us to the point where I can begin to explain what it feels like to have undergone one of these shifts. I also think that if you followed my logic and truly understand what I have described, you are realizing that you too have also undergone personal timeline shifts (although you may not have recognized them as such when they happened) and can began to remember how you felt. It is a profound feeling that you never really forget.
The Experience of Shifting Timelines
Timeline shifts can be minor or major experiences.
Timeline shifts usually come without advance warning, although immediately preceding them (we’re talking minutes to seconds here), there tends to be a sharp rise in energetic vibration/frequency. Depending on how large the shift is, this can be barely perceptible or quite profound in nature. I have had timeline shifts (in which I was not meditating) where I was literally euphoric for an extended period of time as I began to realize the limitless potential I now had access to by shifting to a new, creative timeline in which I was open to the true unlimited potential we all embody. These shifts were initiated by profound spiritual realizations that had been in the gestation period for some time and finally manifested in a coherent way into my life. They were the result of extended, disciplined efforts at self improvement and spiritual advancement through a variety of means (meditation, yoga, pranayama [breathing techniques], reading, researching, communicating with my guides, work performed in the dream state, intention, diet and mental discipline).
To contrast that, I have also had many minor timeline shifts while meditating where I can feel myself elevating to higher levels of consciousness, perception and creative expression. These types of shifts tend to happen during or immediately following a fast or during portal/alignment dates such as 11-11-11 and 12-12-12 as well as profound cosmic alignments like the recent Ascension and various other unique celestial alignments. These timeline shifts are due to the incoming energies shifting me to higher levels of spiritual awareness and consciousness. I set my intention, I begin to meditate and then tune into in the sacred nature and energetic frequencies of the alignment and almost always I experience a minor to moderate timeline shift. This is simply like a ‘free upgrade’ of sorts. Essentially, it happens because I am open to it and have reached the level of spiritual advancement where these things begin to happen. Also, due to years of practice and development of perceptual sensitivity, I do notice these subtle energetic shifts.
What do they actually feel like? I personally have a physical sensation of becoming lighter and rising up, almost as if I were floating up to the next floor in a tall building. There is a slight dizziness associated with it as if I have become a bit lightheaded and disoriented. Sometimes there is a slight spinning, however, this all lasts for a very short period, on the order of seconds. The energy I feel after the shift is usually euphoric in nature and of varying intensity (the bigger the shift, the more euphoric it tends to be). All in all it is a very pleasurable experience and I always come out of it feeling much lighter and generally at peace with everything around me.
In the context of the recent Ascension, I have experienced multiple timeline shifts which began in earnest on Dec. 20th, 2012. The first of the shifts (which are still occurring as of this writing) happened during a gorgeous hike I took with close friends and was quite unique in nature. Normally, I feel myself shift but not the world around me. In this particular instance, I could feel that not only was I shifting timelines, but that Gaia was shifting with me or rather that I was shifting with her. This was nearly imperceptible due to the somewhat gradual nature of the shift that unfolded over the course of the 2 hour hike. However, once it had locked in, the energetic upgrade was palpable and it was obvious that something big had ‘changed’.
The second timeline shift I experienced was at 11:11am on Dec. 21st, 2012, the day of Ascension. This occurred during a long, unusual and intense meditation and was the first time I experienced a back to back timeline shift. Essentially, I felt the initial shift (which was moderate in intensity) and then before I could even adjust to it, I immediately sensed another of the same strength.
Since Dec. 21st, 2012, I have noticed small, barely perceptible shifts occurring rather frequently throughout the day. Instead of a major shift, these seem to be nearly constant smaller shifts. There are ‘plateaus’ where I am given a ‘breather’ of sorts, but this only lasts a few hours or so before the shifts continue. These minor shifts vary in intensity, sometimes to the point where I will be compelled to stop what I am doing and bask in the energy for a few minutes. From the feel of it, this will only be continuing from this point forward. That is the Ascension. We are being blessed with nearly constant energetic upgrades, shifting us to timelines of greater spiritual awareness, health, peace, harmony, abundance and manifestation. At least, this is what is happening to those who have energized these timelines and truly want such a thing. We all get what we truly want and are ready for at the soul level, dictated purely by our higher selves.
If the Ascension were to be experienced as one major timeline shift, I don’t think most people would be able to handle it. It would be very disorienting and frankly, most are not ready for it save for a small (percentage wise) group of spiritually awakened souls on the planet. Even for them it would be very intense and almost unbearable simply because the reality shifted to would be so different than what was previously experienced, that even if it were a ‘better’ timeline, the sheer ‘culture shock’ of transitioning to a life so drastically different from current 3D reality would be traumatic. Those who Ascended and stayed in the 5th dimension were there energetically before the shift. Now they are there physically in their ‘focal’ timelines, although at that level they have full control of the timelines they choose to create.
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When You Become Conscious of Timeline Shifts, You Can Begin to Consciously Shift Timelines
Becoming conscious of the ability to shift timelines allows one to have greater control over the experience in the sense that they can begin to initiate it consciously by shifting their belief structure and level of perception at will or through mental/physical/spiritual discipline. Essentially a timeline shift is a shift in what you currently believe and think is possible to a more expansive and inclusive worldview encompassing higher spiritual awareness. This changes the potential possibilities in your life and essentially shifts the direction of it completely, hence the name ‘shifting of timelines’.
Thus it is so that those strongly linked into a belief system that does not allow for alternate explanations and growth are not able to easily shift timelines. Those who are constantly examining their personally held beliefs and assumptions and are always open to new information that may lift them to higher levels of spiritual realization tend to experience frequent timeline shifts, as this is the mindset necessary for consistent spiritual advancement. When we stop learning, we stop growing and hence stop shifting.
Closing
Hopefully this essay has helped you to better understand the nature of timeline shifts and their part in the overall framework of your life. By meditating on and working with this concept further, you will be able to gain varying levels of mastery and begin to notice incredible changes in your life. This is something everyone is capable of. The only thing limiting one’s ability to capitalize on the techniques mention herein is their personal beliefs. Whatever it is you believe, it is so.
– Truth
Copyright 2013, The Healers Journal. This article may be shared as long as it is kept in its original form without any alterations to any portion of the text and full attribution remains intact. This copyright notice must also be included in any reposting.
.Yep, it’s been a year since I’ve made the decision. I have to be completely honest, it hasn’t felt that long. But on the other hand, it’s hard for me to remember those days before. All the choices that come along with this lifestyle seem so painfully obvious to me now.
I’ve tried tons of new restaurants, recipes and vegetables that I NEVER would have tried before. Rather than shrinking in options, my diet has definitely expanded. I’ve become involved with a non-profit organization called No Kill Louisville, which is working on creating a no-kill community in regards to adoptable pets. And I’ve participated in my first of many animal rights demonstrations; one being a peaceful protest of Ringling Brothers Circus to stop the confinement and torture of wild animals. I can almost guarantee none of this would have happened if I had not been vegan.
What has been the biggest setback? Not the food. Not the hygiene products. And certainly not the clothes. There are cookbooks, veggies, and packaged items available to even those living in the most rural areas now. You can get shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant at most major supermarkets. And it’s incredibly easy to find fake leather and synthetic fibers for every article of clothing you could ever want. The one thing that makes it difficult sometimes, is the social aspect. And this, I think, is the biggest reason people won’t consider going vegan. I don’t necessarily mean just eating out at Buffalo Wild Wings with your friends. I mean the acceptance factor. Most people don’t want to feel like outsiders. They don’t like to draw attention to themselves. And they certainly don’t want to be continuously ridiculed. Going vegan will earn you all of those things, even from your friends and family, if only for a short period of time. Don’t think for a second that I’m painting myself to be a martyr for the animals. Poor poor, pitiful me. No one understands me, boooo hooo hoooo. That’s not the point. The point is, many people just don’t understand things that are different from what they know. They will be more willing to point at you, than try to educate themselves about the matter. Trust me, I live this. I’m a gay-vegan-atheist.
One of those things people aren’t willing to understand when it comes to veganism, is what it’s really about. Having to convince people that being vegan is healthy should be just as rare as convincing people that the Earth is round. A well-balanced vegan diet is healthy for everyone at every age. A poorly balanced diet of any kind is unhealthy for anyone. As far as ethics are concerned, for me, it’s a no-brainer. Viewing non-human animals as “things” that are beneath us and warrant no right to live except to serve our own desires, is arrogant and speciesist. No different from the arrogant and racist views we held for African slaves. Or the arrogant and chauvinistic views some still hold of women. Not to mention the homophobic society we still live in. They are all connected. Oppression of any group is wrong. Some might feel uncomfortable being linked with cows and pigs. But we are all animals. We feel pain, love, sadness, and have a desire to have companions. Just observe your dog or cat.
But the one big thing I think people misunderstand about veganism, is it’s not about purity. It’s not a cult with a Holy Vegan Book and doctrines you must live by to reach an ultimate level of pure veganity. Over the course of the last year, I can’t tell you how many questions I got from people trying to “get” me, or find some loophole that would magically erase any kind of logic that was found in every other facet. At one point, I actually had someone tell me, “You know micro-organisms have to die for your drinking water!” To which I smiled, shrugged and replied, “I guess I can’t drink water anymore.” Do tires have animal products in them? Yep. Try living in this world without getting around on a few tires. Are most pharmaceuticals tested on animals? Yup. If a doctor says I need to take this pill to live, guess what I’m gonna do? Some things are unavoidable in the world that we live in. Will it always be like this? I am eternally optimistic. We are becoming increasingly more compassionate and responsible about the choices we make. This world is what we make it. Educate yourself.
To me, being a vegan is more than just animal rights. It’s about human rights, as well as caring for the environment as best we can. It’s about challenging world views. It’s about evolving. It’s never been a better time to be vegan.
AdvertisementsIt's probably not easy being B.o.B. You might remember that terrible song "Airplanes" he did with Paramore's Hayley Williams and Eminem back in 2010. You might not remember his 2015 album Psycadelik Thoughtz, because no one paid attention to it. In any case, B.o.B. might be trying to get back in that sweet, sweet spotlight, because recently he's joined a small but vocal minority of celebrities (like Tila Tequila) who are convinced the Earth is flat.
#FlatEarth is a thing now
This may seem preposterous to you. You thought this debate was long settled. You thought all those photos NASA has released of the Earth from space were real photos of the real Earth. Well, actually, you're right. But B.o.B. has some other thoughts. His main argument that the Earth is flat seems to be that the horizon always looks like a straight line in his Instagram pics.
The cities in the background are approx. 16miles apart... where is the curve? please explain this pic.twitter.com/YCJVBdOWX7 — B.o.B (@bobatl) January 25, 2016
One person who answered B.o.B.'s call to "explain this" was astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who loves getting in Twitter fights and he loves proving people wrong — even, or maybe especially, at the expense of fun. So Tyson spent part of yesterday trying to explain to B.o.B. why he was wrong, via a series of tweets, which are not generally known for their ability to inspire rational discussion or provide a useful educational tool.
@bobatl Polaris is gone by 1.5 deg S. Latitude. You’ve never been south of Earth’s Equator, or if so, you've never looked up. — Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 25, 2016
Tyson's facts achieved the effect of nothing, and it seemed things were going to keep, er, spinning along as always. Until last night, when B.o.B. responded to Tyson in the form of a diss track. The track, called "Flatline," samples a NdGT speech in which he talks about the Earth being an "oblate spheroid," which honestly does sound suspicious.
Okay, it's not really a great song, and the sample of an EKG monitor beeping just feels grating after the dozenth time you hear it. But I, for one, feel like we could all use more songs that are vaguely and confusingly about several conspiracy theories. "Rappers get off of my dick, get your own bars up / Now the mirror lizard’s breath got the clones scared," he raps. "Why is NASA department of defense? / They divided up the seas into thirty-three degrees / Feeding kids masonry, bruh, be careful what you read." But it's hard to argue with logic that is just words strung together, so maybe B.o.B. just made the smartest move of all.
At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if Tyson released his own diss track in response. I'm not saying I want that, but the beauty of conspiracy theories is that anything is possible, as long as you believe.
Planet X: We might have a new planet in our solar system (and it's probably round)
Be sure to subscribe to The Verge's YouTube channel for more space videosWhy the hell would anyone want to travel the USA?
For a start, let’s face it the US lacks the variety of wildlife found in Africa and Australia. Okay, they do have ferocious rattlesnakes, hoards of squirrels and a lot of suicidal deer crossing roads at dawn or dusk. Although their microbrewery culture is solid and growing fast, the beers are outrageously expensive, which in my opinion is a human rights issue all on its own.
Then, it’s not an affordable place for long-term budget travellers. A large country without many cheap hostels and/or overland stops. We heard horror stories on social media of whale size Walmart people and areas without Starbucks coffee shops. Can you imagine!?
We were advised to scream “don’t tase me bro” when a police or traffic official stops us. We were warned against gaggles of Harley riding pirates, a scary, unnerving and ungodly sight when passed on a lonely highway. Told to avoid the fast food strips with a drug-induced variety of foods that would beget a heart attack within a few delightful bites.
Well, despite all the above, we decided to risk life and limb and travel the big bad ol’ US of A to experience first-hand the horridness we were sold.
And we made it! We can confidently debunk many of these and other myths.
Let us tell you why in our opinion you should absobloodylutely travel the USA! In the same breath we will offer you a few tips on travelling the land of the free as well as bust some popular myths.
The first thing that hits you when reading up on America is the staggering range of possibilities. There are few other countries with such a combination of beauty, variety of mountains, glaciers, rainforests, deserts, canyons and beaches. Wacky sports, uncanny friendly and inviting souls, the coolest campsites and wild camp areas, tip-top restaurants and bars. Well-nigh anything you can dream up you can do and see in the US.
Our US visas were to date the easiest to get, and not at all the scary hype people made it out to be. None of the piffle advice and admonitions we received were true. The Embassy in Cape Town with typical first world efficiency took no more than 20 minutes in and out. They even offered to courier our passports back home. We experienced the same treatment when we set foot on American soil and walked through customs at Dallas airport. The customs official asked us a few questions and after telling him we want to stay as long as possible to ride as much of the USA as we could, he stamped us with a 6 months’ visa! To date the US customs have proved to be the friendliest and most efficient of any country we have travelled, by miles.
Hank, our friend with the 600’000 miles GS1100BMW whom we met in South Africa on his Africa trip invited us to stay with him while we prep our American bought Suzuki Dr650’s. Both bikes were bought from one very cool dude, Mike in San Antonio. Both were low mileage late models and well cared for bikes. We decided to buy newish bikes as we did not want to start a multi continent long-term, high-mile trip with our old BMW’s which we left in Europe for future use. The poor BMW650Dakars had a rough time with us traversing Africa and around Europe. With the help of Drum at Procycle and Rick and Todd from Cogent we converted the two bikes to overland specification in no time, chop-chop. Kids in a candy store, type thing!
The plan, to take a loop route up to New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, down to Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and then into Mexico and down South America. Our only commitment, an invite from Hank to attend the annual BMW motorcycle gathering in Billings Montana, where he was booked to work at the TouratechUSA stand. All worked out well as this route took us through an incredibly scenic part of the US.
We left for Big Bend National Park from Dilley with a beamish look of excitement to explore the land of opportunities. But something was not quite right … It was all too easy, too nice, there was no drama! The type we had in Africa. It was only when we hit Santé Fe a couple of thousand miles later we had an epiphany.
The Americans did not sit on their arses the last 300 odd years doing nothing. They build a country that is comfortable, easy to live in and easy to travel.
Here’s the kicker!
The way to travel the US is to take it easy, relax and appreciate all it’s offerings. There is fuel everywhere, food, a plethora of places to stay and relatively cheapish hotels. It is fairly safe to travel, Wi-Fi spots almost everywhere, REI’s and Starbucks aplenty. Need something? Get drinks in a humongous “drinking vessel” the size of a Jacuzzi. Or buy beer and snacks from a drive-thru and get camping gear in the next town. Nothing in short supply.
Indulge in the history, culture, spectacular nature and one of the most diverse group of people in the world. Remarkable national parks, wide clean open spaces, wild camp next to clean forest rivers or creeks and enjoy the assortment of museums and attractions, if that’s your thing. Cities, towns and the bucolic one-horseman towns each has its own unique charisma. Road tripping is not meant to be a robust near death type excursion. Although, make no mistake you can easily get lost in some of the million hectare parks and become a toy to a bear. Americans love their comfort, and we utterly enjoyed it for a change.
The small back country towns were by far our favourite. They still have the seductiveness of times gone by. The chummy chatty people are a treat from fuel stop attendants to characters we encountered in dodgy bars. The bigger cities were easy to get around and most downtown areas are reborn as hip hang out places with coffee shops, independent brand shops and bars serving ice cold locally brewed beers with quirky names. Fascinating festivals and events are all over the place, as I said before…you are spoilt for choice!It was a typical work day in the office when George Anastasia received a collect call from prison asking if he would accept.
Anastasia said he always accepts these calls and this time, it was Sergio Battaglia calling. Battaglia was calling to let him know that he had been cooperating with the FBI and telling them everything he knew.
So, after he was convicted and in jail, he called up Anastasia to let him know that some information was going to come out about him.
“He said, ‘Back when you were writing all this stuff, [John] Stanfa told me to get some hand grenades, find out where you live and throw them in your window,’” Anastasia explained. “And then he says to me, ‘But it was nothing personal,’ and I said ‘Sergio, I got a wife and two kids. A hand grenade through the window is very personal.’”
Anastasia went on to reflect about one of his experiences covering the mafia.
“I guess, from a personal standpoint, the most memorable is when I learned that the mob boss in Philadelphia had put a hit on me,” he said.
Something most people would find alarming, Anastasia only found disconcerting. Luckily for him, Stanfa and his crew got caught up in the mob war, so they stopped looking for him.
“So [Stanfa] was a Sicilian mobster who came to Philadelphia and I was writing about his organization and he didn’t like it,” he said. “In Sicily, they kill judges, they kill prosecutors, they kill reporters – if you’re not with them you’re against them…so that was his kind of attitude about this.”
Without knowing, Anastasia was slowly upsetting the mob boss of Philadelphia.
Stanfa had a food distribution company in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia. Anastasia called them and explained that he was doing a story for the Philadelphia Inquirer and they immediately hung up. There was definitely an art to getting these guys to talk, and Anastasia was a natural.
George Anastasia was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in Westville, N.J. When he was four years old, he and his family moved to South New Jersey. He attended Gloucester Catholic for his high school years and later, after he graduated, attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He was the first in his family to attend college, and explained that he was very fortunate. His parents gave him a lot of opportunities to explore his interests.
Anastasia explained he has a degree in French – which comes as a shock to some people – and he got a job at a small newspaper in Woodbury, now the South Jersey Times, after he graduated from college. He started as a sports writer covering it all, based on the season. He even had a bowling column.
“And that’s where I really learned how to write because sports writing you can be a little more creative. There aren’t as many restrictions,” he said. “And I knew sports because I had played sports.”
Anastasia’s brother, Phil Anastasia, teaches sports journalism at Rowan University where George currently teaches as well. Phil was recently inducted into the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame as an acknowledgement of the hard work he brought to journalism for |
faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
In undertaking his actions on February 1st, Rep. Harris violated his oath of office, by actively acting against the First Amendment. So what’s the consequence of that? The same consequences as when Joe Arparo violated the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th amendments, as when Pike and Bologna attacked protesters, using chemical weapons on people exercising their 1st Amendment rights. Nothing.
The serious issue is, there’s no accountability – no respect for the law – by those whose job is to write the law or enforce it. This goes for former members of Congress who have turned into lobbyists as well, demonstrated by Chris Dodd’s blatant admission of bribery when SOPA lost its support.
One North Carolina State Rep, Larry G. Pittman, made news last week for suggesting public hanging should be brought back to increase the deterrence of murder (and he included abortionists there, making him part of the ironically named ‘pro-life movement, better characterised as anti-choice), and that appeals should be filed all at once. Given the often questionable nature of US Capital convictions, it’s rather disturbing. Especially as violations of what is deemed the country’s HIGHEST law, the Constitution, are rarely punished at all. Funnily enough, there are laws specifically to deal with it.
18 USC § 241
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or…
… They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both
and
18 USC § 242
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both;
Perhaps hanging, with only one appeal, would deter people from violating the country’s highest tenets, not that it will happen. Those that wield the power rarely feel the need to submit to the rules they lay on everyone else. And that’s the REAL problem. Until that problem is fixed, the Constitution is just a piece of paper.Some very stupid lawmakers in West Virginia are sick, presumably with the shits. They lifted the state’s ban on raw, unpasteurized milk a few weeks ago, then drank some raw, unpasteurized milk to celebrate, and, well, they are feeling bad lately. This seems an opportune moment to point out that actually, pasteurization is good.
I know it’s cool right now in certain privileged sectors of society to be a hysterical, credulous dipshit about “natural” food pseudoscience and to insist upon consuming only foodstuffs marketed using such meaningless trend-words as “organic” and “whole” and “paleolithic” and “bone broth” and “the measles” and so forth; I know, as well, how this dovetails with the rank anti-intellectual and anti-gubmint paranoia of certain rusticated communities. Probably therefore many readers will dismiss anti-gastroenteritis arguments out of hand. Those readers—whom we love—are stupid. The toilet paper industry thanks them for their generous support.
Pasteurization is neither a barren, mechanized alternative to healthful “natural” living, nor a sinister Communist/secularist scheme to pollute the precious bodily fluids of God-fearing Americans. It is good. It makes things like beer and sardines safe to consume long after their production. Crucially for the breakfast habits and healthful diets of many generations of non-farmers, it also drastically slows the rate at which milk turns into a revolting sour disease broth, so that you can go to your fridge to get some for your corn flakes, rather than holding the bowl beneath the hairy teat of a cow in the barn you do not have and will not ever have.
Raw milk is just milk that spoils faster. But mewwwwwwww, you are mewling, it has “macro-whatevers” or some shit in it which are deflavinated by the pasteurization process, as detailed by Dr. Buh or whoever on Oprah’s show. Shut up. Pasteurized milk has plenty of macro-whatevers. It has macro-whatevers out the ass. Pasteurized milk is good for you. I drank pasteurized milk all the time as a growing lad, and now I am not dead, also gainfully employed, and my children have the correct number of extremities and not diarrhea. (When they get diarrhea it is from jamming their filthy fingers in their mouths, and not from raw milk.)
Yes, unfortunately, many cheeses cannot be made with pasteurized milk. My friend, I take no joy in telling you this, but the time has come for you to face facts: You were not going to make those cheeses. You will not be a cheesemaker. If a cow moved into your home this evening and paid its rent in fresh milk, you would still not make cheese. You do not need raw milk, because you will not make cheese in your life.
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If you want to buy special milk that also doubles as a certificate of your rigorous dedication to principled consumption, buy “organic” milk. Lots of “organic” milk is bullshit, too, but possibly in some instances it might come from cows that have lived better lives than the ones that produced the non-“organic” milk, and in any case they probably are not treated worse. Then you can feel good about your milk choices without shitting yourself inside-out, like those doofuses in West Virginia.
If you are a gourmand who is seriously into exotic dairy products; and you have established a relationship with a trustworthy local dairy farmer who has milk/cheese products that can only be made with raw milk; and you really need to find out for yourself that there’s not much difference at all between raw milk and pasteurized milk, because the flavor profiles of raw milk are really just proxies for the profiles of fresh milk from well-treated, well-fed cows, by all means go for it, I guess, but this is strictly an aesthetic thing and has nothing to do with microflavinoidization or any other putative benefits—nutritional or libertarian or otherwise—of unpasteurized milk.
In conclusion, pasteurized milk is good. It tastes good and is good for you; I bet you are craving some right this minute. If you are reading this internet blog post, probably you are within a mile of a place where you can buy some nice, cold, refreshing pasteurized milk. Go get some. Do not drink raw milk, because that is stupid. No offense to cows, who do their very best.
AdvertisementDejected Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13),left, Monta Ellis (11) and C.J. Miles (0) sit on the bench late in the second half of their game Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016, evening at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-95. (Photo: Matt_Kryger/The_Star)
As the Indiana Pacers gathered Wednesday to begin the second half of their season, it appears the team has found its alpha leader, its vocal chief.
That person is not Paul George, the team’s biggest star. Rather, it is Monta Ellis, the 6-3 guard who is the oldest player on the team at 30. After Wednesday’s practice, Ellis explained, in detail, why he has accepted and embraced his new role.
“I’ve got experience,” he said. “In certain situations, I’m going to voice my opinion and what I think.”
Since he arrived last summer, Ellis has not been afraid to approach his teammates with honesty. He has been on several teams and has seen what it takes to be successful during his 10-year career. He did not like what he saw the last time the Pacers were in Bankers Life Fieldhouse when they were blown out 117-95 by the Charlotte Hornets.
Angry with how the Pacers performed in front of their fans, Ellis called a closed-door, players-only meetingand was its principal speaker. On Wednesday, Ellis said he would not give specifics on what he told his teammates but he did share why he felt it was necessary to speak up.
“With the talent that we have, this game is all mental,” he said. “We have the talent and the players to accomplish anything we want. It’s just sometimes a season can get frustrating and things don’t go the way we want them to go and we lose sight of things. I just had to get everybody and just reboot their minds.”
Ellis told his teammates to be responsible for their assignments. He told them to not lose focus, not with the playoffs just two months away. He also asked them to take time during the All-Star break to rest and to return for the second half of the season recharged.
“Everybody was bought in and I knew that from day one,” Ellis said. “We've just got to get this three-game road trip going and see how we respond.”
The Pacers (28-25) will open their trip Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the league’s best teams, in front of a national television audience.
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Coach Frank Vogel said the ball, and many decision-making opportunities, will remain in Ellis’ hands for much of the remainder of the season. He has also given Ellis a goal.
“We’ve got to improve our passing,” Vogel said. “We have to take care of our turnover problem. I think that’s probably the biggest offensive emphasis.”
Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) attempts to rip the ball from Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) in the second half of their game Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016, evening at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-95. (Photo: Matt_Kryger/The_Star)
George said he felt the players’ meeting was a positive.
He and Vogel said they do not want President Larry Bird to make a move before Thursday’s trade deadline. George believes the Pacers have enough talent to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference, even if other teams make trades. George also said the team’s chemistry is strong, spearheaded by Ellis.
“He’s been a leader this whole season,” George said. “Monta has incredible leadership. He’s been someone I’ve been feeding off of. His way of reaching and interacting with everyone and being the same person every day, whether it’s a long day, whether it’s a short day, whether he’s got a lot going on, whether his mind is cleared, he’s been the same teammate. He’s been the same friend and same brother in the locker room.”
Last month, George mentioned, without prompting, that the Pacers missed having David West, both for his execution in late-game situations and his leadership in the locker room. George called West, his former teammate for four seasons, the Pacers’ backbone for those years.
But since those comments, George said he has learned a substantial amount from Ellis. While including himself, George Hill and Ian Mahinmi as other leaders, George has found it easy to rely on Ellis for advice.
“I think Monta is filling that void,” George said of Ellis replacing West. “Us four have kind of shouldered that leadership. There’s going to be times where I really need these guys. They’ve been there for me to pick me up when I’ve needed them the most.”
Ellis, upon emerging as a leader, has been one of the better Pacers after having fluid drained from his right knee on Jan. 11. Although he is averaging 13.9 points and 4.8 assists, Ellis did not exclude himself last week when it came to his criticism of the team.
“With me too, also, I can do a little more,” he said. “I've got to pick my game up. For me to do that, I have to do the right thing of approaching the game the right way and being more aggressive.”
With the ears and attention of his teammates, Ellis said his solution for the Pacers was not complicated.
“Really, what we need to do is play basketball how we were at the beginning of the season,” he said. “That’s getting out running, having fun and getting wins.”
Call Star reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter: @ByNateTaylor.
Pacers at Thunder, 8 p.m. Friday, ESPN, Fox Sports Midwest
Ride along as we travel with the Pacers via the IndyStar Pacers XTRA app: http://bit.ly/1BR4fDsAnthony Crolla: On the mend following attack
Anthony Crolla is aiming for a summer comeback as he continues his recovery from a brutal attack last month.
The 28-year-old from Manchester was left with a fractured skull and broken ankle after pursuing two men who he saw in his garden after hearing his neighbour's burglar alarm going off on December 16.
His world title shot against WBA lightweight champion Richard Abril on January 23 was scrapped as a result and his trainer Joe Gallagher initially admitted he was unsure whether the fighter would even be able to box again.
But Crolla is well on the way to recovery and has now moved up to No 2 behind Juan Diaz in the latest WBO rankings.
And with champion Terence Crawford widely expected to step up to light-welterweight in the near future, Crolla may be a step closer to resurrecting his shot at a world belt.
The plan is to get out in the summer, but we've not talked about opponents yet or what kind of fight it will be. Anthony Crolla
"It really cheered me up," he told the Daily Telegraph. "Obviously, Terence Crawford is the champion, but it seems common knowledge that he's going to move up in weight. I could end up being right by the time that comes around.
"The plan is to get out in the summer, but we've not talked about opponents yet or what kind of fight it will be. It doesn't bother me. I'll be ready to get straight back in there.
"I boxed in November and by the time the summer comes around it will be seven or eight months. There are loads of fighters who fight on that sort of schedule.
"It's not like I'll be out of the ring for a few years or there's going to be major rust. I'll just get the right sparring in and be ready straight away for a big fight.
"At the minute there's no weight being put on my ankle. With the fractured skull, I'll take my time getting back into sparring. But I'll make a full recovery and before I know it I'll have a big fight in the summer."
He added: "I've got a cast on for another three weeks. There's only so much TV you can watch. Hopefully I can get back on my feet, start the rehab and get back to full fitness. I'm getting better all the time."Two weeks ago we discussed our gameplay landscape in this Faeria Friday and we are now ready to introduce the significant balance changes promised. While this is the final planned major balance patch before our 1.0 launch, we will of course be monitoring carefully to see what still needs tweaking after this update. Please note that while this patch sets the definitive tone for the meta we want, we've done a big quantity of changes and expect there might be some cards to recalibrate.
Read on for the details, or head to this post on boards to read our designer commentary about this patch.
In addition to individual card updates, we have two key changes:
Slam has been removed from the game, with the exception of Boulder Thrower.
Structures can now be activated during the same turn that you summon them in.
Neutral
Imperial Guard
Now 2/3, up from 2/2.
Now has Last Words: Gain 2 life.
Defender of the Homeland
Faeria cost decreased from 3 to 2.
Now 1/2, down from 2/4.
Now has Gift: If you were attacked last turn, summon another Defender of the Homeland.
Radiance, Imperial Airship
Slam is removed.
Now has Gift: Gain 1 life for each card in your hand.
Punishment
No change has been made to the wording of Punishment, but it now correctly deals 5 damage to Pandora treasures again.
Blue
Forbidden Library
Faeria cost decreased from 2 to 1.
Lake cost increased from 2 to 4.
Dream Reaver
Faeria cost increased from 6 to 7.
Lake cost increased from 6 to 7.
Now 7/10, up from 6/10.
Frogify
Faeria cost decreased from 5 to 4.
Lake cost increased from 2 to 3.
Wavecrash Colossus
Slam is removed.
Faeria cost decreased from 9 to 8.
Minimum cost decreased from 5 to 4.
Sunken Tower
Faeria cost increased from 1 to 2.
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Green
Sagami Huntmaster renamed to Sagami Grovecaller
Now has Gift: Teleport another friendly creature to a forest you control. (Was: Teleport an adjacent friendly creature to a land you control)
Feral Kodama
Slam is removed.
Faeria cost decreased from 6 to 5.
Is now 5/5, down from 7/7.
Now: Can’t Harvest.
Whenever this creature attacks a god, gain 5 life.
Oak Father
Slam is removed.
Now 6/6, up from 5/5.
Ruunin, the Relentless
Faeria cost decreased from 8 to 6.
Now 4/4, down from 6/6.
Now has Dash 2.
Last Words are now: Return Ruunin to your hand. She gains +2/+2.
Overgrown Tower
Structure life decreased from 4 to 3.
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Ruunin’s Presence
Faeria cost decreased from 5 to 4.
Red
Hate Seed
Faeria cost increased from 6 to 7.
Shedim Pest
Now 4/3, up from 4/2.
Gift decreased from +2/+2 to +2/0.
Firebringer
Now 1/1, down from 2/2.
Seifer, Blood Tyrant
Slam is removed.
Faeria cost decreased from 6 to 5.
Boulder Thrower
Slam keyword is removed, but still functions the same.
Text now reads: Ranged. When this creature attacks, it also damages each enemy adjacent to the target.
Lord of Terror
Faeria cost increased from 5 to 6.
Mountain cost decreased from 3 to 2.
Now 0/10, from 1/5.
Deathtouch removed.
Now has Taunt.
Whenever Lord of Terror is dealt damage, deal 2 damage to your opponent.
Derelict Tower
Faeria cost increased from 2 to 3.
Structure life increased from 3 to 4.
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Hellfire
Faeria cost decreased from 8 to 7.
Yellow
Doomsday
Now ends your turn after it is played.
Annoying Gnat
Now 1/1, down from 2/1.
Dune Drake
Attack decreased from 4 to 3.
Zealous Crusader
Faeria cost decreased from 5 to 4.
Now 3/3, up from 2/2.
Gains +1/+1 per attack on enemy god, down from +2/+2.
Wind Gate
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Celestial Tower
Now gives Charge 3, down from Charge 5.
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Shaytan Vampire renamed to Shaytan Monstrosity
Previous abilities removed.
Desert cost increased from 2 to 4.
Now 0/4, from 6/6.
Now has Charge 2.
Whenever a friendly creature dies, this creature drains its attack.
Doomgate, Door to Oblivion
Faeria cost increased from 2 to 3.
Structure life increased from 1 to 3.
Now gains +2 life with each sacrifice, down from +4.
(All structures can now be activated on the turn you play them)
Ostregoth, Hand of Oblivion
Slam is removed.
Multicolor
Warstorm Champion
Slam is removed.
Faeria cost reduced from 7 to 6.
Disenchant
The following cards will have their full disenchant values until February 10th, 2017:
Wavecrash Colossus
Sagami Grovecaller
Oak Father
Ruunin, the Relentless
Hate Seed
Seifer, Blood Tyrant
Lord of Terror
Shedim Pest
Firebringer
Dune Drake
Zealous Crusader
Shaytan Vampire
Forbidden Library
Dream Reaver
Feral Kodama
Doomsday
Annoying Gnat
Update: We've applied a small follow-up patch fixing some bugs, and addressing Chalice from the Palace:This blog offers background and follow-up information concerning an article I wrote for Ha'aretz in July of 2009 titled “Palestinians still waiting for better cell phone service, but is it Israel's fault?" Here's the link.
My article investigated the politics behind the delayed launch of a new Palestinian mobile phone operator called Wataniya Palestine, a subsidiary of a multi-national telecommunications company. Wataniya had constructed hundreds of towers and invested millions, but was unlawfully denied airwave frequency spectrum to launch its operation. The company was unwittingly embroiled in a dispute between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government, which controls the airwaves in the Palestinian Territories.
Last November, Wataniya received 3.8 MHz of frequency spectrum and finally launched its operation. I've therefore discontinued posting on the blog. Please contact me by email with any questions or comments: ashleybates@comcast.net.Microsoft has announced a new self-serve program for students at eligible schools that allows them to sign up for a free Office 365 license on their own. The offer is available first in the US and will roll out globally later this year.
The new program builds on the Student Advantage initiative that launched last year. Previously, schools had to go through several steps in order to approve free Office subscriptions, but now students can sign up online using their school email address. In order to qualify, students need to be attending campuses that have purchased an organization-wide Volume Licensing Program.
Students will get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher on up to five PCs or Macs. They’ll also have access to Office apps on Windows tablets and the iPad, 1 TB of OneDrive storage, and Office Online.
Education faculty will also be able to get free Office 365 ProPlus subscriptions, which include desktop versions of the productivity software but lack email, web conference, file storage, and site mailbox features, later this year if their campuses purchase an organization-wide Office license. US-based teachers can start signing up for Office 365 ProPlus in October, followed by international availability later this year.
➤ Students and teachers: You may be eligible to get Office for free
Thumbnail image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Read next: AT&T and Chernin's Otter Media buys YouTube network FullscreenDiscussing Maurice Merleau-Ponty's "Primacy of Perception" (1946) and The World of Perception (1948).
This is a 33-minute preview of our vintage 1 hr, 42-minute episode which you can buy at partiallyexaminedlife.com/store or get it for free with PEL Citizenship (see partiallyexaminedlife.com/membership). You can also purchase the full episode in the iTunes Store: Search for "Partially Merleau-Ponty" and look under "Albums."
What is the relation of perception to knowledge? In M-P's phenomenology, perception is primary: even our knowledge of mathematical truths is in some way conditioned by and dependent on the fact that we are creatures with bodies and senses that work the way they do. Science is great, but it doesn't discover the truth of things hiding behind perception: it is an abstraction from certain kinds of perceptions. Other modes of approaching things, e.g. art, can equally well give us knowledge, though of a different kind.
Mark, Seth, Wes, and Dylan argue over whether this thesis is just a bunch of truisms and despair over not having read The Phenomenology of Perception, the longer work which what we did read was meant to summarize. Is M-P just saying that scientific knowledge is defeasible, which scientists already believe? Read more about this topic.
Buy "The Primacy of Perception and its Philosophical Consequences," or read it online. Buy World of Perception, or read online.
End song: "Write Me Off" by Mark Lint and the Simulacra. Read about it.
Looking for the full Citizen version?Limerick FC have confirmed the re-signing of central defender Samuel Oji for the 2014 season, with manager Stuart Taylor pointing to the “massive influence” that the former Arsenal youngster had on his team’s fortunes last term.
Oji arrived at an out-of-form Limerick in late August and played a key role in the club’s best run of the year.
That was a three-game winning streak in September, which included inflicting a damaging defeat on title challengers Dundalk at Oriel Park.
The 28-year-old in total started six games and the instant impact that he made meant that he was towards the top of Taylor’s wish-list for the new campaign.
And, after Oji put pen to paper on a new contract on Friday afternoon, the Superblues boss stated he is “the type of player that will help us progress the club”.
Speaking to LimerickFC.ie, Taylor said: “I’m absolutely delighted to get Sami back on board.
“He had a massive influence on us towards the end of last season and played a huge part in our success – we had our best run of the season after he came in.
“He solidified things at the back for us and gave players confidence. He’s a tremendous leader in that position and he’s the type of player that will help us progress the club.
“Sami’s influence rubbed off on other players and a lot of them improved when he came in. Stephen Folan was one. Stephen is a huge prospect for the football club and they formed a good partnership.
“I’m sure that will be the same again and Michael Leahy is there, so there is great competition for places in that position.
“Sami also had a good rapport with the supporters and I’m sure it’s one that they’ll be over the moon with.
“It gives us a good solid base to build on now. As well as having quality, we also have players that know each other and hopefully that will help us.
“Sami settled in really well at the football club because of his personality but also because of the good personalities and characters that we have in the dressing-room. That made the transition easier for him.
“That’s something we have – any newcomers that come into the club, we make them feel welcome.
“We’ve got a good dressing-room and everyone wants to achieve success. When you’ve got a dressing-room where everyone is pulling in the same direction, it makes it easier to settle in.
“Sami straight away gained respect from his fellow pros because they could see the leadership qualities that he has.
“We’re looking for that again, and with a good pre-season under his belt which he didn’t have the last time, Sami will be a big part of our team for the coming season.
“We’ve got quality across the back four. We’ve got Shaun Kelly and Shane Costelloe at right-back, Robbie Williams and Colm Murphy at left-back, and Sami, Stephen, Michael and Tony Whitehead at centre-back. We’re looking strong there.”
Limerick FC Chairman Pat O’Sullivan added his delight at the defender penning a new deal.
“The signing of Samuel Oji last season made a huge difference to the overall team and we welcome him back,” Pat said.
“We hope that his presence in the team in the upcoming campaign will enable us to carry on the good form that we showed in the latter part of the past season.”
Taylor went on to say that he is in talks with a number of players but that he will remain patient in completing his squad.
“We’re actively in talks with players at this moment in time,” he said, with pre-season training set to kick-off on Sunday 12 January. “If they come off before the New Year, we’ll be over the moon.
“But we’ll be patient. We always have been as we want to get the right people in. Hopefully, we’ll have more signings soon but if it’s in the New Year then that’s fine.
“There’s no rush. I’m really happy with the way the squad is shaping up.”GST has been the buzz word this week! Finally, the much-awaited Goods & Services Tax Bill (GST Bill) has been given a nod, which will pave the way for it to fulfil further protocol before it comes into effect, hopefully by the government's deadline of April 2017!
When it is rolled out, the GST is going to hvae a domino effect on the industry and consumers both.
Let's take a look on how GST will affect you:
Currently, any basic bill is made up of a value added tax (VAT), service tax, Swacch Bharat Cess, Krishi Kalyan cess, and lots more. The outflow of money under the pretext of indirect taxes is phenomenal right now. GST is aimed at getting all these taxes under one name and rate, to create a win-win situation both, for the Centre and state governments, and India Inc.
What is GST?
Also read GST roll out will simplify doing business in India: Arun Jaitley
The GST is a comprehensive tax system levied on goods and services at a national level. This system will collect the taxes at the consumption-level, where the consumers buy the goods and services from a retailer or a service provider. It will replace all the different kinds of indirect taxes with one single tax system. About 150 countries in the world already have GST in place.
How will GST affect the common man?
Also read GST may bring down the effective tax rate
The tax system in India is very complex right now and it makes it difficult for various businesses to comply with a cumulative tax structure. If GST can reduce the operating cost of these businesses, it will lead to lower taxes to be paid by the consumer at the end-level.
GST will change what we pay for most goods and services, since it will be applicable on nearly everything we consume. Currently, only alcohol and petroleum products have been kept out of the purview of the GST. Apart from that, the new GST rate which will be decided in the upcoming months, by the GST Council, will decide what we pay, going ahead.
Also read Thanks to GST, India will be one market soon
However, looking at the fundamentals and the current taxes in place, let me try and give you an idea about what you will be paying for essential goods and services, once GST is put into action.
What will be Expensive?
Eating Out
Yes, your restaurant bills and eating out bills are likely to go up once GST is rolled out. For example, if you were used to spending Rs 100 on eating out, then there is a service tax and VAT of 18.5%, on an average. So apart from the service charge, you would usually shell out Rs 118.50. It is expected that the GST rate will be fixed at about 18-20% which is higher than the 18.5% we spend cumulatively under different tax heads. So, be ready to pay more for outside food!
Say goodbye to cheap calling on mobile phones!
On your mobile bill, there is a service tax of 15% currently. This means, on every Rs 100 bill, you have to pay Rs 15 in taxes. If GST comes in at the expected 18-20%, then your mobile bills will go up.
Costlier Banking Insurance Clothes Jewellery Restaurant Bill Travelling Sporting events Ambulance Services Cultural Programmes Mobile calls Trucks Pilgrimages
Jewellery to become more expensive
If you are planning to buy jewellery, it will be advisable to buy it before the GST regime comes into place. This is because, currently, only a 2% effective tax passed on to the consumer but once the GST model is in place, at least 6% effective tax rates could be imposed, impacting your jewellery buys.
What will be cheaper?
Online Shopping
GST is expected to bring down the cost of logistics significantly, even making inter-state trade smoother because of a uniform tax rate. This will facilitate faster movement of goods across the country and help bring down costs for e-commerce companies. Overtime, e-commerce companies are expected to pass on the benefits of this to the end consumer.
Branded Clothes!
Excise duty and VAT will be subsumed under the GST. This will make branded clothes cheaper.
Cars
The automobile industry may be the biggest beneficiary of the GST. From making cost to spare parts, paint, logistics, the cost is likely to come down at every level of manufacturing and sale of a model. Right now, the prices are different across various states, this will also be done away with with GST.
Cheaper Building materials Acs Fans Mobile phones Paint Processed goods Cement Buying a house Movie tickets Two-wheelers Cars
LED TVs
Currently, there's a 24.5% tax on a Rs 20,000 LED TV. With the GST rate likely to be fixed at 18-20% band, you will shell out less for LED TVs and other gadgets.
Rishabh Parakh is a Chartered Accountant and the Chief Gardener & Founder Director of Money Plant Consulting, a leading Tax & Investment Planning Advisory Service Provider. He also runs a personal finance blog called “Mango Investor” aka AAM Niveshak at www.mangoinvestor.com. Readers are invited to send their feedback to rishabhparakh@moneyplantconsulting.netThe cash blitz may actually have hurt Mitt Romney and other GOP candidates. The billion-dollar bust?
The Billion-Dollar Buy: About this series
Like never before, big dollars are having a big impact on politics and governance. This series examines how the new wide-open fundraising landscape will affect the 2012 campaigns.
See also: Inside Koch world | GOP groups plan record $1 billion blitz | Rove hits big: Birth of a mega-donor | Myth of the small donor | Sheldon Adelson: Inside the mind of the mega-donor | Secret cash for GOP door-knockers | IRS's 'feeble' grip on big political cash | The new normal: $9M for rural House seat
Big outside money fundamentally changed American politics in 2012 — just not the way the Republicans who planned a $1 billion blitz to defeat President Barack Obama wanted.
Story Continued Below
Ultimately, in fact, it may have hurt Republicans almost as much as it helped.
( PHOTOS: 2012 mega-donors)
The high-dollar barrage spurred once wary Democrats to launch their own big money machine — which ended up nearly matching the GOP’s overall spending and actually put more ads on the air than the Republicans.
Mega-donors dragged out the primary and exposed Mitt Romney to damaging attacks on Bain Capital and social issues, some of the same attacks that Obama used to take him down. And outside money weakened the traditional party establishment’s hold on the process and propped up insurgent Senate candidates who lost on Tuesday.
( Also on POLITICO: Top Republican mega-donors)
Both sides are already planning their next big money pushes, but some of the top GOP donors are asking whether they wasted their time and money in 2012, and are considering changing their ways somewhat going forward.
“I have not been a big fan of ads from Day One,” said Foster Friess, whose money kept Rick Santorum alive in the Republican primary, adding he was planning to shift his cash from television ads to grass-roots organizing.
( Also on POLITICO: Top Democratic mega-donors)
“I’m sort of burned out right now — just how much effort and resources I put into it — but I think it’s money well spent because it’s part of the process. And you don’t always win,” the retired mutual fund pioneer told POLITICO.
Karl Rove’s Crossroads outfit is holding a phone call for its big donors Thursday to sum up the race, said Stan Hubbard, a Minnesota media mogul and mega-donor. “Obviously, somebody made a mistake and didn’t do things right. There’s no question about that,” he said.
( Also on POLITICO: Secret cash for GOP door-knockers)
Romney and his allies spent $1.2 billion on the race, compared with $1 billion spent by Obama and his allies, according to a POLITICO analysis of records on Federal Election Commission data and public statements. Nearly 40 percent of Team Romney’s spending came from super PACs and other unlimited outside money groups, compared with about 12 percent for Team Obama.
But the final tally for 2012 might never be known because some of the biggest spending outfits, particularly on the right, are nonprofit groups that are allowed to keep their donors and many details of their spending a secret from the public.
( FULL SERIES: The Billion |
people in the name of security.
In his recently released annual report, privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien says his office provided advice on the potential pitfalls, including the possibility of “false positives” that could result in unnecessary secondary screening for travellers.
The office also urged the border agency to assess the risks of using such technology, including issues that might arise during testing phases.
The border agency declined to make anyone available to discuss the project. In written answers, the agency said it continues to work with the commissioner to “ensure that privacy implications are appropriately addressed.”
The agency also noted that while it plans to test the technology in an “operational context,” no trials involving actual travellers have yet taken place.
The surveillance tool could eventually be in place at border points and international airports across Canada.
According to the commissioner’s office, for facial recognition to be successful there needs to be a quality digital image of an individual’s face, a database of images of identified individuals and facial-recognition software that will accurately find a match between the two.
Technical findings published by the federal border agency indicate researchers have assessed the technique’s use in settings such as an interview counter, hallway, turnstile, and waiting and baggage-claim areas.
One thread of the research looked at a system’s ability to match images of people in a video stream with photos of “persons of interest.”
The Calgary police service is said to be the first force in Canada to use the technology for solving crimes.
Passport Canada has been using facial recognition for years to scrutinize photos and prevent the same person from holding multiple passports under different names. The privacy commissioner has made several recommendations about the initiative, saying all of the data in the system should be protected through encryption.
“We are not yet at the point where we can take pictures of people on the street with our smartphones, identify them, and gain access to information about them,” said a March 2013 report published by the commissioner’s office.
“However, this reality may not be too far off and we can only imagine what that will do to our interactions, relationships, and how we conduct our lives.”Gordon B. Hinckley, 97, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and an energetic grandson of pioneers who led his denomination during a period of great expansion in membership and facilities, died last night at his home in Salt Lake City, a church spokeswoman said.
In 1995, after many years in leadership posts in what is often called the Mormon church, Hinckley became president. He was the 15th person to hold that post.
The president of the church is held in special regard by the members, who see him as a prophet of God "in the same way they revered the prophets of scripture," according to material posted on the church's Web site.
Hinckley underwent cancer surgery in 2006, but church spokeswoman Kim Farah said last night that "the cause [of his death] was incident to his age."
Despite his age, Farah said, Hinckley had remained active and was coming in to the office as recently as last week.
The church said it did not expect a successor to be formally chosen until after Hinckley's funeral "within the next few days."
During Hinckley's tenure in what is a lifetime post, the number of temples around the world grew rapidly; from 56 in 1999, the figure doubled in three years, a result of what the church said was his "personal drive and direction." Temples are special structures, reserved for certain sacraments and distinguished from the many places used for Sunday worship.
Hinckley's years at the head of the church also coincided with a growth in membership from a reported 9 million to what Farah said was more than 13 million.
In 2004, President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
The church was founded in the United States in 1830 and has been described as perhaps the most successful religion or denomination to begin on U.S. soil.
"Of course we knew this time was coming," Farah said last night. "But it is still a time of profound sadness for the members of the church.
"President Hinckley was beloved, but it is also a time for us to reflect on his remarkable life and accomplishments," Farah said.Scottish giants Celtic have dismissed reports suggesting they are lining up a move for Leeds United defender Tom Lees.
The Hoops were linked with a move for the 22-year-old yesterday, with the Glasgow outfit said to be leading the chase for the highly-rated stopper – with Aston Villa, QPR, Wigan Athletic and Cardiff City also reportedly monitoring the situation.
But according to sources north of the border, Celtic – who are close to finalising a move for Israel defender Rami Gershon – have no plans to make a move for Lees.
United are not likely to welcome any serious moves from any clubs regarding Lees, rated highly by boss Neil Warnock, who has likened him in terms of potential to England and Everton defender Phil Jagielka, who blossomed under his guidance at Sheffield United a decade ago.
Lees only signed a long-term deal with United, contracting him with the club until 2016, at the end of May and he remains very much a part of Warnock’s plans at Elland Road.
United’s link with long-term target Clint Hill have resurfaced, although it is unlikely that Queens Park Rangers will do any business this month - with the summer a more likely time.
With Ryan Nelsen tipped to move to America and a player-coaching role at DC United, Rangers boss Harry Redknapp is wary of being short of central defensive cover, with skipper Hill having also been a regular in his plans – while being massively popular with R’s supporters. Click here to register and have your say on the Leeds United stories and issues that matter to youAugust 3, 2011
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They will all be on Baltimore Avenue tomorrow.
The monthly Baltimore Avenue Stroll, which runs tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will feature the usual large selection of dollar items – from cans of beer and samosas to theater tickets and ice cream. But new additions include the city’s first “parklet,” which will be officially unveiled a few hours before the stroll begins. As we reported earlier, the parklet is on 43rd Street, adjacent to the Green Line Cafe.
As part of the celebration DJ Osagie will play some tunes in the parklet.
Speaking of music, there will be a lot of action at the west end of the stroll this time. None other than Schoolly D, a gangsta rap original, will be DJing outside Elena’s Soul, which will be serving dollar wings, yams, potato salad, mac and cheese. Schoolly D also has a song, “West Philly,” on the downloadable “West Philly Mix Tape.” You can pickup a card that gives you access to the download at the University City District table, which is usually located near the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore.
The Philly rock band The Makes will be performing and the new Mediterranean restaurant Aksum (4630 Baltimore Ave.) will participate in its first Dollar Stroll. There will likely be more food trucks in the mix this time too. For a rundown of vendors, click on the image.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Rome and Paris to talk about Mideast peace, Syria and Iran but was confronted by outrage over the sweep and scope of U.S. snooping abroad.
President Barack Obama already has defended America's surveillance dragnet to leaders of Russia, Mexico, Brazil, France and Germany and was even quizzed about it during his birthday appearance on late-night television.
In the short run, Obama and Kerry are trying to quell international anger over classified disclosures by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Longer term, Snowden's revelations about NSA tactics — that allegedly include tapping up to 35 world leaders' cellphones — threaten to undermine U.S. foreign policy in a host of areas.
It's the vacuum-cleaner approach to data collection that has rattled foreign allies.
"The magnitude of the eavesdropping is what shocked us," former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a radio interview. "Let's be honest, we eavesdrop too. Everyone is listening to everyone else. But we don't have the same means as the United States, which makes us jealous."
Meanwhile, thousands of people marched on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday to protest against the NSA's surveillance program.
Organizers of the rally, the Stop Watching Us Coalition, want to end government spying on American citizens.
Where in the world isn't the NSA?
The disclosures not only raise the question: Where in the world isn't the NSA? They also sparked debate about whether tapping the phones of allies is a step too far. The question might already be moot. The British ambassador to Lebanon, Tom Fletcher, tweeted this week: "I work on assumption that 6+ countries tap my phone. Increasingly rare that diplomats say anything sensitive on calls."
Diplomatic relations are built on trust. If America's credibility is in question, the U.S. will find it harder to maintain alliances, influence world opinion and maybe even seal trade deals.
The magnitude of the eavesdropping is what shocked us. - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
Spying among allies is not new. Madeleine Albright, secretary of state during the Clinton administration, recalled being at the United Nations and having the French ambassador ask her why she said something in a private conversation that the French had apparently intercepted. The French government protested revelations this week that the NSA had collected 70.3 million French-based telephone and electronic message records in a 30-day period.
Albright says Snowden's disclosures have been very damaging to U.S. policymakers.
"A lot of the things that have come out, I think are specifically damaging, because they are negotiating positions and a variety of ways that we have to go about business," Albright said at a conference hosted by the Center for American Progress in Washington. "I think it has made life very difficult for Secretary Kerry.... There has to be a set of private talks that, in fact, precede negotiations and I think it makes it very, very hard."
Free trade talks
The spy flap could give the Europeans leverage in talks with the U.S. on a free trade agreement, which would join together nearly half of the global economy. "If we go to the negotiations and we have the feeling those people with whom we negotiate know everything that we want to deal with in advance, how can we trust each other?" Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, asked.
Claude Moniquet, a former French counterintelligence officer and now director of Brussels-based European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center, said the latest NSA flap came at a good time for Europe "to have a lever, a means of pressure... in these negotiations."
To Henry Farrell and Martha Finnemore at George Washington University, damage from the NSA disclosures could "undermine Washington's ability to act hypocritically and get away with it."
The danger in the disclosures "lies not in the new information that they reveal but in the documented confirmation they provide of what the United States is actually doing and why," they wrote in Foreign Affairs. "When these deeds turn out to clash with the government's public rhetoric, as they so often do, it becomes harder for U.S. allies to overlook Washington's covert behaviour and easier for U.S. adversaries to justify their own."
They claim the disclosures forced Washington to abandon its "naming-and-shaming campaign against Chinese hacking."
The revelations could undercut Washington's effort to fight terrorism, says Kiron Skinner, director of the Center for International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University. The sweeping nature of NSA surveillance goes against the Obama administration's claim that much of U.S. espionage is carried out to combat terrorism, she says.
"If Washington undermines its own leadership or that of its allies, the collective ability of the West to combat terrorism will be compromised," Skinner said. "Allied leaders will have no incentive to put their own militaries at risk if they cannot trust U.S. leadership."
Push for end to eavesdropping
The Obama administration's rebuttal to outrage has been that the U.S. is gathering foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations and that it's necessary to protect the U.S. and its allies against security threats.
Kerry discussed the NSA affair in Europe with French and Italian officials. "He certainly recognizes that as we look to pursue a range of diplomatic priorities, whether that's working together on global issues like Syria or Iran or TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), it would really be a mistake to let these disclosures get in the way," she said.
Most governments have not retaliated, but some countries are pushing back.
Germany and France are demanding that the Obama administration agree by year's end to new rules that could mean an end to reported American eavesdropping on foreign leaders, companies and innocent citizens.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff cancelled her official state visit to the White House. She ordered measures aimed at greater Brazilian online independence and security after learning that the NSA intercepted her communications, hacked into the state-owned Petrobras oil company's network and spied on Brazilians.
Brazil says it is working with other countries to draft a United Nations General Assembly resolution that would guarantee people's privacy in electronic communications.
A European Parliament committee in Brussels approved sweeping data protection rules that would strengthen online privacy and outlaw the kind of data transfers the U.S. is using for its spying program.
European lawmakers have called for the suspension of an agreement that grants U.S. authorities access to bank data needed for terror-related investigations.
"We need trust among allies and partners," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose cellphone was allegedly tapped by the NSA. "Such trust now has to be built anew."Last week, a lawyer for a Louisiana teachers’ union wrote a letter to 95 private schools that have agreed to participate in the Pelican State’s new school voucher program. His message? That vouchers are unconstitutional and if schools accept them, “We will have no alternative other than to institute litigation against [you].”
Nice little private school you got there. It’d be a shame if an angry education monopoly sunk it with groundless lawsuits.
The letter demonstrates the union’s desperation. Teachers’ unions hate vouchers because they require schools to compete on cost and quality, which means they’re unlikely to increase union rolls by hiring extra teachers. And the unions have every reason to be worried about Louisiana’s initiative: More than 10,000 kids have already signed up for the four-month-old program, five times as many as the state superintendent expected to sign up by this point.
Bill Maurer of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, tells me that this legal intimidation is “unprecedented.” The Institute for Justice and the Alliance for School Choice have retained a lawyer to defend these schools pro bono.
Louisianans’ interest in vouchers grew out of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. In the wake of the storm, which destroyed many of New Orleans’ schools, state legislators instituted a series of education reforms targeting students in the impoverished city. One of the reforms was a New Orleans-specific voucher program; another allowed independently run, largely non-unionized public charter schools to open in the city. Those reforms have proven both popular and successful. Based on this success, Gov. Bobby Jindal made passing a statewide school choice bill one of his top priorities after winning re-election with two-thirds of the vote in 2011.
“This is not about the next election. This is not about the next poll. This is about the next generation,” Jindal repeatedly told state legislators. “If we want to preserve the American Dream for our children, if we want them to do better than we did, then it is important they get a great education.”
But, as Jindal knows, it’s hard for Louisiana students to get great educations when the state forces them to attend particular schools regardless of quality, expense, or family fit. And Louisiana’s schools are some of the worst in the country: the state ranks 49th in student performance on the well-respected National Assessment of Educational Progress. Nearly half the state’s fourth graders essentially can’t read, for example, while more than a quarter can barely add and subtract.
In April, Gov. Jindal signed into law a statewide voucher program. It applies to nearly half the state’s kids (to qualify, students must be slated to attend low-performing schools and come from families that can’t afford better private schools).
Two unions and the Louisiana School Boards Association have sued the state, arguing that the new voucher program is unconstitutional. Fortunately, Louisiana judges have refused union requests to delay implementing the program until the lawsuits are settled.
Unfortunately, Louisiana’s union leaders have decided their future rests on denying a better one to Louisiana kids.
Joy Pullmann is managing editor of School Reform News and an education research fellow at The Heartland Institute.UCLA FOOTBALL UCLA's Damien Thigpen expected to return from injury Oct. 3 at Utah
Running back, who had knee surgery after sustaining a torn ligament last year against USC, will be making his season debut.
"It was a gradual thing," Thigpen said. "There was no one day, no one moment, where I felt ready. Coming into training camp, I had my doubts. As the days went by, I kept faith and kept progressing."
Thigpen has spent the last three weeks in full contact during practice, preparing for his return.
A year ago, Thigpen looked like the heir apparent to Johnathan Franklin. He demonstrated the ability to create big plays as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Then he sustained a torn ligament in his left knee in November's game against USC.
Thigpen is expected to make his return from knee surgery when UCLA plays at Utah on Oct. 3.
"I can play right now," Thigpen said. "But, you know what, give me four weeks and I'm going to be better than I am right now."
Running back Damien Thigpen is ready to make his season debut for the UCLA football team.
Coach Jim Mora said Thigpen would be eased into the backfield rotation against Utah.
"Ideally, it would be good to get him three, four, five carries, so he can get hit, jump up off the turf and go back to the huddle," Mora said. "It will give him confidence."
That is something Thigpen doesn't lack.
Even with a brace on his knee, Thigpen said he would run with his same cutting and slashing style.
"It's a mind game with the brace," Thigpen said. "If you're thinking, 'Oh man, this brace feels stiff,' it will affect you. If I ran 100 meters with the brace on, would I be the same if I didn't have it on? It might be a little different. But I'm still explosive."
Thigpen was third on the team with 262 yards rushing in 2012. He caught 18 passes for 211 yards. He scored four touchdowns.
"I want to see him in the open field, make some cuts," Mora said. "Emotionally, mentally and physically, he's ready to go," but "until you get in that game and it's live it's hard to tell."
Thigpen said his knee has already passed enough tests in practice.
"I have had guys hit it, knee me, linemen fall over me," Thigpen said. "When you're a running back, you're on the ground a little bit. I have been hit enough."
Rios out
Cornerback Marcus Rios is unlikely to be cleared to play against Utah.
Rios, who battled through a near-fatal fungal infection in his sinuses, has worked out without pads for a couple of weeks and suited up for the New Mexico State game on Saturday. However, he did not take part in practice Tuesday.
Quick hits
Tackle Simon Goines has been bothered by a sore right knee, which he hyperextended during spring practice. He was moved from left tackle to right tackle because of the soreness. … Tackle Christian Morris, a freshman has left the program and said he hopes to transfer to Mississippi … UCLA announced it will need to raise about $50 million to build a football training facility at Spaulding Field. The facility will be built entirely with private donations.
chris.foster@latimes.com
Twitter: @cfosterlatimesAnd Walt Jr. might have died too: It's been widely reported that Jesse was not originally supposed to survive beyond the first season of "Breaking Bad." But as Gilligan revealed, Walt Jr. might have been killed off, too. In the early days of the series, Gilligan proposed that Walt avenges Jesse's death by tying up his killer in the basement and methodically lopping off and cauterizing one of his limbs each day. Should the killer try to escape, he'd set off a trip wire hooked up to a gun targeted at his heart. Eventually, Walt Jr. would stumble on his father's torture chamber and come to the aid of the horribly maimed man, who, in turn, would set off the jury-rigged weapon. They'd both die in a hail of bullets.Well I saw that my Santa pulled my info and was super excited and Santa delivered. A few days after my Santa pulled my info I got something I haven't received in years, an actual letter in the mail. When I opened it there was actually a large letter A printed on an otherwise blank page. Everyday after I got another letter. At first I thought it was the strangest ransome note ever but when I realized they are all coming in order I figured it was Santa and just enjoyed the ride, anticipating Z. It's also worth mentioning that each letter was written in different pens, colours, styles, fonts and some even had pictures drawn on them. 26 days layer when Z arrived it bared a gift any Canadian would love, a Tim Hortons gift card. Not too long after my shirt arrived and I Love It!
Santa - you're as creative as they come and I thoroughly enjoyed every letter. Thanks for everything.There has been much ado about nothing in the Social Networks about Hillary Clinton accepting campaign donations from the Private Prison Industry. With a little bit of research this turns out to be totally debunked. I will present my sources below as proof that Clinton has not received donations from this industry. Here are my sources:
Corrections Corporation of America gave 78% of donations to Republicans and 22% to Democrats: https://www.opensecrets.org/...
List of Recipients for Corrections Corporation of America: https://www.opensecrets.org/...
GEO Group Summary of donations: (0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans): https://www.opensecrets.org/...
Recipients of GEO Group donations: They are all Republicans: https://www.opensecrets.org/...
Federal Election Commission: Summary for Hillary Clinton: http://www.fec.gov/...
Itemized Individual Contributions: http://www.fec.gov/...
You will notice above there is no indication whatever that Clinton is taking donations from the private prison industry. All this took was less than an hour to confirm. It is too bad other bloggers do not do Their homework. One should be more circumspect when making allegations out of whole cloth and being of no scruples.
I will leave it up to You the reader to decide whether or not Clinton is taking donations from Private Prisons. But from the available sources online that does not appear to be the case. It really is a case of lazy journalism if not a smear.
"Hillary Clinton 2016"Credit: Flickr/Daniel Lobo. Some rights reserved.
I’m squeezed into a huge but windowless room in a warehouse in Shoreditch, London, along with about 200 other people at an enthrallingly jam-packed talk about feminism. A small panel is taking questions from the audience on what feminism is and what feminists should do.
A white cis-man raises his hand and asks, ‘as a feminist ally, what are the most important things I can do right now?’ One of the panel members responds resolutely: ‘as a man interested in feminism you should shut up and listen. Let the women speak. Do anything you can to support what they say.’
On the way home my friends and I (all females) feel a little awkward.
Some months later I'm attending a book launch about Jeremy Corbyn and leftist politics in Britain. The panel this time consists of two men—the author of the book and a journalist. The author presents a brilliant and insightful analysis, but when the journalist asks him a difficult question about whether urban graduate leftist activists can know what the working class of Britain wants or thinks, he does something that really makes me cringe: he pulls class on the journalist.
Instead of acknowledging the difficulty of the question he replies something to the effect of ‘oh yeah, but I'm from a really working class background so who are you, as a toff who went to private school, to question me about the working class?’
Being on a panel is stressful, and sometimes people blurt out things they wouldn't have said if they weren't under pressure. But this kind of reaction has become a pattern: being a member of an oppressed group has become a guarantor of correctness in many spaces of the radical left.
While shutting up and listening is 100 per cent a part of the process of learning about oppression and privilege, there’s also something to be said for grabbing hold of wisdom whichever mouth or pen it comes out of. As a working class genderqueer female (see—I just pulled rank myself), I’ve learned a lot about patriarchy and class from talking to some of my highly self-critical, highly compassionate cis-men middle-class friends.
Some of them have read a lot more Karl Marx, Judith Butler and Franz Fanon than me. They agonise over questions that don't even occur to me, and that helps me to understand a lot more about power. Of course they also say things that are unreflective (as do I), but it would be inaccurate to label me as inherently more correct on gender and class than them just because I’ve experienced oppression in ways they have not.
There are two problems with the notion that allies who belong to a privileged group should simply ‘shut up and listen.’ The first is that it is often incredibly difficult to determine who or what you're supposed to shut up and listen to. The second is that allies often have lots of important knowledge that movements need in order to overthrow oppression.
Antiracists, feminists and other anti-oppressive agitators are not one person speaking with one voice, but a diverse, contradictory and critical cacophony of different voices, each of which must be interpreted and made sense of. Some feminist women are TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) while others are genderqueers; some antiracists of colour are socialists and others are liberals.
Some feminist women believe that the best approach to sex work is the Swedish model (involving criminalising the purchase of sex), while others are convinced that decriminalisation is the only option that doesn’t harm women. Historically, some antiracist and decolonial agitators have had reactionary attitudes to gender roles and homosexuality. And some anarchist and communist movements have believed in murder as a legitimate political strategy.
As an ally it would be a waste of time and talent not to be able to critique or reject some elements of feminism or antiracism in situations like these. More to the point it would be impossible. To shut up and listen is only one part of learning about, and gaining a deep understanding of, anti-oppressive perspectives: debate and critique are also essential. This doesn’t give cis-men and white people a license to ‘mansplain’ or ‘whitesplain’—patronising women, queers and people of colour with their supposedly superior knowledge of racism and sexism—but whether it is comfortable or not, listening is an active engagement.
Secondly, allies often have insightful things to say about oppression—things that are both analytically and strategically useful. Lefty feminists and antiracists often assume that structures of power and oppression are best understood by those who experience the arse-end of them, especially since their voices are so often silenced or co-opted. Often this is true. Women, for example, are generally better at noticing when men gang up on them in the office or when the boss makes a sexist remark, because people tend to notice things that affect themselves more than those that affect others.
What’s also true, however, is that men have insights that women may not into the masculine group dynamics, discourses and norms that cause these sexist behaviours to occur. For example Michael Kimmel's excellent article ‘Masculinity as Homophobia’ describes how the fear of being perceived as a ‘sissy’ drives men to emphasise their masculinity, sometimes at the expense of being pleasant to others. So grabbing a woman’s ass may be more significant as a display of masculinity and heterosexuality in front of manly peers than as an enjoyable sexual act in itself.
As another example, the stories told by men in Raewyn Connell's book "Masculinities" show how a position of privilege, such being a heterosexual cis-man, may not feel privileged to the holders of that position at all. Masculinity is something that men have to live up to each day, and a failure to perform it correctly can lead to social sanctions or even self-hatred as appears to be the case in the Orlando nightclub shootings in June 2016. These are important insights for feminists that should inform our political organising.
To argue that shutting up and listening is problematic isn’t just an academic issue for me. I’m writing this article because I’ve witnessed several situations recently where allies have been told to do just this, and where potentially useful conversations have been shut down as a consequence.
In a recent Facebook discussion group, for example, a couple of people told someone else not to critique the Black Lives Matter movement because he was white. A few weeks ago a friend of a friend (a trans guy) was met with disrespect from members of a feminist group because he was not a woman. Many political meetings I've been to recently have started with each member listing the physical or social traits that place them in oppressed categories before speaking—as if they needed to pull rank in order to justify taking up space. White men have accordingly apologised for their presence, or declined to speak.
Much, if not most, of this scepticism against allies may be warranted. In mainstream debates, white people, cis-men and bourgeois toffs are given far too much space to explain away their guilt or dismiss oppressed people as unreasonable or hysterical. Experiencing a lifetime of oppression brings a kind of insight into the workings of social structures that cannot be learned by reading books alone, but reading—especially work that’s based on research or critically reflective experience—can teach you something equally important and insightful. By the same token, living a lifetime as a man or a white person gives you a different kind of insight into power, and one that can be useful in subverting and transforming it.
We must work together as women, men, queers and others to overthrow patriarchy. We must work together as people of all colours to overthrow racism. This doesn’t mean that allies should not shut up and listen. It means they should shut up and listen, and then interpret and critique, and then organise together with women and folks of colour—sharing their inside knowledge of oppressive structures to identify their most vulnerable points.
So long as there is oppression, people of colour, women, queers, disabled folk, working class people and those on precarious incomes will need separate spaces in which to feel safe and heal. But the outward-facing organising of these groups cannot be immune to critique, even if it comes from an ally.Between December 1884 and December 1885, six women and a twelve year old girl were found murdered in the small city of Austin, Texas, their bodies mutilated by axes, knives, bricks and even iron rods that had been driven into their ears. At the time, the concept of a serial killer was unknown. Clueless police officers and bumbling private detectives initially made arrests of uneducated young black men. But as the murders continued, panic-stricken citizens began to speculate that a diabolical but brilliant "Midnight Assassin" was on the loose: a man driven to destroy one woman after another in almost ritualistic fashion. A correspondent for the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer's famous newspaper, went so far as to declare that the Midnight Assassin's attacks "may well give to history a new story of crime—the first instance of a man who killed in order to gratify his passion."
Before the violent spree ended, at least a dozen men, among them husbands and boyfriends of the victims, would be arrested in connection with the murders. One of the killings would set off a torrid sex scandal involving several of the city's most prominent leaders, including a candidate for governor. And three years later, after no progress had been made in the Austin investigation, detectives in London would speculate that the Midnight Assassin had traveled to England and become Jack the Ripper.
Who was the Midnight Assassin and why did he go on such a rampage? Esquire is proud to present the first two chapters of Skip Hollandsworth's book The Midnight Assassin, out today. The story begins in the early morning hours of December 31, 1884—New Year's Eve.
A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST MURDER, the telegraph lines began buzzing with news about a storm making its way south from the Canadian Rockies. A Western Union operator in Sioux City, Iowa, punched out the words "13 degrees at 2:00 p.m.... ice... trains slowing."
It was a blue norther, people were saying, the oncoming clouds low and dark blue along the horizon. The storm swooped through the Great Plains, where the cattle turned their rumps against the wind, and then it rushed into Texas, moving so quickly that a cowboy, traveling on horseback across a treeless stretch of land near the town of Archer City, froze to death before he could find shelter. According to a newspaper account, when the cowboy was finally found, he was slumped on the ground, a rim of ice covering his mustache, his eyelids, and the edges of his hat.
Courtesy of Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.
When the norther reached the city of Austin, the capital of Texas, in the early morning hours of December 31, 1884—New Year's Eve—it was still cold enough to drop thermometers there by another thirty degrees. The wind knifed through the cracks in the houses, rattling coffee cups laid out on kitchen tables. Ice bounced off the roofs like dried peas. A young man named Tom Chalmers, who was lying in bed at the home of his brother-in-law on the western edge of the city, heard a knocking sound at the front door. Chalmers then heard the voice of a man.
"Help me."
Chalmers and his wife, who lived outside Austin on a small ranch, had come to the city earlier that week to celebrate the holidays. They were the only ones at the home that evening. Chalmers's brother-in-law William Hall, an insurance agent, was with his wife in the coastal city of Galveston, where they had once lived, visiting friends.
The knocking at the door persisted. "Help me," the man shouted again.
Chalmers was not an easy man to intimidate. A former member of the Texas Rangers, the state's police force, he had once been featured in the Austin Daily Statesman after he had been thrown by his horse, face-first, onto the ground, breaking all of his front teeth. The article had congratulated Chalmers on his fortitude, noting that he had spit out his broken teeth, returned to his horse, and kept riding.
On this frigid evening, however, he was not all that eager to leave his warm bed. Then he heard the front door open.
The home of Chalmers's brother-in-law was one of Austin's nicer residences, more than 2,000 square feet in size, with two chimneys and ten-foot ceilings. The master bedroom was toward the back of the house. Chalmers rose, crept to the bedroom doorway, and peered down the hall. He had no weapon: his gun was sitting in another part of the house. In the deep gloom of the foyer, he saw a man move past the draperies and stagger over the wooden floors. Based on what Chalmers later told police and newspaper reporters, the man said, "Mr. Tom, Mr. Tom, for God's sakes, do something to help me! Somebody has nearly killed me!"
Chalmers lit a match and held it before him. The light flickered across the face of Walter Spencer, a twenty-nine-year-old black man who worked as a laborer at Butler's Brick Yard. Spencer was also the boyfriend of Mollie Smith, who worked as a cook and maid at the Halls' home. Mollie was a pretty young woman, about twenty-three years of age. She was known as a "yellow girl," a phrase used by white people in those years to describe a light-skinned black person. She worked six days a week in return for a monthly salary of ten to twelve dollars and a free place to live, which consisted of a tiny one-room servants' quarters—a shack, really, that was in the backyard.
Courtesy of Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.
Spencer was barefoot, clad only in a nightshirt. Blood was oozing from several gashes in his head. He was wobbling, as if he was having trouble keeping his balance. He told Chalmers that someone must have attacked him while he had been asleep in bed next to Mollie, hitting him over the head and knocking him unconscious. And the person who attacked him, he said, must have done something with Mollie. She was nowhere to be found.
Spencer seemed terrified, his breaths coming in gasps. He said he had looked for Mollie in the back and front yard, and that he had searched for her up and down the street. Without a lantern, however, he could see nothing: the sky was as black as a skillet. The blood from Spencer's head wound was still flowing down his face and pouring into his mouth, making it difficult to breathe. He had trouble keeping his head up.
"Mr. Tom, please...," Spencer pleaded.
But Chalmers had no intention of walking outside in such weather and looking for a black man's missing girlfriend. That was a matter, of course, that could wait until daylight. What Spencer needed to do, Chalmers said, was wrap a bandage around his head before he bled to death. Chalmers escorted Spencer out of the house, shut the front door, cleaned the blood off the floor, and returned to bed.
• • •
BY THE TIME THE SUN ROSE at 7:28 that morning, the norther had passed on to the south, but there was still a stinging cold. Only a handful of Austin's |
, the best explanation is that he wanted to show his enemies that he’s willing to do anything, in order to sap their morale — but we do know that they have no particular tactical value. As he has shown over the course of this war, he’s more than capable of killing hundreds of thousands of civilians with conventional weapons.
Did the missile strike make the United States any safer? It’s hard to argue that it did, unless you’re going to claim that only showing we’re “strong” will deter our enemies. But given the fact that every U.S. president in modern times has invaded someplace or bombed someplace or both, the idea that terrorists around the world are waiting for signs of American weakness before deciding to attack us is something only a child (or, let’s be honest, a president) with no understanding of history could possibly believe.
Does the administration know whether it wants Assad to go or not? Every time someone from the administration is asked whether regime change is the U.S policy, they say something slightly different. Before the attack on Khan Sheikhoun, both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said that the U.S. wasn’t seeking Assad’s ouster. Now they’re saying something different. “Regime change is something that we think is going to happen,” Haley said on Sunday, while Tillerson said there had been no change in U.S. policy, and brought up Libya as a cautionary tale of how regime change can go wrong.
When National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was asked on “Fox News Sunday” to clarify things, he said that both Haley and Tillerson are right, and went on:
“And so, to do that, what’s required is some kind of a political solution to that very complex problem. And what Ambassador Haley pointed out is it’s very difficult to understand how a political solution could result from the continuation of the Assad regime. “Now, we are not saying that we are the ones who are going to affect that change. What we are saying is, other countries have to ask themselves some hard questions. Russia should ask themselves, what are we doing here? Why are we supporting this murderous regime that is committing mass murder of its own population and using the most heinous weapons available? “So, I think that while people are really anxious to find inconsistencies in the statements, they are in fact very consistent in terms of what is the ultimate political objective in Syria.”
So: it is the policy of the Trump administration that Assad has to go, but we’re not going to be the ones to make it happen.
I should also note that FNS host Chris Wallace asked McMaster directly whether it was the administration’s policy that as long as Assad kills civilians with conventional weapons we won’t do anything about it, and McMaster essentially said yes without saying yes, by repeating what a “strong message” we had sent to Assad about chemical weapons.
Does the administration have any coherent policy on Syria at all? Actually, it seems it does. Here’s the simplified version:
The first priority is defeating ISIS. If Assad uses chemical weapons against civilians, we’ll launch some missiles at a military base; if he uses conventional weapons against civilians, we probably won’t do anything. Once ISIS is defeated, Assad should go, but we aren’t going to take military action to make that happen.
You might think that’s a good policy or a bad policy, but it isn’t hard to understand.
Does the administration have a coherent foreign policy in general? One of the reasons the strike in Syria was significant is that it seemed to be in contradiction to Trump’s “America First” doctrine. We’re told, whether it’s true or not (I’m skeptical), that Trump undertook this strike because he was so moved by photos of the victims of the attack in Khan Sheikhoun. That means it was about taking a moral stance, not just figuring out what was in the narrow interests of the United States.
Foreign policy “doctrines” are overrated — being able to reduce your policy to a bumper sticker-sized slogan doesn’t mean that it’s any wiser or more effective than one that can’t be described so succinctly. But it does help to have some guiding principles that help everyone — your own government, Congress, both allies and adversaries overseas — understand what you’re trying to achieve. And it doesn’t appear that there’s much of a structure underlying U.S. policy, beyond whatever President Trump thinks of what he saw on cable news that day.
So here’s a prediction: within a matter of weeks or even days, Syria is going to fade from the American media and political agenda. On the ground there, civilians will keep dying, but here at home we’ll go back to thinking of it as a terrible tragedy, but not something we can do much about (which isn’t entirely wrong). And President Trump’s missile strike will look less like a masterstroke of strength and resolve, and more like what it really was: a purely symbolic act with virtually no effect on the ground.Something we love to do here at Mega64 is feature an exclusive poster print at every convention we have a booth at. They're always a coveted item and very limited. A few times, however, we have caved to intense online demand and sold a couple of the rare prints online. I think we've only done this twice. In any case, it seemed to make people happy, but by and large we like to keep the posters as exclusive as possible to reward those who make it all the way to see us in person.
However, this past week we hit a weird impasse. We recently showed our PAX South 2016 exclusive print- a fake poster for a non-existant "HAX" convention for hackers:
We debuted this online ahead of the show and it really took off- it was reblogged and reposted all over every social media site. We really thought it was going to be a hit. The thing is, once we brought this to the show in-person... it kind of just created a confusing situation. People who came to the booth thought it was advertising a real event. In fact, at one point, the guys at the booth were visited by someone working in law enforcement in regards to cyber crime. It was a lot of bizarre questions, and a lot of people didn't seem to get the joke. It's actually a pretty funny situation on its own! But in any case, it just didn't land the way we wanted to.
That's why we're announcing that we will be selling the poster print online this Friday on the Mega64 online store. We will also be putting the "Cute Boys" baseball-cut shirt back in stock that day as well. Be sure to come back then and pick one up before it's gone.
We'll be back tomorrow with a (weird, bizarre) new Mega64 Podcast... and maybe even a brand new video as well! Stay tuned!Earlier this evening, via Twitter, Mayor-Elect Muriel Bowser made a series of comments regarding the land swap portion of the Stadium Act. See the Mayor's Tweets as well as a response from D.C. United Managing General Partner Jason Levien, below.
"We are encouraged by the Mayor-Elect's comments tonight and look forward to seeing her proposal. We are eager to work with her, the other members of the Council and the Mayor to get the stadium approved before the end of the year." Jason Levien
I support building a new soccer stadium in DC. It's an investment that will create jobs, add to the cultural vitality of the District. — MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) November 18, 2014
Any DC stadium project must respect the needs of our residents and neighborhoods. — MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) November 18, 2014On 1 December Yokohama customs and police departments announced the arrest of an allegedly high ranking 49-year-old member of the Sumiyoshikai yakuza group along with six other men in a case of smuggling. They found in his possession 17kg of rock salt, which was actually planted on him by Yokohama customs agents prior to his arrest. All involved are considering it a flawless example of proper law-enforcement.
If you’re confused by this then you might not be familiar with the police tactic known as “oyogasesosa” (swim investigation) or “controlled delivery” as it’s called in English speaking countries.
■ What is oyogasesosa?
The English translation of “swim investigation” uses “swim” in the sense of letting something float along a river by itself. In that way, if contraband such as drugs or firearms is discovered by authorities, they’ll let it float through the rest of its delivery and arrest everyone at its destination.
This is performed in many other countries as a controlled delivery, the exact definition of which varies by country. In some cases it involves an undercover police officer posing as a deliveryman and making an arrest at the moment the suspect accepts the package of an illegal substance sent through commercial courier. Some countries also have certain provisions on when and how a controlled delivery can be performed such as specific forms of evidence or a court order.
In Japan it would appear that no special provision is needed to carry out a controlled delivery. As long as the investigation it’s a part of is legal, officers are free to carry it out at their discretion.
■ Available in two ways
In Japan there are two variations of the controlled delivery: a live controlled delivery (live CD) and clean controlled delivery (CCD). A live CD is when the officers discover the contraband but let it sit until someone comes to pick it up. They then follow it to its destination and arrest everyone in one fell swoop hoping to catch some high ranking criminals who may be overseeing the deal. In a CCD the same process goes down, but this time the cops secretly swap out the drugs for something else like salt.
They each have their advantages and disadvantages. A live CD is less suspicious to the criminals and allows them to be caught red handed but runs the risk of losing both the arrests and the substances if things go south. A CCD, on the other hand, allows the authorities to hang onto the drugs but makes it easier for their cover to be blown.
▼ The real drugs that Yokohama customs kept and replaced with salt
■ Is it possible to convict someone for possession of salt?
Surprisingly yes. This may be unique to Japan but in the event of a CCD, someone accepting a shipment of rock salt on the assumption that it’s an illegal narcotic can be convicted under Article 8 of the – get ready for this – Act Concerning Special Provisions for the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act, etc. and Other Matters for the Prevention of Activities Encouraging Illicit Conducts and Other Activities Involving Controlled Substances through International Cooperation.
“Article 8. Any person who with intent to commit any drug offense (limited to those involving import or export of any controlled substance.) imports or exports any drug or other article that the said person has received or acquired as a controlled substance, shall be imprisoned with hard labor not exceeding three years or fined not more than five hundred thousand yen.
Any person who with intent to commit any drug offense (limited to those involving transfer, receipt or possession of any controlled substance) transfers to or receives from another person any drug or other article as a controlled substance or possesses any drug or other article that the said person has received or acquired as a controlled substance, shall be imprisoned with hard labor not exceeding two years or fined not more than three hundred thousand yen.”
What this vaguely means is that even if the drugs aren’t really drugs, as long as the parties involved believe they’re dealing drugs, then it can be considered a crime.
Article 8 seems to grant the authorities a considerable amount of freedom in tackling smuggling and has led to several large-scale arrests and seizures in the past such as the 17kg of speed valued at around 12 billion yen (US$10M) confiscated in oyogasesosa leading to the Sumiyoshikai arrest, or 40kg of uppers seized by Tokyo police in 2012 in the same way. On the other hand, Osaka police last month were reported to have lost track of some handguns during a controlled delivery.
Still, this method of policing seems fraught with the potential of severe mistakes or gross exploitation by police or rival crime groups. On the other hand, it could be an interesting plot device in yakuza films of the future. I haven’t seen a really good one in a while.
Source: Act Concerning Special Provisions…International Cooperation (Japanese / English), Naver Matome, MSN Sankei News, Taiho Keijibengo, CD, jijicom (Japanese), EMCDDA (English)
Top Image: AmazonNJ Governor Christ Christie has vetoed the bill passed by the NJ legislature that would have observed the right of same sex couples to marry. At the same time he referred the measure for voter review in November 2012. Is this a move to respect democratic principles, or does Christie have an ulterior motive?
…As opposed to bloviating little bullies like Chris Christie, who like to talk big and pretend to be straight shooters, but are actually scared little boys who are afraid to cross their party’s right wing:
Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) — New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie fulfilled his pledge to veto a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage, setting up an override fight with a Legislature controlled by Democrats.
Christie, 49, announced the move in a statement issued late today from his Trenton office. Lawmakers sent the measure to him earlier in the day. Sponsors said they’ll work to assemble the two-thirds majority in each chamber needed to override the veto.
“For someone who has national aspirations in the Republican party right now, I think there’s not much choice but to take this position,” Ken Sherrill, who teaches politics at Hunter College in New York, said by telephone.
Christie has said he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman and that the issue should be decided by a statewide referendum. Democrats have countered that marriage is a civil right and shouldn’t be subjected to a popular vote. Legislative leaders have made the issue a priority, two years after failing to pass a similar bill supported by then-Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat.
“I am adhering to what I’ve said since this bill was first introduced — an issue of this magnitude and importance, which requires a constitutional amendment, should be left to the people of New Jersey to decide, ” Christie said in his statement.It all begins in the configuration builder tool
This article focuses on the implementation and management of encryption with NetApp storage. Data at Rest Encryption (NetApp Volume Encryption or NVE for short) is one of the ways that you can achieve encryption with NetApp, and it’s one of the most exciting new features of ONTAP 9.1. Here’s how you go about implementing it.
If you’re a partner or NetApp SE, when building configurations, as long as the cluster software version is set to 9.x, there is a checkbox that lets you decide which version of ONTAP gets written to the device at the factory. As of 9.1, ONTAP software images will either be capable of encryption via a software encryption module, or not. There are laws around both the import and export of software that is capable of encryption, but that is beyond the scope of this article. I do know you can use the encryption-capable image in Canada (where I am located), so I’m covered. If you’re unsure about the laws in your country, consult your legal adviser on this matter.
Once this cluster-level toggle has been set and you add hardware into the configuration, there are two more checkboxes in the software section:
NetApp Volume Encryption (off by default) Trusted Platform Module (TPM, on by default) ***Clarification Update*** – TPM NOT REQUIRED FOR NVE
The first one triggers the generation of the license key for NVE and the second one activates a piece of hardware dedicated to deal with cryptographic keys. One thing I’m still not sure of is (should you choose to remove the checkmark) if the TPM is simply disabled or doesn’t physically exist in your NetApp controller, I have an email into NetApp to confirm this. [Update: The module is integral to the controller and disabled in firmware if being shipped to certain countries. Shout out to @Keith_Aasen for tracking that down for me.]
Okay, now for the more customer-relevant information…
To get started with NVE, you’re going to need a few things:
A encryption-capable platform A encryption-capable image of ONTAP A key manager A license key for NVE
Encryption-capable platform
The following platforms are currently capable of encryption: FAS6290, FAS80xx, FAS8200, and AFF A300. This is limited by the CPU in the platform as it must have a sufficient clock-speed and core-count with support for the AES instruction set. I’m sure this list will be ever-expanding, but be sure to check first if you’re hoping to use NVE. [UPDATE: After some digging, I can confirm that all the new models support NVE, the entry-level FAS2650 included.]
Encryption-capable image of ONTAP
Provided you’re not in a restricted country as per the above, your image will be the standard nomenclature of X_q_image.tgz where X is the version number. The non-encryption-capable version will be X_q_nodar_image.tgz which I’ll simply refer to as nodar(e) (No Data At Rest Encryption) for the rest of this article. The output of version -v will tell you if you’re nodar or standard.
NetApp Release 9.1RC1: Sun Sep 25 20:10:49 UTC 2016 <1O> NetApp Release 9.1RC1: Sun Sep 25 20:10:49 UTC 2016 <1Ono-DARE>
Key manager
The on-board key manager introduced in ONTAP 9.0 enables you to manage keys for use with your NSE drives, helping you avoid costly and possibly complex external solutions. Currently, NVE only supports using the on-board manager, so if you’re going to use NVE layered on top of NSE, you need to use the on-board one.
Setting this up is exactly one command:
security key-manager setup
You’ll be prompted for a passphrase, and that’s it, you’re done.
License key for NVE
If you didn’t get this license key at time of purchase, talk to your account representative or SE over at NetApp (though, hopefully, if you’ve bought one of the new systems announced at Insight 2016, they decided to include it since, at least for now, it is a no-cost license).
What next?
Now that you’ve got all the prerequisites covered, encrypting your data is very simple. As the name implies, encryption is done at the volume level, so naturally it’s a volume command that encrypts the data (a volume move command, in fact):
volume move start -volume vol_name -destination-aggregate aggr_name -encrypt-destination true
The destination aggregate can even be the same aggregate that the volume is already hosted on. Don’t want that volume encrypted anymore for some reason? Change that last flag to false.
If you’re creating a new volume that you want encrypted, that’s just as simple:
volume create -volume vol_name -aggregate aggr_name -size 1g -encrypt true
Wrapping up
NetApp Volume Encryption is pretty easy, but since it’s so new, OnCommand System Manager doesn’t support it just yet. You’ll have to stick to the CLI for now, although I’m sure the GUI will catch up eventually, if that’s your preferred point of administration. It should also be noted that while NSE solutions are FIPS 140-2 compliant, NVE has yet to go through the qualifications. Also, if FIPS is a requirement, the on-board key manager isn’t compliant yet either. Since with the on-board key manager the keys are literally stored on the same hardware using them, NVE only protects you from compromised data on individual drives removed from your environment through theft or RMA. If someone gained wholesale access to the HA pairs, the data would still be retrievable. Also, this is for data-at-rest only. You must follow other precautions for data-in-flight encryption.
Into the weeds
I did all my tests for this post using the simulator, and I learned a lot, but your mileage may vary. In the end, only you are responsible for what you do to your data. I had heard that if you have the wrong software image then you’d have to do a complete wipe of your HA pair in order to convert it. I have since proven this wrong (at least in the simulator) and I definitely can’t guarantee the following will be supported.
For my tests I had two boot images loaded: one standard and one nodar. What I learned is that you can boot into either mode, provided you don’t have any encrypted data. Even if you have the key manager setup and NVE is licensed, you can still boot back and forth. The first time you boot your system using the nodar image with encrypted data on the system, however, you’ll hose the whole thing. I did test first encrypting data, then decrypting it, then converting to nodar, and the simulator booted fine. When I booted into nodar with an encrypted volume, even going back to standard didn’t work. Booting into maintenance mode shows the aggregates with a status of partial and the boot process hints that they are in some sort of transition phase (7MTT?). Either way, I was unable to recover my simulator once I got it to this state, so I definitely advise against it in production. Heck, I’d advise you just to use the proper image to start with.
I hope you learned something. If you have any questions or comments, either post them below or reach out on twitter. I’m @ChrisMaki from the #NetAppATeam and Solution Architect @ScalarDecisions.Germany’s largest public pensions group, Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK), has completed its acquisition of Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and seven hectares of adjacent development land in west Dublin.
BVK is believed to have paid more than €630 million for the shopping centre, which former owners Hines, HSBC Alternative Investments and the Grosvenor Group put on the market in July. The sale to BVK was agreed in October. Eastdil Secured advised the sellers in the transaction.
Hines, a Texas-based commercial real estate group, will continue to act as asset and development managers for the centre following the closure of the sale.
The 18-year-old Liffey Valley centre was acquired for the pension scheme group by investment manager Universal-Investment. The centre, which is in expansion mode, is the latest of a number of real-estate acquisitions across Europe by Universal-Investment on BVK’s behalf.
Liffey Valley first opened its doors in 1998 on the controversial Quarryvale site and it now has more than 100 shops, 3,500 parking spaces and more than 71,000sq m of retail and leisure space.
The newly completed Western End extension includes an anchor Penneys store, six additional restaurants, a new external facade and a cinema upgrade.
Planning permission was granted in August for an additional 22,000sq m in net retail space, while the development will also include a new civic plaza and a 2,500-seat Olympic-sized indoor ice rink.
Landmark asset
His company was looking forward to continuing its work to grow the centre, he said.
Hines and HSBC Alternative Investments bought what was a 73 per cent stake in Liffey Valley in 2014 for about €250 million, while the Grosvenor Group, a British group operated mainly on behalf of the Duke of Westminster, was involved in the shopping centre from its inception.
Commercial real estate agency HWBC, which acted as advisers on transactions to the purchasers, said Liffey Valley had attracted “considerable” international interest.
“We believe the fundamentals of the Irish economy and the continuing recovery in Irish consumer confidence will sustain investor interest in 2017, following a busy 2016,” said HWBC managing director Tony Waters.
Steady returns
Munich-based BVK, which has more than €60 billion in assets under management, is not the only German institutional investor to be active in the Irish commercial property market in recent times.
Insurer Allianz, which is also based in Munich, took control of Dundrum Town Centre in July alongside UK partners Hammerson. The deal, stemming from Allianz and Hammerson’s 2015 purchase of loans attached to the property, valued Dundrum at more than €1 billion.
Elsewhere, the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare was sold to German fund Deka Immobilien GmbH for €180 million in a deal completed in March.
Blanchardstown Town Centre also changed hands this year, for €945 million, but in this case the winning bidder was a US company, the investment giant Blackstone.While Steam gets a lot of hype for discounted prices, you don’t actually have to spend any money to enjoy some of the best games the service has to offer. Over the years, Steam has accumulated a number of great games that are free-to-play, and I’m here to tell you which ones you should check out.
Some of these recommendations will be obvious, as some of Steam’s biggest games are free-to-play—so why wouldn’t I suggest them? But, I also want to make sure to tell you about the smaller free games you might otherwise not hear about, especially when it comes to games that try something new. With that in mind, here are our top free Steam games that everyone should try.
Note: this article originally ran on 4/15, but has now been updated with newer picks.
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If you’re looking for a game to really sink your teeth into, Dota 2 is probably your best bet—I spent Dota 2 offers is staggering. It’s a great game for people with a competitive streak, provided you can keep your cool under pressure. If you’re looking for a game to really sink your teeth into,Dota 2is probably your best bet—I spent dozens of hours trying to master Valve’s MOBA, and barely scratched the surface. While your goal is straightforward—lead your creeps and team to the enemy base, so you can destroy a large structure known as the ancient—the depth and intensity thatDota 2offers is staggering. It’s a great game for people with a competitive streak, provided you can keep your cool under pressure.
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You might know Vlambeer thanks to games like Ridiculous Fishing, and Nuclear Throne. One of their earliest games is also on Steam, and not only is it free, it’s also damned good. Super Crate Box is an arcade-style game where you try try to rack up a high score. The twist? Your weapons are constantly randomized, which keeps you on your toes. Super Crate Bo x is a good choice for people looking for a simple, addictive, no-frills game that is a joy to play.
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One of the weirdest games on Steam, Velvet Sundown is a multiplayer game where you’re put on a yacht with a few other players. You’re given a character with a goal, and so is everyone else. Maybe you have to tase someone. Maybe you have to poison someone. Maybe you have to make everyone sign your ‘save the whales’ petition. How you go about completing your goal is up to you—but it’ll probably involve strange conversations, lots of drama, and hijinks. Think of it like the talking portions of a Bioware game, only with actual human beings—which means that things can go completely off the rails.
how do you Do It? trailer Emmett Butler from What’s going on here? Some of your technology may be out of date, which means this video won't play properly. Please install Flash or upgrade your browser. Play
A game that puts you in the shoes of an 11 year old girl who doesn’t know how sex works, How Do You Do It? is short, sweet, and refreshingly honest.
It may not get as much press as it used to, but Team Fortress 2 is still a popular team-based shooter with way too many hats. Even if you’ve played it before, it’s always nice to jump in every once in a while—the game might be nearly a decade old, but it holds up pretty well. There’s a reason it’s so influential!
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An action RPG that mixes some of the best that games like Path of Exile is a great game that many people would probably fork over $40 bucks for. Fortunately, you don’t have to. An action RPG that mixes some of the best that games like Diablo and Final Fantasy VII has to offer,Path of Exileis a great game that many people would probably fork over $40 bucks for. Fortunately, you don’t have to.
Depression is not a subject that people speak openly about—but Depression Quest doesn’t pull any punches with it. Created in the style of choose-your-own-adventure games, Depression Quest is a take on what it’s like to live with depression, and the many difficulties that come with it. As you can imagine, it’s a very bleak game—but also a necessary one. Disclosure: I am friendly with the developers behind the game.
Remember the days of Windows XP and AIM? Emily Is Away is a contemplative look at the early ways in which we communicated with one another via instant messaging, told through the eyes of a guy that’s just about to graduate high school. Think of it as the video game version of 500 Days of Summer.
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It starts out really cute, then becomes horrifying. Hope you’re ready to have a heart attack.
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I’ll let the developer’s description of the game do all the talking: “a documentary game in which you play the cat of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran. During the summer of 1953, the CIA engineered a coup to bring about his downfall.”Top 10 Python Projects Started in July 2016
Robert Roskam Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jul 31, 2016
You’ll note this is only for one month. Why did I decide to write this? Over 45,000 python projects were started in July of this year on Github. That’s compared to the 30k of last year, and the 19k from 2014. It seems the python community is booming right now. So I felt it only fair to show off some of the great stuff from the last month.
You may have noticed that my list doesn’t quite line up with what’s actually listed on Github. I’m just trying provide afilter of what will actually be useful to the wider python development community, not just certain narrow applications (I’m looking at you Pokemon Go).
1. asyncpg
Want a different driver for posgtres other than psycopg2 or aiopg? Here it is. It claims 2x performance speed with support for prepared statements, scrolleable cursors, and partial iterators on query results as well as a smattering of other nice things.
2. aq
Ever wanted to count how many running EC2 instances per instance type you had on AWS? No? Well, OK, someone implemented SQL queries on AWS for that anyhow. Have fun!
3. tplmap
Automate the process of detecting and exploiting Server-Side Template Injection vulnerabilities. Has support for testing Mako, Jinja2, Jade, Smarty, Freemarker, Velocity, and Twig.
4. docsbox
So the documentation isn’t the greatest on this one, but as far as I can tell, this is a standalone Flask service to convert filetypes. It also supports docker.
5. python/devguide
This is a pretty simple little repo. Admittedly, it’s not really python code. But it is the documentation that has been moved to Github that shows you how to contribute to CPython.
6. daleroberts/tv
It lets you look at and zoom into pictures inside your terminal. Yep, that’s it.
7. awesome-wagtail
Wagtail is a django content management system. This repo is list of great resources for that project.
8. chopsticks
Chopsticks can be best compared to fabric or ansible. A big difference is that it doesn’t call out to bash, but instead allows you to run as if you’re in a python shell. It also has support for docker.
9. coffer
Create dev environments that are not isolated from the network. Makes it easier to spin up similar environments for dev work. But shouldn’t be used in prod.
10. csv-sql
Ever wanted to do a sql query on your csv, but couldn’t because it’s a csv? Now you can!Western fascination with Bollywood is a big phenomenon—but it is recent. It would be no exaggeration to say that, for decades prior, Indian cinema in the minds of Western viewers was associated primarily with Satyajit Ray. What a formidable burden to place upon a single individual—that his films stand in for the entire cinematic output of one of the most populous and diverse countries on the planet. But how did it come to be this way?
One explanation has to do with the number of Western film critics who reserved for Ray’s work a descriptor that has few equals in critical judgment: “universal.” Robin Wood, for example, thought that it was “remarkable how seldom in Ray’s films the spectator is pulled up by any specific obstacle arising from cultural differences... [They] usually deal with human fundamentals that undercut all cultural distinctions.” To Pauline Kael, Apur Sansar felt “as if it were the world’s first love story.” For Michael Sragow, “Ray’s achievement rested on moviemaking artistry that was as universal as music.”
This is high praise for an artist—and we should rightly celebrate those creative figures, rare indeed, who strike such a chord of universalism in their audiences. Still, I find myself wondering what may be downplayed or lost when this received wisdom takes hold.
Let’s start with the bigger picture of Indian cinema. It is true that Ray was something new and original, even within Indian cinema, but his originality emerged as a response to the cinematic landscape of the time. When The Apu Trilogy appeared in the 1950s, India was the world’s largest producer of films, made almost exclusively by the mainstream commercial industry. Cinema had come early to India, not long after the first films of the Lumières in France, and a strong studio system was in place well before Ray’s debut, Pather Panchali (1955). Commercial films were made in large numbers both in Hindi and in several regional languages, but it was Hindi-language cinema, with Mumbai as its center of production, that proved to be most influential in determining the characteristics of the “typical” Indian movie of the time.
As the scholar Neepa Majumdar has noted, by the time Ray came along, a certain ruling Mumbai film “formula” was in place. This recipe produced, in large numbers, films that were “all-inclusive entertainments,” driven by stars and containing “something for everyone in the audience: songs, dances, fights, romance, stunts, and comedy packaged into a melodramatic narrative form.” This template not only reigned in Mumbai but also spread to the other regional-language film sectors, such as Bengali-language commercial cinema. And while the template was enormously fertile, giving rise to a large body of rich and inventive popular art, Ray was seeking to do something else: create a cinema that turned away from the extravagant style and genre moves of popular cinema and toward a finely textured rendering of lived life. Seven years before Pather Panchali, he staked out his position in an essay titled “What Is Wrong with Indian Films?”
Pather Panchali was produced outside of this industrial context, one of India’s earliest “independent” films, and indeed did something new in terms of subject matter and style as well, depicting rural life with a detailed, delicate realism. It, and the rest of The Apu Trilogy, went on to international acclaim; in this regard, the films were unprecedented in Indian cinema. But the trilogy also achieved great critical and commercial success in Bengal, resonating deeply with the public because of the subtlety and authenticity—the fresh familiarity—of its depictions. It is this particularity that we risk overlooking by thinking of the films simply as universal.
I can think of at least two reasons why many Western critics over the years have underemphasized Ray’s cultural specificity. The first has to do with the way his films played into Western perceptions of India. Chandak Sengoopta has argued that Ray’s early films, and The Apu Trilogy in particular, were warmly received in the West primarily because they unconsciously affirmed Western notions of India that strongly associated the country with poverty. Once Ray began to make films about middle-class and rich people—as he would with The Hero (1966), Company Limited (1971), and The Middleman (1976)—the work suddenly seemed less universal.
The second reason that Western critics have soft-pedaled the culturally specific in Ray has to do with Ray himself—and his intriguingly contradictory and ambivalent statements and writings about his own cinematic work. Hailing from a renowned Bengali literary family, Ray was a writer of repute, well-known for his short stories, novellas, and poems, as well as his essays on the arts. Late in his life, in a letter to Chidananda Das Gupta, with whom he’d founded the Calcutta Film Society in 1947, Ray claimed: “I don’t think Indian art traditions have anything at all to do with my development as a filmmaker... If I have succeeded as a filmmaker, it is due to my familiarity with Western artistic, literary, and musical traditions.” The profound effect upon Ray of witnessing Jean Renoir shoot The River in India; the impact of seeing Bicycle Thieves for the first time (“I knew immediately that I would make [my first film] in the same way, using natural locations and unknown actors”); and his lifelong love of Western classical music: these are well-known details of his biography.
But Ray also frequently acknowledged the plethora of non-Western—often uniquely Bengali—factors that helped form his artistic sensibility, and there were broad |
national team." Balotelli has become a serial target in his young career, but whatever misgivings he might have about this tournament it is unlikely he will encounter anything so callous as his experiences in his own country.
This is not to avoid the very clear issue that Poland and Ukraine have a serious social problem, or the sense of deep unease that the black players in the Dutch squad cannot even do a lap of their training pitch without being hounded. It is just that before there is any more demonising of the co-hosts it is wrong to file this away as simply a problem for eastern Europe. There is not a country in Europe where prejudice does not exist in some form, and that includes what some might class as more civilised football environments such as Italy or Spain or Portugal.
One of the reports into Euro 2004, compiled by Football Against Racism in Europe, talks of Spanish fans with tattoos and flags featuring neo-Nazi symbols such as Waffen-SS skulls, Celtic crosses and the number 88, the abbreviation for HH – Heil Hitler. More recently, consider the abuse directed at Balotelli on Manchester City's foreign excursions last season, first at Villarreal, then Porto. Or remember the treatment reserved for England's black players during a friendly against Spain at the Bernabéu in 2004 and the indignation in the Spanish media when their English counterparts had the temerity to complain. Antena 3 talked of "absurd accusations" and "gross exaggerations". The sports daily As accused the English of being "very serious when it comes to race, politically correct to the extreme, which is just another way of hiding their own defects".
There are people in Poland and Ukraine who are starting to suspect the same thing, and maybe with at least the basis of a point. Anyone who watched the Panorama documentary, Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate, will understand that a football match in Krakow or Kiev is very different to one in London or Manchester. Yet let's not be too self-congratulatory or delude ourselves into thinking the Premier League is devoid of racism, especially after some of the things that have happened over the past year. Or that just because the newspapers don't like to give them too much publicity there are not groups of boneheaded men going on racist marches through various towns and cities on their weekends.
Of course, the issue is strikingly worse in Poland and Ukraine, where the anti-racism campaigners are only just starting to get their voices heard and there is still the sense that many people in high positions would rather turn a blind eye. Uefa, we know, are patently weak when, if they had been stronger, the two host countries would have been under greater pressure to clean up their act. But this is Uefa, an organisation that initially told us what happened in Krakow with the Dutch squad was not racism and would probably still be peddling that line were it not for Mark van Bommel taking it upon himself to tell it like it really was.
Now we hear reports of Russian supporters with far-right flags abusing the Czech Republic's Theodor Gebre Selassie, and it is not being alarmist to look at, say, Ukraine's games against France and England with a little trepidation. Before then, the Ukraine coach, Oleh Blokhin, will inevitably be asked to explain his comments, in the New York Times in 2006, that "the more Ukrainians that play in the national league, the more examples for the young generation – let them learn from Shevchenko or Blokhin and not some Zumba-Bumba they took off a tree, gave him two bananas and now he plays in the Ukrainian league".
The football has been good so far, and there has been plenty to enjoy, but there are clearly going to be sporadic moments when Euro 2012 is difficult to love.
Inaccuracy of Barton provides yet more amusement
Joey Barton has either an understated sense of humour or is in danger of
becoming a parody of himself. Sadly, I fear the latter. "On ability I walk in the squad," he informed his Twitter following. Which, if nothing else, has caused a certain amount of amusement for the players who are actually here.
Perhaps Roy Hodgson paid too much notice to that pesky statistic that Barton made more inaccurate passes, 490, in the opposition half than any other Premier League player last season. Or maybe the England manager noted Barton's pass-completion rate was 74.94% - 49th out of 54 English midfielders.
"I shouldn't really be surprised," Hodgson told me. "At the moment it's
about Rio Ferdinand. Maybe if Joey Barton had a bigger following, we'd be debating that next week."
And then he smiled. "I'm not convinced his following will give me the same grief..."Ever since Cindy Hasz opened her geriatric care management business in San Diego 13 years ago, she has been fighting a losing battle for clients unable to get Medicare coverage for physical therapy because they “plateaued” and were not getting better.
“It has been standard operating procedure that patients will be discontinued from therapy services because they are not improving,” she said.
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No more. In January, Medicare officials updated the agency’s policy manual — the rule book for everything Medicare does — to erase any notion that improvement is necessary to receive coverage for skilled care. That means Medicare now will pay for physical therapy, nursing care and other services for beneficiaries with chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease in order to maintain their condition and prevent deterioration.
But don’t look for an announcement about the changes in the mail, or even a prominent notice on the Medicare website. Medicare officials were required to inform health care providers, bill processors, auditors, Medicare Advantage plans, the 800-MEDICARE information line and appeals judges — but not beneficiaries.
Ms. Hasz said she was shocked when she heard the news. “This is a sea change,” she said.
The manual revisions were required in the settlement to a class-action lawsuit filed in 2011 against Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, by the Center for Medicare Advocacy and Vermont Legal Aid on behalf of four Medicare patients and five national organizations, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Parkinson’s Action Network and the Alzheimer’s Association. The settlement affects care from skilled professionals for physical, occupational or speech therapy, and home health and nursing home care, for patients in both traditional Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans.
“It allows people to remain a little healthier for a longer time and stay a little bit more independent,” said Margaret Murphy, associate director at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. And it eases the burden on families who “are scrambling to take care of their loved ones,” she said.
The change may have the most far-reaching impact on seniors who want to avoid institutional care. People with chronic conditions may be able to get the care they need to live in their own homes for as long as they need it, Ms. Murphy said, if they otherwise qualify for coverage.
Existing eligibility criteria haven’t changed. Although seniors probably won’t hear the words “plateau” or “improvement” when coverage is denied, they can still lose coverage for reasons other than a lack of improvement.
For nursing home coverage, you must have a doctor’s order prescribing skilled nursing home care (not custodial care), and you must have spent three consecutive midnights in the hospital as an admitted patient (observation days don’t count). Limits on the duration of Medicare nursing home coverage remain the same.
Physical and speech therapy ordered by a doctor and provided in a nursing home or an outpatient facility by a skilled professional are subject this year to a $1,920 therapy cap. Providers can get an automatic exception to the cap for medically necessary treatment until costs reach $3,700. At that point, another exception is possible after Medicare reviews medical documentation. (Occupational therapy is provided to patients with separate $1,920 and $3,700 caps, with the same exceptions.)
For home health coverage, you must have a doctor’s order for intermittent care — every few days or weeks — provided by a skilled professional for outpatient therapy, social work services or a visiting nurse.
The therapy caps do not apply in the home setting so long as the patient is “homebound,” and that doesn’t necessarily mean confined to bed. Someone who is homebound requires “considerable and taxing effort to leave home,” Ms. Murphy said, and cannot do so without another person or a wheelchair, walker, cane or other device.
Beneficiaries receiving skilled services at home are also eligible for home health care aides for assistance with bathing, dressing and other daily activities.
The settlement also establishes a special “re-review” procedure for claims that were denied in the past three years solely because patients were not improving or because their care was intended to maintain their condition.
Officials have posted a form beneficiaries can use to request reimbursement if they paid for care themselves. The form must be submitted by July 23, 2014, for claims with a final denial dating from Jan. 18, 2011, through Jan. 24, 2013.
Requests for review of denials received Jan. 25, 2013, through Jan. 23, 2014, are due Jan. 23, 2015. If the claim is denied again, a Medicare spokesman said, beneficiaries may appeal through the regular appeals process.
But what if, despite the settlement, your provider or a Medicare representative still says you can’t continue treatment only because you are not improving?
First, point them to Medicare’s online fact sheet about the settlement, which clearly says, “Coverage depends not on the beneficiary’s restoration potential, but on whether skilled care is required.” (And let us know what happens.)
If that doesn’t work, contact your state Quality Improvement Organization for help filing an expedited appeal. Ask the doctor who ordered treatment for a letter of support.
If you receive the treatment and pay for it yourself (or are on the hook for the bill), Ms. Murphy suggests asking the provider to bill Medicare. Then you should appeal the denial by following the instructions provided on your Medicare summary notice or in the appeal decision letter. The Center for Medicare Advocacy’s website provides more details.
If all else fails, email the center’s lawyers at improvement@medicareadvocacy.org. They are meeting regularly with Medicare officials to monitor compliance with the settlement and will tell the agency about coverage denials prohibited in the settlement. Despite Medicare’s efforts to get the word out, the center still receives complaints every week from people denied treatment only because they are not getting better.Louis Ha worked regular shifts on Friday and Saturday without penalties. Credit:Jason South The Fairfax probe points to underpayment of more than 250,000 workers through dozens of enterprise agreements - many excluding penalty rate payments. In a letter to union leaders, national secretary Gerard Dwyer explains how the SDA is now reviewing nearly 100 enterprise agreements in a bid to make them compliant with the Fair Work Act. He says a particular focus will be weekend and late-night penalties. He concedes that workers will "inevitably" have to be paid more "either through higher penalty rates or even higher base rates of pay". "If an employer does not agree to bargain, cancellation or termination of the agreement will be pursued," says Dwyer. It now appears that most of the SDA agreements in retail and fast-food sectors allow pay and conditions significantly below the award, depriving low-paid workers more than $1 billion during the last five years.
Former Woolworths employee Darcy Richardson resigned this year after finding his wage no longer covered his weekly bills. Credit:Wayne Taylor Industrial researcher Josh Cullinan, who helped expose the underpayments at Coles and elsewhere, said most workers at big retail or fast-food outlets are covered by SDA agreements - over half a million workers. "The majority of those workers are worse off," he said. Fairfax Media has obtained store rosters and pay slips for Hungry Jack's, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Woolworths supermarkets, Australia's largest employer. Hourly pay at Hungry Jack's is barely above the award, with no provision for penalties and lower casual loadings. Credit:Mathew Lynn An analysis of four weeks of rosters at one inner Melbourne Woolies store shows 63 per cent of workers were paid less than the award, about $1070 for each affected worker. The shortfall is largely a result of low, or non-existent, night and weekend penalty rates. Many of the workers at the store are low-paid and part time, earning just $10,000 to $20,000 annually.
The figures indicate as many as 60,000 Woolies workers collectively underpaid by tens of millions of dollars a year. Darcy Richardson worked at Woolworths in inner Melbourne for almost a decade and resigned this year after finding his shelf-stacker wage no longer covered his weekly bills, including rent and groceries. He discovered he had been significantly underpaid shortly before he resigned. "An extra $30 a week would have helped me save more money. I wouldn't have had to live so precariously. It's an extra 1500 bucks a year. " Leaked rosters and payslips from a Hungry Jack's store in Melbourne's east indicate still worse underpayment. The Hungry Jack's agreement excludes penalties, and pays lower casual loadings. Hourly pay is barely above the award. An analysis by Cullinan shows one Hungry Jack's employee was underpaid about $5000 a year, while others were paid 30 to 40 per cent less than the award.
KFC payslips and rosters tell a similar story; no penalties paid, and casual loadings below the award. Until now the SDA has been reluctant to acknowledge problems with their deals. But in a statement to Fairfax Media it conceded there were issues with its KFC and Hungry Jack's agreements and was now bargaining for improved pay and conditions that would comply with the Fair Work Act. Louis Ha, a former KFC cook in Melbourne's west, worked regular shifts on Friday and Saturday without penalties. He was paid less than $13 an hour when he left in 2014. "We were treated terribly, to be honest. It would have helped me out a lot if I had been getting more pay for my weekends," he said.
In May 2015, Fairfax Media revealed a Coles deal with the SDA had cost workers tens of millions of dollars a year, mainly through sub-award penalties and low casual loadings and junior rates. Then, in an explosive ruling in May 2016, the full bench of the Fair Work commission found the Coles agreement failed the crucial test that workers under enterprise agreements must be "better off overall" compared to the award. Professor Stewart said the full bench ruling left a cloud over other SDA agreements and the scrutiny of them by the Fair Work Commission. "Once it (the Coles deal) was exposed it just seemed to be inarguable that these (other SDA) agreements would fail the better off overall test." An analysis of dozens of SDA agreements from the last decade shows a clear pattern of hourly rates paid from a few cents to a few dollars an hour above the award while penalty rates are slashed or non-existent. Every agreement analysed by Mr Cullinan and Fairfax Media reveals more than 50 per cent of workers were paid less than legal minimum rates. Most of the agreements should never have been approved by the Fair Work Commission.
The full-bench ruling has been deeply embarrassing to the commission and the union, and has proved very costly to employers. The SDA has repeatedly argued the full-bench decision on the Coles agreement involved a new interpretation of the Fair Work Act and better off overall test. But Professor Stewart, who helped draft the act for the Rudd government, rejected the union's claim and said the law was "crystal clear": every worker has to be better off when compared to the award. Josh Cullinan, the union official who exposed the dodgy deal between Coles and the SDA union. Credit:Penny Stephens West Australian single mother-of-three Tara McKenna, 42, worked night shifts at Coles for $22 an hour. She was paid tiny penalties, despite unsociable night hours. She would have earned much more under the award.
"On $22 an hour at Coles, it wasn't possible for me to keep up with any of my expenses. I have financial hardship arrangements with the utilities; with everything," she said. A KFC spokesman said for "many decades" it had worked constructively with the SDA. It defended not paying penalty rates. Its deal gives flexibility to workers and "provides KFC Australia with a flexible workforce." Woolworths in a brief statement said it would continue to meet its obligations under the Fair Work Act as it negotiated a new agreement. It did not respond to questions about underpayment of its workers. Hungry Jack's did not respond before deadline. The SDA has relied for decades on close relationships with employers. In return for moderate wage claims including concessions on penalties, companies have encouraged employees to join the SDA. The deals have made the SDA the biggest union in the ALP where it has been a potent opponent of social reform such as same-sex marriage. But the employer-union partnership is now in doubt.
On Saturday, Good Weekend will further detail the underpayment scandal and its history. Loading Do you know more? Contact us securely via Journotips Follow Ben Schneiders on FacebookThe OECD said last week that Australia has a one-in-five chance of entering recession and the $6.5 trillion housing market is running the risk of a hard landing.
While Mellor is bearish about the longer term view of the Australian economy he says the OECD's housing gloom is predicated on a forecast of a significant tightening in monetary policy.
"There is very little risk of a substantial rise in interest rates," Mellor says.
"The probability of a three per cent rise in housing interest rates, which is the possibility predicted by the OECD as a cause of a residential property crisis, is a very, very low probability."
Mellor will this week tell the BIS OE annual business forecasting conference that Sydney property prices are headed for a correction if prices keep rising.
"I think there is a bigger risk of a correction coming through in the Sydney market but are prices likely to fall more than 5 or 10 per cent? It's a very low probability."
He says property prices in Sydney might fall about 5 per cent in 2018 and 2019. But he said you had to keep in mind that Sydney prices will have risen by 80 per cent over the past five years.
Melbourne property prices will rise 10 per cent this year, which would be a 60 per cent rise over the past five years.
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Brisbane's housing market has had price growth of four to five per cent per annum over the past five years. But Mellor says Brisbane has a "massive" oversupply of inner city apartments and it could take five years to clear that stock.
Perth's housing market is down about 8 per cent from its peak four years ago.Mellor says BIS OE thinks that dwelling construction commencements in Australia will be down about 9 per cent this financial year to 211,000.
But that is the third year in a row of commencements above 210,000. The peak was 232,000 in 2015-16.
"These are phenomenal numbers and basically it means that all markets outside of Sydney over the next 12 months, if they are not already in over supply, will go into over supply," he says.
Mellor says by the end of this year, Sydney will be the only market with an undersupply of housing.
"We are in for a major downturn and I suspect construction activity will fall by about 30 per cent in terms of commencements off the peak of around the middle of last year."
Cooper agrees with Mellor that the outlook for interest rates both here and overseas is benign.
"I would like to underline from a global perspective, the point Robert made that there are unlikely to be any significant interest rate hikes that really represent a risk to residential housing markets internationally," he said
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"Yes, we are at a point where US interest rates are starting to edge up but those increases are going to be pretty modest and the same is going to be true elsewhere in the world.
"That is going to provide a continuing favourable backdrop to international flows into residential investment."
Cooper says the important call being made by Oxford Economics at the moment is a positive one in relation to Europe.
"The populism that we have seen drive Brexit and Trump is not going to result in Marine Le Pen coming to power in France," he says.
"The sort of scary scenarios that surround the potential break up of European monetary union and the EU are not likely to happen.
"In terms of the stability and ongoing strength of the global economy at the moment that is probably one of the biggest threats out there beyond what President Trump might do.
"I think it's worth emphasising that as economists we are not all dismal scientists all the time and there are reasons to be positive as well."
Mellor says the purchase of a controlling interest in BIS Shrapnel by Oxford Economics will give the local firm access to a global economic model. Chief economist Frank Gelber is remaining with the firm
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"Since the GFC we have found that the world has become a more critical factor in Australia's economic outlook and we think it's important to have solid international connections," he says.
Cooper says there is a global trend toward increased use of independent economic advice.
"Since the global financial crisis the degree of uncertainty about what is happening in the international macro economy and within individual countries has clearly been heightened," he says.
"Increasingly companies need to understand what different scenarios might mean for their business.
"Alongside that people appreciate having a genuinely independent perspective."
BIS OE director David Walker said BIS OE now had the largest team of independent economists in Australia.Mail Online, the sister website of the Daily Mail, has apologised and agreed to pay “substantial damages” to a teacher whom the columnist Katie Hopkins falsely accused of taking her class to a Donald Trump protest in Westminster.
The apology to Jackie Teale, the teacher, was published on Mail Online on Tuesday morning and posted by Hopkins on her Twitter account.
It said that Hopkins was wrong to state that Teale had taken her class to the protest and that she had actually taken a banner made by some of the 12-year-old pupils in her class. “We apologise to Ms Teale for this error and have agreed to pay Ms Teale substantial damages and legal costs,” Mail Online said.
I took Katie Hopkins to court – but I won’t celebrate her leaving Mail Online | Jack Monroe Read more
The apology emerged the day after it emerged that Hopkins had left the website after two years. The website said Hopkins’s contract had not been renewed “by mutual consent” and declined to provide further details. Her last column was published on 5 October.
The column that brought about the apology was published online in February and was headlined: “Schools are supposed to teach kids HOW to think for themselves, not WHAT to think. So why are so many liberal teachers bullying and brain-washing children with their own intolerant views?”
Teale revealed in an article for the Guardian – published before Hopkins’s false allegation – how she had spoken to Hopkins on Twitter about taking the banner to the protest. The banner included a Martin Luther King quote.
“Hopkins quickly reposted my tweet proclaiming that I was ‘brainwashing’ children,” Teale wrote. “My Twitter feed went crazy. Setting aside the personal attacks, people were calling for me to resign. I should be sacked. ‘Someone’, they said, would be in contact with me about this. They began circulating links to the Department for Education and encouraged each other to register complaints with them to inform them of my ‘illegal’ activities.
“This is when I started to panic. Not because I was worried about the personal repercussions, but because I did not want my actions to have any negative impact on the school where I work and my great colleagues. The other thing that concerned me was that people were embellishing the story. Post-truth reigns supreme on social media because anyone can say anything.”
Hopkins rose to fame when she appeared in the third series of The Apprentice, and she wrote for the Mail Online for two years after leaving the Sun. But she has been accused of publishing deliberate provocation in her columns and tweets rather than legitimate commentary.
One of her most controversial pieces involved comparing African migrants crossing the Mediterranean with “cockroaches” and calling for gunboats to stop migrants reaching their destination.
The United Nations said the column – which appeared in the Sun in April 2015 – was hate speech and used language similar to that used by those behind the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Her weekly show on the radio station LBC was stopped in May after Hopkins posted a tweet about the Manchester Arena attack that called for a “final solution” for Muslims in Britain. It provoked a backlash on social media because of the phrase’s connections to the Holocaust. Hopkins subsequently said the post was a “typo” and replaced “final” with “true”.
Hopkins drew criticism last month for a tweet inaccurately stating that a road accident outside the Natural History Museum was a terrorist attack. She said afterwards: “I stand by the idea that it’s a terror attack. I don’t shy away from that. It’s my personal opinion.”In what is certainly an interesting scoop, if it proves to be accurate, The New York Times’ Nick Bilton says that Facebook is making another go at building a smartphone. This time, however, it’s not doing it on its own power and has hired on “more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad.”
Facebook has made attempts at building a smartphone before, two others, claims Bilton. The first was reported on back in 2010 by Techcrunch’s Michael Arrington. The next iteration of the phone was outed back in November of last year by All Things D’s Ina Fried and Liz Gannes.
That project, code-named “Buffy”, after Avengers helmer Joss Whedon’s vampire slayer, provided the basis for the current project.
In the interim, says the NYT report, Facebook came to the realization that it was not going to be able to gin up its own hardware with just in-house talent, and began snapping up engineers who formerly worked on other smartphones and portable electronics, like the ex-Apple folks.
One engineer who formerly worked at Apple and worked on the iPhone said he met with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, who then peppered him with questions about the inner workings of smartphones. It did not sound like idle intellectual curiosity, the engineer said; Mr. Zuckerberg asked about intricate details, including the types of chips used, he said. Another former Apple hardware engineer was recruited by a Facebook executive and was told about the company’s hardware explorations.
Facebook recently released its Facebook Camera app for iOS and has previously released other standalone apps like Facebook Messenger and its primary Facebook client. This, along with the fact that Facebook has some 900M users and its own app store, has led many to conjecture that a phone of some sort is on the way.
In its original S1 filing before its IPO, Facebook exposed its fears of being shut out of the mobile arena by competitors who could simply shoulder its apps out. Listing as a potential threat “growth in use of Facebook through our mobile products, where we do not currently display ads, as a substitute for use on personal computers may negatively affect our revenue and financial results.”
The company took the explanation of the threat even further, stating that “Facebook user growth and engagement on mobile devices depend upon effective operation with mobile operating systems, networks, and standards that we do not control.”
Clearly, Facebook now wants to control its own platform, ensuring that the pipeline to its users, both for its content and its advertising, remains clear.
Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility was touted by many to be about patents only, but having its own hardware manufacturer certainly put it more in charge of its own mobile destiny. This goes along with recent reports that Google would expand its Nexus line to multiple manufacturers simultaneously, including Motorola, in order to offer the best Android user experience possible.
Both Facebook and Google make their money on advertising. This business model means that not being able to rely on displaying those ads to users because of a capricious decision on behalf of Apple — or in Facebook’s case, any mobile platform that it exists on — is an enormous vulnerability.
Google itself makes far more money from advertising on the iPhone than it does on its own Android devices. That’s got to keep executives up at night when they see Apple planning a new mapping service to replace Google’s on iOS and other ways in which it is divorcing Google services.
But Facebook’s risk is even higher. Unlike Google, it has no Android product to rely on to at least account for some eyeballs on its advertising. And a recent Comscore report showed that users actually spent 7.5 hours on the mobile version of Facebook a month, surpassing the web version by an hour.
That’s why rumblings about Facebook making its own phone make a lot of sense. Whether or not they can succeed is up in the air, but at least it looks like they’re at it with some decent talent.
Read next: Steve Clayton on Microsoft's push for "natural user interfaces"Looking back on the history of tiki and why its signature tropical libations are in vogue once more.
For most, the word "tiki" conjures a less than positive image: saccharine Mai Tais and Bahama Mamas served in chintzy glassware at chain restaurants and Disney World. In fact, most people under the age of 40 can’t even name a tiki cocktail, much less do they understand the provenance of these tropical drinks. Since the 1980s, tiki culture has largely been buried, dismissed by children of that era as square.
But now, decades later, tiki is having a moment—again. From the proliferation of tiki bars across the country to Don Draper drinking Mai Tais on the beach in Hawaii to Polynesian-themed clothing and furniture and, of course, the cocktails that ruled American pop-culture for much of the early-to-mid-20th century. Tiki is back in style. But what defines tiki culture, if not the syrupy-sweet umbrella drinks served in Hurricane glasses at Joe’s Crab Shack?
To fully understand tiki drinks and the culture that spread from its signature fruity, tropical creations first stirred by Don The Beachcomber in Hollywood, California, one must understand the cultural phenomenon that tiki became during in the 1930s.
Tiki's Heyday
According to tiki historian Jeff "Beach Bum" Berry, tiki originated in the throes of the Great Depression, following the end of Prohibition. Don The Beachcomber hit Hollywood in 1934 as a refuge for Donn Beach—born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt—to share his love of Polynesia, specifically Tahiti. Gantt had been a bootlegger during Prohibition and traveled widely in the South Pacific, even working as a beachcomber for a time in Tahiti. When he returned to the United States, the newly-christened Donn Beach opened the country’s first tiki bar as a place to display the artifacts collected during his travels.
For poor and out-of-work Americans, tiki offered an irresistible escape...
During the mid-1930s, the rest of the country, too, was feeling the pull toward the islands. "The worse things got in the world, the better things got for tiki," says Berry. "It works because it’s a mini-vacation. People were hungry for a fantasy, and what little disposable income they had went to trying to forget all that stuff. All eyes went to the South Pacific, perceived as a place of exotic abandon, where you didn’t have to work for a living. It was the exact opposite of being in a U.S. city in the winter of 1934."
For poor and out-of-work Americans, tiki offered an irresistible escape, so tiki culture continued to flourish into the 1940s as the United States entered World War II. Donn Beach himself went off to war, earning a Purple Heart for operating rest-and-recuperation facilities for war-weary soldiers. "Before the war, only the richest Americans could afford to get to the South Pacific, if they even had the inclination," says Berry. "Now, all these guys from Des Moines and Oklahoma City are going to Hawaii to serve in the military, and most of them had good memories of their time in Hawaii," he continues. "They went to this beautiful paradise that they never would have dreamed of if they’d not been drafted. When they got back to the States, they wanted to remember those experiences."
During this time, Trader Vic’s, a Polynesian-themed restaurant and tiki bar, was becoming the fastest-growing chain in the country. Victor Bergeron, the original Trader Vic, had picked Oakland, California as the home for his first tiki bar in 1934, launching the business under the name "Hinky Dinks." It's unclear why exactly he changed the restaurant's name, but the first franchised location of Trader Vic’s opened in 1940, and at the height of the tiki craze, there were more than 25 outlets across the country. From the $500 Bergeron spent to launch his initial bar, he was able to build a tiki-themed restaurant empire. Like Don The Beachcomber, Trader Vic’s claims to have invented the original Mai Tai.
As much as Donn Beach loved the South Pacific, cocktails really weren’t part of island life.
Once World War II ended, the post-war economy created an environment suitable for tiki to flourish. Americans had more disposable income, but they also were contending with a pervasive fear of nuclear war thanks to the Red Scare. "The 1950s were not Happy Days. People were... freaked out," says Berry. "Then, there was the stifling Eisenhower-era conservative morality. Again, the South Pacific provided a fantasy life. No one was going to judge you for going to a tiki bar for a couple of hours to escape."
Tiki culture may have burned out by the end of the 1950s if it weren’t for one major development: Hawaii joined the United States. Americans now had a domestic vacation option that was also a tropical paradise. Coincidentally, commercial air travel also debuted in 1959, which enabled people to visit Hawaii and bring memories of luaus and Polynesian culture back home.
Travel to Hawaii fueled the height of the tiki boom in the mid-1960s, which was marked by bamboo furniture and backyard luau parties. Gilligan’s Island was the most popular show on television, and The Beach Boys were a global musical sensation. At this point, tiki had become much more than just Mai Tais and Painkillers—it was dominant culture.
Tiki Drinks
Tiki cocktails, surprisingly, are not at all Polynesian. As much as Donn Beach loved the South Pacific, cocktails really weren’t part of island life. "In French Polynesia, people just drank French table wine," says Berry. "In Hawaii, people drank okolehao, which is a sort of moonshine made from the root of the ti plant. It wasn’t really anything that any American would ever want to drink in a tiki bar." So, Don The Beachcomber looked to another tropical part of the world—the Caribbean. From there, he would take the region’s flavor fundamentals—rum, sugar and lime, and transform them into the tiki cocktails, or "rhum rhapsodies" as he called them, that we know today.
But he didn’t just stop with those three basic ingredients. "These simple cocktails became twelve-ingredient fantasias," says Berry. "They were craft cocktails, the first post-Prohibition, culinary-inspired cocktails that came more than seventy years before those terms existed. They weren’t Polynesian, but they were revolutionary." Don The Beachcomber set a standard with the first tiki drinks, making them with fresh juices, bespoke syrups that went beyond just the orgeat in his Mai Tai recipe.
Don The Beachcomber set a standard with the first tiki drinks, making them with fresh juices, bespoke syrups that went beyond just the orgeat in his Mai Tai recipe.
From Don The Beachcomber’s inspiration, tiki drinks became a sort of free for all. Bartenders across the country began creating their own recipes, like the Painkiller, developed by a bartender on the Dutch-founded Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands during the 1970s. Bartenders also put their own twists on Don The Beachcomber originals, mixed first by the man himself, like the Zombie, originally made with four different rums, apricot brandy and lime juice. There is no exhaustive list of tiki cocktails, but rather hundreds of recipes for dozens of drinks that still endure in cocktail books and on restaurant menus.
Tiki’s Downfall
By the 1970s, tiki culture fell out of style thanks to counter-culture proliferation. As young people started to turn against the ideologies and traditions of their parents, tiki cocktails, and cocktails in general, became "square." Per Berry, "The kids didn’t drink cocktails after protesting the Vietnam War at a rally. That’s what Nixon and his people were doing, drinking cocktails." The disaffected youth of the 1970s had moved on from recreational drinking to recreational drugs, which meant that cocktail culture as a whole, not just tiki culture, began to vanish.
Into the 1980s, massive food conglomerates saw a market in providing bottled cocktail mixes and other "labor-saving" products to bars and restaurants. It is these companies, like Sunkist and General Foods, that Berry blames for the terrible, syrupy reputation which tiki cocktails assumed, not to mention the sugary cocktails that exploded in the aftermath. "Cocktails sucked in the 1980s, I couldn’t understand why people drank them," says Berry. "I couldn’t figure out why anyone would drink a daiquiri. What was Hemingway’s problem?"
Of course, these drinks were superseded with equally sweet Cosmopolitans and Lemon Drops and vodka-cranberry spritzers. By the time the craft cocktail renaissance came along in the early-2000s in New York City, fueled by Sex and the City, many bartenders scoffed at tiki drinks, much like their counter-culture predecessors. "If you came of age in the 1980s or 1990s, you were seeing the fall out from tiki," says Berry. "The only tiki bars that were left were these low-overhead, low-end places that never made good drinks in the first place. That’s why there’s this perception of tiki drinks as syrupy, sugary cruise-ship drinks."
The Mad Men Effect
Of course, trends are cyclical, and eventually tiki culture had to find its way back to the mainstream, if in an unlikely vehicle. At present, there |
're expecting a lot of business, so hopefully it will help revitalize the Nichols Hills Plaza, which has been suffering for years.
Doepke says they expect the restaurant to open sometime this fall.
Report a typoCLOSE Donald Trump is under fire after a video from 2005 surfaced in which he can be heard making lewd comments about women.
The U.S. Capitol building (Photo: Paul Singer, USA TODAY)
WASHINGTON — The now-infamous tape of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women is almost sure to hurt vulnerable Republican senators battling for re-election, making it harder for the GOP to retain control of the Senate on Election Day, analysts said Monday.
"There's no way Republicans come out ahead on this," said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Monday shows that voters now favor Democrats over Republicans for Congress by 7 percentage points — Democrats' biggest lead in that metric since the October 2013 government shutdown that most voters blamed on the GOP. The new poll was taken after the Trump tape became public, but before Sunday night's debate between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"Donald Trump only cares about Donald Trump," Pitney said. "He doesn't care what he's doing to Republicans in Congress."
Trump proved that during Sunday night's debate, analysts said, when he defiantly dismissed his 2005 comments about grabbing women's genitals as "locker room talk" and denied that he was bragging about sexual assault.
The GOP nominee has once again put vulnerable Republican senators and candidates in the tough position of having to choose whether to anger die-hard Trump supporters or the independent voters they will need to win re-election, said Eric Herzik, chairman of the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno.
"They risk alienating the most loyal Trump supporters if they denounce him," Herzik said. "And they're still going to be criticized by Democrats for supporting him for months. I don't think you can walk back your support for Trump at this point and actually gain voters. The best you can hope for is you might limit the bleeding."
Republicans currently hold 54 seats in the 100 seat Senate; if Hillary Clinton wins the White House, Democrats need capture only four GOP seats to retake control, since the Democratic Vice President would break ties in their favor.
Republican Senate candidates have been rushing to do that since the tape of Trump making the lewd comments became public on Friday afternoon.
Among the GOP senators and candidates in competitive races who have rescinded their endorsements of Trump: Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, John McCain of Arizona and Rob Portman of Ohio. Rep. Joe Heck, who is running for the open Senate seat in Nevada that is being vacated by retiring Minority Leader Harry Reid, also took back his support of Trump.
When Heck announced his decision Saturday at a campaign rally, he was booed by some Trump loyalists.
"They called him traitor," Herzik said. "That's the risk you take."
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., denounced both Trump and Clinton in his latest comments while stopping short of saying whether he will vote for Trump on Nov. 8.
"Sadly, last night’s debate again showed the shortcomings of both presidential candidates," Toomey said in a statement Monday. "I have not endorsed Donald Trump and I have repeatedly spoken out against his flawed policies and his outrageous comments, including his indefensible and appalling comments about women."
However, Toomey also denounced Clinton and his Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty, in the same statement.
"Katie McGinty has yet to say a single word against Hillary Clinton's disastrous policies that have endangered our country, her widespread dishonesty, or the corruption of her behavior with the Clinton Foundation," Toomey said.
McGinty called on Toomey to "man up" and oppose Trump.
Pitney said the best thing a Republican candidate can do in this difficult situation is to tell voters how they truly feel about Trump instead of trying to straddle the political line.
"If you really support Trump, then say so," the professor said. "If you don't, then tell the truth. In a campaign, insincerity shows. You may alienate some people by being honest, but at least you don't look like a jerk."
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told his Republican colleagues in a phone call Monday that he would no longer defend Trump but would focus on trying to hold onto the GOP majorities in the House and Senate. Ryan did not rescind his endorsement of Trump.
"The speaker is going to spend the next month focused entirely on protecting our congressional majorities," said Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong.
While that strategy may sound good, it's nearly impossible to carry out successfully, said Grant Reeher, a political science professor and director of the Alan K. Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University. Republican and independent voters who are turned off by Trump may stay home on election day rather than showing up just to help congressional candidates, Reeher said.
"The problem with (Ryan's strategy) is that the presidential election is still the best leverage point to motivate voters to turn out at the polls," Reeher said. "If the Republicans try to turn this election into an off-year election, it's going to work against them."
Senate Republicans should not be surprised that Trump doesn't care about their races since he's been running against the GOP establishment all along, Reeher said.
"His attitude toward them in the last debate was: 'You think I've been too extreme? Watch this.' "
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2ekDFNsPosted on Monday, January 27, 2014 8:00 am 1k views
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Please note that VA does not endorse any of these sites but brings your attention to them as they have services available specifically for Veterans and military families.Hello everyone! This is the second part of my promised series about my attempts to enter a DWCQ.
Where last we left off, I was excited but nervous, and wondering if or how Ancient Bonds was going to affect the format. At that point, a lot of the biggest and most impactful cards hadn’t been spoiled yet, and I found it hard to think of cards that would dethrone the top dogs of the format without being overpowered. I think a few hours after I published it, Counterplay revealed Celebrant, and I threw that assumption out like last week’s leftovers.
This meant I was going to have to cram it like a student with an assignment due yesterday. Wednesday was release day. I booked Friday off work. Tryhard mode activated.
I decided to spend the first half of the week playing a minimal amount of Duelyst, to reduce the risk of burning out. I gave Bond Argeon a try on stream (it was good, who knew) and otherwise spent my gaming time on Overwatch and The Witness. I got back from town around 10pm on Wednesday and the race was on.
T Minus 3 Days: Wednesday (2-3 hours)
Once I arrived home, I bought the expansion (I was going to do this anyway, so didn’t begrudge having to spend money) and went at it. At this point, I had no real target, and just wanted to try some brews and get a snapshot of the meta. To play Duelyst, in other words.
Based purely on the spoilers, I was expecting something like this:
Straight-down-the-line Golem Magmar and Vetruvian decks. Search ‘golem’ in the collection manager, click on most of it, season with removal to taste.
Death Knell combo Abyssian.
Vanar and Songhai decks drawing loads of cards and going off.
I compiled a long list of brews I wanted to try out, and threw six together to start with before giving in to temptation and clicking Play. The ones I tried on Wednesday were Death Knell Lilithe and a couple of Magmar decks.
My expectations weren’t too far off. There were plenty of people running their old decks alongside the new toys, and I had fun crushing Healyonar with Blue Conjurer and mass reanimation. Golem Magmar turned out to be way less terrifying than I’d anticipated, at least at this early stage; Lavaslasher is amazing, but the deck in general is kind of a clunky pile and the mirrors are ridiculous. Good draws will get you cheap wins, but anything else and it seemed to struggle, both in my hands and my opponents’. Golem Zirix, on the other hand, felt absurd. I lost to it repeatedly over the first couple of days, and felt that whatever I played would have to be able to beat it. Both the Golem decks seemed potentially soft to aggro, so I thought Tempo Lyonar might have a good shot.
Level 0 and Level 1
One of the important goals I had for my testing process was to find some good “level 0” and “level 1” decks. When considering a certain metagame, a deck’s level is basically the number of “Well, X beats Y, so I should play X” statements you have to make in order to choose it for a particular metagame. A level 0 deck is usually something generically powerful whose existence shapes the format. Level 1 decks are chosen to have an advantage over the level 0 decks, level 2 decks beat one or more of the level 1 decks (“well, X beats Y so people should play X, but Z beats X, so I’ll bring Z”), and so on. Often, the level 0 decks will be favoured over the level 2 decks thanks to their raw power level, setting up a weighted rock-paper-scissors sort of dynamic that rewards correct meta prediction. (When a deck appears that has a good matchup against all the levels, we call that “broken”.)
As a newcomer to both Conquest and (like everyone else) the set itself, I was most interested in level 1. I didn’t just want to bring the level 0 decks and nothing else and then run into a horde of skilled players teching against me, and I expected people to bring at least some of the level 0 stuff due to its easy power. Level 2 and above are very risky choices, especially this early on in a format; they require an extremely specific and confident prediction of the meta.
Golem Magmar and Vetruvian leapt out at me as level 0 decks immediately. Both can be extremely powerful. Vet was just wrecking me, and I thought a refined and/or lucky version of Golem Magmar would easily pull out victories. If you just want a deck that’s powerful and don’t care about tuning to beat whatever your opponents are on, you can chuck either of those together and enjoy being one of the format’s defining decks.
After a few hours of play I also felt like I’d identified some potential Level 1s. The Golem Zirix deck had a lot of smallish minions and not much else, so certain AOEs – notably Frostburn and Plasma Storm – would be good against it. Plasma Storm gets saddened by Feralu, but Vanar can counter an Inner Oasis with Enfeeble, making a Frostburn/Enfeeble deck such as Control Faie a good choice. Enfeeble also seemed like a fantastic counter to huge openings from Magmar players. Two big golems on turn 2? No problem, they’re 1/1s now. Vanar also seemed good in and of themselves, having received some of the best new cards in Circulus, Kindred Hunter and Mana Deathgrip.
A good aggressive deck also felt like it might be able to run rings around the Golem decks, particularly Songhai who got a lot of new toys to make up for the Inner Focus nerf. Arcanyst Songhai always seemed like an archetype with potential, and they have so much more to do now. Not many people seemed to be running a lot of healing, aside from the old-style Zir’an decks I saw on ladder, which largely rolled over to the value plays the new decks could make.
This gave me a rough plan for the next couple of days. Test Vanar (probably Faie) and Songhai (probably Reva), look for a deck to fill the other slot, and experiment as much as I had time for to see if there’s anything else great that I haven’t thought of.
T Minus 2 Days: Thursday (3-4 hours)
What time I had on Thursday evening mostly involved giving all of Wednesday’s brews a try and adding a couple more to the pile. So many brews.
Godhammer Starhorn felt rubbish, but I’m bad at building aggro Magmar decks. Tempo Argeon with Golems added (called “Bond Bond Argeon” because I’m witty as hell) felt really strong, but the list I had struggled hard against Vetruvian and seemed a bit draw-dependent. I played a Faie deck and liked it; I played a couple of Reva decks and fell in love. I played Golem Vet itself, got wrecked by Healyonar twice in a row, then started winning.
At some point, I saw that Pylons had posted on Reddit about winning the TCG eSports event the previous day, using a Faie deck and a Reva deck. Suspicions confirmed! Not only that, but the lists themselves were another thing to test. Pylons had mentioned the Faie deck had needed a bit more draw, and I’d been seriously impressed by Blue Conjurer the previous day, so in he went.
The decks I was playing with and against continued to conform to my expectations. I had my first games with Trinity Wing and realised how ridiculous the card was in every respect. It’s very powerful, but insanely awkward. You have to have enough hand space to accommodate the teachings, enough mana to make use of one or two of them, and an Arcanyst on board or a cheap one in hand, to get the full value. When you do, of course, it’s insane. Heal up, kill something, and make Owlbeast Sage happy.
Speaking of Owlbeast Sage – I’ve always loved that card, and wow, it’s in its element right now. There isn’t a lot of dispel going around from what I’ve seen, coupled with all the new support for it, and I’m so excited to be able to make 40+ health boards again. The new Arcanysts vary in power level, as one might expect; the ones that surprised me the most were Loreweaver and Blue Conjurer. Loreweaver looked amazing, but I soon realised it missed far too often to be any good, and was difficult to synergise with. Once you hit more than once you likely just run into the hand size limit. Conjurer, on the other hand, is extremely reliable card advantage, and supplies a stream of minions that synergise with your deck. It’s also big enough to shrug off cheap removal or a small attack. In Faie decks, Conjurer + Flash Freeze + Warbird has been a common and excellent 6-mana play for me, and my Abyssian deck (more a meme than a real contender but still) loves playing it on turn 2 off Darkfire Sacrifice and going off. Hitting enough Conjurer rolls over the course of a game also gives you a not-insignificant chance of rolling a Death Knell, which is obviously bonkers.
Another thing about the Arcanyst decks that was starting to make itself felt is that they’re extremely complicated to play. You’re constantly managing your hand size and card advantage while trying to interact profitably with your opponent, play around their cards, and curve out decently. There aren’t many (any?) Arcanysts that directly draw cards, but instead they generate new ones or add to the board to provide a more unique kind of resource advantage. This means that you’re constantly trying to manage your flow of resources; the goal is that you’re always flush with things to do but don’t overdraw or wind up with four 2/1 Illusions in hand while your opponent has real cards.
T Minus 1 Day: Friday (9-10 hours)
Here comes the crunch.
I took Friday off work for what turned out to be (I think) the largest amount of gaming I’ve ever done in one day. I tested all day with only a couple of breaks, cramming in as many archetypes and list adjustments as I possibly could.
I started out looking into a few more crazy ideas. The plan was to start out with trying new things to get a complete picture (and ideally find a third general), then hone in on the decks I’d be piloting at the event, and put some hours into refining them as much as possible. A weird Ghoulie/Crimson Coil Reva deck turned out surprisingly effective. My stalwart Keeper Vaath did likewise. Pre-expansion Control Faie disappointed me; it was underwhelming compared to the flexibility of the Arcanyst lists, which still got to run all the good removal, but also have a powerful tempo game too. I felt as though if you were running a Vanar deck without Kindred Hunter, something had gone wrong.
I was expecting Keeper to roll over and die to the profusion of explosive proactive decks, but it held its own remarkably well. Lavaslasher is borderline unfair – the amount of tempo you can generate off that card is insane. Plasma Storm also keeps the Zirix matchup somewhat in check if you can avoid or kill Feralu. Better yet, Keeper Vaath still seems to enjoy its good matchups against the Faie decks I was expecting people to bring to beat up on the Golems.
I then went as hard as I could on finding the right Faie and Reva lists. It rapidly became obvious that I wasn’t going to – there were far too many build options and nowhere near enough time, especially for Songhai. For Faie I ended up settling on Pylons’ list with only minor adjustments; of the builds I tried, it seemed the most solid, and everything I’d built myself was too swanky to work in a tournament. I kept the pair of Blue Conjurers in, but otherwise I don’t think I changed much of significance. For Reva, I tried four radically different lists – a midrangey Arcanyst-heavy list intended to test out Sparrowhawk, Pylons’ version running Cryptographer (which I thought was genius), the Ghoulie combo I mentioned earlier, and a burn deck with Crescent Spears and Bloodrage Mask that looked to SMOrc like it was going out of fashion. I honestly liked all of them. I ended up with a fusion of everything I’d tried, and loved it – it felt smooth as butter. Crimson Coil sadly didn’t make it into the final production, but two copies of Ghoulie did, and crucially, Kataras. Having Katara in the deck drastically increased explosive burst potential and partially made up for not running any heavy minion removal, as well as upping the chances that I’d have a turn 1 minion.
Now, in theory, all that was left was to choose a third deck. The leading contenders were Golem Zirix (level 0) and Keeper Vaath (level 2). Playing either a level 0 deck or a level 2 deck carries its own risks – level 0 decks are likely to be countered, whereas level 2 decks have a chance that the thing they’re countering isn’t actually there. I agonised for a little while and eventually settled on Keeper Vaath.
Predictable, right? Keeper Vaath Guy plays Keeper Vaath, news at 11. I did have the thought that people seeing my lineup would assume I locked in the Vaath deck immediately and worried about what else to play later. In truth, it was more the other way around – as we’ve seen, I didn’t even decide to try Keeper Vaath out at all until the last day of testing, because I assumed it would be bad in the new meta. I picked it over Zirix because:
People were less likely to expect it from an average opponent, so there’d be less tech against it.
I could tweak the deck to make sure it could hold its own against the Level 0 decks. (I wound up running a third Plasma Storm and a Kinetic Equilibrium to deal with piles of cheap golems.)
It’s great against Vanar, and I was certain people would be bringing a lot of Faie. Faie also deals well with Golem Vetruvian thanks to having all the right AOE spells.
When in doubt, playing Magmar’s unconditional removal, great board wipes and huge value creatures against an ‘unknown’ meta can’t be the worst thing ever.
At around half past 10 in the evening I decided I should call it there. The plan had originally been to sort out my lists on Friday and then have a lazy Saturday morning with zero games played, taking some time to relax. With the tournament starting at 4pm my time, I was keen to spend the hours prior to it refreshing myself and making sure I was fed and well-rested. (And get out of the house after spending all of Friday staring at little pixellated monsters on a grid.) This sort of self-care would likely do me far more good than another couple of hours agonising over card choices, so I fought back the temptation to leave that option open. I chose my final decklists, locked them in, submitted them on Battlefy and called it a night.
So, Arcanyst Faie, Arcanyst(ish) Reva and Keeper Vaath it was.
The end result
Here’s an imgur album:
Reva
I called the deck ‘Stereotypical Reva’, although it doesn’t look it. There are some weird number choices in there (1 Four Winds Magi?) and it runs Ghoulie and Cryptographer. Despite all that, the name fits because it wants to do everything a typical Songhai deck might do – make tempo plays, bounce around the board, get spell synergy, set up combos, and count damage for lethal. It feels really nice to play, in part because it’s very flexible. It doesn’t play from behind very well, but while you’re wrestling for board control or playing cat-and-mouse games, it has a lot of neat options, and the high minion count plus the BBS means you’re rarely starved of Killing Edge or Juxtaposition targets.
Katara was a huge addition – there’s a reason it was in almost every Songhai deck before the expansion. It’s great with the displacement effects and with Killing Edge, it’s a cheap minion for early tempo, and it sometimes acts as a dispel magnet. Adding that really helped the early game. Cryptographer was something I got from Pylons’ build that really impressed me – it’s a minion (well, two) and a spell and a ranged threat and a two-drop! I’ll take a playset, please. The singleton Four Winds Magi and Kindling are there to fulfil situational roles that I didn’t want to go completely without. Four Winds helps get rid of opposing artifacts, which I was seeing a lot of, and minor healing, but is fragile; Kindling allows massive burst if you have a specific board and can be targeted by Inner Focus. Both are a bit narrow, whereas Owlbeast Sage is hard to kill and fights really well when the board is even, so he got priority. I also knew I wanted 3 Spelljammers in whatever Reva deck I played – a big body that draws extra cards is perfect – so it was hard to dedicate a lot of four-mana slots to these relatively situational cards.
Finally, Ghoulie. I really liked having Ghoulie just for its own sake in the combo version. At some point, going second, I used Ghoulie + Inner Focus to kill my opponent’s turn 1 Circulus and felt like I’d had an epiphany. It’s also a decent body that’s more likely to stick around for Owlbeast Sage or Trinity Wing than any of the two-drop Arcanysts are, and brawls really well once it has a little support. Ghoulie + Crimson Coil does sound like a meme, but I swear it’s actually good. I don’t know if it’s tournament good, but wow, that’s a really powerful interaction.
Another interesting thing about this list is how few spells it actually runs. Of course, this gets a little better when you see that we have eight minions that can generate new spells and three that draw through the deck, so the effective spell count is more like 22.
Vaath
I’ve written extensively about Keeper Vaath in the past, of course, so I won’t describe the deck from scratch this time around. (Here’s the most recent piece, in case you’re not familiar with it.)
No Zurael in this version makes me really sad. I figured there’d be fewer drawn-out resource brawls and a lot more tempo and combo, and I needed space for a playset of Lavaslashers, so the phoenix had to go. Adamantine Claws also didn’t make the cut, which reduces the deck’s ability to just push face damage, but then again… Lavaslasher.
Ragebinders have replaced the Void Hunters as the three-drop of choice. I’m not even sure this is actually correct, but I do like having a three-drop that isn’t embarrassing to get into combat with, since it takes some effort to kill. It also provides occasional extra healing, which is much appreciated. Kinetic Equilibrium and a third Plasma Storm got a slot to ward off Zirix and big boards of 2/1 Illusions with buffs on. Dioltas got shaved as part of all these changes – it’d be nice to get them back in at some point.
Outside of that, it’s fundamentally the same decklist. Flash out big threats, remove your opponent’s minions, protect yourself, and punch them in the face. However, I feel like the inclusion of Lavaslasher and the shift in the meta pushes Keeper Vaath to be much more like a tempo deck. In a lot of matchups, you can’t just durdle around and run your opponent out of resources – the Arcanyst decks can just generate more cards and the Golem players can topdeck or dig into absurd payoff cards (Juggernaut or Sirocco) as well as playing highly aggressively in general. Instead, leveraging Lavaslasher alongside its existing tools lets the deck get up close and personal and pressure the opponent’s life total throughout the game.
Faie
This one wound up just being a netdeck with only minor modifications. My own attempts at building Faie decks in the limited time I had didn’t really impress me, but Pylons’ version had a nice big pile of Good Cards lined up in a decent mana curve and backed up with all the removal I wanted to be playing. I wound up adding a few things – Aspect of the Mountain, Blue Conjurer and Blistering Skorn all served me well in testing.
This list is fundamentally a tempo deck, but it can grind resources with the best of them. Draws involving Blue Conjurer are incredibly forgiving because you can just keep throwing down Arcanysts until your opponent runs out of removal, or casually play into AOEs while maintaining a full hand. Kindred Hunter on curve is a huge pain, and remains relevant later on. Circulus and Trinity Wing stuff your hand with cheap cards that synergise with the rest of the deck, or can be replaced into real cards. Frostburn and Enfeeble allow for catching up on tempo and potentially even more card advantage.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s also extremely difficult to pilot. You’re managing a lot of different tools and resources all at once, while still trying to position well and play around your opponent’s cards. There are so many ways to mess up, especially after a long day of testing or competitive play. This isn’t necessarily a deterrent for me – playing it is a huge and valuable learning experience – but it’s a concern.
Wrapping up
This DWCQ has properly thrown me in at the deep end. Testing primarily on my lonesome, in Conquest which I’ve never done before, with a new expansion released three days before the tournament… wow, I’m surprised I came up with anything vaguely functional.
Fortunately, my overall plan was simple and coherent: Figure out what people were likely to be playing in the meta, and what some level 0 and level 1 decks might be. Then try to build something appropriate. Of course, the second half is much easier said than done. My decks are likely nowhere near optimal, but I think I did a decent job anyway. I identified the rough shape of the format quite rapidly, and so far my expectations have been borne out.
I’m also happy with the testing itself. I tried a lot of different decks, focusing my energies on generals I would like to play. I got a relatively good handle on the format in a short space of time, and learnt a huge amount about how the new decks tend to function as well as how to build them. It’ll be interesting to see what the meta looks like a month from now, but for the time being I’m pleased that I seem to have gotten it right.
By the time you’re reading this, the DWCQ will be over. I’ll do my best to get a tournament report up as soon as possible. In that article, I’ll go over my experiences of the tournament itself, how they measured up to my expectations, and how my decks compared to the field. Wish me luck. I’ll see you then!Please enable Javascript to watch this video
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education Tuesday is scheduled to consider adding 190 employees to a list of 1,500 who have received layoff notices.
The proposal comes as district officials grapple with balancing a $124 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.
Those newly on the chopping block include more than 40 library technicians, mental health workers and bus drivers, along with other support staff. Notices have already been served on teachers, tech support staff, and special education assistants, among others.
The district has also proposed cutting the work year by between 11 and 14 days for classified and administrative employees, depending on their current schedules.
The items are scheduled to be taken up at the board's meeting at 5 p.m. at district headquarters in Normal Heights.
The trustees will also consider a resolution in support of state legislation that would prohibit California from doing business with contractors who help build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
SB 30, by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, would prevent the state from awarding or renewing a public contract with any person who provides goods or services to the federal government for construction of a wall, fence or barrier along the border.
According to the school district, endorsing the legislation would send the message that the "Board of Education believes a proposed border wall between California and Mexico would do serious economic, social and environmental harm to its students and the larger San Diego community."
Also at the meeting, opponents of a new district program to combat Islamophobia in San Diego schools are scheduled to protest during a public comment period.
In an email sent to reporters, Citizens for Quality Education-San Diego said they opposed the implementation of "anti-American Sharia Law policies" at local schools.
The program is the result of direction by the board last July to address discrimination against Muslim students and their families, who trustees said are more likely to be bullied than other students.
Between July 1 and Dec. 31 last year, there were seven reported incidents of harassment based on religion in San Diego Unified schools, according to a district presentation. By comparison, there were 36 based on race and 21 on sex during the same period.
The program includes making teachers and staff aware of when Muslim holidays occur, setting up professional staff development training on awareness of and advocating for Muslim culture, providing resources to students during Ramadan, and giving teachers history and social science materials, among other things.
In its statement, CQE said it objected to several steps being taken under the program, including establishing a partnership with the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.When I think about America, I think of the Founding Fathers who were willing to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor,” to defeat Great Britain and make this a free country. I think of John Paul Jones saying, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." I think not only of the brave men who died fighting for their countrymen at the Alamo, but of Sam Houston and his force slaughtering a Mexican force twice their size in retaliation during the Battle of San Jacinto. I think of Teddy Roosevelt getting shot in the chest by an assassin at a political rally and then FINISHING his 90 minute speech before getting medical attention.
I think of the line from George Patton’s speech that was immortalized in the movie,
"When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."
Americans toughed it out through the Depression, saved the world in WWI, WWII and the Cold War -- and then just to put a cherry on top of it, we put a man on the moon.
We live in a warrior culture. Our most popular movies feature gun-toting SEALS, ferocious cops who dispense justice one bullet at a time and superheroes who throw tanks farther than you can throw a Frisbee. We love mixed martial arts and football where 300 pound behemoths slam into each other with enough force to break a normal man’s back on every play. Even our children play video games that quite literally allow them to rip their virtual opponent’s heart out and show it to them before they die.
Despite all of that, this country has become increasingly soft and decadent. What the hell happened to us?
How did we get to the point where our politicians have handcuffed the greatest military in the history of Planet Earth to such an extent that we can’t seem to ultimately “win” wars anymore? How did our rules of engagement become so restrictive that we’d rather see our own men die or even lose the war rather than win and kill enemy civilians at the same time?
How did we turn into a nation where parents face jail time for letting kids play unsupervised in the park?
How did our colleges turn into romper rooms where pitiful mediocrities demand “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” when they hear someone disagrees with them?
How have we gotten to the point where there are so many Americans who EXPECT OTHER PEOPLE to buy their food, pay off their college loans, chip in for the mortgage, take care of their health care and hand them a shiny, happy life wrapped up in a bow – all presumably because their very existence is so wonderful that we should be grateful to have them around?
How is it that the biggest complaint that most young women have about most men today is their stunning lack of masculinity?
How is it that so many people idolize cops and soldiers who do whatever it takes to get the job done on the big screen and then endlessly complain about the men who do that dirty, tough and chaotic work in the real world?
How did we get to the point where we reward and celebrate victims with gushing articles and GoFundMe accounts while many successful people are treated like they committed a crime by actually outperforming other people by a large enough margin to get a huge financial reward for it?
How did our political discussions and much of |
bit last night from them. They have some defensemen who can jump into the play, and make plays. We knew that coming in. We knew they had a good goalie who could play the puck and make big saves for them. I think we saw all that last night.”
Devils rookie center Adam Henrique, a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the best rookie in the National Hockey League, gave the Kings quite the compliment.
“They’re a different team than the [New York] Rangers, or other teams we have faced so far,” he noted. “I think they bring a little bit of all of those teams into one. They’re a deep team. They have puck-moving defensemen, solid goaltending. But that’s to be expected. Obviously they’re here for a reason.”
“I think we need to focus on our game, how we need to play,” he added. “Maybe we were a little nervous coming out at the start of the game. We were throwing pucks away. We weren’t hanging onto the pucks, making plays. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement on our side.”
DeBoer said that his team needs to be better in all facets of their game.
“We had a lot of different issues,” he said. “Some of them you give credit to them for what they did. Some of them were self-inflicted. We’ve got to fix them all up. The game starts in your own end breaking out clean, getting through the neutral zone with speed, putting the puck in the right place, running good forecheck routes, keeping pucks alive with pinches.”
“There’s no clean answer to it,” he added. “We’ve got to be a little sharper in all our areas. I think our group has done a pretty good job of self-analyzing, you know, looking at the game and realizing, both individually and collectively where we have to get better. We have two days to do that. We’ll be better on Saturday night.”
“The comforting thing for me is when I listen to the comments of our players last night, they were dead-on. We weren’t good enough. We have to be better. We got over the early game jitters. We started to play a little bit better. But, you know, as a group, we’ve got to bring more to win this time of year.”
Zajac agreed.
“[We’ve] got to start from the beginning, getting pucks behind their defense,” Zajac stressed. “They stand up well. They’ve got back pressure all the time from their forwards. For us, we have to get pucks behind them and go to work.”
“You look at the other series, Philly, Rangers, we were able to create some offense off our cycles, from going high to low, to the points, getting traffic, getting shots [to the] net,” Zajac added. “We definitely didn’t do enough of that yesterday. We’ll have to execute in that part of our game. Hopefully, everything else will take care of itself.”
The Devils missed an opportunity to take the lead in the series, but they believe that there are good reasons to be optimistic.
“For us, we felt that, yeah, we missed an opportunity because we were able to hang around against this team, you know, not playing our best game,” said Zajac. “Still having a chance to win, that makes us feel pretty good that we can play better, be a little bit more successful.”
“The good news is we started in the same hole against Philly, we started in the same hole against the Rangers,” DeBoer noted. “We responded to the situation in the right way the last two rounds, and I expect the same.”
“When I look back at our playoff trail, you know, one of the areas that’s cropped up in every round is we’ve been a little tentative in the first game, you know, kind of felt our way, and then jumped in with both feet in Game 2,” DeBoer added. “I think that’s, hopefully, what we’ll do here again.”
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Frozen Royalty’s Comment PoliciesAn artist's interpretation of the race to lead Alberta's Progressive Conservative party. Photo via Flickr user Ben Watts
Ok, where the hell do you start with this mess?
Do you start with Jason Kenney, everyone's favourite bouncing baby boy, parachuting into the race in an attempt to merge the warring factions of Alberta's right?
Maybe with the Progressive Conservative-bros who chased both female leadership out of the race with Trumpian-like vitriol?
Look I don't know, all I know for sure is that the race to lead the former dynasty in the land of oil and honey has turned the party in on itself. It's hard to imagine the party hitting a further low then being decimated and going from first to third but hell, here we are.
The party seems to be split between factions. On one side of the chasm are those who want to follow Kenney to implode the party and merge with the Wildrose (the official opposition) and the PC faithful who view Kenney as an interloper and want the status quo.
Now, these two groups don't seem to like each other very much.
In the war for Alberta's right wing soul, the most recent shocker is that Sandra Jansen, a high-profile PC MLA, decided to cross the floor and join forces with the NDP and premier Rachel Notley.
Jansen, a particularly progressive Progressive Conservative who was in the running for leadership, recently dropped out of the race, alongside the only other woman Donna Kennedy-Glans, because of a massive amount of harassment and an emergence of "Trump-style politics"—which she blamed Kenney for.
"My social media has been filled with filth, my domain name purchased to direct people to smear pieces on me and finally, this past weekend in Red Deer, the final straw. Insults were scrawled on my nomination forms," she wrote in a statement.
Read More: Female Politicians Chased Out of Alberta PC Leadership Race, 'Trump-style Politics' Blamed
Jansen also said that volunteers from "another campaign" (read as Jason Kenney) chased her down a hall at a meeting and jeered her and her volunteers for "supporting children's right to a safe school environment." Meanwhile, Kennedy-Glans, while not citing the same abuse as Jansen, said she is dropping out because she doesn't believe there is "room for centrist voices" in the party anymore.
Kenney has condemned both the harassment and Trump-style politics.
Jason Kenney. Photo via Facebook
Shortly after two women were chased out of a race, Derek Fildebrandt, a Wildrose MLA and Alberta's smarmiest politician, decided it would be a good time to tweet out his thoughts about leadership.
Spoiler alert: they weren't good.
"Hyper-sensitive, politically-correct, victim-as-virtue culture is creating a leadership class of wimps. People are sick of it," he tweeted.
Which, sounds more like an alt-right troll than an elected official.
Moving on, it says a lot about the NDP's centrism that the high-profile PC MLA would join them as opposed to the Liberal or Alberta party. It will be interesting to see how the more conservative parts of the progressive-conservative gels with the team in orange.
Jansen, speaking to the CBC about her decision to jump ship and swim for safety, explained that the move was because she wanted to work for a reasonable and pragmatic party again. She added that "extremists were taking over" the party and threw a jab at Kenney.
"I don't believe that there has been anything moderate or pragmatic being offered or even discussed by the people intent on taking over the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta," she said.
Premier Notley welcomed Jansen to join her party and praised her as a "strong, articulate, mainstream, progressive woman."
As for K-diddles, well, he just keeps getting into mischief as lil' rosy cheeked scamps do. First Kenney called in Daddy Harper for his support and then he pulled a stunt at a Edmonton delegate selection meeting. The former immigration minister hosted a hospitality suite metres away from where the selection meeting was taking place, which the rules say you cannot do.
The party president enforced said rules and forced him to leave. Kenney, a longtime politician, pleaded ignorance and said that he broke the rules because, hell, they were a little tricky.
"The guidelines state that the candidate is not to be 'near' a room where a DSM is being held," he wrote in a blog post. "What does 'near' mean? 10 metres? 100 metres? 1 kilometre? Is the candidate barred from the larger building entirely—a building which the PC Party does not own nor rent as a whole?"
"Clearly the word 'near' is up for interpretation."
Frankly, these days, the only thing that doesn't seems to be up for interpretation in Albertan politics is that this mess of a leadership race is fucking depressing.
Follow Mack Lamoureux on TwitterJohannesburg - The Cheetahs and the Kings, who agreed three seasons too early to part ways with Super Rugby as part of the reduction in numbers of the teams playing in the tournament, stand to be compensated financially by roughly the same amount in their new ventures as they did in the southern hemisphere competition.
After protracted negotiations, particularly with the Cheetahs, SA Rugby’s wording in its media release said the two franchises had “earlier informed SA Rugby of their intention to explore alternative playing opportunities in other international competitions".
Legal representation
A SA Rugby insider confirmed that the “international competitions” would be the Pro 12 tournament in Europe, as widely speculated by the media not long after the South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby organisation decided to cull three teams – two from South Africa and one from Australia.
But the decision wasn’t reached without resistance from the Cheetahs, who sought legal representation as they still had a contract to play Super Rugby until 2020.
And, after lengthy negotiations, they relented when presented with the comparability of the finances in the move up north.
“The contract was the sticking point, but, once they saw that economically they wouldn’t be done in when they became aware of the numbers of moving to Pro 12, they realised they were not at an economic disadvantage,” said the official.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said had the Cheetahs, “who had a strong case because their contract could have been enforceable”, been excluded from Super Rugby without the cushion of the Pro 12 competition, they “could have claimed for the distribution due to them until 2020”.
Most revenue
Said share for participating in Super Rugby is about R34 million a year, according to the official, which would have meant SA Rugby parting with about R102 million. It’s not quite the same case with the Kings, whose participation this year was basically paid for by SA Rugby.
While it may have not come out of ideal circumstances, the move will achieve several things for South African rugby.
Besides the money for two teams who need it, the franchises are guinea pigs of a sort for whether South African participation in northern hemisphere competitions is better than a Super Rugby tournament in which they have always been slighted, despite bringing in the most revenue.
A cagey Cheetahs managing director Harold Verster said they were “excited by the news” and gave credit to SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux for his foresight and assistance in facilitating an alternative route for the two teams.
When asked if he was happy with the financial aspects of the deal, he only said: “We’ve reached a very amicable solution with SA Rugby, which will keep us on the same level as Super Rugby on every level".
Verster also revealed that part of the negotiated settlement included SA Rugby helping the two franchises with extra players and coaching for the first year of their venture.
Costs of accommodating SA sides
He wouldn’t be drawn on any details other than that the franchises’ participation in Pro 12 will be announced on Saturday, the day after the Cheetahs and the Kings play their last Super Rugby game – against each other.
The competition proper – which features teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy and is sponsored by Guinness and broadcaster Sky Sports – begins next month and concludes in May, meaning it will overlap with the Currie Cup until the end of October.
The addition of the Cheetahs and the Kings will necessitate a name change to Pro 14 after a €12 million (R183 million) increase in TV money into the competition, with those already in the tournament getting €500 000 more to cover the costs of accommodating the South African sides.
The competition will be played along the lines of two conferences of seven, with three teams automatically qualifying for the knockout stages and the top two teams making the semifinals in the process.KNL Networks, based in Oulu, Finland, has been in stealth mode during the past four years while developing a revolutionizing system that enables internet connection anywhere in the world – even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – without using expensive satellite systems.
Today, KNL announced the completion of its series A funding round. The funding amounted to more than $10 million making it one of the biggest Nordic series A rounds. Creandum is the biggest investor.
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“KNL has been extremely fortunate to have attracted continued interest from our Seed-level investors as well as visionary VCs and angels who have seen the tremendous capabilities offered by our technology. Like Facebook and Google, we see “Internet Anywhere” as a means to an end, and we believe our technology is ideally suited to making that happen in a wide range of industries, applications and geographies worldwide,” said Toni Linden, CEO of KNL.
Facebook and Google have been exploring the possibility of bringing internet to remote locations by relaying data through a network of balloons. KNL's technology, on the other hand, proposes the opposite: incredibly long range signals, by sending internet protocol over the radio.
KNL’s technology is already being used to provide robust internet connections to ships on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but can be used anywhere on the globe for many different applications. Amongst others, the company sees a future in the development of the Internet of Things and autonomous vessels, as the internet anywhere technology will enable live-streaming of data from the most extreme locations.
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Such capabilities are currently only possible with satellite networks, which are very expensive to operate. Instead, KNL’s technology relies on shortwave radio transmissions, which can transmit data for thousands of kilometers, for a fraction of the cost of a satellite system. Accomplishing this has required the innovation of long-distance high frequency radio systems. In comparison with satellite internet, the radio technology offers the additional advantages of being easier to use, always on.The appearance, at least from a distance, is there’s trouble brewing — yet again — within the ranks of the Canadian Football League’s Players’ Association, barely two years after a collective agreement was signed.
But Alouettes safety Marc-Olivier Brouillette, the team’s first player representative, views the situation somewhat differently.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily fighting. There’s been a lot of discussion recently about people at least challenging for the different positions,” Brouillette told the Montreal Gazette. “I think it’s healthy. Let’s have some options. Let’s see what someone else has to say, what direction they think the players’ association should go.”
Brouillette, who has been an Als player representative for two years, will be in Las Vegas when the association begins its three-day annual general meeting on Thursday. A published report by TSN last Sunday indicated the tenure of president Scott Flory, a former Montreal guard, was being threatened by Jeff Keeping, a vice-president who will run for the position. The report indicated Keeping, an offensive lineman signed last month by Winnipeg as a free agent, had the support of fellow vice-presidents Marwan Hage and Jay McNeil.
While Flory didn’t return a telephone message, he indicated in a text message he’ll be willing to talk after the meetings conclude.
When the five-year collective agreement was ratified in June 2014, Brouillette was outspoken in his belief the players made too many concessions. The salary cap immediately went from $4.4 million to $5 million, increasing by $50,000 annually to a total of $5.2 million in 2018. Similarly, the minimum salary of $45,000 was bumped to $50,000 immediately, with additional $1,000 increments annually to a total of $54,000 in 2018.
But Brouillette wasn’t a player rep at the time. Now that he has first-hand knowledge of the association’s dealings, he has come to appreciate Flory’s body of work. Flory became president in 2014, unseating Mike Morreale.
“I can tell you Scott was handed a pretty (bad) set of cards going into those negotiations. The players’ association was a mess. It was a complete mess,” said Brouillette, one of four players expected to contest the third vice-president’s position this week.
“We were in the red for several consecutive years. Scott has brought a lot of structure to it. He’s corrected a lot of things and brought us back into the black,” said Brouillette, who has a law degree and could see himself working more actively with the union in retirement. “I think he has a good plan going into the next round of CBA talks.”
Nonetheless, Brouillette isn’t as yet prepared to publicly endorse Flory until hearing Keeping’s ideas and vision. Brouillette, however, said if Flory was to run unopposed for a second term, “I would have no issue with that at all.”
Many other topics are on the agenda to be discussed before the votes are cast on Saturday, but Brouillette believes the hot issue heading into the new season is the league’s seemingly inadequate drug policy.
“There needs to be a drug policy in place,” he said emphatically. “We took a small step forwards with everything surrounding the combine. But a lot of the (veterans) want something done.
“We went a whole (2015) season unregulated and untested. Who knows if someone, all these (winter) months has been banking on the fact, maybe, we won’t reach an agreement? And they’ve been loading up for the upcoming season,” Brouillette added.
Last month, the CFL announced more stringent rules for players guilty of violating anti-doping rules, but it affects only incoming players from the university and college ranks who are draft-eligible. No changes have been made to the league’s drug policy for veterans. Indeed, after severing ties last year with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) — the program’s administrator — the CFL continues operating without a drug-testing program.
New CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge, citing a breach of confidentiality, ended the league’s relationship with the CCES and its contracted lab. Meanwhile, the drug policy was regarded as spineless, with no suspension for first-time offenders who were allowed to remain anonymous.
Brouillette said he would like to see players tested for Human Growth Hormone.
“A lot of the reps are expecting something large in return from the league (for acquiescing to drug testing). They’re still bitter about the CBA,” Brouillette said. “Instead of working with the league on a drug policy that will benefit everyone, they want something big in return.
“The drug policy is actually something that benefits us as players. It’s a huge player-safety issue. The league will get the policy it wants — whether it happens now or the next CBA. For the image of the league, we need to get it done as soon as possible.”
Brouillette wouldn’t speculate on the number of CFL steroid users, but said much can be determined from looking at a player’s eyes during a game. “You get a feel for it when you’re on the field, standing next to a guy,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a major problem, but one is too many.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1The city of Berkeley is accepting applications from companies interested in providing one-way car share.
One-way car share allows people to use a mobile application or website to quickly locate a nearby rental car and drive it to an intended location. The car would then be parked and distinguished as open for the next driver to use. All costs for the driver — gas, maintenance, insurance and parking — would typically be included in the anticipated rental cost of 35 to 50 cents a minute.
Every car sharing vehicle removes roughly nine to 13 other vehicles from the road, according to a city press release. The average car is parked 95 percent of the time, but Berkeley has limited parking space. One-way car sharing allows access to vehicles at a lower cost than ownership, the press release said.
“It’s up to the car-sharing organization to determine what the car-sharing area is,” said city spokesperson Matthai Chakko in an email. “They may opt to only be in Berkeley. They may opt to be in multiple jurisdictions.”
An Oakland one-way car share pilot program is also in the works, allowing for a broader potential range of travel options.
The first company to show interest in conducting one-way car share has a target range of 10 vehicles per square mile in the lower regions of Berkeley, according to the press release. A vehicle could be within walking distance for most residents — just five to 15 minutes away.
Flexibility, convenience, environmental and economic benefit and consumer choice were emphasized by Jason Overman, a consultant who helped develop the city’s pilot program.
“You don’t have to reserve it for a specific time and you don’t have to bring it back to the spot you took it from,” Overman said. “That is a game changer … when something’s so much more useful, you’re incentivizing people to use it.”
The city of Berkeley declined to release a list of potential car share companies that have shown interest in the program, but Walter Rosenkranz, a senior business development manager of carmaker Daimler North America — of which car-sharing company Car2go is a subsidiary — provided details about Car2go’s services at the Sept. 27 City Council meeting.
“People use our service a lot of different ways,” Rosenkranz said at the meeting. “A lot of times, people will use it to go out to dinner and then their friends may be giving them a ride home — or they may take transit one way and just the timing doesn’t work out for the transit trip back.”
The pilot program is expected to begin in early 2017.
Contact Edward Booth at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @Edward_E_Booth.Police Chief Clive Weighill says he's willing to move officers from the drug and gang units back into patrol to make the public feel safer in downtown Saskatoon.
This at a time when drug and gang-related violence is having a very real impact on the city. Police have responded to 12 shootings so far this year, plus a host of stabbings and property thefts.
Weighill says this violence is directly linked to the drug trade.
And he concedes this redeployment is going to hurt the units investigating those areas.
"We're going to be pulling a few members out of the drug unit, a few members out of the gang unit, maybe out of the schools, out of the traffic division," he said.
"It's going to hurt our investigative capabilities."
He says the public has expressed concerns about downtown safety, and the call response time to outlying areas is not as good as it could be. The redeployment should help address these areas, he said.
"We want people to feel safe on the streets, we want that visibility back on the streets," he said.
Weighill says there is a perception that downtown is not safe. Weighill says the city has one of the safest downtown in the country.
So – why draw officers out of units investigating what he says are the real causes of crime and violence, drugs and gangs, to counter a perception?
"The officers on the street are going to be dealing with real crime, too," he said.
"Perception is reality, unfortunately."
Weighill says the redeployment could start as soon as June 1.A new Adam Sandler movie arrives on Netflix this week. This is not a notable event; even the comedian’s aged base of die-hard fans may have grown accustomed to Sandler vehicles showing up in their living rooms with the same semi-clockwork regularity that they used to land in mall multiplexes—and leaning more heavily than ever on a Happy Madison Productions rolodex that must, by now, have at least three different entries for David Spade (presumably listed under “Spade,” “Davey,” and at least one uncreatively off-color nickname).
But the newest Sandler extravaganza features no David Spade at all, nor Kevin James, nor any of his less traditional hangers-on like Vanilla Ice or Dave Matthews. The other main players in The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected) include Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson, and the writer/director is Noah Baumbach, who did not in fact ever attend NYU with Sandler, or write Saturday Night Live sketches with him. Sandler is front and center in the movie, playing Danny, the underachieving son of the not especially successful sculptor Harold Meyerowitz (Hoffman). Danny affectionately parents his smart teenage daughter, Eliza (Grace Van Patten), struggles to connect with his ailing father, and airs grievances with his semi-estranged half-brother (Stiller). The movie is terrific, and Sandler is terrific in it.
Incredulous stories about how Adam Sandler can “actually act” celebrate their 15th anniversary this fall; that’s how long ago he made Punch-Drunk Love with Paul Thomas Anderson. For the rest of the ’00s, Sandler made periodic forays into acting outside of the Happy Madison realm in movies like Spanglish, Reign Over Me, and Funny People. Since the box office failure of that Judd Apatow dramedy, the serious Sandler has appeared somewhat less frequently, and movies like Men, Women & Children haven’t done much to generate interest in this corner of his career. The combination of relatively scarce serious forays and the sheer volume of movies like Pixels and The Do-Over suggest that surprise at Sandler’s skill as a performer may last the rest of his life.
A lot of what Adam Sandler does in The Meyerowitz Stories could be classified as a greatest-hits of Sandler shtick.
Yet the gap between Sandler’s late-period quasi-comedic performances and his occasional auteur-driven triumphs is not as vast as it sometimes seems. That’s not to say that Sandler is secretly shaded in movies like Blended or Grown Ups (and in fact he’s now made so many middling-to-poor comedies that this entire piece could be written without ever referring to the same bad movie twice). Closer to the opposite is true, in that his Danny Meyerowitz isn’t far removed from any number of other, less shaded Sandler characters. In fact, a lot of what he does in The Meyerowitz Stories could be classified as a greatest-hits of Sandler shtick: He loses his temper and screams; he sings goofy little songs; he venerates his father and tries to be a good parent; he even spends a lot of time lounging around in shorts.
In other words, Danny Meyerowitz is very much an Adam Sandler character, not a postmodern comment on the types of characters he plays. Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People are more explicit about their connection to Sandler’s comedic persona; Punch-Drunk is essentially P.T. Anderson’s nervy, high-wire version of a Happy Madison comedy, while Funny People supplies near-endless parallels between a fictional comedy star and Sandler himself from its opening moments. By contrast, Baumbach’s film doesn’t appear to have been written with Sandler in mind. Even if it was, Baumbach is far more interested in his pet themes and topics—fractured families; rueful, second-guessing nostalgia; the difficulties of a self-consciously artistic temperament—than he is in offering a metatextual riff on the Adam Sandler man-child.
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Meyerowitz doesn’t play any of the usual Sandler games, then; it just plays to his strengths. And Baumbach’s way of doing this suggests that these Sandler touchstones really are strengths, not just elements of a persona that can be subverted in the right hands. Danny’s occasional outbursts of rage, like an opening scene focusing on the stress of finding a New York City parking spot, are cathartic and funny—in part because Baumbach often cuts them off mid-scream and in part because Sandler does have a funny screaming voice, at once furious and desperate.
Sandler’s late-career weakness for familial bonding comes into play here, too: His ease in the warm scenes between Danny and Eliza have the heartbreaking dimension of a guy whose real successes in life (primarily parenting) could resemble arrested development, his rapport with a teenager looking almost too easy. That mix of comfort and disappointment is reinforced by his shambling sense of style, and contrasted in a very funny scene where Hoffman’s Harold insists that a function they’re attending together is black-tie. In several other scenes, including a lovely duet with Van Patten, Sandler uses his singing, that old staple of his goofy comedy albums, to suggest both Danny’s playful creativity and a talent that has probably gone underdeveloped.
That same description will probably be applied, unkindly, to Sandler’s own talent: How can he go on making self-aggrandizing junk like Just Go With It when he could have been making movies like Meyerowitz all along? But it’s hard to say whether Sandler could have played Danny Meyerowitz—probably his most fully realized “serious” character—back when his comedies were more consistently tolerable, or even following Punch-Drunk Love. In Saturday Night Live sketches and early movies like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Sandler certainly has something, but part of what’s compelling about him as a comic presence is a kind of goofy, vamping sheepishness about being the center of attention—coupled with a secret desire to hold that attention, hence the stammer-to-roar dynamic of the old “Denise Show” bit on SNL or the righteously ill temper of Happy Gilmore. The Adam Sandler of today is a more unambiguously confident performer. Even in his most aw-shucks or regressive moments, Danny Meyerowitz registers as an adult.
It’s counterintuitive to suggest that Sandler has only gotten better as an actor, and it’s downright undeniable that his increased comfort in front of the camera has resulted in some dull performances in some lousy movies. But an unflinching look at his filmography of the past 10 years or so—admittedly not for the faint of heart—reveals some risks taken amidst movies where he plays a smugly unfunny rich asshole. Sometimes the two types of performances exist side by side: It’s easy to sneer at Sandler getting in drag to play the braying, Bronx-born Jill in Jack And Jill, but there’s visible effort (and sometimes startling, sweaty detail) in that character, as opposed to the surly, condescending version of a straight man that the Jack character lazily embodies. Sandler also underplays wonderfully in You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, and does a kind of heartfelt caricature in the recent Netflix release Sandy Wexler.
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Again, that’s not to say that Sandler’s career contains a hidden cache of gems, or that he has the ability to disappear inside a character. But he has given plenty of good performances, and his work, like a lot of film performing, runs contrary to the contemporary signifiers of “good” acting. These tend to be qualities like range, mimicry, broadly visible emoting—anything that comes close to turning a performance into something quantifiable. Those definitions tend to overlook how movie stars work, and while stardom is not always the same as acting, they are related. A lot of movie stars learn by doing, and improve with experience, gaining range with subtle variations, not chameleon-like transformation. Think of performers like Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock, who have done some of their best acting later in their careers without the benefit of total transformation—often because of great filmmakers working with them, not around them.
Sandler, as the architect of his own comedy career, may be in the unusual position of having to work around himself. It’s hard to imagine another actor getting as much praise for The Meyerowitz Stories, not because Sandler is doing something that other actors could easily replicate but because the way his work has accumulated over the years makes Danny especially touching in his hands. The performance feels like more of a departure than it really is because Sandler often positions himself as an outsider in his movies (especially the early ones)—and offscreen, too, when he avoids sit-down interviews, makes low-key jabs at mean critics, and surrounds himself with his ever-growing collection of backslapping buddies. The Netflix deal was another way of turning Happy Madison into its own gated playground—which also accounts for the sometimes bullying tone of Sandler’s worst movies.
So if there’s surprise about Sandler’s work in Meyerowitz, maybe it’s not how skillful it is, but rather how easily he re-engages with the world beyond those Happy Madison fences. By all accounts, this was not an engagement made reluctantly: Baumbach has said that he offered the role to Sandler in response to a call the actor made years ago, saying that if Baumbach ever had anything for him, he’d be game. (At a recent New York Film Festival press conference, Baumbach further noted that these calls from actors usually result in him sending them a script and then hearing back that the material “didn’t speak” to them.) Given Sandler’s productivity, this almost certainly would have happened either as Sandler was making one of his Happy Madison pictures, or prepping one of them. It’s hard to read this as any kind of pivot.
Adam Sandler’s great work in The Meyerowitz Stories isn’t in anomalous opposition to his bad work elsewhere.
That’s the kind of hope Sandler’s serious turns inevitably engender, and it makes sense. I know that as a film-watcher, I want to see more movies like The Meyerowitz Stories, Punch-Drunk Love, and Funny People. But even with so many bad comedies, Sandler has built a halfway decent filmography. Compare him to other Saturday Night Live stars of his magnitude: Will Ferrell has made more great comedies (and it’s hard to imagine that balance shifting), but has never made a “serious” movie nearly as good as Sandler’s three best. Mike Myers created more indelible SNL characters, but his perfectionism has taken him out of the film comedy game for years (while still inexplicably allowing The Love Guru), and his non-broad turns have been even more rare than Sandler’s. It’s time to stop feigning surprise that Adam Sandler is a good actor or outrage that he could appear in lazy dreck. This is not the same as halting praise for the former or pans for the latter, or even the same as giving up hope that his future comedies (Netflix or not) will be funnier than his recent average. But his great work in The Meyerowitz Stories isn’t in anomalous opposition to his bad work elsewhere. Like so many movie stars, his best and his worst are coming from the same place.SAN SALVADOR — When in human history has an epidemic become so alarming that a nation feels compelled to urge its people not to have children for two years?
Grappling with a mosquito-borne virus linked to brain damage in infants, El Salvador is doing just that, advising all women in the country not to get pregnant until 2018 — the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass that, to many here, only illustrates their government’s desperation.
“It’s not up to the government; it’s up to God,” said Vanessa Iraheta, 30, who is seven months pregnant with her second child. “I don’t think the youth will stop having children.”
The virus, known as Zika, has rattled Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly Brazil, where more than a million people have been infected and nearly 4,000 children have been born with microcephaly, a rare condition in which babies have unusually small heads.One man has won $28 million, the other $280,000. One man has 27 mens tennis tour titles the other has zero, one man has won 381 games on the circuit, the other 9.
Yet Irishman Conor Niland from Limerick still thinks he has a shot against world No.1. Novak Djokovich in the US Open first round tomorrow.
Niland is ranked 197th in the world and barely came through the qualifiers.
Djokovich is the choice of most leading analysts to win the whole title.
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Yet Niland does not fear him. “I definitely noticed Djokovic was playing a qualifier and |
but Evanier and Spurgeon say the interaction likely never happened.
Then a fork in the road appeared. In 1998, bankruptcy proceedings voided Lee’s contract with Marvel and, after some tense negotiations, he negotiated an extremely lucrative new agreement: an $810,000 annual salary just for being a figurehead, 50 percent of his base salary as an annual pension for his wife, and 10 percent of any profits Marvel would ever make off of movies and TV. He could have used the money to settle into easy elder-statesmanship, even if Marvel never took over Hollywood like we now know it would.
But Lee couldn’t stay out of the game, partly because a persuasive criminal made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Lee had become friends with a genial professional fund-raiser named Peter Paul, and Paul found out Lee had a clause in his new contract that allowed him to make his own entertainment firm. “He said, ‘Hey, Stan, now you’re free! Lemme build a company,’” Lee gleefully recalled at the time. The company was called Stan Lee Media — SLM for short — and it was a complete disaster.
The plan was to put Lee’s creative genius to work on brand-new characters that he would own, and to push those properties out as comics, movies, toys, video games, and the buzzy new medium of animated “webisodes.” What’s more, there would be brand synergy with hot young entertainers like the Backstreet Boys and the Wu-Tang Clan (“Maybe, in our own way, we can turn them away from gangsta-rapping,” Lee said of the Wu). Lee cooked up one superhero after another: Thunderer! Oxblood! Imitatia! The Streak! Paul raised $1 million in seed money and projected annual revenue of $119 million within five years. It was, in other words, a classic example of a dot-com boondoggle.
Early on in the existence of SLM, Paul admitted to Lee that he had a bizarre and checkered past: He’d served time in federal prison after getting busted for cocaine possession and an attempt to defraud the Cuban government. Lee forgave him for this sin, but what he didn’t know was Paul had already embroiled him in another insane scheme: He was using the Stan Lee brand to rob SLM’s investors. Profits were being exaggerated, there were shady stock sales, and the SEC eventually swarmed SLM to bust Paul for fraud in 2001. He escaped to Brazil, only to be extradited and convicted. Lee was cleared of wrongdoing, but he was humiliated and swiftly severed all ties to SLM. Lee’s new comics-format memoir devotes exactly one panel to the SLM affair. “It ended badly,” a sullen-looking drawing of Lee says, “and the less said, the better.”
While SLM was in its death throes, Lee partnered with two of his friends — producer Gill Champion and lawyer Arthur Lieberman — to form a new venture: POW! Entertainment (short for Purveyors of Wonder!, exclamation point mandatory). Lee wasn’t destitute, but he needed money for legal fees: In addition to the SLM fallout, Lee claimed that Marvel had failed to honor the stipulation of his 1998 contract that called for him to receive a percentage of the company’s film and TV profits. The subsequent lawsuit was a surreal spectacle — like Colonel Sanders suing KFC, as one commentator put it at the time. Movies based on Lee’s co-creations had started to take off at the box office, with 2000’s X-Men and 2002’s Spider-Man, and Lee had made onscreen cameos in both. But his relationship with the company he built had become fraught.
According to historian Sean Howe, Marvel’s newly installed and notoriously prickly owner Ike Perlmutter despised Lee, resented paying him a pension, and had demanded that Marvel stop featuring the phrase “Stan Lee Presents” in issues’ credits pages. The legal battle lasted for three years, concluding with a settlement in 2005. Though the details are secret, Marvel appeared to have made a onetime $10 million payment to Lee. But his profit-sharing for film and TV was ended, just a few years before Marvel started to dominate the box office. If Marvel had kept up its end of the percentage deal, Lee would be making tens of millions of dollars for The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the like. He just barely missed the boat.
While in town for Comikaze, I asked POW!’s publicists repeatedly if I could visit the company’s offices. I was only ever given silence or vague allusions to it being a possibility. Finally, as my trip was nearing its close, I decided to make a last-ditch effort and just show up at the address listed on Google Maps. As I was about to leave my hotel, one of the publicists wrote to inform me that I wouldn’t be allowed inside, but I figured it was worth a little peek. I took a bus to the nondescript Beverly Hills office building where POW! resides, tentatively sneaked up to the floor it’s on, and walked to the suite in question. All I found was a windowless wooden door, adorned only with a printout of the company logo. The printout was torn on one end and listing off at a haphazard angle. It felt like an apt metaphor.
Business has never been Lee’s forte, and his past missteps weigh heavily on him. His representatives declined to give me an interview despite more than a dozen attempts over the course of six months, but I was allowed to send a handful of questions via email. The only interesting response came when I asked him what he’d do differently if he could live his life all over again: “I’d have been a better businessman and attempted to gain a share of ownership of the characters I created.”
With POW!, he would. The problem was the characters. The firm’s first high-profile project was Stripperella, a cartoon with an accompanying comic book, both released in 2003. It was done in partnership with Pamela Anderson and men’s-interest TV network Spike, and it followed the titillating tussles of Erotica Jones, a ludicrously buxom woman who pole-dances by day and fights crime by night. It was a spiritual successor to that failed Playboy pitch, filled with ribald wordplay (episode titles included “You Only Lick Twice” and “The Curse of the WereBeaver”) and a tone that placed its tongue firmly in its cheek. Lee, apparently, wanted to push the envelope pretty far: “Stan wanted nudity,” Anderson tells me. “I didn’t.” It failed to find an audience, and though Anderson says she had a great time doing it and loves Lee, she couldn’t devote too much focus to it. There was never a second season.
For the rest of the decade, the company cranked out a lot of projects on a lot of different platforms, but very few of them managed to make an impact. There was a project released in children’s-book and direct-to-video movie format, Stan Lee’s Superhero Christmas. There was a direct-to-cable movie about a superpowered spy played by Jason Connery called Stan Lee’s Lightspeed. There was a reality show on the History Channel called Stan Lee’s Superhumans, in which Lee sent the show’s host off on adventures to find real people who can do unusual things like push needles through themselves or survive venomous snakebites. There was a truly bizarre partnership with the NHL in which Lee came up with superhero mascots for every team in the league. (They were all a little on-the-nose: The Florida Panthers’ hero was the Panther, the Toronto Maple Leafs got a tree-powered crusader named the Maple Leaf, and so on.) And the underwhelming releases kept rolling out: a mobile game called Stan Lee’s Verticus, a comics/cartoon project targeted at the Indian market called Chakra: The Invincible, and so on.
But there’s a crucial thing you have to know about how Lee approaches these products: He’s not an absentee landlord. He’s always substantially involved in the projects bearing his name, in part because he isn’t happy just playing the role of showman — he wants the airtight creative credit that, in recent decades, has come into question, thanks to Ditko and Kirby. So while Lee’s brand is slapped on so many products that you might imagine he’s become like Krusty the Klown or the members of KISS, letting any random product get the Stan Lee seal of approval for the right price, this is very much not the case.
Perhaps the most arresting example comes from veteran superhero-comics writer Mark Waid. He was in charge of managing a line of three comics series based on story and character concepts from Lee and executed by respected industry talent. Waid tells of meeting with Lee to show him a rough draft of an upcoming issue, which Lee read with consternation. “He got to end of it and said, ‘I can’t have my name on this,’ and my heart sank,” he recalls. Luckily, Waid made revisions, and Lee enthusiastically endorsed the finished product — but Waid has never forgotten Lee’s unwillingness to brand something he didn’t like.
Of course, none of this is the most famous stuff Lee has done in the past 16 years. The most famous stuff is the cameos. Going back to the years before Marvel movies took off, he began appearing in Marvel-based TV shows and Saturday-morning cartoons about his co-creations, and he’s remained visible onscreen ever since. In nearly every movie based on a Marvel comic, Lee briefly appears in a zany fashion, playing a mailman, a strip-club owner, a drunk war veteran — that sort of thing. He gets to attend the premieres and do interviews about what he was thinking when he created the characters that have made it to the big screen. He gets executive-producer and co-creator credits on them. Romita says these connections to the Marvel movies are huge for Lee because fame outside the eternally disdained world of comics has always been one of the man’s ultimate goals. “If there were never any successful Marvel movies, Stan would’ve been gone, he would’ve retired,” he says. “It changed everything. It legitimized it. It satisfied him.”
That may be true, but he’s not so satisfied that he’s willing to slow down. “Y’know, most people, when they retire, they say, ‘At last, I’ll have a chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do,’” Lee said in a CNN interview a few years ago. “But I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do! I’m working with artists, writers, with directors. I’m working on creative things. I’m having fun! I mean, don’t punish me by making me retire.”
Near the end of the Dragons vs. Pandas press conference, Lee abruptly starts talking about the guiding philosophy that drives his work. “When I used to go to bookstores, the only books I would pick out were ones that looked like they were different than anything I normally read,” he says. “We have always tried to come up with things that nobody else is doing. Now, of course, you can do things that nobody else is doing, and the reason nobody is doing it is because they’re stupid ideas.”
Hearing Lee speak at the convention, my mind was cast back to the first and only time we’ve had a one-on-one interaction. It was at the 1998 Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con, when I was 12 years old. I’m honestly not sure when or how I first became aware of Lee — he just seemed omnipresent for anyone who cared about superheroes — but by that age, I was a true believer in his mythology. So I waited in line for nearly an hour to get his signature on a tattered copy of Fantastic Four No. 47. When I finally reached the front of the line, it was like I was in the presence of God. I asked someone to take a photo of the two of us on a disposable camera. The flash went off and he crowed, “You’ve immortalized me!” I could tell it was a joke, but that word, immortal, lingered in my ears. Because that’s just how he’d always seemed to me: somehow above the rest of us, watching with paternal awe at the world he’d made.
Before reporting this article, I’d never had to come up with my own estimation of what Lee means to the world, much less to me, and I had whiplash-inducing changes of heart while reading about him. But his greatest sin was probably overreach: He accomplished so much, but he wanted to claim more; he was a brilliant craftsman in his prime, but he kept creating when he might have been better suited to retirement. Like the superheroes whose stories he wrote, he is a flawed being, capable of pettiness and hubris. But he’s put too much love and joy into the world — into my world — for me to even come close to deriding him.
This puts me in league with the friends and colleagues of his that I interviewed. We understand that he erred, but that only forces us to try harder to understand him and see the man in full. “I think he’ll be remembered as the guy who gave the world the Marvel universe,” says Thomas. “I know various others of us — Jack and Steve — were very important in that. But without Stan Lee, there is no Marvel universe. He’s the one who had the vision.”
In one of his final Comikaze appearances, Lee is onstage having a chat with some younger comics pros, and one of them — Marc Silvestri — tries to rib Lee about being so old that he probably hung out with Moses. Lee seems to take it in stride (or doesn’t hear it, since his hearing isn’t what it used to be), but Silvestri is getting it all wrong. Lee, in a way, is a kind of Moses: a charismatic leader who saved a genre and led his acolytes through the harsh world of mainstream entertainment for decades — only to see his people finally enter the promised land of Hollywood billions without him. So now he stands on the border, smiling and welcoming people in, but always making sure to give them a little tap on the shoulder before saying, Tell ya what, True Believer — if you like this, you’re gonna love the brand-new promised land I’m building just around the corner …
*A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the memoir was ghostwritten.Time for the second installment of The Completist, wherein I take a look at those SFF series which have concluded publication. In this installment, I take a look at a series which is over twenty years old and has remained in print an on the shelves since. Let’s have a look at C.S. Friedman’s dark fantastic saga, The Coldfire Trilogy.
After publishing two well-received far future SF novels (The Madness Season and In Conquest Born), Celia S. Friedman (better known by the name on her books as C.S. Friedman) turned her storytelling lens to something a bit different – a dark fantasy trilogy that still owes a debt to the Science Fictional roots of her first two novels. When Black Sun Rising published in 1991 with that gorgeous Michael Whelan cover, the Coldfire Trilogy had begun. The trilogy is a seamless blend of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Although the story takes place on a world – Erna – colonized by humans in the far future more than 1,000 years prior to the events of the novel, little of that comes through in the present of the novels; the world operates, and people manipulate the world, more through supernatural/fantasy elements rather than technology and science. This fantastical element is The Fae and wraps the entire world, working off of people’s thoughts and emotions. The Fae manifests a person’s fears and it was only through a erosion of technology that humanity was able to reach a balance with Fae. All of this informs the world and how the characters move through the plot.
The first novel, Black Sun Rising, introduces our primary character – a priest of the Church of Human Unification, Damian Vryce, who is tasked with assisting the Church with teaching initiates of the uses of Fae manipulation. He meets Ciani, an Adept (people who can sense the Fae) in the city of Jaggonath. A mutual attraction develops between Ciani and Damien; however Ciani’s shop is destroyed in an explosion, leaving her wounded thanks to demonic creatures that have sapped her will and memories. As a result, Vryce puts her salvation ahead of his church-appointed task.
On their journey, they come across the character for which this series might be best known – Gerald Tarrant. Tarrant is many things: snarky, a sociopath, a liar, a murderer, a martyr…but altogether he is an extremely fascinating character. He has lived for 900 years and his alias, “The Hunter”, is an infamous myth/legend of darkness and fear. The description of his appearance as well as other attributes lend a vampiric air to him. Through much of their journey, he and Damien butt heads, mainly because of Damien’s primary problem with The Hunter is that he epitomizes everything for which the Church stands against. On one hand, Tarrant provided assistance; on the other, his very nature requires the church-bound Damien to destroy the human embodiment of the Church’s evil.
The traveling companions, including Hesseth, who can communicate with the rakh, enter the Rakhlands, after first passing through a fluctuating supernatural gate. The Rakhlands, as one might surmise, are inhabited by the Rakh, a species native to Erna possessing a blending of human and feline attributes, that holds great contempt for humans. The companions seek to defeat the Keeper of Souls, a sorcerer who sent the demonic creatures to Ciani’s shop to gather Ciani’s soul.
Much of the novel is a travelogue through dark and fantastic lands and ends when Damien and Tarrant return, much changed after their encounter with the Keeper of Souls, to the human lands from whence he came.
The second novel, When True Night Falls, charts a different journey, though the players of Damien, Hesseth, and Tarrant remain. The prologue illuminating the past of Erna precedes the main story of the novel, revealing that Erna is a planet colonized by humans from Earth centuries prior to the events of the trilogy. At the time, this was an inventive twist on the genre, placing what was thought to be a fantasy setting/story in the future of humanity. Granted, Jack Vance’s Dying Earth has a fantasy feel to it, but it is explicitly set on our world in the far future.
Our dark fantasy buddies chart a course to the mysterious Eastern Continent where technology is more advanced than on the Western continent, where Vryce and Tarrant have lived their lives. The Church on this continent is run by women who are actually disguised demonic rakh encountered in the Black Sun Rising. They discover the source of the corruption (the Prince and his demonic servant Calesta) while also discovering an imprisoned girl named Jenseny.
Throughout the novel, Tarrant, Vryce, and Jenseny try to put an end to the Prince’s corruption but difficulties include the Prince’s ability to shift bodies and his overwhelming control of every facet of the land. Demonic beasts and bone-like sentient trees do his bidding and thwart our protagonists at every turn. The novel’s conclusion brings Tarrant more into the heroic spotlight, further cementing his appeal as a dark protagonist/anti-hero.
The final volume, Crown of Shadows, introduces something unexpected – Andrys Tarrant, lone surviving human of the Tarrant bloodline who appears nearly identical to Gerald. Andrys has allied with the Patriarch of the Church seeking vengeance on his father since dear old dad killed the entire family in a grab for power. The other conflict in this novel is a carryover from When True Night Falls as the demonic (called here by Friedman Iezu) Calesta becomes the primary antagonist. Tarrant is finally given an ultimatum by Damien’s church, find an alternate method of sustaining his immortality or they will destroy him. Damien’s moral, personal problems with the Church of Human Unification come to head as the novel and trilogy come to a close.
These novels really stood out to me at the time I read them, over a decade ago now. Initially published in the early 1990s when much of the fantasy on the shelves had a clearer delineation between good and evil, The Coldfire Trilogy walks that tightrope with the character of Gerald Tarrant. He possesses an air of nobility, but he’s done things that would turn any normal person’s soul into knots. Though different in some respects as an Anti-hero from characters like Matthew Stover’s Caine/Hari Michaelson, Joe Abercrombie’s varied characters or Mark Lawrence’s Jorg Ancrath, Tarrant could be seen as a spiritual predecessor to those characters.
Friedman precedes each of the three novels with a brief prologue. In Black Sun Rising, a woman returns to her castle to find her children huddling in death, only to be brutally murdered herself. As we later learn, this is the sacrifice that transformed Gerald Tarrant. Not a cheery scene, but it sets the underlying tone of dread for the book and series itself. The prologue for When True Night Falls recounts an early encounter between Colonists from Earth and the forces that dominate Erna, firmly establishing the Science Fictional nature of the story. These two prologues; however, evoke more of a horror feel than SF or even Fantasy. The prologue to Crown of Shadows reveals that not all of Tarrant’s family was murdered in the sacrifice introducing Andrys Tarrant, the man whose lust for revenge drives the novel.
Part of what initially caught my fancy with these books are the iconic covers by Michael Whelan, whose art has graced many a book from the fine folks at DAW. Thematically, the three covers are very similar with a figure in the center standing against a fantastical landscape, surrounded by bizarre trees. I think these covers are some of Whelan’s best work.
Admittedly, some of my fondness for this series could be related to the time frame when I read the books. When my wife and I got married, we honeymooned in Hawaii and these books accompanied me for the long plane ride. That having been said, the darkness and horror element of the story combined with the science fictional framework in this trilogy adds a depth to the Epic Fantasy / Quest narrative. Nearly a decade and a half after initially reading these three books, the unique feel of the world and conflict of the characters remains strongly entrenched in my memories. The Coldfire Trilogy has remained in print and on the shelves since initial publication twenty years ago, proving that it has connected with and continues to connect with a great many readers.
Like this: Like Loading...MINNEAPOLIS - A St. Paul man is accused of illegally selling firearms, including some that were used in area crimes.
Eitan Benjamin Feldman faces one count of willfully dealing firearms without a license and nine counts of lying during a firearm purchase.
An indictment unsealed Thursday says that between January 2014 and January 2016, the 28-year-old Feldman regularly bought and resold guns for profit. Last October, ATF agents warned him his behavior fit the definition of a firearms dealer and he was told to stop. The indictment says he sold guns to undercover ATF agents on two occasions, and didn't ask either for identification or determine whether they could legally own a gun.
“There is far too much gun violence in the Twin Cities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Violent crimes involving guns are often committed by people who cannot legally obtain a firearm, but they find a way. According to today’s indictment, Eitan Feldman was one of those ways. This defendant engaged in the business of dealing guns without a license. He didn’t conduct background checks on the people to whom he sold the guns, and at least three of the guns were connected to Twin Cities crime scenes."
Prosecutors say Feldman routinely purchased firearms offered by out-of-state Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) through websites such as gunbroker.com, an online firearms auction site. He would sell them for a profit on sites like armslist.com for more than he paid for them. Those guns have been linked to crimes in Minneapolis, Bloomington, and St. Paul.
Feldman is expected to appear in federal court Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney to comment on his behalf.New 3DS Upgrade
The BEAUTIFUL Majora's Mask Edition 3DS is simply stunning. I have had the very first 3DS (blue) and the Link Between Worlds edition 3DS XL. None compare to this. The active 3D feature makes this system a joy to play and exclusive titles such as Xenoblade (hopefully more to come) make full use of the c-stick which is perfect for looking around. This is what the original 3DS should have been! Faster, longer battery life, a great screen (was lucky enough to get the IPS screen, not the TN panel) and an "extra" joystick / thumb stud / circle pad for looking around. GREAT in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate! This system's battery life is PHENOMENAL. A 7 hour bus ride from Vienna through Graz, then Slovenia, and then to Varazdin and finally Zagreb only used up 75% with high volume with headphones and the 3D effect fully on, screen brightness level 4. I am truly impressed by the quality and finish of the paint, the newer and better processing speed, and the active 3D system (no more pesky sweet spot). The only part where it falls short is graphics, but hey... it's a handheld and if they loaded 1080p like on phones and other systems, goodbye battery life. The graphics are enough, that is very fair to say. Xenoblade's text looks a little choppy, but games like MH4U, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, Alpha Sapphire, and Fire Emblem: Awakening are GORGEOUS. I cannot wait for the new Fire Emblem Fates and the new Final Fantasy Explorers. They will be a true marvel to behold on this wonderful must-have system.
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Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: drouliasWith just over six weeks until the next Hudson Derby, New York Red Bull fans are already counting a small army of supporters set to invade Yankee Stadium.
After just three days of ticket availability, 800 denizens of the South Ward have secured their seats at Yankee Stadium.
And there are more to come.
“Our allocation is in sections 325-330,” Empire Supporters Club board member Steve Ferrezza tells EoS. “The final allocation is still being worked out, so I don’t want to say a number before it’s confirmed, but I can tell you that over 800 tickets have been sold in the first 36 hours between all three South Ward groups.”
According to a source, NYCFC will issue 1,000 tickets to traveling Red Bull supporters across the seven available sections of the upper deck. In comparison, the Red Bulls opened two full sections to NYCFC fans at Red Bull Arena, with the number of seats available hovering around 1,500.
For those unfamiliar with Yankee Stadium seating, their allocation will put the South Ward near the lip of the upper deck on the left field side, just above the press area at the ballpark — and with a full midfield view of the action.
Interestingly enough, the seat allocation dovetails with an NYCFC announcement last week proclaiming the opening of 300 level seating, which is traditionally blocked out for soccer matches.
Nevertheless, the South Ward is looking forward to the second leg of the Hudson Derby — in a very unique setting.
“We’re happy to see the supporters are passionate about this game,” Ferrezza said. “And we look forward to bringing the ruckus to the South Bronx.”DDR2 stabilizes cellular SNAIL1 level, post-transcriptionally
We previously identified DDR2 in a human kinome/phosphatome short interfering RNA (siRNA) screen for regulators of the total cellular SNAIL1 level16. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated depletion of DDR2, but not DDR1, in HEK293 cells that stably expressed a bioluminescent SNAIL1 fusion protein, SNAIL1–clic beetle green (SNAIL1–CBG; ref. 16), reduced SNAIL1–CBG bioluminescence and protein levels without affecting the transcription of SNAIL1 or SNAIL1–CBG (Supplementary Fig. S1a,b).
DDR2 depletion in human MDA-MB-231 and mouse 4T1 cells that have undergone EMT resulted in a decreased level of SNAIL1 without affecting SNAIL1 transcription (Fig. 1a,b), demonstrating that DDR2 also affected endogenous SNAIL1 levels. DDR2 depletion also affected other EMT inducers: the SNAIL2 level was slightly diminished and the ZEB1 level increased slightly, whereas the TWIST1 level was unchanged (Fig. 1a). Depletion of DDR2 or SNAIL1 in MDA-MB-231 cells that stably expressed bioluminescent SNAIL1–CBG reduced SNAIL1–CBG bioluminescence, SNAIL1–CBG protein and endogenous SNAIL1 protein levels (Fig. 1c,d). Thus, SNAIL1–CBG bioluminescence could serve as an approximation of the cellular SNAIL1 level to allow live-cell analyses.
Figure 1: DDR2 stabilizes the cellular SNAIL1 level, post-transcriptionally. (a,b) Human MDA-MB-231 or mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells were infected with lentiviruses expressing two different shRNAis targeting DDR2 (#1, #2) or control scrambled shRNAi (SCR). (a) Western blotting was performed with the indicated antibodies. (b) Quantitative PCR determination of mRNA levels for indicated genes. Means and s.d. are shown for three independent experiments; 3 wells of cells were analysed in each experiment. P values were calculated using unpaired, two-sided Student’s t-tests. **P<0.01. (c,d) MDA-MB-231 cells containing a bioluminescent SNAIL1–CBG transgene were infected with lentiviruses expressing shRNAi targeting DDR2, SNAIL1 or a scrambled control (SCR). (c) Bioluminescence radiance was determined and photon flux plotted relative to control cells. Means and s.d. are shown for three independent experiments; 3 wells of cells were analysed in each experiment. P values were calculated using unpaired, two-sided Student’s t-tests. *P<0.05. (d) Western blot with indicated antibodies. (e) DDR2 was overexpressed in human MDA-MB-231 and mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells by infecting cells with retroviruses expressing myc-tagged wild-type DDR2 (WT), myc-tagged kinase-dead DDR2 (KD) or empty vector (CTL). Western blots with the indicated antibodies were performed on cell extracts. (f) MDA-MB-231 or 4T1 cells were infected with retroviruses expressing myc-tagged DDR1, myc-tagged DDR2 or empty vector (CTL) and western blots with the indicated antibodies were performed on cell extracts. Uncropped images of blots are shown in Supplementary Fig. S9. Full size image
Overexpression of DDR2 in MDA-MB-231 or 4T1 cells increased the SNAIL1 level (Fig. 1e,f) without affecting mRNA levels (Supplementary Fig. S1c). This depended on DDR2 kinase activity, as overexpression of a kinase-dead DDR2 form did not affect the SNAIL1 level (Fig. 1e). Overexpression of DDR1 may slightly increase SNAIL1 levels (Fig. 1f). These experiments indicated that DDR2 stabilized SNAIL1 without affecting SNAIL1 transcription.
Collagen-I-induced stabilization of SNAIL1 requires DDR2 and can occur independently of integrin or TGF-βR
Addition of HEK293 cells, co-transfected with myc–DDR2 and SNAIL1–Flag, or MDA-MB-231 cells to collagen I resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of DDR2 and an increased SNAIL1 level (Fig. 2a,b), in contrast to exposure of MDA-MB-231 cells to collagen IV, fibronectin or gelatin, which had little effect on SNAIL1 levels (Fig. 2b). DDR2 depletion in MDA-MB-231 cells abrogated the increase in the SNAIL1 level following collagen I stimulation (Fig. 2b). SNAIL1 was stabilized by exposing MDA-MB-231 cells to collagen I in a two-dimensional (2D) or 3D context (Supplementary Fig. S1d), and this was also the case for MDA-MB-231 cells containing SNAIL1–CBG, which led to increased SNAIL1–CBG bioluminescence and protein level (Supplementary Fig. S1e,f).
Figure 2: Collagen-I-induced stabilization of SNAIL1 requires DDR2. (a) HEK293 cells transfected with the indicated plasmids (CTL, empty vector) were added to plates coated with collagen I (2 mg ml−1) for the indicated times (hours). Western blots were performed. (b) Human MDA-MB-231 cells were added to plates coated with ECM proteins for 8 h: FN, fibronectin; Gel, gelatin. DDR2 was immunoprecipitated (IP) and bound products western blotted with pTyr or DDR2 antibodies (upper panels). Western blots of cell extracts (lower panels). In the last two lanes, cells were depleted of DDR2 with shRNAi. (c) MDA-MB-231 cells were untreated (CTL), or pretreated with mouse IgG or neutralizing antibody against β 1 integrin (MAb13) for 2 h, and added to collagen-I-coated (+) or uncoated plates (−) for 15 min or 8 h. Western blots were performed. (d) MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) or SB431542 (10 μM), an inhibitor of TGF-β signalling, before addition to plates coated with collagen I (+) or uncoated (−) for 8 h. Western blots were performed. (e) MCF-10A cells infected with DDR2 or scrambled control (SCR) shRNAi lentiviruses were treated with TGF-β (2 ng ml−1) continuously for 4 days to induce EMT. Western blots were performed on cell extracts each day for 4 days of TGF-β treatment. (f) MCF-10A cells were infected with empty (CTL), SNAIL1–Flag or myc–DDR2 retroviruses and cultured without TGF-β for 4 days. Phase images of cells on day 4 (left). Scale bars, 100 μm. Western blots of day 4 cell extracts with the indicated antibodies (right). Uncropped images of blots are shown in Supplementary Fig. S9. Full size image
When MDA-MB-231 cells were mixed with neutralizing antibodies against β 1 integrin, before and during their exposure to collagen I, the SNAIL1 cellular protein level increased despite inhibition of integrin signalling (for example, pFAK; Fig. 2c). Inhibition of TGF-β signalling in MDA-MB-231 cells also had no effect (Fig. 2d), despite TGF-β increasing the SNAIL1–CBG protein level in the absence of collagen I stimulation (Supplementary Fig. S1g), indicating that collagen-I-induced stabilization of the SNAIL1 level required DDR2 and could occur independently of integrin and TGF-β.
DDR2 expression is induced during EMT but is not required for EMT induction
Normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) do not express SNAIL1 (ref. 12). When exposed to TGF-β they undergo EMT and SNAIL1 expression is induced, the level of DDR2 expression is increased and the DDR1 protein level is decreased (Fig. 2e). DDR2 was not required for TGF-β-dependent EMT induction in MCF-10A cells, as DDR2 depletion minimally affected EMT (Fig. 2e). Consistent with a role for DDR2 in stabilizing SNAIL1, the levels of SNAIL1 were reduced in DDR2-depleted cells as compared with control cells following EMT (Fig. 2e). Constitutive overexpression of SNAIL1 in MCF-10A cells induces TGF-β-independent EMT (Fig. 2f)12; however, DDR2 overexpression did not induce morphological or biochemical EMT (Fig. 2f). These results indicated that although DDR2 expression was induced during EMT, the presence or absence of DDR2 did not influence TGF-β-induced EMT.
DDR2 influences breast cancer cell invasion and migration ex vivo and metastases in vivo
A major function for SNAIL1 during cancer metastasis is induction of invasion through the basement membrane and migration through the ECM (ref. 8). Depletion of SNAIL1 and DDR2 in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells inhibited their migration in 3D collagen I matrices (Fig. 3a and Supplementary Fig. S2a), without influencing their proliferation (Fig. 3b and Supplementary Fig. S2b), and also inhibited cell invasion through Matrigel (Supplementary Fig. S3c).
Figure 3: DDR2 influences breast cancer cell migration in vitro and metastases in vivo. (a) Cell migration in 3D collagen gels of 4T1 cells depleted of SNAIL1, DDR2 or control (SCR). Distance travelled relative to control cells was determined at 48 h. Scale bars, 250 μm. Means and s.d. for five experiments; ten cell aggregates analysed each experiment. P values calculated using unpaired, two-sided Student’s t-tests. **P<0.01. (b) 4T1 cell proliferation curve: control (black line), DDR2-depleted (red line) or SNAIL1-depleted cells (green line). Means and s.d. for five experiments; three wells of cells were analysed for each experiment. (c) Representative images of BALB/cJ mice whose breast tissue was implanted with 1×106 4T1-Luc–GFP control |
the books and toys and everything that I own, it’s probably about the most precious thing to me. It’s going to be framed and hung in my studio where I look at it every day. So that probably is my favorite of all time.
What other comics items that you own have the most sentimental value?
I’ve gotten probably most of the comics that I had growing up. I’ve got the first Superman comic that my granddad ever bought. That’s obviously got sentimental value. Copies of the Eagle I can remember my dad buying for me, Mad magazine. … I’ve got one of the props from the Watchmen movie and that’s the Nite Owl statue.
That’s rather a nice thing to have because it’s exactly as I drew it and that’s kind of a unique item. I’ve also got one of smiley face badges from the movie, which is an incredibly expensive prop. It’s not like a one dollar printed tin badge. It’s a handmade artifact with highly realistic blood on it. So that’s a precious thing as well.
But yeah, I haven’t got a huge collection. I don’t collect artwork, I don’t collect toys. I think it’s probably those items that mean something to me.
Finally, do you read today’s comics? What are your favorite titles?
I tend to get … well I do get every comic that DC publishes and every comic that Dark Horse publishes. I’ve got an arrangement with my local comic shop that I just give them all the comics that I don’t want and then I go and pick up the other publishers that I do want. So I sort of read everything. I see nice things going on.
I tend to value the work by artists that I like, a lot of whom tend to be friends of mine so, anything that Alan writes or Frank Miller draws or Mike Mignola draws or Steve Rude or Garcia-Lopez or Mick McMahon. Those things are the kind of stuff that I read.
And I love things like Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I love Mark Millar’s stuff. Those are the kind of things, some faintly offbeat stuff that I pick up from time to time. That’s a kind of overview of what I like.
Next week: Gibbons watches the Watchmen …
Got a comment? Leave a comment!For poor women like me, especially those supporting our families, there are no easy choices.
According to a 2004 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, people who are poor are twice as likely to be victims of sexual assault. Other studies in the early to mid-2000s confirm that poor women experience sexual predation at home, in public, and at work.
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Twice a month, I clean an elderly man’s house for about $20 at a time. A few weeks ago, I was cornered by his adult son in the master bedroom’s tiny bathroom. I was on my hands and knees cleaning the toilet when I heard his voice above me.
“You look like you know how to work on your knees.”
“Well, you must be happy to see me, your nipples are hard.”
“No? Those must just be big nipples. Can I see?”
I finally pushed past him and left.
According to a 2004 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, people who are poor are twice as likely to be victims of sexual assault. Other studies in the early to mid-2000s confirm that poor women experience sexual predation at home, in public, and at work. Based on my own experiences, I fully believe that living below the poverty line has made me more vulnerable to being harassed and preyed upon, especially by those I rely upon for help or employment.
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My husband and I are both disabled due to different severe illnesses. We have a large family and since I can no longer concentrate due to a string of mini-strokes, it has been difficult to find freelance work as a writer or finish the two novels I am working on. My husband is seeing a neurologist for possible multiple sclerosis or, God forbid, Lou Gehrig’s Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS). We had to go on assistance, and we keep afloat by borrowing money when we must and by doing small, odd jobs for our neighbors.
For poor women like me, especially those who do domestic work in homes or support our families in other ways, there are no easy choices. For example, this neighbor provides transportation when my family needs it. If I act angry over his comments or the danger of being touched, getting food from the grocery store if my van breaks down becomes even more difficult. What if I need gas money? Something for school for one of my children? If I say anything, will that be another source of income gone? What if I speak up and the entire tiny community here shuns me, effectively cutting off all work options? When you are poor, anyone with more money holds all the cards. And too often, they know it.
It is difficult to explain to anyone who doesn’t live in this economic bracket how what seem like illogical decisions color our everyday lives. Dignity or gas money? Reporting harassment or a ride to work, store, or doctor appointments? Or maybe: reporting an employer or keeping a job that pays most of the bills?
And the situation is even worse for some women who might be trapped in situations of extreme violence with no choice at all—and not enough resources to escape.
Even when we do report the actions, there may be no punishment for the harasser. For example, we live in a rural part of New York, where each town has an elected judge who doesn’t need to have any previous experience in law enforcement or as a lawyer.
This can be a terrifying situation for women who rely on town justices. In 2006, the New York Times reported on the abuse that can happen in these small courts: For example, a woman in Malone, New York, needed to seek “an order of protection against her husband, who the police said had choked her, kicked her in the stomach and threatened to kill her. The justice, Donald R. Roberts, a former state trooper with a high school diploma, not only refused, according to state officials, but later told the court clerk, ‘Every woman needs a good pounding every now and then.'”
Of course, this won’t be an issue in every state or even every court in New York. However, because of stories like these, I don’t feel that my word alone is enough to be taken seriously.
Add up these experiences, and is it odd that I don’t feel safe without my husband by my side in many circumstances?
I don’t go near that home alone anymore, though my husband and I sometimes take care of the animals. I thought that was the end of it until last week. This time, it was the elderly man, who asked about a sewing machine I had previously mentioned I needed to buy. My own is no longer working, and he knows I can’t afford a new one right now.
“I thought I’d give you the money to buy a new one. You can work it off cleaning or…some other way.”
“Cleaning is fine, but that’s about it,” I said. I wasn’t prepared for what he said next.
“You know, I’m going to get my hands on those 44 double-D’s sometime,” he said, referring to my breasts.
I think the blood must have left my face because he started laughing and grabbed my hand before I could get all the way past his chair. “Come on, you need the money.”
I just wanted to get out the door and into the van where my husband was waiting, oblivious to what was going on.
I pulled his fingers off and left.
When I explained what happened to my husband once we were home and away from the kids, I thought he was going to explode. He told me to call the police.
Do I want to punish my harassers? Sure, I’m still angry right now. Do I want to have my name spread all over our community? No. Even writing a piece that will appear online won’t do as much damage as a call to the police would. We’re in a community where we’re the most avid internet users—I doubt anyone in our immediate community will see this or care.
Poor folks have it bad because our humanity isn’t considered by an innumerable amount of people. Add in femininity, disability, and being on government assistance? Hell, we might as well give up. Some rapists already go free or with a slap on the wrist. What is going to happen to an old man trying to cop a feel or his adult son for sexually harassing me?
Almost certainly: Not a damn thing.
I’m angry, nauseated, and afraid for what the future holds for my daughters. I’m afraid for what the future holds for me. A few days prior to this incident, my husband had joked that I didn’t need to learn self-defense because I’m always with him or our German Shepherds. That didn’t help me or my dignity. To be honest, I’m not sure what would help.
In a few days I will be back to normal.
But there will also be someone somewhere ready to knock me, or another woman who dares think of herself as more than an object, down a few notches.PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—Odin Camus thought no one could make it to his 13th birthday party. Then love and kindness showed up.
And they brought their friends, who brought balloons, cake, pizza, gifts galore, a fire truck, paparazzi and a stretch limo to pick up the guest of honour. And faster than you could yell "surprise!" a bowling alley became party central, jam-packed with hundreds of friends Odin never knew he had.
"Wow, it's amazing to know how much people care," marvelled the newly minted teenager as a cheering crowd greeted him at Lakeview Bowl Friday night. "It makes me feel amazing. I got a taste of what celebrities feel like."
It all started with a polite plea his mother Melissa Camus posted on social media that morning, asking if a few of her friends could help make the day special for her son. He's bullied, has Asperger syndrome and has trouble making friends, she wrote. "Unfortunately, not one kid rsvp'd to his birthday 'hang out' invite."
Word flashed around the world: "Let's make him feel loved."
And so the party started. Odin's new cellphone was deluged with more than 5,000 text messages. Best wishes, videos, virtual birthday cards and shout-outs flooded Facebook and other sites.
The Blue Jays and Raptors invited him to games and strangers offered gifts and adventures tailor-made for a 13-year-old. Tweets from actor Elijah Wood, Justin Trudeau and even the Property Brothers joined 20,000 others to make Odin "the number one topic of conversation on Twitter across Canada," as the awestruck youngster observed.
"It's awesome, it's incredible, it's overwhelming," his mom said, wiping away tears between hugs and huge smiles. "I mean look at this: so many people here just to wish him happy birthday."
Odin, Melissa explained, struggles daily with the challenges of Asperger's, an autism spectrum disorder that causes difficulty and awkwardness in social interactions. "It's heartbreaking and it's sad," she said. "He often says, 'I don't fit in.' "
But Austin Levesque set the record straight: "He has more friends than he thinks he has," the 6-year-old declared after he and 4-year-old brother Caleb presented hand-drawn birthday cards and hugged the lanky teen's legs.Coming Soon
Jupiter's Legacy
When a superhero seizes control of the government, the next generation of heroes must join the new regime or fight back. Based on Mark Millar's comics.
Locke & Key
After their father's gruesome murder, three siblings move into a house with magical keys that grant them powers. Adapted from the comics by Joe Hill.
Murder Mystery
After attending a gathering on a billionaire's yacht during a European vacation, a New York cop and his wife become prime suspects when he's murdered.
Wu Assassins
The last in a line of Chosen Ones, a wannabe chef teams up with a homicide detective to unravel an ancient mystery and take down supernatural assassins.
TRESE
When the cops are stumped, Alexandra Trese is there to protect Manila from threats of the supernatural kind. Based on the award-winning Filipino comic.
Special
A gay man with mild cerebral palsy decides to rewrite his identity as an accident victim and finally go after the life he wants.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane -- both on and off the track -- during one cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.
Huge In France
Famous comedian Gad Elmaleh moves to LA to reconnect with his son and must learn to live without the celebrity perks he's accustomed to in France.Coming Soon
Cobalt Blue
When a brother and sister fall in love with the same man, ensuing events shatter a traditional Marathi family. Based on Sachin Kundalkar's novel.
The Fast and the Furious Animated Show
Adventures abound as a group of teenagers infiltrates an elite racing league controlled by a nefarious organization bent on world domination.
Huck
Huck uses his special gifts to do good deeds, but when his secret is revealed, he winds up on a life-changing adventure. Based on Mark Millar's comics.
Mixtape
This romantic musical drama follows the love stories connecting an eclectic group of people in modern-day Los Angeles.
My First First Love
A college student reluctantly lets a group of his friends move into his house, where they experience love, friendship, and everything in between.
Bloodride
A Norwegian anthology series that blends horror with dark Scandinavian humor, setting each distinct story in its own realistic yet weird universe.
Nowhere Man
A strange encounter causes a man awaiting execution to experience alternate timelines, leading to his escape from prison to protect his family.
Chip & Potato
A loveable pug and her mouse BFF start kindergarten, welcome new siblings and learn to become part of their community in this series for preschoolers.Over the last decade or so, workers’ struggles in the industrialized Gurgaon-Manesar region near New Delhi have caught the attention of political activists and trade union organizers throughout India and abroad. Many on the Left have praised the workers, expressed astonishment at their perseverance, and offered a sense of local solidarity. But a full analysis of the dynamics of the struggle, and the lessons it may hold for us, has yet to be produced. There has hardly been any discussion of this issue in places like West Bengal, where the Left was traditionally strong and with a massive influence in the trade unions – in part because it’s unclear what to say in such meetings beyond expected words of solidarity and sympathy. We do not know how to respond and relate to a situation, which is not of our own making, but resplendent with all the glory and tragedy associated with labor struggles of the past. Is this undecidability about the nature and organization of the workers’ movement related to what we call “autonomy”?
These local developments in Gurgaon-Manesar have a wider significance. Workers’ struggles around the globe are entering a phase of recharged militancy. This era of globalized production and casualized work has given rise to new forms of struggle. To make sense of the current situation, commentators have adopted neologisms, such as precarious work, precariat, and more familiar phrases like unorganized and informal workers, and informal work conditions. There have also been attempts to invent and improvise methods of organizing workers in these changed conditions, where the organized sector is supposedly being increasingly fragmented, with lean production or just-in-time production becoming the norm, and shop floors becoming increasingly redundant as a site of both production and mobilization. Even where the shop floor continues to be important, as in the automobile sector, the worker is now a mere appendage of the machine and has to tune their self to the iron rhythm of the robot. The ideal worker, it seems, is one who can transform into one of the cogs of the huge machine. Perhaps what we are witnessing now is not so much a clear division between formal and informal working conditions, but a mix of the two and a gradual transformation of the shop floor into a site of precarity. After all, the Gurgaon-Manesar unrest happened in a so-called organized branch of industry – the automobile sector, where production unfolds in high-tech shop floors, with cutting edge technology able to increase productivity to hitherto unseen levels, but marked and permeated with the most rudimentary working conditions found at the household level.
Often automobile parts have many tiers to pass through before they end up at the Maruti or Hero Honda main factory. For example, rubber hoses for carburetors arrive in the form of rubber blocks in Mujesar, a village in Faridabad surrounded by industry. What remains of the village is the scattered layout of the small one-story shanty huts with cows and goats in front. The rest is transformed by the industry. Inside the huts people work on 1970s lathes of German origin, turning metal or working on antique power presses. Maruti’s supply-chain starts here. Gurgaon-Manesar has transformed the entire area into a social factory – not metaphorically but in reality, thus turning the battle at Maruti as one for the command and occupation of the social factory. The Maruti struggle showed the significance of the idea of the factory and beyond.
In a substantial sense, industrialization at Gurgaon-Manesar represents the new type of industrialization and circulation of finance characteristic of this age of globalization. In most of the factories, unions were prohibited for a long time. In the plants producing automobile parts, production standards have been set in tune with the production needs of the car producing plants in the United States and elsewhere. If work stops or simply slows down at Gurgaon-Manesar, it will hamper wages, salaries, and the comfort level of the employees there, and most importantly, the global profit margin in the industry. Perhaps economists will have to rack their brains to find out how much of the present rise in productivity has been due to the development of machinery and how much due to an intensification of the physical efforts of the workers by tying them to the rhythm of the second, minute, and hour, and grouping them in a way that the rhythm is not punctuated because of the absence of a worker, however small that period of absence may be. But then, the calculations of the productivity of the body have been always an impossible question for political economy.
This situation raises a series of pressing questions: What are the challenges in uniting workers who have been segmented and marked by the vagaries and irregular frequencies across the entire supply chain? What should be the location and site for working-class struggle when the shop floor condition shrinks or becomes precarious? How do the workers mobilize and organize? What will methods or approaches will be adopted by the political organizers?
All these questions, we want to argue, lead us to a critical discussion of the call of “autonomy” of the working class movement from certain quarters. In this article we will analyze two workers’ struggles in the peri-urban areas of Delhi: the Maruti struggle and the struggle of workers in the unorganized sector in Wazirpur. These struggles, unfolding in two industries with very different conditions, illuminate not only contrasts, but also important similarities. Indeed, these similarities point to major, shared tendencies in working-class struggles today.
However, before we begin our analyses of these two movements we have to recognize at the outset that the state is fully aware of the problem of unruly workers in precarious labor processes. In fact, one of the central problems of statecraft today is precisely how to govern this unruly, often militant, population working in extremely uncertain conditions. Every other day we hear news of workers murdering a factory official, workers raiding a company or plant office, or the sudden disappearance of a worker, or a laborer in a precarious work condition committing suicide. To manage this situation, the state has recently devised a novel idea, promoted in the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector. The Commission decided to transform the question of workers into a question of the poor, displacing the original problem of the nature of work and work process. While the Commission report conceptualizes both the informal sector and the informal worker from various angles, it avoids the issue of capital, ignoring the linkages of informal production to the organized and unorganized market of capital and commodities.
Therefore it has no alternative but to turn to the concept of poverty as a way to solve the problem. Instead of inquiring into precarious working conditions, or the precarious worker, the Commission goes on a statistical tangent, quantifying the laboring poor. As a result, the crucial distinctions between peasants and industrial workers, domestic work and factory work, among many others, collapse. Even worse, the recommendations essentially boil down to anti-poverty initiatives, while the state’s own machinery to protect the rights of unorganized workers remains woefully inadequate. This is a novel development in the art of governance. The problem for the state seems to be: how to govern the unorganized conditions of production without producing a subject called the organized worker or how to think of a normative phenomenon (poverty in this case) as a solution to the problem instead of defining a worker – unorganized worker in this case – whose rights have to be protected by the state in face of an onslaught by global capital. To put the dilemma more concretely, the state is now trying to find ways to normalize the figure of the unorganized worker through social measures, while allowing – and in fact facilitating – the uncertain conditions of work in the wake of globalization.
It is precisely this dilemma that has characterized the state’s response to workers’ protests in Delhi.
Struggles at Maruti: The Changing Face of Labor and Capital
The history of Maruti is a fascinating on two counts. It began operation as a state-owned automobile company (Maruti Udyog Limited) with its model Maruti 800 in 1983. In the final decade of the welfare state it was the car every member of the middle class aspired to own. It acquired a brand loyalty unmatched in the automobile sector. In other words, it was one of the success stories of state-owned enterprises in the midst of the growing perception that such state-owned enterprises were inefficient and only incurred losses. With the economic liberalization of 1991, Maruti saw a gradual transformation from a public sector undertaking to a joint sector company and finally to a privately-owned company. With Suzuki Motor Company of Japan now at the helm, Maruti not only saw a transfer of ownership, but perhaps the first experiment with just-in-time production, or what was called then the Toyota system of production. Under this new system, a whole set of stringent regulations governed the workplace. Workers were told how often they could take bathroom breaks, and how for long. Regulations determined how often a worker at the belt would need to drink water, or how long workers would be permitted to talk to one another on the assembly line.
In short, this régime of production demanded the creation of a new kind of pliable workforce. It’s impossible to understand the subsequent struggles at Maruti – which now has two manufacturing units, one at Gurgaon and another at Manesar – without taking into account this attempt to forcibly transform the composition of the working classes. Indeed, the first wave of struggle at Maruti exploded between 2000 and 2001, during a period of transition, so to speak, as older workers were trying to come to grips with the new production system, which unleashed an unprecedented rise in productivity at the factory. This first struggle was important in the history of the struggle because in many ways it set the template for subsequent demands, as well as the question of strategy and tactics. The struggle began over incentive wages, which management unilaterally changed from the basis of savings of labor-cost to the basis of productivity per direct worker. The agitation began on September 8, 2000 with workers wearing black badges, shouting slogans, and meeting at the gates. After a general body meeting, the union decided on collective action, which included a tool-down strike, assembly, and collective hunger strike, as well as writing to the management to call for a union-management meeting.
When there was no response from the management the workers began their tool down strike of two hours in each shift. In response, the management started to dismiss and suspend workers. On October 12, 2000, the management demanded that workers sign an undertaking of good conduct in order to enter the factory. This particular strategy was later employed over and over again by the Maruti management. A lockout began on October 12. By mid-December the workers realized that their agitation was being ignored. It was then that the union took the decision to move their agitation to Delhi and started a sit-in demonstration in the winter chill in front of Udyog Bhawan. This created a stir in Parliament and the government had to intervene as Maruti was still was a joint sector company. A settlement was reached and the good conduct undertaking was withdrawn but only a few workers who were dismissed were taken back. It was through this struggle that management experimented with many of the tactics that would be deployed later against future workers’ agitation. Further, during this time, the workforce at Maruti became increasingly casualized with contract workers and apprentices being recruited in large numbers. In fact, during this first phase of struggle they were used to continue the production at factory to undermine the strikes
The particular labor process and the production régime put in place in this period were marked by the intensification of social control of the workers. Apart from the usual management steps, such as banning unions, suspending workers at will, handing over rebellious workers to the police, and restricting the physical movements of workers in the plant, social control was buttressed from the outside. The rural rich gentry, the upper caste kulaks, and the wise elders of the nearby settlements all supported the company bosses. Not only did these social forces profit massively from the increasing financialization and consequent sale of land for the special economic zone, the money was then invested in building up ties with the businesses. Thus, some invested the money to build resorts for the super rich coming from outside, while some built hutments for the workers of the area – all as matter of business. Some invested in high-end restaurant business or in the sale of luxury items. Some became contractors to build roads, while others engaged in supplying building material. Still others simply became agents in the sale of land and other property. This moneyed class is the mainstay of the mahapanchayat (village governing body) of the Gurgaon-Manesar area. In most cases the mahapanchayat supported the Maruti owners throughout these years. Not surprisingly, years later, when the great Maruti unrest broke out and the fleeing workers wanted shelter in nearby villages, some of the wandering workers were handed over to the police by the local gentry, particularly if the worker belonged to a low caste.
Indeed, the surrounding region restructured around the factory. Some of the members of the local rich gentry became contractors for Maruti and other plants in that area. Others became canteen suppliers. Still others supplied other material to the plant. All this was not a merely spontaneous consequence of the sudden availability of money. The company officials deliberately decided to turn locals into suppliers as a guarantee for stability and security in the region. On the other hand as more and more temporary hands were engaged in Maruti the workers became casual, contract bound in special ways indicated above,bereft of any social security entitlement. These workers were mostly Dalits. They were kept invisible from the public profile of the company and the business so that later the bosses could say that only a minority of the Maruti workers were troublemakers, large-scale worker dissatisfaction was a lie, and the repeated lockouts at Maruti were aimed at protecting the majority of loyal workers. All these claims helped the state and the local government frame its response: quick apprehension of the troublemakers, quick trial, and quick exemplary punishment.
However, let us not anticipate the full story here. Let us go back to the agitation in 2000.
What followed the agitation should be taken as a study in transition the of regimes from a welfare state to a “regulatory state.” Firstly, against the Maruti Union Employee Union (MUEU) which had led the agitation so far, a new management controlled Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union (MUKU) was founded, holding election in 2001. A massive retrenchment process in the name of Voluntary Retirement Scheme was undertaken and workers were laid off. In 2002, Suzuki increased its share to 54.2%. In 2006, the Manesar unit of Maruti was established. The grip of management on the workers was tightened as never before. There were regular reports of daily abuse of workers, mostly on ground of caste and the impossible working conditions of the lean production system.
In 2011, a new wave of struggle at Maruti brought it to the forefront of working class struggle in India and attracted global attention. The discontent with working conditions and the abusive attitude of the management reached a breaking point. On June 3, 2011, workers at the Manesar plant submitted an application to register their independent union Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU). The next day a workers’ sit-in at the Manesar factory began. The primary demands of the workers were the right to unionize and to make all contractual and temporary workers permanent. On June 6, eleven workers were fired. On June 17, the labor department intervened and the workers were reinstated and a verbal assurance was given that their union would be registered. During this entire period the workers occupied the factory. They had learnt their lesson from the earlier struggle:it was unwise to leave the factory as this allowed the management to declare a lockout. What followed was constant threat and abuse by the management as well as dismissals and suspensions. This continued until August 28-29, when suddenly a large contingent of police entered the plant and management sealed the gate. When the workers arrived, the management declared that they could enter only after signing an undertaking (a signed promise) of good conduct. The workers refused to do so. Harassment and arrest of union leaders followed. On September 30, the workers agreed to sign the good conduct undertaking. However, only permanent workers were allowed to enter while 1,100 contract workers were denied entry. They were told to take their dues and leave. From October 7, permanent and contract workers occupied the factory, and on October 13, the High Court passed the order that the workers should vacate the factory.
In the meantime, the management laid a siege on the factory cutting the water supply and closing the canteen. In a dramatic turn of events, still largely inexplicable, the strike ended in November as some leaders of the strike took compensation from the management and left the company. In any case, the management promised that the union would be registered by December 13, 2011; but it was until January 31, 2012 that the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union (MSWU) was finally registered. The struggle, of course, continued.
On April 18, 2012 the union presented a charter of demands to reduce work pressure, modify the extremely demanding work schedule, end of the incentive scheme, etc. In May, two union leaders were suspended because of an altercation with supervisor, but they were reinstated due to collective pressure from the workers. Matters came to a head in June-July when talks between management and the union broke down. Workers stopped reporting early and worked for only eight and half hours. On July 18, 2012 a supervisor abused a worker with casteist remarks and the worker was suspended. Subsequent events remain unclear. Workers said that bouncers were called by the management and violence broke out, resulting in the death of an HR manager. Who killed the manager remains a mystery. Workers demanded an impartial probe into the incident. In any case, the violence and the death of the manager allowed the state to crackdown on workers with ferocity. Thus came to an end of the year long struggle of the Maruti workers.
Over this entire period, the struggle remained autonomous in the sense that the direct intervention of trade unions of the Left and other parties was negligible. However, after the events of July 2012 as the struggle came under heavy state repression, several trade unions came to the support of the workers. This period is more interesting as it revealed a completely new face of the trade union movement in India, marked by new methods of negotiations between the workers and the unions. There were several unions and workers’ organizations ranging from various shades of what is called the far-Left, to ones which were more like non-governmental organizations and labor solidarity associations than unions. It meant a shift in the organizing principle hitherto based on the concept of class to that of community. This, as later events showed, was to have serious repercussions on the movement.
After the July 18 incident, 546 permanent workers were terminated along with about 1,800 temporary workers and 147 permanent workers arrested on charges of murder. To meet the consequences of the crackdown of July 2012, the union reorganized itself through a provisional committee and a new movement began from November 7, 2012. MSWU demanded that the arrested leaders be released, dismissed workers reinstated, temporary workers made permanent, and an impartial probe on the incident of July 18,be instigated.
The struggle this time, however, was perceptively different in terms of tactics and strategy. The new phase of struggle began on November 7, 2012. While the earlier movements recognized the importance of sit-ins or occupying either the factory or an important government office, this time the workers moved around. An important reason for this was that a large number of workers had been terminated and the temporary workers were looking for jobs, thus making it difficult for the workers to organize an occupation of the factory. However, there was considerable debate between the various unions and MSWU to shift the site of struggle to the capital (Delhi) rather than clinging on to Gurgaon-Manesar. This suggestion was not taken up. It is a bit surprising as the experience of the struggle had shown the gains of standing ground even if that meant shifting at times the location of the struggle. In this case, if the terrain of the mobilization had been even partially shifted to Delhi, the kind of repression possible in Haryana may not have happened, since that level of repression in Delhi would have very likely attracted large-scale public interest. In any case, by this time the issue of the Maruti struggle was not a local one only, but a national, even a global issue. There was a greater chance of workers’ mobilization from other places as well as a greater display of social solidarity. The suggestion had come from some groups involved in the movement with MSWU.
In the meantime MSWU aligned itself with some central trade unions like CITU. On one occasion when the site of the movement shifted to Kaithal the workers sought help from the notorious khap panchayat (a council of elders of few villages often emerging as quasi-judicial body and pronouncing harsh punishments based on age old customs of practising violence on women and dalits). In some circles, this tendency of workers of choosing their own leadership is taken as a positive phenomenon and a sign of autonomy. However, the experience of Maruti showed that such alliances are never symmetrical in their power relations. In this case the power was firmly in the hands of the khap panchayat. After the police repression of May 19, 2013 in Kaithal, the khap panchayat withdrew its support. With this came the end of this phase of the struggle. There was a seminar held at Jawaharlal Nehru University where MSWU asked for suggestions for continuing the struggle.
The latest notable situation in Maruti struggle is that MSWU has been reorganized and a new body has been elected. However, this long history of Maruti struggle has left the question of strategy and tactics of the workers’ movement open. How do we conceive of the autonomy of workers’ movement? Taking into account that many of these workers belonged to villages around Gurgaon-Manesar, their impulse led them to fall back on the community organization of the khap panchayat. They also tried to align themselves with central trade unions of the parliamentary Left as well as organizations belonging to the radical Left. These forces were parts of and not merely spectators in the debates surrounding the question of organization. A working class movement, even as sophisticated and led by what is called advanced workers such as those of Maruti, working on the cutting edge of technology, cannot remove itself from its political and social background. It might also be the case that this movement may not even want to do that. Thus, debates, quarrels, party alignments, and various pulls remained intrinsic to the situation.
It cannot be forgotten that to a large degree the struggle was sustained because of their links with the villages. Perhaps the postcolonial condition not only does not completely transform peasants into workers at least for now, but in this condition the workers have to traverse both spheres. In the case of Maruti the workers who were part of the struggle were only the first generation who had given up farming and taken up technical education to become part of the skilled workforce. Maybe that is the reason that forced them to look for succour in their villages rather than in their so-called autonomous self. Also, it must not be forgotten that after the collapse of struggle post-July 18, 2012, the unions and organizations of the Left rallied in the support of MSWU in the face of heavy state repression, though not to the required extent. Certainly more could have been done. However the support helped the movement remain alive both on the ground as well as in the progressive circles and media. The question is: Is autonomy even desirable, at least in the way it is understood? Is there a new way to conceptualize the issue?
There are good reasons to argue that the autonomous character of the workers’ movement in Maruti stems from the specific, precarious labor conditions at the plant. Suzuki has become an increasingly globalized enterprise since it started its joint venture with Maruti three decades ago, with its centers of production, investment, and export sales now reaching into parts of Africa, Europe, and the United States. But its Indian subsidiary still accounts not only a large portion of Suzuki’s foreign sales (62 percent), but its total sales (48 percent). But increasing productivity rates at Maruti have only been possible due to changes in both the forces and relations of production: namely, the adoption of a just-in-time production system and the subsequent differentiation of the labor force into three categories of workers – permanent, contract, labor, and apprentice laborers. In 2012, of the total number of Maruti workers, 1100 Maruti workers were contract laborers, 400 apprentice laborers; and only 950 were permanent laborers. The number of contract laborers has periodically fluctuated. Combined with speed-ups in the production process, this reorganization of the labor force has helped |
answer is very clear: “No, no, no. It’s about me, John [Hurt] and Dave [Tennant].”
Is he lying? He doesn’t sound like it, but make your own minds up. The key bit begins around the 4 minute mark.We all know that learning is more fun when you’re drinking with friends and colleagues. Thus, since 2003, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in more than 100 cities across the globe during which several folks give 18-21-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along. And there are often bands, acrobats, trivia, and other shenanigans as well. Imagine learning about everything from math feuds or the science of the Simpsons, to the genealogy of Godzilla or zombie insects, while having a few or a few too many. Fun, right? Click on the cities on the right to find a Nerd Nite near you. And yes, we know this is an ugly website, but Nerd Nite isn’t really about aesthetics anyway.
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An example of a Nerd Nite presentation (The Science of the Hangover by Paula Croxson):
Nerd Nite Documentary on Japan’s NHK!This documentary about Nerd Nite aired nationally in Japan.
http://www.vimeo.com/5033585
Read our Privacy Policy hereCanderous Ordo, also known as Mandalore the Preserver (Te Taylir Mand’alor in Mando’a), was leader of the Mandalorians in the time following the Jedi Civil War, and the first Mandalore since the end of the Mandalorian Wars. A veteran soldier, he fought during both conflicts as well as in the Great Sith War. He joined the Jedi Revan in his quest for the Star Forge and traveled with the Jedi Exile during the First Jedi Purge. He united the scattered clans of the Neo-Crusaders, even as he stood beside the Exile against the Sith Triumvirate. After the destruction of Malachor V, Canderous parted ways with her and awaited Revan’s return from the Unknown Regions readying for a war with an unknown threat.
Early life
“I was one of the best youth warriors in clan Ordo in my time.”
―Canderous
Canderous was born to the Clan Ordo on the Mandalorian planet Ordo, as early as to undergo his verd’goten, the warriors’ initiation, in the middle of the greatest breakthrough in Mandalorian technology, when the Basilisk war droids were still being perfected. In those days, young warriors would prove themselves in real combat with unknown opponents on a number of worlds.
He would always remember his first battle, an 80 kilometer plunge through the atmosphere on the back of a Basilisk war droid, dodging self-guided projectile and beam weapons, with barely fifteen centimeters of glowing-hot armor plate protecting him. During that battle, he gained considerable honor for his achievements, and became part of the most promising young warriors of his clan.[1] Following the defeat of the Mandalorian Crusaders in 3,996 BBY, he was recruited by Mandalore the Ultimate into the Neo-Crusaders to serve as a battle tactician rather than a foot soldier.
Before the Mandalorian Wars started, Canderous witnessed what may have been an unknown species scouting the galaxy. His party was going through the asteroid belts of the Crispin system, to hunt the pirates and smugglers that used the frozen methane gas shells of the main belt for cover. Canderous targeted a small asteroid with a thermal generator to cause the outer layer of frozen gas to explode and destroy the hidden ships, but then the asteroid started rotating and spraying thermal projectiles that melted armor like wax, then mysteriously fled before the Mandalorians could counter-attack. They tracked the vehicle rimward through hyperspace until they lost its trail near the galactic rim.
Mandalorian Wars
“You had us outnumbered five to one. You had more ships, more troops, more supplies and the Jedi on your side. And we still made the Republic tremble before we fell!”
―Canderous to Republic pilot Carth Onasi
By the time of the Mandalorian Wars, Canderous had attained the rank of commander, and was one of the few high-ranking Mandalorians to survive the Battle of Malachor V. For thirteen years, before they would invade the Republic in 3,963 BBY, the Mandalorians stockpiled resources from the worlds they conquered just outside Republic jurisdiction. Of the many such battles, it is known Canderous took part to the First Battle of Althir, in which he defeated an Althiri fleet ten times the size of his own and earned the command of an entire subsect of his clan.
His task was to assault one of their flanks with a false attack so they would be drawn out, allowing the bulk of his forces to attack from the rear and defeat them. However, when the Althiri let their fleet split in two leaving the center exposed, Canderous turned his forces and got to the enemy commander, ending the battle quicker than they would have otherwise, and avoiding further losses. Regrettably, in abandoning his position, he let many of his men die. The sole survivor of that stand, Jagi, believed Canderous to be a glory hunter, and was determined to have his revenge. He would spend years tracking him down before he had the chance of a face-off with Canderous.
Though he didn’t enjoy wiping out worlds for its own sake, it was Canderous’ belief that the tactics the Republic used when the Mandalorians finally did enter their territory, like setting their bases inside major cities, left Mandalore little choice but to raze whole worlds such as Serroco in provocation. Despite the fact that when Revan joined the war things began to turn against his people, Canderous was increasingly satisfied with the challenge the Republic put up. Revan was willing to leave unimportant planets defenseless in order to make valuable worlds impregnable fortresses. Revan also didn’t just use standard tactics, he employed feints, counterattacks, and mass deceptions to great effect. His ferocity, tenacity, and subtlety made Revan something of a hero in Canderous’ eyes. Though he did regret the fact that the galaxy was taken from their grasp, he recognized the honor in fighting the only one who stood against them, once the Sith had retreated into the Unknown Regions. The Sith he would figure years later to have been behind the very choice of challenging the Republic.
In the close of the conflict, Canderous was among the two fleets that filled the space around Malachor V, where the Mandalorians had committed all of their forces in a last attempt at defeating the Republic. Their doom was sealed, and when the Jedi Exile, the General that commanded the Republic fleet, activated the mass shadow generator, most of the remaining ships were crushed onto the surface of the planet by its gravity well. Those outside the scope of the superweapon were able to escape the mass shadows and survive the battle. In 3,960 BBY the Mandalorians surrendered unconditionally, with Mandalore being executed by Revan while the others were stripped of their weapons and armor, and sent into exile on the Outer Rim. With nothing to call his own but the honor of having fought in the battle he just lost, Canderous became a mercenary. He eventually ended up on Taris, enforcing for local Exchange boss Davik Kang, but the best challenges that Taris had to offer were nothing to him.
Jedi Civil War
“I’m someone you don’t want to get on the bad side of.”
―Canderous to Revan at their initial meeting in the Taris Lower City
After the end of the Mandalorian Wars, while Revan took up the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith and started his own crusade against the Republic, Canderous became the most famous Mandalorian mercenary in the Taris Sector. By the time of the Attack on the Endar Spire, near the close of the Jedi Civil War, he had been fighting across the Galaxy for forty standard years, and it started not being enough for him. Unhappy with the way his life had turned, when Davik didn’t come through with the fortune he had promised to pay Canderous for his services, he decided it was time to move on. When Revan met Canderous in the Lower City of Taris, bearing the made-up identity the Jedi Council gave him, that of a soldier under Bastila Shan, Canderous was going to see to a special assignment of Davik’s.
He was put in charge of a salvage mission to the Under City, to the crash sites of a couple of escape pods from the Republic warship Endar Spire, the ship where Revan was stationed on before the Sith attack. Revan was headed to the Under City himself with fellow Republic fugitive Carth Onasi, but the Lower City swoop gangs had already sent their own salvage parties. Down the Under City west, Canderous lost some of Davik’s men to the rakghouls that roamed the place, and when Revan helped him during an attack, Canderous told him the Black Vulkars were the first to get to Bastila’s escape pod. Revan won the Tarisian Season Opener to rescue the Jedi commanding officer, who was offered as a prize by the Vulkar’s leader Brejik.
Impressed by his recklessness on the track—and skill in the battle after the race—Canderous chose Revan of all people for a plan to escape Taris, which at the time was under Sith quarantine. He needed Revan to break into the Tarisian Military Base and steal the Sith launch codes, without which any ship leaving the atmosphere would have been disintegrated by the Sith fleet’s automated defense guns, so he made a deal with him and provided a droid capable of slicing the encrypted security system that protected entrance to the base, T3-M4.
Working with Revan
“Whatever you are fighting, it will be worthy of my skill.”
―Canderous to Revan
When Revan got the codes, they took the Ebon Hawk from Davik and escaped the planet just as the Sith commenced an orbital bombardment that destroyed Taris. Canderous then traveled with Revan in his mission against Darth Malak and the Sith Empire, despite disagreeing at times with the courses of action he took in their journeys.
Canderous often regaled Revan with tales of his past battles, and would later explain that coming with him was a means of finding battles worthy of his skill, something he could not do under Davik. He also encountered Jagi, who had not forgotten him; he challenged Canderous to a duel in the Dune Sea of Tatooine to answer for his choices in the Battle of Althir. Canderous would not stand the insult and was determined to kill him so that his honor would remain unblemished. Due to his negotiation skills, Revan had Jagi see it Canderous’s way, but Canderous was still scarred when Jagi committed suicide to erase the shame to have questioned the teachings of Mandalore.
At one point, the Ebon Hawk was ambushed by Admiral Saul Karath and tractor beamed by the Sith Interdictor ship Leviathan. Revan was detained with Carth and Bastila apart from the rest of the crew, but arranged for one of the others to stage their rescue; once he was set free, the others followed Canderous’ lead to the Ebon Hawk while Revan saw to the deactivation of the tractor beam. Fighting his way to the docking bays, Canderous got his party on board unscathed.
He was glad to learn, before they set out to find the last Star Map and got to the Star Forge, that the true identity of his new employer was that of the leader of the Republic forces that, to his honor, had the upper hand against his people four years earlier; yet now he felt even more demeaned as a warrior, seeing with the wisdom that comes with age all the opportunities that had passed him by, and he decided he would do something about it as soon as his time with Revan was done. With Malak’s defeat and the triumph of the Republic, Canderous was awarded the Cross of Glory along with Revan and his companions for his part in the struggle against the Sith.
Mandalore the Preserver
“Assemble the rest of your clan. You will return to Dxun.”
―Canderous to a group of Mandalorian mercenaries
Ever since Mandalore’s Mask was seized by Revan, the Mandalorians had been without a leader. Canderous himself, after the Jedi Civil War, did not think the clans as they were could return any time soon. Still, when Revan left for the Unknown Regions, Canderous was left with instructions to unite the clans and prepare for a new war. Besides the whereabouts of the helmet, Revan told him the truth about Mandalore the Ultimate and their Sith allies, that his people had been tricked and that all along the Sith had been behind the choice of challenging the Republic.
As he journeyed to reunite the Mandalorian clans, Canderous met upon an ailing Taung who declared himself to be the true Mandalore, and claimed that the man known as “Mandalore the Ultimate” was a pretender to the Mandalore title. Before dying, this nameless Mandalorian consigned his armor and clan to Canderous, asking him to preserve the traditions. Canderous took the armor for himself, and incorporated the mask into the helmet given to him by Revan. Taking the title of Mandalore the Preserver, Canderous returned to the Mandalorian outpost of Dxun, one of the four moons of Onderon.
Only a selected few knew the identity of the new Mandalore, as he never took off his armor and helmet in the presence of others, not even while sleeping, according to rumors. While it was tradition that the leader of the Mandalorians kept his helmet on, Canderous probably had more reasons to do so, like keeping his ties with Revan secret. This was such a strong reason that even the Jedi Exile’s abilities that caused her other companions to unquestionably follow her orders would not get him to remove it.
When the Jedi Exile was attacked in the First Battle of Onderon by Colonel Tobin, the former Jedi General was forced to land on Dxun, an old battle ground of hers. Her informal master, Kreia, felt, as they assessed the situation, that something was on the moon that the Exile needed to see in order to clear away all of her past that was still unresolved. Suggesting they might come across other means to get to Onderon by exploring their surroundings, she accompanied the Exile through the jungles until they arrived to a Mandalorian Outpost, an old covert camp whose remains had been detected by the pilot of the Ebon Hawk Atton Rand as they looked for settlements. Mandalorian sentries met the Exile outside the camp and led her to their leader who wanted to meet her. Canderous agreed to give the Exile a ride to Onderon at the condition she proved she was not going to be a liability in the difficult streets of Onderon. She did better than he thought she would do, and made quite a reputation among his warriors; Canderous moved up his own timetable, having scheduled a trip for supplies the day after, and took her right away then instead.
Travels with the Jedi Exile
“The one I travel with has walked your same path—and I ask that when the end comes, that you remember that kinship, even if it seems there is nothing else left.”
―Kreia to Canderous
As soon as he had his shuttle prepped for launch he was confronted by Kreia, who was also Revan’s teacher long before, and she asked for his loyalty to the Exile. Canderous was somewhat angered initially by what sounded like lack of respect from an arrogant old woman toward his people, but Kreia expressed her esteem for the loyalty he had shown to Revan and promised to answer why her old apprentice did not take Canderous with him when he left for the Unknown Regions, at the condition he would keep the one she traveled with safe. Canderous was perplexed that the old woman knew about him and Revan, and he had her watched since.
Unfortunately, Sith Assassins attacked the camp, prompting Canderous to launch even sooner, so he left what remained of the enemy to his subordinates and made for Onderon. Arriving in the city of Iziz, he directed the Exile to an acquaintance of his, doctor Dhagon Ghent. Though Ghent was being held by local authorities as a suspect for the murder of Captain Sullio, an officer of the Onderon military, they were able to prove his innocence and Ghent arranged for a message to be smuggled in the Iziz Royal Palace to the Jedi Master Kavar, whom the Exile needed to see. Canderous was delighted to know the Jedi who the Mandalorians believed would have led the Republic forces in the Mandalorian Wars, but Tobin interrupted their meeting, forcing the Exile to return to Dxun. Canderous then decided to join the Exile against the Sith, so that the galaxy would not fall under their influence for good and pose a threat to his efforts to reunite the scattered clans of the Mandalorians.
Traveling with the Exile, Canderous met other Mandalorian clans on Dantooine and Nar Shaddaa, and had them join his force on Dxun. Esok, the leader of a group of Mandalorian mercenaries stationed on Dantooine was killed in an attempt to usurp the title of Mandalore from Canderous. The bolstering of the Mandalorian ranks did worry the Exile, who lost her connection to the Force years back trying to prevent them from taking over the galaxy, yet she saw the value in supporting a strong military force which could be used against the Sith, the Republic being in the shape it was in.
Canderous took his forces in the Onderon Civil War against General Vaklu, a man he respected, so that the planet would not become a staging ground for the Sith. The sight of a Basilisk War Droid raining down onto Onderon once more, shocked royalist and secessionist forces alike; Captain Bostuco, who spoke with Canderous and the Exile before, was relieved however when he saw it was them flying the vehicle, coming to the aid of Queen Talia. By orders of Canderous, high-ranking Mandalorian Xarga led a squadron of warriors to take control of the tomb of Freedon Nadd, whence a detachment of Sith had been dispatched to support Vaklu in Iziz; he followed a strike team of three of the Exile’s companions led by the Dxun Force Adept. The expedition was suggested by Kreia, who recognized the Sith activity picked up by Mandalorian hardware on Dxun as a determinant for the conflict in Iziz; though Canderous thought it foolhardy to divide their forces at a time like that, he trusted the Exile’s decision.
Later on, Canderous distinguished himself in the Battle of Telos IV engaging the Sith fleet alongside now Republic Admiral Carth Onasi; he boarded the Ravager with his troops and met Darth Nihilus in battle together with the Exile and Visas Marr. He also arranged for several proton bombs to be set on the ship, which were destroyed by Kex and a sorry Colonel Tobin as soon as they were back to the orbital shuttle they used to board the ship. Tobin was swayed to help the Exile when he saw the mistake it was to get involved with one such as Nihilus, so Canderous had Tobin report to his men while he took care of his master. When they were back to Citadel Station, Admiral Onasi spoke privately with the Exile, and Canderous parted ways with the Exile soon afterwards.
Legacy
Little information has been discovered as to Canderous’ fate after his journey with the Exile. According to predictions made by Kreia, Canderous’ future would be one still full of battle. In these battles, Revan’s reasoning behind his order to Canderous would be explained: in ordering Canderous to reunite the Mandalorians, they would be remembered for thousands of years to come. It has been supposed that without these battles, the Mandalorians would not have been remembered as strong, honorable warriors—and without that memory, there would have been no reason for Jango Fett, and later Boba Fett, to don the Mandalorian armor.
Millennia later, the “Bloodletter” may have owned a pair of blasters that had once belonged to Ordo. Clone trooper Null-11, an Advanced Recon Commando in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, was named Ordo by Kal Skirata in honor of the legendary Mandalorian warrior. Around the time of the rise of the Galactic Empire, MandalMotors ground military branch created a heavy assault vehicle comparable to an AT-AT, dedicating it the Canderous-class Assault Tank. It is unknown what becomes of the Mandalore mask, as it is not worn by any future Mandalores.
Personality and traits
“I’ve killed many people. I can’t say I’m proud of it, but I have. Criminals, competitors, businessmen, police… women, children…”
―Canderous Ordo
A paragon of the ideals the Mandalorians sought to uphold, Canderous lived for battle. He was born and bred in a culture where pity and mercy are but a weakness to be exploited, where those who hesitate are weak, and the weak will die, unless someone strong protects them. Most civilizations would look at this sort of society as spiteful and bloodthirsty, but as he would explain to Revan, Canderous thought such conclusions were made out of fear and ignorance. What he really thirsted for was honor, which could only be achieved with challenge, through conflict with a worthy foe. Canderous was always impressed by a show of force, and was an advocate of fighting before diplomacy. He respected Revan for his attack on the Mandalorian fleet, and felt no regret or anger about being bested by a clearly superior foe. His driving personality traits were best described as ambition, discipline, aggression, and loyalty.
He tended to speak in a gruff, serious manner, often relating old war stories. Whenever he encountered war veterans, he would usually ask them about the battles they fought in or what their opinion was of the Mandalorians. He often displayed disappointment when he found that many on the Republic’s side did not share his fondness of the past. Perhaps this was a contributing factor in Canderous becoming disillusioned after the defeat of the Mandalorians. He once expressed this feeling to Revan, explaining that he was no longer the Mandalorian he once was.
It is also revealed that though Revan and Canderous are good friends, he considered Revan his “employer.” If Revan refuses to listen to Jagi, he replies: “This does not concern you, Jedi. This is between me and Canderous,” Canderous replies “This concerns my employer as well.”
Canderous idolized Revan and firmly believed that, had Revan been born a Mandalorian, then nothing in the Galaxy could have stopped the Mandalorians from reigning supreme. Near the end of the Jedi Civil War, Canderous would have the sole honor of finally meeting and to a certain extent, befriending his hero in person, yet he was unaware of this at first, since at the time, the Galaxy believed Revan to be dead, and also because of the fact that Revan himself did not know who he really was, due to amnesia and a programmed identity implanted into him by the Jedi Council.
Although he only intended to ally himself with Revan as a means of escaping Taris, and despite the fact that he had become, as Bastila Shan said, “a broken down mercenary who was serving at Davik’s heel,” Canderous still held true to the ways of his people and chose to remain amongst the crew of the Ebon Hawk under the belief that their adventures would bring him much needed glory and honor to his heavily diminished pride.
Even though he was quite the loner amongst Revan’s companions, virtually all of whom shunned and disliked him, Canderous slowly came to respect the programmed persona of Revan. When it was discovered that the highly Force-sensitive Republic soldier turned Jedi Padawan was indeed Darth Revan himself, Canderous was, unlike the rest of his companions, overjoyed. Whereas he considered Revan’s artificial persona as his employer, Canderous willingly pledged his loyalty and allegiance to the former Sith Lord, firmly believing that his service to Revan would bring him more battles and glory than he could ask for.
The Star Wars universe is an expansive universe. You’re playing the games, you’re watching the movies, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week we make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind Star Wars: The old Republic
(Visited 740 times, 1 visits today)Share. They can be heroes, just for one day. They can be heroes, just for one day.
DC didn't really do anyone any favors by titling this new anthology series "Legends of Tomorrow." Of the four stories included, only one features a character from the TV series whose name the book is trading on. This comic has nothing to do with time travel, Vandal Savage or the idea of a ragtag super-team battling their way towards legitimacy. Legends of Tomorrow the comic is simply a book featuring four unrelated stories about heroes who have been out of the spotlight for a while. Readers who purchase this comic as a blind buy based on the title alone are bound for disappointment (especially given the high cover price). But those who simply wish to reconnect with characters like Firestorm and the Metal Men will be in for a pleasant surprise.
The one common thread in Legends of Tomorrow #1 is that all four stories have a distinctly pre-New 52 quality to them. While each story seeks to revamp and reestablish its respective heroes, there's no effort to be edgy or change elements for the sake of changing them. It doesn't hurt that DC turned to a distinctly old-school lineup of writers for these tales, with Gerry Conway returning to his signature creation in the Firestorm story, Len Wein handling the Metal Men and Keith Giffen tackling Sugar & Spike.
Giffen's tale is actually the highlight of the issue, in spite of (or perhaps because of) their relative unknown status. I have no real exposure to the characters, so I can't speak to how they compare with earlier incarnations, but Giffen delivers a fun little buddy cop tale as the headstrong Sugar and her befuddled partner carry out a dangerous mission in Gotham City. The comedic, down-to-earth tone of the story is very much in line with Marvel's Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Bilquis Evely's art also gives the story a low-key charm that meshes well with that blue collar superhero approach.
It's also a treat to see Conway writing Firestorm again, especially after all the chaos the character went through during the course of his New 52 series. This tale appears to be a continuation of the previous book, with Professor Stein still serving as mentor to Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch, but it also offers a clean start for Firestorm fans. Conway offers an entertaining look at the hectic personal lives of both characters before they're both drawn into another superhero fiasco, and Eduardo Pansica's clean style makes the book that much more approachable. The only downside is that Ronnie is still portrayed as a bit too much of a cocky jerk, a problem that's plagued him since 2010's Brightest Day storyline.
The remaining two tales aren't quite as successful, but nor are they bad reads by any stretch. Aaron Lopresti pulls double duty in his Metamorpho tale, which is an attractively rendered but pretty by-the-numbers exploration of the character's origin. Wein's Metal Men story is humorous, but it leans a little heavily on the X-Men-esque concept of the public being terrified of the Metal Men (as opposed to the countless other metahumans in the DCU?). On the other hand, Cinar, like the rest of the artists in these pages, gives this story a sleek, classic DC feel.NOTICE TO TOBACCO FARMERS
WHO DELIVERED TOBACCO TO
FLUE CURED TOBACCO COOPERATIVE
STABILIZATION CORPORATION IN 1967 THROUGH AND INCLUDING 1973
In the late 1970’s for 1967 through and including 1973 crops, Flue Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation (“Stabilization”) issued Certificates of Interest in Capital Reserve to its members who delivered tobacco to Stabilization for any year listed above (“Certificate”).
We are pleased to offer to redeem the Certificate of any member who voluntarily accepts this offer. This is not a mandatory redemption; it is an offer, which may be accepted only at your election. You are under no obligation to accept it, and if you elect not to accept it, you will retain all rights in and to the Certificate, and your Certificate will be subject to redemption in the same manner as if there had been no offer.
Any Certificate holder (including heirs, beneficiaries and/or estate administrators of deceased Certificate holders) who would like to accept this redemption offer should call 1-877-277-7422 for more information. To obtain a redemption application form click on the Application Form link above. You may also request a redemption application form by mail, by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Certificate Redemption
1304 Annapolis Drive
Raleigh, N.C. 27608
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING A PROPERLY DOCUMENTED REDEMPTION APPLICATION IS February 28, 2017. Applications postmarked after February 28, 2017, or faxed or emailed after February 28, 2017 or not properly completed or sufficiently documented by February 28, 2017 will be held and processed during the next redemption period.
Submit Application to: MAIL: FAX: EMAIL: Certificate Redemption 919-719-3950 tobaccocheck@usleaf.com 1304 Annapolis Drive Raleigh, N.C. 27608
Tommy Bunn
President/Secretary
U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc.Joe Schmidt has never been accused of the emotional pick. When Mike Ross was dropped by former Leinster coach Matt O’Connor earlier this year, the person to prop up the tighthead’s confidence was the national coach. Schmidt was no soft shoulder, just more settled with what he knew.
Club and country are often seen through different lenses and when Denis Buckley and Nathan White were recently brought into the World Cup squad, Ross knew they were not just there as crash test dummies filling in the numbers.
‘Miss out’
“They were probably unlucky to miss out on the squad in the first place,” he says. “Joe’s philosophy is to keep everyone in the loop. If there are any injuries then they can step up and it’s a seamless transition because they don’t have any catching up to do.”
Ross is not a demonstrative player or known to give way to flights of fancy, his job too full of grunt and grind to strut or blubber. But earlier this year Schmidt handed him a green jersey after O’Connor snatched the blue and gave it to Marty Moore for January’s European game against Castres.
It wasn’t the first time Ross had been dropped. The abrasive Michael Cheika did too and Ross came back strong from that. But at scrum time Schmidt looks for sources of comfort and security and his eyes have not seen beyond the 6’2’’ (188cm) 35-year-old.
Against Italy in the Six Nations it was Moore’s obvious ability and versatility against the mileage in Ross, the gnarled experience of a warhorse, who still had some to give. O’Conner burned him but Schmidt saw the upside. Being picked for the Italian job was important.
“It gives you a boost. At the same time I had to prove myself,” says Ross. “He showed faith in me but at the same time I had to play the Wolfhounds game and show I could provide what was required. If I hadn’t played well in that game he would have gone onwards.
“I probably wasn’t performing as well as I needed to, I was coming back from injury and the scrum hadn’t been going particularly well especially in those Harlequins back-to-back games. Marty and Tadhg (Furlong) were playing well and the in-form players got the nod.”
The lasting effect may have some benefit as Ross remains sharply aware of how things can change. Did O’Connor’s rejection hurt? “Of course it did,” he quips. “It’s never particularly pleasant to be dropped.”
From here the four matches before the World Cup kicks off are pivotal to players. Ireland open the Guinness Summer Series against Wales in Cardiff on August 8th, followed by successive home appointments at Aviva Stadium with Scotland (August 15th) and Wales (August 29th), before meeting England on September 5th at Twickenham. Ireland’s opening World Cup clash is against Canada in Cardiff on September 19th.
Open to persuasion
Ross admits that he doesn’t know what to expect but feels the pre-tournament games will deeply shape Schmidt’s thinking. He gives the impression that the coach is still open to persuasion.
“You know more than likely everyone will get a shot,” he says. “But at the same time you can’t go out and be a hero. Do what’s expected of you. If you look back to the last World Cup, Conor Murray came from nowhere and got a spot on the plane.
“They are not friendlies and they are not really warm ups. There will be a lot of highly motivated players because there is no World Cup squad being picked yet. He (Schmidt) is not really looking beyond that. Four games, anything can happen and that’s the unfortunate reality of the sport.”AUSTIN, Texas – The Cabin in the Woods, the latest project from nerd wunderkind Joss Whedon and his former Buffy the Vampire Slayer cohort Drew Goddard, is amazing. It's so amazing, in fact, that we hope no one ever says another thing about it.
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Why shouldn't anyone speak of this masterpiece of horror/comedy cinema? Because trying to explain Cabin in the Woods is futile – and succeeding at the task would ruin the fun of seeing the film cold and getting shocked by it's every twist and turn.
"I hope you enjoy it, and then sort of keep it to yourself," Whedon told the crowd at the film's premiere at the South by Southwest Film festival Friday night.
He wasn't kidding. To know much about the plot of such an expertly crafted and completely entertaining horror/comedy would be devastating. Unlike most films, where knowing who the bad guy is or whether the main love interests end up together is simply a bit of a let-down, knowing key details of Cabin's plot could prove devastating, because trying to figure out what's going on in the f ilm is a game in and of itself.
But here's what is worth knowing, just to whet your geek appetite.
(Spoiler alert: As few plot points as we could feel comfortable sharing follow.)
The Cabin in the Woods is an R-rated metanarrative comedy about the science of horror movies. It starts with the most pedestrian of slasher-film tropes – the group of young, attractive people going away for a fun weekend in a creepy old cabin – and then turns that story into a series of smart questions:
What if every horror movie were playing out some sick show for a larger purpose? What if the similarities in the characters and plot were part of that purpose? And what if we, in our quest to be entertained, were like some sort of horrific higher power, always needing more gruesome satisfaction and more young blood spilled to feed our thirst?
The resultant film, directed by and Cloverfield writer Goddard, offers up a veritable Scooby-Do crew of archetypes – the jock (played by Thor star Chris Hemsworth), the stoner (Fran Kranz), the virgin (Kristen Connolly), the brainiac (Jesse Williams) and, of course, the ho (Anna Hutchison) – all of whom get thrown into a hilarious orgy of every horror tropes (there's even something Goddard calls the "Angry Molesting Tree").
While they face certain death, something bigger and far more sinister is at play. There's also a moment where somebody actually crashes into the fourth wall and an ending for which "all hell breaks loose" is a gross understatement. (The film also contains the world's coolest bong and one of the best uncredited cameos of all time.)
Actually, most people probably couldn't describe Cabin in the Woods even if they wanted to. And while Goddard and Whedon, who said they wrote the screenplay together in three days (one act per day), have created what star Richard Jenkins called "an incredible script," they also may have turned too many slasher-film staples on their heads.
During the post-screening Q&A, one viewer asked the assembled panel, "Did you intend to make the last horror movie of all time?" The crowd laughed, but there was a sense that it wasn't a joke – a lot of gore gets blown out of the proverbial water with Cabin.
Whedon, at least in jest, agreed.
"Yes," he deadpanned. "That's it for horror."
And to think this movie almost didn't see the dark of night. The film got shelved in 2010 when its studio, MGM, |
over that particular hump when he submitted veteran Josh Koscheck in the opening round to pick up his second consecutive victory. True to form, Silva came out throwing big shots and then caught an opening created by a Koscheck mistake to force the former title challenger to tap out to the choke.
*** The team at Nova Uniao is regarded as one of the best camps in MMA, and it has another rising talent in Leonardo Santos. The lightweight grappling ace once again put his talents on display as he locked on a rear-naked choke on Tony Martin to secure the second-round finish at Fight Night 62.
The rangy Brazilian spent the first round feeling out his opposition and then wasted no time putting Martin on the canvas, where he locked in the choke shortly into the second frame. Santos' victory in Rio brings his current streak to nine consecutive outings without a loss.
*** Following a loss to Cat Zingano in her last fight, Amanda Nunes came into her bout with Shayna Baszler determined to turn things around and get back on track. The Lioness promised aggression from the opening bell, and she certainly delivered in that regard, as she folded up "The Queen of Spades" in quick fashion.
Nunes dropped kicks on the savvy veteran early and often as she pounded out the first-round finish. It was an impressive showing for the 26-year-old Brazilian, and the win over Baszler makes her successful in three of her past four showings inside the Octagon.
*** There is a lot of expectation surrounding Gilbert Burns' emergence in the lightweight division. The multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion-turned-undefeated mixed martial artist had been lights out inside the Octagon coming into Fight Night 62, and there was plenty of pressure on him to keep things rolling on Saturday night.
This rings especially true since his original opponent Josh Thomson pulled out with injury, and Burns went from facing a Top 10 opponent to one who is relatively unknown in Alex Oliveira. While his performance wasn't necessarily aces, Durinho came alive in the final round and forced Oliveira to tap from an armbar late in the third frame.
Although defeating Oliveira won't catapult Burns up the divisional rankings, the win keeps his momentum intact. It will also position him to get a higher-profile opponent in his next outing.
*** When a fighter begins to pick up momentum, it's a special thing to watch, and Godofredo Pepey is coming into his own inside the Octagon. The 27-year-old Brazilian had earned back-to-back performance bonuses coming into his tilt with Andre Fili at Fight Night 62, and he put in a strong bid for a third straight with his triangle submission victory over the Team Alpha Male representative.
Pepey surprised Fili when he jumped up to lock in the triangle when his back was against the fence, and he showed tremendous patience as he held onto the choke despite Fili's best efforts to escape. The Sacramento-based fighter would eventually tap and give Pepey his third consecutive victory under the UFC banner.
*** Brazilian featherweight Kevin Souza kept his winning streak alive at Fight Night 62 as he defeated Katsunori Kikuno with an impressive first-round knockout. The 30-year-old striker circled the Japanese veteran until he found the opportunity he was looking for, unleashing a straight right hand that put Kikuno on the deck.
With the victory, Souza has now won 10 consecutive bouts—three of which have come under the UFC banner. While he's still a ways out from the upper level of the featherweight ranks, Souza continues to make solid progress every time he steps into the cage, and it will be interesting to see who matchmaker Sean Shelby pairs him up with next.
*** After his stint on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, Fredy Serrano came into Fight Night 62 looking to make his first official showing under the UFC banner a successful one. The former Olympic wrestler squared off with Bentley Syler to kick off the card in Rio de Janeiro and did an impressive job of igniting the Brazilian crowd. The Colombian flyweight clearly won the first two rounds and then put a thunderous stamp on his debut by blistering his opponent with a brutal uppercut that put Syler out before he hit the canvas.
The Bad
The end of the UFC road has finally arrived for Koscheck.
While he's one of the few fighters remaining from the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, there is a high probability Kos made his final walk to the Octagon on Saturday night, as he suffered his fifth consecutive loss at the hands of Erick Silva. After being defeated by Jake Ellenberger three weeks back at UFC 184 in Los Angeles, it was likely the Pennsylvania native would take a bit of time off to recoup and recover. Yet, when Ben Saunders had to bow out of his tilt with the Brazilian striker due to injury, an opportunity materialized for Koscheck to seek quick redemption.
Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
Nevertheless, it would ultimately be an ill-fated decision, as Koscheck tapped to a Silva choke late in the opening frame. Where most fighters who step up on short notice are considered safe from losing their roster spots even with a loss, it would be difficult to imagine Koscheck holding onto his spot after dropping five bouts in a row. And even though the Fresno-based fighter has been a perennial contender in the welterweight ranks for a large part of the past decade, the 37-year-old former NCAA D-I national champion wrestler just hasn't been the same fighter over the past few years.
Should his release come to pass in the weeks following Fight Night 62, Koscheck's legacy as a scrappy, anytime, anyplace fighter will always endure. Following his stint on TUF, the brash blond quickly established himself as one of the best villains in mixed martial arts. He was the fighter that fans loved to hate, but he always put on a show.
Now that it's all but guaranteed that show—at least the UFC portion—will be coming to an end in the near future, Koscheck can be proud of what he accomplished inside the Octagon.
*** Shayna Baszler is widely considered to be one of the original pioneers of women's MMA. And while she's earned her stripes and logged many battles inside the cage, there probably aren't too many more fights inside of the Octagon left for The Queen of Spades. The 34-year-old South Dakota native found herself on the business end of a beating handed out by Amanda Nunes at Fight Night 62, succumbing to strikes early in the opening round.
Her loss on Saturday night makes Baszler unsuccessful in both of her outings under the UFC banner and extends her rough skid to three consecutive setbacks.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that Baszler has been finished in each of those three fights and has only found victory in one of her past five bouts. While a losing streak is never a good look, Baszler's performances in those fights are a far cry from the game scrapper she used to be.
The biggest saving grace where the veteran bantamweight is concerned is her association with women's 135-pound champion Ronda Rousey as a member of the Four Horsewomen. Being connected to the Rowdy one may buy her another fight or two, but even that won't matter if Baszler can't find her footing inside the cage.
The Strange
Where most of the chaos that transpires inside the cage is typically generated by the fighters, referees have been known to add their own personal flavor from time to time.
Last month at UFC 184 in Los Angeles, Jerin Valel put on few dubious performances in the bouts he officiated and drew the ire of fight fans as his slow responses endangered a couple of fighters. Granted, calling the action inside the cage is a hectic affair, but Valel was slow to stop fights where one competitor had already choked the living daylights out of the other.
Fortunately for Valel, his missteps will now take a backseat to Eduardo Herdy, as the referee calling the bout between Christos Giagos and Jorge de Oliveira pulled one of the worst stoppages in recent memory. The Team Oyama fighter capitalized on the absence of his opponent's ground game as he quickly mounted De Oliveira and began to pound away. The Brazilian lightweight quickly gave up his back, and Giagos took advantage of the opening and locked in a rear-naked choke.
Several seconds later, De Oliveira began to tap, which normally would have brought an end to the fight, but Herdy let the choke continue despite being in the proper position. He continued to tap several more times as he looked up at the official with floating eyes until the referee finally stepped in and stopped the fight.
And while his sluggish reaction caused a stir on social media, the recent trend of referees blanking out in critical moments needs to come to an end. Their No. 1 priority inside the cage is to keep the fighters safe, and letting chokes go on for an extended amount of time is dangerous. With that in mind, hopefully the commissions will take a hard look at the officials they are currently using and make some changes when referees fail to make the grade.
That said, Herdy wasn't done screwing things up in Rio on Saturday night, as he plummeted even further down the credibility list in his next showing. Where he let De Oliveira get choked far too long, he jumped the gun far too early when Leandro Silva worked for a guillotine against Drew Dober. The Brazilian was working for the submission off his back, and while the Nebraska native did not appear to be in real danger, Herdy stepped in and grabbed Dober's arm, which brought an end to the fight.
Or it did, then didn't and did again as Herdy couldn't seem to make his mind up as to what his call would be. After a few curious looks, Herdy finally waved off the bout and awarded the victory to Silva for a choke that wasn't locked in.
Dober looked confused. Fight fans ignited into an uproar on Twitter, and even the commentary team of Jon Anik and Kenny Florian could not believe what had just happened inside the Octagon.
While such a strange stoppage is unfortunate for all parties involved, it's especially so for Dober as the Omaha-based fighter has now lost three of his four showings inside the Octagon. On Saturday night, his loss didn't come against Silva; it came courtesy of Herdy, who seems to have no clue what he's doing inside the cage.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn more
Until I glanced down at the mesh shoes on my feet I’d never before thought much about chainmail beyond renaissance festivals or Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
Yet the metal cloth was now swishing against the ground on my feet thanks to the work of Gost, a German company that takes minimalist running in a very weird direction.
The shoes, called the PaleoBarefoots, go for a cool $250 a pair. They are made in Germany, constructed of thousands of tiny, interlinked stainless-steel rings.
Holy chrome-moly is right. But Gost claims its medieval shoes can improve barefoot-style running and biomechanics because chainmail gives a “tactile sensation of the ground.”
Like it did for knights, the material also protects from sharp objects. This includes daggers and swords, though trail runners more often might find the Gost footwear protecting from rocks and sharp sticks.
I pulled on a pair for a few minutes last month while visiting a shoe designer in Boulder. He’d picked up the PaleoBarefoots for his company’s research and development purposes, not necessarily for running in foot armor through the woods.
My first observation? A swishing noise of metal as I moved brought to mind a Monty Python movie.
Then upon walking a few steps the texture of the chainmail felt abrasive on my foot. The metal fabric neither flexed nor felt soft as I trotted around.
A company tag line is “remember sensation,” which is hard not to do while your feet are being squeezed and raked by thousands of tiny metal rings.
My verdict? With so much excellent minimal-oriented running footwear on the market there is really no room for questionable designs. The Gost concept, while unique, takes the idea of minimalist running too far. The middle ages can have their shoes back.
—Sean McCoy covered another strange minimalist shoe in his recent review, “A Flap of rubber and some Cord: Meet the Xero Shoe.”There is no hand sign in sports more iconic than the longhorn hand sign. Nay! The hand sign transcends sport. There is no hand sign anywhere in the world more famous than the longhorns.
Hand Horns are merely the fulfillment of their own destiny. Why no one had yet made horns you wear on your fingers the world may never know. But take heart--the wait is over.
The Beginning
When we had the idea, we did what anyone would do – we looked online to buy a set for ourselves. Honestly, we were puzzled when we didn't find them. We kept looking, and we kept not finding them. We even had a lawyer look for us, to see if anyone had done anything, any time, anywhere that was even similar. The picture below is the closest they found. It's a finger sock. The closest thing to Hand Horns is a finger sock. And so it began.
Faced with what seemed as much a responsibility as an opportunity, we set out to design the perfect pair of hand-worn bovine horns. The process took us through multiple iterations of materials and shapes.
These prototypes show the evolution of Hand Horns.
We needed to create something that satisfied competing objectives. We wanted the horns to have a natural and fluid shape, but still be a lot of fun to wear. They needed to be big enough to be seen from a distance at a game, but small enough to carry in your pocket or purse.
Hand Horns
photo credit: jrandallc
Hand Horns combine the best elements of the Longhorn sports enthusiast experience into a sleek, simple, portable cheering implement. They are made of a highly resilient self-skinned foam material. Each has a one-size-fits-all finger hole, and the horns are connected by a soft fabric strap embedded directly into the horn.
They are handsome, fun, comfortable, and interactive. In short, they are everything you've ever wanted in a set of horns you wear on your fingers.
The Rack Plaque
That southwest style is all the rage. Even a small set of mounted horns costs around $75 though, and you can't wear those horns on your fingers. When you are finished cheering with your Hand Horns, you can hang them on your hand-made Hand Horns Rack Plaque.
Each Rack Plaque is hand made in Austin, Texas from hand-stained wood and faux cowhide (no animals were harmed in the making of this product). It is then branded with the Hand Horns logo, unless you back Hand Horns at the Custom Cowboy level or higher, in which case you can design your own custom brand.
Who We Are
Hand Horns is made up of four friends: Eric Marfin, Lauren (soon-to-be-Marfin) Owens, Greer Tedford, and Drew Tedford. Eric and Lauren are proud Longhorn alumni. Greer and Drew are Austin residents who did not have the distinct pleasure of attending The University of Texas, but have been lifelong Longhorn fans just the same.
Greer is the only formally trained artist of the bunch. Eric, Lauren, and Drew all work in public interest by day, and moonlight as musicians/designers/entrepreneurs by night.
The Specs
Our goal of $4,700 is the cost of the aluminum mold we need to produce Hand Horns. This mold will be used to manufacture the first several thousand units.
The horns themselves will be sourced and produced in China. The factory we are working with is in the coastal city of Wenzhou and adheres to all labor condition laws. It's run by a nice fellow named Denny Wong. They have been in business a long time, and we have it on good authority that we can trust them to do a good, honest job.
As we mentioned earlier, the Rack Plaques are hand made in Austin, Texas by your esteemed designers themselves. Hand Horns are patent pending.
We are just one step away. With your help, we can raise the money we need to produce the mold and grab the proverbial bull by the horns.ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
A former City worker praised by David Cameron for setting up a “brilliant” home-school network today told of her two years of “hell” being pursued through the courts over the education of her son.
Mother-of-three Sophie Sotello, 46, claims she has been “hounded” by Kensington and Chelsea council because of concerns over the education provided to Gabriel, 11.
A School Attendance Order was made in June last year after officers ruled the child, described by one expert as “very articulate, able to touch type, with an adult reading age”, was not receiving a suitable education.
Mrs Sotello, who lives in Chelsea, still refused to send him to a mainstream school and was convicted of failing to comply with the order in March this year and fined £1,020.
She was due to appear at the Old Bailey today to appeal the conviction and apply to overturn the order. But the council last night announced it had dropped the case, within minutes of being contacted by the Standard.
Mrs Sotello said: “It has been two years of absolute hell. It almost ruined our family but at least we are alive and will try to recover.”
She began home-schooling her eldest son Luka in 2000 when, she believes, the council wrongly diagnosed him with special educational needs.
She resigned from her management job at financial services firm Misys to design a curriculum around his needs and he has thrived as a gifted pianist.
Luka, now 20, helps to care for his sister Lydia, 17, who had to have surgery as a baby which left her with learning disabilities. Mrs Sotello and her husband Cristian, 49, who works at Sotheby’s auction house, set up the Junior Academy of Excellence in 2008 to provide alternative learning for other under-16s using activities, colours and mindmaps rather than learning by rote.
At its peak it offered specialist classes to 20 children, running them at local drop-in centres, as an alternative to mainstream schooling.
The charity was hailed by the Government as “brilliant idea” as part of the Big Society and the family was invited to Downing Street by Samantha Cameron two years ago.
Mrs Sotello believes the problems began in September 2013 when Kensington and Chelsea merged its education teams with City of Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham councils in a tri-borough agreement.
She refused to let council officers into her home to conduct an inspection which prompted the legal action.
State schools receive extra funding for each child with special educational needs and Mrs Sotello said: “The private joke within our home schooling community is they are treating this like a parking ticket and just want the revenue like it’s easy money.
“But I love the freedom and the way of life we have and I’m not going to let bureaucrats take that from me.”
A spokesman said: “Some parents choose to educate their children at home, which is their right. When this happens we believe we have a duty of care to establish that the child is receiving a suitable education.
“In this case, despite many requests, the parent refused to provide details of the home education arrangements which eventually led to a successful prosecution.
“The parent has now provided us with the information we originally requested which demonstrates that the child is receiving a suitable education. Therefore the legal proceedings can cease.”
Mrs Sotello said: “Everyone has to learn from this, and I do not want other parents of home-schooled children going through the same thing we have. The bottom line is parents should get the right information and not rely on what they are told.”St. Paul and Minneapolis police officers typically have a big, visible presence at the start of the Twin Cities Pride parade, but organizers told them not this year after hearing concerns from community members.
After a jury acquitted St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez on Friday in the shooting death of Philando Castile last year, Twin Cities Pride wants to “respect the pain the community is feeling right now,” organizers said in a Tuesday statement on Facebook.
People were planning to protest the police involvement in the Sunday parade.
St. Paul Police Deputy Chief Mary Nash, the department’s LGBTQ liaison, said 12 to 25 St. Paul officers have taken part in the parade in past years. Some are LGBTQ officers and others have walked in the parade as supporters, Nash said.
“It is disappointing,” Nash said Wednesday. “I understand that people are angry and we can respect their feelings, but … if we can’t work together, it gets more challenging to become better as a community, as a police department.”
The union representing St. Paul officers also expressed disappointment.
“Twin Cities Pride, as an organization preaching inclusion and equality for everyone in the community, to exile gay and straight officers from the parade runs counter to the values the organization claims to promote,” said Dave Titus, St. Paul Police Federation president. “This blatant exclusion of police officers by parade leadership exemplifies ignorance towards our profession and community members supportive of us.”
Amy Brockman, Twin Cities Pride external relations manager, said they appreciate all LGTBQ officers.
“This does not at all reflect what they bring to the force and we appreciate them participating in Pride every year and being able to be out with their community as well,” she said.
It's time to be lifting each other up, not excluding one another. Saddened to be shut out from Pride. Will I be welcomed next year? pic.twitter.com/iOghna3MJb — Janeé Harteau (@ChiefHarteau) June 22, 2017
But the Twin Cities Pride Parade and Festival in Minneapolis, which draws about 350,000 people each year, is working “to balance the concerns of the community and our concerns for making this family-friendly event a safe and welcoming place for everyone to attend,” organizers said in the Tuesday statement.
The parade is required to have a police car lead the event to make sure the route is clear. This year, it will be a lone unmarked squad and they will have “limited police participation in the parade itself,” according to the statement.
St. Paul officers will still be taking part in the Pride Festival at a booth they share with Minneapolis officers in Loring Park on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a time when they encourage people from the LGTBQ community to consider careers in law enforcement, so “we can be more inclusive of the community we serve,” Nash said.Problem: The page object pattern is not yet understood by the average tester.
To get the most out of this post, please read this post and then read at least one of the articles listed in the Holy further reading, Batman! section below.
Why this post?
There are many ways to write and maintain GUI automation tests. The most common GUI automation design patterns that I have seen are linear blobs of code with no methods, the facade pattern and the page object pattern. Testers usually begin by writing one off scripts with linear code that are not organized into methods. Most testers then automatically graduate to using the facade design pattern – even if they do not know the name. In my experience, only a small percentage of testers graduate to using the page object pattern. This post is an attempt to introduce the page object pattern to more testers.
NOTE: Bolstered by the positive reception to my post The art of writing xpaths, I have decided to take the creative route again. This explanation of page object pattern involves no code, no tests and very few references to web pages under test.
Background on page object pattern
I am unable to find the exact origins of the page object design pattern. I am grateful to any reader who can enlighten me on the topic. I first heard of the page object pattern when trying out Selenium Webdriver. Martin Fowler’s excellent piece on the topic of page objects seems to suggest that while the pattern has been around for a while, the name and its use in the testing community took off as Selenium Webdriver gained popularity.
How would you describe Batman?
I would describe him as a superhero
a) who wears a black cape, a bat shaped hood, some super cool weapon-ized gloves, a utility belt and a skin tight bullet proof body suit that has a bat symbol on his chest.
b) whose favorite moves are stealth attacks, deception and trickery, throwing batarangs, striking and counter-punching.
In my description of the caped crusader, I separated Batman’s looks from his moves. You probably found that reasonable and intuitive. Similarly, testers who have written and maintained large amounts of automated GUI tests, have learnt that separating the looks of the webpage from the actions of the webpage to be very useful. The page object design pattern represents each page of your web application as one or more objects. You separate the GUI elements from the page actions themselves. The looks of the page include things like text boxes, drop downs, radio buttons, etc and are identified by locators. The actions of the page include things like submit form, fill in text field, etc and are modeled as methods. This helps reduce code duplication and allows for easier maintenance of tests. And that’s the gist of it.
The next time you are struggling to understand or implement the page object pattern, think of Batman. May be even hum to yourself na na na na na na na na na Batman!
NOTE:I like Batman because I think he would make an excellent chess player … if he put his mind to it. Instead he chooses to save Gotham. Time to re-examine your priorities, @Batman!
UPDATE: Chess.com asked the important question and it looks like Batman is the winner by a margin!
Holy further reading, Batman!
Team Qxf2 have hand selected the following as the best pieces on the topic of page object pattern:
1. Martin Fowler on Page Objects: http://martinfowler.com/bliki/PageObject.html
2. This excellent piece by Adam Goucher: http://pragprog.com/magazines/2010-08/page-objects-in-python
3. Selenium wiki: https://code.google.com/p/selenium/wiki/PageObjects
Did this piece help you get started with page objects? Leave your feedback in the comments section below.
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Leave this field empty if you're human:Bitaddress.org is a resource anyone can use in order to create a printable paper Bitcoin wallet.
A paper wallet is supposedly the most secure way of storing cryptocurrency for a number of reasons. Firstly, the currency is stored offline, making it impossible to lose funds if a website is attacked, does an exit scam or somehow goes down.
Secondly, you are in control of and hold the private keys of the wallet, making it impossible for anyone to steal your private keys from an online location.
But this wasn’t the case for one of the bitGuru team members.
In July 2017, around 0.179 BTC (£762 / $1004) was placed in an offline paper wallet for safe keeping.
As you can see from the above screenshot, just 30 minutes after the Bitcoin was sent, it was taken back out!
Only a team member or hacker from bitaddress.org could have done this!
We searched for the wallet the funds were withdrawn to, and it’s clear this scammer has stolen a very large amount of money by doing the same thing to other users!
You can see from the above screenshots that the attackers began stealing funds at 3pm, continuing over 15 hours and stealing over 7 BTC (£29,800 / $39,000) before withdrawing it all just 28 hours after they started!
11 transactions were made in total, with the largest single transaction being a hefty 2.6185 BTC (£11,160 / $14,700)!
Many of the victims will still likely be unaware, given most of those whom choose to keep their Bitcoin in a paper wallet do so over the long term.
Please everyone be aware! We can’t be certain whether this is an inside job, maybe bitaddress.org selectively scam their users, or maybe some clever hackers, but regardless, this happened and it is out of order!
The Bitcoin network is designed to eliminate the need for trust, but scammers will always exist, so please be careful when sending your cryptocurrency!
If you’ve sent any Bitcoin to bitaddress.org recently, please check and make sure you haven’t been a victim of this scam! With no contact information on the site, it’s now apparently impossible to get the Bitcoin back.
The guide on Coindesk recommends the use of bitaddress.org for creating a paper wallet, but please do be careful!
The wallet was turned offline immediately after the Bitcoin was confirmed to have been sent!
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Join The Bit Forum – Click HereNo one with any scientific sense now disagrees about the severity of the climate crisis. But some people — and some magazines — believe that climate change trumps every other problem. If we take this argument to its extreme, we should ignore any environmental concern that gets in the way of reducing emissions. And that's just plain wrong.
Make no mistake: Tackling climate change is vital. But to see everything through the lens of short-term CO 2 reductions, letting our obsession with carbon blind us to the bigger picture, is to court catastrophe.
Climate change is not a discrete issue; it's a symptom of larger problems. Fundamentally, our society as currently designed has no future. We're chewing up the planet so fast, in so many different ways, that we could solve the climate problem tomorrow and still find that environmental collapse is imminent. Myopic responses will only hasten its arrival.
Take the proposal that we cut down old trees in favor of new ones. First, I don't buy the carbon accounting presented to advance this procrustean plan: Older trees can absorb CO 2 for centuries after reaching maturity, while replanted forests can emit more CO 2 than they sequester until the new trees are as much as 20 years old.
But even if wired's math were correct, this would still be a crap fix for climate change. Chopping down forests causes massive soil erosion and leads to desertification, making repeated tree plantings a dodgy prospect. As monocultures, tree farms are far more vulnerable to pest infestations. And batches of trees planted at the same time are more susceptible to wildfires, causing the carbon they're supposed to be sequestering to go up in smoke.
Old-growth forests, coupled with a broad program of woodlands restoration and sustainable forestry, can provide not only climate relief and ecologically responsible wood and biomass harvests but a slew of other essential ecological services, from salmon habitats to flood prevention. It's a heck of a lot more costly — in both money and emissions — to build massive dams and fish farms than to simply protect the forests we already have.
Another example of how carbon blindness leads to counterproductive policies: embracing nuclear power as a clean energy source. This argument assumes that other clean alternatives will not improve in efficiency or affordability during the 10 years it would take to implement a nuclear program. That's short-term thinking. If we invested the money that we would spend on new nuclear facilities more wisely (and eliminated subsidies on fossil fuels), alternatives like wind, solar, hydroelectric, and wave power could deliver a clean-energy future more cheaply and probably sooner, without any of the security or health risks of nuclear plants. Nuclear power may have a role to play, but it would be far better to create a flexible energy system that draws on many clean sources, instead of on a single panacea. Again, a cut-carbon-at-all-costs approach blinds us to more-sustainable, and ultimately more-promising, solutions.
To have any hope of staving off collapse, we need to move forward with measures that address many interrelated problems at once. We're not going to persuade people in the developing world to go without, but neither can we afford a planet on which everyone lives like an American. Billions more people living in suburbs and driving SUVs to shopping malls is a recipe for planetary suicide. We can't even afford to continue that way of life ourselves.
We don't need a War on Carbon. We need a new prosperity that can be shared by all while still respecting a multitude of real ecological limits — not just atmospheric gas concentrations, but topsoil depth, water supplies, toxic chemical concentrations, and the health of ecosystems, including the diversity of life they depend upon.
We can build a future in which technology, design, smart incentives, and wise policies make it possible to deliver a high quality of life at lower ecological cost. But that brighter, greener future is attainable only if we embrace the problems we face in all their complexity. To do otherwise is tantamount to clear-cutting the very future we're trying to secure.
*Alex Steffen *(editor@worldchanging.com) is the editor of the green futurism site Worldchanging.com and of the book Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century.
Related Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What it Means to Be Green 1: Live in Cities 2: A/C is OK 3: Organics Are Not The Answer 4: Farm The Forests 5: China Is The Solution 6: Accept Genetic Engineering 7: Carbon Trading Doesn't Work 8: Embrace Nuclear Power 9: Used Cars Not Hybrids 10: Prepare For The WorstIt’s just too easy to call out the hypocrisy. So I’m not even going to talk about how patently absurd it is for Mike Pence demand email privacy after persecuting Hillary Clinton for the past year about the same issue. Double-standards aside, Pence’s refusal to release his email is troubling all on its own.
For starters, there’s the context of what’s at issue with Pence. To get that context, we have to go back to President Obama’s executive order in 2012; that order directed DHS to de-prioritize certain groups of people for deportation. Specifically, under a plan that became known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) “certain young people” (who might have been deported) could apply for a two-year deportation deferment after they’d passed a background check.”
As I’ve written before, DACA worked well. It made sensible use of a limited federal budget, and prioritized deportation of adult criminals over law-abiding children and their parents. It would seem like a no-brainer, but since it was President Obama’s idea, the red states had no choice but to oppose it as loudly as they could. That opposition came in the form of a federal lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
When the legal work on Texas v. U.S. began, right-leaning states were deciding whether to jump on board the litigation. Indiana was one of those states. Putting aside the obvious question about whether Indiana truly has a problem with illegal immigration (even according to right-wing media, such a “problem” is minimal and was steadily decreasing under DACA ), I’ll instead focus on the logistics of Indiana’s decision. Governor Pence jumped at the chance to join Texas in the lawsuit and then made kind of a weird move. He hired Barnes & Thornburg, an outside law firm, to handle the lawsuit. In case you’re tempted to think “well, it makes sense to hire lawyers to handle a lawsuit” – keep in mind that Indiana has an attorney general – and it’s his or her job to handle lawsuits on behalf of the state. When Governor Pence needed someone to handle his other legal fights against progress (such as those filed to undo the Affordable Care Act, legalization of gay marriage and clean air rules), Pence just sent the work over to Attorney General Greg Zoeller. But for whatever reason, Pence felt like spreading the work around to some other lawyers.
If there’s anything we know about litigation, it’s that it’s expensive. And a case that goes up to the Supreme Court packs quite the price tag. If I were cozied up to Mike Pence, you’d better bet I’d love the chance to piggyback on Texas’ lawsuit and double-bill my way to a summer house on Indiana’s dime. But the thing about our government is that it’s supposed to be transparent about its expenditures. Especially when it’s spending state taxpayer dollars suing our own federal government.
Now it’s time to get back to the Pence email. After Texas v. U.S., a prominent Indianapolis labor lawyer named William Groth filed an open records request with the State of Indiana to make public the records of just how much money was spent hiring outside counsel to do what the Attorney General could have done himself (for “free”). In response to that request, Pence’s office refused to turn over an email that contained a “position paper,” which had been sent to Pence by Daniel Hodge, the chief of staff for Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In that paper, Abbott extolled the virtues of Texas’ lawsuit over DACA and urged Indiana and other states to sign on to it. Pence has refused to turn over the position paper, calling it “attorney work product.” Mr. Groth filed suit to enforce his open records request, but lost at the lower court level. He appealed in June and the Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on Nov. 21.
From where I sit, Pence’s choices in this matter – from his opposition to DACA to his joining in the lawsuit, to his hiring an outside firm, and finally, to concealing his steps in doing so – are a disturbing microcosm of his ideologies. He will choose the wrong positions and then he will advance those positions in an even more wrong manner. When questioned, he will hide his actions from the very people he purports to represent.
There’s quite a lot to hate about Mike Pence’s political positions, from his blatant homophobia to his willful blindness about the need for medical research and protection of women’s health. But the issue of governmental waste isn’t a political one. Both parties waste taxpayer money. And both need to speak up about what a refusal to effect transparency means to them. Vice President Elect Pence shouldn’t turn over the position paper because Hillary Clinton would have, or because DACA is a practical and compassionate program. He should do it because whatever his actions as governor, he should be accountable for them. Without making that commitment on a broad scale, his oath to “bear true faith and allegiance… without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion” is meaningless.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.BOSTON — When looking at Loui Eriksson’s numbers, it’s difficult to see past the ones on his contract.
For $6 million US, Eriksson has generated just 11 goals and 22 points in 54 games this season for the Vancouver Canucks, which makes his offence among the most costly in the National Hockey League.
Anytime a team signs |
Korea, only one mask folding job — and that for a mask pack folding moonlighting recruiter earning 6,030 South Korean won per hour (approximately $5.37) — remained when Racked searched alba.com, a moonlighting job listing site popular with students, housewives, and workers with full-time jobs looking to earn some extra money. Work listings, before they disappeared, centered in Incheon, near Seoul, a port city of three million people.
It’s difficult to gauge the impact of at-home mask folding and factory sanitation standards on the quality of the masks consumers receive. The kbeauty customers Racked talked to reported few instances of finding debris in their masks or adverse skin reactions from masks that they connected to poor sanitation during the manufacturing process. Most felt shocked that there would be any quality control issues since Korean skincare is routinely touted as years ahead of the West — when in fact, the manufacturing process for some brands appears to most resemble the early modern putting-out system.
A few cases of debris and off smells in masks have been noted. Kukmin Ilbo reported on one individual in Korea finding an insect in their sheet mask in the wake of the at-home mask folding scandal. The bug incident went viral, leading the manufacturer to issue an apology, and promise to do microbial testing on all sheet masks before shipping.
Earlier this year, Alana, a kbeauty fan, posted a photo showing a long, dark hair between her illi sheet mask and the mask’s backing that she discovered upon opening the mask. About one year ago, Marianna was just getting into kbeauty when she asked a private Facebook group if her SNP mask — not yet expired — was supposed to have black spots on it or not. Sheet mask designs have been very popular in the last year, but that particular mask was supposed to be just a white sheet. Snow White and the Asian Pear — who, full disclosure, works on a podcast with the author of this article — reported in April 2015 that her Sooryehan Pomegranate Mask smelled like "laundry detergent and stale nicotine" despite the ingredients not accounting for the smoky scent.
The revelations about how some sheet masks are made in Korea have proved deeply unsettling to many fans of kbeauty who are concerned about the issue for both hygienic and ethical reasons. Beauty blogger Vanity Rex wrote in an online message to Racked, "I'm staring at my stash of sheet masks, including some from Mediheal, trying to figure out what to do with them because I don't want to risk putting something contaminated on my face." Concerns about the amount of waste generated by sheet mask packaging and "inadvertently supporting unfair labor compensation and conditions kills the enjoyment for me."
The economic impact could reach far beyond the companies named in Korean news reports. Even if reforms are implemented, some kbeauty fans like Vanity Rex are pulling back: "I'm...going to take a break from buying any more sheet masks for the foreseeable future."
Editor's note: Here is a running list of companies that have said they only manufacture in approved facilities.By DCU Exile (@DCU_Exile)
2016 in review
After failing to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, Orlando City began 2016 with Head Coach Adrian Heath already on the hot seat. An uninspiring 4-4-8 start to the season resulted in Heath’s dismissal on July 6 following a 4-0 shellacking at FC Dallas. Two weeks later, Orlando City hired former Real Salt Lake and NYCFC Head Coach Jason Kreis. While this gave some fans optimism that Orlando City could make a late-season push for the playoffs, it was not meant to be. The Lions finished the season 8th place in the East with 41 points, and were edged out of playoff contention by the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution (each sitting on 42 points).
Despite not making the playoffs, Orlando City had one of the most productive offenses in the league. They were third overall with 55 Goals For, which was less than only NYCFC (62 GF) and the New York Red Bulls (61 GF). Cyle Larin (14 goals, 3 assists) and Kaka (9 goals, 9 assists) are both returning and should continue to produce, but Kaka’s age may limit his minutes this year. The departure of Kevin Molino (11 goals, 8 assists) is a big void that needs to be filled, and I’m sure the Orlando City front office is already hard at work looking for reinforcements.
The crux of Orlando City’s problems lie on defense. They led the league in Goals Against last year (60) and averaged 14 shots allowed per game (5th most in the league). Orlando were also fourth in the league in fouls per game (13.4), which gave opponents more than a few chances on goal via set pieces. Call me Captain Obvious, but upgrades all along the back line and reducing the number of fouls around the penalty area would go a long way to improve Orlando City’s odds of becoming a playoff-caliber team. Which would be nice, since, you know, they’re moving into their brand new stadium this year. (Woooo!)
2017 offseason transactions
With 2016 finally over, newish Head Coach Jason Kreis went to work cleaning out large portions of the roster that he inherited. Four players had their options declined and will not be returning: defenders Luke Boden and Tyler Turner, midfielder Pedro Ribeiro, and forward Julio Baptista. Atlanta United acquired two former Lions via trade and an Expansion Draft selection: Harrison Heath and Mikey Ambrose. Orlando then traded away two more players to Minnesota United, goalkeeper Patrick McLain and midfielder Kevin Molino.
Furthermore, Kreis announced on February 1 that three more players have no future with the club: David Mateos, Bryan Rochez, and Devron Garcia. Although they are still on the roster as I write this, the team is in the process of trying to off-load them as quickly as possible. Successfully doing so will free up three international spots, a designated player spot, and a big chunk of cap space—Rochez is a designated player and Mateos is making just below the designated player threshold at $453,333 per year. So we’re talking about an additional $900k in cap space being freed up.
The Molino trade was probably the biggest surprise of the off-season for Orlando, and one of the biggest off-season transfer stories in MLS. Not long after rumors emerged that Molino was unhappy with his situation in Florida, the 26-year-old Trinidadian was sent to Minnesota United in what was the largest intra-league transfer in MLS history. While Molino’s departure from Orlando leaves a gaping hole in their offense (11 goals and 8 assists in 2016), Orlando acquired $450,000 in General Allocation Money and $200,000 in Targeted Allocation Money from Minnesota in the process. The move also freed up around $121,000 of cap space previously occupied by Molino. Orlando will have to put this money to good use finding another attacking piece (or two) to help out Kaka and Larin. I fully expect this to happen—the question is when. The spring transfer window closes on May 8, so they have time in that sense. But Orlando City’s first game is less than two weeks away, so there is a good chance Kreis will be fielding a less than optimal lineup until reinforcements arrive.
In an effort to shore up the back line, the team acquired Donny Toia in a trade with Atlanta, Brazilian fullback Victor “PC” Giro from the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and former USMNT prospect Jonathan Spector in a high-profile transfer from Championship side Birmingham City. Spector is expected to play as a centerback, and is the missing puzzle piece that Orlando has needed to anchor their back line. Former Portland Timbers and Toronto FC midfielder Will Johnson and Orlando City B midfielder Pierre Da Silva provide Kreis with midfield reinforcements. Goalkeeper depth has also improved with the arrival of Josh Saunders from NYCFC and Patrick McLain via re-entry draft.
Here’s the bottom line: Orlando City’s squad is still very much a work in progress. Their roster will continue to evolve in the weeks leading up (and into) to the start of the 2017 season, and more moves in the summer transfer window are likely. This means that predicting a formation and a starting XI is going to be quite difficult, so take it this with a few grains of salt.
Positional expectations
Before we dive into the positional depth chart, I think we need to first lay a foundation and discuss which formation Kreis is likely to use until he has the roster he wants. Looking at the players left on the roster, this is really difficult. But if you were to put a gun to my head, I would probably say a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 are the most likely scenarios. This is based primarily on three assumptions:
Cyle Larin is a lock to start at forward. Duh. This rules out any 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 scenarios. Kaka needs to be deployed in the center of the midfield so he can pull the strings on offense. He can do this in both a 4-2-3-1 or as a withdrawn forward as a 4-4-1-1. The acquisition of free agent Will Johnson and the presence of Cristian Higuita, Servando Carrasco, and Antonio Nocerino on the roster have me convinced that Kreis wants two central midfielders shielding the back line. This can be done in both of the above-mentioned formations.
The rest of the starters are a bit less of a mystery, but still an unknown until we see the team sheet on March 5.
Defense and Goalkeeper
Joe Bendik is most likely to start in goal, if only because he held down the job for the entire 2016 season, and did okay given the serious misgivings of his back line. His goals against minus expected goals against were worse than average in MLS, and Bendik allowed 59 goals in 2016 (the most in the league), but made 114 saves in the process (also the most in the league). This is a clear indication of a defense that let its goalkeeper get absolutely shelled. All. Year. Long. Upgrades made to the back line should make life more bearable for Joe, but we’ll just have to wait and see just what that looks like. If Bendik shows any lapses, recent acquisition Josh Saunders will be bearing down on him for the starting job. Saunders is joining Orlando from a NYCFC defense that also let its goalkeeper get bombarded, so his numbers from last year appear a bit bleak at face value (54 goals against, which is 5 more than his 48.88 xGA). But Orlando now has two goalkeepers on the roster with significant MLS minutes both competing every day for a spot on the team sheet.
At centerback, Orlando signed Jose Aja on a long-term deal and inked former USMNT prospect Spector from Birmingham city. This strikes me as a solid centerback duo, with Tommy Redding and Conor Donovan providing depth at the position.
The fullback spots are most likely to be claimed by new players Victor “PC” Giro and Donny Toia. If Rafael Ramos can stay healthy (eds. note: uh oh), I could see him re-claiming his spot at right fullback within a month or two. Former New England Revolution fullback Kevin Alston is also an option, but I don’t think Kreis sees him as a starting-caliber fullback. Brek Shea could play fullback on the left, but he seems to be more suited and comfortable when joining the attack as a winger.
The eventual departure of Mateos would allow Kreis to bring in another solid centerback or fullback, which I believe is needed. I know I sound like a broken record, but the Orlando City back line is going to need to play a hell of a lot better if this franchise wants to make the playoffs. I would say, given the new additions, they are halfway there.
Midfield
As mentioned above, I think Kreis will opt for two central midfielders shielding the back line, and he has (I think) four options to choose from: Johnson, Nocerino, Higuita, and Carrasco. In the final 10 games of 2016, Kreis gave Nocerino and Carrasco the majority of those minutes at defensive midfield. But Orlando didn’t splash cash on free agent Will Johnson to have him sit on the bench. Johnson’s experience and leadership in the center of the pitch will help keep the team organized, and he’s good at harassing opposing team’s playmakers to limit their influence in games. This could potentially leave Higuita in the lurch, although I would hate to see a young talent like that on the bench, given that he had 99 tackles and 44 interceptions in just 1513 minutes last year. I think Kreis will look to start Johnson, but his partner a d-mid is a toss-up.
In the attacking central midfield role, Orlando has two very good options in Kaka and Matias Perez Garcia. Kaka is obviously the preferred starter here (9 goals, 9 assists, 12th in xG+xA), but at his age I would not be surprised to see him rotated with Perez Garcia to keep him fresh. If Kaka is in the #10 slot, then I would expect Kreis to push Perez Garcia out to the right wing. Perez Garcia could do quite well as a chance creator on the right flank, but his natural position is still more towards the center of the field. If Kaka is being rested, I think that moves Perez Garcia into the center and opens up a spot at right wing for one of his teammates.
Which brings up the left wing. Towards the end of last season, Kreis was deploying Kaka, Perez Garcia, and Molino as a three-man attacking midfield trio in a 4-2-3-1. With Molino’s departure, I think either Brek Shea or Carlos Rivas make the most sense to step in at left wing, with Kaka and Perez Garcia shifting over. Brek Shea has started getting more minutes on the wing than he has at fullback as time has gone by. But Rivas is a more natural attacking option, despite not playing many minutes there last year. I would imagine Shea starts the season at left mid, but Rivas has a good chance to pry the starting role away from him.
Forwards
Cyle Larin is the man. He took MLS by storm in 2015 as a rookie, bagging 17 goals across 27 appearances. He had a similarly strong year in 2016, notching 14 goals and 3 assists, which was more than his xG of 11.82 for the season. Larin is going to remain their target forward for all of 2017, and will play in at least 30 of their 34 games this year. His only true backup at center forward is 24-year-old Hadji Barry, who only got 293 minutes last year with only one assist to show for his work. The main question for Larin in 2017 (as it was last year) is if his teammates can provide him with service. Kaka and Perez Garcia can both do that from attacking midfield roles. But there are questions about service from the wings. Molino was his playmaker on the right flank last year, and the left wing is somewhat of an unknown. Brek Shea is presumed to be the starter at left-mid, but Rivas may push for minutes there as well.
Other than Larin and Barry, there is really no one else on the roster who can fill that role. Both Kaka and Matias Perez Garcia could play as a withdrawn forward, but there isn’t anyone else on the roster who can step in for Larin and score goals. If I’m Jason Kreis, I am on the lookout for another forward to add to the roster, especially if overseas teams arrive in the summer with legitimate transfer offers.
Prognosis
I hate to be a wet blanket, but signs point to Orlando having a tumultuous start to their 2017 season. Jason Kreis is really only halfway through his roster rebuild, and they need reinforcements at several positions. The up-side is that Orlando City will be flush with enough GAM, TAM, and roster spots to acquire the players they need. Kreis and his team need to move quickly to accomplish this, but at the same time ownership will need to show perseverance. Sacking Kreis before he has a chance to build and implement his own roster would be imprudent.
But if ownership is patient and Kreis is given the keys to the castle (so to speak), this is a team that could potentially turn into something really scary in the second half of 2017. It will be an interesting case to keep an eye on in 2017. You won’t want to miss out.Chateau Des Faisans AKA Chateau Du Dome: France May 2014
Chateau Des Faisans is set in spacious grounds on the outskirts of a quaint French village.
Built in the late 19th century it has quite a classic look with one turret which encases a spiral staircase.
On tour with Behind Closed Doors and Proj3ct M4yhem. We set off to France to visit some abandoned chateaus, this was our first stop of the weekend.
Some beautiful ornate features include a large internal glass dome above the main staircase and the triple archway in the main reception room.
The name Du Dome is quite obvious due to the stunning glass dome above the main staircase. As for Des Faisans I am not so sure as no pheasants were seen here.
Sadly I can't find much history on this beautiful abandoned chateau so the rest I will leave to your imagination. There are stories of royal connections to this chateau and I remember seeing an English flag in the basement so may well have multi national connections.Three weeks after the Big 12 Conference spring meetings, the league is ready to release an official statement on Wednesday about the ongoing scandal at Baylor, according to Oklahoma President David Boren, who spoke with reporters after a meeting of the school’s Board of Regents on Tuesday.
“Hopefully they’ll get things straightened out down there,” Boren said, according to the Tulsa World. “The conference is going to make some statements about it, take some actions.
“How do you express approval or disapproval until you get the facts? Other than the media reports. You can’t evaluate all the facts just from media facts. Let’s put it this way. Give us the full facts to make sure we’re getting accurate information. I suspect the media information has been pretty accurate, but we’ll find out for sure.”
The statement from Boren confirms an earlier report from an Oklahoma beat reporter, who also noted that the statement will be the result of a teleconference held by Big 12 presidents, which Boren also confirmed.
At the spring meetings, conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby didn’t offer much on the situation.
"I think it's fair to say when we have a conference member that has had the kind of difficulties that they have had at Baylor that it reflects on all of us," Bowlsby said, according to NBCDFW.com. "I think you're always measured by with whom you associate. So, in that regard, we all feel a little bit of the impact of it."
As Boren noted, the lack of available facts makes it difficult for the conference to take a strong stand on the situation or consider further action against the university. In fact, it’s still not clear what specific events led to the termination of Baylor head football coach Art Briles and two members of the football staff.
So don’t expect much from the Big 12 on Wednesday beyond echoing Boren’s call for transparency. The Baylor Alumni Association and KCEN TV in Waco have also been vocal in calling for a release of the Pepper Hamilton report and as much transparency as possible.
If the facts are damaging enough, CBSSports previously reported on the conference bylaw that could allow the Big 12 to evict Baylor from the league:
The so-called "institutional control" bylaw states, "Each Member accepts the primary responsibility... for investigating known or alleged violations..." Additionally, conference members are charged with taking "prompt and corrective actions where violations have occurred."
However, the first step in determining whether the Big 12 would have justification for such a punitive step is finding out what the actual events were that law firm Pepper Hamilton cited in the Finding of Facts released in late May that coincided with the termination of Briles and the staffers.
The report suggests that Baylor could have committed NCAA violations:
Pepper found specific failings within both the football program and Athletics Department leadership, including a failure to identify and respond to a pattern of sexual violence by a football player, to take action in response to reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, and to take action in response to a report of dating violence.
In the section titled “Barriers to Implementation of Title IX within Baylor’s Football Program,” the first line seems rather damning — “Baylor failed to maintain effective oversight and supervision of the Athletics Department as it related to the effective implementation of Title IX. “
The NCAA may pay particular attention to this allegation:
In certain instances, including reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, athletics and football personnel affirmatively chose not to report sexual violence and dating violence to an appropriate administrator outside of athletics. In those instances, football coaches or staff met directly with a complainant and/or a parent of a complainant and did not report the misconduct.
Baylor confirmed contact with the NCAA about potential violations, but the governing body doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations, so the details of that potential investigation likely won’t become public for some time unless information somehow leaks out.
At a 2014 Senate hearing, NCAA President Mark Emmert received criticism from Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), who claimed the governing body cares more about minor rules violations than criminal conduct. Despite similar criticism and a call to do more from a Title IX attorney, the NCAA maintained that criminal matters are “best handled by local law enforcement.”
As a result, the threshold for the NCAA or the Big 12 to levy a charge of lack of institutional control against Baylor seems high given the NCAA’s disposition on the subject, making such a scenario more unlikely than it otherwise would be had the NCAA acted on those critiques.
But some transparency from Baylor could certainly change that.Technological resurrection is a set of transhumanist ideas around extreme life extension and immortalist scenarios.
History
Technological resurrection scenarios and philosophies has been speculated upon by transhumanists for many years.[1]
Resurrection scenarios
Genetic
Humans already possess a rudimentary kind of immortality though successfully reproducing and passing on genes to their offspring. This type of immortality is already widely accepted in society.
Widely available sperm banks offer long-term storage of genetic material, and other types of genetic material may be stored cryogenically.
Whilst cloning Hitler is a popular trope, it is more a vehicle for continuity of ideas than that of the individual.
Advanced technological repair
Futurama's ubiquitous suspended heads occasionally acquire new bodies, hinting at the possibility of semi-biological immortalism
The most established way to be extremely long-lived with personal continuity today is via cryonics suspension. Cryonics is currently a one-way street, and as such, one must hope'resurrection' is in some way or form in a future that has mastered nanotechnology and/or mind uploading. Reanimating a person would critically involve the reversal of the brain-damage caused by both the cryopreservation process and other trauma such as oxygen deprivation to a sufficient level to preserve continuity of self. Then there is the relatively trivial process of repairing the rest of the body, or growing a new cloned body and reintegrating the repaired brain.
Arguably this is no more'resurrection' than when one successfully performs CPR to restore a heartbeat or breathing, perform an advanced neurological procedure to awaken someone from a coma, or other types of investigatory or emergency medicine.
Such a method offers relatively palatable biological immortalism.
Uploading
Non-destructive uploading
Non-destructive uploading refers to hypothetical methods, such as non-destructive high-resolution scanning of the brain for the purposes of whole brain emulation.
Other methods include 'piece-by-piece- uploading of the brain functions into a non-biological substrate.
Destructive mind uploading
Many suggest that whole brain emulation is a convergent goal of immortalism. Whilst the taxonomies may be complex, most transhumanists believe that a person could be 'uploaded' to a machine at least with the destruction of the original. This is predicated on the need for high-resolution destructive'scanning' of brain tissue.
This method has the advantage of being theoretically simpler to use with the damaged brain of a cryonics patient or indeed a relatively healthy person wishing to explore new levels of existence and mortality within a machine.
Continuity facsimiles
Lister: Rimmer! You're a hologram?! Rimmer: Yes. That's because I'm dead. Dead as a can of spam. And it's all thanks to you.
Once you (or a copy of you) are uploaded, a facimile or continuation of your original form may live on in many possible forms.
In Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga,[2] all humans are backing up their personalities and memories most of the time to'secure stores', allowing a reconstructed version of themselves to take their place if they die. This idea was explored earlier in Red Dwarf, where the insufferable hologram Arnold J Rimmer constantly complains about his original self being dead and unappreciated.
In Black Mirror episode San Junipero, a therapy simulation independently doubled as a vessel to house the consciousness of its users after their death.
A single personal continuity approach mostly sidesteps complex issues of whether 'you' can exist in multiple forms at once, arguing which is the'real' you. See CGP Grey's ''The Trouble with Transporters' for more on this problem.
Reconstructed facsimiles
The 21st century is making a kind of informational/cultural immortality easier than ever. No longer will you need to be the most famous or most powerful for your information to be captured, information from social media, digital recordings and other records could potentially be enough to create a passable facsimile of yourself in the future. Examples in fiction include a romantic partner in Black Mirror's 'Be Right Back'[3] and famous philosopher Alan Watts in Her.
Information stored about the average person from the digital age and beyond presents a wealth of material which can be simulated into a sentient or near-sentient consciousness, capable of operating in a biological or non-biological substrate.
In the future, it make be possible to construct an artificial consciousness imbued with many of the memories, personality and thinking of the original which could come very close to emulating the original. For this reason Ray Kurzweil is storing many of his deceased father's possessions in anticipation of this time.[4]
The Terasem Movement's CyBeRev[5] and LifeNaut.[6] projects aim to formalise personal digital information capture for this purpose.
Simulation awakening
The philosophical problem whether one is more than a brain in a vat leaves open the possibility that one's true consciousness could in fact exist outside of the universe as we personally know it. The simulation hypothesis suggests that our universe may not be the'real' one, opening up the possibility that one could awaken in a more real universe in the future.
Exotic sciences
Jonathan Jones argues in his 2017 book 'Technological Resurrection: A Thought Experiment that destructive uploading in conjunction with a specially engineered spacetime wormhole could facilitate immortality potentially for every person ever born.
2011 film Source Code[7] explores a world where a complex quantum computer simulation is actually able to tap into alternative realities to allow continuity of existence despite serious injury or death in the primary. Similar ideas around quantum suicide are explored in Dirk Bruere book The Praxis.
Other scenarios
Popular beliefs in an immortal soul or spirit may allow reincarnation[8] or ascension to another plane of existence. This is not however supported by scientific observations. Christian transhumanist Micah Redding has argued that the the promise of metaphysical resurrection can be interpreted as referring to a technological approach.[9]
The science fiction idea of a full 'genetic memory' as featured in Alien Resurrection[10] is not supported by our current understanding of human DNA.
See alsoThis article is about the television series. For the novel, see Thirteen Reasons Why
American television series
13 Reasons Why (stylized onscreen as TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY) is an American teen drama web television series developed for Netflix by Brian Yorkey, based on the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. The series revolves around seventeen-year-old high school student, Clay Jensen, and his deceased friend Hannah Baker, who has killed herself after having to face a culture of gossip and sexual assault at her high school and a lack of support from her friends and her school. A box of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah in the lead up to her suicide detail thirteen reasons why she ended her life. The series is produced by July Moon Productions, Kicked to the Curb Productions, Anonymous Content and Paramount Television, with Yorkey and Diana Son serving as showrunners.
Dylan Minnette stars as Clay, while Katherine Langford plays Hannah. Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Brandon Flynn, Justin Prentice, Miles Heizer, Ross Butler, Devin Druid, Amy Hargreaves, Derek Luke, Kate Walsh, and Brian d'Arcy James also star. A film from Universal Pictures based on Thirteen Reasons Why began development in February 2011, with Selena Gomez set to star as Hannah, before being shelved in favor of a television series and Netflix ordering it straight to series in October 2015, with Gomez instead serving as an executive producer.
The first season was released on Netflix on March 31, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and audiences, who praised its subject matter and acting, particularly the performances of Minnette and Langford. For her performance, Langford received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. However, its graphic depiction of issues such as suicide and rape, along with other mature content prompted concerns from mental health professionals. In response, Netflix added a warning card and from March 2018, a video that plays at the start of each season warning viewers about its themes.[2]
In May 2017, Netflix renewed 13 Reasons Why for a second season; filming began the next month and concluded that December. The second season was released on May 18, 2018, and received negative reviews from critics and mixed reviews from audiences. A third season was ordered in June 2018 and is set to be released in 2019. Critical and audience reaction to the series has been divided, with the program generating controversy between audiences and industry reviewers.
Premise [ edit ]
In season one, seventeen-year-old Clay Jensen returns home from school one day to find a mysterious box on his porch. Inside he discovers seven cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his deceased classmate and unrequited love, who killed herself two weeks earlier. On the tapes, Hannah unfolds an intensely emotional audio diary, detailing why she decided to end her life. It appears each person who receives this package of old-style tapes is fundamentally related to why she killed herself. Clay is not the first to receive the tapes, but there is implied detail as to how he should pass the tapes on after hearing them. There appears to be an order to distribution of the tapes, with an additional copy held by an overseer should the plan go awry. Each tape recording refers to a different person involved in Hannah's life contributing to a reason for her suicide. The tapes refer to both friends and enemies.
In season two, months after Hannah's suicide, Clay and the other people mentioned on the tapes, as well as close friends and Hannah's family members, become embroiled in a civil legal battle between Hannah's parents and Liberty High School. Alleging negligence on the part of the school, Hannah's mother pursues her perception of justice, while her reluctance to settle pre-trial and her personal circumstances eventually break up her marriage with Hannah's father. The story unfolds with narratives illustrating Hannah's story told by those who present in court at trial.
Clay, who perceives himself as Hannah's failed protector, embarks on an investigation using whatever evidence he can find in an effort to impact on the civil case between Hannah's parents and the school. Clay also endeavors to expose the corrupted culture of the High School and its favor of wealthy, sports savvy male students over the average student, which especially compromises the integrity of young girls such as Hannah.
Throughout season two, Clay appears to be communicating with the ghost of Hannah as a plot narrative device.
Cast and characters [ edit ]
Main [ edit ]
Recurring [ edit ]
Introduced in season one [ edit ]
Introduced in season two [ edit ]
Episodes [ edit ]
Season Episodes Originally released 1 13 March 31, 2017 ( ) 2 13 May 18, 2018 ( )
Season 1 (2017) [ edit ]
No.
overall No. in
season Title Directed by Written by Original release date 1 1 "Tape 1, Side A" Tom McCarthy Brian Yorkey March 31, 2017 ( ) Clay Jensen finds a box filled with audio cassette tapes anonymously left on his front doorstep. He plays the first in his father's boombox and realizes they have been recorded by his recently deceased classmate Hannah Baker before he accidentally drops and breaks the boombox when surprised by his mother. Clay steals his friend Tony's Walkman to continue listening. Clay listens to the first tape, in which Hannah begins to relate the experiences that led to her suicide. She starts by sharing the story of her first kiss, with Justin Foley, who goes on to inadvertently spread a salacious rumor that begins the sequence of events leading to her suicide. Clay is revealed, through numerous short flashbacks, to have been in love with Hannah and to have worked with her at the local movie theater. It is revealed in this episode that Hannah has put her friend Tony in charge of the tapes. Tape subject: Justin Foley, for spreading a racy picture of Hannah along with a sexual rumor about their encounter. 2 2 "Tape 1, Side B" Tom McCarthy Brian Yorkey March 31, 2017 ( ) Hannah reminisces about her friendship with two other new students: Jessica, who moves frequently because her father is in the Air Force, and Alex, whom they met at a coffee shop. Jessica and Alex eventually begin a relationship and stop spending time with Hannah. When Alex breaks up with Jessica, she very publicly blames Hannah. In the present, Hannah's mother, Olivia, finds a note in her daughter's textbook that leads her to believe Hannah was being bullied. Clay asks Jessica about the tapes, which results in Bryce Walker's circle of peers meeting to discuss how Clay is listening to Hannah's recordings. Tape subject: Jessica Davis, for mistakenly blaming Hannah for her breakup with Alex. 3 3 "Tape 2, Side A" Helen Shaver Diana Son March 31, 2017 ( ) As Clay attempts to pursue a romantic relationship with Hannah, her relationships are threatened by a "best/worst list" made by Alex Standall, who has put a "target" on Hannah. In the present, Hannah's mother, Olivia Baker, seeks out the school principal about her suspicion of bullying and makes a disturbing discovery. In the midst of his investigation, Clay turns to Alex for answers, who not only feels regret for his actions on the tapes, but also warns Clay against trusting Tony, whom Clay later sees in a violent exchange with his brothers. As Justin tries to recuperate from his recent slump, Bryce strong-arms Clay and Alex into a drinking contest in an alleyway. Tape subject: Alex Standall, for listing Hannah's ass as the best in school to make Jessica Davis jealous and for destroying her friendship with Jessica. 4 4 "Tape 2, Side B" Helen Shaver Thomas Higgins March 31, 2017 ( ) Hannah hears someone outside her window, and confesses to her friend, Courtney, that she has a stalker. Courtney offers to help her catch the offender in the act. While waiting for the stalker to arrive, they play an alcohol-fueled game of truth or dare that leads to the two of them kissing on Hannah's bed. The stalker, school photographer Tyler Down, takes a photo of the girls and sends it around the school. This effectively ends Courtney and Hannah's friendship as Courtney distances herself from Hannah to avoid being revealed as one of the people in the photograph. In the present, Clay goes to Hannah's house and talks to her mother, though is unable to admit how close he and Hannah were. He also confronts Tony about the incident with his brothers. Tony responds that "people have to make their own justice" and proves he has an extra set of tapes. Inspired by this, Clay takes a naked picture of Tyler and sends it around the school in revenge. Tape subject: Tyler Down, for stalking Hannah and spreading the photo of her and Courtney's kiss around the school. 5 5 "Tape 3, Side A" Kyle Patrick Alvarez Julia Bicknell March 31, 2017 ( ) Courtney, afraid of her classmates finding out about her sexuality, spreads a rumor that the girls in the leaked photos are Hannah and Laura, an openly lesbian classmate. Courtney also adds to the rumor about Hannah and Justin, worsening Hannah's poor reputation. In the present, Clay takes Courtney to visit Hannah's grave. She leaves, not ready to face her involvement in the loss of her classmate or be more open about her sexuality. Tony arrives with Clay's bike and gives him a tape with the song he and Hannah danced to at the Winter Formal. Later, Justin, Zach and Alex force Clay into the car with them by stealing his bike and scare him into silence about the tapes by driving over the speed limit. They are pulled over by the police but face no consequences as the officer is revealed to be Alex's father. Clay denies knowing Hannah to his mother, who has been asked to represent the school in the lawsuit the Bakers are bringing. Tape subject: Courtney Crimsen, for deflecting attention about both her sexuality and the photo Tyler took of her and Hannah by spreading further rumors about Hannah. 6 6 "Tape 3, Side B" Kyle Patrick Alvarez Nic Sheff March 31, 2017 ( ) Hannah's date on Valentine's Day with Marcus does not go as planned due to the rumors that she is promiscuous. In the present, Alex gets into a fight with Montgomery and they both must appear before the student honor board. Clay helps Sheri on an assignment, and they nearly hook up, but Sheri reveals she is only there because she is on the tapes and wants Clay to like her despite her role in Hannah's death. Tape subject: Marcus Cole |
continuation a fraud as well?
3:32 Hox hype, DeWitt, www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/0215hox_hype.asp
Homeobox (hox) genes are the switches that control where and when a feature develops. Evolutionists use hox genes to describe how major evolutionary changes could have occurred—six-legged insects could have evolved from shrimp if the genes that control leg development were mutated. A reduction in the number of legs over time fits within the creationist framework of loss of information, but it does not explain the origin of the legs in the first place. Hox gene mutations that cause flies to grow extra wings are not accompanied by the muscular and other changes needed to make those wings functional—the extra wings would actually hinder the fly from flying, and the defect would be eliminated from the population. No matter how dramatic the changes may seem, losing or misplacing parts cannot explain the gain of information needed for molecules- to-man evolution.
3:33 Living light, Sherwin, www.icr.org/article/231
Those who have seen fireflies are familiar with bioluminescence— a phenomenon found throughout the biological world. The chemical reaction that produces this “living light” is found in algae, worms, insects, fungi, and genetically modified organisms. Evolutionists attempt to explain the broad array of living things that have this ability with convergent evolution. This ability, which involves at least two chemical reactions and several compounds, would have had to evolve independently at least 30 different times to explain its existence in living things. The separate lines of descent would have to have undergone the same random changes at hundreds of genetic steps—statistically impossible. The convergence of this and other traits is solid evidence for a Creator who used a common design.
3:34 Sickle-cell anemia does not prove evolution, www.answersingenesis.org/go/sickle-cell
It is commonly believed that the abnormally high presence of sickle-cell anemia (SCA) in African populations is evidence of evolution. It is true that individuals with SCA do not suffer as severely when they contract malaria because the blood cells are not as suitable for the malaria pathogen. This does not mean that there are not other factors (marriage customs, diet, viral infections, and social factors) that influence the occurrence of SCA in these populations. Using natural selection alone ignores the other social implications and leads to a misunderstanding of the true nature of the disease. Natural selection plays a part in the high frequency of those who carry the SCA gene, but it is not the only factor. Even though natural selection is shown to be a factor, it does not demonstrate the type of uphill evolution required to validate evolutionary theory.
3:35 Vertebrates: animals with backbones, Parker, 3.5 Vertebrates: Animals with Backbones
If animals have evolved from a common ancestor, there should be a multitude of missing links to demonstrate the gradual changes. One commonly cited example is Archaeopteryx. Archaeopteryx appears to have a blend of reptilian and bird characteristics—exactly what evolution would predict. The features of Archaeopteryx can be found in various birds, and the presence of wings and feathers doesn’t tell you how—or if—they evolved from other structures. These complex features appear suddenly and fully formed in the fossil record. Archaeopteryx is a true bird with odd features, not a missing link. The fraudulent “feathered dinosaur” (Archaeoraptor) that was published in National Geographic is another example of a missing link that has been abandoned. Many of the other Chinese fossils that are supposed to be the ancestors of birds actually occur too high in the rock layers. To be included as a transitional form, fossils must be in the right sequence and have intermediate features. Of the thousands upon thousands of transitional forms that must have existed, only a handful of fossils are possibilities. Recognizing the failure of the fossil record to display the gradual nature of Darwinian evolution, Stephen J. Gould resurrected the idea of evolution in big jumps known as “punctuated equilibrium.” Major remodeling of body plans could occur if regulator genes caused multiple changes at once. This would explain gaps in the fossil record, but it is not supported by observational science. Even if these creatures were born, what would they mate with? The exact mutations would have to occur simultaneously and in close proximity—a highly improbable situation. Those scientists who support this idea at least admit that the links are missing. Gradualists say that punctuated equilibrium is absurd and evolution cannot happen that fast. Punctuational evolutionists point to genetic limits and fossil gaps and say that evolution didn’t happen slowly. The creationist can simply agree that both are correct—life was designed by the Creator. The variation that we see within created kinds supports this notion.
3:36 Catching a kinkajou, Catchpoole, Creation 26(3):42–43, 2004
Vertebrates are classified as carnivores based on their skull and tooth structure. The problem with this classification is that many “carnivores” are not—they have diets of strictly or mainly plants. The kinkajou (Potus flavus) is one such “carnivore.” Scientists tried to catch them in traps baited with chicken, assuming that they ate meat because of their tooth structure. Bananas were finally used and were successful. Kinkajous, as it was later found, are exclusively vegetarian, even with a vicious-looking set of teeth. Many other animals (including fruit bats, grizzly bears, and pandas) have teeth that appear to be designed for eating meat but are actually used to eat mainly plants. So if we find a dinosaur, Velociraptor for instance, that has teeth that appear to be designed for eating flesh, it may be that they were used to rend the flesh of melons rather than the flesh of other dinosaurs. We know that all animals were originally to eat only plants (Gen. 1:29–30). The teeth that today, in our fallen world, are used to rip flesh may have once been used to strip leaves from branches or shred plants to be eaten.
3:37 Virus “evolution” benefits mankind? Purdom, www.answersingenesis.org/docs2006/0222virus.asp
Humans have developed the technology to manipulate the genetic code of many different organisms, but is it evidence for evolution? The ability to change a virus used to deliver gene therapy was recently described as “directed evolution.” By selecting for viruses that could evade the immune system and then copying those with intentional mistakes, scientists produced a virus that avoided immune defenses. Since the viruses already had the information to avoid the immune system, this cannot be considered evidence for molecules-to-man evolution—no new information was produced. The advantage provided by genetic mistakes in viruses in nature does not demonstrate that new information is added but that the preexisting information is selected for or against by the environmental conditions. This research did not rely in any way on evolutionary principles but the observed properties of genetic information that fits consistently in the creationist model of life.
3:38 Genetic variance of influenza type A avian virus and its evolutionary implications, Kitner, www.answersingenesis.org/go/bird-flu-evolving
The bird flu, caused by a type A influenza virus, has been in the media, and many are afraid that it will “evolve” into a form that will cause a pandemic in humans. The virus that causes disease is made up of eight RNA segments which code for its protein components. The bird flu spreads so rapidly because it is often present in migrating birds that show no symptoms. These birds pass the virus to domestic birds that do not have a natural immunity, which leads to outbreaks in the domestic populations. The ability of the virus to constantly change its protein coat makes vaccination virtually useless.The genetic variation within the virus is observable, but it does not support evolution in the molecules- to-man sense. The genes are simply slight variations that code for a protein that performs the same function. Viruses can change, but they cannot evolve to become anything other than viruses.
Questions to Consider
What mechanisms do scientists use to explain how mutations can produce new information to make organisms more complex, when virtually all mutations cause a loss of information or no change at all? Since information cannot be created from matter by purely natural mechanisms and since it is not a part of the material universe, how did information originate? By what mechanism is new information added to genomes in evolutionary history? Can the information gain be demonstrated experimentally? What direct fossil evidence is there that fish could have evolved into amphibians? Could the alleged transitional fossils be interpreted in multiple ways? When two lines of evidence contradict each other (e.g., if DNA suggests one evolutionary relationship and anatomy suggests a different relationship), how do scientists decide which line of evidence is more compelling? Why is evolution the key to understanding biology? Why is it necessary to know where the eye evolved from to understand how it works and how to treat it when it has a disease? Why do examples of natural selection get equated with evolution when evolution is not observable and natural selection is? Why do biology textbooks include the photo of the peppered moth when scientists have shown it to be a fraud? Should we accept everything that the text tells us about evolution when the textbooks are constantly being changed and updated? If evolution is not directed by a purpose, would it be safe to say that human existence is purposeless? What is the basis for truth and morality if human life is a byproduct of evolutionary processes (random interactions of lifeless chemicals)? Are humans more special or important than any other organism if there is no such thing as higher and lower animals in an evolutionary framework? Is it possible to know the original function of an organ that is called vestigial, like the appendix, when most tissues are not preserved in fossils and the ancestor cannot be examined? It would seem that there are many assumptions involved in making such a claim. Does evolution predict stasis or progress? Why are so many “living fossils” found that have remained the same for hundreds of millions of years while other species have evolved relatively rapidly? There seem to be many different definitions of evolution; do all scientists agree on what evolution is? Which view of evolution is correct (punctuated equilibrium, neo-Darwinism, Darwinism, etc.)? Why do scientists consider homologous structures evidence of a common ancestor when they seem to fit the expected pattern, but scientists call them examples of convergent evolution when they don’t fit the pattern? What types of evidence would evolutionists accept as evidence against evolution?
Tools for Digging Deeper
(see a complete list in the Introduction)EWING — New Jersey pet owners are welcome along with their furry friends at the state's hurricane evacuation shelters.
Gov. Chris Christie said the state is prepare to welcome cats and dogs to the emergency shelters of last resort meant for people.
"No one should be staying in their homes in an endangered area because they feel like they can't bring their pets with them," Christie said
But, he warned, pet owners should come with all the supplies needed to care for their pets.
"I can't believe as governor I'm actually having to say this, bring the kitty litter box and you know the pooper-scooper and all the rest of that stuff," Christie said.
More Hurricane Irene coverage:
• Hurricane Irene weakens, still expected to strike N.J. as a Category 1 storm
• Hurricane warnings issued in N.J. as Irene swirls toward North Carolina
• Hurricane Irene survival guide: How to prepare, what to do, other useful tips
• With Hurricane Irene on its way, Long Beach Island evacuation begins
• N.J. braces for Hurricane Irene's wrath as officials warn of high winds, heavy flooding and possible power outagesDear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
US President Barack Obama secured a second term in office after a hard-fought contest against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, all major US television networks projected Wednesday morning.
Speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters in Chicago, Obama declared victory and looked to the future, saying "the task of perfecting our union moves forward."
Romney phones to congratulate Obama
"We have picked ourselves up, we have brought ourselves back, and we know in our hearts that in the United States of America, the best is yet to come," the US president said.Obama congratulated his Republican challenger Mitt Romney on a "hard-fought campaign," and promised to talk to him in the coming weeks "about how we can move this country forward.""We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply," Obama said.Romney called Obama early Wednesday morning to offer his congratulations for his victory in Tuesday’s election. He then offered a short and gracious concession speech at his Boston headquarters to a somber crowd that cheered when he spoke of his continued belief in America and its people.“The nation as you know is at a critical point,” Romney told his supporters. “At a time like this we can’t have partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle.”He added, “This election is over, but our principles endure,” and that “we look to our pastors and priests and rabbis” to “testify to the enduring principles on which this country was built.”To enthusiastic applause, he stressed, “We have given our all to this campaign.”But he acknowledged that those efforts ultimately fell short.“I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction,” he said. “But the nation chose another leader, and so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.”Obama’s projected win of Ohio put him over the top in media counts of expected electoral votes, closing Romney’s path to the White House. The outcome was called just hours after polls closed on the east coast of the United States, well ahead many estimates of when the neck-in-neck race would be determined.The US president rolled up victories in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and limited Republican challenger Mitt Romney's path to victory as US voters decided between two starkly different visions for the country.A national exit poll carried by CNN showed US Jewish support for the president breaking 69 percent, with some 30% supporting Republican Mitt Romney.At least 120 million people were expected to decide between the Democratic incumbent and Romney after a long, expensive and bitter presidential campaign centered around how to repair the ailing US economy.In Florida, vote-counting was slower in southern counties such as Broward and Miami-Dade, which have heavy concentrations of Jewish voters and traditionally strongly back Democrats, meaning Obama could soon open up a wider margin.In a victory that also limited Romney's path to a victory, Obama won Michigan, the Republican's state of birth but where he ran afoul of voters by opposing an auto industry bailout pushed by Obama. Some polls had shown a tight race there.Television networks projected Romney the winner, as expected, in Republican states Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Indiana. He was declared the winner in Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.Obama was projected the winner in the Democratic strongholds of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and his home state of Illinois, as well as Washington, DC.According to Reuters-Ipsos Election Day polling, one in three Obama voters said the economy was the most important issue for them, while half of Romney voters agreed. Healthcare was the second most important issue for Obama voters and the budget deficit was second for Romney voters. Unemployment was third for both.Three-quarters of both Romney and Obama supporters decided to vote for their preferred candidate before the October debates between the candidates, according to the data.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new policy on Tuesday night: cities must allow ICE (Immigration Control and Enforcement) officials into their jails. Further, jails must alert authorities when a person who is eligible for deportation is due to be released from custody. If they do not, they will not get certain law enforcement grants. These grants are typically spent on things like body cameras and other equipment used by police.
BREAKING: AG sessions announces if cities dont let ICE officials into jails, they lose large amounts of federal $ pic.twitter.com/Kdz9j7Or3p — kelly cohen (@politiCOHEN_) July 25, 2017
Per Sessions, the policies of sanctuary cities make Americans less safe and undermine American law. These new policies are designed to force cities to change their existing rules in order to better work with law enforcement to deport illegal immigrants.
"So-called sanctuary policies make all of us less safe because they intentionally undermine our laws and protect illegal aliens who have committed crimes," Sessions said in a statement. "These policies also encourage illegal immigration and even human trafficking by perpetuating the lie that in certain cities, illegal aliens can live outside the law.... We must encourage these `sanctuary' jurisdictions to change their policies and partner with federal law enforcement to remove criminals."
These policies will go into place starting in September.
Cities should not have the right to violate American immigration law without consequences. As we've seen with the horrible death of Kate Steinle, sanctuary city policies have resulted in the deaths of completely innocent Americans. Illegal immigration is a crime, and should be treated as such.SNP activists in Edinburgh have accused their Lib Dem counterparts of misleading voters in a campaign “lying to voters” with a misleading leaflet.
The leaflet currently being delivered to constituents in Edinburgh Western features a photo of a woman. It also features words of a voter, saying she will be switching from Conservative to the Lib Dems at this election, because last time she “ended up with the SNP’s Michelle Thomson”.
However, SNP activists say the woman on pictured the leaflet is in fact Helen Leslie, a veteran Lib Dem member, who was pictured out campaigning at last year’s General Election for defeated MP Mike Crockart.
It is not known how Leslie voted.
A spokeswoman for the Lib Dems did not deny that the woman on the leaflet was one of their activists, but claimed the views on the leaflet were “an accurate reflection” of a constituent in Edinburgh Western.
Toni Giugliano, SNP candidate for Edinburgh Western said: “You’d have thought the Lib Dems would have learned their lesson from the Alastair Carmichael fiasco. They need to come clean about why someone who is clearly a Lib Dem supporter is posing as a Tory voter. It’s behaviour like this that brings politics and politicians into disrepute. I challenge the Lib Dems to drop their negative campaign of lies and smears and focus on the issues that matter to the people of Edinburgh Western.”
A Scottish Lib Dem spokeswoman said: “This leaflet is an accurate reflection of how an Edinburgh Western constituent voted in last May’s General Election and was published with her full consent.
“People can see the election result last year to know that the choice in Edinburgh West is between Liberal Democrats and the SNP.”
Last May saw the SNP overturn the Lib Dems majority of 3,800 when Thomson beat incumbent Crockart. In that election the Tories were far behind in a distant third place.
That victory came after seat was gained by SNP at the Scottish elections in 2011. However, Lib Dem candidate Alex Cole Hamilton believes Thomson being the subject of a police investigation, may help his party take back the seat.
Thomson was forced to resign the SNP’s whip in September last year when Police Scotland announced they would investigate alleged irregularities over mortgages.Jesse Eisenberg Confirms He's Returning for Justice League
"They are filming (Justice League) now, and I jump in from August," Eisenberg told ShortList. "I loved the character and it was the most fun I've ever had at playing a role, and most challenging, in a great way, and most rewarding. I would love to play it for years. The character I play is so unusual and complicated. As an actor he's everything you'd want to do. It's very exciting for me to play that role.
"And, secondarily, it's interesting to be in these massive, high-profile movies, because all the stuff around you as an actor is really good. All the artists are really great, so you walk on to a set and it's the most-detailed, comprehensive set, and as an actor it really fills in your imagination in a special way. You're also acting with incredible actors. In the last movie I had lots of scenes with Holly Hunter, who has been one of my favorite actors since I was young. This all exists because this movie is so massive that they attract so many talented people, even in smaller positions. It was really special to me. The most exciting part was to play such an interesting character and I certainly hope he stays alive throughout the next few films."
After a long period of uncertainty, Jesse Eisenberg has finally opened up on whether or not he'll return to the DCEU for Zack Snyder's Justice League. While Eisenberg's Lex Luthor received much of the same 'love it or hate it' reaction that the rest of Batman v Superman was subjected to, a Justice League movie simply wouldn't be the same without the famous DC Comics villain, so it's a relief to hear that he's returning to reprise his role in next year's big DC Comics production.Justice League is currently filming at Warner Bros.' studio base in London, and just a few miles down the road Eisenberg is also at work, but on a very different project. For the last few weeks, Eisenberg has been treading the boards in London's West End starring alongside Game of Thrones' Alfie Alan and The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar in 'The Spoils', a comedic production written by the actor himself. After rave reviews, the play's run finishes in mid-August, and it's likely Eisenberg will immediately travel up the road to start work alongside his Justice League co-stars, which is a task the actor goes on to reveal he absolutely relishes.Frank and Oak, the popular montreal-based menswear retailer, has popped up on Queen Street for a ten-day pop-up shop! You may remember us mentioning Frank and Oak when they popped up Queen Street earlier this year. The new shop will showcase their newest collaboration with the Toronto FC – an eight-piece collection that features subtle Toronto FC logos on pants, tees and varsity jackets. The pricing of the collection ranges from $38 to $345 and also features accessories like duffle bags. Check out some of the pieces from the collection which were showcased on Breakfast Television in the video below.
If you’re not a fan of the Toronto FC, Frank and Oak will also be bringing down a selection of their signature pieces which include button-ups, trousers and blazers! Visit the shop at between now and October 25, 2014 at 567 Queen Street West. If you like what you see, you’ll be happy to hear Frank and Oak will be popping up with a permanent location come November. We’ll fill you in with more details once they come our way. For sale hours and more details about the Frank and Oak pop-up, click here.
Will you be visiting the Frank and Oak pop-up shop?
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Images viaOn its first wholly-made device, Google earned high marks for the Pixel’s 12.3 megapixel camera. Surprisingly, the software behind the lens dates back to when Alphabet’s X division was working on Google Glass.
Gcam was first revealed last year when X revamped their site to list graduates of the “moonshot factory.” At the time, there were very few details besides:
Gcam improved mobile photography using techniques from computational photography.
The project started in 2011 as the team was trying to fit an image sensor into Glass that would “be on par with cellphone cameras.” Design constraints of the wearable meant that the physical sensor would have to be relatively small with reduced low-light and dynamic range performance in addition to already limited compute and battery power.
To compensate, X began working on the Gcam project to augment the hardware with “smart software choices.” The resulting solution involved a method called image fusion that “takes a rapid sequence of shots and then fuses them to create a single, higher quality image.”
It debuted on Glass in 2013 to “render dimly-lit scenes in greater detail, and mixed lighting scenes with greater clarity.” Gcam’s next iteration debuted on the Nexus 5 and 6 as HDR+, with Lens Blur also originating from the group’s work. With the Pixel, the Gcam HDR+ technology launched as the default camera mode.
Gcam has since graduated into Google Research, with the team working on Android, YouTube, Google Photos, and the Jump 360 VR rig. Moving forward, the technology might improve by using machine learning “to come up with a better white balance” or make better decisions on blur and lighting to improve an image’s background.For 26 years, Kip Hedges worked to build a reputation and a job history, loading and unloading planes for Northwest Airlines, then Delta. It was not glamorous work, but it was a good, honest job and it paid the bills.
It took less than 30 seconds for it to all go away, over a few seemingly innocuous words uttered to the reporter of a labor publication.
Free speech often has a steep price.
Hedges had been part of an effort to raise wages of airline industry workers, the cleaners, bag slingers and wheelchair pushers, to a minimum of $15 an hour. He was fired during a week of actions in which labor activists drew attention to a move to raise wages at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
In the long tradition of impeccable timing for corporate firings, Delta cut their diligent 61-year-old employee just weeks before Christmas. Oh, and he had been out of work on leave for a bad back, which he injured while doing the arduous job of schlepping bags and cargo.
So, what were the “disparaging” words that Hedges used about this employer?
“A lot of the Delta workers make under $15 an hour,” Hedges told the reporter for Workday Minnesota. “As a matter of fact, I would say probably close to half make under $15 an hour. So there’s a lot of them that understand how important this is. And a lot of the better-paid workers also understand that the bottom has to be raised otherwise the top is going to fall, as well.”
Words strong enough to take down an airline projected to make $4 billion this year, no doubt.
Delta explained their actions in a news release:
“Delta regrets any instance where a longtime employee is terminated. This includes upholding our core values of respect and honesty in any communications regarding Delta. Delta invites healthy, constructive discussion across all areas of its business.”
Sure, it does.
John Budd, who specializes in labor relations at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, thinks Delta’s action was designed to intimidate.
“First of all, shame on Delta,” said Budd. “In fact, by accusing Mr. Hedges of ‘disparaging remarks,’ Delta is admitting that low pay is a problem. But rather than engage in this discussion, it is suppressing the expression of alternative views.”
Even though he has been active previously in union issues and has always spoken out on labor issues, Hedges never saw his termination coming.
“I definitely did not want to get fired, and didn’t think I said anything that would get me fired,” Hedges said. “It’s sure tossed a lot of things up in the air in my life.”
He’s had to explain to his 16-year-old daughter, for example, that Christmas might be a little lean this year. There will also be no more free flights.
Baggage handlers like Hedges used to be protected under the International Association of Machinists, which lost a vote to represent them by a narrow margin a few years ago. Hedges had been an officer for that union and was used to speaking freely because he had federal protection. Yet, he said he was careful in his comments last week, and said the company has not told him that his facts were incorrect.
“I do understand that when you are out front on a union-organizing drive and a $15 minimum wage campaign, you do run a certain risk,” Hedges said.
After Hedges was fired, he appeared at a rally Friday at the airport, and he has been swamped with support from airport workers around the country. A petition to reinstate Hedges had nearly 1,200 signatures by Tuesday. A ramp workers organizing committee is raising money to support Hedges, and he said a friend even went so far as to offer to pay his mortgage.
“The outpouring of support has been so phenomenal that it almost makes it all worthwhile,” said Hedges. “In Minneapolis, at the airport, on the ramp, even the airport, vendors are coming up to me and saying, ‘Thanks for sticking up for me.’ I get choked up by something almost every day.”
On Tuesday, Hedges made an attempt to appeal the firing, but he was not optimistic.
“The way the Delta appeals process works, there’s not much hope of success,” said Hedges. “The people who fired me are the people who judge me.”
Transportation workers like Hedges are not protected by the National Labor Relations Act like private-sector workers, who can appeal mistreatment in the workplace. If Hedges loses his appeal, he plans to sue for wrongful termination in federal court.
“Unfortunately, legal recourse is notoriously slow, and in the meantime Delta has likely succeeded in chilling speech around this important issue as others will likely be hesitant to speak out,” said Budd. “More generally, the American public frequently overestimates the protections that workers have. This case is a vivid illustration that workers lack free-speech protections. Companies have been given free-speech protections, but not their workers. This needs to change.”
Intimidation “is certainly what they are trying to do,” said Hedges. “The positive thing is that ramp workers all over the country are going on a union authorization card push to show Delta their tactic is backfiring. I hope Delta will look back at some point and say they wished they had not done that.”
Follow Jon on Twitter: @jontevlinSource: WarGames
NORAD, Source: WarGames
US Congress, Source: Wikimedia
President Ronald Reagan, Source: Wikimedia
In 1983, a low-budget movie widely considered a simple teenage sci-fi thriller hit the screens. That movie was, about a teenager who accidentally hacks into NORAD and almost triggers World War III. The movie was a smash hit, and also had far-reaching effects on Hollywood and the world. Over twenty-five years later, it's still considered the benchmark of computer-related movies, and its message of the dangers of technology and advanced warfare are even more relevant. Here's a small sample of five ways this little movie had a big impact.- The initial impact of the movie was to give a huge boost to the phenomenon of hacking. Whereas most people sawas a nightmarish scenario, a certain segment of the population thought, "Cool, how can I do that?" Before 1983, hacking was mainly an underground hobby. But according to Bruce Sterling, the hacking scene exploded after the movie's release. Numerous real-life hackers, including such high-profile figures as Shooting Shark and Erik Bloodaxe have admitted that the movie inspired them to pursue hacking. A big hacker conference is called DEF CON in an homage towasn't allowed to film or even photograph the real NORAD command center, so the producers created their own version of what they thought it might look like. It became the most expensive set ever built at the time, costing over one million dollars. Sadly, what they created was far cooler and more interesting than the real thing. In reality, NORAD's computer systems dated back to the 1950's. None of the monitors even had color. After the release of the movie, so many people who toured NORAD kept asking to see the "real" computers that they upgraded the entire system.also publicized the DEFCON system, which most Americans had never heard of before the movie. DEFCON is the alert status issued for various branches of the military to indicate their combat readiness. After, no movie about impending nuclear war likeorwould be complete without someone announcing the DEFCON status.- Before, most people had never even heard of computer hacking, let alone tried to stop it. But the movie so terrified the world that the U.S. government was motivated to try to stop it. Six different anti-hacking bills sprang up in 1983, and a clip fromwas shown in Congress as a "realistic representation" of the dangers of hacking. Within a year, President Reagan signed a bill into law with the sole purpose of criminalizing penetrating government mainframes like NORAD. Since its inception, the CFAA has been broadened to cover everything from terrorism to violating MySpace's terms of service - If that wasn't enough,reportedly changed U.S. foreign policy. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan's aides were trying to convince him to support arms control, but Reagan ignored all the detailed notes they gave him. Yet the Saturday before a big meeting with Democratic congressmen, Reagan saw WarGames at Camp David, and its anti-nuke message completely sold him on the idea of limiting nuclear proliferation.If you enjoyed this, then please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post! Follow us! EmailCOLUMBIA, S.C. -- The South Carolina Senate voted Monday to remove the Confederate flag from a pole on the Statehouse grounds, though the proposal still needs approval from the state House and the governor.
The bill requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber; the Senate approved it 37-3. Gov. Nikki Haley has said she wants the flag to come down and will sign the bill.
S.C. lawmakers debate Confederate flag on capitol grounds
Monday's vote comes less than a week after the 15th anniversary of South Carolina taking the flag off the Capitol dome where it flew since the early 1960s and moving it to beside a monument honoring Confederate soldiers.
"We now have the opportunity, the obligation to put the exclamation point on an extraordinary narrative of good and evil, of love and mercy that will take its place in the history books," said Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort.
Lawmakers had largely ignored the flag until the killing of nine black people during a Bible study at a historic African-American church on June 17.
Earlier Monday, the Senate rejected a pair of amendments: one that would only fly the flag on Confederate Memorial Day, and one that would leave the flag's fate up to a popular vote.
State Sen. Lee Bright, who suggested the popular vote, said the Confederate flag has been misused by people like Dylann Roof, who is charged with nine counts of murder in the church shootings and posed in pictures with the rebel banner.
"I'm more against taking it down in this environment than any other time just because I believe we're placing the blame of what one deranged lunatic did on the people that hold their Southern heritage high," said Bright, a Republican.
Republican Sen. Larry Martin, who is white and whose family came to South Carolina's northern backcountry in the early 1800s, said the Confederate flag "has more to do with what was going on in the 1960s as opposed to the 1860s."
Martin said he changed his mind on the issue after the church massacre in Charleston.
Civil War sites grapple with Confederate flag use
A survey asking lawmakers how they intend to vote after Haley's call to remove the flag found at least 33 senators and 83 House members agreed with her, satisfying the two-thirds majority required by law to alter the flag's position. But the survey by The Post and Courier newspaper, the South Carolina Press Association and The Associated Press asked only about whether to keep or lower the flag. It did not include any possible changes that could cause the proposal to lose support.
The flag will not come down Monday, even with the support of Haley. There are indications the proposal could have a tougher road in the House. Some powerful Republicans have not said how they will vote, including Speaker Jay Lucas.
Some Republicans want to keep the flagpole and put a different flag on it. Suggestions have included the U.S. flag, the South Carolina flag and a flag that may have been flown by Confederate troops but does not have the same connections as the red banner with the blue cross and white stars.
Democrats have said they cannot support any flag linked to the Confederacy. Haley and business leaders agree.
"There is no good-looking Confederate flag. It all stands for the same thing - secession," said Lonnie Randolph, president of the South Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Why S.C. activist removed the Confederate flag
Outside the Statehouse, dozens of protesters began to arrive, all watched by even more officers inside and outside the capitol. Some called for the flag to come down. Others, such as Nelson Waller in his rebel flag tie, said the state was giving in to Northern liberals and civil rights activists.
A woman who was arrested last month for removing the Confederate flag from the front of the South Carolina Statehouse told CBSN that she would "absolutely" do it again because the banner is a symbol of white supremacy, hatred and racial terror.
"I just felt that it was very important that it be a group of citizens... who go up and bring that flag down - even if they put it back up a minute later - just to know that's how strongly we felt about it," Bree Newsome said last week.Forty-six states currently allow children to be exempt from vaccinations due to religious concerns, including 17 states that also allow exemptions for “personal reasons,” according to a Pew Research Center analysis. One state, Minnesota, allows parents to not vaccinate their children based on a broader “personal” exemption that does not explicitly mention religion.
While all states require children to receive certain vaccinations before they can enter public school, most states offer nonmedical exemptions to those requirements. (Every state allows exemptions for children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.)
Only three states – California, Mississippi and West Virginia – do not offer any nonmedical vaccine exemptions. California recently enacted a law – set to take effect on July 1, 2016 – that will eliminate both personal and religious vaccine exemptions. Legislatures in other states, such as Pennsylvania, also are considering eliminating personal exemptions.
Meanwhile, Colorado recently made the exemption process more onerous. While the state continues to offer both personal and religious exemptions, parents must submit new exemption paperwork every year.
Our analysis found wide variation among the states in how vaccination exemptions are administered. Some states have strict guidelines surrounding religious exemptions. Delaware, for instance, requires parents to submit a notarized affidavit stating that a sincere belief in “a Supreme Being” is the reason for the exemption request. |
okudan, or "violent groups", by police, there are about 80,000 members belonging to 22 divisions today.
"The police even thanked us for a job well done. They said there was a limit to what they could have done legally." - Hiroshi Kimura, Kudokai Yakuza
Business links to disaster clean-up
Following the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster in March 2011, major Yakuza groups were linked to the illegal supply of manpower for clean-up and reconstruction, landing lucrative contracts in disaster-hit areas. Even government-linked Tokyo Electric Power Company, owner of the Fukushima nuclear plant, has been implicated in engaging with the Yakuza, showing how far their powerful connections reach.
These high-level ties explain why it is so hard to enforce the new law.
Gang member Hiroshi Kimura of the Kudokai group says it was the Yakuza who provided emergency supplies to the Fukushima victims, even before aid groups arrived. He reminisces how it was only a few years ago when the police thanked his organisation for helping to wipe out "illegal" Chinese immigrant gangs who carried firearms, ran vice rings, and rigged gambling parlours.
"I say this with confidence, we got rid of them," Kimura says at Kudokai's headquarters in Fukuoka prefecture. "The police even thanked us for a job well done. They said there was a limit to what they could have done legally."
A nuanced issue
In the southwestern Kyushu region, a hotbed of Yakuza violence, Atsuki Miyamoto's husband Hiroshi was shot dead in his hospital bed by a Yakuza who mistook him for a rival gang member. The gunman, sentenced to 24 years in jail, expressed his remorse in court. His gang the Dojinkai turned up at Miyamoto's doorstep to pay their respects, and offered the mother of two the equivalent of $1m in compensation. It was scant consolation, but at the same time, a kind gesture by hardened criminals.
"The police have effectively backed down from their role of protecting public safety." - Atsushi Mizoguchi, journalist
Atsuki Miyamoto wants the Yakuza removed. But it begs the question – where to? Japan seems to have no answer. Despite the laws against organised crime, the Yakuza still operate with impunity. The new law makes it an offence for citizens to deal with them.
Veteran journalist Atsushi Mizoguchi describes the situation: "Now citizens are responsible for denying the Yakuza... You put your life at stake when you encounter them. The police have effectively backed down from their role of protecting public safety."
Mizoguchi, who has written extensively on the Yakuza, further explains why they are tolerated. With some 10,000 police officers retiring every year, he says the Yakuza provides them lucrative second careers.
"The police need them. Various industries tend to employ retired officers to counter Yakuza shareholders who influence corporate decisions. Retired officers provide them advice and protection," he says.
Police on Tokyo's streets continue to fear reprisals
from the Yakuza [Chan Tau Chou/Al Jazeera]
Fear remains
Despite the new law, police have had limited success curtailing Yakuza violence in Fukuoka, where 18 gang-related shootings occurred last year out of 44 nationwide. This year, a former police officer survived two gunshot wounds. He was in charge of investigating organised crime in Fukuoka until he retired last year.
While filming an anti-Yakuza rally there, media minders from the police reminded Al Jazeera not to show the faces of government officials urging the public not to deal with the Yakuza, to avoid gang members identifying them. It was a stark reminder of the real fear even among the authorities.
While the new law has won much support for bringing gangland activities to the forefront of public consciousness, critics believe it is not enough to focus on the Yakuza when it comes to organised crime.
Mizoguchi says there's an emergence of "gray groups" – non-Yakuza gangsters who are not on police radar. This appears to be the real challenge ahead. Such groups commit similar crimes as the Yakuza, but they operate in small numbers with loose connections among members, and are better able to avoid detection.
The Yakuza have existed for centuries in Japan by adapting to circumstances to survive, snaking between both sides of the law. Law enforcement authorities will need to show the same dexterity to win this ongoing battle against organised crime.Subject Proficiency Testing Massachusetts administered the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to high school students. These figures display how well the school as a whole performed in reading and mathematics. Subject Proficiency School District State Math Proficiency Distribution Failing 1% Needs Improvement 21% Proficient 34% Advanced 44% Reading Proficiency Distribution Failing 1% Needs Improvement 1% Proficient 70% Advanced 28% Proficiency is determined by student results on the school's Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.
Overall Student Performance This measures overall student performance on state exams. The calculations by U.S. News were the first step in determining which schools received a medal. State Test Performance Index 111.5? Gap Between Actual and Expected Performance Index 5.8?
Underserved Student Performance This measures the proficiency on state exams among typically underperforming subgroups. The calculations by U.S. News were the second step in determining which schools received a medal. Percentage of Underserved Students Who Are Proficient 87.6%? Percentage of Non-Underserved Students Who Are Proficient 88.6%? Gap Between Underserved and Non-Underserved Students -0.9%? Gap Between School and State Among Underserved Students 15.9%?
College-Ready Student Performance High school students take AP® exams and IB exams to earn college credit and demonstrate success at college-level course work. U.S. News calculated a College Readiness Index based on AP/IB exam participation rates and percentages of students passing at least one AP/IB exam. The index determined which types of medals (gold, silver or bronze) were awarded to top-performing schools. College Readiness Index 20.6? Exam Used for Index AP®?
Advanced Placement® (AP®) Student Performance Many U.S. higher educational institutions grant credits or advanced placement based on student performance on AP® exams. This shows this school's student participation and performance on these exams if data were available. Participation Rate 38%? Participant Passing Rate 39%? Exam Pass Rate 48%? Quality-Adjusted Participation Rate 15%?Our feline sleuth is on the case once more to get to the bottom of this NX controller thing.
The human came and nudged me awake to frantically show me his phone. He showed me the latest rumored NX controller, posted by perkele87 on Reddit. My immediate reaction? A scoff. The human thought I was gonna hurl, but it was a false alarm. I just didn’t buy this thing was real.
Seriously - I might only be a cat who was a mere kitten when the Wii launched, but even I know that you don’t put a sticker that says “Confidential Property” on a football-shaped touch screen and say it’s the NX. Sure, it’s exactly like those patents that Nintendo has. Guess who can see those patents? That’s right: you, me, and whatever joker made this very likely fake NX image.
To cement my feline opinion, I sniffed around and talked to my squirrel friend stationed outside of Nintendo of America’s HQ, who relayed to me through sources close to Nintendo that this image is a fake. Maybe some of the elements hinted at in this image will be a part of the NX, but that controller ain’t the real deal.
It did warm my cat heart to see a member of Treehouse (accidentally?) tweet a link to the purportedly leaked images (the tweet was deleted, so instead I’ll link to that Treehouse member’s secret origin of being the Human Pikmin). Hopefully those cool cats are having a solid laugh over this rapidly spreading rumor. Hopefully they’re also planning to reveal what in the heck the NX is sometime soon. We’ve seen two NX controller “images” in the past week. That might be the norm until Nintendo speaks up.
Also, since it’s National Puppy Day, I figured I’d let the dog speak up for once. All she had to say was “It’s the NEW NINTENDO CONTROLLER. OH MY GOD I WANT IT NOW RIGHT NOW PLEASE RIGHT NOW! NX 4 LIFE!” Note to self: don’t take a day off and let the dog write up the rumors. They’re too excitable.Finding the next big mineral deposit is a dream of many geologists past, present and future. However, in the past hundred years or so, many of them close to surface have already been found and developed. This is because they can be found relatively inexpensively by traditional methods such as geochemical surveys, shallow geophysics, drilling, and a lot of luck. In the 21st century, mineral exploration is focussing on methods to find deeply buried mineral deposits, ones that can lie almost 800m beneath the surface!
To develop new methods for finding such deposits, I travelled up to northern Saskatchewan, Canada, to the Athabasca Basin, which is home to the world’s highest grade uranium deposits. As part of my M.Sc. thesis at the University of Ottawa, I completed surficial geochemistry surveys above two different uranium (U) deposits – one (Phoenix) of which is “unconformity-related”, which means it lies between the Paleoproterozoic Basin and underlying Proterozoic basement rocks at 400 m depth below the surface. The other (Millennium) is a “basement-hosted” deposit, which means it lies entirely in these basement rocks at nearly 750 m depth. When I say surficial survey, I mean taking materials from the surface or near-surface environment – soils, tills, water, gas, and sandstone, and testing them with various geochemical methods to see if we can detect signatures possibly related to the U deposits beneath (fieldwork photo, Figure 1). For soils, sandstones & tills, we used total and partial digestion with various acids to leach out what is considered the “mobile” trace metal fraction that may have migrated from an ore deposit to the soil. For water, we looked at trace metals and also tritium, a known decay product of U. For gases, we looked for dissolved gas (helium) in water-filled drill holes, as this is also a known decay product of U and its daughter products.
At the Phoenix survey site in 2011 & again in 2012, we discovered distinct metal anomalies in soil, till and sandstone (both humus, the organic-rich top fraction you might find in your local forest, and in B-horizon, the rich, brown soil a foot or so deeper) for U – but also Pb, Ni, Cu, Co, Mo, W, and Ag in these media (see Fig. 2a & 2b). Many of these elements are what are considered “pathfinder” metals for U, so will be enriched in the deposit itself or behave in a similar geochemical manner. Geochemical anomalies (high values) only exist when compared to background values that are low, whether a background station, or the mean + 2 σ (standard deviations) of each metal population, so any we considered had to meet this threshold. We found these anomalies directly above the deposit itself, and also above the location of a major ore-hosting fault, using a “transect” sampling method, or taking samples in a line across a targer. This allowed us to survey across the surface trace of the deposit perpendicular to the direction of the last major ice flow event, so this would not affect our results, or “smear” metals occurrences down-ice.
Based on the results we obtained at Phoenix, we decided to see if we could detect any anomalies in these materials that might be related to Millennium- the much deeper deposit. Using leaches on the humus and B-horizon soils, we were also able to see anomalies of U, Pb, Ni and Cu, which was encouraging, as these occurred over the deposit, and also over the surface projection of the ore-hosting fault, which was interpreted to come to surface based on a 3D seismic geophysics survey. Even more exciting, at this site, however, is that we obtained values of 4He (the main isotope of He) that were more than 700 times atmosphere in drill holes intersecting the deposit (Fig. 3)! (Ed Note: 4He is a product of uranium decay – the alpha particles that Uranium emits as it decays are, in fact, 4He nuclei. Therefore, an anomalously high 4He value is a good indicator of nearby Uranium decay.) It was important that in drill holes that weren’t near the deposit, we did observe atmosphere values, as to have a good measurement of background. Having anomalies in trace metals in the soils was one thing, but now we observed gas anomalies in water in the same locations. This led us to conclude that there was a high possible of redistribution and upward migration of U ore related metals and decay products from the deposit at depth.
Now that we had our hypothesis of upward migration of metals (Phoenix) and both metals & gases (Millennium), could we guess if these processes are happening in modern times, or happened long ago? When we look at lead isotopes in humus at Phoenix, we observed that they show what is know as a common lead signature – which means lead not related to radiogenic, or radioactive, lead associated with active uranium decay. Therefore, we assume that this system is closed and metals have not migrated in many thousands (or millions) of years. At Millennium, however, we observe radiogenic He levels in modern-day groundwaters above the deposit, suggesting these products are actively migrating away from the deposit. So some deposits are closed at present day, and some are open. It just depends how you look at them!
That the geochemistry of surficial materials can be used to explore for deeply buried mineral deposits is a powerful idea, and much work still needs to be done depending on the deposit type and surficial environment being explored in. It is cheaper compared to geophysics and radiometrics, and can be completed with a relatively smaller crew of just a few people. And just like other techniques, it isn’t always going to find the next big deposit, but can be another useful instrument in the explorationist’s toolbox.
Michael Power is an MSc student in exploration geochemistry at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada. He did his undergraduate degree at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. Michael has worked in a range of mineral and petroleum exploration related positions during and after his undergrad, from the oil sands of Alberta to the gold districts and offshore oil fields in Newfoundland. His MSc research is trying to better understand how geochemistry of surface materials can detect deeply buried U deposits. Tweets as @mikeyp22Following up on a previous post about the relative performance of STL vs gnulib, this post extends and completes the analysis to include the stl::vector and stl::deque containers. These containers provide a more direct comparison against the Gnulib array-list and carray-list implementations. The results are shown below. Please refer to the previous post on this subject for details on how the results were collected including source code.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the intent of the post is not to suggest that gnulib should be used instead of STL in C++ programs, but rather to point out that although not part of the C language specification, gnulib offers C programmers a set of containers whose performance is comparable to the STL container performance available to C++ programmers.
Search (unsorted) Performance
Note that the vertical axis represents seconds and the lower the bar for each algorithm, the better.
Based on the above results, it can be seen that the performance of the stl::list is comparable to the gnulib linked_list for both insertions (at the end) and unsorted searching. Gnulib array_list is comparable in implementation to the stl::vector but proves to be almost 2x faster for insertions and ~1.5x slower for searching for this test. The stl::deque is also comparable to the gnulib array_list and proves to be slightly faster for insertions and just under 3x slower for searching.
As a final note, this analysis only performed comparisons based on two tests – push back and unsorted find. This is just an indication of performance and far from complete. The results may well be different if different tests were chosen.
Tags: C++, STLFacebook slur soldiers deserve'slap on wrist'
Updated
Former Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove has defended Australian soldiers involved in the Facebook racism scandal in Afghanistan.
Defence is investigating racist comments and video posted on the website by Australian soldiers.
Videos broadcast on Thursday night by Channel Seven show soldiers referring to Afghans as "sand coons", "dune coons","niggers" and "smelly locals".
Another is referred to as a "raghead".
When a local man was shown running away from an explosion, a soldier was heard to say the blast "scared the f*** out of that mufti".
A number of soldiers also list their employer as a "f***ing ranga", a reference to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Defence Force chiefs have described the comments as appalling and unacceptable.
But General Cosgrove, chief of Defence between 2002 and 2005, says the "silly" comments need to be kept in proportion.
He says the soldiers are putting their lives on the line for Afghans and deserve no more than a "slap on the wrist".
"I think by their deeds they belie the few comments that have been posted," he said.
"Every time they go outside the wire they are targets and they accept that cheerfully.
"I think in Australia, across the board, there are racist elements, sadly. I don't think the Defence Force is anything other than a microcosm of the wider society.
"I think they should be counselled - but that's a matter for the Army.
"Remember that these kids are actually, by their deeds, showing they see a worthwhile mission for which they're prepared to accept great danger."
The soldiers involved have been warned they could be discharged or face jail.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith says Defence will pursue the matter to the end.
"It also includes the possibility of people who are associated or involved with this, if they are in Afghanistan, being returned home," he said.
Some military experts have warned the issue could damage the Australian force's relationship with Afghanistan.
Mr Smith says he has telephoned his Afghan counterpart to apologise on behalf of Australia.
He says he told the Afghan minister he did not want the issue to lower Australia's standing in the country.
"He said that in his mind it would not because he appreciated very much and respected very much the way Australian soldiers conduct themselves, both in terms of sticking to sensible rules of engagement, engaging with the local people and when things go wrong, fessing up to them and taking remedial action."
'Deeply embarrassed'
The Chief of Defence, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, say he is appalled by the postings.
"What was on those videos particularly disturbed me. It's unacceptable, inappropriate and just does not conform with our values in the Defence Force," he said.
"This flies in the face of what we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan. We are trying to win the hearts and the minds of the people.
"This is not good for us in Afghanistan. There's no doubt about that. I'm deeply embarrassed about what's happened.
"I just hope the Afghan people appreciate that this is a minority, an act of insensitivity and act of stupidity.
"Once we have determined the facts we will take swift action."
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the racist remarks are unfortunate.
"Australia is probably about the most tolerant and easygoing society on Earth," he said.
"Now that doesn't mean that occasionally people don't go over the top and say something that they shouldn't, but Australians are as easygoing, as genial and as tolerant as any people on Earth."
Dr Ben Wadham, an expert on army culture from Flinders University in Adelaide, says combat stress could be a factor in the behaviour.
"These soldiers are under a lot of stress in Afghanistan - one of the key stresses is the inability to understand the difference between civilians and insurgents," he said.
"That blurring of the line perplexes soldiers to some extent. What soldiers do in that sort of a situation is to talk pejoratively about the Afghani people and to dehumanise them.
"That video shows those soldiers dehumanising the Afghani people."
The Islamic Council of Victoria's vice-president, Razmi Elsayed, has expressed concern about the Facebook comments, saying racist remarks create division and misunderstanding.
"I think it's a disease of the heart," he said.
"Racism is a disease of the heart, and ultimately those diseases need to be attended to. And one of the ways that we try to do it externally for the Muslim community is through the process of engagement."
Topics: army, defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, foreign-affairs, unrest-conflict-and-war, afghanistan, australia
First postedConsider this: 51% of Santa Monicans who are 18 or older who are also under 45. When you read the newspaper coverage of a local issue or listen or watch a hearing in City Hall, how many of those present or speaking in the audience fall into that age group?
I’m guessing far less than half.
Younger Santa Monicans are busy making careers, making families, and making friends. Most of us are understandably averse to showing up to speak for two minutes at a single 8 hour council meeting. Between the City Council and more than a dozen boards and commissions, the city holds meetings almost every night. Most of us can’t afford to devote half of our lives to ensuring we’re heard.
That means the best chance for us to be heard on local issues is at the ballot box. But younger residents, many of whom have moved here more recently, are less likely to register with their local address and vote all the way down the ballot to the city election.
At Next, we believe that local policy matters as much or more to our lives than state and federal policy.
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Local policy decides if and how fitness trainers can use the city’s parks, whether a restaurant or cafe can open down the street, and if and how it can serve alcohol or whether or not the city adds new housing supply, which can alleviate rent increases in newer buildings not subject to rent control.
The city council decides if and how AirBNB-type rentals can exist in the city (in many cases, they can’t). Renting out an extra bedroom can help some households afford their rent or mortgage is someone loses their job.
If these issues matter to you, then register locally, get informed on local issues, and vote locally this Fall. If you don’t, you’re letting someone else make these decisions for you.
Santa Monica Next will help you with the first two, registering to vote (easy), and getting informed on local issues. And we’re going to have fun doing it. As part of our Vote Local campaign, we Santa Monica Next will be holding happy hour events where we spend some time getting to know the issues and candidates while making friends. We’ll also ramp up our news coverage, with the addition of Jason Islas, a veteran Santa Monica reporter. Local policy is complex, and Jason’s in-depth coverage of issues relevant to our audience will help us delve below the surface to a better understanding of the complexity and interconnections.
It’s up to you to make your vote count in November. But if you’re already voting on state and national elections, that shouldn’t be too big of a step.Moore's Law is... well, a law of sorts. It's more of an observation, but one that has held true for quite some time. It's now so embedded in the psyche of the industry that failing to satisfy Moore's Law is thought to be the second sign of the apocalypse (the first was Mac OS X on x86).
Moore's Law is the observation that the number of features on a silicon chip doubles every 18 months. Silicon chips are made using photolithography, which is, at its heart, a process that involves making a photographic image of the circuit on a silicon wafer. The smallest feature is limited by how small a dot of light you can make with your imaging system, which faces a fundamental limit called the diffraction limit. Using a normal optical system, there is no getting around it. But, that doesn't mean you can't do an end-run around the diffraction limit, and a recent bit of research suggests how that might be possible.
Let's start with a basic photolithography recipe. Take one silicon wafer, coat liberally with a light sensitive chemical. Create a negative image of a circuit and use a slide projector to project that image onto the silicon wafer. The light causes a reaction that changes the solubility of the chemical. Use an acid wash to remove the unexposed parts of the wafer and start etching.
The trick that the researchers make use of in the new work is that the light-induced reaction can be manipulated. Essentially, the light causes the molecule to transition from an unexcited state to an excited state, whereupon the molecule becomes unstable and falls apart (or cross-links to form polymers). In doing so, its solubility changes. This is the basis of putting the circuit on the wafer.
But those excited states are not the only possible excited states. Others don't cause the molecule to fall apart. If you choose a wavelength of light that puts the molecule in a stable excited state, then an interesting phenomena can occur: Rabi cycling.
The light field hits the population of molecules and starts putting them into the excited state. If the light field is intense enough over the right length of time, all the molecules will end up in the excited state. If the light continues to shine, the molecules all start to cycle back down and back up, and on and on.
There are two important properties of Rabi cycling. First, if you choose a light pulse with just the right intensity and pulse duration, all the molecules end up sitting in the excited state. Second, the lower the intensity of the light, the longer the pulse duration needs to be. If you are using a laser beam, the intensity is highest at the center and fades away towards the edges. This means that if you choose a pulse duration and intensity that is correct for the center of the beam, then the entire population is in the excited state only at the center of the beam—at the edges, the population is not fully excited.
We can make use of this by taking a second light field that has the right color to take molecules from this stable excited state to the unstable excited state, where the molecule falls apart. How do we use that to provide smaller features? Umm, it's a bit complicated at this point.
We want to use this to create very small regions of excited molecules that we then hit with a second light source that causes them to react. To do this, we take the Rabi-cycling light beam, split it in two, and recombine it at an angle. This interference creates small stripes and, in a thin line down the very center of the stripe, there's a population of excited molecules. Hit that with the second light source, and we get features that are much smaller than the ones set by the diffraction limit.
Stripes don't sound very impressive, but this is no big deal. This sort of interference technique can be used to create any pattern at all, provided you split up the beam sufficiently many times.
The downside to the paper is that it is only calculations at this point. But they are important calculations, because as the researchers demonstrate, the resolution becomes independent of the color of the light. You could use microwave radiation to get patterns with features the same as those available from the light used in today's standard wafer steppers.
Of course, the imaging process is more complicated, involving two light sources, many-beamed interference patterns, and different photoresists. But, irrespective of its eventual practicality, wafer stepper makers are still contemplating the "next generation" lithography—using extreme ultraviolet radiation, vacuum systems, and other not-very-nice things—with a certain amount of distaste. Something new is going to have to be developed, so it might as well be a Rabi-cycling photoresist system.
On a more personal note, I like this research because it is very similar to something we published on imaging earlier this year. We still think our use is a bit crazy and a bit unlikely to work out, but, for photoresists, it makes a lot more sense. In any event, its nice to know that if we are crazy, we have company.
Physical Review Letters, 2010, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.183601
Listing image by Patryk BuchcikThe first print advertisement for Wonder Bread came out before the bread itself. It stated only that “a wonder” was coming. In a lot of ways, the statement was true. Wonder Bread was the perfect loaf. “Slow food” advocates have pronounced industrial white bread of any brand a symbol of a modern grocery problem: consumers don’t know where our food comes from. The funny thing is that industrial white bread — that evenly sliced, squishy, moist, perfectly white and wondrous loaf — was once a highly designed solution to that very same problem.
For much (if not all) of human history, bread has been one of the most important foods. Our human ancestors 30,000 years ago had a crude form of bread, and nearly every culture on earth since then has created some form of it.
The importance of bread is, shall we say, baked into language. Take for instance, the word “companion.” If we take the word back to its Latin roots, we get “cum,” which means “with,” and “panis,” which is “bread.” A companion, therefore is someone you sit down and break bread with.
Similarly, the word “lord” comes from a word in old English, hlaford, which meant “the keeper of bread.” Political rule was thus bound up in the distribution of the bread supply.
In the middle ages most people got about 80% of their daily calories from bread. Fast forward a millenium or so to the late 19th Century, people were still getting about 30% of their calories from bread. That’s so much bread. That’s bread at every meal, and some meals that were only bread.
For most of humanity’s long history with bread, bread was made in our homes. Eventually we had small bakeries that supplied bread for more people, but they weren’t a picture of artisanal purity. Bakeries of the early industrial age were dirty and often underground, usually with terrible working conditions. You never knew when the baker would cut costs by mixing the dough with sawdust or other horrible additives.
Also, around the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was a lot of food-borne illness such as cholera and typhus. A lot of Americans were starting to fear their food.
People then started getting really interested in where their food came from — only back in the turn of the century, that meant avoiding locally baked bread. Factory bread, the thinking went, was made by clean hands in a modern, light-filled palace of industry. One could see that factory-made bread was clean and healthy, because it was spotless and white.
White flour and white bread aren’t technological innovations themselves; they’ve been around for millennia. Technically speaking, white flour is whole wheat flour with the bran and the germ from the wheat kernel sifted out. Industrial bakers chose white bread as their flagship bread because for them, white meant purity and cleanliness and modernity.
If all this talk of white purity sounds vaguely problematic, it should. As Dr. Woods Hutchinson put it in McClure’s Magazine in 1906, “No race ever yet ate black bread when it could get white; nor even brown, yellow, or other mulatto tint.” Hutchinson, who was a noted health columnist, went on to argue that only white bread would fortify the white race to go forth and conquer other peoples. Food reformers of the day also referred to white bread as a “chaste loaf” and the dark loaf as the “defiled loaf.”
Bread, however, was actually never actually a true vector for contagion (that was mostly the meat and dairy supply). This fear over the safety of bread, it turned out, actually wasn’t actually about bread at all. It was fear about immigration—about the supposedly diseased and dirty hands of southern and eastern European immigrants handling bread in neighborhood bakeries. For middle and upper class whites, xenophobia become inseparable from fears about bread safety.
The science of industrializing and mass-producing bread, however, was still a little wacky. Bread is, after all, the product of microorganisms undergoing biological processes. Baking is a function of time, temperature, and a lot of other variables. In fact, bread was one of the last major foods to be industrialized precisely because of how complex it is to make uniformly.
From the 1920s and 30s onward, industrial bakers were constantly tinkering with the design of white bread. They cut the time it took for the bread to rise by adding sugars and cranking up the temperature. They added emulsifiers to allow the dough’s water and fat to mix together better, giving white bread its height and a more even grain. (That also got rid of the holes.) Eventually vitamins were added, and white bread was sold to the public as a means of making hearty the young men who woulds serve in the war effort.
Various factories created their own recipes for industrial white bread, which all came to a head in 1952, in Rockford, Illinois. The USDA, along with some key figures of the industrial baking world, put together a multiyear project to investigate bread, and bread eating habits. The end product of this so-called “Manhattan Project of Bread” was a white bread that was two and a half times sweeter and 40% fluffier than the average loaf. Americans loved the new white bread, and consumers ate around a pound and a half per week.
But strangely, the Americans who were buying loaf upon loaf of this white bread didn’t actually like it. The Rockford study found many complaints against the texture of industrial white bread—and yet studies also showed that consumers would buy the lightest and fluffiest loaves available.
Then, white bread went through an identity crisis. Where once white bread was a feel-good symbol of progress, the term “white bread” began to get used as an epithet, meaning stuffy, conservative, square, and white-suburban. One of the first documented instances of “white bread” being used as a pejorative adjective was by Richard Pryor, who stormed off the stage of the Aladdin Theatre in Las Vegas, allegedly saying that he was “absolutely done with this white bread humor.”
From around that point forward, countercultural movements began to use white bread as an emblem of the establishment, of the silent majority, of Richard Nixon’s America.
But then, by the 1980s and 90s, the meaning starts to bifurcate: “white bread” also starts to represent poor white people who make supposedly irresponsible decisions about their diet.
“White bread” could represent both affluence and impoverishment, simultaneously and separately.
This debate over which kind of bread to eat—white or wheat—is not new; even Plato takes up the issue in his Republic. And this debate over the right kind of bread is also not even really about bread. It’s been about the anxieties of modernization, immigration, socioeconomic disparity, and even gender roles (i.e., should we buy bread made in a factory by men, or should women produce bread at home?).
When we’re obsessing about bread of any kind, we’re usually obsessing about everything but.That billboard pictured at right is currently hovering somewhere over a Philadelphia neighborhood; cities in Arizona and Colorado already have one too. Dallas is next, courtesy the fund-raising efforts of the Metroplex Atheists. Terry McDonald, chairman of the group, tells Unfair Park there are about 200 members of the Metroplex Atheists, a 20-year-old nonprofit whose point is "to let people know they're not alone." Says McDonald, "The idea is to present more of a united front for non-believer ideas."
They'll get the message in coming days: The Metroplex Atheists say they already have enough money to get themselves a billboard and are settling the final details; they're currently looking at a spot on Stemmons Freeway. One thing's for sure, says McDonald, "It'll be someplace very prominent." Maybe next to one of these billboards?1 of 8 View Caption
Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard describes her experiment with iro Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard describes her experiment with iro Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard poses with one of the ceramic pie Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard poses with one of the ceramic pie Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard describes her experiment with iro Jud Burkett | For The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard standing across the street from c Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard poses with one of the ceramic pie Jud Burkett | for The Salt Lake Tribune Former Dixie State University student Victoria Willard poses with one of the ceramic pieOnly Clone Wars fans need apply. If you're a hardcore fan who's seen every episode and has followed every story arc and can't get enough Clone Wars, then this is a decent addition to the saga. If you're merely a casual fan who couldn't tell the Black Sun from Death Watch you're probably better off avoiding this one.
The story feels like a 3-4 episode story from The Clone Wars itself. It even follows a similar format, and you can tell where each part of the story would've been broken into separate episodes. The downside to the comic format is that it's easy to rush through the entire book in half an hour. A lot of scenes go by quickly, and a bit of subtly is lost. On the plus side, due to the fact that this is a comic, it can go slightly darker than the show could, and a few panels even show a little carnage and blood.
If you're looking for closure to Darth Maul's story, you may be disappointed. The ending is open ended, and although it hints at things to come, there is |
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“I think that’s the immediate issue for us to deal with both from the moral perspective to prevent victimization and from the legal perspective to come into compliance with federal law,” he said.
But as for striking a deal and moving on — which has been, for Cuomo critics, more than just a tendency for his administration on complicated issues — is not a preferred outcome, either, Gallivan said.
“I think simply trying to get a deal and move on and have people from either side declare victory isn’t the right way to go about the problem,” he said. “I think we need to break this down in component parts. I think the most important issue is housing. Let’s deal with that and move on to all those other parts.”Victoria's state-owned timber company VicForests has racked up cash losses of $22million since it was formed - equating to a loss of $1.50 for every cubic metre of wood it has logged - an analysis of its public accounts has found.
The review was carried out by the Australian Conservation Foundation's economic unit and concludes the company's cash flow problems and large debt indicate trouble with its core business.
VicForests has rejected damning analysis and claims it delivered overall profits since 2004. Credit:Paul Rovere
But VicForests rejected the analysis saying it has delivered overall profits since it was created in 2004 and generated billions of dollars in economic activity for the state. The state Auditor-General's Office is currently auditing the management of Victorian forests, including VicForests' operations.
The report was commissioned by the Healesville Environment Watch, which is campaigning against native timber harvesting. The group's chairman, Steve Meacher, said it would be submitted to the Auditor-General to be considered in its review.A senior official in the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says neither side is capable of winning Syria’s civil war and that peace talks should lead to a ceasefire. Speaking to The Guardian, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil said: “Neither the armed opposition, nor the regime is capable of defeating the other side. This zero balance of forces will not change for a while.” Jamil’s comments come as the U.N. Security Council prepares to take up a measure that would enforce the U.S.-Russian agreement on destroying Syria’s chemical arsenal. Ahead of his visit to the United Nations for the annual General Assembly, Secretary of State John Kerry said the Security Council should pass a resolution next week.
Secretary of State John Kerry: “The Security Council must be prepared to act next week. It is vital for the international community to stand up and speak out in the strongest possible terms about the importance of enforceable action to rid the world of Syria’s chemical weapons. So, I would say to the community of nations: Time is short. Let’s not spend time debating what we already know. Instead, we have to recognize that the world is watching to see whether we can avert military action and achieve through peaceful means even more than what those military strikes promised.”
At the United Nations, Kerry is expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi over the convening of a possible peace conference. The United States and Russia remain at odds over the Obama administration’s refusal to allow Iran’s involvement.SKOWHEGAN — Selectmen authorized the final payment Tuesday night for corrections made in the area of a new youth football field, part of which was built in the wrong place by the Maine Army National Guard.
The $3,000 approved Tuesday to pay for stone, piping and drainage diversion ends months of discussion over the football field with property owner Kris Laney, whose land abuts the field that is part of the sports complex at the Skowhegan Community Center off West Front Street.
Additional Images The football field behind the Skowhegan Community Center was built by the National Guard but in the wrong area because of incorrect information provided by the town. Staff photo by David Leaming
Voters at the annual Town Meeting June 8 agreed to purchase a 50-by-470-foot slice of land owned by Laney at the far end of the football field for $15,000. That cost, plus about $8,000 for engineering and drainage work, and $4,500 for survey work, also caused by the project, brings the total amount to be spent to about $27,500.
Town Manager Christine Almand and Road Commissioner Greg Dore, who was interim town manager during some of the public discussion on the project, said the labor and equipment use donated by the National Guard saved the town about $250,000 to construct the ball field. The field was built during the past two summers.
“We saved the town a tremendous amount of money with the help of the National Guard,” Almand said.
Dore said buying the strip of land for $15,000 was cheaper than moving the football field at an estimated cost of $45,000.
Youth football previously was played on an old field on Willow Street, behind the site of the now-demolished Skowhegan Middle School. The high school has its own football field and the new middle school uses the high school’s practice field.
The miscalculation of the placement of the field falls on the town, they said.
“I believe that it was a lack of oversight on our part and this is our way of resolving that,” Almand said Wednesday.
Dore said the field was surveyed, but town officials did not “stay on top of it” to make sure the field was in the right place.
“We had an engineer there checking on materials, the placement of the (drainage) pipe and all that,” Dore said. “We skipped the step of — once they started building the football field — to ensure that it was built in the right spot. The football field was skewered about 12 feet onto Laney’s property.”
They said drainage problems affected three or four properties and since have been fixed with a new drainage system.
“Part of the football field’s drainage system dumped off into the woods at the top of the hill; it goes down the hill into the field and down to the street,” Dore said. “Basically what we did is channeled water onto their property — there are three or four there.”
The new drainage system corrected all that, he said.
Laney declined to comment Wednesday. Almand said the negotiations with Laney had been cordial and not adversarial.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
[email protected]
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
ShareReal Madrid Most demanding environment of his career
Ozil blames his dad for Real Madrid departure
Ozil: Mourinho called me a coward in dressing room fight at Real Madrid
Currently under pressure at Arsenal, Mesut Ozil nonetheless insists that the most intense scrutiny he has ever faced came during his spell at Real Madrid.
The Arsenal midfielder, who played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Los Blancos.
"You can't compare the expectations of any club with those at Real Madrid, not even Arsenal or the German national team," the 28-year-old told Goal. "At Madrid you have to win every game.
"If you draw, even against Barcelona, you're failing. Especially if you're a young player, you have to play with that mentality.
"[Jose] Mourinho helped me a lot with that, he always supported me and got the best out of me."
Ozil revealed that in 2016 he rejected a move to a Chinese club, but did not share which team attempted to secure his services.
"[Money] has never played such an important role in football," he said. "[The offer] was tempting, but titles and objectives are much more important than money and that's why I said from the start that China was not in my plans."September is turning out to be a significant month for Amazon on the international expansion front.
The ecommerce giant announced the availability of its Kindle Unlimited subscription service in India Wednesday, just days after it also revealed plans to enter Japan with its video streaming service. (Its main rival, Netflix, officially launches in Japan today).
This marks the service’s first launch in Asia, and is an unsurprising choice, considering that India’s forecast to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market by 2017, behind China.
Amazon’s director of Kindle content, Sanjeev Jha, said the India launch was part of the company’s push to make “reading more accessible than ever.”
“For less than the average price of one hardcover bestseller, we’ve made the best digital library in the world available to every corner of India,” he said.
The service will cost about $3 per month — and include access to over one million titles — though Amazon is offering half-price subscriptions through September.
Along with Kindle devices, users can also take advantage of the service through the Kindle app on iOS and Android (hence the importance of India’s strong smartphone growth forecasts). Books included as part of the deal are clearly labeled with a Kindle Unlimited logo.
As for India in broader terms, Amazon has already made very clear its intentions in the country: it announced a $2 billion investment in its India operations at the end of July, in a bid to better compete with local rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal.
On Tuesday, Amazon and a host of other tech giants announced that they were banding together to create new open media formats. And on the same day, Amazon finally launched a standalone video-streaming app for Android, as well as making available Prime movies and TV shows for offline playback.
Now the question becomes: Which country in Asia will Kindle Unlimited roll out in next? Place your bets.Pop Tarts, popcorn, and poppin' bottles. Sound familiar? Sure it does; these are the staples of many college diets. However, another P-word has recently been gaining ground among students, after already winning over plenty of people in the fitness community and a small army of A-list celebs. I'm talking about paleo.
The Paleolithic diet?you may also know it under labels like primal, Stone Age, and caveman?has a brutish reputation of demanding meat, meat, and more meat. It's actually chock-full of all the good veggies you know you should grub on, and it allows you more dietary flexibility than you might expect. What exactly does it mean to "go paleo?" Is it even possible while you're in college?
With some research and reasonable expectations, the paleo lifestyle is doable, even for someone whose life is a series of trips back and forth from the dorm to the cafeteria. It may even help you sport a stack of celebrity abs that'll help you conquer that co-ed you've been eyeing since before Thanksgiving (turkey, sweet potato, butternut squash?those are all Paleo, by the way).
Curious? Let's get historical.
Paleo 101
The fundamentals of paleo dietary systems can be summed up in two commandments:
Thou shalt eat whole foods from the following categories: meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some fruit. A small amount of starch is OK. Thou shalt not consume dairy, sugar, legumes (including peanuts), or any products containing wheat or gluten.
Meats, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds.
The exclusion of wheat, dairy, and legumes centers on the idea that these products were developed or cultivated by humans, so they are not what our digestive systems are meant to handle. Paleo advocates attribute a host of maladies?depressed immune system, heightened inflammatory response, whacked-out hormones, and awry bowel movements?to the presence of these franken-foods in our diet.
At this point, most people find themselves wondering exactly how they'll construct their paleo meals. It turns out you've had plenty of them without realizing it! Ever order the ol' eggs-and-bacon with a side of fruit? How about a chicken fajita salad? Both are paleo.
Dairy, Legumes, Sugar, Wheat and Gluten.
Remember when you went on a date and ordered grilled salmon over a bed of leafy greens? Your cutie may have ordered paleo with the top sirloin, fresh veggies, and a sweet potato. In either case, it looks like you're already well on your way.
A Caveman Caveat
Eat clean all the time?it's so simple, right? Except that it's also pretty strict, so before going any further, I'm going to offer a caveat: Going HAM (literally) on Paleo is admirable, but due to the unpredictable nature of college eating?and funding?it may not be possible for you to immediately become 100 percent Paleo. This is especially true on nights out; alcohol is not paleo, with the exception of a little red wine.
Why am I saying this? I don't want you to beat yourself up, try to live up to an unreasonable ideal, or put yourself in a position where your only choice is not to eat. Paleo man was a person much like the rest of us, without certain luxuries.
College is a time to try things out and wear your identity on your sleeve. There are countless diets out there, and none of them are perfect. While you're at school, it's perfectly acceptable to cherry-pick what works for you?what makes you feel and look better?and not cram yourself into a certain label. Remember, what we're all after is something that works for our lifestyle.
Paleo Battlefield 1 The Cafeteria
OK, so you wander out of your cave, cramming for A&P and walk over to the school cafeteria. Do your paleo dreams stand a chance in the land of hamburger buns and hairnets? Definitely, as long as you enter with a plan.
Here's a guide to keep in mind when you piece together your plate:
Start with your protein allotment: one or two palms full. Load up on leafy green veggies. Allow yourself a piece of fruit or starchier carb like potatoes or yams. Garnish with healthy fats like oils or topped with nuts or seeds.
Paleo In the Cafeteria Start with your protein allotment: One or two palms full. Load up on leafy green veggies. Allow a piece of fruit or starchier carb, like potatoes or yams. Garnish with healthy fats, like oils, nuts, or seeds.
Let's take a look at how this would actually play out in a dorm situation:
I grab my tray and head toward the custom stir-fry line and order a good portion of chicken, and maybe a bit of shrimp. This is my protein.
I tell the chef I'd like all the veggies tossed in. Now I'm good on veggies.
I make a pit stop at the salad bar to grab a few pieces of fruit?one for now, the other for later.
Finally, I sprinkle a few sliced almonds over my stir-fry, and/or pack some for a quick snack later.
Paleo Battlefield 2 On the Go
Sometimes, fast food isn't avoidable?especially if you are in a car full of drunk peeps all clamoring for the golden arches.
"Sometimes fast food isn't avoidable, but you have options."
If you find yourself driving toward that all-too-familiar drive-thru lane, don't fear. Play it like this:
Go salad style; hold the cheese and croutons, and ask for extra meat instead, or: Get a burger with extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and sans buns, cheese, and mayo. Look for a double patty with bacon if that's in the cards. Opt for sliced fruit on the side if it's available. It's not perfect, but it's satisfying, and you could do a lot worse.
If you stop at a gas station, you have a lot more options. It's easy and not too expensive to cobble together a mobile paleo meal at the mini-mart. Just look for:
Canned tuna, either beef or turkey jerky (pick the one with the least ingredients), or Ostrim, which is a meat stick made from ostrich and lean beef. Fresh fruit. Most places will have a few apples, oranges, or bananas in a basket for sale. Nuts (except for peanuts) with little to no seasoning. The closer to "whole and unprocessed," the better. If it's your thing, unflavored pork rinds are also a paleo-acceptable option.
Paleo Battlefield 3 Training
Paleo is a great system to support muscle-building and is well-suited to intensely training athletes. Ask your local army of CrossFitters if you have any doubt.
"Paleo is a great system to support muscle-building."
If your goal is to put on a bit of caveman muscle, here are a few tips to help you get there:
Make sure you have a good bit of starchy carbs like sweet potato, yam, or fruit an hour or two before your training session. Immediately after your training session, have a low-fat, moderate protein, and high-carbohydrate meal. Try a mix between regular and sweet potatoes, plus that cafeteria banana you stashed in your car. Depending on how easy it is for you to gain lean mass, you may also want to include additional starchy carbs and/or fruit in your subsequent meals in order to illicit muscle growth and help you recover from your training regimen. If you have a hard time gaining weight, here's my tried-and-true paleo ace: healthy fats. Add an extra tablespoon of coconut or olive oil into your cooking; it can make a difference. You could also opt to blend almond or cashew butter into your protein shakes for an added calorie boost!
Paleo Battlefield 4 At Home/In The Dorm
If you want to go paleo, you have to cook. Trust me, this isn't a bad thing. Here are a few freshman-level eats you can throw together in even the measliest dorm kitchen.
1
The Avocado-Egg Hybrid
View Recipe Here
2
Taco Salad Wraps
Ingredients
Ground Meat
Seasoning
Lettuce
Peppers
Onions
Mushrooms
Garlic
EVOO or Coconut Oil (no vegetable or peanut oils for cooking)
Directions
Dice all vegetables; like mushrooms, onions, peppers, and fresh garlic. Sauté diced ingredients with a little oil and seasoning. Use cayenne, rosemary, sea salt, and cracked pepper. You could go with straight-up fajita seasoning out of the packet. Brown ground meat. Once onions begin to caramelize, combine sautéed vegetables with ground meat. Wrap with lettuce. Add a bit of salsa verde and sliced avocados to round out the wrap.
Taco Salad Wraps PDF (14 KB)
3
Paleo Pancakes
View Recipe Here
4
Mashed Cauliflower
This is a strangely delicious and surprisingly convincing potato substitute?even if you think you hate cauliflower.
Ingredients
1 head of Cauliflower
Seasoning (sea salt, oregano, and cracked white pepper; and for fats, grass-fed butter, ghee, or coconut oil.)
Directions
Dice cauliflower into thumb-sized pieces and steam until mashable. Using a food processor, blender, or sheer brute force, mix all the ingredients together to desired texture. Season to taste and eat immediately.
Mashed Cauliflower PDF (13 KB)
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Now that you've had a few months to play the new edition, we are launching a series of regular surveys to assess how the game is working and spot areas that the R&D team needs to look at for rules issues. Please take the time to fill out our first feedback survey. It covers character classes and feats. Future surveys will touch on other areas of the game. We’ll also launch more detailed surveys of classes or feats as needed to refine the information we gather and better understand your feedback.
Thanks for helping us make the launch of fifth edition such a success. The launch was just the beginning, and we hope you join us in continuing the make fifth edition a success.New Delhi: Following the success of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and the recent launch of five British satellites, India is planning possible 'deep space exploration' missions on Venus, Mars and even an asteroid.
Besides the second Mars mission, we are looking at Venus and even an asteroid for exploration. A project has to be formulated for this before we chart out a proper roadmap for the explorations, ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar was quoted as saying.
“Venus is our neighbor and has many scientific challenges and aspects that need to be studied. Exploring an asteroid is also challenging task, he added.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now embarking on a new planet-hunting endeavour. There are indications that the United States of America will be working with India in this ‘deep space exploration’.
Speaking to students of Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai Richard Verma, Ambassador of USA to India sprung a surprise by saying, “We look forward to path-breaking work between NASA and ISRO on deep space exploration to Mars and beyond”.
Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth's'sister planet' because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun and bulk composition. However, it is radically different from earth in other aspects.
Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows.
Only Russia, US and the European Space Agency (ESA) have successfully sent their missions to Venus till date.
In December 2015, Japan will try to insert its Akatsuki probe into the planet’s orbit, after their first attempt in 2010 failed.
In September 2014, India created history in space when MOM successfully entered into the Martian orbit, thus becoming the fourth space agency to reach Mars and the first country in the world to enter the orbit of the Red Planet in the first attempt.
ISRO's next Mars mission called 'Mangalyaan 2' may take place between 2018 and 2020. With a greater scientific payload to Mars, the mission will likely consist of a lander and a Mars rover.REUTERS•AP•GETTY Migrants face Hungarian police in the main Eastern Railway station
The eastern European country has lashed out at Austria and France for accusing Hungarian authorities of not dealing with the massive groups of migrants and allowing them to travel freely into Austria. Desperate migrants have been protesting today outside the Keleti train station in Budapest after officials shut it down and stopped all trains, while police cleared out hundreds of people from the building. Chaos has ensued, with migrants chanting "Freedom! Freedom" and demanding to use the train tickets they have spent hundreds of euros on to travel to neighbouring Austria and on to Germany. The eastern European country is the primary gateway for migrants travelling over land through the Balkans and into the EU, with officials saying more than 156,000 migrants have entered the country this year, 50,000 in August alone.
The turmoil has led to hundreds of migrants becoming stranded outside the train station. Dramatic pictures from the scene show families sleeping on blankets on the floor as they ponder their next move and how they will reach EU states. The Interior Ministry said today around 142,000 have requested asylum, including 45,000 from Syria. Levente Magyar, Hungary's minister of state for economic diplomacy, said: "Hungary has to reject every charge stating the Government is not doing enough to deal with the immigrant situation. "Austria is the second federate country in 24-hours who has used unacceptable phrases about Hungary's immigrant politics. "And both these countries are dealing with a lot less illegal immigrant pressure than us."
His comments come after Austrian chancellor, Werner Faymann said: "Allowing them to simply board in Budapest, and watching as they are taken to the neighbour in Austria - that's not politics." French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, criticised Hungary on Sunday for setting up a 175km long, four-metre high fence on its Serbian border to thwart the migrant inflow. He said refugees have to be welcomed by European countries and added: "France, Germany, others have responded to that, but when I see certain countries that do not accept these groups, I find that scandalous. "I take a very dim view, a very dim view. Hungary is part of Europe. Europe has values and these values are not respected by putting up wire fences." Today marked a clear turnaround from Monday when thousands of migrants were being let onto trains without visas or tickets being checked as they headed for Vienna and Munich, with football-hooligan style chants of "Germany! Germany!" ringing through the station. Clashes between police and migrants broke out over the weekend, but on Monday police vanished, according to witnesses, who saw migrants in their hundreds cause a crush as they stormed trains.
REUTERS People have been told to leave Keleti station in Budapest and police have lined up at the entrance
REUTERS Migrants leave the Keleti train station in Budapest
If we don’t succeed in fairly distributing refugees then of course the Schengen question will be on the agenda for many Angela Merkel
A small boy was separated by his family in the crush as police tried to clear migrants from Budapest's main train station. Baba Mujhse, an Arabic-speaking Egyptian-Hungarian-Jewish volunteer, found him and carried him to safety. As he desperately looked for the little boy's family he said: "This is crazy. This is not a solution to anything." Scores of migrants have spent several hundred euros on train tickets but have been banned today from travelling as they do not have valid documents. Some spent the cash after being assured by police yesterday that they would be allowed through. It follows Austria toughening-up its stance against the migrants, with the country also implementing road blocks. Traffic jams up to 30 miles long built up on roads between Hungary and Austria yesterday as police stepped up searches to stop gangs of people smugglers trafficking migrants through Europe.
REUTERS Migrants wave their train tickets outside Keleti train station
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Thousands of migrants are reaching the shores of Italy and Greece every day, with many more then making the journey across the continent aiming for Germany and Britain. It is estimated 800,000 migrants will enter Germany this year, more than any other year, and the most out of any EU country. Mrs Merkel said: "If we don’t succeed in fairly distributing refugees then of course the Schengen question will be on the agenda for many. "Europe as a whole must move and its states must share the responsibility for refugees seeking asylum. "Universal civil rights so far have been closely linked with Europe and its history - it was one of the founding motives of the European Union. "If Europe fails on the question of refugees, this close connection with universal civil rights will be destroyed and it won't be the Europe we want."
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REUTERS Migrants enter Macedonia near Gevgelija after crossing the border with GreeceThousands of felons across Alabama have registered to vote in recent weeks, according to Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, who is heading up a statewide effort to get felons to the voting booth.
Glasgow's goal is to get as many felons as possible signed up to vote before the end of the day Monday, the deadline to be able to cast a ballot in Alabama's Dec. 12 U.S. Senate special election.
"In the last month, I think we registered at least five- to ten-thousand people all over the state," Glasgow, president of Dothan's The Ordinary People Society (TOPS) advocacy group, said Monday. "I've got people all over the state registering people with my TOPS branches in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Montgomery, Enterprise, Dothan, Abbeville, Geneva, Gordon, Bessemer, we have a lot."
For generations, most Alabamians convicted of a felony were barred from ever voting in the state again, but the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, a new law passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in May, cleared the way for thousands of felons to restore their voting rights.
The law lists several dozen felony convictions that are considered crimes "of moral turpitude," which means that anyone convicted of one of them loses the right to vote; other felons are now eligible to restore that right. Previously, the list of crimes that some registrars considered to be "of moral turpitude" was not clearly defined, and many felons simply believed they could never regain the franchise.
AL.com tagged along with Glasgow earlier this year as he helped register a felon at Dothan City Jail to vote.
Spencer Trawick lost the franchise in 2015 when he was convicted of third-degree burglary, a felony. But Glasgow informed Trawick in June - while he was still incarcerated at the Dothan jail - that he was able to regain his voting rights due to the passage of the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act. And Trawick went ahead that same day and filled out the required registration forms as Glasgow watched.
"I'm actually delighted about it, really," Trawick said at the time. "A lot of people get felonies and they just feel like their whole world's shattered because there's a lot of things that you can't do, but now that they passed that law a lot of people are going to run towards it."Rahul's young brigade gets the short shrift in Monday's reshuffle as average age of new cabinet ministers crosses 73 years.
Aspirational India, that hoped for a future in the hands of a young political leadership, just got the thumbs down. In what could be the last big cabinet expansion before the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday inducted four cabinet ministers with an average age of 73 years, nearly 50 years over the average age of the Indian population.
Cabinet reshuffle: Almost all new ministers 65-plus
The oldest cabinet minister to be sworn- in is Rajasthan's veteran Congressman Sisram Ola at 86 years, older to the PM by five years, who had been dropped from the cabinet in 2009. Some in the party and the government cited his old age as one of the factors for easing him out. On Monday, he could barely read the oath of office and secrecy during the swearingin at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
With the latest inductions, Singh's cabinet of 32 ministers has become perhaps the oldest in recent history with an average age of a little above 67 years. Besides, the four cabinet ministers, even the four junior ministers sworn in by President Pranab Mukherjee as part of the reshuffle exercise logged in at well above the official retirement age.The Manmohan Singh government appears to be generally partial to the old faithful, literally, over two terms. The average age of UPA I too was 67. By contrast, the Vajpayee Cabinet was younger with an average age of 61. Even that was high compared to some governments around the world. For instance, the cabinet headed by David Cameron in Britain is 53 years.There is confusion over what sort of message could the government be sending to a youthful India with its increasingly greying cabinet even though a set of young and dynamic partymen are waiting in the wings, all raring to go. In fact, the increase in grey hairs in the Manmohan Singh government fuels doubts whether it is in tune with the expectations of a young India. To many of them, Narendra Modi, who has just been named as the BJP's campaign committee chief, has emerged as a ray of hope.The ageing Cabinet raised doubts about Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi's persistent exhortation to the youth to join politics and his party. He has been on a nationwide yatra in the last few years trying to connect the grand old party with the country's young and restless population.A senior Congress member, who did not want to be identified, described the expansion as a lost opportunity". " With the BJP in disarray and the impressive line of young leaders that we have from Rahul's team, we could pushed them to the forefront and filled the opposition's vacuum with energetic fresh faces," he said, still hopeful of Congress's crown prince's larger role in the government in months ahead.As the question on Rahul was being raised, the PM added a new dimension to the debate saying he would be happy to see Rahul step into his shoes. Some attempted to interpret this as an indication that he wanted to hang up his boots and that he was not interested in having another shot at leading the government if the Congress were to return to power.Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad cited the " vast experience" of the new cabinet ministers and the " compulsions" to balance and represent all sections of the society. " There are certain compulsions within the party and the government. We have to balance all sections and their plus point is that they are very experienced and that comes in handy for the government," he said.Monday's reshuffle had clearly other priorities than youth. The party rewarded family loyalists.This saw the return of Oscar Fernandes and Girija Vyas to the cabinet. J. D. Seelam, another faithful from Andhra Pradesh, was rewarded with a berth in the council of ministers. So was Santosh Chowdhary, a Dalit Lok Sabha member from Punjab.Poll- bound states such as Rajasthan, which goes to polls later this year, and Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, which face elections next year, too were given wider representation.But the underlying mes- Comment The ministerial reshuffle, possibly the last before the general elections, comes as a huge disappointment. With several old faces among those sworn in, loyalty to the party leadership and electoral considerations seem to have prevailed over any regard for governance. The average age of the appointees leaves us wondering about the generational change in leadership that party vice- president Rahul Gandhi keeps speaking of. It's clear the government is not looking at any turnaround in performance in what remains of its tenure.Sage in this is that the Congress party's old guard has struck back with a vengeance.Poll- bound Rajasthan, where Congress faces a resurgent Vasundhara Raje and antiincumbency, got its second Cabinet berth after Ola in Girija Vyas. She is 67 years and will now head the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, which was vacated by Delhi strongman Ajay Maken.Another veteran Congressman who made it to the expanded UPA council of ministers is 72- year- old Oscar Fernandes, a staunch Gandhi family loyalist who was rewarded with the cabinet charge for ministry of road transport and highways which was vacated by C. P. Joshi.Maharashtra, which goes to the polls next year, has got an ST face in Manikrao Gavit, as minister of state for social justice and empowerment. At 79, he is another senior citizen.Similar caste considerations were kept in mind while inducting Santosh Chowdhury, 69, as minister of state for health and family welfare. The last man inducted as minister of state is EMS Natchiappan, who at 66 years can be considered'young', compared to some others in the latest cabinet expansion.He will take charge of commerce and industry.National Rifle Association board member Ted Nugent distorted recent comments President Obama made on the race issue in America to defend the use of the N-word including its racist use by former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman.
In a June 24 column for conspiracy website WND, Nugent addressed President Obama's reference to the word "nigger" on Marc Moran's WTF podcast. Obama said, "Racism, we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say 'nigger' in public."
Apparently misinterpreting the point Obama was making about racism, Nugent praised Obama, writing that he "is not afraid of speaking honestly without fear of politically correct word nazi's going berserk."
Nugent went on to heap praise on the word, without mentioning its long and vile association with racism. Citing himself as someone who "continue[s] to use the word nigger at one time or another," Nugent listed several well-known people, including Fuhrman, whom he said were not bound by "political correctness" in their use of the word:
Along with President Obama and my hero Richard Pryor, we join Howard Stern, Johnny Cochran, Mark Furman [sic], O.J. Simpson, Kid Rock, James Brown, the mighty Funkbrothers, Al not so Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Malcom X, Kanye West, Fifty Cent and pretty much every black rapper and hip hopper on earth, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, a few thousand NBA, NFL, MLB sports stars, legions of famous and not so famous musicians, actors, politicians, media personalities and assorted celebrities of every color, creed, ethnicity and walk of life, along with a few million others around the world who have used and continue to use the word nigger at one time or another. The dishonest referencing of the word by its first letter is the epitome of political correctness gone mad.
Fuhrman, who is now a Fox News contributor, was an LAPD homicide detective on the O.J. Simpson murder case. During Simpson's trial, the defense produced |
content to keep their early adopters engaged before the implementation of the first large updates.
The obvious result is that most of those early adopters get frustrated fast, and many of those that show more patience still get bored because they have nothing to do when they log in. The natural reaction to such a situation is to head back to games that already have several years worth of content and polish, like WoW. The negative press and word of mouth generated in the process also prevents more users from joining the new games, with disastrous consequences on their popularity and on their chances to compete against the big neighborhood bully.
Things started to change at the beginning of this year: Rift, by Trion Worlds, launched with a relatively solid build and a good amount of content, and for the first time in years not only a pay to play game managed to take a sizable amount of users away from World of Warcraft, but it also managed to keep a large part of them. It wasn’t a crippling blow, as Rift wasn’t extremely hyped and didn’t nearly have the marketing able to compete with Activision, but the giant started bleeding.
Rift demonstrated that the siren call of World of Warcraft, that seem to invariably bring back many of those that leave Azeroth, can be countered with polish and content.
Despite some fully predictable and expected queues and the fact that some seem to think that a MMORPG requiring valid billing information before granting access (as it has always been for basically every pay to play MMORPG since the dawn of the genre) has suddenly become breaking news, Star Wars: The Old Republic easily tops the level of polish and the amount of content that Rift had at launch, in addition to the assumption that it’s probably the most hyped MMORPG since the dawn of the genre and has the full marketing and financial power of Electronic Arts behind it.
There are quite a few reasons to believe, at the moment, that its effect on WoW‘s population will be much more radical and just as stable as Rift‘s, unless something horrible happens in the next few weeks and months.
According to Cowen & Company’s analyst Doug Creutz between one and one and a half million gamers populated the early access of SWTOR even before the game officially hit the shelves right in time for Christmas. Where do you think most of those come from? I’m sure you guessed it right. They come from World of Warcraft, turning the flash wound left by Rift into a quite serious one.
BioWare managed to create a MMORPG that feels familiar enough to WoW players to avoid turning them off with mechanics that feel excessively alien to them, but at the same time brought to the table enough innovation and evolution that those that are tired of the old Blizzard soup probably won’t feel like they’re being forced to eat it again, and that might be the winning card of the hand.
The wound opened by Rift and worsened in a still undisclosed amount by Star Wars: The Old Republic is just the most visible. While Blizzard is still updating the game regularly with new content and minor graphical updates, one fact is undeniable: World of Warcraft is old. It launched with an engine that already looked dated in 2004, and it has not aged well in time. Now even free to play games with a relatively small budget look better, and that’s another big factor.
The MMORPG market is seeing an increasingly large influx of free to play and hybrid MMORPGs that are gaining more and more popularity. While each of them, considered separately, is little more than a scratch on the gargantuan mass of World of Wacraft, they definitely managed to worsen the bleeding of WoW‘s users when considered as a whole group.
The wound is possibly going to become even more serious through next year and into 2013. The future has never looked as crowded with possibly solid MMORPG releases as it does now: Guild Wars 2, TERA, The Secret World, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millenium Online, ArcheAge, Blade & Soul and Wildstar are just a few of the many looming over the horizon and ready to stab at WoW’s already opened wounds to grab some of it’s tired playerbase.
Danger doesn’t even come just from outside, as the big cannibal Diablo III is around the corner, as well. It’s not a MMORPG, but it has a very strong online component, and it’s not one bit hard to predict that a substantial amount of WoW players will be absorbed by it to the point of terminating their visits to Azeroth, at least for a while. I don’t even feel it’s too far fetched to think that Blizzard intentionally delayed Diablo III into 2012 to avoid it hitting WoW’s population in the same timeframe of SWTOR. BioWare’s MMORPG is probably hitting Blizzard’s quite hard by itself, just imagine what would have happened if it did it at the same time as Diablo‘s new chapter.
When the servers start feeling more and more empty, it’s very hard to reverse the trend, as more players are tempted to quit.
Of course, Blizzard knows this very well, and it’s doing whatever it can to stop the bleeding, or at least to slow it down. The announcement of next year’s expansion, Mists of Pandaria (seriously, turning an April’s Fool in an expansion?), and it’s Pokémon-cloning pet content, the promise of free Diablo III for those that pledged their alliance to WoW for the year to come, the first twenty levels of the game made free to play…all those actions together show what can easily be defined as a last-ditch attempt to turn around a decline that seems pretty much irreversible.
Star Wars: The Old Republic seems to have the full potential to be a pivotal element in that decline. It’s just as mainstream as World of Warcraft, or even more so. It’s initial release seems polished and solid enough to avoid frustrating its early adopters, and it has enough content to avoid boring them. BioWare added it’s “magical” storytelling touch, that definitely doesn’t hurt. LucasArts poured hours upon hours of masterfully crafted voice acting into the cauldron and Electronic Arts injected enough marketing money and power into the process to play the game on an even ground against Activision Blizzard’s gargantuan advertising department and it’s guest star Chuck Norris.
That said, let’s go back to the initial question. Will Star Wars: The Old Republic kill World of Warcraft? Most probably the answer is still “no”, especially not by itself. Even if SWTOR might deliver a very solid blow to Blizzard’s MMORPG, it will take a lot more time and many more games to finally bring it down. Even if it were to lose multiple millions of users, it has a long way to go before it’d stop being profitable, forcing Blizzard to take extreme steps like going hybrid to fully stop the bleeding. If that were to happen, we could say that the king has been at least dethroned, if not killed, but for now we’re moving in the realm of science fiction.
One thing, though, we can safely say: for the first time after Rift demonstrated that the king can be wounded and can bleed, another MMORPG has the means to deliver an even deeper wound that might revitalize the stagnant MMORPG market. More will most probably follow in the next couple of years.
I’m sure that many World of Warcraft players won’t like to read this. That’s quite understandable. No one likes to read that the world in which he lives a second life and in which he invested so much time, money and emotions, might be about to face a period of severe decline.
They can take heart in the fact that competition is always good for quality. Blizzard has been allowed for too long to sit relatively idly on WoW‘s success, shunning innovation and evolution in favor of just adding more content that is really starting to feel stale.
With solid competitors like Star Wars: The Old Republic, the easy way out will not be viable anymore, and even marketing tricks like Diablo III for free and more colorful pets will become less and less effective. They will have to step up their game radically, and even if some servers might go the way of the dodo due to decreasing population, World of Warcraft players will possibly benefit from real, solid improvement and evolution.
To conclude, the answer to the initial question is simple and complex at the same time: Star Wars: The Old Republic will not “kill” Wold of Warcraft, but it might very possibly deliver a blow that will change Blizzard’s game and the MMORPG market as a whole. Christmas 2011 will be more lonely and less lively in Azeroth, but thanks to that, Christmas 2012 might actually hail a better Azeroth, and a better, more fluid and competitive environment for MMORPG gamers, regardless of their virtual world of choice.
We can only hope.Cybersecurity workers protect our most important and private information, from bank accounts to sensitive military communications. However, there is a dangerous shortage of cybersecurity workers in the United States that puts our digital privacy and infrastructure at risk. From April 2017 through March 2018, there were 122,000 openings for Information Security Analysts, but only 105,000 workers currently employed in those positions – an annual talent shortfall of 17,000 workers for cybersecurity’s largest job.
There are nearly 200,000 additional openings requesting cybersecurity-related skills, and employers are struggling to find workers who possess them. Jobs requesting public cloud security skills, for example, remain open 79 days on average – longer than almost any other IT skill.
To help close the cybersecurity skills gap, CyberSeek provides detailed, actionable data about supply and demand in the cybersecurity job market.As the investigation into the White House’s alleged ties to Russia continues to heat up, a constant theme throughout the story is the undulating web of lies emanating from President Trump and his staff. But some think Vice President Mike Pence hasn’t gotten his fair share of scrutiny.
On her show this Thursday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow turned her focus to Pence.
Maddow started out her show with a lengthy look into the previously unknown 18 contacts between members of the Trump presidential campaign and Russian officials. As Reuters reported last week, the contacts happened between April 2016 and November 2016. She then played a series of clips showing Pence appearing on Fox News and CBS and outright denying the contacts took place.
“Mike Pence was blunt in his response to those questions,” Maddow said. “He looked very earnest, even scolding and disgusted by the question when he gave those answers.”
“But you know what? Those answers were not true,” she continued. “When [Pence] said there were no contacts, there were multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials while the Russians were attacking the U.S. presidential election.”
She went on to point out that after initially trying to quash those reports, the White House “has ultimately had to admit that yes, there were multiple contacts between Russian officials — and not just people on the campaign, but people who eventually ended up serving in high level positions in the new government.” People like, Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jess Sessions, and National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.
“Vice President Mike Pence has made a number of blunt … direct, false statements related to the Trump-Russia investigation, both during the transition and since he’s been vice president,” Maddow said. She then presented a clear-cut case for Mike Pence’s direct involvement in the Russiagate coverup:
“When controversies started to swirl around Mike Flynn because of his foreign contacts, Mike Pence bluntly asserted that the Trump transition had not applied for a security clearance for Mike Flynn’s son. They had, actually, applied for a security clearance for Mike Flynn’s son. After [President Trump] fired the FBI Director, Mike Pence bluntly asserted that the decision to fire James Comey was based on a recommendation from the deputy attorney general. The President himself, and reportedly the deputy attorney general now, himself, today have both made clear that was not the reason James Comey was fired. Mike Pence has also bluntly and boldly asserted that James Comey was not fired for anything having anything to do with the Trump-Russia investigation. The President himself now admits that [when he fired Comey] he was thinking about how much he hated that Trump-Russia investigation. Mike Pence has bluntly asserted that there were no Trump campaign contacts with the Russian government. That is not true. He has bluntly asserted that he had no idea that Mike Flynn had a paid relationship with any country’s foreign government. That would seem to be impossible, given his role in the transition and the number of times and the number of ways that transition was formerly notified, including in writing, of those ties. And of course, Mike Pence has a starring role in the big unanswered question about Mike Flynn’s time in the White House, which is why did they let him stay on as national security adviser for 18 days after the Justice Department came to the White House and told them that Mike Flynn was compromised by the Russians and was vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Why did he stay on for another 18 days thereafter? The White House’s story is that — well, actually there is no story for that. In the end they said he had to go because he had lied to Mike Pence, But why does a lie to Mike Pence take 18 days to flower before it has any consequences for something as serious as a foreign government having its tentacles that reach far into the upper reaches of the national security chain of command at the top of the U.S. government? … Mike Pence has his own troubles when it comes to this scandal.”
Watch the full segment in the video below, via MSNBC:
Featured image via screen grabArt from DHC FCBD 2014 Silver Credit: Dark Horse Comics
On the next Free Comic Book Day, Dark Horse's second offering is also a first, as their superhero line begins to become a cohesive universe.
Art from DHC FCBD 2014 Silver Credit: Dark Horse Comics
On May 3, 2014 when you’re at your favorite comic store sampling the variety of free comic books available, Dark Horse will have a special one-shot called Project Black Sky which will feature the company’s first crossover of their new superhero line. The book, in Free Comic Book Day’s Silver level, is a 22 page story featuring the time-tossed World War 2 superhero Captain Midnight against the telepathic superspy Brain Boy, which writer Fred Van Lente calls the “opening salvo” of bringing all the Dark Horse heroes together in a Newsarama exclusive announcement.
“It’s really exciting because we’re starting to see various elements of the Dark Horse superhero universe come together,” says Van Lente, who also writes Brain Boy. “In the Project Black Sky one-shot for Free Comic Book Day 2014, Brain Boy and Captain Midnight team up in a classic mismatched buddy situation, which readers might remember I have experience with. Matt Price (aka Brain Boy) is an obnoxious punk kid with a wide variety of incredible telepathic abilities. Captain Midnight is a time-tossed World War 2 super inventor, pilot, kung fu expert and super pulp dude. They’re called together by the mysterious Mr. Jones to stop a biological experiment known as Ape-X, who has escaped from a shady organization called Black Sky that’s been running through various Dark Horse superhero books.”
Ape-X, who can be seen in the art accompanying this article, was last seen in Dark Horse’s Comics Greatest World series almost two decades ago. When asked for more about this return, both Van Lente and Dark Horse hesitated to tell too much more until the issue itself comes out.
Art from DHC FCBD 2014 Silver Credit: Dark Horse Comics
In Brain Boy #1, it was established that Brain Boy works for the company Captain Midnight founded in the 1940s, Albright Industries, but readers of Captain Midnight know that the WW2 hero is far from in charge in the modern day.
“So Captain Midnight knows Brain Boy works for the company that got away from him, so they do not really trust each other,” Van Lente reveals. “Brain Boy doesn’t trust Captain Midnight because he’s old, and Captain Midnight sees Matt as a guy who works for a company that was stolen from him.”
Art from DHC FCBD 2014 Silver Credit: Dark Horse Comics
What brings the two heroes together is their shared affiliation with the military – Brain Boy is a government contractor working for the U.S. Secret Service, and Captain Midnight has a connection to the FBI in Mr. Jones.
Joining Van Lente on this Free Comic Book Day one-shot is former Top Cow artist Michael Broussard, who was one of Newsarama’s 10 Creators to Watch for 2012 but has spent the past year working as a video game concept artist for Konami. This marks a big return for Broussard, and something Dark Horse Associate Editor Jim Gibbons promises isn’t the last – for the artist or the crossover between Dark Horse heroes.
“A lot more info about Project Black Sky will become obvious in early 2014,” says Gibbons. “Captain Midnight #6 and #7 are a great place to start for readers interesting in delving into the conspiracy and the Free Comic Book Day story is the beginning of some big stuff. It's a must-read for folks enjoying books like Brain Boy, Captain Midnight, X, and Ghost, as it features clues to larger goings on, as well as an excellent and intriguing introductory tale for readers who might be interested in jumping on to these books.”
Readers of the current Captain Midnight series will already be familiar with the name “Project Black Sky,” as it’s been talked about in previous issues of the series. The titular hero’s FBI handler Agent Jones has been investigating something called Project Black Sky, and he’ll learn further clues beginning in this week’s Captain Midnight #6.
"We’ve been dropping hints since Captain Midnight #3, that Captain Midnight knew about Project Black Sky but didn’t want to reveal too much until he himself knew more," says series writer Joshua Williamson. “Agent Jones has been investigating Black Sky ever since it was the last words of an assassinated Navy commander, and discovered that Captain Midnight had been keeping Black Sky a secret. Project Black Sky was an organization that was put into place by FDR during World War II to investigate some mysterious crashes that had happened in the United States. Black Sky went to super genius Jim Albright and asked him to research some of the technology that they found. Albright used that tech to create his Captain Midnight suit and a few other bits of hardware that he developed to make the world a better place. After he disappeared that technology was then corrupted and abused by Black Sky and Albright Industries. In the time that Midnight was gone, Black Sky has become a sort of rogue black ops research agency that is messing with our world’s technology and its future.”
Art from DHC FCBD 2014 Silver Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Williamson confirms that Brain Boy has a “small walk-on role” in Captain Midnight #6, where he “meets with Agent Jones… well, more like kidnaps Agent Jones.” While Brain Boy shows up in Captain Midnight, the writer says they will not actually meet until Project Black Sky on Free Comic Book Day 2014.
“Project Black Sky is more than just an event,” Gibbons promises,” it's a pervading mystery within these books that people are going to see more and more of throughout 2014. Captain Midnight #6 and #7 delve into this mystery, introducing it, and the Free Comic Book Day issue, entitled Project Black Sky, will continue to pull the threads of this giant puzzle.”
When asked by Newsarama which specific titles and heroes make up Dark Horse’s interconnected universe in addition to Captain Midnight and Brain Boy, the editor listed off Ghost, X, the Occultist, Skyman and the new hero Blackout as all part of the same world. In 2014, the editor promises, readers will begin to see how that will affect them. Project Black Sky writer Fred Van Lente stresses that the issue isn’t just a throw-away one-shot, but is a major part of the Dark Horse universe and a special book to bring new readers on board.
“This is the third Free Comic Book Day book I’ve done, and at the signings I get excited to see people coming into stories who wouldn’t necessarily pick up comics before,” Van Lente says.” So for me, this one-shot isn’t just about selling Brain Boy and Captain Midnight but selling the comic event of all events. This is an Avengers-level story with stuff blowing up, exciting action bits and exciting characters. I want this to be a 100 million dollar movie in 22 pages, so we’re letting out all the stops.”We haven’t featured Bruno Mars on this blog apart from when he has made vocal appearances on other rappers’ tracks, but now that he has announced the impending release of this debut EP It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, I feel that it’s definitely time to feature him as a solo act.
I’m going to stick my neck out and say that we will be seeing and hearing a lot from this young man in the future. You may have heard quite a lot of him before though, as he was responsible for co-writing the international hit Right Round for Flo Rida.
He is also attributed with production credits for some Maroon 5 songs, but I can’t find any physical evidence to prove that correct, so i’m assuming that he may be a part of their new album Hands All Over, said to be dropping in June.
As a result of this impressive impact on other artists’ tracks, his record company have finally decided to give him the chance to release his own material, and The Other Side is the perfect opportunity to add value to his brand even more.
Sounding slightly like something Gnarls Barkley may produce, Bruno comes in with his own writing team to pen another absolutely fantastic pop song. B.o.B repays the favour for helping him to reach the number one spot with a cameo, as does Cee-Lo Green, who compliments Bruno’s vocals exquisitely. Listen to it for yourself below! Enjoy.
Bruno Mars – The Other Side feat. Cee-Lo & B.o.B
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.Geert Wilders, conservative Dutch politician and provocateur, has become the latest projectile in the world's most important culture war: the zero-sum conflict between civil society and traditional Islam. Wilders, who lives under perpetual armed guard due to death threats, recently released a 15 minute film entitled Fitna ("strife" in Arabic) over the internet. The film has been deemed offensive because it juxtaposes images of Muslim violence with passages from the Qur'an. Given that the perpetrators of such violence regularly cite these same passages as justification for their actions, merely depicting this connection in a film would seem uncontroversial. Controversial or not, one surely would expect politicians and journalists in every free society to strenuously defend Wilders' right to make such a film. But then one would be living on another planet, a planet where people do not happily repudiate their most basic freedoms in the name of "religious sensitivity."
Witness the free world's response to Fitna: The Dutch government sought to ban the film outright, and European Union foreign ministers publicly condemned it, as did UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Dutch television refused to air Fitna unedited. When Wilders declared his intention to release the film over the internet, his U.S. web-host, Network Solutions, took his website offline.
Into the breach stepped Liveleak, a British video-sharing website, which finally aired the film on March 27th. It received over 3 million views in the first 24 hours. The next day, however, Liveleak removed Fitna from its servers, having been terrorized into self-censorship by threats to its staff. But the film had spread too far on the internet to be suppressed (and Liveleak, after taking further security measures, has since reinstated it on its site as well).
Of course, there were immediate calls for a boycott of Dutch products throughout the Muslim world. In response, Dutch corporations placed ads in countries like Indonesia, denouncing the film in self-defense. Several Muslim countries blocked YouTube and other video-sharing sites in an effort to keep Wilders' blasphemy from penetrating the minds of their citizens. There have also been isolated protests and attacks on embassies, and ubiquitous demands for Wilders' murder. In Afghanistan, women in burqas could be seen burning the Dutch flag; the Taliban carried out at least two revenge attacks on Dutch troops, resulting in five Dutch casualties; and security concerns have caused the Netherlands to close its embassy in Kabul. It must be said, however, that nothing has yet occurred to rival the ferocious response to the Danish cartoons.
Meanwhile Kurt Westergaard, one of the Danish cartoonists, threatened to sue Wilders for copyright infringement, as Wilders used his drawing of a bomb-laden Muhammad without permission. Westergaard has lived in hiding since 2006 due to death threats of his own, so the Danish Union of Journalists volunteered to file this lawsuit on his behalf. Admittedly, there is something amusing about one hunted man, unable to venture out in public for fear of being killed by religious lunatics, threatening to sue another man in the same predicament over a copyright violation. But it is understandable that Westergaard wouldn't want to be repeatedly hurled at the enemy without his consent. Westergaard is an extraordinarily courageous man whose life has been ruined both by religious fanaticism and the free world's submission to it. In February, the Danish government arrested three Muslims who seemed poised to murder him. Other Danes unfortunate enough to have been born with the name "Kurt Westergaard" have had to take steps to escape being murdered in his place. (Wilder's has since removed the cartoon from the official version of Fitna.)
Wilders, like Westergaard and the other Danish cartoonists, has been widely vilified for "seeking to inflame" the Muslim community. Even if this had been his intention, this criticism represents an almost supernatural coincidence of moral blindness and political imprudence. The point is not (and will never be) that some free person spoke, or wrote, or illustrated in such a manner as to inflame the Muslim community. The point is that only the Muslim community is combustible in this way. The controversy over Fitna, like all such controversies, renders one fact about our world especially salient: Muslims appear to be far more concerned about perceived slights to their religion than about the atrocities committed daily in its name. Our accommodation of this psychopathic skewing of priorities has, more and more, taken the form of craven and blinkered acquiescence.
There is an uncanny irony here that many have noticed. The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we will kill you. Of course, the truth is often more nuanced, but this is about as nuanced as it ever gets: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for "racism" and "Islamophobia."
Our capitulations in the face of these threats have had what is often called "a chilling effect" on our exercise of free speech. I have, in my own small way, experienced this chill first hand. First, and most important, my friend and colleague Ayaan Hirsi Ali happens to be among the hunted. Because of the failure of Western governments to make it safe for people to speak openly about the problem of Islam, I and others must raise a mountain of private funds to help pay for her round-the-clock protection. The problem is not, as is often alleged, that governments cannot afford to protect every person who speaks out against Muslim intolerance. The problem is that so few people do speak out. If there were ten thousand Ayaan Hirsi Ali's, the risk to each would be radically reduced.
As for infringements of my own speech, my first book, The End of Faith, almost did not get published for fear of offending the sensibilities of (probably non-reading) religious fanatics. W.W. Norton, which did publish the book, was widely seen as taking a risk--one probably attenuated by the fact that I am an equal-opportunity offender critical of all religious faith. However, when it came time to make final edits to the galleys of The End of Faith, many of the people I had thanked by name in my acknowledgments (including my agent at the time and my editor at Norton) independently asked to have their names removed from the book. Their concerns were explicitly for their personal safety. Given our shamefully ineffectual response to the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, their concerns were perfectly understandable.
Nature, arguably the most influential scientific journal on the planet, recently published a lengthy whitewash of Islam (Z. Sardar "Beyond the troubled relationship." Nature 448, 131-133; 2007). The author began, as though atop a minaret, by simply declaring the religion of Islam to be "intrinsically rational." He then went on to argue, amid a highly idiosyncratic reading of history and theology, that this rational religion's current wallowing in the violent depths of unreason can be fully ascribed to the legacy of colonialism. After some negotiation, Nature also agreed to publish a brief response from me. What readers of my letter to the editor could not know, however, was that it was only published after perfectly factual sentences deemed offensive to Islam were expunged. I understood the editors' concerns at the time: not only did they have Britain's suffocating libel laws to worry about, but Muslim physicians and engineers in the UK had just revealed a penchant for suicide bombing. I was grateful that Nature published my letter at all.
In a thrillingly ironic turn of events, a shorter version of the very essay you are now reading was originally commissioned by the opinion page of Washington Post and then rejected because it was deemed too critical of Islam. Please note, this essay was destined for the opinion page of the paper, which had solicited my response to the controversy over Wilders' film. The irony of its rejection seemed entirely lost on the Post, which responded to my subsequent expression of amazement by offering to pay me a "kill fee." I declined.
I could list other examples of encounters with editors and publishers, as can many writers, all illustrating a single fact: While it remains taboo to criticize religious faith in general, it is considered especially unwise to criticize Islam. Only Muslims hound and hunt and murder their apostates, infidels, and critics in the 21st century. There are, to be sure, reasons why this is so. Some of these reasons have to do with accidents of history and geopolitics, but others can be directly traced to doctrines sanctifying violence which are unique to Islam.
A point of comparison: The controversy of over Fitna was immediately followed by ubiquitous media coverage of a scandal involving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). In Texas, police raided an FLDS compound and took hundreds of women and underage girls into custody to spare them the continued, sacramental predations of their menfolk. While mainstream Mormonism is now granted the deference accorded to all major religions in the United States, its fundamentalist branch, with its commitment to polygamy, spousal abuse, forced marriage, child brides (and, therefore, child rape) is often portrayed in the press as a depraved cult. But one could easily argue that Islam, considered both in the aggregate and in terms of its most negative instances, is far more despicable than fundamentalist Mormonism. The Muslim world can match the FLDS sin for sin--Muslims commonly practice polygamy, forced-marriage (often between underage girls and older men), and wife-beating--but add to these indiscretions the surpassing evils of honor killing, female "circumcision," widespread support for terrorism, a pornographic fascination with videos showing the butchery of infidels and apostates, a vibrant form of anti-semitism that is explicitly genocidal in its aspirations, and an aptitude for producing children's books and television programs which exalt suicide-bombing and depict Jews as "apes and pigs."
Any honest comparison between these two faiths reveals a bizarre double standard in our treatment of religion. We can openly celebrate the marginalization of FLDS men and the rescue of their women and children. But, leaving aside the practical and political impossibility of doing so, could we even allow ourselves to contemplate liberating the women and children of traditional Islam?
What about all the civil, freedom-loving, moderate Muslims who are just as appalled by Muslim intolerance as I am? No doubt millions of men and women fit this description, but vocal moderates are very difficult to find. Wherever "moderate Islam" does announce itself, one often discovers frank Islamism lurking just a euphemism or two beneath the surface. The subterfuge is rendered all but invisible to the general public by political correctness, wishful thinking, and "white guilt." This is where we find sinister people successfully posing as "moderates"--people like Tariq Ramadan who, while lionized by liberal Europeans as the epitome of cosmopolitan Islam, cannot bring himself to actually condemn honor killing in round terms (he recommends that the practice be suspended, pending further study). Moderation is also attributed to groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an Islamist public relations firm posing as a civil-rights lobby.
Even when one finds a true voice of Muslim moderation, it often seems distinguished by a lack of candor above all things. Take someone like Reza Aslan, author of No God But God: I debated Aslan for Book TV on the general subject of religion and modernity. During the course of our debate, I had a few unkind words to say about the Muslim Brotherhood. While admitting that there is a difference between the Brotherhood and a full-blown jihadist organization like al Qaeda, I said that their ideology was "close enough" to be of concern. Aslan responded with a grandiose, ad hominem attack saying, "that indicates the profound unsophistication that you have about this region. You could not be more wrong" and claiming that I'd taken my view of Islam from "Fox News." Such maneuvers, coming from a polished, Iranian-born scholar of Islam carry the weight of authority, especially in front of an audience of people who are desperate to believe the threat of Islam has been grossly exaggerated. The problem, however, is that the credo of the Muslim Brotherhood actually happens to be "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
The connection between the doctrine of Islam and Islamist violence is simply not open to dispute. It's not that critics of religion like myself speculate that such a connection might exist: the point is that Islamists themselves acknowledge and demonstrate this connection at every opportunity and to deny it is to retreat within a fantasy world of political correctness and religious apology. Many western scholars, like the much admired Karen Armstrong, appear to live in just such a place. All of their talk about how benign Islam "really" is, and about how the problem of fundamentalism exists in all religions, only obfuscates what may be the most pressing issue of our time: Islam, as it is currently understood and practiced by vast numbers of the world's Muslims, is antithetical to civil society. A recent poll showed that thirty-six percent of British Muslims (ages 16-24) believe that a person should be killed for leaving the faith. Sixty-eight percent of British Muslims feel that their neighbors who insult Islam should be arrested and prosecuted, and seventy-eight percent think that the Danish cartoonists should have been brought to justice. And these are British Muslims.
Occasionally, however, a lone voice can be heard acknowledging the obvious. Hassan Butt wrote in the Guardian:
When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network, a series of semi-autonomous British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology, I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy. By blaming the government for our actions, those who pushed the 'Blair's bombs' line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
It is astounding how infrequently one hears such candor among the public voices of "moderate" Islam. This is what we owe the true moderates of the Muslim world: we must hold their co-religionists to the same standards of civility and reasonableness that we take for granted in all other people. Only our willingness to openly criticize Islam for its all-too-obvious failings can make it safe for Muslim moderates, secularists, apostates--and, indeed, women--to rise up and reform their faith.
And if anyone in this debate can be credibly accused of racism, it is the western apologists and "multiculturalists" who deem Arabs and Muslims too immature to shoulder the responsibilities of civil discourse. As Ayaan Hirsi Ali has pointed out, there is a calamitous form of "affirmative action" at work, especially in western Europe, where Muslim immigrants are systematically exempted from western standards of moral order in the name of paying "respect" to the glaring pathologies in their culture. Hirsi Ali has also observed that there is a quasi-racist double-think on display whenever western powers trumpet that "Islam is peace," all the while taking heroic measures to guard against the next occasion when the barbarians run amok in response to a film, cartoon, opera, novel, beauty pageant--or the mere naming of a teddy bear.
Have you seen the Danish cartoons that so roiled the Muslim world? Probably not, as their publication was suppressed by almost every newspaper, magazine, and television station in the United States. Given their volcanic reception--hundreds of thousands of Muslims rioted, hundreds of people were killed--their sheer banality should have rendered these drawings extraordinarily newsworthy. One magazine which did print them, Free Inquiry (for which I am proud to have written), had its stock banned from every Borders and Waldenbooks in the country. These are precisely the sorts of capitulations that we must avoid in the future.
The lesson we should draw from the Fitna controversy is that we need more criticism of Islam, not less. Let it come down in such torrents that not even the most deluded Islamist could conceive of containing it. As Ibn Warraq, author of the revelatory Why I Am Not a Muslim, said in response to recent events:
It is perverse for the western media |
respect for UVa's style, John Paul Jones Arena, and everything that the Hoos were doing on both sides of the court.
Following the loss to Virginia, Pitno noted, "Their defense is awesome. I won't take anything away from them, but our offense was ridiculous. We just didn't run our sets. We didn't move the ball. If you don't do that you're going to make Virginia look like the best defensive team in the history of the game. They're terrific. I love their team, I love what they do, but we fed right into the monster and the crowd."
Pitino-along with Roy Williams and Coach K-have been singing UVa's praises all season long. We'll take what a trio of Hall of Famers have to say over the opinions of some people that never have and will never step on a college basketball court.
Here's the deal: these drive-by journalists have a lot of teams to keep track of. They have not been watching every UVa game.
You have seen the second-ranked Wahoos bring it night in and night out. You have witnessed your team overcome poor shooting performances and still come out on top. And you have watched the defending ACC Champs keep winning even without one of their best players.
Take a step back and look at what Virginia has done over the last four years.
99 wins
Two (soon to be 3) NCAA tournament berths
ACC regular season and tournament title
21-game home winning streak
Number one seed in the NCAA Tournament
Longest road winning streak in the country
Produced two NBA players
There is nothing boring about any of that. All of the above was accomplished without a single McDonald's All-American or anything close to an NCAA violation.
Tony Bennett has built something special here, and he has done it the right way. He has assembled a team full of quality young men both on and off the court. The Wahoos are unselfish, they play as a team, they are fundamentally sound, and they have shown toughness and resolve in some pretty dicey situations over the years.
Virginia is not bad for the game of basketball. In fact, the Hoos represent everything that is right about college hoops.
UVa fans, you know that your team is awesome. Now that we have debunked all of their myths, you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. And many more #BoringUVABball plays like these:
Tweets about #BoringUVaBBall -RT.- Don’t let indifference stop you from an authentic encounter with another person, Pope Francis said Tuesday.
“In our families, at the dinner table, how many times while eating, do people watch the TV or write messages on their cell phones. Each one is indifferent to that encounter. Even within the heart of society, which is the family, there is no encounter,” he lamented in his Sept. 13 homily at the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
He said that this situation of indifference should move us “to strive for this culture of encounter, just as simply as Jesus did so.”
“Not just see, but look. Not just hear, but listen. Not just meet and pass by, but stop,” Pope Francis said. In the face of tragedy, one should not just say, “What a shame, poor people.” Rather, we should “allow ourselves to be moved by pity.”
“And then draw near, touch and say in the language that comes to each one of us in that moment, the language of the heart: ‘Do not weep,’ and donate at the very least a drop of life,” the Roman Pontiff advised.
He reflected on the gospel story of Christ's bringing back to life the only son of a widow, and discussed meetings between two people where each of them is thinking of themselves without perceiving or listening to the other.
“An encounter is something different,” he said, describing the gospel story as “an encounter that makes us reflect on our way of interacting with each other.”
The “joyful crowd” following Christ met the group of people weeping and accompanying the widow.
Christ was “moved with pity” when he encountered the widow. This is a pity different from those who simply pass by something sad on the streets. Instead, he approached her son and performed the miracle.
The Pope reflected on how people can grow accustomed to indifference when we see disasters or small things. We say, “What a shame, poor people, look how they are suffering,” and then we carry on.
“We are accustomed to a culture of indifference and we must strive and ask for the grace to create a culture of encounter, of a fruitful encounter, of an encounter that restores to each person his or her own dignity as a child of God, the dignity of a living person,” he said.
Pope Francis stressed the need to perceive an encounter by stopping, looking, touching, and speaking. Otherwise “I cannot help to build a culture of encounter.”written by Poul
As a developer in the.NET world where LINQ is first class citizen, when going to JavaScript it seems that some methods are missing. There is even a few libraries that tries to remedy this, but if you are just looking to get the job done the most often used methods are right at hand. (Looking for features such as Lazy-evaluation or observables, linq.js and RxJS offers these).
In the following I’ll list the most used operations and their JavaScript equivalents cheat sheet style. Notice that I’m using Lambda expressions in JavaScript to get the code a bit more concise, if they aren’t available just replace expressions like:
with
All operations are executed against this example:
Notice that some of the operations modifies the source array, if you don’t want that just clone it with:
Every operation is named after the method’s name in LINQ:
All C# JavaScript
Concat C# JavaScript
Count C# JavaScript
Distinct C# JavaScript
Empty C# JavaScript
First C# JavaScript
FirstOrDefault C# JavaScript
ForEach C# JavaScript
GroupBy C# JavaScript
IndexOf C# JavaScript
Last C# JavaScript
LastOrDefault C# JavaScript
OrderBy C# JavaScript
OrderByDescending C# JavaScript
Reverse C# JavaScript
Select C# JavaScript
Single C# JavaScript
Skip C# JavaScript
Take C# JavaScript
Where C# JavaScript
So clearly you don’t need a library if you only need the basic operations. The code above with tests is available at GitHub.
This post is also available in Danish at QED.dk.BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone states are considering cheap loans to member governments as an incentive to carry out painful economic reforms, an EU document showed, introducing a discussion on fiscal transfers.
File picture shows European Union member states' flags flying in front of the building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, April 21, 2004. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler/File
The proposal did not specify how exactly the loans could be financed, mentioning only a European Commission idea from March that it could be either through direct contributions from governments or through designating a new revenue source.
The document, prepared by the chairman of European Union leaders Herman Van Rompuy, will form the basis of discussions between senior euro zone officials at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to prepare for next month’s European Union summit.
The loans would be part of so-called contractual arrangements, which would be legally binding contracts with economic reform targets and milestones that trigger the payout of tranches of the agreed loan.
The loans would be attractive because they would be offered at interest rates below those in financial markets. In that respect, they would amount to a degree of subsidized lending, ultimately amounting to a mutualising of risk among involved member states and a degree of financial transfer - an idea that Germany has long resisted.
“Loans would imply only limited fiscal transfers across countries,” said the nine-page document, obtained by Reuters.
“Indeed, the transfer element would be limited to a lower interest rate than the market rate of most beneficiary member states, capturing the positive externality of the reforms for the EU as a whole,” it said.
A mechanism for fiscal transfers would move the euro zone a step closer to a fiscal union, especially if the mechanism of loans for reforms were to form the nucleus of a euro zone budget, so far only cautiously referred to by policymakers as the euro zone’s “fiscal capacity”.
“The forms of support and means available could grow over time and come to constitute a financing capacity for the euro area,” the document said.
However, chairman of euro zone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem, referring to such a broad idea in an interview with French daily Les Echos on Friday, was critical.
“Modernizing the economy must be motivated from inside and I don’t believe for a second that big countries are going to undertake reforms in exchange for cheap loans or other such things, as Herman Van Rompuy is considering,” he told Les Echos.
“But this subject needs to be discussed by heads of state. These proposals look a bit like those on Eurobonds in my view,” Dijsselbloem said.
“I’m not in favor because they would remove any incentive to run a healthy budget policy. Only differentials in the interest rates charged by the markets depending on the policies implemented can give the right signal. Let’s not repeat the same mistakes,” he said.
To ensure a government delivers on the goals agreed in the contract, the loan could be paid out in tranches and the interest rate subsidy could be paid out only at the end of an agreed implementation phase.
If the contract is breached, the euro zone could suspend payouts or even ask for its money back.
To qualify, countries would have to draw up legally binding plans for reforms that would then be approved by other euro zone states. The conditionality would come on top of other macroeconomic programs such as the Stability and Growth Pact and the euro zone’s new budgetary oversight powers.
LACKS CLARITY
The size of the loan would not be linked to the cost of reform and would be meant as general support for the economy. It is not clear what time-frame the loans would be offered for, or what the limit on the size of any loan would be.
“The specific amount of financing would not be linked to the direct cost of reforms, which generally is difficult to measure,” the document said.
“Financial support should be conceived as an incentive or as general support to the overall economy rather than as a compensation for the specific cost of reforms as such, as well as a broader signal of European support to the economic reform agenda of each member state,” the document said.
The loans would not be available to countries running excessive economic imbalances or currently under a bailout. However, an official briefed on the document said a country like Ireland, which is about to exit a program, could, for example, request a contract and if approved, benefit from the cheap loans.
While there were no details on how the loans could be financed, one possibility, the official indicated, might be for the euro zone’s rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, to raise money on international markets and on-lend capital to a contracted member state, although the exact framework and process of the lending is yet to be finalized.
Euro zone officials said that the lack of clarity on financing was the main weakness of the proposal and that discussions on it could only move forward once the issue was clarified.
“The proposal as submitted is hardly acceptable as it lacks clarity on how you finance such an instrument,” one senior euro zone official said.
“How are we going to finance this? From the EU budget? Because these won’t be small amounts...” the official said, also pointing to the rise in public debt that such loans would entail.As if Rich Hill needs another way to be unique. How many other pitchers experience their career breakout at 35 and become one of the best in the league? How many other pitchers throw their curveball half the time? How many other pitchers who typically throw overhand freeze batters by occasionally dropping to sidearm? How many other pitchers speak fluently about their pitch axis, perceptual velocity, vertical and horizontal planes, and name drop DRA in interviews? Hell, how many other pitchers develop blisters on their fingers which require more than a month to heal? Rich Hill doesn’t need another thing to make him unique, and yet here we are.
By now, the greatness of Rich Hill’s curveball is well understood. Among starting pitchers with at least 100 innings thrown since the beginning of last year, Hill is baseball’s ERA leader, and he’s become so by throwing exactly one curveball for every fastball. By usage, Hill curveballs like no one else. On a per-inning basis, only Jose Fernandez’s curve has been more valuable, according to our pitch-type linear weights. By dominance, Hill curveballs like nearly no one else. The spin rate ranks in the top five. Next to no one can spin it like Hill.
But what if there’s another way in which Hill’s curve stands out from the rest, and it’s potentially the most remarkable of all? Think about some of baseball’s nastiest curves — perhaps the ones thrown by guys like Fernandez, Corey Kluber, or Clayton Kershaw — and a play a mental.gif of a strikeout curve in your head. After the batter swung, did the pitch kick up some dirt? If it didn’t, I’d bet it was close. Typically speaking, pitchers want the curve low. The ones left up are the ones that get referred to as “hangers.” When a pitcher’s preparing to throw a two-strike curve, it’s commonplace to see the catchers tap his glove into the dirt, as if to say “put it here.” Except for when that catcher is catching Rich Hill:
Most Elevated Curveballs Name CB Low_CB Low_CB% Anthony Ranaudo 105 47 44.8% Steven Wright 314 142 45.2% Rich Hill 680 339 49.9% Alfredo Simon 118 62 52.5% Robbie Ross Jr. 154 83 53.9% SOURCE: BaseballSavant -Minimum 100 curveballs thrown in 2016
-Low_CB% defined as: any curveball below the middle of the strike zone (2.5 feet off the ground)
For reference, the league-average curve lands in the bottom half of the zone or beyond 74% of the time. Kershaw clocks in just a tick above that. Fernandez and Kluber each bury 83% of their curves. Just half of Hill’s curves are low. Or, to put it another way: half of Hill’s curves are elevated. Only Anthony Ranaudo and Steven Wright leave the curve up in the zone more often than Rich Hill; Ranaudo’s allowed a.600 slugging percentage against the pitch this year, and Wright is a knuckleballer who doesn’t play by the same rules. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about Hill the same way.
For fun, I prepared an image showing the average location of Hill’s curveball this year, and the average location of everyone else’s curveball:
One of those pitches looks a lot more hittable than the other, and that’s because, usually, it is. The numbers play out like this: when the curve’s been kept down this year, batters have whiffed on 16% of pitches, 35% of swings, and slugged just.323. When the curve’s been left up, batters have whiffed on just 3% of pitches, 11% of swings, and slugged.411. Those are just numbers to confirm what we already know: the low curve is better than the high curve. Except for when it comes out of Rich Hill’s hand.
This is almost certainly a product of Hill’s fastball tendencies. Hill also generates extreme spin on his four-seam fastball, and he throws that pitch above the middle of the strike zone 70% of the time — well above the league average of 51%. When one thinks of a fastball setting up a curve, one likely thinks of a high heater coming before a curve that darts downward out of the zone. With Hill, most everything is high. The curveball just follows the fastball.
This all got me thinking about something Hill told The Providence Journal’s Tim Britton back in May:
But overall with me, looking at your pitch axis and trying the mirroring effect of having your curveball on the same axis as your fastball is really what leads to the ultimate deception. If you can mirror each other with your spin axis of your curveball and your fastball, you’re on to something — for me, personally.
“The ultimate deception.” That’s what Hill’s high curve appears to accomplish, by “mirroring” it off the fastball. Consider the following at-bat against Houston’s Carlos Correa in early May:
And then consider Correa’s facial expressions while walking back to the dugout:
Similar to how a pitcher who strives for his changeup to resemble a low fastball for as long as possible, Hill appears to attempt the same with his curve for high fastballs. One imagines that, after the elevated heater to begin the at-bat against Correa, the following two curveballs, out of the hand, looked like they were on their way to being fastballs way up and out of the zone, until they weren’t. It’s the ultimate deception. Most pitchers throw the curve in the area where it gets swings and misses. Hill, more than nearly any other pitcher, throws his curve in the area where it’s designed not to get a swing at all.
And for what it’s worth, Hill knows when to bury the hook. Batters have been more than twice as likely to swing at the low curve (59%) than the high one (29%), and so when Hill’s looking for a whiff, he drops it down. In two-strike counts, Hill’s curve has been spotted below the midpoint of the strike zone 56% of the time; in non-two-strike counts, just 46%:
Hill often talks about the importance of “creativity” when it comes to pitching. This manifests itself in Hill’s tendency to drop down sidearm to give batters a different look and create a different shape with his breaking ball. It manifests itself in the occasional 61-mph curve. And it manifests itself in Hill’s willingness to leave curveballs up in the zone, an area where the league’s slugged.411 against the pitch, but just.250 against his. As if Rich Hill needed another way to be unique.10 draft prospects we're higher on than most
By Michael Renner • Apr 12, 2017
Each offseason, after countless hours of tape study and data analysis, the team at Pro Football Focus identifies a number of prospects that our analysts are higher on than the general draft community. Here we highlight those players and explain why they’ve climbed up the PFF Draft Board.
1. Derek Barnett, Edge, Tennessee
This one should come as no surprise. We’ve been pumping Barnett as the closest thing to Myles Garrett in this class for the last couple of years. The athleticism numbers are certainly concerning, but they aren’t devastatingly prohibitive—especially considering that the former Volunteer was still well above average in the 3-cone (6.96 seconds). Barnett led the entire FBS by a good margin with 37 combined sacks and hits last season. In each of the past two seasons, he’s actually graded out higher overall than Myles Garrett. Barnett is a special talent, just without special athleticism.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/849479459405213697
2. Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
Most places have Tre’Davious White as a borderline first rounder at this point. If it were up to us, he might not make it out of the top 10. White is the second-highest cornerback on our board, and the No. 12 prospect overall. He is a bit of a one-year wonder, as his 2016 tape far and away trumped the previous two seasons, but it was so good that it’s hard to see him land outside of Round 1. Last year, he allowed 26 of 61 targets for only 302 yards, intercepted two passes, and broke up 12 more.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/850476041961447424
3. Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
The general consensus seems to imply that there is no slam dunk No. 1 receiver in this class. We’d contend that Davis is that guy. There’s question marks around his level of competition and the fact that he’s yet to work out, but when you push play, those concerns dissolve. He’s been a top-seven-graded receiver nationwide each of the past three seasons, with superb production against Power-5 competition, as well.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/849630455108427776
4. Nathan Gerry, S, Nebraska
In terms of production grades at the safety position in 2016, LSU’s Jamal Adams was PFF’s top safety. It may surprise that second on that list was the unheralded Nebraska safety, Nathan Gerry, who collected four interceptions and six more pass breakups. What’s even more impressive, though, is that he allowed only one completion of 20-plus yards into his coverage all season long. That reliability on the back end has considerable value in the NFL.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/846021675187687426
5. Carl Lawson, Edge, Auburn
The SEC was loaded with pass-rushers this past season. In terms of pure pass-rushing grade, Lawson actually outdid Myles Garrett a season ago. His nine sacks don’t appear to be anything special, but his 69 total QB pressures paint a better picture. That mark was sixth-best in the country, and looked even more impressive when you consider those pressures came on over 150 fewer pass-rushes than the FBS leader, Hunter Dimick (Utah).
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/849041595160723457
6. Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo
There seems to be a consensus on the top five running backs in this class to some degree. The sixth slot is up for grabs, though, and on our board, that spot is filled by Hunt. His 1,473 yards and 5.6 yards per attempt average aren’t eye-popping, but he still came out as PFF’s highest-graded running back by far in 2016. Much of that was due to his 76 broken tackles on 261 handoffs (second-most in the country) and 22 broken tackles on 41 receptions (third-most in the nation).
https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/846029282245795840
7. Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
Off-field issues aside, Lewis’ size and speed combination is never going to make a team excited about drafting him in the first round. If ball-skills could be quantified, though, teams might rethink that stance. Over the past two seasons, Lewis has 24 total pass breakups, easily the most in the nation. That’s all the more impressive when you consider the fact he missed a good portion of his senior season. Lewis has been targeted 135 times over the past two years and has only allowed 49 receptions into his coverage.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/837702625378320384
8. Mack Hollins, WR, North Carolina
It’s difficult to get too excited about a receiver with 81 catches on 144 targets over the past three seasons, but that’s exactly how we feel about Mack Hollins. Hollins turned those 81 catches into 1,667 yards for a per catch average of 20.6 yards. At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, that is ridiculous big-play ability. His speed is so easy and formidable at his size that he could develop into a terrifying deep threat.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/844647623516655617
9. Tanzel Smart, DT, Tulane
As it stands, this defensive tackle class leaves a lot to be desired. There are a handful of guys in the Day 2 mix, with only “tweeners” like Jonathan Allen and Solomon Thomas getting first-round hype. One guy who we believe should be firmly in that Day 2 mix is the ultra-productive Tulane defensive tackle, Tanzel Smart. Smart was an iron man, playing 100 snaps in a game against Louisiana-Lafayette this season. Even though he rarely came off the field, Smart was still PFF’s ninth-highest-graded interior defender last season.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/847229662480580609
10. Blair Brown, LB, Ohio
Blair Brown is another non-Power-5 mid-round prospect whom we believe is more than that. Brown was the second-highest-graded off-ball linebacker in the entire country a season ago, trailing only Alabama’s Reuben Foster. Brown is not only a fantastic athlete for the position, but he’s also an unbelievably sure tackler. On 134 attempts last season, Brown missed only three tackles.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/848558393325490176Former CBS investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson had some harsh words to share about the Obama administration and its supporters while she was a guest on Monday morning's Fox & Friends program.
After viewing some clips from Sunday's edition of ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos in which conservative pundit Laura Ingraham and Democratic analyst David Plouffe clashed over the death of four Americans in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, Attkisson said she believes that a concerted effort is taking place to divert investigations into that deadly attack, an effort that is being orchestrated by people close to the White House. [See video below.]
“Well, the key words they use, such as ‘conspiracy’ and ‘delusional,’ are in my opinion clearly designed to try to controversialize a story -- a legitimate news story and a legitimate area of journalistic inquiry,” Attkisson asserted.
“To some degree, that's been successful,” she added, “but I think primarily among those who don't want to look at this as a story in the first place.”
Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck began the Fox News segment by welcoming Attkinsson to the program and noting that Ingraham took on Plouffe during the previous day's ABC program, “and she let him kinda have it.”
During the first clip, Plouffe charged: “This has been politicized like we've never seen before. Richard Nixon talked about a'silent majority' back in 1968. There's a very loud, delusional minority that's driving our politics, that's in control of the Republican Party. There's no conspiracy here at all.”
Ingraham sharply disagreed, stating that an email sent by Ben Rhodes, a White House communication advisor, indicates that "from the beginning, the administration saw Benghazi as a political problem."
“The politicizing was going on at the White House,” she noted, “and that email was clear evidence of it.”
Taking a page from 24 hero Jack Bauer's playbook, Plouffe said:
This was happening in real time, As soon as information was identified, it was released. That’s why over the course of those weeks, we knew exactly what happened.
There was no politicalization. [Obama] in the Rose Garden talked about it as a terrorist attack. What is happening here, and it’s stoked by the talk radio personalities and Fox News, is an alternative reality.
“Oh, here’s the blame game,” Ingraham replied. “You’re masters of this. It’s Fox News’s fault.”
Also during Sunday's program, the radio show host stated:
We have four dead Americans. A U.S. ambassador’s body was dragged through the streets, okay? It was beyond heartbreaking and infuriating. No one in custody. Have an arrest warrant out. No one in custody. And in the immediate aftermath, the response was to go political.
If this were George Bush, [if he] would have done anything like this, you would be going nuts on it. You would be going ballistic.
“The only difference here is that the Bush administration did not put out a false narrative as situations,” added former U.S. senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania. “[The Obama administration] put out a narrative that was not supported by the evidence. … George Bush did not try to move the ball, to deflect it.”
Back on Monday, co-host Brian Kilmeade joined the conversation by stating:
It's interesting that in the past, when something [popped] up, that there was an ongoing investigation about Valerie Plame, for example, you had George Bush say 'I'm going to get a special prosecutor involved,' and he demanded everybody cooperate with the investigation.
Now you have someone, an administration that just puts up blocking signs everywhere you go and tries to go after those who are asking the questions.
He added that Attkisson is “hardly somebody who goes after conservative causes. You go after everybody. So you just are pursuing this story like anything else. How is the answer you're getting different from anything else?”
“I basically am trying to keep my nose to the grindstone,” Attkisson replied, “and if I were influenced by the left-wing blogs and people who are trying to steer the public in a certain way, I would be left covering pretty much nothing but the weather now.”
“I'm still continuing to do what I see as my job, but I can tell you that other investigative journalists have noticed the trend that you've mentioned,” she said.
“I was at a conference about a week and a half ago, and there were reporters, Pulitzer Prize winners from the New York Times and other publications, who were all raising red flags about what the Obama administration has done in terms of restrictions to press freedoms," Attkisson noted, and they were saying things like: 'We have to speak truth to power, and stand up and take action.'”
Let's hope that happens very soon.A federal judge in North Dakota acted late on Thursday to block the Obama administration’s controversial water pollution rule, hours before it was due to take effect.
Judge Ralph Erickson of the District Court for the District of North Dakota found that the 13 states suing to block the rule met the conditions necessary for a preliminary injunction, including that they would likely be harmed if courts didn't act and that they are likely to succeed when their underlying lawsuit against the rule is decided.
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The decision is a major roadblock for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers, who were planning on Friday to begin enforcing the Waters of the United States rule, expanding federal jurisdiction over small waterways, like streams and wetlands.
But the Obama administration says it will largely enforce the regulation as planned, arguing that the Thursday decision only applies to the 13 states that requested the injunction.
“Once the rule takes effect, the states will lose their sovereignty over intrastate waters that will then be subject to the scope of the Clean Water Act,” Erickson wrote in his order.
“While the exact amount of land that would be subject to the increase is hotly disputed, the agencies admit to an increase in control over those traditional state-regulated waters of between 2.84 to 4.65 percent. Immediately upon the rule taking effect, the rule will irreparably diminish the states’ power over their waters,” he continued, calling the Obama administration's interpretation of its jurisdiction "exceptionally expansive."
The states and the federal government argued over how to judge the likelihood that opponents of the rule would win their case. But Erickson decided that the regulation is not likely to stand up to full court consideration.
In a statement shortly after the ruling, the EPA was defiant and said that the injunction only applies in the 13 states that filed for it: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
“In all other respects, the rule is effective on August 28,” EPA Press Secretary Melissa Harrison said in the statement. “The agencies are evaluating these orders and considering next steps in the litigation.”
The EPA’s interpretation appears to conflict with responses from most stakeholders, lawmakers and others.
The water rule quickly became one of the most controversial regulations from Obama’s EPA, opposed by most states and many business, agriculture and development interests, among others.
They argue that the regulation greatly expands the federal government’s authority over water and land.
The Obama administration says the rule is necessary to protect small waterways from pollution or harm, as called for under the Clean Water Act.
As a preliminary injunction, Erickson’s ruling is designed only to last as long as the litigation persists, and can be overturned.
The 13 states, led by North Dakota, are participating in just one of 10 lawsuits against the water rule. In total, 29 states, along with business interests representing energy, developers, farmers and others, are suing.
The cases have been consolidated into one lawsuit at the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, but Erickson argued that he could still issue his injunction. Multiple litigants had requested injunctions in their lawsuits, and most had been dismissed and deferred to the Sixth Circuit.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in West Virginia declined to block the rule. Shortly after Erickson's decision in North Dakota, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in the District Court for the Southern District of Georgia also declined a plea from 11 states to block the rule, saying she lacked jurisdiction.
Congressional Republicans and their allies applauded the injunction.
“The judge’s decision to block the rule — which was challenged by 13 states — is encouraging, especially as EPA’s credibility has been questioned in the past month,” said Julia Slingsby, spokeswoman for House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop Robert (Rob) William BishopAddressing repair backlog at national parks can give Congress a big win Senate votes to extend key funding mechanism for parks Republicans push back at first climate hearings MORE (R-Utah). “The EPA needs to be stopped before it does more harm to our nation’s precious water resources.”
“A federal court threw a giant wrench into the EPA and Army Corps’s plan to radically expand their power,” said Dan Danner, head of the National Federation for Independent Businesses, which filed one of the lawsuits.
“The agencies ignored the impact of their actions on small business and ignored prior Supreme Court decisions.”
The League of Conservation Voters sharply criticized the decision.
“This is a terrible decision for the 1 in 3 Americans who have already been waiting too long for these vital protections for their drinking water,” said Madeleine Foote, the group’s legislative representative.
“The District Court for North Dakota’s decision puts the interests of big polluters over people in need of clean water,” she said.
This story was updated at 7:23 p.m.
Read the judge's ruling below:
Federal judge blocks Obama’s water ruleRecently by Mark R. Crovelli: Patriotism Is the Last Refuge of anIdiot
Maybe it is the fact that most Americans are educated in socialistic quasi-prisons today. Whatever the reason, it seems to be virtually impossible for Americans to conceive of an economy devoid of invasive government regulations and manipulations. The idea of completely freeing the economy of these burdensome government contrivances, which is precisely what free-market anarchism means, is thus completely incomprehensible to them. A totally free market for anything is assumed from the outset to be impossible, unworkable, and dangerous.
And yet, there is at least one sector of the American economy that is already about as anarchistic as could possibly be imagined. I am talking about the thousands of businesses that install roofs and rain gutters in this country. It is an industry that is exciting, dynamic and thrillingly free. The industry offers an important economic lesson for unimaginative Americans who blithely assume that free-market anarchism is impossible, unworkable, and dangerous.
That the roofing industry could be as anarchistic as I claim may seem absurd at first glance, since there are layers upon layers of laws "regulating" it. There are licensing laws in some jurisdictions governing who may or may not install roofs and gutters. There are myriad federal and state laws governing worker safety and workers' compensation. There are laws governing the minimum wage and restricting the hiring "illegal" immigrants. And finally, there are laws and "codes" governing the installation of the roofing system itself.
How can an industry be considered virtually anarchistic when there exist thousands of federal, state and local laws "regulating" it?
The answer, quite frankly, is that the vast majority of roofing companies don't give a rat's ass about the governments' laws. Most don't care a whit whether the rich scumbags in congress don't want them to hire Mexicans. They hire them in droves in order to drive down their prices. Most don't care one iota whether fat OSHA office workers want them to wear unwieldy and dangerous harnesses. They simply don't force their workers to wear them, as if the law were voluntary. Most don't give a damn what the federal minimum wage laws say. They pay their workers as little as the workers will accept in this bad economy and the workers are fantastically happy to have the job. And most don't give even a moment's notice to the licensing laws for roofers in certain jurisdictions. They simply have licensed people pull permits for them as quickly as they please. Call me if you need one pulled!
They don't care at all about these laws because they know the trump card is in their hands: bankruptcy. If the jackasses down at OSHA try to go after one of them for not wearing harnesses, the company will miraculously go under that day only to reemerge two days later with a new name and a new proprietor. If the immigration bureaucrats come after them for hiring so-called "illegals," the remaining "legals" will hang out drinking beer for a few weeks until their other guys are able to get back over the border to get back to work. No big deal. (I once worked with a Mexican in California who was deported early one morning and made it back to work before lunchtime!) What's the worst the bureaucrats can do to you as a roofing business owner? Take your compressor or stick you with some fines? Ha! See you in two days!
This refreshingly rebellious attitude toward the governments' asinine laws does not mean that roofers do not care about the quality of their work, however. The key to staying in business and making money in the roofing industry is installing quality roofs and having zero leaks. Either that, or you run from state to state putting up bad roofs for suckers and then get out of town as quickly as possible. (If you ever wondered what kind of person is falling for those ridiculous Nigerian email scams, it's the same idiot who's hiring a cheap, out-of-town roofing company. He no doubt wonders how he keeps getting scammed).
Roofers care about putting up good roofs because much of their business comes from word-of-mouth. If you put up a bad roof, you can be sure to have lost that entire neighborhood for once and for all. Also, since any decent roofer has liability insurance against leaks (it is in fact required to do work for insurance companies), he cares passionately about not |
recipients both.�); Red Lion Broad. Co. v. FCC, 395 U.S. 367, 390 (1969) (�It is the right of the public to receive suitable access to social, political, esthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences.... That right may not constitutionally be abridged....�).
Indeed, several courts have held that the act of indexing and linking to copyrighted material� which was the government�s basis for seizing the domain names�is not direct or indirect copyright infringement. See Field v. Google Inc., 412 F. Supp. 2d 1106 (D. Nev. 2006); see also Ticketmaster Corp. v. Tickets.com, Inc., No. CV 99-7654 HLH(BQRX), 2000 WL 525390, at *2 (C.D.Cal. Mar. 27, 2000) (finding that hyperlinking to other sites does not constitute direct infringement); Arista Records, Inc. v. MP3Board, Inc., No. 00 CIV. 4660, (SHS) 2002 WL 1997918, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 29, 2002) (unreported) (linking to content does not implicate distribution right and thus, does not give rise to liability for direct copyright infringement); Online Policy Group v. Diebold, Inc., 337 F.Supp.2d 1195, 1202 n.12 (N.D. Cal. 2004) (�Hyperlinking per se does not constitute direct copyright infringement because there is no copying.�).
Puerto 80 does not host any infringing material on the websites which operate under the subject domain names... In the same way a search engine or other site which aggregates links to existing material on the Internet, Rojadirecta provides an index of links to streams of sporting events that can already be found on the Internet through a search for those sites or simply by typing the URL for the site directly. Id. Such activity does not constitute direct copyright infringement, much less criminal infringement. See supra, at note 8. Indeed, United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Or) made this point in a letter he wrote to ICE Director John Morton and Attorney General Holder expressing concern over the government�s seizure of the subject domain names....
Puerto 80�s operation of the Rojadirecta site does not constitute contributory infringement because the subject domain names are capable of�and are, in fact, used for� substantial non-infringing uses. Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417, reh�g denied, 465 U.S. 1112 (1984); Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC, 715 F. Supp. 2d 481, 517-18 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (summary judgment inappropriate where material fact existed as to whether file-sharing program, which was �used overwhelmingly for infringement,� is �capable of substantial non-infringing uses.�).
Nor is Rojadirecta a site devoted simply to linking to such streams. In addition to providing a forum for discussion on sports, politics, and a variety of other topics, the Rojadirecta site enables users to post links to authorized sports broadcasts. For example, on Saturday, February 12, 2011, the Rojadirecta site (hosted on the rojadirecta.es domain name) provided a link to �9:30am Hockey (NHL): Los Angeles � Washington.�... Clicking on this link opened a new window for the Yahoo! sports website for the National Hockey League, and provided a live stream of the match between the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals. Id.
Nor does Puerto 80�s operation of the Rojadirecta site constitute vicarious liability because it does not have �a right and ability to supervise that coalesce[s] with an obvious and direct financial interest in the exploitation of copyrighted materials.� Softel, Inc. v. Dragon Med. & Sci. Commc�ns Inc., 118 F.3d 955, 971 (2d Cir. 1997) (quoting Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. v. H.L. Green Co., 316 F.2d 304, 307 (2d Cir. 1963) (emphasis added)). Puerto 80 does not receive any revenue that is derived from specific content hosted on, or streamed by, the sites to which it links.... In other words, Puerto 80 does not receive any revenue from any site to which a user can link from the subject domain names based upon the content of that site. Id. To the extent there is any site to which Rojadirecta links that contains infringing material, Puerto 80 receives no specific financial benefit from a user clicking through to that site and viewing such content.... Because Puerto 80�s revenues are not tied to whether or not infringing material is linked to or accessed, the government cannot show that Puerto 80 has a �direct financial interest in the exploitation of copyrighted materials� which �coalesce[s] with� any right or ability to supervise what is linked to on the site. See Artists Music, Inc. v. Reed Publ�g (USA), Inc., Nos. 93 civ. 3428(JFK), 73163, 1994 WL 191643, at *6 (S.D.N.Y. May 17, 1994) (direct financial benefit not established where defendant leased space at a trade show for a fixed fee to exhibitors who played infringing music, but defendant�s revenues were not dependant on whether exhibitors actually played music or what they played); Viacom Int�l Inc. v. YouTube, Inc., 718 F. Supp. 2d 514, 521 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (in DMCA safe-harbor context, �financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity� not established �where the infringer makes the same kind of payment as non-infringing users of the provider�s service�) (quoting Senate Judiciary Committee Report and the House Committee on Commerce Report, H.R. Rep. No. 105-551, pt. 2 (1998)).
This morning, we wrote about the list of sites that ICE knew was challenging its domain seizures, and some people complained that there still were no details. There's been a lot happening behind the scenes, but the first bit of public information is now available, as the company behind Rojadirecta, Puerto80 has officially filed suit against the US government, demanding the return of its domains. Not only that, but it's brought on some top notch legal talent to help them. The company is represented by Ragesh Tangri and Mark Lemley from Durie Tangri. If you're at all familiar with intellectual property law, you know who Lemley is, and know the level of respect he gets within intellectual property circles. In fact, it's interesting to note that one of Lemley's papers is one that we've seen frequently cited by those who believe the domain seizures are legal. The fact that he's arguing on the other side seems pretty telling.As for the filing itself, it details the stalling by the US government that we pointed out last month:The filing notes that it is asking the court to speed up the process, as it tried to be patient, but the delays in reclaiming the domain are harming Puerto 80's business. It also notes that "in hopes of avoiding having its property tied up in lengthy forfeiture proceedings, Puerto 80 decided to engage in good faith negotiations with the government and held off filing the instant petition pending the outcome of those discussions." It then lists out all of the detailed attempts to get the domains back. It involves multiple attempts by Puerto 80's lawyers to discuss this with the Justice Department, and as we heard from pretty much all the sites in this process, talking to anyone substantial proved to be quite difficult. It also notes that "the government attempted to dissuade Puerto 80 from filing anything in district court." That supports our contention that the government really wanted to avoid a legal challenge...As for the specific legal arguments, it starts out by pointing out that under the rules for seized property, there are certain conditions under which the seized property should be returned -- with a key one being that "the property will be available at the time of the trial." As we've discussed at length, the key official reason for seizures is to preserve evidence. That's why this is a key element here: if the evidence will be there, there is no reason for the seizure.Then out come the big guns, starting with the claim (as we've suggested in the past) that the seizure represents unlawful prior restraint (i.e., a violation of the First Amendment). Here's a big chunk of the filing, included in its entirety (minus footnotes), because it's quite interesting:If you want the key bit, it's from that third paragraph above. One of the footnotes also points out (as we've noted elsewhere ) that the government appears to have made up, whole cloth, the idea that linking to infringing content can be seen asinfringement:Finally, the filing points out that the domain names did not meet the conditions set out under US law to qualify for seizure in the first place, saying that it is not contraband, evidence, "particularly suited for illegal activities" or "likely to be used to commit additional criminal acts." That last one, I assume, is the one that most supporters of the seizures will take issue with, but, the argument is again laid out in tremendous detail:Furthermore, the filing points out that the government totally failed to meet the requirements to showcopyright infringement, and notes that the government cannot show that Rojadirecta meets those requirements.The full filing is embedded below, but I've pulled out most of the key points above... Earlier this morning we had supporters of the domain seizures insist that no one was actually filing lawsuits in the US over this. It will be interesting to see how they respond to this particular filing.
Filed Under: copyright, criminal copyright infringement, dhs, doj, domain seizures, ice, mark lemley, rojadirecta, seizures
Companies: puerto 80Power is a devastatingly addictive device. It can corrupt seemingly strong and moral men, it can lead to the slaughtering of entire civilizations, and it can bring longheld regimes to their knees. Once a person becomes consumed by the quest for power, individuals become nothing more than pawns to be sacrificed in the name of maintaining order and control.
So it has been since the beginning of governed societies and so it will be as long as there are states to seize and wield. It is for this reason that Game of Thrones is such a compelling series.
As its title implies, Game of Thrones is all about the pursuit of the crown in the fictional realm of Westeros. Not wanting to be plagued with an extreme case of FOMO when the newest season finally aired and having a particular affinity for all forms of entertainment involving dragons, I spent much of the last two weeks of my life binge-watching the six completed seasons of the series.
“Maybe Your Mistake Was Trusting in Kings”
The series serves as a thesis on the nature of power and its impact on the individual.As I made my way through each episode, initially disturbed by all the blood but eventually becoming somewhat desensitized to the number of heads being casually sliced off, I realized that all the violence perpetuated in the show was committed in the quest for power and at the expense of the individual. Or, to put it differently, all the lives being sacrificed were lost in the name of propping up the state.
To make matters worse, aside from a few exceptions, each of the seven kingdoms of Westeros is ruled by landholding lords who care more about maintaining their positions than the welfare of their own subjects. And while many of these lords, Ramsey Bolton and King Joffrey in particular, are heinous creatures drunk off their own authority and without any redeemable qualities, there are still serfs and military members who are all too willing to die to protect a leader who cares nothing for them.
And even though history is replete with obedient subjects, I still couldn’t understand why the people of Westeros were so eager to have someone rule over them. These rulers had nothing of value to offer their people aside from the false promise of security from foreign threats. Yet with each display of corrupt leadership came more unwavering loyalty.
Even the Brotherhood Without Banners, which is a loosely structured group of individuals who refuse to pledge their allegiance to a particular lord, are inclined to follow a leader. What this all inevitably boils down to, and what the show so poignantly demonstrates, is the age-old truth of absolute power corrupting absolutely— no matter which geographical region or ideological background it originated from. And while the series is most likely not meant to be a thesis on the nature of power and its impact on the individual, it undoubtedly is.
But then there came a ray of light.
As I watched the sixth season, I noticed the tides finally changing. The people were sick of fighting for causes that did not directly impact them. They were tired of making the ultimate sacrifice even thought they knew they would suffer oppression – regardless of who leads them. Trusting in governments had truly only made their lives worse. No king or lord was going to liberate them by keeping them in absolute servitude.
In one of the last episodes of season six, as two characters are discussing how they ended up in their predicament, one comments, “Maybe your first mistake was trusting in kings.” How aptly this comment summarizes the entire problem human civilization has grappled with for years. Why do individuals place their trust in authoritarianism?
Cast Off Your Chains
Fear is one of the strongest human motivators. It can lead people to do things they never thought they were capable of doing. It can lead individuals to capitulate to the whims of leaders they believe will protect them in return.
In what may be the most genius strategy ever executed in the fictional world, Daenerys Targaryen assumes her role as conqueror of Easteros by preying on the fears of the enslaved populations and playing the role of hero in neighboring lands.
With each land she conquers, she promises freedom to the local slave class – so long as they sacrifice their lives to aid her in her conquests. And while these enslaved people initially view her as their benevolent emancipator, she is merely a master of a more cunning variety.This situation could, for example, be likened to a nation claiming to be free while instituting a compulsory draft. It is freedom in name only. At the end of the day, the lives of each citizen are still pledged to whoever resides on the throne and their only real value in the eyes of the ruler is as a dispensable body to stand in the way of an opposing army “storming the castle.”
Fear can lead people to do things they never thought they were capable of doing.
As her army steadily begins to grow and she continues to conquer each new government that stands in her way, Daenerys continues to speak of liberating those who have been mistreated by their former masters. While she probably has the most noble heart of any of the characters on the show – aside from the Starks (Jon Snow included) – she still maintains her power through the use of force.
Daenerys encourages her collection of freemen to kill in her name with almost no discretion given to the matter. However, after a group of masters go on a killing rampage over the loss of their slave population, Daenerys, human as she is, begins to exhibit a rule of will over the rule of law she claims to live by; the Achilles heel of so many rulers before her.
Wanting to show her opposition that she is a just and strict ruler to tone down their campaign against her, Daenerys puts the man responsible for slaughtering her people on trial, instead of executing him on the spot like so many others. However, while he is awaiting his day in court, one of her soldiers, overwhelmed by his love and devotion for his queen, utilizes vigilante justice and takes the man’s life.
Showing what happens when someone disobeys her authority, Daenerys has her own man publicly beheaded as he begs her for mercy. But what is particularly enlightening about this scene is that while attempting to stand up for the rule of law she is actually doing it a great disservice by denying her own soldier a trial. For the rule of law to exist, due process would have to be applied equally to each citizen. Instead, only those of higher ranks are given that right.
This angers her newly liberated slave soldiers as they realize they have traded one master for another. And where once the revolting slaves had written “kill your masters in blood,” underneath it now reads “Mhysa is a master,” referring to Daenerys.
For the entire duration of the show up until this point, I had believed Daenarys to be the most incorruptible character on the show. Sure, she kills people, but every character on the show kills and at least Daenerys’ intentions were purer than most. Not only had she spent most her life in exile, she was, for all intents and purposes, a slave in her own right.
Before her brother died by her own authority, Daenerys had been subjected to a wide range of atrocities at his hand. She was beaten and even routinely gifted to men in order to fulfill whatever ends her brother was after. In fact, even her marriage was a result of force since she was gifted to a savage warrior king in order to add more might behind the Targaryen claim to the throne.
All these factors instantly made Daenerys a sympathetic character rooted for by viewers. Since she had endured so much hardship in her life, one had high hopes for her character. But not even Daenerys, the mother of dragons, was able to see how power had slowly corrupted her in spite of her claims of liberation. Without even noticing, she had become the same enemy she claimed to be against.
Winter Has Always Been Coming
"Winter is coming" is a reminder that only constant vigilance can keep tyranny at bay.
So long as there have been governments instituted among men, so has the threat of tyranny inevitably loomed around the corner. And as history and even fantasy fiction have shown, the only antidote to tyranny is constant vigilance.
“Winter is coming” is the creed of the House of Stark. It is repeated often both by the Stark family and their northern supporters scattered throughout the seven kingdoms. It is an ominous warning to never let one’s guard down or become complacent in the comfort of the present. Winter, or some other formidable foe, is always waiting in the wings.
For the Starks, winter manifests itself in the fight for power in which they are inevitably caught because of their noble origins. The Starks are unique in that they have never actively pursued the crown. Their main concern has always been survival and maintaining their family honor. But unlike the others, they do not see the throne as the only means to their ends. Even when the dying King appoints Ned as the acting king until his son comes of age, Stark only agrees because the heir to the throne was a tyrant-in-waiting.
While some members of the House of Stark have dabbled with power, Sansa especially, the family is an extreme juxtaposition to the other characters on the show.They seem to understand the nature of power and what those who seek it are willing to do. They also seem to understand the need for constant vigilance. They know there will always be those who fight for total and complete control, and that they themselves must always be prepared to fight back to uphold and protect their dignity as individuals.
There will almost certainly always be an ongoing game of thrones in the real world. As people fight to obtain and maintain their power, the individuals are the ones who lose along the way. As Game of Thrones has so brilliantly shown us so long as societies insist on having a king, or a president, or some ultimate authority figure, winter will always be coming and it will come at the expense of the individual.UQ researchers are undertaking research on the potential effects of cat eradication on an island.
Parks Australia and the WA Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) are leading a project to eradicate feral cats on Christmas Island, something very few populated islands in the world have successfully achieved.
UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Dr Eve McDonald-Madden is supporting the project with research to ensure the cat eradication does not produce any unintended impacts on wildlife.
“On other islands, cat eradication programs have sometimes had unexpected negative flow on effects,” Dr McDonald-Madden said.
“Each island is unique, but in some cases a reduction in cats has led to an increase in feral rats or other invasive species, which can also be a big problem for native wildlife.
“Our research is looking at these potential consequences – such as the impact rats have on nesting sea birds and forest birds – and how this could change as cat numbers reduce.”
Dr McDonald-Madden said the research team, led by the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Recovery Hub, will work with Christmas Island National Park managers and DBCA to predict and avert potential problems.
“Overall this will ensure that threatened species on Christmas Island will get the maximum possible benefit from the cat eradication,” she said.
Feral cats remain a key threat for many species on the island, as it is a site of international conservation significance and home to many unique species found nowhere else in the world.
Christmas Island National Park Manager Scott Suridge said feral cats are very efficient predators and have been a major problem for many of the island’s threatened species.
“We’ve made significant inroads into the feral problem, by first removing over 950 stray cats living around the township, and getting community support for a program of mandatory registration and desexing of per cats,” Mr Suridge said.
“We’ll continue to work hard with our partners to ensure we remain on track with the aim of ridding the rest of the island of feral cats by 2020.”
Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 1120; Parks Australia Media Manager Mark Sawa, mark.sawa@environment.gov.au, +61 2 6274 1276, +61 416 911 968.BP MS 150 cancels Sunday's ride Copyright by KXAN - All rights reserved Copyright by KXAN - All rights reserved Start line of BP MS 150 2014. (Courtesy: National Multiple Sclerosis Society) Bad weather leads to cancellation of BP MS 150 Day 2 Start line of BP MS 150 2014. (Courtesy: National Multiple Sclerosis Society) prev next
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The threat of severe weather has BP MS 150 organizers concerned about the safety of cyclists, leading to the cancellation of the event on Sunday. While they have cancelled the event Sunday, organizers have still given the go ahead for Saturday.
The bike ride from Houston to Austin is raising funds for The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Day one of the ride was cancelled last year due to storms. For now, the event will run as scheduled on Saturday, April 16, but will end in La Grange and not continue to Sunday.
Organizers said they will monitor weather conditions, but ask that cyclists assess their own skill and comfort level participating in the bike ride. Updates on weather conditions and how it will impact the event will be posted here.
Riders will travel from Houston and end at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The goal is to raise $20 million to fund multiple sclerosis (MS) research and programs.
MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. It impacts how information flows from the brain to the body.1 of 4 2 of 4
If you’ve dismissed Bitcoin as a joke because of its wild price swings, Cameron Gray believes you’re making a huge mistake.
Gray, cofounder of Decentral Vancouver (436 West Pender Street), is convinced the open-source technology behind the peer-to-peer digital currency is the “next big thing”. He specifically points to Bitcoin’s block chain, the decentralized database that records all transactions conducted with this form of electronic money.
“The block chain is one of the most significant inventions since the Internet itself,” Gray, who’s also the organizer of the Vancouver Ethereum Meetup, said in an interview. “That sounds grandiose. I would say it’s even more important than the Internet, even though it’s built on the Internet. But from a socioeconomic standpoint, it changes everything.”
Decentral Vancouver is a community incubator for disruptive and decentralized technology that is ground zero for the local cryptocurrency scene. Inspired by Toronto’s Decentral business-development centre, it opened in February as Decentral Bangtown, launched a membership program in early November, and is now home to about a dozen startups and projects.
Gray and his fellow founder, Freddie Heartline, gave a tour of the rundown basement housing Decentral Vancouver and introduced the Georgia Straight to some of its mentors and members. The main room features sofas, fridges stocked with beer, a Bitcoin ATM, and a screen displaying an up-to-date Bitcoin price chart.
There are “mining” machines scattered all around the place, all dedicated to producing Monero, a cryptocurrency based on the CryptoNote protocol rather than Bitcoin’s source code. Asked why Monero, Heartline replied: “It’s just where the money is right now.”
Cryptocurrency mining machines are scattered about Decentral Vancouver. Stephen Hui
Decentral Vancouver’s drop-in members pay $25 per month for access to the space. For $50 a month, premium members get workshops, meet-up hosting privileges, and maybe even a key to the basement, which Gray and Heartline are renovating.
“We hack in here,” Heartline said. “We’re building companies in here. We hang out and exchange information. We play video games. We have meet-ups.”
Heartline is involved with two startups: CoinOS is an open-source Bitcoin point-of-sale system used by businesses around town, and Carsurfing is a ride-sharing platform tied to Facebook events. But Gray said one of the most exciting projects hosted by Decentral Vancouver is a wireless mesh network tentatively being called PeerWeb.
PeerWeb’s founder, Jacob Payne, explained that the network, which is still theoretical, will allow people to resell their unused Internet bandwidth to others for Bitcoin micropayments. According to the web developer, this will create a “community ISP” and lower the cost of Internet access for users.
“When you’re not at home or you’re not at work, you’re still paying for that Internet that you’re not using,” Payne said, as passersby walked over the purple glass bricks embedded in the sidewalk above one end of the basement. “So what if, instead, you could actually have people pay you for that Internet that you’re not using, with Bitcoin?”
Payne is also the creator of Bitbasket, which is billed as a “scalable peer-to-peer multi-cryptocurrency wallet system”. He said the idea is to use cutting-edge “two-way pegging” or “sidechain” technology to make it easier to invest in multiple cryptocurrencies.
“It’s basically index funds for cryptocurrencies,” Payne said.
Freddie Heartline and Cameron Gray (with Eleanor the cat) are the founders of Decentral Vancouver. Stephen Hui
Other startups and organizations associated with Decentral Vancouver include the Bitcoin Co-op, Satoshi Vote, Tom and Gary’s Decentralized Dance Party, and Vanbex Group. Security expert Andreas Antonopoulos, Ethereum cocreator Vitalik Buterin, MaidSafe CEO David Irvine, and angel investor Roger Ver are among the Bitcoin luminaries who have given talks via video-conferencing to meet-up groups in the basement.
Decentral Vancouver member Charlene Tessier is the chief financial officer for Dana.io—the local startup behind a crowdfunding platform that accepts Bitcoin, Darkcoin, and Litecoin donations—and was the lead organizer of November’s Startup Weekend Vancouver. The financial and business analyst noted that companies typically have questions about tax compliance regarding cryptocurrencies. She believes that decentralized technology will “shake the foundation” of the financial-services industry.
“I generally encourage the use of cryptocurrency,” Tessier said. “It’s fascinating. As well, I believe, especially in the financial area, it’s the next evolution. Most of the major industries have been disrupted by technology, with the exception of financial.”
In a November 13 speech, Carolyn Wilkins, senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, said the central bank is watching developments in electronic money “closely”. She noted Bitcoin comes with both benefits (lower transaction costs than credit cards) and risks (no deposit insurance).
“Another important issue is the potential for e-money to fundamentally change the financial architecture in ways that we don’t yet understand but that could pose risks to financial stability,” Wilkins said at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. “Think about a crash in a cryptocurrency as an example. If the cryptocurrency were widely used, the economic and financial implications of such a crash would be significant because they would result in a dramatic reduction in household wealth.”
A Bitcoin banner hangs from the building housing Decentral Vancouver. Stephen Hui
Jesse Heaslip, former CEO of Bitcoin-exchange startup Bex.io, and Bernd Petak, a technology-investment consultant, are two of Decentral Vancouver’s mentors. Petak noted that Vancouver is a “second-string player” in the global tech sector.
“In the cryptotechnology space, we’re a first-string player,” Petak said. “So there are as many exciting and innovative things happening in Vancouver at a big enough scale as there are anyplace else. I think we stand the opportunity to be on the A team rather than on the B team.”
According to Petak, fear of the political implications of decentralization is “silly” because this process has repeatedly occurred throughout history. As an example, he pointed to the creation of the first Apple computers, which helped bring personal computers to the masses in the 1970s.
“Look at the benefits of that,” Petak said. “No one would look back now and say that that decentralizing of computer power was detrimental to society.”Carolina or St. Louis? Brisket or Pork shoulder? This summer, navigate the maze of sauce styles, meat cuts, and cooking methods of barbecue.
Depending on where you’re from, barbecue can mean a number of things. Styles, techniques, recipes and definitions vary widely and there are stark divisions across the United States. Barbeque, as we know it in the US, is an icon as American as “amber waves of grain.” The fundamentals of barbecue, however, have existed since man first learned to control the sacred flame. Ultimately, barbecue boils down to cooking meat slowly over fire. Beyond that, leave it alone – it’s never wise to challenge what, for many, is an article of faith.
The spelling of the word and etymology is as ambiguous in American culture as the meaning. You can find evidence to trace ‘barbecue’, or ‘barbeque’, back to ‘barabicu’ from 16th century Spanish and English texts or you could point to more modern cowboy stories that are clever and believable. Barbeque is used to refer to a kind of food, an event, a flavor, a cooking process or even a piece of equipment. Dictionary.com reports that ‘barbecue’ can be a noun or a verb and lists 7 distinct meanings. The Marriam-Webster online dictionary defines ‘barbeque’ as a noun and ‘barbecue’ as a verb. Both sources, however, agree that the abbreviated ‘‘BBQ’’ means ‘barbecue’.
However the spelling, whatever the meaning, wherever it is served, BBQ is good. Whether buying meat, shopping for sauce or ordering at a restaurant, learning some basic barbeque terminology is an important step towards appreciating a truly classic culinary form.
BBQ Sauce
Countless recipes, unique to their region, have been adapted to accompany different meats and cooking methods. Most involve a few basic, base ingredients which include: tomato, vinegar, sweeteners (usually brown sugar or molasses), mustard, and sometimes even mayonnaise. Other flavors, usually specific to their area of origin, can include meat drippings, liquid smoke, Worcestershire, whiskey, peppers, herbs and spices. There are many philosophies on sauce mechanics but tomato and vinegar are frequently used in tandem.
Tomato based sauces are the most popular–tomato gives body and is a good canvas for building flavor and complexity. The most common styles are recognizable from restaurant menus and the condiment aisle at the grocery store. Many commercial brands toss around labels like “Hickory Style” and “Smokehouse” – these are generally some chemical variation of one of the following tomato-based styles. To quote the good folks at AmazingRibs.com, “If you pick up a bottle in the grocery and sugar or high fructose corn syrup are the first ingredients on the label, put it down.”
Kansas City Style BBQ sauce is very thick, sweet and sometimes spicy. Dark in color, it is usually sweetened with molasses or brown sugar and layered with flavors to no end.
Photo by Eatingtheroad
Memphis is revered for dry barbecue, which involves mostly spice rubs. Nevertheless, there are sauces labeled “Memphis Style”. They are tomato based, thinner than Kansas City, often tangy and somewhat sweet. St. Louis Style BBQ sauce is tomato and vinegar based, mildly spicy and slightly less sweet than Kansas City.
Photo by dennisandluba
Get your alchemy on, block out an hour or two and try this combination for a thick, sweet, spicy, tangy and complex sauce that is good for basting and dipping. This Cider-Beer BBQ sauce resembles Kansas City style but draws features from others:
In a saucepan, over low heat, start with 2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce and add:
With each ingredient, start minimally, let simmer and add more as needed.
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup diced onion
2 TBSP whole grain mustard (or Dijon)
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup dark beer
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP molasses (or honey)
1 TBSP Worcestershire
Crushed red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Bubble gently and stir frequently until the desired consistency and balance is achieved.
Most will go their entire lives without ever encountering “White BBQ sauce” and, like some other specialized variations–it isn’t for everyone. Alabama Style (North Alabama, specifically) sauce is an unusual, and unlikely, contender in the barbeque world and the novelty of it alone is worth an honorable mention. This is mayonnaise based, balanced with vinegar, seasoned with black pepper and finished with any number of seasonings. Try it on pulled pork, as a dip or slather it on crispy, smoked chicken just before pulling it off the grill. Most Confederate states have at least one claim to fame in a worthy barbecue sauce style but their fame is too often limited to the region.
Photo by Foodbrood
In Texas, pit masters use rubs more than sauces since beef, usually beef brisket, carries the BBQ banner. Much of the Texas method involves smoke roasting over aromatic wood chips, like hickory or mesquite. Texas mop-sauces are generally light on the tomato and heavy on spices such as hot sauce, chili powder and ancho powder. They are bold, hard to sell bottled and “cool and moisten the meat during direct cooking” to produce a distinctive flavor.
Vinegar based sauces are widely used but not marketed like their tomato based adversary. When used with a tomato base, vinegar softens the texture of the sauce. A natural preservative, its gentle acidity breaks down fat and builds savor into meat. Vinegar sauces are thin, and harder to find packaged. They are typically used as a marinade or baste. As a marinade, vinegar will tenderize and penetrate meat, adding a tart and tasty dimension, before the cooking process. As a baste, it is mopped over meat while cooking. This will have the same effect as long as the cooking is “low and slow” (the poster child of BBQ method) — this way flavors have time to cut through and harmonize.
North Carolina has a distinct brand of barbeque and even within the state there are competing convictions. For the sake of concision, we won’t dive into the many nuances of Carolina BBQ. Eastern Carolina sauces are often very basic and are characterized by cider vinegar and hot pepper, not much else. Western Carolina sauces, while still vinegar based, tend to add a touch of tomato and slightly more brown sugar. Piedmont BBQ sauce is a sweeter style of Carolina BBQ (more sugar or molasses) and slightly thicker (more tomato or Worcestershire).
Meat
Sauce is just one pillar in the dogma that is barbecue. Ribs are are culmination of all things BBQ. Pork ribs are the most common, though it is not unusual to find beef ribs on a menu. Beef ribs are meatier, fattier and sometimes not as tender as their pork counterpart–more common in Texas barbecue. For many, pork ribs are the true meaning and purpose of barbecue.
Ribs are usually sold in “slabs”, anywhere from 11 to 14 ribs. They are identified as either spare ribs (side ribs) or back ribs, often called “loin back” ribs. Spare ribs are larger and meatier while back ribs are more tender, and cook faster. “Baby back ribs” are simply back ribs, with an enticing brand name.
Spare ribs include the breastbone. Rib tips (not to be confused with riblets, their trendy, rectangular shaped cousin) are breastbone trimmed off of spare ribs to create a flatter rack. What’s left after the trimming are “St. Louis Style” spare ribs. Take out even more of the hard bone and you have “Kansas City Style” spare ribs. Whatever the rib, always cook low and slow.
A barbeque menu without pulled pork might be driven to the trees with torches–regarded as a savage. “Boston Butt”, or pork shoulder, is cooked low and slow until the meat is tender enough to be easily pulled apart. The result is a mouth watering platter that can be enjoyed on its own, on a bun and with all manner of sauces and toppings. Coleslaw is at its best on pulled pork. The mayonnaise in good coleslaw adds enough tang and texture to enhance the rich flavors, while the cool crunch of shredded cabbage compliments the shredded form.
Photo by kamekame
Low and slow is integral in barbecue and that complicates its relationship with beef. Good cuts need a hot sear and short cooking time to lock in natural juices and maintain structure. Beef brisket is certainly not a good cut, but is the star of bovine barbecue and the pillar of Texas BBQ. Brisket is breast meat, the toughest part of the cow. The meat is mostly muscle, held together by collagen, which is connective tissue. When brisket is done properly the collagen slowly breaks down, |
on bathroom bills is mixed at best. When people are asked if they support laws that force trans people to use the wrong bathroom, most people say no. But when asked about whether birth certificates should decide who uses which bathroom, most people say yes. It’s likely that the vast majority of people don’t even realize these answers are contradictory. Talking to people, one gets the distinct impression that most have never thought about how we decide who gets to use which bathroom and most don’t want to have to think about it!
Unfortunately, we don’t have that option. Bathroom bills have become the new wedge issue, meaning that we’ll be litigating these questions in the court of public opinion until a clear majority emerges. Trans people are such a small minority that the opinion of cis people (people who aren’t trans) will overwhelmingly decide these issues. So, I’m writing this essay specifically for the cis people of the world. The people who probably have given little thought to how we gender each other and who might be surprised or even annoyed that this is now a major topic of conversation on which everyone is expected to take sides. I want to talk about why cis people should care about bathroom bills and how these decisions affect everyone.
In practice, these bills are all attempts to regulate the ways that we gender each other, specifically how we decide who gets to go into female-specific and male-specific spaces. There are two main ways we do this:
Assigned sex: This is the sex (and gender) most people are given at birth. You know the drill: boys come from Mars and wear blue and have one kind of parts while girls come from Venus and wear pink and have the other kind of parts. (more here)
Gender identity: This is the gender that someone exists in the world as. What does a person write in the “gender” box on forms? Which gendered spaces do they use? Most importantly, what gender do they say they are? This one might seem new. (more here)
I suspect that most cis people are unfamiliar with this distinction. That’s okay! So was I for a long time. But stay with me for a moment because it’s important.
The status quo
Today in the United States, we have many spaces that are meant to include only one gender (either male or female). I’ll call these gendered spaces. Examples include the “men’s room”, the WNBA, Curves, and the Catholic Priesthood. Gendered spaces have a long and fascinating history.
Charlotte Cooper was one of 22 women to compete in the 1900 Olympics.
Take a moment and think about how access to these spaces has historically been determined. Specifically, let’s imagine we watched the 1900 Olympics where women were first allowed to compete. 22 women competed across five events. How do you think it was determined that these 22 people would be allowed into the gendered spaces meant only for women? Given the choice above, between assigned sex and gender identity, you might be tempted to choose assigned sex. But how do you image they might have determined assigned sex in 1900?
One common notion is that we can learn a person’s assigned sex from their chromosomes, specifically allosomes like X and Y. The idea is that when a doctor says, “it’s a boy,” we learn not only about that child’s genitals but also their chromosomes. If this is true, then later in life, we might be able to read a person’s chromosomes to determine their assigned sex. However, the idea that allosomes determine sex didn’t exist until a year after the 1900 Olympics.
If chromosomes don’t work, another common answer is that birth certificates could have been used. These are literally a record of the assigned sex. But the US didn’t begin to standardize birth certificates until 1902 and it took until 1930 to fully standardize the system (other countries are similar). Without a standard system for recording, storing, and verifying birth records, birth certificates provide a shaky insight into assigned sex.
The last answer I often hear is that we didn’t need a method because it was obvious then; women were women and men were men. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Olympics have had trouble gendering athletes as long as the Olympics have included and separated the two sexes. Some of the female competitors didn’t appear stereotypically feminine, and competing nations quickly called the gender of these women into question. The ‘solution’ for the Olympic games was a century long series of humiliating, unscientific, and unsuccessful “sex tests”. Over the years, these “sex tests” inaccurately flagged several women while never finding a single incident of a male falsely competing as female in order to gain an advantage.
In truth, access to gendered spaces has historically been determined primarily by gender identity. In general, people who identify as male are simply treated as male and people who identify as female are simply treated as female. In most cases this process has gone smoothly, so smoothly that most people have never had to even think about it. In a world with no karyotyping and unreliable birth certificates, gender identity is literally the only practical criteria we have for separating gendered spaces.
This system is not without problems, though. For one, people have been seeking to measure gender identity for a very long time and no one has yet found a solution. Simply asking people might seem too trivial. Wouldn’t the Russians then be able to win all the women’s gold medals by having men say that they’re women? Can we ‘objectively’ measure gender identity? And what happens when the way we determine gender identity violates our assumptions? These answers have yet to be answered in a way that all, or even most people, find satisfactory. We’ve managed to ignore these problems except in a few cases, such as the Olympics. But where problems with using gender identity occurred, no practical alternative has ever been offered.
Modern problems with assigned sex
Earlier I explained how assigned sex has historically been an impractical method for separating gendered spaces. But what about now? In practical terms, little has changed.
In general, many problems with using assigned sex come from the fact that assigned sex is far messier than many people (cis or trans) realize. Compare the difficulty of determining someone’s gender identity with the difficulty of determining someone’s assigned sex. For nearly everyone, cis or trans, gender identity is outwardly visible and manifestly obvious ― in gendered spaces, people simply choose the option that best matches their gender identity (modulo concerns such as safety). Assigned sex on the other hand is a detective’s game. We have to look for clues, DNA evidence and government records, and none of these are perfect. We can look for hints from outward appearances but these often lead us astray.
Several bills have been proposed to separate gendered spaces according to assigned sex but none of them offer a workable solution. One option uses birth certificates, with people who have an M going to the men’s room and people who have an F going to the women’s. This might seem cut and dry but we run into an analogous set of problems. Such a system erases intersex people for whom assigned sex is often inaccurate or worse. Even if we completely ignore intersex people, this system is impractical. A birth certificate is a piece of paper that can be lost, updated, amended, or made in error and some people don’t have a birth certificate at all. People who do have a birth certificate aren’t expected to carry it on their person at all times. For these and other reasons, the only state that has passed a law that uses birth certificates to determine access to gendered spaces found this to be unenforceable in practice.
The other proposal defines assigned sex according to the allosomes, with XX people using the women’s room and XY people using the men’s room. Except many people don’t fit into either of these groups and there’s no clear indication of what, for instance, XXX or XXY or any other combination should do. Not only that but we know that sex is not, in fact, determined by XX vs XY but instead by a complex interaction of genes that we’re only beginning to understand. Even ignoring these problems, karyotyping is expensive, takes weeks to do, and very few people have ever been karyotyped.
If a school suspects that a child is using the wrong bathroom, would they be required to order a $500 genetic test and who would pay for it? If so, what would the school do for the seven or more days while they’re waiting to hear back? And what would be done if the child has an unexpected allosome combination? Because resources are scarce, how would the school decide who to test and who not to? Would the policy be to only spend money testing students who don’t appear stereotypically female or male? If so, that’s a clear violation of Title IX.
These practical concerns apply to everyone. Schools that are required to implement a system based on assigned sex would have to divert funds to record or measure every student’s assigned sex. Schools would have to use resources to navigate the many unclear cases and several schools would need to defend those decisions in court. Troublemaker children will have a new tool for wasting time (does Mr. Smith have to take a leave of absence for the two weeks it takes see what chromosomes he has?) and harassing other students.
To date, there has been no system that uses assigned sex and avoids these problems.
The status quo for trans people
So far, I’ve talked a lot about how the ways we separate gendered spaces affect people in general, including cis people. Before wrapping up I want to shift gears to talk about how these matters affect trans people. This is crucial to understanding the full extent of the harm caused by bathroom bills.
Most people are cis, and for these people there is little difference between assigned sex and gender identity. Trans people are different. At some point in the life of a trans person, they become aware that their gender identity is different from their assigned sex. Most trans people, then, go through a process that aligns their experience with this identity (this is called a transition). This transition (more precisely other people’s perception of it) is the source of many problems for trans people.
Think about a common story. Imagine that Jesse was assigned male at birth and went through life as a boy in all the ways boys do ― sports teams, bathrooms, clothes, etc. Jesse had always felt more like a girl but was never bothered that much by life as a boy. However, while entering puberty at a public middle school, Jesse became distressed by the masculinization of her body and wished to transition to female. She then set out to do all the things that many trans girls do: clothes, therapist, hair, hormones, etc.
But in cases like these, the problems come from other people. Others around her observe as things about Jesse change including her apparent gender identity. To put it bluntly, at some point Jesse will use the women’s room where before she had used the men’s. These perceptions reveal the additional rules by which people determine gender identity. There are several of these unwritten rules including:
Gender expression should match gender identity. Gender identity should not change. Privileged groups, especially races, have a greater license to bend rules.
Greater scrutiny is given to those who break any of these rules and in many cases, access to any gendered space can be revoked. By the very act of transitioning, Jesse is violating the first two of these unwritten rules and possibly the third. These rules bias the system in favor of binary trans people (those who fit gender stereotypes), stealth trans people (those who hide their identity), and white trans people. These rules have historically been enforced by the medical establishment who gave access to care disproportionately, or exclusively, to trans people who followed the rules.
These rules have meant that the families of trans children are expected to uproot, move to a new school and reintroduce their child with a new gender identity so that others did not see a child change their gender identity. They have meant that many trans adults have had to sever all ties with friends and family. The rules make the act of transitioning, of being between gender identities, an enormous personal risk. They mean that learning that someone has changed their gender identity has been used, successfully, as a legal defense for murdering trans people. These rules mean that nearly half of trans people will be driven to suicide, and that the suicide rate is greater for trans people who break any of the rules. These rules have created an epidemic of murders of trans women of color.
The unwritten rules mean that any trans person who decides to transition does so at great cost. When a trans person transitions, they undermine their gender identity in the eyes of others. They make themselves vulnerable and the outcome is often fatal. No one does this lightly.
How using assigned sex hurts trans people
https://twitter.com/imogenbinnie Famous and popular writer, Imogen Binnie.
Beyond the practical concerns that affect everyone, separating bathrooms according to assigned sex is extraordinarily cruel to trans and intersex people.
When trans people decide to transition, they do so within a system that already severely punishes trans people just for being trans. Under any system that uses assigned sex, trans people are harmed even further. These regulations take people who have chosen what’s best for themselves in a difficult situation and then forces those people to go back to a worse option. It takes trans people who chose to transition under the status quo and it forces them to either navigate gendered spaces as the wrong gender or avoid public life altogether. This literally kills trans people.
The use of assigned sex has a tremendous negative effect on trans people that cannot be overstated. It also harms everyone more generally. In the classroom, using assigned sex means that any student whose assigned sex doesn’t match their gender identity must use gendered spaces that are clearly wrong for them. The use of assigned sex has already forced trans boys to compete against girls in female sports. This situation is bad for trans boys and it also harms cis girls who are not given a fair competition. More jarringly, using assigned sex would actually force trans girls into boy’s locker rooms. Such a situation is maximally unsafe for trans girls and it is deeply disruptive to any school.
The way forward
With all this in mind, I want to visit one last proposal for separating gendered spaces: protecting gender identity. Such a system functions as a modification of the status quo: essentially, it codifies the historical practice of using gender identity but removes the unwritten rules. These unwritten rules would be clearly illegal anyway because they violate protections against discrimination on the basis of race and sex.
Laws that protect gender identity have numerous benefits that are shared by everyone. We all benefit from the fact that this is imminently practical. The gender identity of people could not be more clear: we can simply ask them. Schools would be required to spend zero dollars in order to accommodate such a law. Bathroom bills that use assigned sex would force trans people into the wrong gendered spaces, leading to problems such as boys competing against girls in female-specific sports. But protecting gender identity ensures that, whatever else, this will not happen. If one is concerned about “boys in girls locker rooms” then protecting gender identity is actually the only viable option.
I truly believe that most cis people do not wish trans people harm. Protecting gender identity is the only option that actually reduces the burden for trans students. This policy would make it a little bit easier for families of trans students to remain in place instead of uprooting and moving in order to hide a transition. People of all races would be equally protected under such a law. And, in at least one small way, trans people that do not adhere to gender stereotypes would be less singled out.Daurentius (Greek: Δαυρέντιος) or Dauritas (Δαυρίτας) was a South Slavic (Sclaveni) chieftain. He seems to have been the supreme chief, having lesser ones subordinated to him. His realm was situated in the basin of the Zala river, roughly in the territory of the old Roman province of Pannonia Prima, in present-day Hungary.[3]
Daurentius is the first Slavic chieftain to be recorded by name, by the Byzantine historian Menander Protector, who reported that the Avar khagan Bayan I sent an embassy, asking Daurentius and his Slavs to accept Avar suzerainty and pay tribute, because the Avars knew that the Slavs had amassed great wealth after repeatedly plundering the Byzantine Balkan provinces. Daurentius reportedly retorted that "Others do not conquer our land, we conquer theirs [...] so it shall always be for us", and had the envoys slain. Bayan then campaigned (in 578) against Daurentius' people, with aid from the Byzantines, and set fire to many of their settlements, although this did not stop the Slavic raids deep into the Byzantine Empire.
Legacy [ edit ]
K. Nikolaevič (1862) mentioned Daurentius, "the then king or grand prince of the Slavs", with the name Dobreta, which he rendered via the Greek pronunciation of β/b=ν/n.[6]
References [ edit ]
^ Bacic, Jakov (1987). "Slav: the origin and meaning of the ethnonym". Slovene Studies. 9 (1–2): 37. ^ Serbski li︠e︡topis. 106. Pismeny Kral. Vseučilišta Peštanskog. 1863. pp. 7–. себи покоравати, а не насъ други ; и тако лъ бит' Ье кодъ насъ, докле устрае бойнихъ поля и мачева на земльи." *) Такавъ одговоръ даду овьшъ послани- цима Добрета, **) тадашньШ краль или великШ кнезъ Ъуяр&у) Словяна, и ньихови племенски жупани. Но аварски посланици узму га на изсмехъ, и у таквомъ тону врло вероятно наведу... Менандеръ пише на едномъ месту Δαυρέντιος, а на другомъ Δαυρίτας, кое име погрешна паризкогъ изданя при- ну^авала 6 пре^е читати : Лаудмтюд и Лауц1гад. Но и //аьдьтад е врло вероятно подметакъ доцншхъ кописта (збогъ едногласногъ кодъ Византинаца β—ν) на место : ЛаРд/тад —А 0 6 р...One of the most common questions I get is “What’s the easiest and most impressive dinner I can make for friends?” My response is always Roasted Chicken. It’s relatable, always delicious and easy to make. There are so many different varieties — herb roasted, lemon pepper, cajun, the possibilities are left to your imagination. You can pair it with a salad, or rice, any type of veggie, I guarantee your guests will leave with happy stomachs and a full heart!
There’s something magical about roasted chickens — perhaps it’s the down-to- earth simplicity, the intoxicating flavors and smells, the comfort that seems to spread to the deepest corners of your soul — okay got a little overly dramatic there, but you get the idea.
Today I am taking a page from the big boss, Oprah Winfrey, is there anything that woman can’t do? In the Oprah Magazine Cookbook I found this beautiful recipe for a Cinnamon Curry Roasted Chicken. I made a few changes which I will note in parentheses and then came up with two sides that I felt would pair well — Coconut Basmati Rice and some Saffron Garlic Skillet Potatoes. The flavors of the spices were out of this world, I loved the boldness of the cardamom and the spicy sweetness of the cinnamon. O-M-G talk about flavor heaven! The recipe was by Chef Rori Trovato — “It’s a little bit sweet, a litte bit daring. It’s cinnamon, and it’s probably sitting right there in your pantry.”
Ingredients for Cinnamon Roasted Chicken: (Makes 2-3 servings)
1 (3-4 lb) roasting chicken
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
3 green cardamom pods ( I used 5)
1 Tbsp curry powder (I also added 1/2 Tbsp of Garam Masala powder)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I also added 1/2 tsp red chili powder)
1 head garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled, plus 6 cloves, peeled
2 Tbsp finely grated ginger
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 shallots, unpeeled and quartered
3 cinnamon sticks
1 cup chicken broth
Ingredients for Tomato Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, room temperature (I used fat-free)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
***I also brined the chicken, it retains more moisture in the meat. I have included the ingredients and direction below.
Ingredients for Brine:
4 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
3 green cardamom pods ( I used 5)
1 Tbsp curry powder (I also added 1/2 Tbsp of Garam Masala powder)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I also added 1/2 tsp red chili powder)
1 head garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled, plus 6 cloves, peeled
2 Tbsp finely grated ginger
6 cups ice water
Take your spices and ground them in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. For the brine, combine the water, salt, sugar, and spices in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Reduce to heat to low and simmer for 10 min so the flavors of the herbs can be drawn out. Pour the brine into a deep set large bowl and cool it down with your ice water. Set aside.
Clean the chicken by rinsing out the cavity and outer skin and place on a clean surface. Be sure not to contaminate any vegetables or other ingredients, because no one is a fan of salmonella! Place the chicken in the brine, make sure it is completely immersed in the brine. Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
To make the chicken: Preheat oven to 400F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place on a rack in a small roasting pan or baking dish. Set aside. In a small frying pan over medium heat, combine cumin seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cardamom pods. Swirl until lightly toasted and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly; grind using a mortar and pestle (or a coffee grinder). Mix with curry powder, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.
Finely chop peeled garlic cloves and combine with ginger and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture over entire chicken. Sprinkle with salt, then with spice mixture. Place unpeeled garlic, shallots, and cinnamon sticks inside chicken cavity. Tie legs with kitchen string. Roast 30 minutes before basting with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Roast 20 minutes more, then baste with remaining 1/2 cup broth. Continue cooking until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife and meat is no longer pink, about 1 hour and 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
To make the sauce: Transfer juices from pan into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Slowly add in the yogurt, stirring constantly with a whisk so yogurt doesn’t curdle. Remove from heat. Add most of the tomatoes and cilantro, setting some aside to garnish top of the chicken. Serve with sauce on side.
Ingredients for Saffron Garlic Skillet Potatoes:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 pound boiling or baking potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of saffron
n a small bowl stir together the butter and the oil along with the saffron and garlic. In a food processor fitted with a 1-millimeter slicing blade or with a mandoline or similar hand-held slicing device, slice the potatoes thin. Working quickly to prevent the potatoes from discoloring, brush the bottom of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with some of the butter mixture and cover it with a layer of the potato slices, overlapping them. Brush the potatoes with some of the remaining saffron buttermixture and season them with salt and pepper. Layer the remaining potatoes with the remaining saffron butter mixture in the same manner.
eat the mixture over moderately high heat until it begins to sizzle, transfer the skillet to the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven, and bake the galette for 25 minutes, or until it is golden and the potatoes are tender. Cut the galette into wedges or you can cut them with a circle cutter.
Ingredients for Coconut Basmati Rice:
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked Basmati rice
In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.Chef Matt Stone wants to you to make a bar out of your own backyard. Really. Melbourne's young gun head chef of Victoria's Oakridge winery, Stone made his industry name as head chef of Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl, then as the culinary brains behind IconPark's Sydney pop-up Stanley Street Merchants and a MasterChef regular. At his core, Stone's a stickler for ethical and sustainable cooking, so he's just released his first cookbook The Natural Cook to help fuel some of that philosophy in everyday Aussie kitchens.
The (extremely well photographed) cookbook's brimming with recipes meant to make you rethink food, bring you back to basics, try traditional techniques, adopt new sustainable cooking habits and make the best of the bounty of native ingredients Australia's got going on (one of the most sustainable ways Australians can cook). Of course, the book champions Stone's infamous 'zero-waste' philosophy, whether you're making yoghurt, pickling things or making a Bloody Mary.
We've taken a couple of recipes out of of Stone's book, to show you how easy it is to incorporate native Australian ingredients into your everyday — well, into your cocktails in particular. Here's a little humdinger of a recipe for an Aussie South Side, topped with, y'know, a small serving of ants.
Once you've crafted this gem, try making Stone's Native Spiced Bloody Mary (recipe's over here).
MATT STONE'S AUSSIE SOUTH SIDE
"A refreshing taste of Australia for a spring afternoon."
INGREDIENTS
Serves one
ice
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) white spirit
(gin, vodka or white rum)
30 ml (1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lime juice
10 ml (2 teaspoons) basic sugar syrup
(see page 209)
7 Australian river mint (or regular mint) leaves
small plate of ants and 1 lime wedge (optional)
Fill a serving glass with ice and let it stand. Put the spirit, lime juice and sugar syrup, and all but one of the mint leaves, into a shaker, giving the mint a clap between your hands to excite its flavour before throwing it in. Fill the shaker to the top with ice, seal and shake vigorously for around 15 seconds.
Discard the ice from the serving glass. If using ants, rub a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass. Gently press the rim onto your ants, twisting the glass so they stick all the way around the circumference.
Put three to four cubes of fresh ice in the glass. Double-strain the liquid from the shaker into the glass using your Hawthorne and fine strainers. Stick the reserved mint leaf on top and serve.
Note: There are specialist online shops where you can buy ants and other edible insects.
Recipe and image from The Natural Cook by Matt Stone (Murdoch Books). Photography by Mark Roper RRP $39.99 available now in all good bookstores and online.
Published on September 22, 2016 by Shannon ConnellanWe are all here on this planet searching for something, evolving, waking up. In a world where we are trying to survive everyday struggles, wouldn’t it be wonderful for us to have more joy in our lives as we learn our lessons and gather experiences? How would your life change if you were happier? How would you change?
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World helps us to understand how to attain joy and teaches us that we are here to thrive, not just survive. It’s an empowering dialogue between the Dalia Lama and Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of South Africa that underscores the concept that our happiness really does lie within ourselves and that we have the power to create a more blissful reality.
Why read yet another book on joy?
We’ve heard this before but what sets this dialogue apart from much of the existing literature is not only the content, but also the process in which it is presented. The dynamic between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu is instantaneously uplifting as they use respect, authenticity, and humor to interact with one another and impart their wisdom on such topics as the obstacles and pillars of joy. There is a lightness to the heavy subject matter that helps us, the reader, absorb, process, and hopefully incorporate into our every day lives. Not only do they teach us how to create more joy in our lives, they are living examples of it.
The path from suffering to lasting happiness.
This book illustrates is that we have the power to transform our suffering into joy. It is not easy; it requires going into the wounds and feeling those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, and then shifting our perspective to that of forgiveness, or gratitude, or compassion, or love. One might long for a specific formula, one that is directionally linear where we can check off certain boxes along the way, but it’s a squiggly line as we work through the many layers of feelings and looping thought patterns we’ve internalized since childhood.
Click here to check out a free visual summary of The Book of Joy presented by InstaRead.com. You can see a small sample of it above.
Mental immunity.
That being said, if one is committed to the process of replacing destructive thought patterns with ones that are healthier—ones that focus on things such as compassion or love instead of anger or fear, then you are well on your way. The Dalia Lama and the Archbishop refer to this as Mental Immunity, which doesn’t mean we need to be Tibetan Monks to achieve joy, but it does require shifting our perspective, accepting where we are at, and doing the internal work to get to a place of compassion and gratitude in order to reach a more enlightened state.
Find meaning in the experience.
One way to get through our suffering is to find meaning in our experiences, whether it is heartbreaking grief, a physical illness, past trauma, or everyday stress and frustration. When we are consciously committed to finding the lessons in a given hardship we are more likely to feel as though the pain was worth it, which in turn provides us with a sense of purpose for the suffering. Furthermore, we are more likely to not repeat a harmful pattern of thinking or behaving. In doing so we honor ourselves, the experience, and find the higher perspective for it. We can then work it through, and become more aware should the issue arise once again. And it likely will just to test us on our progress, but according to these two men we are now more equipped to remain in the state of Joy.
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World is a new book by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. It reveals a powerful dialogue between these two spiritual giants on what it means to find joy and happiness in the world.
Drop into your heart.
The Archbishop goes on to say that joy is a not only a state of mind but a state of the heart as well. The authors highlight compassion as a wonderful way to stay in our hearts. Sometimes humanity can be in so much fear and anger that this leads to a disconnection from one another and ourselves. This is highly destructive to our well-being. Many psychologists posit that disconnection is even the leading cause of addictions. If we tend to focus solely on our own pain and struggles and lose the space to have compassion for others we run the risk of interacting with others in harmful ways. By understanding that we are all connected, we all experience the spectrum of human emotions and hardships, we can better relate to one another and form more authentic and healing relationships. It is important to note here that having compassion for ourselves and what we are experiencing is very healing, and leads us to a more joyful state of being.
There’s even more…
These are just a few concepts that the Book of Joy asks us to consider. It also highlights the importance of forgiveness, generosity, humility and humor and demonstrates how we can get to make the changes to be in these states of being. The psychological and spiritual content of this book are presented in a, well, joyful way, and one that does not come off as blaming or shaming. or preachy. The dialogue is easy to read and inspires the reader to do the internal exploration or self and make positive changes in our hearts and minds as we learn how to transcend our suffering.
___
Sameena Khan is a Clinical Psychologist, Writer, Holistic Lifestyle Consultant, and Alchemist. Her intuitive psycho-spiritual work helps others explore and work through their psychological, emotional, physical, and overall energetic blockages in order to live a healthier and more joyful life. You can visit her here on Facebook.
Sameena is also a Content Manager at Instaread, a genius app that provides key takeaways and summaries of best-selling books.
“Learn something new today!”
Stay updated on new articles and resources in psychology and self improvement:Together as a society we choose to embrace an agro-ecology ethic that governs our relationship with our food and the natural world or we face the coming climate anarchy including mass famine, needless societal and economic collapse, horrendous suffering and depredation, and then death. EcoInternet is committed to re-localizing, de-toxifying, and making global food systems ecologically sustainable (and more tasty, nutritious, and healthy as well). Critically this will require reducing human populations and greater equity.
“The future of food – if the biosphere and her humanity are to be sustained – is local, organic, permaculture exchanged without intermediaries.” – Dr. Glen Barry
Earth Meanders by Dr. Glen Barry
December 27, 2017
The global environment is collapsing and dying. For too long we have lived our lives as if nature doesn’t matter and have failed to embrace an ecology ethic. We have treated water, air, land, and oceans as resources to be plundered and as waste dumps. Nothing grows forever – certainly not economies on the back of finite ecological systems – and mass psychosis pretending infinite growth is possible is a death wish.
Such ecological imprudence is now catching up with us, threatening our very daily bread.
Climate change is having profound impacts upon agricultural systems including a lack of regular seasonality. That is, the boundaries between cold and warm, and dry and wet, periods have become highly variable. In much of the world this makes it difficult to know when to grow your food. Knowing when to plant and when to harvest is becoming extremely problematic and this aseasonality is decreasing yields. This climate weirding is the direct result of our haphazard changing of atmospheric chemistry.
Climate change is making it more difficult to grow food the way we have been. Huge swathes of farmland are faced by droughts and floods. Temperate region’s lack of cold weather and snow has meant an increase in agricultural pests. Similarly, factory animal agriculture and fisheries are being hammered from disease, parasites, and decreased feed stocks brought on by abrupt climate change.
Shifting seasonality, and at times even a lack of seasonality, simply exacerbate problems associated with industrial farming. Modern agriculture consumes massive amounts of fossil fuels which cause both warming and are finite. Factory animal farming’s prodigious amounts of fecal waste become even more toxic in the heat. Increasingly toxic GMO Frankenseeds are being peddled in conjunction with a soup of dangerous chemicals as a means to keep production high.
Our increased dependence upon limited genotypes mean that one crop or animal disease could swiftly kill vast amounts of agricultural products ushering in massive price increases and widespread hunger. Soils are eroding and becoming less fertile due to increased industrial intensification.
Any increase in plant growth from increased temperatures and/or carbon dioxide is quickly eliminated as another limiting factor such as water and nutrient availability goes unmet. In many cases rising temperatures simply kill plants. And the food that is grown is often stressed and thus contains fewer nutrients. The end result of climate stressed industrial agriculture is low quality junk foods that are killing our bodies and our planet. Much of the over-developed world is addicted to the sugar and additives found in this industrially produced crap.
As the global food supply becomes more precarious and subject to unexpected extreme weather events, the global population continues to soar, and has now reached approximately 7.5 billion people.
Already nearly one billion people experience chronic hunger, sapping their soul and energy, and providing limited opportunity for a healthy and fulfilling life. Billions of emerging consumers now view steaks and hamburgers as their birthright, with all the attendant medical and ecological costs. In much of the world the cost of food is by far the greatest expenditure, and quality food is increasingly expensive in over-developed nations as well.
The world’s agricultural system is weak and vulnerable to major disruption that will soon result in an international famine of the sort that already ravages numerous nations such as Haiti and Somalia. Abrupt climate change may well be the final straw that ushers in global mass hunger and collapse into the bad sort of anarchy.
It is difficult to communicate the horrors that await us if the globe faces widespread failure of food systems. Suffice it to say that post-modern collapse will utterly strip cosmopolitan consumers of technological vestiges of comfort including variety of high-quality and nutritious food. Rural areas will face a shortage of open-pollinating seed due to seed monopolies, and lack of traditional farming know how. Everyday life will be a struggle to avoid murder, find food, and otherwise |
is the Donald Trump presidential campaign.
For all the sketch writing and gags built in to this first “Late Show” (from CBS chairman Les Moonves sitting in the corner with a switch ready to revert to “The Mentalist” reruns that have been airing since David Letterman’s sign-off, to an awkward bit about being compelled by the aforementioned devil pact to promote Sabra hummus snacks), perhaps the finest, most thoughtful moment came at the beginning, when Colbert sang a beautiful, pre-taped rendition of the national anthem with different singers at various cross-country locales. There was something sweet and reassuringly corny about it while also seeming patriotic and meaningful in a slightly ironic sense — Lettermanesque, one might say, if Letterman could sing like that.
Stephen Colbert officially takes over as host of the "Late Show" on CBS and drops his Comedy Central character. He questions Jeb Bush about his Jeb! logo and takes on Donald Trump. (McKenna Ewen/The Washington Post)
Of course, what everyone tuned in to see was how well the 51-year-old host will do as an interviewer, stripped of the protective layer of the character he used to play on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” It’s no secret that a certain segment of late-night viewers are tired of the constant fun ‘n’ games and soft-glove treatment on other shows. Those viewers may be unfairly hoping Colbert can completely remedy that — or even wants to. He wasn’t hired to be Dick Cavett, after all.
Choosing George Clooney as the show’s first guest had, at the very least, an element of ceremony, bridging from those final Letterman shows to the all-new and smartly redecorated look of the Colbert show. Even the desk has moved, over to the more traditional stage right – a move Colbert has said the always stage-left Letterman told him he wished he’d tried.
Unfortunately, without a movie to promote or a political cause burning his britches, Clooney was more or less unformed (and very tan) putty. It was up to Colbert’s writers to employ him in a sketch about a fake movie (“Decision Strike”). Funny enough, but not the sort of clip that will get much social network traffic Wednesday morning.
Colbert was better able to show what he can do during his interview with GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, aka Jeb! When Bush launched into some boilerplate about his desire to make Washington work by bringing people together, Colbert, whose notoriety is arguably a by-product of a nation so divided that the left found solace in his ironic portrayal of a conservative idiot, wasn’t having it: “You think you could change that – [the belief] that the other side is the devil?” Colbert asked Bush.
He also asked Bush how (or if) he differs from his older brother politically. Bush answered that he thought George wasn’t fiscally conservative enough in the latter years of his term and let Congress spend too much. Whatever. Both Colbert and Bush seemed comfortable and somewhat loose, which is how the news cycle will judge either of them; the only problem with the interview was its brevity.
That was because “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” had given itself a little too much to do in one night, including booking a long outgoing jam of “Everyday People” from Batiste and the house band, called Stay Human; they were joined by Colbert, Mavis Staples and an array of musicians I feel terrible about not naming. This group sing-along meant that the show ended somewhat curiously with the spirit of a final episode instead of a first. (And I suppose putting the names of all those performers on the screen as the camera zoomed in on them would be considered gauche, like unwanted Facebook tagging, though it might have been helpful for those of us who haven’t made it down to Jazz Fest lately.)
Overall, “Late Show” seems to be in good hands. If it was too busy, it was a busy-ness from the heart. Everything else about it can — and will — be judged later.Editor's note: The following essay is excerpted from the book “Blueprint for America,” due this fall from Hoover Institution Press.
Reflecting on my time as secretary of state, I worry about the sorry state of the world and my instinct is to say something constructive about the problems. How to start?
Let's begin by reviewing the way to think about foreign and security policy, and how to develop strategy. First, take steps to ensure and show the world that we can achieve what we set out to achieve, that a capacity to execute is always on display. The following example had an impact around the world.
Early in Ronald Reagan's presidency, the U.S. air-traffic controllers struck. People came into the Oval Office and counseled him that this presented very complex problems. He said, "It's not complicated; it's simple. They took an oath of office and they broke it. They're out." All over the world, people thought that Reagan was crazy, but he turned to his secretary of transportation, who had been the chief executive of a large transportation company and who understood the problems and knew how to execute. He kept the planes flying. All over the word, people thought, "This guy plays for keeps. Be careful."
Second, be realistic. Throw away your rose-colored glasses. See the world as it is. That doesn't mean only bad things. Don't be afraid to recognize an opportunity when it comes along.
Third, be strong. Of course, that means military strength; and economic strength is essential to a strong military. But we also need to have self-confidence and strength of purpose in our country.
Fourth, develop a U.S. agenda. What is it that we want to achieve? Be careful not to think initially about the other guy's agenda and adjust to it -- or you will be negotiating with yourself. Then be ready to engage, but be clear: no empty threats. I remember boot camp at the start of World War II. My drill sergeant handed me my rifle and said, "Take good care of this rifle. This is your best friend. And, remember, never point this rifle at anyone unless you are willing to pull the trigger." No empty threats. This boot-camp wisdom, often ignored, is essential wisdom.
The world today seems almost suddenly awash in change. Economies struggle everywhere, the Middle East is in flames, and national borders seem to mean less than ever before. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the rising possibility of their use threaten all mankind. There are potentially severe consequences of a warming climate. There is a virtually global effort opposed to the longstanding state system for bringing order to the world. And there are more refugees today than at any time since the end of World War II. All this is in sharp contrast to the economic and security commons that coalesced as the Cold War came to an end.
Let's revisit that formation. After World War II, some gifted people in the Truman administration, along with others, looked back -- and what did they see? They saw two world wars; the first was settled in rather vindictive terms that helped lead to the second, in which 50 million people were killed and many others injured and displaced. They saw the Holocaust. They saw the Great Depression and the protectionism and currency manipulation that aggravated it. They said to themselves, "What an abysmal world, and we are part of it whether we like it or not."
They set out to construct something better, and just as they got going, the Cold War emerged. So the Marshall Plan, the Bretton Woods system, NATO, and the doctrine of containment came into being. Gradually, continuing through various administrations and mostly on a nonpartisan basis, a security and economic commons was constructed, with important leadership from the United States, from which everyone benefited.
But that commons is now at risk everywhere, and in many places it no longer really exists. So how did we get here again? And what should we do about it this time?
The Breakdown of the Global Commons
The strategic earthquake now underway began with the turn of the 21st century. In the simplest summary, it is an accelerating decline in management of the international state system. Many of the states that constitute the system are struggling with their own problems of governance. At the same time, the system is under deadly attack from enemies outside who are pledged to destroy and replace it.
The state system depends upon respect for the borders of countries, but borders are being softened or have recently been eradicated. Most visible are the actions of Vladimir Putin's Russia. He attacked Georgia in 2008 and wound up carving out two new territorial entities: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. More recently, and partly as a response to the movement of Ukraine in the direction of European rule of law and greater interaction with Western European countries, Putin seized Crimea and is in the process of trying to erase the borders of Eastern Ukraine. Russian arms have been fired to shoot down a civilian passenger aircraft. Putin is surely playing a very weak hand, but very aggressively. And now he moves in to the Middle East, no doubt seeking, along with Iran, a dominant position.
Meanwhile, in Western Europe, those in charge are gradually reducing the meaning of borders as they seek to homogenize into "Europe" all the ancient cultures of the region. The creation of the Euro is a case in point. Many economists warned that the coverage of the very different economies in Europe by a fixed exchange rate would lead to trouble: varying degrees of austerity would replace the flexibility of exchange rates, a result that is increasingly unacceptable. The stresses produced by this effort are all too evident as the dispersion of sovereign power leaves a sense of uncertainty and indecisiveness in the region in the face of continuing economic problems.
Of course, the Middle East has become a vivid display of the vast changes in patterns of governance and in the profile of relationships among states. The focus on the Israeli-Palestinian relationship and the U.S. preoccupation with the "peace process" fails to recognize the larger world-historical situation at present. What kind of war is this now being waged in the Middle East and beyond? To better understand, we need to revisit the nature of the world order as analyzed at the time of the French Revolution. At that time, as is true now, the greatest danger to the international state-based structure comes when an ideology gathers horizontal appeal -- when (to borrow Martin Wight's framework), men's loyalties bind them closer to similarly minded men in other states than to their fellow citizens. The consequence, according to Edmund Burke, "is to introduce other interests into all countries than those which arise from their locality and natural circumstances."
This was expressed in Marxism-Leninism as "an industrial worker in Marseilles" having "greater solidarity with an industrial worker in Yokohama than either does with the French or Japanese people or nation." And this horizontal ideological solidarity can be turned into a revolution against the established border-defined order of states with mutual obligations and formalized interactions.
This is what underlies the "strategic earthquake" across the Middle East today. The ignition switch that started this new war and turned it into the armed upheaval we saw by the summer of 2014 was as a seemingly small incident, but it turned on the long-simmering resentment against loss of dignity and the absence of opportunity. In 2011, a lone entrepreneur in Tunisia tried to start a little business selling fruits and vegetables, and the regime squashed him for refusing to pay a bribe. What resonance that act produced!
Along with the American overthrow of Iraq's Saddam Hussein and the departures of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, the lid on full-scale oppression in Iraq and elsewhere was lifted and the idea was aroused of escaping oppression everywhere in the region.
That escape is now conceivable because people know what is going on and can communicate and organize. With the lifting of the lid, out came a seemingly innumerable array of formerly suppressed tribes, factions, sects, ethnicities, causes, and so on that had been building up pressure for generations. Then they began to attack each other out of revenge and for future power-holding. Between 2007 and 2013, it appeared that there were three or four different levels of civil wars going on within the Arab-Muslim world.
This in turn revealed a new reality. The Arab regimes, at least since the post-Second World War period, had been telling the world that all was well in the Middle East except for one thing: the existence of Israel. American administrations across the years generally accepted this narrative and devoted their efforts to a process attempting to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. At the same time, the Arab state regimes, starting in the mid-1970s, recognized the growing existence of a horizontal, religiously radical political ideology that held a dangerous potential for the regimes themselves.
Some of the regimes, therefore, began to try to co-opt the Islamists by subsidizing them and urging them to redirect their threats away from the regimes and toward Israel and European and American targets.
The overthrow of rulers in Tunisia, and Egypt, and of Saddam Hussein's regime, caused the Islamists to envision overthrowing other Arab state regimes. The old narrative was no longer plausible or sustainable; it was now a Muslim-on-Muslim conflict that had nothing to do with Israel. And within this contest was the re-emergence of the centuries-old mutual hatred of Sunnis and Shias. Over the past three or more years, these layers of intra-Muslim conflict have coalesced into one ever-larger civil war between the state regimes that are inside the international state system and the Islamist ideologues who would overthrow the regimes and take the entire region out of the international system and into their religiously driven new world order.
This is what happened in the summer of 2014 with the sudden emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and its self-proclaimed Islamic State and Caliphate. ISIS's goal was clearly stated by one of its fighters: "We are opposed to countries," that is, to the world of states.
But in addition to the arrival of a territory-holding horizontal military force, another dimension of threat is involved: religion. From the 1648 end of The Thirty Years War, to the mid-1990s, religion was thought to have been neutralized as a cause of conflict in international affairs. Now, religion and religious war have returned. Religion, especially in the premodern period, was largely adversarial to diversity, demanding that all peoples under its purview adhere to a single way of belief and practice. The modern age sought to neutralize this tendency by declaring that while each state could practice the religion(s) of its choice, religious doctrines and scriptures should be kept out of interstate negotiations, a precept that worked well for a long time.
However, after three centuries of keeping religion out of international affairs, the rise of radical Islam in the late 20th century and on into the 21st has been a severe setback to the cause of governing diversity. Radical Islam finds it intolerable to cooperate with unbelievers, and in recent years there has been an upsurge in such intolerance ever within Islam in the Sunni-Shia conflict.
So all the factors for a climax are now involved: a horizontal ideology, territorial holdings, and dedication to the destruction of the modern international order.
All this comes at a time when the American grand strategy seems to countries around the world to be one of withdrawal.
What to Do About It
The authors of the essays that follow weigh in with their own ideas on more strategic approaches to our country’s security: across our military forces, our energy picture, and in the craft of diplomacy. Let me start them off by laying out a few key concepts of my own.
As we look at our military, which clearly needs support for its force structure, training, acquisition of weapons, and, even more important, the costly effort to develop weapons of the future, we need to confront the fact of a large and building erosion in the military budget caused by massive health care and pension commitments. Those commitments, if not dealt with, will crowd out the basic functions of the military. They need some of the same medicine as must be applied to entitlements.
Russia is attempting to build and extend a sphere of influence beyond its borders. One of Russia’s strengths is the dependence of many countries, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states, on it for supplies of oil and gas. Russia has demonstrated that it is willing to cut off supplies in the middle of winter, so the first step is to put in place a European energy initiative. The United States has recently developed an ability to produce oil and gas far beyond earlier times, so we should lift the export controls, develop LNG facilities, encourage the use of the new energy production and trade infrastructure in European countries that do have potential capacities, and put in place enough capacity in every country that the threat by Russia to cut off supplies is sharply weakened.
At the same time, we need to see that our military capabilities, working with NATO and urging larger budgets for defense, are strong and present on a proper basis in the countries most threatened. NATO is now developing just these capabilities. And then there is the situation in Ukraine. We need to see that Ukraine’s armed forces are trained and equipped. More fundamentally, we need to help Ukraine lessen the corruption in its governmental processes and take advantage of its natural capabilities to get its economy moving in a positive direction.
If we are able to put these policies in place, Russia will see that it is not walking into a vacuum but into a stone wall. Russia is playing such a weak hand — economically and demographically — that we also must be ready to engage with Russia, expecting that at some point along the way Russia will see the advantages of working within a collaborative state system. But in the meantime, Russia has returned to the Middle East in collaboration with Iran, first in support of Bashar Assad’s Syrian regime, but, no doubt, in a combined effort to extend Iranian reach as sanctions are lifted. The Middle East and ISIS present more difficult and complex issues, as we have already outlined. Nevertheless, these imperatives stand out. We must develop the strength to prevail militarily over ISIS. Of course, this means air power; but there must also be boots on the ground that are capable and effective. They will be more effective if they are mostly Arab boots. The challenge is to develop a force in the region that, in coordination with us, can be impactful. An unusual potential coalition is possible: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, plus Iraqi Kurds and others with help from traditional European allies. We also need to do everything we can to limit ISIS’s access to financial capability. This means a hard diplomatic effort to persuade Arab states that have a past record of trying to buy off ISIS that such a tactic is self-defeating. Access to oil supplies can be greatly restricted by air power and the denial of access to markets. With a sharp decline in military success on the part of ISIS, its appeal will decline. Nevertheless, we need to seek ways to understand that appeal and deal effectively with it. Every country in the West, let alone Russia and China, needs to be on guard against potential terrorist threats that may spring from the ISIS carcass.
An essential ingredient in the development of foreign policy is the maintenance of a constructive relationship with China. Strains are now clearly evident, but they can be dealt with by strong diplomacy. Here’s what to do:
The two presidents or, alternatively, their authorized secretaries of state, defense, and treasury, should develop a list of all those areas where cooperation and interaction are beneficial to each country. The list will be fairly long, but will be dominated by the economic advantages to both countries of their large economic interaction. There are obvious areas of collaboration in the terrorism, climate, and nuclear arenas. There are also points of tension. For example, the competing claims with Japan over the Senkaku Islands were quiet for a long while as both sides simply agreed to disagree and put the issue to sleep. Skillful diplomacy should be able to put the issue back to sleep. The South China Sea presents more difficult issues, but perhaps there is a template that could be used. A careful joint study by a council of all the countries with interacting borders, including sea borders, with a rotating chairman can set out and respect the rules. That has been used to deal with issues of the Arctic, so perhaps the Arctic Council can serve as a template.
The problems posed by nuclear weapons are immense and are of vital significance to all countries. The explosion of even a few of these weapons almost anywhere would have disastrous global implications. China and the United States should be partners in taking every possible step to get better control of these weapons of mass destruction. The United States and China could work together with others to create a joint enterprise of countries working on this issue. In May 2016, President Obama hosted a fourth meeting at the heads-of-government level to find ways to get better control of fissile material. Perhaps this meeting could become a launching pad for a global nuclear control enterprise.
At the same time, much progress is being made on the nuclear front in the ability to verify whatever is taking place. Traditional technical means are still available. A template of on-site inspection in the most recent Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and Russia is a working arrangement. The Open Skies Treaty still operates reasonably well and the emergence everywhere of information and communication capabilities is making the world more and more an open book. Let’s put these possibilities to use in the hope that somehow and some way an end can be put to nuclear weapons. As has been said, “A nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought.”
Finally, we must garden. Anyone who tries to grow things knows that if you plant something and then come back six months later, all you will have is weeds. So you learn to keep at it so that you can have a healthy garden.
The same is true in diplomacy. Listen to people, talk to people, and discuss possibilities, problems, and opportunities. Get to know others and build a relationship of trust — even when the particular issues themselves might still be on the back burner. Then, when problems arise, you have a basis for work in a constructive way. Storms may come, but a good gardener will always have good flowers and good crops. I’ll have a few more words to say on that in our conclusion, but first let’s hear some more on needed outward-facing strategies and international relationships from our Hoover scholars.U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, in the public domain. (Photo credit: Harris & Ewing Collection at the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, circa 1916)
Misconduct, strong-arm tactics during Calif. Dept. of Justice raid of elder abuse defendant Silvia Cata’s home, alleges daughter
My name is Ionela Lup, and my nickname is Ella. I would like to describe the events that took place when I would visit my mother, Silvia Cata, at her residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE), Super Care Home, in Sacramento, California.
My mother was the kind of woman who kept everything nice and neat. Clean and organized, she has always liked to have everything perfect. I would go on weekly visits with my children, especially on birthdays and holidays. My mother always wanted the whole family together, and that meant everyone. Over the last 10 years, I can honestly say that my mother, Silvia Cata, has been a caring, loving woman who has worked hard for her residents.
I would like to go back to the month in 2012 when my mother called me and said that she wanted me to go with her to the California Department of Social Services’ (DSS) Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) meeting that was issued for her on behalf of Georgia [Holzmeister, who, according to a Jan. 28, 2013 felony complaint against Silvia Cata by California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (BMFEA), died due to elder abuse and involuntary manslaughter]. Of course, as Silvia Cata’s daughter, I wanted to go with her and be by her side while her story was told. I wanted to be by her side, not only as her daughter, but also as her friend. My mother has an amazing heart. She would give you the coat off her back if that would make you happy.
Another reason I wanted to go with my mother to the DSS meeting was because of the way that this society looks at a human being who is bilingual. The licensing department at times looked down on her because of her accent. It was not always easy for her to express herself in English as it was in her native language, Romanian. This is one of the main reasons I wanted to go with my mother to the meeting at the local Sacramento office of DSS’ CCLD.
I remember sitting in the room with two DSS licensing program analysts (LPAs) and two managers while being asked questions like why, when, where, and how. Many moments when my mom would pause to actually answer the questions right from Romanian to English, DSS LPAs Renee French and Mary would get frustrated with my mother and try to answer the questions themselves. At times, it just seemed that my mom’s words were getting twisted out of proportion due to the pressure of the LPAs. I actually went home very upset and disappointed at how some state officials downgrade people who are bilingual and do not have the sufficient English skills that the state would prefer.
I also remember the day that LPA Renee French came to my mom’s house for weekly visits after Georgia’s death. On one of the days, my mom called and asked me if I could stop by because the DSS LPAs made her feel uncomfortable. Also, my mom felt that the LPAs from the state judged her by the way she expressed herself and her accent. I, of course, rushed right over to my mom’s house to give her support. As I walked in through the door, I introduced myself as Ella Lup. In response, the CCLD LPA said, “I’m the state!”
I wondered how people such as California Community Care Licensing Division LPAs Renee French and Mary could downgrade others and abuse their jobs and titles they had so that they could treat people like garbage. I have seen firsthand how RCFE administrators or licensees get mistreated by state officials because of the power, names, and positions they have. On many occasions, I have noticed my mom answer all the LPA’s questions while I was standing in the kitchen watching them. Most of the times, my mom would talk, and LPA Renee French would just nod and write on her laptop computer for a few hours. Then Ms. French would hand over a paper and make my mom sign it. I remember on one occasion when my mom told Ms. French that what Ms. French had written was not correct and that my mom would not sign the paper. Ms. French got frustrated and commented, “I’m not gonna rewrite it. You need to sign it!”
Renee French came out every week for a few months. On one occasion, I remember calling Ms. French to ask her about a class that was mandatory for my mother to take. Ms. French and I got into a long conversation about the possibility of my becoming a licensed RCFE administrator. Ms. French asked me if I would be interested in taking over for my mom and why I did not add myself as an administrator for Super Care Home. Ms. French told me that she thought I should add myself to her files at CCLD. I told Ms. French that I was not going to get involved with that facility and that my husband and I wanted to open our own facility. So Rene French responded, “Oh, you’re a smart girl!”
As time passed, my mom ended up getting a new California Community Care Licensing Division LPA, Lauren Olsen. This was a major turnaround from the other two LPAs, Rene French and Mary, because Lauren Olsen was actually doing her job properly and was treating people with respect and decency.
I want to go to the morning on November 15, 2012, when my mother’s and father’s lives got turned upside down. Around 8:00 a.m., my husband got up to look outside of our balcony because our dog was barking. My husband looked very surprised and said to me, “Get up. There are ten to twelve officers outside your parents’ home taking the big gate off its wheels and trying to get in!” I jumped out of bed, opened the sliding door, and heard one man say, “Go to the back house. That’s where the residents are.”
I quickly ran out of the house while my husband was yelling at the men, “Hold on. There’s no need to break the gate. We can open it for you.” As I got outside, my dad was coming from the back house with my two older kids, Noah, nine years old at the time, and Adam, seven years old. As I was walking towards the house, agents from the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (BMFEA) told me not to move and asked me who I was. I told the DOJ agents that I was Ella, Silvia and John Cata’s daughter, and that Noah and Adam were my children. The DOJ agents rudely told me to take my kids and get them out of there. So my husband grabbed our children and took them home while I stayed with my mom and dad. The DOJ agents stated that they had a warrant for Super Care Home and for Georgia’s files. I wondered why it took 12 police officers to get a resident’s paperwork.
As soon as we all went in the house, the DOJ agents said, “Sit down and don’t move!” The woman who seemed to be in charge of all of this was California Department of Justice Special Agent Tina Khang, who works in the DOJ’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse in Sacramento. Tina Khang quickly approached my mom and told her that she needed to talk to my mom in private. When I offered to go with my mom, Ms. Khang did not allow it. Ms. Khang took my mom in the backroom and interrogated her for three hours! While Special Agent Khang was interrogating my mom, I was sitting down on the couch with two residents and one of my mom’s friends. At the same time, a DOJ agent continued to watch us so that we did not move. I did not understand why, while I did not have rights, the residents did not have rights either.
One resident who was her own responsible party was in her nightgown and did not even get a chance to brush her teeth. When I asked the DOJ agent if my mom could make the residents breakfast, he said, “No, no one move.” Then I asked the agent if one of the residents could at least get some coffee, but the agent said, “No!” The residents and I were on the couch for four hours without moving from the area.
After some time, I got so upset that I told the agent that it was not right what the DOJ agents were doing to us and that it was against our civil rights to be treated like that. The agent said, “You need to be quiet.” I watched for four hours as the DOJ agents turned the house upside down while I was sitting on the couch and being treated like a criminal! I also asked why it took 10 police officers from the DOJ to come in to get paperwork on a resident when all they needed was at the state licensing department. But the DOJ agent completely ignored my question.
I then noticed that my mom came out of the room where Special Agent Tina Khang had been interrogating her. When Ms. Khang asked my mom where her office was, my mom said, “We don’t really have an office. My paperwork is under the stairs.” Ms. Khang asked my mom again, “What do you mean you have no office?”
When Ms. Khang asked my mom what was upstairs, my mom said there were two bedrooms and a little kitchen. Ms. Khang got frustrated and asked my mom why she kept going upstairs when an LPA was at the house in August. My mom explained that she has a fax machine upstairs and had to make copies for one of the CCLD LPAs during a visit. I thought that it was very strange that Special Agent Khang knew so much about what had happened on one of the days CCLD LPA Renee French had come to the house in August because Ms. Khang was not there that day. It also seemed strange that Ms. Khang would ask such questions.
When I overheard Special Agent Khang ask my mom how many residents were in the back house, my mom said, “None.” Ms. Khang then asked my mom, “Why did your husband keep going to the back house on some of the occasions an LPA was at Super Care Home?” My mom looked at Ms. Khang in confusion and asked her, “Why would an LPA care if we go to the back house or not? That’s my home also. Am I or my husband not allowed to go back there?” Special Agent Khang looked as if she was angry with my mom’s response.
I too was getting angry about the way the California DOJ agents were treating my mom. So I got up and said that I could not sit any longer and that the agents were not treating the residents properly. I told a DOJ agent, “I think that the residents’ rights are being violated!” The agent told me that I had to remain quiet.
So I sat down again and saw another DOJ agent come from outside and through the kitchen door who said, “We found nothing.” Yet another DOJ agent at the table responded, “Nothing?” One of the female DOJ agents quickly said, “Okay, then we can go!”
I noticed that the DOJ agents were moving three large boxes with them while leaving the house. I also noticed and overheard two female agents talking to each other about the warrants. One of the agents asked Special Agent Tina Khang, “Did they get a copy of the warrant for the back house?” Ms. Khang just looked at the agent and said, “Well, we have no time for that. We need to go.” The officer told Ms. Khang, “We can’t leave until they have both copies of the warrants.”
One of the female DOJ agents then asked my mom, “What’s the address to the back home?” My mom said that the address was 331. The agent appeared confused and asked my mom why the back house and main house addresses were different. My mom explained to the agent that the back house is a separate property. My mom asked the agent why there was a warrant for the back home and why the DOJ agents had to go to the back home. The agent did not answer my mom.
As DOJ agents were leaving through the kitchen, I noticed my dad and four other agents coming from the back house. I cannot even adequately describe the look on my dad’s face and how these DOJ police officers invaded his personal home and space. My dad looked so humiliated and horrified. When I quickly went over to my dad and asked him if he was all right, he began to cry. I tried to encourage him as much as I could, but I could see that what had just happened had deeply changed him.
As the DOJ agents left the house, they did not even care enough to say they were sorry about the intrusion and to even acknowledge what they had put the residents through. I will never forget that day and how it made me feel. For the first time in my life, I was disappointed in being an American citizen. I wondered how the DOJ agents’ conduct in our home could happen in America and what right a person has in his own home. I came to the painful realization that while the DOJ agents were intruding our and the residents’ home, we had no rights.
As I looked at both of my parents, I could see that they were in shock. My dad said, “I can’t even feel my feet anymore. I will never be the same!” I quickly went into the house to check on my mom, and she was preparing food while tears were running down her cheeks. I cannot even describe the emotions I was feeling while looking at my mom. I thought to myself, “This woman works hard all her life and lives life by the rules, and she gets treated like this?”
I then noticed that one of the residents who was sitting at the table looked so confused and scared and kept asking my mom, “What happened? What happened? Why did we have to sit down for so long? Why did they treat us like this?” I was asking myself the very same questions. It is very difficult to answer a resident with questions like that. My mom just wiped away her tears and calmly said, “Everything is all right. You’re safe, and you have nothing to worry about.” I just sat for a moment and actually realized what had just happened.
My dad then walked in and asked me if I had seen the warrant for the back home. I told him that I had not gotten any paper work. My mom said she had received a warrant only for Super Care Home.
My dad then explained to us what had happened with him and the DOJ agents in the back house while we were in the front. My dad was so angry that the DOJ agents had taken his pocket knife and completely broken down one of the doors upstairs that was locked so that they could enter and search. (That door was locked only because my young children were not allowed in the room by themselves with the computer and my dad’s personal belongings.) When my dad asked the DOJ agents why they had just broken down the door when there was a key next to the door, they responded, “Make a complaint!”
My dad told us that the agents made him go in the backyard while they looked through all the bushes. My dad said that the DOJ agents officers even made him take the cover off the pool. My dad also told us that after going inside the house, the agents asked my dad why he had video cameras up and told him to wait outside while they looked through the entire house, including every room, closet, dresser, and even the attic.
I learned that the California Department of Justice agents had also deleted the video recordings from the video cameras that were inside and outside of the house. Did the DOJ agents delete the video recordings so that my mom and dad would not have video evidence of the DOJ agents’ strong-arm tactics and misconduct during their search of the property? If Special Agent Tina Khang and her DOJ agents’ search was totally proper and lawful, then why did the DOJ agents spoil my mom and dad’s video evidence?
The next day [on November 16, 2012] at 9:00 a.m., I called DOJ Special Agent Tina Khang and left her a voice mail. I told her that the way she and the other DOJ officers had conducted themselves at our home was wrong and that my dad’s pocket knife needed to be returned.
I also called California Department of Social Services LPA Lauren Olsen and explained to her everything that had happened the day before and how the DOJ agents had mistreated us. I also told Ms. Olsen that the DOJ agents had said they had not taken anything from the back house or my dad when in fact they took my dad’s pocket knife. Ms. Olsen suggested that I make a complaint about the DOJ agents’ conduct because she said that the way the residents had been treated during DOJ’s |
also be lighter and have longer battery life than the current bulkier devices.
Will the economics support the availability of such optimized designs? I don't know, because user research and usability analysis can't take us into that territory. All I can say is that the UX will be great if the money is there and poor if it's not. For now, 7-inch tablets will have to make do with repurposed content.
(Disclosure: Nielsen Norman Group paid the full commercial price for all of the different Kindle and iPad models we've analyzed. We didn't receive free units from Amazon or Apple, thus preserving our independence to call the designs as we see them. By way of full disclosure, Apple is one of the companies that has sent the most attendees to my Usability Week conference in recent years, though I don't think this influenced my analysis.)
Follow-Up
Rebutting the critics of our Kindle Fire usability research.
More wide-spread use of other (and potentially better) 7-inch tablets in Asia.
Kindle Fire HD analyzed: much better usability in the next-generation version of this product.
Full Report
The full report with all our research into mobile user experience with actionable design guidelines for mobile sites and apps is available for download.Editors' note (June 27, 2017): At this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple gave its laptop line a modest makeover. The $1,299 12-inch MacBook and $999 13-inch MacBook Air have been updated with faster, more powerful Intel processors. The new MacBook Pros -- the $1,299 13-inch, $1,799 13-inch with Touch Bar, and $2,399 15-inch with Touch Bar, the 2016 version of which is reviewed below -- have those new chips, too, along with upgraded graphics hardware.
Otherwise, aside from a RAM bump here and a slight price drop there, the 2017 batch is very similar to the one from 2016, with the same enclosures, ports, trackpads and screens. But be forewarned: Buying a new MacBook Pro may require you to invest in a variety of adapters for your legacy devices. Also note that the 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2015 has been discontinued, though the $1,999 15-inch model of that vintage remains available for those who want all the ports and fewer dongles.
The trend line points toward ever-smaller computers, with premium systems diving below 10mm thick, and screens dipping down to 12.5 inches from the more common 13-inch or larger versions. But sometimes you want a big, bold, laptop with a large screen to match, especially for photo and video editing, design work -- or even just spending hours each day staring at endless text in a word processor.
Apple no longer makes a 17-inch laptop (although we get reader emails a few times per year lamenting the loss of the 17-inch MacBook), so the new, updated version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro is as big as you're going to get without jumping to an iMac all-in-one desktop computer. And while we've already spent a lot of time writing about and testing both new versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, we haven't dived as deeply into the larger 15-inch model before now.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Even though these are all part of the same family, the 15-incher offers important differences from the 13-inch models, starting with the configuration options. There are two base configurations of the 13-inch Pro -- the less expensive stripped-down model, with only two USB-C ports and lacking both the new Touch Bar control strip and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and a premium version, which includes the Touch Bar and Touch ID, better specs and twice as many USB-C ports. The two base configurations of the 15-inch model, however, both include Touch Bar and Touch ID and both start with roughly the same premium features, including four USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, an Intel Core i7 processor and a discrete Radeon Pro graphics card.
And that's why the price for each is eye-wateringly expensive, starting at $2,499 (£2,349 or AU$3,599) in the US, and bumping up the processor, storage and GPU for $2,799 (£2,699 or AU$4,249), which is the configuration tested here. It makes the 13-inch models, which start at $1,499 and $1,799 (£1,449 and £1,749 or AU$2,199 and AU$2,699) seem very reasonably priced in comparison.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Of course, there's also another 15-inch option that's a little less expensive. For the time being, Apple is still selling the 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro, which misses out on some of the newer features, but still has traditional USB, HDMI and other ports.
Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) Price as reviewed $2,799 Display size/resolution 15-inch, 2,880x1,800-pixel display PC CPU 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-6820HQ PC memory 16GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,133MHz Graphics 2,048MB Radeon Pro 455 / 1,536MB Intel HD Graphics 530 Storage 512GB SSD Networking 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.2 Operating system MacOS Sierra 10.12.1
Mostly new, inside and out
Much has been written, blogged or Tweeted about Apple's newest MacBook Pro laptops, first unveiled in late October 2016. Despite it being a near-total refresh of this decade-old line, a good deal of the focus was on complaints about the (still) high price and the switch away from traditional USB and HDMI ports to USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. The inclusion of a slim touch strip for commands, called the Touch Bar, was also polarizing -- it's moderately useful in many circumstances, amazingly so in a handful. At launch, it didn't have the software support to be a must-have productivity tool, but that's slowly changing. You can read much more about the Touch Bar experience here.
Beyond that, there are a lot of other updates and upgrades that got lost in the noise about USB-C ports and the Touch Bar. The MacBook Pros, including this 15-inch model, have newer Intel processors, the aluminum unibody chassis is both thinner and lighter, the keyboard has been shifted to a flatter design, akin to the 12-inch MacBook, and the trackpad (Apple's touchpad) has doubled in surface area. On this 15-inch MacBook, it's larger than even an iPhone 7 Plus screen.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
That last point is especially important, as this is one area where no PC maker can touch Apple (no pun intended). The multifinger gestures that make MacBook hardware and the MacOS operating system such a killer combo is enhanced by the new, larger finger surface. It's as if just when PC makers were starting to catch up on touchpads, with better surfaces and reliable multitouch gestures, these oversize MacBook trackpads move the goalposts further away.
This is also a Force Touch pad, a design now in every MacBook except the MacBook Air, which replaces a traditional hinge with a flat glass panel with two levels of haptic feedback. You can read more about Force Touch here.
Magic touch
The Touch Bar here is the same as in the 13-inch MacBook Pro we reviewed previously. And by the same, I mean exactly the same. Both the 2,170x60 OLED Touch Bar display and the keyboard have been dropped in right from the 13-inch version. The main physical difference is that the larger 15-inch body has extra room on either side of the keyboard for speaker grilles, while the 13-inch keyboard goes nearly to the edge of the body.
A much more in-depth exploration of the Touch Bar is available in our review of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the functionality, benefits and limitations are the same on this model. You can read that review for an extended test drive of the Touch Bar, but it's worth noting a few highlights and lowlights here.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Initially, Touch Bar support was limited to Apple apps built into MacOS, and a handful of third-party apps, although that list is finally growing. In most cases, the unique-to-each-app set of buttons you get is presented logically, but some onscreen buttons have layers within them, and navigating deeper in and then moving back out isn't always intuitive (as in the case of Photos, Apple's photo organizing and tweaking app). In other cases, such as with Safari and Messages, the Touch Bar buttons are a perfect distillation of the most important functions in an app and the uses are easy to pick up immediately.
One of the best Touch Bar features is the built-in fingerprint reader, which uses a new custom T1 security chip to implement Apple's Touch ID system, as seen on iPhones and iPads. Setup is similar to on an iPhone, with repeated fingertaps on the sensor recording fingerprint data. Unlike iPhones or iPads, Macs support multiple user profiles, so everyone using the machine can set up fingerprint access to separate profiles, or you can set up different profiles and access each one with a different finger.Making $8.8bn disappear is not easy. Hewlett-Packard managed it, and quickly, when it bought the information management software company Autonomy in 2011 for $11.6bn and wrote off 80 per cent of the purchase price a year later.
HP’s history is rife with self-inflicted injury and the Autonomy affair is, in part, a depressingly familiar story: a company in crisis overpaying for an acquisition it can tout as transformative. Heads have already rolled. Léo Apotheker, HP’s boss at the time of the deal, departed almost immediately afterwards and Raymond Lane, the board’s chairman at the time, and two other directors followed him last month.
HP, however, attributed more than $5bn of the writedown to “accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and outright misrepresentations”. It alleges that low-margin hardware sales were disguised as high-margin software sales and that products were sold into the distribution channel when there was no buyer.
Mike Lynch, Autonomy co-founder and former chief executive, argues it is hard to believe that malfeasance on a scale to merit a $5bn writedown could have slipped through the due-diligence process. And so it is. Yet it is equally hard to see how, as Mr Lynch contends, the damage was done in a single year of poor management by HP. Autonomy was run as an independent unit within HP, led by Mr Lynch for the first seven months, and the trouble began soon after the deal was completed. In its last quarter as an independent company, Autonomy reported $250m in revenues. Yet in HP’s second quarter with Autonomy as a subsidiary, HP’s software division, which had been growing nicely on its own, added just $175m in new sales, and Autonomy software sales were down from the year before. (Mr Lynch argues that the drop in revenues is due to a combination of accounting changes and mismanagement by HP.)
Neither is it easy to see why HP’s current CEO, Meg Whitman, on the board at the time of the deal, would make a very serious accusation in which she was not confident.
See you in court
HP shareholders filed a lawsuit, expected to be strenuously contested, against the company’s board and its advisers – Barclays Capital and Perella Weinberg – in a US District Court last week. It alleges that HP ignored warnings of accounting improprieties and weak growth at Autonomy, then ran an abbreviated due-diligence process, and is claiming to have discovered the improprieties only after the fact to cover for its grotesque overpayment.
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The issues of overpayment and of the financial impact of the alleged misrepresentations are inextricably linked. A company bought at a fabulous price (HP paid 26 times trailing cash flow for Autonomy) must suffer a big drop in value if expectations for its growth are reduced. If HP expected a 20 per cent medium-term growth rate in Autonomy’s cash flows – which it would have had to expect to justify the price – cutting that expectation to 10 per cent could easily justify a $5bn writedown. To overpay is to wager that high hopes will be met.
So the core question is whether Autonomy’s growth was, in quantity or quality, not what it seemed to be, and whether HP had any reasons to suspect as much. During Autonomy’s latter years as an independent company, a small group of analysts – notably Paul Morland of Peel Hunt and Daud Khan of JPMorgan Cazenove – argued that growth looked overstated. Autonomy responded in detail. That debate takes on new resonance now.
Buy, buy, buy
The first area of contention was acquisitions. From 2004 through to its purchase in 2011, Autonomy reported after-tax cash flows from operations of $1.2bn. It spent $1.9bn on acquisitions over that period. This is striking for a company that described itself as “one of the least acquisitive players in the software universe”.
Autonomy reported strong organic growth even in periods following acquisitions but these reports are hard to assess in the standard way because of its unique acquisition model. It would take the acquired company’s products and ram Autonomy’s own technology – the Intelligent Data Operating Layer (Idol) – into them. As a result of this integration, Autonomy argues that it is impossible to show results from acquired businesses separately from the results of the combined group. Furthermore, the parts of acquired businesses that did not fit into Autonomy’s high-margin model (a pure software business with an indirect sales channel and no services component) were promptly discontinued. Thus, organic growth was calculated as total growth minus the discontinued operations of the acquired companies.
Take, for example, Autonomy’s acquisition of US software company Interwoven for $775m in March 2009. Interwoven had $260m in revenue in 2008, a 16 per cent rise in growth compared with 2007. Assuming that Interwoven’s 2009 revenue did not grow, one might expect it to contribute roughly $200m to Autonomy’s sales in the nine months till the end of that year. That would account for about 85 per cent of Autonomy’s 2009 growth, leaving an organic growth rate of under 6 per cent. But Autonomy reported that $66m of Interwoven’s revenue had been discontinued. Organic growth in 2009 was 16 per cent.
It may seem crazy to buy a competitor at a high multiple of earnings only to shut down big parts of the target’s businesses. It makes more sense if, as Autonomy argues, the discontinued operations had low or no margin. And the majority of analysts following the company found the Autonomy acquisition model more than plausible. The market agreed: Autonomy’s share price rose briskly in 2009.
Cash conversion
Questions have also been raised about cash. One of the great features of the software business, as normally structured, is that companies’ cash flows are often equal to, or in excess of, reported profits. Customers generally sign maintenance contracts at the same time as they buy software licences, paying cash up front. The company books only part of that cash as revenue, recognising the rest over the life of the contract. This means that operating profits as reflected on the income statement – in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation – can be surpassed by money the company takes in, as reflected on the cash flow statement.
Yet in 2006 and in 2008, years of strong revenue growth, Autonomy saw no growth in revenue that it deferred on to its books. Instead, deferred revenue grew in big leaps in 2005, 2007 and 2009, all years where the company made acquisitions.
Autonomy’s cash conversion ratio (the measure of operating cash flow generated relative to ebitda) from 2004 to mid-2011 was about 80 per cent, relatively low by the standards of growing software companies. Over that period Autonomy grew from $65m in annual revenues to nearly $900m. Over similar periods of rapid growth Sage Group, for example, converted 85 per cent of ebitda to cash, Adobe 90 per cent and Informatica almost 100 per cent. Low levels of cash conversion raise the concern that a company may be recognising profits aggressively.
…
Nothing to see here
Autonomy offers a straightforward explanation for the patterns in its deferred revenue account. Over the years leading up to the Interwoven acquisition, it had been moving away from licence sales and towards a software-as-a-service model where customers paid in arrears, generating no deferred revenue. Yes, peers such as Salesforce.com have billing models that generate significant deferred revenues – but these cater to smaller clients. Autonomy’s larger contracts are not suited to pre-payment.
On cash conversion, Autonomy’s explanation is more complex. The company accounts for much of the cash gap by pointing to $172m in working capital deficits that came with the companies it acquired. Autonomy often funded its acquisitions in shares issued at a discount. In order to limit the dilution associated with the share issue, Autonomy would strike an agreement with the target company making it accumulate as much cash on its balance sheet as possible by collecting aggressively from clients and delaying payment to creditors. This accumulated cash in effect helped fund the acquisitions without the dilution associated with selling shares. Ultimately, of course, the negative working capital has to be replaced – but that could be done over several quarters as the newly enlarged Autonomy generated cash from its operations. It is an internally coherent explanation but also a description of a highly unusual form of merger financing.
Water under the bridge?
These controversies – as esoteric as they may seem to non-accountants – could prove as important as HP’s claims about recognition and classification of revenue. Those specific claims have grabbed most of the attention but HP described them as examples and made broader reference to Autonomy’s “core growth rate” and business mixture. Both sets of claims paint a picture of a company unable to sustain high levels of organic growth while keeping up appearances with aggressive accounting.
Autonomy’s accounts and its acquisitive history raise legitimate questions about the quality of its growth. Suggestive patterns are not, however, to be confused with evidence of wrongdoing. And two crucial points cut against HP. First, the longstanding controversy about Autonomy’s growth was played out publicly in analyst reports, company earnings calls, the media and the investment community. HP simply cannot claim to have been taken by surprise by issues involving Autonomy’s organic growth.
Second, HP’s accusations came – or should have come – after a deep due-diligence process where it would have had access to much more than just the publicly disclosed financials. It is hard to believe that sales mischaracterisations and channel stuffing could have survived such a process. The shareholder lawsuit claims that the process was compressed. If that is true, it is a terrible indictment of both companies and the bankers and auditors working for them.
Where does this leave HP? If the UK Serious Fraud Office, or the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, find substance in the accusations, HP will hardly look good. But if the accusations are refuted, it should spell the end of Ms Whitman and raise the prospect of expensive settlements with aggrieved shareholders. It is, ironically, the possibility that no crimes were committed against HP that its investors should fear the most.Wayne State University scientists identify neural origins of hot flashes in menopausal women
July 15, 2013
Robert Freedman Vaibhav Diwadkar
DETROIT — A new study from neuroscientists at the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the first novel insights into the neural origins of hot flashes in menopausal women in years. The study may inform and eventually lead to new treatments for those who experience the sudden but temporary episodes of body warmth, flushing and sweating.
The paper, "Temporal Sequencing of Brain Activations During Naturally Occurring Thermoregulatory Events," by Robert Freedman, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, founder of the Behavioral Medicine Laboratory and a member at the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, and his collaborator, Vaibhav Diwadkar, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, appears in the June issue of Cerebral Cortex, an Oxford University Press journal.
“The idea of understanding brain responses during thermoregulatory events has spawned many studies where thermal stimuli were applied to the skin. But hot flashes are unique because they are internally generated, so studying them presents unique challenges,” said Freedman, the study’s principal investigator. “Our participants had to lie in the MRI scanner while being heated between two body-size heating pads for up to two hours while we waited for the onset of a hot flash. They were heroic in this regard and the study could not have been conducted without their incredible level of cooperation.”
“Menopause and hot flashes are a significant women's health issue of widespread general interest,” Diwadkar added. “However, understanding of the neural origins of hot flashes has remained poor. The question has rarely been assessed with in vivo functional neuroimaging. In part, this paucity of studies reflects the technical limitations of objectively identifying hot flashes while symptomatic women are being scanned with MRI. Nothing like this has been published because this is a very difficult study to do.”
During the course of a single year, 20 healthy, symptomatic postmenopausal women ages 47 to 58 who reported six or more hot flashes a day were scanned at the School of Medicine’s Vaitkevicius Imaging Center, located in Detroit’s Harper University Hospital.
The researchers collected skin conductance levels to identify the onset of flashes while the women were being scanned. Skin conductance is an electrical measure of sweating. The women were connected to a simple circuit passing a very small current across their chests, Diwadkar said. Changes in levels allowed researchers to identify a hot flash onset and analyze the concurrently acquired fMRI data to investigate the neural precedents and correlates of the event.
The researchers focused on regions like the brain stem because its sub regions, such as the medullary and dorsal raphe, are implicated in thermal regulation, while forebrain regions, such as the insula, have been implicated in the personal perception of how someone feels. They showed that activity in some brain areas, such as the brain stem, begins to rise before the actual onset of the hot flash.
“Frankly, evidence of fMRI-measured rise in the activity of the brain stem even before women experience a hot flash is a stunning result. When this finding is considered along with the fact that activity in the insula only rises after the experience of the hot flash, we gain some insight on the complexity of brain mechanisms that mediate basic regulatory functions,” Diwadkar said.
These results point to the plausible origins of hot flashes in specific brain regions. The researchers believe it is the first such demonstration in academic literature.
They are now evaluating the network-based interactions between the brain regions by using more complex modeling of the fMRI data. “We think that our study highlights the value of using well-designed fMRI paradigms and analyses in understanding clinically relevant questions,” Diwadkar said.
The researchers also are exploring possibilities for integrating imaging with treatment to examine whether specific pharmacotherapies for menopause might alter regional brain responses.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health Merit award (R37-AG05233), with additional support by a National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health award (MH68680) and the state of Michigan’s Joseph A. Young Sr. Fund award to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences.
# # #
Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research institutions in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://www.research.wayne.edu.
Return to newsDespite hefty successes like Hadoop, Linux, and Android, the open source movement has come under intense pressure recently. On the one hand, the New York Times' Quentin Hardy questions "whether it makes sense to build free stuff at all" given open source's commercial floundering. On the other hand, InfoWorld's own Galen Gruman chides "open source mobile efforts" as having "a history of failure."
In these and other broadsides, the critics miss the open source forest for the trees.
Redefining open source
For one thing, neither critic seems to have their facts straight about open source success. On his way to (rightly) ripping apart Moblin, Maemo, MeeGo, and Tizen as open source mobile failures, Gruman conveniently overlooks Android, the world's top mobile OS.
Oh, Gruman mentions Android, but he insists "Android is not a really an open source development effort," because "Google does the development, not the open source community."
Well, welcome to the modern world of open source, Gruman, where the vast majority of successful open source projects are exactly like this. Take a look at OpenStack, Linux, or any other commercially mainstream open source project. They're all written by (wait for it!) companies -- not for peace, love, and freedom, but for sales, market share, and customers.
Even if we allow that such projects are still fueled by a community of commercially motivated companies, plenty of projects are heavily guided by a single company: MySQL, MongoDB, Drupal, Alfresco, and many, many more. Are these not open source simply because they don't fit the mythical (and mostly false) conception of open source, which is a merry band of hippies writing software for fun?
Ridiculous -- open source has never fit that mold.
Making money with open source
Then there's Hardy's contention that open source is a commercial flop. He argues:
The open source method may be effective if enough people play along, but it does not make money in itself. Moreover, by definition it implies that open source projects have many more mistakes, bad code and failed efforts on their way to succeeding, compared with conventional projects.
The first point is a trite truism, and the second point is patently false.
On the matter of code quality, there are plenty of studies (here's Coverity's) that show open source software quality is often better than that of proprietary software. The reason isn't some magical formula but common sense: If you're going to allow others to see your code, you're more likely to ensure that code is actually worth looking at.
On the first, it's true that directly monetizing open source code is hard. But this has never been the most successful commercial model for open source. Most of the world's top open source contributors -- such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, and the rest -- sell services on top of open source, rather than selling software.
Even companies that look like the traditional "open source company" follow this model, selling software and services that complement the open source code. By my estimates, Cloudera is doing in excess of $100 million in sales, with other open source companies like Acquia, Hortonworks, MongoDB (my employer), and DataStax faring very well.
Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of downsides to open-sourcing one's software. For example, doing so makes it harder to sell that same software.
There is no other way
But here's a reality check: Open source is now simply the way we write software, as I argued recently. Or as Cloudera co-founder Mike Olson notes, open source is increasingly mandatory:
It's pretty hard to build a successful, stand-alone open source company. Notably, no support- or services-only business model has ever made the cut....
Separately but simultaneously, there's been a stunning and irreversible trend in enterprise infrastructure. If you're operating a data center, you're almost certainly using an open source operating system, database, middleware, and other plumbing. No dominant platform-level software infrastructure has emerged in the last 10 years in closed source, proprietary form, despite huge investment and tremendous efforts by traditional closed source vendors to hold back the IP tide.
Olson concludes, "You can no longer win with a closed source platform, and you can't build a successful stand-alone company purely on open source." In fact, some would argue you can't even learn to code anymore without relying on open source.
Gruman and Hardy seem to want to suggest that we have the option to go back to the good old days of proprietary software, when revenue was easy. Meanwhile, the poster children for this model -- Oracle, IBM, and the rest -- have been missing more quarters than they've been hitting lately as they grapple with open source-fueled industry trends like cloud and big data.
Open source isn't perfect, either as a development or as a commercial model. But echoing Winston Churchill, it may well be that open source is the worst form of software, except for all those other forms that have been tried.
This article, "Fresh attacks on open source miss the mark," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.Five new companies are contributing to Iroha, one of several projects attached to the Hyperledger blockchain initiative.
Among the companies joining is Japanese electronics conglomerate Panasonic, marking its first major foray into the blockchain space. Other firms involved include Indetail, Intec, CAC and NTT Data, the last of which is a founding member of Hyperledger.
Unveiled last year, Iroha focuses on the creation of a framework for user-friendly applications for mobile devices. Soramitsu, which initially proposed the Iroha project, said that the firms involved will all put forward development time and resources.
“This means they will work to develop code to create Hyperledger Iroha, contributing it to the open-source community,” the startup said.
The ultimate goal is to develop a robust library of components that can be easily used among others running digital ledgers based on Hyperledger’s technology. Specifically, the team behind Iroha seeks to create reusable components in C++ that can call from other programming languages such as GO.
Along with Iroha, the Hyperledger umbrella includes distributed ledger projects like Sawtooth Lake, Fabric and Cello.
Image Credit: GuoZhongHua / Shutterstock.comVidal: An honour to play for Juve
By Football Italia staff
Arturo Vidal is hungry to win honours for Juventus and himself after putting pen to paper on a new contract at the start of this month.
The Chilean international is now tied to the club until June 2017 and he’s today told the Gazzetta dello Sport why he wanted to stay.
“Juventus are one of the strongest sides in the world and it is an honour to represent them,” he stated. “I feel something special when I wear this shirt.”
Juventus are looking good to win their third straight Scudetto, but the Champions League has eluded them after their 1-0 loss at Galatasaray.
“The Champions League exit was the biggest disappointment of my career,” he added. “We have a squad to win the Cup, not to go out in the first round.
“Forget about the last game, we played poorly in the group. We were not in form during the first few games.
“The Europa League? The Final in Turin is an extra incentive to try and win it. The Europa League will be revenge for me – I’m still sad about our Champions League exit.”
Vidal has been a key player for the Turin giants since his arrival in 2011, but he failed to make the 23-man long-list for the 2013 Golden Ball.
“I would have put myself in the 23,” he added. “And I’ll aim to win it in 2014…”When the National government introduced National Standards four years ago, I didn’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind was blowing. I’d been watching our older son acclimatise to public schools in New Haven, Connecticut, where kids and teachers alike struggled to breathe freely in the toxic atmosphere of No Child Left Behind.
You can read that story – my long, slow realisation that the testing-tail was wagging the educational dog – here, if you haven’t already. Go on. I’ll wait. It’s a good one.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I asked at the time.
I was pretty confident of two things:
a) that the US model, or something like it, was indeed where the National/ACT policy was eventually headed (with the side effect -- some would say ultimate goal -- of disrupting the professional educational organisations)
b) that New Zealanders would never fall for something so transparently second-hand, dodgy, and unkind to children.
Over the past four years, the jigsaw pieces slotted into place; and each time they did, I retweeted the heck out of that original piece. At times, I wondered: am I being too suspicious? Am I drawing a line where others would see random dots? Are the National Party and their ACT colleagues really disingenuous enough to serve New Zealanders these warmed-up leftovers and think we won't notice?
Hey, maybe it’s just a coincidence that the Prime Minister had a cup of tea with a Minister who suddenly got all excited about charter schools, and it’ll just be a nice surprise when they bring their corporate mates - running out of options overseas, keen for fresh markets for their educational snake oil - into our schoolyards under the cover of “lifting achievement”. It’s just, y’know, pollies making policy. Flying a few kites, sinking a few cuppas.
Then, in an interview with the Herald published yesterday, Education Minister Hekia Parata blurted out her plans to link school funding to student “progress.”
Even the Herald was amazed that she should champion a “policy [that has] served only to increase the gap between the top schools and the bottom ones, penalising children at the latter.” Ms Parata, they wrote in an editorial, has “revealed the Cabinet's firm conviction that freemarket ideology is as applicable to purchasing school education as it is to buying a BMW or a nice dinner at one of Simon Gault's restaurants.”
The Minister’s advisers are apparently scrambling to correct any misapprehensions. Or as the Herald has it: “her advisers are unhappy because she has been caught out - caught out telling the truth.”
This morning, the Minister fronted on National Radio to say that she'd been mischaracterised. She conversationalised, conversationally:
“I think that at the point where a longer conversation is held on how we fund into our system there will be a whole range of factors that need to be taken into account - but they will be part of a conversation with the profession itself."
(Did I hear a loud snort from Christchurch at the notion of a "conversation" with the Minister?)
Ms Parata further clarified her position, which is to say, smokescreened mightily with:
“I think that when we’re having a discussion about funding there will be a range of factors that will need to be taken into account. But we’re not having one at the moment.”
Although even a child can translate that as "Just you wait till after the election." If you're still in any doubt, she followed up with this blanket statement:
“There is no review of funding.”
The meaning of which, as a far wilier politician once reminded us, depends on the meaning of what "is" is.
I’m no longer doubtful about whether I’m drawing a long bow here.
--
It's always fascinating to me to see how stories like this take shape and sneak into our discourse, one step at a time. Especially intensely ideological stories that present themselves as series of commonsense logical notions, which is something this government and its advisers are generally very good at. (Help me out if I’ve missed any steps here; relevant links appreciated).
The first move is to point out, quite reasonably, that some children are failing in most schools. It's a truism, but a reliable one for setting the citizenry on edge. Ignoring all relevant socio-economic factors, quickly rephrase this thought as “some schools are failing our children.”
Which ones? Well, let's introduce a testing/assessment regime, y’know, just to measure the scale and scope of the problem.
Reassure parents that this is “just to reassure parents.” When you get pushback from schools who already carefully assess children and their progress, ask them what they’re trying to hide.
Remind the people that numbers don’t lie. Lie to the people about which numbers are important.
Look a bit surprised when this data is used to assemble “league tables” that rank schools in order of average achievement on a variety of tests. Say that wasn’t at all the intention. Look even more surprised if it should happen that those who can afford to start flocking to more well off schools, tilting the achievement numbers even further. Goodness. Look at the failing schools failing even harder! What's wrong with them?
Look very surprised indeed if any schools that can get away with it start filtering out special needs children – not actively, just passively discouraging them from being there.
Meanwhile, casually introduce the notion that some people just do teaching better than others. Hard to argue with, right? Because everyone has a story about that one crappy teacher; encourage them to extrapolate. (NB avoid the corollary, which would be that some kids just do learning better than others, because that wouldn’t fly - you’d have to ask why. Hunger? Poverty? Racism? Moving around too often because housing is insecure and unaffordable? Whoa whoa, too-hard basket. Hush.)
Start musing about where all that taxpayers’ money goes. Start murmuring about exciting, new, alternative ways to deliver education, which is quite a trick when you're simultaneously yammering on about back to basics. Maybe, if we really loved our children, we’d try different kinds of schools, and “Oh, look: here’s one I prepared earlier.”
But do make it a surprise by not mentioning it during election campaigning. People love surprises.
Call the proposed schools something friendly and disarming: how about “partnership schools”? Who doesn’t like partnership? Not even lefties, LOL! Fudge the fact that New Zealand legislation already provides for different kinds of schools, and that many such schools are doing measurably brilliant things, notably the kūra kaupapa. Emphasise that you’re just adding options. Only the churlish |
Matthew. Within the next five days, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Bahamas are most definitely at risk and should prepare for hurricane conditions (at least a close encounter if not a direct landfall).
Beyond then, forecast confidence drops dramatically. Some models curve Irma back out to sea before reaching the continental United States, but a significant percentage of models have Irma striking the U.S. East Coast as early as Saturday or Sunday. Therefore, anyone with interests from Florida to New England should monitor forecasts closely.
The center of Irma is still about 900 miles east of the Leeward Islands, 2,150 miles east-southeast of Miami and 2,150 miles southeast of Wilmington, N.C. The National Hurricane Center is predicting Irma to pass over or near the Leeward Islands on Wednesday, then to be near the eastern Bahamas by Friday. Beyond that, the spread in model tracks grows, but it usually does at such long lead times. Hurricane watches may be issued later Sunday for the Leeward Islands.
In the longer range, beyond five days, we turn again to the model ensembles. Rather than relying on a single model or a single model run, we look at ensembles which generate dozens of model runs, each using slightly different initial conditions as input. The more similar the model tracks are to one another, the higher the forecast confidence. The larger the spread among the model tracks, the lower the forecast confidence. Watching the trends in these ensembles also helps wash out any erratic run-to-run changes.
Both the European and U.S. ensemble models below show similar forecasts with relatively high-probability tracks through about 168 hours (Saturday). Both then show a wide spread of track scenarios beyond that time, with landfall from Florida to New England possible, or staying out to sea. Note the European (ECMWF) ensembles show a little more potential for curving back out to sea than the U.S. (GEFS) ensembles, although even the European still shows a significant risk of U.S. landfall. On average, the European model is more skillful than the U.S. GEFS model for tropical cyclone tracks, and so far in Irma's brief history, it does indeed have lower track errors.
Ensemble-based track probabilities out to 10 days from the ECMWF model (top) and the GFS model (bottom). (A. Brammer/UAlbany)
The trend over the past couple of days has been to keep Irma further south for longer, bringing it closer to the United States, but still turning toward the north near the coast. With this in mind, locations from South Florida up to New England are most definitely still in play and need to be paying close attention. With the shape of the coastline, you can easily see above how a slight difference in timing of that northward turn makes all the difference.
As far as impacts and timing, we can offer some hypothetical scenarios — that is, *IF* the hurricane were headed for Location A, it would make landfall on Date A. These are not official forecasts, only estimates based on current long-range model guidance. Dangerous tropical storm-force winds would typically arrive about a day earlier.
South Florida: Saturday/Sunday (Sept. 9/10)
South Carolina, North Carolina: Sunday/Monday (Sept. 10/11)
Delmarva, Long Island, Cape Cod: Monday/Tuesday (Sept. 11/12)
Looking through the records going back to 1851, 11 previous tropical cyclones passed within 200 miles of Irma's current position as well as its three-day and five-day forecast positions (based on Sunday's 5 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time advisory). Some infamous ones in that short list are the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Note that six of the 11 recurved before reaching the U.S. East Coast.AFP•GETTY Adel al-Jubeir slammed Vladimir Putin's bid to wipe out ISIS
The Middle East nation's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said Moscow's bombing campaign was fuelling the Syria crisis rather than helping to end it. He said: "We believe that the Russian interference in Syria is very dangerous because it exacerbates the conflict." He also claimed the country's war can only be ended if President Bashar al-Assad – a long-time ally of Vladimir Putin – is overthrown.
Jubeir described Assad as the magnet that "attracted foreign fighters from all over the world" to fight for ISIS against his regime. Washington also believes the terror group – which controls vast swathes of Syria and Iraq – cannot be tackled unless Assad is removed from power. When asked whether Assad could play a role in any Syrian interim government Jubeir said: "His role would be to leave Syria. "The best case scenario is that we wake up in the morning and Bashar al-Assad is not there."
AFP•GETTY The Saudi foreign minister branded the bombing campaign'very dangerous'
Russia's air force has flown more than 780 sorties against almost 800 targets in Syria since September 30. But Jubeir added: "We believe that it will be viewed as Russia inserting itself in a sectarian conflict in the Middle East. "We're concerned that this will trigger emotions in the Muslim world that will cause an increase in fighters to go to Syria." Jubeir is due to meet his Russian, American and Turkish counterparts in Austria today to discuss Syria.Photo
LONDON — A Canadian gambling company has agreed to acquire the parent of the online poker brands PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker for $4.9 billion in a deal that would create the world’s largest online gambling company.
The Amaya Gaming Group, a gambling equipment and services company, said late Thursday that it would acquire the privately held Oldford Group in an all-cash transaction. Oldford, based on the Isle of Man, is the parent company of the Rational Group, the owner and operator of PokerStars and Full Tilt.
The deal is expected to pave the way for the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands to re-enter the United States — nearly three years after the Justice Department seized their websites and hundreds of millions of dollars owed to players in the United States.
Online gambling was considered illegal in the United States for many years, but a reinterpretation of a federal law known as the Wire Act by the Justice Department in December 2011 opened the door for individual states to legalize online bets.
Amaya said it thought the deal would expedite the return of the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands to regulated markets where it already operates, including the United States. The company hasn’t detailed its plans for the United States.
Amaya’s business has been focused primarily on casino and other gambling operators like state lotteries, including making slot machines and providing casino management software programs. The deal with Oldford would be its first consumer venture.
David Baazov, Amaya’s chief executive, called the deal, which requires shareholder approval, “a transformative acquisition.”
Gambling online was largely accepted in the United States from the late 1990s until 2006, when Congress made it illegal for gambling companies to accept bets online for “unlawful” transactions. But in 2011, the Justice Department issued an opinion that the law allowed individual states to permit online gambling.
In the summer of 2011, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against the three largest online poker companies operating in the United States — Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker — and brought criminal charges against several of their executives.
Prosecutors accused them of hiding the true nature of payments by making it appear that they were for golf balls, jewelry and other items.
In 2012, PokerStars agreed to pay $731 million to settle a lawsuit by the Justice Department and acquired the assets of Full Tilt, which became insolvent after the Justice Department shut down its operations in the United States.
The companies didn’t admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement and maintained that online poker was legal.
Last year, Raymond Bitar, the former Full Tilt chief executive, pleaded guilty to violating a United States law that bars making or processing payments for online gambling and conspiracy. Mr. Bitar avoided prison time because he was awaiting a heart transplant.
Mr. Bitar was one of 11 people charged in the 2011 crackdown.
As part of the deal with Amaya, Mark Scheinberg, the Rational founder and chief executive, and other principals of Oldford will leave the company and its subsidiaries after the completion of the transaction. His father, Isai Scheinberg, is still facing criminal charges in the United States related to the 2011 crackdown.
Severing ties with the Scheinberg family as part of the Amaya deal could ease the way for PokerStars to seek another review for an online gambling license in New Jersey.
In December, New Jersey regulators suspended their review of PokerStars’ application for a gambling license for two years, citing the unresolved federal criminal charges against Isai Scheinberg.
In March, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, introduced a bill that would ban online gambling. The legislation was originally drafted by a lobbyist for the billionaire casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson, who, with members of his family, has made tens of thousands of dollars in donations to Mr. Graham. The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
PokerStars and Full Tilt have continued to operate outside the United States since the ban, including in Europe, and have more than 85 million registered users, the companies said.Time math [ edit ]
Time is often difficult to perform mathematical operations upon due to all the different units used.
Units [ edit ]
Seconds [ edit ]
The second is the basic unit of time. In scientific areas, seconds are often used for even large time measurements, with scientific notation applied in such cases. In common usage, however, many other time intervals are also used.
Seconds are abbreviated "sec" or just "s".
Minutes [ edit ]
There are 60 seconds per minute.
Minutes are abbreviated "min" or just "m".
Hours [ edit ]
There are also 60 minutes per hour, which means there are 60×60 or 3600 seconds per hour.
Hours are abbreviated "hr" or just "h".
Days [ edit ]
There are 24 hours per day, which means there are 60×24 or 1440 minutes per day. This, in turn, means there are 60×60×24 or 86400 seconds per day.
Days are abbreviated "d".
Weeks [ edit ]
There are 7 days per week. This means there are 7×24 or 168 hours per week.
Weeks are abbreviated "wk".
Months [ edit ]
There are 4 1/ 3 weeks per month, on average, and from 28 to 31 days per month, as follows:
28 or 29 days, depending on leap year (see the section below for leap year info):
February
30 days:
April, June, September, and November.
31 days:
All remaining months.
Months are abbreviated "mo"
Memory methods [ edit ]
Recalling which months have how many days can be tricky. There are some memory methods available to assist you, however:
Knuckle method. Place your two closed fists together and use the knuckles and valleys between the knuckles to represent months:
J M M J A O D A A A U U C E N R Y L G T C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / \_/ \_/ \_/ \ / \_/ \_/ \_/ \ | || | | F A J || S N | | E P U || E O | | B R N || P V | | || | | / \ | | / \ | | / \ |
The knuckles represent months with 31 days while the valleys represent months with 30 days (or less, in the case of February). Note that the thumbs and the gap between the hands are not used, and neither is the last valley and last knuckle.
Rhyme method.
"30 days hath September, April, June, and November..."
Years [ edit ]
The length of the year is based on how long it takes the Earth to revolve once around the Sun, which is approximately 365 ¼ days.
Regular years have 365 days, while leap years have 366 (due to the addition of February 29th).
Normal years have 52 weeks and 1 day, while leap years have 52 weeks and 2 days.
All years have 12 months.
Years are abbreviated "yr" or just "y".
What years are leap years? [ edit ]
Since there is a fractional number of days in a year, not an integer, some adjustments need to be made to prevent drift from occurring (where January would eventually end up in the summer). There are occasional "leap seconds" added to some years, in addition to leap years, to keep this from happening. Here are the rules for leap years:
Every fourth year is a leap year:
Except every 100th year, which is not a leap year.
Except every 400th year, which is a leap year.
Here's a list of "every 4th year" from 1900 through 2100. All are leap years except for 1900 and 2100:
1900 (Not a leap year, due to the "every 100th year" rule).
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996 2000 (Is a leap year, due to the "every 400th year" rule).
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
2028
2032
2036
2040
2044
2048
2052
2056
2060
2064
2068
2072
2076
2080
2084
2088
2092
2096
2100 (Not a leap year, due to the "every 100th year" rule).
Longer periods [ edit ]
Decade = 10 years
Century = 100 years
Millenium = 1000 years
Myr = million years
Byr = billion years
Systems [ edit ]
12-hour clock [ edit ]
In this traditional system, the first 12 hours in the day are called "AM" ("ante meridian", or before noon) and the last 12 are called "PM" ("post meridian", or after noon). One oddity of this system is that no zero hours are used, with 12 (from the previous time period) used in its place.
24 hour clock [ edit ]
In this system, sometimes called military time, the first number is zero, and the full 24 hours is counted:
Common name 12-hour clock 24-hour clock ================= ============= ============= "Midnight" 12:00 AM 0:00 "1 in the morning" 1:00 AM 1:00 "2 in the morning" 2:00 AM 2:00 "3 in the morning" 3:00 AM 3:00 "4 in the morning" 4:00 AM 4:00 "5 in the morning" 5:00 AM 5:00 "6 in the morning" 6:00 AM 6:00 "7 in the morning" 7:00 AM 7:00 "8 in the morning" 8:00 AM 8:00 "9 in the morning" 9:00 AM 9:00 "10 in the morning" 10:00 AM 10:00 "11 in the morning" 11:00 AM 11:00 "Noon" 12:00 PM 12:00 "1 in the afternoon" 1:00 PM 13:00 "2 in the afternoon" 2:00 PM 14:00 "3 in the afternoon" 3:00 PM 15:00 "4 in the afternoon" 4:00 PM 16:00 "5 in the afternoon" 5:00 PM 17:00 "6 in the evening" 6:00 PM 18:00 "7 in the evening" 7:00 PM 19:00 "8 in the evening" 8:00 PM 20:00 "9 in the evening" 9:00 PM 21:00 "10 in the evening" 10:00 PM 22:00 "11 in the evening" 11:00 PM 23:00
In the military, the time isn't necessarily reset at midnight. For example, a two-day operation may go up to 48:00 (said "forty-eight hundred"). This is done to make time math simpler. So, for example, the time between 20:00 and 40:00 is 20 hours.
Decimal time [ edit ]
There was an attempt at decimal time during the French Revolution, but it never caught on. Days were divided into 10 "hours", which were divided into 100 "minutes" each. "Weeks" were also 10 days long. No metric time system has ever been established.
Operations [ edit ]
Addition [ edit ]
Addition of a time interval to a starting time (or of two time intervals) works like normal addition, except that you may want to convert to different units.
Examples [ edit ]
31 seconds + 5 seconds = 36 seconds
43 seconds + 22 seconds = 65 seconds, which you may want to convert to 1 minute and 5 seconds
43 seconds + 11:59:22 AM = 12:00:05 PM
43 seconds + 12:00:05 PM = 12:00:48 PM
Subtraction [ edit ]
Subtraction of a time interval from an ending time (or a time interval from another) works like normal subtraction, except that you may want to convert to different units.
Examples [ edit ]
36 seconds - 5 seconds = 31 seconds
1 minute and 36 seconds - 55 seconds = 60 seconds - 19 seconds = 41 seconds.
12:00:05 PM - 43 seconds = 11:59:22 AM
Multiplication [ edit ]
You can multiply a time interval by a scalar (unitless value), but it doesn't yet make sense to multiply specific time with anything else or two time intervals together. As before, you may want to change units to something that makes sense or perform a different operation.
In Physics, you may see time intervals being multiplied. However, this is beyond the scope of elementary math and should be reserved until you are ready for the course (which requires knowledge of algebra.)
Examples [ edit ]
43 seconds × 2 = 86 seconds = 1 minute and 26 seconds
1 day, 21 hours, 45 minutes, and 43 seconds × 2 = 2 days, 42 hours, 90 minutes, and 86 seconds = 2 days, 42 hours, 91 minutes, and 26 seconds = 2 days, 43 hours, 31 minutes, and 26 seconds = 3 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes, and 26 seconds
Wrong: 10 seconds x 2 seconds = 20 seconds (Corect: 20 seconds^2)
Division [ edit ]
You can divide a time interval by a scalar (unitless value), but it doesn't make sense to divide one time by another. As before, you may want to change units.
You may also see a scalar divided by a time interval. This can be used to show frequency (how often something occurs), or velocity (how fast something moves.)
Repeated division by a time interval appears in physics and is used to denote acceleration. However, this concept is beyond the scope of this book.
Examples [ edit ]
1 minute and 25 seconds / 2 = 85 seconds / 2 = 42.5 seconds
30 / 5 seconds = 6 / 1 second (indicates something happens six times every second)
50 km / 2 hours = 25 km / 1 hour (indicates somthing moving at 25km/h).Fáilte Ireland visitor figures provided to Independent.ie Travel give a fascinating insight into where tourists actually go.
Fáilte Ireland visitor figures provided to Independent.ie Travel give a fascinating insight into where tourists actually go.
Revealed: The Irish counties most (and least) visited by overseas tourists
The figures, based on rolling, three-year averages from Fáilte Ireland's Survey of Overseas Travellers, show that Dublin was Ireland's most-visited county in 2015.
No surprise there, given the capital's population, air and sea access.
But did you know Galway and Cork get more visitors than Kerry?
Or that Longford is Ireland's least-visited county, with a mere 30,000 overseas tourists spending just €8 million there last year?
Overseas visitors by county (2015)
Dublin: 4,938,000 Cork: 1,449,000 Galway: 1,354,000 Kerry: 1,026,000 Clare: 597,000 Limerick: 537,000 Mayo: 302,000 Donegal: 289,000 Kilkenny: 267,000 Waterford: 263,000 Wicklow: 248,000 Wexford: 221,000 Kildare: 214,000 Sligo: 186,000 Tipperary: 180,000 Cavan: 144,000 Meath: 134,000 Louth: 125,000 Westmeath: 116,000 Monaghan: 65,000 Carlow: 62,000 Laois & Leitrim: 57,000 each Offaly & Roscommon: 50,000 each Longford: 30,000
Overseas tourist revenue earned by county:
Dublin: €1,726m Cork: €558m Galway: €475m Kerry: €234m Limerick: €212m Clare: €127m Kildare: €89m Donegal: €83m Wicklow: €82m Mayo: €80m Waterford: €75m Tipperary: €66m Wexford: €65m Sligo: €51m Cavan: €50m Kilkenny: €45m Meath: €44m Louth & Westmeath: €36m each Carlow: €32m Monaghan: €25m Roscommon: €20m Laois: €18m Leitrim: €15m Offaly: €14m Longford: €8m
It's interesting to note the discrepancy between visitor numbers and spend in two middle-ranking counties. Kildare is the 13th most visited, for instance, but the 7th highest-earner from overseas tourism, with €87 million last year.
Conversely, while Kilkenny ranked as Ireland's 9th most visited county in 2015, it was the 16th highest-earner, drawing just €45 million from overseas visitors.
NB: These figures do not take domestic tourism into account.
Read more:
Online EditorsWhen I knew I’d be passing through Brunei – a “dry” Islamic country in the process of introducing sharia law – my first question was, of course, “so where can I get a drink?”
I learned of the existence of a mysterious “speakeasy” known as “the lounge” and I made it my goal whilst in Brunei to track it down.
After reading a few accounts, like this one by Martin Vaughan for Wall Street Journal, Patrick Brzeski’s detective work for The Hollywood Reporter or Roger Mitton’s recollections of the legendary Brunei journalist, Ignatius Stephen, for the Phnom Penh Post, nobody was giving away the location, but I had a few clues. I knew that “the lounge”:
Is located in a well-known hotel in Bandar, though the number of the floor differs depending on the account,
in, though the number of the floor differs depending on the account, At the end of a hall, behind two unmarked doors, and that you have to listen for faint noise within.
,, and that you have to within. Has an outdoor, but discreet terrace.
I also had to bear in mind though that these reports could be second-hand, or could include misleading information in order to protect the establishment, or the writer themselves.
Basically, this was the kind of place you’d only find if you were invited. You had to be in the know, gain trust, work your way into the inner circle…
…and I had two days to find it.
It was tough, but we did it.
Brunei Alcohol Laws
Brunei’s Sultan is in the very process of implementing good, old-fashioned sharia law, which means alcohol is illegal and drinking it (along with being gay, talking shit about God and probably even eating pork – the vices according to the Islamic world) can leave you caned, flogged, stoned (to death) or even missing a limb.
Here’s an overview of Brunei’s alcohol laws:
Consumption of alcohol by Muslims is illegal in Brunei.
of alcohol is illegal in Brunei. Sale of alcohol is illegal.
of alcohol is illegal. Drinking in public is illegal.
is illegal. Public drunkenness is a very serious crime.
is a very serious crime. However, the minimum legal drinking age, for non-Muslims obviously, is 17.
, for non-Muslims obviously, is 17. Non-Muslims are allowed to bring in up to two litres of bottled spirits or 12 cans of beer once every 48 hours (not twice a day, as some sites claim) as long as you declare it and get an “alcohol permit” on entry. This is actually one of the more generous, as far as alcohol import allowances go…
…but what they don’t tell you anywhere else, and which I learnt the hard way, is that if you’re coming overland from KK (Kota Kinabalu, or most places in Sabah, Malaysia) you won’t be able to bring your alcohol to Bandar (because you’ll cross into Brunei twice, within 48 hours).
Typical! The first time in my life I play this their way and declare something at customs, and they screw me. I had to drink it on the bus. The bus drivers asked what the hell I was doing declaring it, saying I should’ve just brought it in. You want my advice? Never declare anything. Of course, nobody ever searched the bus. Part of me had to wonder whether the whole bus wasn’t loaded with illicit booze.
Also bear in mind that being non-drinkers themselves, the border officials often don’t know the difference between beer, wine, spirits and so on, and are also unlikely to be sympathetic to your cause.
For a full guide, check out this guide to bringing alcohol into Brunei by Don’t Stop Living’s Jonny Blair, who’s been even more places than I have.
So, How and Where Can I Drink in Brunei?
If you want a drink in Brunei, here are your options. Bear in mind, most of these are illegal. If you don’t want to break the law, listen to the laws above, not to my advice.
BYOB (bring your own booze) is common in some small, non-Muslim-run restaurants. There’s no corkage charge but remember, it’s illegal, so keep it hidden and low-profile and always ask first.
(bring your own booze) is common in some small, non-Muslim-run restaurants. There’s but remember, it’s, so and and. After Muslims, the next largest ethnic group in Brunei is non-Muslim Chinese – many of whom drink. Some Chinese restaurants offer the infamous “special tea” (beer in a teapot). As a rule of thumb, if there’s pork, there’s beer …or at the very least you won’t risk your skin asking for it. So head for Chinatown!
offer the infamous. As a rule of thumb, …or at the very least you won’t risk your skin asking for it. So You can drink at your place or at the private home of a non-Muslim. (Remember, you’re allowed to bring in some alcohol.)
or at the of a. (Remember, you’re allowed to bring in some alcohol.) Do what the locals do : go to Miri, Labuan, Kuala Lurah, etc, across the border in Malaysia.
: go to,,, etc, across the border in. As it’s technically not Brunei soil, why not have a drink in your embassy?
? There are, of course, secret, underground parties in isolated spots where you can drink and dance to loud music, but good luck finding them. They’re invitation only, but try your luck with the bell-hops (hotel porters) who are most likely to be in the know.
Exposing Brunei’s Underground Drinking Scene!
Early searches for “Brunei nightlife” led only to late-night coffee shops, like the ones in Gadong, and the Chinese restaurateurs I asked in the city centre were unresponsive and the visits unfruitful.
I attempted to use Foursquare, which has a list of speakeasies in Brunei, and came up with names of places like “My Dream”, “Area 31″ and “Bebeh Hotspot”, but all of these were on the outskirts of the city and the locations were too vague, with no other information on them available online. Not to mention they sound dodgy as hell.
I drew up a list of Bandar hotels and, with the few clues I’d garnered, began my sleuthing.
After checking out all but one of the central hotels, my money was on the Radisson, but while “the Rad” does have a BYOB lounge where you can store your alcohol in lockers, it is exclusive to guests and – the big giveaway – there was no terrace space visible from outside.
All we needed to do was get in the know, get talking to a white businessman in a hotel bar – but, oh yeah, there are no hotel bars! I was at a loss…
…but just then we spotted a fellow “whitey” leaving the Rad.
I saw a chance and I took it.
“Excuse me, do you speak English?”
“Sure.”
“Do you know if there’s a bar or anything around here?”
He smiled, instinctively looking around to check no-one was listening in. “Well…there is one place… It’s not much to look at, but…”
[By the way, unlike the other accounts I’ve read, I’m perfectly happy to blow the whistle on this place – they’re the ones breaking the law, not me, and I honestly won’t loose any sleep over making an enemy of the Sultan of Brunei – anyone who has 599 Rolls-Royces and decides he needs another one rather than sharing that money with the poor and disadvantaged is not exactly a potential friend of mine. What a twat!
However, I don’t want to be the guy who puts it online and ruins it for everyone. So, if you genuinely want to know where this place to drink in Brunei is, just contact me.]
Anyway, the guy, who we’ll lend an Irish accent and call “Cole”, was actually on his way to get booze and offered to give us a ride with his “driver”.
Cole was a great guy. He confirmed the stories of groups sitting drinking tea outside Chinese restaurants and getting gradually more loud and larey. He said that, behind the scenes, Bruneians are friendly and very liberal, like his driver, and that the lounge is actually owned by the Sultan’s cousin (a fact I obviously haven’t been able to confirm, but which I find highly plausible).
The drive was roughly four or five kilometres…or maybe it was miles.
Dropped off at the hotel, we walked in, through the lobby, took the elevator, and followed the hall to its end, where we were confronted with the set of unmarked doors, with masked, dome CCTV camera above, exactly as I’d expected. They’d even put three plants in front of the door in an attempt to disguise it.
I thought I could hear sporadic noises coming from inside, but when I knocked there was no answer.
“Come on Roy, let’s just go.”
I knocked again and, after a short wait, a small side-door just to our right unexpectedly opened to reveal a group of security guards.
“Is this the lounge?” I asked, and they shrugged and let us in.
“It should be quite obvious,” Cole had said. “Clearly everyone knows about it. If it was actually unwanted, it would be in a warehouse somewhere with heavy security and rife with hookers and drugs.”
This place was quiet and civilised – no loud music or dancing or explicit sex acts – with a pool table, people sitting around on plush but faded, threadbare chairs, like in an old, local pub in England, smoking, enjoying a beer, or some food from the legitimate restaurant downstairs. (In case you’re interested, food is about $5.50 for soup or chips and $26 for a t-bone steak.)
Apparently the Chief of Police regularly drinks here, and (contrary to what you might first think) when he’s in the house your definitely safe from a raid.
“Do you have a menu?” I asked.
The bartender just laughed. “No.”
The choice of booze was limited to a few bottles – mostly whisky, which seemed to match the clientele – and beer for $7 a pint, which is, perhaps surprisingly, roughly UK price.
There were old black and white pictures on the wall, lockers for guests to store their booze, a TV, turned low, playing sports. There was the terrace, as promised, surrounded by staggered slats to impair viewers from outside.
That shakey, adrenalin-induced feeling you get when you’re breaking the law, when you’re out of your depth and don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Maybe the equivalent of how you’d feel if you sought out an opium den in the UK. It was my first “speakeasy” and the word alone put me in the mind of Bugsy Mallone or Al Capone or whatever. I’ve no doubt there are others – lesser-known, more local – roadside cafes and so on. House parties are also a big part of life here, we were told.
The feeling had faded and we were now relaxed, on seeing the harmlessness and strange normalcy (oxymoron intended) of the place.
A trip to the toilet (which had a bath-tub) gave the impression that this was a not-so-long-ago converted suite. The lack of decor (relative to the rest of the hotel) and the fact that there’d been no attempt to remove the bath pointed to the illicit nature of the establishment.
When we were good and tipsy we called our new driver, who 10 minutes later picked us up and took us back to the Radisson, where he, erroneously but quite conveniently, assumed we were staying.
“How much do we owe you?”
“Whatever you want to pay.”
“I don’t really know the currency… We only just arrived. Is ten about right?”
“Sure,” he said with a smile that could either mean “no, you cheapskate bastards” or “thank you kindly”.
On a side note, I’m now pretty sure that journey should’ve cost about $15 – or $30 after 10 pm, when rates double.
I won’t give away the driver’s name or number or any other details as there are apparently less than 50 licensed taxi drivers in BSB…though it’s probably safe to say he wasn’t one of them.
If you’re the kind of person who often finds yourself in a Muslim nation looking for drink, you may also be interested in my post on what and where to drink in Morocco. I’ve got quite the series.
Where to Stay in Bandar Seri Begawan?
When’s the last time you met anyone who’s been to Brunei? Accommodation (especially of the budget variety) is fairly limited in Brunei. Bandar has a handful of options though:
Pusat Belia – The equivalent of a YHA or HI hostel. Dorms from $10 (that’s Brunei dollars) (£5). Try it if you want. Didn’t respond to our emails and told us they were full when they quite clearly weren’t. (It’s massive!)
– The equivalent of a YHA or HI hostel. Dorms from $10 (that’s Brunei dollars) (£5). Try it if you want. Didn’t respond to our emails and told us they were full when they quite clearly weren’t. (It’s massive!) KH Soon Resthouse – $40 double or $35 single. (Prices have gone up a bit since the latest Lonely Planet – as they always do!) This is where we stayed. Huge rooms, squat toilets, no breakfast, dead centre of the city (shame not much else is) and staff are nice enough. Perfectly adequate. It’s extortionate for South East Asia, but a good deal for Brunei.
– $40 double or $35 single. (Prices have gone up a bit since the latest Lonely Planet – as they always do!) This is where we stayed. Huge rooms, squat toilets, no breakfast, dead centre of the city (shame not much else is) and staff are nice enough. Perfectly adequate. It’s extortionate for South East Asia, but a good deal for Brunei. Terrace Hotel – $65 with no breakfast or $75 with à la carte breakfast. It’s dated but has a pool and is probably the best deal in town if you want a nice room.
– $65 with no breakfast or $75 with à la carte breakfast. It’s dated but has a pool and is probably the best deal in town if you want a nice room. Radisson – $80 plus tax. Buffet breakfast. I wouldn’t normally mention these options but there’s really not a lot else. It’s very swish though and within easy walk of the centre even with a backpack.
What Else to Do in Bandar?
Not much.
You should probably check out:
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, pictured above…
, pictured above… …and the derelict water villages immediately opposite (and all over Brunei).
immediately opposite (and all over Brunei). The night market and shitty day market for some relatively cheap eats.
and shitty for some relatively cheap eats. Istana Nurul Iman – the largest royal residence in the world (bigger than Versailles) with 1,788 rooms and 257 bathrooms, can only be seen for three days a year, during Hari Raya Aidilfitri (the end of Ramadan). Otherwise you can take a water taxi around its immense grounds for $15 and you won’t see shit.Hackers and spies have targeted campaigns since at least 2008. Earlier this month, the Office of the Director of National Security |
focus only on the immediately perceived, very real misfortune of someone losing a job. But “see the unseen”: when technological progress or increased specialization causes job losses in one line of work, labor is freed up for more productive uses. There is always something else to do. And the more goods an economy produces, the more a worker can buy with his wages. The problem is that it’s harder to “see” the more productive work that, in the future, a newly unemployed worker might do than it is to empathize with his current, more visible predicament. Similarly with the fear of technological unemployment that I used to share with most people. Economists point out that if technology posed the threat of making people economically superfluous, then surely we would all be unemployed by now. After all, 300 years ago almost everyone was a farmer, but agricultural technology now enables one farmer to feed 100 people. Does that mean that the 99 people fed by the farmer (apart from himself) are unemployed? Obviously not. They are employed in other occupations, which have been made possible by freeing their labor from producing food. If the unemployment of hand-loom weavers caused by advances in weaving technology had been stopped in nineteenth-century England, the Industrial Revolution, to which most of the world’s billions of people owe their lives, would never have happened. If the unemployment of horse breeders caused by the advent of the car had been prevented in early twentieth-century America, we would not be able to drive farther than our carriages could take us, and the streets of our cities would be piled high with horse manure. What’s seen is the suffering of those whose jobs are rendered superfluous by technological change. What’s unseen are (1) how those workers adapt; (2) how they require less income to meet the same needs, because technological improvement raises everyone’s standard of living; and, most of all, (3) the suffering that never occurs because of the higher wages technology enables. CORPORATE GREED Those who don’t understand economics often ridicule the economists’ belief in an “invisible hand” as a matter of ideology or faith; what could be more superstitious? But economists don’t take the invisible hand literally; it’s a metaphor explaining that even though most people in markets may be motivated by greed, under capitalism, the only way they can pursue their self-interest is by offering each other things they want to buy from each other. So in markets, self-serving motives are transformed into other-serving actions, as if by magic. However, there really is a matter of faith involved in the public’s division of opinion with economists over greedy corporations. But the faith is on the non-economists’ side of the divide. It is the unshakeable conviction that greed is (always) bad. This faith is understandable if one forgets—ordoesn’t understand in the first place (as I didn’t)—that markets give people choices: you can go elsewhere if a greedy corporation fails to satisfy you, so the best way for the corporation to pursue self-interest is to be attentive to your needs. Is it any wonder that greedy corporations are constantly conducting market research to figure out what people will buy, while the things government provides (consider public schools or post offices) are notoriously customer-unfriendly? KFC wants you to come back, so it tries to minimize lines and give you good service. But why should the DMV care if you have to wait for hours to get a driver’s license? You can’t go to a competing DMV if you’re dissatisfied. One survey question from the 1996 study that captures the public’s misunderstanding of this point asks why the price of gasoline rose back then. An overwhelming majority of economists—89 percent—pointed to the normal operation of supply and demand. An almost equally lopsided fraction of the public—74 percent—blamed “oil companies trying to increase profits.” Apparently most people think that prices go up when businesses suddenly start to feel greedier. Economists, in contrast, expect businesses to be greedy year-in, year-out; but only if supplies have gone down (or demand has gone up) can they greedily increase prices without losing business to competitors. An oil company that raised prices in the absence of a supply shortage would lose customers to an equally greedy oil company that took advantage of plentiful supplies to charge less—and thereby get more customers, and more profit. But what if the companies collude to raise prices together? Such cartels are rare because of the constant pressure each member of the cartel feels to undercut the others to gain profit for itself. And look at the “unseen” past conditions that must have occurred for a cartel even to be conceivable. A group of companies that are in a position to form a cartel must already have conferred considerable advantages (low prices, high quality) on their customers to have rung up so much in sales that they have a commanding market position. Once they start trying to act like a cartel, they have a long way to go before their bad behavior overcompensates for the good (albeit greedy) behavior that made these companies so big. What I can’t understand as I look back on my own anti-corporate-greed days is exactly what I thought corporations do that is so evil. No corporation ever made me buy something I didn’t want, nor do corporations employ anyone who doesn’t want a job. The survey questions about excessive profits and executive pay help flesh out the general public’s resentment of corporate “greed.” Very few economists see executive compensation as a drag on economic performance. Quite the opposite: incentives for corporate executives to make wise management decisions help markets serve consumers (thereby making the corporations managed by the executives profitable). Many non-economists fail to connect performance and reward. It is hard for them to see what executives “really contribute.” If they were thinking about professional athletes or movie stars, they might see matters differently. But the performance of a corporate manager isn’t nearly as visible as the exertions of a point guard.
THE TROUBLE WITH DEMOCRACY
When experts observe the seemingly endless list of failed economic policies, they often blame an “iron triangle” of special interests. Under a veneer of democratic rule, these experts assume, politicians actually tune out public opinion in favor of helping whichever special interests give most generously to their campaigns. But research on economic literacy raises doubts about the power of interest groups to derail democracy. The policies economists deplore—like protection against globalization (i.e., against foreign trade)—turn out to be immensely popular with the voters. Why should we think that politicians fail to listen to the voice of the people, when heeding the voice of the people is the usual path to political power in a democracy? I would suggest that politicians listen all too well, and that as a result, they heed a host of economically illiterate demands. Even if a politician is economically literate, the need to get re-elected encourages him to go along with economic illiteracy. But if bad policies exist because of voters’ economic illiteracy, there may be hope. I used to be among the economically illiterate myself. If I could be educated, maybe other voters can be, too. The question is whether they have the imagination to “see the unseen.” discuss this article Bryan Caplan is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University.NIH researchers identify new marker to predict progressive kidney failure, death
A high level of a hormone that regulates phosphate is associated with an increased risk of kidney failure and death among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a recent study led by researchers at the University of Miami and funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health. Results are in the June 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In a previous study of patients beginning hemodialysis for treatment of kidney failure, individuals with elevated blood levels of the hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) were found to be at nearly six times greater risk of death compared to those with lower levels. However, the hormone had not been tested in the much larger population of patients with less advanced CKD. Researchers now report that patients with earlier stage kidney disease and high FGF23 are at nearly two times higher risk of kidney failure if their baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is 45 milliliters or higher, while all CKD patients are at three times higher risk of death compared to patients with lower levels of the hormone. The eGFR is a measure of kidney function.
Senior study author Myles Wolf, M.D., M.M.Sc., at the University of Miami, believes this discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of phosphate problems. Treatment typically consists of dietary phosphate restriction and phosphate binders — medications that work like a sponge to soak up phosphate in the gut. "Since FGF23 rises before phosphate in people with early or intermediate-stage chronic kidney disease, this hormone could be an early marker — like a road sign — pointing to patients who may benefit from early management of phosphate levels, which may help preserve kidney function and reduce deaths," he said.
Our bodies need phosphorus to build and repair bones and teeth, help cells function and maintain DNA. With fine-tuned regulation from hormones like FGF23, the kidneys help control the amount of phosphate in the blood by eliminating the excess. Elevated phosphate levels are often a consequence of advanced kidney disease or damage. But too much phosphate may also make kidney disease worse.
The findings released today are based on data from 3,879 racially diverse participants with CKD who enrolled in the NIDDK-supported, multi-center, observational Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study between June 2003 and September 2008. During a median follow up period of 3.5 years, 266 patients died and 410 developed kidney failure.
"The major goal of the CRIC Study is to figure out which factors might predict rapid loss of kidney function and development and worsening of heart disease in CKD patients," said Robert A. Star, M. D., director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases at NIDDK. "FGF23 could be the critically important puzzle piece that separates those who might have stable kidney function from those who have progressively worsening kidney disease and heart disease that requires more intensive therapy. FGF23 might work better than more traditional measures, such as protein in the urine, in certain settings."
Star added that the study of FGF23 in the CRIC Study is part of a major effort supported by the NIDDK to identify markers that can better predict the fate of patients with CKD. Further work is necessary to determine whether FGF23 actually causes death or progressively reduces kidney function in CKD patients, and whether reducing FGF23 levels improves patient survival.
Next month, the NIDDK will host a meeting to discuss opportunities for randomized clinical trials to reduce the impact of CKD. For more information, visit http://www3.niddk.nih.gov/fund/other/ckdclintrials2011/index.htm.
An estimated 23 million American adults have CKD, and nearly 400,000 people in the United States and 2 million worldwide depend on dialysis to treat kidney failure. CKD costs the nation $57.5 billion per year, or roughly 23 percent of total Medicare expenditures, and end stage renal disease carries a cost of $39.5 billion.
This research was also supported by NIH’s National Center for Research Resources.
CRIC Study participants have been recruited from, and are followed at, 13 U.S. clinical sites — Case Western Reserve, the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, MetroHealth Cleveland, St. Johns Medical Center Detroit, Tulane University, University of California, San Francisco, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, and Wayne State University. The study’s Scientific and Data Coordinating Center is at the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about the CRIC Study, visit http://archives.niddk.nih.gov/patient/cric/cric.aspx.
The NIDDK, a component of the NIH, conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see www.niddk.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®When Universal bought DreamWorks Animation back in August, the studio came with a bunch of prospective projects to sort through. One of these, which has been in development for a while, is a live-action Voltron movie started by Jeffrey Katzenberg when he was heading DreamWorks. As it turns out, Universal is into the idea, and now the movie officially has a script penned by David Hayter of X-Men fame.
Deadline reports that Universal is moving forward with the Voltron movie, but keeping things cautious for now as we’re going to have two giant robot movies coming out in the next year: Transformers: The Last Knight and the live-action Power Rangers movie. Universal is probably waiting to see how these two do before starting any super serious plans in motion for Voltron. The good news for the fans is DreamWorks already have a Netflix cartoon, Voltron Legendary Defender, whose first season was very well-received and whose second is premiering at the beginning of next year. So they know the fans are out there if there was going to be a Voltron movie.
Voltron, in essence, is about a team of astronauts who stumble upon five giant lion-shaped mechas, who have the ability to come together to form the legendary Voltron. If you’re thinking that’s a lot like the Megazord from Power Rangers, you’d be correct. The Power Rangers movie will have Zords, and there’s a chance they’ll form Megazord at some point, so Universal needs to watch closely to see if a) that kind of thing is something audiences respond positively to, and b) their giant robot movie won’t be overshadowed by the one that came before.Free consultation employment lawyers in Fort Worth, Texas do not include all Fort Worth employment attorneys but does include some of them. Often attorneys practicing employment law offering free consultations are personal injury attorneys who also take employment law cases or other non-employment attorneys who take employment law cases as part of a broader litigation practice. However, the main practice areas for a lawyer or attorney in Fort Worth is not what determines whether somebody is a free consultation employment lawyer.
How Fort Worth employment attorneys set up fees
Each attorney determines how he or she is paid for particular types of cases whether it is employment or any other area of law. Some attorneys offer free consultations because it will bring people into the office and they can determine whether they want to take the case. Free consultations are an easy way to get lots of people in the door because there is very little disincentive to schedule a consultation to meet with the attorney. Some attorneys charge a fee because they want to dissuade people who are on the fence about their claims from taking up their time or they may merely have enough employment lawsuits ongoing that they are looking to take on far fewer new cases.
Neither is necessarily a better approach for attorney or potential client. It is just different ways of doing business. People often find that free consultation employment lawyers will schedule an appointment but only meet with paralegals who take information to turn over to attorneys who will decide whether to take the case. They may meet with the attorney for a few minutes during the consultation but not spend the majority of the time with an employment attorney. This, again, is not right or wrong, it is merely how business is done. Some people are turned off by this law firm business method and that is one factor you may consider when looking for an employment lawyer.
Fort Worth employment lawyers and overtime claims
The government overtime arrangements are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Unless absolved, employees secured by the Act must get overtime pay for quite a long time worked more than 40 in a week’s worth of work at a rate at the very least time and one-a large portion of their standard rates of pay. There is no restriction in the Act on the quantity of hours employees matured 16 and more established may work in any week’s worth of work. The Act does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, occasions, or standard days of rest, unless overtime is taken a shot at such days. The Act applies on a week’s worth of work premise.
An employee’s week’s worth of work is an altered and frequently repeating time of 168 hours — seven continuous 24-hour terms. It require not correspond with the logbook week, but rather may start on quickly and at any hour of the day. Diverse work filled weeks might be built up for various employees or gatherings of employees. Averaging of hours more than at least two weeks is not allowed. Ordinarily, overtime pay earned in a specific week’s worth of work must be paid on the general pay day for the payroll interval in which the wages were earned.
History of overtime claims in Fort Worth
In the United States the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 applies to employees in enterprises occupied with or creating products for interstate trade. The FLSA sets up a standard work week of 40 hours for specific sorts of specialists, and commands installment for overtime hours to those laborers of one and one-half times the specialists’ typical rate of pay for at whatever time worked above 40 hours. The law makes two general classifications of employees, the individuals who are “excluded” from the control and the individuals who are “non-absolved”. Under the law, bosses are not required to pay absolved employees overtime but rather should do as such for non-excluded employees.
Self employed entities are not considered employees and consequently are not secured by the FLSA. A few variables figure out if a specialist is an employee, who may be qualified for overtime pay, or a self employed entity, who might not be so entitled. The employment assention expressing that a gathering is a self employed entity does not make it essentially so. The way of an occupation figures out if an employee is qualified for overtime pay, not employment status or the field of work. [5] Classes of laborers who are absolved from the control incorporate certain sorts of authoritative, expert, and official employees.
To qualify as a managerial, expert, or official employee and hence not be qualified for overtime, three tests must be passed in light of compensation premise, obligations, and pay level. The tests shift between managerial, expert, and official employees in light of their diverse obligations and pay levels. There are numerous different classes of laborers who might be absolved including outside business people, certain agrarian employees, certain live-in employees, and certain transportation employees. Employees can neither postpone their FLSA assurances nor shorten them by contract.
Employment law firms handle legal problems in labor law
Inability to conform to the new controls can be lamentable for your primary concern, even to the point of destroying the business. Even from a pessimistic standpoint, an employee could record a wage-and-hour lawsuit against you, which will take impressive time and cash just to settle. Regardless of the possibility that a lawsuit doesn’t emerge, you could wind up spending a great deal of additional hours revising blunders, and lost time is indispensable. Additionally, trying to keep employees absolved, numerous businesses may erroneously raise pay rates, just to discover a specialist’s occupation obligations group them as non-excluded; this basically adds up to an additional cost, Estes said. “A great deal of businesses are accepting the open door to do a review,” he said. “Take a gander at your workforce, and ensure they meet the obligations test [for excluded status].”
Fort Worth minimum wage attorneys
The government the lowest pay permitted by law for secured nonexempt employees is $7.25 every hour compelling July 24, 2009. The government the lowest pay permitted by law arrangements are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Numerous states likewise have the lowest pay permitted by law laws. In situations where an employee is liable to both the state and government the lowest pay permitted by law laws, the employee is qualified for the higher of the two least wages. The FLSA does not give wage installment or gathering strategies for an employee’s standard or guaranteed wages or commissions in abundance of those required by the FLSA. Notwithstanding, a few states do have laws under which such cases (some of the time including incidental advantages) might be documented. As indicated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.57 million Americans, or 2.1 percent of the hourly workforce, earned the lowest pay permitted by law in 2012. More than 60 percent of them either worked in retail or in relaxation and friendliness, which is to say lodgings and eateries, including fast-food chains.
Pay Raises in Texas
In the event that you need to genuinely talk about the benefits of raising the lowest pay permitted by law, in any case, you have to think past who procures it today. All things considered, there are a huge number of laborers making $8 or $9 a hour collecting burgers or washing bed covers who may be influenced by a climb. The Economic Policy Institute gauges that if Washington expanded the base to $10.10 as Obama might want, somewhere in the range of 21.3 million employees would in the end be ensured a raise, expecting they kept their occupations. (Another 11.1 million may hypothetically profit if organizations balanced their entire wage scales upwards, which is the thing that the light blue area on the graph appears. However, that may very well be pie in the sky thinking on EPI’s part.)
Free consultations with Fort Worth employment attorneys
Wage and overtime claims are common employment lawsuits in which you may need to find a free consultation employment lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas or another employment attorney in Fort Worth or Dallas who can review your case and determine whether you have minimum wage, overtime, FMLA, employment discrimination or other types of employment cases that the employment attorney would take to represent you. Find a Fort Worth employment attorney now and get started discussing your case.It had to be organized quickly. Just three weeks before the opening of the "Great German Art Exhibition" in Munich in 1937, which had been declared a top priority by Adolf Hitler, another exhibition was also to be prepared to demonstrate the contrast with the new national art.
The defamatory show was to present so-called "degenerate art." That included works that didn't conform to the Nazis' views about art: Expressionism, Surrealism, Dadaism, Cubism, New Objectivity and Fauvism - basically all modern art was to be pilloried and ridiculed.
Artworks were collected throughout Germany. A confiscation commission ordered by Hitler was launched on June 30, 1937, to collect the "appropriate" exhibits from different museums.
"Purging art was not a new idea. Certain lists had already been prepared by museums," explains Meike Hoffmann, project coordinator for the research center "Degenerate Art" at Berlin's Freie Universität. "Museums had already been brought into line; museums directors who refused to comply were replaced."
Nevertheless, the request took museums - and especially the smaller ones - by surprise. After all, the "Degenerate Art" exhibition was to open on July 19, 1937 - just a day after the "Great German Art Exhibition" started.
Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. "Dunes and Sea" (1913) is now on show at the Kunstmuseum Bern
Some 650 modern paintings, drawings and sculptures were hastily confiscated from 32 museums, including works by important masters such as Wassily Kandinsky, Emil Nolde, Lyonel Feininger, Ernst Barlach or Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
"There was a certain amount of leeway. For example, no one checked if the initial lists were complete," says Hoffmann. "The works had to be surrendered no matter who owned them. Some local politicians deliberately looked the other way, while others would vehemently require museum directors to hand over a specific painting."
The confiscations therefore took place arbitrarily and a certain degree of insecurity ruled, which is why some museum directors obediently handed over the works even before they were called upon to do so, explained Hoffman.
A turning point in Nazi cultural policy
Few of them, however, realized that the works were not just loaned for a short term for an exhibition in Munich. Along the way, they were contributing to the process of fundamentally "purging" the German art world.
"Many museum directors saw the confiscation of the works as a loan, and obtained insurance coverage for them," says Meike Hoffmann, who has been researching the period since 2006 at the Freies Universität Berlin.
The paintings, sculptures and drawings would never be returned. On the contrary, the Munich touring exhibition "Degenerate Art" marked a turning point in the Nazis' cultural policy.
Read more: Why Hitler stole paintings - and hid in one
By August 1937, modern art had already been thoroughly plundered in Germany. Over 20,000 works from about 1,400 artists were later seized during a second, more comprehensive round of confiscations. They were stored in a Berlin depot, burned or auctioned abroad.
Hitler and Propaganda Minister Goebbels visiting the Munich exhibition "Degenerate Art" in 1937
Yet some of those works were on show in Munich. To make sure visitors understood the intentions of the exhibition correctly, the walls were smeared with slogans and snide comments. "We see outbursts of madness, of insolence, botched work and degeneracy all around us," the exhibition's director, Adolf Ziegler, is said to have declared at the time. He was a painter himself and, as the president of the Reich Chamber for the Visual Arts, he personally oversaw the purge of undesirable artworks.
The exhibition, which was shown in 12 other cities afterwards, became a crowd puller. Over two million people went to see it. To this day, it remains the most-visited modern art show ever.
Many artworks lost forever
Many visitors presumably shared the ideology of the exhibition. Contemporary witnesses remember how some visitors would spit at the images. "Others, however, certainly went to the exhibition to see these works one last time," said Ulrich Wilmes, head curator of the Haus der Kunst in Munich.
His museum has to deal every day with the legacy of the "Great German Art Exhibition," as it was specifically built in 1937 to house it. To underline its 80th anniversary, the Haus der Kunst is presenting an exhibition on its own history and presenting a reworked version of the "Degenerate Art" show, with historical photos, film archives and exhibits on the construction of the building.
The Museum Kunstpalast Dusseldorf was particularly affected by the purges
The Nazis' destructive cultural policy is also currently remembered in Dusseldorf's Kunstpalast. On July 13, an exhibition opened that reconstructs art treasures that disappeared from its collection. Very few works have been saved: After Berlin and Essen, Dusseldorf was particularly affected by the purges. Over 1,000 paintings, sculptures and drawings were confiscated.
"We are showing an exhibition about a collection that no longer exists," said Kathin DuBois from the museum Kunstpalast. It was downright eradicated, she added.
Through a loan from Sydney, the large-format painting "Three Bathers" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner can be shown in Dusseldorf for the first time since the seizure. The rest of the exhibition features the museum's own sparse inventory.
"After 1945, not much could be recovered. Some works are still considered missing, such as the painting 'The Beautiful Gardener' by Max Ernst, which was on show at the 'Degenerate Art' exhibition. Many were destroyed, especially the paintings from local and then still unknown painters," said DuBois.
Read more: 'Suspicious' art from Nazi dealer to go on show in Germany
Impact of art purges still felt to this day
Meike Hoffmann also deplores this huge loss: "Young artists who were only at the beginning of their careers have been completely forgotten, unlike the painters who were already renowned at the time."
Basically, the German art world has not only lost a number of its most valuable paintings through the Nazis' purges, but the entire development of the country's arts is still affected by them, according to Hoffmann.
"The Nazis fortunately did not manage to completely eliminate modern art; there was an intensive reparation process after 1945," she says. But that also created new problems, as the focus was on an already outdated understanding of modern art, the expert adds.
It would also be difficult to clearly separate the art created under the Nazis in black-and-white categories - as "degenerate" or promoting the party's ideology. "Turning Nazi propaganda the other way around would mean succumbing to it," believes the researcher. For example, the Expressionist painter Emil Nolde was a Nazi party member and anti-Semite, but he was nevertheless indexed by the Nazis.
Expressionist painter Emil Nolde's Nazi party membership didn't prevent him from landing on the list of undesirable artists
Eighty years after the events, several exhibitions, panel discussions and public debates are being held. Significant headway was made with the discovery in 2012 of the art trove that once belonged to Hildebrand Gurlitt, Hitler's art dealer who traded the banned artworks abroad.
"That was spectacular," says Hoffmann, who also worked as a consultant on the Gurlitt case. "All of a sudden, works reappeared that we long believed to have disappeared."
Along with the exhibition in Dusseldorf and the reworked presentation in Munich, different related shows will be held this year, among others at the Zentrum für verfolgter Künste (Center for persecuted arts) in Solingen and an exhibition of the Gurlitt collection in Bern, Switzerland. Other persecuted artists will also be honored through solo exhibitions, including Rudolf Belling at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, Max Pechstein at the Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg and Otto Freundlich at the Kunstmuseum Basel.Anthony Bourdain — author, chef, TV travel host, libertine, and self-described left-wing liberal — defended the rights of people to say and believe "really stupid, offensive shit" in a recent interview with Adweek.
Interviewer Lisa Granatstein asked the host of CNN's Parts Unknown the not entirely accurate two-part question, "How about government getting involved in where and how we eat? Mayor Bill de Blasio called on New Yorkers to boycott Chick-fil-A given the owner's anti-LGBT views."
Factually, de Blasio didn't call for a boycott of Chick-Fil-A. What he said was "I'm certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn't urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right."
However, other mayors did choose to get "involved in where and how we eat," such as the late former Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino, who reportedly told the Boston Herald in 2012 he would try to block the opening of any business (such as Chick-Fil-A) "that discriminates against a population," despite lacking the legal authority to do so.
Also in 2012, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel backed a city alderman's stated intention to block the opening of a Chick-Fil-A franchise in his district. Emmanuel later tried to walk the statement back, when his press secretary said, "If they meet all the requirements, they're welcome to open a restaurant here."
It's been somewhat lost in the fog of recent history, but the controversy over Chick-Fil-A was not about whether or not the company practiced anti-discrimination against its employees or customers, it was simply a matter of the company's CEO Dan Cathy expressing his public political opposition to gay marriage, a position also publicly held by President Barack Obama (Emmanuel's former boss when he was White House Chief of Staff) until May 2012.
Bourdain seems to get the difference. Responding to Granatstein's question, he said:
Are we looking for nice people to run our companies? We're going to be looking pretty hard. I'm not going to go eat at that restaurant or I'm not going to patronize that business because I don't like what they institutionally support—I don't like the chairman of the board, I don't like who created the company, whatever. There's a whole lot of reasons to just make a personal decision and not go eat at a business and give them your money. I come from a restaurant business where you're lucky if the guy working next to you isn't like an armed robber. I support your inalienable right to say really stupid, offensive shit and believe really stupid, offensive shit that I don't agree with. I support that, and I might even eat your chicken sandwich.
In 2006, Reason contributor Baylen Linnekin conducted a fun interview with Bourdain based on the premise that the celebrity chef was a secret libertarian. Linnekin asked him questions pertaining to the nanny state ("Probably a sign of the apocalypse"), corporate social responsibility ("People should be teased and humiliated for eating at McDonald's...I don't think we should legislate them out of business"), drug legalization, regulation, immigration and more.
When Linnkein informed Bourdain that he scored a B+ in the former's assessment of the latter's libertarian bona fides, Bourdain replied, "I'm flattered. I guess I am. I'm very libertarian on many things." Bourdain added that he is "Embarrassed by the excesses of the left, because that's very much where I came from. And, for a million good reasons, horrified by the excesses of the right."
You can watch a very early Reason TV video featuring Bourdain talking about Chicago's foie gras ban here.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Indy Parks pools are adjusting schedules in order to make up for a shortage in lifeguards.
This year, they have around 250 lifeguards, but are still looking to hire at least 20 more. So far this year, Indy Parks officials said they've seen more than 60,000 people visiting pools.
"That’s a great number, considering we were at 174,000 last year for the total summer," said Ronetta Spalding, Chief Communications Officer for Indy Parks.
Indy Parks are actively searching for lifeguards. Some are completing their training this week.
Spalding said some pools have reduced hours and others are closed on certain days. Swimming safety is their top priority, according to Spalding. She said pools, when open, are fully staffed with an adequate number of lifeguards.
“We would not have a pool open if safety was not there and having this revised, tweeked, modified schedule allows us to do that," Spalding said.
The adjusted schedules means lifeguards aren't being overworked. Jennifer Stoneking, Senior Manager of Aquatics, said lifeguards get breaks every 10 to 15 minutes.
“That allowed us to share staff from one pool to another to make sure all of our facilities can open on their regularly scheduled times," Stonekind said.
Click here to apply for a lifeguard position and to check your pool schedule.Submitted by Simon Black of Sovereign Man
“Stay and fight”: Is this realistic?
Before leaving New York, I was enjoying a perfectly nice afternoon yesterday walking around the Upper West side. When I got to Lincoln center, roughly at the corner of Broadway and W 62nd Street, reality set in.
No fewer than ten NYPD storm troopers were ‘patrolling’ the sidewalk outside in full combat gear: Kevlar helmet, flak vest, semi-automatic 9mm sidearm, and Colt model 933 with M900 foregrip and M68 aimpoint. A few of them had M203 variety grenade launchers fitting snugly underneath the barrel.
And to what did we owe the deployment of such unnecessary firepower? An invasion of the Canadian hordes? Terrorists on the loose? No. Some visiting politician… clearly an individual who feels important enough to merit an intimidating death squad in his vicinity.
This is the nature of the system. Police are armed to the teeth… and while their official marketing slogan may be to ‘keep people safe’, their real function is to be the protectors and enforcers for the political class, all while keeping the people in check so that the know who’s boss.
On this note, we received a lot of comments this week from readers who reject the idea of considering greener pastures overseas and instead choose to “stay and fight.”
Reader Jay K, for instance, wrote that “sooner or later you’re going to have to fight. It might as well be in your own home, city, neighborhood, and country.”
This ‘stay and fight’ mentality does seem incredibly noble. It invokes images of Paul Revere and the original patriots standing their ground in battle against the red coat British forces. Unfortunately, the world just doesn’t work that way anymore.
There is no real enemy to fight… no clearly defined opposing force conveniently dressed in a different color like the rival baseball team. The battle is one of ideas.
At its simplest, the conflict comes down between those who believe that government is the problem, and those who believe that government is the solution. Most people are brainwashed statists who unquestioningly hold the latter as their ethos.
And then there is the big faceless void of government itself… politicians, bureaucrats, low-level workers, regulatory agencies, etc. We’re not talking about a single individual here, but an entire institution.
It begs the question– for all the ‘stay and fight’ people, who exactly are you fighting? And more importantly, how?
Of all the hundreds of similar notes we’ve received from people who claim they are going to ‘stay and fight’, I am still waiting for one… just one single email… from someone telling me exactly how they plan on doing that.
Are you going to go to the polls and kick the bums out? Go right ahead. If you can convince the majority of other voters (most of whom probably don’t share your ideology), then you’re just going to vote in another set of bums.
Politicians are politicians because they either (a) are attracted to power, and/or (b) think that government is the solution, not the problem. Replacing one set with another is hardly a credible course of action.
What else is the plan– armed conflict in the streets? I don’t understand this fantasy. The people are going |
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